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HISTORICAL 


ENCYCLOPEDIA 


OF 


ILLINOIS 


EDITED  BY 

Newton  Bateman,  LL.  D.  Paul  Selby,  A.  M. 


AND  HISTORY  OF 


DU  PAGE  COUNTY 

(^Historical  and  Biographical^ 
BY 

Special  Authors  and  Contributors 
VOLUME  II 

ILLUSTRATED 


CHICAGO 

MUNSELL  PUBLISHING  COMPANY 
PUBLISHERS 
I  9  I  3 


89( 


r^*^  V 


*  In  the  first  century  of  the  Christian  era,  Tacitus 
(perhaps  the  greatest  of  Roman  historians)  wrote  that  the 
object  of  history  was  "  to  rescue  virtuous  acts  from  the 
oblivion  to  whichthe  want  of  records  would  consign  them." 


FOREWORD 


One  of  the  eoiispieiious  evidences  of  modern  progress  is  manifested  iu  the 
increased  interest  iu  local  and  personal  history,  lu  a  general  sense,  real  history 
is  the  record  of  past  events,  while  biography  is  the  history  of  individual  life. 
The  close  relationship  of  these  two  branches  of  history  is  recognized  by  the  bril- 
liant essayist  and  historian,  Carlyle,  in  the  statement  that  "History  is  the 
essence  of  innumerable  biographies,"  and  that,  "in  a  certain  sense,  all  men  are 
historians,"  in  the  fact  that  tliey  furnish  the  matter  which  constitutes  true 
history. 

In  the  formative  period  of  each  new  community  the  attention  of  its  members 
is  largely  absorbed  by  the  present — the  necessity  of  securing  means  for  personal 
and  family  support — the  study  of  natural  resources  and  planning  for  future 
development.  But  as  time  advances  and  conditions  change,  there  comes  a  change 
in  the  popular  mind  and  an  increased  interest  in  the  past.  That  such  has  been 
the  condition  within  the  last  century  iu  DuPage  county,  as  well  as  in  the  iMiddle 
West  generally,  is  apparent  to  the  general  observer. 

These  evidences  of  change  and  development  are  taken  note  of  in  the  por- 
tions of  the  second  volume  devoted  more  especially  to  the  local  history  of  Du- 
Page county.  In  the  preparation  of  the  thirty  chapters  composing  this  portion 
of  the  work,  it  has  been  the  object  to  present,  in  compact  form  and  under  appro- 
priate topical  headings,  the  main  facts  of  county  history  from  the  earlier  settle- 
ments and  political  organization  to  the  present  time.  In  public  affairs  the 
county  has  occupied  a  pi"ominent  place  in  connection  with  general  state  his- 
tory. Various  topics  and  localities  have  been  treated  with  reasonable  fulness 
under  their  appropriate  chapter  headings  by  contributors  especially  selected  for 
that  purpose.  Of  the  score  of  different  contributors  to  these  and  other  depai't- 
raents,  it  is  not  necessary  here  to  make  special  mention,  as  their  names  are 
attached  to  their  respective  contributions  in  the  body  of  the  work.  For  the 
value  of  the  aid  thus  rendered  thanks  are  hereby  cordially  expressed. 


With  the  feeling  that  the  work,  as  a  whole,  has  been  prepared  with  special 
care  and  with  full  appreciation  of  the  interest  already  manifested  and  patron- 
age pledged  by  the  citizens  of  DuPage  couiity  in  its  success,  it  is  submitted  to 
its  many  patrons  and  the  general  pid)lie  in  the  hope  that  it  will  prove  of  per- 
manent and  peisonal  \aiue  to  a  large  class  of  readers,  not  only  in  DuPage 
county,  but  throughout  the  state  at  large. 

The  Publishers. 


INDEX 


CHAPTER  1 

INDIANS  AND  EARLY  SETTLEMENT 

Early  French  Explorers  of  Illinois — Father  Mar(iuette,  Joliet,  La 
Salle  and  Others — Indian  Tribes  and  Their  Locations  at  That 
Period — Their  Intimacy  with  the  French — Indian  Chief  for  Whom 
Chicago  Was  Named — Origin  of  Name  Do  Page — First  a  Part  of 
Spanish  Territory — Coming  of  the  First  White  Settlers — The 
Seotts.  Hohsons,  Napers  and  Paines — Their  Sturdy  Character  and 
Harsh  Experiences — During  the  Black  Hawk  War  They  Take 
Refuge  at  Fort  Dearliorn — Sufferings  Endui-ed  and  Final  Return 
to  Their  Homes  After  the  Battle  of  Bad  Axe — Subsequent  Immi 
gration  and  Development   617-624 


CHAPTER  II 

LAND  TITLES— FIRST  SETTLERS 

Original  Surveys  of  Government  Lauds  in  Du  Page  County — Delay  on 
Account  of  Securing  Final  Ossion  of  Lands  from  Indians — Last 
Treaty  in  1835 — ilethods  of  Survey  and  Govei-ument  Price  Per 
Acre — The  Big  Woods  Claim  Protecting  Society — Its  Object  Pro- 
tection of  the  Rights  of  Settlers  on  Government  Lands — Tlie 
Famous  Kent  Tragedy — Du  Page  County  Naturally  an  Agricul- 
tural Region — Its  Subsequent  Development — List  of  First  Settlers 
by    Townships    624-625 


CHAPTER    III 

GENERAL  HISTORY   OF  DU  PAGE   COUNTY 

First  Purchase  of  Northern  Illinois  Lands  from  Indians  in  1816 — 
Lauds  in  Du  Page  County  Included  in  This  Purchase — Its  Object 
the  Construction  of  a  ^lilitary  Road  from  Chicago  to  Ottawa — Du 
Page  River  a  Water  Highway  for  Indian  Traders — Different 
Counties  of  Which  Du  Page  Constituted  a  Part  from  1790  to  1839 
— Quality  of  Soil  and  Mineral  Deposits — Agricultural  aud  Horti- 
cultural Products — Its  Importance  as  a  Suliurban  Region  Con- 
nected witli  Chicago — Reminiscences  of  Pioneer  Life  by  I.  P.  Blod- 
gett    626-629 


CHAPTER  IV 

riONEEK    PROTECTIVE    ORGAXIZATIOXS 

Squatter  Disputes  over  (Joveninieut  Laud  Claiuis — Orgauizatiou  of 
Early  Settlers  for  Mutual  Proteetiou  from  "Claiiu-.Tumpers"  aucl 
"Laud-Sharks"— The  Big  Woods  Claim  Society— Its  List  of  Offi- 
cers and  Jlembers — Du  Page  Couuty  Mutual  Protection  Society 
Organized  iu  1839 — Officers  and  List  of  Township  Couuuittees — 
High  Stauding  of  Its  JMembers — Story  of  the  Kezit  Tragedy — 
Squatter  Disputes  Disturbed  Du  Page  County  in  Its  Earlv  History, 
as  Thev  Do  Any  New  Locality    ." ". .  .  629-631 


CHAPTER  V 

PIONEER  SOCIAL  AND  DOMESTIC  LIFE 

Pioneer  Women  of  Du  Page  Couuty — Hardships  Which  They  Eudured 
— Conditions  in  Indian  Days — Description  of  a  Pioneer  Wedding 
and  Honeymoou — Selection  and  Improvement  of  a  New  Home — 
Provisions  for  Self-Protection — Child  Life — Preacliiiig  Days  and 
the  Pioneer  Woman's  Hospitality  to  the  Congregation  iu  Her  Pri- 
vate Home — Domestic  Duties  and  Responsiliilities — Honor  for  Du 
Page  County  Women  for  the  Part  They  Pore  in  Pioneer  Days — Pio- 
neer Taverns — Early  Transportation  and  Accouimodations  — 
Amusements — Religious  Services  and  Social  Entertainments 631-637 


CHAPTER  VI 

RECOLLECTIONS  OP  FIFTY  YEARS  AND  MORE 

Old  Settlers  Y^et  Living — Relations  Between  Whites  and  Indians — Bad 
Name  of  Brush  Hill  Misnomer — A  Survivor  of  the  Black  Hawk 
War  —  Pioneer  Hospitality  —  Stampede  to  Gold  Fields  —  Early 
Schools — Pioneer  Prices — Religious  Gatherings — Spelling  Schools 
— White    Chief  of   the   Pottawattamies — Uudergroiuid   Railroad.  ..  .637-640 


CHAPTER  VII 

COUNTY  ORGANIZATION 

Du  Page  County  Fornudly  Organized  by  Act  of  the  Legislature  in  1839 
— First  Steps  in  Organization — Location  of  First  County  Seat  at 
Naperville — Removal  to  Wheatou  in  1867 — First  Electiou  and 
First  County  Officers — Township  Organization  Adopted  in  1850 — 
List  of  Count}'  Officers  from  1839  to  1912 — Couuty  and  Circuit 
Clerks  —  Recorders  and  County  Treasurers  —  Sheriffs  —  County 
Judges  and  Coroners — School  Conuuissioners  and  Superintendents 
List  of  Count}'  Commissioners  and  Township  Supervisors,  with 
Years  of   Incumbency    640-652 


CHAPTER  VIII 

POLITICAL  HISTORY— REPRESENTATION 

Early  Politit'al  Conditions  in  Du  Page  County — Influence  of  the 
Kansas-Nebraska  Act  in  Organization  of  the  Republican  Party — 
Effect  of  German  Immigration  between  1850  and  1860 — CTrowth  of 
Free-Soil  Sentiment  between  1852  and  1856— In  1856  Du  Page 
Count.v  Furnishes  Proportionably  the  Largest  Free-Soil  Vote  in 
the  State — Congressional  and  Legislative  Apportionments  and  Rep- 
resentation —  List  of  Congressmen  "Who  Have  Represented  the 
Du  Page  District — Senators  and  Representatives  in  the  General 
Assembly.  1839-1912 — Delegates  to  Constitutional  Conveutions 
from  the  Du  Page  District — Sketches  of  Some  Prominent  Citizens 
of  Du  Page  County    652-657 


CHAPTER  IX 

ADDISON  TOWNSHIP 

Its  Location  and  Area — Hezekiah  Dunklee  and  j\Iason  Smith  First  Set- 
tlers— Other  Eai'ly  Comers — Arrival  of  First  German  Immi- 
grants— Later  German  Influx — Early  Taverns — The  Naming  of 
Salt  Creek — Record  of  Births,  Marriages  and  Deaths — Local  Cen- 
sus of  1839 — Church  History — Germans  Prominent  in  Church  Work 
— Addison  Village — Township  Organization  —  An  Insurance  Com- 
pany— Volunteers  in  Civil  War  from  Du  Page  County — German 
Orphan  Asylum  and  Old  People's  Home — -Railroads — Dairying 
Industry — Banks — Churches — List  of  Supervisors  Who  Have 
Served  the  Township — Population    657-664 


CHAPTER  X 

BLOOMINGDALE  TOWNSHIP 

Soil,  Water  and  Timber  Advantages — Spirit  of  Early  Immigration — 
Eagerness  to  Secure  Land-Titled  Homes — The  Meacham  Brothers 
the  First  Settlers — Comers  of  a  Later  Period — Some  First  Events 
— Bloomingdale  Village — Churches  and  Early  Business  Houses— 
Roselle  and  Meacham  Villages — School  History — Some  Prominent 
Citizens — High  Standards  of  Personal  Character  Established  by 
Pioneer  Citizens  of  the  Township  Maintained  by  Their  Descendants 
— List  of  Township  Supervisors — Population  of  Township  and  Its 
Villages  , 664-667 


CHAPTER  XI 

DOWNER'S  GROVE  TOWNSHIP 

Location  and  Area  of  the  Township — Natural  Characteristics — An 
Early  Indian  Hunting  Ground — A  Part  of  the  Township  in  the 
'"Sag"  District — JIarquctte  an  Early  Visitor  to  This  Region — 
Roster  of  First  Settlers — First  Schoolliousc  and  P"'irst  Teacher — 
Water  Courses — Siiburbau  Communication — The  Fuller  Family — 
Hotels  —  Fullersburg  Cemetery  —  Early  Business  Enterprises  — 
Downer's  Grove  and  Some  Noted  Citizens — Street  Paving  and  Other 
Improvements — History  of  Hinsdale — Influence  of  Railroad  Enter- 
prises— William  Robinson  as  ""The  Father  of  Hinsdale" — Other 
Leading  Spirits — 1890  Marks  an  Era  of  Development — Schools  and 
Churches — Fraternities,  ilen's  and  Women's  Clubs — Newspapers 
and   Banks — Eminent    Citizens    667-680 


CHAPTER  XII 

LISLE  TOWNSHIP 

First  Settlement  in  Du  Page  Couuty  ilade  in  Lisle  Township — Bailey 
Hobson  Arrives  in  1830 — Other  Comers  of  an  Early  Day — New 
Englanders  and  Germans  the  Principal  Early  Settlers — Rural 
Schools  and  Churches — Physical  Characteristics — Part  of  the  City 
of  Naperville  in  Lisle  Township — Agriculture  and  Dairying  the 
Principal  Business  in  the  Rural  Districts — Villages  of  Lisle  and 
Belmont — Citizens  of  Lisle  Who  Have  Served  in  the  General  As- 
sembly and  County  (Offices — List  of  Township  Supervisors — Popu- 
lation of  Township    681-683 


CHAPTER  XIII 

MILTON  TOWNSHIP 

Influence  of  the  Naper  Brothers  in  Early  Settlement  of  Miltun  Town- 
ship— Others  Who  Came  at  Later  Periods — First  School  and  First 
Teacher — Milton  Township  as  an  Agricultural  District — Wheaton 
City — Its  Origin  Due  to  the  Wheaton  Brothers.  Jesse  C.  and  War- 
ren L. — Early  Citizens  of  Wheaton — First  Store  and  Tavern — In- 
fluence of  the  Galena  &  Chicago  Union  Railroad  on  the  Future  of 
Wheaton — It  Becomes  the  County  Seat  in  1868  and  is  Incorporated 
as  a  City  in  1891 — Public  Buildings  and  Local  Improvements — 
Public  Schools — Wheaton  College — Church  Ilistoi'y — Banks  and 
Newspapers — Volunteer  Fire  Department — Glen  Ellyn  Village — 
Some  Incidents  of  Local  History — Churches — Schools  and  Library 
— Township   Supervisors — Population    683-691 


CHAPTEK  XIV 

NAPERVILLE  TOWNSHIP 

The  Naper  Brothers  First  Settlers — Their  Coming  in  1831 — Others 
Who  Came  Before  1838— City  of  Naperville— Platted  as  a  Village 
in  1842 — First  Hotel  and  Other  Buildings — Village  Incorporated  in 
1857 — City  Incorporated  in  1890  and  First  City  Officers — Naper- 
ville Academy  and  Northwestern  College — The  Theological  Semi- 
nary— History  of  Naperville  Churches — Tiie  Edwards  Sanatorium 
— Naperville  Fire  Department — Villages  of  Eola  and  Frontenac — 
Citizens  Who  Have  Served  as  Members  of  the  General  Assembly 
and  as  County  Officers — List  of  Township  Supervisors  from  1850  to 
1912— Population   Statistics  1910    691-707 


CHAPTER  XV 

WAYNE  TOWNSHIP 

Wa.yne  Township  an  Agricultural  and  Superior  Farming  Region — ■ 
Prosperous  Condition  of  Its  Local  Farmers — Daniel  Benjamin  and 
Family  the  First  Settlers  in  1834— Others  Who  Came  in  1835— 
Presence  of  Indians  in  Pioneer  Days — Wayne  Center  the  First  Vil- 
lage— The  Second  Village  of  Wayne  Established  in  1849 — Business 
Conditions  in  1911 — Railway  Facilities — Churches  and  Schools  of 
the  Township — The  First  Teacher — Representation  on  the  Board  of 
Supervisoi's — Population  1910   707-709 


CHAPTER  XVI 

WINFIELD  TOWNSHIP 

Natural  Features  of  Winfield  Township — Erastus  and  Jude  P.  Gary 
First  Settlers  in  1832 — Coming  of  Another  Group  in  1833-34 — 
Erection  of  First  Frame  Dwelling  and  First  ;\Iill  by  Daniel  Warren 
in  1834-35 — First  School  and  First  Postoffice — Village  of  Warren- 
ville — Its  Revival  Due  to  the  Construction  of  the  Elgin,  Aurora  & 
Chicago  Electric  Railway — Warrenville  Academy  —  Schools  and 
Churches — West  Chicago  the  Principal  Municipal  Corporation — 
Incorporated  as  a  City  in  1906 — Railway  Facilities — Faiiliaiik 
Brothers  Introduce  the  First  Threshing  Machine — Business  Houses, 
Street  Improvements  and  Other  Evidences  of  Progress — Winfield 
Village — Township  Supervisors — Population    710-713 


CHAPTER  XVII 

YORK  TOWNSHIP 

Location  of  the  Township — Relations  of  Federal  Government  with  the 
Indian  Tribes — Last  Cession  of  Indian  Lands  in  Du  Page  County — • 
Lands  in  York  Township  Originally  Covered  Largely  by  Timber — 
List  of  Coming  Pioneers  from  18;:i-±  to  1849 — Some  Early  Condi- 
tions— Progress  between  1840  and  1850 — Conditions  of  Soil  and 
Products — Early  Scliools  in  York  Township — The  Slavery  Issue — 
Elmhurst  and  Lombard  Villages — Schools  and  Churches — Indus- 
tries and  Railway  Facilities — Banks  and  Other  Business  Entei-- 
prises — Hon.  Thomas  B.  and  Charles  P.  Bryan — List  of  Super- 
visors from  York  Township — Civil  War  Record — Volunteers  from 
York  Township  and  Regiments  in  Which  They  Served 71:3-719 

CHAPTER  XVni 

TRANSPORTATION 

Primitive  Highways — Indian  Trails  and  the  Corduroy  Roads — Water 
Courses — Later  Development — The  Early  Stage  Coach — Coming  of 
the  Automobile — First  Railroad  in  Du  Page  County — The  Galena 
&  Chicago  Union  Becomes  a  Part  of  tlie  (.'hicago  &  North  Western 
Railway — Stations  on  This  Line — Other  Railroads  in  the  County — 
The  Chicago,  Burlington  &  Quiney — Chicago,  ililwaukee  &  St.  Paul 
— List  of  Stations — The  Aiirora,  Elgin  &  Chicago  Electric  Line — 
Railway  Progress  and  Business  Development    719-721 

CHAPTER  XIX 

INDUSTRIAL  INTERESTS 

Organization  of  Du  Page  County  Agricultural  and  Mechanical  Society 
— First  Meeting  Held  in  1853 — Adoption  of  a  Constitution  and 
First  Officers — First  County  Fair  Held  in  1854 — Organization  of 
the  Society  Follows  Promptly  the  Organization  of  the  State 
Agricultural  Society — Incorporation  of  the  Society  in  1857 — Its 
Influence  L^pon  Sul-3ie(|uent  Industrial  Development — Advance  in 
Land  Values — Development  Due  to  Railroad  Facilities — Property 
Assessments    at    A'arious    Periods — Manufactures 721-723 

CHAPTER  XX 

BANKING  INSTITUTIONS 

Influence  of  Banking  Facilities  on  Financial  Standing  of  the  Com- 
munity— First  American  Bank — Different  Classes  of  Banks  Under 
Existing  Laws — Development  of  Banking  Business  in  Du  Page 
Coiuit.v — List  of  Present  Banks  in  the  Coimty.  with  Date  of  Organ- 
ization and  Location — Resources  and  Liabilities  of  Same  and  Pres- 
ent Officers — Whole  Number  of  Banks  in  the  County  Sixteen,  with 
Aggregate  of  Resources  and  Liabilities  Each  Exceeding  $4,000,000.  .723-730 


CHAPTER  XXI 

BENCH  AND  BAR  OF  DU  PAGE  COUNTY 

Relative  Importance  of  the  Professions  in  Coniiertion  witli  the  Private 
and  Public  Life  of  the  People — Part  Which  Devolves  Cpou  the 
Legal  Profession — Standing  of  Du  Page  County  Bar — Tributes  to 
Some  of  Its  Noted  Members   * 730-73'2 


CHAPTER  XXII 

JOURNALISM  IN  DU  PAGE  COUNTY 

Power  of  the  "Fouth  Estate" — Intiuence  of  the  Press  in  Du  Page 
County — Important  Issues  with  Which  It  Has  Had  to  Deal — Patri- 
otic Attitude  During  the  Civil  War  Days — Political  Influence  at  a 
Later  Period — List  of  Cities  anci  Towns  with  Newspapers  Which 
Have  Been  Published  in  Each — Naperville,  Downer's  Grove,  Hins- 
dale. Elmhurst.  Wayne.  WHieaton  and  West  Chicago,  the  Seat  of 
Present   Du   Page   County   Journals    732-733 


CHAPTER  XXIII 

SCHOOLS  AND  EDUCATION 

Du  Page  School  System — Struggles  of  Early  Pioneers  to  Secure  Edu- 
cational Advantages  for  Their  Children — Days  of  the  Log  School 
House — Some  Early  Teachers — Higher  Institutions  in  the  County 
— ilelanchthon  Seminary  at  Elmhurst — Fort  Hill  Seminary,  Naper- 
ville— Naperville  Academy — Lutheran  College  at  Addison^ — 
Wheaton  College — Northwestern  College — List  of  School  Sui)erin- 
tendents — School  Statistics — Number  of  Teachers  and  Pupils  at 
Difi'erent  Periods — Number  of  Schools  and  Expenditures  for  Same.  .734-735 


CHAPTER  XXIV 

LIBRARIES 

Public  and  Private  Libraries  in  Du  Page  County — Downers  Grove. 
Naperville,  Wheaton  and  Hinsdale  Possessors  of  Public  Libraries — 
Projected  Library  Building  Assured  at  Hinsdale  through  the  Benefi- 
cence of  the  Late  Dr.  Pearsons — To  Take  the  name,  the  "'Pearsons 
Library" — History  of  the  Nichols  Library  at  Naperville — Its  Ex- 
istence Due  to  the  Generosity  of  Prof.  James  L.  Nichols — First 
Board  of  Directors  and  Construction  of  Library  Building — Present 
Officers  and  Library  Resources — The  Adams  Memorial  Library  at 
Wheaton    ." 735-738 


CHAPTER  XXV 

THE  MEDICAL  PROFESSION 

Early  Conditions  as  to  Sanitation — Assistance  Rendered  by  Pioneers' 
Wives — Present  Day  Recognition  of  Their  Service  and  Importance 
of  the  Burden  Which  They  Bore — Early  Remedies  and  ^Methods  of 
Treatment — Progress  of  Later  Days — Some  Early  Physicians  of  Du 
Page  County — A  Number  Become  Officers  Dui'ing  the  Civil  War — 
A  Period  of  Transition — The  Act  Recjuring  Registration  of  Physi- 
cians— Philanthropic  Enterprises  in  Du  Page — The  Edwards  Sana- 
torium Near  Naperville  and  the  County  for  Destitute  Children — 
The  General  Sanitarium  at  Hinsdale  —  Physicians  Who  Have 
Served  as  Coroners  of  Du  Page  County — Present  Roll  of  Physicians 
in  the  County  with  Residence  and  Date  of  Graduation 738-741 


CHAPTER  XXVI 
CHARITABLE  INSTITUTIONS 

Du  Page  County  the  Center  of  Numerous  Charity  Organizations — Aid 
Often  Rendered  to  the  Poor  and  Needy  from  Chicago — The  County 
Home  Near  Wheaton — Its  Cost  and  E(|uipment — Average  Number 
of  Inmates — German-Lutheran  Asylum  at  Addison — Receives  Its 
Support  from  the  Lutheran  Churches  of  Northern  Illinois — About 
100  Children  Cared  for — The  Edwards  Sanatorium — Devoted  to 
Treatment  of  Tulierculosis  Diseases  Under  Direction  of  the  Tuber- 
culosis Institute  of  Chicago — Hinsdale  Fresh  Air  Association  and 
the  Benevolent  Work  It  Is  Doing — Its  Aim  for  the  Benetit  of  Chil- 
dren— Convalescent  Home  for  Destitute  Crippled  Children — The 
German-Lutheran  Orphans'  and  Old  People's  Home — Renders  Val- 
uable Aid  to  Both  Classes — Chicago-Winfield  Tuberculosis  Sana- 
torium under  Management  of  Associated  Jewish  Charities 741-743 


CHAPTER  XXVI 1 

WOMEN'S  CLUBS  IN  DU  PAGE  COUNTY 

Wide  Range  of  Interests  and  Topics  Taken  LTnder  Consideration — 
Educational,  Moral,  Social  and  Benevolent  Enterprises  Considered 
— The  Naperville  Woman's  Club — Date  of  Organization  and  Char- 
ter Members — Literary  and  Historic  Studies — Officers — Wheaton 's 
Woman's  Club  Organized  in  1895  with  Twenty-tive  Members — Its 
Later  History — The  Gammadim  Art  Club  and  History  Club — 
Downer's  Grove  Woman's  Club — Devoted  to  Art,  Literature, 
Domestic  Science  and  General  Topics  of  Vital  Interest — The  Hins- 
dale Woman's  Club  Occiipies  a  Wide  Field  in  Literary,  Art  and 
Moral  Topics,  Including  Music  and  Bible  Study — Ministers  and 
Their  Wives  Are  Generally  Associated  as  Honorary  ilembers 743-747 


CHAPTER  XXVIII 

RELIGIOUS  AND  PATRIOTIC  ORGANIZATIONS 

Woman's  Christian  Temperance  Union — Its  First  Organization  at 
Wheaton — Mrs.  L.  N.  Stratton  Its  First  President — Later  Develop- 
ment— Present  Officers — Naperville  Y.  M.  C.  A. — Campaign  for 
Raising  a  Bnilding  Fund — It  is  Finally  Successful  and  a  Building 
Is  Erected  in  1910— Value,  witli  Equipment,  $40,000— Officers  and 
Various  Committees — Grand  Army  Post  No.  386 — Officers  and 
Members  in  1910    " 747-750 


CHAPTER  XXIX 

POLICE  AND  FIRE  DEPARTMENTS 

Conditions  in  the  Pioneer  Stage — The  Losses  Comparatively  Smaller 
Thau  To-day — Rights  of  Land  Claimants  Protected  by  Mutual  Or- 
ganizations— Changes  Brought  by  Increased  Population — The 
Larger  Towns  and  Cities  of  Du  Page  County  Now  Protected  by 
Well  Organized  Fire  Companies — An  Efficient  Police  Force  Also  in 
Exi.stenee  in  Dirt'erent   Places    750 


CHAPTER  XXX 

DU  PAGE  COUNTY  MILITARY  HISTORY 

The  Part  Borne  by  Citizens  of  Du  Page  County  in  Various  Wars — The 
Black  Hawk  War  and  the  Hardships  Which  It  Caused  to  Early 
Settlers — The  Mexican  War  Participated  in  by  a  Number  of  Vol- 
unteers from  Du  Page  County — Patriotic  Response  in  Civil  War 
Days — First  Public  Meeting  to  Promote  Enlistments  Held  at  Ful- 
lersburg,  July  29,  1861 — Some  Leading  Promoters  in  Du  Page 
County — Number  of  Volunteers  from  the  County  and  Regiments  in 
Which  They  Served — Sketches  of  Regiments  and  Roster  of  Vol- 
unteers in  Each — Roster  of  Dn  Page  Volunteers  Who  Served  in  the 
Spanish -American  AVar — Du  Page  County  Memorial   Hall 750-767 


CHAPTER  XXXI 

BIOGRAPHICAL 

The    Part   of   Biography    in    General    History — Citizens   of    Du-  Page 

County — Personal  Sketches  Arranged  in  Encyclopedic  Order   ....  769-1088 


PORTRAITS 


Andeimaiui,   Frederick   C 630 

Andermaiin,    Henry   W 626 

Andermann,  Mrs.  Henry  W 628 

Andermann,  Sophie  A 622 

Baker,  Charles  E ■ 632 

Balgemann,  Otto  W 636 

Ball,  Fred  JI 640 

Bartlett,  Chester  D 644 

Baxter,  Dora  648 

Baxter,  James  E 648 

Baxter,  John  652 

Baxter,  Sarah  652 

Baxter,  William  J 648 

Beaton,  George  656 

Beidelman,  Alvin  H 660 

Betyemann,  George 664 

Betyemann,  J&s.  George 664 

Biermann,  Charles  H 668 

Biermann,  Mrs.  Charles  H 668 

Bolles,   Charles    E 672 

Brettmann,  Louis   678 

Brettmann.  Mrs.  Louis 678 

Brown,    Ira 698 

Buchholz,   Henry    702 

Butterfield,  Andrew   J 652 

Butterlield,   JIary   J 652 

Chandler,  Richard  S 706 

Churchell,   Amos    710 

Churchill,  William  H 714 

Deicke,  Friedrich  723 

Deicke,  Mrs.  Friedrich  722 

Domianus,  Clara    730 

Domianus,  Henry  C 726 

Ellsworth,  Lewis   734 

Ellsworth.  Milton  S 734 

Fischer.  Otto  A 738 

Fischer,  Mrs.  Otto  A 738 

Givler,  David  B 742 

Gokey,  William  W 746 

Gokey,  Mrs.  William  W 746 

Goodrich,  Charles  H 750 

Grange,  Luther  H 754 

Granger,  Francis 758 


Hadley,   Susanna    762 

Hadley,  William   G 762 

Hahn.    Albert    E 766 

Haight,  Hally  770 

Heartt.  George  B 774 

Heartt,  Mrs.  George  B 774 

Heydon.  Charles  E 778 

Heynen,  Robert    782 

Hiatt,  Luther  L 786 

Hills,  Albert  H 790 

Hills.  Helen  M 790 

Jackson.  Maria  794 

Jackson.   Miles    794 

Jackson,  William  798 

Jackson,  Mrs.  William 798 

Johnston,  Alexander  S 802 

Johnston.  Mary  A 802 

Johnston,  Mary  E 806 

Johnston.  William  806 

Jordan,  George  W.  and  Family 810 

Kammeyer.  Herman  C 814 

Klein,  Jacob  J 818 

Klein.  Mrs.  Jacob  J 818 

Krage,  Frederic  E 822 

Krage,  Mrs.  Frederic  E 822 

Kuhn,  Adam  826 

Kuhn.  Anna  M 828 

Lambert.  Philip  and  Family 832 

Lawton.  Thomas   836 

Leffler.   Charles   W 840 

Lewis,  Royal  D 844 

Lewis.  Mrs.  Royal  D 844 

Mack.  Elmer  Dewitt   848 

Mack.  Rosetta    850 

McCabe,  Frank  854 

McCabe.  Mrs.   Frank 854 

Jlerrill.  John  C.  F 858 

Mink,  Owen  J 863 

Morgan,  Royal  T 866 

Ohlenkamp,  William   870 

Ohlenkamp,  Mrs.  William 870 

Pahnke.  Albertina  874 

Pahnke,  Fred  N 874 


Pearsrtll.  Albert  L 878 

Pearsall,  Harriet  A 880 

Pearsons,  Daniel  K 884 

Purnell,  Charles  888 

Purnell,   Mrs.   Charles 888 

Purnell,  Martha  T94 

Purnell,   William    794 

Ranck,  Samuel  Eby   892 

Reed,  George  W S96 

Reed.  Mrs.  George  W 896 

Reuss.  Georg  900 

Rinehart,  Daniel  A 904 

Rinehart.  Mrs.  Daniel  A 904 

Rinehart,    .John    908 

Rinehart,   Mrs.   John 908 

Rogers,  J.  Warren 913 

Rogers,  llis.  .J.  Warren 912 

Rogers,  Theodore   S 916 

Ross,   Joachim    920 

Ross,    William    924 

Ross,  Mrs.  William 924 

Royer,  John  D 92S 

Sage,  William  H 932 

Schmidt,  Louis  936 

Schramer,   Katherine    944 


Schramer,   Matliias    940 

Scott,  Willard    948 

Scott,  Willard,  Sr ' 952 

Seeker,  Matliias   956 

Slocum,   Robert   S 960 

Stark.  Jacob   964 

Stover,  Lewis  C 968 

Stover,  Mrs.  Lewis  C 968 

Surges,  Nicholas 972 

Surges,  Mrs.  Nicholas 972 

Tye.  John  J 976 

Wandschneider,  Anna  984 

Wandschneider,  Fred    980 

Warkentien,    John     988 

Warkentien.    Mrs.   Jolin 988 

Weber,  Gottfried  and  Family 992 

Weigand.   Peter    996 

Weigand,   Mrs.   Peter 996 

Wenker,   August    ^. .  .  1000 

WHieaton.    Warren    L 1004 

Winckler.  Frank  X 1008 

\^'inckler,    George    1012 

Wright,   James   G 1016 

Wrisley,  Allen  B 1020" 

Wurtz,  Mrs.  Michael  J 1024 

Wurtz,  Michael  J 1024 


ILLUSTRATIONS 


Bridge  over  Du   Page  River,  Lombard 716 

Campus,  Nortli- Western  College,  Xaperville 694 

Carnegie    Library,    Xaperville 694 

C.  B.  &  Q.  Railway  Station.  Downer's  (irove 716 

Chicago    (iiilf    Club.    Wlieaton 682 

City    Hall.    WlieatoM     684 

Congregational  Cbnrch.  Hinsdale    674 

Cottages,   Cliieago    Golf   Club,    Wheaton 682 

Cottage  Hill   Avenue.  Elmhurst 716 

Court  House    642 

Dining  Hall.  Elmhurst  College 716 

Elmhurst  (iolf   Club 716 

Entrance  Chicago  Golf  Club.  Wheaton 682 

Episcopal  Church.  Wheaton   718 

First  Baptist   Church.   Wheaton • 688 

Eirst  Congregational  Church.  Naperville   692 

First  Church  of  Christ,  Scientist,  Wheaton 688 

First  Evangelical  Church,  Xaperville 692 

First  Presbyterian  Church,  ^^^^eaton   688 

Fir.st  Tee  Chicago  Golf  Club,  ^^■heaton 682 

(^ary  Memorial  M.  E.  Church.  Wheaton 688 

Goldspolni  Science  Hall.  Xaperville    694 

(Jraee  Episcopal  Church,  Hinsdale   674 

( irace  Evangelical  Church.  Xaperville 690 

Gymnasium.  Wheaton  College   686 

High  School,  Wheaton   684 

Hinsdale  Club  674 

Hinsdale  Sanitarium  674 

Industrial  Building.  Wheaton  College 686 

Library.  Hinsdale 674 

Lombard  Scliool   716 

llain  Street,  Glen  Ellyn  '. 690 

Map  of  Du  Page  County Gl~ 

Xortli  vSide  School,  Downer's  Grove 716 

Xorth-Wcstern  College.  Xaperville  694 

Old  Tavern.  Fullersburg 718 

Residence  of  M.  J.  Wurtz 1024 

Salvation  Army  Children's  Home.  Glen  Ellyn 690 

Scene  at  Glen  Ellyn , 714 

South   Side   High    School.   Downer's   Grove 716 

SS.  Peter  and  Paul  Catholic  Church.  Xaperville 694 

State  Bank,  Lombard  718 

St.  Michael's  Catholic  Church.  Wheaton 718 

Stone  Bridge,  Xaperville 694 

The  Country  Tennis  Club.  Hinsdale 674 

Unitarian  Church,  Hinsdale   674 

Wheaton  College    686 

Wheaton  College  Dormitory   686 

Wheaton    Fire   Department    684 

Wheaton  Gvmnasium   684 


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History  of  Du  Page  County 


CHAPTER  I 


INDIANS  AND  EARLY  SETTLEMENT 


EARLY  FKENLH  EXPLORERS  OF  ILLINOIS — FATHER 
MARQUETTE.  JOLIET.  LA  SALLE  AND  OTHERS — 
INDIAN    TRIBES    AXD    THEIR    LOCATIONS    AT    THAT 

PERIOD THEIR    IXTIMACT    WITH    THE    FRENCH — 

INDIAN       CHIEF       FOR       WHOM        CHICAGO       WAS 

NAMED ORIGIN     OF     NAME     DU     PAGE — FIRST     A 

PART  OF  SPANISH  TERRITORY — CO.MIKG  OF  THE.' 
FIRST  WHITE  SETTLERS — THE  SCOTT.S,  .HOBSO?;S, 
NAPERS  AND  P.\INES THEIR  STURDY  CHARAC- 
TER     AND      HARSH      EXPERIENCES DURING      THE 

BLACK    HAWK    WAR   THEY  TAKE   REFUGE  AX   FORT 
DEARBORN — SUFFERINGS      ENDURED      i.ND,^lN.4^^. 
RETURN     TO    THEIR     HOMES     AFTER    THE    BATTLE 
OF     BAD     AXE — SUBSEQUENT     IMMIGRATION     AND 
DEVELOr.MENT. 

(BY     HAI.LY     HAIGHT.     ESQ.) 

Illinois  was  discovered  by  the  early  French 
exi>lorers.  among  whom  were  Father  Jacques 
Marquette.  Louis  Joliet,  Father  Hennepin,  La 
Salle.  Tonty.  Pierre  Gravler  and  others.  They 
found  it  inhabited  by  several  tribes  of  Indians. 
The  Piankashaws  had  their  camping  grounds 
east  of  the  Illinois  River,  extending  eastward 
beyond  the  present  western  boundary  of  In- 
diana. The  Miamis.  with  whom  a  weaker  tribe 
called  the  Weas  was  allied,  occupied  what  is 
now  the  northeastern  part  of  the  State  of  Illi- 
nois. There  were  several  confederations,  such 
as  the  Illinois,  which  included  the  Kaskaskias, 
Peorias,  Cahokias.  Tamaroas  and  Mitchlgamis. 
The  Algonquin  or  Canadian  famil.v  included  the 


Pottawatomies,  Kickapoos,  Sacs  and  Shawnees. 
The  stronger  tribes  traveled  slowly  to  the  south 
and  east.  The  French  missionaries  and  ex- 
plorers found  the  Algouquins  very  friendly 
but  the  latter  suffered  severely  through  the 
atrocities  and  diabolical  treatment  received 
from  their  deadly  enemies,  the  Iroquois,  who 
were  also  foes  of  their  aboriginal  neighbors 
on  account  of  their  associations  with  the 
French,  as  one  might  suppose,  from  their  fre- 
quent attacks  upon  the  Illinois  Indians  about 
"Starved  Rock." 
A  great  intimacy  sprang  up  between  the  lUi- 
vTiois  Indians  and  the  French  and,  in  spite  of 
the  earnest  efforts  of  the  missionaries  to  keep 
a' liigh  nioral  standard  uppermost  in  the  minds 
of  these  hmlearned  savages,  their  contact  with 
the  Fi'cnC'h  settlers  resulted  in  the  most  lameut- 
W'^J'^P.'Ai^iiner  possible,  even  to  their  utter  de- 
moralization, degradation  and  gradual  exter- 
■  fiiinatlon. 

It  saddened  the  missionaries  to  see  this  once 
\igorous  and  warlike  race  reduced  to  a  few 
hundred  dissolute  and  corrupted  survivors. 
Out  of  these  Indians  arose  a  mighty  chief 
named  Chicagoa,  a  man  of  great  intelligence 
and  force  of  character,  who  exercised  a  strong 
influence  over  his  people.  He  was  sent  to 
Paris  in  1725  and  received  attentions  due  a 
foreign  potentate.  On  his  return  he  com- 
manded an  expedition  against  the  Chickasaws, 
who  had  been  making  invasions  from  the  south. 
Chicago  was  named  in  honor  of  this  chief. 

Du  Page  Count.v,  111.,  was  formerly  the  abid- 
ing place  of  many  of  the  good-natured  Potta- 
watomies. who  had  their  camps,  villages  and 
burying  grounds  along  the  Du  Page  River  and 
in  the  different  groves.  These  Indians  were 
very  friendly  with  the  early  settlers. 


617 


618 


HISTORY  OF  DU  PAGE  COUNTY. 


The  couuty  derived  its  uauie  from  Du  Page 
River  and  the  river  from  an  old  Frenchman, 
Du  Page,  whose  station  was  on  the  bank  of 
the  Du  Page  River,  near  its  mouth.  J.  B. 
Beaubien  had  often  spol^en  of  this  old  French- 
man to  the  Hon.  H.  W.  Blodgett.  Col.  Gurdon 
S.  Hubbard  stated  that  the  name  Du  Page,  as 
applied  to  the  river  in  ISIS,  was  universally 
known  and  that  the  old  trader  for  whom  Du 
Page  River  was  named,  for  a  time  lived  there. 
Du  Page  -was  first  a  Spanish  possession,  later 
the  French  took  possession  of  the  whole  north- 
west, and  finally  it  came  under  English  rule. 
With  the  arrival  of  the  forerunners  of  civiliza- 
tion here,  as  alsewhere  throughout  the  entire 
country,  begins  a  history  of  savage  cruelty  on 
the  part  of  the  Indians,  as  also  a  history  of 
actions  both  good  and  bad  on  the  part  of  the 
pioneers.  As  one  scans  the  pages  of  history, 
told  by  the  surviving  pioneers,  one  can  but 
wonder  how  they  ever  endured  the  hardships 
or  lived  to  repeat  the  recollections  of  their  ex- 
periences with  the  warring  savages  of  early 
days. 

The  old  daguerreot.vpes  of  these  pioneers  of 
Du  Page  County  show  us  dearly,  as  we  study 
their  faces,  that  they  were  of  the  fearless  kind. 
We  see  determination  stamped  on  every  feature. 
Among  our  earliest  settlers  were  Stephen  J. 
Scott  of  the  Scott  Settlement,  Bailey  Hobson, 
Joseph  Naper.  Jotin  Xaper  land  Cihristopher 
Paine. 

Frontier  life  is  quite  different  from  the  cold, 
aristocratic  sociability  one  finds  in  old  settled 
and  wealthy  communities,  for  here  one  finds 
aristocracy  and  class  acquaintances  wholly  ig- 
nored; one  is  not  questioned  concerning  ante- 
cedents ;  one  is  accepted  into  the  society  if  he 
shows  himself  worthy.  It  is  the  man.  and  not 
his  means,  that  counts.  The  above  mentioned 
pioneers  were  neighbors  and  they  had  their 
social  gatherings  mixed  with  their  hard  times 
To  illustrate :  Mrs.  Stephen  J.  Scott  gave  a 
dinner  party,  her  guests  all  receiving  a  verbal 
invitation.  They  had  a  delightful  time  and 
pronounced  the  repast  delicioas,  even  though 
it  consisted  of  corn  bread,  the  material  ha\ing 
been  prepared  by  grinding  the  corn  between 
two  stones.  Later,  Mrs.  Bailey  Hobson  gave 
a  dinner,  and,  like  womankind,  endeavored  en- 
tirely to  eclipse  Mrs.  Scott's  attempt,  for  she 
had  corn  bread  and  molasses  for  her  guests. 
Mr.  Scott  was  addressed  as  "White  Eagle," 


a  title  the  Indians  gave  him,  which  belonged 
only  to  the  bravest.  Mr.  Scott  was  with  the 
Indians  so  much  that  he  and  his  son  Willard 
came  to  look  upon  many  of  their  signs  and 
tokens  with  some  credulity. 

The  Indians  would  fill  a  pipe  with  tobacco 
and  leave  it  in  a  certain  place  whenever  they 
had  had  ill  luck,  that  the  Great  Spirit  might 
have  a  smoke,  with  the  belief  that  in  this  man- 
ner they  could  gain  his  favor  and  in  time  be- 
come more  fortunate. 

Mr.  Scott  and  several  others  went  out  hunt- 
ing and  met  with  ill  luck ;  night  came  on  and 
they  were  in  the  woods  destitute  of  game,  so 
they  started  home.  Mr.  Scott  happened  to 
think  of  the  Indian  method,  so  he  filled  a  pipe 
with  tobacco,  placed  it  in  a  tree  and  the  party 
started  for  home,  Mr.  Scott  leading  the  way. 
Suddenly  two  shots  were  heard,  all  hurried 
to  Mr.  Scott,  who  had  fired  them,  and  there  at 
his  feet  were  two  deer  (nice  fat  ones.)  After 
this  incident  the  party  no  longer  made  fun 
of  feeding  the  Great  Spirit  in  order  to  win' his 
favor. 

Here  we  are  in  a  civilized  country ;  large 
cities  and  thriving  towns  all  around  us  joined 
tiy  a  ijerfeet  network  of  railroads.  The  im- 
mensity of  traffic  is  beyond  our  comprehension. 
We  sit  in  our  comfortable  homes  with  all  the 
modern  imjirovements.  Now  and  then  we  re- 
ceive guests  who  happen  to  be  descendants  of 
these  pioneers,  and  we  love  to  listen  to  the 
stories  of  the  stirring  times  when  the  wolves 
howled  at  the  door  and  all  around  were  the 
tepees  filled  with  a  savage  race  of  people  who 
might  have  your  scalp  before  dawn,  as  far  as 
you  knew.  Everyone  was  on  the  alert ;  weapons 
of  war  were  close  at  hand  and  all  lived  in 
fear.  The  Indian  feared  the  white  man,  so  of 
course  he  wanted  to  exterminate  the  supposed 
enemy ;  and  when  the  white  man  couldn't  live 
in  peace  among  the  Indians,  he  too  had  the 
same  desire,  and  then  came  wars  which  seem 
most  cruel  in  method,  but  were  only  the  primi- 
tive ways  of  warfare. 

The  bulk  of  information  herein  detailed  has 
been  gathered  from  authentic  sources,  mostly 
from  the  memoirs  of  Mrs.  Bailey  Hobson,  grand- 
mother of  the  late  Halley  Haight.  Mrs.  Hob- 
son was  a  resolute  woman  of  great  strength 
of  character,  who  retained  her  faculties  to  the 
day  of  her  death.     Mr.  and  Mrs.  Hobson  came 


HISTORY  OF  DU  PAGE  COUNTY. 


619 


from  Orange  County,  Ohio,  to  Illinois,  because 
they  thought  a  home  in  the  wilderness  prefer- 
able to  the  weary  toil  of  clearing  a  forest  from 
the  rugged  banks  of  the  Ohio  River.  They 
were  frontier  people,  inured  to  the  hardships 
incident  to  pioneer  life,  and  were  not  daunted 
by  the  privations  which  were  their's  on  their 
Journey  to  Du  Page  County.  They  were  accom- 
panied by  L.  Stewart,  a  brother  of  Mrs.  Hob- 
son,  and  started  in  September,  1830,  for  the 
new  claim  formerly  visited  by  Mr.  Hobsou.  who 
had  made  a  horseback  trip  of  four  hundred 
miles  into  the  unknown  wilderness.  When  his 
horse  failed  hiu),  he  walked,  and  his  only 
weapon  was  a  jaekknife.  Finding  a  .spot  that 
suited  him.  he  returned  ror  his  family. 
Soon  after  the  little  party  started  the  wagon 
upset,  and  all  the  belongings  were  thrown  on 
the  ground,  but  with  characteristic  patience,  they 
were  reloaded  and  the  sturdy  emigrants  did 
not  permit  themselves  to  be  discouraged  or 
disheartened. 

The  forests  and  plains  through  which  they 
had  passed  soon  separated  them  from  the  sight 
of  old  sceues,  but  instead  of  repining,  they  be- 
came interested  in  the  new  conditions,  laying 
plans  for  their  new  home.  Steadily  they 
crossed  the  rivers,  made  their  way  through 
forests,  most  of  the  time  on  foot,  and  often- 
times having  to  break  a  way  through  dense 
thickets.  They  often  mired  in  the  swamps,  and 
it  was  with  the  greatest  diSicultj-  that  they 
ploughed  through  these  muddy  places  with  their 
prairie  schooner  and  cattle,  and  were  almost 
without  comi)anionship,  as  for  distances  of  one 
hundred  miles,  they  would  not  come  up  with  a 
single  settlement.  During  a  terrible  period  of 
six  days,  they  could  obtain  neither  wood  nor 
water,  and  only  twice  in  all  the  time  of  their 
Journey,  did  they  have  a  satisfying  meal.  How- 
ever, they  were  not  intimidated  by  these  fre- 
quent obstacles,  which  to  many  would  have 
seemed  a  suHicient  foreboding  to  cause  a  sur- 
render ;  yet  they  kept  on  until  they  reached 
Holderman's  Grove  after  a  trip  of  twenty^ 
one  days.  Here  they  stayed  for  three  weeks, 
and  then  settled  on  the  new  claim.  Mr.  Hobson 
and  his  brother-in-law.  Mr.  Stewart,  sowed  fall 
wheat,  cut  hay  for  the  cattle  they  had  brought 
with  them,  and  began  the  cabin,  the  family  liv- 
ing in  a  tent  in  the  meanwhile.  Finally  the 
cabin  was  completed,  and  the  family  moved  in 
to   begin    their    first   winter  In    Illinois.     Food 


was  scarce  and  many  times  they  suffered  for 
want  of  it.  Mr.  Hobson  was  fortunate,  how- 
ever, in  being  a  sharpshooter,  and  managed  to 
get  good  returns  when  he  went  on  a  hunting 
expedition,  as  game  was  plentiful.  He  made 
several  fruitless  trips  in  search  of  food,  but 
finally  reached  a  place  called  Ox  Bow  Prairie, 
where  he  was  able  to  purchase  some  pork.  De- 
cember arrived  before  they  were  really  set- 
tled, and  this  pork  was  a  feast.  Some  of  Mr. 
llobson's  experiences  in  searching  for  the  bare 
necessities  of  life  were  terrible.  One  time  he 
was  caught  in  an  Illinois  blizzard,  and  was 
forced  to  make  a  road  for  himself  with  wooden 
paddles,  his  progress  being  at  the  rate  of  a  mile 
a  day.  Several  times  he  nearly  lost  his  life  in 
these  storms. 

Because  of  these  privations  and  dangers,  Mrs. 
Hobson  induced  him  to  wait  for  a  period  before 
resuming  his  trips,  but  after  the  family  had 
lived  on  corn  bread  alone  for  two  months,  he 
felt  the  necessity  of  once  more  venturing  forth, 
so  he  and  Mr.  Stewart  left  Mrs.  Hobson  and 
her  children  to  care  for  thirteen  cows  and  three 
horses.  The  brave  pioneer  woman  checked  her 
natural  tears  and  bade  them  a  cheery  farewell, 
and  then  resumed  her  drearj-  task  of  keeping 
life  in  her  family  without  sufficient  food  for 
the  purpose. 

The  night  of  the  terrible  blizzard,  she  heard 
a  footstep  at  her  door,  and  thinking  her  loved 
ones  had  returned,  she  openetl  the  door,  and 
their  best  cow  fell  dead  at  her  feet,  frozen,  and 
she  could  not  close  the  door,  nor  could  she  move 
the  animal.  The  wind  blew  and  the  cold  was 
so  intense  that  they  nearly  froze  before  she  and 
her  children  could  pu.sh  the  cow  over  far  enough 
to  enable  them  to  close  the  door.  For  fourteen 
days  she  mourned  her  husband  as  lost,  but  at 
the  expiration  of  that  time  he  and  Mr.  Stewart 
returned,  and  there  was  great  rejoicing  in  the 
cabin,  even  though  the  wolves  did  continue  to 
howl   about  it. 

In  182.5,  Stephen  J.  Scott  and  his  family 
moved  from  Maryland  to  Illinois,  making  a 
claim  near  the  site  now  known  as  Evanston. 
In  August.  1830,  Mr.  Scott  and  his  son,  Willard 
Scott,  decided  to  go  out  hunting,  and  as  they 
were  roving  over  the  prairie,  they  were  im- 
pressed by  the  fertility  of  the  land  along  the 
Du  Page  River.  Mr.  Scott  ascended  the  river 
as  far  as  the  confluence  of  its  west  branches, 
now   called   The   Forks,   and   there  built   a    log 


620 


HISTOKY  OF  DU  PAGE  COUNTY. 


cabin  aud  took  possession  of  tlie  new  claim. 
He  is  entitled  to  the  distinction  of  having  been 
the  pioneer  of  the  settlement,  which  extended 
for  several  miles  along  the  river  into  Will  and 
Du  Page  Counties,  but  Mr.  Hobson  was  the  first 
actual  settler  on  the  soil  of  Du  Page  County. 
Their  cabin  was  built  near  the  present  site  of 
the  residence  on  the  old  Hobson  estate. 

In  April.  18-31,  the  family  of  Jlr.  Paine  came 
and  located  near  Mr.  Hobson.  In  July  of  the 
same  year.  Captain  Joseph  Naper.  who  had 
visited  this  locality  in  February,  came  here  from 
Ohio,  accompanied  by  the  family  of  his  brother, 
John  Jvaper.  Captain  Naper  built  a  cabin  near 
the  site  where  he  later  erected  a  flour-mill. 
Still  later  he  put  up  a  trading  house,  aud  car- 
ried on  quite  an  extensive  business  trading  with 
the  settlers  aud  Indians.  The  latter  were  nu- 
merous, and  through  the  kindness  of  the  trader 
they  were  friendly. 

Other  pioneers  were  H.  T.  Wilson.  Lyman 
ButterfieUl.  Ira  Carpenter,  John  Murray,  R.  M. 
Sweet,  Alason  Sweet,  Henry  Boarduian.  Israel 
Blodgett.  Robert  Strong,  Pierce  Hawley,  Walter 
Stowel.  C.  Foster,  J.  Manning  aud  H.  Babbitt. 
All  of  these  suffered  from  the  terrible  winter, 
and  gladly  welcomed  the  spring,  with  its  warm 
sunshine  and  opportunities  for  getting  their 
land  ready  for  gardens  and  their  fields  for 
grain,  with  the  liopes  that  in  due  season  food 
would  be  plentiful.  As  the  ice  melted  in  the 
sparkling  Du  Page  Rn'^r,  there  was  fiue  fish- 
ing and  times  seemed  brighter  and  our  little 
settlement  was  joyously  working  with  renewed 
energy.  They  were  fast  forgetting  the  suffer- 
ings of  the  winter  that  had  passed,  and  all 
worked  together  in  harmony,  assisting  each 
other  in  getting  their  claims  cultivated.  They 
called   it   Xaper's  Settlement. 

The  spring  did  not  put  an  end  to  their  hard- 
ships, however,  for  just  as  their  fields  were 
green  with  the  future  harvest,  the  Black  Hawk 
War  broke  out.  Intelligence  was  received  from 
Shata.  a  messenger  from  the  Pottawatomies. 
who  were  friendly  to  the  whites,  that  a  jiarty 
of  Sac  Indians  had  destroyed  the  property  of 
Cunningham  and  Hollenbeck  by  fire,  aud  were 
committing  all  kinds  of  depredations  among  the 
settlers  along  the  Fox  River. 

Realizing  their  defenseless  condition,  and  their 
inability  to  carry  on  a  warfare  with  the  Indians, 
the.v  made  haste  to  remove  their  families  to 
Fort  Dearliorn,  on  the  present  site  of  Chicago. 


They  left  on  the  afternoon  of  May  18,  1832,  and 
during  the  hasty  departure,  the  wife  and  sis 
children  of  Christoiiher  Paine  were  unfortu- 
nately left  behind.  They  hid  in  the  under- 
growth, spending  a  fearful  night,  but  returned 
hungry  and  exhausted  the  next  morning  in  safety 
to  the  settlement. 

Mrs,  Hobson  has  furni.shed  the  following  inci- 
dents relative  to  the  alarm  and  sudden  flight 
of  her  family :  Mr.  Hobson,  Mr.  Paine  and  son 
had  just  sat  down  to  dine,  and  were  relating 
the  intelligence  they  had  received  while  at  work 
in  the  field,  that  the  Indians  were  on  the  war- 
path, and  were  only  thirty  miles  distant,  when 
they  were  interrupted  by  Mr.  Paiue's  eldest  son, 
who  rushed  in  declaring  that  Specie  and  Ament 
had  arrived  from  An  Sable  Grove,  having  run 
their  horses  down,  finishing  their  trip  on  foot, 
to  warn  the  settlers  that  the  Indians  had  passed 
through  Hollenbeck's  Grove  that  very  morning. 
They  had  killed  several  settlers  and  set  fire  to 
everything  in  their  path.  The  men  left  their 
dinner  untasted,  considering  it  expedient  to  make 
iunnediate  preparations  for  departure.  Jlr. 
IIi>lison  w:\nted  to  ride  to  Xaper's  Settlement 
to  find  out  what  the  people  there  were  planning 
to  do.  but  was  deterred  by  Mrs.  Hobson,  who 
was  not  willing  to  be  left  alone  with  her  chil- 
dren crying  and  fearful  of  what  might  happen. 
Mr.  Hobson  and  his  family  mounted  their  hor.ses, 
except  his  eldest  son  John,  who  walked,  and 
they  made  their  way  through  the  east  end  of 
the  grove. 

Mrs.  Hobson  placed  her  children  out  of  sight 
in  some  brush  heai)s.  and  told  them  not  to  speak 
(  r  make  a  sound,  and  she  would  come  again  and 
get  them.  She  had  forgotten  some  clothing  and 
fond  and  the  distance  was  so  great,  and  uot 
knowing  how  long  they  would  be  on  the  road, 
she  knew  her  babies  would  suffer  for  food.  With 
fear  and  trembling  she  !e:t  her  babies  in  the 
wood  aud  ventured  out  in  the  darkness  toward 
her  liome.  Her  very  best  clothes  were  in  a  tub 
of  water,  as  it  was  wash  day  when  the  news 
of  the  Indians  came,  aud  she  deplored  leaving 
those  precious  belongings  which  she  knew  would 
be  lost  forever,  but  really  had  to.  and  hastil.v 
gathered  all  she  could  of  food  and  clothing  and 
rushed  back  to  her  children  who  had  failed  to 
remain  where  she  had  placed  them.  Of  course 
she  was  afraid  to  call  them,  and  each  sound  they 
heard  they  thought  of  Indians  and  hid  them- 
selves,  so  that   their  jioor  mother  couldn't   find 


(^^idiuxJC 


/^l-^lnyiyjyi--^ 


HISTORY  OF  DU  PAGE  COUNTY. 


621 


tlifiii.  It  was  raining  bard  and  a  darlcer  night 
one  seldom  sees,  so  .vou  can  imagine  Mrs.  Hob- 
son's  predicament.  Fearful  le.st  tbe  Indians  bad 
taken  tbem.  sbe  groped  her  way  hunting  for 
them  as  best  sbe  could,  and  great  was  their  re- 
lief, when  the  mother's  band  bad  found  tbem 
and  they  were  once  more  together. 

The  pattering  rain,  tbe  rustling  leaves  added 
to  their  fears  and  they  were  glad  when  Mr. 
Hohson  returned  to  them  and  again  they  started 
on.  Thej'  came  to  a  rise  of  ground,  and  saw  in 
the  distance  a  man  on  horseback,  whom  they 
took  for  an  Indian  spy.  but  be  proved  to  be  a 
scout  sent  out  from  the  settlement.  Mrs.  Hob- 
son  and  the  children  hastened  on  into  tbe  grove, 
there  dismounting.  Mr.  Hobson  went  to  tbe  set- 
tlement to  get  information  regarding  their  plans 
and  found  that  the  wi^^es  and  children  and  a 
part  of  tbe  men  had  left  for  Chicago,  and  then 
be  made  haste  to  get  bis  family  started  so  that 
they  might  catch  up  with  the  advance  party. 

Captain  Naper,  Lieutenant  King  and  Mr. 
Specie  accompanied  Mr.  Hobson  to  the  place 
where  bis  family  were  concealed.  Mr.  King  went 
on  foot,  tbe  rest  were  mounted.  When  they 
reached  the  Hobson  famil.v.  they  had  to  do  some 
figuring  to  determine  how  the  little  party  was 
to  be  transported.  Finally  Mr.  Hobson  put  his 
two  eldest  children  on  his  horse,  and  Mrs.  Hob-  • 
son,  her  two-year-old  child  and  Mr.  King  were 
to  go  on  foot,  and  ilr.  Holison  was  to  return  to 
meet  tbem  with  a  team.  Mrs.  Hobson  tiecame 
so  fatigued  with  tbe  trip  that  it  was  found  neces- 
sary to  make  some  changes  in  their  plans,  so 
one  of  tbe  children  was  taken  from  Captain 
Xaper's  horse  and  placed  on  the  horse  with  the 
two  other  children,  and  Mrs.  Hobson  and  hab^ 
mounted  behind  Captain  Xaper. 

Soon  after  this,  Jlr,  Hol)son  met  them  with 
a  wagon  drawn  by  oxen,  and  as  he  bad  a  few 
comft)rts  in  the  wagon  his  wife  anil  children 
were  made  more  comfortable.  :ui<l  finally  tbe 
party  reached  Fort  Dearborn.'  Mr.  King  took 
Mr.  Hobsou's  horse  and  he  and  Capt.  Xaper 
returned  to  tbe  settlement.  Every  shadow, 
even  trees  and  bending  boughs,  added  terror  to 
the  fleeing  families,  for  in  each  sound  they 
imagined  they  heard  the  hostile  Indians. 

Fifteen  or  twenty  men  remained  at  tbe  set- 
tlement to  guard  the  dwellings  and  property, 
and  as  Capt.  Xaper's  house  was  the  most  cen- 
trally located,  they  turned  it  into  a  fort.  The 
following  morning  the  little  band  were  startled 
to  receive  a  visit  from  an  Indian  trader  named 


Lawton,  who  lived  on  tbe  O'Plain.  He  bad  three 
Indians  and  a  balf-lireed  with  him.  but  they 
came  on  tbe  peaceful  mission  of  gathering  news 
regarding  tbe  threatened  Sacs  invasion. 

Capt.  Naper  was  a  very  brave  man.  and  proved 
it  upon  this  and  other  occasions.  He  had  been 
a  cabin  boy  on  a  steamer  on  Lake  Erie,  and 
gained  his  rank  of  captain  on  tbe  lakes.  While 
the  Pottawatomies  would  not  fight  the  Sacs, 
promises  had  been  made  that  they  would  do  all 
they  could  to  divert  them  from  their  savage 
purpose.  Others  tried  to  induce  Capt.  Naper 
to  leave,  but  he  was  not  willing'  to  abandon 
what  tbe  settlers  bad  accumulated  with  so  much 
hardship,  until  warned  by  an  old  Indian  woman 
whom  he  had  befriended  that  it  was  time  for 
them  to  leave,  and  so  taking  with  tbem  the 
wife  and  children  of  Mr.  Paine,  in  a  light  cov- 
ered wagon,  these  brave  pioneers  started  for 
Fort  Dearborn.  May  20.  reaching  that  haven 
.■iafel.v.  A  company  of  seventy  men  was  raised 
and  returned  to  tbe  settlement.  Captain  Brown 
and  Col.  Hamilton  ai-cnmpanying  them.  When 
tbe.v  reached  tbe  settlement,  they  fiuiMl  that 
everything  was  as  they  had  left  it. 

At  Plainfield,  the  settlers  were  safely  quar- 
tered in^  fort  which  they  completed,  and  to  it 
tlie  seteiity  men  went.  Later  they  went  to 
Iloklei-ntau's  Grove  where  they  met  the  Cun- 
ningham and  Hollenbeck  people,  and  were  in- 
formed that  all  bad  lieen  destroyed  there.  They 
sent, an  express  to  Ottawa  and  a  messenger  to 
■  Chiwigo.  i)Ut  remained  at  Holderman's  (irove. 
ICUe.ir  messenger  returned  the  next  morning  with 
tbe  dreadful  news  that  tbe  families  of  Petti- 
grew.  Hall  and  Davis  were  all  cut  and  man- 
gled in  the  most  horrible  manner,  and  that  two 
young  girls  had  been  taken  prisoners.  There 
was  a  massacre  at  Indian  Creek,  characterized 
by  tbe  same  horrible  wickedness  which  has  al- 
ways marked  Indian  warfare. 

Mr.  Gratiot  had  employed  tbe  Winneliagoes 
to  purchase  tbe  prisoners  with  horses,  money, 
wampum  and  trinkets,  and  the  girls  were  re- 
turned in  safety.  With  very  sad  hearts,  the 
company  commanded  by  Captain.  Brown  buried 
tlie  dead,  and  then  returned  to  Ottawa,  to  .ioin 
Col.  Stillman's  command,  consisting  of  some 
200  men  encamped  on  tbe  north  side  of  the 
river,  where  tbe  city  of  Ottawa  now  stands. 
There  were  so  many  distressing  incidents  that 
the  company  concluded  to  make  haste  to  Chi- 
cago, and  tried  to  persuade  a  preacher  by  the 
name  of  Payne  to  go  with  them,  but  be  refused. 


622 


HISTORY  OF  DU  PAGE  COUNTY. 


and  later  was  killed,  scaliied  and  his  beard 
torn  from  his  face  by  the  Indians,  who  then 
set  up  the  claim  that  they  had  killed  a  white 
man's  god. 

The  Scott  family  had  living  with  them,  a  son 
of  Chief  Roliiuson.  and  when  he  was  removed, 
they  concluded  it  was  time  for  them  to  go  also, 
and  they  f<illowed  in  the  trail  of  their  neigh- 
bors to  Fort  Dearborn. 

A  second  time  a  scouting  party  of  tweuty-five 
horsemen  wended  its  way  to  the  settlement 
to  ascertain  if  it  still  remained.  Col.  Beaubien 
commanding  this  little  expedition.  They  left 
Chicago  in  the  morning,  and  in  about  six  hours 
reached  the  O'Plaiu  River,  where  Robert  Kinzie 
and  his  fifty  Indinns  were  camping.  They  made 
arrangements  with  Capt.  Kinzie  to  go  direct  to 
the  settlement  on  the  old  trail,  and  they  would 
proceed  by  way  of  Capt.  Boardman"s  to  look 
after  property,  meeting  them  there.  Beaubien"s 
company  urged  their  hor.ses.  but  made  their  trip 
a  few  hours  later  than  Kinzie's  company.  In 
those  days  Xaperville  was  all  timber  land,  and 
was  called  Ellsworth's  Grove,  John  Naper,  who 
was  always  ready  to  "don  armor  and  break  a 
lance,"  for  his  friends'  protection,  advanced 
alone  to  see  what  was  beyond  the  timber,  say- 
ing that  If  enemies  were  there,  he  would  return  ; 
if  friends  were  there,  he  would  fire  his  gun. 

He  fired  his  gun.  and  in  the  excitement  his 
friends  forgot  what  this  was  to  indicate,  and 
believed  that  John  Xaper  was  killed,  and  that 
they  had  lietter  get  away.  Considerable  uneasi- 
ness was  experienced  for  a  time,  but  finally  R. 
X.  ilurray  decided  to  venture  a  short  distance 
so  as  to  see  if  he  could  ascertain  Naper's  condi- 
tion. To  his  astonishment  and  relief,  he  was 
greeted  with  a  joyous  shout  that  broke  the 
silence,  and  gave  new  courage  to  the  company. 
Xajier  was  safe.  The  settlement  was  inhabited 
by  Kinzie  and  his  men  who  had  won  the  race, 
and  beaten  Col.  Beaubien  and  his  company  in 
reaching  there.  They  were  all  tired  and  hun- 
gry by  this  time,  and  a  search  was  instituted 
for  food,  luit  there  was  very  little  to  be  found 
as  the  greater  part  had  been  taken  along  by 
the  fleeing  settlers.  A  few  of  the  friendly  In- 
dians assisted  the  men  in  killing  a  fatted  calf 
owned  by  R.  N.  Sweet,  and  with  this  and  the 
finding  of  a  supply  of  rum  and  tobacco,  they 
managed  to  prepare  a  feast  that  seemed  to  sur- 
pass all  they  had  ever  had  in  the  past,  for  they 
were  starving  hungry.  The  white  men  treated 
the  Indians  who   with   the  whites   en.ioyed   the 


supper,  and  after  the  "high  time"  was  over  they 
were  all  ready  for  sleep.  Each  one  selected  a 
"site"  for  his  resting  place,  and  slept  off  the 
fatigue  of  the  previous  day. 

After  so  hearty  a  supper  and  a  full  night's 
rest,  they  aro.se  with  an  ardent  desire  to  meet 
the  Sac  Indians  and  exterminate  them,  but 
fearing  that  they  might  make  a  mistake  and 
in,nire  the  friendly  Pottowatomies,  they  found 
some  sheets,  tore  them  in  strips,  and  tied  white 
bands  around  each  Indian's  head.  With  their 
friends  thus  marked  they  staiiied  out  in  search 
of  the  enemy,  but  the  latter  had  vanished,  their 
search  was  in  vain,  and  they  all  returned  to 
Chicago,  and  then  began  a  period  of  reaction. 

Lacking  excitement  and  proper  emplo.vment, 
the.v  began  to  try  to  frighten  and  tease  each 
other.  Their  accommodations  were  ver.v 
crami)ed.  Mrs.  Hobson.  her  five  children.  Mrs. 
Ilawle.v  and  her  six  children,  and  Jlrs.  Blodgett 
and  her  four  children,  were  occupying  a  room 
ten  feet  square  on  an  upper  floor,  and  for  many 
days  they  suffered  from  the  closeness  of  their 
<]uarters.  Still  even  these  discomforts  were 
preferable  to  being  massacred  b.v  the  Indians, 
and  so  they  endured  this  hardship  for  several 
weeks. 

Getting  tired  of  being  housed  up.  and  anxious 
to  know  the  condition  of  their  crops,  Capt. 
Xaper,  Capt,  H.  Boardman  and  a  dozen  other 
men  went  out  to  the  settlement  and  found 
things  in  the  be.st  kind  of  condition.  Still  the 
fenr  remained  lest  all  might  be  destroyed ;  so 
once  more  the  settlers  started  for  Ottawa  to 
obtain,  if  possible,  some  fift.v  men  from  Gen. 
Atkinson.  They  wanted  to  build  a  fort  of  their 
own.  so  as  to  be  near  their  property,  and  yet 
protected  from  attack.  The  men  were  given 
them,  being  placed  under  Capt.  Paine's  command, 
and  a  return  was  made  to  the  Xaper  settlement. 

After  a  careful  survey  of  the  ground,  the 
place  later  owned  by  Louis  Ellsworth,  was  se- 
lected as  the  best  place  on  which  to  build  their 
fort.  They  constructed  the  fort  of  blocks  and 
pickets,  and  built  it  so  as  to  be  able  to  defend 
it  from  all  sides.  Just  as  the  little  fort  was 
nearing  its  completion,  two  men  named  Brown 
and  Buckley  were  sent  to  Sweet's  Grove  to  pro- 
cure another  load  of  shingles.  Buckley  drove 
the  team  and  rode  in  the  wagon.  Brown  walked 
along  behind  whistling  and  with  no  thought  of 
fear,  when  suddenly  the  sharp  report  of  a  rifle 
was  heard  from  the  adjoining  thicket.  Brown 
was    killed,    and    Buckley,    terrified   and    bewil- 


L^.      LyC^<X^(.^Ayi^t^<-'Ct-'i^L''*^t^ 


HISTORY  OF  DU  PAGE  COUNTY. 


623 


dered  at  the  sight  of  his  companion's  dead  body 
lying  in  a  pool  of  blood,  made  great  haste  to 
the  fort  to  inform  the  others,  leaving  the  horse 
and  wagon  in  the  woods.  Aliout  twenty  of  the 
men.  with  ritles  in  hand,  proceeded  to  the  place 
of  the'horritile  tragedy,  and  found  the  body  of 
Brown  near  the  wagon,  the  harness  thrown  on 
the  ground  and  the  horse  gone.  The  Indians 
had  tied  beyond  reach  of  pursuit. 

All  this  cast  a  gloom  over  the  minds  of  the 
settlers  and  excited  their  fears,  which  had  been 
entirely  allayed  by  the  prospect  of  soon  having 
the  protection  of  a  completed  fort.  They  gently 
placed  the  remains  of  Brown  in  a  grave  near  the 
fort,  and  immediately  sent  Capt.  Naper  and 
Mr.  Sweet  for  more  men.  Mr.  Sweet's  horse 
played  out.  so  he  journeyed  some  distance  on 
foot.  On  their  way  they  saw  something  in  the 
distance  and  they  were  sure  it  was  mounted 
Indians  and  e.xpected  to  be  killed.  Sweet  wished 
to  return  to  the  settlement,  but  Capt.  Naper, 
who  was  eager  for  excitement,  induced  Mr. 
Sweet  to  push  on.  They  neared  the  supiwsed 
Indian  with  fear  and  trembling,  only  to  find 
that  what  had  frightened  them  were  two  trees. 
This  incident  proves  how  easily  the  mind  will 
distort  things  when  it  is  excited. 

Captain  Naper  and  Mr.  Sweet  stopped,  looked 
this  way  and  that,  and  finally  decided  that  noth- 
ing more  dangerous  than  two  trees  were  before 
them.  This  gave  them  more  courage,  and  they 
finally  reached  Chicago  in  safety.  Gen.  Williams  • 
heard  their  message,  but  refused  to  send  any 
more  men.  for  he  did  not  think  they  were  neces- 
sary; Capt.  Naper  then  returned  to  the  settle- 
ment, disheartened  but  without  mishap,  and  de- 
cided that  it  would  be  wiser  for  them  all  to 
remain  there  and  defend  themselves  as  best  they 
could.  All  took  on  the  "Spirit  of  '76"  and  held 
his  own.  as  no  cause  for  excitement  of  battle 
came  up.  John  Naper  was  the  leading  spirit  of 
the  camp,  always  cheerful  and  ready  to  relate 
lively  anecdotes  of  adventure  to  amuse  the 
others. 

The  settlers  had  no  idea  of  the  suffering  of 
their  wives  and  children,  who  were  in  houses  at 
Fort  Dearborn,  but  sure  of  their  safety  from 
the  Indians,  were  satisfied  as  to  their  condi- 
tion. The  wives,  however,  were  afraid  they 
were  shut  up  to  starve,  for  provisions  were 
very  scarce,  and  they  liad  received  no  messages 
from  their  husbands  at  the  settlement,  and  their 
plisrht  was  a  deplorable  one. 


To  add  to  their  woes,  the  troops  who  were 
from  Jlichigan,  ordered  the  settlers  to  leave  the 
fort,  and  many  were  driven  out,  but  succeeded 
in  finding  shelter  in  the  huts  in  the  town  around 
the  fort.  The  wives  and  children  of  the  men 
who  were  at  Naper's  Settlement  were  greatly 
distressed,  as  they  did  not  know  what  to  do.  and 
had  no  way  to  communicate  their  condition  to 
their  men  folks. 

This  state  of  affairs  lasted  several  weeks.  In 
July  the  command  of  Gen.  Scott  passed  on  to 
Dixon,  and  the  main  army  soon  followed.  The 
settlers  were  again  at  ease,  as  they  had  no 
cause  to  fear  the  Indians,  now  that  the  govern- 
ment troops  were  between  them  and  the  Sacs. 
The  battle  of  Bad  Axe  had  put  an  end  to  them 
and  the  Black  Hawk  War.  Consequently  the 
settlers  made  preparations  to  bring  back  their 
families  from  Fort  Dearborn.  They  found  some 
in  tents  near  the  fort  and  others  in  rude  log 
huts.  When  the  separated  ones  met  the  gather- 
ing was  a  happy  one.  Quietly  they  went  back 
to  their  claims,  and  before  long  had  made  their 
section  of  the  country  a  prosperous  one. 

Following  this,  many  from  eastern  States  came 
here,  and  in  due  course  of  legislation,  Du  Page 
County  was  organized,  and  on  June  17,  1839, 
the  county  seat  was  created  and  located  at  the 
■Pre-emption  House  in  Naperville.  From  this 
time  on,  advancements  were  made  in  education, 
government  and  agriculture.  Many  of  the  de- 
scendants of  these  pioneers  became  great  schol- 
ai's  and  men  of  affairs. 

The  early  settlers  and  their  children  had  been 
associated  with  the  friendly  Pottawatomies  so 
long  that  a  great  number  of  friendsliips  sprang 
up  between  them,  so  that  when  the  Indians  here 
finally  were  transported,  the  settlers  were  quite 
grieved,  and  things  seemed  unnatural  without 
them ;  it  was  rather  dull,  in  fact. 

After  many  days  of  palaver,  by  the  use  of 
liquor  and  diplomacy,  the  United  States  Govern- 
ment fimlly  per.suaded  the  Indian  chiefs  Shab- 
bona,  Robinson  and  others,  to  sign  the  treaty  by 
which  they  sold  the  whole  of  the  northeastern 
portion  of  Illinois,  embracing  an  area  of  more 
than  a  dozen  counties,  among  wiich  was  Du 
Page,  to  the  United  States  Government.  This 
is  the  last  treaty  of  importance  ever  held  with 
the  Indians  of  the  Northwest,  and  our  Potta- 
watomies were  removed  in  ISP'i  and  in  18.36  to 
their  present  reservation. 

They  advanced  in  education  and  are  a  pros- 


624 


HISTOKY  OF  DU  PAGE  COUNTY. 


perous,  iutelligeut  race  of  Indians.  Now  this 
once  mighty  tribe  only  uumbers  cue  thousand 
souls,  and  the  majority  are  in  Oklahoma.  Some 
hold  offices  of  honor,  while  others  have  become 
lirosperous  farmers. 

Note. — Some  time  previous  to  his  demise,  the 
late  Halley  Haight,  graudson  on  the  maternal 
side  of  the  remarkable  pioneer  woman.  Mrs. 
Hobson,  referred  to  in  the  article  above,  prom- 
ised to  contribute  to  this  history  an  article  on 
Indians  and  Early  Settlements.  A  great  scholar, 
profound  thinker,  facile  writer,  and  distin- 
guished lawyer,  he  was  well  fitted  to  set  forth 
the  facts  concerning  the  first  settlers  on  what 
has  become  historic  ground,  as  well  as  to  give 
an  account  of  those  who  lived  here  before  a 
white  man  ever  iienetrated  the  wiuderness. 
Death,  however,  claimed  him  before  he  was  able 
to  complete  the  proposed  article,  but  he  had 
talked  it  over  witb  his  wife,  and  she  very  kindly 
consented  to  embody  his  ideas  as  remembered 
by  her,  in  the  aliuve  interesting  and  authentic 
account. 


CH-IPTER    II. 


LAND  TITLES— FIRST  SETTLERS 


ORIGINAL  SURVEYS  OF  GOVERNMENT  LANDS  IN  DU 
PAGE  COUNTY — DELAY'  ON  ACCOUKT  OF  SECURING 
FINAL  CESSION  OF  LANDS  FROM  INDIANS — LAST 
TREATY  IN  1835 — METHODS  OF  SURVEY  AND  GOV- 
ERNMENT     PRICE      PER      ACRE THE      BIG      WOODS 

CLAIil  PROTECTING  SOCIETY — ITS  OB.JECT  PROTEC- 
TION OF  THE  RIGHTS  OF  SETTLERS  ON  GOVERN- 
MENT L.\NDS — THE  FAMOUS  KENT  TRAGEDY — DU 
P.iVGE  COUNTY'  NATURALLY  AN  AGRICULTUR.'VL  RE- 
GION— ITS  SUBSEQUENT  DEVELOPilENT — LIST  OF 
FIRST   SETTLERS   BY  TOWNSHIPS. 

The  public  lands  of  Du  Page  County  were  sur- 
veyed, as  were  all  the  other  government  lands 
of  the  country,  into  rectangular  tracts,  and  des- 
ignated as  townships,  sections,  half-sections, 
quarter-sections,  half-qiiarter-sections,  quarter- 
quarter-sections  and   lots.     Although  other  por- 


tions of  the  State  were  surveyed  and  the  land 
opened  tor  settlement  long  before  that  of  Du 
Page  County,  here  there  was  considerable  delay 
in  consequence  of  the  difficulty  experienced  in 
securing  final  title  from  the  Indians.  The  first 
sale  of  Indian  lauds  was  made  to  the  Govern- 
ment August  24,  ISIO.  and  by  ISij  the  latter  pos- 
sessed all  the  former  holdnigs  of  the  Potta- 
watomies. 

Following  the  custom  it  has  uniformly  olj- 
served.  the  Government  permitted  the  permanent 
settler,  by  pre-emption,  to  take  up  a  homestead 
of  eighty  acres,  paying  the  nominal  sum  of 
$1.25  per  acre  as  a  land  fee  entry. 

Many  settled  on  government  land  lielore  it 
was  opened  up  for  purchase,  and  the  conflict 
over  "squatter  rights"  with  tlio.se  who  came 
later  gave  rise  to  some  trouble  and  one  death, 
as  related  elsewhere  in  the  story  of  the  Kent 
tragedy.  In  the  main,  however,  those  who  had 
made  their  homes  in  Du  Page  County  experi- 
enced but  little  difficulty  in  securing  a  clear  title 
to  the  same. 

In  order  to  protect  those  in  need  of  assistance, 
the  settlers  formed  the  Big  Woods  Claim  Pro- 
tecting Society,  with  .John  Warne  as  Secretary. 
Among  the  original  members  may  be  mentioned : 
John  Warne,  A.  E.  Carpenter.  .James  Dyer.  John 
Jlosier.  Joseph  Fish.  J.  M.  Warren.  John  Max- 
well. Cornelius  .Jones.  John  Ogden.  Phineas 
Graves.  William  Hall.  David  Crane.  James 
Brown,  Frederick  Stolp,  Xelson  Murray.  Taylor 
.S.  Warne.  Jesse  B.  Ketehum,  Barton  Eddy. 
David  McKee.  J.  S.  P.  Lord.  Joseph  Wilson. 
Warren  Smith.  Henry  M.  Waite.  Lyman  King. 
Luther  Chandler.  Gilbert  S.  Rouse.  S.  H.  .irnold. 
Joseph  Stolp,  Reuben  Austin.  Charles  Arnold. 
Levi  Leach.  Elihu  Wright,  Nathan  Beardsley,  S. 
Ilurlliut.  Darius  J.  Lamphear.  Walter  Germain. 
John  B.  Eddy.  John  (Jregg.  Samuel  Mosier,  (»i- 
rin  W.  Graves.  B.  Tubbs.  Jr..  Joseph  Thayer. 
Thomas  Paxton.  L.  Ward.  Charles  Brown. 
Charles  Sidders.  James  Mymes.  Xathan  Williams. 
William  J.  Strong.  Robert  Hopkins.  Jesse 
Graves.  John  Stolp,  Allen  Williams.  A.  Culver, 
Thomas  N.  Paxton,  Dennis  Clark.  Amander  P. 
Thomas.  Alfred  Churchill.  R.  S.  Ostrander.  A. 
W.  Beardsley.  George  Laird,  George  C.  Howes, 
Samuel  Paxton.  William  Williams.  George  Mon- 
roe. Harvey  Higbee.  X.  J.  Thomas.  Enos  Cole- 
man. Linus  L.  Coleman.  Eli  Xortluun.  Zerah 
Jones.  Reuben  Jones.  George  S.  Blackman, 
Blackman  &  Winslow.  William  E.  Bent.  J.  B.  & 


HISTORY  OF  DU  PAGE  C'OUXTY. 


625 


K.  .Siiiitli.  Ira  AVooduiau.  Aldeii  S.  Clift'ord.  Wil- 
liam Hill.  John  Fox.  Natban  Williams.  Alauson 
Arnold.  Eleazer  Blackman.  Anriu  Ralpb.  JoUu 
Sidders,  Russel  Whipple.  Sheffield  Mills.  Jonas 
Lamphear,  William  R.  Currier,  Manns  Griswold, 
isaaf  Barnes. 

For  a  number  of  years  Du  Page  County  was 
almost  exclusively  an  agricultural  section,  but 
later  on  its  natural  resources  have  been  devel- 
oped, and  its  water  power  utilized.  The  various 
communities  are  the  homes  of  some  flourishing 
hidustries.  and  the  quarries  of  this  section  are 
siiecially  valuable.  Several  important  nurseries 
have  been  developed,  and  brick  is  n)anufaetured 
in  large  quantities.  The  coming  into  the  county 
of  several  steam  and  cue  electric  railroad,  have 
materially  assisted  in  the  develoi)ment  of  this 
locality,  until  now  the  land  which  the  pioneers 
easily  obtained  for  $1:2')  per  acre  is  held  for 
fancy  prices. 


ROSTER    OF    FIEST    SETTLERS 

As  is  universally  admitted.  Bailey  llobsou  was 
the  first  wliite  man  to  settle  permanently  in  Du 
Page  County.  Many  others  followed  soon  there- 
after. The  following  list  is  compiled  according 
to  townships,  and  by  townships  gives  the  list  of 
those  who  laid  the  foundations  for  the  present 
Du  Page  County. 

Addison. — H.  Dundee.  Mason  Smith.  A.  Iii.^als. 
C.  Fischer.  D.  Gray.  T.  Thomson  and  Ebenezer 
Dundee. 

Bloom  1NGD.\LE. — Silas  Meacham.  Harvey  Mea- 
cham.  Lyman  Meacham.  H.  Woodwortb,  X. 
Stevens.  D.  Bangs.  Elias  Maynard,  Major  Skin- 
ner. 

Wayne. — John  Laughlin,  Captain  W.  Ham- 
mond, Robert  Benjamin,  Ezra  Gilbert,  J.  V. 
King.  W.  Farnsworth.  James  David.  William 
Guild.  Joseph  McMilleu.  Isaac  Xach.  Daniel 
Dunham  and  Ira  Albro. 


Wi.NFiELD. — Erastus  Gary.  Jude  I".  Gary,  M. 
(iriswuld.  J.  M.  Warren.  J.  S.  P.  Lord.  A. 
Churchill.  Alvah  Fowler.  Ira  Ilerrick  and  Ezra 
Galusha. 

MiLTOX. — Harry  T.  Wilson.  Lyman  Butter- 
field.  Thomas  Brown.  Joseph  Chadwiek.  Ralph 
Babcock.  Jlorgan  Balicock  and  Winslow 
Churchill. 

York. — Elisha  Fish,  Frederick  Gray,  Jesse 
Atwater.  Orente  Grant.  Henry  Rieder  and  John 
Talmadge. 

Downer's  Gkove. — Pierce  Downer.  Stephen 
Downer.  Mr.  Wells.  Jlr.  Cooley  and  H.  Aldrich. 
Lisle. — Bailey  Hoi  sou.  Pomeroy  Goodrich, 
John  Xaijer,  Isaac  Clark.  Henry  Goodrich,  .\lan- 
son  Sweet.  Caleb  Foster.  John  Manning.  C.  S. 
Clark.  L.  W.  Montgomery.  Jeremiah  Hunt,  Es- 
quire Salisbury.  J.  H.  (Mdings  and  Harmon  W. 
Knickerbocker. 

Xapehville. — Joseph  Xaper.  John  JIurray,  R. 
X.  Murray,  Christopher  Paine.  Ira  Carpenter, 
Deacon  W.  J.  Strong.  Xathan  Williams.  Allen 
Williams.  S.  Sabin.  A.  H.  Howard.  George  W. 
Laird.  John  Warue,  James  Lamb,  Leonard  Lamb, 
Dauiel  II.  Orcutt,  Harry  Fowler.  Hiram  Fow- 
ler. Hezekiah  Smith.  William  Laird.  A.  Bird, 
Peter  Dodd.  Benjamin  Gillette.  Benjamin  Smith, 
H.  Babbitt  and  George  Martin. 

.\11  of  the  above  located  in  Du  Page  County 
prior  to  1835. 

First  SETTiiS  in  Each  Township. — From  the 
above  list  it  is  but  fair  to  give  the  list  of  first 
settlers  in  each  individual  township  in  order  of 
settlement  between  1820  and  1834. 
Lisle.— 1830.   by  Bailey   Hobson. 
Xai'ERVii.le. — 1831.  by  Joseph  Xaper. 
.Milton. — 1831.  by   H.  T.  Wilson. 
WiNFiELD.— 1832,  by  E.  and  J.   I'.  Gary. 
Downer's  Grove.— 1833.  Ijy  Pierce  Downer. 
Bloomixgdale.— 1833.      by      S.     L.      and      H. 
.Meacham. 

Adwson. — 1834.  by  II.  Dundee  and  Mason 
Smith. 

Wayne. — 1834.   by  John   Laughlin. 
York-.— 1834.    by   Elisha   Fish. 


626 


HISTORY  OF  DU  PAGE  COUNTY. 


CHAPTER     III 


GENERAL  HISTORY  OF  DL'  PAGE  COUNTY 


FIRST  PlTtCHASE  OF  KORTHEBX  ILLINOIS  LANDS 
FROM  INDIANS  IN  1S16 — LANDS  IN  DU  PAGE 
COUNTY  INCLUDED  IN  THIS  PURCHASE — ITS  OB- 
JECT   THE    CONSTRUCTION    OF    A    MILITAET    BOAD 

FROSI     CHICAGO    TO    OTTAWA DU    PAGE    RIVER    A 

WATER  HIGHWAY  FOR  INDIAN  TRADERS — DIFFER- 
ENT COUNTIES  OF  WHICH  DU  PAGE  CONSTITUTED 
A  PART  FROM  1700  TO  1839 — QUALITY  OF  SOIL 
AND  MINERAL  DEPOSITS — AGRICULTURAL  AND 
HORTICULTURAL  PRODUCTS — ITS  IMPORTANCE  AS 
A  SUBURBAN  REGION  CONNECTED  WITH  CHI- 
CAGO— REMINISCENCES  OF  PIONEER  LIFE  BY  I.  P. 
BLODGETT. 

(BY-    AMOS    CHURCHILL) 

It  is  impossible  to  give  a  full  record  of  the 
history  of  Du  Page  County,  for  that  would 
necessitate  a  knowledge  of  the  movements  and 
actions  of  the  Pottawatomies  during  the  cen- 
turies when  they  held  all  of  the  territory  now 
embraced  within  the  boundaries  of  this  section. 
However,  it  is  easily  possible  to  relate  in  brief 
what  has  occurred  from  the  time  that  the  first 
conveyance  of  laud  was  made  here  by  the  In- 
dians to  the  United  States  Go'verument,  August 
24,  ISlC,  to  the  time  that  this  work  goes  to 
press. 

It  is  interesting  to  note  that  this  first  conces- 
sion of  lands  was  made  to  Gov.  Xinian  Edwards, 
William  Clark  and  Auguste  Chouteau,  as  agents 
for  the  Government,  and  included  the  south- 
eastern part  of  Lisle  Township,  all  of  Downer's 
Grove  Township,  with  the  exception  of  the 
northeastern  portion,  and  the  part  of  York 
Township  that  lies  in  the  southeast  section. 
This  property  was  acquired  by  the  Government 
to  be  used  as  a  military  road  from  Chicago  to 
Ottawa  for  use  in  the  construction  of  the  Illi- 
nois and  Michigan  Canal,  already  then  in  pro- 
cess of  projection.  It  is  difficult  to  believe  that 
this  land,  now  so  valuable,  was  sold  by  the 
original  owners  for  a  mere  trifle,  but  it  is  true 
that  this  was  the  case.  By  1833  the  Potta- 
watomies had  ceded  all  of  this  county  to  the 


Government,  and  white  occupation  followed 
rapidly  thereafter.  However,  although  they 
had  sold  their  birthright  for  the  traditional 
"Mess  of  Pottage,"  they  lingered  here  in 
friendly  intercourse  with  the  "pale  faces"  who 
were  rapidl.v  acquiring  their  laud,  earnestly 
breaking  up  the  Indian  hunting  grounds  and 
planting  corn  and  wheat  where  once  the  buffalo 
was  hunted  to  extinction.  It  was  not  until 
1835-36  that  this  tribe  was  removed  to  its  reser- 
vation on  the  Missouri  River. 

The  name  Du  Page  was  given  to  the  county 
because  it  was  connected  with  the  principal 
river  in  it,  a  water  highway  well  known  by 
traders  who  used  it  to  travel  from  one  point  to 
another,  their  boats  loaded  with  skins  or  the 
produce  obtained  in  payment  for  these  evidences 
of  their  skill  as  hunters.  This  river  was  named 
for  a  French  trader,  who  had  settled  on  it  some 
time  before  1800.  Prior  to  the  official  naming 
of  the  county,  it  had  been  known  as  Illinois 
County,  Va. ;  St.  Clair  County,  Indiana  Terri- 
tory :  St.  Clair  County.  Illinois  Territory :  and 
later,  sueeessivel.v.  Madison  Count.v.  Crawford 
County.  Clark  County.  Pike  County.  Fulton 
Countj-.  Peoria  County,  and  Cook  County,  State 
of  Illinois.  When  organized  from  the  western 
part  of  Cook  Count.v.  it  contained  nine  full  and 
one  fractional  governmental  township,  with 
Cook  County  on  the  north  and  east.  Will  and 
Cook  Counties  on  the  south,  and  Kane  County 
on  the  west,  and  the  parties  authorized  to  lo- 
cate a  county  seat,  met  June  17,  1839,  at  Naper- 
ville. 

Wlien  Stephen  J.  Scott  and  his  son.  Willard 
Scott.  Bailey  Hobson.  Captain  Joseph  Naper  and 
other  early  settlers  decided  to  locate  in  what 
was  afterward  to  become  Du  Page  County,  the.v 
found  much  timber  and  plenty  of  water,  two 
strong  inducements  for  them.  In  those  early 
days  it  was  absolutely  necessary  to  have  both 
fuel  and  water,  for  none  of  the  modern  appli- 
ances or  substitutes  were  then  obtainable,  and 
the  pioneer  oftentimes  sacrificed  other  advan- 
tages to  be  sure  of  timber  with  which  to  build 
his  house  and  feed  his  fire,  and  water  for  him- 
self and  stock.  For  this  reason  the  prairies 
were  but  sparsely  settled  at  first.  Later  on, 
when  the  more  desirable  timber  sites  had  been 
taken  uii,  people  began  to  secure  the  neglected 
land,  to  find  that  the  soil  was  much  richer, 
and  crops  could  be  put  in  without  the  exhaust- 
ing labor  of  clearing  off  the  heavy  woodland. 


/6^-'^^J^^^^^'^-^^<::^^^Z-'^^t^ 


HISTORY  OF  DU  PAGE  COUXTY. 


627 


Within  a  slidit  time  of  peniianent  settlement, 
s:i\v  and  grist-mills  were  erected,  and  "this 
brought  to  Du  Page  County  settlers  from  other 
sections,  with  their  lumber  and  grain. 

The  jirairie  soil  is  a  deep  black  or  brown 
humus,  which  jiroduces  magnificent  crops ; 
while  that  of  the  timber  is  a  light  or  colored 
sand.v  clay,  or  loam,  which  is  also  very  produc- 
tive. 

Large  deiiosits  of  limestone  are  found  in  the 
county,  which  modern  progress  has  been  quar- 
rying for  years,  the  product  lieing  of  good  qual- 
ity. These  quarries  are  found  uear  Pro.spect 
Park,  Bloomingdale,  near  Elmhurst,  where  the 
deposit  is  nearly  white,  on  the  west  bank  of 
Salt  Creek.  Kimball's  Mill  and  in  the  vicinity 
of  Naperville. 

Du  Page  Countj'  is  an  agricultural  region, 
although  in  the  cities  and  towns  considerable 
manufacturing  is  carried  on.  Corn,  wheat,  rye, 
oats,  barley,  buckwheat,  peas,  beans  and  pota- 
toes are  raised  in  large  quantities ;  while  spe- 
cializing is  done  in  fruit  and  stock  raising. 

The  indigenous  trees  were  evergreens,  ma- 
ples, larches,  mountain  ash  and  similar  varie- 
ties, while  sugar  maple,  elm,  ash,  butternut  and 
soft  maple  trees  have  been  set  out  iu  large  num- 
bers, as  well  as  almost  every  kind  of  fruit  trees 
and  small  fruit-bearing  .shrubs. 

One  of  the  special  features  of  Du  Page 
County  is  the  location  in  it  of  some  of.the-uidst 
beautiful  subtirlis  iu  the  country.  Wealthy  men, 
engaged  in  business  iu  Chicago,  have  recognized 
the  desirability  of  establishing  homes_  avij.y 
from  the  stress  and  bustle  of  a  great  cjty.-  aiHl  ■ 
have  spared  neither  expense  nor  pains  to_  de- , 
velop  the  localities  they  have  selected  for  their 
seat  of  operation.  As  a  result  Hinsdale.  Glen 
Ellyn.  Elmhurst.  Naperville.  Lombard.  Down- 
er's Grove  and  Clarendon  Hills  are  synonymous 
with  all  that  is  most  desirable  In  residential 
districts,  and  these  communities  stand  as  a  last- 
ing monument  to  the  artistic  and  practical  con- 
ceptions of  those  who  are  responsible  for  their 
existence. 

The  dilTerent  individual  items  of  interest  will 
be  taken  up  at  length  under  different  heads,  so 
that  the  history  of  this  very  important  section 
of  Illinois,  will  be  brought  fully  down  to  date. 
Those  contributing  these  articles  are  numbered 
among  the  representative  people  here,  and  their 
accounts  can  be  relied  upon  as  being  not  only 
interesting,  but  accurate,  for  they  know  well  of 


what  they  write.  .Much  necessarily  has  to  be 
omitted  from  such  a  history  because  of  lack 
of  space,  but  all  the  essentials  are  alily  pre- 
sented, and  much  that  is  new  is  treated  of 
entertainingly  and  convincingly. 

ItECOLLECTIONS    OF    FIFTY    YEARS 

(By   I.   p.   Blodgett) 

The  venerable  L  P.  Blodgett,  of  Downer's 
Grove,  who  is  uow  in  bis  eighty-ninth  year, 
speaking  of  early  conditions,  says : 

"Father  was  one  of  three  sent  out  by  the 
Hampshire  colony  to  select  a  place  of  settle- 
ment. He  came  on  in  1830,  and  the  others 
went  along  different  ways.  They  were  to  meet 
at  Peoria,  but  father  Avas  the  only  one  who 
arrived  there.  He  selected  Du  Page  County, 
but  the  colony  went  to  Princeton,  III.,  all  except 
a  few  who  settled  in  Chicago.  The  reason  that 
father  selected  Du  P.ige  County  was  because 
he  saw  the  advantage  of  getting  near  the  lake, 
for  there  were  no  railroads  iu  those  days. 

"In  1831  we  came  on  and  settled  on  a  farm 
thirty  miles  west  of  Chicago,  part  In  Will  and 
Iiart  iu  Du  Page  Couuty.  The  house  was  on 
the  Will  Couuty  side,  because  long  afterwards, 
■when  I  was  Collector.  I  remember  that  T  didn't 
reach,  the  farmhouse. 

"I  was  nine  years  old  during  The  Black 
Hawk  War.  and  rememlier  all  about  our  going 
to  the  fort  at  Chicago.  When  the  Government 
s«nt  more  soldiers  to  protect  us,  they  drove  us 
out;  and  we  went  back  to  Du  Page  County  and 
huilt  the  blockhouse  on  Fort  Hill."  (The  site 
is  now  occupied  by  the  stately  residence  of  Judge 
John   S.   Goodwin,  of  Naperville. ) 

"A  brother  of  one  of  the  members  of  the 
Xaper  settlement,  named  Payne,  was  what  we 
now  call  an  Evangelist.  He  was  something  like 
the  New  England  Loretizo  Dow.  He  used  to 
make  appointments  to  preach  a  year  ahead. 
During  the  Black  Hawk  War  he  had  an  apiwint- 
ment  to  preach  somewhere  near  Ottawa.  When 
he  got  on  his  horse  to  go  to  keep  his  apijoint- 
nient  the  soldiers  at  the  fort  tried  to  persuade 
him  not  to  go,  but  he  was  resolved  to  keep  his 
appointment.  The  next  they  heard  of  him  was 
when  his  dead  body  was  found.  He  had  been 
scalped  and  his  whiskers  cut  from  his  face. 

".Vbout  1S33  father  moved  to  Downer's  Grove 
Township,  across  the  tracks  from  where  I  now 


628 


HISTORY  OF  DU  PAGE  COUNTY. 


live.  My  brother.  Cliarles  L!.  Bluilgett,  lives  on 
six  acres  of  this  old  farm.  The  farm  is  now 
incluiled  in  the  village  of  Downer's  Grove,  but 
it  was  not  platted  until  several  years  after  he 
died. 

"There  was  plenty  of  deer  and  prairie  chick- 
ens in  those  days,  but  no  wild  turkeys,  as  there 
was  in  other  jiarts  of  the  State.  The  winter  of 
1830  and  18.31  was  very  hard.  More  snow  fell 
then  than  there  has  ever  since  within  one  sea- 
sou.  The  coyotes  used  to  howl,  hut  except  that 
they  killed  some  cattle,  they  did  not  bother  us 
much.  I  guess  we  lost  one  cow,  perhaps  more, 
that  was  all  the  trouble  we  had  with  them. 

"I  don't  think  there  was  any  band  of  prairie 
bandits  with  headquarters  at  Brush  Hill. 
There  was  a  fellow,  I  knew  him  well ;  slept 
with  him  in  the  sugar  bush.  They  did  say  he 
had  stolen  horses,  but  when  they  came  to  arrest 
him  he  skipped  out,  and  we  never  heard  of 
him  again.  I  don't  know  that  he  ever  stole  any 
horses,  but  that  is  all  I  ever  heard  of  horse- 
stealing. 

"There  were  lots  of  Indians  in  those  days. 
They  used  to  come  to  father's  shop  to  have  him 
tix  their  guns.  We  bought  maple  sugar  that 
they  made.  That  was  the  only  kind  of  sugar 
we  could  get  for  several  years  after  we  came 
here. 

"Some  of  the  Indians  were  very  kind.  One 
day  my  elder  lirother  Henry"  (afterwards 
.Tudge  Blodgett  of  international  fame)  "was 
bitten  liy  a  rattlesnake  while  we  were  cutting 
corn.  I  had  heard  of  rattlesnake  weed  and 
quickly  dug  .some  up.  As  we  came  to  the  house 
a  company  of  Indians  were  riding  past,  A 
squaw  got  off  her  horse  and  asked  me  what  I 
was  going  to  do  with  what  I  had  in  my  hand. 
I  told  her.  She  snati-hed  it  out  of  my  haiul  and 
threw  it  away,  grunting:  'Xo  good."  Then  she 
took  my  hoe  and  ran  off  and  dug  up  another 
kind  of  weed.  She  bound  a  leaf  of  the  rattle- 
snake weed  slie  had  dug  up  about  Henry's  leg 
above  the  swelling,  and  while  the  foot  and  leg 
swelled  up  terribly,  the  swelling  did  not  go 
above  that  leaf.  She  made  a  poultice  out  of 
another  kind  of  weed  and  some  tea.  and  be  gut 
well. 

"In  those  days  we  played  ball,  but  not  foot- 
ball: had  spelling  school,  singing  school  and 
debates.  We  used  to  meet  in  an  old  barn  and 
hold  great  debates.  Then  we  had  fine  camp 
iiippfhigs.     Circuit  riders  used   to  preach  when- 


ever they  came  aronnd.  One  was  Elder  Beggs. 
He  would  preach  so  loud  that  we  could  hear 
him  as  great  a  distance  as  from  the  depot  to  my 
house,  better  than  if  we  were  real  close.  He 
just  yelled  from  the  start.  Elder  Scarrett  used 
to  iireach  when  there  was  no  one  else.  There 
were  other  circuit  riders,  but  I  don't  remember 
their  names. 

"The  Congregational  Society  was  organized 
in  1833,  and  held  meetings  iu  the  Du  Page 
schoolhouse.  The  firsftime  they  held  a  meet- 
ing, the  day  was  a  nice  oue  and  all  went  out 
under  the  trees  and  held  the  service.  Other 
societies  were  formed  from  that  first  oue. 

"During  1S3G  prices  ^^•ere  very  high  because 
the  country  was  new  and  so  little  was  being 
raised.  Wheat  then  sold  for  .^li  per  bushel,  but 
a  few  years  later  it  only  brought  thirty  cents 
per  bushel,  for  there  was  iio  market.  Chicago 
was  then  only  a  village.  About  1S3C  pork 
fetched  $Vj  per  barrel.  On  the  first  day  of 
.January  iu  1840.  when  I  was  iu  Chicago  going 
to  school  a  little,  the  man  I  was  boarding  with 
went  out  and  bought,  on  the  street,  a  whole 
dressed  hog.  weighing  100  iwunds.  for  -SI.  About 
this  time  father  almost  gave  away  growing 
shoats.     Any  price  would  take  them. 

"Eggs  were  very  cheap.  I  remember  when  I 
crossed  the  plains  iu  1.S41I  that  we  could  get 
eggs  anywhere  when  tliere  was  a  settlement  for 
four  to  ten  cents  a  dozen,  mostly  for  the  first 
price.  These  prices  were  the  same  iu  Du  Page 
County,  when  anyone  wanted  to  buy  eggs.  Most 
had  their  own. 

"Some  people  believe  that  the  first  plow  that 
would  scour  the  prairie  soil  was  made  iu  fa- 
ther's shop,  but  I  know  better,  for  I  was  the 
boy  that  did  the  plowing,  and  I  know.  That 
plow  was  made  in  (Jrand  de  Tour.  Father  made 
those  plows  later  on.     This  is  history. 

"Ouce  I  walked  to  Chicago.  Father  had 
promised  to  pay  a  man  some  money  which  he 
owed  him.  It  was  between  fifteen  aud  twenty 
dollars;  I  think  it  was  seventeen,  but  I  am  not 
quite  sure.  This  was  in  1841.  There  came  up 
a  rain  and  then  it  froze  so  it  was  iuiixissible 
for  a  horse  to  go.  Father  told  me  that  he  had 
jironiised  to  pay  this  money  that  week,  and 
said  he  did  not  know  how  he  could  get  through 
with  a  team.  I  told  him  I  would  go.  I  started 
out  about  eight  o'clock  in  the  morning,  and  did 
not  get  to  Chicago  until  after  dark.  As  I  don't 
remember  wh.it  tune  of  the  year  it  was.  I  can't 


//.-/,  M,  iij.  a,„cU 


"■'ibULUh^-.-.Y 


HISTORY  OF  DU  PAGE  COUNTY. 


629 


say  just  how  lale  that  was,  but  I  kuow  it  was 
after  dark.  I  had  a  hard  time,  for  I  would 
breali  tbrougli  almost  every  step,  aud  had  to 
pull  my  feet  out  from  the  holes  in  the  ice.  I 
don't  believe  I  would  care  to  walk  to  Chicago 
now."  When  Mr.  Blodgett  said  this  he  laufihed 
and  looked  so  bright  and  vigorous  that  the  idea 
came  that,  if  it  were  necessary,  this  virile  old 
pioneer  offsiiring  would  somehow  manage  that 
trip,  no  matter  what  the  difficulties,  for  of  such 
stuff  were  they  born  aud  bred. 

"I  s;iw-  my  first  railroad  in  the  spring  of 
1S40.  but  did  nut  ride  on  one  until  I  reached 
Panama  on  my  way  home  from  California  in 
1850.  When  I  left  for  the  west  ou  my  trip 
across  the  plains  in  1S49,  I  sold  a  good  cow  for 
.$10.  In  the  summer  of  1830,  I  remember  my 
lirother  Henry  and  I  sold  a  cow,  not  any  better, 
for  3!50 ;  but  then  they  were  scarce,  and  in  1849 
there  were  jilenty.  From  Panama  on  my  way 
home  I  went  to  New  Orleans,  and  then  up  the 
Mississippi  River  on  a  boat  of  1.000  tons.  That 
was  considered  a  big  boat  in  those  days.  I  re- 
member when  it  was  thought  wonderful  thai 
a  boat  of  the  same  size  could  dock  in  the  Chi- 
cago River.  This  was  before  the  river  was 
dredged.  cxie|it  to  remove  the  sand  bar  at  its 
mouth. 

"Thero  was  a  good  deal  of  party  feeling.  The 
Deuiocrats  and  Whigs  were  the  parties  until 
the  Republican  party  was  organized,  hut  I  was 
out  west  when  that  happened. 

"Father  took  in  the  runaway  slaves,  secreted 
them  for  a  day  or  two.  and  then  passed  them 
along.  There  were  a  lot  of  people  w^ho  were 
with  the  slaves  in  those  days.  People  used  to 
tell  a  story  about  a  certain  goTerumeut  official 
at  Chicago,  who  was  appointed  to  return  run- 
away slaves  to  their  owners.  When  people  came 
to  him  after  a  slave  he  w^ould  say : 

"  'Yes,  I  think  I  know  where  the  fellow  is. 
Come  around  at  nine  o'clock  tomorrow  morning.' 
"He  always  did  know  where  they  were,  aud 
that  night  would  go  to  the  Treraont  House  or 
the  City  Hotel,  great  stations  of  the  'under- 
ground railway,'  and  finding  the  slave,  would 
say: 

'"Look  here.  Jack.  I  want  you.  Be  sure  to 
he  on  hand  tomorrow  morning  at  nine  o'clock. 
Some  one  has  come  after  you,  and  you  must  go 
back  with  him.' 

"By  nine  o'clock  the  next  morning  Jack 
would  ho  a   lot  nearer  Canada  than  Chicago. 


"We  did  not  need  taverns  in  the  very  early 
days,  for  wherever  .a  traveler  saw  a  light  it 
was  home  to  him.  The  best  any  of  us  had  to 
eat  was  none  too  good,  and  the  traveler  was 
welcome  to  stay  as  long  as  he  liked.  Father 
used  to  have  us  put  a  lighted  candle  in  the  east 
window  every  night,  so  that  anyone  who  was 
lost  could  find  his  way  to  our  home. 

"As  far  as  I  remember.  Sweet's  House  on  the 
road  to  NaperviUe  was  the  first  tavern,  but 
the  Pre-emption  House  at  NaperviUe  was  the 
first  regular  hotel  in  the  county. 

"We  were  more  friendly  in  those  days.  Now 
we  do  not  dare  to  nnUve  a  stranger  welcome  as 
we  did  then.  The  travelers  who  came  through 
in  those  early  days  were  honest,  and  we  did 
not  need  to  be  afraid  of  them." 

Captain  Rogers  of  Downer's  Grove,  also  one 
of  the  venerable  residentes  of  Du  Page  County, 
scoats  the  idea  of  Brush  Hill  being  the  strong- 
hold of  a  band  of  bandits.  He  declares  that, 
like  any  new  section.  Brush  Hill  had  its  rough 
element,  .but  does  not  think  it  was  any  worse 
tlian  the  other  portions  of  the  county,  although 
a  littlS'  younger"  in  its  development. 

Captain  Rogers  also  gives  some  luteresting 
facts  relative  to  early  prices.  Like  Mr.  Blod- 
gett,  he-  asserts  that  ail  farm  pro'ducts  were 
very  cKehi)""after'  settlement  was  finally  estab- 
lished, and  the  farmers  were  raising  their  own. 
As  he  remembers.  Lombard  was  the  market,  and 
there  (\as  little  or  no  demand  for  grain,  butter 
or  eggs.  Pork  sold  at  exceedingly  low  prices, 
varying  with  the  different  years. 


CHAPTER    IV 


i'I()Ni:i;r    protective    organizations 


SqUATTEB       disputes       over      government       I.ANU 

ciJ^iMS — organization  of  early  settlers  for 

MUTUAL  protection  FROM  "CLAIM-JUMPERS" 
AND  "LAND-SHARKS" — THE  BIG  WOODS  CLAIM 
SOCIETT- — ITS  LIST  OF  OFFICERS  AND  MEMBERS — 
DU  PAGE  COUNTY  MUTUAL  PROTECTION  SOCIETY 
ORGANIZED  IN  1839— OFFICERS  AND  LIST  OF 
TOWNSHIP  COMMITTEES— HIGH  STANDING  OF 
ITS    MEMBERS — STORY    OF   THE   KENT    TRAGEDY. 

Siiuatter  disputes  disturbed  Du  Page  County, 
in  its  early  history,  as  they  do  any  new  locality. 


630 


lil8TUUV   OF  DU  PAGE  COUNTY. 


Especially  was  this  true  with  regard  to  the 
timber  claims.  The  early  settlers  had  striven 
to  secure  laud  iu  a  timber  district,  utterly  over- 
looking the  iirairie.  which  was  then  deemed 
worthless.  Owing  to  these  troubles,  unscrupu- 
lous jiersons,  called  "land  sharks,"  took  advan- 
tage of  those  who  had  legal  claims  and  fright- 
ened them  off  from  lauds  which  these  robbers 
then  sold  for  high  prices. 

The  property  south  of  the  old  Indian  boun- 
dary was  jnit  on  the  market  iu  ISo.j.  aud  many 
laud  speculators  took  advantage  of  the  Govern- 
ment's generosity  aud  secured  claims,  holding 
the  best  of  the  land  for  speculative  purposes. 

Because  of  the  injustice  of  this,  aud  the  dis- 
advantages under  which  the  average  settler, 
not  entirely  aware  of  his  own  rights,  suffered. 
The  Big  Woods  Claim  Society  was  formed.  In 
addition  to  protecting  the  settlers  against  specu- 
lators, this  society  purposed  settling  disputes 
and  .securing  an  equitable  arrangement  of  mat- 
ters relating  to  bouudary  lines. 

Dr.  Levi  Ward,  Frederick  Stolp,  A.  E.  Car- 
penter, William  J.  Strong,  and  Charles  Sidders 
were  appointed  a  committee  to  receive  all  com- 
plaints and  adjust  difticulties.  Those  who  at- 
tended the  meeting  which  appointed  this  com- 
mittee were  thoroughly  representative  of  the 
county  and  its  best  interests.  The  list  of  those 
who  joined  Ihe  society  embraced  the  following 
names : 

John  Warue,  A.  E.  Carpenter,  James  Dyer, 
John  Jlosier,  Joseph  Fish,  Elihu  Wright,  Xarah 
Beardsley,  S.  Hui-lbut,  Darius  J.  Lamphear, 
Walter  Germain,  George  C.  Howe,  Samuel  Pax- 
ton,  William  Williams,  George  Muuroe,  Harvey 
Iligbee.  James  M.  AVarren,  John  Maxwell,  Cor- 
nelius Jones,  John  Ogden,  I'hiueas  Graves,  Wil- 
liam Hall,  David  Crane.  James  Brown,  Fred- 
erick Stolp,  Xelson  Murray,  Taylor  J.  Warue, 
Jessie  B.  Ketchum,  Barton  Eddy,  David  Mc- 
Kee,  J.  S.  P.  Lord,  Joseph  Wilson,  Warren 
Smith,  Henry  M.  Waite,  Lyman  King,  Luther 
Chandler.  Gilbert  S.  Rouse,  S.  H.  Arnold.  Joseph 
Stolp.  Keuben  Austin.  iCluirles  Arnold,  Levi 
Leach,  John  B.  Eddy,  John  Gregg,  Samuel  Mos- 
ier,  Orrin  W.  Graves.  B.  Tubbs,  Jr..  Joseph 
Thayer.  Thomson  Paxton.  I>.  Ward.  Charles 
Brown.  Charles  Sidders,  James  H.vmes.  Nathan 
Williams.  William  J.  Strong.  Robert  Hopkins, 
Jesse  Graves,  John  Stolp.  Allen  Williams,  A. 
Culver.  Thomas  X.  Paxton,  Dennis  Clark,  Aman- 
der  P.  Thomas.  Alfred  Churchill,  R.  S.  Ostran- 
der.   A.   AV..  Beardsley.  George  W.  Laird,   N.   H. 


Thomas.  Euos  Coleman,  Linus  L.  Coleman.  Eli 
Northani,  Lerah  Jone.s,  Reuben  Jones,  George 
S.  Blacknian,  Blackmau  &  Winslow,  William  E. 
Bent.  J.  B.  Smith,  E.  Smith,  Ira  Woodman,  Al- 
den  S.  Clifford,  William  Hill.  John  Fox,  Nathan 
Williams,  Alanson  Arnold,  Eleazer  Blackmau, 
Aurin  Ralph,  John  Sidders,  Russel  Whipple, 
Sheffeld  Mills,  Jonas  Lamphear,  William  R.  Cur- 
rier, Marcus  Griswold  and  Isaac  Barnes. 

The  first  annual  meeting  was  held  August  6, 
lcS30.  at  the  residence  of  Thomas  Paxton. 

This  Big  Woods  Claim  Society  was  the  first 
of  its  kind  formed  in  Du  Page  County,  and 
had  for  its  object  the  following  stated  protection 
for  its  members : 

"Be  it  remembered  that  we,  the  undersigned, 
inhabitants  of  the  east  side  of  the  Big  AVoods 
aud  its  vicinit.v,  who  have  settled  on  lands  be- 
longing to  the  I'nited  States,  and  who  have 
made  their  respective  claims,  including  timber 
aud  prairie!  Now  for  the  peace  aud  tranquility 
of  our  said  .settlement,  we  do,  severally  and 
individually  bind  each  to  the  other,  in  the  penal 
sum  of  one  thousand  dollars,  to  protect  and 
assist  each  other  in  keeping  off  all  intruders 
that  may  intrude  on  each  other's  claims,  in 
any  way  whatever.  .\ud  we  further  agree  to 
deed  aud  redeed  to  each  other,  at  government 
price,  whenever  our  said  claims  shall  come  into 
market — that  is  to  say.  in  case  our  respective 
claims  shall  not  agree  or  correspond  with  the 
general  government  siu'vey.  The  true  intent 
and  meaning  of  those  present  is.  that  we  sever- 
ally and  individually  agree  to  let  all  disputes 
aud  difficulties  be  submitted  to  the  following 
named  persons,  as  a  committee,  who  shall,  or  a 
majority  of  them,  aud  their  successors  in  office, 
settle  all  kinds  or  disputes  or  difficulties  that 
may  arise  respecting  claims,  whatever." 

The  penal  sum  of  the  constitution,  was  after- 
wards under  date  of  August  (5,  1S.'',0.  increa.sed 
to  ten  thousand  dollars. 

MUTUAL    PEOTECTIOX    SOCIETY 

In  18.19.  a  society  was  formed,  called  The  Du 
Page  County  Society  for  Mutual  Protection, 
which  had  a  similar  object  as  that  of  The  Big 
Woods  Claim  Society. 

The  first  meeting,  held  at  Naperville.  October 
28.  18.30.  nominated  and  approved  a  Board  of 
Arbitration  and  Clerk,  the  committee  selecting 
theni  being:  Lewis  Ellsworth.  Elihu  Thayer, 
Luther  Hatch.  Cornelius  Jones.  Job  X.  Smith, 
and  David  S.  Dunning. 


HISTORY  OF  DU  PAGE  COUNTY. 


I;i31 


The  Bo;ird  and  Clerk  selected  Ijy  tbe  eom- 
uiittee  were :  Lymau  Meacbaui,  Erastus  Gary 
aud  .Stephen  J.  Si-ott.  Board  of  Arbitration,  and 
I'.  Balliugall,  Clerk. 

The  eounty  was  divided  into  districts,  for 
convenience,    with    sub-committees,    as    follows : 

Xaperville  Precinct  :  Stephen  J.  Scott,  Henry 
Goodrich,  and  Nathan  Allen,  Jr. 

Webster  Precinct:  John  W.  Walker.  James 
C.  Hatch,  and  Pierce  Downer. 

Deereield  Precinct;  Luther  Morton.  Perns 
Barney,  and  Moses  Stacy. 

Washington  Precinct:  Lyman  Meacham, 
Smith  D.  Pierce,  and  Captain  E.  Kinny. 

Orange  Precinct:  Job  A.  Smith.  William  Kim- 
ball, and  Luther  F.  Sanderson. 

Du  Page  Precinct:  Warren  Smith,  Lorln  G. 
Hulbert.  aud  Alvah  Fowler. 

Big  Wood.s  Precinct  :  John  Warne,  Levi  Leach, 
and  William  J.  Strong. 

Subordinate  claim  societies  were  also  organ- 
ized, and  there  were  few  settlers  who  did  not 
join  them,  for  all  realized  that,  in  them  the 
pioneers  had  a  protection  from  those  who  sought 
to  rob  them  from  the  fruits  of  their  labors  and 
the  results  of  their  privations,  greater  than 
anyone  lieside  themselves  knew  or  appreciated. 

As  the  members  of  these  societies  were  men 
of  honor  and  high  standing,  every  pledge  made 
was  fully  carried  out,  and  a  large  amount  of 
costly   litigation   avoided. 

the  KENT  TRAGEDY 

Fortunately  Du  Page  County  has  been  spared 
much  that  would  have  disfigured  its  history, 
but  there  is  one  occurrence  that  is  worthy  spec- 
ial mention.  This  was  the  outcome  of  claim 
differences,  which  during  the  early  days  played 
so  important  a  part  in  the  lives  of  the  people 
here.  The  tragedy  had  its  beginning  in  the 
purchase,  in  18.35,  by  Ebeuezer  Peck  of  the  un- 
divided half  of  a  claim  held  by  Dr.  Meacham. 
The  two  leased  their  holdings  to  a  man  named 
Milton  Kent,  and  later  Dr.  Meacham  sold  his 
half  to  his  associate  and  moved  away.  In  18.37, 
Mr.  Peck  sold  his  interests  to  George  W.  Green, 
after  Mr.  Kent's  lease  had  expired.  When  Mr. 
Green  came  to  the  claim  intending  to  locate 
upon  it,  Mr.  Kent  refused  to  leave.  A  suit  was 
commenced,  but  Mr.  Kent  held  possession,  built 
a  house  and  barn  and  operated  a  tavern. 

In  the  early  spring  of  1840.  Mr.  Green,  accom- 
panied by  the  Sheriff,  came  to  the  tavern  and 


demanded  isurreuder  of  the  entire  pro[>erty, 
including  the  buildings  erected  by  Mr.  Kent. 
The  latter  was  forced  to  leave,  his  household 
belongings  being  put  in  a  shanty  hastily  con- 
structed upon  the  premises.  lie  was  not  allowed 
to  occupy  this,  however,  for  the  Sheriff  notified 
him  that  he  must  leave  at  once,  but  permitted 
him  the  privilege  of  remaining  over  Sunday. 

Mr.  Kent,  accompanied  by  his  son  and  two 
friends  broke  into  the  tavern  Sunday  night, 
and  in  the  general  light  that  ensued.  Mr.  Green 
killed  Mr.  Kent.  He  was  badly  wounded,  and 
was  forced  to  sign  a  (luit-claim  deed  to  the 
property.  Later  he  confessed  that  he  had  killed 
Mr.  Kent,  was  tried  and  dismissed. 

Although  he  remained  three  years  longer  in 
Du  Page  County,  he  had  no  friends,  and  was 
regarded  with  distrust,  so  that  he  finally  re- 
turned to  Cliicago  and  for  some  years  was  a 
banker  there,  but  eventually  was  convicted  of 
poisoning  his  wife  aud  while  in  ,iail  awaiting 
the  execution  of  his  sentence,  committed  suicide. 
Without  doubt,  however,  each  man  thought  he 
(vas  right.  In  these  days  such  disputes  can 
be  more  readily  ad.1usted,  but  under  jMoneer 
conditions  and  in  the  absence  of  legal  titles 
disturbances  frequeutl.v  arose  over  rival  claims 
to  desirable  propertj-. 


CHAPTER  V 


PIONEER    SOCIAL   AND   DO.MESTll'    LIFE 


PIONEER   WOMEN    OF   DU   PAGE   COCNTV — HARDSHIPS 

WHICH    THEY    ENDURED CONDITIONS    IN    INDIAN 

DAYS — DESCRIPTION  OF  A  PIONEER  WEDDING  AND 
HONEYMOON — SELECTION  AND  IMPROVEMENT  OF 
A  NEW  HOME — PROVISIONS  FOR  SELF-PROTECTION 
— CHILD  LIFE — PREACHING  DAYS  AND  THE  PIO- 
NEER woman's  HOSPITALITY  TO  THE  CONGREGA- 
TION IN  HER  PRIVATE  HOME — DOMESTIC  DUTIES 
AND  RESPONSIBILITIES — HONOR  FOR  DU  PAGE 
COUNTY"    WOMEN    FOR    THE    PART    THEY"    BORE    IN 

PIONEER    DAYS    PIONEER    TAVERNS    —    EARLY 

TRANSPORTATION  AND  ACCOMMODATIONS — AMUSE- 
MENT.S — ^RELIGIOUS  SERVICES  AND  SOCIAL  ENTER- 
TAINMENTS. 

(BY"    MRS.    H.    E.    LOVELESS) 

PIONEER    WOMEN 

The  pioneer  women  of  Du  Page  County  are 
worthy  of  special  mention,  for  upon  their  shoul- 


632 


HISTORY  OF  DU  PAGE  COUNTY. 


(lers  fell,  after  all,  tlie  heaviest  burdeus  associ- 
ated with  the  developmeut  of  civilizatiou  as  it 
is  fouud  today.  Nowhere  is  a  woman's  iuflueiiee 
more  powerful  than  ju  those  localities  where 
primitive  conditions  prevail,  for  it  is  upon  her 
that  the  maintenance  of  the  integral  parts  of 
the  home  and  homestead  depends.  Records  of 
Du  Page  County  show  that  the  early  women 
here  more  than  lived  up  to  their  reputation  for 
being  devoted,  brave,  deserving  Christian  wo- 
men, willing  to  work  and  cheer  onward,  and 
always  upward  the  men  of  their  families. 

In  the  early  days,  when  the  territory  now 
included  within  the  confines  of  Du  Page  County 
was  still  partly  owned  by  the  Indians  and  heavy 
forests  covered  much  of  the  land,  especially 
along  the  water  courses,  alternating  with  almost 
worthless  swamps,  the  work  of  the  pioneer  and 
Ills  wife  was  extremely  difficult.  In  a  number 
of  cases,  this  man  was  one  newly  wed.  In  iilan- 
ning  out  their  future,  he  and  his  prospective 
bride  decided  to  seek  their  fortune  in  the  land 
lying  in  the  northern  part  of  Illinois,  which 
they  had  heard  about  from  some  relative  already 
settled  there,  or  from  some  neighbor  who,  on 
horseback,  had  made  a  prosi>ecting  trip  through 
that  section.  There  they  hoiked  to  be  able  to 
secure  what  people  worlied  hard  to  obtain  in 
those  da.vs — a  home  and  a  chance  to  ow-n  a  fai-m 
without  paying  the  (to  them)  prohibitive  prices 
of  the  Eastern  State  iu  which  they  liad  sjient 
their  lives. 

It  was  a  serioTis  matter — a  trip  in  those  days. 
The  present  magnificent  postal  system  was  en- 
tirely undeveloped  and  no  railroads  bisected 
the  country.  If  they  severed  connections  with 
the  old  home,  there  was  really  little  prospect  of 
their  seeing  their  relatives  for  years,  if  ever. 
What  courage  and  devotion  combined  with  abso- 
lute love,  those  pioneer  brides  must  have  pos- 
sessed ! 

At  the  wedding  of  the  pioneer  and  bis  bride, 
wedding  presents  were  given,  but  they  did  not 
take  the  form  of  cut  glass  or  marble  statuary. 
In  the  little  wagon — drawn  sometimes  by  a  yoke 
of  oxeu.  an  ox.  or  even  an  ox  and  a  horse, 
usually  given  by  the  parents  and  relatives  of 
the  groom — were  packed  the  other  presents. 
Homely  kitchen  ware,  a  pewter  set  which  would 
now  be  priceless,  or  an  almost  equally  valuable 
set  of  blue  willow  ware,  descended  to  the  bride 
from  a  generou?  grandmother :  bed  and  table 
linen,  spun  and  woven  by  her  own  hands;  quilts 
she  had  begun  "piecing"  at  a  time  when  modern 


children  begin  kindergarten;  a  plow  of  crudest 
pattern ;  spade,  hoe  and  shovel ;  a  few,  \ery 
plain  clothes;  some  meal,  beans  and  bacon,  and 
if  the  bride  were  particularly  fortunate.  Ijeneath 
the  wagon  swung  a  coop  of  chickens.  Now  and 
then  the  father  of  the  groom  would  donate  a 
milch  cow.  The.'e  things  formed  the  outfit  of 
many  a  .voung  couple — all  they  had  iu  the  world, 
except  their  love  for  each  other,  their  deter- 
mination to  win  and  a  few  hard-earned  dollars 
to  pay  for  the  entry  fee  of  their  land. 

With  brave  liearts  the  bride  and  groom  would 
start  off,  really  going  into  the  unknown,  leaving 
behind  tbem  what  was  then  the  height  of  civili- 
zation and  the  comforts  of  life.  The  long,  slow 
trip  across  country  was  a  hard  beginning  for 
the  youthful  bride,  iu  many  cases  not  more  than 
sixteen — for  women  in  those  days  early  assumed 
the  responsibilities  of  life,  and  by  what  they 
accomplished,  proved  they  were  ready  for  them 
at  that  tender  age.  She  learned  to  bake  a  corn- 
meal  cake  in  the  ashes  in  front  of  the  fire,  and 
fry  the  bacon  in  the  same  makeshift  way. 

Probably  before  the  trip  was  half-made,  the 
bride  and  groom  fell  in  with  another  part.v — 
perhaps  on  older  married  couple — who,  feeling 
that  there  was  no  longer  room  for  them  and 
their  two  or  three  children  in  the  old  homestead, 
were  branching  out  for  themselves.  The  pioneer 
bride  would  eagerly  seize  upon  the  opportunity 
to  make  friends  with  one  of  her  own  sex.  and 
delightedly  help  with  the  children  at  night  and 
in  the  morning  while  in  camp.  Perhaps,  how- 
ever, she  would  thus  early  learn  one  of  the 
hard  lessons  of  frontier  life,  and  be  called  upon 
to  help  bury  one  of  the  little  ones  along  the 
weary  wa.v.  These  little  graves  are  the  mile- 
stones along  many  a  highway  of  civilization. 
Once  the  tiny  mound  was  left  behind,  it  devolved 
upon  the  bride  to  comfort  the  other  pioneer 
woman,  and  to  learn  from  her  submission  to  a 
Divine  Providence. 

Eventually,  however,  there  would  come  the 
branching  of  the  way.  Steadfast  in  their  deter- 
mination to  locate  along  the  Du  Page  river,  the 
pioneer  bride  and  groom  would  have  to  part  from 
the  older  pioneers  who  were  seeking  a  more 
southern  part  of  Illinois,  or  perhaps  even  think- 
ing of  pressing  on  to  Iowa,  and  once  more  these 
two.  husband  and  wife,  would  be  alone  about 
their  camp  fire. 

Even  at  the  best  of  times,  the  trip  was  weari- 
some,  but   when   they   chanced  uiion   an   utterly 


HISTORY  OF  DU  PAGE  COUNTY. 


633 


barrfii  slrip.  where  there  was  no  water,  so 
that  they  aud  their  stonk  suffered  tor  lack  oi 
it ;  or  were  forced  to  wade  through  bogs  that 
almost  mired  tbem.  they  tasted,  to  the  bitter 
lees,  of  the  cup  of  privation.  Still,  eveu  then, 
the  little  bride,  remembering  the  tiuy  mound, 
would  revive  and  cheer  her  husband  onward. 
picturing  tiie  comfort  aud  delights  of  the  home 
ahead. 

Although  they  would  pass  through  Chicago, 
as  so  many  of  the  pioneers  westward-bound 
did,  the  straggling  village  of  the  early  thirties 
offered  no  charms  to  them.  Had  they  cared 
to  invest  their  few  dollars  there,  their  grand- 
children miglit  be  numbered  amoug  the  pluto- 
crats of  the  twentieth  century,  but  fortunately 
for  the  future  of  Du  Page  County,  they  and 
their  successors,  pressed  onward  a  little  further. 
and  lived  to  expand  amid  the  beautiful  and 
healthful  surroundings  in  a  more  rural  neigh- 
borhood. 

Passing  througU  what  was  to  become  the  great 
metropolis  of  the  West,  then  a  frontier  village 
surrounding  the  fort,  they  came  at  length  to 
what  seemed  an  ideal  spot  for  their  new  home. 
Perhaps  it  was  in  Xaperville  Township,  where 
the  Napers.  and  others  settled  ;  or  Bloomiugdale 
may  have  attracted  them,  as  it  did  the  Jleaclv- 
anis  ;  or  Addison,  where  the  Duucklees  found  a 
liome :  po.ssibly .  they,  with  the  family  of  John 
Laughlin.  selected  Wayne:  or  with  the  Garys. 
went  to  Winfield;  Downer's  Grove  appealed  to 
Pierce  Downer,  and  mayhap  it  did  to  them :  and 
then  Lisle,  where  the  Hobson's  home  was  the 
first  in  the  county,  may  have  been  just  what 
they  wanted :  Milton  gave  the  Butterflelds  a 
home,  and  it  may  have  done  as  well  by  this 
pioneer  and  his  bride,  if  they  did  not  select  York, 
as  did  Elisha  Fish.  At  any  rate,  no  matter 
where  they  went,  they  found  a  home,  aud  that 
was  what  they  had  made  the  long  trip  to 
seciu'e.  and  so  they  were  satisfied. 

Having  studied  the  question,  they  selected 
land  which  had  plenty  of  forest  on  it.  and 
close  to  a  water  course,  else  how  would  they 
get  timber  for  their  house,  wood  for  their  fire, 
rails  for  their  subsequent  fences,  or  water  for 
themselves  and  their  stock?  As  soon  as  possible. 
the  pioneer  chojiped  down  enough  trees  to  put 
together,  very  crudely,  indeed,  a  rough  shelter 
for  the  two.  and  a  lean-to  for  the  stock.  One 
thing  is  certain — that,  while  he  was  busy  at 
this,    the  pioneer   bride   was   not   idle.     If   she 


did  not  actually  join  in  the  chopping,  hauling 
aud  lifting,  which  many  of  those  sturdy  women 
did,  she  bore  her  part  in  all  the  work,  and 
cheerfully  put  up  with  a  dirt  floor,  so  that 
the  men  could  plant  in  the  .space  about  the 
tree  stumps,  left  after  he  had  felled  the  trees 
for  his  hou.se.  a  little  grain  to  carry  them 
through  the  winter  that  would  surely  come. 

While  he  dug  up  the  ground,  too  thoroughly 
Hlled  with  stumps  to  be  plowed,  she  followed 
dropping  the  seed,  aud  then,  while  he  was  clear- 
ing off  more  land,  she  dug  up  a  bit  of  ground 
to  get  in  her  garden-seed  and  lierhs,  without 
which  she  could  scarcely  make  the  simples  for 
curing  the  ailments  to  which  both  would  be 
likely  sulijeets  in  an  undeveloped  settlement. 

Harvest  would  naturally  foUow  seed  time, 
and  with  it  came  added  labor  for  the  pioneer 
woman.  As  the  mills  were  then  so  few  and 
far  between,  aud  the  man  needed  every  moment 
to  clear  off  his  land,  she  ground  much  of  their 
meal  in  a  primitive  mill  by  hand,  or  eveu  crushed 
it  between  two  stones.  Her  hands  bound  up 
rushes  for  brooms,  and  when  the  corn  was 
husked,  used  the  outside  covering  for  a  similar 
purpose.  She  renovated  the  bed  ti(_'k  with  these 
luisks ;  kept  her  fire  going  often  times  with  the 
corn  cobs,  her  hands  had  parted  from  the  corn. 
\)n'riug  the  leng.  cold  winter,  when  snow  la.v 
so  deep  that  it  was' impossible  to  have  any  inter- 
course with  the  few  neighbors,  she  spun  flax 
'she  had.  lirought  from  her  far  off  home,  or  tried 
to  kee'phei-  stalwart  husband  in  stockings  of  her 
knitting.  .If  she  desired  to  bake,  she  had  to 
bend  almost  double  over  the  homemade  fireplace, 
to  tend  her  corn-cakes  in  a  covered  oven,  set 
on  the  wood  coals. 

Usually,  this  pioneer  bride  had  a  new  interest 
to  occupy  her  mind,  for  liefore  another  planting, 
slie  would  be  called  upon  to  endure  the  greatest 
agony  known  to  humanity,  mauy  times  entirely 
alone,  save  for  the  blundering  assistance  of  her 
inexperienced  husliand.  Yet  in  spite  of  the 
entire  lack  of  attention  or  care,  the  pioneer 
w(unan  would  give  birth  to  her  first-born  safely 
and  well,  and  within  a  few  days  be  up  and  about 
her  usual  tasks,  happy  in  her  mother  love. 

The  pioneer  women  of  Du  Page  County  were 
bai)pily  free  from  Indian  atrocities,  but  there 
was  always  present  the  fear  of  them,  until  the 
(Joveruinent  took  them  away  to  their  reserva- 
tii>n.  For  weeks  at  a  time,  the  pioneer  woman 
kept  a  shot  giui  by  her  side,  ready  and  capable 
of    defending    herself,    and — what    she    valued 


634 


HISTORY  OF  DU  PAGE  COUNTY. 


far  more — her  child,  from  auy  savage  attack. 
Fortunately,  Indeed,  for  her,  this  watchfulness 
was  not  necessary,  and  in  time  she  grew  used 
to  the  Ited  Men.  and  the  child  would  crow  with 
delight  when  the  feathered  head  of  one  of 
these  dusky  warriors  appeared. 

Once  more  harvest  came,  by  this  time  with 
enough  for  the  winter's  needs,  and  iJerhaps  a 
bit  over,  which  could  be  traded  for  something 
else  a  neighbor  might  possess.  If  fortune  had 
been  particularly  kind,  a  yng  or  two  might  be 
added  to  the  stock,  now  increased  by  a  calf. 
The  chickens  not  only  had  furnished  eggs,  but 
multiplied,  and  they  always  brought  something 
desirable  in  a  trade,  for  not  everyone  possessed 
them.  As  harvest  faded  into  wiuter,  the  pioneer 
woman  felt  contented.  More  than  one  bit  of 
rude  furniture  was  to  be  found  in  the  cabin, 
which  was  to  have  a  puncheon  floor,  as  the 
good  man  of  the  house  purix>sed  working  at  that 
while  barred  from  outdoor  work.  The  dugout 
close  to  the  door,  was  filled  with  plenty  for  the 
winter ;  the  baby  was  flourishing,  and  there  was 
a  promise  of  some  "preaching"  during  the  suc- 
ceeding mouths.  Already  the  eighty  acres  they 
had  secured  began  to  look  like  home,  and  the 
young  wife  aud  mother,  looking  forward,  could 
picture   many   wonderful   changes. 

She  had  cheerfully  gone  through  her  own 
trial  alone  and  unaided.  It  had  not  seemed  very 
much  of  a  hardship  after  all,  and  looking  back 
uj)on  it.  in  the  way  of  mothers,  she  scarcely 
remembered  the  pain,  but  when  the  child  fell 
sick,  it  was  a  different  matter.  Then  the  ]iioneer 
had  to  saddle  his  horse  and  ride  to  the  nearest 
neighI)or,  no  matter  what  the  weather  and  beg 
her  assistance.  Needless  to  say,  this  neighbor 
never  refused,  but  leaving  her  own  work,  would 
venture  forth  into  such  cold  as  we  of  this 
generation  never  e.xperience.  riding  uncomfort- 
ably behind  the  man.  arriving  like  an  angel  of 
light  to  the  weary,  distracted  mother.  Fortu- 
nately for  the  present  Du  Page  Count.v,  these 
children  generally  recovered.  Probably  the 
healthy,  natural  lives  of  their  parents,  combined 
with  the  rigors  to  which  they  were  subjected, 
hardened  them  and  enabled  them  to  pull  through 
.Tilments  no  modern  child  could  survive.  Still, 
sometimes,  the  skill  of  the  neighbor  was  un- 
availing, and  the  pioneer  woman  put  part  of 
her  life  into  the  little  grave  dug  where  she 
could  see  it  every  day  from  her  door — as  win- 
dow she  had  none. 

In    time   other   children    came   to   this   lonely 


cabin — many  of  them.  As  the  farm  work  in- 
creased, and  it  was  impossible  to  get  help,  the 
pioneer  woman  tied  her  little  ones  to  various 
parts  of  the  cabin  so  they  would  nut  be  able 
to  hurt  each  other,  and  went  forth  into  the 
fields  with  her  husband.  t>he  was  housewife, 
mother,  field  laborer,  and  factory  worker.  Her 
hands  spun  aud  wove  the  cloth  for  the  clothes; 
she  fashioned  the  cloth  into  the  garments  for 
both  male  aud  female;  she  milked  the  cows  and 
made  the  butter  and  cheese.  Not  a  i>it  of  food 
was  eaten  under  that  cabin  roof  that  .she  did 
not  cook,  and  she  worked  a  garden  that  yielded 
all  the  vegetables  the  family  consumed.  With 
all  of  this,  she  .still  found  time  to  help  in  the 
fields.  Ob  wonderful,  remarkaljle.  hard-working 
pioneer  woman !  Aud  she  was  happy,  divinely 
so.  Look  at  the  portraits  of  those  who  passed 
through  the  stress  of  pioneer  times,  and  see 
how  i^eaceful  their  strong  faces  became  during 
the  declining  years  of  their  lives.  Their  great- 
est ambitions  centered  about  their  home  aud 
family.  To  bring  up  a  large  family  successfully, 
live  to  see  them  happily  and  comfortalily  settled, 
formed  the  sum  and  substance  of  the  pioneer 
woman's  life.  This  accomplislied,  she  felt  .she 
had  achieved  the  highest  earthly  hapidness.  and 
then  peacefully  turned  her  thoughts  more  com- 
pletely towards  those  things  of  another  world; 
and  so,  ever  shedding  an  Influence  for  good,  .she 
passed  out  of  the  sphere  she  had  adorned  so 
nobly,  leaving  behind  her  sons  aud  daughters 
to  carry  on  the  work  she  had  begun. 

As  the  little  ones  grew  older,  the  pioneer 
woman,  remembering  her  own  school  days, 
taught  them  as  best  she  could,  but  having  mar- 
ried when  not  much  more  than  a  child  herself, 
and  having  spent  years  when  her  Bible  was  her 
only  literature,  she  felt  unable  to  cope  with  the 
vigorous  young  minds  expanding  in  her  home, 
and  urged  upon  the  pioneer  man  the  necessity 
of  starting  a  school.  What  pride  she  took  in 
this  school,  and  how  delightedly  she  boarded  the 
"teacher"  in  her  turn.  No  labor  was  too  great 
for  lier  faithful  hands,  and  yet  she  took  no 
credit  to  herself — she  was  merely  doing  her 
dut.v. 

When  "preaching''  began,  it  was  upon  the 
pioneer  woman  that  the  heaviest  weight  fell ; 
for  as  there  were  no  churches  in  those  early 
days,  her  one-room  cabin  had  to  house  the  con- 
gregation. Of  course,  coming  the  distance  they 
did.  the  people  had  to  be  fed,  aud  although  the 
good  housewives  who  came,  brought  something 


HISTORY  OF  DU  PAGE  COUNTY. 


635 


with  tlieui,  the  work  of  cai'ing  fur  tliem  all  fell 
upou  the  Lostess,  who  felt  it  to  be  uo  burden — 
ouly  au  liouor — as  she  did  the  eutertaiuiug  of 
the  prencUer.  It  was  through  her  urging  aud 
persisteufy  that  the  first  church  was  built  and, 
needless  to  say,  she  was  the  one  who  attended 
it  the  most. 

When  the  pioneer  woman  secured  her  "Dutch" 
oven,  she  felt  that  she  had  the  comforts  of  life 
all  about  her.  By  this  time  she  had  wheaten 
flour,  as  well  as  cornmeal,  to  work  with,  aud 
what  luscious  good  things  she  did  comiwuud 
iu  that  massive  oven.  In  it  she  would  build  a 
fire  that  heated  the  bricks  so  thoroughly  that 
she  could  fir^;t  bake  her  bread,  aud  then  her 
pie  and  cake.  Aud  what  eaters  they  were  in 
those  days,  to  be  sure!  The  hard,  outdoor  work 
burned  up  a  mighty  lot  of  animal  tissue,  which 
re<]uired  food  to  replace,  aud  the  pioneer  woman 
was  happiest  when  watching  her  food  disappear 
down  the  throats  of  her  liungry  family. 

When  it  was  time  to  kill  the  hogs,  she  made 
the  sausage,  tried  out  the  lard,  put  the  various 
portions  in  the  several  brines  to  produce  ham, 
bacon,  middling,  and  other  smoked  delicacies. 
Following  this,  it  was  she  wlio  hung  them  to 
smoke,  aud  tended  the  fires  beneath,  for  the 
man's  energy  was  all  required  in  the  fields. 
From  the  refuse,  she  made  scrapple,  saring  the 
bits  for  soap,  manufactured  in  a  huge  kettle  out 
of  doors.  Then,  too,  she  made  all  the  candles, 
the  only  lighting  power  the  pioneers  possessed. 
During  the  summer  months  she  dried  corn,  and 
as  tliey  came  to  be  used,  tomatoes ;  and  when 
tlie  orchard  bore,  apples.  In  spare  moments — 
though  where  she  foimd  any.  no  cue  of  this 
day  knows — she  hunted  with  her  children 
through  the  woods  for  berries,  and  discovered 
them,  and  these,  too,  she  dried  for  winter  pies 
and  sauces.  As  sugar  was  extremely  dear,  she 
hunted  wild  honey,  aud  eventually  had  bees  of 
her  own.  and,  of  course,  made  all  her  own 
vinegar  from  apple  parings.  Yeast  was  kept 
on  hand  iu  quantity,  and  in  order  to  have  her 
own  hops  for  making  it.  she  planted  a  hop 
vine,  not  because  of  the  beauty  of  its  delicate 
tracery  and  exquisite  product,  but  because  she 
needed  it  for  many  reasons.  A  poultice  of  hops 
brought  her  children  and  neighbors  through 
many  a  toothache,  or  similar  disorder,  and 
formetl  the  foundation  for  many  medicines  she 
comiwunded. 

The  pioneer  woman  of  Du  Page  County  did 
not  advocate  votes  for  women.     She  knew  noth- 


ing about  equal  rights  of  the  sexes.  Little  she 
reckoned  of  the  relative  importance  of  men  and 
women  in  a  community.  Her  ears  were  never 
sullied  by  talk  of  divorce,  nor  did  she  know 
much  of  evil,  hut  she  did  know  how  to  bring 
healthy,  normal  children  into  the  world,  rear 
them  ui>  to  be  magnificent  citizens.  She  under- 
stood thoroughly  how  to  make  an  ideal  home 
out  of  nothing.  .She  labored  side  by  side  with 
her  husband  to  increase  their  common  holdings. 
Her  influence  for  good  was  widespread,  and 
her  charities,  though  simple,  unstinted. 

Looking  back  on  the  lives  of  these  noble,  self- 
sacrifli-ing  women,  the  question  arises  were  they 
better  or  worse  than  their  descendants?  It 
is  one  each  jierson  must  answer  for  himself. 
.SuUice  it  that  they  did  their  whole  duty  as 
they  found  it,  uncomplainiugl.v.  patiently,  gal- 
lantly, and  builded  for  the  future  a  prosperity, 
not  alone  for  their  families  but  the  entire  county, 
such  as  they  ne-^-er  imagined  in  their  wildest 
dreams. 

.\11  honor  to  the  pioneer  women  of  Du  Page 
("ount.v.  They  were  the  faithful  soldiers  in  the 
battle  between  primitive  conditions  and  civiliza- 
tion, and  that  the  latter  won,  is  due,  as  it 
usually  is.  to  the  work  of  those  in  the  ranks. 
Du  Page  County,  as  it  stands  today,  with  Its 
flourishing  municipalities,  thriving  industries, 
magnificent  rural  districts,  and  wealthy  people, 
is  a  monument  more  enduring  than  any  marble 
obelisk  reared  to  a  heathen  queen. 

PIONEER   TAVERNS 

A  feature  of  pioneer  life  that  is  entirely  absent 
from  twentieth  century  progress,  is  that  devel- 
oped by  the  taverns  which  dotted  the  highways 
jiassing  through  various  sections.  In  the  early 
days  of  Du  Page  County  history,  there  were  no 
railroads  bisecting  the  count'-y.  Iiearing  along 
jiassengers  surrounded  with  every  comfort  to  be 
found  in  their  own  homes,  including  an  almost 
perfect  restaurant  service.  In  those  times  the 
traveler  who  set  out  even  to  go  to  mill,  made 
preparations  for  a  journey  the  end  of  which  he 
did  not  know-. 

There  was  no  danger  of  his  being  crushed 
against  the  iron  rails  of  a  limited  express,  or 
run  over  by  a  ninetyixiwer  automobile.  An 
airman  would  not  drop  upon  him,  nor  would 
the  chained  lightning  strike  him  from  a  broken 
telegraph  wire.  Still  dangers  did  lurk  for  the 
traveler  in  the  pioneer  days  of  Du  Page  County. 


636 


HISTORY  OF  DU  PAGE  COUNTY. 


Fortuuately  at  uo  time  was  there  uiuth  Jauger 
from  the  ludiaus.  but  wolves  prowled  iu  the 
woods  uutil  quite  a  late  date  aud  wild  cats 
■were  frecjueutly  fouud.  The  terrilile  couditioii 
of  the  roads  rendered  [las.sage  over  them  diUi- 
cult,  and  more  than  ouce  a  rider  lost  his  life  lu 
the  quagmires. 

The  horses  of  that  period  were  not  high-grade 
stock,  and  as  they  were  often  heavily  loaded 
down  with  grain  or  other  produce,  in  addition 
to  the  traveler,  progress  was  necessarily  slow. 
Thus  it  happened  that  those  who  went  any  con- 
siderable distance  were  forced  to  depend  upon 
the  taverns  for  accommodation  for  tlieniselves 
and  their  faithful  horses. 

These  wayside  places  of  entertainment  were 
not  the  empty,  cheerless  hostelries  of  toda.^-,  fur 
the  host  treated  his  patrons  as  guests  at  his 
own  table,  and  was  interested  in  all  their  affairs. 
A  i)arty  of  these  horsebaclc  travelers,  meeting  at 
a  tavern,  spent  a  merry  evening  and  started 
forth  the  next  morning  refreshed  in  both  body 
and  mind.  Many  political  camjiaigns  were 
plaimed  within  the  shelter  of  the^-e  old  build- 
ings about  the  roaring  log  fires,  and  Du  Page 
County  accommodated  more  than  one  national 
figure  in  this  way. 

These  taverns  were  usually  built  on  a  stage 
line,  and  relays  of  horses  were  often  cared. for 
by  the  tavern  keeper,  while  the  postoffice  many 
times  was  accommodated  beneath  his  roof. 

With  the  building  of  railroads  the  importance 
of  the  tavern  declined.  Here  and  there  these 
old  buildings  are  to  be  found,  but  they  are 
antiquated  affairs,  rambling  and  unsuited  for 
modern  inirposes.  and  almost  impossible  to  be 
heated  according  to  the  ideas  of  today.  The 
jiioneers  were  a  hardier  race  who  were  used 
to  cold  aud  exposure,  and  were  satisfied  if  the 
circles  about  the  fireplace  were  reasonably 
warmed. 

With  the  passing  away  of  the  tavern  went 
the  men  who  ran  them.  Their  like  is  not  to 
be  fdund  today.  Kindly  of  heart,  generous  of 
si)irir.  broad  minded  enough  to  .judge  fairly  and 
impartiall.v.  they  were  the  friends  of  all  and 
the  enemies  of  none. 

Some  of  the  pioneer  taverns  of  Du  Page 
Couiitv  are  as  follows:  Stacey's  Tavern,  estab- 
lished in  1S37  at  Stacey's  Settlement;  Treniont 
Tavern,  built  in  1S.34  by  Thomas  Andrus  of 
Downer's  Grove:  Graves'  Tavern,  built  in  18.35 
in  r.lsle  Township;  Jloni's  Tavern,  built  by 
Dfilrick    MoU'j;   in    Klinhurst :    Warren's   Tavern. 


built  in  18:58  by  Col.  Warren  at  Warrenville; 
the  Kent  Tavern,  built  lu  Bloonungdale  Town- 
ship by  Milton  Kent,  and  others  equally  well 
known. 

Well  equipped  modern  hotels  and  restaurants 
now  supply  the  needs  of  transients  aud  those 
o£  the  population  who  prefer  such  accommoda- 
tions to  those  of  their  own  homes,  but  the 
spirit  of  the  pioneer  tavern  is  absent,  and  uec- 
essarily  so,  for  this  disappeared  with  other 
[lioneer  conditions  to  make  way  for  the  ever 
broadening  progress  of  civilization. 

PIONEER    AMUSEMENTS 

While  the  pioneers  experienced  nuich  trcjuble 
aud  passed  through  many  hardships,  none  of 
them  considered  their  lives  dull  or  without 
amusements.  Perhaps  they  were  not  as  exact- 
ing as  the  people  of  today,  and  were  aljle  to 
take  pleasure  from  simjiler  things,  but  it  is 
certain  they  had  their  entertainments,  and  would 
have  been  surprised  had  they  known  the  tend- 
eni'y  of  today  to  regard  them  as  peojile  without 
tliose  lighter  diversions  which  appear  so  neces- 
sary now. 

Living,  as  the.y  did.  so  far  apart,  these  pio- 
neers enjoyed  meeting  each  other,  and  did  con- 
siderable visiting  on  Sunday.  The  entire  family 
would  go  to  a  neighbor's,  there  to  pass  the  day. 
The  hostess  upon  these  occasions  had  plent.v 
of  help  from  her  guests  in  cooking  the  dinner 
and  clearing  away  the  dishes,  and  was  not 
worried  for  fear  she  would  be  criticised,  for 
they  all  lived  upon  the  same  things,  and  corn- 
meal  and  bacon  formed  the  foundation  of  nearly 
all  these  spreads.  Sometimes  the  men  of  the 
household  and  the  visiting  family  would  go  out 
into  the  woods  and  bring  back  wild  game  to  add 
to  the  food  already  on  hand.  If  they  did  not. 
no  fault  was  found. 

The  religious  services,  held  whenever  a 
preacher  visited  the  neighborhood,  were  a  source 
of  great  pleasure  to  the  pioneers,  as  well  as 
of  spiritual  assistance.  When  tliese  services 
became  regular  institutions,  the  pioneer  always 
liad  snuiething  to  which  he  could  look  forward 
u-ith  a  certainty  of  one  day  of  recreation. 

With  the  continual  influx  of  settlers,  the 
.vounger  jieople  established  singing  classes,  spell- 
ing matches,  and  a  Bible  class  was  organized 
and  carried  on  with  much  profit  for  some  time. 

Corn-huskings.  apple-parings  and  barn-rais- 
ings  were  made  the  occasions   of  social   inter- 


HISTORY  OF  DU  PAGE  COUNTY. 


637 


course.  When  the  work  wns  done,  the  young 
and  old  alike  spent  tbe  remainder  of  tbe  evening 
according  to  their  inclinations.  Souietiuies  they 
danced,  at  others  sung,  and  again  sat  around 
and  told  stories  of  the  tar-off  homes  they  had 
left  to  seek  better  fortune  in  a  less  developed 
community. 

Weddings  were  occasions  of  great  merriment, 
and  no  distance  was  too  great  to  travel  to  attend 
one.  The  young  couple  were  not  only  encotir- 
aged,  but  many  times  the  men  of  the  settlement 
would  combine  and  build  them  a  log  house, 
while  the  women  would  make  them  quilts  and 
cook  up  food  enough  to  last  them  many  da.vs. 
They  were  a  kindly,  hospitable,  friendly  people, 
these  pioneers  of  Du  Page  County,  rejoicing  alike 
in  the  happiness  of  their  owu  families  and  those 
of  their  neighbors.  All  of  this  has  not  passed 
away.  A  trip  through  Du  Page  County  today 
will  prove  that  the  people,  who  are  the  descend- 
ants of  tbe  pioneers,  have  inherited  that  friendly 
interest  in  others  that  is  not  confined  to  any 
localit.v  or  time. 


CHAPTER  VI  ■  -  „ 

rj:roij,ECTioxs  of  fifty  years  and 

MORE 

OI.D  SETTLERS  YET  LIVING — RELATIONS  BETWEEN 
WHITES  AND  INDIANS — BAD  NAME  OF  BRUSH 
HILL  MISNOMER — A  SUEVIVOK  OF  THE  BLACK 
HAWK  WAR — PIONEER  HOSPITALITY — STAMPEDE 
TO  GOLD  FIELDS — EARLY'  SCHOOLS — PIONEER 
PRICES  —  RELIGIOUS  GATHERINGS  —  SPELLING 
SCHOOLS — WHITE  CHIEF  OF  THE  POTTAWAT- 
TAMIES — UNDERGROUND    RAILROAD. 

(BY'    CHARLES    B.    BLODGETT    AND    OTHERS.) 

Du  Page  County  is  still  young  enough  to  have 
among  its  living  residents  men  who  remember 
back  to  its  very  early  history.  From  their  ac- 
counts of  the  days  before  twentieth  century 
progress  marked  all  sections  of  Illinois,  these 
recollections  are  gathered.  The  venerable  Israel 
P.  Blodgett,  and  his  younger  brother.  Charles  B. 
Blodgett  of  Downer's  Grove;  Milo  Stacey  of 
Glen  Ellyn;  Amos  Churchill  of  the  same  vil- 
lage ;  Captain  T.  S.  Rogers  of  Downer's  Grove, 
W'illard  .Scott  of  Naperville  and  Colonel  Plum 
of  Ehnhurst  have  all  spoken  freely  of  the  early 


days  of  Du  Page,  and  acknowledgement  is  here 
made  to  them   for  their   recollections. 

Willard  Scott  whose  father  and  grandfather 
were  among  the  very  first  settlers  of  the  county, 
recalls  distinctly  many  incidents  himself,  and 
others  from  hearing  his  father  relate  them  over 
and  over  again.  He,  with  the  others  who  sur- 
vive from  the  pioneer  period,  unites  in  declar- 
ing that  there  never  was  any  trouble  with  the 
Indians.  Although  when  he  was  born,  in  IS.So, 
the  greater  number  of  them  had  been  taken 
away,  he  recollects  with  pleasure  any  amount 
of  incidents  which  show  that  the  kindliest  feel- 
ings existed  between  the  whites  and  the  Red 
Men.  The  first  cemetery,  or  as  it  was  then 
called,  burying  ground,  according  to  Mr.  Scott, 
v.as  one  adjoining  the  little  fort  just  outside 
Naperville,  now  included  in  the  city.  Here  sev- 
eral Indians  were  interred.  Anotlier  very  old 
cemetery  was  in  the  center  of  Naperville,  al- 
though when  the  Naperville  cemetery  was 
opened,  the  bodies  were  removed,  and  the  site 
built  over. 

Captain  Rogers  and  the  Blodgett  brothers  iu- 

-wst  Uiat-.the  bad  name  Brush  Hill  acquired  dur- 
ing  the   eal'ly   days,   was    utterly   unwarranted. 

■*rsiti#l  'i'!  Bloflgett  insists  that  he  never  heard 
of  but  one  person  accused  of  horse  stealing,  and 
that  charge  was  never  proven.  There  are  others 
wJia.se«Ju.to  th'iuk  that  there  were  good  reasons 
for   Brtisii  "11111   being  avoided,   but   it  is  likely 

-Lliat..lUve.. all.  border  sections,  Du  Page  County, 
at  one  time,  had  its  share  of  wild,  reckless 
young  men,  who  rebelled  at  law  and  order  but 
who  perhaps,  never  really  transgressed  the  more 
important  laws, 

Israel  P.  Blodgett  is  one  of  the  very  few  sur- 
vivors of  tbe  Black  Hawk  War,  and  of  course 
when  it  took  place,  he  was  but  a  lad  of  tender 
years.  He  remembers  distinctly,  the  days  of 
frightened  suspense  with  countless  needless 
alarms,  and  then  the  journey  to  Fort  Dearborn 
that  seemed  endless  to  the  anxious  settlers  seek- 
ing safety  for  loved  ones  behind  its  blockaded 
walls.  Although  but  a  little  boy,  he  recalls  the 
«eeks  that  followed  there,  when  there  was 
insufficient  food,  and  crowded  quarters.  As 
though  it  were  yesterday,  he  can  remember  the 
indignation  of  the  citizeu-settlers  when  such 
scanty  accommodatious  as  could  be  afforded 
them,  were  taken  away  to  make  room  for  the 
soldiers  who  had  been  sent  on  to  protect  the 
helpless,   \^■hom  they   eventually   drove   back   to 


638 


HISTORY  OF  DU  PAGE  COUNTY. 


the  wilderness.  Those  were  days  when  men 
were  equal  to  emergencies,  however,  and  the 
Du  Page  County  men  built  a  fort  of  their  own, 
although  they  never  had  any  real  need  of  it. 

This  same  venerable  gentleman  remeilibers 
the  sickening  details  of  the  murder  of  Evangel- 
ist Payne,  but  disclams  this  atrocity  as  belong- 
ing to  Du  Page  County,  the  truth  being  that  this 
most  excellent  man  met  his  terrible  fate  near 
Ottawa,  where  he  was  scheduled  to  preach. 

Jovial  Milo  Stacey  remembers  best  the  people 
of  those  early  days  who  remained  over  night  at 
his  father's  hospitable  house.  So  many  came 
that  this  house  became  linown  as  Stacey's 
Tavern,  and  the  cross  roads  were  named 
Stacey's  Corners.  Many  passed  through  Du 
Page  County  even  In  the  early  days,  for  this 
section  is  traversed  by  two  great  highways,  the 
Chicago.  Aurora  and  Galesburg.  along  which 
Frink  &  Walker  ran  their  stages  for  so  many 
years,  and  the  other  the  Galena.  By  1840,  emi- 
gration was  going  still  further  west,  and  the 
people  used  to  pass  along-  both  roads.  Where 
once  dragged  the  prairie  schooner  loaded  down 
with  household  effects  and  drawn  by  horses, 
mules  or  even  oxen,  now  whirl  the  automobiles, 
and  in  the  near  future  airships  may  be  outdis- 
tancing even  them. 

In  1S49.  gold  was  discovered  in  California, 
and  a  number  of  Du  Page  County  men  and  boys 
took  the  westward  route  across  the  plains,  al- 
though some  went  via  Panama.  Many  of  those 
who  came  from  eastern  States,  stopped  at  Chi- 
cago to  lay  in  a  stock  of  provisions,  and  con- 
sequently took  one  or  other  of  the  two  roads 
passing  through  Du  Page  County.  There  were 
thousands  of  these  wagons  passing  during  IS.'iO. 
and  the  people  of  Du  Page  County  became  used 
to  them. 

All  of  the  men  mentioned  above,  remember 
well  the  primitive  log  school-houses,  and  all  of 
them  sat  on  slab  seats,  and  divided  their  school 
books  among  other  members  of  the  family.  Mr. 
Churchill  has  never  lost  his  interest  in  schools 
and  educational  matters,  and  is  one  of  the  his- 
torians of  local  events  for  the  county.  When- 
ever there  is  an  Old  Settlers'  meeting,  or  gather- 
ing of  any  kind  where  statistics  are  needed,  Mr. 
Churchill  can  be  depended  upon  to  furnish 
them.  He,  with  Prof.  Royal  Morgan,  the  courtly 
County  Superintendent,  beloved  of  all  his  teach- 
ers, have  associated  themselves  with  the  prog- 
ress of  education  in  this  section.     Prof.  Morgan 


has  been  connected  with  educational  matters 
In  Du  Page  County  for  nearly  half  a  century, 
or  more,  and  yet  is  fully  abreast  with  the  times. 
He  entertainingly  tells  of  early  days  in  the 
county  when  his  mother  who  has  been  dead 
many  a  long  year,  used  to  sing  s\t  all  the  fu- 
nerals, as  well  as  at  gatherings  of  a  more  cheer- 
ful nature,  and  all  that  he  says  is  tinctured  with 
the  kindly  optimism  of  the  narrator. 

When  the  early  flora  of  Du  Page  County  Is 
in  question,  Colonel  Plum  can  be  relied  upon 
as  an  unquestioned  authority.  His  love  for 
flowers  and  his  knowledge  of  them,  gives  him 
a  large  amount  of  enjoyment  and  this  interest 
lie   gladly  divides   with   others. 

It  is  remarkable  how  few  taverns  were  re- 
quired to  house  the  many  who  passed  through 
Du  Page  County,  and  is  explained  by  the  fact 
that  the  settlers  were  all  hospitable.  Anyone 
needing  food  or  rest,  was  given  a  warm  wel- 
C(une,  and  invited  to  share  with  the  family. 
It  is  very  seldom  that  this  confidence  was  vio- 
lated. Guests  were  welcome  to  remain  as  long 
as  they  liked.  In  the  very  early  days,  this  hos- 
pitality cost  sacrifices  for  before  the  land  was 
cleared,  few  crops  could  be  grown,  and  families 
subsisted  for  weeks  together  on  parched  corn 
and  a  little  meal.  Prices  were  then  exceed- 
ingly high.  The  settler  had  to  use  his  gun  to 
odd  to  the  supplies,  and  If  he  were  a  good  shot, 
tills  was  not  difficult  for  there  was  plenty  of 
game,  including  deer  and  prairie  chickens. 
There  was  an  immense  amount  of  wild  honey, 
and  one  of  the  invincible  honey  hunters  of  pio- 
neer days  was  Israel  Porter  Blodgett.  father  of 
Israel  P.  and  Charles  B.  Blodgett. 

This  old  pioneer  was  the  founder  of  Maple 
avenue,  the  most  beautiful  thoroughfare  of  the 
county.  Stately  maple  trees,  giants  of  the 
forest  line  this  avenue  through  Downer's 
Grove  village,  the  south  side  being  the  north- 
ern boundary  line  of  the  Blodgett  homestead. 
Mr.  Blodgett  brought  these  trees  from  the  neigh- 
boring hills  to  gratify  a  desire  for  shade  on  the 
part  of  his  wife.  He  also  set  them  about  the 
house,  where  they  still  stand.  The  man  who 
planted  these  trees  lies  in  the  little  Downer's 
Grove  Cemetery  off  Main  street  in  Downer's 
Grove,  but  the  result  of  his  labors  still  live  and 
afford  a  grateful  shade  to  all  who  pass  beneath 
the  boughs  which  nearly  interlace  across  what 
was  the  old  highroad  to  Galesburg. 


HISTORY  OF  DU  PAGE  COUNTY. 


639 


Some  of  the  prices  quoted  during  1S30  by 
Israel  P.  Blodgett  show  that  wheat  then  sold  for 
$2  pev  bushel ;  pork  was  $16  per  barrel,  and 
other  commodities  were  in  like  ratio. 

Captain  T.  S.  Rogers  finds  it  difhcult  to  credit 
this,  for  when  he  was  a  lad  his  father  was 
glad  to  get  thirty  cents  a  bushel  for  the  wheat, 
and  gave  his  shoats  away  to  anyone  who  came 
lor  them.  He  says  that  eggs  commanded  no 
price,  for  everyone  raised  chickens,  and  they 
were  too  frail  produce  to  attempt  carrying 
through  the  swamps  to  Chicago,  no  present  day 
modes  of  transportation  having  been  thought  of. 

Captain  Rogers  was  one  of  the  early  school 
teachers  of  Du  Page  County,  and  as  he  con- 
trasts his  little  gatherings  of  pupils  with  the 
modern  schoolrooms,  he  wonders  how  any  of 
them  had  the  courage  to  go  ahead.  Yet,  there 
is  no  doubt  but  that  he  believes  in  his  heart 
that  they  did  more  in  those  days  than  now,  bfr 
cause  they  had  to  work  for  an  education,  and 
valued  it  accordingly. 

All  of  the  denomiuatiohs  sent  out  ministers 
to  found  missions,  or  to  take  charge  of  the  little 
religious  societies  the  devout  settlers  had 
formed,  and  from  these  beginnings,  have  grown 
the  present  beautiful  churches  of  today.  Israel 
P.  Blodgett  recalls  distinctly  one  circuit  rider 
by  the  name  of  Elder  Beggs.  He  declares  he 
would  preach  so  loud  that  he  could  be  heard  a 
distance  of  three  blocks.  Mr.  Blodgett  believes 
that  attending  these 'religious  gatherings  not 
only  afforded  religious  Instruction,  but  healthy 
entertaiumeu*-.  better  than  much  that  passes  for 
such    in    these   days. 

All  of  these  old  settlers  remember  the  early 
spelling  and  singing  schools,  the  house  and  barn 
raisings,  and  debates  when  party  feeling  ran 
high,  and  the  social  gatherings.  All  attended 
a  funeral.  None  were'  too  busy  for  that,  for 
they  were  closely  united,  these  pioneers,  and 
each  one  knew  his  time  would  come  to  join  the 
silent  army  of  the  infinite,  when  like  service 
would  be  tenderly  given  by  those  who  survived. 

Du  Page  County  bad  a  white  man  upon  whom 
was  conferred  the  distinction  of  being  third 
chief  of  the  Pottawattamie  Indians,  Willard 
Scott,  Sr.,  father  of  Willard  Scott  of  Naper- 
vllle.  He  was  one  of  those  intrepid  men  who 
knew  no  fear,  and  won  men  to  him  through 
his  many  generous  characteristics.  A  son  of 
Chief  Robinson,  lived  with  the  Scott  family  for 
several  years,  the  present  Mr.  Scott  remember- 


ing him  very  well.  Perhaps  it  is  due  to  the 
just  terms  with  which  Willard  Scott  dealt  with 
the  Indians,  that  Du  Page  County  owes  its  im- 
munity from  outrages  during  the  Black  Hawk 
War,  for  through  his  friendship  with  Caldwell 
and  Robinson,  he  was  able  to  frustrate  the 
plans  of  the  hostile  Sacs,  and  save  Du  Page 
County  to  the  settlers  who  had  begun  to  re- 
deem it  from  the  wilderness.  The  name  of  this 
brave,  upright  man  must  stand  at  the  head  of 
the  pioneers  of  this  part  of  the  State,  and  his 
memory  is  honored  by  all. 

There  was  a  station  of  the  Underground 
Railroad  in  Du  Page  County,  and  one  of  the 
most  enthusiastic  operators  was  Israel  P.  Blod- 
gett. His  zeal  in  the  cause  made  him  willing 
to  sacrifice  almost  everything  lor  its  further- 
ance, and  there  is  no  doubt  but  that  he  short- 
ened his  life  by  his  exertions  to  uphold  what  he 
felt  was  just.  There  were  a  number  of  the 
other  settlers  who  sympathized  with  his  views, 
and  gave  assistance,  but  he  was  the  leader  in 
this  work. 

Political  party  feeling  ran  very  high,  and  all 
of  the  parties  received  loyal  support,  and  when 
there  was  a  call  for  troops,  for  service  in  the 
Civil  War,  Du  Page  County  men  more  than 
filled  the  quoto.  The  names  of  these  honored 
soldiers  from  this  section  are  inscribed  on  a 
bronze  tablet  in  the  courthouse  at  Wheaton,  and 
the  ashes  of  many,  lie  in  the  various  cemeteries 
throughout  the  county.  The  local  G.  A.  R. 
Posts  In  the  various  communities  are  sadly  de- 
pleted for  far  too  many  of  the  original  members 
have  answered  to  the  eternal  roll  call.  The 
time  is  coming  when  there  will  be  still  more 
vacancies,  when  all  of  the  earlier  history  of  Du 
Page  County  will  be  closed  to  personal  recol- 
lections, for  there  will  be  no  more  survivors  of 
the  pioneer  period.  Until  that  time  comes, 
and  may  it  be  in  the  far  distant  future,  no 
opix)rtunity  should  be  lost  for  gleaning  further 
facts  regarding  the  days  when  Du  Page  County 
lay  nearly  a  day's  trip  from  Chicago,  and  that 
city  was  only  a  village  clustered  about  the  fort 
on  the  lake  front. 

These  men  who  still  retain  so  vivid  a  recol- 
lection of  pioneer  days,  seem  to  unite  in  remem- 
bering the  good,  and  forgetting  the  evil.  Time 
has  taught  them  to  look  for  motives  rather  than 
results,  and  to  judge  accordingly,  and  so  viewed 
through  the  glasses  of  their  kindly  retrospect, 
the  present  generation  can  only  conclude  that 


640 


HISTORY  OP  DU  PAGE  COUNTY. 


the  founders  of  Du  Page  County  were  a  fiue 
set  of  men  and  women,  singularly  free  from 
many  modern  frailties,  and  actuated  by  a  love 
of  country  and  a  desire  to  provide  well  for 
those  who  came  after  them,  by  laying  sound 
foundations. 


CHAPTER  VII 


COUNTY  OliUAXlZATlUX 

DU  P.\GE  COUNTY  FOKMALLY  OKG.\NIZED  BY  ACT 
OF  THE  lEGISLATUBE  IN  1839 — FIRST  STEPS  IN 
0RG.\N1ZATI0N — LOCATION  OF  FIRST  COUNTY   SEAT 

AT    NAPERVILLE REMOVAL  TO   WHEATON    IN   1867 

— FIRST  ELECTION  ANU  FIRST  COUNTY'  OFFICERS — 
TOWNSHIP  ORGANIZATION  ADOPTED  IN  IS.jd — 
LIST  OF  COUNTY'  OFFICERS  FROM  1839  TO  1912 — 
COUNTY    AND    CIRCUIT     CLERKS — RECORDERS    AND 

COUNTY  TREASURERS SHERIFFS — COUNTY'  JUDGES 

AND  CORONERS — SCHOOL  C0S1MIS.SI0NERS  AND 
SUPERINTENDENTS — LIST  OF  COL'NTY  COMMIS- 
SIONERS AND  TOWNSHIP  SUPERVISORS,  WITH 
YEARS  OF   INCUMBENCY. 

^nV     L.     F.     LAWRENCE) 

As  soon  as  a  section  was  ready  for  count.v 
organization  in  Illinois,  the  citizens  contained 
within  its  proposed  boundaries  tooli  due  process 
of  law  to  secure  such  recognition  as  was  neces- 
sary, and  this  was  true  with  Du  Page,  as  it 
was  of  similar  localities.  On  February  9.  1839, 
the  law  organizing  Du  Page  County,  out  of  the 
western  portion  of  C'oolv  (."onnty,  having  passed 
the  General  Assembly,  was  approved  by  the 
Governor,  the  boundaries  being  the  same  as  the 
present  ones,  with  the  addition  of  the  northern 
half  of  two  townships  of  Will  County,  which 
later  was  separated  from  Du  Page.  The  Act 
of  the  Legislature  prescribing  tlie  boundaries 
contained,  among  otlier  jirovisions.  the  follow- 
ing: 

"That  no  part  of  the  county  above  described, 
now  forming  a  part  of  Will  County,  shall  be 
Included  within  the  said  County  of  Du  Page, 
unless  the  inhabitants  now  residing  iu  said 
part  of  Will  County  shall,  by  a  vote,  to  be  given 
by  them  at  the  next  August  election,  decide, 
by  a  majority  of  legal  voters,  that  they  prefer 


to  have  the  said  territory  made  a  ii;irt  of  the 
said  County  of  Du  I'age.'' 

By  a  vote  of  the  inhabitants  of  these  two  half- 
townships,  the  proposition  was  defeated  by  one 
vote,  although  strong  pressure  was  brought  to 
bear  to  jiass  it,  as  the  advantages  ot  union  with 
Du  Page  County,  were  recognized  by  tliose  who 
were  iu  a  position  to  l;uow. 

After  the  organization  ot  the  county,  the  next 
imxjortant  matter  was  the  selection  of  the  county 
seat,  and  the  fourth  section  of  the  act  author- 
izing the  organization  of  Du  I'age  County  ap- 
pointed the  following  as  Commissioners  to  locate 
the  center  of  county  government : 

Ralph  Woodruff,  of  La  Salle  County : 

Seth  Reed,  of  Kane  County  ; 

H.  G.  Loomis,  of  Cook  County. 

It  was  provided  that  they  were  to  meet  at 
the  I're-Kmption  House.  Xaperville.  the  tirst 
-Monday,  in  .June.  1839.  or  within  tliirty  days 
trum   the  date  specified. 

This  same  section  cnntaiiied  the  following 
proviso  ; 

"The  commissioners  shall  c.btain  for  the 
count.v,  from  the  claimant,  a  cpiantity  of  land, 
not  less  than  three  acres,  and  three  thousand 
dollars,  for  the  purpose  of  erecting  county  build- 
ings, which  sum  shall  be  secured  to  the  county 
commissioners,  and  paid  out.  under  their  direc- 
tion, for  the  purposes  aforesaid." 

These  Commissioners  met  on  the  date  speci- 
tied,  and  after  due  consideration  of  the  claims 
of  \arious  towns  in  Du  Page  County,  selected 
Xaperville  as  the  seat  of  government.  On  .June 
IT,  1839,  a  quit-claim  deed  was  executed  to  the 
Count.v  Commissioners,  conveying  all  the  title 
one  claimant  had  (the  undivided  half)  to  the 
public  Sfiuare.  The  county  never  had  title  to 
the  other  half  as  a  claim. 

The  iiroceedings  of  the  Commissioners  are 
given  iu  part  iu  the  following  extract,  entered 
on  record,  June  7,  1842 : 

"It  is  ordered  by  the  Court  that  Bailey  Hob- 
.son  be,  and  he  is  hereby,  aiipointed  a  Commis- 
sioner for  the  County  of  Du  Page,  to  apply  for 
and  obtain  from  the  Government  of  the  United 
States  of  America,  in  pursuance  of  .\ct  of  Con- 
gress iu  such  cases,  made  and  provided,  a  pre- 
emption to  the  following  described  cjuarter-see- 
tion  of  land,  to-wit:  The  southwest  quarter  of 
Section  18.  Township  38.  Range  10.  East  of  the 
Third  Principal  Meridian,  the  same  being  the 
quarter  section  upon  which  the  seat  of  ,iustice 
for  the  Countv  of  Du  Page  is  located. 


HISTORY  OF  DU  PAGE  COUNTY. 


641 


•■\Vbeie;is.  Bailey  Hobsou,  li.v  an  order  entered 
oil  tlie  re(•(lrd^^  of  this  court,  has  been  appointed 
a  Coiiiiiii>;sioner  to  apply  for  and  olitain  from 
the  Government  of  the  United  States  of  America 
a  pre-emption  to  the  southwest  quarter  of  Sec- 
tion 18,  Township  38  North,  Range  30  East  of 
the  Third  rriiicipal  Meridian,  for  the  use  of 
said  County  of  Du  Page,  and  there  being  several 
persons  who  have  a  just  and  equitable  claim  to 
a  part  of  said  quarter  section,  it  is  ordered  by 
this  Court  that  the  said  Bailey  Ilolison.  Commis- 
sioner aforesaid,  be  and  he  is  hereby  authorized 
and  empowered,  for  and  in  behalf  of  the  said 
County  of  Du  I'age.  to  convey  by  good  and  suf- 
ficient deed  to  all  those  persons  severally  who 
have  a  just  and  equitable  claim  to  any  part 
or  portion  of  said  quarter  section,  the  several 
proportions  which  auy  such  individuals  may  be 
justly  entitled  to  of  said  quarter  section  of  laud, 
upon  condition  that  such  individuals,  who  have 
a  just  claim  to  any  portion  of  said  land,  shall 
pay  to  the  said  Commissioner,  for  the  use  of 
said  county,  one  dollar  and  twenty-five  cents 
Iier  acre  for  the  several  proportions  they  are 
entitled  to,  together  with  a  further  sum  of  money 
sufficient  to  cover  and  pay  any  and  every  ex- 
pense which  the  county  aforesaid,  through  their 
said  Couunissioners,  may  have  to  incur  iri.^li'ov- 
ing  a  ]>re-emption  to  said  quarter  section,  jiud'  a.H- 
their  exjienses  attending  the  conveyapce  of 
said  land  from  the  county  to  said  indiviiluals."' 

Bailey  Ilobson.  acting  according  to  t4ese -iH^ 
rec'tious.  obtained  a  pre-emption  to  the  quarter-' 
section  above  described,  under  Act  of  Congr-ess 
of  1842.  and  he.  as  Commissioner  for  the  County 
of  Du  I'age.  was  given  a  "duplicate"  title  lor 
the  land,  wliiili  was  placed  on  record  in  the 
Recorder's  office.  Book  1,  page  5-tl. 

With  reference  to  the  second  order,  it  is  re- 
corded that  all  the  land  entered  by  the  Com- 
missioner, except  the  public  square,  was  con- 
veyed by  him  to  C.  B.  Hosmer  and  Lewis  Ells- 
worth, the  former  receiving  a  deed  for  that  por- 
tion lying  north,  and  the  latter  a  deed  f(u-  that 
part  lying  south  of  the  Galena  Road. 

In  order  to  meet  the  expenses  attendant  upon 
the  erection  of  a  Courthouse,  the  people  of 
Xaperville  subscribed  $.5,000.  and  this  Iwilding 
was  completed  in  1.839.  the  brick  offices  being 
put  up  later.  Wheu  the  county  seat  was  re- 
moved to  Wheaton.  this  county  property  was, 
according  to  a  resolution  passed  by  the  Board  of 
Supervisors,  deeded  to  Naperville. 


Removal  of  Coi'xty  Se.\t. — .Vltbon^'li  at  the 
time  of  its  selection  Xai^erville  was  regardeil 
as  the  logical  location  of  the  county  scat. 
scarcely  had  the  Courthouse  lieen  completed  lie- 
fore  there  was  agitation  for  its  removal  to  the 
newer  settlement  at  Wheaton.  I'owerfnl  [ires- 
sure  was  brought  to  bear  by  those  interested  in 
the  change.  With  the  county  seat  at  Wheaton, 
the  importance  of  that  village  would  increase 
many  fold.  After  much  discussion  and  dissen- 
sion, during  the  winter  of  1807.  tlie  State  Leg- 
islature passed  an  Act  authorizing  an  election 
by  popular  vote  to  decide  this  important  ques- 
tion. It  was  held  on  the  first  Monday  in  May. 
and  the  people  rejected  the  idea  of  such  a 
change. 

However,  those  most  interested  did  not  let 
the  matter  rest,  and  ten  years  later  secured 
the  passage  through  the  Legislature  authoriz- 
ing another  election  for  the  same  purpose,  to  be 
held  on  the  first  Monday  in  .luiie.  1.SG7.  The 
question  being  again  put  Iiefore  the  people,  it 
was  decided  to  make  the  change.  The  Board 
of  Supervisors  selected  a  site  for  the  county 
buildings  at  Wheaton.  and  adopted  a  plan  for 
their  construction.  The  ground  upon  which  tbey 
-jiow  stand,  was  donated  in  fee  simple  to  the 
Comtfy  of-  iJ'ii  Page.  June  20.  1808.  Soon  after 
-  thaii'i  f'oiiiplefiou.  the  records  were  removed 
from  Xaperville  to  AVheaton.  which  has  since 
continued  to  iie  the  center  of  government  for  the 

■-*(>un.tiK.'a, 

'■  '"".V  r«i*iiutirtn  was  presented  liy  Adam  GIos. 
Supea:isor  of  York  Townshiii.  and  passed  at  a 
meeting  of  the  County  Board  of  Supervisors. 
.Tune  8.  187."i,  as  follows: 

••Resolved.  That  it  is  ordered  by  this  Board, 
that  .John  H.  Lakey.  the  Chairman  of  the  Board 
of  Supervisors  of  Du  Page  County,  be  and  he  is 
bereliy  authorized  to  execute  and  deliver  to  the 
village  of  Naperville,  in  good  and  sufticient 
deed  of  conveyance  of  the  property  kiiowu  as 
the  Public  Square  in  said  village,  and  recently 
occupied  as  the  site  of  the  County  buildings 
and  the  county  seat  of  this  county,  in  accordance 
with  an  Act  of  General  Assembly  of  this  State, 
entitled  'An  Act  for  the  relief  of  the  village  of 
Naperville."  approved  March  7.  1SC7.  The  same 
to  be  used  and  set  apart  by  said  village  of  Naper- 
ville as  a  Public  Square  or  Park  :  Pmi-hleO.  that 
this  condition  (if  such)  is  not  intended  and 
shall  not  be  construed  to  prevent  said  village 
from  selling  and  conveying  portions  of  said  Pub- 


642 


HISTORY  OF  DU  PAGE  COUNTY. 


lie  Square  and  iuvestiiig  the  liroeeeds  of  any 
such  sale  iu  other  real  estate  adjoining  said 
Square,  to  be  used  as  aud  for  a  Public  Park." 

The  old  Courthouse  building  was  removed,  in 
1875,  and  the  brick  offices  were  used  as  an  en- 
gine house,  while  the  grounds  were  fenced  aud 
othen\'ise  imriroved,  until  uow  Xaperville  has 
one  of  the  most  beautiful  little  parks,  about 
halfway  between  the  depot  and  the  business 
center  of  the  city,  as  can  be  found  in  all  of 
Du  Page  County.  This  park  has  been  well 
equipped  with  electric  lights,  the  seats  are  many 
aud  comfortable,  and  the  grounds  are  kept  in 
magnificent  condition. 

With  the  organization  of  the  county  came  the 
election,  as  a  matter  of  course.  The  first  one 
was  held  in  the  historic  Pre-emption  House  at 
Naperville.  the  birthplace  of  so  much  of  Du  Page 
County's  political  histor.v,  on  the  first  Monday 
iu  May,  1S39.  S.  M.  Skinner,  Stephen  J.  Scott 
aud  L.  G.  Butler  were  appointed  by  law  to  act 
as  Judges  of  Election.  The  otJicers  then  elected, 
held  their  offices  until  the  general  election  of 
August   0,   1830. 

Changes  were  effected  from  time  to  time,  as 
the  occasion  seemed  to  demand.  In  18-10,  the 
Clerk  of  the  Circuit  Cotirt  became  ex-offlcio 
Recorder.  The  County  Court,  comprising  a 
County  Judge  aud  two  County  Justices  of  the 
Peace,  took  the  place  of  the  former  County 
Court  aud  Probate  Justice.  The  County  Com- 
missioner's Clerk  became  County  Clerk,  the 
County  Judge  aud  two  County  Justices  of  the 
Peace,  sitting  together  for  the  transaction  of 
county  business,  and  the  County  Judge,  with  the 
Clerk,  constituting  a  court  for  the  transaction 
of  probate  business.  These  arrangements  much 
simplified  matters,  and  the  first  County  Judge 
elected  under  this  provision  in  1840,  was  Nathan 
Allen,  while  Charles  Gary  and  Peter  Northrup 
■were  elected  County  Justices. 

In  ISoO,  the  township  organization  law  was 
adopted,  and  the  first  Board  of  Supervisors  for 
the  County  of  Du  Page  elected. 

The  men  who  have  served  Du  Page  County  in 
au  official  capacity,  measure  up  well  with  those 
of  any  other  section  of  the  State.  Some  of  those 
whose  names  are  associated  with  its  history, 
went  out  Into  other  parts  of  the  country  and 
proved  their  right  to  a  prominent  place  in  na- 
tional affairs.  Those  who  remained  have  borne 
uobl.v  their  part  iu  the  development  and  main- 
tenance of  sane,  moral  conditions,  and  too  much 
credit  cannot  be  accorded  them. 


A  list  of  both  Senators  and  Hepresentatives 
who  have  represented  Du  Page  County,  or  the 
Districts  of  which  it  formed  a  part  in  the  Gen- 
eral Assembly,  will  be  found  In  the  Chapter  on 
"Political   History   and  Representation." 

County  Clerks. — The  County  Clerks  of  Du 
Page  County  have  been  as  follows,  with  place 
of  residence  and  term  of  service : 

Clark  A.  Lewis,- Warren ville,  1839  (died  same 
month   of  election). 

Allen  C.  Mcintosh,  Naperville,  1830-47. 

Iliram   H.   Cody,   Bloomingdale,   1847-53. 

Myron  C.  Dudley,  Bloomingdale,  1853-61. 

C.  M.  Castle,  Naperville,  18G1-65. 

F.  J.  Fischer,  Addison,  1865-G8. 

H.  B.  Hill  (to  fill  vacancy),  Bloomingdale, 
1808-70. 

J.  J.  Cole,  Downer's  Grove,  1870-77. 

M.   S.  Ellsworth,  Naperville,  1877-96. 

Lewis  Ellsworth   (to  fill  vacancy),  1896. 

II.  F.  Lawrence,  Itasca,  1806-1912. 

CiBCuiT  Clerks. — Until  1849  there  were  two 
separate  offices,  those  of  Circuit  Clerk  and  Re- 
corder, but  in  that  year,  the  two  offices  were 
merged  into  one  under  the  name  of  Circuit 
Clerk  and  Recorder.  Until  1849,  the  Circuit 
Clerks  were : 

Patrick  Ballingall,   1839-43. 

E.  B.  Bill,  1843-47. 

John  J.  Riddler,  1847-49. 

Recorders. — The  Recorders  from  1830  to  1849, 
were  as  follows : 

S.   M.   Skinner,   1839-43. 
A.   S.  Hones,  1843-47. 
John  Riddler,  1847-40. 

Circuit  Clerk  and  Recorder. — From  1840  un- 
til 1912,  the  incumbents  in  the  ofiice  of  Circuit 
Clerk  and  Recorders  of  Du  Page  County  have 
been  as  follows : 

John  J.  Riddler,  1840-52. 

Peter  Northrup,  1852-55. 

John  Glos,  1856-60. 

W.  M.  Whitney,  1860-68. 

John  Glos.  1868-76. 

Frank  Hull,   1876-80. 

Thomas  M.  Hull,  1880-1012. 

County  Tre.\surers. — The  Treasurers  of   Du 
Page  County  from  1.S30  to  1912,  have  been: 
Morris  Sleight,  1S30. 


o 

o 

G 

H 
X 

o 
d 


HISTORY  OF  DU  PAGE  COUNTY. 


643 


Stephen  J.  Soott.  1830-42. 

Robert  K.  Potter,  1843-44. 

John  J.  Kimball,  1845-46. 

Nelson  A.  Thomas   (vacancy),  1847-48. 

Henry  F.  Vallette,  1849-54. 

William   J.   Johnson,   1855-56. 

Hiram  Standish,  1857-58. 

Henry  F.  Vallette,  1859-60. 

S.  M.  Skinner.  1861-62. 

D.  N.  Gross.  1863-68. 

Joel   Wiant.   1869-72. 

Henry  M.  Bender   (to  fill  vacancy),  1860-72. 

Lewis  C.  Stover,  1877-86. 

A.  M.  S.  Riddler,  1887-90. 

A.  H.  Fairbank,  1891-93. 

James  W.  McKee,  1894-98. 

Prank  E.  Ayres,  1898-1902. 

Frank  J.   Knight.  1902-06. 

Frank  E.  Ayres,  1906-10. 

Frank  J.  Knight.  1910-12. 

Sheriffs. — The  ]5ersons  holding  the  office  of 
Sheriff  of  Du  Page  County  have  been: 
Daniel  51.  Greene.  1839-41. 
Hiram  Fowler,  1842-43. 
R.  X.  Murray.  1844-45. 
George  Renss.  1846-40. 

C.  R.  Parmlee,  1850-51.  " 

Truman  W.  Smith,  1852-33. 
A.  C.  Graves,  1854-55. 
James  A.  Hunt.  1856-57. 
T.  S.  Rogers,  1860-61. 
James  J.  Hunt,  1862-63. 
Samuel  E.   Shimp.  1864-65. 
Philip  Strubler.  1866-67. 
Charles  Rinehart,  1868-69. 
John  Kline.  1870-76. 
Samuel  E.  Shimp.  1877-81. 
M.  E.  Jones.  1882-86. 
L.  L.  Stark.  1887-90. 
C.  H.  Hay,  1890-94. 
C.  B.  Gorham,  1894-1901. 
J.  M.  Riser.  1002-06. 
Charles  B.  Gerham,  1907-10. 
A.  A.  Kuhu.  1011-12. 

Cot-NTY  Judges.— The  County  Judges  of  Du 
Page  County  have  been  as  follows: 
J.  W.  Walker.  18.39. 
Lewis  Ellsworth.  1839-42. 
Nathan  Allen,  1843-46. 
J.  J.  Kimball,  1847-48. 
Xathan  Allen.  1849-51. 


Jeduthan  Hatch,  1852. 

Walter  Blanchard,  1853-59. 

Seth  F.  Daniels  (to  fill  vacancy),  1860. 

H.  H.  Cody,  1861-64. 

S.  F.  Daniels,  1865-6S. 

M.  C.  Dudley,  1869-72. 

A.  S.  Janes,  1873-76. 

R.  N.  Murry,  1877-84. 

Elbert  H.  Gary,  1886-89. 

George  W.  Brown,  1890-98. 

John  N.  Batten,  1898-1902. 

Mazzini  Slusser,  1902-12. 

County  Surveyors. — The  County  Surveyors  of 
Du  Page  County  from  1839  to  1912  have  been : 
L.  Meacham,  1839. 
Joel  B.  Kimball,  1839-40. 
Horace  Brooks,  1847-58. 
J.  G.  Vallette.  1859-61. 
James  >I.  Vallette  (vacancy),  1802. 
A.  S.  Janes,  1863-66. 
James  M.  Vallette,  1867-70. 
A.  S.  Janes,  1871-83. 
J.  G.  Vallette,  1884-96. 
George  Herrick,  1896-1900. 
-^.-GeiM^e  W.  Wilson,  1900-12. 

(SodbNERS. — The  following  embraces  a  list  of 
the  Coroners  of  Du  Page  County  from  1839  to 
1912: 

H.  'i,.  Peaslee,  1839. 
'' B.  (5.  Wight,  1839-41. 

Xathan  Loriug,  1842-43. 

Jacob  Keefer,  1844-45. 

D.  C.  Gould,  1846-47. 

LaFayette  Avery,  1848. 

C.  C.  Barnes,  1849-51. 

F.  C.  Hagerman,  1852-53. 

W.  B.  Stewart,  1854-55. 

Alfred  Waterman,  1856-57. 

H.  C.  Daniels,  1858-61. 

Dr.  Brown,  1862-63. 

H.  C.  Daniels,  1864-65. 

Clinton  Gushing,  1866. 

George  W.  Beggs,  1867-69. 

F.  C.  Hagerman,  1870-76. 

H.  C.  Daniels,  1877. 

Aaron  W.  Snidliuger,  1878-81. 

H.  C.  Daniels,  1882-88. 

H.  F.  Heidemann,  1888-06. 

N.  E.  Matter,  1806-1908. 

Richard  B.  Olson,  1008-12. 


644 


HISTORY  OF  DU  PAGE  COUNTY. 


School  Commissioners. — Previous  to  ISo:!, 
tbe  eaueatioiial  affairs  of  Du  Page  County  were 
in  control  of  a  School  Commissioner,  tbe  ocra- 
pants  of  this  office  having  been  as  follows: 

Lewis  Ellswortli,  1839-42. 

K.  X.  Murray,  1.^3. 

Horace  BrooliS,  ]844-4i;. 

\V.   L.  Wheaton.  1847.48. 

Hope  Brown,  184055. 

Lorin  Barnes,  185(5. 

Charles  W.  Richmonil.  1857-58. 

Lorin   Barnes,  18.")!:mHI. 

(ieorge  1'.  Kimliall.   18ni)-03. 

County  Superintendents.— The  j/resent  sys- 
tem of  electing  a  County  Suiicrintcinlent  of 
Schools  in  place  of  a  School  Commissioner,  was 
inaugurated  in  Du  Page  County  In  1863,  and 
those  who  have  held  this  respcmsible  office  from 
1804  to  1012  are: 

George  P.  Kimijall.  18(;4. 

Cliarles  W.  Riclniiond,  lSG5-7i;. 

.1.  v..  Haggard,  1878-81. 

.7.   K.    Itassweiler,   1882-8G. 

JInyal  T.  .Morgau.  1880-1012. 

County  Commissioners. — Until  the  adoption 
of  the  Constitution  of  1848  tlie  liusiness  affairs  of 
Du  Page  County  were  under  the  management  of 
a  Board  of  County  Commissioners  consisting  of 
three  members,  and  each  holding  office,  if  oc- 
cupying a  full  term,  for  two  year.s.  Those  who 
occupied  tlie  office  fur  successive  years  during 
this  period  liave  lieen  as  follows: 

]8:!9 

.Josiah  Strong,  Lisle. 

.1.  W.  Walker.  Downer's  Grove. 

II.   1..   CoI)b.  Cass. 

i;.  1".  Wliipple.  Naperville. 

Hiram  Fowli-r,  AVinfield. 

1840 

.T.  W.  Wallier,  Downer's  Grove. 
H.  L.  Cobb,  Cass. 

Niiali  Stevens.  Blonmingdale. 

1S41 

.T.  W.  Wallier.  Downer's  Grove. 

.1.  .V.  Smith.  Wayne. 

.Noah  Stevens.  Bloomingdale. 

1842 
Warren   Smith,  Winfield. 


J.  A.  Smitli,  Wayne. 

Noah  Stevens.  Blooruiugdale. 


1843 


J.  .V.  Smith.  Wayne. 
T.  Hnbliard.  York. 


1844 


.Tohn  Thompson.  Lisle. 
.T.  A.  Smitli.  Wayne. 


1845 


.Toliii  TJiompson.  Lisle. 
Tlicimas  .\n(lrus.  Cass. 
T.  llubliard.  York. 


1840 

John  Thompson,  Lisle. 
Thomas  Audrus.  Cass. 
Asu  Knapp,  York. 

1847 

.John  Tliomrison.  Lisle. 
Smith  D.  Pierce.  .Vddisou. 
Asa    Knapjj.    Ym-k. 

1848 

David  Crane.  Xaperville. 
Smitli  D.  Pierce.  Addison. 
Asa  Knapp.  York. 

TowNSHii'  SuPKRvisoHs. — With  the  adoptimi 
of  townshii)  organization  in  1840.  came  the  or- 
ganization of  a  Board  of  Supervisors  consisting 
of  one  member  for  each  township,  holdiug  office 
for  one  year.  As  townships  grew  in  population 
at  later  periods,  some  of  them  became  entitled 
to  two  or  three  Supervisors,  as  shown  in  the 
lists.  Those  who  liave  held  office  under  this  ar- 
rangement, with  the  year  of  incumbency  and  the 
townsliiiis  represented,  appear  in  the  fallowing 
table. 

18.50 

Smitli  D.  Pierce,  Addison, 

K.  O.  Hills,  Bloomingdale. 

Luther  Pierce,  Wayne. 

William  C.  Tood.  Winfield. 

Warren  L.  Wheaton.  Milton. 

E.   Eldridge,   York. 

Russell  Whipple.   Naperville. 

Ainasa  Morse,  Lisle. 

Leonard  K.  Hatcb.  Downer's  Grove. 


cy'(^  ^c^^^^^r^ 


HISTORY  OF  DU  PAGE  COUNTY. 


645 


1851 


jDlui  rieiLC.  Addisuu. 

K.  C.  Hills,  Klooiuingdale. 

LutluT    I'ioiif.    W.iyue. 

William   C.   Xcultl,   Wiiideld. 

William  J.  Johnson,  Jliltou. 

Gerry  Bates.  York. 

Itussell  Wlupiile.  X,iin'rville. 

•Jedutlian   Ilateli,  Lisle. 

Walter    LUaneliard,    Downers    Grove, 

1852 

Peter  Nortlirnp,  Addison. 

H.  B,   riills.  Bloomingdale. 

Luther    I'ierce.    Wayne. 

Williiim  C.  Todd.  AVinfield. 

William   .T.   Johnson,   Milton. 

Gerry  Bates.  York. 

Ji>seiili  Xaper.  Xaperville, 

John  Stanley,  Lisle. 

^^'alter  Blanohard,  Downer's  Grove. 

1853 

IMward  Lester,  Addi.son, 

Gyrus  IL  Jleaiham.  Bloomiii?,'dale. 

Luther  Bartlett.  Wayne. 

I'harles  (iary.  Winfield. 

William  J.  Johnson,  Milton.  ; 

W.  llurliank.  York.  f 

IL   WUittmore.   York. 

Hiram  Bristol.  Xaiierville,  ; 

Lewis  Ellsworth.   Lisle.  ; 

Walter  Blanchard,  Downer"s  Grove. 

1851 

Janu's  Wakeman,   Addison, 

J.  (i.  Yearick.  Bloomingdale, 

Luther  Bartlett,  Wayne. 

("hirles  Gary.  Wiutield. 

Wililam  J.  Johnson,  Milton, 

Asa  Knapi)  ,York. 

David  Hess.  Xaperville. 

Hiram  H.  Cody,  Lisle. 

G.  W.   Alderman.   Downer's   Grove. 

1855 

Henry  D.  Fischer.  Addison. 

Daniel  H.  Deihert.  Blooniinirdale. 

Ltither  Pierce,  Wayne, 

•  Jurdon  X.  lionndy  Winfield, 

William  J.  Johnson.  Milton. 

Rohert  Reed.  York. 

It.  R.  Murra.v.  Xaperville. 


James  ('.  Hatch,  Lisle. 

\^■alter  P.lanchard,  Downer's  Grove, 

1850 

Henry  D,  Fischer,  Addison. 

Horace  Barnes,  Bloomingdale. 

Ira  Alhro.  Wayne. 

Truman  W.  Smith,  Wintield. 

Frederick  IL  Mather,  Milton. 

Robert  Reed,  York. 

Charles  Hunt,  Xaiwrville, 

Amasa  .Morse,  Lisle. 

Seth  F.  Daniels.  Dnwner's  Gr<ive. 

1857 

Henry    D.    Fischer,    Addison. 

Cyrus  II.   .Meacham,   Bloonnngdale 

Charles  Adams,  Wayne. 

Charles  Gary,  Winfield. 

Frederick  II.  Mather,  Millon. 

Frederick  Gray,  York, 

X.  Cramptou,  Xaperville. 

Joseph  Xaper,  Xaperville. 

John  Collins,  Lisle. 

Samuel  DeGolyer,  Downer's  Gro\e. 

...  -  -.-^  ]8."i8 

,  .IletUiv:  D.  Fischer,  Addison. 

Cyrus'll.  Meacham,  Bloonjingdalc, 

Charles  Adam.s,  Wayne. 

John  Fairbanks,  Wintield. 
*,^...C.  Child.s,  Milton. 

Frederick  Gray,  Y'^ork, 

Charles   Jenkins.   Xaperville. 

.Tolin  .Jassoy,  Xaperville. 

William  B.  Greene.  Lisle. 

Leonard  K.  Hatch.  Downer's  (irove. 

]85!t 

John   H.  Frazen,   Addison. 

Cyrus  H.  Meacham,  Bloouiiniidale. 

S.  W.  Moff.itt.  Wayne. 

John  Fairbanks.  Winfield. 

IL  C.  Childs.  .Milton. 

Frederick  CJray.  York 

Jacob  Sajior,  X.i|ierville. 

Michael  nines.   .Xaperville. 

A.   S.   Barnard,   Lisle. 

Leonanl  K.  Hatch.  Downer's  (Irove. 

i8t;o 

John   II.   Frazen.   .Vddi.son. 

Cyrus  II.  Meacham.  Bloom inixdiile. 


646 


HISTORY  OF  DU  PAGE  COUNTY. 


S.   W.   Moffatt,  Wayne. 

John  Fairbanks,  Winfield. 

H.  C.  Chikls,  Milton. 

Fredericli  Gray,  York. 

James  G.  Wright,  Naperville. 

M.   S.  Hobson,  Naperville. 

Graliam  Thorne,  Lisle. 

Leonard  K.  Ilatcb,  Downer's  Grove. 

18C1 

James  Wakemau,  Addison. 

Cyrus  II.  Meacham,  Blooniiugdale. 

Samuel  Adams,  Wayne. 

Alfred  Waterman,  Wintield. 

H.  C.  Cbilds,  Milton. 

George  Barber,  York. 

B.  W.  Hughes,  Naperville. 

Morris  Sleight,  Naperville. 

John   II.   Ilobson,   Li.sle. 

Leonard  K.  Hatch.  Downer's  Grove. 

1862 

Smith  D.  Pierce,  Addison. 

Cyrus  H.  Meacham,  Bloomingdale. 

Samuel  Adams,  Wayne. 

E.  Manville,  AVinfleld. 

H.  C.  Childs.  Milton. 

George  Barber,  York. 

B.  W.  Hughes,  Naperville. 

Morris  Sleight,  Naperville. 

G.   H.  Goodrich,  Lisle. 

L.  D.  Fuller,  Downer's  Grove. 

18G.3 

James  Wakeman.  Addison. 

Cyrus  II.  Meacham,  Bloomingdale. 

Warren  H.  Moffatt,  Wayne. 

E.  Manville,  Wintield. 

Erastus  Gary,  Milton. 

George  Barber,  York. 

Charles  Jenkins,  Naperville. 

R.  N.  Murray,  Naperville. 

R.   S.  Palmer,   Lisle. 

Leonard  K.  Il.itch,  Downer's  Grove. 

James  Wakeman,  Addison. 
W.  K.  Patrick.  Bloomingdale. 
Warren  H.  Moffatt.  Wayne. 
E.  Manville,  Winfield. 
Hiram  Smith,  Milton. 
Adam  Hatfield.  York. 
Charles  Jenkins,  Naperville. 


D.   C.   Butler,   Nai^erville. 

Gilbert  Barber,  Lisle. 

John  A.  Thatcher,  Downer's  Grove. 

1865 

James  Wakeman,  Addison. 
W.  K.  Patrick,  Bloomingdale. 
Warren  H.  Moffatt,  Wayne. 
John  Fairbanks,  Winfield. 
Hiram  Smith,  Milton. 
Frederick  Gray,  York. 
Charles  Hunt,  Naperville. 
John  Collins,  Naperville. 
Gilbert  Barber,  Lisle. 
T.  S.  Rogers,  Downer's  Grove. 

18GG 

Henry  D.  Fischer,  Addison. 
W.  K.  Patrick.  Bloomingdale. 
Warren  H.  Moffatt,  Wayne. 
Amos  C.  Graves,  Winfield. 

Hiram  Smith,  Milton. 

S.  W.  Moffatt,  Milton. 

Frederick  Gray,  York. 

Charles  Hunt,  Naperville. 

John  Collins,  Naperville. 

E.  E.  Page.  Lisle. 

J.  J.   Cole,  Downer's  Grova 

1867 

August   Meyer,   Addison. 
W.  K.  Patrick,  Bloomingdale. 
Warren  II.  Moffatt.  Wayne. 
J.  II.  Lakey,  Winfield. 

A.  J.  Janes,  Milton. 
II.  Edwards,  Milton. 
Frederick  Gray,  York. 

B.  W'.  Hughes.  Naperville. 
H.  H.   Cody,  Naperville. 
Lewis  Ellsworth,   Lisle. 

J.  J.  Cole,  Downer's  Grove. 

1868 

August  Meyer,  Addison. 
W.  K.  Patrick.  Bloomingdale. 
Daniel  Dunham,  Wayne. 
J.  H.  Lakey,  'R'iufield. 
A.   S.   Janes.  Milton. 
H.  F.  Vallette,  Milton. 
August  Meyer,  York. 
Hugh  Jenkins,  Naperville. 
R.  N.  Murray.  Naperville. 


HISTORY  OF  DU  PAGE  COUNTY. 


647 


E.  E.  Page,  Lisle. 

J.  J.  Cole,  Downer's  (Jiove. 

August  Me.ver.  Aildisoii. 

W.  K.  Patrick,  Blooruingdale. 

Daniel  Duulaam,  AVu.vno. 

J.    H.   Lakey,    Winfiekl. 

A.  S.  Janes,  Milton. 

H.   F.   Vnllette,    ililton. 

George  Barber,  York. 

Charles  Jenkins,  Naperville. 

M.  C.  DuGley,  Xaperville. 

E.  E.  Page,  Lisle. 

J.  J.  Cole,  (vacancy).  Downer's  Gro-(-e. 

J.  W.  Rogers.  Downer's  Grove. 

3870 

August  Meyer,  Addison. 

W.  K.  Patrick,  Blooniiugdale. 

Daniel  Duntiam,  Wayne. 

E.  Manville,  Winfield. 

A.  S.  Janes.  Jlilton. 

S.  P.  Sedgwick.  MiKou. 

Adam  Glos.  York. 

CLarles  Jenkins.  Xajierville. 

M.  C.  Dudley,  Najierville. 

E.  E.  Page.  Li.sle. 

Alansou  Ford.  Downer's  Grove. 

1871 

James  Wakeman.  Addison. 

W.  K.  Patrick,   Bloomingdale. 

Daniel  Dunham,  Wayne. 

J.   H.   Lakey.    Winfield. 

A.  S.  Janes,  Milton. 

S.   P.   Sedgwick.  Miltcm. 

Adam   Glos,   York. 

Charles  Jenkins,  Xaperville. 

M.  C.  Dudley..  Xaperville. 

E.   E.  Page,  Lisle. 

V.    Fredenhagen.   Downer's   Grove. 

1S72 

Henry  D.  Fischer.  Addison. 

W.  K.  Patrick.  Bloomingdale. 

Daniel  Dunham,  Wayne. 

J.  H.  Lake.v,  Winfield. 

A.   S.   Janes.   Milton. 

E.  H.  Gary.  Milton. 

.\dani  Glos.  Y'ork. 

Charles  Jenkins.  Xaiierville. 


M.  C.  Dudley,  Xaperville. 

E.    E.    Page,    Lisle. 

\'.  Fredeuhageu,  Downer's  Grove. 

1873 

Henry  D.  Fischer,  Addison. 

W.  K.  Patrick,  Bloomingdale. 

Daniel  Dunham,  Wayne. 

J.  H.  Lakey,  Winfield. 

A.   S.   Janes,   Milton. 

E.  H.  Gary,  Milton. 

Adam   Glos,   York. 

Charles  Jenkins,  Xaperville. 

James  DuulaiJ,  Xaperville. 

E.  E.  Page,  Lisle. 

H.  F.  Walker,  Dowuer's  Grove. 

lS7i 

Henry  D.  Fischer,  Addison. 

William  Rathge.  Bloomingdale. 

A.  M.  Glos,  Wayne. 

E.  Manville,  Winfield. 

H.  G.  Kimball,  Milton. 

E.  H.   Gary,   Milton. 

Adam   Glos,   Y'ork. 

Charles  Jenkins,  Xaperville. 

James  Dunlap,  Xaperville. 

E.  E.  Page.  Lisle. 

V.  Fredenhagen.  Downer's  Grove. 

1875 

Henry  D.  Fischer,  Addison. 
William   Rathge.   Blooniftigdale. 

A.  M.  Glos,  Wayne. 
E.  Manville,  Winfield. 
W.  H.  Wagner,  Milton. 
Erastus  Gary.  Milton. 
Adam  Glos,  York. 

James  G.  Wright,  Xaperville. 

B.  B.  Boecker,  X'aperville. 
E.  E.  Page.  Lisle. 

V.  Fredenhagen.  Downer',5  Grove. 

1S76 

Henry  Korthauer,  Addison. 
William  Rathge,  Bloomingdale. 
R.  H.  Reed.  Wayne. 
J.  H.  Lake.v.  Winfield. 
W.   H.   Wagner.   Milton. 
S.  W.  Moffatt,  Jlilton. 
Henry  Golderman.  Y'ork. 
( 'hrlstian  Wise.  Xaperville. 


648 


HISTORY  OF  DU  PAGE  COUNTY. 


Lewis  Ell.-woith.  Xapeiville. 

■\Villiam  King.  Lisle. 

Alniisiiii  Foril.  Downer's  Grove. 

1877 

Ileury    ICurthauer,   Addison. 

A.  D.  Looiuis,  Bloomiugdale. 

R.  H.  Reed,  Wayne. 

A.  T.  Jones,  Winfield. 

W.   H.   Wagner.   Jiiltou. 

S.  W.  Moffatt,  Milton. 

Henry  Goldermann.  York. 

C.   Wise.   Naiierville. 

C.   J.   Hunt,  Xaperville. 

William  King,   Lisle. 

Al.nis.iu  Ford.  Downer's  Grove. 

1878 

Henry   Kortbauer.   Addison. 

William  Rathge.  Bloomiugdale. 

.\.   M.  (;liis.  Wayne. 

<T.  .1.  .Vtcliisou.  Winfield. 

W.  H.  Wagner.  Milton. 

S.  W.  Moffatt,  Milton. 

Henry  Goldermann.  York. 

C   Wjse.   Naiierville. 

J.  J.  Huut.  Naiierville. 

William  King.   Lisle. 

Charles   Cnrtiss.   Downer's   Grove. 

1879 

Henry   KortUaner,   Addison. 

William  Ratbge.  Bloomiugdale. 

A.  M.  Glos.  AVayne. 

G.  J.  Atf-bison.  Winfield. 

.\mos  Churcbill,   Jiiltou. 

N.  E.   Gary.   Milton. 

Adam  Glos.   York. 

C   Wise.    Naperville. 

JIcS.  S.  Riddler.  Naperville. 

William  Kiug.  Lisle. 

Charles  Cnrtiss.  Downer's  Grove. 

1880 

H.eury   Kortbauer.  .\ddison. 

William  Rathge.  Bloomiugdale. 

A.  M.  Glos.  Wayne. 

C.  W.  Gary.  A\"infield. 

Amos  Cburobill.   Milton. 

N.  E.  Gary,  ililtou. 

Adam  Glos,  York. 

C.   Wise.   Naperville. 

H.  C.  Daniels.  Naperville. 


William  King,  Lisle. 

Charles  Curtiss,  Downer's  Grove. 

1881 

Henry  Kortbauer.  Addison. 
William  Ratbge,  Bloomiugdale. 

A.  M.   Glos.   Wayne. 
James  Shields,  Winfield. 
Amos  Churchill,  Milton. 
S.  W.  Sedgwiik,  Milton. 
Adam   Glos,   York. 
Adam  Keler.  Naperville. 
Peter  Thompson.  Naperville. 

B.  B.  Boecker,  Lisle. 

Charles  Curtiss.  Downer's  Grove. 

1882 

Henry  Kortbauer.  Addison. 
William  Rathge.  Bloomiugdale. 

A.  M.  Glos,  Wayne. 

C.  W.  Gary.  Wiufleld. 
Amos  Churchill.  Milton. 
S.  W.  Moffatt.  Milton. 
Adam  Glos.  York. 
Adam    Keler.    Naperville. 
Peter  Thompson.  Naperville. 

B.  B.  Boecker,  Lisle. 

Charles  Curtiss,  Downer's  Grove. 

1883 

Henry  Kortbauer.  Addison. 
J.  A.  Patrick.  Bloomiugdale. 
James  Shields.  Wayne. 

C.  W.  Gary,  Winfield. 
Amos  iCburchill.  Milton. 
S.    W.    Moffatt.    Jiiltou. 
Adam    Glos.    York. 

Peter   Tbomp.son.    Naperville. 

B.  B.  Boecker,  Lisle. 

Charles    Curtiss.    Downer's   Grove. 

1884 

Henry  Kortbauer.  Addison. 
Oscar  -V.  Berceek.  Bloomiugdale. 
Warren  JI.  Sayes.  Wa.vne. 
Thomas  Brown.  Winfield. 
Amos    Churchill.    Jiiltou. 
S.  W.  Jloffatt.  Jlilton. 
Adam  Glos.  York. 
Frederick  Hatch.  Naperville. 
Peter   Thompson.   Lisle. 
Charles  Curtiss.  Downer's  Grove. 


HISTORY  OF  DU  PAGE  COUNTY. 


649 


1885 

Henry  Korthauer,  Addisou. 

Frederick  Laugliorst,  Bloomiugdale. 

Warren  M.   Sayes,  Wayne. 

C.  W.  Gary,  Wintield. 

Amos  Churohill.  Milton. 

S.  W.  Moffatt,  Jliltun. 

Frederick  JIarqnardt,  York. 

I'eter  Tlionipson,  Naiierville. 

William   King.   Lisle. 

Alnieron  Ford.  Downer's  Grove. 

ISSti 

Henry  Kortliauer,  Addi.son. 

Frederick  Laughor.st,  Bloomingdale 

Bernard   .McCabe.   Wayne. 

C.  W.  Gary,  Wiufleld. 

Amos  Churchill,  Milton. 

S.  W.  Moffatt,  Milton. 

Frederick  Marquardt,   York. 

Peter  Thompson,  Naperrille. 

William   King,   Lisle. 

-Vlmeron  Ford,  Do\yner"s  Grove. 

1SS7 

Henry  Korthauer.  Addison. 

William  Rathge.   Bloomiugdale. 

Warren  M.  Sayes.  Wayne. 

C.  W.  Gary.  Wintield. 

Amos  Churchill,  Milton. 

S.  W.  .Moffatt.  Milton. 

Frederick  Marquardt.  York. 

Peter  Thompson,  Naperville. 

William   King.  Lisle. 

H.  C.  .Middaugh,  Downer's  Grove. 

1888 

Henry   Korthauer,   Addison, 
William   Rathge,    Bloomingdale. 
Adam  M.  Glos,  Wayne. 
A.   XL   Fairbauk.   Wintield. 
Amos  Churchill,  Milton. 
Jehu  Christie,  Milton. 
Frederick  Marquardt,  York. 
ITi'ank  Granger.  Xaperville. 
Warren  King,  Lisle. 
H.   C.   Jliddaugh,   Downer's  Grove. 

1889 

Barney  L.  Franzen.  Addison, 
Warren   M.    Sayes,   Bloomingdale. 
James  Shields,  Wayne. 
A.  H.  Fairbank,  Wintield, 


Amos   Churchill,   .Milton. 

John  Cliristie,  Milton, 

Frederick  Mar(iuardt,  York. 

Peter  Thompson,  Naperville. 

William  King,  Lisle. 

H.   C.   Middaugh,   Downer's   Grove. 

Frederick  Audermau,  Downer's  Gro^e. 

1890 

George   X.    Fischer,   Addison. 

Warren   JI.   Sayes,   Bloomingdale. 

Chester  D.   Bartlett,   Wayne. 

A.  H.  Fairbank,  Wiufleld. 

Amos  Churchill,  Milton. 

John  Chri.stie,  Milton. 

Frederick  Marquardt.  York. 

Thomas   Belts,   Naperville. 

William  King,  Lisle. 

Frederick   Andermau.   Downer's   Grove. 

Charles  Bartel,  Downer's  Grove. 

1891 

G.  A,  Fi.scher,  Addison. 
Warren  JI.  Sayes,  Bloomiugdale. 
Chester  D.  Bartlett,  Wayne. 
William  L.  Reed,  Wintield. 
Amo.s  Churchill,  Milton, 
John  Christie,  Milton. 
■Fi*e(teri('k  Marquardt,  York. 
Thomas  Betts,  Naperville. 
William  King.   Lisle. 
.^redevicji  Anderman,  Downer's  Grove. 
'C-hartes  Bartel,  Downers'  Grove. 

'       ■  1S92 

G.  A.  Fi.scher,  Addisou. 

Jacob  E.  Bender,  Bloomingdale. 

C.  B.  Bartlett,  Wa.vne. 
William  L.  Reed,  Wiufleld. 
Amos  Churchill,  Jlilton. 
John  Christie,  Milton. 
William   Ilammerschmidt,  York. 
Christian  Wise,  Naperville. 

D.  D,  Barnard,  Lisle, 

C.  B.  Blodgett,  Downer's  Grove. 
H.  C.   Middaugh,  Dow-ner's  Grove. 

1893 

G.  A.  Fischer,  Addison. 

Jacob  E.  Bender,  Bloomiugdale. 

C.  B.  Bartlett,  Wayne. 

W.  L.  Reed,  Winfield. 

Amos  Churchill,  Milton. 


650 


HISTORY  OF  DU  PAGE  COUNTY. 


John  Christie,   Milton. 

Williaui  Haiuiuerschmidt.  York. 

Christian  Wise,  York. 

D.  D.  Barnard,  Lisle. 

C.  B.  Blodgett,  Downer's  Grove. 

11.  C.  Middaugli,  Downer's  Grove. 

1894 

G.   A.   Fischer,   Addison. 

J.   E.    Bender,    Blooniingdale. 

C.  D.  Bartlett.  Wayne. 
W.  L.  Reed,  Winfield. 
William  Hammersehmidt,  York. 
Thomas  Betts,  Naperville. 

D.  D.  Barnard,  Lisle. 

C.  B.  Blodgett,  Downer's  Grove. 
H.  C.  Middaugh,  Do-wner's  Grove. 

1895 

G.   A.   Fischer,   Addison. 
J.  E.  Bender,  Bloomingdale. 

C.  B.  Bartlett,  Wayne. 
W.  L.  Reed,  Winfield. 
Amos  Churchill,  Milton. 
John  Christie,  Milton. 
W^illiam  Hammersehmidt,  York. 
Thomas  Betts.  Naperville. 

D.  D.  Barnard,  Lisle. 

C.  B.  Blodgett,  Downer's  Grove. 
H.  C.  iliddaugh.  Downer's  Grove. 
James  McClintock,  Downer's  Grove 

1S9G 

G.  A.   Fischer,   Addison. 

J.  E.  Bender.  Blooniingdale. 

C.  B.  Bartlett,  Wayne. 
W.  L.  Reed,  Winfield. 
Amos  Churchill.  Milton. 
John  Christie,  Milton. 
William  Hammersehmidt,  York. 
Thomas  Betts,  Naperville. 

D.  D.   Barnard,   Li.sle. 

C.  B.  Blodgett,  Downer's  Grove. 
H.   0.   Middaugh,  Downer's  Grove. 
James  McClintock,  Downer's  Grove. 

1897 

G.  A.  Fischer,  Addison. 

J.  E.  Bender,  Bloomingdale. 

C.  B.  Bartlett,  Wayne. 

T.  G.  Isherwood,  Winfield. 

John  Christie,  Milton. 

F.  M.  Hull,  Milton. 


William  Hammersehmidt,  York. 

I.   N.   Murray.   Naperville. 

D.  D.  Barnard,  Lisle. 

C.  B.  Blodgett,  Downer's  Grove. 

Fred  Anderman,  Downer's  Grove. 

James  McClintock,  Downer's  Grove. 

1898 

G.   A.   Fischer,   Addison. 
J.  E.  Bender,  Bloomingdale. 

C.  B.  Bartlett,  Wayne. 

T.  G.   Isherwood,  Winfield. 
John  Christie,  Milton. 

F.  M.  Hull,  Milton. 

William  Hammersehmidt,  York. 
I.   N.  Murray.   Naperville. 

D.  D.  Barnard,  Lisle. 

C.  B.  Blodgett,  Downer's  Grove. 
Fred  Anderman,Do'wner's  Grove. 
James  McClintock.  Downer's  Grove. 

1S99 

G.  A.  Fischer,  Addison. 

J.   E.   Bender,   Bloomingdale. 

C.  B.  Bartlett,  Wayne. 

T.   G.   Isherwood.   Winfield. 
John    Christie,    Milton. 

F.  M.   Hull,  Milton. 

William  Hammersehmidt,  York. 
Thomas  Betts,  Naperville. 

D.  D.  Barnard,  Lisle. 

C.  B.  Blodgett,  Downer's  Grove. 
Fred  Anderman.  Downer's  Grove. 
James  McClintock,  Downer's  Grove. 

1900 

G.  A.  Fischer,  Addison. 

J.  E.  Bender,  Bloomingdale. 
C.  B.  Bartlett.  Wayne. 
T.  G.  Isherwood,  Winfield. 
John  Christie,  Milton. 

F.  M.  Hull,  Milton. 

William  Hammersehmidt,  York. 

Thomas  Betts,  Naperville. 

A.  W.  Kohley.  Lisle. 

C.  B.  Blodgett,  Downer's  Gro%-e. 

Frank  Cramer,  Downer's  Grove. 

James  McClintock,  Downer's  Grove. 

1901 

G.  A.  Fischer,  Addison. 

J.  E.  Bender.  Bloomingdale. 
C.  B.  Bartlett.  Wayne. 


HISTORY  OF  DU  PAGE  COUNTY. 


651 


T.  G.  Ishei'wood,  Winfield. 

John  Christie,  Milton. 

A.   H.  Wiaut,  Milton. 

William  Hamuiersthmiclt,  York. 

Thomas  Betts,   Xaperville. 

A.   W.   Kohley,  Lisle. 

C.  B.  Blodgett,  Downer's  Grove. 

Frank  Cramer.  Downer's  Grove. 

James  McClintock,  Downer's  Grove. 

1902 

G.  A.  Fischer.  AdJison. 

J.  E.  Bender,  Bloomingdale. 

C.  B.  Bartlett,  Wayne. 

T.  G.  Isherwood,  Winfield. 

John  Christie,  Milton. 

A.  II.  Wiant.  .Milton. 

William  Hamnierschmidt,  York. 

Thomas  Betts.  Xaperville. 

A.  W.  Kohley.  Lisle. 

C.   B.    Blodgett,   Downer's   Grove. 

Frank  Cramer,  Downer's  Grove. 

James  McClintock,  Downer's  Grove. 

1903 

G.  A.  Fischer,  -Vddison. 

J.  E.  Bender,  Bloomingdale. 

C.   B.   Bartlett,   Wayne. 

T.  G.  Isherwood.  Winfield. 

A.  H.  Wiaut,  Milton. 

W.  W.  Steven,  Milton. 

William  Hammerschmidt,  York. 

Thomas  Betts,  Xaperville. 

A.  H.  Kohley,  Lisle. 

C.  B.  Blodgett,  Downer's  Grove. 

Frank  Cramer,  Downer's  Grove. 

James  McClintock.  Downer's  Grove. 

1904 

G.  A.  Fischer.  Addison. 

Fred  Neddemyer,  Bloomingdale. 

C.  B.  Bartlett,  Wayne. 

Allen  H.  Fairbank,  Winfield. 

Amos  Churchill.  Milton. 

W.  W.  Steven.  Milton. 

William  Hammerschmidt,  York. 

Thomas  Betts.  Naperville. 

Alvin  Scott,  Sr.,  Lisle. 

C.  B.  Blodgett,  Downer's  Grove. 

Frank  Cramer,  Downer's  Grove. 

James  McClintock,  Downer's  Grove. 


1905 

H.  A.  Fischer,  Addison 

Fred  Neddemyer.  Bloomiugdale, 

C.  B.   Bartlett,  Wayne. 

A.  II.  Fairbank.  Winfield. 

Amos  Churchill,  Milton. 

W.  W.  Steven.  Milton. 

William  Hammerschmidt,  York. 

Thomas  Betts,  Xaperville. 

Alvin  Scott,  Sr..  Lisle. 

C.  B.  Blodgett.  Downer's  Grove. 

Frank  Cramer.  Dowuer's  Grove. 

James  McClintock,  Dowuer's  Grove. 

1906 

G.  A.  Fischer,  Addison. 

Fred  Neddemyer,  Bloomingdale. 

C.  B.  Bartlett.  Wayue. 

A.  H.  Fairbank,  Winfield. 

Amos  Churchill,  Milton. 

W.  W.  Steven,  Milton. 

William  Hammerschmidt,  York. 

Thomas  Bett.s,  Naperville. 

Alvin  Scott.  Sr..  Lisle. 

C.  B.  Blodgett, Downer's  Grove. 

Frank  Cramer,  Downer's  Grove. 

James  McClintock,  Downer's  Grove. 

1907 

G.  A.   Fischer,  Addison. 
Fred  Neddemyer.  Bloomingdale. 
O.   B.   Bartlett,   Wayne. 
A.  H.  Fairbank,  Winfield. 
Amos  Churchill.  Milton. 
W.  W.  Steven,  Milton. 
William  Hammerschmidt,  York. 
G.  A.  Keller,  Naperville. 
Alvin  Seott,  Sr.,  Lisle. 
C.  B.  Blodgett,  Downer's  Grove. 
Frank  Cramer.  Downer's  Grove. 
George  Boyer.  Downer's  Grove. 

1908 

G.  A.  Fischer,  Addison. 
Fred  Neddemyer,  Bloomingdale. 
John   Schramer.  Wayne. 
A.  H.  Fairbank.  Winfield. 
Amos  Churchill.  Milton. 
W.  W.  Steven.  Milton. 
William  Hammerschmidt,  York. 
George  A.  Keller,  Naperville. 
Irving  Goodrich,  Lisle. 


652 


HISTORY  OF  DU  PAGE  COUNTY. 


C.  B.  Blodgett,  Downer's  Grove. 
Frank  Cramer,  Downer's  Grove. 
George  Boyer,  Downer's  Grove. 

1909 

G.  A.  Fischer.   Addison. 
Fred  Xeddeniyer,  Blooniingdale. 
John  Sehranier,  Wayne. 
A.  H.  Fairliank.   WiufleUl. 
W.   W.   Steven.  .Milton. 
Amos  Churchill,  Milton. 
William  Hammersehmidt,   York. 
G.  A.  Keller,  Naperville. 
Irving  Goodrich.  Lisle. 
C.  B.  Blodgett.  Downer's  Grove. 
Frank  Cramer.  Downer's  Grove. 
George  Boyer.  Downer's  Grove. 

1910 

G.  A.  Fischer.  Addison. 
Fred  Neddemyer.  Blooniingdale. 
John   Schramer,  Wayne. 
A.  H.  Fairliank.  Wiufield. 
W.  W.  Steven,  Milton. 
Amos  Churchill.  Milton. 
William  Ilanimerschniidt,  York. 
G.  A.  Keller,  Naperville. 
Irving  Goodrich.  Lisle. 
C.  B.  Blodgett,  Downer's  Grove. 
Frank  Cramer,  Downer's  Grove. 
George  Boyer.  Downer's  Grove. 

1911 

G.  A.  Fischer,  .\ddison. 

Fred  Neddemyer.  Blooniingdale. 

John  Schramer.  Wayne. 

A.   H.  Fairbank,  Wiufield. 

George  Fix.   Milton. 

W.  J.  Yaekley,  Milton. 

William  Hammersehmidt.  York. 

C.  H.  Bieruiann.  Y'ork. 

G.  A.  Keller,  Naperville. 

Irving  (ioodrich.  Lisle. 

C.  B.  Blodgett,  Downer's  Grove. 

Frank  Cramer,  Downer's  Grove. 

George  Boyer.  Downer's  Grove. 

1912     . 

G.  A.  Fischer,  Addison. 

J.  H.  Hattendorf,  Blooniingdale. 

J.  B.  Steavens.  Wayne. 

M.  J.  Town,  Wiufield. 

George  Fix,   Milton. 


W.  J.  Yaekley.  Jliltou. 

William   Ilanimerschniidt.   York. 

C.  n.  Biermann,  York. 

G.  A.  Keller,  Naperville. 

A.  H.  Kohley,  Lisle. 

C.  B.  Blodgett,  Downer's  Grove. 

Frank  Cramer.  Downer's  Grove. 

George  Boyer.  Dowuer's  (;ro\e. 


CHAI'TKR  VIII 


POLITICAL    HISTORY— REPRESENTATION 


EABLY  POUTICAL  CONUITIONS  IN  DU  PAGE  COUNTY 
— INFLUENCE  OF  THE  KANSAS-NEBEASKA  ACT  IN 
ORGANIZATION  OF  THE  REPUBLICAN  PABTY^ 
EFFECT  OF  GERMAN  I.\I MIGRATION  BETWEEN  1850 
AND  ISOO GROWTH  OF  FREE-SOIL  SENTIMENT  BE- 
TWEEN lS.'i2  AND  IS.jO — IN  IS.'JG  DU  PAGE  COUNTY 
FURNISHES  PROPORTIONABI.Y  THE  LARGEST  FREE- 
SOIL  VOTE  IN  THE  STATE — CONGRESSIONAL  AND 
LEGISLATIVE  APPORTIONMENTS  AND  REPRESENTA- 
TION  LIST  OF  CONGRESSMEN  WHO  HAVE  REPRE- 
SENTED THE  DU  PAGE  DISTRICT — .SENATORS  AND 
REPRESENTATIVES  IN  THE  GENERAL  ASSEMBLY, 
1839-1912 — DELEG.\TES  TO  CONSTITUTIONAL  CON- 
VENTIONS FROM  THE  DU  PAGE  DLSTRICT — 
SKETCHES  OF  SOME  PROMINENT  CITIZENS  OF  DU 
PAGE  COUNTY. 

(BV    L.   C.    COOPER.    ESQ.) 

With  a  history,  as  a  peniiaiient  white  .settle- 
ment, eontemparaneous  with  that  of  Cook  Coun- 
ty, of  which  it  formerly  constituted  a  part,  it  is 
safe  to  say  that  Du  Page  County,  since  the  date 
of  its  organization  in  18.39.  has  been  the  home 
of  representatives  of  the  various  political  parlies 
in  existence  in  different  parts  of  the  countr.v 
during  that  period.  While  the  bulk  of  its  popu- 
lation during  the  first  decade  of  the  county's 
existence,  came  largely  from  the  New  England 
and  Eastern  Middle  States,  according  to  the 
general  rule  iu  Northern  lUimiis  Counties,  it  was 
first  made  up  of  members  of  the  two  principal 
parties,  the  Whig  and  the  Democratic,  with  the 
latter  in  the  majority.  .\t  an  early  period  chere 
were  a  considerable  number  of  adherents  of  the 


JOHN  BAXTKK 


SARAH  BAXTER 


ANDREW  J.  BUTTERFIELD 


MARY  J.  BUTTERFIELD 


HISTORY  OF  DU  PAGE  COUNTY. 


653 


Free-Soil  or  Aliolitiou  elemeut.  whk-l)  later  saw 
a  large  accession.  This  was  due  to  two  causes: 
first,  the  adoption  of  the  Kansas-Nebraska  Act, 
with  the  rejieal  of  the  Missouri  Compromise  in 
1854;  and,  second,  the  infinx  of  a  large  German 
jiopulation  between  ]8ijO  and  18C0.  This  was 
strikingl.v  illustrated  b.v  the  fact  that,  although 
in  1852  Du  rage  Connt.v  gave  a  plurality  of  two 
hundred  votes  for  the  Democratic  candidate  for 
I'resideut,  the  vote  for  Fremont,  the  first  Repuli- 
lican  candidate  for  that  oflice  in  lS.o6.  was  more 
than  two-and-a-half  times  that  of  the  Democratic 
nominee.  The  strength  of  the  Anti-slavery  ele- 
ment in  Du  I'age  County  was  evidenced  at  a 
still  earlier  period,  in  the  fact  that,  in  1852.  the 
county  gave  a  larger  Free-.Soil  than  Whig  vote 
— at  that  time  Du  Tage  being  the  only  county 
in  the  State  in  which  the  Free-Soil  party  ranked 
second  iu  the  list  of  the  three  parties. 

Although  nuich  bitter  feeling  on  the  subject 
of  the  slavery  question  was  prevalent  through- 
out the  country  preceding  the  Civil  war,  the 
nearly  equal  division  of  parties  in  Du  Tage 
County  during  this  period,  furnished  evidence 
of  a  more  liberal  toleration  than  existed  in  _ 
some  other  i>ortions  of  the  State,  while  later  the 
drift  of  political  sentiment  iu  behalf  of-  Wie 
principles  of  the  Reimblican  party  was  surpassed 
in  few  (if  any)  other  counties  of  tiie  state. 
When  the  period  of  the  Civil  war  camle.  af<.yas^_ 
to  be  expected,  Du  Tage  County  gave  e\ndenee.. 
in  the  number  of  its  volunteers  of  its  loyalty  to 
the  principles  of  Abraham  Lincoln,  falling  only 
seven  short  of  its  entire  quota  of  1551  men  for  a 
population  of  14.090.  This  part  of  the  county 
history  will  be  treated  more  fully  in  its  appro- 
priate department. 

While  Du  Page  County,  from  its  limited  area 
and  projiortionally  small  population,  has  not 
furnished  from  among  its  citizens  many  occu- 
pants of  important  National  or  State  offices,  it 
has  been  represented  by  many  useful  and  cap- 
able Members  in  the  General  Assembly  and  in 
positions  of  a  more  local  character  the  roster 
of  which  will  be  presented  in  other  portions  of 
this  volume.  It  being  the  purpose  of  this  cha|v 
ter  to  treat  of  representation  in  Congress,  and 
the  General  Assembly,  it  is  proper  that  the  list 
of  Representatives  under  these  heads  should  l)e 
preceded,  respectively,  by  a  statement  of  the  ap- 
portionments for  the  periods  during  which  mem- 
bers of  each  class  have  held  office. 


C'0NGBESSI0X.\I.   .iPPOKTIOXMIiXTS 

Under  various  Congressional  apimrtioumeuts, 
Du  Page  County  has  constituted  a  part  of  the 
following  Districts : 

1839-43— Part  of  the  Third  District,  embrac- 
ing twenty-two  counties  in  the  northern  and 
western  portions  of  the  State,  extending  as  far 
south  as  the  mouth  of  the  Illinois  River. 

1843-52 — Part  of  the  Fourth  District,  consist- 
ing of  se>"enteen  counties  in  the  northeast  corner 
of  the  State  and  extending  from  Wisconsin  as 
far  south  as   Champaign  and  Vermilion. 

18.52-G2 — Part  of  Second  District,  consisting  of 
Cook.  Du  Page.  Kane.  DelCalb.  Lee.  Whiteside 
and  Rock   Island  Counties. 

1863-73— Part  of  the  Sixth  District,  composed 
of  LaSalle.  Grundy.  Kendall.  Du  Page.  Will  and 
Kankakee. 

1873-83— Part  of  the  First  District,  embracing 
liart  of  Cook  County  and  all  of  Du  Page. 

1883-95— Part  of  tl.ie  Eighth  District,  with  La 
Salle,  Kendall.  Grundy  and  Will. 

1895-11KI3— Part  of  the   Eighth   District,   with 
McHenry,   DeKalb.  Kane.   Kendall   and  Grundy. 
'   'ig()3-12— Part  of  the  Eleventh   District,   with 
Kane,  McHenry  and  Will. 
' '  ( 

EEPBESENTATIVES   IN    CONGRESS 

;  "FblJowing  Is  a  list  of  Representatives  in  Con- 
gress' from  the  Du  Page  District,  with  period 
"of  service,  politics  and  place  of  residence : 

Tnciitn-Sixth  and  Tircnty-Hcvriith  ('otHjrcxxcs 
(1839-43)- John  T.   Stuart    (Whig)    Springfield. 

Ticenty-eiglith  to  Thiriv-flrst  Coiuircss  (1843- 
51) — John  Wentworth   (Dem.),  Chicago. 

Thirty-second  Conyrcxst  (1851-53) — Richard  S. 
Molouy.  (Dem.).  Belvidere. 

Thirtii-thinl  Cont/irss  (1853-.55) — John  Went- 
worth.  (Dem.).  Chicago. 

Tliirtn-foinilt  Confircss  (1855-57) — James  H. 
Wood  worth.    (Dem.).  Cliicago. 

ThUiu-fifth  and  Thirty-sli-th  Vontii-cxnctt 
(1857-61)— John  F.  Farusworth.  (Rep.),  Chi- 
cago. Was  later  a  resident  of  Kane  County  .-ind 
represented  the  Kane  Comity  District. 

Thirty-seventh  Conyre.is  (l,S61-63t  Isaac  X. 
.\ruold.   (Rep.).  Chicago. 

Thirty-eir/hth  Conyress  (1863-051 — Jesse  O. 
Norton    (Rep.).  Joliet. 

Thirty-ninth    to  Forty-Sreond   Comirrss    (1S05- 


654 


HISTORY  OF  DU  PAftE  COUNTY. 


73)— Burton  C.  CooU  (Rep.),  Ottawa;  Henry 
Snapp   (Rep.),  vice  Cook,  resigned. 

Forty-third  Congress  (ISTo-T.o) — Jolin  B.  Rice 
(Rep.),  Cliieago:  Bernard  G.  Caultield  (Deni.), 
vice  Rice,  dee'd. 

Forty-fourth  Congress  (187.5-77) — Bernard  G. 
Caulfield   (Dem.),  Chicago. 

Forty-fifth  to  Forty-seventh  Congress  (1877- 
83)— William  Aldricli   (Rep.),  Chicago. 

Forty-eighth  Congress  (1883-85)  —  William 
Culleu   (Rep.),  Ottawa. 

Forty-ninth  to  Fiftieth  Congress  (1885-89)  — 
Ralph  Plumb   (Rep.),  Streator. 

Fifty-first  Congress  (1889-91)  —  Charles  A, 
Hill   (Rep.),  Joliet. 

Fifty-second  Congress  (1801-93)— Lewis  Stew- 
ard (Dem.),  Piano. 

Fifty-third  Congress  (1893-95)  —  Robert  A. 
Childs    (Rep.),   Hinsdale,  Du  Page  County. 

Fifty-fourth  to  Fifty-seventh  Congress  (1897- 
1903)— Albert  J.  HoiJkins   (Rep.),  Aurora. 

Fifty-eighth  to  Sixty-first  Congress  (1905-11) 
-Howard  N.   Snapp   (Rep.),  Joliet. 

Sixty-second  Congress  (1911-13) — Ira  C.  Cop- 
ley (Rep.),  Aurora. 

LEGISLATIVE 

Apportionments — In  accordance  with  the  first 
apportionment  act  (passed  April  26,  18-41),  after 
the  organization  of  the  Du  Page  County,  the 
county  became  part  of  a  District  composed  of 
Will,  Du  Page  and  Iroquois  Counties,  entitled 
to  "one  senator  who  shall  be  chosen  from  Will ; 
the  same  three  counties  one  Representative  to 
be  chosen  from  Iroquois ;  the  .same  three  counties 
one  Representative  to  be  chosen  from  Du  Page, 
and  the  county  of  Will  to  two  Representatives." 
Previous  to  this  Cook  county  of  which  Du  Page 
count.v  had  formed  a  part,  had  been  represented 
in  the  State  Senate  (1838-40),  by  Ebenezer 
Peek,  and  (1840-42)  by  John  Pearson,  and  in 
the  House  (1836-40 — two  terms)  by  Joseph 
Naper.  and  (1840-42)  by  Albert  G.  Leary,  Rich- 
ard Murphy  and  Ebenezer  Peck.  The  Senators 
and  Representatives,  under  the  apportionment 
of  1841,  for  the  District  of  which  Du  Page  was 
a  part,  were  as  follows : 

Thirteenth  General  Assembly  (1842-44)— Sen- 
ator— Joel  A.  Matteson  (Will)  ;  Representatives 
— AddLson  Collins,  David  L.  Gregg  and  Jeduthan 
Hatch,  the  latter  of  Du  Page  County. 

Fourteenth  General  Assenihly  (1844-46)  — 
Senator  —  Matteson ;  Representatives  —  Addi- 


son Collins,  David  L.  Gregg,  Jacob  Wagner,  Jul- 
ius M.   Warren    (Du  Page). 

Fifteenth  General  Assembly  (1846-48)  Sena- 
tor —  Matteson  ;  Representatives  —  Captain  E. 
Kinne  (Du  Page),  William  E.  Little,  John  Mil- 
ler. 

In  1848,  in  accordance  with  the  new  Consti- 
tution of  that  year,  Du  Page  County  became  a 
part  of  the  Twenty-first  Senatorial  District,  en- 
titled to  one  Senator,  and  of  the  Fiftieth  Repre- 
senative  District,  entitled  to  three  Representa- 
tives— the  area  of  these  districts  being  identical 
and  consisting  of  Du  Page,  Kendall,  Will  and 
Iroquois  Ck)unties. 

This  continued  until  1854,  when  the  Du  Page 
Senatorial  District  was  changed  to  the  Sixth, 
composed  of  Will,  Du  Page,  Kendall,  Iroquois 
and  Kankakee  Counties;  and  to  the  Forty-Fifth 
Representative  District,  composed  of  Iroquois, 
Will,  Du  I'age  and  Kankakee  Counties,  each 
district  being  entitled  to  the  same  representa- 
tion as  under  the  preceding  apportionment. 

A  third  apportionment  under  the  Constitution 
of  1848  came  in  1861,  Du  Page  then  becoming  a 
part  of  the  Xineteenth  Senatorial  District,  with 
Kane  and  DeKalb  Counties,  and  alone  consti- 
tuting the  Fiftieth  Representative  District,  en- 
titled to  one  Representative. 

The  apportionment  of  1861  continued  until  1870 
when,  without  change  of  territory,  Du  Page 
County  became  the  Eighty-second  Representative 
District,  the  Senatorial  District  being  unchanged 
in  luimber  and  area,  and  each  entitled  to  one 
member. 

Under  the  Constitution  of  1870  a  new  arrange- 
ment as  to  the  make  up  of  districts  went  into  ef- 
fect, the  Senatorial  and  Representative  Districts 
then  becoming  identical  in  numbering  and  area. 
From  that  time  under  various  apportionments 
Du  Page  has  constituted  a  part  of  the  following 
Districts: 

1872-1901 — LTuder  three  successive  apportion- 
ments in  Du  Page  and  Kane  constituted  the 
Fourteenth  District. 

1901-1912- Du  Page  and  Will  constituted  the 
Forty-first  District. 

Senators  and  Representatives — The  repre- 
sentation of  the  various  districts,  of  which  Du 
Page  county  formed  a  part — both  Senatorial  and 
Representative — under  these  several  apportion- 
ments, with  the  counties  of  which  the  Senators 
and  Representatives  were  residents  from  1848 
to  1912,  have  been  as  follows : 


HISTORY  OF  DU  PAGE  COUNTY. 


655 


Sij-tccntk  Ociicral  Asscnibli/  (1848-50 — Sena- 
tor— Joel  A.  Mattesou  (Will)  ;  Representatives 
—William  E.  Little  (Will)  ;  Warren  L.  Wheaton 
(Du  Page).  Lorenzo  D.  Brady  (Kendall),  Or- 
lando H.  Haven   (Kendall),  vice  Brady. 

Seventeenth  General  Assembly  (1850-52)  — 
Senator — Joseph  A.  JIatteson  (Will)  ;  Kepresen- 
tati\-«s— S.  W.  Randall  (Kendall),  Jess  O.  Nor- 
ton (Will).  W.  F.  Jones  (Du  Page).  Julius  M. 
Warren  (Du  I'age).  vice  Jones. 

Eiphtccnth  General  Assembly  (1852-54)  Sena- 
tor— Uri  Osgood  (Will)  :  Repre.seDtatives — 
Joseph  Thomas  (Iroquois),  R.  N.  Mathew.s, 
(Kendall),  Joseph  Xaper   (Du  Page). 

Nineteenth  General  Assembly  (1854-56)  Sena- 
tor— Uri  Osgood  (Will)  ;  Representatives — G.  D. 
A.  Parks  (Will),  John  Strunk  (Kankakee), 
Erastus  O.  Hills  (Du  Page). 

Ttcentiefh  General  Assembly  (1856-58) — Sen- 
ator— (J.  D.  A.  Parks  (Will)  ;  Representatives — 
Truman  N.  Smith  (Will),  Franklin  Blades  (Iro- 
quois). Wm.  A.  Chatfield   (Kankakee). 

Twenty-first  General  Assembly  (1858-60)  — 
Senator — G.  D.  A.  Parks  (Will)  ;  Representa- 
tives— Hiram  Norton  (Will),  Alonzo  W.  Mack 
(Kankakee),  J.  M,  Hood  (Du  Page). 

Tiventy-sccond  General  Assembly  (1860-(!2)  — 
Senator — .\lonzo  W.  Mack  (Kankakee)  ;  Rep- 
re.seutatives — Franklin  Blades  (Iroquois),  Sam- 
uel Stover  (Will),  Frederick  H.  Mather  (Du 
Page). 

Ticenty-thiril  General  Assembly  (1862-64)  — 
Senator — Edward  R.  Allen  (Kane)  ;  Represen- 
tative— Algernon  S.  Barnard   (Du  Page). 

Twenty-fourth  General  Assembly  (18(54-60) — • 
Senator — Edward  R.  Allen  (Kane)  ;  Representa- 
tive— Henry  (".  C'hilds   (Du  Page.) 

Tu-enty-fiph  General  Assembly  (18(56-68)  — 
Senator — William  Pattnu  (De  Kalb)  ;  Repre- 
sentative— Henry  C.  ChiUls   (Du  Page). 

Ticenty-sixth  General  Assembly  (1868-80)- 
Senator — William  Patton  (De  Kalli)  ;  Represen- 
tative— Henry  C.  Childs   (Du  Page). 

Tiventy-seventh  General  Assembly  (1870-72)  — 
Senators — Charles  W.  March  (De  Kalb).  James 
W.  Eddy  (Kane)  ;  Representative — William  M. 
Whitney    (Du  Page.) 

Ticenty-eighth  General  Assembly  (1872-74)  — 
Senator  Eugene  Caufield  (Kane)  ;  Representa- 
tives— Sylvester  S.  Mann,  Julius  A.  Carpenter, 
James  Herringtou   (all  from  Kane). 

Twenty-ninth  General  Assembly  (1874-76)  — 
Senator — Eugene  Caufield   (Kane)  ;  Representa- 


tives— \ictor  Fredenhagen  and  James  F.  Claf- 
lin    (Du  Page),  James  Herringtou   (Kane). 

Thirtieth  General  Assembly  (1870-78) — Sena- 
tor— Joseph  H.  Mayborne  (Kane)  ;  Representa- 
tives— Henry  H.  Evans  (Kane)  ;  James  G. 
Wright  (Du  Page),  James  Herrington  (Kane). 
Thirty-first  General  Assembly  (1878-80) — Sen- 
ator— Joseph  H.  Mayborne  (Kane)  :  Representa- 
tives— Edward  C.  Lovell  (Kane),  James  6. 
Wright  (Du  Page),  James  Herrington  (Kane). 
Thirty-seeond  General  Assembly  (1880-82)  — 
Senator — Henry  H.  Evans,  Rep  (Kane)  ;  Repre- 
sentatives— Oliver  P.  Chisholm,  Rep.  (Kane), 
.James  Herrington,  Dem.  (Kane),  James  G. 
Wright,  Rep.  (Du  Page). 

Thirty-third  General  Assembly  (1882-84)  — 
Senator — H.  H.  Evans,  Rep.  (Kane)  ;  Represen- 
tatives— Luther  C.  Hiatt,  Rep.,  and  Henry  F. 
W.-ilker,  Rep.  (Du  Page),  James  Herrington, 
Deui.    (Kane). 

Thirty-fourth  General  Assembly  (1884-86)  — 
Senator — H.  H.  Evans.  Rep.  (Kane)  ;  Represen- 
tatives— Luther  L.  Hiatt.  Rep.  (Du  Page),  John 
Stewart,  Rep.  (Kane).  Thomas  C.  Donnell,  Dem. 
(Kane). 

Thirty-fifth  General  Assembly  (1886-88)  — 
Senator — H.  H.  Evans,  Rep.  (Kane)  ;  Represen- 
tatives— Charles  Curtis,  Rep.  (Du  Page),  James 
Herrington,  Dem.  (Kane),  John  Stewart,  Rep. 
(Kane). 

Thirty-sixth  General  Assembly  (1888-90)  — 
Senator — Henry  H.  Evans,  Rep.  (Kane)  ;  Repre- 
sentatives— Edgar  C.  Hawley,  Rep.  (Kane), 
Robert  M.  Ireland,  Rep.  (Kane),  Nicholas  E. 
Graham.  Dem.  (Du  Page). 

Thirty-seventh  General  Assembly  (1890-92)  — 
Senator — H.  H.  Evans.  Rep.  (Kane)  ;  Represen- 
tatives— Luther  M.  Dearborn,  Dem.  (Kane),  Ed- 
gar C.  Hawle.v,  Rep.  (Kane).  Charles  P.  Bryan, 
Rep.   (Du  Page). 

Thirty-eighth  General  Assembly  (1892-94)  — 
Senator— H.  H.  Evans.  Rep.  (Kane)  ;  Repre- 
sentatives— Luther  M.  Dearborn.  Dem.  (Kane), 
Edgar  C.  Hawley.  Rep.  (Kane),  Charles  P.  Bry- 
an. Rep.    (Du  Page). 

Thirty-ninth  General  Assembly  (1894-96)  — 
Senator — H.  H.  Evans,  Rep.  (Kane);  Repre- 
sentatives-Luther M.  Dearborn,  Dem.  (Kane), 
Edgar  C.  Hawley,  Rep.  (Kane),  Charles  P.  Bry- 
an, Rep.  (Du  Page). 

Fortieth  General  Assembly  ( 1890-98 )— Sena- 
tor—H.  H.  Evans.  Rep.  (Kane)  :  Representa- 
tives—Charles P.  Bryan.  Rep.    (Du  Page)   Wm. 


656 


HISTORY  OF  DU  PAGE  COUNTY. 


F.    Hunter,    Rep.     (Kaue),    Samuel    Alscbuler. 
Dem.   (Kaue). 

Forty-first  General  AuMiiihUj  (ISOS-IOOU)  — 
Senator — H.  H.  Evans,  Rep.  (Kane)  ;  Represen- 
tatives— Guy  L.  Busb,  Rep.  (Du  Page),  John 
Stewart,  Rep.  (Kaue),  Samuel  Alschuler,  Dem. 
(Kaue). 

Forty-second  General  AssenMy  (1900-02)  — 
Senator — H.  H.  Evans,  Rep.  (Kaue)  ;  Represen- 
tatives— Guy  L.  Bush.  Rep.  (Du  Page)  Charles 
H.  Backus,  Rep.  (Kane),  John  A.  Logan,  Dem. 
(Kaue). 

Forty-third  General  Assembly.  (1002-04)  — 
Senator — H.  H.  Evans,  Rep.  (Kane)  ;  Represen- 
tatives—Charles H.  Backus,  Rep.  (Kane). 
Charles  T.  Cherry,  Rep.  (Kendall).  Johu  W. 
Linden.   Dem.    (Kane). 

Forty-foiirtli  General  Assembly  (1004-00)  — 
(Senator  and  Representatives  same  as  iu  pre- 
ceding General  Assembly). 

Forty-fifth   General  Assembly    ( 1906-08 ) —Sen- 
ator—H.   II.   Evans.   Rep.    (Kane);   Representa- 
tives—  Charles  H.  Backus.  Rep.  (Kane),  Charles 
H.  Hoge,  Rep.   (Kendall),  Nicholas  L.  Johnson, 
Pro.   (Kane). 

Forty-si.rtli  General  Assembly  (1008-10) — Sen- 
ator—Richard J.  Barr.  Rep.  (Will)  :  Represen- 
tatives—Guy L.  Bush.  Rep.  (Du  Page).  Frank 
L.  Parker.  Rep.  (Will).  Thomas  II.  Riley.  Dem. 
(Will). 

Forty-serentli  General  Assembly  (1010-12  — 
Senator — Richard  J.  Barr,  Rep.  (Will)  ;  Repre- 
sentatives— James  H.  Alexander,  Rep.  (Will), 
Richard  Prendergast.  Rep.  (Du  Page).  Bernard 
L.  Kell.v,  Dem.   (Will). 

CONSTITUTIONAL     CONVENTIONS 

Du  Page  County  has  been  represented  iu  three 
different  Constitutional  Conventions  for  the 
framing  of  a  new  State  Constitution.  Its  lists 
of  Delegates  in  each  have  been  as  follows: 

Convention  of  1847  —  Delegates  —  Jeduthan 
Hatch  (Du  Page)  and  Samuel  Anderson  (repre- 
senting Du  Page  and  Will  Counties). 

Convention  of  1862 — Delegates-^Francis  Good- 
speed,  J.  W.  Paddock  and  Henry  C.  Childs — 
representing  District  composed  of  Will,  Du  Page, 
Kankakee  and  Iroquois  Counties.  (Constitution 
framed   but   re.iected   by   popular   vote). 

Convention  1869-70  —  Delegate  —  Hiram  H. 
Cody.  (This  convention  framed  the  present 
state  Constitution.) 


Notable  Representatives. — Of  those  citizens 
who  served  as  Senators  or  Representatives  from 
the  Districts  embracing  Du  Page  County,  and 
who  were  at  that  time  residents  of  that  county, 
several  won  distinction  iu  local  positions  aud 
were  promiujnt  iu  State  affairs.  Capt.  TJ'omas 
Naper,  for  three  terms  iu  the  State  Legislature 
from  Cook  aud  Du  Page  County,  was  one  of  the 
early  settlers  in  the  latter,  founded  the  town  of 
Naperville,  which,  became  the  first  county  seat, 
served  as  quartermaster  during  the  Mexican 
war  and  is  said  to  have  acted  as  aid  to  (jJen. 
Taylor  during  the   Battle  of   Bueua   Vista. 

David  L.  Gregg,  an  early  lawyer  and  promi- 
nent citizen  of  Northern  Illinois,  resided  for  a 
time  at  Joliet,  Will  County,  where  he  edited 
"The  Joliet  Courier"  the  first  paper  established 
in  that  county  as  early  as  1839,  later  served  as 
Representative  from  the  Du  Page  District  in 
the  Thirteenth  and  Fourteenth  General  Assem- 
bly (1842-40),  was  a  member  from  Cook  County 
iu  the  State  Constitutional  Convention  of  1847 
and  served  as  Secretary  of  State  from  18.50  to 
1853,  to  fill  out  the  unexpired  term  of  Horace 
S.  Cooley.  who  died  iu  office.  In  1S."p2  Mr.  Gregg 
was  a  prominent  candidate  for  the  Democratic 
nomination  for  Go^"*ruor,  but  in  18.53  was  ap- 
pointed by  President  Pierce  Commissioner  to 
the  Sandwich  Islands,  still  later  acting  for  a 
time  as  Minister  or  adviser  to  the  Hawaiian 
King.  Kamehamaha  IX.  Returning  to  Califor- 
nia, he  was  appointed  b\-  President  Lincoln 
Receiver  of  Public  Moneys  at  Carson  City.  Na- 
vada.  where  he  died  iu  1808. 

Warren  L.  Wheaton.  a  native  of  Connecticut, 
came  to  Du  I'age  County  about  1837.  and  settled 
on  the  site  of  the  present  city  of  Wheaton. 
which  was  platted  as  a  village  in  1853  in  part- 
nership with  his  brother.  Jesse  C.  Wheaton. 
Warren  L.  Wheaton  was  an  enterprising  citizen 
and  served  one  term  (1848-50)  as  Representa- 
tive in  the  General  Assembly.  Iu  1867  the  vil- 
lage of  Wheaton  became  the  county  seat  of  Du 
Page  County,  and  is  also  the  seat  of  AVheaton 
College,  established  here  under  its  present  name 
in  1800. 

No  family  has  been  more  i)roniiuent  in  Du 
Page  County  history  than  that  of  the  late 
Thomas  B.  Bryan,  who  came  to  Chicago  in  1852, 
and  during  the  war  period  was  an  active  factor 
iu  support  of  the  Union  cause,  rendering  valu- 
able service  to  the  Government  in  promoting 
sanitary   enterprises   for   the   lienefit   of   soldiers 


HISTORY  OF  DU  PAGE  COUNTY. 


657 


ill  Ibe  lieltl.  Mr.  Bryan  speut  the  latter  years 
of  his  lite  as  a  resident  of  Elmhurst,  Du  Pa.!;e 
county. 

Hon.  Charles  B.  Bryan,  son  of  the  preceding, 
entered  into  the  practice  of  law  in  Chicago,  later 
served  three  terms  as  Repre.seiit  itive  in  the 
General  Assemhly  (lSOO-96)  from  the  Du  Page 
District,  and  has  since  had  an  active  career  In 
the  diplomatic  field,  first  as  Minister  to  Brazil 
and  later  Minister  successively  to  Switzerland. 
Portugal  and  Belgium,  at  present  being  Envoy 
Extraordinary  and  Minister  Plenipotentiary  to 
the  Court  of  Japan.  In  each  of  these  positions, 
as  shown  by  his  steady  advancement,  he  has 
acquitted  himself  with  honor  and  won  the  ap- 
proval of  the  General  Government. 

Du  I'age  County  has  been  represented  at  dif- 
ferent periods  in  Congress  by  citizens  of  other 
counties  who  had  a  national  reputation.  Among 
these  may  |je  mentioned  John  AVentworth  and 
Isaac  N.  Arnold,  of  Chicago;  Jesse  O.  Norton 
of  Will  County ;  Burton  C.  Cook,  then  of  La- 
Salle  hut  later  a  resident  of  Coolj  County,  and 
Albert  J.  IIoi)kins,  of  Kane,  for  nine  terms  in 
Congress  (of  which  three  were  from  the  .Du 
Page  District),  and  one  term  as  United  States 
Senator.  '    i  j  •  «• 

Col.  John  F.  Farnsworth.  for  two  terms  (1857- 
Gl)  Representative  in  Congress  from  the  Du 
Page  District.  Irat  later  for  five  terms  froy\  UiA,, 
Kane  County  District,  won  distinction'as  Colonel-  • 
of  the  Eighth  Illinois  Volunteer  Caralry  during 
the  first  two  years  of  the  Civil  war.  was  pro- 
moted to  the  rank  of  Brigadier-General  by  brevet, 
but  in  March,  ISG3.  retired  to  accept  a  seat  in 
Congress. 

The  only  citizen  In  Du  Page  County  to  rep- 
resent his  home  county  as  Representative  in 
Congress,  was  Roliert  A.  Childs.  a  resident  of 
Hinsdale.  Mr.  Childs  was  a  native  of  Malone, 
N.  T.,  born  in  1845,  came  to  Boone  County,  111., 
In  childhood,  and  at  sixteen  .years  of  age,  un- 
der the  first  call  for  troops  by  President  Lin- 
coln at  the  beginning  of  the  Civil  war.  enlisted 
in  a  company  organized  by  Stephen  A.  Hurlbut, 
who  later  became  a  Major-General.  After  the 
war  Mr.  Chillis  studied  law  and  was  admitted 
to  the  bar,  locating  at  Hinsdale.  Du  Page  County, 
in  18S4,  was  chosen  Presidential  Elector  on  the 
Republican  ticket  for  his  district,  and  in  1892 
was  elected  Rejiresentative  in  Congress  fi-om  the 
same  district,  serving  one  term  (1803-9.5).  He 
is  still  a  resident  of  Hinsdale. 


The  late  Judge  Hiram  II.  Cudy  was  born  in 
Oueida  County.  X.  Y..  in  isi:4,  was  educated  in 
Hamilton  College,  in  his  native  State,  and  in 
1847  came  to  Xaperville.  Du  Page  Count.v,  later 
served  six  years  as  Clerk  of  the  County  Com- 
missioners' Court  of  Du  Page  County  and,  in 
IStil,  was  elected  County  Judge  serving  four 
years.  In  1809  he  was  elected  a  member  of  the 
State  Constitutional  Convention  which  met  at 
Springfield,  in  December  of  that  year,  serving 
in  that  body  on  the  Committees  on  Revision 
and  Readjustment.  In  1874,  he  was  elected 
Jndge  of  the  Circuit  Court  for  the  Twelfth 
Judicial  Circuit,  as  successor  to  Judge  Sylvanus 
Wilcox  (resigned),  and  served  until  1877.  The 
later  years  of  his  life  were  spent  at  Pasadena, 
Cal. 


CHAPTER   IX. 


ADDISON  TOWXSIIIP 


ITS      LOCATION      AND      AEE.\ — HEZEKIAH      DVNKLEE 

AND      iXASON      SMITH      FIRST      SETTI.ER.S OTHER 

.,,SAia,Y    COMERS — ARRIVAL    OF    FIRST    GERMAN    III- 

•    -ifrcRAXT.S lATER    GERMAN    INFLUX EARLY    TAV- 

.EKNS — THE  NAMING  OF  SALT  CREEK — RECORD  OF 
BIRTHS,  MARRIAGES  AND  DEATHS — LOCAL  CENSUS 
OF  1839 — CHURCH  HISTORY — (iERMANS  PROMI- 
NENT IN  CHURCH  WORK — ADDISON  VILLAGE — 
TOWNSHIP  ORGANIZATION — AN  INSURANCE 

COMPANY — VOLUNTEERS    IN    CIVIL    WAR    FROM    DU 

P.\GE     COUNTY- GER.MAN     ORPHAN     ASYLUM     AND 

OLD  PEOPLES'  HOME — RAILROADS — DAIRYING  IN- 
DUSTRY— BANKS — CHURCHES — LIST  OF  SUPER- 
VISORS WHO  HAVE  SERVED  THE  TOWNSHIP — POP- 
ULATION. 

(By  George  A.  Flscher) 

What  is  now  Addison  Township,  is  situated 
in  the  northeast  corner  of  Du  Page  County,  be- 
ing Township  40,  Range  11  East  of  the  Third 
Principal  Jleridian.  State  of  Illinois. 

Settlement. — The  first  settlers  were  Ileze- 
kiah  Dunklee  and  Mason  Smith.  They  came 
in  the  ^vear  1833.  and  settled  on  the  north  side 
of  ;i  grove  afterwards  called  Dunldee's  Grove, 
and    tlie   country   for   miles   around,    and   years 


658 


HISTORY  OF  DU  PAGE  COUNTY. 


afterward,  was  known  by  (that  name.  In 
August,  1834,  Mr.  Dunklee's  family  arrived, 
also  his  brother  Ebenezer  and  a  Mr.  Perrls, 
who  took  sick  and  died  a  few  weelis  later,  this 
being  the  tirst  death  iu  Dunklee's  Grove. 

About  the  same  time  there  came  and  settled, 
mostly  ou  the  south  side  of  the  grove,  Thomas 
H,  Thompson.  James  Beau,  E.  Lamb,  Richard 
Kingston,  D.  Parsons,  Demerit  Hoyt  and  Thomas 
Williams — all  coming  from  the  Eastern   States. 

In  the  same  year  1834,  tvso  German  families 
arrived.  One  of  these  was  Fredrich  Grane,  with 
his  wife  and  five  sons,  Diedrich,  Friedrich,  Hein- 
rich,  Ludewig  and  August,  and  one  daughter, 
Wiihelmina ;  and  the  other  Beruhard  Koehler, 
with  his  wife  and  two  step-children,  Wilhelm 
and  Sophia  Boeske.  and  his  own  daughter,  Mar- 
garetha.  They  all  came  from  the  kingdom  of 
Hanover.  Germany.  Wiihelmina  Grane  after- 
wards married  Friedrich  Krage;  Sophia  Boeske 
became  the  wife  of  Wilhelm  Schween,  and  Mar- 
garetha  Koehler  married  Joergen  Baethjemann. 

In  the  year  lS3.o  there  came  to  the  place 
Heinrich  Diedrich  Fischer,  Friedrich  Buchholz, 
Johann  Heinrich  Schmidt,  with  his  four  sons, 
Ludewig.  Heinrich,  Friedrich  and  Diedrich,  and 
two  daughters.  Wiihelmina  and  Charlotte.  The 
latter  afterwards  became  the  wife  of  Wilhelm 
Boeske,  and  Wiihelmina  of  Friedrich  Rotermund. 
There  came  also,  the  same  year,  two  brothers, 
Charles  H.  and  Hiram  Hoit,  George  Rouse  and 
Edward  Lester — the  latter  with  his  five  sous, 
John  Marshall.  Daniel.  Frederick  and  Lewis, 
and  two  daughters,  Julia  and  Acentha.  Miss 
Julia  Lester  became  the  first  teacher  in  Dunk- 
lee's Grove,  teaching  there  in  the  year  1837,  in 
a  log  cabin  belonging  to  the  Lester  brothers. 

On  the  ISth  day  of  June,  183.5,  Julia  A. 
Duuklee  was  born — the  first  white  child  born  in 
the  township.  She  became  the  wife  of  Fred- 
erick E.  Lester. 

In  the  year  1836,  Conrad  Fischer  and  his 
wife.  Louise,  nee  Reinking,  the  parents  of  Hein- 
rich Diedrich,  with  their  two  sons,  Friedrich  J. 
and  August,  and  three  daughters,  Louise,  Wii- 
helmina and  Caroline,  left  their  native  village 
of  Estorf  in  the  kingdom  of  Hanover,  Germany. 
They  arrived  at  Dunklee's  Grove  iu  the  month 
of  October,  having  lost  their  daughter  Wii- 
helmina, who  accidentally  fell  from  the  gang- 
plank at  Detroit,  Mich,  and  was  drowned. 

In  the  same  year  there  came  Herman  Bern- 
hard,    Heinrich    Franzen    and    his    three    sons, 


Johann  Heinrich,  Bernard  H.  and  Gerhard  H., 
and  two  daughters,  Katherine  and  Anna  Maria. 
Katherine  afterwards  became  the  wife  of  Carl 
Schwerdtfeger.  and  Anna  Maria  was  married 
to  Heinrich  Diedrich  Fischer.  The  Franzen  fam- 
ily came  from  Schaale.  kingdom  of  Prussia,  Ger- 
many. 

The  Friedrich  Stueukel  family,  with  three 
sous,  Heinrich,  Friedrich  and  Wilhelm,  came 
about  the  same  time.  Also  Johann  Brettmann, 
Wilhelm  Asche,  Friedrich  Thuernan,  Diedrich 
and  George  Leesemann,  Ariel  Boroman,  the 
Baruum  brothers.  S.  D.  Pierce.  C.  W.  Martin, 
B,  F.  Filmore.  James  Wakemau  and  others. 

Early  Taverns. — The  famous  old  tavern, 
known  as  the  "Buckhorn."  was  opened  in  the 
year  1837.  by  Charles  H.  Hoit.  It  stood  on 
the  old  Chicago  and  Galena  stage  road,  two 
miles  east  of  Salt  Creek,  on  the  farm  now  owned 
by  Louis  Luessenhof.  A  few  years  later  two 
more  taverns  were  opened  on  the  same  road  one 
just  west  of  Salt  Creek,  where  the  village  of 
Addison  now  is  located.  It  was  known  as  the 
Salt  Creek  House.  The  other  one.  a  mile  east 
of  the  Salt  Creek  House  on  the  Boroman  place, 
on  the  hill  on  the  south  side  of  the  road,  was 
on  the  farm  now  owned  by  George  A.  Fischer. 
These  taverns  were  well  patronized  in  the  early 
days,  until  after  the  completion  of  the  Chicago 
&  Galena  Union  Railroad  in  1848.  Before  that 
time  all  traffic  between  Chicago  and  Galena  was 
over  the  stage  road.  The  lead  from  the  mines 
at  Galena,  the  farm  products  and  merchandise 
had  to  be  hauled  by  teams,  generally  drawn  by 
oxen. 

It  was  about  this  time  that  the  creek  run- 
ning through  the  towu  received  its  name.  It  is 
said  that  a  teamster,  named  John  Reid,  whose 
business  was  hauling  of  lead  from  Galena  to 
Chicago,  on  one  of  his  return  trips,  was  con- 
veying a  load  of  salt,  and  in  crossing  the 
stream,  got  stuck  in  the  mud.  The  water  was 
so  high  that  it  flooded  the  load,  and  the  salt 
melted  before  he  could  get  help  to  pull  it  out. 
.\fter  that  the  stream  was  called  Salt  Creek. 

The  Germans  in  the  township  were  mostly 
from  Hanover  and  Prussia.  Those  who  came 
from  Hanover  were  Lutherans  and  those  from 
Prussia  were  of  the  Reformed  faith.  Divine 
services  were  held  as  early  as  1835.  The  people 
would  assemble  on  Sundays  at  their  homes,  meet- 
ing at  one  place  one  Sunday,  and  at  another  place 


HISTORY  OF  DU  PAGE  COUNTY. 


659 


the  next  Sunday.  lu  the  jear  1837,  they  organized 
a  congregation  known  as  the  German  United 
Reformed  Lutheran  Congregation  of  Dunklee's 
Grove.  It  was  the  first  German  Protestant 
Church  ciiugregation  in  Northern  Illinois,  and 
became  the  mother  church  of  that  denomina- 
tion. It  had  the  following  branch  churches : 
at  Chicago,  Dutchman's  Point  (now  Xiles),  East 
Prairie  in  the  town  of  Wheeling,  Cook  County, 
and  at  Sehween's  or  Sarah's  Grove,  in  the 
towns  of  Schaumburg  and  Palatine,  Cook  County. 
At  Dunklee's  Grove,  services  were  held  in 
the  log  cabin  of  Johaun  Heinrich  Schmidt,  which 
was  also  used  as  a  schoolroom.  The  first  pastor 
was  Ludewig  Cachaud  Eroendberg.  He  was 
the  teacher  at  the  same  time,  and  served  two 
years.  The  church  records,  kept  by  him,  show 
the  following  list  of  births,  deaths,  marriages, 
confirmation  classes  and  census, 

BIRTHS 

January  22.  1S3S,  Louise  Dorothea,  daughter 
of  Friedrioh  Thuernan  and  wife,  Sophia. 

February  4.  1838.  Michael,  son  of  Michael 
Fippiuger  and  wife.  Maria,  ncc  Glos. 

April  28,  1838.  'William,  son  of  Friedrich 
Buehholz  and  wife,   Louise,   ncc  Fischer. 

May  21,  1838,  Henry  D.,  sou  of  Heinrich 
Diedrieh  Fischer  and  w-ife,  Anna  Maria,  ncc 
Franzen. 

July  25.  1S3S,  Herman  F.  L..  son  of  Christian 
Biermann  and  wife,  Caroline,  ncc  Kraegel. 

September  28.  1838.  Ludewig  D.  A.,  sou  of 
Friedrich  D.  N.  Stnenkel  and  wife,  Maria,  ncc 
Knigge. 

November  IS,  1838,  Anna  Katherina,  daughter 
of  Johann  G.  Sandmeier  and  wife,  Magaetha, 
ncp    Hilkere. 

July  12.  1830.  Herman  S,  D..  son  of  L.  C. 
Eroendberg  and  wife.  Maria  Sophia,  nrc  Moeneh. 

MARRIAGES 

August    19.    1838.    Johann    Heinrich    Franzen 
and  Elizabeth  Dickhoff, 
^    September   2,    1S3S,    Christian    Langguth    and 
Magdalene  Glos. 

September  14,  1838,  L.  C.  Eroendberg  and 
Maria  Sophia  Dorothea  Moeneh. 

March  27,  1830,  Johann  Heinrich  Brettmaun 
and  Mrs,   Sophia  Kreiter,  nee  Leeseberg. 

March  28,  1839,  Ludewig  Schmidt  and  Mrs. 
Louise  Buehholz.  ncc  Fischer. 


DEATHS 

July  IS,  1838,  Mrs,  Katherina  Maria  Krage, 
nee   Stuenkel,   age   thirty-six   years, 

October  0,  1838,  Mr.  Friedrich  Krieter,  age 
thirty-seven  years, 

February  15.  1830,  Mr.  Friedrich  Buehholz, 
age  thirty-seven  years, 

March  1,  1839,  Caroline  Dorothea  Louise  Lese- 
niann,  age  four  and  one-half  years, 

September  12,  1839,  Herman  L,  D.  C.  Eroend- 
berg, age  nine  weeks, 

October  1,  1839.  Friedrich  Grane,  age  forty- 
nine  years, 

.Mr,  Buehholz  was  accidentally  killed  at  the 
building  of  the  Wilhelm  Flagge  log  cabin. 

CONFIRMATIONS 

A  class  confirmed  April  14,  1839,  had  the 
following  members: 

Johann  Friedrich  Ludewig  Grane,  born  Janu- 
ary 21,  1822,  in  Landesbergen.  Hanover. 

Friedrich  Carl  Christian  Fischer,  born  March 
17,   1S22,  in  Estorf,   Hanover. 

Heinrich  Frederich  Stuenkel.  born  February 
14,  1825,  at  Neustadt,  Hanover. 

Gerhard  Heinrich  Franzen,  born  January  7, 
1823,  in  Sehaale,  Prussia, 

Heinrich  Wilhelm  Boeske,  born  January  4, 
1823,  in  Heiligenlohe,  Hanover. 

Maria  Wilhelmiua  Louise  Schmidt,  born  De- 
cember 12,   1823,  in  Landesbergen,  Hanover. 

Sophia  Louise  Dorothea  Boeske,  born  August 
25,  1825,  in  Goldenstedt,  Hanover. 

CENSUS,    JANUARY    1,   1830 

Heads  of  Families.  Number 

Friedrich  Krage   5 

Johann  H.  Schmidt ^5 

Conrad  Fischer  0 

Johannes  Boh  lander 5 

Jliehael   Tippinger    3 

Christian  Biermann  5 

Friedrich    Buehholz    5 

Ludewig    Schmidt    1 

Diedrieh    Lesemann     4 

Friedrich    Stuenkel    G 

J.    H.    Franzen    2 

Johan    Franzen     5 

John  G.  Landmeier   7 

Friedrich    Grane    8 


660 


HISTORY  OF  nil  PAGE  rOTJXTY. 


L.  C.  Krveiidliei'g   - 

Diedi-ich    Fischer    3 

Jolianii  Glos  o 

Frieflri<-li  Tluienuiii   3 

Beruliaid  Koehler  5 

Ileiuricli    Krieter    -i 

Ileiurich  SoliniiUt   1 

George  Lesemann   1 

H.   B.   H.   Fraiizeii    3 

Schiiied    Fraii/.eii    2 

.7.    II.    r.rt'ttiiiaiiu    2 

Total  00 

CiiuRoii  IIiSTOKY. — 111  the  year  1840.  Fraud.? 
A.  Iloffuiann  sii(ieeae<l  Itev.  L.  C.  Orvendberg 
as  pastor  of  the  Duiiklee's  Grove  church.  Mr. 
Iloffiuaiiii  afterwards  liecaiiie  Lieutenant-Gov- 
ernor of  tlie  State  of  Illinois,  serving  from  ISOt 
to  18C5. 

In  the  year  lf>i2,  iS.TS  acres  of  land,  in  the 
southwest  iiuarter  of  Section  23,  were  bought  of 
Ludewig  Scliniidt  for  tlie  sum  of  .$200,  and  in 
the  same  year,  the  first  churAi  building  in  the 
township  was  erected  thereon.  It  stood  just  west 
of  where  the  brick  church  now  stands.  There 
was  no  steeple  on  the  building,  but  there  stood 
on  the  ground  south  of  the  church  building  a 
tower  built  of  rough  lumber,  which  was  used  as 
a  belfry. 

Rev.  Francis  A.  Hoffmann  left  the  congrega- 
tion in  the  year  18-17.  On  the  loth  day  of  De- 
cember of  the  same  year.  Rev.  E.  A.  Brauer, 
took  charge  of  the  church.  He  was  a  strictly 
Lutheran  minister.  In  a  meeting  on  the  1-lth 
day  of  February,  1848,  it  was  resolved  to  change 
the  name  of  the  congregation,  the  name  German 
Evangelical  Lutheran  Congregation  being 
adopted. 

In  the  following  year.  Ihe  Iteforiiied  members 
severed  their  connections  witli  the  Lutherans  and 
organized  the  United  Evangelical  Saint  .John's 
Congregation.  Tliey  jnit  uji  their  church  build- 
ing on  the  southeast  (piarter  of  Section  12,  near 
the  Cook  County  line.  Their  first  minister  was 
Rev.  F.  Wueherer. 

In  the  year  18.>3.  the  Evangelical  Association 
organized  a  congregation  and  built  a  church  on 
the  farm  of  Heinrich  Schmidt,  three-i|uarters  of 
a  mile  north  of  the  Lutlieran  church.  It  was 
afterwards  moved  to  the  Williain  F.  Cogswell 
farm,    about   one-half    mile   south   of   the    Saint 


.Jolin's  Cliurch.  and  si  ill  later  into  the  village  of 
Bensonville. 

In  tlie  year.  IS.'J'.).  Uev.  Carl  Haas,  with  some 
iiiemliers  of  the  general  Lutheran  cliurch  and 
some  of  Saint  .lobn's  church,  organized  the 
Inited  Evangelical  Eniamiers  Congregation. 
They  erected  their  church  building  the  next 
.vear,  on  grounds  purcliased  from  August  Fischer, 
diagonally  across  the  road  from,  and  almost 
opposite  tlie  Lutheran  church.  Rev.  Carl  Haas 
became  their  first  iiastor.  These  two  churches 
gave  the  place  the  name  of  ('hurcliville. 

ADDISON    Vn,I..\GE 

The  village  of  Addison  is  one  of  the  oldest 
towns  in  the  county.  In  the  early  forties  it 
contained  some  half  dozen  places  of  business, 
the  famons  Salt  Creek  House,  the  steam  grist- 
mill, the  general  store,  the  lilacksmith  shop,  the 
(iibbler's  shop,  and  the  office  of  the  pb.vsieian. 
The  steam-mill  did  a  thriving  business  for  some 
fifteen  or  twenty  ye.-irs.  In  the  sixties  it  was 
sold  to  I>onis  Stuenkel.  was  then  remodeled  for 
a  cheese  factory  and  used  as  such. 

About  the  year  1844.  .John  E.  Kiessling  opened 
a  general  store  near  the  Lutlieran  church.  From 
about  the  year  1S.">0  on  to  1884.  the  elections 
and  town  meetings  were  held  at  this  place. 

At  about  that  time  Ferdinand  Seybold  kept 
a  general  store  on  the  old  plank  road,  now 
known  as  Irving  Park  boulevard.  It  was  lo- 
cated about  one-half  mile  north  of  where  Ben- 
sonville is  now  situated. 

I'he  Township  of  Addisiui.  before  the  adop- 
tion of  the  townsliip  organization,  was  known 
as  Washington  Frecinct.  as  will  be  seen  by  the 
following  records : 

"County  Commissioners'  Court.  .June  28,  18-3"."). 
It  was  ordered  by  tlie  Court  that  all  that  part 
of  Du  Page  County,  included  within  the  follow- 
ing boundaries  be  hereafter  known  as  Washing- 
ton Precinct,  to  wit: 

"Commencing  at  the  northwest  corner  of  the 
county,  thence  west  ten  miles  to  Orange  Pre- 
cinct :  thence  south  five  miles :  thence  east  to 
the  county  line;  thence  north  to  the  place  of 
beginning.  Their  elections  to  be  held  at  the 
house  of  Alanson  Watson  and  Charles  Hoyt. 
Loyd  Sterns  and  Harvey  Jleacham  are  ap- 
pointed judges  of  election." 

"County  Commissioners'  Court,  March  C.  1841. 
Ordered    liv    Ihe   Court   that    the   following   de- 


^-A-fr^- 


HISTORY  OF  DU  PAGE  COUNTY. 


661 


scrilieJ  bonudaries  constitute,  and  he  hereafter 
kuowu.  as  Washington  I'recinct  in  Du  Page 
Count.v,  to  wit : 

"The  wliole  of  Townsliip  40,  Range  11  East 
of  the  Third  P.  M..  and  it  is  further  ordere<l  that 
all  elections  to  lie  held  in  the  future  shall  be 
held  at  the  house  of  Ariel  Boseman,  and  that 
John  Lester.  Masou  Smith  and  Charles  H.  Holt 
are  appointed  judges  of  elections." 

"County  Commissioners"  Court.  June  3.  l,S4ti. 
Orderetl  by  the  Court  that  Congressional  Town- 
ship 40  North.  Range  11  East  of  the  Third  P. 
M..  iu  the  County  of  Du  I'age.  State  of  Illinois, 
constitute  and  be  hereafter  known  as  Washing- 
ton Precinct,  and  that  all  elections  in  said  pre- 
cinct shall  be  held  at  the  house  known  as  the 
Salt  Creek  House  iu  said  township." 

Township  Or(;amz.\tion. — At  an  election  held 
In  the  several  precincts  of  the  county,  on  Tues- 
day. Novemlier  Ct.  1S49.  it  was  voted  to  adopt 
township  organization  in  the  county.  The  county 
was  divided  into  towns,  and  Washington  Pre- 
cinct was  called  Addison  Township.  Boards  of 
Supervisors  were  elected.  Smith  D.  Pierce  be- 
ing the  first  Supervisor  of  the  town  of  Addison. 

Iu  the  year  1807.  the  Addison  Election  Pre- 
cinct was  divided  into  two  election  districts, 
the  First  and  Second  districts. 

In  the  year  lSr>!l.  the  township  was  changed 
Into  three  districts.  Xos.  First.  Second  and  Thii-d. 
and  again  iu  the  year.  lltOO.  into  four  districts, 
Xos.  First,  Second.  Tliird  and  Fourth.  These 
are  also  known  as  the  Bensonville.  Addison. 
Itasca  and  North   Elmhurst  districts. 

At  the  first  meeting  of  tlie  Board  of  Trustees 
of  Schools  of  Township  40.  Range  11  East  of 
the  Third  P.  M..  held  at  the  house  of  Mason 
Smith,  on  April  4.  l.'*42.  George  Rouse.  David 
G.  Parsons.  Mason  Smith,  Henry  Roterniuud 
and  Francis  A.  Hoffmann,  the  members  of  the 
Board,  were  all  present.  The  bond  of  the  Treas- 
urer was  fixed  at  .$1,000.  and  Charles  H.  Hoit 
was  appointed  Treasurer.  The  township  was 
divided  into  four  School  Districts. 

Schools. — In  the  year  18.51.  the  various  di- 
rectors in  the  town  reported  44.'?  children  un- 
der twenty-one  years  of  age  in  the  township. 
of  which  number.  Ill  were  attending  the  pulilic 
schools. 

A  teachers"  schedule  on  file  in  the  Treasurer's 
office  shows  that  a  teacher.  Hart  Harris,  taught 
school    in   District   No.   3,    from   April   22,   18.51, 


to  July  11.  1S,-)1,  ii  total  of  tifty-cighl  days,  with 
twenty-eight  pupils,  making  a  total  of  day's 
attendance  l.Oo."!,  for  ^io.  or  about  $1'>  per  month. 
Another  schedule  shows  that  Myron  C.  Dudley 
taught  the  school  iu  District  No.  1.  from  De- 
cemlier  3.  18.">2,  to  March  7,  1853,  having  forty- 
four  pupils  in  school ;  number  of  days  taught, 
sixty,  number  of  day's  attendance,  1,709,  wa.? 
paid  $60.  or  |20  per  month.  Mr.  Dudley  held 
the  office  of  County  Clerk  of  Du  I'age  County 
from  1.S.53  to  1.800.  and  was  County  Judge  from 
1800  to  1872. 

The  Trustees'  report  of  the  year  1011  to  the 
County  Superintendent  shows  that  there  are  in 
the  Township  of  Addison.  1.178  children  under 
twenty-one  years  of  age  of  whom  237  are  attend- 
ing the  public  schools.  (This  does  not  include 
tlio.se  iu  the  Union  District  No.  4G.  North  Elm- 
hurst, which  would  make  the  total  number  about 
2110  more.)  Eight  teachers  are  teaching  in  six 
schoolrooms.  .Seventy  dollars  per  month  is  the 
highest  wages  paid  any  teacher,  and  forty  dol- 
lars the  lowest.  There  are  eight  private  .schools 
with  ten  teachers  and  420  pupils  in  the  town. 

Mutual  Ixsubance  Company. — ^The  Addison 
Farmers  .Mutual  Insurance  Company  was  in- 
corporated March  3.  1855,  for  a  term  of  twenty- 
tive  years.  The  charter  members  were  Died- 
ricli  Struckmann.  Henry  Roternnmd.  Frederick 
Schmidt.  John  E.  Kiesling  and  .John  II.  Franzen. 
The  first  officers  of  the  comoanv  were  William 
Rotermund,  President;  Benjamin  F.  Tillmore, 
Secretary ;  Henry  Rotermund,  Treasurer ;  and 
Dr.  A.  W.  Heise,  Diedrich  Struckmann,  Fred- 
erick Schmidt  and  Henry  Rotermund,  Directors. 
The  annual  meeting  of  the  members  is  held  on 
the  second  Saturday  in  January  of  each  year. 
The  Board  of  Directors  meets  quarterly  in 
January,  April,  July  and  October. 

The  annual  statement  of  the  Company,  dated 
December  20,  1878,  gives  the  number  of  policies 
in  force  as  1.016:  amount  of  property  at  risk, 
.$2,222,226.00:  cash  on  hand.  $86.5.,89 :  in  hands 
of  agents.  $910.20 ;  in  estate.  .$124.14 ;  notes  and 
mortgages,  $10,694.87;  furniture  $236.00;  inter- 
est due  and  unpaid,  $59.00;  Interest  accrued 
$185.31;  premium  notes,  $97,160.00;  total  as- 
sets. $110.i;.35.41.  Losses  paid  during  the  year, 
$2,036.97. 

The  charter  was  extended  for  thirty  years, 
in  March,  1879,  and  again  for  thirty  years,  in 
1900. 


G62 


HISTORY  OF  DU  PAGE  COUNTY. 


The  statement  of  the  coinpauy,  for  the  j-ear 
ending  December  31,  1910,  shows  the  following : 
Ijolicies  in  force,  2,451 ;  property  at  risk,  $3,884,- 
899.00;  premium  notes  on  hand,  $183,244.67; 
cash  on  hand.  .$4.844.80 ;  in  hands  of  agents, 
$S.13(i.tiG:  trust  deeds  and  mortgages,  $58,800.00; 
notes  and  bonds.  $4.000.W) :  accrued  interest, 
$971.00;  real  estate  $904,001.29.  Losses  by  fire, 
lightning  and  storm,  paid  during  the  year  1910, 
$9,007.49. 

The  present  officers  of  the  company  are: 

Adam  S.  Glos,  of  Elmhurst,  President. 

Otto  A.  Fischer,  of  Elmhurst,  Secretary. 

George  A.  Fischer,  of  Addison.  Treasurer. 

BOARD   OF   DIRECTORS 

Adam  A.  Glos,   Bensonville. 
H.  W.  Rittmueller,  Bensonville. 
Edward  Ehlers.  Bensonville. 
John  Sangguth,  Elmhurst. 
Henry  Bucknian.  River  Grove. 
John  Mensching,  Roselle. 
Edward  Jlesenbrink,  Addison. 
August  I'lass,  Addison. 
Xiclaus  Lies,  Cloverdale. 

Volunteers  in  Civil  War. — The  town  of  Addi- 
son contributed  some  120  men  during  the  War 
of  the  Rebellion.  To  Frederick  J.  G.  Fischer  be- 
longs the  honor  of  being  the  first  man  to  enlist 
from  Addison.  He  served  in  Company  B.  Thirty- 
third  Illinois  Volunteer  Infantry,  from  August 
18,  1801.  to  October  11,  18G4.  His  brother,  Au- 
gust H.  Fischer,  enlisted  one  year  later,  August 
15,  1862,  and  served  in  Company  J.  One  Hun- 
dred and  Fifth  Illinois  Volunteer  Infantry,  as 
Lieutenant.  He  was  killed  at  Atlanta,  Ga.,  Au- 
gust 13,  1804. 


Theodore  Brohm,  J.  S.  Backhaus,  F.  Rechlin,  E. 
Homan,  A.  Kaeppel,  Edward  Koehler.  A.  H.  Mil- 
ler, F.  H.  Schmidt  and  C.  W.  G.  Eifrig. 

Orphan  Asylum. — Close  by  the  semiuar.v,  is 
located  the  German  Evangelical  Lutheran  Or- 
phan Asylum,  the  first  building  of  which  was 
erected  in  the  year  1874.  Later  an  addition  and 
another  building  were  added.  At  present  there 
•are  120  orphans  in  the  asylum. 

The. members  of  the  Board  of  Trustees  are: 

Rev.  T.  J.  Grosse,  of  Addison,  President. 

Rev.  A.  Bartling,  of  Chicago,  Vice-President. 

Rev.  E.  Zapf.  of  Maywood,  Secretary. 

Paul  Stahmer,  of  Addison,  Treasurer. 

Edward  Mesenbrink,  of  Addison. 

H.  C.  Zuttermeister.  of  Chicago. 

Frederick  Ratlike,  of  Homewood. 

H.  Merz  is  the  Superintendent. 

Old  Peoples'  Home. — The  German  Evangelical 
Orphan  and  Old  Peoples  Home  Association  of 
Northern  Illinois,  have  a  home  at  Bensonville. 
It  was  organized  in  1895.  There  are  now  living 
at  the  home,  seventeen  old  people  and  eighty- 
five  orphans.     The  ottieers  and  Directors  are : 

Kev.  Karl  Krafft,  of  Chicago.  President. 

Rev.  ,T.  II.  Ellerbrake,  of  Elgin,  Vice-President. 

Rev.  Julius  Kircher.  of  Chicago,  Secretary. 

Rev.  H.  Wagner,  of  Bensonville.  Treasurer. 

Rev.  Gustav  Koch,  of  Chicago. 

August  Schach,  of  Chicago. 

Andrew  JIartens,  of  Chicago. 

William  Ilannuerschniidt.  of  Lombard. 

Fred  Stelliug,  of  Peotoue. 

Charles  C.  Piehl  is  Superintendent. 

The  buildings,  with  the  thirty  acres  of  farm 
land  of  the  institution,  represent  a  value  of 
some  $40,000. 


Evangelical  Lutheran  Seminary. — In  the 
year,  18C4,  about  one-half  a  mile  west  of  the 
village  of  Addison,  now  in  its  corporate  limits, 
the  German  Evangelical  Lutheran  Teachers 
Seminary  was  erected.  This  was  a  brick  build- 
ing large  enough  to  accommodate  some  sixty 
pupils,  and  two  professors  with  their  families. 

The  first  instructors  were  Prof.  C.  A.  T.  Selle, 
Prof.  J.  C.  W.  Lindermann.  and  Prof.  Carl 
Brauer.  Since  that  time  more  buildings  have 
been  added,  as  well  as  nine  dwellings  for  the 
professors.  There  are  now  some  2.50  students 
and   nine   professors,   the   latter   being:     Profs. 


Railroads. — The  first  railroad  running  through 
the  township  was  the  Chicago  &  Pacific.  It  was 
completed  in  the  year  1873,  from  Chicago  to 
Elgin,  with  three  stations  in  the  town  :  Ben- 
sonville near  the  east  line;  Wooddale  in  the 
center,  and  Itasca  near  the  west  line.  In  1879, 
the  company  becoming  in.solvent.  the  road  went 
into  the  hands  of  the  Chicago,  Milwaukee  &  St. 
Paul  Railroad. 

The  Chicago,  Madison  &  Northern  Railroad, 
managed  by  the  Illinois  Central,  was  eoustriicted 
through  the  county  in  the  year  1SS7.  running 
diagonally    northwesterly    through    Sections   31, 


HISTORY  OF  DU  PAGE  COUNTY. 


663 


32  and  the  west  half  of  33  of  Adilisou  Town- 
ship. South  AtUlison  is  the  station,  just  over 
the  line  in  the  town  of  Yorls.  Two  miles  di- 
rectly south  of  the  village  of  Addison.  In  the 
year,  1891,  the  Illinois  Central  Railroad  com- 
pleted a  hranch  road  from  Addison  to  South 
Addison. 

Dairying  Industry. — Dairying  is  the  chief 
occupation  of  the  farmers.  There  are  about  SOO 
eight  gallon  cans  of  milk  made  daily  in  the 
township,  and  the  greater  part  of  it  is  shipped 
to  Chicago  direct.  The  shipping  points  are  Ben- 
sonville,  Wooddale  and  Itasca,  on  the  Chicago, 
Milwaukee  &  St.  Paul ;  Addison  and  South  Addi- 
son on  the  Illinois  Central,  and  Elmhurst  and 
Lombard  on  the  Chicago  &  Northwestern  Rail- 
road. 

Newton  Bros,  of  Chicago  have  a  pasteurizing 
plant  at  Addison,  and  take  in  some  120  cans  of 
milk  daily. 

Louis  Grobe  runs  a  creamery  at  Bensonville, 
and  H.  H.  Geils  at  Itasca. 

The  first  milk  shipped  from  the  town  of  Addi- 
son to  Chicago,  was  sent  by  Frederick  J.  Fischer, 
over  the  Chicago  &  Galena  Union  Railroad,  now 
the  Chicago  &  Northwestern  Railroad,  from  Cot- 
tage Hill  (novi-  Elmhurst),  in  1854.  A  year  later, 
Henry  D.  Fischer,  August  Fischer  and  Henry 
Ahrbecker  commenced  shipping  from  the  same 
place. 


I.I.\B1I.ITIES 

Time    deposits     $20i).0-lo.36 

Demand  deposits    .j8,425.90 

Capital  stock  paid  in  2.5,000.00 

Surplus  account    1.5,000.00 

Profits    1,077.39 


$300,448.65 
C.    A.    Franzeu,    AV.    F.    Franzen    and   A.   W. 
Franzen  were  the  proprietors  of  the  bank,  C.  A. 
Franzen  being  the  Cashier. 

The  bank  was  changed  Into  a  State  Bauk  with 
a  capital  stock  of  $70,000.00,  and  named  the 
First  State  Bank  of  Beusouville.  on  October  3, 
1011.  the  business  and  belongings  of  the  old 
bank  being  turned  over  to  the  new  one. 
The  otlicers  and  Board  of  Directors  are: 
C.  A.  Franzen,  President ;  William  F.  Franzen, 
Vice-President ;  A.  W.  Franzen,  Cashier ;  W.  F. 
Duntemann,  Henry  Stueve,  Herman  Muenster- 
mann,  Fred  Sandmeier,  C.  A.  Franzen,  W.  F. 
Franzen,  George  A,  Fischer. 

The  Addison  State  Bank  was  opened  for 
business  November  10,  1892,  with  a  capital  stock 
paid  in  of  $25,000.00  and  the  present  officers 
are: 

Officers :  George  A.  Fischer,  President ;  Wil- 
liam Boger,  Vice-President ;  E.  W.  Fischer, 
Cashier ;  E.  Rotermund.  Assistant  Cashier. 


Banks. — There  are  two  banks  in  the  town  of 
Addison ;  The  First  State  Bank  of  Bensonville, 
formerly  The  Bank  of  Franzen  Brothers  at  Ben- 
sonville, and  the  Addison  State  Bank  in  the  vil- 
lage of  Addison. 

The  Bank  of  Franzen  Bros,  was  established 
In  the  year  1900,  and  the  following  is  the  state- 
ment of  January  3,  1911 : 

BESOUBCES 

Loans  and  discounts  $  75,188.70 

Loans  on  real  estate  160,582.41 

Bonds   19,965.00 

Furniture  and  fi.xtures 1.038.63 

Real    estate    3,613.28 

Cash  and  reserve  40,060.63 


$300,448.65 


BOARD   OF   DIRECTORS 

Board  of  Directors. — Otto  A.  Fischer,  W.  H. 
Marquardt,  Charles  H.  Fischer,  Fredrick  Meier, 
Edward  Rotermund,  August  Plass,  George  A. 
Fischer,  William  Boger,  E.  W.  Fischer. 

The  following  is  the  statement  of  March  14, 
1911: 

BESOUBCES 

Loans   and   discounts    $1.58,803.62 

Due  from  national  banks 68,083.65 

Bank  premises  and  other  real  estate.     17,700.00 

Furniture  and  fixtures 555.58 

Cash    on    hand    4,715.27 

$249,858.12 
liabiuties 

Capital  paid  in $  25,000.00 

Surplus    fund    10,000.00 


664 


HISTORY  OF  DU  PAGE  COUNTY. 


Undivided  profits 5,590.45 

Individual    deposits     48,053.19 

Demand  deposits  4,802..S8 

Time  deposits    127,051.55 

Savings    deposits    28,160.55 


$249,8.58.12 


Churches. — After  tlie  railroads  were  con- 
structed tlirough  the  town,  and  the  village  be- 
came more  densely  populated,  more  churches 
were  required,  and  the  English  speaking  i;ieo- 
ple  in  and  around  Itasca,  of  different  religious 
denominations,  built  a  church  in  Itasca. 

Members  of  the  United  Evangelical  St.  John's 
and  of  the  United  Evangelical  Emanuel  churches, 
living  in  Bensonville.  organized  the  United  E\"an- 
gelical  Friedeus  Congregation.  In  the  .vear  1903. 
they  built  a  church  in  the  village  of  Bensonville. 
Rev.  H.  J.  Schick  being  their  first  pastor. 

In  the  year  1906  the  Lutherans,  in  and  near 
the  village  of  Addison,  organized  the  German 
Evangelical  Lutheran  St.  Paul's  Congregation. 
They  put  up  a  fine  brick  building,  costing  some 
.$30,000  which  is  one  of  the  finest  churches  in 
the  county.  Rev.  A.  Pfotenhauer  is  their  min- 
ister. 

One  year  later  the  Lutherans  at  Itasca,  or- 
ganized the  German  Evangelical  Lutheran  St. 
Luke's  Congregation.  They  put  up  a  church  at 
that  i)lace.  Rev.  F.  Zerzen  is  their  minister. 
There  are  some  eighty  pupils  In  the  school  con- 
nected witli  the  congregation. 

The  Catholics  scattered  throughout  Addison 
have  no  church  in  the  township.  Most  of  them 
belong  to  the  Catholic  churches  at  Elmhurst  and 
Franklin  Park. 

At  present  there  are  eight  churches  in  the 
town  of  Addison.  In  seven  of  them  the  services 
are  conducted  in  German,  and  in  the  one.  in 
English. 

Supervisors. — Addison  Township  has  sent  sev- 
eral of  its  citizens  to  fill  county  offices,  and  it 
has  been  well  represented  upon  the  County  Board 
of  Supervisors,  from  the  time  of  its  organiza- 
tion, by  good  men.  Those  who  have  thus  served 
are  as  follows : 

Years  of 
Supervisors  Service 

Smith   D.  Pierce    1850 

John    Pierce    1851 

Peter  Northrop  1852 


Edward    Lester    1853 

James  Wakeman    1854 

Hy.    D.    Fischer    1855-58 

John   H.   Franzeu    1859-60 

James  W'akemau    1861 

Smith  D.  Pierce   1802 

James    Wakeman    1803-05 

Hy.  D.  Fischer  1806 

August   Meyer    1807-70 

James  Wakemau    1871 

Hy.  D.  Fischer.  Jr 1872-75 

Henry   Korthauer    1870-8S 

B.   S.   Franzen    1889 

George  A.  Fischer  1890-1912 

Township  and  Village  Population. — The 
total  population  of  Addison  Township,  according 
to  the  census  of  1910,  was  2,652 ;  of  which  Ad- 
dison village  contained  579,  Bensonville  village 
44.3,  Itasca  village  3.33,  and  the  part  of  Elmhurst 
City   within  Addison  Township.   160. 


CHAPTER  X. 


BLOOMIXGD.\LE   TOWNSHIP 


SOIL.  WATER  AND  TIMBER  ADVANT.\GES — SPIRIT  OF 
E.\BLY  IMMIGRATION — EAGERNESS  TO  SECURE 
LAND-TITLED  HOMES — THE  MEACHAM  BROTHERS 
THE  FIRST  SETTLERS — COMERS  OF  A  LATER  PERIOD 
— SOME  FIRST  EVENTS — BLOOMINGDALE  VILL-^GE — 
CHURCHES  AND  EARLY  BUSINESS  HOUSES — 
ROSELLE  AND  MEACHAM  VILLAGES — SCHOOL  HIS- 
TORY  SOME  PROMINENT  CITIZENS — HIGH  STAND- 
ARDS OF  PER.SONAL  CHARACTER  ESTABLISHED  BY' 
PIONEER  CITIZENS  OF  THE  TOWNSHIP  MAIN- 
T.VINED  BY  THEIR  DESCENDANTS — LLST  OF  TOWN- 
SHIP SUPERVISORS — POPUIATION  OF  TOWNSHIP 
AND  ITS   VILLAGES. 

(BY-    F.    W.    KOBUSCH) 

Throughout  Du  Page  County  similar  condi- 
tions originally  prevailed,  for  the  land  was  sin- 
gularly fertile,  water  plentiful,  and  wood  for  the 
felling.  With  the  beginning  of  the  last  century, 
those  living  along  the  Atlantic  seaboard  began 
stretching   forth    to   secure   better   opportunities 


GEORGE  BETYEMANN  AND  WIPE. 


HISTORY  OP  DU  PAGE  COUNTY. 


665 


for  themselves  And  their  children.  They  real- 
ized it  wiis  only  Avestward  towards  the  setting 
sun.  that  they  eould  hope  to  find  land  for  the 
takinj;.  where,  amid  primeval  plent.v,  they  could 
build  up  permanent  homes  and  give  to  those 
that  came  after  them  the  privileges  and  rights 
belonging  to  true  Americanism. 

Spirit  of  Early  Immigration. — But  little  was 
then  known  about  the  land  that  lay  to  the  west. 
A  few  venturesome  spirits  had  braved  all  the 
dangers  of  pioneer  travel,  and  attacks  from  In- 
dians and  the  beasts  not  nearly  as  savage,  but 
the  rank  and  tile  were  uninformed  with  regard 
to  the  true  conditions.  However,  even  if  they 
had  realized  what  privations  they  would  have 
to  undergo,  they  would  have  pursued  the  same 
course,  for  they  were  actuated  by  the  highest 
and  noblest  of  motives,  the  betterment  of  their 
kind,  and  as  a  consequence  they  must  of  neces- 
sity have  gone  on  to  the  glorious  end  of  develop- 
ing a  mighty  Commonwealth. 

E.xeitement  was  rife  when  it  was  realized  that 
good  farms  could  be  secured  for  a  small  entry 
fee.     Farther  and  farther  west  rolled  the  great 
wave  of  emigration  which  finally  overflowed  Da- 
Page  County.     They  were  very  brave  and  un- 
selfish— these  early  settlers  who  poured  iiitotfiis' 
section  between  1S27  and  IS-jO.     The  imprint  of 
their    upright,    industrious    lives    has    been    left 
upon  the  laws,  the  land,  and  the  moral  stand-' 
ard  of  the  people.     As  long  as  these  conditions* 
exist,  the  work  of  the  pioneers  will  live  [irofit- 
ably. 

Physical  Conditions. — Bloomingdale  Town- 
ship was  settled  much  as  the  other  sections  of 
Du  Page  County,  by  homeseekers  and  not  by 
speculators.  This  township  is  the  central  north- 
ern one  of  Du  Page  County,  and  is  higher  above 
the  level  of  Lake  Michigan,  than  any  of  the 
others.  It  is  the  source  of  both  forks  of  Du 
Page  River,  as  well  as  of  a  stream  that  flows 
into  Salt  Creek.  The  average  elevation  is  180 
feet. 
.  In  early  days  one  of  the  natural  features  of 
Bloomingdale  Township  was  a  beautiful  grove, 
called  Penneack.  but  now  its  former  glories  are 
gone,  the  virgin  trees  having  many  of  them 
been  felled  to  clear  the  ground  for  agricultural 
purposes. 

First  Settlement. — The  first  settlement  in 
the  township  took  place  March   11,   1833,  with 

4 


tlie  arrival  here  of  Silas,  Henry  and  Lyman 
Meacham,  brothers,  who  came  from  Rutland, 
Vt.  The  immense  distance  between  their  old 
home  and  the  new,  was  covered  with  wagons 
drawn  by  horses.  AVhile  this  mode  of  trans- 
portation appears  slow  to  twentieth  century  en- 
terprise, many  of  the  pioneers  were  forced  to 
go  much  slower,  and  depend  upon  oxen,  or  even 
walk,  regarding  as  very  fortunate  those  who 
owned  horses. 

The  brothers  above  mentioned,  arriving  in 
Du  Page  County,  took  up  a  claim  on  the  site 
of  one  of  the  modern  farms  of  today.  Then  there 
were  no  signs  of  the  present  day  prosperity.  A 
clearing  had  to  be  cut  in  the  woods,  to  make 
a  place  for  the  rude  log  cabin  which  sheltered 
them  from  the  elements  and  protected  them 
from  the  ravages  of  the  wolves. 

While  their  white  neighbors  were  somewhat 
distant,  being  in  the  Gary  and  Butterfleld  Set- 
tlements, these  Meacham  brothers  made  friends 
with  the  Indians,  and  lived  among  them  in  per- 
fect equity  until  the  Red  Jlen  were  taken  to 
their  new  reservation  by  the  paternal  govern- 
ment. 

-.-During  the  first  fall  the  little  settlement  was 
.saddened  b,y  the  death  of  Mrs.  Lyman  Meacham. 

'  This  I'lrofte'eiH  woman  was  buried  in  a  coffin  made 
from  a  wagon  box.  but  her  lonely  gi'ave  was 
watered  by  Jnany  tears. 

•  -..ywstit- the  time  she  died  Major  Skinner  came 

''"ft*"th"e'"settleraent,  and  with  him  a  young  man 
who  died  shortly  thereafter,  his  being  the  sec- 
ond death  in  that  little  community. 

In  18.31:  and  1835,  Daniel  D.  Noble,  Captain 
E.  Kinney,  Isaac  Kinney,  Noah  Stevens,  David 
Bangs,  Ellas  Maynard  and  Henry  Woodworth 
settled  here. 

Some  First  Events.— The  first  marriage  oc- 
curred about  this  time,  when  Daniel  D.  Noble 
and  Miss  Sylvia  Stephens  were  united. 

The  year  1836  bro'ught  Peter  Northrup, 
Deacon  Elijah  Hough  and  family,  MoseS  B, 
Elliott,  L.  E.  Laudou.  Walter  Northrup  and 
many  others  of  equal  importance. 

By  this  time,  the  little  settlement  was  known 
throughout  Du  Page  County,  and  its  people  be- 
gan to  make  plans  for  the  betterment  of  the 
roads. 

It  was  very  necessary  to  have  some  kind  of  a 
highway,  hut  many  years  were  to  pass  before 
the    present    excellent    ones    were    made.      In 


666 


HISTORY  OF  DU  PAGE  COUNTY. 


earlier  days,  a  man  usually  paid  his  poll  tax 
by  plowiug  up  the  road.  Oftentimes  energetic 
farmers  were  not  content  with  the  plowing,  and 
one  man  gave  the  road.  They  kept  on  discharg- 
ing their  tax  in  this  way  until  the  iX)or  road  was 
a  series  of  horrible  furrows,  which  in  rainy 
weather  became  veritable  bogs  which  swamped 
not  only  pedestrians  but  wagons  aud  horses  as 
well. 

Lyman  Meacham  was  the  first  Justice  of  the 
Peace  of  Bloomingdale  Township,  and  admiuis- 
trated  justice  wisely  and  fairl.y. 

In  1844,  Hiram  Dooding  built  a  saw-mill  on 
Shaw's  Creek,  aud  it  was  the  first  iu  this  lo- 
cality. 

The  old  Chicago  aud  Galena  road  passed  along 
the  northern  jiortlon  of  the  township,  so  that 
travel  through  Bloomingdale  Township  was  fre- 
quent, aud  resulted  eventually  iu  the  settling 
here  of  some  of  the  most  substantial  men  of 
the  county. 

Bloomingdale  Township  is  well  watered,  as 
the  east  branch  of  the  Du  Page  River,  Salt 
Creek  and  numerous  small  streams  fiow  through 
it,  and  there  are  many  flue  springs  in  different 
parts. 

Bloom iXGU.A^LE  Vilu^ge  has  been  iu  existence 
since  1839.  Like  many  similar  communities, 
it  grew  up  about  a  general  store,  blacksmith 
shop  and  post-office,  and  is  now  a  pretty  rural 
village. 

In  1841,  the  Baptists  organized  a  church,  un- 
der the  ministrations  of  the  Rev.  Joel  Wheeler 
aud  the  Rev.  A.  W.  Button.  The  first  members 
were  Noah  Stevens,  Ephriam  Kettle,  Asa  Dud- 
ley, F.  R.  Stevens,  Orange  Kent,  J.  D.  Kinne, 
Philo  Nobles,  Silas  Farr  and  William  Farr. 

The  Cougregatioual  Church  was  established 
in  1840,  by  the  Rev.  D.  Rockwell,'  assisted  by 
the  Rev.  F.  Bascomb.  and  was  generously  sup- 
ported by  those  of  this  faith  in  the  little  com- 
munity. 

The  Evangelical  Church,  which  came  much 
later  in  1878,  from  the  first  received  a  strong 
support  from  the  German  element. 

All  of  the  people  are  law-abiding,  religiously 
inclined,  aud  desirous  of  bringing  up  their  lo- 
cality to  conform  to  highest  standards. 

Some  of  the  early  business  houses  of  Bloom- 
ingdale were  those  conducted  by  Brown  &  Ber- 
beck.  T.  C.  Ryan,  A.  R.  Kinne,  John  Beurmaster, 
Robert    Gates,    C.    Eden,    John    Shank,    George 


Walls,  William  Sleep,  Elijah  Bond,  O.  A.  Ver- 
beck,  Bradford  Hills,  Henry  Rohler,  A.  Bael- 
house,  Roger  Ryan,  Charles  Hills,  Josiah  Ste- 
vens, Thomas  Saureman,  Hills  &  Dlebert  and 
Henry  Holstein. 

RosELi.E  Village  was  organized  October  5, 
1875,  by  Barnard  Beck.  Several  busiuess  houses, 
a  blacksmith  shop,  grain  elevator  and  postotfice 
formed  the  beginning  of  this  community,  which 
has  develoijed  very  considerably  since  then. 

Meacham  came  into  existence  early  in  the  his- 
tory of  Bloomingdale  Towushiii.  and  took  its 
name  from  the  men  who  were  the  first  settlers 
of  the  township.  The  Methodists  founded  a 
church  in  the  community  iu  1851.  with  a  mem- 
bership of  six. 

Schools. — Like  its  sister  townships,  Bloom- 
ingdale Township  early  began  to  take  an  in- 
terest In  educational  matters.  For  a  number 
of  years,  the  schoolhouse  also  served  as  a  social 
center,  but  for  a  long  period  these  buildings 
were  primitive  affairs. 

Some  enterprising  farmer  in  each  district 
would  lay  aside  his  many  personal  duties  and 
build  a  little  log  cabin  on  his  farm.  This  he 
would  donate  to  be  used  for  educational  aud 
religious  purposes.  Some  man,  studying  law, 
theology  or  medicine,  would  be  secured  to  teach 
the  children.  Oftentimes  the  young  fellow  was 
not  much  more  than  a  boy  himself,  and  was 
forced  to  study  at  night  in  order  to  keep  up 
with  his  pupils,  but  in  every  case,  the  instruc- 
tor was  honest  and  earnest,  and  the  pupils 
eagerly  learned  all  he  could  impart.  The  fur- 
niture was  as  crude  as  the  buildings.  Many  of 
these  schoolhouses  had  no  opening  but  the  door, 
and  in  cold  weather  were  lighted  by  immense 
fireplaces  in  which  burned  logs  cut  by  the  pupils 
before  school  hours. 

It  Is  remarkable,  though,  how  much  these 
children  learned  without  any  of  the  adjuncts 
now  believed  to  be  so  necessary  in  the  modern 
schoolroom.  Having  to  struggle  to  secure  an 
education,  they  appreciated  what  advantages 
were  offered  them,  and  did  not  fritter  away  their 
time,  but  studied  diligently,  with  very  surpris- 
ing results. 

The  present  school  system,  under  the  super- 
vision of  the  efficient,  genial,  scholarly  County 
Superintendent,  Royal  T.  Morgan,  and  his  corps 
of  capable  teachers,  and  Superintendents,  is  as 


HISTORY  OF  DU  PAGE  COUNTY.  667 

advaucetl  as  any  in  this  part  of  the  State.    How-     E.  O.  Hills    1850-51 

ever,  the  old  da.vs  and  teachers  are  tenderly  re-      H.  B.  Hills  1852 

membered  by  those  who  laid  the  foundation  for     Cyrus  H.  Meaeham   1853 

the  after-structure  of  their  lives  in  those  same     J.    G.    Yeariek    1854 

little  log  cabin.s.  Daniel  U.  Deibert   1855 

Horace  Barnes    1856 

Prominent   Citizens. — Bloomingdale  has  fur-      Cyrus    H.    Meaeham     1857-63 

nished  some  distinguished  men.  TV.  K.  Tatrick   1864-73 

In  1846,  one  of  its  citizens,  Captain  E.  Kiune,      William    Kathje    1874-76 

was  elected  to  the  State  Assembly.  A.    D.    Loomis    1876-77 

In    1852,    another   E.    O.    Hills   was   similarly      William    Rathje    1877-82 

honored.  J.  A.  Patrick   1883 

In  1864,  S.  P.  Sedgwick  was  also  called  upon      O.   A.    Verbeck    1884 

to  represent  his  district  in  that  body.  Frederick   Langhorst    1885-86 

Hiram    H.   Cody   of   Bloomingdale,   served   as      William    Rathje    1886-91 

County  Clerk  from  1847  to  1852,  and  in  1868,      Jacob  E.  Bender   1891-1903 

H.  B.  Hills  held  the  same  office.  Fred  Xeddemyer   1903-11 

Henry  .M.  Bender  was  County  Treasurer,  while      J.  H.  Hattendorf  1911-12 

L.  Meaeham  was  County  Surveyor  in  1839. 

During  the  Civil  war,  Bloomingdale  supplied  Population. — According  to  the  census  of  1910, 

a  good  quota  of  men  for  the  great  struggle,  and  the  entire  population  of  Bloomingdale  Township 

their  names  are  inscribed  on  the  record  of  honor  was   1,483,    including   462   in   Bloomingdale   vil- 

in  the  stately  hall  of  the  County  Court  House.  lage,  the  only  village  in  the  township. 

Standards  of  Character. — In  private  affairs  

the  people  of  Bloomingdale  Township  have  al- 
ways been  found  ready  to  live  up  to  the  high  CHAPTER  XI. 

standards  established  by  those  who  founded  it,  

and  discharge  their  duties  as  good  men  and  loyal 

Pifi^en,,.  DOWNER'S    GROVE   TOWNSHIP 

Bloomingdale  is  more  essentially  a  rural  see-  i^c^^io^-  ^^-p  ^^j-a  of  the  township— natural 

tion,  than  perhaps  any  other  of  the  townships,  characteristics— an   eablt   Indian    huntinq 

unless  it  may  be  Wayne.     The  farms  are  well  ground- a    part    of    the    township   in    the 

developed,  kept  in  magnificent  condition,  and  re-  ..g^^.,   district— marquette  an  early  visitor 

fleet  the  character  of  the  owners  in  their  fer-  ^^  ^^^^  region— roster  of  first   settlers— 

tility   and   profitable   yieldings.   so    that   invest-  ^.j^^^j,  schoolhouse  and  fir.st  teacher— wateb 

ment  iu  land  here  gives  large  returns.  courses  —  suburban      communication  — the 

While  many  of  the  old  settlers  have  passed  juller    family— hotels— fullersbubg    ceme- 

away,  they  still  live  in  their  children  and  their  tery— early  business  enterprises— downer's 

good   deeds,    and   Bloomingdale   Township   owes  ^^^^.^  ^^^^  ^^^^  ^^^^^  citizens— schools  and 

them  a  heavy  debt,  for  they  made  possible  ex-  churche's— street     paving     and     otbeb    im- 

isting   conditions   and   set   an   example   the   ris-  ,.rovements  —  history      of      hinsdale  — ih- 

ing  generation  would  do  well  to  follow.  fluence    of    railroad    enterprises— william 

The  farmers  of  Bloomingdale  Township  have  robinson      as   "the   father   of   hinsdale"— 

been  very  progressive  in  inaugurating  improve-  ^^^^^^  leading   spirit.s— 1890   marks   an   era 

ments  on  their  properties,  and  are  proud  of  their  ^j.    development— schools    and    churches— 

taking  advantage   of   modern   inventions   to   in-  fraternities,    men's    and    women's    clubs— 

crease  their  capability  and  decrease  the  cost  of  newspapers  and  bank.s— eminent  citizens. 
production. 

(by-     MRS.     EMMA     M.    CUSHING) 

Township  Supervisors. — The  Supervisors  who 

liave  served  on  the  County  Board,  from  the  or-  Downer's  Grove  Township,  which  is  a  part  of 

ganization  of  the  township  in  1850  to  the  pres-  Township  38  North.  Range  11  West  of  the  Third 

ent  day,  have  been :  Principal    Meridian,    lies    in    the    southeastern 


668 


HISTORY  OF  DU  PAGE  COUNTY. 


corner  of  Du  Page  County,  and  extends  from 
the  Des  I'laines  River  ou  the  south  almost  to 
Salt  Creel;  on  the  north  :  and  from  Cook  County 
on  the  east  to  the  western  boundary  of  the  vil- 
lage of  Downer's  Grove.  The  length  of  the 
township  is  from  seven  to  nine  miles,  the  south- 
ern boundary  following  the  curves  of  the  river. 
The  ground  is  high  and  rolling,  pleasant  to 
look  upon,  with  verdure  covered  hills  dotted 
with  occasional  groves. 

Indian  Hunting  Ground. — That  this  district 
was  a  favorite  hunting  ground  and  resort  of 
the  Indians  in  the  early  days,  is  evidenced  by 
trails  quite  plainly  marked  throughout  the  por- 
tions of  woodland.  Espeeiall.v  is  this  true  in 
the  southern  portion  where  the  Des  Plaines 
winds  its  way  past  the  old  Indian  camping  ground 
of  Ausagaunaskee,  familiarly  known  as  the 
"Sag."  An  Indian  fort  stood  near  this  place, 
and  a  drawing  of  its  outlines  ma.v  be  seen  in 
the  Library  of  the  Chicago  Historical  Society, 

The  name,  part  Indian  and  part  French, 
means  "The  tall  grass  valley,"  which  well  de- 
scribes the  region.  The  tall  grass  offered  a  shel- 
ter for  small  game  and  furnished  good  grazing 
for  cattle;  two  important  essentials  for  an  In- 
dian camp.  The  river  supplied  fish  and  a  high- 
way for  travel,  its  current  carrying  the  light 
canoes  to  the  Illinois,  and  thence  to  the  waters 
of   tile  great   river. 

Marquette  a  Visitor. — The  first  wliite  man 
to  set  foot  in  the  neighborhood  was  the  French 
missionary.  Marquette,  who  visited  the  Indian 
camp  in  107-1  and  107.">.  and  here  his  last  ill- 
ness overtook  him.  Undoubtedly  be  must  have 
crossed  the  Des  Plaines  and  roamed  with  his 
Indian  friends  through  tlie  beautiful  tields  now 
included  in  Downer's  Grove  Township,  or  he 
may  have  told  the  Gospel  story  to  them  as 
they  fished  in  the  stream  or  set  their  traps  for 
game.  Fur  dealers  and  hunters  were  for  many 
years  the  only  white  men  to  visit  this  region, 
until  about  18H0.  when  pioneers  began  to  push 
their  way  into  the  fertile  fields  that  bounded 
the  marshy  low  lands  near  the  Chicago  River, 
and  after  the  treaty  and  removal  of  the  Pot- 
taw-attomie  Indians,  they  came  in  considerable 
nnmbers. 

The  .Toliet  Road  was  one  of  the  first  highways 
through  the  township,  passing  the  town  of  Cass, 
one  of  the  eai'liest  settlements. 


First  Settlers. — Dr.  Bronson.  Shadrac  Har- 
ris, Thomas  Andrus  and  Ilartell  Cobb  were  the 
first  to  arrive  in  Cass,  though  tliese  were  quickly 
followed  by  others.  The  Fells.  Oldfields.  Hearts 
and  Blakemans  (the  latter  related  to  the  Rocke- 
fellers on  the  maternal  side)  purchased  farms 
in  this  neighborhood  in  quite  early  times. 

A  little  ten  by  twelve  log  cabin,  which  had 
first  served  as  a  home  for  one  of  th^  pioneers, 
was  utilized  as  a  schoolhouse.  This  stood  on 
the  premises  later  owned  by  Mr.  W.  J.  Heart, 
In  l.SrjCi.  Miss  Nancy  Stanley,  afterwards  Mrs. 
Dryer,  who  still  later  married  Mr.  Bush,  was 
engaged  as  its  first  teacher. 

Early  Taverns. — Two  taverns,  one  kept  by 
Jlr.  Andrus,  who,  in  ]S:U.  was  also  postmaster, 
(ompleted  the  public  enterprises  of  this  im- 
I)urtant  farming  village.  Frink's  stages  made 
frequent  stops  at  the  Andrus  tavern,  and  horse- 
1  ack  mail  carriers  had  headcjuarters  here.  Ed- 
gar S.  Andrus,  born  December  27.  18.35.  was  the 
first  white  child  born  in  the  townshiii. 

The  taverns  went  out  of  existence  with  the 
cessation  of  stage  traffic,  having  served  their 
generation  well,  not  only  as  stopping  iilaces,  but 
for  general  meetings  and  as  social  centers. 

Churches. — The  neighljorhood  has  always 
been  strongly  Methodist,  church  services  be- 
ing held  in  the  log  schoolhouse  since  earliest 
days  by  Elder  Beggs  and  others. 

Elisha  Smart  and  wife,  who  came  to  Cass 
about  1S3S,  united  with  the  church  the  foliow- 
iug  year,  and  the  family  have  been  its  firm  sup- 
porters ever  since.  There  are  several  families 
of  this  name  now  settled  on  good  farms  in  this 
neighliorhood.  The  beautiful  home  of  Con- 
gressman Martin  B.  Madden,  on  the  .Joliet  road, 
is  a  conspicuous  landmark.  Congressman  Mad- 
deu's  wife  is  the  youngest  daughter  of  Mr.  and 
Mrs.  Elisha  Smart,  and  the  Madden  home  bears 
the  quaint  name  of  Castle  Eden.  It  stands  on 
the  site  of  the  early  family  home  of  the  Smarts. 

The  farming  iwpulatiou  of  Downer's  Grove 
Township  has  lessened  as  individuals  acquired 
wealth  and  retired  to  enjoy  the  fuller  life  of 
the  cities. 

A'lLLAGE  OF  Cass. — Cass  is  still  but  a  tiny 
hamlet  six  miles  southwest  of  Hinsdale,  on 
one  of  the  rural  mail  routes  from  that  post- 
office.    The  village  church,  which  supplanted  the 


^ 


ftl 


HISTOKY  OF  DU  PAGE  COUNTY. 


669 


log  cabin,  still  belongs  to  the  Methodist  Epis- 
copal denoniinatiou,  and  was  built  in  1869  on 
ground  donated  by  William  Smart. 

Mrs.  Nancy  Roth  of  Hinsdale,  who  once  lived 
in  Cass,  tells  many  amusing  stories  of  her  pio- 
neer days.  She  at  one  time  received  a  con- 
signment of  rolls  of  butter.  When  these  rolls 
were  cut,  each  was  found  to  contain  a  good 
sized  iMtato.  "Haec  fabula  docet"  that  pure 
food  laws  were  as  sadly  needed  In  those  days, 
as  their  enforcement  is  now. 

Water  Coukses. — The  township  is  drained  by 
Salt  Creek,  a  large  stream,  and  Flag  Creek,  a 
much  smaller  one,  both  of  which  empty  into  the 
Des  riaines.  Singularly  enough,  though  but  a 
few  miles  distant  from  Lake  Michigan,  the  nat- 
ural drainage  is  towards  the  Mississippi  River, 
There  are  times  after  heavy  rains,  when  the 
drainage  is  turned  in  both  directions  by  the 
over  flowing  of  the  low  lands  between  the  Des 
Plaines  and  the  Chicago  Rivers.  At  such  times 
both  become  united  through  a  broad  lake  which 
exists  only  during  flood  season.  That  this  con- 
dition existed  an  hundred  years  ago.  is  proven 
by  a  report  made  by  ilajor  Long  and  recorded 
by  Dr.  Thwaite  concerning  the  Des  PJiiJaies.  ;-;; 

This  report  reads:  "The  river  thrb'\ighout'ha> 
four  or  five  short  rapids  or  rifflestitliAfri  lakbe- 
their  appearance  only  in  times  of  low  water. 
In  every  other  part  it  has  the  appearance  of 
being  a  chain  of  stagnant  pools  and  smajl  I«i»«, 
affording  a  sufficient  depth  of  wafer  ■■fflt'  borttl 
of  moderate  draught.  In  the  flaf  Brajule,is>-;i 
small  lake  about  flve  miles  in  length  and  from 
six  to  thirty  yards  in  width,  communicating 
both  with  the  River  Des  Plaines  aud  the  Chi- 
cago River,  by  means  of  a  kind  of  canal  which 
has  been  made  partly  by  the  current  of  water 
and  partly  by  the  French  and  Indians,  for  the 
puKpose  of  getting  their  boats  across  in  that 
direction  in  time  of  high  water.  The  distance 
from  the  Des  Plaines  River  to  the  Chicago 
River  by  this  water  course  is  sometimes  more 
than  three  miles  in  the  dryest  season.  In  the 
w-et  season  boats  pass  and  repass  with  facility 
between  the  two  rivers." 

Dr.  Thwaite  himself  says  :  "Giving  due  weight 
to  all  the  sources  of  information  I  have  ex- 
amined, my  opinion  is  that,  from  the  latter  part 
of  the  seventeenth  century  through  the  first 
third  of  the  nineteenth  century,  men  engaged 
in   the  fur-trade  with   the  western   Indians   ac- 


tually, and  (juite  regularly,  passed  up  aud  down 
the  Chicago  and  Des  I'laines  Rivers  in  canoes 
aud  batteaux,  Mackinaw  boats  and  other  boats 
propelled  by  oars  or  ix)les,  laden  with  merchan- 
dise and  furs ;  that  these  traders  and  travelers 
found  a  comparatively  easy  passage  way  by 
means  of  these  rivers  in  the  early  spring  and 
sometimes  in  other  seasons,  and  that  during 
times  of  drought,  such  as  often  occur  iu  the 
summer  and  fall  on  most  of  the  western  portage 
routes  between  the  great  lakes  aud  the  Mis- 
sissippi River  (such  as  the  well  known  Wis- 
consin-Fox River  portage  iu  Wisconsin),  the 
passage  was  sometimes  diUicult,  but  even  then 
these  fur-traders  seem  to  have  succeeded  in  forc- 
ing their  boats  through  the  Chicago-Des  Plaines 
waterway."  These  reports  are  interesting  as, 
by  them,  is  proven  the  fact  that  either  the 
Great  Lakes  or  the  Mississippi  were  of  easy 
access  from  this  region. 

Suburban  Communication. — Ogdeu  Avenue, 
one  of  the  great  arteries  of  Chicago,  was  early 
extended  to  the  town  of  Lyons.  Here  it  diverges, 
one  branch  going  in  a  northwesterly  direction,' 
aud  is  still  called  Ogdeu  Avenue,  while  the 
.other  coutiuuing  west  and  south,  is  called  the 
r  Pif)\4/i.^'<l  Road.    The  towns  of  Lace  and  Gower 

-  "Hr"e  grouped  up  the  Plaintield  Road,  being  lit- 
tle German  communities  clustered  about  a  church 
of  the. Lutheran   faith,   a   district   school,   with 

■»1iVtJspei;ous  farm  lauds  stretching  away  iu  every 
"it'rectiou.    Upon  the  Ogden  Avenue  road  grew  up 

-  the  'tONvn  of  Fullersburg. 

The  Fuller  Family. — When  Jacob  B'uller 
started  from  New  York  State  iu  search  of  a 
home  iu  1835,  be  drove  his  emigrant  wagon  past 
the  present  site  of  Chicago,  with  its  mud  and 
marsh,  hoping  to  find  higher  ground  ou  which 
to  built  a  home.  On,  on,  he  drove  with  the  mud 
and  water  often  coming  to  the  hubs  of  his 
wheels  and  sometimes  into  the  very  wagon  box 
itself.  At  last  he  reached  high  ground,  aud 
settled  in  what  is  now  York  Township,  oppo- 
site the  Natoma  Farm.  Here  he  purchased  a 
large  tract  of  land  from  the  Government,  his 
purchase  extending  south  through  the  present 
town  of  Fullersburg,  then  called  Brush  Hill. 
His  large  family,  six  boys  and  six  girls,  grew 
up  and  settled  on  this  and  adjacent  farms,  un- 
til it  is  said  everyone  in  the  neighborhood  was 
a  Fuller.    When  .Jacob  Fuller  died  iu  1807.  this 


670 


HISTORY  OF  DU  PAGE  COUNTY. 


property  was  divided  among  liis  children.  Tlie 
portion  along  Ogden  Avenue,  bad  previously  be- 
come the  ]iroperty  of  Benjamin  Fuller,  who  plat- 
ted it  into  town  lots  and  incorporated  it  in  1851. 
The  town  naturally  was  called  by  the  family 
name,  Fullersburg.  John  S.  and  Ben  Coe,  and 
Lewis  and  Reuben  Fuller  were  already  land- 
owners. The  Fullers  married  into  the  families 
of  the  neighborhood  so  that  the  statement,  "ev- 
eryone in  town  is  a  Fuller.''  is  still  correct. 

Benjamin  Fuller  married  Mary  Atwater. 
Betsy,  his  daughter,  became  the  wife  of  Charles 
Fox.  son  of  Marvin  Fox,  who,  with  his  brother 
Herman,  were  early  merchants  of  Hinsdale. 
Angeline  Fuller  married  Almeron  Ford,  owner 
of  a  general  store  which  he  purchased  from 
Walter  Van  Velzer.  This  gentleman  was  Fife 
Major  of  the  celebrated  One  Himdred  and  Fifth 
Illinois  Volunteer  Infantry,  during  the  Civil 
war,  and  Morell  Fuller  was  Drum  Major  in  the 
same  regiment.  Katherine  Fuller  married  David 
Thurston  who  liept  the  Park  Hotel  in  Hinsdale. 
Harriet  Fuller  married  John  Coe.  David  Ful- 
ler's wife  was  Angeline  Bohlander.  George  Ful- 
ler married  Lottie  Evernden.  Mary  Fuller  and 
a  sister,  who  followed  their  father  from  New 
York  State,  were  six  weeks  making  the  trip 
by  lake  to  Chicago.  Mary  taught  school  from 
house  to  house,  and  was  accustomed  to  take 
with  her  on  her  journeys  to  and  fro,  two  large 
dogs,  Xero  and  Pedro,  as  a  protection  against 
wolves;  parting  the  long  grass  with  spreading 
arms  as  she  cautiously  made  her  way  through 
the  trackless  fields,  the  dogs  keeping  in  ad- 
vance. 

Hotels. — Barto  Van  Velzer,  wbo  married 
Mary  Fuller,  kejjt  the  toll  gate  just  below  the 
old  hotel,  one  of  the  popular  resorts  of  Brush 
Hill.  There  were  two  hotels  in  the  place  and, 
as  drovers  and  farmers  w-ere  constantly  passing, 
tliey  never  lacked  for  patronage.  One  was  built 
by  Oriente  Grant  and  bis  brother,  and  was 
called  Castle  Inn.  Ogden  Avenue  was  a  busy 
thoroughfare,  and  Mr.  Van  Velzer  was  wont  to 
say  that  he  had  sometimes  seen  as  many  as  500 
teams  waiting  their  turn  to  pass  the  toll  gate, 
some  going  east  to  Chicago  and  others  going 
west  to  Xaperville,  Ottawa  and  other  towns.  At 
that  time,  too,  a  short  cut  over  the  hills  led  to 
Cass  and  connected  this  road  with  the  Joliet 
route.  Mr.  Van  Velzer  was  very  popular  on 
the  road  and  might  have  been  the  original  for 


David  Harum,  so  great  was  his  cleverness  in 
the  purchase  and  sale  of  horses,  and  his  readi- 
ness to  lay  wagers  on  their  merits.  He  died  at 
the  age  of  eighty -seven  years,  at  the  home  of 
his  daughter,  Mrs.  S.  Heinemau  of  Hinsdale. 

During  the  Indian  troubles.  Mark  Beaubien 
frequently  visited  this  neighborhood,  and  was 
on  friendly  terms  at  the  Inn.  An  inn-keeper 
himself  he  was  wont  to  brag :  "I  sleep  forty 
men  under  one  blanket."  This  he  explained 
as  literally  true,  as  when  men  came  to  his 
Chicago  tavern  they  were  so  weary,  heavy  sleep 
at  once  overtook  them.  It  was  easy  then  to 
remove  the  blankets  for  the  use  of  later  comers. 
Castle  Inn  still  stands,  but  its  rival  went  into 
decay,  and  was  torn  down  In  1909.  In  their 
palmy  days,  when  the  inns  were  crowded,  it 
was  no  uncommon  sight  to  see  whole  families, 
when  night  overtook  them,  tumble  out  quanti- 
ties of  buffalo  robes,  roll  themselves  in  them 
by  the  side  of  the  road,  and  c-omfortably  sleep 
until  daylight.  Xew  families  patronized  the 
old  inn  while  their  own  homes  were  being  put 
up.  and  one  cold  winter,  Reuben  Fuller  and  his 
wife  Delilah,  who  lived  just  east  of  the  new 
town,  found  their  farmhouse  so  lonely,  that 
they  sought  temporary  quarters  in  the  old  Castle, 
and  here  in  the  west  room  Loie  Fuller,  the  fa- 
mous dancer,  was  born.  In  Castle  Inn,  was 
started  the  school  taught  by  Mr.  Vallette  of 
Xaperville.  He  boarded  with  the  Fox  family 
during  the  week,  and  on  Friday  nights  walked 
the  whole  distance  to  his  home  in  Xaperville, 
eleven  miles,  and  returned  the  same  way  in 
time  for  school,  Monday  morning.  Here,  too, 
was  a  station  of  the  famous  "Underground  Rail- 
road," before  and  during  the  Civil  war. 

At  Fullersburg  was  laid  out  a  small  ceme- 
tery intended  as  a  private  burying  ground  for 
members  of  the  Fuller  family,  but  many  of  the 
oldest  families  have  also  been  laid  to  rest  within 
its  enclosure.  Here  the  soldiers  of  the  Civil 
war,  belonging  to  this  region,  have  honored 
graves,  which  are  visited  annually  with  im- 
pressive memorial  services  as  Decoration  Day 
comes  around. 

FiBST  Business  Enterprises. — Mr.  J.  S.  Coe. 
who  came  in  1830,  started  the  first  blacksmith 
shop,  the  anvil  of  which,  now  in  its  one  hun- 
dred and  twentieth  year,  has  a  place  of  honor 
in  the  front  garden  of  Mr.  C.  T.  Coe.  his  de- 


HISTORY  OF  DU  PAGE  COUNTY. 


671 


sceudiiut.  John  S.  Coe  lias  the  honor  of  being 
the  first  storekeeper. 

A  grist-mill  was  built  by  Mr.  Grane  aud  Wil- 
liam Ash,  in  1852.  It  was  run  by  water  power 
and  is  still  in  operation.  A  saw-mill  and  a 
quarry,  managed  by  Jlr.  Torode,  were  among  the 
necessary  and  earliest  enterprises. 

The  German  Evangelical  Church  of  Saint 
Jolin  was  founded  in  Fullersburg  in  1S78,  and 
the  village  has  a  prosperous  public  school. 

A  good  plank  road  connected  Chicago  with 
Aurora,  and  stages  ran  daily  carrying  mail  and 
passengers.  One  stage-driver,  named  Parker, 
was  a  character.  He  was  greatly  a^"«rse  to  wear- 
ing a  coat,  and  one  day,  while  dining  in  the 
old  Lake  House  in  Chicago,  in  this  unconven- 
tional manner,  was  requested  to  put  on  his 
coat.  Somewhat  disconcerted  he  obeyed,  but 
later  Informed  "mine  host"'  that  he  didn't  pro- 
pose patronizing  his  old  hotel  any  more,  for  he 
couldn't  stand  it.  The  hotel  keeper  then  dis- 
covered that  this  was  Parker,  the  stage-driver, 
who  daily  brought  custom  to  his  house,  a  man 
much  too  Important  to  offend.  Apologies  fol- 
lowed and  Parker  won  the  day. 

Downer's  Gbove  Village. — While  Cass  aud 
Fullersburg  w-ere  slowly  growing  in  village  im- 
portance. Downer's  Grove  was  also  becoming 
settled.  Downer's  Grove  is  named  after  Pierce 
Downer,  the  first  settler  of  the  township  and 
village.  He  was  au  energetic  man  of  the  strong 
fibre  of  which  pioneers  are  made.  In  18.32  he 
staked  off  a  claim  of  IGO  acres  on  the  trail  lead- 
ing to  Naperville.  His  claim  was  on  government 
land,  but  three-fourths  of  the  township  had  al- 
ready become  the  property  of  Ninian  Edwards, 
Governor  of  Illinois,  and  two  others.  Of  the 
remaining  fourth,  much  of  it  was  timber  land, 
and  this  is  the  reason  Mr.  Downer  was  attracted 
to  it.  The  grove  which  he  selected,  was  a  fav- 
orite camping  round  of  Waubunsie,  chief  of  the 
Pottawattomies,  and  lies  in  Section  6  of  the 
township.  The  following  year  his  family  came, 
including  a  grown  up  son,  Stephen,  also  Joel 
Wells  and  a  Mr.  Cooley.  The  two  latter  at- 
tempted to  ".lump"  a  part  of  Mr.  Downer's  claim, 
but  the  vigorous  resistance  the  sturdy  pioneer 
put  up.  convinced  them  that  discretion  and  re- 
treat were  wiser  than  persistence  in  a  bad  cause. 
Mr.  Wells  sold  his  own  rightful  claim  to  Israel 
P.  Blodgett  in  lS-'i.5.  and  left  the  neigh lx>rhood. 
hood.     Mr.    Blodgett   came   to   Illinois   in    1830, 


and  was  one  of  the  pioneers  near  Scott  Set- 
tlement, or  Lisle.  He  built  a  log  cabin,  in 
Downer's  Grove  settlement,  and  a  blacksmith 
shop,  and  thus  laid  the  foundation  of  Maple 
Street.  A  "lean-to'"  built  in  1830,  against  his 
log  cabin,  housed  the  first  school.  Nancy  Stan- 
ley Bush,  one  of  its  teachers,  is  the  grandmother 
of  Guy  S.  Bush,  a  local  politician  of  importance. 

In  1836  came  Samuel  Curtis  and  family  from 
Koyalton,  Vt.  His  claim  was  near  Mr.  Blodgetfs 
tavern,  but  on  the  other  side  of  the  Naperville 
Road.  Here  he  put  up  a  tavern  with  stables 
for  the  accommodation  of  farmers  and  drovers 
who  were  constantly  passing  to  and  from  Chi- 
cago. The  spot  is  now  the  center  of  the  present 
village.  Mr.  Curtis  was  Postmaster  of  the  Brush 
Hill  postoffice  in  the  early  sixties. 

David  Page,  whose  land  lay  to  the  south,  and 
Walter  Blanehard,  who  bought  near  by  on  a 
higher  elevation,  came  in  1837.  With  the  latter, 
came  Henry  Carpenter,  who  purchased  land  but 
did  not  come  here  to  live  permanently  until  1840, 
when  he  started  the  first  store.  His  trade  ex- 
tended over  the  entire  section,  and  Mr.  Rufus 
Blanehard  has  said  that  "Anyone  who  came  to 
his  store  with  his  shoes  tied  up,  could  get 
trusted,"  and  few  betrayed  his  confidence. 

Horace  Dodge  and  his  estimable  wife  bought 
land  north  of  Downer's  Grove,  in  1836,  and 
started  a  home,  from  whence  went  out  many 
worthy  children  who  have  left  their  impress, 
not  only  in  this  township,  but  in  distant  lands. 
In  their  home  was  held  the  first  religious  serv- 
ices in  the  neighborhood.  Rev.  Beggs  and  Gaddis, 
Methodists,  often  preaching  here  to  audiences 
composed  of  the  families  of  the  surrounding 
farmers.  Lucy  A.  who  became  Mrs.  J.  W.  Web- 
ster, was  one  of  the  early  residents  of  Hinsdale 
where  she  still  resides.  Bertha,  who  married 
Mr.  Stover  of  an  adjoining  village,  is  a  mis- 
sionary in  Bailundu,  Africa.  Ten  children  were 
born  to  Mr.  and  Mrs.  Dodge,  and  the  influence 
of  their  pioneer  home,  where  hardships  were 
endured  with  Christian  patience,  and  the  noble 
aud  true  were  alone  regarded  as  worth  while, 
have  made  this  family  a  beloved  aud  highly  re- 
spected one.  Mr.  Dodge  was  a  soldier  in  the 
Civil  war.  Mrs.  Webster  recalls  many  incidents 
of  the  early  days,  among  them  the  terrible  cy- 
clone of  1846,  when  she,  a  mere  child,  was  lifted 
from  her  feet  and  carried  a  considerable  distance 
over  fields  and  bushes.  This  was  repeated  two 
or  three  times  before  the  storm  had  spent  itself. 


67 


HISTORY  OF  DU  PAGE  COUNTY. 


or  she  had  reached  shelter.  Yet,  she  was  un- 
hurt by  this  terrifying  experience  except  for  the 
awful   fear  which  is  still  fresh  in  her  memory. 

The  old  Galena  Road,  a  continuation  of  Ogden 
avenue,  was  called  the  plank  road,  and  was  the 
first  stage  route  east  and  west  through  the  vil- 
lage, being  opened  as  early  as  183G.  The  Maple 
Avenue  Road  was  not  opened  till  two  years 
later. 

Cole  &•  Thatcher's  general  store  marked  the 
beginning  of  commercial  enterprise  on  Main 
Street.  Beardsley  opened  the  first  livery  stable, 
and  the  first  brick  building  erected,  was  put  up 
by  Richards  and  Xaramore,  who  succeeded 
Brlggs  and  Gager,  the  first  butchers.  This 
building  is  now  used  for  the  telephone  exchange. 

The  year  1836  was  a  favored  one  for  settlers. 
This  was  partly  due  to  the  publicity  given  to 
the  neighborhood  by  the  building  of  the  Illinois- 
Michigan  Canal  which  forms  the  southern  bound- 
ary of  the  township,  and  the  need  of  laborers 
in  consequence;  partly  to  the  speculation  fever, 
due  to  the  demand  for  real  estate;  and  partly 
to  the  opening  up  of  the  land  to  settlers  by  the 
withdrawal  of  the  Indians.  In  that  year,  besides 
tho.se  already  mentioned,  there  came  Asa  Car- 
penter, Dexter  Stanley,  Levi  C.  Aldrich,  Cary 
Smith,  J.  R.  Adams,  Walter  Blanchard.  J.  W. 
Walker  and  Horace  Aldrich.  The  decendants 
of  many  of  these  still  live  in  Dowuer"s  Grove 
or  neighboring  towns.  Mr.  Capron  Stanley,  the 
oldest  resident  now  living  in  Downer's  Grove, 
passed  his  ninetj'-fifth  birthday.  January  19. 
1911,  while  Grandma  Xaramose.  nearly  the  same 
age,  passed  away  early  in  1011.  She  was  a 
charter  member  of  the  earliest  church  organiza- 
tion. 

The  village  of  Downer's  Grove  was  incorpor- 
ated in  1872.  The  first  annual  directory,  pub- 
lished in  1899,  contained  575  names,  representing 
about  200  householders.  These  figures  included 
Gostyn,  a  Polish  settlement  lying  between 
Downer's  and  East  Grove,  and  north  of  the 
tracks.  In  1910,  the  population  was  estimated 
at  3,500,  a  remarkable  increase  iu  eleven  years. 

Schools  and  Churches. — Downer's  Grove  is 
in  school  district  Xo.  58,  and  has  two  public 
schools,  one  on  each  side  of  the  track,  with  a 
teaching  force  of  twenty-two.  Besides,  there  is 
a  parochial  school  under  the  control  of  the 
Roman  Catholic  Church. 

The  town  is  well  equipped  with  churches,  of 


which  there  are  seven  denominations:  Baptists, 
organized  since  1851 ;  Methodists,  organized  in 
1S3C ;  Congregationalists,  organized  in  ISOU ;  St. 
Pauls'  Evangelical,  organized  iu  ISOO ;  and  the 
Lutheran  Church.  Each  of  these  have  .separate 
places  of  worship.  There  are  other  religious 
organizations  that  hold  services,  but  have,  as  yet, 
no  ijermanent  buildings. 

Business  Entebpbises. — Financial  progress  is 
evidenced  iu  the  founding  and  support  of  two 
banking  houses,  The  State  Bank,  and  the  Farm- 
ers' and  Mechanics'  Bank. 

The  town  is  better  supplied  with  hotels  than 
is  usual  with  suburban  places.  There  are  the 
Grove  Hotel,  the  Park  Hotel  and  the  Miller 
House,  all  offering  excellent  accommodation  for 
travelers. 

Downer's  Grove  is  the  suburban  terminal  for 
the  Chicago,  Burlington  &  Quiucy  Railroad. 

Factory  business  is  represented  by  the  fol- 
lowing concerns :  The  Kelmscott  Press ;  Dicke 
Tool  Company ;  Illinois  Heater  Company,  and 
T.  C.  Potter  &  Company,  each  oue  being  in  a 
prosperous  and  growing  condition.  One  of  the 
oldest  business  concerns  is  the  Austin  Nurseries, 
which  have  supplied  growing  plants  to  the  set- 
tlers of  the  State  for  many  years. 

A  well  organized  Woman's  Club  is  a  promi- 
nent factor  in  the  village  life,  and  there  are 
many  secret  and  insurance  societies.  The  Odd 
Fellows  were  the  very  first  secret  order  to 
receive  a  charter,  and  there  is  also  a  Masonic 
Blue  Lodge  and  Chapter,  vigorous  and  strong. 

Village  Impboveme.nts. — Downer's  Grove  had 
much  to  recommend  it  when  Pierce  Downer 
selected  it  for  a  home.  It  is  high,  well  drained, 
and  though  really  a  grove,  the  soil  was  easily 
worked  and  gave  rich  returns  for  labor  ex- 
pended. The  trees,  which,  iu  noble  luxuriance 
now  border  its  walks  in  regular  lines,  were  then 
growing  uncared  for  in  the  nearby  forests.  By 
agreement  between  the  Blodgett  and  Curtis  fam- 
ilies, each  proceeded  to  set  out  trees  on  his 
side  of  the  road.  These  were  arranged  with 
mathematical  precision,  and  only  straight, 
healthy  saplings  were  used.  Mr.  Blodgetfs  log 
cabin  was  replaced  by  a  modern  and  handsome 
home,  and  his  blacksmith  shop  moved  to  the 
rear.  By  and  by,  as  the  village  grew  and 
other  houses  were  erected  on  the  thoroughfare, 
the   road  or   trail   became  a   street,   and   Maple 


a'^tr^^ 


HISTORY  OF  DU  PAGE  COUNTY. 


673 


Aveuue,  lined  with  luiudsome  syrumetrieal  trees, 
Is  one  of  the  beautiful  features  of  the  town. 
One  cannot  enter  Downer's  Grove  without  ex- 
claiming over  this  roadway,  bordered  for  two 
miles  with  magniticent  hard  maples.  Catalpa 
trees  flourish  ou  many  of  the  streets,  and  in 
the  early  summer  their  white  blossoms  remind 
one  of  the  cherry-tree  festival  time  in   Jajian. 

The  town  has  paved  streets,  water-works, 
electric  lights,  telephones  and  rural  free  deliv- 
ery. Gas  is  also  supplied  for  both  heating  and 
lighting  and  Downer's  Grove,  besides  being  one 
of  the  oldest,  is.  next  to  Hinsdale,  the  most 
enterprising  village  in  the  township. 

It  is  commonly  believed  in  Downer's  Grove 
that  a  famous  law  suit  held  at  Xaperville.  then 
the  county  seat  in  ISGO,  was  largely  the  cause 
of  the  building  of  the  railroad.  Jlr.  Corning 
of  New  York,  and  Mr.  Rathbone  of  Albany, 
both  eastern  stockholders  of  the  Burlington, 
came  west  to  help  tight  this  case.  During  their 
stay  in  this  locality,  proposals  were  made  by 
many  of  our  old  settlers  regarding  the  exten- 
sion of  the  road  eastward  from  Aurora  to  Chi- 
cago, and  the  officials  promised  that  trains 
would  be  running  within  three  years.  Chicago 
passengers  at  that  time  had  to  take  a  stage  at_ 
Wheaton  to  reach  the  Grove  and  the  poriinty  • 
seat.  On  June  20.  1803,  the  first  passenger- trt^in; 
ou  the  Chicago.  Burlington  &  Quincy  Railroad 
pulled  into  Downer's  Grove  from  the  west. 

East  Grove  and  Greggs  lie  east  of  Do^nej^'^, 
Grove,  along  the  railroad,  the  latter  placeHieing 
recognized  as  the  water  shed,  or  highest!  point 
between    Lake    Michigan    and    the    Mississippi 
River. 

Between  Greggs  and  West  Hinsdale  is  an- 
other pretty  little  suburban  hamlet  called  Clar- 
endon Hills.  Its  founders  were  Dr.  H.  F. 
"Walker  and  J.  M.  Walker,  brothers.  The  latter, 
an  attorney  of  Chicago,  was  at  that  time  Presi- 
dent of  the  Chicago,  Burlington  a*id  Quincy 
Railroad.  The  charm  of  its  hills,  and  groves 
must  have  proved  irresistible  to  the  brothers, 
who  purchased  about  370  acres,  and  divided 
the  land  into  town  lots.  It  is  a  quiet,  lovely 
spot,  but  has  grown  very-  slowly,  the  progres- 
sive towns  on  either  side  proving  stronger  in 
attraction. 

HiifSD.\LE.  the  banner  town  among  Chicago's 
western  suburbs,  grew  because  the  railroad 
came.      It    is    the    youngest,    the   largest,    most 


beautiful  and  desirable  of  all  the  villages  in 
the  township.  Its  early  name  was  Brush  Hill, 
as  all  this  vicinity  was  called,  and  tlie  name 
was  then  appropriate  because  the  place  was 
chiefly  a  tangle  of  hazel  bushes.  Hundreds  of 
cattle  grazed  upon  its  hills,  and  occasionally 
deer  or  prairie  wolves  might  be  seen  hurrying 
to  find  hiding  places  and  water,  in  the  timber 
bordering  the  Eau  Plaines  River  (now  called  the 
Des  Plaines).  Flocks  of  prairie  chickens  lived 
in  the  long  grass,  while  ducks  and  geese  fre- 
cxuented  the  many  sloughs  which  in  summer 
were  full  of  water.  It  is  said  that  bufCalo  were 
also  common,  and  one  of  the  terrors  of  the 
early  settlers  was  fear  of  a  buffalo  stampede 
and  rattlesnakes  were  uncomfortably  plentiful. 
A  deeply  worn  Indian  trail  passed  over  the 
prairie  where  the  town  now  stands. 

A  Wolf  Hunt. — In  1S50,  the  men  of  all  the 
adjoining  towns — Downer's  Grove,  York,  Cen- 
ter, Cass  and  Lyonsville — joined  in  a  wolf  and 
deer  hunt.  Forming  a  circle  connecting  these 
towns,  they  moved  to  the  center  where  a  flag 
on  a  tall  staff  marked  the  rendezvous.  This 
was  about  three  miles  south  of  the  present  site 
of , Hinsdale.  Though  the  hunter  captured  but 
little' gaiiie',  they  stirred  up  no  end  of  fun.  A 
■-tlio.usnncl/,01.'^  inore  joined  in  this  hunt,  which 
turned  out  to  Jje  a  big  neighborhood  jollification. 

Alfred   Walker,   at  one  time  landlord  of   the 

old  h(^tei,jn   FuUersbtirg,   built  the  first  house 

^taiiliHg  v  fil    Hinsdale,    though    at    that    time, 

(lS.5.3),_hi^,,tfarm  was   part   of  the  village  of 

""Fuliersburg.    Mr.  Walker  started  the  first  cheese 

factory  iu  the  State. 

Marvin  Fox  owned  an  adjoining  farm,  and 
these  two  holdings  covered  what  is  now  owned 
as  the  north  side  of  Hinsdale.  A  table  of  prices 
which  his  son,  Mr.  Heman  Fox.  furnished  for 
the  year   1859,   is   interesting. 

Mr.  Fox  in  1859,  raised  7,000  bushels  of  grain 
which,  delivered  in  Chicago,  brought  the  fol- 
lowing prices :  wheat,  forty-five  cents  per  bushel ; 
and  oats,  fourteen  cents  per  bushel.  For  other 
pro'ducts  the  prices  were:  ix>tatoes.  eighteen 
cents  per  bushel ;  butter,  ten  cents  per  pound ; 
eggs,  four  cents  per  dozen.  Day  labor  was  paid 
for  at  the  rate  of  fifty  cents  a  day. 

Mr.  Jarvis  M.  Fox,  another  son  of  Marvin 
Fox.  built  the  second  house  in  1863,  -nhich  was 
on  the  north  side  within  what  w-as  one  day  to 
be    the    corporate    limits    of    Hinsdale,    and    in 


674 


HISTORY  OF  DU  PAGE  COUNTY. 


this  house,  during  the  next  year,  on  December 
12,  18(54.  was  born  the  first  child  of  the  neigh- 
borhood, Mabel  Fox,  now  Mrs.  Downer  of  Den- 
rer,  Col. 

The  Railroaus. — "The  first  beginning  of  what 
is  now  the  Chicago,  Burlington  &  Quincy  Rail- 
road was  an  act  approved  Februray  12,  1849. 
The  original  charter  was  amended  June  22, 
1852.  On  January  26.  1853,  the  charter  was 
again  amended  and  the  name  of  the  company 
became  the  Chicago.  Burlington  &  Quincy  Com- 
pany. This  name  was  formerly  accepted  by  the 
stockholders  February  14.  1S5C." 

All  this  time,  while  Brush  Hill  was  filling  up 
with  sturdy  pioneers,  there  was  continued  talk 
of  a  railroad.  The  old  Galena  Railroad,  built 
in  1848,  passed  through  Cottage  Hill,  or  Elm- 
hurst,  seven  miles  distant,  which  was  the  near- 
est railroad  station. 

In  the  "Aurora  Beacon"  of  October  19,  1846, 
appeared  the  following  announcement  c-oncern- 
ing  a  proposed   road : 

"Four  miles  of  this  road  are  already  com- 
pleted and  the  track  is  being  laid  at  the  rate  of 
1,500  feet  a  day.  A  locomotive  has  arrived  at 
Chicago  and  will  immediately  be  put  on  the 
track.  The  track  will  be  laid  as  far  as  Brush 
Hill  this  fall,  and  to  the  Fox  river  early  in  the 
spring." 

This  announcement  was  premature,  for  It  was 
several  years  before  the  railroad  came. 

The  road  connecting  Aurora  with  the  Galena 
Union,  which  is  now  a  part  of  the  Northwestern 
Line,  was  commenced  and  trains  were  running 
as  far  as  Batavia  on  Monday,  September  2, 
1850.  Early  in  October,  the  cars  reached 
Aurora,  and  the  regular  running  of  trains  was 
begun  on  the  twenty-first  of  that  month.  The 
road  was  subsequently  pushed  south  and  south- 
west, and  in  March,  1855,  was  under  the  control 
of  the  Chicago,  Burlington  &  Quincy  Railroad 
with  trains  running  through  to  Burlington. 
Iowa.  This  extension  was  a  notable  event,  and 
from  that  beginning  has  grown  the  present 
wonderful  system  included  under  the  title  of  the 
Chicago,  Burlington  &  Quincy. 

The  first  engine  run  on  the  old  Galena  Road 
came  from  Buffalo  on  the  steamer  "Buffalo" 
in  1848.  It  was  named  the  Pioneer,  and  took 
out  its  first  train  on  December  15.  It  was 
exhibited  at  the  World's  Columbian  Exposition 


in  Chicago,  in  180.3,  and  was  afterwards  placed 
in  the  Field   .Mu.=enni. 

Mr.  George  W.  Waite,  father  of  W.  W.  Walte 
of  Hinsdale,  was  a  civil  engineer,  and  as  assist- 
ant engineer  of  the  Galena  &  Chicago  Union, 
laid  the  first  railroad  tie  in  Chicago.  He  came 
to  Chicago  in  1839  and  died  in  November,  1903, 
aged  eighty-four  years. 

HINSDALE 

In  1862,  surveyors  began  laying  out  a  road 
that  would  connect  Chicago  directly  with  the 
Chicago,  Burlington  &  Quincy  Road  at  Aurora, 
and  grading  commenced  the  following  year. 
There  had  been  much  prospecting  previous  to 
this,  and  it  was  quite  desirable  the  road  should 
pass  through  Fullersburg,  a  thrifty,  rapidly 
growing  town,  but  the  rise  in  land  to  the  high 
ground  west  of  the  town  would  call  for  forty 
leet  of  filling  in,  so  the  natural  valley  which 
divides  Hinsdale  into  two  parts  was  finally 
selected.  Perhaps  the  directors  of  the  road  bit- 
terly repented  their  decision  later,  when,  after 
building  a  splendid  roadway  over  the  "flats" 
east  of  Hinsdale,  a  constant  sinking  made  fre- 
quent filling  in  nece.ssary.  At  one  time,  the 
road  slumped  all  of  eleven  feet,  and  one  of  the 
early  residents  declares  that  he  well  remembers 
seeing  a  train  which  had  sunk  with  the  road  bed, 
so  that  it  was  necessary  for  engines  to  be  at- 
tached at  either  end  to  draw  the  cars  out  of  the 
deep  slough.  When  the  surveyors  came  to  look 
over  the  selected  route,  there  came  with  them 
Mr.  William  Robbins,  an  energetic  business  man 
who  had  acquired  wealth  in  California,  and 
desired  a  place  in  which  to  invest  it. 

The  beautiful  rolling  fields  of  Brush  Hill 
pleased  his  fancy,  and  Mr.  Robbins  purchased 
700  acres.  The  purchase  was  made  from-  a 
Mr.  Jones  who  got  his  title  from  the  United 
States  Government.  The  land  was  virgin  soil. 
Its  only  crops  so  far  liaving  been  tall  grass 
and  hazel  bushes. 

Immediately  Mr.  Robbins  began  building  a 
country  home,  platting  a  prospective  village, 
planting  innumerable  trees  along  imaginary 
streets,  fencing  in  his  land,  and  having  the  roads 
surveyed. 

The  anger  of  the  farmers  at  these  last  two 
acts,  was  intense.  They  considered  it  an  un- 
warrantable intrusion  upon  their  old  time 
method  of  driving  over  the  fields  and  one  violent 


GRACE   El'ls(  (li'AI.  CHURCH,  HINSDALE 


LIBRARY,  HINSDALE— 
FORJIERLY  RESIDENCE  OP'  D.  K.  PEARSONS 


CONGRECiATlONAL  CHURCH,   HINSDALE 


HINSDALE  CLUB,  HINSDALE 


HLNSDALh;   SANITAKRii.   11J.\SDALE 


THE  COUNTRY  TENNIS  CLUB,  HINSDALE 


HISTORY  OF  DU  PAGE  COUNTY. 


675 


old  man  eveu  suggested  lynch  law,  but  they 
lived  to  realize  the  value  of  what  Mr.  Robbins 
had  done,  and  thanked  him  for  it. 

In  1SG4,  Mr.  Robbing'  home  was  completed 
and  occupied  as  a  summer  residence.  The  labor 
of  building  this  stone  house,  was  great.  The 
railroad  was  still  in  the  process  of  construction, 
and  all  materials  had  to  be  hauled  from  distant 
IK)ints  by  team.  Lime,  sand  and  stone  came 
from  Lemont.  and  from  the  Harrison  quarries 
below  La  Grange.  The  new  town  lay  wholly 
on  the  south  side  of  the  track  and  was  only  a 
few  blocks   in  extent. 

The  first  man  to  build  was  Nelson  Lay,  who 
came  to  Chicago  in  1838.  He  died  at  the  home 
of  his  daughter,  Mrs.  A|  Pierce,  Chicago,  April, 
1903,  at  the  age  of  ninety-one  years.  This  house 
on  the  corner  of  Second  and  Washington  Streets, 
Is  still  standing.  It  was  occupied  by  the  Rev. 
C.  M.  Barnes,  pastor  of  the  early  Baptist  Church. 

Mr.  Robbins  offered  a  building  lot  to  the  first 
boy  who  should  be  born  in  the  new  town,  and 
the  baby  born  to  Mr.  and  Mrs.  Barnes,  re- 
ceived the  deed  of  land,  and  the  name  as  well, 
for  he  was  christened  William  Bobbins  Barnes. 
He  still  lives  to  honor  the  name,  and  is  one  of 
Chicago's  well  known  business  men. 

The  title  of  "Father  of  Hinsdale"  rightly '-be-: 
longs  to  Mr.  Bobbins.  Born  in  Oswego  County, 
N.  T.,  in  1824.  he  came  to  Illinois  in  early  man- 
hood. When  the  discovery  of  gold  set  the 
country  aflame,  he  started  for  Californfa,  this' 
being  in  1850.  Four  years  afterwards  he  r.g,-- 
turned,  married  the  young  lady  of  his  heart. 
Miss  Marie  Steel,  of  Hartford,  Conn.,  and  with 
her  again  sought  the  Far  West.  Three  children 
were  born  to  them,  two  sons  and  a  daughter: 
John,  deceased;  George  B.,  President  of  the 
Armour  Car  Lines  Company  of  Chicago ;  and 
Belle,  now  Mrs.  W.  H.  Knight  of  Hinsdale. 

Mr.  Robbins'  home  was  considered  quite  a 
mansion.  It  was  built  of  stone  and  surrounded 
by  a  park  planted  with  beautiful  shrubbery. 
There  were  winding  walks  and  broad  drives 
bordered  by  elm  and  maple  trees.  Changed  and 
enlarged,  it  is  still  one  of  the  most  beautiful 
residences  in  this  village  of  lovely  homes. 

In  1866,  Mr.  Robbins  built  a  stone  school 
house  with  two  rooms  on  the  lower  floor,  and 
a  lecture  room  above,  -which  was  called  Acad- 
emy Hall.  A  private  school  was  held  in  this 
building,  with  Miss  Stocking  as  teacher.  In 
1870,   the   district   purchased   the   building   and 


opened  it  as  a  public  school,  with  two  teachers 
in  charge.  Mr.  Wiley  was  one,  the  same  who 
afterwards  gave  his  name  to  the  Wiley  Camp- 
ing Company  of  Yellowstone  Park  ;  Miss  Georgia 
Blodgett  being  the  other.  This  lady  taught  for 
thirty-five  consecutive  years  in  Hinsdale  schools, 
and  still  young  is  able  to  look  back  to  those 
days  with  reminiscent  pleasure. 

As  the  town  grew,  Mr.  Robbins  platted  still 
more  of  his  acres,  calling  the  new  part  the  Rob- 
bins Addition,  and  still  more  land  was  included 
In  the  village,  and  this  was  called  the  Robbins 
Park  Addition.  The  premises  on  which  Mr. 
Robbins'  own  stately  home  stood,  were  in  this 
section. 

Mr.  H.  W.  S.  Cleveland,  a  noted  landscape 
gardener  was  called  in  to  lay  out  and  beautify 
this  last  addition,  and  its  curving  walks,  hand- 
some avenues  and  splendid  trees  make  it  a  most 
desirable  spot  in  which  to  build  a  home.  Mr. 
Robbins  planted  thousands  of  trees  throughout 
the  village,  and  these,  with  the  charming  undu- 
lations of  land,  "like  billows  of  the  sea,"  have 
made  Hinsdale  the  most  beautiful  of  all  the 
suburbs  of  Chicago. 

JVhile  all  thes^  improvements,  and  the  busy 
Tftirk'.'of'  t'ftf^i^nter  and  mason  were  building  a 
;  :t9Wiii;of,4>eajity  on  the  south  of  the  now  com- 
pleted railroad,  Mr.  O.  J.  Stough,  who  came 
in  the  fall  of  1S66,  was  building  in  like  manner 
.  jod  the  north  side.  Bv  1871,  Mr.  Stough  had 
-■^ae^aited  J.200  acres,  part  of  the  farms  of  Mr. 
Walker,  Marvin  Fox  and  others.  He  built  a 
church,  which  had  but  a  precarious  existence, 
was  liberal  in  its  belief,  but  was  early  destroyed 
by  fire  and  never  rebuilt.  He  also  built  a  com- 
modious frame  building,  which  for  many  years 
was  used  for  a  private  school.  Afterwards,  It 
was  purchased  by  Jlr.  H.  A.  Gardner,  a  wealthy 
lawyer  of  the  village,  and  was  called  Gardner 
Hall,  being  used  for  school,  church  and  general 
purposes. 

Emulating  the  example  set  by  Mr.  Robbins, 
Mr.  Stough  also  laid  out  broad  avenues,  border- 
ing them  with  rows  of  maple  and  elm,  platted 
the  fields  into  large  town  lots,  and  built  him- 
self a  comfortable  home  near  the  center  of  the 
prospective  town. 

To  the  labors  of  these  two  men  and  their  be- 
lief in  the  future  possibilities  of  Hinsdale,  must 
be  laid  the  honor  of  the  present  town.  Upon 
the  shaded  avenues  have  been  erected  handsome 
homes  sot  in  lawns  that  rival  velvet  for  rich- 


676 


HISTORY  OP  DU  PAGE  COUNTY. 


ness.  About  these  homes  are  clustered  flower- 
ing shrulis.  cliuibin;;  vines  and  flower  gardens 
that  form  picture  spots  of  beauty.  The  charm 
of  the  place  has  attracted  to  it  a  cultured,  in- 
tellectual and  most  desirable  class  of  people.  The 
spirit  of  the  town  is  jjrogressive,  and  the  love 
of  the  citizens  for  their  village  and  homes  is 
continually  manifested  by  the  pride  shown  in 
the  care  of  both.  While  enjoying  country  life 
in  its  most  advantageous  aspect,  they  are  at  the 
same  time  city  people,  carrying  on  commercial 
enterprises  in  Chicago,  and  securing  their  in- 
come from  its  busy  and  populous  offices.  Their 
geographic  separation  of  seventeen  miles  offers 
no  obstacle  to  the  enjoyment  of  the  culture,  en- 
tertainment or  business  advantages  which  Chi- 
cago has  to  offer.  The  railroad  facilities  have 
kept  pace  with  the  constant  growth  of  the  town, 
and  perhaps  nowhere  is  the  train  schedule  more 
adequate,  or  the  time  limit  for  trains  lirought 
nearer  the  minimum,  than  in  the  service  which 
the  Chicago,  liurlington  &  Quincy  Railroad  fur- 
nishes to  its  patrons  of  the  subnrlis. 

The  old  depot,  which  in  tlie  early  days  had 
served  for  church  services,  Sabbath  schoolroom 
and  other  purposes,  ceased  long  ago  to  properly 
represent  the  prosperity  and  enterprise  of  the 
town.  It  is  now  used  as  the  freight  depot,  while 
a  commodious  new  railroad  station  has  been 
built  at  a  cost  of  ff20,00().  This  handsome  depot, 
built  of  stone,  with  tiled  roof,  finished  in  hard 
wood,  and  architecturally  suitable,  stands  on  the 
south  side  of  the  traclis  between  Garfield  and 
Washington  Streets,  overlooking  Depot  Tark. 

Origin  of  the  Na.me. — The  name  Hinsdale 
was  given  the  town  by  Mr.  Robliins,  partly  in 
honor  of  Mr.  H.  W.  Hinsdale,  a  wealthy  mer- 
chant of  Chicago  who  was  one  of  the  directors 
of  the  railroad ;  partly,  perhaps,  because  Isaac 
Bush  the  first  Postmaster  and  general  merchant 
of  the  new  town  desired  it,  as  Hinsdale,  N.  Y., 
was  his  birthplace,  and  partly  because,  as  Mr. 
Robbins  said.  "It  sounded  sensible,  euphonious 
and  dignified."'  The  old  name.  Brush  Hill,  was 
in  bad  repute  and  held  a  sinister  meaning  to  the 
settlers  of  those  days.  ■  Outlaws  and  outcasts 
from  society  had  sought  shelter  in  its  bordering 
oaks  and  were  greatly  feared.  It  is  said  that 
the  families  of  the  pioneers  feared  the  "white 
bandits  of  the  prairie"  far  more  than  they  did 
the  dark  skinned  Indians.  The  town  therefore 
needed  a  name  that  would  liring  no  suggestion 


of  the  wild  days  preceding  civilized  settlement. 
Tlie  managers  of  the  railroad  approved  the  new 
name  and  accepted  it. 

In  187;J,  Hinsdale  was  incorporated  as  a  town 
and  a  Board  of  Trustees  chosen.  These  were 
the  solid  men  of  the  village:  President.  Judge 
.loci  Tiffany;  Clerk,  N.  B.  Warren;  with  E.  P. 
nines,  W.  W.  Wood,  AVinsor  Leland.  George 
Wells  and  William  Robbins  as  the  other 
Trustees. 

Life  was  simple,  but  the  spirit  of  sociability 
brought  each  family  close  to  the  other  in  general 
neighborliness.  At  this  time  each  householder 
had  his  own  well  and  cistern,  while  the  general 
billiiicss  of  the  country  provided  drainage.  Wells 
had  In  be  dug  and  many  of  these  were  artesian, 
I  he  purest  of  water  and  a  plentiful  supply  being 
found  less  than  a  hundred  feet  below  the  sur- 
face. There  were  some  street  lamps,  but  night 
IJi'destrians  found  it  to  their  advantage  to  carry 
l.-uiferns.  The  sidewalks,  so  far  as  laid,  were 
narrow  and  the  street  crossings  precarious. 

An  Ek.\  of  Improvement. — In  ISOO  the  spirit 
of  improvement  seized  the  town,  bonds  being  is- 
sued for  installing  waterworks  and  drilling  for 
water  was  begun.  A  water  tower  was  built  on 
the  hill  where  the  south  side  school  stands,  and 
mains  were  quickly  laid  to  all  parts  of  the  vil- 
lage. Wells  were  drilled  in  solid  rock  down  to 
S(JO  feet,  and  a  copious  suiiply  was  found  that 
seems  to  be  limitless  and  unfailing.  Drainage 
was  installed  in  1891.  This  drainage  is  car- 
ried into  the  Two-Mile  Ditch,  and  thence  to  the 
Des  Plaines  River.  The  householder  need  no 
longer  keep  a  lantern  for  nightly  use  "when  he 
takes  his  walks  abroad."  for  in  1S90.  electricity 
was  installed,  with  commercial  and  village  lines, 
sufficient  to  meet  all  the  demands  for  streets, 
stores  and  homes.  Mr.  .T.  C.  F.  Merrill,  who  for 
thirteen  years  was  a  member  of  the  Village 
Board,  supervised  the  building  of  this  plant  with 
the  understanding  that,  on  its  completion,  it 
should  be  purchased  by  the  village.  This  was 
done.  Cement  sidewalks  replaced  the  old  plank 
ones  in  l!l04.  and  there  is  now  no  renniant  of 
that  oldtime  makeshift  to  be  encountered. 

Mr.  D.  H.  Preston  was  President  of  the  Vil- 
lage Board  when  improvements  were  first  in- 
augurated, but  Mr.  J.  C.  F.  Merrill  was  Chair- 
man of  the  several  Improvement  Committees.  In 
1804  he  was  elected  President,  and  continued  in 
th.-it  office  eight  years,  or  while  the  Ilermlean 


HISTORY  OF  DU  PAGE  COUNTY. 


677 


task  of  rli;mgiiiir  a  little  country  village  into  a 
prosperous  suburban  town,  was  being  brought 
about.  Every  street  Improvement  was  under- 
taken during  his  membership  on  the  Board,  and 
mostly  during  his  administration. 

In  ]8!t2.  the  paving  of  streets  was  commenced 
and  has  been  continued  until  now  there  is  not 
an  unpaved  street  in  its  over  forty  miles  of  road- 
way. In  all  modern  improvements,  Hinsdale 
stands  thoroughly  well  equipped.  Xot  only  is 
electricity  supplied,  but  gas  later  was  brought  to 
the  village  by  the  La  Grange  Gas  and  Electric 
Company,  now  the  Western  United  Gas  and  Elec- 
tric Comiiany.  This  is  carried  by  pipes  to  every 
home  for  heating  and  cooking  and  lighting.  Tele- 
phones have  been  used  so  long  that  one  forgets 
there  was  ever  a  time  when  they  were  not  com- 
mon conveniences. 

The  town  possessed  many  natural  aflvantages, 
which  >Ir.  Robbing  improved  and  beautified,  but 
progressive  and  public-spirited  Mr.  Merrill  has 
made  Hinsdale  the  most  desirable  suburb  to  be 
found  anywhere  near  Chicago,  and  though  thou- 
sands of  dollars  have  been  spent  during  his  ad- 
ministration, not  one  dollar  but  was  honestly 
and  judiciously  expended.  Mr.  Merrill,  until 
1032.  was  I'resident  of  the  Chicago  Board  of 
Trade,  where  his  good  judgment  and  executive 
ability  found  further  opportunities  for  useful- 
ness. 

A  fire  department  composed  of  volunteer  fire- 
men lias  made  a  record  for  itself  for  prompt- 
ness, bravery  and  efficiency,  and  the  men  are 
recognized  as  forming  the  best  volunteer  fire  de- 
partment in  the  middle  west.  They  receive 
nothing  for  their  services  but  the  applause  and 
gratitude  of  the  citizens. 

Schools.:— The  school  building  purchased ' 
from  Jlr.  Bobbins  In  1870,  soon  became  inade- 
quate for  the  rapidly  growing  population.  The 
school  district  which  first  took  in  Fullcrsburg, 
was  afterwards  divided  on  the  line  of  the  rail- 
road. Later,  after  much  discussion,  the  district 
was  extended  to  the  northern  limits  of  the  vil- 
lage. In  1880,  the  old  school  was  enlarged,  dou- 
bling its  capacity,  and  served  the  district  well 
until  one  morning  in  1893,  when  the  children 
reached  the  schoolhouse,  they  found  a  heap  of 
smoking  ruins.  Transient  quarters  were  found 
in  the  halls  and  churches  of  the  town  and  steps 
immediately  taken  to  rebuild  with  a  larger  and 
better    ciiuipiied    building   than    its    predecessor. 


I'revious  to  this,  in  ],SS7.  a  handsome  structure, 
with  fine  accommodations,  had  been  erected  on 
the  north  side. 

Hinsdale  was  exceedingly  proud  of  this  and  of 
the  new  south  side  scliool,  which  was  ready  for 
occupancy  in  1804.  The  latter  building  cost 
.$3.5,000.  was  three  stories  in  height,  with  a 
splendid  auditorium  on  the  third  floor  capable 
of  seating  TiOO  people,  in  lOOS,  this  large  build- 
ing was  found  all  too  small,  and  talk  of  erecting 
another  school  building  was  considered.  This 
plan,  however,  was  not  feasible,  and  it  was 
finally  decided  to  annex  wings  to  the  present 
building  that  would  be  in  harmonious  design 
with  the  rest  of  the  structure,  and  which  would 
jirovido  sufiicient  accommodation  for  years  to 
come.  These  additions  were  made  and  ready 
for  occupany  iu  the  fall  of  1000.  The  completed 
building,  besides  having  a  unified  harmonious  ex- 
terior, is  equipped  with  all  modern  facilities  for 
carrying  on  all  departments  of  school  work. 
This  large,  architecturally  beautiful  structure  is 
the  pride  of  every  citizen.  It  contains  thirty- 
five  rooms,  is  valued  at  $1.50,000  and  at  present 
has  a  force  of  sixteen  teachers.  The  entire 
teaching  force  is  twenty-three. 

The  early  rrineipals  of  the  Hinsdale  school 
were  B.  F.  Banker,  followed  by  Mr.  Gleason  in 
1SG8.  P.  A.  Downey  was  Principal  in  1887, 
when  the  boundary  of  the  district  was  changed' 
and  enlarged  to  the  town  limits,  .-ind  he  was  fol- 
lowed by  Mr.  A.  R.  Robinson  in  1888.  The  lat- 
ter, though  continuing  his  residence  in  Hinsdale, 
was  for  twenty  years  the  Principal  of  the  Eng- 
lish high  school  and  the  Crane  high  and  manual 
training  school  of  Chicago. 

Churches.— There  are  four  English  speaking 
churches,  two  Swedish  and  two  German.  The 
oldest  of  these  is  the  Congregational  Church, 
which  started  as  the  Union  Congregational 
Church  in  the  old  depot,  August  12.  180C,  with 
twelve  members.  On  the  completion  of  the 
stone  schoolhouse  in  1808,  the  Congregational 
people  transferred  their  worship  to  Academy 
Hall,  as  it  was  called.  For  some  time  they  con- 
ducted Christian  worship  and  service  in  a  de- 
funct Baptist  church,  whose  double  towered 
building  was  one  of  the  picturesque  landmarks 
of  the  early  village,  until  it  furnished  impromptu 
fireworks  one  Fourth  of  July,  by  burning  to  the 
gromul.     .Vt   that  time,  however,   and   for  many 


678 


HISTORY  OF  DU  PAGE  COUNTY. 


years  previous,  its  use  as  a  liouse  of  \yorsliip  had 
ceased. 

Tlie  Rev.  C.  JI.  Sauuders,  a  student  .of  the 
Chicago  Theological  Seminary,  was  the  earliest 
pastor  of  the  Congregational  society,  and  was 
succeeded  by  Rev.  Flavel  Bascom,  a  saintly  man, 
who,  as  home  missionary  came  to  Illinois  in 
18.33.  Rev.  Bascom  was  oue  of  the  famons  Yale 
Baud,  who  were  instrumental  in  founding  the 
first  higher  institution  of  higher  learning  in  the 
State.  J.  W.  Hartshorn  succeeded  Mr.  Bascom 
in  187.3,  and  work  on  a  new  stone  edifice  was 
commenced  on  land  donated  by  Mr.  Robbins.  The 
basement  was  hardly  finished,  however,  when 
winter  and  an  empty  treasuiy  put  a  stop  to 
the  building.  In  this  extremity,  a  roof  was 
stretched  over  the  large  basement  mom,  and 
for  eight  years  the  congregation  worshipped  in 
this  queer  church,  which  resembled  a  great 
sod-house,  though  its  interior  was  commodious 
and  fairly  comfortable.  Rev.  .John  Ellis  of  the 
Rock  River  Methodist  Conference  was  invited 
to  become  pastor  in  1880,  and  the  following  year 
the  walls  of  the  church  were  carried  to  their 
proper  height.  The  building  was  completed,  and 
in  August,  1882,  was  dedicated,  free  of  debt. 
Mr.  Robbins  presented  the  organization  with  ad- 
joining land,  for  a  parsonage  which  was  erected 
in  1889. 

Grace  Episcopal  Church  celebrated  divine  wor- 
ship as  early  as  May,  1872.  but  the  parish  was 
not  regularly  established  until  March,  lS7.j.  The 
first  services  of  this  organization  were  held  in 
the  old  Unitarian  Church  built  by  Mr.  Stough. 
When  this  was  destroyed  by  fire,  the  old  Roth 
Hall  served  as  a  meeting  place.  The  present 
church  was  erected  in  1882,  on  land  presented 
by  Mr.  William  Robbins.  to  which  the  vestry 
added  by  the  purchase  of  another  lot.  A  large 
and  comfortalile  rectory,  adjuining  the  church 
proiierly.  was  built  in  1800. 

Unity  Churcli  came  into  existence  on  April  6, 
1887.  Services  were  held  in  the  old  Baptist 
Church,  then  known  as  Music  Hall,  until  the 
erection  of  a  pretty  stone  church,  now  owned  by 
this  society,  which  was  dedicated  .January  30, 
188;».  Rev.  W.  G.  Gannett,  pastor. 

The  Presbyterian  Mission  in  West  Hinsdale 
was  built  in  1880.  The  Presbyterian  Church  in 
Hinsdale  was  organized  in  ]S8r»,  and  their  church 
edifice  commenced  three  years  later.  It  was 
dedicated  in  1893,  Rev.  Cary  F.  Moore,  pastor. 

Other  churches  are  the  German  Lutheran,  the 


German  Evangelical,  the  .Swedish  Bethel  and  the 
Swedish  Baptist.  The  latter  conducts  services 
in  Gardner's  Hall,  but  the  others  have  erected 
comfortable,  neat  church  edifices  at  considerable 
cost,  a  credit  to  their  congregations  and  the 
town. 

Clubs. — The  Hinsdale  Club,  which  began  as 
an  informal  gathering  of  the  leading  citizens, 
finally  resolved  itself  into  a  formal  orgauization, 
with  E.  P.  Hines  as  chairman.  In  1889,  a 
charter  was  received,  a  hall  secured  and  fur- 
nished as  a  temporary  home  until  a  permanent 
one  could  be  built.  William  Duncan  was  the 
first  President.  The  beautiful  clubhouse  which 
now  adorns  the  town  is  a  distinct  honor  to  the 
village.  Its  cost  was  about  §!1~,000.  It  is 
equipped  with  all  the  necessary  adjuncts  for 
social  life,  and  has  a  large  auditorium  with  a 
seating  capacity  of  about  500.  Xo  gambling  is 
allowed  nor  are  liquors  sold. 

The  Woman's  Club,  the  largest  social  or- 
ganization in  Hinsdale,  commenced  as  a  mothers' 
class,  and  from  this  in  April,  ISn.'i.  emerged  the 
Woman's  Club.  The  charter  members  numbered 
just  one  hundred.  The  State  Cluljs  were  fed- 
erated that  year,  and  the  new  club  at  once 
joined  the  federation.  In  1909,  the  club  as- 
sisted in  the  organization  of  the  Eleventh  Dis- 
trict Federation  with  which  it  is  afl31iated,  and 
the  same  year  was  readmitted  to  the  General 
Federation  from  which  it  had  resigned  a  few 
years  previously.  The  design  of  the  organiza- 
tion is  mutual  help,  intellectual  improvement, 
social  enjoyment  and  united  effort  for  the  wel- 
fare of  the  community.  The  club  also  stretches 
out  a  helping  hand  to  many  organizations  in 
Chicago  and  elsewhere.  Its  influence  and  scope 
have  increased  beyond  what  was  dreamed  of  by 
•its  founders.  It  has  representation,  through 
delegates,  and  lends  aid  to  the  following  organ- 
izations :  Municipal  Art  League.  Chicago  Per- 
manent School  Extension  Committees.  Juvenile 
Protective  .\ssociation,  Illinois  Aiidubon  Society, 
National  Drama  League,  Park  Ridge  School 
for  Girls,  and  the  Fresh  .4ir  Home,  situated  in 
Hinsdale,  but  devoted  to  outings  for  city  chil- 
dren during  the  summer  months. 

The  club  has  five  departments  or  study  classes : 
The  Educational.  Bible  study.  Travel,  Music 
and  Drama,  all  earnestly  and  successfully  car- 
rying on  their  distinctive  study  and  work.  There 
are  more  than  300  members,  exclusive  of  the 
honorary  membership. 


89(r 


HISTORY  OF  DU  PAGE  COUNTY. 


679 


The  Men's  Club  is  of  ryeeut  orf:;iuiz,itioii, 
founded  in  tlie  last  five  years.  It  works  for 
civic  betterment  in  all  directions. 

Tlie  Hinsdale  Couuuercial  League,  an  organ- 
ization of  business  men  for  mutual  protection 
and  benefit,  was  organized  December  15,  1910. 

Clubs.— Tlie  Hinsdale  Golf  Club  lias  a  fine 
clubhouse  built  in  1010.  at  a  cost  of  $25,000, 
located  on  the  links  northwest  of  the  town,  on 
Chicago  Avenue.  This  is  an  attraction  which 
brings  many  Chicago  people  to  this  suburb. 

The  Country  Tennis  Club  has  been  in  exist- 
ence nearly  twenty  years,  and  has  four  good 
courts  in  a  central  location,  immediately  oppo- 
site the  Hinsdale  Clubhouse.  No  town  is  better 
equipped  with  opportunities  for  the  enjoyment 
of  life  than  is  Hinsdale.  In  1S85  its  quiet 
beauty  attracted  a  man  to  it  whose  fame  has 
carried  the  name  of  Hinsdale  all  over  the  world. 

A  Masonic  Lodge,  with  eighty-four  members, 
received  their  charter,  organized  and  installed 
officers  the  evening  of  January  5,  1911.  Down- 
er's Grove  has  had  a  lodge  and  chapter  for 
many  years. 

The  Knights  of  Pythias  were  organized,  and 
have  flourished  since  1893,  and  the  Royal  Ar- 
canum, Woodmen.  Maccabees  and  other  fra- 
ternal orders,  have  representation  in  Hinsdale. 
Hinsdale  is  well  equipiied  with  lodge  organiza- 
tions. 

The  G.  A.  R.  is  represented  by  Xaper  Post, 
No.  4C8,  which  was  located  in  Downer's  Grove 
in  1SS2,  with  Captain  T.  S.  Rogers,  Commander. 
Meetings  are  lield  in  Grand  Army  Hall,  Down- 
er's Grove.  To  the  loyalty  and  honor  of  the 
township,  be  it  said,  that  the  township  filled  all 
quotas  for  men  required  from  it  during  the  Civil 
war,  without  having  a  draft  forced  upon  it.  al- 
though in  1SC4,  it  became  necessary  to  hire  three 
or  more  men  to  complete  the  quota,  as  there 
were  no  more  available  men  in  the  township. 

Newspapers. — The  first  newspaper  published 
in  Hinsdale,  and  probalily  the  township,  was  the 
"Index."  It  was  a  bright,  newsy  little  sheet, 
issued  on  the  fifteenth  of  each  month ;  the  first 
copy  being  dated  May  15,  1S72.  T.  E.  Lonergan 
was  the  proprietor,  and  Fred  Shewell  the  editor. 
Mr.  D.  H.  Preston  has  possession  of  the  first 
number  issued,  w-hich  he  guards  with  great  care. 
The  Hinsdale  Beacon,  born  in  1SS8.  with  C.  H. 
Cushing  as  proprietor,  had  a  long  and  useful  life. 


The  Hinsdale  Herald  died  when  its  owner,  C. 
K.  Wright,  passed  away. 

The  "Hinsdale  Doings"  began  its  existence  in 
1894,  the  "Deacon"  having  ceased  publication, 
and  has  made  itself  essential  to  the  village  life 
and  its  activity.  Though  D.  H.  Merrill,  its 
editor  and  publisher,  was  but  sixteen  years  of 
age  when  his  paper  first  made  its  bow  to  the 
public,  his  journalistic  success  was  immediately 
assured.  His  paper  has  been  the  organ  of  so- 
cial and  civic  advancement  as  well  as  an  in- 
teresting record  of  the  daily  happenings  of  the 
village  and  township. 

The  "Downer's  Grove  Reporter,"  as  the  name 
implies,  is  the  organ  of  the  village  of  Downer's 
Grove. 

All  improvements  affecting  Hinsdale  were 
quickly  duplicated  in  Downer's  Grove.  Both 
places  are  now  no  longer  country  villages,  but 
handsome  suburban  towns. 

Highlands  and  West  Hinsdale  are  the  names 
of  the  east  and  west  ends  of  Hinsdale,  while 
Fullersburg  forms  the  northern  boundary. 

Rural  free  delivery  was  installed  at  the  Hins- 
dale postoffice  before  1890,  and  the  delivery  of 
mail  in  the  vaHjig^-in  lllOG.  There  are  three  mail 
carriers,  each^of  whom  travels  more  than  twelve 
miles  dail,v.._taktiig<  three  trips.  The  three  rural 
delivery  clerks  travel  twenty-five  miles  daily, 
taking  in  all  places  northwest  and  south  for  a 
considerable   dv^aiicg..,^ 

There  are  ifcrTaetOT^ies  .^Y  commercial  enter- 
prises t)ther  thiTJi  .the  Jjiisiness  places  necessary 
for  the  supplying  of  the  daily  wants  of  the  citi- 
zens. The  only  exceptions  to  this  are  the  green- 
houses of  which  the  Vassett  and  Washburn  rank 
among  the  largest  in  the  West ;  the  Merrill 
Printing  Company,  and  the  Hinsdale  Sanitarium. 
This  institution,  commenced  in  1904.  is  similar 
in  its  management  to  the  one  at  Battle  Creek, 
Mich.  Its  beautiful  situation,  excellent  facilities 
and  good  medical  attendance  brought  it  im- 
mediate popularity.  The  buildings  have  been 
increased  as  its  popularity  grew,  the  main  one 
being  a  large,  beautiful  and  imposing  structure. 

Banks. — Hinsdale  has  two  banks,  each  occupy- 
ing fine  accommodations  built  especially  for  their 
own  use.  The  Hinsdale  State  Bank  was  founded 
in  the  summer  of  1902.  and  The  Hinsdale  Trust 
and  Savings  Bank  in  the  fall  of  1910. 

The  township  is  rich  in  fine  highways  which 
tempt   the  automobilist  and   the   lover  of  good 


680 


HISTORY  OF  DU  PAGE  COUNTY. 


horses  to  speeding.  Few  places  outside  of  the 
old  eastern  towns  can  boast  of  as  fine  roads  or 
as  pleasant  drives,  bringing  constantly  chang- 
ing vistas,  peaceful  landscapes,  picturesque 
groves  and  thrift.v  farm  lands  into  view.  The 
"centur.v"  run  so  popuhir  in  bicycling  days,  and 
again  revived  for  automobile  races,  passes 
through  Hinsdale  and  Downer's  Grove  by  means 
of  Chicago  Avenue,  a  continuation  of  Fort.v- 
seventh  Street. 

A  new  addition  called  Clearview  was  annexed 
to  Hinsdale  in  the  summer  of  1910. 

The  noted  Sedgeley  Farm  on  the  south,  and 
the  etiually  famous  Natoma  Farm  on  the  north, 
furnish  sanitary  milk  for  tlie  comnnmity,  and 
also  for  Chicago. 

E.MiXEXT  Citizens. — The  late  Dr.  D.  K.  Fear- 
sons,  a  philanthropist,  came  here  in  1885,  and 
after  locating  in  the  village,  devoted  himself 
to  the  giving  away  of  his  large  fortune.  He 
disposed  of  .$0,000,000,  partially  endowing  about 
fifty  colleges  in  twent.v-eight  different  States.  He 
preferred  small  colleges  in  regions  yet  un- 
developed educationally,  and  by  requiring  the 
raising  of  an  endowment  fund  of  double  or 
treble  the  amount  bestowed,  insured  their  future 
prosperit.v.  Beloit.  Whitman,  Berea  and  Mt. 
Holyoke  were  among  his  favorite  institutions. 
Dr.  Pearsons  also  gave  liberally  to  the  Presby- 
terian Hospital,  which  he  helped  to  found ;  the 
City  Missionary  Society,  and  the  American 
Board. 

Among  other  important  citizens  may  be  men- 
tioned Dr.  John  B.  Heuch,  who  for  twenty- 
seven  years  has  successfully  ministered  to  the 
bodies  and  cheered  the  hearts  of  Hinsdale's  resi- 
dents. William  Evenden,  the  genial  proprietor 
of  the  oldest  drug  store ;  and  John  Bohlander, 
the  hardware  merchant,  both  of  whom  have  seen 
Hinsdale  grow  from  its  prairie  setting  to  the  in- 
fluential town  it  now  is,  are  but  two  among  many 
others  worthy  of  special  mention  did  space 
permit. 


The  town.ship  is  rich  in  natural  beauty,  in 
fertile  soil,  and  in  its  progressive  people.  It  is 
also  rich  in  pure  air,  pure  water,  and  the  spirit 
of  contentment,  and  in  all  things  which  make 
life  best   worth   living. 

Supervisors. — The  following  have  served 
their  township  on  the  County  Board  of  Super- 
visors : 

Leonard  K.   Hatch    18.50 

Walter    Blanchard     1851-53 

G.  W.  Alderman   1854 

Walter    Blanchard    18.55 

Seth   F.   Daniels    18.50 

Samuel  D.  Golyer  1857 

Leonard  K.  Hatch    1858-61 

L.    D.    Fuller    1802 

Leonard  K.   Hatch    180.''. 

John  A.  Thatcher  1804 

T.  S.  Rogers  1805 

J.    J.    Cole    1860-09 

J.  W.  Rogers   (vacancy)    1809 

Alanson    Ford    1870 

V.   Fredenliagan    1871-72 

H.   F.  Walker 187:! 

V.   Fredenhagen    1S74-75 

Alanson    Ford    1875-77 

Charles  Curtiss    1877-84 

Almeron   Ford    1885-86 

H.   C.  Middaugh    1887-89 

Frederick  Anderman,  Charles  Bartel   ...1890-91 

C.  B.  Blodgett,  H.  C.  Jliddaugh   1802-94 

C.   B.   Blodgett,   H,   C.    Middaugh,   James 

McClintock     1895-96 

C.   B.   Blodgett,   Fred   Anderman,   James 

McClintock    1897-99 

C.    B.    Blodgett.    Frank    Cramer,    James 

McClintock     1900-07 

C.    B.    Blodgett,    Frank    Cramer,    George 

Boyer    1908-12 

PopuLATiOJsr. — The  census  population  of  the 
township  (1910)  was  7,384,  of  which  2.001 
was  within  Downer's  Grove  Village,  and  2,451 
in  Hinsdale  Village. 


HISTORY  OF  DU  PAGE  COUNTY. 


681 


CHAPTER  XII 
LISLE  TOWNSHIP 

FIRST    SETTLEMENT    IN    DU    PAGE    COUNTY    MADE    IN 

LISLE    TOWNSHIP BAILEY     HOBSON    ARRIVES     IN 

1830 — OTHER  COMERS  OF  AN  EARLY  DAY — NEW 
ENGLANDERS  AND  GERMANS  THE  PRINCIPAL 
EARLY-  SETTLERS — RURAL  SCHOOLS  AND  CHURCHES 
— PHY'SICAL  CHARACTERISTICS — PART  OF  THE 
CITY'  OF  NAPERVILLE  IN  LISLE  TOWNSHIP — AGRI- 
CULTURE AND  DAIRYING  THE  PRINCIPAL  BUSI- 
NESS    IN     THE     RURAL     DISTRICTS^VILLAGES     OF 

LISLE    AND    BELMONT CITIZENS    OF    LISLE    WHO 

HAVE  SERVED  IN  THE  GENERAL  ASSEMBLY'  AND 
COUNTY'  OFFICES — LIST  OF  TOWNSHIP  SUPERWS- 
OKS — POPULATION    OF    TOWNSHIP 

(BY  F.  A.   KENDALL) 

Lisle  Township  is  the  oldest  settled  re^'ion 
in  Du  Page  Connty,  having  been  first  settled  by 
Bailey  Hobson  in  the  fall  of  1830.  Other  early 
arrivals  were  J.  C.  Hatch,  Isaac  Clark,  Thomas 
Jellies,  Martin  Nasher,  J.  C.  Stanley,  L.  Stan- 
ley, E.  Bush,  Mr.  W'illard,  Henry  Puffer.  A.  B. 
Chatfield,  John  Xaper,  Ponieroy  Goodrich,  John 
Thompsou,  John  Sargent,  Louis  Clark,  John 
Graves,  Martin  and  Stephen  Pierce,  Thomas 
Gates.  George  and  Charles  Parmely,  John  Dud- 
ley, Huchins  Crocker,  Harmon  aud  James  Car- 
man. R.  M.  Sweet,  Benjamin  Tupper  and  Daniel 
M.  Green. 

The  increase  in  population  has  not  been  so 
great  as  that  of  other  townships  in  the  southern 
part  of  Du  Page  County,  owing  to  the  size  of 
the  farms.  Many  of  the  first  settlers  came 
from  Xew  England  and  brought  with  them  their 
ideas  of  town  government  aud  opinions  of  that 
section.  There  are  also  many  Germans  who 
settled  later  throughout  the  township. 

Schools — Churches. — The  people  of  this 
township  were  chiefly  instrumental  in  effecting 
the  first  religious  organization  in  the  county, 
which  was  as  early  as  1833. 

In  1834,  a  log  schoolhouse  was  built  by  sub- 
scription near  the  present  site  of  Lisle  Station. 
Like  many  others  of  Its  kind,  it  was  also  used 
for  a  church,  and  the  Rev.  N.  Catllu  Clark,  a 
Congregational  minister,  preached  in  it.  The 
Rev.  Jeremiah  Porter,  well  known  as  a  pioneer 
evangelist,    also    preached    occasionally    at    the 


same  place.  Soon  after  a  church  was  built,  one 
and  one-aalf  miles  east  of  the  present  station  of 
Lisle,  in  which  services  were  held  by  the  Rev. 
Orange  Lyman.  This  building  was  afterwards 
purchased  by  the  Lutherans.  Serrices  were  then 
held  in  a  new  schoolhouse  built  in  1837,  until 
the  Congregationalists  built  a  new  church  edifice 
that  now  stands  at  Lisle  Station. 

In  1836.  a  Sunday  school  was  organized  at 
the  residence  of  Mr.  Green,  Deacon  Goodrich 
acting  as  Superintendent. 

Phy'sical  Characteristics. — The  surface  of 
Lisle  Township  consists  chiefly  of  rolling  ijrairie, 
interspersed  with  groves  of  growing  timber.  The 
township  was  formerly  named  Du  Page,  for  the 
Du  Page  River,  both  forks  of  which  run  through 
it,  but  there  being  a  township  of  that  name  in 
Will  County,  the  name  of  Lisle  was  adopted  in 
1850.  in  honor  of  the  late  Lisle  Smith  of  Chicago, 
having  been  suggested  by  A.  B.  Chatfield. 

The  part  of  the  city  of  Naperville  which  lies 
in  this  township,  includes  the  city  park,  six 
churches,  one  public  school,  one  parochial  school, 
the  Northwestern  College,  the  lounge  factory, 
and  about  one-half  of  the  population  of  the  city, 
but  this  is  taken  up  in  connection  with  the  city 
of  Naperville  aud  dealt  with  accordingly. 

Business  Enterprises. — The  Naperville  and 
Oswego  plank  road  was  constructed  through 
the  central  part  of  this  township.  The  promo- 
ters of  this  road  aimed  to  improve  the  communi- 
cation between  Oswego,  Naperville  and  Chicago, 
and  thereby  retain  the  travel  which  would  other- 
wise be  drawn  to  the  railroad  which  was  being 
built  at  the  same  time.  This  road  was  com- 
pleted from  Chicago  to  Naperville,  but  no  farther. 
The  project  was  a  failure. 

The  Hobson  Mill,  two  miles  south  of  Naper- 
ville, was  among  the  first  established  in  this  part 
of  the  State.  There  was  no  grist-mill  north  of 
it,  not  even  at  Galena,  which  at  that  time  was 
a  very  important  city.  This  mill  was  known 
far  and  wide.  Daniel  M.  Green  ran  the  mill  on 
shares  during  the  years  18-3G  aud  1837.  and  the 
cash  receipts  for  meal  were  over  $4,000  per  an- 
num. 

The  people  in  the  rural  districts  are  chiefly 
engaged  in  agricultural  aud  dairy  pursuits.  The 
farmers  generally  have  large  and  highly  cul- 
tivated farms,  and  are  in  independent  circum- 
stances. 


682 


HISTORY  OF  DU  PAGE  COUNTY. 


The  Village  of  Lisle. — Lisle  is  a  station  on 
the  Cliicago.  Burlington  &  Quiney  Railroad,  in 
the  midst  of  a  region  not  surpassed  in  fertility 
by  any  in  Du  Page  County.  There  is  more  milk 
shipped  from  this  station  than  from  any  other 
on  the  road.  It  is  a  good  business  place,  sus- 
taining a  post  office,  two  general  stores,  one 
hardware  store,  one  grain  elevator,  one  cream- 
ery, and  one  blacksmith  shop.  The  village  is 
platted,  and  the  place  is  liable  to  rally  at  any 
time  and  become  a  thriving  community. 

Belmont. — The  station  east  of  Lisle  on  the 
Chicago.  Burlington  &  Quiney  Railroad,  is  Bel- 
mont. Although  platted  into  twenty-five  foot 
lots,  and  dirided  up  into  several  additions,  mak- 
ing an  imposing  map.  there  are  only  five  houses 
in  the  place. 

The  Belmont  Golf  Club  is  loc-ated  here,  also 
the  Kidwell  Greenhouses,  which  are  the  largest 
in  Du  Page  County. 

Public  Officials. — Lisle  Township  has  given 
the  following  men  to  serve  in  the  State  General 
Assembly : 

Jeduthan  Hatch    1S42 

Algernon  S.  Barnard  1862 

James  G.  Wright   1880 

M.  S.  Ellsworth  served  as  County  Clerk  from 
Lisle  from  1870  to  1882. 

C.  R.  Parmlee  served  from  isr>0  to  1861.  as 
Sheriff  of  Du  Page  County. 

In  18.52.  Jeduthan  Hatch  of  Lisle,  was  elected 
County  Judge  of  Du  Page  County. 

From  1876  to  1882,  James  M.  Vallette  was 
County  Surveyor  of  Du  Page  County. 

Prominent  Citizens. — Deacon  P.  Goodrich 
came  to  Du  Page  Count.v,  with  his  brothers,  in 
1832.  He  took  a  claim  of  .320  acres  and  re- 
mained on  this  farm  until  his  death. 

C.  H.  Goodrich  came  to  Du  Page  County  with 
his  parents  in  1832.  The  parents  were  two  of 
the  founders  of  the  Congregational  Church  at 
Naperville.  One  of  the  first  school  houses  lo- 
cated in  this  neighborhood  was  on  the  northwest 
corner  of  his  farm.  Mr.  Goodrich  is  still  living 
at  the  old  homestead. 

Luther  Hatch  also  came  to  Du  Page  County 
from  New  Hami>shirt  in  1832,  and  located  on  a 
farm  near  the  present  site  of  Lisle  Station.  The 
farm  is  still  in  the  possession  of  his  descendants. 

William  H.  Bannister,  with  his  brothers,  came 


to  Du  Page  County,  from  New  York,  in  1840. 
He  soon  after  purchased  a  farm  of  313  acres  of 
fine  land  near  Naperville.  and  resided  there  until 
his  death. 

William  B.  Greene  came  to  this  county  in 
1841  and  engaged  in  rural  pursuits.  In  1843 
he  bought  200  acres  of  land  for  $1000.  on  which 
he  made  his  home  until  his  death. 

Reuben  Puffer  came  to  this  county  in  1843, 
locating  on  a  farm  adjoining  the  present  site 
of  Belmont.  He  c-outinued  to  live  at  this  place 
until  his  death,  which  occurred  in  1867. 

Elijah  Root  was  another  who  emigrated  to 
this  county  in  1843,  from  Benson.  Vt.,  and  pur- 
chased 147  acres  of  land.  In  1851  he  went  to 
California,  by  way  of  the  Isthmus  of  Panama, 
and  engaged  in  mining  business.  He  afterwards 
returned  to  the  farm,  and  remained  there  until 
he  died. 

Alois  Schwartz  came  to  Du  Page  County  in 
1843.  He  was  accompanied  by  Lis  parents  and 
brothers.  Lawrence.  Joseph,  Ferdinand.  Louis, 
Antoine  and  Michael.  They  were  emigrants  from 
Germany  and  settled  on  the  farm  now  owned 
by  Michael  Schwartz  near  the  center  of  Lisle 
Township.  Mr.  Schwartz  went  to  California  In 
1850,  where  he  mined  successfully  for  about  fi^'e 
years,  after  which  he  returned  to  Lisle  Town- 
ship, and  settling  on  a  farm  near  Lisle  Station, 
lived  on  this  property  until  his  death. 

Albert  Schmidt  came  to  this  county  in  1843, 
from  Alsace.  Germany.  He  settled  on  the  farm 
with  his  parents  and  remained  there  until  his 
demise. 

F.  S.  Ory  came  to  Du  Page  County  from  Ger- 
many in  1844.  and  bought  a  farm  of  200  acres 
near  Lisle  Station.  Later,  he  purchased  more 
land  until  his  farm  consisted  of  3fJ0  acres,  and 
he  remained  on  it  until  his  death. 

Solomon  Mertz  came  here  from  Pennsylvania 
in  1845,  buying  a  farm  of  3.50  acres  near  Lisle 
Station.  He  farmed  there  successfully  until  his 
retirement,  when  he  removed  to  Naperville  and 
resided  there  until  his  death.  , 

E.  W.  Heynen  came  to  Du  Page  County  from 
Germany,  in  1848,  settling  on  a  farm  near  Free- 
port.  In  1856  he  purchased  a  farm  in  Lisle 
Township,  east  of  Naperville.  and  resided  on  it 
until  his  death.  The  farm  is  still  in  the  posses- 
sion of  his  descendants. 

Henry  Netzley  came  to  Du  Page  County  with 
his  parents  from  Pennsylvania  in  1851.  and  set- 
tled on  a  farm  near  Lisle  Station.    He  made  the 


FIRST   TEE,   CHICAGO   GOLF   flA'K.    WHKATON. 


KXTRAXl  E   CHKA(iO   GOLF   CLIP.,    WHF.ATOX. 


CHICAGO   GOLF   CLUB.    WJIEATOX. 


COTTAGES.    CHICAGO    GOLF   CLUB,    WHEATON. 


HISTORY  OF  DU  PAGE  COUNTY. 


683 


trip  bj-  .steamboat.  For  a  few  years,  the  family 
did  all  the  tilliug  of  the  soil  and  the  hauling  of 
grain  to  Chicago,  with  oxen. 

Maurice  Neff,  a  native  of  Alsace.  France  (now 
Germauy),  settled  on  a  farm  of  104  acres  near 
wliat  is  now  St.  Procopius  College,  in  18.52.  He 
spent  the  years  of  18.50  and  18ol  mining  iu  Cali- 
fornia, and  during  the  Mexican  War  served  as 
a  soldier. 

John  Ileitzler  came  to  Lisle  Township  with 
his  parents  in  1853.  They  were  natives  of 
.\lsace,  now  Germany.  The  family  settled  on  a 
farm  of  170  acres. 

John  Nadelhoft'er  came  to  Du  Page  County 
from  Germany  in  1,S5C.  After  working  by  the 
month  and  renting  land  for  a  few  years,  he 
bought  a  farm  of  143  acres  where  he  continued 
to  live,  and  later  became  the  owner  of  1.50  acres, 
the  result  of  his  own  labor. 

Adam  Gessner  came  to  Du  Page  County  from 
Germany  in  1850,  worked  for  a  time  for  the 
munificent  salary  of  four  to  ten  dollars  per 
month,  being  engaged  in  chopping  wood  and  sim- 
ilar tasks.  In  1870  he  purchased  a  farm  of  170 
acres  of  land,  upon  which  he  resided  for  sev- 
eral ye:irs.  .\fter  his  retirement,  he  moved  to 
Naperville  where  he  has  since  continued  to 
reside. 

Supervisors. — The  following  men  have  served 
Li.sle  Towushij)  as  members  of  the  County  Board 
of  Supervisors,  from  1850  to  1912. 

Amasa  Morse   1850 

Jeduthan  Hatch  1851 

John  Stanley   18.52 

Lewis  Ellsworth  1853 

Hiram  H.  Cody   1854 

James  C.  Hatch 1855 

Amasa  Morse   1856 

John  Collins   1857 

William  B.  Greene 1858 

A.  S.  Barnard 1859 

Graham  Thorne    1860 

John  H.  llobson 1861 

C.  H.  Goodrich  1862 

R.  S.  Palmer  1863 

Gilbert  Barber  1864-65 

E.  E.  Page 1806 

Lewis   Ellsworth    1867  • 

E.  E.  Page  1808-75 

William  King  1875-81 

B.  B.  Boecker 1,881-83 

Peter  Thompson  1884-87 


William  King  1SS8-91 

D.  D.  Barnard  1892-99 

A.   W.    Kohley    1900-03 

Alvin  Scott,  Sr 1904-08 

Irving    Goodrich    1909-11 

A.  H.  Kohley    1912 

Popi'LATioN. — The  iwpulaliou  of  Lisle  Town- 
ship iu  1910  was  2.892,  of  which  1,626  consti- 
tuted a  part  of  the  city  of  Naperville. 


CIIAPTEIt  XI II 


MILTON  TOWNSHIP 


INFLUENCE     OF     THE     N.\PER    BROTHERS     IN     E.\RLY 

SETTLE.MENT      OF       MILTON      TOWNSHIP — OTHERS 

WHO     CAME    AT     LATER     PERIODS — FIRST     SCHOOL 

AND    FIRSTTEACHER — MILTON    TOWNSHIP   AS   AN 

'.\Q»IOULT.UH.\fe      DfeTRIGT — WHEATON      CITY — ITS 

":Ca!I;5JK,^D,IiE    to   JTlE'TvkEATON    BROTHERS,   JESSE 

'C.      AND       W.\RREN       L.    —    EARLY      CITIZENS      OF 

WhEATON — FIRST     STORE     AND     TAVERN — INFLU- 

j 

•«NCE    OF    THE  JTALENA    &    CHICAGO    UNION    RAIL- 

■«o.^:^,(>ri.im»'FUTURfi  of  wheaton — it  becomes 

THE  COUNTY-  SEAT  IN  1868  AND  IS  INCORPORATED 
AS     A     CITY^     IN     1891 — PUBLIC     BUILDINGS     AND 

LOCAL      IMPROVEMENTS    —    PUBLIC      SCHOOLS   

WHEATON      COLLEGE CHURCH      HISTORY — BANKS 

AND  NEWSPAPERS VOLUNTEER  FIRE  DEPARTMENT 

— GLEN      ELLY'N      VILLAGE SOME      INCIDENTS     OF 

LOCAL     HISTORY" CHURCHES — SCHOOLS     AND    LI- 
BRARY"— TOWNSHIP    SUPERVI.SORS — POPULATION. 

(BY-  F.  E.   WHEATON.) 

Milton  Township  owes  its  establishment  to  the 
ambitions  of  the  two  Naper  brothers,  who.  while 
commanding  vessels,  still  cherished  the  hope  of 
sometime  owning  land  and  making  their  home 
upon  it.  Finally  they  induced  two  meu  to  join 
them  in  a  westward  trip  to  select  a  suitable  lo- 
cation. These  companions  were  Lyman  Butter- 
field  and  Henry  T.  Wilson.  The  little  party 
left  Ashtabula,  Ohio,  in  June.  1831,  and  reached 
Chicago  iu  safety.  However,  that  little  village 
did   not   appeal  to   them,   and  they  made  their 


684 


HISTORY  OF  DU  PAGE  COUNTY. 


way  to  the  present  site  of  Xaperville,  where 
they  were  during  the  Blacl^  Hawk  War  scare. 
but  in  the  following  spring,  Mr.  Butterfield  and 
Mr.  Wilson,  leaving  the  Xaper  brothers,  branched 
out  for  themselves,  the  former  taking  up  a 
tract  of  320  acres  entirely  within  the  present 
boundaries  of  Milton  Township,  while  Mr.  Wil- 
son established  himself  at  the  junction  of  Lisle, 
Winfield  and  Milton  Townships. 

In  1833  Ralph  and  Morgan  Babcock  took  up 
claims  which  embraced  nearly  all  of  what  was 
called  Babcock  Grove. 

The  year  1S3-1  brought  Deacon  Winslow 
Churchill  and  sons,  Seth,  Winslow,  Jr.,  and 
Hiram,  although  the  latter  later  located  just 
north  of  the  center  of  Lombard;  Mrs.  Morgan 
Babcock ;  John  D.  Ackerman  and  family. 

Those  who  settled  here  in  1835  were:  Moses 
Stacy  and  wife,  who  built  and  operated  a  tav- 
ern that,  at  one  time,  was  one  of  the  most  pop- 
ular iu  the  county,  and  later  ou  Stacy's  Corners 
became  known  as  Du  Page  Center. 

In  1S3T  David  Christian  located  at  Du  Page 
Center  and  put  up  a  frame  house,  the  first  iu 
the  township.  Within  a  short  time  two  stores, 
a  factory,  harness  shop,  blacksmith  shop,  wagon 
shop  and  a  dozen  or  more  houses  had  sprung 
up  around  the  tavern.  This  little  settlement 
flourished  until  the  building  of  the  Galena  & 
Chicago  Union  Railroad,  when  trade  was  di- 
verted from  it,  and  all  the  business  houses  were 
removed  elsewhere. 

William  D.  Dodge,  with  his  sons  X.  ilason, 
Darwin  D..  William  B.  and  J.  S.,  all  arrived  iu 
1835.  About  this  time,  Warren  L.  and  Jesse  C. 
Wheaton.  Erastus  Gary.  Peter  Crosby,  S.  H. 
Manchester.  Alviu  Simmons  and  Peter  Xorthrup 
came  to  the  township,  aud  soon  made  their  in- 
fluence felt.  After  this  settlements  were  numer- 
ous, and  those  who  came  here  were  imbued  with 
the  desire  to  secure  homes,  so  did  not  take  up 
the  land  for  speculative  purposes.  They  were 
determined  to  establish  themselves  permanently, 
and  bent  every  energy  to  secure  good  schools, 
passable  roads,  and  to  enact  laws  that  would 
protect  them  in  every  way. 

First  School. — As  is  usually  the  case  in  any 
pioneer  locality,  the  first  school  was  held  in  a 
log  house.  Perhaps  the  first  In  the  township 
was  the  little  one  built  by  subscription  in  1835, 
on  the  small  tributary  of  the  East  Fork,  in  a 
small   opening  of  the  grove.     This  little  house 


served  a  double  purpose,  for  during  the  week  it 
was  a  schoolhouse  and  on  Sunday  was  dignified 
by  divine  serrices  held  within  its  walls  by  the 
earnest  men  aud  women  who  took  their  religion 
gravely  and  seriously,  and  considered  it  a  duty 
and  privilege  to  be  allowed  to  worship  together. 

The  first  teacher  was  Miss  Maria  Dudley, 
kindly  remembered  by  a  few  of  the  older  genera- 
tion as  a  careful  instructress.  The  first  preacher 
to  hold  service  iu  the  township  was  the  Rev. 
Pillsbury.  although  Presiding  Elder  Clark  held 
a  funeral  service  here  some  months  before  over 
the  body  of  Amanda  Churchill,  the  first  white 
person  to  die  in  the  township.  With  her  pass- 
ing away  came  the  questiou  of  the  location  of  a 
burial  place  for  the  dead.  As  there  was  no  place 
set  apart,  her  remains  were  interred  in  private 
grounds. 

The  present  cemetery,  which  is  kuowu 
throughout  Du  Page  County  and  the  country,  is 
adjoining  Wheaton,  and  is  known  by  the  name 
of  the  county  seat.  Its  distinction  is  due  to  the 
magnificent  mausoleum  of  marble  and  bronze, 
erected  there  by  Judge  Gary,  at  a  cost  of 
$100,000. 

Jlilton  Township  is  located  nearly  iu  the  cen- 
ter of  Du  Page  County,  aud  is  six  miles  square. 
This  land  was  uot  densely  covered  with  timber, 
although  there  was  plenty  in  the  early  days. 
With  the  exception  of  the  laud  along  the  river 
there  was  little  swamp  land,  and  much  of  this 
low  land  has  been  drained  aud  placed  under 
cultivation.  Some  very  valuable  gravel  banks 
west  of  the  river  have  been  developed  but  other- 
wise, outside  of  Wheaton,  this  section  is  largely 
agricultural.  The  farms  are  models  of  neatness. 
si>Iendidly  developed,  and  the  land  produces 
good  crops,  easily  marketed  by  the  several  rail- 
road systems  so  conveniently  located  with  regard 
to  the  farming  sections. 

Wheaton  City. — The  city  of  Wheaton,  named 
for  Jesse  C.  Wheaton,  owes  its  birth  to  two 
men,  Erastus  Gary  aud  Jesse  C.  Wheaton.  The 
former  came  to  what  afterwards  became  the 
county  seat  of  Du  Page  County,  in  the  spring 
of  1832.  locating  a  claim  next  to  that  of  Mr. 
Butterfield.  About  him  gathered  others  until 
the  place  was  known  as  Gary's  Settlement.  It 
was  not  until  June  1.  1837.  that  Jesse  C. 
Wheaton  came  here,  aud  it  was  not  until  a  year 
later  that  he  located  a  claim  of  640  acres,  for 
he  did  some  exploring  to  convince  himself  that 


C]TY    HALL,    WHKATOX. 


^A^IEATu^  uiti:  j)i;i>ARTiiEXT 


WTIEATON    GYMXASIUiL 


HIliH    SCHOOL,    WHKATOX. 


HISTORY  OF  DU  PAGE  COUNTY. 


685 


Du  rage  County  \v:is  the  liest  spot  hi  wliieli  to 
make  a  home.  Still  later,  he  was  joiueil  by  his 
brothel-  Warren  L.  AVheaton.  and  later.  J.  C. 
Wheaton  married  the  sister  of  Erastus  Gary, 
thus  couuecting  the  two  families  which  were  to 
play  so  important  a  part  in  the  organization  and 
development  of  Wheaton. 

Following  the  location  of  the  Wheatons,  came 
Feter  Crosby,  S.  H.  llanchester  and  Avin  Sim- 
mons. Henry  T.  Wilson  was  a  resident  of  Du 
Page  County  before  these,  but  did  not  settle  in 
Wheaton  until  some  time  later.  The  house 
which  he  then  built  is  still  standing. 

Naturally,  as  is  the  case  with  all  pioneer  com- 
munities, the  business  house  was  a  grocery  store, 
for  the  demand  for  foodstuffs  is  always  insist- 
ent and  increasing  with  the  influx  of  population. 
and  in  connection  witli  it  the  proprietor,  I'at- 
rieli  Lynch  operated  an  old-time  tavern.  The 
second  store  was  owned  and  operated  by  H.  H. 
Fuller,  who  later  became  a  hotel  man,  postmas- 
ter, and  had  a  stage  route  and  depot.  His  death 
occurred  in  1011.  This  store  stood  on  the  present 
site  of  the  Central  Hotel,  just  south  of  the 
depot. 

A  Mr.  Wormwith  was  the  village  blacksmithv 
putting  up  his  shop  on  the  present  site  of  fh£.'. 
store  of  Grotte  Brothers. 

With   the  building  of  the  Galena   &  Chicago 
Union  Railroad  the  future  of  Wheaton  wa|i  asj^, 
sured.     Much   bitter  controversy   arose  refcitin».H 
to  the  right  of  way  of  this  road,  various  settjg;  _ 
meuts    striving   to    secure   its   passage   through 
their  confines,  but  Wheaton  was  chosen  as  one  of 
the  stopping  points.     This  decision,  of  course, 
gave  added  impetus  to  the  growth  of  the  place, 
and  June  20,  1853,  the  little  village  was  organ- 
ized,   and   named   for   Jesse   C.   Wheaton,   who, 
with  his  brother  W.  L.  '5\Tieaton  and  others,  had 
laid  it  out. 

Within  the  next  six  years,  the  village  grew 
until  it  had  a  population  of  SCO.  However, 
owing  to  the  low  ground  upon  which  the  village 
was  built,  the  streets  and  roads  leading  thereto 
were  almost  impassable  at  certain  seasons  of  the 
year,  and  in  order  to  provide  proper  authority 
and  means  for  making  necessary  improvements, 
the  first  charter  was  adopted  and  approved  Feb- 
ruary 24,  1S59,  and  the  second,  March  11,  1869. 
Public  improvements  were  inaugurated  in 
June,  1877,  and  the  people  of  the  flourishing 
city  have  not  yet  completed  all  their  iilans,  al- 
though the  place  is  now  a  model  for  all  smaller 


cities,  so  nearly  perfect  are  its  arrangements 
and  systems  of  various  kinds.  In  1891  Wheaton 
was  incorporated  as  a  city.  The  present  mayor 
of  Wheaton  is  H.  A.  Schryver. 

In  June,  ISGS,  the  voters  of  Du  Page  County 
held  an  election  relative  to  the  removal  of  the 
county  seat  from  Naperville,  the  original  loca- 
tion, to  Wheaton,  and  the  outcome  of  this  was 
the  selection  of  the  latter  place  for  the  perma- 
nent home  of  the  county  capital.  Some  mouths 
elapsed,  however,  before  the  actual  removal  took 
place.  A  full  account  of  this  controversy  is 
given  in  another  section.  It  is  au  important 
chapter  in  the  history  of  the  county. 

Public  Buildings. — The  present  stately  court 
house  was  erected  by  direct  taxation  at  a  cost  of 
$80,000,  but  is  now  valued  at  $100,000.  The  jail 
and  Sheriff's  house,  located  in  the  same  grounds 
as  the  court  house,  were  put  up  at  a  cost  of 
.$35,000.  The  County  Home,  comprising  a  mag- 
nificent farm  of  185  acres  and  a  three-story 
fireproof  building,  with  nccoiimiodatious  for  100 
persons,  is  held  at  a  valuation  of  .$100,000. 
The  city  of  Wheaton  has  a  fine  city  hall,  cou- 
■^tVilCted' ^it'^i'^st  of  $25,000,  and  its  beautiful 
;jfljBliC'.iibc\r.^  known  as  the  Adams  Memorial 
Library,'  was  donated  and  is  maintained  by  the 
Adams  family.*  There  are  fully  5,000  books  in 
the  collection,  and  the  people  of  Wheaton  are 

Those  who  love  Wheaton,  and  have  made  this 
deligtrtfu! '  city  their  home  for  years,  as  well 
as  the  newer  residents,  claim  that  it  possesses 
unsurpassed  transportation  facilities.  It  is  only 
twenty-five  miles  west  of  Chicago,  and  the  Chi- 
cago &  Northwestern  Railroad  and  the  great 
Third  Rail  System  make  it  possible  for  business 
men  of  the  great  metropolis  of  the  West,  to  go 
to  and  fro  daily  to  their  Wheaton  homes,  as 
rapidly  as  those  within  the  limits  of  Chicago 
who  are  forced  to  depend  upon  surface  street 
cars  for  transportation.  At  least  150  trains 
connect  Wheaton  with  Chicago  and  intermediate 
points.  The  Third  Rail  System  is  building  a 
magnificent  new  depot  at  a  cost  exceeding  $50,- 
000.  which  will  still  further  add  to  the  beauty 
of  the  place  and  its  desirability  as  a  place  of 
residence. 

There  are  fifteen  miles  of  brick  and  mae.-idam 
paved  streets,  twenty-five  miles  of  cement  walks, 
a  fine  system  of  sewerage  and  drainage,  and 
thirty  miles  of  water  mains,  through  which  ar- 


686 


HISTORY  OF  DU  PAGE  COUNTY. 


tesian  water  is  propelled  by  a  newly  installetl 
gas  engine. 

The  present  population  is  about  4.000.  and 
tbey  enjoy  so  many  benefits  that  W'beaton  is 
sometimes  called  the  City  of  Happy  Home.s.  and 
again  the  .Sylvan  City,  the  latter  name  coming 
from  the  fact  that  its  streets,  and  wide-spread- 
ing lawns  are  studded  with  stately  trees,  sur- 
vivors of  the  monarehs  of  the  forest  which  were 
standing  when  Warren  L.  and  Jes.se  C.  Wheaton 
settled  in  what  was  to  become  the  namesake  city 
of  these  brothers. 

Schools. — Aside  from  other  claims  to  su- 
premacy. Wheaton  is  justly  recognized  as  an  edu- 
cational center  almost  without  a  peer.  The  high 
school,  to  which  the  surrounding  country  sends 
pupils,  maintains  a  high  degree  of  excellence, 
and  there  are  three  other  schools  of  the  gram- 
mar grade,  which  are  equally  good.  The  Long- 
fellow school,  recently  completed  at  a  cost  of 
$.30,000.  is  one  of  the  finest  school  structures  of 
its  rank  in  the  state. 

Prof.  O.  J.  Milliken  here  carries  on  his  famous 
Farm  Vacation  School  for  Boys.  There  are  ex- 
cellent Catholic  and  German  Lutheran  parochial 
schools,  and  several  private  institutions,  all  of 
which  are  well  known. 

Wheaton  College  is  known  wherever  educa- 
tional privileges  are  appreciated.  This  institu- 
tion is  the  outgrowth  of  action  on  the  part  of  the 
Wesleyan-Methodist  denomination  of  Illinois, 
under  the  name  of  the  Illinois  Institute.  It  was 
opened  December  14.  1853,  with  the  Rev.  John 
Cross  in  charge.  He  was  later  succeeded  suc- 
cessively by  the  Rev.  C.  F.  Winship.  Rev.  G.  P. 
Kimball.  Miss  Pierce  and  Rev.  Jonathan 
Blanchard.  when  the  Rev.  J.  A.  Martling  took 
charge,  and  the  name  was  changed  to  Wheaton 
College  in  ISOO,  and  a  new  charter  granted  by 
the  Legislature  in  1861.  For  some  years  the 
college  labored  under  a  heavy  debt,  but  that  was 
eventually  discharged,  and  the  imposing  buildings 
of  today  are  indicative  of  the  strength  of  the 
institution.  The  main  building  and  grounds  are 
valued  at  .$7.o.000 ;  the  Women's  Building,  at 
$2."i,00o:  the  Gynniasium.  at  .$15,000.  while  the 
Industrial   Building  cost  .$10,000. 

The  faculty  is  one  of  the  best  connected  with 
any  institution  of  its  kind  in  the  country, 
Charles  A.  Blanchard,  A.  M..  D.  D..  being  Presi- 
dent and   Professor  of  Psychology  and  Ethics ; 


Herman  A.  Fischer,  A.  M..  Treasurer,  Professor 
of  Astronomy  and  Instructor  in  German  ;  Darien 
A.  Straw,  JI.  S..  Secretary.  Professor  of  Logic 
and  Rhetoric;  Elliott  Wliipple.  A.  M..  Professor 
of  Civics  and  Economics ;  E.  E.  Guinter.  A.  M., 
Professor  of  Greek  Language  and  Literature; 
Elsie  S.  Dow,  A.  M.,  Registrar,  Professor  of 
History  and  English  Literature ;  George  H. 
Smith,  A.  M.,  B.  D.,  Professor  of  Latin  Lan- 
guage and  Literature ;  Frances  C.  Blanchard, 
A.  M.,  M.  D.,  Professor  of  Physiology ;  Harriet 
Gertrude  Blaine,  A.  M.,  Associate  Professor  in 
Latin  and  Instructor  in  French ;  Walker  S. 
Peniberton.  A.  JI..  Professor  of  Mathematics  and 
Dean  of  the  Academy ;  William  F.  Rice,  A.  B.. 
Acting  Professor  in  Physics ;  Homer  H.  Ilelmig, 
A.  B.,  Instructor  in  Chemistry ;  Florence  E. 
Murray,  A.  B..  Dean  of  Women  and  Instructor 
in  History ;  Edward  F.  Williams  .D.  D.,  LL.  D., 
Lecturer  on  the  history  of  Philosophy  and 
Ethics:  Virginia  Graliam,  Director  of  Conserva- 
tory of  Music  and  Instructor  In  voice  and  choral 
work;  Marguerite  Dresser,  A.  P...  Instructor  of 
pipe  organ  and  piano ;  Blanche  Johnson,  In- 
structor of  piano  for  children ;  Emma  S.  Wyman, 
A.  B..  Instructor  in  art  and  public  speaking; 
Josephine  Kennedy.  Instructor  in  Domestic 
Science;  Sophie  Mebold,  Instructor  in  bookkeep- 
ing; Maud  Mitchell.  Instructor  in  shorthand; 
Matthias  Elsen.  A.  B.,  Ph.vsical  Director  for 
.vonng  meu  and  assistant  in  academy;  Ida  Wohl- 
fahrt.  Instructor  in  Physical  Culture  for  young 
women ;  Julia  E.  Blanchard,  A.  B.,  Librarian ; 
Ross  Grange.  Laboratory  Assistant  in  Chemis- 
try, and  Leon  D.  Gray,  Manager  of  the  College 
Press. 

The  c-ourses  of  instruction  are :  Pliilosoph.v. 
Political  Science  and  Economics.  History.  Natu- 
ral Sciences.  Mathematics,  English,  Ancient  and 
Modern  Languages,  and  tlie  Bible. 

There  is  also  a  commercial  department,  em- 
bracing bookkeeping,  business  arithmetic,  pen- 
manship, correspondence,  commercial  law,  short- 
hand, typewriting  and  other  business  methods ; 
a  complete  musical  and  art  course,  as  well  as 
one  in  domestic  science. 

Wheaton  College,  as  it  is  today,  stands  as  a 
monument  to  the  energy  and  progressive  spirit 
of  the  Rev.  Jonathan  Blanchard.  who  put  his 
whole  life  into  the  development  of  the  institu- 
tion which  came  under  his  charge.  His  name 
is  revered  in  connection  with  the  college  and 
the  church  which  he  developed. 


i2£^ii»*>^,^ 


"VVHEATON    COLLEGE. 


w  III-,. \  ION    (  oi.i.iM.r,    111  ii;  Ml mio  . 


GViLXASll'.M,    WUEATOX    (  ol.l.l.!  .1.. 


IX1JU.STKIAL    l;llMilX(,.    WIIKATUX    COLLEGE. 


HISTORY  OF  DU  PAGE  COUNTY. 


687 


Being  a  college  aiul  residence  district. 
Wlieatou  is  naturally  the  home  of  some  of  the 
best  attended  churches  in  the  county.  A  brief 
history  of  them  follows: 

The  Coliege  Church  of  Christ  originated 
in  a  society  organized  in  February.  18-13,  with 
the  following  ministers  \vho  succeeded  each 
other  until  1855;  Revs.  Rufus  Lamry,  Milton 
Smith,  .\lexander  McArthur,  L.  B.  Ferris,  John 
Cross.  G.  Clark,  AVilliam  Kimball,  H.  Monlton, 
William  Whitten  and  R.  F.  Markbam.  followed 
by  Rev.  Joel  Grinnell.  G.  P.  Kimball  and  L.  C. 
Matlack.  until  IS.'O.  In  January,  18(30,  a  new- 
charter  was  adopted,  and  its  name  became  the 
First  Church  of  Christ  in  Wheaton.  with  the 
Rev.  J.  Blancbard  as  pastor.  This  same  year,  it 
united  with  the  other  Congregationalists  of  the 
Fox  River  district,  becoming  the  college  church. 
The  Rev.  J.  B.  Brooks  is  the  present  pastor. 

Tte  First  Co.xcregatio.nal  Church  was  a  di- 
vision of  the  Church  of  Christ,  adopting  the 
above  name  in  January,  1879.  In  1911,  the 
name  was  changed  to  the  present  one.  and  its 
title  is  The  Presbyterian  Church  of  Whe;i.ton, 
the  Rev.   Shepard  being  the  present  pastor.  ■"•"'' 

The    Gary-Memori.\l    Methodist    Episcop.\l 
Church  is  the  largest  in  Du  Page  Couaty.  ■•The, . 
magnificent   edifice,   erected   by   Judge   Gary   iii'- 
memory   of  bis   father,   Erastus   Gary,   ant}- his  , 
wife,  at  a  cost  of  $100,000,  is  acknowledged  to 
be  the  finest  west  of  Wheaton  to  the  Coast.    The 
churrli  had  its  beginning  when  organized  as  a 
circuit,  October  2-4,  1857,  with  Rev.  J.  Nate  as 
first  pastor.    Revs.  T.  L.  Omstead,  George  Brew- 
ster and  Thomas  Corcoran  were  also  early  min- 
isters.     The   present   pastor   is   the    Rev.    John 
Thompson. 

The  Baptist  Church  was  founded  in  Wheaton 
by  the  Rev.  Philander  Taylor,  who  began  in  a 
small  wa.v  at  Stacy's  Corners  in  1846.  Owing  to 
the  desertion  of  this  settlement  on  account  of 
the  building  of  the  railroad,  he  removed  his 
little  church  to  Danby  (Glen  Ellyu),  and  then 
■  to  Wheaton.  .\  regular  body  was  organized  in 
18G4.  and  a  building  was  erected  in  1867.  A 
new  structure  has  been  recently  put  up.  The 
Rev.  Ralph  R.  Kennan  Is  the  present  pastor. 

Trinity  Episcopal  Church  held  its  first  serv- 
ice   in   Wheaton,    in    June,    1875,    the   Rev.    Dr. 


C.  V.  Kelly  officiating.  Upon  his  death,  in  1876, 
the  Rev.  Dr.  William  Reynolds  succeeded  him, 
carrying  on  the  mission  until  he  too  died,  and 
for  a  year  following  services  were  read  by  a 
lay  reader.  In  May,  1877,  Rev.  T.  N.  Morrison, 
now  a  bishop,  was  placed  in  charge  of  the  mis- 
sion, and  under  his  energetic  ministrations,  it 
grew  rapidly,  and  December  18,  1881,  the  cor- 
nerstone of  Trinity  Church  was  laid.  It  was 
consecrated  June  20,  1882.  The  first  furnishings 
were  contributed  by  the  Church  of  the  Epiphany 
of  Chicago.  It  Is  interesting  to  note  that  Mr. 
Morrison  later  became  rector  of  Epijibany,  thus 
continuing  until  bis  election  as  bishop.  The 
present  rector  is  the  Rev.  Cornick. 

The  Wesleyan  Methodist  Church,  now  ex- 
tinct, was  closely  identified  with  the  beginning 
of  Wheaton  College. 

St.   Michael's   Catholic  Church,    Wheaton 
(by  Joseph  A.  Reuss). — Prior  to  the  establish- 
ment of  tbis  church  the  Catholic  inhabitants  of 
Wheaton  and  vicinity  attended  services  at  Na- 
perville,  Winfield  and  Milton  (now  Gretna).    In 
the. City  of  W'heaton  there  were  very  few  Catho- 
^Ijcsj^a-nd.  tljese,   with   those  living  north  of  the 
town,  attended,  at  the  Milton  church,  those  liv- 
ing south  attended  at  Naperville  and  those  west 
.went  to  th4  Winfield  church,  the  Milton  church 
•  having*  tb(?  preponderance   of   attendance   from 
the  Wheaton  neighborhood. 

lTi~l879  the  few  Catholics  families  living  in 
the  city  and  immediate  vicinity  of  Wheaton, 
began  to  discuss  the  advisability  and  possibilit.v 
of  constructing  a  church  in  the  city.  Almost  all 
of  these  were  old  acquaintances  of  Rev.  Father 
William  de  la  Porte,  who  but  shortly  before 
then  had  been  pastor  at  Naperville.  They  called 
on  their  friend.  Father  de  la  Porte,  and,  under 
his  direction  and  witii  his  assistance,  the  foun- 
dation of  what  is  now  the  Wheaton  parish  was 
laid.  Four  lots  comprising  an  area  of  159  l).v 
224  feet  were  purchased  for  .$2.50,  and  on  this 
the  erection  of  the  new  church  was  begun  the 
same  year. 

The  troubles  usual  to  new  religious  societies 
came  at  once,  and  construction  was  stopped 
when  the  foundation  was  completed,  and  this 
was  roofed  over.  Basement  though  it  was,  it 
.vet  served  its  purixise  as  a  place  of  religious 
worship  at  such  times  when  Father  de  la  Porte 
would  occasionally  visit  the  town. 


688 


HISTORY  OF  DU  PAGE  COUNTY. 


with  the  resistless  spirit  for  which  he  is 
noted,  Father  de  la  Porte  did  not  permit  the 
fervor  of  the  inhahitauts  to  cool.  By  persistent 
urging  and  solicitation  he  finally  succeeded  in 
his  efforts  and,  in  1881,  the  frame  building  to 
be  the  church  proper,  was  begun  on  the  foun- 
dation erected  two  years  before.  This  was  fin- 
ished the  following  year  and  St.  Michael's 
Church  was  blessed  on  May  29,  1882.  by  Rt. 
Rev.  Patrick  A.  Feehan,  Archbishop  of  Chicago, 
and  the  new  congregation  was  established  with 
Father  de  la  Porte  as  resident  pastor. 

Rev.  William  de  la  Porte  was  born  at  Burg- 
steinfurt,  Westphalia,  Germany,  on  May  11, 
1841,  He  studied  the  classics  at  the  Gymnasium 
and  philosophy  at  the  Academy,  both  at  Munster 
in  Westphalia,  these  schools  now  constituting 
part  of  the  University  of  the  latter  place.  Im- 
migrating to  the  United  States  in  18i5.'>.  he  stud- 
ied theology  at  the  Seminary  of  St.  Mary  of  the 
Lake.  Chicago,  and  was  there  ordained  priest 
on  April  15,  1S6G.  For  a  few  months  after  his 
ordination  he  remained  at  the  Seminary  of  St. 
Mary  as  instructor,  until  he  received  his  first 
appointment  as  pastor  In  August.  1866,  to  SS. 
Peter  &  Paul  Church  at  Xaperville.  Owing  to 
ill-health  he  was  relieved  of  this  pastorate  on 
November  ],  187S.  While  recuperating,  he  acted 
as  instructor  In  the  Theological  College  at  St. 
Francis,  Wis.,  and  later  assisted  Father  Fischer 
at  St.  Anthony's  Church,  Chicago,  during  which 
time,  as  we  have  seen,  he  promoted  the  found- 
ing of  the  Wheaton  congregation. 

The  first  trustees  of  St.  Michael's  Church  were 
Conrad  Kampp.  Jacob  Miller,  Valentine  Kuhn 
and  Caspar  Schliek.  About  this  time  a  tract  of 
one  acre  was  secured  In  the  country  adjacent 
Wheaton  for  a  cemetery. 

When  the  church  was  finally  completed,  the 
total  cost  of  the  same  and  of  the  lands  owned 
by  the  congregation  was  about  ?8.000,  and  on 
this  rested  an  incumbrance  of  $6,000.  The  con- 
gregation consisted  of  46  families  and  there 
were  twenty-five  scholars  attending  the  first 
parochial  school.  This  was  hardly  a  flattering 
outlook  from  a  financial  standpoint,  and  it  re- 
quired an  energetic  and  faithful  pilot  to  steer 
the  financial  bark  of  this  frail  little  religious 
craft. 

The  basement  of  the  church  was  fitted  up 
for  both  parsonage  and  parish  school,  and  the 
pastor  attended  not  alone  to  his  duties  as 
priest,  but  also  to  the  labors  of  sole  teacher  of 


the  school.  In  addition  the  pastor  attended  the 
Milton  church  as  a  mission. 

Already  in  1886  affairs  had  so  far  progressed 
with  the  congregation  that  the  present  parson- 
age was  built  at  a  cost  of  §2.000. 

What  seemed  at  that  time  an  adversity  ap- 
peared in  1892  when,  on  the  15th  of  February  of 
that  year,  through  accidental  Ignition  from  coals 
from  a  heating  stove,  the  entire  church  edifice 
was  destroyed  by  fire.  The  loss  was  total  and 
the  entire  insurance  money  of  $6.00O  was  paid 
to  the  parish. 

The  congregation  had  by  this  time  already 
reached  such  proportions  that  a  large  building 
was  required  to  accommodate  them  at  worshij). 
The  Episcopal  church  at  Wheaton  was  very 
generously  tendered  for  such  use  and  was  used 
for  a  time,  and  afterwards  the  court  house  was 
occupied  for  this  purpose,  until  the  completion 
of  the  new  church. 

On  May  30,  1892,  work  was  begun  on  the  new 
house  of  worship,  the  cornerstone  being  laid  on 
July  24th  following.  The  new  church  edifice 
was  blessed  in  October  of  the  same  year  and  on 
November  1.  1S92.  the  first  religious  services 
were  held  therein.  Rev.  August  Weuker  of  Xa- 
perville preaching  the  sermon  on  that  occasion. 

This  new  structure  entailed  a  cost,  for  the 
building  alone,  of  $14,500.  To  this  were  added 
quarter-sawed  oak  pews,  altars,  altar  rail  and 
other  church  furniture,  costing  approximately 
.S1.500.  A  steam  heating  system  was  installed 
at  a  cost  of  $900.  A  new  two  manual  pipe  organ 
was  erected  for  .$1,500  and  three  bells  purchased 
for  the  church  tower  for  .$225.00. 

In  1904  the  present  two-story  frame  school 
building  was  erected  for  $2..500.  It  contains  two 
school  rooms  and  has  living  accommodations  for 
the  teachers  on  the  second  floor.  In  1905  the 
Sanctuary  walls  were  decorated  with  oil  paint- 
ings on  canvas,  and  the  body  of  -the  church 
frescoed  at  a  cost  of  $1,200. 

Additional  ground  to  the  cemetery  has  been 
purchased,  from  time  to  time,  at  a  total  expend- 
iture of  $300,  so  that  the  same  now  contains 
about  two  acres  of  land. 

All  the  structures  of  the  parish  are  provided 
with  modern  Improvements  throughout,  and  all 
are  lighted  by  electricity. 

The  parochial  school  has  been  taught  by  nuns 
of  the  Franciscan  Order. 

The  parish  contains  about  ISO  families  and 
the  parochial  school  has  an  attendance  of  about 


FIRST   PRKSBYTERIAN   CHURCH,   ■\^-HEATOX. 


FIRST   BAI'TIST   CHURCH,  A^TIEATON. 


GAR,Y  MEMORIAL  M.  E.  CHURCH,  A^TIEATOX. 


FIRST  CHURCH   OF   CIIRJST,   SCIENTIST,   WTIEATON 


HISTORY  OF  DU  PAGE  COUNTY. 


689 


100  pupils.  The  pai-ish  has  no  indebtetluess  but. 
on  the  contrar.v,  has  about  $4,000  iu  cash  means 
ready  to  be  used  for  further  improvements  as 
needed. 

Eulogy  of  pastor  and  congregation  is  super- 
9uous.  The  wonderful  growth  through  adver- 
sitj-  to  the  present  opulence  is  a  more  eloquent 
tribute  to  the  pious  zeal  and  indefatigable  en- 
ergy of  this  pastor  and  tiock  than  anything  that 
type  can  express.  So  long  as  Christians  like 
these  labors  for  and  support  religion,  true 
Christianity  and  religion  will  not  decay. 

The  German  Evangelical  Lutheran  Church 
was  organized  in  1805.  by  Rev.  F.  W.  Itichniann, 
who  was  also  in  charge  of  a  church  at  Elgin. 
Rev.  C.  A.  Selle  became  the  regular  pastor  at  the 
close  of  this  same  year,  thus  continuing  until 
1S71,  being  succeeded  by  Rev.  G.  G.  W.  Brueg- 
maun.  In  ISSO,  Rev.  Karl  Koch  was  placed  in 
charge.  There  is  a  branch  of  the  Lutheran 
Church  at  Wheaton  known  as  the  Evangelical 
Lutheran  Church,  and  both  are  in  excellent 
condition. 

Other  Churches. — In  1802,  the  Universalist 
Church  of  Wheatou  was  organized,  but  since 
then  this  church  has  become  extinct.         ,  /,   . 

Other  religious  denomination  have  a  f6otl?oill*' 
in  Wheaton,  especially  tliose  whioh  appeal  to 
the  intellect,  for  the  people  here  are  particularly 
well  educated  and  are  accustomed  to  thiaik  Jilid  ■ 
reason  for  themselves.  There  are  few  people 
in  Wheaton  who  are  not  connected  with  one- or 
other  of  the  religious  bodies  here,  and  among 
those  additional  ones  are  the  First  Church  of 
Christ,  Scientist,  the  Second  Baptist  Church, 
and  the  Gospel  Mission. 

Fraternities. — The  Masonic  order  was  estab- 
lished in  Wheaton  in  1858.  and  the  fraternity 
numbers  among  its  members  the  leading  men 
of  the  cit.v.  Other  fraternal  orders  are:  The 
Eastern  Star,  Modern  Woodmen  of  America, 
Royal  IS'eighbors  of  America,  Mystic  Workers  of 
the  World,  Catholic  Order  of  Foresters,  Odd  Fel- 
lows, Rebekahs,  and  the  E.  S.  Kelley  Post, 
G.  A.  R. 

Clubs. — Wheaton  is  the  home  of  the  Chicago 
and  Wheaton  Golf  Clubs,  both  having  an  18- 
hole  course ;  the  Wheatou  Athletic  Club ;  the 
Wheaton    Musical     Club ;     Wheaton     Historical 


Club:  Wheaton  Woman's  Club  :\Vheaton  Study 
Club;  Wheaton  Fellowship  Club;  Wheatou  Busi- 
ness Men"s  .\ssociation  ;  Wheaton  Union  W.  C. 
T.  V. :  the  E.  S.  Kelley  Woman's  Relief  Corps, 
and  the  Gentlemen's  Driving  Club.  The  latter 
is  a  mile  north  of  Wheaton.  the  home  of  the 
Wheaton  County  Fair  and  is  well  eijuipped  for 
the  purjioses  for  which  the  grounds  are  used. 

Business  Interests. — The  twci  liankiug  in- 
stitutions of  Wheaton.  are  taken  uij  fully  under 
the  banking  article  in  this  work,  and  are  among 
the  strongest  iu  the  county. 

The  two  papers,  "The  lllinoian.''  and  the  "Du 
Page  County  Tribune,"  are  also  treated  of  al 
length   elsewhere. 

Public  Utilities. — The  Fire  Deiiartuient  is 
on  a  volunteer  basis,  but  excellent,  the  losses 
through  tire  in  Wheaton  having  been  exceed- 
ingly small  owing  to  the  efficiency  of  the  mem- 
bers. The  pressure  is  from  eighty  to  eighty-five 
pounds,  and  the  apparatus  is  such  that  this 
liower  can  be  used  in  fighting  the  common 
enemy,  fire,  when  occasion  demands. 

Wheaton    is    well    equipped    with    telephones, 
-•the- service  being  a  continuation  of  the  Chicago 
Telefilio'ni'  ^'o;mpany.   and   the  local  exchange  is 
'^iHiipffc**  •    •  ; 

An  interesting  table  showing  the  growth  of 
Wheaton   in  'population   and   business   interests 

'dHriMa;  the  p^st  seven  years  is  as  follows : 
■f  ■  ,   :■  ■  ■ 

Population   T-J  per  cent 

Bank  cleposits  HJO  per  cent 

Railroad  freight  earnings  100  per  cent 

Telegraph  earnings  100  per  cent 

Railroad    ticket   earnings 150  per  cent 

Transportation  facilities   200  per  cent 

Express    earnings    300  per  cent 

Post  office  earnings  300  per  cent 

Municipal  water  plant  300  per  cent 

Cement   sidewalks    400  per  cent 

Telephone  business  500  per  cent 

Glen  Ellyn  Village. — In  the  early  days  the 
various  groves  were  named  for  the  men  who 
settled  in  them,  and  what  is  now  Glen  Ellyn 
was  known  far  and  wide  as  Babcock's  Grove. 
In  1840  the  name  was  changed  to  Xewton.  Still 
later  David  Kelly  became  postmaster,  and 
through  his  efforts,  the  name  was  changed  to 
Danby.  after  his  old  home  iu  Vermont.  As  the 
place  grew  in  imjiortance.  the  name  was  changed 


690 


HISTORY  OF  DU  PAGE  COUNTY. 


to  Prospee-t  Park.  In  the  meauwiiile,  the  ven- 
erable Philo  W.  Stacy,  has  succeeded  in  arous- 
ing the  people  of  Prospect  Park  to  the  import- 
ance of  developing  the  natural  beauties  of  the 
region,  and  acting  as  chief  engineer  himself, 
produced  Glen  EUyu  Lake.  From  this  exquisite 
bit  of  made  scenery,  about  thirty  acres  in  extent, 
the  present  name  was  taken.  It  was  several 
years  later,  however,  before  the  name  of  the 
postofflce  was  changed.  It  was  incorporated  as 
a  village.  July  o.  1882.  The  present  maj-or  is 
Byron  Williams,  now  serving  his  third  term. 

Local  Hlstort. — Mr.  Stacy,  now  the  oldest 
living  resident  of  Milton  Township,  relates  many 
interesting  incidents  of  the  days  when  his  fath- 
er's farm  was  the  stopping  place  for  all  travelers 
in  this  section  of  the  county.  Mr.  I.  P.  Blodgett, 
of  Downer's  Grove,  is  of  the  oiJinion  that 
Stacy's  was  the  oldest  "tavern"  in  the  county, 
but  Mr.  Stacy  says  that  they  never  laid  claim 
to  being  tavern  keepers,  although  he  well  re- 
members taking  in  as  much  as  fifty  dollars  of  a 
morning  after  the  hospitable  farmhouse  had  been 
crowded  for  dinner  and  shelter  overnight. 

Owing  to  the  fact  that  he  helped  in  preparing 
for  and  entertaining  these  guests,  Mr.  Stacy 
has  always  been  looked  upon  as  the  official  en- 
tertainer of  Glen  Ellyn  and  even  yet  no  social 
function  is  complete  unless  he  is  willing  to 
supervise  what  he  humorously  calls  "the  Hash 
Committee."  About  a  quarter  of  a  century  ago, 
Glen  Ellyn  entertained  the  one  hundred  and 
eighth  Illinois  Infantry  and  the  Eighth  Illinois 
Cavalry,  and  the  veterans  happy  enough  to  par- 
ticipate in  it,  have  never  forgotten  the  hospi- 
tality of  Mr.  Stacy,  who  set  forth  his  tables  in 
his  own  grove.  He  was  chairman  of  the  com- 
mittee of  one,  in  charge  of  the  feeding  of 
nearly  2,000  people,  and  that  he  succeeded,  no 
one  who  knows  the  genial  capable  gentleman  has 
any  doubt. 

Mr.  Stacy  has  always  been  a  leader  of  the 
older  faction  of  Glen  Ellyn,  and  the  greater 
number  of  its  improvements  have  been  Inaugu- 
rated by  bim.  Thirty  years  ago,  he  began  the 
paving  of  the  streets,  which  is  not  yet  finishefl 
owing  to  the  fact  that  the  sewerage  system  has 
not  yet  been  completed.  'When  this  system  is 
fully  installed  the  work  of  paving  will  be  taken 
up  anew. 

He  it  was  who  was  instrumental  in  securing 
the  proper  boring  of  the  artesian  well   of  300 


feet,   that  supplies  the  tow 
water   plant    is  housed    in 
building. 

Mr.  Stacy  contributed  a 
tiful   little  park  known   by 
exerted   himself   to   secure 
rounding  Lake  Glen  Ellyn, 
legal   flaw,  the  village  has 
in  securing  its  title  to  the 


n  with  water.  The 
a    substantial    brick 

portion  of  the  beau- 
his  name,   and  has 

a  proper  park  sur- 
but  owing  to  some 
not  been  successful 

property. 


Churches. — Tlie  Cougregationalists  and  Meth- 
odists both  early  held  services  in  this  locality. 
The  former  have  continued  in  existence  ever 
since,  and  after  a  brief  period  when  interest 
seemed  to  die  out,  the  Methodists  have  also  been 
well  represented.  The  Free  Methodists  later  es- 
tablished a  church.  The  fourth  religious  body 
to  gain  a  substantial  foothold  here  was  the  Epis- 
copalian, and  the  Lutherans  also  have  a  flourish- 
ing congregation.  .The  church  edifices  are  sub- 
stantial, and  the  attendance  on  all  the  services 
is  large  and  contributions  generous. 

The  Glen  EUyu  public  school,  under  Miss 
Mary  Lee,  maintains  a  high  grade  of  excellence, 
and  the  pupils  are  well  prepared  for  higher  in- 
stitutions in  it. 

Glen  Elly>-  Libr.\ry. — As  has  been  the  cus- 
tom in  so  many  communities,  the  ladies  of  Glen 
Ellyn  were  the  founders  of  the  library.  They 
formed  a  little  society,  which  developed  grad- 
ually until  at  last  Mr.  Stacy,  with  customary 
vigor,  proposed  to  subscribe  .$100  if  $400  more 
was  donated.  Out  of  this  proposition  grew  a 
movement  to  assess  the  people  a  two-mill  tax 
for  the  building  and  maintenance  of  a  library. 
This  was  carried  at  the  last  election,  and  with- 
out doubt,  in  the  near  future.  Glen  Ellyn  will 
have  a  fine  public  library,  measures  having  been 
taken  to  secure  a  liberal  donation  from  a  public 
philanthropist. 

Banks. — Glen  Ellyn  has  some  substantial  busi- 
ness houses  and  two  banks,  both  worthy  the 
place  and  people.  These  financial  institutions 
are  treated  of  at  length  elsewhere  in  this  work. 

Within  recent  years.  Glen  Ellyn  has  attracted 
to  it  men  of  wealth  in  business  in  Chicago,  who 
make  their  homes  within  the  confines  of  this 
beautiful  suburban  village.  The  residences  of 
this  flourishing  village  compare  favorably  with 
any  in  Du  Page  Countj',  and  its  people  are  loyal 
in  their  support  of  county  and  village  insti- 
tutions. 


MAIN  STKJJET  XUKTH  FllUM  iJEL.W  AX,  GLEN  ELLATST 


Saipation  Jlrm{f  djildrvnei'     g^ 
Home.  Glen  Allt^n.  III. 


SALVATION  AKMY  CHILDRENS'  HOME,  GLEN  ELLVN 


GRACE   UNITED   EVANGELICAL  CHI  lUH,   NAi'i.UV  ILLE 


HISTORY  OF  DU  PAGE  COUNTY. 


691 


Supervisors.— The  following  superivisors  have 
served  Milton  Township  from  IS.jO  to  1912 : 

Warren  L.  Wheatou  IS^O 

William  J.  Johnson 1851-o.j 

Frederick  H.  Mather   1S.5G-57 

H.  C  Childs  ISOS-Gi: 

Erastus  Gary    1^*53 

Hiram   Smith    1S64-(J5 

Hiram  Smith,  S.  W.  MoCfatt ISOG 

A.  S.  Janes,   H.   Edwards 1867 

A.  S.  Janes,  H.  F.   Vallette 1SG8-00 

A.  S.  Janes,  S.  P.  Sedgwick 1870-71 

A.  S.  Janes,  E.  H.  Gary 1872-73 

H.  G.  Kimball.  E.  H.  Gary 1874-7,5 

W.  H.  Wagner.  Erastus  Gary 1875 

W.  H.  Wagner.   S.  W.  Moffatt 1S76-7S 

Amos  Churchill.  N.  E.  Gary   1878-80 

Amos  Churchill.  S.   P.  Sedgwick 1S81 

Amos  Churchill,  S.   W.   Moffatt    1882-87 

Amos  Churchill.  John  Christie  1888-97 

Amos  Churchill,  F.   M.   Hull 1897-1901 

John  Christie.  A.  H  Wiant 1901-03 

W.  W.  Steven.  A.   H.   Wiant    1903-04 

W.  W.  Steven.  Amos   Churchill    1904-10 

George  Fi.x:.  W.  J.  Yackley 1911-12 

PorrLATioN. — The  entire  population  of  Milton 
Township   (1910)  was  G,3o2.     Of  this  3.423  was 
credited   to   the  city  of  Wheaton   and  1.763  to - 
Glen  Ellyn  village.  .     _ 


CHAPTER  XIV 


NAPERVILLE  TOWNSHIP 


THE  SAFER  BROTHERS  FIRST  SETTLERS— THEIR 
COMING  IN  1831— OTHERS  WHO  CAME  BEFORE 
1838 — CITY  OF  NAPERVILLE — PLATTED  AS  A  VIL- 
LAGE IN  1S42 — FIRST  HOTEL  AND  OTHER  BUILD- 
INGS-VILLAGE INCORPORATED  IS  1857 — CITY  IN- 
CORPORATED IN  1890  AND  FIRST  CITY  OFFICERS— 
NAPERVILLE-ACADEMY  AND  NORTHWESTERN  COL- 
LEGE— THE  THEOLOGICAL  SEMINARY— HISTORY  OF 
NAPERVILLE  CHURCHES- THE  EDWARDS  SANITOR- 
lUM — NAPERVILLE  FIRE  DEPARTMENT — VILLAGES 
OF  EOLA  AND  FRONTENAC— CITIZENS  WHO  HAVE 
SERVED  AS  MEMBERS  OF  THE  GENERAL  ASSEMBLY 
AND  AS  COUNTY  OFFICERS— LIST  OF  TOWNSHIP 
SUPERVISORS  FROM  1850  TO  191 2— POPULATION 
STATISTICS   1910. 

(BY    F.    A.    KENDALL.) 

The   history   of  the  Xaper  Settlement   is  the 
central   feature  of  that  of  Du  Page  County  in 


early  days.  The  first  settlers  of  Naperville 
Township  were  Captain  Joseph  Naper  and  his 
brother  John  Naper,  who  came  here  in  1831,  and 
were  joined  by  the  family  of  Captain  Naper  a 
little  later  in  the  year.  They  took  up  their  resi- 
dence near  the  site  of  the  old  grist-mill,  in  a 
log  house  whicli  was  probably  as  crude  as  could 
be  found  in  the  settlements  of  pioneers  in  those 
early  days. 

The  list  of  names  of  the  early  settlers  of 
Naperville  Township,  may  be  of  interest  to  the 
reader.  This  list  is  as  follows:  Joseph  Naper, 
John  Naper,  John  Murray,  Christopher  Paine, 
R.  N.  Murray,  Ira  Carpenter,  John  Stevens, 
Michael  Hines,  A.  S.  Jones,  S.  Sabin,  George 
Strubler,  G.  Bishop,  J.  II.  Steveuson,  W.  Rose, 
R.  Wright,  E.  G.  Wright.  J.  F.  Wright.  S.  M. 
Skinner.  W.  Weaver,  J.  Granger,  N.  Crampton, 
W.  J.  Strong.  R.  "RTiipple,  U.  Stanley,  T. 
Thatcher,  A.  T.  Thatcher.  J.  Lamb,  R.  Hill, 
David  Babbitt,  J.  S.  Kimble.  J.  B.  Kimble,  Adil 
S.  Jones.  Peter  Dodd.  Nathau  Allen,  Benjamin 
Smith,  all  of  whom  settled  prior  to  1838. 

Naperville  Township  is  located  in  the  south- 
western part  of  the  county,  and  is^ilrained  by 
the  Du  Page  River,  which  runs  through  it  from 
north  to  south  on  the  east  side. 

The  land  Is   generally  level,   and   the  soil   is 
-.ftdapted  to  grain  raising  and  dairy  production, 
■'  which  pursuits  are  extensively  carried  on. 
■•'  -About  ouftJialf  of  the  city  of  Naperville  is  lo- 
cated    in     this     township,    although     the    city 
will   be  treated  as  a  whole  in  this  article;  as 
■   will  tUe,  small  village  of  Eola.  on  the  Chicago, 
Burlington  &  Quincy  Railroad,  and  the  railroad 
station     Frontenae.     on     the     Elgin,     Joliet     & 
Eastern. 

CITY  01-  NAPERVILLE.— This  clty  is  situated 
partly  in  the  Township  of  Lisle,  and  partly  in 
the  Township  of  Naperville  being  divided  by 
the  township  line  into  two  nearly  equal  parts. 
Its  total  population  in  1910,  was  3,449,  of  which 
1.823  was  in  Naperville  Township  and  1.62G  in 
Lisle  Township.  This  does  not  include  the  ma- 
jority of  the  students  at  the  educational  insti- 
tutions bcre. 

Joseiih  Nailer  first  surveyed  and  laid  out  the 
streets  of  Naperville.  His  plat  bears  date  of 
February  14,  1842.  The  location  of  the  village 
was  on  the  south-east  .corner  of  Section  13,  Town- 
ship 38,  Range  9.  East,  and  at  that  date  the 
name  of  the  place  became  Naperville  instead 
<)f  Naper  Settlement. 


692 


HISTORY  OF  DU  PAGE  COUNTY. 


Tlie  first  l'r;iiiie  Ijtiildiiig  erected  within  tlie 
limits  of  the  vilhise.  was  put  up  by  A.  H.  How- 
ard, in  the  fall  of  ISM.'"..  It  stood  in  front  of  the 
present  home  of  11.  II.  Wagner. 

Among  the  huiUlings  ne.xt  erected,  was  the 
Preemption  House  of  George  Laird  in  1S35. 
This  hotel,  which  is  still  standing  and  owned  by 
Samuel  Hllterhrand,  was  under  the  manage- 
ment of  General  E.  B.  Bill,  who  lost  liis  life  in  the 
Mexican  War.  For  several  years,  during  which 
time  no  hotel  west  of  Chicago  was  better  patron- 
ized, the  Preemption  House  was  one  of  the  lead- 
ing features  of  the  new  village. 

The  east  and  west  road  through  the  village 
was  the  great  thoroughfare  l)etween  Chicago  and 
Galena,  and  the  town  presented  the  appearance 
of  an  acti^■«  and  business-like  place. 

The  first  mill  constructed  on  the  river,  was 
a  saw-mill,  built  in  IS.SS,  which  was  torn  down 
in  1840  to  give  place  to  a  flouring-mill,  which, 
after  many  years,  was  converted  into  a  stone 
crusher. 

Incorporated  as  a  Village. — Xapervllle  was 
incorporated  as  a  village  by  act  of  the  Legisla- 
ture in  the  winter  of  18157. 

The  first  election  of  otficers  of  the  corpora- 
tion was  held  in  the  May  following.  The  names 
of  the  Board  elected  at  that  time  were  as  fol- 
lows : 

President — .Joseph  Xaper. 

Trustees — H.  II.  Cody,  George  Martin.  M. 
Hines  and  X.  Egermann. 

Police  Justice — H.  F.  Mallette. 

Constable — A.  C.  Graves. 

Assessor — A.  W.  Colt. 

Clerk— C.  M.  Castle. 

At  this  electTon,  174  votes  were  cast ;  in  18C0, 
230  votes  were  cast;  in  ISG.j,  109;  in  1870,  2.53, 
and  in  1874,  289  votes. 

In  March,  1857,  Naperville  suffered  from  a 
terrible  flood,  the  Du  Page  River  overflowing 
and  causing  damage  to  the  extent  of  $15,000. 
The  principal  sufferers  were:  M.  Hines,  J.  T. 
Green.  R.  Willard,  C.  W.  Keith  and  .1.  Xaper. 

The  beautiful  public  square  of  Xapervllle  was 
formerly  occupied  by  the  court  house  when 
Xapervllle  was  the  county  seat,  and  was  trans- 
ferred to  the  city  March  30,  1877.  All  of  this 
park  lies  in  Lisle  Township. 

Fort  Paine  was  built  in  1832,  on  an  eleva- 
tion along  the  Du  Page  River,  now  occupied  by 
a  substantial  residence. 


A  delightful  feature  of  Xapervllle.  is  the  loca- 
tion here  of  some  pure  water  springs.  This 
water  is  utilized  for  both  public  and  private 
uses. 

City  Ixcorporatio>'. — Xapervllle  became  a  city 
of  three  wards,  March  17,  1890.  The  following 
gentlemen  were  elected  one  month  afterward  to 
organize  and  manage  the  city  government : 

JIayor — .T.  J.  Hunt. 

Aldermen  First  Ward — Levi  S.  Schafer.  .John 
W.  Collins. 

Aldermen  Second  Ward — Dr.  J.  A.  Bell, 
Joseph  Bapst. 

-Vldermen  Third  Ward — Frank  S.  Goetsh.  Holt- 
rich  Seiber. 

The  public  utilities  are  chiefly  owned  by  the 
city,  and  consist  of  an  excellent  system  of  water- 
works and  sewerage,  electric  light  plant  and 
miles  of  paved  streets.  Gas  is  furnished  by  the 
Western  Gas  and  Electric  Company. 

The  nursery  business  is  a  good  one  in  Du  Page 
County,  and  several  of  its  largest  concerns  are 
located  in  Xapervllle  Township,  the  most  im- 
portant one  being  that  owned  by  the  E.  vou 
Oven  estate. 

Xapebvii.le  Schools. — Early  attention  was 
given  by  the  settlers  to  the  subject  of  education, 
and  a  schoolhouse  was  built  here  in  the  fall  of 
1831.  It  was  a  log  house  erected  ou  the  land 
now  owned  by  Mrs.  Samuel  Bolimau.  and  a 
school  was  taught  in  it  during  the  following 
winter  by  Lester  Peet.  The  building  was  by  no 
means  handsome,  but  being  fourteen  feet  squire, 
it  afforded  accomodation  for  the  children  for  two 
or  three  years. 

A  new  frame  building  was  erected  on  the  pres- 
ent site  of  the  First  Congregational  Church  in 
18.35.  It  was  used  as  church,  town  house,  and 
for  two  or  three  terms  before  the  court  house 
was  built  the  circuit  courts  were  held  in  it. 
This  schoolhouse  was  sold  by  the  district,  and  for 
several  years  there  was  no  school  building  and 
public  education  was  at  a  low  ebb.  Public  senti- 
ment finally  changed,  and  a  stone  building  was 
erected  on  the  west  side  and  a  commodious  brick 
building  on  the  east  side,  for  the  accomodation 
of  the  Lisle  district. 

The  Xaperville  Academy  was  incorporated  in 
1851.  X.  F.  Atkins  was  the  first  Principal,  serv- 
ing for  about  one  year.     After  his  removal,  the 


FIRST  CONGREGATIONAL  t:HURCH.  NAPERVILLE 


FIRST  EVANGELICAL  CHURCH,  NAPER^^LLE 


HISTOKY  OF  DU  PAGE  COUNTY. 


693 


Trustees  iippoiiited  C.  W.  Uichmoud,  of  Great 
Barringtou.  Mass.,  to  fill  the  vacaucy  and  he 
held  the  position  of  Priucipal  until  the  academy 
was  merged  with  the  public  school  system  in 
1863.  Besides  common  school  branches  of  edu- 
cation, the  classical  courses  of  the  best  Eastern 
academies  were  taught,  including  music,  drawing 
and  painting.  T'p  to  1863,  this  academy,  to- 
gether with  the  public  schools  and  a  select 
school  in  which  the  higher  branches  were  taught 
by  Miss  S.  B.  Skinner,  fully  answered  the  re- 
quirements of  the  place. 

In  the  course  of  time  a  strong  sentiment  favor- 
ing a  public  graded  school  developed.  Xo  gen- 
eral law  of  the  State  had  been  passed  for  the 
organization  of  graded  schools,  which  made  it 
necessary  to  get  a  charter  for  one,  so  it  could 
get  its  due  proixirtion  of  the  public  funds  for  its 
support. 

In  1863  the  reijuired  instrument  was  drawn  up 
and  sent  to  the  Legislature,  and  the  village  re- 
ceived its  legalized  authority  to  act.  The  scliool 
district  liad  already  bought  the  academy  build- 
ing, which  had  been  erected  in  18-51.'  This  was 
the  beginning  of  the  Naperville  graded  schools. 
The  school  was  immediately  organized  into  ejght 
grades,  and  several  of  the  higher  branches  we,re 
added  to  the  course.  '  ■ 

In  the  meanwhile  the  school  jiopulation  on  the 
east  side  had  increased  to  such  an  e.xtent  that 
the  Ellsworth  high  school  was  establislied  In 
1880.  This  School  was  placed  on  the  accredited 
list  by  tlie  I'niversity  of  Illinois  about  I'.Xtl.  The 
last  class  graduated  by  this  institution,  in  1010, 
numbered  nineteen.  In  1012  the  district  was 
aune.xed  to  District  Xo.  78.  By  this  act  Naper- 
ville was  merged  into  one  system  of  schools,  as 
far  as  public  education  goes. 

Other  educational  institutions  of  the  townsliip 
are  as  follows : 

SS.  Peter  .vxn  Taul's.  P.\rochial  School. — 
The  first  parochial  school  of  SS.  Peter  and  Paul's 
Roman  Catholic  Church  of  Naperville,  111.,  was 
built  about  1855.  It  was  a  little  frame  building 
of  one  room,  located  on  the  west  side  lot  of  the 
church  property,  facing  Benton  avenue. 

After  the  new  church  was  finished  on  the  cor- 
ner of  Front  Street  and  Butler  Avenue,  about 
1855,  the  little  school  was  sold  and  moved  across 
the  street,  and  is  still  serving  as  the  front  part 
of  Peter  Friedrick's  liouse,  just  north  of  the 
church,  facing  Front  Street. 


The  old  frame  church  building,  which  was 
located  about  in  the  center  of  the  block,  south 
of  the  present  school  site,  was  then  used  for  a 
school.  For  some  time  one  room  ciuite  satisfac- 
torily accommodated  the  pupils,  but  the  gradual 
increase  of  attendance,  eventually  necessitated 
the  addition  of  another  room,  whicii  was  also 
used  as  a  chapel  in  the  winter  time. 

The  school  has  always  been  under  the  super- 
vision of  the  parish  priest.  The  following  is  a 
list  of  the  various  teachers  who  taught  this 
school  from  its  early  date:  Jlessrs,  Steiger,  Gei- 
sel,  Gloos,  .laenen,  Kappes,  Gerling,  Ilaneen, 
Blum,  the  Ven.  Sisters  O.  S.  F.  of  Joliet,  111., 
Messrs.  Frickel,  and  Joseph  Suess  of  Xaperville, 
and  thence  forth  the  Ven,  Sisters  O.  S.  F.  of 
Milwaukee,  Wis.,  have  had  charge  of  the  schol- 
astic work. 

The  continued  growth  of  the  school,  called  for 
a  new  building,  -the  plan  of  which  was  accepted 
by  the  beloved  pastor,  the  late  Rev.  August 
Wcnker,  which  specified  a  modern,  spacious, 
brick  school  building,  60x80  feet,  to  cost  $17,000. 
X  chapel  and  society  room  was  fitted  up  in  the 
l)asement,  and  four  large  school  rooms  on  the 
Hr.st  floQr,  Carolus  hall  occupying  the  entire 
second  floor,,.  This  hall  was  named  in  honor  of 
the'  late  Rev.  Peter  Carolus,  a  former  pastor  of 
the  parish.  This  school  was  completed  in  the 
spring  of  1892,  and  about  eight  years  later,  it 
became'"  a**free  school,  which  system  was  estab- 
lished by  the  untiring  zeal  and  endeavors  of  the 
good  i)astt>r.  Father  Wenker.  The  enrollment 
was  about  2.50  pupils. 

On  the  early  morn  of  August  24,  1011,  the 
beautiful  hall  with  its  complete  stage,  fur- 
nishings, etc.,  was  totally  destroyed  by  fire; 
cause  unknown,  although  probably  from  crossed 
electric  wires.  The  entire  building  was  badly 
damaged,  so  that  plans  for  re-building  and  en- 
larging it  were  made  and  reconstruction  begun. 
Pending  the  erection  of  the  same,  temporary 
school  rooms  were  opened. 

The  building  will  be  greatly  improved  and  en- 
larged by  an  addition  to  the  w-est  side  of  the 
old  building,  consisting  of  a  chapel  and  chil- 
dren's playroom  in  the  basement,  two  school- 
rooms on  the  first  floor,  making  a  total  of  six 
schoolrooms,  adequate  for  all  present  needs. 

The  upper  floor  will  be,  as  beretoforo,  a  large 
hall,  renamed  Weuker  Hall,  in  honor  of  the 
late  August  Wenker,  under  whose  successful 
regime  the  original  school  was  erected. 


694 


HISTORY  OF  DU  PAGE  COUNTY. 


Besides  tUe  hall  and  stage,  there  will  be  an 
addition  of  two  society  rooms  and  a  kitchen  over 
the  new  jiart.  It  is  planned  eventnally  to  use 
the  spacious  attic  room  for  a  gymnasium. 

The  work  of  re-constructing  this  beautiful, 
imposing  school  building  is  under  the  able  super- 
vision of  the  present  pastor,  Kev.  Bernard  Schu- 
ette.  who  succeeded  the  late  Rev.  A.  Wenker,  in 
November.  1911. 

The  Most  Rev.  Archbishop  E.  S.  Quigley,  of 
Chicago,  officiated  at  the  dedicatiim  of  this 
school,  June  2,  1912. 

Northwestern  Coli.eoe. — The  Northwestern 
College  is  a  denominational  school  supported  by 
a  nunilier  of  conferences  of  the  Evangelical  As- 
sociation. 

It  had  its  beginning  at  I'lainlicld.  111.,  where 
in  IStil,  it  was  organized  under  the  name  of 
Plaintield  College.  In  1804,  the  name  was 
changed  to  Northwestern  College,  and  the  insti- 
tution was  removed  from  Plainfleld  to  Naper- 
ville.  its  present  favorable  location.  This  place 
donated  grounds  of  about  eight  acres,  and  .'it2o,- 
000  in  money,  a  substantial  building  consisting 
of  a  main  part.  71x40  feet,  five  stories  high, 
and  a  wing  .58x40  feet,  three  stories  high,  were 
erected  and  ojiened  for  school  purposes  in  the 
fall  of  1870.  The  change  iiroved  of  such  advan- 
tage to  the  school  as  to  mark  an  epoch  in  its 
history. 

Other  additions  and  buildings  have  been  from 
time  to  time.  In  1800,  a  new  four-story  addi- 
tion, 78x41  feet,  was  made  to  the  main  building. 
In  1901  a  handsome  gymnasium,  100x00  feet, 
two  stories  high  and  a  gift  of  the  late  Prof.  J. 
Ij.  Nichols,  was  erected.  During  the  past  few 
.vears,  a  library  and  science  hall  have  been 
added.  The  library  is  75x02  feet,  three  stories 
in  height,  and  is  the  gift  of  Andrew  Carnegie  of 
New  York  City,  the  well  known  philanthropist. 
Science  Hall  is  75x02  feet,  four  stories  high,  and 
is  the  gift  of  an  honored  alumnus  of  the  insti- 
tution. Dr.  Albert  Goldspolm  of  Chicago.  All 
of  these  Imildings  are  lighted  by  electricity,  and 
lieated  by  means  of  a  central  power  house  sup- 
plied with  the  very  best  heating  appliances. 

With  a  faculty  of  twenty-two  professors  and 
teachers.  Northwestern  College  offers  the  fol- 
lowing advantages: 

1.  College  of  Liberal  Arts; 

2.  Academy ; 

3.  German  Department; 


4.  School  of  Commerce ; 

5.  School  of  ilusic; 
0.  School  of  Art : 

7.  Department  of  I'bysical  Culture. 

The  Collegiate  Department  offers  three  paral- 
lel courses  of  study  leading  to  the  A.  B.,  B.  S. 
and  B.  L.  degrees. 

Northwestern  College  stands  for  Christian 
education  in  the  best  and  highest  sense.  The 
aim  is  to  produce  sound  scholarship  and  genuine 
nobility  of  character. 

The  growth  and  efficiency  have  been  steady 
and  the  influence  of  this  institution  on  the  lives 
(if  the  students  has  been  cumulative. 

Ev.\NciELic.\L  Theological  Sejiixary  (By  S. 
.7.  (iAMERTsFELDER). — The  Evangelic'al  Theolog- 
ical Seminary  is  the  corporate  name  of  a  theolo- 
gical school  located  at  Naperville.  It  is  the 
principal  divinity  school  of  the  Evangelical  As- 
sociation, and  stands  under  the  supervision  of  its 
supreme  legislative  body,  the  General  Confer- 
ence. However,  the  more  immediate  and  direct 
managemeilt  of  the  seminary  is  entrusted  to  a 
Board  of  Trustees  representing  thirteen  annual 
conferences. 

In  1,S07  the  General  Conference  prepared  tlie 
wa.v  for  the  founding  of  the  theological  semi- 
naries of  the  church,  by  an  emphatic  statement 
of  the  desirability  that  our  own  ministers  and 
foreign  missionaries  get  their  theological  train- 
ing in  our  own  theological  schools. 

In  1873  several  western  conferences  united 
their  efforts  to  establish  a  theological  school  in 
res[X)nse  to  the  expressed  wish  of  the  General 
Conference.  In  the  same  year,  the  trustees  of 
Northwestern  College  proceeded  to  establish  and 
found  a  theological  seminary.  The  certificate  of 
the  Secretary  of  State  on  the  incorporation  of 
the  Evangelical  Theological  Seminary,  dated 
March  15,  1S73.  appears  in  the  Recorder's  office 
of  Du  Page  Count.v.  111.,  in  Book  1.  of  Miscel- 
laneous Records,  page  77. 

The  first  regular  meeting  of  the  Board  of 
Trustees  of  the  Seminary  was  held  February 
IS.  1874.  This  board  meets  annually  for  the 
transaction  of  all  business  pertaining  to  the  gen- 
eral management  of  the  school.  The  board  ap- 
points the  facult.v,  to  which  is  entrusted  the 
government  of  the  seminary  under  its  C)wn  gen- 
era! direction.  Only  licensed  preachers  are 
admitted  to  the  seminary  as  students.  The  lit-- 
erary  iv(|uirements  for  matriculation  are  a  first 


SS.  PETKR  AND  PAUL 
CATHOLIC  CHURCH.  NAPKRVILLE 


I  It  '■ 


1  ^K^^H 

pi!!!!  IS 

-in 

ISggSlSl 

..*«  »''•' 

^ 


NORTH-WESTERN  COLLEGE 

NAHLkVILLE.  ILL. 


NORTH-\A  ESTERX  COLLEGE,  NAPER\T:LLE 


CAMPUS  FROM  NICHOL'S  HALL, 
N.  W.  COLLEGE,  NAPERVILLE 


GOLDSPOHN  SCIENCE  HALL,  NAPER\TLLE 


CARNEGIE  LIBRARY,  NAPERVILLE 


STONE  BRIDGE,  NAPERVILLE 


HISTORY  OP  DU  PAGE  COUNTY. 


695 


class  high  school  {jreparatioii,  or  its  equivalent 
for  the  diploma  course.  A  first  class  college 
course  is  required  for  the  degree  course.  The 
degree  course  makes  promiueut  the  study  of 
the  Old  aud  Xew  Testaments  iu  the  original 
tongues. 

In  1909  the  graduate  school  of  theology  was 
founded  and  put  under  the  supervision  of  the 
seminary  faculty.  In  1011  there  were  thirty 
students  in  the  seminary  and  five  iu  the  gradu- 
ate school. 

Armiuian  theologj*  is  taught  iu  this  divinity 
school.  The  old  proven  tenets  of  the  Protestant 
faith  are  taught,  and  yet  every  effort  is  made 
to  appropriate  all  the  light  of  nature,  history, 
philosophy  and  sound  Christian  experience,  to 
ascertain  what  is  the  Christian  faith  essential 
to  salvation  aud  what  is  the  rational  system  of 
doctrine  to  which  we  subscribe. 

At  present  Rev.  S.  J.  Gamertsfelder,  A.  JI.. 
D.  D.,  Ph.  D.,  serves  as  principal  of  the  semi- 
nary ;  Rev.  S.  L.  Umbaeh,  D.  D.,  occupies  the 
chair  of  historical  theology.  The  board  of  trus- 
tees provides  for  the  other  departments  of  iu- 
structiou  from  year  to  year. 

The     Evangelical     Theological     Seminary     is- 
closely  affiliated  with  Northwestern  College,  yet 
it  stands  under  a  different  management  and  sup-' 
ports  its  own  separate  faculty. 

The  churches  of  Xaiierville  are  as  follo.ws : 

Naperville  Methodist  Episcopal  Church. — 
In  the  summer  of  1832  the  Rev.  Stephen  R. 
Beggs  came  through  this  place  on  the  way  to 
visit  .lesse  Walker,  the  pioneer  niissiouary  of 
the  Northwest.  He  stayed  overnight  with  Cap- 
tain Joseph  Naper.  and  ou  the  following  morn- 
ing, it  being  Sunday,  he  preached  to  twenty  peo- 
ple in  a  neighboring  house.  That  was  the  first 
sermon  preached  at  Naperville  of  which  there 
is  record. 

During  the  same  fall  Mr.  Beggs  was  appointed 
by  Bishop  Soule  to  the  Des  Plaines  Mission,  a 
new  field  intended  to  cover  the  whole  of  the 
Des  Plaines  and  Fox  River  valleys.  He  imme- 
diately took  charge  of  the  work  and  Naperville 
became  one  of  his  regular  preaching  places.  At 
the  close  of  the  year  he  reported  thirty-four 
members  for  the  entire  territory.  How  many 
of  them  resided  here  we  do  not  know,  Init  from 
that  time  Naperville  has  had  regular  Methodist 
preaching  service. 

In   1836   the   Rev.    Elihu    Springer   organized 


the  members  into  a  regular  church  society.  In 
ISIO  the  Rock  River  Conference  was  organized, 
and  at  its  first  session.  Naperville  was  made  the 
head  of  a  circuit,  and  the  Rev.  C.  Lamb  was 
aiipointed  pastor.  In  1S4G  the  Board  of  Trus- 
tees purchased  a  site,  and  a  church  was  erected 
the  same  year.  The  names  of  these  trustees 
were:  Joel  C.  Ellis,  John  Rahm,  Hamilton  Dan- 
iels. Alexander  T'nderwood,  Eli  Rich.  Samuel 
.Anderson.  Aylmer  Keith.  Jo!:;eph  Granger  and 
Hiram  Bristol. 

The  church  has  grown  into  a  prosperous  so- 
ciety of  over  300  members.  It  is  thoroughly 
organized  in  all  lines  of  modern  church  work. 
It  gives  quite  largely  to  the  various  benevo- 
lences of  the  denomination,  and  is  in  a  flourish- 
ing condition.  The  present  Board  of  Trustees 
consists  of  John  P.  Rickert,  John  E.  Babel,  John 
S.  Goodwin.  Samuel  E.  Ranck,  Philip  Oaks,  John 

D.  Royer,  James  D.  Stoner,  John  D.  Wolfe  and 
Harvey  Strubler.    The  present  pastor  is  the  Rev. 

E.  J.  Rose. 

The  Naperville  Congbegational  Church  (By 
Rev.  A.  E.  Randell.) — To  the  Naperville  Con- 
gregational Church  belongs  the  distinction  of 
I'.eing  the  oldest  Congregational  Church,  but  one, 
organized  within  the  State  of  Illinois.  The  ex- 
ception is  the  Mendon  (Adams  County)  Con- 
gregational Church,  the  organization  of  which 
dates  back  five  months  earlier  than  that  of  the 
Naperville  church. 

On  July  13,  1833,  "by  request  of  a  number 
of  persons  at  Du  Page,  to  be  organized  into  a 
Church  of  Christ,  the  Rev.  Jonathan  Porter 
and  Rev.  N.  C.  Clark,  missionaries  for  this 
county,  and  Rev.  C.  W.  Babbitt  of  Tazewell 
County,  met  and.  after  prayer  and  some  appro- 
priate remarks,  proceeded  to  examine  the  cre- 
dentials of  applicants."  So  reads  the  old  rec- 
ord of  the  first  Congregational  Church  but  one 
in  Illinois. 

There  were  sixteen  charter  members.  The 
Presbyterian  policy  under  which  it  was  first 
organized,  was  by  unanimous  vote,  soon  after- 
wards changed  to  the  Congregational.  Rev.  N. 
C.  Clark,  one  of  the  organizers,  became  the  first 
pastor.  Schoolhouse,  barns,  and  the  homes  of 
different  members  were  used  by  this  congrega- 
tion in  its  public  worship  until  January  27,  1847, 
when  the  completed  structure  of  Its  first  church 
building  was  dedicated.  The  site  was  donated 
by  Captain  Morris  Sleight. 


696 


HISTORY  OF  DU  PAGE  COUNTY. 


Niueteeu  pasturs  have  served  this  church, 
the  present  incumbent  of  the  pulpit,  Rev.  Alfred 
E.  Randell.  being  the  twentieth,  beginning  his 
work  May  ],  lOli'.  The  average  length  of  ser- 
vice has  been  four  years.  To  Rev.  Hope  Brown 
belongs  the  honor  of  the  longest  pastorate,  he 
having  been  here  eleven  years.  Rev.  J.  C. 
Meyers,  served  in  this  capacity  for  nine  years. 
Rev.  H.  A'.  Tiill,  eight  years,  and  Rev.  George 
Peebles.  D.  D.,  seven  years. 

During  the  pastorate  of  Dr.'  Peebles,  the  old 
frame  building  gave  place  to  a  beautiful  struc- 
ture of  Gothic  architecture,  built  of  Joliet  lime- 
stone, at  a  cost  of  .?2.").000.  The  equipment  is 
modern  and  complete.  On  May  0,  1906.  this 
new  church  was  dedicated  free  from  debt,  there- 
by meeting  the  only  condition  imposed  by  Mr. 
T.  P.  Phillips  in  presenting  the  church  with  a 
fine  Austin  pipe  organ.  The  interior  of  the 
building  has  recently  been  artistically  decorated 
with  Tiffany  work. 

The  history  of  the  church  is  replete  with  in- 
stances of  heroic  self-sacrificing  service  of  its 
members  in  the  interests  of  the  Kingdom  of 
God. 

The  missionary  enterprises  and  benevolent 
agencies  of  the  denomination  have  been  loyally 
and  generously  supported.  The  Sunday  .school, 
Christian  Endeavor  Society.  Ladies'  Social  Cir- 
cle and  Missionary  Society  are  all  doing  excel- 
lent work,  and  have  become  indispensable  to  the 
church.  The  inflttence  of  the  church  has  lieen 
felt  far  and  near.  Its  membership  now  numbers 
215.  Its  oldest  member,  C.  H.  Goodrich,  whose 
parents  were  charter  members,  has  this  year  been 
made  Deacon  Emeritus  for  life. 

First  Church  of  the  Evaxgelical  .\ssocia- 
Tiox. — The  Evangelical  Association  of  Xaper- 
ville  dates  its  origin  in  Du  Page  County  to  the 
year  183G.  when  two  families  named  Gross  and 
Sehnaebele  moved  from  Warren,  Pa.,  into  the 
vicinity  of  Xaperville.  The  next  year  they 
were  joined  by  the  following  families  from  the 
same  place :  G.  Strubler.  father  of  Daniel  Strub- 
ler  of  Xaperville.  M.  Esher.  J.  Wirth.  M.  Weiss, 
A.  Knopf,  father  of  Mrs.  J.  P.  Fister  of  Xaper- 
ville. A.  Schwigert  and  J.  Rehm.  The  same 
year.  18.37.  the  first  preacher.  Rev.  J.  Boas  was 
sent  out  here  from  Ohio,  who  ministered  faith- 
fully to  the  spiritual  wants  and  organized  a 
class   which    soon   developed   into   a   flourishing 


society  that  has  continued  uninterruptedly 
through  all  these  years. 

The  first  church,  now  owned  by  the  Luther- 
ans, was  dedicated  In  1843.  by  Rev.  J.  G.  Ziuse, 
P.  E.  The  second  edifice,  known  as  the  Brick 
Church,  was  built  in  1858  and  IS.jO.  and  dedi- 
cated by  Bishop  J.  J.  Esher.  then  the  Presiding 
Elder.  The  third  church,  a  large  brick  and  stone 
building,  with  seating  capacity  of  1,200,  is  now 
nearlng  completion,  and  will  be  dedicated  early 
in  1912.  It  is  built  on  the  site  of  the  Brick 
Church,  corner  of  Franklin  and  Center  Streets, 
at  a  cost  of  about  $50,000. 

The  second  congregation  was  organized  in 
1870,  with  Rev.  S.  S.  Condo  as  first  pastor.  This 
society  worshipped  In  English,  in  the  college 
chapel,  while  the  first  held  its  services  in  Ger- 
man until  1910,  when  the  two  congregations 
were  merged  into  one  society,  which  now  num- 
bers about  300  member.?,  with  a  Sunday  school 
of  over  GOO  pupils.  Three  regular  preaching 
services  are  held  on  Sunday,  two  in  English,  and 
one  in  the  German  language.  Every  depart- 
ment of  church  work  Is  being  kept  up  with 
special  interest  along  missionary  lines,  over 
.$2,000  having  been  raised  for  missions  during 
the  last  conference  year. 

St.  .Johx's  Episcopal  Church  of  Xaperville. 
— The  first  services  of  this  church  were  held  in 
Xaperville.  on  Friday,  Xovember  IG.  183S.  when 
the  Rev.  Andrew  H.  Cornish,  rector  of  Christ 
Church,  Joliet,  said  evening  prayer  and  preached. 
The  first  Episcopal  visitation  was  made  by  the 
Rt.  Rev.  Philander  Chase,  D.  D.,  Bishop  of  the 
diocese.  May  27,  1839. 

The  parish  of  St.  .John's  was  organized  Jan- 
uary 22.  1850.  In  18G4,  the  church  lot  was 
donated  by  Captain  Morris  Slaight.  The  church 
corner-stone  was  laid  June  1.  18G4.  by  the  Rt. 
Rev.  H.  J.  Whitehouse.  Bishop  of  the  diocese, 
and  the  church  was  first  opened  for  service, 
January  1.  1SG5.  The  church  was  consecrated 
by  Bishop  Whitehouse.  April  24,  1865. 

In  1867,  the  rectory  lot  was  donated  by  Mrs. 
D.  Slaight.  and  the  rectory  was  built  in  1S69, 
and  occupied  by  the  rector,  August  29,  1870. 

In  1876  and  1877.  the  church  was  enlarged 
by  the  addition  of  transcept  and  enlarged 
chancel,  doubling  the  seating  capacity. 

Two  memorial  windows  were  erected,  one  in 
memory    of    Bishop    Chase,    and    the    other    in 


HISTORY  OF  DU  PAGE  COUNTY. 


697 


memory   of    Bishop   Whitehouse.     A   new   altar 
ami  liishoii's  chair  were  also  tlouated. 

The  church  was  reopened  November  20,  1878, 
by   the   Rt.    Rev.   William    E.    McLaren.   D.   D., 

Bishop  of  the  diocese. 

The  German  Ev.\xgelical  Church,  while  not 
at  Xaperville  cit.v.  is  in  the  township,  being  lo- 
cated at  Copenhagen,  a  settlement  in  the  south- 
western part  of  the  township.  Six  families  of 
this  faith  came  to  Copenhagen  and  settled  there 
iu  18-14,  holding  religious  services  in  the  school- 
house  until  1858,  when  a  church  was  built  by 
subscription. 

The  society  is  in  a  prosperous  condition, 
having  recently  built  a  new  church.  All  of  its 
members  are  thrifty  farmers,  sons  and  daugh- 
ters of  the  first  founders  of  the  church,  who 
have  inherited  the  religion  of  their  forebears, 
as  well  as  their  correct  habits  in  social  life. 

St.  John's  Evangelical  Lutheran  Church. 
This  society  was  organized  in  1858,  -with  twenty 
members.  The  church  building  was  erected  at 
an  early  day.  but  in  ISTl  it  was  enlarged  and 
improved.  The  congregation  is  now  quite  large, 
and  a  new  Imilding  in  the  near  future  is  con- 
templated. 

Church  of  the  Brethren  (By  Ira  Sollen- 
bergerK — The  original  members  of  this  church 
came  originally  from  Pennsylvania,  between 
1850  and  ISGo.  The  church  was  organized  and 
the  cliurch  edifice  built  about  1805.  From  that 
time  the  church  was  under  the  care  of  Bishop 
and  pastors  as  follows :  Samuel  Lehman,  Sr., 
Christian  Martin,  Samuel  Lehman,  Jr„  D.  C. 
Vromau,  S.  E.  Yundt,  Jacob  Sollenberger,  H,  M. 
Barkdoll.  A.  D.  Sollenberger  and  I.  C.  Suavely, 
the  present  pastor. 

In  1007  we  moved  into  our  church  house  from 
the  country,  at  No.  55  W.  Benton  Street.  Naper- 
ville.  where  we  are  uow  holding  services.  Our 
church  has  always  stood  and  pleaded  for  a  re- 
turn to  the  Apostolic  mode  of  worship.  It  has 
always  stood  for  peace,  having  non-resistent 
principles.  It  has  also  always  stood  for  tem- 
perance, and  against  secret  and  oath  bound  so- 
cieties. 

Grace  Fnited  Evangelical  Church. — The 
organization  of  Grace  United  Evangelical  Church 
was  effected  in  1891.     The  first  Trustees  were 

6 


I'rof.  II.  II.  Rassweiler.  J.  B.  Frost,  C.  Kendiug. 
A  frame  church  building  was  erected  iu  1892. 
In  this  church  was  held  the  first  General  Confer- 
ence of  the  newly  founded  United  Evangelical 
denomination.  The  society  has  been  progressive 
iu  its  work  and  prosperous  from  the  beginning 
of  its  organization.  It  stands  for  a  pure  Bible 
t.vpe  of  Christianity,  is  simple  in  its  worship 
and  aggressive  in  its  methods.  Its  Sunday 
School,  under  the  leadership  of  Prof.  H.  H. 
Rassweiler,  has  been  recognized  as  one  of  the 
best  organized  and  most  enthu.siastic  schools  iu 
the  State,  Its  present  enrollment  is  400.  In 
connection  with  the  Sunday  School,  is  a  strong 
men's  Bible  class,  called  the  Baraca  class,  and 
a  ladies'  class,  called  the  Philatheas,  The  other 
work  of  the  church  is  distributed  among  the 
following  orgauizations :  K.  L.  C.  E.,  Women's 
Missionary  Societies,  Mission  Band  and  Ladies 
Wd.  In  the  year  1909,  a  new  church  of  brick, 
with  modern  facilities,  was  built  to  meet  the 
growing  needs  of  the  congregation.  The  struc- 
ture occupies  one  of  the  most  beautiful  corners 
of  the  city  and  is  rained  at  $40,000.  It  has  a 
seating  capacity  of  about  000.  Besides  the  au- 
ditorium, there  is  a  Sunday  School  room  with 
special  class  rooms  and  other  facilities  for  mod- 
ern Sunday  School  work.  The  present  member- 
ship of  the  church  is  272,  and  is  composed  of 
business  and  professional  men,  factory  men, 
farmers,  and  their  families.  In  the  spring  of 
1010,  the  German  branch  of  the  same  deuomiua- 
tion,  called  the  Salem  United  Evangelical 
Church,  disbanded  and  united  witli  Grace 
church. 

The  pastors  who  have  served  the  church  are : 
Rev.  E.  K.  Yeakel.  Rev.  J.  Klopp,  Rev.  S.  F. 
Entorf.  Rev.  E.  S.  Woodring,  Rev.  W.  Caton, 
Rev.  J.  Divan,  and  Rev.  L.  C.  Schmidt.  The 
present  Trustees  are:  B.  J.  Slick.  J.  A.  Hertel, 
C.  W.  Leffler,  J.  Kraushaar,  R.  A.  Unger.  The 
class  leaders  are :  W.  W.  Wickel  and  A.  W. 
Dewar. 

The  Catholic  Church  In  Naperville  (Bt 
Joseph  A.  Reuss). — Prior  to  1844  the  spiritual 
needs  of  the  Catholics,  in  and  around  Naperville, 
were  administered  to  by  occasional  visits  of  mis- 
sionary priests  sent  out  from  the  dioceses  of 
Bardstown,  St.  Louis  and  Vincenues. 

The  first  Bishop  in  the  I'nited  States,  John 
Carrol,  appointed,  as  it  is  alleged,  uiron  the 
recommendation    of    Dr.    Ben.    Franklin,    then 


698 


HISTORY  OF  DU  PAGE  COUNTY. 


United  States  Minister  to  Paris,  was  consecrated 
Bisliop   of   Baltimore   in   1790.     He  was   given 
•  Episcopal  jurisdiction  over  the  United  States. 

The  first  division  of  the  United  States  into 
dioceses  was  in  1808,  and,  in  1810,  pursuant 
thereto,  the  Dioceses  of  New  York,  Philadel- 
phia, Boston  and  Bardstowu,  Ky.,  were  created 
in  addition  to  the  one  of  Baltimore.  By  this 
division  all  of  the  State  of  Illinois  became  part 
of  the  Diocese  of  Bardstown. 

In  1822  the  Diocese  of  Cincinnati  was  estab- 
lished, with  jurisdiction  of  the  "Northwest  Ter- 
ritory." thus,  theoretically  at  least,  putting  Na- 
perville  into  the  latter  diocese.  However,  the 
celebrated  missionary  priest.  Father  Stephen 
Theodore  Badin.  French  revolutionary  refugee 
to  the  Bardstowu  Diocese  in  1793,  who  was  the 
first  priest  ordained  in  the  United  States,  was 
in  Chicago  about  1830,  where  he  baptized  Alex- 
ander Beaubien.  About  the  same  time  also 
Bishop  .loseph  Rosati,  of  St.  Louis,  exercised 
jurisdiction  so  tar  as  to  send  missionary  priests 
into  certain  parts  of  Illinois  from  time  to  time, 
sending  Father  St.  Cyr.  a  native  of  Lyons, 
France,  in  1833,  to  administer  to  the  needs  of 
Catholics  in  Chicago. 

In  18.34  the  Episcopal  See  of  Vincennes,  Ind., 
was  established,  and  the  learned  and  pious 
Simon  Gabriel  Brute  appointed  Bishop  with 
jurisdiction  of  Illinois  and  Indiana.  This  bishop 
writes  that,  at  this  time,  there  were  but  two 
priests  besides  himself  in  his  diocese,  one  of 
them  being  Father  St.  Cyr,  stationed  at  Chi- 
cago, "whom  Bishop  Rosati  had  permitted  to 
assist  me  for  a  year." 

The  construction  of  the  Illinois  and  Michigan 
Canal  shortly  after  1835  brought  an  influx  of 
Irish  and  German  Catholics  to  the  vicinity  of 
Chicago,  and  about  the  year  1830  Bishop  Brute 
sent  there  Fathers  Maurice  de  St.  Palais,  Fisher, 
Schaefer,  du  Pontavice,  Plunkett,  O'Meara, 
Gueguen  and  Badin.  These  priests  ministered 
without  definite  appointments  as  missionaries 
in  the  neighborhood  of  Chicago,  and  doubtless 
one  or  more  of  these  at  some  time  visited  Na- 
perville. 

While  already  as  early  as  1833  Father  St. 
Cyr  was  directed  by  Bishop  Rosati  to  report  to 
the  Bishop  of  Chicago,  "when  such  an  one  is 
appointed,"  yet  it  was  only  eleven  years  later, 
in  1844.  that  the  Diocese  of  Chicago  was  created 
and  Rev.  William  Quarter,  who  was  born  in 
1.800  in  Kings  County  Ireland,  and  then  pastor 


of  St.  Mary's  Church  in  New  York,  was  ap- 
pointed Bishop  of  the  diocese.  Since  then  Naijer- 
ville  has  been  in  the  diocese  of  Chicago. 

Before  the  construction  of  a  church  in  Na- 
perville,  religious  services  were  held,  for  the 
first  time,  at  the  log  cabin  of  .Io.seph  Wehrli, 
then  located  about  half  a  mile  southeast  of  the 
present  site  of  NapeiTille;  afterward,  at  the 
tavern  which  stood  at  the  cross  roads  of  the 
Naperville  &  Chicago  road  and  Lisle  &  Joliet 
road,  on  the  Ory  farm  now  owned  by  Mr.  Karaffa 
and  at  the  Kuni  house,  located  on  the  river 
road  south  of  Naperville  on  the  Norbury  farm 
now  owned  by  Mrs.  Matilda  Ory.  "a  priest  com- 
ing over  from  Joliet  once  a  mouth." 

Father  H.  du  Pontavice.  who  was  stationed 
at  Joliet  from  1841  to  August  22.  1844,  .solemn- 
ized the  first  Catholic  marriage  of  which  there 
is  any  record  in  this  county,  on  November  1, 
1841.  It  was  the  marriage  of  James  K.  Buggy 
to  Bridget  Butger.  It  is  believed,  however, 
that  these  parties  did  not  reside  at  Naperville. 
In  1844  Father  du  Pontavice  solemnized  -the 
marriage  of  Thomas  Watson  to  Lucretia  Kline, 
who  lived  in  this  vicinity,  and  this  is  believed 
to  have  been  the  first  Catholic  marriage  at 
Naperville. 

Father  Gueguen  as.sisted  Father  du  I'onta- 
vice  in  1841  and  1842  at  Joliet  mission,  and  in 
the  latter  year  removed  to  "Mohan's  Settle- 
ment" In  Lake  County,  where  he  lived  in  a  log 
cabin  near  Libertyville.  He  periodically  tra- 
velled on  mi.sslon  from  there  to  Galena,  return- 
ing southeasterly  towards  Joliet  and  back  to  his 
log  cabin,  via  Chicago.  Each  of  these  trips 
occupied  about  four  months'  time. 

Rev.  Johu  Ingolsby  was  ordained  priest  at 
Chicago  on  August  18,  1844,  and,  four  days 
later,  on  August  22,  1844,  was  sent  as  pastor  to 
Joliet.  It  is  known  that  he  made  mission  trips 
to  Aurora. 

Fathers  du  Pontavice  and  Ingolsby,  and  pos- 
sibly also  Father  Gueguen,  or  some  others  of 
the  missionaries  sent  by  Bishop  Brute,  were  the 
priests  "coming  over  from  Joliet  once  a  month'' 
prior  to  the  erection  of  a  church  here. 

The  first  Catholic  settlers  in  this  parish  of 
whom  there  is  any  present  knowledge,  were 
.Joseph  Yack  and  Xavier  Dutter.  who  came 
here  about  the  year  1838.  Their  families  came 
a  year  or  two  afterwards. 

In  1846  the  first  church  edifice  was  erected 
in  what  is  now  the  City  of  Naperville.     It  was 


HISTORY  OF  DU  PAGE  COUNTY. 


699 


a  suirtll  t'riime  structure,  with  a  "lean  to"  at- 
tached on  the  south  side,  the  latter  beiug  used 
for  the  dual  purpose  of  a  pastor's  residence  and 
sacristy.  This  building  was  located  on  the  west 
side  of  Front  street,  facing  east. 

The  members  of  this  infant  parish  got  a  deed 
of  lot  7  in  block  5  of  Sleight's  Addition  (located 
on  the  southwest  corner  of  Franklin  Avenue  and 
Front  Street,  where  Carolus  Ilall  now  stands), 
and  two  acres  of  laud  for  Cemetery  purposes 
(the  old  part  of  the  Cemetery)  from  Morris 
Sleight  ou  August  20,  1S46,  for  the  considera- 
tion of  $50.  At  the  same  time  Mr.  Sleight  con- 
tracted to  sell  lots  4,  5  and  0  in  the  same  block, 
which  adjoin  lot  7  on  the  south,  and  the  little 
church  was  built  on  lots  5  and  0.  This  church 
was  named  "St,  Raphael's  Church." 

At  the  time  the  church  was  built  there  were 
less  than  25  families  of  Catholic  origin  living  in 
the  neighborhood,  and  it  is  claimed  that  the 
church  buildug  was  erected  by  contributions 
from  not  more  than  13  of  these.  As  the  legend 
runs,  Joseph  Wehrli.  who  was  the  only  one  of 
the  number  having  money,  advanced  the  money 
to  build  the  church  on  an  assurance  from  the 
others  that  they  would,  pro  rata,  reimburse  him 
therefor.  This,  after  considerajjle ,  ftrratlGial' 
difBculty,  was  finally  done,  and  the.par;ish  got' ,; 
the  deeds  of  lots  4,  5  and  6  on  ^^^^Mbe^  2T, 
1849.  Among  the  names  of  persons-of  Catholic 
origin  there,  at  that  time,  are  Jo^ph  'Wehrli, 
Peter  Schultz,  X,  Egerman,  D,  Bapst,  •Aucl¥^w._ 
Kreyder.  X.  Dutter,  G.  Ott.  Joseph: Y.-Tcli,  An- 
drew Schall,  Francis  Ory,  Joseph  H-iuterloirg,  * " 
X,  Rledy,  Lawrence  Kaefer,  Antonie  Kuui, 
Joseph  Pfister,  John  Clementz,  John  Jaegly, 
Joseph  Seller,  X.  Drendel,  X,  'VMnckler,  Michael 
Schwartz,  Valentine  Dieter,  Sehrodi,  Beaubien, 

Rev.  Raphael  Rainaldi  was  the  first  pastor  of 
the  church.  He  was,  probably,  like  his  succes- 
sor, Rev,  Marogne,  a  native  of  TJ-rol,  Italy, 
and  thus,  in  the  German  idiom,  was  a  "Ty- 
roler."  This  may  account  for  the  fact  that  the 
first  history  of  Du  Page  County  (Richmond's), 
published  in  1857,  gives  the  credit  for  the  erec- 
tion of  this  church  to  "Rev.  Theroler."  The 
first  official  act  of  Rev,  Rainaldi,  according  to 
the  county  records,  was  the  marriage  of  Robert 
le  Beau  to  Emily  Beaubien,  on  September  8, 
1846.  At  the  first  theological  conference  of  the 
elergj'  of  the  Chicago  diocese,  held  there  on 
November  10,  1847,  "Rev.  Rainaldi  of  Naper- 
ville"  was  present.     Rev.   Rainaldi   left  Naper- 


ville  in  July,  1848,  and,  on  July  I'J,  184S,  was 
sent  as  pastor  to  St.  Mary's  church  in  Peoria, 
where  he  was  stationed  as  late,  at  least,  as 
May,  1851,  He  was  afterwards  stationed  for 
a  time  at  Lourdes. 

The  next  jiastor  was  Rev.  Charles  Jlarogna,  a 
native  of  Tyrol,  Italy.  Under  date  July  10, 
1848,  we  read  in  the  diary  of  Very  Rev.  Walter 
J.  Quarter,  that  "Rev.  Morf/ana  left  for  Xaper- 
ville."  The  latter  spelling  of  this  pastor's  name 
is  undoubtedly  incorrect,  as  is  also  ■'ilorocno," 
as  local  tradition  usually  spells  the  name.  He 
is  referred  to  by  Bishop  Van  de  Velde  and  by 
church  historians,  by  the  name  "Marogna,"  and 
this  is  the  correct  spelling  of  his  name.  He  was 
of  noble  Italian  ancestry  and  his  titular  name 
was  "Charles  Joseph,  Count  of  Marogna.''  Rev, 
Marogna  was  here  but  a  very  short  time 
(scarcely  a  month),  being  transferred  from  here 
to  Germautown,  Clinton  County  (Shoal  Creek 
Settlement).  He  afterwards,  in  1853,  entered 
the  Benedictine  order  at  St.  Vincents,  Pa„  and 
died  at  St.  Paul,  Minn.,  in  18G0.  His  incum- 
bency at  Xaperville  may  have  been  only  a  tem- 
porary one,  as  already,  on  September  25.  1848, 
Rev,. John  Ingolsby,  then  pastor  of  St.  Patrick's 
churehlat  Cass,  was  called  here  to  celebrate  the 
neirriSge  of    Soliste   Beaubien    to    Rosa   Dresa. 

For  gome  time  afterwards  there  was  no  regu- 
lar iiastor  here.  Rev.  A.  Kopp  came  here  to 
^I(tiuuige  the  marriage  of  Anthony  Bapst  to 
Caroline;  Kuni  on  January  2,  1849,  was  sent 
lieije.  Ml-  April  21,  1840.  "in  order  to  give  the 
German  Catholics  a  chance  to  make  their  Eas- 
ter Duty,"  and  again  officiated  here  at  a  mar- 
riage ceremony  on  May  IG,  1849,  Rev,  Nicholas 
Jung  solemnized  here  the  marriage  of  Peter 
Nicholas  to  Victoria  Bapst  on  February  20, 
1840. 

The  next  pastor  was  Rev.  Nicholas  Jung,  a 
native  of  Strassburg.  Elsass,  Germany,  whence 
he  immigrated  in  1845.  He  became  pastor  about 
July.  1849. 

The  first  official  visit  to  Naperville  by  any 
Bishop  was  on  July  13,  1849,  when  Bishop  Van 
de  Velde,  of  Chicago,  came  and  stayed  here  un- 
til Monday,  July  16,  1849,  during  which  time 
he  "examined  spiritual  and  temporal  affairs  of 
Naperville  congregation  and  found  everything 
in  a  most  satisfactory  condition ;  gave  com- 
munion to  23  children  and  confirmed  50  per- 
sons." At  this  time  it  is  probable  that  the 
Bishop  assisted  the  little  congregation  in  the 
adjustment  of  their-  financial  difficulties  which 


7m 


HISTORY  OF  DU  PAGE  COUNTY. 


culiiiiiKitetl.  as  is  seeu  in  the  deed,  to  the  lots 
whereon  the  church  stooil  on  November  27,  1849. 

ReliUive  to  the  congre;ialion  at  this  time, 
Bishop  Van  de  Velde's  diary,  under  date  Octo- 
ber 22.  1S49,  spealss  as  follows:  '-Bishop  at 
Xaperville  from  Joliet.  Congregation  about 
GOO,  nearly  all  Germans.  Aurora  attached  to  it 
about  700.  mostly  Canadians.  Xo  church  at 
.\urora." 

As  further  enlightenment  on  this  matter  is 
this  deed  of  November  27,  1849.  For  reasons 
oest  known  to  the  parties,  the  deed  was  not 
made  to  the  Bishop  of  Chicago,  but  was  made 
"In  trust  for  the  Roman  Catholic  population 
of  Xaperville  and  vicinity,"  by  name  to  the  fol- 
lowing persons : 


Xavier  Crist 
Math.  Waggerman 
Elizabeth  Rouler 
.Terry  Cassady 
.•^eb.  Rickert 
Antonie  Kueney 


William  Ott 
Jiihn  Yubrecht 
Jos.  Weaver 
Chas.  Buzzard 
Geo.  H.  Miller 
Mich.  Xeidinger 


Xavier  Wingler 
Jos.  AVehrle 
Adam  Kolai 
Xavier  Compt 
George  Stronse 
T.  Hilteubrand 
J.  Yagley 
Almanda    Sehusler 
Gregory  Sehusler 
Jos.  Saintjulien 
Peter  Beaumister 
Andrew  Crider 
Val.  Dieter 
Mich.  Dieter 
Dominique  Bapst 
Peter  Schultz 
Elias  Laclear 
Mich.  Trouffler 
Mauritz  Xeff 
Francis  Schmidt 
John  Hartnagel 
Peter  Ankstater 
Adam  Hoffman 
Laurence  Kafer 
Antonie  Ketch 
Martin  Spitz 
Xavier  Adam 
Peter  Xicholas 
Jac.  Inglefried 
Amos  Boltinghouse 
John  Gross 
George  Vogel 
Joseph  Yack 
George  Baker 
Jos.  Hiltenbrand 
.John  Addler 
X.  Egerman 


>taximan  Raub 
Martin  Schmitt 
Francis  Bartley 
Franeiss  Oree 
Fred.  Schalrer 
Xavier  Schmidt 
Jos.  Yank 
Jacob  Miller 
Francis  Reaser 
Mart.  Frederick 
Jos.  Pfister 
Pat.  Caraher 
Peter  Stenger 
Paul  Myer 
Frank  Ott 
Mich  Kline 
Barnard   Frederich 
Antonie  Katerer 
Peter  Dieter 
Jonas  Clementz 
Elias  Bapst 
Jos.  Hinterlong 
.John  Schmidt 
Mathais  Ratsch 
.Mathais  Stark 
Michael   Swats 
Xavier  Drendel 
Xavier  Yander 
Loren  Swats 
John  Kaikel 
Jos.  Seller 
Michael  Bartley' 
Augustin  Fox 
Jos.  Dutter 
.\ntonie  Bapst 
Bonefas  Ott 
Elias  Swabb 


It  is  reasonable  to  suppose  that  this  list  of 
names  comprised  the  heads  of  all  the  families 
who.  at  that  time,  made  up  the  congregation. 
It  is  also  apparent  that  the  parish  had  greatly 
gained  in  membership  since  Its  formation,  but 
three  years  before,  the  increase  being  caused 
by  immigration  from  Europe. 

At  this  last  mentioned  visit  of  the  Bishoi)  on 
October  22,  1849,  the  Rev.  Jung  was  relieved  of 
his  pastorate. 

Again  for  several  months  there  was  no  regu- 
lar pastor  here.  Rev.  A.  Kopp  married  Valen- 
tine Kuhn  to  Ursula  Lenbondins.  on  February 
2G.  1850.  and  iirobably  came  at  other  times  of 
need. 

The  next  pastor  was  Rev.  Francis  Anthony 
Voelker.  He  was  a  native  of  Hanover.  Ger- 
nntny,  and  had  been  a  soldier  in  his  younger 
\  ears.  His  first  recorded  official  act  was  a  mar- 
riage on  March  12.  IS.jO.  Rev.  Voelker  died 
here  during  his  pastorate  and  was  buried  in  the 
parochial  cemetery  on  September  4.  1S51.  Bishop 
Van  de  Velde  personally  attending  the  funeral. 
On  November  14,  1851.  Rev.  Charles  Zucker. 
a  native  of  Prussia,  W'ho  was  ordained  priest 
in  Chicago  only  a  week  before,  on  November 
7th.  was  appointed  pastor  of  the  church.  On 
December  11th,  following,  he  received  addition- 
ally "charge  of  the  stations  of  Somonauk.  Little 
Rock  and  Benjamin's  Settlement."  Little  Rock 
was  a  settlement  west  of  Aurora,  and  Benja- 
min's Settlement  was  in  the  northwestern  p.irt 
of  this  county. 

Under  this  pastor  the  church  received  its  first 
bell.s — two  bells  being  cast  for  the  church  in 
Chicago.  The  church  was  also  enlarged  by  a 
frame  addition  and  the  "lean  to"  was  moved  to 
the  southwest  corner  of  lot  4  and  used  from 
then  on  as  the  parish  school.  The  official  parish 
registers  were  begun  by  this  pastor  and  are 
extant  from  that  time  to  now. 

Shortly  after  this  the  church  received  another 
Episcopal  visit,  and  we  read  again,  in  Bishop 
Van  de  Velde's  diary,  under  date  March  28, 
1853  :  "Left  for  Xaperville  ;  deputation  and  band 
of    music   to    meet    Bishop   at   Downer's   Grove 


HISTORY  OF  DU  PAGE  COUNTY. 


701 


(doubtless  the  Bishop  iuteuded  the  railroad  sta- 
tion at  Danliy,  afterwards  Prospect  Park,  and 
now  named  Glen  EIIttu)  ;  thence  escorted  to 
Naperville,  nine  miles ;  firing  of  guns  and  ring- 
ing of  bells ;  church  enlarged ;  confirmation  at 
Naperville  and  first  communion,  76  confirmed ; 
in  afternoon  visited  Milton,  new  frame  church 
of  St.  Stephen." 

Rev.  Zucker  left  here  in  August,  1S5.3,  his 
last  recorded  otticial  act  being  on  the  2d  day  of 
that  month. 

During  the  following  September,  October  and 
November,  Rev.  Kopp,  then  pastor  of  St. 
Joseph's  Church  of  Chicago  and  afterwards 
Vicar  General  of  the  diocese,  from  time  to  time 
attended  the  spiritual  needs  of  the  congregation. 

The  next  pastor  was  Rev.  John  Peter  ICrae- 
mer,  who  was  appointed  in  December,  1853.  bis 
first  recorded  official  act  being  on  the  18th  day 
of  that  mouth.  He  remained  only  until  Sep- 
tember, 1851. 

During  the  next  following  pastoral  vacancy, 
Rev.  John  Peter  Carolus,  then  pastor  at  Johns- 
burg  (McHenry)  and  Rev.  Kopp,  of  Chicago, 
came  to  this  city  from  time  to  time  during  the 
winter  of  lSi')4-lSo5 ;  the  former  baptizing  about 
15  children  and  the  latter  baptizing  about  10 
such  during  that  time. 

Uev.  Rudol])h  Etthoffer.  the  next  pastor,  be- 
came such  on  May  14.  1855.  His  incumbency 
was  short,  as  he  died  here  on  October  27,  1855, 
and  was  buried  in  the  parochial  cemetery. 

During  the  pastoral  vacancy  of  the  winter  of 
18-55-50  Father  Carolus  again  from  time  to  time 
gave  his  Naperville  friends  religious  consolation. 
His  visits,  however,  were  irregular. 

In  April,  1S5G,  Rev.  Eusebius  Kaiser  became 
pastor  and  remained  such  until  July  IS,   1857. 

For  about  a  year  following  the  pastorate  was 
vacant,  the  spiritual  needs  of  the  congrega- 
tion being  attended  from  time  to  time,  as  occa- 
sion demanded,  liy  Rev.  L.  Carteyvels.  of  Au- 
rora, and  Rev.  Joseph  Ranck,  of  Joliet. 

Rev.  L.  Snyder  became  the  next  pastor.  The 
church  records  show  his  first  official  act  to  have 
been  on  August  22.  18-58.  and  his  last  on  Octo- 
ber 13,  1858. 

Rev.  John  Peter  Carolus,  the  next  pastor,  be- 
came such  on  or  about  December  5.  1858.  He 
was  a  native  of  Strassburg.  Elsa.  Germany. 
Before  he  came  to  this  country  he  had  been 
officiating  at  Herbsheim.  Elsass.  from  the 
neighborhood  of  which  town  many  of  the  mem- 


bers of  the  Naperville  congregation  had  origi- 
nated ;  consequently  he  was  well  known  to  the 
major  ijart  of  the  congregation.  Already  when 
stationed  at  Johnsburg  he  had,  as  we  have 
seen,  in  a  measure  administered  to  the  Naper- 
ville parish  when  it  was  sorely  in  need  because 
of  a  pastoral  vacancy. 

Father  Carolus  was  physically  a  large  and 
corpulent  man.  He  was  companionable  and  of 
a  social  disposition,  and  was  highly  regarded 
by  his  flock.  His  selection  was  eminently  fitting 
because  of  the  close  ties  of  friendship  and  of 
nationality  which  bound  him  to  so  many  of  the 
congregation.  His  coming  was  timely ;  the 
finances  of  the  parish  and  its  property  were  in 
a  very  unsatisfactory  condition ;  spiritually  the 
condition  of  the  congregation  was  even  more 
unsatisfactor.v.  Though  the  parish  was  founded 
twelve  years  before  he  came,  the  constant  chang- 
ing of  pastors,  the  long  pastoral  vacancies,  va- 
rious petty  parish  discords,  etc.,  had  alienated 
many  of  the  congregation,  if  not  from  the  church 
itself,  at  least,  from  active  interest  in  the 
parish. 

Already  in  ISCO,  therefore,  the  new  pastor 
instituted  a  "mission,"  given  by  the  spirited, 
eloquent  and  great  Father  Xavier  Wenninger, 
S.  J.,  the  beneficial  results  of  which,  without 
question,  have  endured  even  to  this  day. 

The  religious  fervor  re-awakened  by  this  mis- 
sion and  kept  alive  and  strengthened  liy  the 
high  regard  and  respect  for  Father  Carolus, 
soon  resulted  that  the  church  attendance  taxed 
the  church  capacity  and  plans  for  a  new  church 
edifice  had  to  be  made.  For  this  purpose  a  .sub- 
scription was  taken  up,  resulting  in  the  promises 
by  the  members  of  the  congregation  of  $21,000 
towards  the  new  church.  Under  this  pastorate 
the  first  regular  school  teacher  was  employed  in 
the  parochial  school. 

It  was  not  ordained,  however,  by  Providence 
that  Father  Carolus  should  see  the  beginning 
of  the  new  church  structure.  Attached  to  the 
duties  of  pastor  here  at  that  time  was  the  mis- 
sion service  of  the  Milton  Church,  located  in 
the  open  prairie  about  three  miles  northwest  of 
the  present  city  of  Wheaton.  In  going  to  and 
from  this  mission  Father  Carolus  drove  a  favor- 
ite pony  of  his  attached  to  a  light  buggy.  This 
pony  had  the  habit  of  shying  at  bridges  and  cul- 
verts and.  in  crossing  one  such,  on  May  27, 
1801.  on  his  trip  from  the  Milton  mission,  the 
pony  shied  and  threw  I'ather  Carolus  out  of  the 


70-2 


HISTORY  OF  DU  PAGE  COUNTY. 


buggy,  iilmost  iustautly  killiug  bim  by  tbe  fall. 
Jlidst  universal  sorrow  be  was  buried  in  the 
parocbial  cemetery.  The  religious  spirit  imbued 
by  bim  into  tbe  congregation,  bowever.  lived  on 
aud.  as  will  be  noticed,  was  tbe  beginning  and 
probably  tbe  cause  of  tbe  great  material  and 
spiritual  prosperity  of  tbe  parisb. 

For  about  a  year  and  a  balf  following,  Fatber 
Carolus's  deatb,  tbere  was  no  regular  resident 
pastor.  Rev.  Sullivan  of  Aurora,  Rev.  Julius 
Kuenzer.  C.  S.  S.  R.,  and  Rev.  Josepb  Mueller. 
C.  S.  S.  R..  tbe  latter  two  from  St.  Micbael's 
Cbureb.  Cbicago,  at  frequent  intervals  attended 
the  parish  needs. 

On  October  19,  1862,  Rev.  Peter  Fischer  be- 
came pastor.  He  was  a  native  of  Straubiugen, 
Bavaria.  Germany.  He  was  ordained  priest  at 
Cincinnati.  Ohio,  In  ISGO,  and  had  been  a  car- 
penter prior  to  entering  upon  hi.s  studies  as  a 
priest. 

He  was  a  very  energetic  man  ;  strong  in  his 
convictions ;  a  believer  in  rigorous  Catholicism, 
which  bowever  he  did  not  hesitate  to  practice 
first  himself.  He  was  a  good  man  but  a  stern 
one. 

Under  the  pastorate  of  Father  Fischer,  the 
laud  ou  which  the  present  church  is  located  was 
purchased  in  1SG4,  the  deed  therefor  being  given 
on  June  27.  1864.  In  tbe  same  year  the  con- 
struction of  tbe  first  stone  church  was  begun, 
the  corner-stone  being  laid  on  June  12,  18G4. 
Tbe  name  of  the  church  was  also  changed  from 
"St.  Raphael"  to  SS.  Peter  &  Paul,  its  present 
name.  The  original  contract  price  of  the  edifice 
was  .$18,000.  tbe  rough  building  stone  to  be  fur- 
nished by  tbe  parish  in  addition  thereto.  To 
furnish  this  .stone  tbe  parish  purchased  a  small 
tract  of  land,  lying  a  short  distance  south  of  the 
town,  underlying  which  there  was  stone,  and  the 
stone  was  quarried  therefrom  and  hauled  to 
the  new  building  by  various  members  of  the  con- 
gregation. Severe  difficulties  were  encountered 
in  the  construction.  The  first  contractor  de- 
faulted, after  having  received  some  .$6,000  on 
his  work,  and  the  work  bad  to  be  re-let,  the 
congregation  being  obliged  to  pay  the  new  con- 
tractor upon  such  re-letting  the  entire  original 
contract  price  of  .$18,000,  without  receiving 
any  credit  for  the  work  already  done  on  the 
foundation  by  the  first  contractor.  Despite 
these  severe  difficulties,  the  church  building  was 
completed  within  very  near  the  time  originally 


contemplated.  About  this  same  time  additional 
land  was  purchased  adjoining  the  cemetery. 

Father  Fischer  left  in  November,  1864,  before 
tbe  new  church  was  dedicated.  He  wont  first 
as  pastor  of  St.  Peter's  Church  in  Cbicago,  and 
afterward,  in  1868,  established  the  parish  and 
built  the  church  of  St.  Anthony  in  that  city,  of 
which  he  was  pastor  until  his  death,  but  a  few 
years  ago.  Fatber  Fischer  left  a  record  as  a 
"church  builder,"  having  been  instrumental  in 
the  construction  and  supervision  of  many  church 
and  religious  edifices  throughout  the  diocese. 
He  was  one  of  Bi.sbop  Feeban's  confidential 
advisors. 

Rev.  Max  Albrecbt,  a  native  of  Boekel.  West- 
phalia. Germany,  succeeded  Father  Fischer  as 
pastor  in  Xevember,  1864,  and  remained  here 
until  the  summer  of  1866.  Shortly  after  his 
arrival  here  tbe  new  church  was  dedicated  dur- 
ing 1864.  Thereafter  tbe  old  frame  church 
building  was  used  as  parish  school.  Rev.  Al- 
brecbt afterwards  was  pastor  of  St.  Joseph 
church,  Brinfield  (to  1873),  aud  St.  Mary's 
church,  Henry   (to  1876). 

A  vacancy  of  about  a  month  then  ensued, 
when  Rev.  William  de  la  Porte  became  pastor 
in  August,  18GC.  Father  de  la  Porte  was  born 
at  Burgsteinfurt.  Westphalia.  Germany,  on 
May  11.  1841.  .^^tudied  the  classics  and  philos- 
ophy at  tbe  (Jymnasiuni  and  Academy,  respect- 
ively, at  .Munster.  Westiibalia.  and  theology  at 
the  f-emiuary  of  St.  Mary  of  tbe  Lake.  Chicago, 
at  which  latter  place  he  was  ordained  priest  on 
April   15,   186G. 

Under  Father  de  la  Porte"s  pastorate  tbe  fol- 
lowing improvements  aud  additions  were  made 
to  the  church  and  its  property :  The  present 
pipe-organ  was  purchased  from  Josepb  Gratian, 
of  Alton,  for  .$2,300.  and  was  first  used  on  Au- 
gust 15,  1869;  the  brick  parsonage  (now  the 
building  occupied  by  the  nuns,  who  teach  the 
parish  school),  was  built  at  a  cost  of  $4,000; 
tbe  sanctuary  and  steeple  were  added  to  the 
church,  its  exterior  cemented,  tbe  interior  re- 
constructed into  Gothic  design,  the  walls  fres- 
coed and  new  pews  installed  in  187G  at  a  cost 
of  $18,000.  Yet,  despite  of  these  great  and  ex- 
pensive improvements,  and  despite  the  debt  of 
approximately  $8,000  outstanding  for  the  origi- 
nal church  building  when  Fatber  de  la  Porte 
came  as  pastor,  tbe  congregation  had  only  a 
debt  of  $8,000  when  he  left  in  1878. 

Father  de  la  Porte  left  here  on  November  1, 


HENRY  EUCHHOLZ. 


HISTORY  OF  DU  PAGE  COUNTY. 


703 


1878.  For  a  time  afterwards  he  was  instructor 
in  the  Theological  College  at  St.  Francis,  Wis., 
later  assisted  Father  Fischer  at  St.  Anthony's 
Church,  Chicago,  and  in  18S2  established  the 
parish  of  and  built  the  Catholic  Church  in 
Wheaton.  of  which  he  is  now  pastor.  He  was 
a  young  man  when  he  came  to  Xaperville,  but 
already  showed  the  excellent  constructive  and 
executive  ability  which  has  marked  his  later 
record  and  foreshadowed  the  flourishing  condi- 
tion of  his  present  parish  at  M'heaton. 

When  Father  de  la  Porte  left  this  parish 
there  were  about  230  families  in  the  congre- 
gation, and  the  parochial  school  consisted  of 
two  rooms  with  an  attendance  of  about  100 
pupils. 

On  All  Saints'  Day,  November  1.  1878,  the 
present  pastor.  Rev.  August  Wenker,  succeeded 
Father  de  la  Porte  as  pastor  of  this  church. 
Father  Wenker  was  born  February  22,  1850, 
at  Warendorf.  Westphalia.  Germany,  the  son  of 
a  wagonmaker.  He  studied  at  the  parochial 
school  of  his  native  town  and  at  the  Gymnas- 
ium Laurentianum  (Laurentian  College)  there, 
at  the  Academy  at  Munster,  and  at  the  Ameri- 
can   College    or    Seminary    of    St.    Jlpivifz'  at-. 

t      ^ 

Munster — at  the  latter  college  taking  f'S  theo- 

logical  course.     He  was  ordained  priest  at  ttlfe-  i 
Cathedral  of   St.  Paul  at   Munster,  <}n  May  30, 
1874.  ; 

In  the  same  year  he  immigrated  ^i  tlyg'c(5«B-.j 
try.  reaching  Xew  York  on  September  19,  Uti^.*' 
His  first  appointment  was  as  assistant"  to  Rev.  _ 
Ferdinand  Kalvelage.  then  pastor  of  St.  Fran- 
cis  Church.    Chicago.     In   the   fall   of   1876  he 
was  appointed  pastor  of  St.  Joseph's  Church  at 
La  Salle.  111.,  and  two  years  later,  entirely  un- 
expected   to   him.   received   from   Bishop   Foley 
the    appointment    as    pastor    of    the    parish    at 
Naperville. 

Through  the  efforts  of  Father  Wenker  the 
following  improvements  have  been  made  in  the 
parish:  Carolus  Hall,  containing  four  school 
rooms  and  the  parish  hall,  was  built  in  1892  at 
a  cost  of  .$18.000 :  the  present  magnificent  par- 
sonage was  liuilt  at  a  cost  of  .$12,000,  and  the 
lots  upon  which  it  stands  purchased  for  $.3,000 
in  1903.  Various  interior  artistic  ornamenta- 
tions, such  as  altars,  altar  rail,  stations,  orna- 
mental glass  windows,  statuary  and  the  like — 
aggregating  in  value  a  large  sum,  procured  in 
part   through   donations   by   individuals   and   in 


part  paid  for  out  of  the  church  fuuds— were 
placed  in  the  church. 

Some  statistics  of  the  parish  at  the  present 
time  are  the  following:  Membership  about  300 
families;  Parish  School,  with  free  tuition  for 
pupils  since  1802,  of  five  rooms  taught  by  teach- 
ers of  the  Franciscan  Order  of  Nun.s,  with  an 
average  attendance  of  about  2.50  pupils;  a 
church  debt  of  less  than  $.5,000. 

Though  the  gain  in  membership  may  not  be 
large,  yet  it  must  be  remembered  that  the  par- 
ishes of  Wheaton,  Downer's  Grove  and  Plain- 
field  have,  since  1878,  embraced  many  who  for- 
merly were  members  of  this  parish. 

The  parishioners  are  largely  made  up  of 
descendants  of  immigrated  Germans  and  Irish, 
the  Alsacian  stock  predominating  in  the  for- 
mer. Some — a  very  few  only,  of  the  originally 
immigrated  German  and  Irish — yet  remain  and 
are  living  witnesses  of  the  great  material  and 
religious  progress  made  by  the  parish,  brought 
about  by  their  help.  In  addition  to  the  splen- 
did eulogy  presented  by  the  foregoing  statistics, 
there  should  be  added,  that  there  is,  probably, 
no  parish  anywhere  wherein  more  mutual  es- 
teem and  devotion  and  harmony  exists  between 
past'Oi;  siiid  flock  as  in  this  parish  of  Naperville 
sjpea,  J^a'tlSer  Wenker's  pastorate. 

The  IjiiwARus  Sanitosium  is  an  institution 
of  whicli  Naperville  is  deservedly  proud.  Ex- 
CQsetl  to  the  health  giving  winds  of  this  desir- 
aljle^loAlity,  the  sanitorium  has  effected  many 
cuT(*s-of  the  great  white  plague,  and  is  one  of 
the  best  known  in  this  part  of  the  state.  It  was 
established  at  Xaperville  in  1907,  by  Mrs. 
Eudora  Hull  Spalding,  of  Chicago,  and  was 
later  presented  by  her  to  the  Chicago  Tubercu- 
losis Institute.  The  head  of  the  medical  staff 
of  the  institution  is  Dr.  Theodore  B.  Sachs,  of 
Chicago,  while  there  is  a  resident  physician  and 
a  corps  of  trained  nurses.  The  method  of 
treatment  is  very  thorough,  and  unless  the  pa- 
tient is  in  an  advanced  state,  cure  is  not  only 
possible  but  very  probable.  The  main  building 
is  surrounded  by  others  and  a  number  of  cot- 
tages, and  the  equipment  is  of  the  latest  ap- 
proved type. 

Xaperville  as  a  Business  Center. — Xaper- 
ville's  location,  tn-ent.v-eight  miles  from  Chi- 
cago and  surrounded  by  a  rich  country,  makes 
it  a  good  business  center.     There  are  in   1912 


704 


HISTORY  OF  DU  PAGE  COUNTY. 


four  general  stores,  seven  grocery  stores,  three 
hardware  stores,  three  drug  stores,  five  con- 
fectionery stores,  two  bakeries,  two  baiilis,  three 
milliner  stores,  one  feed  store,  three  plumbing 
and  suiiply  houses,  four  blacksmith  shops,  two 
wagon  shops,  two  furniture  stores,  two  tobacco 
store.s,  tive  barber  shops,  three  livery  stables 
and  one  garage. 

Xnperville  has  a  Y.  M.  C.  A.  building  worth 
?42.0(:;(l. 

The  Naperville  Lounge  Company  employs 
about  .jOO  persons,  and  sends  the  product  of  the 
plant  to  all  parts  of  the  country. 

The  Naperville  Fly-net  Factory  employs  a 
goodly  number  of  persons  manufacturing  gloves 
and  mittens. 

The  Martin  and  von  Oven  Brick  and  Tile 
Company  ship  their  products  to  all  parts  of 
the  country. 

Tte  Naperville  Nurseries,  owned  by  the  E. 
von  Oven  estate,  are  among  the  oldest  in  the 
state. 

The  Napekville  Fire  Department  is  one  of 
the  best  volunteer  companies  in  the  state.  It 
is  seldom  that  a  Are  does  any  severe  damage  in 
the  city.  The  present  department  was  organ- 
ized after  the  terrible  fire  of  July,  1.S7-1,  and 
some  of  the  early  Fire  Marshals  were  AYillard 
Scott,  B.  B.  Boecker,  J.  J.  Hunt  and  MrS.  S. 
Rlddler.  Otto  R.  Reich  is  the  present  Marshal. 
The  equipment  cost  $10,000, 

Other  organizations  and  institutions  of  Naper- 
ville, have  been  taken  up  under  their  several 
special  heads,  so  that  any  reference  to  them  in 
this   article  is  unnecessary. 

Naperville  is  a  beautiful  little  city,  with 
gently  rolling  streets,  shaded  by  trees  of  gen- 
erous growth.  The  excellent  paving  of  many  of 
these  streets,  seven  miles  in  all,  with  about 
twenty-one  miles  of  cement  walks,  adds  to  the 
beauty  of  the  place,  and  several  artistic  bridges 
across  the  Du  Page  river  connect  the  two  sides. 
Naperville  has  twelve  miles  of  water  mains. 
and  the  excellent  water  works  were  erected  at 
a  cost  of  ?;!)0,0(iO. 

The  electric  light  plant  was  built  at  an  origi- 
nal cost  of  $32,000,  but  additional  improvements 
were  made  at  a  cost  of  $15,000.00. 

Its  close  proximity  to  the  second  largest  city 
in  the  country  has  stimulated  the  growth  of 
Naperville,  so  that  it  has  made  considerable 
progress    along   intellectual    lines.      Its    citizens 


are   thoroughly   abreast   of   modern    progress   in 
every  particular. 

The  Village  of  Kola. — This  village  lies  in 
the  western  part  of  the  Township  of  Naperville, 
on  the  Chicago,  Burlington  &  Quiucy  Railroad. 
It  was  founded  about  the  time  the  railroad  was 
built.  Besides  being  an  important  milk  station, 
it  has  a  general  store,  postotHce  and  hardware 
store.  The  Reber  Preserving  Comiiany.  the 
largest  in  this  part  of  the  state,  is  located  here, 
as  is  the  Lorimer  Manufacturing  Company,  pro- 
ducers of  hardware  specialities, 

Fbontenac. — This  station  on  the  E,  J.  &  E. 
Railroad  is  an  extensive  grain  and  coal  depot. 
It  is  an  important  shipping  point. 

County  Officials. — Naperville  Township  has 
been  very  prominent  politically,  its  citizens  hav- 
ing borne  well  their  part  and  represented  their 
section  in  both  state  and  county  affars.  Cap- 
tain .Toseph  Naper  was  sent  to  the  General  As- 
sembly in  1836  and  again  in  1S3S.  Wiliard  T. 
Jones  was  elected  to  the  same  office  in  ISoO, 
and  Captain  Joseph  Naper  was  returned  in 
1852.  In  1S7G  James  G.  Wrigbt,  one  of  the  dis- 
tinguished citizens  of  Naperville,  was  a  member 
of  the  General  Assembly. 

C.  M.  Castle  was  County  Clerk  in  1SG1-G4. 

All  of  the  Circuit  Clerks  came  from  Naper- 
ville. 

As  long  as  the  Recorders  of  Du  Page  were 
elected  separately,  they  came  from  Nai)erville, 
and  when  the  offices  of  Circuit  Clerk  and  Re- 
corder were  merged  as  one.  John  !»  Riddler  held 
the  first  office  from  1S50  to  IS.jl. 

Stephen  .T.  Scott  w-as  Treasurer  of  Du  Page 
County  from  18.39  to  1842,  being  followed  by 
Robert  K.  Potter  and  John  J.  Kimball.  Hiram 
Standish  was  Treasurer  from  1857  to  1858,  and 
S.  M.  Skinner  from  1861  to  1862.  and  he  was 
followed  by  Daniel  N.  Gross. 

Hiram  Fowler  was  the  first  man  froui  Naper- 
ville to  serve  as  Sheriff,  being  elected  in  1842, 
and  he  was  followed  by  R.  N.  Murray. 

The  first  County  Judge  from  Naperville,  was 
Lewis  Ellsworth  and  John  J.  Kimball.  Nathan 
Allen,  Hiram  H.  Cody,  M.  C.  Dudley  and 
Robert  N.  Murray  were  others  who  held  that 
important  ofliee  during  the  early  days. 

Joel  B.  Kimball  was  the  fiirst  survevor  from 


HISTORY  OP  DU  PAGE  COUNTY. 


705 


Naijerville,    and    James    M.    Vallette    also    held 
the  office  tor  several  terms. 

The  first,  second,  third  fourth  and  fifth  Coro- 
ners of  Du  Page  County  came  from  Naperville, 
being  H.  L.  I'easlee.  E.  C.  Wight,  Nathau  lur- 
ing, Jacob  Keefer  and  D.  C.  Gould. 

Lewis  Ellsworth  and  R.  N.  Murray  were 
among  the  first  School  Commissiouers,  while 
Charles  W.  Richmond  was  the  second  County 
Superintendent. 

Prominent  Citizens. — George  Martin,  Sr.,  a 
native  of  Scotland,  where  he  was  engaged  in 
grain  business,  running  vessels  between  the 
Baltic  and  Black  seas  to  ports  in  England  and 
Scotland,  came  to  Du  Page  County,  and  set- 
tled on  a  farm  near  the  city  of  NapeiTille  in 
1833,  where  he  lived  until  his  death  in  1841. 
His  sou  George  lived  on  the  same  farm  until 
his  demise,  and  the  property  is  still  in  the  hands 
of  the   faniily   descendants. 

William  Laird  came  to  Napervllle  with  his 
brother  George  in  1832,  opening  a  store  and 
trading  with  the  Indians  until  the  fall  of  1833. 
His  son,  William,  Jr..  is  the  oldest  native  of 
Xaperville,  where  he  was  born  April  12,  1835. 

J.  H.  Paxtou  came  to  Du  Page  County  from 
Fountain  County.  Ind..  in  1S35,  and  settled  on 
a  farm  near  Eola.  Mr.  Paxton  kept  a  station 
of  the  ■■Underground  Railroad,"  and  frequently 
assisted  in  effecting  the  escape  of  slaves.  He 
died  iu  IS.r.O. 

Giles  E.  Strong  came  here  in  1834,  and  made 
a  claim  In  Section  oO.  which  he  sold  in  the 
spring  of  1835,  and  made  another  claim  in  Sec- 
tion 20,  on  which  he  lived  until  1857.  He  drove 
on  ox-team  to  California  in  1848,  and  engaged 
iu  the  mining  and  teaming  business  for  about 
six  years,  when  he  returned  to  Illinois,  where 
he  died  in  1910. 

George  Strubler.  Sr..  a  native  of  Alsace. 
France,  (now  Germany),  came  to  the  United 
States  in  1832,  then  to  Napervllle  in  1837,  and 
resided  here  until  his  death  iu  1S68.  Of  the 
four  sous,  George,  Philip,  Fred  and  Daniel,  the 
latter  is  the  only  survivor.  He  was  born  iu  Na- 
pervllle in  1837,  and  still  resides  in  the  city  of 
Napervllle. 

Robert  Freeman  came  to  Illinois  from  Penn- 
sylvania in  1833,  and  settled  in  Du  Page  County 
in  1843.  He  retired  from  the  farm  in  187C 
and  became  a  resident  of  the  city  of  Napervllle. 
Although  not  an  office-seeker,  Mr.  Freeman 
■was  an   active   partisan,   an   old  Line  Whig,   a 


strong    anti-slavery    man    and    a    Iteimblican    in 
political  faith. 

Lewis  Ellsworth  came  to  Naperville  from 
New  York  iu  1830.  and  bought  a  large  tract 
of  land.  In  1837,  he  opened  a  general  store 
in  Nagerville.  Iu  1850,  he  went  into  the  nurs- 
ery business  and  continued  iu  that  line  until 
his  death. 

George  C.  Gross,  a  native  of  Bavaria,  came 
to  this  county  iu  1835.  Iu  1844,  he  moved  to 
a  farm  in  Naperville  Township,  where  he  died 
iu  1850.  He  was  the  father  of  D.  N.  Gross,  a 
Civil  War  veteran,  and  for  several  years  was 
Postmaster  at  Naperville. 

D.  C.  Butler  came  to  Naperville  in  1S3S,  with 
his  brother-in-law,  H.  L.  Peaslee.  and  assisted 
the  latter  in  his  store.  He  later  became  a 
partner  in  the  mercantile  business  conducted 
liy  H.  L.  Peaslee  &  Co.  His  death  occurred  in 
Naperville  In  1898. 

JI.  C.  Dudley  came  to  this  county  from  New 
York  iu  18.30,  becoming  a  prominent  attorney 
here,  and  for  some  time  was  a  member  of  the 
firm  of  M.  C.  Dudley  &  Co.,  general  merchants. 

Barlow  Crosier,  a  native  of  ilassachusetts, 
came  to  Naperville  Towushii)  from  Ohio,  in 
1839.  He  settled  on  a  farm  and  divided  his 
time  between  farming  and  building,  erecting 
many  of  the  buildings  in  this  vicinity. 

John  J.  Riddler.  a  native  of  Scotland,  came 
to  Naperville  from  New  York  in  1S40.  He  be- 
came Deputy  Recorder  in  1843,  and.  in  1847, 
was  elected  Recorder,  serving  until  18-54.  In 
addition,  he  was  a  merchant  and  served  as 
Postmaster  from  1856  to  1860,  and  thereafter 
held  the  office  of  Justice  of  the  Peace  until  his 
death  in  1866.  He  was  the  father  of  the  late 
A.  JIcS.  S.  Riddler,  a  Civil  War  veteran  and 
banker  of  the  city. 

Jacob  Kailer.  a  native  of  Alsace.  France,  came 
lo  Naperville  in  1840.  and  engaged  iu  the  shoe- 
making  trade  until  his  death  iu  1852.  He  was 
the  father  of  Frederick,  a  retired  merchant  of 
this  city. 

S.  R.  Hill  came  to  Naperville  Township,  from 
the  State  of  Maiue  in  1842.  and  rented  a  farm. 
In  1849,  with  a  party  of  twenty-five  men.  he 
went  to  California,  driving  overland  with  ox- 
teams.  He  engaged  in  mining  there  for  three 
years,  and  then  returned  to  Naiterville  Town- 
ship, where  he  bought  a  farm  upon  which  he 
sjient  the  remainder  of  his  life. 

Joseph  Ressler  came  to  Du  Page  County  from 


706 


HISTORY  OF  DU  PAGE  COUNTY. 


Pennsjivaniii  iu  1842.  He  was  a  miller  iu  his 
native  State,  but  after  comiug  to  Illinois  en- 
gaged in  farming  until  Itis  deatli  in  1881. 

Fred  Long  came  to  this  county  from  Ger- 
many in  18.5.3.  In  18.50  he  came  to  Naperville 
and  engaged  in  the  cabiuetmaliiug  trade,  after- 
wards becoming  a  leading  furniture  dealer  and 
undertaker  of  the  city.  In  1911  he  retired, 
after  a  business  career  of  fifty  years. 

Samuel  Long  came  to  Xaperville  in  1S4.>. 
from  Lehigh  County.  Pa.  He  engaged  in  tail- 
oring and  afterwards  opened  a  clothing  store. 
In  186.3  he  sold  out  and  purchased  a  farm  on 
which  he  resided  until  his  death. 

.\nios  Butts  came  to  Naperville  from  Penn- 
sylvania iu  184.5  and  bought  a  farm  of  110 
acres,  on  which  he  lived  until  his  death. 

Jonathan  Ditzler  came  to  Naperville  from 
Pennsylvania  in  1844.  He  was  a  carpenter  by 
trade,  and  followed  this  line  of  endeavor  until 
his  death  in  1880.  He  was  the  father  of  Eli 
H.  Ditzler.  a  merchant  of  Hinsdale,  and  Mrs. 
John  Alspaugh.  of  Xaperville. 

Xavier  Drendel.  a  native  of  Alsace.  France, 
came  to  this  country  in  1840.  He  lived  on  a 
farm  of  200  acres  until  his  retirement,  when  he 
moved  to  Xaperville.   his  present  home. 

Antoni  Bapst  came  to  Xaperville  from  Alsace. 
France,  in  1846.  and  engaged  in  the  black- 
smithing  business.  Iu  1862  he  moved  to  his 
farm  of  eighty  acres,  south  of  the  village,  and 
remained  there  until  his  death. 

Charles  Good  came  to  Xaperville  from  Penn- 
sylvania in  1846.  and  engaged  in  painting,  thus 
working  until  his  death  in  1867.  He  was  the 
father  of  Walter  L.  Good,  a  Civil  War  veteran 
of  Xaperville. 

Charles  Jenkins  came  to  Xaperville  from 
Xew  York  in  1845.  In  1850  he  went  overland 
".by  team  to  California,  and  lived  there  two 
years,  during  which  time  he  worked  at  mining. 
Returning  by  the  Xicaragua  route,  he  rented 
a  farm  near  Xaperville,  which  he  afterwards 
purchased  and  lived  uixm  it  until  his  death. 

E.  Musselman  came  to  this  eouuty  from 
Pennsylvania  in  1847.  He  was  a  carpenter  by 
trade  and  followed  that  calling  during  the  sum- 
mers, teaching  school  during  the  winter  months. 
About  1877  he  engaged  in  the  grain  trade  in 
Xaiierville.  continuing  that  pursuit  until  his 
death. 

William  King  came  to  Dn  Page  County  from 
Germany  in  1848.     In  1852,  in  company  with  a 


party  of  furty-four,  he  went  to  California  over- 
land with  ox-teams.  After  remaining  in  Oregon 
and  California  for  five  years,  he  returned  to  the 
vicinity  of  Xaperville  and  engaged  iu  farming 
until  1870.  He  then  removed  to  Xaperville  and 
engaged  as  a  contractor  in  the  manufacture  of 
brick  and  tiles.  The  latter  days  of  his  life  were 
spent  iu  retirement  from  business  pursuits. 

Solomon  Givler  came  to  Du  Page  County 
from  Ohio  iu  1851,  and  settled  ou  a  farm  in 
the  vicinity  of  Xaperville,  where  he  lived  until 
his  death  iu  1858.  He  was  the  father  of  ex- 
editor  David  B.  Givler.  of  X'aperville. 

Adam  Keller  came  to  Du  Page  County  itom 
Bavaria  in  18.52.  After  his  marriage  iu  1,860. 
he  bought  a  farm  of  152  acres  and  later  added 
eighty-nine  acres  more,  farming  this  property 
imtil  his  death. 

John  Ehrahardt  came  here  from  Alsace, 
France,  in  1859,  to  join  'his  brothers,  George 
and  Jacob,  who  had  preceded  him.  He  was  a 
soldier  in  the  Civil  War,  serving  until  1865, 
when  he  returned  to  Xaperville  and  engaged  in 
a  boot  and  shoe  business.  He  still  resides 
here. 

William  Fey  came  to  Du  Page  County  from 
Pennsylvania  in  18.54.  In  18.55  he  bought  145 
acres  of  land,  a  portion  of  his  present  farm  of 
251  acres,  on  which  he  lived  until  his  death. 

George  Simpson,  a  native  of  Vermont,  be- 
came a  resident  of  Du  Page  County  in  1852, 
settling  on  the  farm  where  he  remained  until 
his  death  in  1857.  He  was  the  father  of  George 
and  William  Simpson,  prominent  farmers  of 
the  township. 

Andrew  Stoos  came  here  from  Alsace.  France, 
in  1852,  worked  in  the  plow  factory  and  after- 
wards conducted  a  wagon  shop.  He  later  be- 
came a  farmer  and  then  retired  to  Xaperville, 
where  he  resided  until  his  death. 

Louis  Reiche  came  to  this  county  from  Sax- 
ony Germany  in  1857,  learned  the  tinner's  trade 
and  afterwards  became  a  member  of  the  hard- 
ware firm  of  Hillegas  &  Reiche.  Later,  he 
founded  the  firm  of  Louis  Reiche,  but  sold  out 
to  his  sons  and  retired  several  years  ago,  dy- 
ing in  1911. 

Jacob  Stroheker,  a  native  of  Germany,  came 
to  Xaperville  in  1855  and  engaged  in  carpenter 
work.  He  was  the  father  of  the  Civil  War 
veteran  and  blacksmith,  John  F,  Stroheker,  who 
died  in  1909. 

J.  A.  Bell.  XI.  D..  a  native  of  Morgan  County. 


EICHARD  S.  CHANDLEE. 


HISTORY  OF  DU  PAGE  COUNTY. 


707 


Oliio,  came  to  Xaperville  in  ISOS.  He  was 
Assistant  Surgeon  In  the  Tenth  Illinois  In- 
fantry in  the  Civil  War. 

Francis  V.  Abbott  came  to  Du  Page  County  In 
1851,  was  married  in  1864,  and  lived  on  his 
farm  located  three  and  one-half  miles  north- 
west of  Xaperville,  until  a  few  years  ago,  when 
he  moved  to  the  city  of  Xaperville. 

Martin  Brown  came  to  Xaperville  in  1814, 
with  his  family  in  company  with  thirteen  other 
families.  Jlr.  Brown  farmed  until  1807.  when 
he  engaged  in  the  mercantile  business  in  Xaper- 
ville. in  which  pursuit  he  continued  until  his 
retirement.  He  was  an  active  member  of  the 
Evangelical  Church  until  his  death. 

Philip  Beckmau  came  to  Xaperville  in  1809, 
from  Bavaria,  and  engaged  in  the  harness  busi- 
ness. The  last  few  years  of  his  life  he  was  a 
traveling  salesman  for  a  leading  harness  firm. 
His  death  occurred  in  1910. 

Hiram  H.  Cody,  a  native  of  Xew  York,  came 
to  Du  Page  County  in  1844,  and  was  one  of  the 
leading  attorneys  of  this  locality.  He  was  a 
delegate  to  the  Constitutional  Convention  in 
1869.  In  1804.  lie  was  elected  Circuit  .Tudge 
and  served  for  several  terms.  After  .iretiriugC 
from  the  bench,  he  moved  to  Chieagol-wJi^e,tii& 
spent  the  last  years  of  his  life.  ; 

Xathaniel  Crampton,  a  native  of  Connecticut, 
came  to  Du  Page  County  about  1837,  and  pur- 
chased a  farm  of  160  acres  located  four'*mites* 
west  of  Xaperville,  upon  which  he  lived  until 
1878.  He  then  moved  to  Xaperville,  which 
continued  to  be  his  home  until  his  death. 


Charles  Jenkins,   D.   C.   Butler 1864 

Charles  Hunt,    John    Collins 1865-66 

B.  W.  Hughes,  II.  H.  Cody 1867 

Charles  Jenkins,   R.  N.  Murray 1868 

Charles  Jenkins.   M.   C.  Dudley 1869-72 

Charles  Jenkins,  James  Dunlap 1873 

James  G.  Wright.  B.  B.  Boecker 1874-75 

Christian   Wise.   Lewis   Ellsworth 1876 

C.  Wise,  J.  J.  Hunt 1870-79 

C.  Wise,  A.  McS.  S.  Riddler 1879-80 

C.  Wise,  II.  D.  Daniels 1881 

Adam  Keller,  Peter  Thompson 1881-82 

Peter  Thompson    1883 

Frederick    Hatch     1884 

Peter   Thompson    1885-87 

Frank  Granger    1888 

Peter  Thompson    1889 

Thomas   Belts    1890-91 

Christian   Wise    1892-93 

Thomas   Betts    1894-96 

I.    X.    Murray 1897-98 

Thomas    Betts    1899-1906 

George  A.    Keller 1907-12 

Population. — The    population    [of    Xaperville 
':  Xo\vush3p  (census  of  1910)  was  2,848,  of  which 
j  li823 .  c-ortstituted    the    part   of    Xaperville   city 
within    X'aperville   Township. 


(4*.- 


CHAPTBR  XV 


WAYXE  TOWXSHIP 


Township  Supervisors.  —  The  following 
named  men  are  those  who  have  served  Xaper- 
ville Township  as  members  of  the  Du  Page 
County  Board  of  Supervisors  from  1850  to 
1912: 

Russell   Whipple   1850-51 

Joseph   Xaper    1852 

Hiram   Bristol    1853 

David   Hess    1854 

R.   X.    Murray 1855 

Charles    Hunt    1856 

N.  Crampton.  Joseph  Xaper 1857 

Charles   Jenkins.   John  Jassoy 1858 

Jacob  Saylor,  Michael  Hines 1859 

James  G.  Wright,  M.  S.  Ilobson 1860 

B.  W.  Hughes,  Morris  Sleight 1861-62 

Charles  Jenkins.    Robert   Xaper 1863 


wayne  township  an  agricultural  and  su- 
periob  farming  region — prosperous  condi- 
tion of  its  local  farmers — daniel  benjamin 
and  family  the  first  settlers  in  1834 — 
others  who  came  in  1835 — presence  of  in- 
dians in  pioneer  days — wayne  center  the 
first  village — the  second  village  of  wayne 

established  in  1849 business  conditions  in 

1911 — railway'    facilities churches    and 

schools  of  the  township — the  first  teach- 
er— representation  on  the  board  of  super- 
visors— population  1910. 

(By  F.  B.  Pratt.) 

Wayne  Township  is  distinctively  an  agri- 
cultural section,  some  of  the  best  farms  in  Du 
Page   County    being    located    within    its    limits, 


708 


HISTORY  OF  DU  PAGE  COUNTY. 


aud  liere  aro  gruwn  lianner  crops,  while  blooiled 
stock  is  the  rule  rather  than  the  exception. 
Modern  methods  are  used  almost  exclusively  in 
the  conduct  of  the  fertile  farms,  and  the  agri- 
culturists themselves  are  men  of  progressive 
ideas,  who  take  a  pride  not  only  in  their  fine 
estates,  jjut  in  giving  their  families  the  advan- 
tages offered  by  the  nearby  second  greatest  city 
in  the  country.  .Vutoniobiles  are  owned  by 
many  of  them,  and  their  houses  are  fitted  with 
modern  improvements  as  complete  as  those  of 
any  city. 

This  townshi])  is  in  the  extreme  northwest- 
ern part  of  Dn  Page  County,  and  is  known,  as 
the  Congressional  description  lias  it,  as  Town- 
ship 40,  Range  9. 

The  first  settlers  here  were  Daniel  Benjamin 
and  his  four  son.s,  John,  Joseph,  Andrew  and 
Robert  Y.,  who  came  from  Ohio  overland  in 
their  own  wagons  drawn  by  hor.ses,  arriving  in 
Wayne,  May  12,  1834.  They  showed  their  ap- 
preciation of  a  good  location  by  settling  in  this 
region,  for  there  was  much  here  to  attract  the 
prospective  farmer.  These  pioneers  were  ac- 
customed to  11:11x1  work,  and  were  not  daunted 
by  the  heavy  forest  growth,  or  the  prospect 
of  the  years  of  labor  necessary  for  clearing  it 
off.  Closely  following  the  Benjamin  family 
were  Guilds  Billings  and  John  Laughlin,  w-ho 
arrived  in  the  summer  of  the  same  year.  They 
were  followed  b.v  John  Rhienehardt,  Patrick 
Scott,  Solomon  Dunham  and  Edward  Bartlett, 
the  last  two  coming  from  New  York  State,  and 
arriving  here  in  l.S."!."),  in  time  to  imt  in  a  scanty 
crop. 

The  above  list  embraces  the  earliest  of  the 
first  few  settlers.  From  that  time  forth  there 
were  a  great  many  new  arrivals,  among  whom 
may  be  mentioned  Luther  Bartlett,  Ira  Albre 
and  John  Smith.  .John  and  Abraham  Ker.shaw, 
Horace  Reed.  Orin  Iliggins,  Peter  Pratt  and 
John  Glos.  Through  the  efforts  of  these  men 
and  others,  all  of  whom  worked  togetlier  in 
harmony  intent  upon  the  betterment  of  exist- 
ing conditions,  the  town  of  Wayne  was  devel- 
oped and  made  what  it  is  today,  one  of  the 
most  prosperous  and  fertile  townships  of  Du 
Page  rounty. 

PioxEER  Conditions. — Wayne  Township  had 
its  Indians  when  the  early  settlers  came  here, 
but  fortunately  for  the  latter,  these  Red  Men 
were  not   at   all   hostile,   and   many  interesting 


iiiiideiits  might  be  related  of  the  friendly  re- 
laticms  which  were  established  and  maintained 
between  them  and  those  who  had  come  to  dis- 
possess them  of  their  lands.  These  amicable 
relations  reflect  credit  upou  the  kindliness  of 
the  pioneers  here,  for  had  they  not  proven 
themselves  friends,  hostilities  might  have 
ojieiied  up  with  frightful  consefiuences  to  the 
whites.  The  histoi-y  of  Du  Page  County  is 
singularly  free  from  those  harrowing  accounts 
of  bloody  encounters  with  the  Indians  which 
mar  the  records  of  other  regions. 

In  tlie  early  days  the  pioneers  of  Wayne 
had  to  carry  their  grain  to  the  mill  owned  and 
operated  by  Bailey  Hobson  near  Xaperville. 
Owing  to  the  bad  roads,  it  was  almost  impos- 
sible to  haul  it  by  wagon,  and  so  it  was  carried 
in  bags  across  the  saddle.  While  the  Indians 
were  friendl.y  the  wolves  were  fearfully  savage, 
and  the  lonely  settler  had  to  be  on  guard  all 
the  while  to  protec-t  himself  and  stock  from 
the  a  I  tacks  of  these  beasts. 

I'lRST  Village. — The  first  village  here  was 
called  Wayne  Center.  In  it  the  first  store  of 
the  township  was  opened  by  Abner  Guild  aud 
James  Xaind,  in  1844,  and  to  it  the  settlers 
flocked  with  their  produce  to  exchange  for  the 
much  desired  "store  goods."  Tliere  was  a 
blacksmith  shop  run  by  E.  Eckhart. 

The  first  church  was  organized  about  1845 
as  a  branch  of  tlie  St.  Charles  Congregational 
Church.  Services  were  held  in  the  various 
schoolhouses  until  1852,  when  a  church  edifice 
was  comjileted.  The  first  pastor  was  the  Rev. 
Raymond  who  was  succeeded  by  the  Rev. 
Sykes. 

Wayne  'S'ii.lage. — The  second  village  was 
situated  on  the  Chicago  &  Northwestern  Rail- 
road, and  was  called  Wayne.  It  came  into  ex- 
istence in  1849,  and  Solomon  Dunbam  was  the 
first  Postmaster.  The  village  of  Wayne,  in 
1911.  had  two  stores,  one  operated  b.v  Tom 
Campbell  as  a  general  store.  The  iMStotfice  oc- 
cupies a  portion  of  the  store,  aud  Adam  Glos 
is  the  present  Postmaster.  The  other  store  is 
run  by  Willis  Gorham,  who  combines  this  busi- 
nes  with  that  of  handling  coal  and  farm  imple- 
ments. A  blacksmith  shop  is  run  b.v  Mr.  Fisk. 
The  well  equipiied  portrait  studio  here  is  owned 
by  H.  A.  Strohm.  Dr.  W.  L.  Guild,  a  physician 
and  surgeon,  owns  the  only  drug  store. 


HISTORY  OF  DU  PAGE  COUNTY. 


709 


While  Wnyiie  has  few  business  houses,  it 
boasts  some  beinitiful  residences.  whiL-h  are 
thorouglily  uiodeni  in  every  respect.  In  addi- 
tion to  the  Cliicago  &  Northwestern  Railroad, 
the  Aurora,  Elgin  &  Chicago  Electric  Road 
aids  in  affording  convenient  transportation  be- 
tween Wayne  and  Chicago,  thus  keeping  the 
people  in  close  toucli  with  tiie  metropolis. 
These  roads  also  are  very  convenient  for  those 
who  have  business  interests  in  other  towns,  for 
the  trains  run  every  hour. 

Wayne  has  one  Congregational  Church,  which 
was  organized  in  1871.  Five  members  had 
withdrawn  their  names  from  the  church  at 
Wa.vne  Center,  and  these,  with  the  aid  of  thir- 
teen others  on  profession  of  faith,  organized 
the  present  Wayne  Church,  with  a  membership 
of  eighteen.  At  present  the  congi-egation  has 
grown  remarkably,  the  cliurch  now  having  o\'er 
one  hundred  active  members. 

One  of  the  features  of  Wayne  Township  of 
which  the  people  are  justly  proud,  is  the  splen- 
did new  schoolhouse,  erected  in  1910.  There 
are  two  rooms  and  a  large  hall,  the  latter 
being  used  for  various  purposes,  particularly 
those  of  a  social  character.  School  is  taught 
by  JIaud  Xicholson  and  Carolyn  W.  Laier. 

Ont.\riovillk  is  a  station  on  the  Chicago, 
Milwaukee  &  St.  Paul  Railroad.  About  one-half 
is  in  the  township  of  Wayne  on  Section  1.  It 
was  platted  in  1SG4.  A  general  store  is  oper- 
ated liy  William  Gieseke,  while  Gus  Anderson 
runs  a  blacksmith  shop.  Schnodt  Turner  keeps 
a  saloon.  An  elevator,  run  by  E.  Hawkins  and 
F.  Harten  is  the  center  here  of  considerable 
business,  and  this  firm  also  handles  lumber, 
tile  and  coal. 

Still  another  village,  Ingalton,  is  situated  on 
the  Great  Western  Railroad.  It  has  a  general 
store  and  postoflice,  bntli  run  by  Nick  Schramer. 

Church  axd  School. — The  early  history  of 
religious  life  in  this  section  shows  the  name  of 
William  Kimball,  an  earnest  Methodist  class- 
leader  and  preacher.  In  his  rude  log  cabin  he 
gathered  about  him  those  eager  for  words  of 
religious  instruction  and  cheer,  and  finding  tha't 
there  were   a   nmnber   who   could   not   couk;   to 


him.  be  went  forth  on  horseback  and  ministered 
to  them.  Finally  his  neiglil)ors  erected  a  log 
schoolhouse  so  as  to  afford  room  for  the  en- 
thusiastic congregation.  Religious  service  was 
held  In  it  on  Sunday  and  school  during  the 
week.  This  was  usually  the  case  iu  the  newly 
settled  districts  in  Illinois.  The  church  and 
school  occupied  one  building.  The  first  teacher 
in  this  first  school  was  John  Kershaw,  and  he 
was  succeeded  by  Julia  Talniage.  It  is  a  far 
call  from  that  little  school  to  that  of  the  pres- 
ent day,  but  there  is  no  doul)t  that  the  early 
teachers  were  Imbued  with  the  same  spirit  of 
self-sacrifice  which  is  so  marked  a  character- 
istic of  instructors  of  youth  of  all  localities 
and  ages. 

Perhaps  no  section  of  Du  Page  County  is  more 
picturesijue  than  Wayne.  The  gently  rolling 
land  affords  beautiful  scenery,  whether  the 
fields  are  yellow  with  waving  grain  awaiting  the 
harvest,  or  hidden  beneath  a  mantle  of  snow. 

SuPEBvisoRs. — The  following  Suiiervisors  have 
represented  Wayne  Township  on  the  County 
Board  : 

Luther    Pierce    18.50-52 

Luther   P.artlett    1 8.J.3-.54 

Luther    Pierce    185.'> 

Ira    Alliro    I'^^G 

Charles   Adams    18.57-5!) 

S.    W.    Mottatt 1850-00 

Samuel    Adams    lSGl-62 

Warren    II.   Moff att 1863-67 

Daniel    Dunham    1868-73 

A.    M.   Glos 1874-75 

R.    N.    Reed 1876-7T 

A.   M.   Glos 1878-82 

James  Shields    1883 

Warren  M.  Sayer 1884-85 

Bernard    JlcCahe    1886 

Warren    M.    Sa.ver 1887 

A.   M.   Glos 1888 

James   Shields    1889 

Chester   D.    Bartlett 1890-1907 

John   Schramer 1908-11 

J.    B.    Steavens 1912 

Population. — The  total  population  of  Wayne 
Township  (1910),  including  villages,  was  1,157. 


no 


HISTORY  OF  DU  PAGE  COUNTY. 


CHAPTER  XVI 


WINFIELD  TOWNSHIP 


NATURAL     FEATURES      OF      WINFIELD      TOWNSHIP 

ERASTUS  AND  JUDE  P.  GARY  FIRST  SETTLERS  IN 
1832 — COiMINO   OF  ANOTHER   GROUP  IN    1S33-3-4 

erection  of  first  frame  dwelling  and  first 
miij.  by  daniel  warren  in  1834-35 — first 
school  and  first  postoffice — village  of  war- 
kenvili.e — its  revival  due  to  the  construc- 
tion of  the  elgin,  aurora  &  chicago  electric 
railway — warrenvtlle  academy  —  schools 
and  churches — west  chicago  the  principal 
municipal    corporation — incorporated    as    a 

city  in   i'.xhi railway  facilities — fairbank 

brothers  introduce  the  first  threshing 
machine business  houses,  street  improve- 
ments   and   other   e^^dences    of   progress — 

winfield    village township    supervisors — 

population. 

(By  .Vi.i.ion   II.  Fairbank.i 

Each  division  of  Du  I'a;;*?  County  has  its  dis- 
tinguisbinj;  feature  which  attracted  early  set- 
tlers and  hastened  the  progress  of  civilization, 
turning  what  once  served  as  the  hunting  grounds 
of  the  Indians  into  one  of  the  most  highly  de- 
veloped sections  of  Illinois.  Those  seeking  new 
homes  in  this  locality  found  them  in  what  later 
became  Winfield  Township,  making  this  selec- 
tion because  of  the  delightfully  cold  springs 
wliieh  are  so  special  a  feature  of  the  toi^-nship. 

The  first  settlers  here  were  Erastus  and  Jude 
P.  Gary,  wlio  came  in  1832.  and  were  soon  there- 
after followed  by  Tlieron  Parsons.  These  three 
made  claims  here  and  were  therefore  the  pio- 
neers of  the  region. 

The  following  spring  Alvali  Fowler  and  Col. 
J.  M.  Warren  arrived,  and  the  same  year  saw 
the  settlement  here  of  Ira  Ilerrick  and  .Jacob 
Galusha. 

Israel  Lord  and  .\lfred  Churchill  were  set- 
tlers of  1834.  To  these  very  early  settlers  may 
be  added  the  names  of  the  following,  all  of 
whom  arrived  liefore  1840 ;  Daniel  Warren,  A. 
E.  Carpenter,  Marcus  Griswold.  J.  L.  P.  Lord 
and  Joseph  Fisii. 


In  1834,  Col.  Warren  built  the  first  frame 
house  in  Winfield  Township,  and  the  following 
year  he  constructed  the  first  saw-mlU,  and  in 
it  a  room  was  finished  off  for  school  purposes. 
For  a  time  a  Mrs.  Holmes  taught  the  little 
school  in  this  room,  but  in  1830  a  regular  school 
house  was  cimstrueted  of  logs,  the  various  fam- 
ilies sul>scribing  to  pay  for  its  cost  . 

By  May.  1838,  the  postoffice  of  Warrenville 
was  established,  with  Colonel  Warren  as  Post- 
master. During  that  same  year  he  put  up  a 
hotel  that  was  patronized  by  the  traveling  pub- 
lie,  much  more  dependent  in  those  days  upon 
the  taverns  than  now,  when  rapid  transit  makes 
it  iMDssible  to  cover  a  wide  territory  between 
meals. 

Village  of  Warren\tlle. — Warrenville  was 
not  platted  until  six  years  after  the  establish- 
ment of  the  postoffice,  when  it  was  laid  out 
by  Julius  M.  Warren.  This  gentleman  repre- 
sented his  district  in  the  General  Assembly  in 
1844  and  in  1850. 

Before  the  railroads  changed  the  character  of 
many  of  the  villages,  Warrenville  was  a  thriv- 
ing little  community,  but  when  trade  was  di- 
verted from  it,  it  fell  into  decay,  to  be  revived 
when  the  Elgin,  Aurora  &  Chicago  Electric 
Koad  was  built. 

Like  many  of  the  other  villages  of  Du  Page 
County,  Warrenville  offers  a  market  for  dairy 
products,  and  some  of  its  business  men  devote 
themselves  to  handling  this  line  of  supplies. 

The  Warren\ille  Academy  was  established 
at  Warrenville  as  far  back  as  1843,  under  the 
auspicies  of  the  Baptist  Church,  and  in  1850 
its  growth  was  so  far  advanced  that  it  was  in- 
corporated by  Act  of  the  Legislature,  and  regu- 
larly opened  as  an  academy  in  September,  1851. 
A  number  of  the  native  sons  of  Du  Page  County, 
who  later  in  life  made  their  mark  in  the  world, 
attended  this  institution,  and  are  proud  to 
claim  it  as  their  Alma  Mater. 

The  Baptist  denomination  had  a  representa- 
tive in  the  field  at  Warrenville  as  early  as 
1834.  and  in  1836  a  regular  church  was  inau- 
gurated under  the  ministrations  of  the  Rev. 
L.  B.  King.  Revs.  A.  B.  Hubbard.  Joel  Whee- 
ler, A.  J.  Joslyn.  P.  Taylor.  S.  F.  Holt.  Freeman 
Wescott  and  H.  Wescott  were  among  the  early 
pastors. 

The  Methodist  Episcopal  Church  was  started 


^ 


^>(U^^y^o-ii     ^Jf^^^^  otj^AJ 


T'.?F  NF.:'/'   .'OHK 
" -Hl.li  LIBKARY 


HISTORY  OF  DU  PAGE  COUNTY. 


711 


here  at  an  early  day.  aud  its  small   begiuniBg 
exiiauded  tousiderally. 

Gauy's  Mills  once  was  a  little  village  that 
grew  up  about  a  saw-mill  erected  on  tbe  west 
fork  of  the  Du  Page  River  by  Erastus,  Jude 
and  Charles  Gary  in  1837.  At  oue  time  this 
settlement  gave  promise  of  rivaling  Xaperville, 
but  it  was  not  fulfilled.  Charles  Gary  was  its 
first  Postmaster,  aud  the  first  store  was  built 
aud  operated  by  William  Gary,  ^^1len  the  dam 
stood  across  the  river,  the  fishing  was  excel- 
lent, aud  those  devoted  to  that  sport  came  to 
Gary's  Mills  in  the  fishing  season  in  large  num- 
bers, and  were  very  successful.  Now  all  that 
remains  is  the  name  of  Gai-j-  Bridge,  given  to 
the  structure  spanning  the  river  at  the  site  of 
the  former  village. 

A  schoolhouse  was  built  at  Gary's  Mills,  and 
the  school  lield  in  it  was  attended  by  children 
from  a  wide  extent  of  country. 

The  Rev.  Washington  Wilcox,  a  Methodist 
circuit  rider,  held  the  first  religious  services 
here,  and  a  little  church  was  organized.  The 
old  mills  themselves  have  passed  away ;  the. 
dam  which  held  the  waters  that  turned'  the 
wheels  as  they  drove  the  saw  that  transfoniied  ■ 
the  massive  logs  into  lumber,  destined  tSi  aid  in 
local  develojiment.  has  been  washed  away,  but 
the  name  remains  and  awakens  many  pleaaajit. 
memories  iu  the  minds  of  the  older  settlei-s."     * 

West  Chicago. — The  most  important  settle- 
ment in  Winfield  Townshli)  is  that  now  known 
as  West  Chicago,  although  until  1896,  it  was 
known  as  Turner's  Junction,  or  Turner.  This 
thriving  city  is  one  of  the  most  important  manu- 
facturing centers  of  Du  Page  County,  aud  owing 
to  its  location  with  regard  to  railroad  traffic, 
a  large  amount  of  freight  is  handled  here. 

The  city  was  founded  by  John  B.  Turner, 
who  was  so  intimately  connected  with  the  Chi- 
cago &  Galena  Railroad.  However,  the  first 
settler  of  the  place  was  James  Conley.  The 
latter  was  soon  followed  by  Sherman  Winslow, 
George  W.  Easton,  Job  A.  Smith,  Thomas 
Brown  and  William  Ribley.  Luther  Cliandier 
and  I.  Runuells  came  in  1835  and  the  Fairbank 
brothers — John  and  James — in  18.36  and  1837. 
David  McKee,  John  Warner,  Jesse  Graves, 
Daniel  Wilson  and  John  Barre  were  all  early 
settlers. 

The    Fairbank     Brothers    brought    the    first 


tlireshing  machine  to  Du  Page  County  in  1848. 
This  was  a  very  crude  affair,  as  compared  with 
those  of  the  present  day.  but  it  was  used  ex- 
tensively over  a  large  territory,  including  some 
portions  of  DeKalb  County. 

Michael  McDonald  opened  a  general  store 
here  iu  18-19,  aud  early  in  the  'fifties,  a  post- 
office  was  established  with  C.  D.  Smith  as 
Postmaster. 

James  M.  Dale  was  the  first  station  agent, 
and,  from  the  beginning,  considerable  traffic 
was  carried  on. 

The  towu  was  platted  and  recorded  September 
29,  1855.  On  October  1,  1896.  the  name  of  the 
place  was  changed  to  the  present  one  of  West 
Chicago,  and  in  1906  it  was  incorporated  as  a 
city,  and  Grant  A.  Dayton  elected  its  first 
Mayor.  Thomas  R.  T.ve  is  the  present  efficient 
executive  of  the  city. 

West  Chicago  lies  along  the  Galena  Division 

of  the  Chicago   &   Northwestern   Railroad,  and 

other  important  lines  w'hieh   use  the  city  as  a 

junction    are :     The    Freeport    and    Fox    River 

Valley    lines    of    the    Chicago    &    Northwestern 

..Railroad;    the    Chicago,    Burlington    &    Quincy 

"  Ra'iirotid,  .and  the  Elgin.  Joliet  &  Eastern  Rail- 

■  -u>aTi.   "A    new-    passenger    depot    is    now    being 

built   by    the   latter    road   which    will    prove   a 

convenience   to   patrons   from    this   point.     The 

..-Clue«^!9-  &    Northwestern   has    under   way    im- 

■-•^ffovfttl^its  which  will  aggregate  some  .$2.50,000, 

..,iniiu4i*>g  a  fine  $15.<;k10  depot.     The  city  is  also 

on    the   line   of   the    Chicago,    Elgin   &    Aurora 

Electrical  Road. 

Owing  to  the  transportation  facilities  and 
other  advantages,  a  uumber  of  large  manufact- 
uring concerns  have  located  their  plants  at  this 
point,  and  employment  is  thus  afforded  hun- 
dreds of  sturdy,  representative  men  who  make 
substantial  citizens,  many  of  them  owning  their 
own  homes  in  West  Chicago,  and  consequently 
taking  a  deep  interest  in  the  city's  develop- 
ment. 

Among  others  of  these  concerns  may  be  men- 
tioned the  Turner  Cabinet  Company,  manufact- 
urers of  postoffice  and  bank  furniture ;  Brant, 
Haas  &  Walsh,  mill-work  and  woodworking; 
the  .flOO.OOO  West  Chicago  Sash  &  Door  Manu- 
facturing Company ;  Borden's  Condensed  Milk 
Company,  with  its  .$50,000  plant;  the  .$1,000,000 
corporation  of  the  Union  Tool  Company,  and 
others  equally  substantial.  There  are  a  uum- 
ber of  lumber  aud  coal  yards  for  local  supply, 


712 


HISTORY  OF  DU  PAGE  COUNTY. 


aiul  lieav.v  sliiimieut :  also  livery  stables  and 
a  steam  hnuulrv  as  good  as  any  in  the  county. 

The  Ripley  Hotel,  in  conjunction  with  sev- 
eral excellent  restaurants,  accommodates  the 
traveling  puMic.  There  are  about  thirty  stores 
handling  different  commodities  to  meet  the  de- 
nianil.  not  only  of  West  Chicago,  but  of  the 
country  which  relies  upon  it  as  a  source  of  sup- 
ply, and  the  amount  of  business  annually  trans- 
acted is  large  and  steadily  growing. 

There  are  some  fifteen  miles  of  brick  aud 
cement  sidewalks,  and,  as  soon  as  the  sewerage 
system  is  installed,  the  city  will  commence  the 
paving  ot  its  streets.  A  fine  water  plant  pumps 
water  from  wells  drilled  iuto  the  solid  rock, 
that  cannot  be  surpassed  anywhere  in  the 
county.  The  city  is  supplied  with  both  gas  and 
electric  light,  but  the  municipality  does  not 
own  these  plants.  As  the  land  is  rolling.  West 
Chicago  possesses  many  natural  advantages,  aud 
some  of  the  streets  are  beautiful,  shaded  by 
stately  trees  and  rolling  away  into  the  distance. 

There  are  two  banking  institutions.  The  West 
Chicago  State  Bank,  and  the  State  Trust  and 
Savings,  both  of  which  are  reliable  concerns. 
Two  newspapers  record  the  happenings  of  the 
city,  as  well  as  the  outside  world,  the  older 
being  the  "West  Chicago  Press."'  the  Republican 
organ  of  which  William  Treudt  is  editor :  and 
the  "Du  Page  County  Democrat."  edited  by 
James  Monroe. 

The  fire  company,  which  is  an  excellent  one. 
is  a  volunteer  organization  and  its  equipment 
is  a  thoroughly  modern  one.  purchased  at  a 
heavy  cost  by  the  city. 

Schools. — The  pioneer  school  of  West  Chi- 
cago was  taught  by  Sarah  Carter  in  1S5G.  and 
conducted  in  a  small  log  house.  From  this 
primitive  beginning,  the  present  magnificent 
school  system  has  been  evolved,  and  the  chil- 
dren of  this  neighborhood  are  given  the  ad- 
vantages of  a  good  grammar  school  and  a  high 
school,  both  of  which  rank  high  in  the  county. 
There  is  a  small  well  selected  library  in  con- 
nection with  the  schools,  the  only  one  at  pres- 
ent in  the  city,  although  the  public-spirited  citi- 
zens are  looking  forward  to  the  time  wlien  they 
will  rival  Xaperville.  Wheaton  and  Hinsdale 
with  a  magnificent  public  library. 

CniRCHE.s. — -Vs  is  very  often  the  case — for 
tlio    Methiidists    are    great    pioneers — the    first 


religious  services  held  in  West  Chicago,  were 
conducted  under  the  auspices  of  a  lletliodist, 
clergyman,  aud  it  is  thought  that  the  first 
church  edifice  for  this  denomination  was  put 
up  in  1.S.57.  Charles  Gary  was  the  most  active 
member  of  the  new  organizatiou,  and  the  most 
liberal  contributor  to  the  cause.  The  Method- 
ists now  have  a  stately  church,  aud  the  congre- 
gation is  a  large  and  earnest  one,  under  the 
spiritual   direction   of   the  Rev.   Mr.   Burling. 

The  German  Methodist  Church  was  also  an 
important  one  here  in  early  days,  but  the  Ger- 
mans now  worship  in  the  Lutheran  Church, 
under  the  direction  of  the  Rev.  Mr.  Mahnke, 
and  in  the  German  Evangelical  Church,  under 
the  Rev.  Ad.  Voigt.  The  latter  church  was  es- 
tablished in  1870,  under  the  Rev.  Gustave  Koch. 

In  1856  the  Congregational  Church  of  AVest 
Chicago  was  organized  by  Dr.  J.  McConnell, 
.Tohn  L.  Hagadone.  Margaret  Hagadone  and 
Mary  Town,  with  the  Rev.  Lot  Churcli  as  pas- 
tor. At  present  the  pastor  is  the  Rev.  L  N. 
Adrian. 

The  Catholic  Church  was  early  estaltlished 
in  West  Chicago,  and  its  affairs  are  now  in  a 
gratifying  condition,  owing  to  the  energy  and 
good  management  of  the  Rev.  Father  Gafney, 
priest-in-cliarge. 

West  Chicago  has  an  altitude  of  22.5  feet 
above  Lake  Michigan,  aud  conse(iuently  has 
splendid  uatural  di'ainage.  as  well  as  beauti- 
ful scenery. 

The  population,  according  to  the  census  flOlO) 
was  2.378.  and  while  a  number  of  its  citizens 
are  in  business  liere.  others  go  to  Chicago 
daily,  their  eniplo.vment  or  business  interests 
being  centered  in  the  great  metropolis. 

Secret  Societies. — The  secret  societies  are 
well  represented  at  West  Chicago,  there  being 
flourishing  lodges  of  the  following  orders:  Ma- 
sonic. Odd  Fellows,  Modern  Woodmen  of  Amer- 
ica, Foresters.  Mystic  Workers  and  Order  of 
Railway  Train  Men.  The  We.st  Chicago  Club 
plays  an  important  part  in  the  social  activity 
of  the  city,  and  affords  its  members  many 
pleasing  advantages. 

An  important  addition  to  West  Chicago  is 
that  of  E.  W.  Zander  &  Company,  compl-ising 
IGO  acres  of  land  divided  into  large  lots  of  from 
two  to  five  acres. 

WiNFiEi.n  came  into  existence  as  a  railroad 
station    on    the    old    Galena    &    Chicago    Union 


HISTORY  OF  DU  PAGE  COUNTY. 


rl3 


Itailioad  iu  184!i.  when  Jobu  Hodges  was  made 
agent.  Audi-ew  A'auduseu  kept  the  fii'st  store 
and  also  a  taveru  at  this  point.  The  church 
of  St.  John  the  Baptist,  a  Catholic  church,  was 
erected  in  1S67,  to  meet  the  demands  of  the 
large  number  of  Catholics  here. 

The  vilUige  is  a  flourishing  cue  of  about  400 
people,  with  a  sufficient  number  of  stores,  and 
a   postofljce. 

As  is  the  case  with  other  sections  of  Du 
I'age  County,  ^yinfield  Township  is  essentially 
an  agricultural  district.  Its  close  proximity  to 
Chicago,  as  well  as  to  Elgin  and  Aurora,  has 
always  operated  against  the  development  of 
large  cities  iu  this  region.  The  soil  is  suited 
for  agricultural  puriwses,  and  the  various  com- 
munities afford  desirable  residential  localities. 

The  industrial  concerns  located  within  the 
confines  of  the  county  have  prospered,  but  for- 
tunately for  the  people  here,  their  cities  have 
not  been  entirely  given  over  to  manufacturing 
purposes,  with  the  consequent  attendant  disad- 
vantages. The  air  is  pure  and  uncontaminated 
by  clouds  of  smoke  and  soot,  rising  from  count- 
less chimneys.  The  children  can  grow  up  amid 
rural  surroundings,  while  enjoying  the  advan- 
tages of  urban  progress  and  educational  train- 
ing. 

Historically  important  as  the  early  history 
of  Winfield  Township  is.  Its  present  record  is 
more  interesting,  for  it  tells  of  happy,  useful 
lives,  broadening  influences  and  civic  develop- 
ment that  speak  eloquently  for  the  intelligence 
and  public  spirit  of  its  residents. 

Supervisors. — The  following  citizens  have 
served  upon  the  County  Board  of  Supervisors 
from  Winfield  Township,  since  its  organizatiou 
In  1850: 

William    C.    Todd 1850-52 

Charles   Gary    1853-51 

Gurdeu    N.    Roundy 1855 

Truman   W.    Smith 1856 

Charles    Gary    1857 

John   Falrbank    1858-60 

Alfred   Waterman    1861 

E.   Manville    1862-64 

John   Fairbauk    1865 

Amos  C.   Graves 1866 

J.    H.    Lakey 1867-69 

E.  Manville    1S70 

J.  H.   Lakey 1871-73 

7 


E.    Manville    1874-76 

A.  T.  Jones  1877 

G.    J.    Atchiuson 1877-80 

C.    W.    Gary 1880-83 

Thomas  "Brown    1884 

C.    W.    Gary 1885-87 

A.    H.    Fairbank 1888-90 

William   T.    Reed 1891-06 

T.   G.   Isherwood 1897-1900 

R.  S.  Chandler ■ 1901-03 

A.  H.  Fairbank   1004-10 

M.    J.   Town 1911-12 

Population. — The  total  population  of  the 
township,  according  to  the  census  of  1010,  was 
3,753.  including  2,.37S  within  the  city  of  West 
Chicago. 


CHAPTER  XVII 


YORK  TOWNSHIP 


location  of  the  township — liel.itions  op  fed- 
er.4l  government  with  the  indian  tribes — 
last  cession  of  indian  lands  in  du  page 
county — lands  in  york  township  origin- 
ally' covered  largely  by  timber — list  of 
coming  pioneers  from  1834  to  1849 — some 
early     conditions — progress    between     1840 

and   1850 conditions   of  soil  and  products 

— early'  schools  in  y'ork  township — the 
slavery'  issue — elmhurst  and  lombard  vil- 
l.ages — schools  and  churches — industries 
and  railway'  facilities — banks  and  other 
business   enterprises — hon.   thomas   b.   and 

charles  p.  bryan list  of  supervisors  from 

y'ork  township civil  war  record — volun- 
teers from  y'ork  township  and  regiments  in 
which  they'  served. 

(By  William  R.  Plum.) 

The  Township  of  York,  Du  Page  County,  bor- 
ders the  west  line  of  Cook  county,  while  other 
Du  Page  County  townships  surround  it,  Addi- 
son on  the  north,  Milton  on  the  west,  and  Dow- 
ner's Grove  on  the  south.  On  account  of  its 
pioneers  hailing  largely  from  the  State  of  New 
York,  the  name  of  York  was  given  to  this  town 
of  thirty-six  square  miles. 


714 


HISTORY  OF  DU  PAGE  COUNTY. 


As  the  aborigines — ludiaus  so-called — were 
divided  into  tribes,  oftentimes  hostile  to  one 
another,  It  is  probable  that,  in  common  with 
other  parts  of  Illinois,  this  vicinity  was  in- 
habited at  times  by  various  Indian  bands. 
History,  however,  locates  the  Pottawattomies 
hereabouts,  and  it  is  from  them,  that  the  Fed- 
eral Government  acquired  its  legal  title,  al- 
though others  joined  in  the  deeds  of  cession. 
While  in  the  main  the  United  States  has  treated 
the  various  tribes  as  enemies  or  wards,  yet  in 
the  matter  of  titles  it  generally  recognized 
them  as  so  many  different  nations  and  acquired 
its  holdings  by  treaty  and  purchase.  In  this 
manner  the  southeast  corner  Sections  25,  35, 
3G,  and  the  diagonal  halves  of  Sections  24,  26 
and  34,  were  included  in  the  treaty  of  1S16, 
and  the  remainder  of  the  county,  as  well  as  the 
land  in  nine  other  counties,  were  granted  to 
the  Government  in  the  fall  of  1833. 

Salt  Creek — so  named  because  of  the  loss  in 
it,  in  early  days,  of  a  load  of  salt — enters  York 
Township  about  a  mile  west  of  Elmhurst,  and 
passes  southerly  through  the  township  on  its 
way  to  the  Des  Plaines.  Although  this  is  the 
main  stream  in  the  township,  yet  one  branch  of 
the  Du  Page  River  almost  touches  the  western 
border. 

When  the  lands  were  first  taken  up  by  set- 
tlers, about  flve-sixths  of  the  town  was  covered 
with  trees ;  not  usually  like  the  great  trees  In 
the  thick  forests  of  Ohio  and  New  York — al- 
though there  were  not  wanting  some  such — but 
of  less  lusty  growth,  as  though  tree  growth  were 
still  somewhat  experimental  in  this  locality. 
Oaks  predominated,  but  hickories,  maples,  elms, 
ash.  black  walnuts,  basswoods  (or  American 
lindens),  crab  and  thorn-apples,  and  other 
trees  were  common. 

We  often  think  that  settlers  in  Eastern 
States  must  have  had  a  fearful  task  clearing 
their  lands  for  farming  purposes,  and  conceive 
their  pleasure  in  entering  upon  our  rolling 
prairies  to  begin  husbandry ;  but  the  fact  is 
that  the  pioneers  of  York,  and  adjoining  town- 
ships, staked  out  their  early  claims  in  the  tim- 
bered region.  To  roam  over  a  country  open  to 
selection,  seeking  the  choicest  place  for  a  home, 
all  things  considered,  must  have  beeti  a  task  of 
absorbing  interest  and  pleasure;  and  we  can 
easily  imagine  Elisha  Fish's  satisfaction  when, 
as  the  first  pioneer  in  York,  he  located  in  Sec- 
tion 26.    That  was  in  the  spring  of  1833,  shortly 


after  the  Black  Hawk  War.  although  some  say 
it  was  in  1834. 

Of  all  the  year,  the  spring  germinates  the 
greatest  crop  of  optimism ;  but  in  York  every 
growing  and  ripening  month  unfolds  its  season- 
able flowers.  It  is  well  to  think  of  the  woods 
and  open  Nature's  flower  gardens,  as  Fish  saw 
them,  for  there  were  in  abundance  such  flowers 
as  the  anemone.  Jack-in-the-pulpit.  diletra, 
mandrake,  spring  beauties,  shooting  star,  dog- 
tooth and  blue  violet,  cowslip,  scarlet  lobelia, 
Solomon's  seal,  queen  of  the  meadow,  pink  ox- 
alis.  Indian  princess,  spiderwert,  pond  lillies, 
jewel  weed,  Greek  valerian,  field  orchids,  yel- 
low or  white  lavender,  pea  and  other  vetches, 
phlox,  white  and  pink  roses,  morning  glories, 
grass  flowers,  ironweed,  pentstemon,  butterfly 
weed,  rosin  weed,  lupine,  asters  or  daisies,  sun 
flowers,  over  a  score  of  varieties  of  golden  rod, 
besides  a  great  many  others,  some  under  shelter 
of  the  trees,  and  others  modestly  hiding  in  the 
tall  grasses  that  mimicked  the  lake  in  wave 
lines  under  like  pressure. 

It  was  such  growth  as  these  that,  in  eons  of 
time,  created  the  rich  soil  of  York,  adding  each 
year  humus  and  nitrates  to  the  phosphorus  and 
potash,  all  to  be  sold  for  one  dollar  and  a 
quarter  per  acre. 

The  Coming  Pioneers. — In  June,  1834,  Seth 
and  Winslow  Churchill  came  here. 

In  1835  came  Benjamin  Fuller,  Luther  Mor- 
ton, Jesse  Atwater,  John  Talmadge,  Jacob  W. 
Fuller.  John  Wiilker.  Nicholas  Torode.  Sr., 
Philander  Lorade,  John  Bolauder,  Oriente  Grant, 
Henry  Rieder,  Edward  Eldridge,  and  the 
Graves. 

George  Fuller  came  here  in  18.36. 

Sheldon  Peck,  a  Mr.  Cobb.  John  GIos  and 
John  Bolander  came  in  1837. 

J.  R.  Strickland  came  in  1839. 

Diedrieh  Strickman  came  In  1841. 

Dr.  Frederick  J.  T.  Fisher  was  born  here  In 
1842. 

John  Rumble  came  here  In  1843. 

George  Barber  came  in  1844. 

J.  B.  Hull  came  in  1845. 

Hiram  Whittemore,  Levi  Ballau  and  W.  H. 
Litchfield,  came  in  1846. 

Daniel  .Sheahan  and  C.  W.  Plummer  came  in 
1848. 

D.  Meyer  came  in  1849. 

Others   also    settled   and    left   their    Impress, 


SCEXE    AT    (ilJOX    ELLYX 


A^^A^^i^ 


HISTORY  OF  DU  PAGE  COUNTY. 


715 


amons  thei-e  lieiiifr  Adam  Glos,  W.  Burbank, 
Asa  Kuajjp,  Robert  Reed,  Frederick  Grey.  Adam 
Hatfield,  August  Meyer  and  Henry  Golderman, 
all  of  whom,  beside  E.  Eldridge,  the  Gerry 
brothers,  H.  Whittemore  and  George  Barber, 
served  as  County  Supervisors. 

It  is  not  practicable  to  name  all  of  the  early 
settlers.  Some  there  were  who  .seemed  to  drift 
here  and  blow  away,  leaving  no  more  remind- 
ers than  birds  of  passage. 

Early  Conditions. — Those  were  happy  times 
for  the  siJortsman.  Quail  and  prairie  ehiclveus, 
pigeons,  deer,  mink,  otter,  muskrat  and  bear 
were  plentiful,  and  provided  meat  and  clothing. 
The  timber  lands  being  claimed  before,  it  was 
not  until  1837  that  settlers  were  content  ta 
take  up  their  homes  on  the  prairies  of  the  town- 
ship, the  soil  of  which  consists  of  black,  or 
brown,  vegetable  mold,  that  in  the  groves  being 
generally  a  light  or  colored  sandy  soil  or  loam. 

Between  claim-jumpers  and  land-sharks,  the 
claimants  had  worry  enough.  Having  located 
their  land,  they  set  boundaries,  usually  for. ICO 
acres,  by  plowing  a  furrow  around,  Uy'-placlng 
stakes  at  intervals,  or  by  "blazing"-'  tlii'Aliiie. 
of  trees.  That  done,  there  was  legs  danger 
from  claim  jumpers  who  disregarded,  or  claimed 
not  to  know,  the  line  marks,  and  !aftei;.  tje. 
Government  surveyed  in  1841  the  lands-were 
put  on  the  market  in  1842.  Howevei,..S.e.ctiqns 
25,  35,  3G  and  the  diagonal  halves  of  24,  26~ 
and  34,  were  in  the  market  In  June,  1835.  Fol- 
lowing 1842,  land-sharks  appeared  who  sought 
to  make  entries  and  secure  title  to  sections  re- 
gardless of  pre-emption.  Consequently  organ- 
izations were  effected  that  made  it  very  uncom- 
fortable for  those  who  sought  to  cheat  or  rob 
squatters  of  their  property. 

From  1840  to  1850  great  changes  occurred. 
The  log  houses  that  dotted  the  lands  began  to 
give  way  to  better  ones.  A  bridge  over  the  Des 
Plaines  was  built  by  settlers  of  York  and  Mil- 
ton, to  accommodate  the  farmers  who  carried 
pork  to  Chicago  and  sold  it  for  a  dollar  per 
100  pounds.  Oats  brought  ten  cents  a  bushel, 
and  a  man  with  his  team  could  earn  a  dollar  a 
day.  ^\Tiat  if  eggs  were  only  four  to  six  cents 
per  dozen?  They  were  packed  in  barrels  in 
those  times,  and,  in  one  day,  a  storekeeper  at 
Babcock's  Grove  received  twenty-six  barrels  of 
them  from  the  farmers  thereabout,  none  of 
whom   had   pedigreed   chickens   or  $1,000   cock- 


erels, dried  blood,  broken  oyster  shells,  sun- 
flower seeds,  or  any  of  those  civilized  delicacies 
that  make  eggs  scarce  at  forty-five  cents  per 
dozen. 

Besides,  every  farmer's  wife  made  butter, 
happy  if  .she  received  a  shilling  a  pound.  Hay, 
cut,  stacked  and  loaded:  sold  for  a  dollar  and 
a  quarter  per  ton.  while  straw  was  given  away. 
Of  course,  there  were  no  millionaires  in  these 
[larts.  It  was  a  time  of  possibilities  when  the 
owners  were  toiling  for  their  children  or  grand- 
children, many  of  whom  are  with  us  now, 
splendid  characters. 

The  principal  crops  are  corn,  wheat,  rye,  oats, 
barley  and  potatoes,  some  buckwheat,  besides 
garden  vegetables,  cherries,  except  the  early 
Kichmoud,  peaches  only  fairly,  apples  some- 
what uncertain,  though  at  times  they  do  remark- 
ably well. 

The  laud  is  a  rolling  prairie,  mostly  stripped 
of  timber,  easily  drained  and  almost  free  from 
troublesome  stones.  Once  in  a  while  one  sees 
a  great  granite  boulder,  brought  by  the  ice 
from  the  archean  or  azoic  mountains  of  East- 
ern Canada. 
I  '.  -i^lVi  ■  underlying  limestone  does  not  come  to 
the  surface,  except  in  or  near  Elmhurst,  where 
it  is  almost  white  and  fifteen  to  twenty  feet 
thiclv,,and  a  thinner  and  yellow  or  light  drab 
stoi}€k  on  the  Torode  land  three  miles  south  of 
Elmhurst. 

At  the  emergence  of  the  stone  at  Elmhurst, 
William  Hammerschmidt  operates  uuder  the 
name  of  the  Elmhurst-Chicago  Stone  Company. 
This  is  a  quarry  where  great  quantities  of  stone 
are  crushed  annually  and  sold  mainly  for 
cement  work  and  road  ballast.  .\n  average  of 
sixty  men  are  employed,  some  making  cement 
building  blocks. 

Schools. — Our  industrious  pioneers  did  not 
overlook  the  matter  of  schools.  Ellas  Brown, 
one  of  the  very  early  settlers,  built  a  log  house 
for  himself  and  family,  but  for  some  reason — 
perhaps  because  he  felt  defeat  in  one  of  the 
•'prayer  matches,"  as  he  called  them,  that  took 
place  in  his  home — he  ended  his  life.  It  was  in 
this  vacant  building  that  Miss  Fuller  taught 
school  about  1838.  undoubtedly  at  the  expense 
of  individual  contributors.  About  a  year  later, 
Miss  C.  Barnes  taught  at  the  home  of  John 
Talmadge.  the  children  sitting  on  slab  seats 
sawed  at  King's  mill  on  Salt  Creek. 


716 


HISTORY  OF  DU  PAGE  COUNTY. 


We  are  too  familier  with  the  gradual  prog- 
ress of  public  schools  to  justify  detailed  dis- 
cussion of  the  subject  here,  for  it  was  like  all 
other  northern  localities  where  the  Eastern  and 
German  elements  predominated.  Suffice  it  to 
say,  therefore,  that  the  little  red  school  house 
became  common,  and  thut  in  Lombard  and  Elm- 
hurst  these  have  given  way  to  more  preteu- 
tious  structures  and  a  corps  of  teachers  for 
each. 

There  are  two  graded  schools  and  seven  un- 
graded in  the  town ;  453  enrolled  pupils  in  the 
gi'aded,  and  142  in  the  others.  There  are  also 
seven  private  schools  in  which  520  pupils  are 
enrolled. 

In  1871,  the  Melanchthou  Seminary,  estab- 
lished at  Elmhurst  in  1SG9.  was  consolid- 
ated with  the  Edeu  Theological  Seminary  of  St. 
Louis,  Mo.  The  buildings  thus  vacated  are  now 
used  for  the  "Prosemiuar,"  or  Elmhurst  Col- 
lege. There  are  three  large  buildings.  An- 
other will  be  erected  at  an  early  date.  The 
pupils  board  in  the  college,  there  being  150  uf 
them  and  eight  professors.  There  is  also  a 
secondary  school  with  full  English  and  Ger- 
man curriculum.  The  college  is  acknowledged 
by  the  Illinois  University,  and  accredited  with 
the  North  Central  Association  of  Colleges  and 
secondary  schools.  It  is  under  the  control  of 
the  German  Evangelical  Synod  of  North  Amer- 
ica. 

Opposed  to  Slavery. — As  already  indicated, 
our  early  settlers  were  largely  Eastern  people — 
many  being  Methodists,  which  church,  more 
than  any  other,  produced  opiwnents  of  slavery  of 
the  most  aggressive  types.  Among  them  were 
Sheldon  Peck,  a  Methodist  from  Vermont  and 
an  artist  liy  profession,  as  well  as  a  sign  painter 
and  much  interested  in  the  temperance  cause. 
He  also  wrote  a  great  deal  of  poetry,  some  of 
which,  at  least,  was  of  merit. 

Another  was  Thomas  Filer,  a  most  excellent 
man  and  deeply  impressed  with  the  evils  of 
slavery.  These  two  men  were  conductors  of 
the  "Underground  Railroad."  and  carried  many 
an  escaping  slave  to  Chicago,  where  Dr.  Dyer 
and  others  forwarded  them   to  Canada. 

YORK   TOWNSHIP'S   CIVIL   WAR   RECORD. 

York  was  represented  in  nearly  all  of  the 
great  battles  of  the  Civil  War.   as  well  as  in 


earlier  and  later  conflicts.  In  the  person  of 
Cyrenus  Wirt  Litchfield,  of  Cottage  Hill,  who 
joined  Barker's  Dragoons,  April  19,  1861,  it  fur- 
nished the  first  recruit  from  Du  Page  County. 
For  four  years,  the  jjeople  of  this  town  vied 
with  one  another  in  this  patriotic  effort,  ilany 
of  the  sous  of  our  early  settlers  joined  the  army 
and,  with  later  resident  soldiers,  valiantly 
strove  in  battle,  sieges  and  other  trying  scenes, 
to  uphold  the  flag  and  cement  anew  our  com- 
mon country.  All  the  while,  her  women  and 
old  men  at  home  aided  the  Sanitary  and  Chris- 
tian Commissions  to  ameliorate  the  sufferings  of 
the  boys  in  blue  on  the  old  camp  grounds.  This 
township  sent  other  brave  boys  to  the  Spanish- 
American  War. 

•  Doubtless  in  the  subjoined  list  of  York's  Civil 
War  soldiers  there  are  errors  of  omission  and 
commission,  but  It  is  as  accurate  as  could  be 
made. 

Seventh  Illinois  Infantry. — John  Ilubrecht, 
Lyman  Lamb. 

Tenth   Illinois   Infantry. — Charles  Doodell. 

Twelfth  Illinois  Infantry. — J.  M.  Kenyou, 
Charles  B.  Denel,  O.  S.  Fowler. 

Thirteenth  Illinois  Infantry'. — Charles  B. 
Duel,  Oliver  S.  Fowler,  Lysander  Towusend, 
.lohn  M.  Kenyon. 

Fifteenth  Illinois  Infantry'. — Joseph  Mor- 
ris,  Edward  Watson. 

Thirty'-first  Illinois  Inf.\ntry". — William  A. 
Alton. 

Thirty-third  Illinois  Infantry'. — B.  J. 
Wakenian,  Frederick  Grothman,  Giles  Andrews. 

Forty'-fol'rth  Illinois  Infantry'. — Ansel 
Bates,  Stephen  Kelle,  William  C.  Porter,  Wil- 
liam Welsh.  Hugo  Arnst,  Paul  Hoffmann,  Dedric 
Borger.  John  B.  Floy,  Detric  Shanning.  Chris- 
tian Johnson,  Jolin  Sauerman,  M.  T.  Kerman. 
H.  Tapp  or  Lapp. 

FlFTY'-FOUBTH      ILLINOIS      INFANTRY'. — JohU     B. 

Sparks. 

Fifty'-eighth  Illinois  Infantry. — A.  Ugo- 
reck,  G.  W.  Atwater,  H.  Farrai-.  G.  D.  Seaville, 
G.  F.  Atwater,  G.  W.  Eldridge.  P.  Smith.  Dr. 
George  F.  Heidmann.  Assistant  Surgeon. 

Seventy-second     Illinois    Inf.\ntrt. — Henry 


BRIDGE  OVER  DL    I'AGE  RFV^ER.  LOllBAKD 


ELMHURST  14(JLF  CLUB 


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SUCTH   SIDE   HJCH   SlllnoL,    liiiWNKHS   GROVE 


C.  B.  &  Q.  RV.  STATION,  DOWNERS  GROVE 


COTTAGE  HILL  AVENUE.  ELMHURST 


HISTORY  OF  DU  PAGE  COUNTY. 


717 


Bluck,  Peter  Heiuvecks.  Chris  Heimies,  Charles 
Ross,  William  JI.  ^A'illiams. 

One  Hundred  and  Fifth  Illinois  I.nfaxtby. 
— J.  R.  Burns,  G.  Hickel,  Morrell  Fuller,  A. 
Townsend,  E.  Weaber,  W.  Thorupsou,  Perry  Har- 
ris, H.  C.  Staudish,  Albert  Miller,  George  Miller. 
O.  W.  Grant,  Conrad  Gushert,  G.  H.  Forke,  H. 
Koxiiig,  Nicholas  R.  Kenyon,  A.  Meumaun.  H. 
Timmier.  Paris  Keuyon,  P.  Garner,  G.  W.  Ken- 
yon, F.  Filer,  Isaac  J.  Grant,  David  J.  Grant, 
G.  H.  Talniadge,  John  Faust,  David  Frank, 
Peter  Meass. 

One  Hundred  and  Forty-first  Illinois  In- 
fantry.— David  Eldridge.  James  H.  Harring- 
ton, Herman  Knatt,  Cyrus  W.  Litchfield,  San- 
ford  Peek,  William  Weaber.  Pel  eg  Bristol.  J. 
Edwards,  Luther  D.  Brown. 

One  Hundred  Fifty-third  Illinois  Infantry. 
— P.  Bristol,  S.  Reuslow,  L.  D.  Brown. 

Third  Illinois  Cavalry. — Henry  C.  Jlilner. 

Fourth  Illinois  Cavalry — H.  C.  Miller. 

Eighth  Illinois  Cavalry. — D.  Landing.  Wil- 
liam Nichol,  William  E.  Newhall,  Dedrich  AUlScli.. 
Ernst    Rode,    W.    H.    Churchill.    Fl-ahlc    •HtiIV 
Michael  Dunn,  Delos  Hull,  Tidd  Hull.  "P-  HAi-H*,; 
Peter  Maas.   Charles  Camell,   Sanui^l   Maxwell, 
Patrick  Meahan.  Benjamin  Plummeii 

Twelfth    Illinois    Cavalry'. — S.'  W,    3 
man,  G.  JI.  Ackerman,  William  Viptou.  Joseph" 
McGinty. 

Thirteenth  Illinois  Cavalry. — F.  W.  Becker. 
Frantz  Z.  Jenson,  N.  K.  .Shroeder.  H.  C. 
Shroeder. 

Seventeeth  Illinois  Cavalry-. — B.  Plummer, 
Thomas  Hiler,  Jesse  F.  Green,  William  Stouer. 
Adelbert  Grant,  Fred  Blessman,  J.  Seiuinger, 
Fred  Ballmau,  James  McCurdy,  F.  McMaster. 
M.  Minor. 

First  Illinois  Artillery. — Charles  B.  An- 
drea.?. 

Second  Illinois  Artillery'. — Johu  Ireland, 
Otis  A.  Smith. 

First  Army  Corps. — J.  0.  Linsley.  J.  Beyler. 
J.  D.  Needham,  J.  E.  Carpenter,  A.  E.  Gable, 
C.  Tebo. 

Pettit's  Battery. — C.  W.  Litchfield. 


MUNICIPAL  CORPORATIONS. 

Elmhurst  City'. — The  settlement  here  began 
in  1837,  by  the  arrival  of  John  Glos  and  two 
brothers,  Germans. 

In  1843,  J.  L.  Harvey  of  Painesville,  Ohio, 
settled  on  land  within  what  is  now  Elmhurst, 
and  erected  a  hotel,  which  became  known  as 
"Hill  Cottage."  reversed  by  the  Postal  authori- 
ties to  Cottage  Hill,  but  Gerry  Bates  came  a 
year  before  and  purchased  land  now  included 
in  Elmhurst.  He  was  a  native  of  Massachu- 
setts, born  in  1800,  and  was  York's  first  Post- 
master and  among  the  earliest  merchants  of  the 
town.  Until  his  death  in  1878.  for  thirty  years 
he  continued  to  act  as  Postmaster.  His  son,  a 
prominent  physician.  Dr.  Fred  Bates, .  occupies 
a  portion  of  the  old  homestead  property,  which 
has  been  subdivided. 

William  H.  Litchfield  was  another  early  set- 
tler, coming  here  in  1S4G. 

Elmhurst  is  106  feet  higher  than  Lake  Michi- 
gan,  and   on   account  of   its  general   healthful- 
ness.   beauty   and   nearness   to   Chicago,   sixteen 
miles,  has  become  a  popular  suburb,  and  is  the 
country    home   of  many  wealthy   people  whose 
.'•htJiiigs  jaUd  grounds  are  very  ornate. 
:.  (In,  1^?6   the   Chicago   &   Galena   Union   Rail- 
road   Company    was   chartered,    with   authority 
t  o  use  Ijorse  or  steam  power ;  but  owing  to  the 
dithcultj  of   securing   capital   it  was   not   until 
:'iSli  thjit  the  track  reached  Cottage  Hill,  and 
Diedrich  Mong,  who  had  a  tavern  and  general 
store,  became  the  railway  agent. 

The  growth  of  the  village  was  slow,  how- 
ever, until  1870,  since  which  time  its  increase  in 
population  has  been  more  rapid,  owing  largely 
to  the  coming  of  wealthy  people,  but  also  iu  a 
great  measure  to  the  foresight  and  perseverance 
of  Henry  Glos,  for  many  years  President  of  the 
Village  Board,  who,  despite  serious  opposition, 
carried  forward  town  improvements  and  thus 
prepared  it  to  assume  city  government,  which 
it  did  in  1910. 

Two  banks  here  furnish  some  indications  of 
the  prosperity  of  the  citizens  of  Elmhurst  and 
the  neighboring  farmers.  The  "Elmhurst  Press" 
is  an  interesting  weekly,  ably  conducted  by  one 
of  Gerry  Bates'  grandchildren. 

The  Catholic  Church  here  was  erected  in 
18G2. 

The  Hon.  Thomas  B.  Bryan,  at  one  time  one 
of  three  governing  Commissioners   of   the   city 


718 


HISTORY  OP  DU  PAGE  COUNTY. 


of  Washington,  D.  C.  erected  a  chapel  on  his 
residence  grounds,  in  which  he  frequently  con- 
ducted public  Episcopalian  services. 

Other  denominations  also  have  their  edifices. 
Mr.  Br,vau"s  son,  Charles  P.,  for  many  years 
in  the  diplomatic  service,  now  represents  the 
United  States  as  Envoy  Extraordinary  and 
Minister  Plenipotentiary  in  Japan.  He  was  the 
only  citizen  of  Torii  who  ever  served  as  Repre- 
sentative in  the  State  Legisiature. 

As  In  other  towns,  there  are  very  many  resi- 
dents whose  business  is  in  Chicago,  whither 
they  go  daily.  The  population  of  Elmhurst  Is 
2,360. 

LoMBABD  Village. — There  was  a  big  gro\"e 
east  and  west  of  the  Du  Page  River  in  Sec- 
tions 11  and  12.  Milton,  and  7  York  Townships, 
extending  well  into  the  village  of  Lombard. 
At  first,  however,  as  the  settlement  of  Bab- 
cock's  Grove,  as  it  was  then  called,  it  grew 
slowly.  Although  the  first  owners  of  property 
here  were  the  Mortons,  the  place  was  named 
after  a  settler  across  the  river. 

Nathaniel  B.  Morton,  assignee  in  1S4.".  of 
Luther  Morton's  certificate,  sold  to  Reuben 
Mink  three  years  later,  who  in  turn  In  1867, 
conveyed  his  farm  of  227  acres  to  Josiah  L. 
Lombard,  after  whom  the  place  is  now  named. 
Those  acres,  and  others,  constitute  the  town 
w^hich  was  incorporated  in  1867  by  special  leg- 
islation, that  conferred  female  suffrage  on  the 
women  citizens  in  municipal  affairs,  but  al- 
though the  right  was  occasionally  exercised,  it 
seems  not  to  have  been  specially  prized,  and  a 
few  years  ago  the  charter  was  surrendered 
and  a  village  government,  under  the  general 
law  established. 

The  Chicago  &  Northwestern  Railroad  (old 
Chicago  &  Galena  Union)  reached  Lombard  In 
1849,  when  J.  B.  Hull  became  the  agent,  prob- 
ably in  the  depot  hotel  ITept  by  one  Parsons. 

Utilities  and  Improvements. — During  the 
last  decade  the  place  has  grown  more  rapidly 
than  before,  the  population  now  being  about 
1.000.  Cement  walks  abound.  Gas  and  electric 
lights  are  common.  The  well  lighted  streets  are 
shaded  with  beautiful  trees.  The  undulations 
add  picturesqueness  to  the  landscape.  Many 
delightful  homes,  well  kept  lawns,  flowers  and 
shrubbery  betoken  the  refinement  and  culture 
abiding    there.      A    water    tower    and   pumping 


machinery  have  been  placed  to  supply  the  mains 
which  will  be  laid  during  the  summer  of  1912. 

The  new  bank  building,  recently  erected  at  a 
cost  of  about  $18,000,  is  undoubtedly  one  of  the 
finest  structures  for  a  country  bank  to  be  found 
in  the  State.  Although  but  a  little  over  a  year 
in  business,  the  bank's  deposits  exceed  $100,- 
000.  In  the  early  days  farmers  borrowed,  now 
they  loan. 

The  Chicago  &  Great  Western  Railroad  passes 
through  the  village.  Its  track  is  being  doubled, 
which   p;u-ticularly  interests  the  commuters. 

The  Aurora,  Elgin  &  Chicago  Electric  Rail- 
road is  but  a  few  years  old,  but  operating  by  a 
third  rail  system,  its  iiassenger  service  is  large 
and  very  popular,  especially  as  its  trains  are  so 
frequent. 

The  Congregational  Church  of  Lombard  was 
organized  in  18.">1  and  had  nine  members.  One 
of  its  provisions  read  as  follows :  "Persons  en- 
gaged in  the  manufacture,  sale  or  use  of  iutoxi- 
ciitiug  liquors  as  a  beverage,  slaveholders  and 
apologists  for  slavery,  are  not  included  in  in- 
vitation to  the  Lord's  Supper,"  The  present 
church  was  re-organized  in  1800.  and  its  edifice 
dedicated  in  1870. 

Besides  the  Congregational  Church,  there  is 
a  well  sustained  Lutheran  Church  of  more  re- 
cent date,  and  a  Methodist  organization,  .younger 
.vet  and  vigorous.  All  of  the  church  buildings 
are  located  on  Maple  Street  and  add  to  its  at- 
tractions. 

About  a  mile  south  of  Lombard  are  located 
the  works  of  the  Lombard  Brick  and  Tile  Com- 
pany, also  oiierated  by  William  Hammerschmidt, 
one  of  Du  Page  County's  most  enterprising  sons, 
now,  and  for  man.v  years,  a  member  of  the 
Board  of  Supervisors.  In  this  factory  are  man- 
ufactured common  and  hard  bricks  in  large 
quantities,  besides  tiles,  particularly  those  for 
drainage  purposes.  About  twenty-five  men  are 
employed. 

Within  the  township,  on  the  line  of  the  elec- 
tric road,  new  villages  have  sprung  up  as  if  by 
magic,  so  that  we  have  Home  Acres,  Villa  Park, 
Spring  Roard,  Stratford  Hills  and  Ardmore,  each 
with  a  growing  population,  including  many  city 
men  who  have  here  made  their  homes  in  places 
that  promise  to  become  towns  of  some  Im- 
portance. 

Besides  the  foregoing  settled  communities, 
there  are  others  less  pretentious.  York  Centre 
in  the  early  days  was  a  Methodist  community 


STATE   BANK.  LOilBAKD. 


si     MRHAEL-S   CATHOLIC   CHURCH,    WHEATOX. 


EPISCOPAL    CHUECH.    WHEATOX. 


OLD   TAVERN,   FULLERSBURG 


HISTORY  OF  DU  PAGE  COUNTY. 


719 


whicli,  iu  1859,  built  a  ebureli,  a  little  soiitli  of 
the  present  Lutheran  Church.  Later,  as  the 
Lutherans  increased,  they  used  the  building  in 
common  with  the  former  society. 

A  real  Dutch  grist-mill,  located  near  here, 
attracts  very  many  artists  and  camera  oper- 
ators. 

Utopia  is  another  hamlet,  as  is  also  Brush 
Hill,  near  the  line,  a  short  distance  from  Hins- 
dale. It  was  here  that  York's  first  saw-mill  was 
built.  Having  been  destroyed  by  fire  in  1848, 
a. grist-mill  was  constructed  by  Frederick  Gray, 
who  long  before  had  erected  a  saw-mill  on  the 
creek  near  the  north  line  of  the  township. 
This  grist-mill  was  fed  from  a  considerable 
pond  made  by  draining  the  creek,  which  with 
the  adjoining  woods  make  the  locality  Inviting 
for  picnic  parties  that  frequently  gather  in  this 
localitj'. 

In  going  there  from  Elmhurst  or  Lombard, 
one  passes  the  Mammoth  or  Bob  Reed  Spring, 
which  burst  from  the  ground  with  a  loud  report 
in  1861,  and  now  furnishes  the  water  supply 
of  the  city  of  Elmhurst. 

Great  changes  have  occurred  since  the  early 
days  when  water,  water,  water  was  ever  mani- 
fest   on    our    fields.      Some    of    the"  best   were, 
thought    valueless,    but    plowing,    ditching    and 
tiling  have  proved  them  to  be  the  most  fertile. 

Common  stock  animals  are  disappearing, 
farms  are  better  and  more  easily  cultivated. 
Straw  is  no  longer  burned.  Surplus  milk  goes 
to  the  city  or  creameries.  Women  are  not  such 
drudges.  Books  multiply.  The  rural  mail  brings 
papers  and  magazines.  Men's  clothing  is  not 
made  at  home.  The  telephone  keeps  people  in 
touch  with  towns  and  neighbors.  Produce  is 
not  swapped,  but  is  sold  for  cash.  Roads  are 
constantly  improved,  keeping  pace  with  better 
bridges. 

The  -world  moves,  and  York  keeps  up  with 
the  procession.  Its  population  (1910)  was 
4,911.  being  the  third  in  Du  Page  County,  fol- 
lowing Downer's  Grove  and  Milton  Township. 

Supervisors. — The  following  are  those  who 
have  served  on  the  County  Board  of  Supervis- 
ors from  York  Township : 

E.   Eldridge    18.50 

Gerry   Bates    1850-52 

W.  Burbank    18.53 


H.    Whittmore    1853 

Asa   Knapp    1854 

Robert    Reed    1855-56 

Frederick  Gray   1857-60 

George  Barber    1861-63 

Adam    Hatfleld    1864 

Frederick    Gray    1865-67 

August  Meyer  1868 

George  Barber   1869 

Adam  Glos    1870-75 

Henry  Golderman   1876 

Henry  Golderman   1876-79 

Adam   Glos   1879-84 

Frederick  Marquardt  18.85-91 

William   Hammerschmidt    1891-1910 

William     Hammerschmidt     and     C.     H. 

Biermann     1910-12 


CHAPTER  XVIII 


TRANSPORTATION 


PRIMITIVE  HIGHWAYS — INDIAN  TRAILS  AND  THE 
COEDUROY  ROADS — WATER  COURSES — LATER  DE- 
VELOPMENT— THE  EARLY  STAGE  COACH— COMINO 
OF  THE  AUTOMOBILE — FIRST  RAILROAD  IN  DU 
"  PAGE  COUNTY — ^THE  GALENA  &  CHICAGO  UNION 
BECOMES  A  PART  OF  THE  CHICAGO  &  NORTHWEST- 
ERN RAILWAY — STATIONS  ON  THIS  LINE — OTHER 
RAILROADS  IN  THE  COUNTY THE  CHICAGO,  BUR- 
LINGTON &  QUINCY — CHICAGO,  MILWAUKEE  & 
ST.  PAUL — LIST  OF  STATIONS — THE  AURORA,  EL- 
GIN &  CHICAGO  ELECTRIC  LINE — RAILWAY'  PROG- 
RESS  AND  BUSINESS   DEVELOPMENT. 

When  the  Pottawattomies  ranged  over  Du 
Page  County,  they  left  only  vague  trails,  for 
they  did  not  remain  long  in  any  one  locality, 
and,  being  nomads,  had  no  use  for  distinct 
roads.  With  the  coming  of  the  white  men, 
however,  an  immediate  need  was  experienced 
for  paths  leading  to  the  points  they  desired  to 
reach.  It  was  not  long  before  these  sturdy 
yeomen  discovered  the  shortest  distance  be- 
tween two  given  points,  and  many  traveling 
over  this  path  developed  a  rough  road. 

As  a  number  of  water  courses  traverse  Du 
Page  County,   much   of  the  land,   especially  In 


r20 


HISTORY  OP  DU  PAGE  COUNTY. 


the  spring,  was  subject  to  overflow,  and  cou- 
sequently  at  certain  seasons  tbese  roads  were 
almost  impassable.  The  settlers  souglit  to 
change  this  condition  by  building  roads  with 
trunks  of  trees.  These  '"corduroy  roads,'  as 
they  were  called,  kept  the  traveler  from  being 
mired,  but  resulted  in  his  being  almost  shaken 
to  death,  and  the  contents  of  his  vehicle  de- 
stroyed, if  breakable.  ■ 

Agitation  relative  to  roads  continued  all 
through  the  history  of  the  county,  until  the  au- 
tomobile was  placed  within  the  reach  of  the 
progressive  ruralist,  although  here  and  there  peo- 
ple had  recognized  and  acted  upon  suggestions, 
and  made  roads  that  were  their  pride,  and 
■which  still  stand  as  models  of  their  kind.  As 
soon  as  the  general  public  realized  what 
good  roads  would  bring  them,  they  acted  ac- 
cordingly, and  now  there  are  no  better  roads 
In  the  state  than  those  which  lead  from  Chicago 
to  Elgiu  and  Aurora,  directly  through  Du  Page 
County. 

Over  them  hundreds  of  automobiles  pass 
daily,  many  of  Ihese  being. owned  right  in  Du 
Page  County.  These  are  not  all  merely  pleas- 
ure conveyances  by  any  manner  of  means,  for 
powerful  trucks  from  Chicago  are  sent  out  by 
business  houses,  which  find  they  can  deliver 
goods  more  rapidly  and  cheaply  in  this  way 
than  by  means  of  the  railroads. 

Many  of  the  residents  of  the  beautiful  cities 
of  the  counts',  whose  business  interests  are  cen- 
tered in  Chicago,  travel  daily  over  these  excel- 
lent roads  in  their  automobiles,  enjoying  to  the 
full  the  healthful  exercise,  and  appreciating  the 
advantages  accruing  from  a  residence  in  a  sec- 
tion that  offers  so  many  attractions  as  does  Du 
Page  County. 

The  Stage  Line. — The  history  of  the  stage- 
coach lines  through  Du  Page  County  antedates 
that  of  the  settlement  of  the  county  itself,  for 
in  1825  a  Mr.  Kellogg  traveled  across  the 
prairie  from  Peoria  to  Galena.  Colonel  War- 
ren carried  the  mail  until  the  Galena  line  was 
extended  through  the  county,  which  had  stop- 
ping places  at  Naperville  and  other  settlements, 
and  was  operated  by  Tenipleton.  His  line  of 
stages  ran  from  Chicago  to  Galena.  Frink  and 
Walker  bought  his  interests  in  1S3S. 

The  days  wlien  rapid  transit  was  undreamed 
of,  and  the  privilege  of  bumping  about  in  one 
of  these  primitive  conveyances  was  considered 


a  luxury  are  passed.  Distances  are  covered  to- 
day in  a  few  hours,  which  two  or  three  genera- 
tions ago  took  days  to  travel.  Even  these 
coaches,  primitive  as  they  seem  today,  were  a 
vast  improvement  upon  horseback  travel  or  on 
foot. 

Du  Page  County's  First  Railway. — The  first 
railroad  to  traverse  Du  Page  County  was  the 
old  Galena  &  Chicago  Union,  chartered  January 
16.  18-36,  although  the  track  was  not  laid  through 
to  Elgin  until  1850.  The  Turner  Junction  (now 
West  Chicago)    branch  was  completed  in  1857. 

The  Chicago  &  Northwestern  Kailroad  ab- 
sorbed the  original  line  in  June.  1SG4. 

The  stations  upon  this  line  in  Du  Page  County 
are:  Elmhurst.  Lombard,  Gleu  EUyn.  College 
Avenue,  Wheaton,  Winfleld  and  West  Chicago. 
The  erection  of  the  magnificent  new  passenger 
station  at  Madison  and  Canal  Streets,  Chicago, 
has  proven  of  immense  benefit  to  the  people  of 
Du  Page  County,  as  it  affords  them  the  ad- 
vantages and  luxuries  of  one  of  the  finest  ter- 
minals in  the  world,  as  well  as  a  service  not 
easily  surpassed  if  equalled. 

The  Chicago.  Burlinutox  &  Quincy  Rail- 
road began  as  the  Aurora  Branch,  constructed 
in  accordance  with  an  Act  of  Legislature,  ap- 
proved February  12,  18411.  The  original  charter 
was  amended  June  22,  1S52,  and  the  name  then 
assumed  was  the  Chicago  &  Aurora  Railroad, 
the  present  title  being  adopted  and  ajiproved, 
February  14,  1855.  This  line  took  iu  West  Chi- 
cago (then  Turner  Junction),  but  in  February, 
1862,  a  branch  was  decided  ujion.  that  would 
embrace  Naperville.  and  iu  1862,  it  was  decided 
to  connect  Aurora  with  Chicago.  This  was 
done,  and  the  road  was  in  operation  in  1864. 

The  Chicago.  Milwaukee  &  .St.  Paul  Rail- 
road was  originally  the  Chicago  &  Pacific  Rail- 
road, organized  in  1877,  chartered  iu  1S78  and 
finished  as  far  as  Elgin  a  year  or  so  later.  It 
was  absorbed  by  the  Chicago.  Milwaukee  &  St. 
Paul  Railroad  Company  by  which  it  is  now 
operated. 

Both  the  Chicago,  Burlington  &  Quincy  and 
the  Milwaukee  &  St.  Paul  Railroad  have  their 
terminals  at  the  L'nion  Station,  Chicago,  at 
.\dams  and  Canal  Streets.  The  stations  along 
these    routes    are:    Hinsdale,    West    Hinsdale, 


HISTORY  OF  DU  PAGE  COUNTY. 


721 


Clarendon   Hills.  Greggs,  East  Grove.  Downer's 
Grove,  Belmont.  Lisle  and  Xaperville. 

The  Aurora,  Elgin  &  Chicago  Kailroad 
(electric  line),  commonly  called  the  "Third  Rail" 
has  been  au  imiwrtaut  factor  in  the  develop- 
ment of  the  suburban  towns  and  cities  through- 
out Du  Page  County.  The  frequency  of  the 
trains,  the  stations  along  the  route,  and  the 
rapid  transit  have  all  contributed  towards  its 
popularity. 

The  present  road  is  the  result  of  a  consoli- 
dation of  several  other  electric  lines.  It  was 
chartered  under  its  present  name  on  March  23, 
1906,  but  began  operation  as  the  Aurora. 
Wheaton  &  Chicago  Railway  Company,  incor- 
porated in  February,  1809,  with  au  authorized 
capital  of  $1,500,000.  The  stations  on  this  line 
are:  South  Elmhurst,  Lombard,  Glen  Ellyn, 
Wheaton,  Chicago  Golf.  Warrenville  and  Eola 
Junction. 

It  is  almost  impossible  for  those  who  have 
always  enjoyed  the  privileges  of  railroad  travel, 
to  appreciate  what  the  building  of  these  roads 
meant  to  the  early  settlers.  Not  only  were  they 
afforded  rapid  transiwrtation  to  points  within 
and  outside  their  county,  but  their  products 
could  thus  be  marketed  without  the  expenditure 
of  so  much  effort  and  time  as  were  necessitated 
when  everything  had  to  be  hauled  by  team  over 
bad  roads. 

Another  feature,  was  the  placing  within  the 
reach  of  merchants  of  the  county,  all  the  com- 
modities of  the  world,  so  that  they  were  en- 
abled to  give  their  patrons  good  articles  at  mod- 
erate prices.  The  building  of  these  railroads 
thus  spelled  an  era  of  prosperity  for  Du  Page 
County,  and  has  developed  this  section  mar- 
velously. 


CHAPTER  XIX 


INDUSTRIAL  INTERESTS 


ORGANIZATION  OF  DU  PAGE  COUNTY  AGRICULTURAL 
AND  MECHANICAL  SOCIETY — FIRST  MEETING 
HELD  IN  1853 — ADOPTION  OF  A  CONSTITUTION 
AND    FIRST    OFFICERS — FIRST    COUNTY   FAIR    HELD 


IN  1854 — ORGANIZATION  OF  THE  SOtlETY  FOL- 
LOWS PROMPTLY  THE  ORGANIZATION  OF  THE 
STATE  AGRICULTURAL  SOCIETY — INCORPORATION 
OF  THE  SOCIETY  IN  1857 — ITS  INFLUENCE  UPON 
SUBSEQUENT  INDUSTRIAL  DEVELOPMENT — AD- 
VANCE IN  LAND  VALUES — DEVELOPMENT  DUE  TO 
RAILROAD  FACILITIES — PROPERTY  ASSESSMENTS 
AT    VARIOUS    PERIODS — MANUFACTURES. 

As  Du  Page  County  is  so  essentially  an  agri- 
cultural district,  where  the  rich  soil  produces 
corn,  wheat,  rye.  oats,  iiotatoes.  barle.v.  buck- 
wheat, peas,  beans  and  all  kinds  of  fruits  and 
fancy  vegetables,  it  was  only  natural  that  its 
people  should  form  an  Agricultural  and  Me- 
chanical Society  in  1853.  lu  those  days  before 
the  various  farming  districts  were  so  closely 
connected  by  the  numerous  transportation  lines 
which  now  run  through  the  county,  to  say 
nothing  of  hundreds  of  automobiles  or  the  tele- 
phone system,  intercourse  among  the  different 
farmers  was  not  so  frequent,  and  those  back  of 
the  organization  of  this  Society  Imd  in  mind 
the  advantages  that  would  accrue  from  a  fre- 
quent meeting  of  those  interested  in  the  agri- 
cultural development  in  this  district. 

On  October  19.  1853,  a  meeting  was  held  at 
the  Court  House  In  Naperville  to  consider  the 
proposition  of  forming  such  -a  society,  at  which 
Lewis  Ellsworth,  James  G.  AVriglit  and  the  Rev. 
Hope  Br(jwn  were  appointed  to  draft  a  consti- 
tution. These  gentlemen  -so  faithfully  and 
capably  carried  out  the  wishes  of  the  meeting, 
that  at  a  second  meeting,  held  the  following 
day.  the  constitution  as  prepared  liy  the  com- 
mittee was  adopted,  and  officers  as  follows  were 
elected  : 

Lewis  Ellsworth,  President:  E.  D.  Hills.  First 
Vice-President:  James  C.  Hatch,  Second  Vice- 
President:  Hiram  Bristol.  Third  Vice-President: 
James  G.  Wright,  Recording  Secretary ;  Henry 
M.  Lyman,  Corresponding  Secretary :  Amasa 
Morse.  Treasurer. 

On  January  10,  1854,  the  first  annual  meet- 
ing of  the  Society  was  held,  and  by-laws  pre- 
sented and  adopted.  Arrangements  were  also 
made  for  the  holding  of  an  annual  fair  about 
the  middle  of  September,  and  the  first  two  were 
held  at  Naperville.  after  which  regualr  fair 
grounds  were  secured  at  Wheaton.  which  con- 
tinued to  be  the  home  of  the  yearly  agricultural 
exhibits.  (It  is  worthy  of  note  that  the  forma- 
tion of  this  Society  took  place  the  year  of  the 


r^.o 


HISTORY  OF  DU  PAGE  COUNTY. 


holding  of  the  first  State  Fair  at  Springfield, 
111.,  and  its  first  fair  was  held  about  the  time 
of  the  second  Illinois  State  Fair.) 

Considerable  time  was  talien  to  secure  grounds 
which  would  be  suflicient  for  all  purposes,  a  com- 
mittee being  appointed  for  this  purpose,  March 
25,  18.57,  and  on  June  25,  of  the  same  year, 
land  given  by  J.  C.  and  W.  L.  Wleaton  was 
accepted. 

This  Society  was  incorporated  by  act  of  the 
Legislature,  under  date  of  P^bruary  12,  1857. 
On  February  10,  1872,  the  re-organization  of 
the  Society  took  place,  because  of  the  act  of 
Legislature  wliieh  created  a  Department  of 
Agriculture. 

The  influence  of  this  society  was  far-reach- 
ing. Not  only  were  the  farmers  brought  to- 
gether in  friendly  association,  but  they  were 
stimulated  to  enter  into  competition  and  pro- 
duced stock  and  farm  produce  of  a  quality  not 
before  known.  Their  wives  also  profited  by 
these  annual  exhibits,  and  displayed  at  them 
Biiecimens  of  their  needlework  and  housewifely 
skill,  as  remarkable  of  their  kind  as  those  en- 
tered by  the  men. 

The  entertainment  afforded  at  these  gather- 
ings cannot  be  over  estimated,  and  certain  it  is 
that  those  who  attended  went  back  to  their 
every-day  life.  refre.shed  and  determined  to  de- 
velop their  life  work  into  a  business,  not  to  rest 
content   with    simply   "getting  along   somehow."' 

Wealth  and  Development. — All  over  Illinois 
there  has  been  a  remarkable  increase  in  land 
values.  When  the  first  settlers  came  here,  they 
disregarded  the  prairie  land  locating  in  the 
timber.  Later  on  they  discovered  the  superior- 
ity of  the  former  and  eagerly  sought  opportun- 
ity to  acquire  it.  The  rich  black  soil  of  Du 
Page  County  prairie  land  repaid  every  cent  of 
expense,  and  ounce  of  strength  expended  upon 
It. 

The  building  of  the  several  railroads  through 
the  county,  thus  bringing  it  into  direct  contact 
with  one  of  the  largest  markets  in  the  world, 
also  added  very  materially  to  the  values  here. 
The  natural  sagacity  of  the  people,  combined 
with  industry  and  thrift,  resulted  in  good  in- 
vestments and  the  installation  of  some  excel- 
lent industries,  so  that  from  year  to  year  Du 
rage  County  has  progressed  until  in  proportion 
to  Its  area  and  population  it  is  one  of  the  rich- 
est rural  sections  in  the  state. 


Property  Assessments. — ^The  remarkable  ad- 
vance in  property  valuations,  during  the  past 
half  century,  is  shown  in  the  following  figures : 

In  1840,  the  total  valuation  of  all  taxable 
property  in  the  county  was  $196,292. 

The  total  amount  of  real  estate  taxed  in  the 
county  in  1850  was  $884,203. 

In  that  same  year  the  personal  property 
within  the  county  was  valued  at  $.348,314. 

The  total  assessed  valuation  of  both  realty 
and  personal  property  for  1850,  aggregated 
$1,2,32,519. 

The  total  amount  of  real  estate  taxed  in  1881 
was  $4,258,489. 

In  the  same  year  the  personal  property  of 
the  county  was  valued  at  $916,431,  the  total 
assessment  of  both  amounting  to  $5,174,920. 

ASSESSMENTS    OCTOBER    1,    1911 

Total    assessed   valuation $14,342,027.00 

Total  amount  of  school  funds 
levied    204,846.88 

Total  amount  of  funds  levied  ex- 
clusively for  support  of  schools.        144,913.57 

Statement  as  to  all  taxes  imposed 
e.xcept    specials    463,,391.67 

Balance  of  funds  on  hand  on  above 

date    25,711.85 

Total  indebtness   None 

Railkoau  and  County  Properties. — Total 
mileage  of  railroad  main  track,  151  miles  and 
4,560  feet.  Assessed  valuation  of  all  railroad 
property,  $2,508,088. 

The  Court  House  and  jail  cost  $100,000. 

The  total  value  of  all  the  county  properties. 
Including  the  almshouse,  county  farm  and  equip- 
ments, approximate  $300,000. 

I'oprijvTioN. — The  total  population  of  Du 
I'age  County  according  to  the  census  of  1910  was 
33,432,  showing  an  increase  of  more  than  5,000 
in  the  previous  ten  years. 

Manufactures-  and  Production. — Du  Page 
County  is  generally  recognized  as  an  agri- 
cultural region,  but  it  is  also  the  home  of  some 
large  and  flourishing  industries,  wbose  jiroducts 
are  marketed  all  over  the  country,  and  some  are 
sent  to  foreign  lands. 

The  county  is  eminently  fitted  for  stock-rais- 
ing, and  some  of  the  progressive  agriculturists 
have  recognized  this  fact,  and  are  devoting  their 
euergj-  to  the  breeding  and  raising  of  high-grade 


HISTORY  OP  DU  PAGE  COUNTY. 


723 


stock.  While  tlie  Ijunham  Stock  Fanii.  of  na- 
tioual  reputatiou.  is  located  principally  iu  au  ad- 
Joiuiug  county.  Du  rage  County  claims  it,  too. 
especially  as  its  etlicieut  manager  is  one  of  the 
most  representative  men  of  Wayne  township. 

The  soil  of  Du  Page  County  is  fitted  for  the 
production  of  all  kinds  of  small  grains,  and 
every  variety  of  vegetable,  while  fruits  of  al- 
most every  descrijition  yield  alnmdantly. 


CHAPTER  XX 


BANKING  INSTITUTIONS 


I.\FLUENCE  OF  BANKING  FACIUTIES  ON  FINANCIAL 
STANDING  OF  THE  COMMUNITY — FIKST  AMERI- 
CAN BANK — DIFFERENT  CLASSES  OF  BANKS  UN- 
DER  EXISTING    LAWS — DEVELOPMENT  OF  BANKING 

BUSINESS  IN   DU  PAGE  COUNTY LIST  OF  PRESENT 

BANKS   IN    THE   COUNTY,    WITH    DATE   OF   ORGANI- 
ZATION   A-ND   LOCATION ^RESOURCES   AND   LIABILI- 
TIES   OF    SAME    AND    PRESENT    OFFICERS — WHOLE 
NUMBER    OF    BANKS    IN    THE    COUNTY' ^SlXTEEJ*;.' 
WITH  AGGREGATE  OF  RESOURCES  AND  If  AJHLmES i 
EACH    EXCEEDING    $4,000,000.  i  '   "*    " 

(  BY    WILLARD   SCOTT.  ) 

The  business  standing  of  every  community ;ls-.- 
measured  by  the  character  of  its  financial  in- 
stitutions, for  unless  they  are  stable,  the  credit 
of  the  municipality  and  its  people  is  impeached. 
From  the  establishment  of  present  day  stand- 
ards, the  organization  of  a  banking  house  fol- 
lows closely  upon  the  heels  of  material  pros- 
perity. Until  a  neighborhood  has  its  own  finan- 
cial establishment,  its  various  industrial  and 
commercial  ventures  are  not  upou  a  local  foot- 
ing equal  to  that  of  other  communities  thus 
favored.  It  is  therefore  necessiiry  in  dealing 
with  the  history  of  a  locality  like  Du  Page 
County,  within  the  confines  of  which  are  so 
many  flourishing  municipalities  boasting  one  or 
more  reliable  lianks.  that  the  subject  of  banks 
and  other  financial  institutions  be  dealt  with  at 
some  length. 

The    banking    history    of    this    country    com- 
mences   in    1780   with    the    establishment   of    a 


financial  institution  at  Philadelphia,  but  it  re- 
sembled but  little  a  modern  bank.  The  bank  of 
today,  as  found  in  Du  Page  County,  discharges 
two  important  functions:  that  is,  it  receives  and 
returns  money  at  the  convenience  of  deiwsitors ; 
and  borrows  money  on  deposit  and  lends  it  in 
discount  of  promissory  notes,  bills  of  exchange 
and  negotiable  securities. 

Banks  are  differently  classed  according  to 
their  organizations,  being  National,  State,  pri- 
vate, savings,  and  building  and  loan  associa- 
tions, as  well  as  loan  and  trust  companies.  The 
private  bank  is  not  as  frequently  found  now  as 
in  former  years,  as  the  proprietors  prefer  to 
conduct  their  business  under  the  protection  of 
authorized  government  supervision. 

Development  of  Banking  Business. — In  the 
early   days   of   Du   Page   County   history   there 
was  no  need  for  banks  for  the  very  good  reason 
that  there  was  little  money  iu  circulation.    The 
settlers    raised    nearly    all    their    commodities, 
and  those  which  they  lacked  were  obtained  from 
the  trader  or  storekeeper  in  exchange  for  pro- 
duce.    Neighbors   exchanged   their  commodities 
among  themselves  without  a  single  cent  chang- 
ing   hands.      The    few    dollars    they    possessed 
.  usimllv  were  paid  to  the  Government  for  secur- 
^  Jng.  title  to   the  claims  they  were  all  so  eager 
'  tt)*'secure.  •  As  the  years  went  on,  however,  con- 
ditions changed.     Money  became  more  plentiful. 
Instead    of    trading   off   the   surplus   crops    for 
•^'sfiTfe*'  ffoods.   the  farmer  realized  it  paid  him 
to  sell  outright  for  money,  and  pay  money  for 
wflat'Be  needed. 

With  this  change  came  the  necessity  for  a 
place  to  deposit  excess  of  money  so  that  it  might 
be  safe  from  chance  thieves.  The  household 
safety  deposit  vaults,  generally  a  broken  teapot, 
or  under  a  loosened  brick  in  the  fireplace,  very 
soon  became  inadequate  for  the  needs  of  the 
farmer  whose  land  was  steadily  earning  real 
money  for  him. 

Gradually  one  farmer  after  another,  this  busi- 
ness man  and  his  neighbor,  began  to  carr.y 
money  to  those  cities  outside  the  county  where 
good  financial  institutions  could  be  found.  Prog- 
ressive Du  Page  County  men,  however,  could 
not  let  such  a  state  of  things  continue,  and  so 
as  the  demand  .lustified,  one  bank  after  another 
was  founded.  Some  of  those  early  banks  still 
exist,  having  gradually  developed  into  State  or 


724 


HISTORY  OF  DU  PAGE  COUNTY. 


National    coucenis,    while    others    have    passed 
out  of  existeuce. 

Of  the  latter,  one  of  the  earliest,  and  in  its 
time  best  kuowu  of  these  private  iustitutious, 
was  the  banking  house  of  Willard  Scott  &  Co., 
founded  in  18")4,  at  Xo.  Tli  Waslungton  Street, 
Xaperville.  on  the  ijremises  now  ociuiiied  by  the 
real  estate  and  insurance  firm  of  .Soott,  Hoyee  & 
Keeney.  Fur  many  years  this  relialilo  establish- 
ment handled  much  of  the  banking  business  of 
Du  Page  County,  aud  its  founder,  Willard  Scott, 
the  .son  of  the  pioneer  Stephen  J.  Scott,  was  a 
well  known  figure  in  money  circles  throughout 
this  part  of  the  state.  With  his  death,  however, 
changes  took  jilace.  and  the  bank  was  finally 
closed  in  Octotier,  i'.XM. 

The  Gary-\\'iieato]>{  Hank. — Following  the 
organization  of  the  banking  house  of  Willard 
Scott  &  Co.,  the  next  bank  to  be  established  in 
Du  Page  County  was  that  of  Miner,  Gary  & 
Webster,  October  1,  1874,  Judge  E.  H.  Gary  of 
the  United  States  Steel  Corporation  being  one 
of  its  founders.  The  bank  was  opened  in  what 
Is  now  known  as  the  Kelley  Block,  Wheaton,  in 
the  southwest  part  of  a  drug  store  then  conduct- 
ed by  Luther  L.  Hiatt.  Mr.  Iliatt  vt'as  then  post- 
master and  the  i^ostofllce  was  in  the  rear  of  the 
drug  store.  The  banking  equipment  consisted  of 
a  safe,  with  counter  aud  window  above,  occupy- 
ing a  space  just  about  five  feet  square.  How- 
ever, this  was  only  a  temporary  location,  for  as 
soon  as  the  Central  Block  was  completed,  the 
bank  was  moved  to  the  east  part,  which  com- 
modious quarters  it  has  since  occupied. 

lu  187C,  the  name  of  the  bank  was  changed 
to  Gary  &  Wheaton,  the  firm  consisting  of  the 
following  members :  Jesse  C.  Wheaton,  Sr.,  Eras- 
tus  Gary  and  Judge  E.  H.  Gar.v.  This  was  also 
conducted  as  a  private  bank. 

In  1897.  the  bank  was  re-organized  as  a  State 
bank  by  the  following  men  who  were  interested : 
Judge  Elbert  H.  Gary ;  Ilenry  W.  Grote,  retired 
merchant;  Cairtain  Jordan  J.  Cole,  merchant; 
Newton  E.  Matter,  publisher  of  the  "Illinolan;"' 
Jesse  0.  Wheaton;  Dr.  Charles  S.  Owen;  Hon. 
George  W.  Brown,  apd  William  E.  Gary,  the 
present  cashier.  Judge  E.  II.  Gary  was  made 
President,  and  has  continued  to  hold  that  oflice 
ever  since.  Jordan  J.  Cole  was  Vice-President 
until  his  death,  when  Judge  George  W.  Brown 
succeeded  him.  The  latter  dying,  Dr.  II.  W. 
Sutcliffe  was  elected  Vice-President,  and  he  and 


Robert  W.  Campbell  now  hold  the  office,  both 
being  son-in-laws  of  Judge  E.  H.  Gary.  William 
L.  Gary  was  cashier  from  the  time  of  the  estab- 
lishment of  the  bank  until  his  death  in  1905, 
after  which  William  E.  Gary,  his  son,  was 
elected  to  the  office. 

From  the  beginning,  the  bank  has  been  backed 
by  ami>le  capital,  and  it  has  had  a  substantial 
and  steady  growth  during  its  whole  existence. 

According  to  the  la.st  statement,  issued  by  the 
bank,  at  the  commencement  of  business  June  8, 
1911,  its  affairs  are  in  the  following  very  grati- 
fying condition :    ■ 

RESOURCES 

Ueal  estate  Loans  and  Discounts.  ..  ..■?2tj4,3i;2.52 

Bonds  and  Securities 2.3G.417..50 

Cash  aud  Reserve  214.077.54 

Collections  in  Transit 05.00 

Overdrafts   170.30 

Total    .¥73.j.G.i2.SG 

EIAIill.ITIES 

Capital    S  50,000.00 

Surplus  Funds    25.000.00 

Undivided  Profits   10,940.45 

Time  Deposits  311,276.29 

Demand  Deposits   .338,436.12 

Total     $735,0.52.86 

Board  of  Directors. — Elbert  II.  Gary,  presi- 
dent, Henry  W.  Grote,  Newton  E.  Matter.  John 

11.  Kamp,  J.  P.  Smith,  S.  L.  Pathje,  Robert  W. 
Campbell,  H.  W.  Sutcliffe  and  William  E.  Gary. 

Three  per  cent  is  paid  on  all  savings  and  time 
deposits.  Foreign  exchange  is  sold,  first  mort- 
gages bought  and  sold,  and  all  business  of  a 
first-class  banking  Institution  is  transacted  ex- 
peditiously and  safely. 

Retjss  State  Bank. — Naperville  was  the  home 
of  the  next  important  financial  venture,  for  it 
was  In  that  city  that,  on  May  1,  1886,  Mr. 
George  Reuss  established  his  private  banking 
house,  conducted  under  the  name  of  the  George 
Reuss   Bank   until   its   re-organization  on   .\pril 

12,  1897.  It  was  then  organized  under  the  State 
laws,  and  given  the  present  name  of  the  Reuss 
State  Bank.     George  Reuss  was  its  first  Presl- 


HISTORY  OF  DU  PAGE  COUNTY. 


725 


dent  ami  so  rontiiiued  until  bis  dentb.  wben  be 
was  succeeded  by  bis  ouly  sou,  Josepb  A.  Reuss, 
tlie  present  ineuuibent  of  that  otRee.  V.  A. 
Dieter  bas  been  cashier  siuce  the  organizatiou 
of  the  banlv.  The  present  Vice-President  is 
Charles  T.  Zabringer.  The  Board  of  Directors 
is  as  follows :  Charles  L.  Schwartz,  Charles  T. 
Zahringer.  Valentine  A.  Dieter,  Andrew  A. 
Schwartz  and  Josepb  A.  Reuss. 

According  to  the  statement  made  September  7, 
1911,  the  condition  of  the  bank  is  as  follows: 

RKSOURCES 

Loans  on  real  estate  .$111..jG0.00 

Loans  on  Collateral  security  10,8.37.07 

Other  loans  and  discounts lS6,6o3..32 

Overdrafts    2,280.25 

Investments    3.800.00 

Public  service  corporation  bouds SGO.OO 

Miscellaneous  resources   11.000.00 

Due  from  banks   65,210.32 

Cash  on  hand  12.108.04 

Other  cash  resources  342.94 

Total    ?413,Gi;3,;»4 

LI.4BILITIES 

Capital    stock    -f  50.000.00 

Surplus    10,000.00 

Undivided    profits     3,227.92 

Deposits     350.436.02 

Total     .$413,603.94 

This  bank  does  a  general  banking  business, 
and  performs  all  the  functions  connected  with 
a  first-class  institution  of  its  kind.  Both  Mr. 
Reuss  and  Mr.  Dieter  are  men  widely  kuo^^•n  in 
financial  circles  for  their  conservative  spirit 
and  thorough  knowledge  of  their  business. 

The  Hixsd.\le  St.\te  Bank,  organized  May 
22,  1902.  as  a  successor  of  the  Hinsdale  Build- 
ing and  Loan  Association  establis'hed  in  1886, 
can  lay  claim  to  being  one  of  the  old  financial 
institution  of  the  county.  The  Hinsdale  Build- 
ing and  Loan  Assbciation,  of  which  E.  P.  Hinds 
was  President,  went  into  voluntary  liquidation  in 
1902,  paying  in  full,  with  dividend  of  eight 
per-cent.  There  being  no  demand  for  loans, 
the  officers  of  this  company  organized  the 
present  bank  under  the  name  of  the  Hinsdale 


Stale  Bank,  with  a  capital  stock  of  $25,000. 
and  a  surplus  of  $8,333. 

The  ofticers  of  the  bank  are;  D.  11.  I'rcston, 
President  J.  C.  F.  Merrill,  Vice-President;  F. 
C.  Behb,  Cashier,  and  B.  W.  Irvine,  Assistant 
Cashier. 

Board  of  Directors :  George  Boger,  John  C. 
Fetzer,  George  L.  McCurdy,  J.  C.  F.  Merrill,  D. 
II.  Preston,  John  C.  Wood  aud  F.  O.  Butler. 

According  to  the  statement  of  tlie  Ijank  is- 
sued June  8.  1911.  its  affairs  arc  in  the  follow- 
ing condition  : 

RE.S0UE('ES. 

Loans    aud    discounts .$230,835.41 

Investments     106.118.75 

Miscellaneous  resources   21.490.00 

Due  from  banks 40,145.37 

Cash    on    band 25,145.37 

Total     $424,375.32 

LIABILITIES  : 

Capital    stock    $  50.000.00 

Surplus     25.000.00 

Undivided    profits    4.393.95 

Deposits 344.982.37 

total     .$424,376..32 

The  First  National  Bank  of  Xaperville 
was  incorporated  in  April,  1891,  with  a  capital 
stock  of  $.50,000.00.  The  first  Board  of  Di- 
rectors was  composed  of  the  following  well 
known  men  :  Thomas  P.  Phillips.  Martin  Brown, 
William  King,  C.  F.  Ra.ssweiler  and  Francis 
Granger.  The  oflicers  were:  T.  P.  Phillips, 
President ;  Martin  Brown,  Vice-President ;  A. 
McS.  S.  Riddler,  Cashier ;  aud  Walter  M.  Givler, 
Assistant  Cashier. 

The  office  of  President  was  filled  liy  Mr.  T. 
P.  Phillips  until  his  removal  to  Chicago  in 
January,  1904,  wben  he  was  succeeded  by  How- 
ard H.  Goodrich,  who  continued  to  serve  until 
his  death,  January  7,  1906,  wben  Mr.  Phillips, 
having  resumed  his  residence  in  Naperville, 
was  again  elected  President.  Upon  his  re- 
moval to  Pasadena,  Cal.,  in  September,  1910, 
Mr.  Phillips  resigned,  and  Francis  Granger  was 
elected  to  fill  the  vacancy,  and  has  been  con- 
tinuously re-elected  being  the  present  Presi- 
dent of  the  bank. 


72Q 


HISTORY  OF  DU  PAGE  COUNTY. 


Martin  Brown  continued  to  serve  as  Vice- 
President  until  1901,  when  H.  H.  Goodrich  was 
elected,  and  held  the  office  until  1904.  The 
election  of  J.  A.  Schmidt  followed  the  promo- 
tion of  Mr.  Goodrich,  who  in  1010,  was  fol- 
lowed liy  Jlr.  Francis  Granger.  Upon  Mr.  Gran- 
ger's election  to  the  presidency  in  1910,  Mr. 
Ezra  E.  Miller  was  elected  and  still  acts  as 
Vice-President. 

Francis  Granger  succeeded  Mr.  A.  McS.  S. 
Ridler,  as  Cashier,  in  January,  1893,  and  con- 
tinued to  serve  for  eighteen  years.  In  Jan- 
uarj-,  1910,  Walter  M.  Givler.  who  was  with  the 
hank  when  it  opened  for  business,  was  elected 
and  now  serves  as  cashier. 

Board  of  Directors:  John  A.  Schmidt,  Ezra 
E.  Miller,  George  VT.  Sindlinger,  Irving  Good- 
rich and  Francis  Granger. 

The  .\ssistant  Cashiers  and  others  in  succes- 
ion  are  as  follows:  AValter  M.  Givler,  Ralph 
N.  Ballou.  Frank  G.  Keller,  Earl  E.  Leffler  and 
Elbert  II.  Kailer,  all  of  whom  served  as  clerks 
and  bookkeepers  in  the  bank  prior  to  their 
election.  Elbert  II.  Kailer  is  the  present  As- 
sistant Cashier. 

The  capital  stock  of  the  bank  was  increased 
to  .$".").ono.00  in  1907.  In  October,  lOOS,  the  as- 
sets of  Willard  Scott  &  Co.,  private  bankers  in 
Xaperville.  were  taken  over. 

That  the  First  National  Bank  has  enjoyed 
the  confidence  and  patronage  in  the  community 
it  serves,  is  evidenced  by  its  report  of  condi- 
tion made  to  the  Comptroller  of  the  Currency. 
December  .").  1911,  which  showed: 

KESOUBCES 

Loans  and  discounts .$491,15.3.33 

Investments     10,200.00 

Miscellaneous    Resources    14..534.18 

Cash  and  sight  exchange 103,251.21 

Total     $019,1.38.72 

LIABILITIES 

Capital  stock   $  75,000.00 

Surplus  and  undivided  profits 24.977.31 

Deposits     519.161.41 

Total     $019,138.72 


State  Trust  &  Savings  Bank,  of  West  Chi- 
cago Ls  the  outgrowth  of  a  private  bank  estab- 
lished August  20,  1891,  by  D.  C.  Xewton  and  C. 
E.  Smiley  as  the  Bank  of  Xewton  &  .''miley, 
with  Newton  as  President,  and  Smiley  as  Cash- 
ier. This  continued  until  1893,  when  Mr.  Xew- 
ton died,  his  widow  inheriting  his  stock.  The 
name  was  changed  to  the  Bank  of  West  Chicago, 
continuing  as  such  until  1903,  when  the  pro- 
prietors sold  to  Syme,  Dayton  and  Stark,  who 
organized  in  1908  as  the  State  Trust  and  Sav- 
ings Bank  of  West  Chicago,  with  a  capital  stock 
of  $50,000.  The  present  officers  are:  Henry 
Stark,  President ;  Graus  Dayton.  Vice-Presi- 
dent and  Cashier,  and  P.  G.  Brown.  Assistant 
Cashier. 

Farmers  and  Merchants  Bank  of  Downer's 
Geove  was  organized  May  7,  1892,  with  a  capital 
stock  of  $23,000  and  a  surplus.  Charles  Cur- 
tiss  was  elected  President,  Dr.  W.  A.  Tope, 
Vice-President,  W.  H.  Edward.*,  Cashier.  These 
ofHcers  served  until  March,  1898.  when  Mr.  Ed- 
wards was  elected  President  to  succeed  Charles 
Curtlss,  deceased ;  R.  O.  Curtiss,  Vice-President ; 
Mr.  Edwards  also  serving  as  Cashier. 

In  May,  1908,  Dr.  W.  A.  Tope  was  elected 
President  to  succeed  Mr.  Edwards,  resigned,  al- 
though he  continued  to  serve  as  cashier  until 
June,  1902,  when  he  also  resigned  that  office. 
Mr.  J.  Klein  was  elected  President  in  January, 
1909,  to  succeed  Dr.  W.  A.  Tope,  deceased.  Mr. 
V.  Simenson  was  made  Cashier,  and  L.  Mertz, 
Vice-President. 

The  present  officers  and  directors  are  as  fol- 
lows: J.  Klein,  President;  L.  Mertz,  Vice-Presi- 
dent ;  y.  Simenson.  Cashier ;  J.  M.  Nargney, 
Assistant  Cashier.  Board  of  Directors:  G.  B. 
Heartt ;  T.  S.  Rogers ;  F.  D.  Lindley ;  F.  Bush- 
man and  J.  M.  Red. 

During  1910,  the  bank  expended  $10,000  in 
improving  the  present  quarters,  building  an  up- 
to-date  burglar-proof  vault,  installing  new 
safety  deposit  boxes,  and  new  mahogany  fix- 
tures, and  doing  everything  necessary  to  bring 
the  premises  up  to  a  high  standard  now  re- 
quired of  all  thoroughly  modern  banking  es- 
tablishments. 

The  statement  of  the  condition  of  the  bank 
shows  the   following  gratifying   figures: 


^-ru^    £   ^, 


HISTORY  OF  DU  PAGE  COUNTY. 


727 


BESOUBCES 

Loans     $191,904.60 

Cash  aud  due  from  banks 58,705.34 

Building    15,600.00 

Fixtures    5.100.00 

Bonds    9.80O.0O 

Total    $281,109.94 

LIABILITIES 

Capital    stock    $  2.'i.000.00 

Surplus    13,.500.00 

Undivided    profits    1,235.81 

Deposits     241,374.13 

Total    $281,109.94 

The  Elmhurst  State  Bank  was  organized 
from  tbe  private  institution  of  Henry  L.  Glos 
of  Elmhurst.  The  latter  was  organized  in  1894 
aud  continued  to  do  a  regular  banking  busi- 
ness until  re-organization  in  1904  as  a  State 
Bank,  with  a  capital  stock  of  $30,000.00,  Adam 
S.  Glos  being  President.  Philip  Langguth,  Vice- 
President,  and  Henry  C.  Schumacher,  Cashier,. .- 

The  present  condition  of  the  bank  as,  set  forth 
by  the  last  annual  statement  is  as  follows:  ■  ''  ' 

eesoueces  I 

Loans     $278,350.'9& 

Bonds     145,872.50: 

Furniture    and    fixtures 681.90 

Cash    on    hand 8,9.59.96 

Due  from  National  banks 118.743.12 

Due   from    State   banks 2.626.86 

Total    $555,235.29 

LIABILITIES 

Capital     $  30,000.00 

Surplus     20,000.00 

Undivided  profits   7,394.69 

Individual   deposits    174,452.09 

Certificates   of   deposit 150.974.89 

Savings    deposits    168,413.62 

Total     $.555,235.29 

The  present  officers  of  the  company  are : 
Adam     S.     Glos,   President;     Philip     Langguth, 


Vice-President;  H.  C.  Shumacher,  Cashier;  Otto 
A.  Popp.  Assistant  Cashier,  and  Harry  Kocha- 
isky.  Teller. 

Board  of  Directors  :  William  Graus,  Otto  A. 
Fischer,  Alben  F.  Bates.  Julius  Graus,  G.  D. 
Fischer  and  Otto  Arhens,  all  of  whom  are  men 
of  high  standing  financially. 

The  bank  does  a  genera]  banking  business, 
issuing  and  receiving  domestic  and  foreign  ex- 
change, demand  and  time  certificates  of  deposit, 
savings  and  checking  accounts,  travelers'  che- 
ques and  letters  of  credit.  Their  safety  vaults 
are  fitted  with  all  modern  appliances.  The  as- 
sets of  the  bank  are  over  half  a  million,  and 
absolute    security    is   given   depositers. 

The    First    National    Bank    of    Elmhurst 
opened   for   business   September    10,    1910.   with 
a  capital  stock  of  .$25,000.  Williaui  Graue  was 
the    first    President ;    E.    W.    Parquordt,    Vice- 
President  ;    F.    W.    M.    Hammerschmidt,    Vice- 
President  ;  Alonzo  Fischer.  Cashier ;  and  Arthur 
Kochaisky.  Assistant  Cashier.     All  but  the  last 
named  continue  in  office.     The  Board  of  Direct- 
ors- is    composed    of    the    following:     William 
•  G^aue,"•  Otto   A.   Fischer.   E.  W.   Marquardt.   F. 
•W•.■■^^.   Itttnmerschmidt,   Alonzo   Fischer,   Adam 
S.   Glos.    Frederick    H.    Bates.    G.    H.   Franzen ; 
Otto  W.  Balgemann.  Albert  D.  Graue.  Julius  J. 
'>BfAutt>    Their  present  statement  shows  a  cap- 
■"^ai;  *f  itculiition.  surplus  and  profits  of  $52,946.- 
,.96  ;-^'&d -deposits  to  the  amount  of  $151,969.15, 
totaling  $204,916.11. 

The  Addison  State  Bank  was  organized  in 
November,  1902,  by  local  business  men.  The 
present  officials  are :  George  A.  Fischer,  Presi- 
dent; William  Boeger,  Vice-President;  E.  W. 
Fischer,  Cashier,  and  Edward  Rotermuns,  As- 
sistant  Cashier. 

The  statement  issued  by  the  bank  June  8, 
1911,  shows  the  following  condition  of  affairs : 

BESOUBCES 

Loans     ?160,.504.71 

Miscellaneous  resources    18,410.58 

Due    from    banks 50.313.51 

Cash    on    hand .3,080.93 

Other   cash   resources 5.96 

Total     $232,315.69 


728 


HISTORY  OF  DU  PAGE  COUNTY. 


LIABILITIES 

Capital    stock    $25,000.00 

Surplus    10,000.00 

Uudivided  profits    7.654.56 

Deposits     189.G61.1.3 

Total     $232,.315.69 

Glen  Ellyx  State  Bank  was  established 
September  1,  1905,  with  Orrin  D.  Dodge.  Presi- 
dent; E.  H.  JlcChesuey,  Vice-President;  I.  D. 
McChesney,  Cashier  and  E.  F.  Adams,  Assistant 
Cashier.  These  officers  are  still  in  charge  of 
the  bank. 

Board  of  Directors  :  Orrin  D,  Dodge.  E.  H. 
McChesney,  L.  C.  Cooper,  A.  W.  Rathlmu  and 
I.  D.  McChesney. 

The  financial  condition  of  the  bank  is  as  fol- 
lows:  capital.  $25,000.00;  surplus  and  profits, 
$8,000.00;  deposits.  $165,000.00  and  loans.  $142,- 
000.00. 

About  1906.  J.  S.  Peirennet  and  Matthias 
Seeker  opened  a  private  bank  and  conducted 
business  for  about  two  years,  when  they  retired. 

Du  Page  Covnty  State  Bank  of  Glen  Ellyn 
was  organized  in  December,  1911.  and  opened 
for  business  January  1.5,  1912,  and  is  the  most 
recently  organized  of  the  banking  institutions 
of  Du  Page  County.  It  has  a  capital  stock  of 
$25,000  and  a  surplus  of  $2,500.  The  officers 
are:  William  H.  Hall,  President;  Dan  Nor- 
man, Vice-President ;  Frank  J.  Bogan,  Cashier ; 
and  James  W.  Vallentyne.  Assistant  Cashier. 
The  Board  of  Directors  is  comiwsed  of  the  fol- 
lowing :  James  E.  Simons,  Frederick  Bruegger, 
Allen  H.  Fairbank,  James  H.  Furmau.  William 
H.  Hall.  Eugene  C.  Hall,  William  F.  Jensen, 
William  L.  Lerch,  Dan  Norman.  Thaddeus  D. 
Payne  and  Thomas  Stanton. 

The  statement  of  the  bank,  issued  April  19, 
1912,  shows  the  following : 

resources 

Loans    and    discounts $12.9.37.63 

Bonds    -1.9o6..5T 

Furniture    and    fixtures .3.110..52 

Cash  and  due  from  banks 4.0S5.23 


Total 


....$55,989.95 


liabilities 

Capital     $25,000.00 

Surplus    fund    2..500.00 

Undivided   profits    84.73 

Deposits     28.405.22 

Total     $55,989.95 

The  Lombard  State  Bank,  the  only  one  ever 
established  at  Lombard,  was  organized  during 
the  spring  of  1908 ;  the  bank  building  was 
erected  during  1009,  and  the  bank  opened  for 
business,  January  1,  1910.  The  same  otticials 
have  been  elected  to  their  several  offices  with 
each  succeeding  year.  Alonzo  G.  Fischer,  Act- 
ing Cashier  has  charge  of  the  bank. 

The  condition  of  this  bank,  according  to  the 
annual  statement,  issued  June  7,  1011,  is  as 
follows : 

resources 

Loans  and  discounts $55,717.09 

Bonds     74.209.20 

Banking  House  18,357.58 

Furniture    and    fixtures 281.40 

Due    from    banks 55,625.23 

Cash  on  hand 3,589.93 

Total     $207,780.43 

LLi^BILITIES 

Capital     $25,000.00 

Surplus    3.750.00 

Undivided    profits    651.17 

Individual   deposits    70.799.20 

Certificates    of    deposit 58.2.30.G2 

Savings    deposits    49.340.44 

Total $207,780.43 

Charles  E.  Lane  is  President ;  William  Wehrs 
is  Vice-President ;  Henry  C.  Schumacher  is 
Cashier,  and  George  H.  Fischer  is  Assistant 
Cashier. 

Board  of  Directors  :  Charles  E.  Land.  John 
J.  Case,  Alonzo  G.  Fischer,  William  Wehrs, 
Adam  S.  Glos,  Henry  D.  Gray,  Henry  C.  Schu- 
macher, John  Scharlau  and  William  Haumier- 
schmidt. 

The  West  Chicago  State  Bank  was  organ- 
ized  August  20,   1908,   with  a   capital   stock  of 


HISTORY  OF  DU  PAGE  COUNTY. 


729 


$50,000.1X1.  C.  E.  Billies  was  elected  rresldent. 
W.  EinfeUU.  Viee-rresideat,  C.  E.  Smiley.  Cash- 
ier, and  tbese  geiitlemeu  still  hold  the  offices 
with  addition  of  J.  W.  Carr.  who  is  Assistant 
Cashier.  Mr.  Balles  is  also  president  of  the 
Arenne  State  Bank  of  Oak  Park,  III. 

The  Ijuildins  in  which  the  bank  is  located. 
Is  a  connnodions  two-story  stone  and  liriek 
striu-tnre,  48x120  feet,  the  property  of  Mr. 
Balles,  the  Tresident.  It  is  thoroughly  equipiied 
with  all  modern  imijrovements  and  appliances 
for  lianking,  including  numerous  safety  deposit 
boxes. 

This  institution  does  a  general  banking  busi- 
ness, paying  interest  of  three  per-ceut  on  all 
savings  accounts.  The  sound,  reliable,  conserv- 
ative policy  inaugurated  at  its  inception,  has 
been  continued  with  gratifying  results. 

The  First  National  Bank  of  Wiieaton  was 
organized  in  May.  1909,  with  a  capital  and  sur- 
plus of  $30,000.00.  by  A.  L.  Metzel.  of  Elgin 
and  other  capitalists.  The  following  people  of 
Wheaton  are  interested  in  it :  J.  S.  Pieronnet. 
E.  Is'.  Hurley.  George  Plamondon,  Charles  W. 
Hadley.  N.  Spoden,  E.  N.  Husted  and  E.  F. 
Critchfleld.  The  deposits  of  the  bank,  accord- 
ing to  the  official  report  of  1911,  were  about 
.$85,000.00. 

The  Hinsdale  Trust  and  Savings  Bank  was 
organized  April  1.  1910.  by  a  coterie  of  men 
whose  financial  standing  and  conservative  pol- 
icies insure  its  successful  progress.  The  offi- 
cers are  as  follows: 

H.  A.  Gardner  of  Hinsdale.  President ;  J.  J. 
Bryant  of  Riverside.  A'ice-President ;  and  Ster- 
ling B.  Oranies  of  Hinsdale,  Cashier. 

Board  of  Direotor.s  :  C.  A.  Brown  of  Hins- 
dale. S.  H.  Fish  of  Hin.sdale,  George  A.  Heartt 
of  Downer's  Grove,  and  S.  Heiueman  of  Hins- 
dale. 

The  company  has  a  capitalization  of  $.50,000, 
with  a  surplus  of  $16,000.  The  bank  occupies 
the  substantial  stone  and  brick  building,  77x34 
feet,  on  Hinsdale  Avenue,  which  is  thoroughly 
modern  in  every  respect.  It  contains  safet.v  de- 
posit vaults  that  are  secured  by  every  device 
kuowu  to  the  banking  business.  The  comiwny 
pays  three  per-cent  on  all  savings  accounts.  It 
also  has  the  agency  for  all  the  leading  steam- 
ship lines. 


The  First  National  Bank  of  Downer's 
(Jhove  was  opened  for  business  July  9,  1910. 
The  present  officers  are:  J.  Warren  Rogers, 
President ;  R.  N.  Ballou,  Vice-I'resident ;  Sam- 
uel Curtiss.  Cashier  and  A.  J.  Schoenecke,  As- 
sistant Cashier. 

Board  of  Directors  :  R.  N.  Ballon,  M.  C. 
Connors,  W.  S.  Greene.  J.  W.  Hughes,  E.  R. 
I'uffer,  J.  Warren  Rogers,  A.  J.  Schoenecke. 
and  E.  E.  Stevens. 

According  to  the  statement  issued  March  7, 
1011,  the  condition  of  the  bank  is  as  follows: 

EESODRCES 

Loans    and    discounts $74,911.11 

Overdrafts     9.61 

U.  S.  Bonds 35,000.00 

Premiums  on  bonds 454.60 

Other  bonds   and   securities 19.830.00 

Banking  house,  furniture,  fixtures.  . .  .  11,244.03 

Cash  and  sight  exchange 24.779.73 

Redemption  fund  with  U.  S 1,750.00 

Total    $in7,!)79.08 

liabilities 

Capital  stock   $35,000.00 

Surplus   funds    3,500.00 

Undivided   profits    1..5G2.97 

National  bank  notes  outstanding 35,000.00 

Deposits     92.916.11 

Total    $167,979.08 

The  Bank  of  Franzen  Bros.,  of  Bensenville, 
is  the  only  bank  of  this  town.  Its  individual 
responsibility  is  $150,000,  and  its  deposits  range 
from  $220,000  to  .$240,000.  The  individual  mem- 
bers of  the  firm  are:  W.  F.  Franzen.  C.  A. 
Franzen  and   A.  W.   Franzen. 

The  above  brief  account  of  tlie  financial  his- 
tory of  Du  Page  County  shows  a  very  desirable 
condition  of  affairs,  and  demonstrates  that  the 
men  in  charge  of  several  banks  are  interested 
in  maintaining  a  high  standard,  protecting  their 
stockholders,  and  at  the  same  time  carefully 
guarding  the  interests  of  their  depositers. 

Summary  of  Bank  Condition. — In  Iirief.  the 
present  condition  of  the  active  banks  of  Du 
Page  County,  is  as  follows: 


730 


HISTORY  OF  DU  PAGE  COUNTY. 


GABY-WHEATOX  BANK. 

Resources  Liabilities 

|i    735,0.52.80 $7::!5,6.")2.86 

THE    REUSS    STATE    BANK. 

$    413,(ii5a.'J4 .?413,I5G3.94 

THE   HINSDALE    STATE   BANK. 

$    424,375.32 $424,375.32 

FIRST   NATIONAL   BANK    (Xaperville.) 
$    019,138.72 $019,138.72 

FABMERS  AXD   MERCHANTS  BANK  OF  DOWNEr'S 
GROVE. 

$    281,109.04 $281,109.94 

ELMHURST   STATE  BANK. 

$    .555,235.29 $555,235.29 

FIRST    NATIONAL   BANK    OF  ELMHURST. 
THE    ADDISON    STATE   BANK. 

$    232.315.09 $232,315.69 

GLEN    ELLYN    STATE   BANK. 

$    165,000.00  deposits. 

DU  PAGE   COUNTY-   ST.\TE  BANK  OF  GLEN  ELLY'N. 

$      55,989.95 $oo.989.95 

THE    LOMBARD    STATE   BANK. 

$    207.708.43 .$207,708.43 

WEST     CHICAGO    STATE    BANK. 

$     5fl,000.00  Capital  stock. 

FIRST    NATIONAL    BANK    OF    WHEATON. 

$      30.000.00  capital  and  surplus. 

THF    HINSDALE    TRUST    AND    SAVINGS    BANK. 

$     50,000.00  Capital  with  a  surplus  of  $16,000.00 

FIRST    N.^TIONAL  B.\NK    OF    DOWNER's    GBOVE; 

$    167,979.08 $167,979.08 

THE  BANK  OF  FRANZEN  BROS.   OF  BENSENVILLE. 

$    150,000.00  Capital. 


CHAPTER  XXI 


BEXCH  .VXD  BAR  OF  DU  PAGE  COUXTT 


$4,092,179.27 
250,306.00 

$4..342,483.33 


relative  importance  of  the  professions  in 
connection  with  the  priv.ate  .\nd  public 
life  of  the  people — part  which  devolves 
upon  the  legal  profession — standing  of  t)u 
page  county  bab — tributes  to  some  of  its 
noted  members. 

(By  Charles  D.   Ci»\rk.  ) 

Those  callings  or  employments  of  men  which 
have  to  do  with  the  per.soual  welfare  of  the 
immediate  persons  or  property  of  their  fellow- 
men,  liave  always  in  the  past,  and  will  always 
in  the  future,  be  among  the  most  highly  re- 
garded occupations  of  men. 

We  rightly  honor  and  appreciate  that  class  of 
men  who,  sacrificing  to  an  extent  the  opportun- 
ities which  would  otherwise  lie  theirs  of  attain- 
ing success  in  the  commercial  or  political 
world,  have  devoted  their  lives  and  energy  to 
the  betterment  of  the  spiritual  welfare  of  man- 
kind. By  common  consent  we  place  the  min- 
istry above  all  other  callings. 

Logically,  our  interest,  next  after  our  spiritual 
welfare,  is  in  the  physical  welfare  of  our  own 
persons  and  those  of  our  family  and  friends. 
We  are  all  more  or  less  debtors  to  the  physician 
and  the  surgeon.  They  have  a  large  place  in 
our  Interests  and  affections.  No  other  class  of 
men  can  show  in  their  clientele  the  loyalty  shown 
to  the  family  physician. 

The  lawyer,  having  to  do  occasionally  with 
the  physical  welfare  of  his  client,  but  chiefly 
■with  the  property  rights  of  his  fellow-men. 
comes  next  in  importance;  and.  although  placed 
third  in  this  classification,  his  position  is  an 
exceedingly  high  one  and  an  important  one.  It 
is  to  the  lawyer  to  whom  we  go  when  we  feel 
that  we  are  not  receiving  just  the  treatment 
from  others  in  our  business  and  property  mat- 
ters to  which  we  are  entitled ;  it  is  to  him 
that  we  go  when  we  feel  that  we  are  not  get- 
ting what  we  call  "a  .square  deal."  We  like- 
wise go  to  the  lawyer  when  we  need  advice  as 


^/^yUiyytZ^        cJJo' 


'oo'nycayyKU^ 


HISTORY  OF  DU  PAGE  COUNTY. 


rsi 


to  ways  anil  means  of  conserving  our  material 
resources,  not  only  for  ourselves,  but  for  our 
wives  and  our  families.  In  fact  the  work  of 
the  lawyer  is  as  broad  as  the  field  of  human 
employment.  The  lawyer  should,  theoretically, 
kno-w  everythiug,  but  because  of  the  limitations 
of  the  human  mind  this  cannot  be,  and  we  find 
lawyers  (as  well  as  physicians  and  surgeons) 
becoming  specialists  in  various  lines  and  de- 
partments of  their  work. 

To  learn  business  methods  as  conducted  in 
these  days  of  merchant  princes  and  great  cap- 
tains of  industry,  we  should  be  in  touch  witli 
commercialism  as  developed  in  our  great  cities ; 
but  to  know  human  nature  we  must  live  in  the 
country,  with  its  smaller  cities  and  villages,  as 
it  Is  there  that  men  get  to  know  and  respect 
each  other  as  mm.  and  not  merely  as  business 
factors. 

Du  Page  County  is  fa.st  becoming  the  home 
of  Chicago's  business  men ;  and  it  would  in- 
deed be  hard  to  separate  the  interests  of  the 
counties  of  Cook  and  Du  Page. 

This  common  line  of  interest  is  no  where 
more  apparent  than  in  the  bench  and  bar  of 
Du  Page  county.  In  this  respect  Du  Page  ,. 
County  stands  unique  among  the  counties  of  the 
State.  With  a  few  i)roniinent  exceptions,  the 
members  of  its  bar  are  also  members  of  the 
Chicago  bar  in  Cook  County.  The  mosi'  of 
their  legal  work  is  connected  with  matters 
in  that  great  city ;  but  they  have  their  home 
life,  and  a  portion  of  their  business  life,  in 
Du  Page  County. 

Thus  there  are  to  be  found  among  the  mem- 
bers of  the  bar  in  this  county  the  names  of 
many  men  jjrominent  in  their  profession,  not 
only  locally,  but  with  State  and  nation  wide 
reputations.  In  fact,  in  no  other  county  of 
the  State,  comparable  with  Du  Page  County 
either  in  size  or  population,  has  there  been  so 
large  a  proportion  of  the  members  of  the  bar 
who  have  attained  eminence  in  their  profes- 
sion. 

Du  Page  County  justly  takes  much  pride  in 
the  lives  of  the  men  selected  from  among  its 
legal  profession  to  preside  as  the  Judges  of  its 
courts.  It  is  but  necessary  to  recall  the  names 
of  such  men  to  awaken,  in  the  memory  of  all 
who  knew  them,  most  pleasant  recollections. 
The  name  of  Thomas  M.  Drummond,  Judge  of 
the  United  States  Circuit  Court,  is  synonymous 
with    that    plain,    straightforward,    honest    sim- 


plicity and  ability  that  made  the  name  of  John 
Marshall,  Chief  Justice  of  the  United  States 
Supreme  Court,   forever  endearing. 

The  name  of  Hiram  Cody,  Circuit  Judge,  will 
never  be  forgotten.  In  him  was  the  embodi- 
ment of  honor,  integrity  and  ability,  mingled 
with  a  kindliness  of  heart  which  made  him 
beloved  by  all,  George  W.  Brown,  Circuit  and 
Appellate  Court  Judge,  will  long  be  remem- 
bered because  of  his  kindly  nature,  his  helpful 
disix)sition,  and  his  great  ability  both  as  a  trial 
lawyer  and  as  a  jurist. 

The  entire  county  still  mourns  the  death  of 
Linus  C.  Ruth,  Circuit  Judge :  thau  whom  a 
more  honest  man  never  lived.  Judge  Ruth  was 
ever  ready  to  help  another.  He  appreciated 
the  fact  that  many  a  man,  though  often  de- 
feated in  life's  battles,  is  nevertheless  a  hero. 
His  judgments  were  ever  tempered  with  mercy. 

Among  the  names  of  those  who,  in  the  past 
were  prominent  members  of  our  bar,  may  be 
mentioned  Noah  E.  Gary,  Howard  H.  Good- 
rich, Hallie  Haight  and  J.  F.  Snyder. 

Noah  E.  Gary,  a  brother  of  Judge  Elbert  H, 
GfflTy-,  was  for  many  years  Master  in  Chancery 
of  the  CiBcult  Court.  He  was  possessed  of  a 
miJst  -  geuial  a,nd  generous  nature.  Mr.  Gary 
took  great  interest  in  the  local  affairs  of  his 
home  city.  Wheaton,  and  to  his  untiring  energy 
aiHl. "petsjstence  is  to  be  attributed  much  of  Its 
prbgrts* -along  civic  and  educational  lines.  Mr. 
Ga-ry  died  Februarj-  .5.  lS9i, 

Howard  H.  Goodrich,  who  for  many  years  was 
closely  identified  with  the  business  life  of  the 
City  of  Xaperville,  was  the  Master  in  Chancery 
of  the  Circuit  Court.  Mr.  Goodrich  died  Jan- 
uary 7,  1906. 

Hallie  Haight.  also  of  the  City  of  Xaperville, 
died  May  ■'5,  1911.  Mr.  Haight  in  many  re- 
spects was  typical  of  the  ideal  attorney.  To 
him  the  profession  of  the  law  was  more  than 
a  mere  means  of  obtaining  a  livelihood :  it 
was  an  obligation  of  the  highest  nature  in 
which  his  first  duty  was  fairly  and  honestly  to 
i-are  for  the  interest  of  his  client  so  far  as  actual 
right  went,  but  no  further.  His  work  always 
showed  evidence  of  much  labor  and  thorough- 
ness. 

Mr.  John  Fraser  Snyder,  whose  death  was  so 
recent  that  we  have  not  as  yet  fully  appre- 
ciated his  loss,  died  on  October  14,  1911,  His 
home  was  in  the  City  of  Wheaton.  Mr.  Sny- 
der was  an  untiring  worker,  to  whom  no  labor 


732 


HISTORY  OF  DU  PAGE  COUNTY. 


was    too    ^reat    if    it    iiromised    success    to   his 
client's   interests. 

Space  will  not  permit  of  tlie  nieiitioiiins;  of 
many  names  of  County  Judges  wlio  are  entitled 
to  equal  credit  with  their  brethren  of  the  Cir- 
cuit and  Federal  courts.  Some  of  them  are 
still  living  including  Judge  John  H.  Batten,  re- 
cently President  of  the  Hamilton  Club  of 
Chicago,  the  most  efficient  political  organization 
in  that  city.  Judge  Klbert  II.  Gary,  a  man  of 
world-wide  reputation,  for  many  years  at  the 
head  of  the  legal  profession  in  Chicago,  and  now 
Chairman  of  the  Board  of  Directors  of  the 
United  States  Steel  Corporation. 

With  such  a  bench  it  could  not  bo  otherwise 
than  that  the  bar,  of  which  they  were  mem- 
bers, and  from  which  they  were  selected, 
should  be  one  of  superior  qualities  and  attain- 
ments. 

To  kn(>«-  the  members  of  the  Du  Page  County 
bar  is  not  merely  to  have  an  acquaintance 
with  a  splendid  lot  of  lawyers,  but  it  is  to  have 
the  friendship  of  a  body  of  men  u-bn  jnit  man- 
hood above  all  else. 

The  writer  has  had  more  than  usual  op- 
liortunity  of  becoming  acquainted  with  the  pres- 
ent meml)ers  of  the  Du  Page  County  bar.  They 
.are  a  splendid  lot  of  men,  always  well  up  in  the 
front  ranks  of  their  profession,  citizens  ever 
mindful  of  the  public  welfare  and  promotive  of 
its  best  interests ;  men  of  clean  social  lives,  and 
men  with  whom  it  is  a  great  iilensure  to  be 
associated. 


CHAPTER   XXII 


''•JOURNALISM   IX   DU   PAGE  COUNTY 


POWER  OF  THE  "FOURTH  ESTATE  — INFLUENCE  OF 
THE  PRESS  IN  DU  P.\GE  COUNTY — IMPORTANT  IS- 
SUES WITH  WHICH  IT  HAS  HAD  TO  DEAI, — PA- 
TRIOTIC ATTITUDE  DURING  THE  CIVIL  WAR  D.iTS 
— POLITICAL  INFLUENCE  AT  A  LATER  PERIOD- 
LIST  OF  CITIES  AND  TOWNS  WITH  NEWSPAPERS 
WHICH  HAVE  BEEN  PUBLISHED  IN  EACH — NAPER- 
VILLE.  DOWNER'S  GROVE,  HINSDALE,  ELMHURST, 
WAYNE.  WHEATON  AND  WEST  CHICAGO,  THE  SEAT 
OF  PRESENT  DU  PAGE  COUNTY  JOURNALS. 
(BY'    D.    B.    GI\XER.) 

The   power    of    the    Fourtli    Estate   has   been 
demonstrated     upon     so     many     different     occa- 


sions in  the  history  of  our  ciiuutry,  tlial  it  is 
scarcely  necessary  to  state  that,  from  the  time 
the  first  newspaper  was  issued  within  its  con- 
fines, to  the  present  day,  journalism  has  swayed 
public  opinion  and  been  a  powerful  factor  to- 
wards developing  this  section. 

In  every  crisis  through  which  Du  Page 
County  has  passed,  its  newspajjers  have  en- 
tered fully  into  the  discussion  of  current  issues, 
and  .setting  the  facts  plainly  before  their  read- 
ers, have  ably  sustained  the  ground  for  their 
resiiective  contentious.  The  removal  of  the 
county  seat  was  hotly  deljated  in  the  columns 
of  the  newspapers,  and  everyone  who  could  read 
was  thus  made  acquainted  with  the  different 
features  of  the  question.  Wlien  new  townships 
were  considered,  boundary  lines  were  talked 
over  Ijy  the  newspai>ers.  and  really  settled 
through  that  medium. 

When  the  Union  had  need  of  Du  Page  Coun- 
ty's sons,  the  newsi)apers  loyally  encouraged 
enlistments  by  its  readers,  and  contributed 
thrilling  articles  and  editorials  upon  tlie  themes 
then   engrossing   the  attention   of  the  country. 

In  later  history,  as  each  conununity  ad- 
vanced, the  newspapers  were  to  be  found  on  the 
side  of  progress  and  order,  and  every  political 
campaign  was  marked  liy  powerful  eloquence  on 
the  part  of  the  journalists  on  all  sides. 

The  various  cities  and  towns  in  Du  Page 
County  have  their  local  organs,  and  the  jour- 
nalists here  are  men  of  marked  ability  who  re- 
gard as  a  .sacred  trust  their  responsibility  in 
developing  or  influencing  public  opinion.  Local 
events  are  discussed  in  an  interesting  manner, 
and  yellow  journalism  is  not  encouraged  liy  any 
of  the  publications. 

The  newspapers  of  Du  Page  County  have 
included  the  following,  with  date  of  establish- 
ment and  places  of  publication  : 

NAPERVILLE. 

"The  Du  Page  County  Recorder"  was  tomided 
in  1849  by  C.  J.  Sellon  who  edited  it  as  a  non- 
partisan paper.    It  was  changed  to 

"The  Democratic  Plain  Dealer  in  1850,  and 
the  paper  then  liecame  the  organ  of  the  Dem- 
ocratic party, 

"The  Daughters  of  Temperance"  was  founded 
in   1850  and  issued  weekly. 

"The  Du  Page  Observer"  was  founded  in 
1S51.  and  lived  until  1S54.     It  sprung  from  the 


HISTORY  OF  DU  PAGE  COUNTY. 


733 


"Democratic    Plaiiulealer,"'    and    was    piiblisbeil 
by  Barues,  Martin  &  Keitb. 

"The  Du  Page  County  Journal"  was  estab- 
lished by  C.  W.  Keith,  and  was  issued  from 
185-1  to  1S57.  It  was  conducted  successively 
liy  Keith,  the  firm  of  Keith,  Edson  &  Co..  J.  M. 
Edsou  and  E.  M.  Day.  In  February,  1857.  the 
building  in  which  the  office  was  located  was 
carried  away  by  a  flood. 

"The  Newsdealer"'  was  established  in  1857, 
and  published  by  E.  H.  Eyer. 

"The  Sentinel"  was  established  in  18G2,  and 
published  by  D.  B.  Birdsall. 

"The  Du  Page  County  Press"  was  issued  from 
186.3  to  1868.  It  was  owned  by  Robert  Naper 
and  P.  K.  Potter  who.  in  ISOS.  sold  it  to  D.  B. 
Givler  who  changed  it  to 

"The  Clarion,"  which  is  still  issued.  Mr. 
Givler  issued  it  until  January,  1905,  when  he 
sold  it  to  his  son,  R.  N.  Givler,  the  present  pub- 
lisher. 

"The  College  Chronicle"  ran  from  1873  to 
1876.  and  from  1883  to  date.  It  is  published  by 
the  students  composing  the  Chronicle  Publish- 
ing Company  in  tlie  interests  of  Northwestern 
College.  H.  H.  Rassweiler  was  the  first  editor. 
"The  Du  Page  County  Volkszeitung."  a  Ger- 
man iiaper,  was  edited  and  published  from 
187!)  to  1880,  by  Tlieodore  Blenker. 

W.VYNE. 

"The  Central  News"  is  listed  without  de- 
tails in  Kenny's  American  Newspaper  Directory 

for   1861. 

WH  EATON. 

"The  Du  Page  County  Gazette"  ran  from 
185G  to  1857,  and  was  edited  by  L.  E.  DeWolf 
and  J.  A.  J.  Birdsall. 

"The  Flag"  was  issued  from  1857  to  ISGO, 
when  the  plant  was  burned.  The  paper  was  es- 
tablished by  Nathaniel   H.  Lewis. 

"The  Northern  Illinoian"  was  issued  from 
1859  to  1870,  having  been  established  by  Henry 
C.  Childs.  From  1862  to  1864  Benjamin  F. 
Taylor  was  literary  editor.  In  1867,  Mr.  Childs 
sold  out  to  John  A.  ^Yhitlock,  who  in  turn  sold, 
in  1870,   to  J.   Russell   Smith   who  changed  the 

name  to 

"The    Illinoian,"    and    it    is    still    issued.     In 


1889,  Newton  E.  JIatter  purchased  the  paper, 
but  in  1909  sold  to  C.  H.  Plummer. 

"The  College  Record"  was  established  in 
1875,  aud  is  still  issued  monthly  during  the 
college  year. 

"The  Beobaehter"  (or  "Du  Page  County  Zei- 
tung")  ran  from  1878  to  1880.  This  was  a 
German  paper  dated  at  Wheaton  and  Chicago, 
and  published  by  Paul  Geleff. 

"The  Christian  Cynosure"  was  established  in 
18C8,  and  is  an  opponent  of  secret  societies. 

"The  Du  Page  Tribune"  is  another  paper  is- 
sued at  Wheaton. 

WEST   CHICAGO. 

"The  News"  was  issued  from  1871  to  1881, 
with  J.  Russell  Smith  as  editor  until  1883, 
when  J.  J.  Diuikellierg  assumed  editorial 
charge.  It  was  published  at  the  office  of  the 
"Wheaton  Illinoian." 

"The  West  Chicago  Post"  is  the  present 
Republican  organ  of  West  Chicago,  edited  by 
William  Trendt. 

"The  Northern  Illinois  Democrat"  represents 
the  Interests  of  the  Democratic  party  at  West 
Chicago,  edited  by  William  Monroe. 

ELMHUE.ST. 

"The  Elmhurst  Press"  is  issued  at  Elmhurst 
in  the  interests  of  that  place. 

HINSD.^LE. 

"The  Hinsdale  Doings"  is  the  local  newspaper 
of  Hinsdale. 

DOWNEE'S     GROVE. 

"The  Downer's  Grove  Reporter"  gives  the 
l)eople  of  Downer's  Grove  local,  as  well  as 
county,  state  and  national  news. 

The  journalists  of  today  in  Du  Page  County 
are  men  of  intelligence,  who  are  anxious  to 
maintain  a  high  standard  and  keep  their  or- 
gans abreast  of  the  times. 


734 


HISTORY  OF  DU  PAGE  COUNTY. 


CHAPTER  XXIII 


SCHOOLS  AND  EDUCATION 


du   page   school   system struggles   of   eably 

pioxeees  to  secure  educational  advantages 
for  theib  chilubex — days  of  the  log  school 
house — some  early  teachers — higher  insti- 
tutions in  the  county  —  melanchthon 
seminary  at  elm  hurst — fort  hill  semi- 
nary, n.'vperville — naperville  academy  — 
ll^theran  college  at  addison — wheaton  col- 
lege  northwestern  college — list  of  school 

superintendents  —  school  statistics num- 
ber of  teachers  and  pupils  at  different 
periods — number  of  schools  and  expen- 
ditures for  same. 

(By  Royal  T.  Morgan.) 

Not  only  has  Du  Page  County  established  and 
maintained  an  excellent  public  school  system, 
but  it  has  within  Its  confines  some  of  the  best 
Institutions  of  learning  to  be  found  in  the  State. 

In  the  early  days  the  pioneers,  as  soon  as  they 
had  put  up  their  little  log  cabins  and  cleared  a 
space  sufficient  to  put  in  a  scant.v  crop,  began  to 
thinli  about  providing  educational  advantages 
for  their  children,  .\lthough  some  of  them 
lacked  these  advantages  in  their  youth,  they 
were  anxious  that  their  offspring  should  be  edu- 
cated, and  made  many  sacrifices  to  this  eud. 
The  pioneer  schools  of  Du  Page  County  were 
held  in  primitive  log  cabins,  with  puncheon 
floors.  The  pupils  sat  upon  slab  benches,  and 
their  books  were  few  in  number  and  poor  in 
quality.  Huge  fires  provided  both  heat  and 
light,  for  these  cabins  oft-times  had  no  win- 
dows, but  in  spite  of  disadvantages,  the  essen- 
tials were  well  taught  and  the  children  made 
good  progress. 

Some  of  those  whose  names  are  recorded 
among  the  early  teachers  of  the  county  are : 
Maria  Dudley.  Nancy  Stanley.  Hiram  Stillson, 
Leister  Peet.  Daphine  P.  Ball.  Miss  C.  Barnes, 
Mrs.  Holmes.  Sarah  Carter,  John  Kershaw, 
Julia  Duncklee. 

Among  the  institutions  devoted  to  higher  edu- 
cation in  Du  Page  County  may  be  named  the 
following : 

The  Evangelical  Melanchthon  Seminary  of 
Elmhurst.  established  there  in  1S69, 


Fort  Hill  Semiuar.v,  Naperville,  an  institution 
founded  for  the  instruction  of  young  ladies. 

Naperville  Academy,  founded  in  1853,  but 
later  given  by  Hon.  James  G.  Wright  to  the 
public  school  district,  aud  conducted  by  the 
School  Board. 

Lutheran  College  of  Addison,  founded  in  1846, 
and  moved  to  Addison  in  1864. 

Wheaton  College,  a  full  history  of  which  is 
given  elsewhere. 

Northwestern  College  of  Naperville.  estab- 
lished in  1870,  written  up  at  length  elsewhere. 

The  School  Commissioners  of  Du  Page  County 
have  been  as  follows: 

Lewis  Ellsworth    1839-42 

R.  N.  Murray  1843 

Horace    Brooks    1844-46 

W.  L.  Wheaton    1847-48 

Hojie  Brown   1849-55 

Lorin   Barnes    1856 

Charles  W.  Richmond 1857-58 

Lorin    Barnes    1859-60 

George  P.  Kimball 18t!l-63 

When  Du  Page  County  schools  were  placed 
under  charge  of  a  County  Superintendent  of 
Schools  in  1S64,  Mr.  Kimball  was  elected  as  the 
first  to  oc(ui)y  this  office,  and  in  1865,  was  fol- 
lowed by  Charles  W.  Richmond,  who  served  until 
1876.  From  1877  to  1S81.  J.  B.  Haggard  was 
Superintendent,  and  then  J.  K.  Rassweiler  was 
elected,  serving  until  1886.  Royal  T.  Morgan 
was  then  elected,  and  successively  re-elected  ever 
since,  being  the  present  incumbent. 

The  present  educators  are  men  and  women  of 
unusual  abilit.v,  carefully  trained  and  devoted 
to  their  work,  possessing  a  thorough  comprehen- 
sion of  the  responsibilities  resting  upon  them. 
Those  most  prominent  in  educational  circles  in 
Du  Page  County  are:  J.  B.  Russell,  Lewis  M. 
Reismer.  Mar.v  D.  Lee.  Guy  Campbell,  George  C. 
Butler,  O,  A.  Waterman  and  H,  B,  Fisher. 

In  1888  there  were  73  rural  schools  and  9 
graded  schools,  making  a  total,  for  the  year,  of 
82. 

In  1910  there  were  71  rural  schools,  and  nine- 
teen graded  schools,  making  a  total  for  that  year 
of  90. 

In  1886  the  lowest  wages  paid  any  teacher  was 
$20  per  month. 

During  1910  the  lowest  wages  were  $30  per 
month. 


HISTORY  OF  DU  PAGE  COUNTY. 


735 


The  bigbest  wages  paid  in  ISSG  were  .$152.94 
per  moutb. 

Ituring  101(1  the  bigbest  wages  i«i(l  a  teacher 
were  ,$210.53  per  nioutli. 

The  amount  i)aid  teachers  for  the  year  1SS6 
aggregated  .$.34,838.46. 

The  amount  paid  teacliers  during  1910  aggre- 
gated $100,297.04. 

Amount   of   di.strict   tax    levy    for   supiwrt   of 
schools  was  .$4ii,9C0.53  in  1886. 

In  1910  the  amount  of  district  tax  levy  was 
$180,829.91. 

The  total  expenditures  for  school  purposes  in 
1886  were  $55,391.15. 

During  1910  the  total  expenditures  for  school 
purposes  were  $257,540.83. 

In  18.S6  there  were  120  teachers  employed  in 
Du  Page  County. 

In  1910  the  number  of  teachers  employed  in 
the  County  was  213. 

In  1886  there  were  3.838  pupils  enrolled  in  Du 
Page  County. 

In  1910  there  were  (),404  pupils  enrolled  in  the 
county. 

The  total  days  of  attendance  on  school  during 
1886,  was  430.063.  and  in  1910,  854,985. 

In  1880  there  were  5  high  schools  in.Dti'Page 
County.  .  •  r-  •»   •  •- 

In  1910  there  were  7  high  schools  in  Du  Page 
County. 

In  1880  the  number  of  pupils  enrollkl  ii»»U]»v 
high  schools  was  148.  "'"■ 

In  1910  the  enrollment  in  same  brandies  wa*  ■ 
547. 


CHAPTER   XXIV 


LIBRARIES 


public  .\nn  private  libraries  in  dl'  page  county 
— downer's  grove,   napebville,  wheaton  and 

HINSDALE  possessors  OF  PUBLIC  LIBRARIES — ■ 
PROJECTED  LIBRARY  BUILDING  ASSURED  AT  HINS- 
DALE THROUGH  THE  BENEFICENCE  OF  THE  LATE 
DR.  PEARSONS — TO  TAKE  THE  NAME,  THE  "PEAR- 
SONS LIBRARY  — HI.STORY  OF  THE  NICHOLS  LI- 
BRARY   AT    NAPEBVILLE — ITS     EXISTENCE    DLTE    TO 


the  generosity  of  prof.  james  l.  nichols — 
first  board  of  directors  and  construction  of 
library  building — present  officers  and  li- 
brary resources — the  adams  memorial  li- 
brary at  wheaton. 

(By  Mrs.  Ella  F.  Ruth.) 

Most  of  the  important  towns  in  Du  Page 
County  possess  public  libraries.  Many  of  the 
private  educational  institutions  have  well 
equipped  libraries,  and  it  is  the  aim  to  have 
every  large  public  school  supplied  with  a  good 
working  llhrary  containing  the  latest  .standard 
works  of  reference. 

There  are  many  fine  private  libraries  through- 
out the  county,  but  the  owners  thereof,  with 
characteristic  Du  Page  modesty,  declined  to  fur- 
nish information  regarding  their  various  and 
valuable  collections. 

The  people  of  Glen  Ellyn  are  putting  forth  a 
great  effort  to  successfully  establish  a  public 
library  in  that  town. 

Downer's  Grove  possesses  a  small  lilirary  at 
present,  but  the  village  is  planning  a  larger  one. 
It  is  the  desire  to  have  one  that  will  be  in  keep- 
ing with  the  progressive  and  intellectual  tastes 
9f:tli^»eqnnnunity. 

.  .  JsaaM^vjUe's    public    library    building    was    a 
"gitf'froni  one  of  the  citizens,  the  maintenance 
devolving  upon  the  iieople. 

At  present  Wheaton  possesses  the  best  public 
'Itbi'ifr^y'in  the  county.  The  "County  Seat,"  how- 
"ever,  will  not  carry  off  the  honors  much  longer, 
as-  Hinsdale,  the  most  beautiful  town  in  the 
county,  will  have,  in  the  near  future,  a  magni- 
ficent fire-proof  building  in  which  there  will 
be  its  present  excellent  collection. 

The  Hinsdale  public  library,  like  many  other 
good  and  useful  institutions,  bad  a  very  modest 
begiuuing.  About  twenty-seven  years  ago,  a 
few  of  the  residents  clubbed  together  and  bought 
200  volume.s,  placing  the  same  in  the  cand.v  and 
toy  shop  of  Mr.  Locksmith.  A  small  fee  per 
week  was  charged,  .iust  sufficient  to  keep  the 
works  in  repair.  Later,  a  larger  organization, 
known  as  "The  Library  As.sociation."  carried  the 
work  forward,  increasing  the  number  of  books, 
adding  current  periodicals,  and  in  a  general  way 
evolving  something  approaching  a  library  s.vs- 
teni. 

The  funds  for  maintaining  the  enterprise 
were  obtained  b.v  yearl.y  subscriptions  from  the 
members  of  "The  Library  Associ.ation,"  and  by 


r36 


HISTOKY  OF  DU  PAGE  COUNTY. 


many  others  uot  uieuibers  who  were  heartily  in- 
terested iu  the  work.  Out  of  this  carue  our 
present  public  library,  which  was  incorporated 
about  eighteen  years  ago  and  is  supported  by 
public  taxation.  The  mauagement  is  vested  in 
a  Board  of  six  Trustees,  two  being  elected  each 
year.  Xo  member  of  the  board  receives  any 
remuneration  for  services  rendered. 

The  present  success  of  the  library  is  due  largely 
to  the  patient,  efficient  and  faithful  attention 
bestowed  by  the  members  of  the  ^nirious  boards 
in  the  conduct  of  library  affairs.  No  small 
share  of  the  library's  lorogress  is  due  to  the  un- 
failing devotion  of  its  first  librarian,  Mrs.  Flora 
X.  Candee,  a  woman  of  rare  mental  attain- 
ments, unusual  executive  abilit.y,  combined  with 
a  charming  and  sincere  personality.  For  twelve 
years,  Mrs.  Candee  was  the  "guide,  philosopher 
and  friend"  of  Hinsdale's  reading  public. 

The  members  of  the  present  Board  of  Trus- 
tees are: 

D.  H.  Preston,  President ;  Robert  Boughart, 
Secretary  and  Treasurer ;  W.  G.  Gordon.  C.  E. 
Raymond,  Mrs.  W.  H.  Knight.  Mrs.  H.  G. 
Hetzler.  The  present  librarian  is  Mrs.  L.  C. 
Ruth. 

Sometimes  wishes  come  true.  For  many  years, 
the  people  of  Hinsdale  wished  for  a  suitable. 
fire-proof  building  where  could  be  properly 
stored  its  splendid  collection  of  books.  Now 
through  the  munificence  and  generosity  of  its 
distinguished  citizen,  one  of  the  world's  great 
philanthropists,  the  late  Dr.  D.  K.  Pearsons, 
Hinsdale  will  have,  in  the  near  future,  a  sub- 
stantial and  elegant  librai-y  building,  the  best 
in  the  county. 

The  following  extract  appeared  in  the  local 
paper,  relative  to  this  magnificent  gift. 

"HixsD.\LE  Assured  of  a  Libr.\ry  Bi'ildixg — 
After  much  thought  by  the  committee  and  sev- 
eral concessions  in  his  original  plan  by  Dr. 
Pearsons,  the  gift  has  been  accepted  and  the 
deed  signed. 

"The  final  transfer  of  the  proijerty  occurred 
Thursday  afternoon,  when  Mr.  D.  H.  Preston 
and  Mr.  Horace  Cowles  witnessed  the  signing  of 
the  instrument  which  conveyed  to  the  village  of 
Hinsdale,  for  library  puriioses.  the  doctor's  beau- 
tiful property  extending  from  Grant  to  Vine 
Street,  and  from  Maple  to  Walnut  Street,  five 
acres  in  all.  According  to  this  document  the 
southeast  corner  of  the  property  will  be  reserved 


for  the  library  building,  which  will  be  a  hand- 
some fire-proof  structure  bearing  the  title 
•PEARSOXS  LIBRARY'  over  its  portals. 
Within,  a  fine  bronze  bust  of  the  doctor  will  be 
placed  to  keep  his  name  and  fame  in  perpetual 
remembrance.  It  is  the  determination  of  the 
committee  to  build  a  structure  worthy  the 
generosity  and  greatness  of  the  donor. 

"To  build  and  maintain  the  library  the  com- 
mittee will  be  permitted  to  sell  the  remainder 
of  the  property,  thus  securing  the  funds  which 
will,  no  doubt,  be  fully  adequate  to  the  pur- 
pose. The  advantage  to  Hinsdale  of  this  magni- 
ficent gift,  and  the  benefit  conferred  specially  to 
the  north  side,  is  beyond  calculation.  The  village 
owes  a  debt  of  gratitude  to  its  most  distin- 
guished citizen,  which  should  keep  his  name  a 
sacred  and  jirecious  memory  forever." 

The  people  of  Du  Page  County,  outside  of 
Hinsdale,  are  also  interested  in  this  gift,  for 
it  adds  prestige  to  the  county,  and  shows  forth 
to  the  world  that  the  man  whose  benefactions 
are  without  number,  delighted  to  honor  his  home 
section. 

THE    NICHOLS    LIBRARY— XAPERVILLE. 

(BY    MARY    B.    EGERMAX.) 

The  beautiful  little  library  home  of  Xaper- 
ville,  the  Xichols  Public  Lilirary.  arose  from  the 
beneficent  spirit  of  the  late  Prof.  James  L. 
Xichols.  a  citizen  who  was  most  deeply  concerned 
iu  this  city  in  the  welfare  of  its  people.  Two 
days  before  his  death  he  made  his  last  will  and 
testament  containing  the  provision  for  the  erec- 
tion of  the  Xichols  Library  at  Xaperville.  This 
money  was  not  available  until  two  years  after 
the  date  of  his  death,  aiid  was  paid  to  the  City 
in  August,  1807.  The  question  of  the  acceptance 
of  this  legacy  was  an  issue  in  the  election  of 
Mayor  of  the  City  in  April,  1S9T,  and  Hon.  V. 
A.  Dieter,  was  then  elected  Mayor  on  that  is- 
sue. On  May  7.  1897,  an  ordinance  was  passed 
by  the  City  Council  establishing  the  Library 
and  providing  for  the  appointment  of  a  Board 
of  Directors  to  take  charge  of  tlie  same.  On 
-May  21,  1897.  Mayor  Dieter  a[iiiointed  the  first 
Board  of  Directors,  consisting  of  the  following 
named  i>ersons :  Dr.  J.  A.  Bell.  II.  H.  Rass- 
weiler,  H.  H.  Goodrich.  D.  C.  Wallace.  Mrs.  J. 
L.  Nichols.  Holt  Sieber.  Peter  E.  Butler.  Charles 
L.  Schwartz  and  S.  E.  Ranck.  and  this  Board 
was  confirmed   by   the  Council   on   the  date  of 


HISTORY  OF  DU  PAGE  COUNTY. 


their  appoiutmeut.  The  first  meeting  of  the 
Board  was  held  at  Reuss's  State  Bauk,  on  the 
24th  day  of  Jlay,  1897,  Dr.  J.  A.  Bell  being 
elected  President,  Mrs.  J.  L.  Nichols,  Vice-Presi- 
dent, and  D.  C.  Wallace,  Secretary.  At  the 
next  meeting  of  the  Board,  held  a  short  time 
thereafter,  two  committees  were  appointed :  one 
on  plans  and  specifications,  consisting  of  II.  H. 
Goodrich,  H.  H.  Rassweiler  and  Mrs.  J.  L. 
Nichols,  and  a  committee  on  site,  consisting  of 
Charles  L.  Schwartz,  D.  C.  Walliice  and  Holt 
Sieher.  The  committee  on  plans  and  specifica- 
tions selected  M.  E.  Bell  as  the  architect  and  ac- 
cepted the  plans  prepared  by  him,  whieh  were 
subsequently  used  in  the  erection  of  the  Iniild- 
ing. 

It  might  be  well  to  add  that  this  architect 
had  planned  the  court  house  of  Du  Page  County, 
and  was  Supervising  Ai'chitect  of  the  United 
States  Treasury  Department,  thus  having  had  a 
wide  experience  in  constructing  public  buildings. 

The  Committee  on  Site,  after  careful  investi- 
gation, reported  in  favor  of  the  one  upon  which 
the  building  now  stands:  viz.:  in  Block  4,  of 
Hosmer's  Addition  to  Naperville.  This  is  the 
most  desirable  location,  as  it  overlooks  the  city 
park  on  the  east  and  south  sides.  The  Y.  JI.  C. 
A.  building  is  now  on  the  north  side  and  a 
spacious  lawn  on  the  west,  with  Washington 
street  as  its  boundary.  Then  upon  the  recom- 
mendation of  said  committee,  the  city  council 
ajiproved  of  this  property  and  made  an  appro- 
priation towards  this  purchase. 

The  Building  Committee  consisted  of  Charles 
L.  Schwartz.  Chairman.  H.  H.  Goodrich  and  D. 
C.  Wallace.  Mr.  Schwartz  was  subsequently 
appointed  superintendent  and  he  looked  care- 
fully after  the  construction  of  the  building. 
The  contract  was  let  to  Mr.  Alvin  Euck.  a  con-' 
tractor  and  builder  of  Naperville.  the  contract 
for  mason  work  being  sublet  to  Sieber  Bros. 

The  contract  called  for  a  building  of  Naper- 
ville stone  for  basement  and  trimmings,  with 
superstructure  of  (yellow)  pressed  brick  and  a 
slate  roof,  the  interior  to  be  finished  in  first 
grade  light  oak.  The  building  comprises  a 
reading  room,  lobby  and  library  with  eight 
double  and  three  single  book  stacks,  balcony 
above  for  additional  book-stacks,  a  committee 
room,  two  lavatories,  and  a  reference  room.  The 
painting  and  interior  decorating  was  done  by 
Grimes  &  Good.  These  three  contractors  took 
pride  in  seeing  that  the  very  best  work  and  ma- 


terial were  put  into  the  building,  and  Goetsch 
&  Kochly  installed  a  Capitol  steam  heater.  The 
building  was  dedicated  at  a  public  meeting  held 
in  Scott's  Hall.  June  29,  189S.  Addresses  were 
delivered  l\v  Dr.  J.  A.  Bell,  President.  11.  II. 
Goodrich  and  H.  H.  Rassweiler. 

A  Library  Aid  A.ssociatiou  was  organized  un- 
der the  auspices  of  the  Board.  March  11.  1898, 
and  John  W.  Collins,  J.  A.  Hertel.  Jlrs.  E.  \. 
Ballon  and  Misses  May  Cooper.  Evelin  Sheldon, 
Mrs.  H.  C.  Smith  and  Norman  F.  Obright  were 
placed  in  charge  of  the  work.  A  number  of  book 
donations  and  several  concerts  were  given  under 
the  auspices  of  this  organization,  and  largely 
through  their  efforts  about  one  thousand  dol- 
lars was  raised  in  cash,  with  which  the  first 
instalment  of  books  was  purchased.  Numerous 
donations  of  books  were  also  secured  by  this  or- 
ganization. The  first  purchase  of  books,  amount- 
ing to  about  one  thousand  dollars,  was  made  by 
the  first  Book  and  Periodical  Committee  of  the 
Board,  consisting  of  Prof.  H.  H.  Rassweiler, 
H.  H.  Goodrich  and  Mrs.  J.  L.  Nichols,  Miss 
Edna  Goss,  temporary  lllu'arian,  rendering  them 
most  efficient  service  in  making  tlie  selection. 

About  September  1.  1808,  the  library  was  com- 
pleted and  ready  for  occupancy.  On  Thursday 
evening.  September  22.  1898.  a  Library  Party 
and  Book  Donation  formally  opened  the  library 
— opening  the  doors  wide  so  that  every  citizen 
might  enjoy  the  privileges  of  the  institution.  A 
short  musical  and  literary  program  was  ren- 
dered and  light  refreshments  were  served. 

About  500  volumes  had  previously  lieeu  pur- 
chased and  about  200  were  added  by  donation, 
making  nearly  700  volumes  and  a  number  of 
periodicals  the  nucleus  of  our  library. 

On  and  after  the  23rd  of  September.  1808.  the 
library  was  open  to  the  public  use  on  afternoons 
and  evenings  of  Tuesday,  Thursday  and  Satur- 
day, for  reading  only,  and  on  Sundays  from  two 
months. 

Edna  Goss  of  Morgan  Park,  was  employed  to 
catalogue  the  first  instalment  of  books,  accord- 
ing to  the  Dewey  system,  and  open  the  library, 
serving  in  that  capacity  from  the  first  of  Sep- 
tember to  the  first  of  December.  1898.  Hannah 
Ditzler,  now  Mrs.  J.  Alspaugh.  was  appointed 
the  first  Librarian.  Her  assistants  were  Miss 
Mary  Chambers.  1902.3.  Bessie  McDowell,  now 
Mrs.  I.  Goodrich  assisted.  190.3-4.  In  May  190.5, 
Mrs.  Jennine  Niederhouser  was  appointed  As- 
sistant, and  in  August  as  Librarian,  with  Sara 


738 


HISTORY  OF  DU  PAGE  COUNTY. 


Myers,  now  Mrs.  AV.  Elfring.  Anna  Dieter,  now 
Mrs.  A.  Germann  and  Miss  Edith  Ballou  serving 
as  assistants.  Mrs.  Alice  Gibson's  election  to 
succeed  the  librarian  was  not  accepted,  so  Miss 
Rose  Barnard  was  given  this  favor  in  October. 
1907,  and  at  the  same  time  requested  to  serve  as 
Secretary.  Miss  Dell  Myers  assisted  from  Octo- 
ber, 1908,  to  March,  1910.  After  the  resignation 
of  this  librarian.  Miss  Mary  B.  Egerman  re- 
ceived the  apijointment  as  Secretary  and  Li- 
brarian. May  1,  1909.  serving  in  that  capacity 
since  that  date.  Miss  Edith  B.  Xeitz  has  con- 
tinued to  fill  the  assistant's  place  since  June, 
1910. 

The  following  gives  in  brief,  the  growth  and 
progress  of  the  library :  4.233  boolcs  were  loaned. 
as  per  Librarian's  first  report,  to  May,  1899, 
and  8.076  boolis  were  loaned  the  second  year, 
thus  continuing,  and  the  reports  of  1910  and 
1911  indicate  loans  respectively  of  15.1.515  and 
14.2(U  books.  The  library  now  contains  over 
lO.Orxi  volumes  and  in  addition  forty  periodicals, 
of  which   many  are  bound. 

In  addition  to  what  has  been  noted,  it  might 
be  stated  that  the  city  has  raised  the  annual 
support  of  this  library,  and  the  boards  of  di- 
rectors succeeding  one  another,  liave  offered 
kind  service  as  aids  to  this  institution. 

The  An.\Ms  Memorial  Library  of  Wheaton 
Is  one  of  the  finest  public  libraries  in  Du  Page 
County.  The  substantial  building  houses  5,000 
books,  and  is  well  supplied  with  reading  and 
lecture  rooms.  It  was  erected  in  1S91.  Miss 
Gregory  is  acting  librarian. 


CHAPTER  XXV 


THE  MEDICAL  PROFESSION 


EARLY  CONDITION'S  AS  TO  SANITATION — ASSISTANCE 
RENDERED  BY'  PIONEERS'  WIVES — PRESENT  DAY- 
RECOGNITION  OF  THEIR  .SERVICE  AND  IMPORTANCE 
OF  THE  BURDEN  WHICH  THEY  BORE — EARLY  REM- 
EDIES   AND    METHODS    OF    TREATMENT — PROGRESS 

OF  LATER  DATS SOME  EARLY  PHYSICIANS  OF  DU 

PAGE  COUNTY' — A   NUMBER  BECOME  OFFICERS  DUR- 


ING THE  CIVIL  WAR — A  PERIOD  OF  TRANSITION — 
THE  ACT  REQUIRING  REGISTRATION  OF  PHY'SI- 
C1.\N.S — PHIIANTHROPIC  ENTERPRISES  IN  DU  PAGE 
— THE  EDW.\KI)S  SANITORIUM  NEAR  NAPERVILLE 
AND  THE  COUNTY  FOR  DESTITUTE  CHILDREN — THE 
GENERAL  SANITARIUM  AT  HINSDALE — PHY'SI- 
CIANS — WHO  HAVE  SERVED  AS  CORONERS  OF  DU 
PAGE  COUNTY' — PRESENT  BOLL  OF  PHY'SICIANS  IN 
THE  COUNTY'  WITH  RESIDENCE  AND  DATE  OF 
GRADUATION. 

(BY    DR.    RICHARD    B.    OLESON.) 

When  Du  Page  County  was  settled,  for  the 
first  few  years  the  pioneers  were  largely  de- 
pendent upon  the  kindly  wives  of  each  other 
for  medical  assistance.  Fortunately  the  out- 
door life  kept  them  comparatively  well,  and  the 
good  housewives  were  skilled  in  the  prei>arations 
and  use  of  herbal  simples.  These  same  kindly 
women  were  always  willing,  in  spite  of  never- 
ending  tasks  in  the  household,  and  too  often  in 
the  field  as  well,  to  travel  miles  to  assist  any 
one  who  had  need  of  their  services.  They 
brought  the  children  into  the  world,  nursed  the 
sick,  closed  the  eyes  of  the  dying,  and  prepared 
for  the  grave  the  bodies  of  the  dead.  In  the 
absence  of  a  clergyman  their  fervent  prayers 
sped  the  departing  soul,  and  their  pitying  hands 
kept  free  from  weeds  the  last  resting  place  of 
those  who  had  gone  before. 

Therefore,  in  any  account  of  the  history  of 
medicine  in  this  county,  these  pioneer  women 
have  fully  earned  a  most  honorable  mention, 
and  to  this  day,  though  somewhat  relieved  of 
the  full  burden  of  responsibility  by  the  presence 
of  the  attending  physician,  their  worthy  daugh- 
ters are  to  be  found  in  every  corner  of  the  nine 
townships,  diminishing  the  gloom  of  the  sick 
chamber  and  lightening  the  load  of  human  sor- 
row. 

Brief  as  is  the  duration  of  civilization  in  Du 
Page  County  since  the  first  permanent  settle 
ment,  being  contained  entirely  within  the  life- 
time of  men  now  living,  it  is  still  long  enough 
to  bridge  over  the  transition  period  between 
medieval  and  modern  medicine.  When  Bailey 
Hobson  raised  his  log  cabin  on  the  banks  of  the 
Du  Page  River,  amid  the  groves  of  Lisle,  the 
current  medical  art  was  more  nearly  akin  to 
that  of  Csesar's  time  than  to  the  science  of  to- 
day. But  it  was  a  time  of  beginnings,  of  prog- 
ress and  of  discovery.  In  the  previous  decades 
of  the  last  century,  the  world  had  witnessed  the 


^ 


HISTORY  OF  DU  PAGE  COUNTY. 


739 


greatest  triumph  of  preventive  medicine  in  the 
introduction  of  vaccination  by  Jenner.  The  con- 
fident daring  of  McDowell,  the  bacliwoods  of 
Kentucky  practitioner,  hail  established  the  pos- 
sibility of  successful  abdominal  surgery.  Laeu- 
nec  had  announced  the  discoveries  which  were 
to  revolutionize  all  previous  ideas  of  disease 
of  the  heart  and  lungs.  Bright's  classic  work, 
which  first  instituted  a  rational  method  of  in- 
vestigation in  kidney  diseases,  had  just  ap- 
peared. Diphtheria  had  finally  been  recognized 
as  a  seiiarate  entity  and  the  long  series  of  stud- 
ies which  were  to  lead,  after  many  years,  to  its 
control,  were  being  undertaken,  but  many  of  the 
commoner  ailments  were  still  unrecognized.  To 
quote  only  two  prominent  examples :  The  ex- 
istence of  such  a  frequent  disease  as  typhoid 
fever,  as  distinct  from  other  fevers,  was  not 
yet  realized  and  the  unity  of  scrofulous  sores, 
white  swellings  of  the  joints,  chronic  bone  dis- 
eases, and  the  dread  scourge,  consumption ;  as 
manifested  under  different  conditions  of  one 
general  infection,  tuberculosis,  appearing  in  al- 
tered forms,  was  scarcely  even  suspected. 

For    most    practical    purposes,    bleSdiBg-.itBfl.- 
blistering,    with   castor   oil,   senna   aU'd,;  Je^ijit's  . 
bark,  formed  the  ready  armamentarium  of  the 
medical  man.     But  the  pioneer  physicians  were 
men   as  true,  as  self-sacrificing  and  as  modest 
as  any  of  their  more  renowned,  a'nd.  alth.oi'igll  , 
the  resources  uf  their  art  were  in  their  infancy, 
and  their  practice  was  hampered  by  the  tradi- 
tional restrictions  of  a  profession  just  emerging 
from  the  scholasticism  of  the  Dark  Ages,  nev- 
ertheless they  strove  faithfully  for  the  allevia- 
tion of  human  misery  and  were  the  treasured 
friends  and  counselors  of  their  patients. 

Towards  the  end  of  the  second  decade  of  our 
county's  history,  the  first  really  great  physician 
of  modern  medicine  ushered  in  the  commence- 
ment of  leisurely  surgery,  with  the  boon  of 
anaesthesia.  This  was  co-incident  with  the  com- 
pletion of  government  surve.vs,  of  the  appearance 
of  the  fiirst  railroad,  the  definite  adjustment  of 
land  titles,  and  the  end  of  the  pioneer  period. 
In  itself  it  marked  the  opening  of  an  era  in 
science. 

Just  about  this  time  we  find  the  entry  into 
the  county  of  the  trained  collegiate  physician 
as  distinguished  from  the  man  who  had  read 
medicine  with  a  preceptor  and  embarked  upon 
his  practice  with  the  scant  stock  of  learning 
gained   from    contact   with   but   a    single   mind. 


Unfortunately  there  are  no  complete  records 
of  the  names  of  the  Du  rage  County  physicians 
prior  of  1.S77,  and  many  worthy  men  must  re- 
main unmentioned  here  for  want  of  definite 
knowledge.  But  around  this  time  we  find  some 
names  which  have  come  down  to  us,  among 
whom  may  he  mentioned  Dr.  Parker  Sedgwick, 
of  Bioomingdale,  in  this  county,  and  his  son, 
Dr.  Thomas  P.  Sedgwick,  the  latter  being  the 
only  member  of  the  medical  profession  in  this 
county  to  oeeujiy  the  position  of  County  Judge ; 
Dr.  Elijah  Smith,  who  settled  on  the  present 
site  of  Itasca  in  June,  1841  ;  Dr.  !>.  A.  Newton 
of  Danby  (now  Olen  Ellyn)  ;  Dr.  I).  O.  Waklee, 
of  Wheaton ;  Dr.  J.  McConnell,  of  Turner  Junc- 
tion (now  West  Chicago)  ;  Dr.  G.  F.  Rowe,  of 
Downer's  Grove ;  Drs.  11.  C.  Daniels  and  R.  K. 
Potter,  of  Naperville ;  and  Dr.  Alfred  Water- 
man, of  Warrenville. 

With  the  outbreak  of  the  Civil  War,  we  find 
four  Du  Page  County  Surgeons  enrolled  as  offi- 
cers in  the  volunteer  regiments.  Dr.  Elijah  A. 
Clark,  of  Wheaton.  enlisted  as  Assistant  Sur- 
geon in  the  Thirt.v-seventh  Illinois  Infantry,  and 

■.  svas.-i'ffwuoted  to  be  Surgeon  of  the  Eighth  Mis- 
SQuri  Cavalry.  Dr.  Horace  S.  Potter,  of  Danby, 
'etHstecl  on  September  5.  18(52,  as  Surgeon  of  the 
One  Hundred  and  Fifth  Illinois  Infantry,  with 
Dr.   Alfjred   Waterman,    of   Warrenville,   as   his 

*^^stant.  On  June  2.  1804,  Dr.  Potter  was 
killed  t)\,-  a  shell  while  the  regiment  was  in  camp. 
Dr.  Waterman  succeeded  him  as  Surgeon,  while 
Dr.  George  AV.  Beggs,  of  Naperville,  became 
Assistant   Surgeon. 

After  the  war  came  a  period  of  transition 
which,  on  the  discovery  of  the  antiseptic  method 
of  surgery,  developed  into  the  scientific  medicine 
of  the  Twentieth  Century.  In  1877.  the  Illinois 
Legislature  passed  a  law  requiring  the  registra- 
tion of  all  physicians  in  the  office  of  the  County 
Clerk.  The  first  man  to  comply  was  Dr.  Gus- 
tavus  Henry  Gray,  a  beloved  young  physician 
of  Bensenville,  whose  early,  untimely  death  cut 
short  a  career  of  great  promise.  Since  1877, 
the  records  are  complete,  and  among  those  whose 
nightly  slumbers  were  broken  that  others  might 
have  better  rest,  in  the  period  following  the 
Civil  War.  might  be  named  Dr.  J.  A.  Bell  of 
Naperville,  the  present  Nestor  of  the  profession ; 
Dr.  J.  R.  Haggard  of  Downer's  Grove,  who 
served  as  County  Superintendent  of  Schools 
from  1877  to  1881 ;  Drs.  J.  C.  Merrick  and  John 
B.  Hench.  of  Hinsdale;  Drs.  A.  H.  Hiatt,  Leo- 


740 


HISTORY  OF  DU  PAGE  COUNTY. 


naril  Pratt  and  J.  II.  Salisbury,  of  AVheatoii ; 
Dr.  Charles  W.  Olesoii,  of  Bloomingdale  and 
Lombard;  Dr.  II.  W.  Vanderlioof  of  Blooming- 
dale  and  Wlieaton ;  Dr.  John  G.  Frank  of  Ful- 
lersburg ;  Dr.  F.  Boeber  of  We.st  Chicago ;  Drs. 
F.  J.  T.  Fischer.  George  F.  Ileidemann  and  F. 
H.  Bates,  of  KImhurst ;  I>rs.  .lohn  II.  Chew  and 
S.  S.  Strayer  of  Xaperville ;  Drs.  George  L. 
Madison,  A.  C  .  Cotton  and  T.  G.  Islierwood,  of 
West  Chicago ;  Dr.  E.  C.  Guild  of  Wayne,  and 
others  no  less  meritorious  but  for  whom  space 
Is  lacking. 

In  recent  years,  the  philanthropic  citizens  of 
Chicago  have  awakened  to  a  realization  of  the 
fact  that  the  pure  air  and  bright  sunshine  of 
Du  Page  Coiuity  make  this  region  a  mo.st  de- 
sirable place  for  the  location  of  homes  and 
sanatoria,  where  the  white  plague  of  tuber- 
culosis may  successfully  be  routed  from  its 
citadels  In  debilitated  bodies.  And  so.  today, 
in  the  very  neighborhoods  from  wliicli  in  former 
years  the  unfortunate  victims  fled  to  mountain 
or  desert  in  vain  hope  of  rescue,  modern  medi- 
cine is  constantly  proving  that,  under  scientific 
management  and  proper  conditions  as  to  food, 
rest,  fresh  air  and  siuishine.  with  very  few 
drugs,  the  cour.se  of  consnuiption  can  lie  ar- 
rested and  the  disease  cured,  right  here  in  our 
county. 

At  this  date,  tlie  chief  organizations  enga.ged 
In  this  laudable  work  are  all  located  along  the 
west  fork  of  the  Du  Page  Kiver,  and  comprise 
the  Edwards  Sanitorium,  just  south  of  Xaper- 
ville,  not  very  far  from  the  site  of  tlie  first  Ilob- 
son  claim :  the  Chicago  Winflcld  Tulieix-ulosis 
Sanitarium,  which  depends  largely  upon  the 
generosity  of  charitable  Hebrews  for  its  main- 
tenance, although  patients  of  every  uationalit.v 
are  taken,  and  the  county  home  for  Destitute 
Crippled  Children,  at  the  station  of  the  Aurora. 
Elgin  &  Chicago  Railroad. 

In  addition  to  these  institutions,  a  large  Gen- 
eral Sanitarium  is  located  on  a  beautiful  site 
in  Hinsdale,  just  barely  wthin  the  county  liiuits, 
following  in  its  work  and  purposes  the  physical 
and  dietetic  lines  of  treatment  which  have  been 
so  successful  in  the  hands  of  the  adherents  of 
the  Adventist  Church  at  otlier  places.  This  en- 
terprise is  in  charge  of  Dr.  D.avid  Paulson,  and 
his  wife.  Dr.  JIary  Paulson. 

CoRONEES. — Those  who  have  served  as  Coroner 
of  the  county,  and  are  thus  associated  with  much 


of  iis  medic.U  history  from  the  time  the  county 
was  organized  to  the  present  date,  are  as  fol- 
lows : 

II.    L.    I'easlee ISoti 

E.  G.  Wright IS40-41 

Nathan  Loring   1842-43 

.laeob   Keefer    18-14-45 

1 ).   C.   Gould 1840-47 

La    Fayette    Avery 1843 

C.  C.  Barnes 1840-ul 

F.  C.   Hagerman 1S.j2-53 

W.   B.   Stuart 1854-55 

Alfred  Waterman   185G-57 

II.  C.  Daniels 1S58-G1 

Dr.  Brown  1SG2-G3 

II.  C.  Daniels 1SG4-65 

Clinton  Cu.shing   ISGG 

George  W.  Beggs 18GT 

E.   C.   Hagerman 18G8-G9 

II.  C.  Daniels 1S70-7G 

G.  F.  Heidemann 1870-78 

(;.   L.   Madison 1878-79 

\.  C.  Cotton   1879-82 

II.  C.  Daniels 1S82-S8 

(J.   F.   Ileidemann 1SS8-96 

X.    E.    JIatter 180C-19O8 

Richard   B.   Oleson 1908 — 

Roll  of  Du  Page  Couktv  Physicl\ns. — The 
leading  physicians  and  surgeons  of  Du  Page 
County  at  tlie  present  time  are  as  follows: 

.\rrival  in 

Xame  (iraduation  Illinois 

Barlow,  Thomas  H..  Glen   Ellyn 1902     1902 

Bates,  Frederick  H.,  Elmlmrst 1878     1878 

Bebb,  Walter  S.,  Downer's  Grove 1898     1S9S 

Bell,  J.  A.,   Xaperville 1878     1878 

Blanchard,  Francis  S.  C.  Wheaton.  .1885     1896 

Brust.  Emil  W..  Addison 1898     1899 

Clancey,  John  II..  Xaperville 1897     1897 

Clark.  J.  A.  Mansfield.  West  Chicago.  1898  1899 
Corey.  Frederick  J..  Downer's  Grove.  1903     1903 

Ensndnger,  G.   IL.  Glen  Ell.vn 1905     1908 

Gage,  Frances  May,  Glen  Ellyn 1895     189G 

Gilbert,  Cleora  E.,  Wheaton 1893     1894 

Gilbert,  William  S..   Wheaton 1893     1893 

Gourley,  William  W..  Downer's  Gr've.lSS8     1890 

Green,  O.  W.,  Elmhurst 188G     1898 

Greig.  Thomas  O.,  West  Chicago 1903     1903 

Guild,  William  L..  Wayne 1884     1884 

Ilench,  .John  B..  Hinsdale 1883     1883 

Ilibbe,  Charles  H.,  Downer's  Grove.  .1895  1895 
Higley,   Edward  S..  Glen  Ellvn 1S92     1892 


HISTORY  OF  DU  PAGE  COUNTY. 


741 


Islierwodd.  Thomas  G..  West  Chicago.  1883  ISS.'i 

Klnne.  lliirr.v  W.,  West  Chicago 1008  1908 

Kobisli,   Frederick.  B..   Lombard 1900  1900 

Langhorst.   Henry  F..  Klmhvirst 1808  1808 

Lawtoii.  Thomas.   Hinsdale 1890  1890 

Leech.  Tliomas  F..  Downer's  Grove..  1800  1898 

Madison.  George  L..  AVest  Chicago.  ..1877  1877 

Marquardt.  Edward  W..  Elmhurst. .  .1001  1001 

Martin.  Winfred  B..  Xaperville 1001  1001 

Maury.  ,T.   Willard.   Wheaton 1807  1807 

Oelke.   Eniil   IL.   Wheaton 1904  1910 

Oleson.  Richard  B..  Lomliard 1893  1893 

Paulson.   David.   IIinsd;iU' 1894  1S99 

Paulson.    Mary   Hinsdale 189G  1809 

Putt'er.Maurice  Lyon  Downer's  Grove. .  1907  1907 

Raach.  John  Henry,  Wheaton 1904  1904 

Rlggius.  I.  Webster,  Bensenville 1007  1008 

Rikli,  Arthur  R..  Xaperville 1907  1907 

Roberts.  Susan  A..  Downer's  Grove.  .1878  1878 

Rudorf.    Paul.    Fnllersburg 1885  18Sr> 

Satterlee.  Albert  R..  Hinsdale 1901  1908 

Saunders.  .Tames,  Glen  Ellyn 1881  1881 

Schroeder,   George  F..   Itasca 1905  1905 

Scott.  Ernest  N..  Hinsdale 1900  1900 

Simpson.  Eugene  G..  Xaperville 1892  1893 

Truitt.  Rulill'  L.,  Xaperville 1898  1007 

Truitt.  William  .T..  Xaperville 18S9  1803 

Conscientious,  thoroughly  trained  and  devoted 
to  their  work,  the  members  of  the  medical  pro- 
fession in  Dn  Page  County  rank  very  favorably 

with  their  associates  in  other  parts  of  the  State, 
and  are  men  and  women  of  the  highest  reiwte 
and  civic  standing. 


CHAPTER  XXVI 


CHARITABLE   IXSTITUTIONS 


DU  r.^OE  COUNTY  THE  CENTER  OF  NUMEP,OU.S   CHAR- 

rry  orgaxizatioks — aid  often  rendered  to  the 

POOR  AND  NEEDY  FROJI  CHICAGO — THE  COUNTY 
HOME  NEAR  WHEATON — ITS  ■  COST  AND  EQUIP- 
MENT— .WERAGE  NUMBER  OF  INMATES — GERMAN- 
LUTHERAN  ASYLUM  AT  ADDISON — RECEIVES  ITS 
SUPPORT     FROM     THE    LUTHERAN     CHURCHES     OF 

NORTHERN       ILLINOIS ABOUT       100       CHILDREN 

CARED     FOR THE    EDWARDS     SANITORIUM DE- 


voted to  treatment  of  tuberculosis  dis- 
eases under  direction  of  the  tuberculosis 

institute    of    chicago hinsdale    fresh    air 

ass0ci.\tion  and  the  benevolent  work  it  is 
doing — its  ai.m  for  the  benefit  of  children 

convalescent  home  for  deistitute  crippled 

children — the  german-lutheran  orphans* 
and  old  people's  home — renders  valuable 
aid  to  both  classes — chicago-winfield  tu- 
berculosis sanitarium  under  management 
of  associated  jewish  charities. 

(By  Mrs.  Mary  E.  Childs.) 

charitable  institutions  of  du  page  county. 
— Du  Page  County,  though  small,  has  an  un- 
usually large  number  of  charitable  organizations 
due  to  its  being  so  near  Chicago,  whose  poor 
and  needy  are  always  crying  out  for  homes  and 
hospitals. 

To  its  own  poor,  who  are  few,  Dn  Page 
County  offers  a  home,  bought  in  1888.  near 
Wheaton.  This  has  been  added  to  from  time  to 
time  and  now  is  a  farm  of  about  l.SO  acres, 
which,  with  buildings  and  equiimient,  has  cnst 
.^OO.OOO.  It  has  a  modern  laundry,  fine  healing 
plant,  refrigerating  plant,  slaughter  house,  and 
vegetable  room,  and  is  comniended  by  :!t;ite  In- 
spectors, Grand  Juries  and  other  visitors,  as  one 
of  the  finest  institutions  of  its  kind  in  the 
country.  Its  revenue  is  derived  from  the  farm 
and  the  keeping  of  inmates  whose  expenses  are 
IKiid  for  by  the  various  towns  of  the  county, 
except  bonded  patients  and  transients  who  are 
paid  for  b.v  the  county.  The  county  pays  the 
Superintendent,  Matron  and  engineers  salaries; 
also  makes  up  any  deficit  that  may  occur.  The 
average  number  of  inmates  is  about  tliirty-five. 
The  comforts  of  a  modern  home  are  given  these 
unfortunates — warm  clean  rooms,  batli  rooms, 
and  reading  rooms,  and  op])ortunities  to  be  of  as- 
sistance about  the  liouse  and  farm  if  they  desire 
and  are  able.  As  the  report  of  the  Supervisors 
says,  an  effort  has  lieen  made  to  make  the 
place  home-like  and  to  have  the  institution  ac- 
cord with  the  iirinciiile  oi'  Christian  civilization. 

The  German  Lutheran  Orphan  Asylu.m. — The 
German  Lutheran  Orphan  Asylum,  located  at 
Addison,  is  one  of  the  older  institutions  of  the 
county,  having  been  founded  in  1.87.3.  It  is  sup- 
ixirted  by  the  German  Lutheran  Churches  of 
Xorthern  Illinois.  Any  needy  orphan  is  ad- 
mitted,  so   long  as   there   is   room.     About   100 


r42 


HISTORY  OF  DU  PAGE  COUNTY. 


childreu  are  cared  for.  \\1ien  old  eiiougb  they 
are  sent  to  the  Normal  School  close  by,  also  sup- 
ported by  the  church,  until  the  child  is  four- 
teen. Then  a  home  Is  found  for  him  and  an 
oversight  kept  upon  him  until  of  age.  As  far 
as  possible  each  child  is  helped  to  become  a 
useful  member  of  society. 

The  Edwards  S.'^nitorium. — The  Edwards 
Sanltorium,  for  the  treatment  of  pulmonary  tu- 
berculosis, one  of  the  finest  charities  of  the 
county,  was  established  at  Xai>erville  in  1007 
by  Mrs.  Eudora  Hull  Spalding,  of  Chicago,  who 
later  presented  it  to  the  Chicago  Tuberculosis 
Institute.  The  treatment  here  is  scientific  and 
thorough,  and  has  proved  eminently  success- 
ful. While  It  is  not  entirely  a  charitable  insti- 
tution, it  maintains  a  number  of  free  beds  and 
has  treated  a  large  number  of  patients  free, 
through  the  interest  of  friends,  employers  or 
charitable  organizations.  Too  much  cannot  be 
said  in  praise  of  the  work  this  Institution  is 
doing,  as  any  one  who  will  read  the  report  of 
1910  will  see. 

Hinsdale  Fresh  Air  As.sociation. — The  Hins- 
dale Fresh  Air  Association  was  organized  in 
1889  to  iterjietuate  the  work  previously  carried 
on  by  a  few  individuals,  of  providing  a  country 
home  for  tired  and  needy  women  and  children 
of  Chicago.  It  is  entirely  a  charitable  organ- 
ization supported  by  the  people  of  Hinsdale.  La 
Grange,  Riverside  and  Western  Springs.  The 
Association  owns  a  home  pleasantly  situated 
Just  north  of  Hinsdale  and  large  enough  to  ac- 
commodate twenty-five  i>eople.  It  is  in  charge  of 
a  matron,  is  kept  open  for  ten  weeks  of  the  sum- 
mer and  each  delegation  is  kept  for  two  weeks. 
They  take  in  any  needy  women,  jjref erring  those 
with  families  of  smaller  children,  and  excluding 
only  those  that  are  able  to  pay  for  such  an 
outing.  It  is  their  aim  to  take  only  children 
under  the  ages  of  eleven  for  girls  and  nine  for 
boys.  The  delegations  are  obtained  through  the 
aid  of  Chicago  charities  and  individuals  who 
hear  of  needy  cases.  About  125  are  given  a  two 
weeks'  outing  during  the  course  of  each  season. 

Convalescent  Home  For  Destitute  Crippled 
Children. — The  new  building  situated  about 
three  miles  west  of  Wheaton,  to  be  the  Con- 
valescent Home  for  Destitute  Crippled  Chil- 
dren, a  branch  of  the  home  for  Destitute  Crip- 


pled Children,  4tj  I'ark  Avenue.  Chicago,  i» 
now  occupied.  Its  work  is  entirely  charitable, 
its  snpiwrt  being  derived  from  an  endowment 
raised  by  private  subscriptions  in  Cliicago.  Its 
object  is  to  give  the  destitute  children  who  have 
undergone  operations  in  the  hospitals  of  Chicago 
an  opportunity  to  benefit  by  the  pure  counti'y 
air,  while  convalescent,  and  bring  them  to  com- 
plete recovery  before  sending  them  to  their 
homes.  The  childreu  will  be  taught  in  the 
common  branches,  and  for  the  girls  domestic 
science  and  sewing  instruction  will  be  provided, 
and  manual  training  and  farm  work  for  the 
boys.  There  is  ample  room  for  eighty-five  con- 
valescents. This  should  prove  a  very  worthy 
charity. 

German  Lutheran  Orphans  and  Old  Peoples' 
Home. — The  German  Lutheran  Orphans  and  Old 
Peoples'  Home,  located  at  Bensenville.  is  owned 
and  operated  by  the  German  Lutheran  Church. 
In  one  large  building  they  have  accommoda- 
tions for  about  100  persons,  and  at  this  time 
they  have  with  them  forty-eight  boys,  thirty- 
eight  girls  and  eleven  old  people  all  of  whom 
have  come  to  them  through  the  church.  They 
do  not,  however,  restrict  their  work  to  the 
memliers  of  the  cliurch.  Ijut  will  take  in  any 
needy  applicants.  Two  teachers  maintained  at 
the  home,  give  the  children  Instruction  in  all 
the  work  furnished  by  the  public  schools 
through  the  seventh  grade.  The  boys  at  the 
age  of  fourteen  are  placed  in  good  homes — 
farm  homes  being  preferred — where  they 
are  given  an  opportunity  to  provide  for  them- 
selves and  enjoy  pleasant  home  surround- 
ings. The  girls  are  kept  a  little  longer  time 
and  are  either  given  an  opportunity  to  work 
at  the  home  or  placed  in  desirable  homes  as  op- 
portunities arise.  This  home  was  organized 
and  established  in  1896  and  has  done  a  very  fine 
work  since  that  time. 

Chicago-Winfield  Tubercuixjsis  Sanitarium. 
—This  institution  was  organized  August  5.  1908, 
by  several  Chicago  Jewish  Charitable  Institu- 
tions, for  the  treatment  of  pulmonary  tuber- 
culosis. They  now  have  one  large  building  four 
sleeping  shacks,  a  children's  play  pavilion  and 
four  or  five  other  smaller  buildings,  which  will 
accommodate  about  seventy-five  patients.  They 
have  installed  a  veiy  complete  and  adequate 
water  system  of  their  own  at  the  cost  of  $4,000. 


HISTORY  OF  DU  PAGE  COUNTY. 


43 


Any  incipient  or  moderiitely  advanced  case  of 
tnberculosis  is  admitted,  and  the  patients  receive 
tlie  usual  treatment  of  fresh  air,  nourishing  food 
and  rest.  The  usual  time  spent  by  the  patients 
is  from  four  to  eisht  months.  The  institution 
has  a  staff  of  twelve  of  the  leading  physicians 
of  Chicago  for  visiting  physicians,  and  a  doctor 
who  acts  as  local  Superintendent.  Five  nurses 
are  in  constant  attendance.  The  Association 
believes  that  the  greatest  good  can  be  done  by 
teaching  the  science  of  right  living  and,  as  a 
result,  86  per  cent  of  the  patients  sent  out  dur- 
ing the  year  1910  have  gone  bacli  to  their  usual 
vocations,  and  been  enabled  to  continue  them 
without  further  trouble.  About  $2r>.000  a  year 
is  donated  by  private  subscriptions  for  this 
worli,  and  the  Associated  Jewish  Charities  of 
Chicago  guarantee  to  make  up  any  deficit  which 
may  occur. 

The  foregoing  indicates  that  Du  Tage  County 
Is  not  only  able  to  care  for  its  own  poor,  sick 
and  needy,  but  also  does  a  liberal  charity  work 
for  those  of  Chicago.     The  poverty  stricken,  the 
need.y    and   those   afflicted    with    teuacip(us   iMs- 
eases,  which  are  so  bard  to  shake  off.vvjthout  " 
proper  care,  all  find  a  charitable  hand'  stretch^-"  J 
out,    ready  and   willing   to   help  theili   to  learn 
how  to  live  and  how  to  care  for  thenjselves  and 
families  in  a  better  manner.    Every  •one''8r  (rwr*. 
institutions  seems  to  have  for  its  aijn  the  mal?-"*' 
ing  of  better  citizens  of   those  who   riee71"-<ra-Be    , 
in  its  particular  line,  and  are  not  satisfied  with 
simply   curing   or   improving    them    in    the   one  , 
detail    which   causes    them    to    seek    assistance. 
We  most  surely  have  cause  to  feel  jiroud  of  the 
part  our  county   is  accomplishing   in   this  ben- 
evolent work. 


CHAPTER  XXVI r 


WOMENS   CLUBS   IX  DU   PAGE   COUXTY 


WIDE  RANGE  OK  INTERE.STS  AND  TOPICS  TAKEN  UN- 
DER CONSIDERATION — EDIO.ATIONAL,  MORAL.  SO- 
CIAL AND  BENEVOLENT  ENTERPRISES  CONSIDERED 
— THE  NAPERVn.I.E  WOMAN'S  CH'B — DATE  OF  OR- 
GANIZATION AND  CHARTER  MEMBER.S — LITERARY 
AND     HLSTORIC     STUDIES — OFFICERS — WIIEATON'S 


woman's  club  ORGANIZED  IN  1S05  WITH  TWEN- 
TY-FIVE     MEMBERS ITS      LATER       HISTORY — THE 

GAMMADIM  ART  CLUB  AND  HI.STORY  CLUB— 
downer's  GROVE  W0MAN'.S  CLUB — DEVOTED  TO  ART, 
LITERATURE.  DOMESTIC  .SCIENCE  AND  GENERAL 
TOPICS  OF  VITAL  INTEREST THE  HINSDALE  WO- 
MAN'S CLUB  OCCUPIES  A  WIDE  FIELD  IN  LITERARY, 
ART  AND  MORAL  TOPICS,  INCLUDING  MUSIC  AND 
BIBLE  .STUDY" — MINISTERS  AND  THEIR  WIVES 
ARE  GENERALLY-  ASSOCIATED  AS  HONORARY  MEM- 
BERS. 

(BY-    MRS.    ELIZABETH    B.    NICHOLS.) 

To  sketch  the  Women's  Clubs  of  Du  Page 
County  is  to  write  the  story  of  the  typical  Wo- 
man's Club  movement  all  over  the  country.  It 
is  a  story  of  the  intelligent  organization  of  cul- 
tured, home-making,  home-keeping  women  into 
bands,  devoted  to  study  for  the  sake  of  culture, 
in  the  first  instance,  and  finally,  in  most  cases, 
to  work  for  the  well-being  of  the  eommunit.v. 

Practical,  helpful  effort  along  such  lines  as 
village  improvement,  aid  to  schools,  hospitals, 
etCy  are  considered  with  deep  interest  and  oc- 
cupy' 4ntich  of  their  time.  In  the  large  cities, 
c{iite*'wotk  broadens  and  deepens  into  many  and 
varied  channels. 

It  is  a'  proud  story  of  unselfish  womanhood 
ij^lligeijtly  undertaking  to  ease  the  burdens 
ttwt-are.  cru.shing  the  weak  and  unfortunate, 
especially  among  women  and  children,  under- 
taking, as  well,  to  improve  the  moral,  social, 
and  sanitary  conditions  surrounding  the  home, 
whether  that  home  be  situated  in  the  .-ilums, 
u[ion  the  boulevards  or  in  the  sheltered  sub- 
urban village. 

Naperville  Woman's  Club. — The  Xaperville 
Woman's  Club  was  organized  at  the  home  of 
Mrs.  S.  A.  Ballou.  on  Monda.v,  March  21.  1S97, 
as  a  result  of  a  preliminary  meeting  held  the 
week  previous  at  Mrs.  Willard  Scott's  home. 

Nineteen  ladies  were  present,  twelve  of  whom 
signed  as  charter  members.  Mrs.  Arthur  R. 
Freeman  was  elected  President,  Mrs.  ^Uvin 
Scott  Secretary  and  Treasurer.  Mrs.  James  L. 
Nichols,  and  Mrs.  S.  A.  Ballou  and  Mrs.  D.  D. 
Barnard  members  of  the  Program  Committee 
for  the  first  month. 

During  the  first  months  of  its  history,  ses- 
sions of  the  club  were  held  in  the  parlors  of 
members,  and  the  programs  were  of  a  more  or 
less   informal    character ;    but    as   years   passed 


744 


HISTORY  OF  DU  PAGE  COUNTY. 


with  giuwiij^  mimljers  and  enthusiasm,  it  took 
on  the  well  organized  and  progressive  spirit  that 
still  distingnislies  it  as  a  leading  influence 
for  go<jd  in  Xaperville. 

JCaperville  itself,  encouraged  and  aided  by 
such  efforts,  was,  meanwhile  becoming  a  model 
in  its  civic  improvements,  its  beautiful  homes, 
schools.  College.  Libraries,  and  the  Yoiuig  Men's 
Christian  Association  and  G.vmnasiuni  equip- 
ments. 

The  club"s  permanent  home  has  been  in  the 
Nichols  Library,  to  whose  interests  it  has  been 
especially  devoted  for  many  years,  raising 
hundreds  of  dollars  for  the  book  fund,  thus 
proving  the  library's  most  efficient  and  faithful 
friend. 

School  work,  such  as  bringing  about  a  nearer 
association  between  parents  and  teachers,  the 
buying  of  pictures,  reference  works,  etc..  for 
the  schools,  and  in  ever.v  way  possible  en- 
couraging a  high  standard  of  progress  in  edu- 
cation, has  been  another  feature  of  club  work  in 
Naperville. 

The  social  side  of  the  club  has  always  been 
delightful,  and  the  courses  of  study,  the  lectures 
and  musicals  furnished  by  its  thoughtful  pro- 
gram committees,  have  invariably  been  of  a 
very  high  order. 

It  is  often  said,  w-hen  any  good  work  is  in 
need  of  being  done  in  the  town,  "Get  the  Wo- 
man's Club  interested,  and  it  will  succeed." 

The  union  of  the  two  school  districts,  whose 
boundaries  meet  in  the  center  of  the  town,  was 
materially  aided  by  club  effort,  thereby  insuring 
much  more  efficient  and  economical  schools  for 
the  future. 

The  coiu'ses  of  study  have  co\ered  a  wide 
range  in  the  fourteen  years  of  the  Club's  career. 
Shakespeare.  General  Literature.  History,  an- 
cient and  njodern,  music  and  the  modern  arts 
and  crafts,  have  each  in  turn  commanded  the 
attention  of  its  mendiers.  and  this  feature  has 
proved  a  benefit  to  all  who  were  able  to  join 
in  it. 

The  Club  has  a  membership  of  sixt.v-five. 
meets  forthnightly.  was  federated  with  the 
State  organization  in  1900,  and  has  been  faith- 
fully represented  at  all  State  meetings  since 
then.  The  Club  assisted  in  the  organization  of 
its  own  District  Federation  in  1000.  and  invited 
the  annual  convention  to  meet  in  Xaperville  in 
October.  1011. 

The   Presidents   have   been    as   follows:     Mrs. 


Arthur  Freeman,  Mrs.  S.  A.  Ballon.  Mrs.  James 
L.  Nichols.  Mrs.  Alvin  Scott.  Mrs.  II.  H.  Good- 
rich. Mrs.  W.  R.  Goodwin,  Jlrs.  Bernard  Beck- 
man.  Jlrs.  Truman  Myers.  Jlrs.  Newton  Wagner. 

Wheaton  Women's  Clibs. — The  Wheaton  Wo- 
man's Club  was  organized  in  the  fall  of  ISOo. 
with  twenty-five  members.  Mrs.  Frankie 
Wheaton  Sn.vder.  served  as  first  President  and 
Mrs.  Ira  Brown  and  Mrs.  H.  J.  Traner.  as  Vice- 
Presidents. 

Six  of  the  charter  members  are  still  asso- 
ciated with  the  Club,  which  was  originally  or- 
ganized for  the  intellectual  improvement  of  the 
members.  The  membership  is  limited  to  thirty- 
five  and  it  holds  its  meetings  once  every  two 
weeks  on  Tuesday  afternoon.  One  union  social 
of  the  Clubs  is  held  on  an  afternoon  each  year, 
and  the  Wheaton  Woman's  Club  holds  one  so- 
cial evening  meeting,  to  which  gentlemen  are 
invited. 

Each  .year  has  been  spent  in  the  study  of  some 
country  or  countries,  the  program  of  which  is 
outlined  and  a  thorough  study  of  the  topics 
made.  The  past  two  years  have  been  devoted 
to  Ancient  and  Modern  Egypt. 

The  officers  of  the  Club  for  1010-1011.  are  as 
follows : 

President — Jlrs.  W.  H.  Darling. 

First  Vice-President — Jlrs.  E.  A.  Guild. 

Second  Vice-President — Jlrs.  D.  'i'ork. 

Secretary  and  Treasurer — Jlrs.  C.  H.  Plum- 
mev. 

The  G.\mmadim  Art  Club  of  Wheaton  was  or- 
ganized in  1000  for  the  purpose  of  studying  art. 
It  is  limited  to  a  membership  of  twenty,  with  a 
waiting  list  of  five.  The  first  year  w^is  de- 
voted to  American  Art,  the  ne.vt  to  the  Barbizon 
School  and  Jlodern  French,  and  this  year  to 
English  Art. 

Three  lectures,  germain  to  the  subject  being 
studied,  and  two  trips  to  the  Chicago  Art  Insti- 
tute to  see  the  exhibits  of  "American  Oil"  and 
"Chicago"  Artists,  var.v  the  program.  The 
meetings  are  held  at  the  homes  of  members 
where  their  papers  are  read  and  discussed. 
(No  refreshments  are  served.) 

Jlr.  AVilliam  JI.  R.  French.  Director  of  the 
Art  Institute.  Jlr.  Dickerson.  Jlr.  Dudley  C. 
Watson,  and  Jliss  Jlontgomery  have  delivered 
the  lectures. 


HISTORY  OF  DU  PAGE  COUNTY. 


745 


"OuE  History  Club''  of  Wheatou  was  organ- 
ized in  July,  1894,  with  eight  charter  members. 
Its  object  was  the  study  of  countries,  their 
government  and  noted  people. 

The  membership  is  limited  to  twenty-five 
ladies,  and  the  Club  always  has  a  good  at- 
tendance, and  much  interests  is  manifested. 
Not  being  federated,  our  study  has  been  con- 
fined to  the  influence  on  the  members  and  its 
homes. 

Downer's  Grove  Woman's  Club. — ^The  Down- 
er's Grove  Woman's  Club  was  organized  ou  Feb- 
ruary 3,  1897.  Originally  it  was  a  magazine 
club  and  merged  into  the  Wednesday  Club  under 
the  direction  of  Mrs.  Sara  Vernon  Lancaster. 

In  1S9S  it  entered  the  State  Federation  under 
the  name  of  "Downer's  Grove  Woman's  Club," 
was  admitted  to  General  Federation  in  1902, 
and  to  the  Eleventh  District  Federation  in  1909. 

The  olyect  of  this  Club  is  the  mutual  im- 
provement of  its  members  in  literature,  art, 
science,  and  vital  interests  of  the  day.  To  extend 
all  help  possible  toward  civic  improvement,  to 
encourage  and  help  all  branches  of  Domestic 
Science  in  our  public  schools,  to  help  those  in 
need,  and  to  cast  an  influence  for  all  that  is  good, 
true  and  womanly. 

Tliree  traveling  libraries  are  furnished  and 
maintained,  several  benefits  given  each  year 
for  the  public  library,  public  schools  and  village 
improvements.  Waste  paper  baskets  have  been 
placed  ou  the  corners  of  our  business  streets 
by  the  Village  Improvement  Committee,  and  are 
emptied  and  cared  for  by  this  Committee. 

Within  the  past  year  the  study  of  Parlia- 
mentry  Law  has  been  taken  up.  a  class  formed 
and  teacher  appointed  to  drill  the  members. 
The  program  for  each  year,  in  addition  to  the 
studies  for  the  year,  embraces  several  days 
filled  in  with  good  lectures  on  subjects  of  in- 
terest and  profit  to  the  members. 

With  a  membership  of  only  twenty-three,  this 
Club  does  much  more  for  self-culture  and  mat- 
ters of  public  interest  than  many  Clubs  of  twice 
its  membership. 

The  E.vecutive  Board  consists  of  twelve  mem- 
bers, a  President,  Vice-President,  Recording 
Secretary.  Corresponding  Secretary,  Treasurer, 
and  Chairwoman  of  standing  committees, 
namely :  Membership.  House  and  Social,  Pro- 
gram, Domestic  Science,  Village  Improvement, 
Traveling  Library  and  auditing.     The  wives  of 


resident   pastors  and    the   teachers   of   tlie   vil- 
lage schools  are  complimentary  members. 

The  Club  color  is  red  and  white  and  the  Club 
flower,  the  Carnation. 

Hinsdale  Woman's  Club. — The  Woman's  Club 
of  Hinsdale  is  the  largest  social  organization  in 
the  village  and  township,  and  exercises  a 
strong  influence.  A  Mothers'  Class,  under  the 
leadership  of  Mrs.  R.  A.  Childs,  was  a  fore- 
runner of  the  Woman's  Club.  This  organiza- 
tion had  reached  considerable  popularity  when 
Laura  A.  Pollock  (Mrs.  W.  J.)  invited  the  wo- 
men of  the  village  to  her  home  to  consider  the 
idea  of  forming  a  Woman's  Club.  This  meet- 
ing occured  April  15,  1895,  and  was  attended 
b.v  thirty  earnest,  cultured  women,  who  decided 
that  by  associating  together  in  organized  form, 
much  could  be  accomplished  that  would  be  of 
benefit  to  the  village,  their  families  and  them- 
selves. 

Accordingly,  four  days  later,  April  19.  an- 
other meeting  was  held  at  the  home  of  Mrs. 
W.  G.  Gordon,  when  a  constitution  and  by-laws 
were  presented,  modeled  after  those  adopted  by 
the  LaGrauge  Club.  These  were  accepted,  of- 
ficers were  chosen  and  the  existence  of  the 
Hinsdale  Woman's  Club  began. 

The  oflicers  for  the  first  year  were  as  follows : 
President,  Mrs.  John  Burton ;  Vice-President, 
Mrs.  W.  J.  Pollock ;  Recording  Secretary,  Mrs. 
H.  G.  Hetzler ;  Corresponding  Secretary,  Mrs. 
Abby  Stewart ;  Treasurer,  Mrs.  H.  P.  Baldwin. 

During  that  year  Art  and  Literature  formed 
the  general  study  of  the  class;  there  were  just 
one  hundred  names  counted  as  charter  mem- 
bers. 

On  September  27,  1895,  the  new  Club  allied 
itself  with  the  State  Federation  of  Illinois, 
which  came  into  existence  during  that  summer. 
On  December  27,  1895,  it  became  a  member  of 
the  General  Federation  of  Woman's  Clubs. 
Yellow,  denoting  generosity  and  cheerfulness, 
was  selected  as  the  Club  color. 

Mrs.  C.  L.  Washburn  suggested  the  Club 
motto.   "We  live  in  Deeds,  not  Years." 

Before  the  second  year  opened  the  Club  had 
been  well  organized  and  programs  prepared  for 
the  winter's  work.  There  were  five  depart- 
ments or  classes,  viz :  History  and  Literature. 
Mrs.  E.  E.  Fay er weather,  leader;  the  Foreign 
Travel  Class,  Mrs.  J.  T.  Ridgeway,  leader ;  Cur- 
rent Topic  class,   Mrs.  H.   P.  Baldwin,  leader; 


r46 


HISTORY  OF  DU  PAGE  COUNTY. 


Bible  Class,  Mrs.  W.  J.  Pollock,  leader,  aud  the 
Mothers"  class.  Mrs.  R.  A.  Childs,  leader.  Meet- 
ings were  held  in  the  Unity  Church  and  later 
in  the  Men's  Club  i3arlors.  When  the  Hinsdale 
Club  House  was  built  the  Woman's  Club  fur- 
nished the  ladies'  parlor  and  dressing  room,  and 
were  given  permission  to  meet  in  the  same. 
Now,  these  rooms  are  all  too  small  and  the 
large  parlor  has  become  the  meeting  room, 
while  the  auditorium  is  none  too  large  when  the 
bi-monthly  or  general  meetings  of  the  Club  are 
held. 

The  original  classes  have  changed  somewhat ; 
the  Mothers'  Class  was  renamed  the  Educational 
Class,  and  it  has  become  the  custom  to  have 
the  public  school  teachers  meet  with  this  class 
once  a  mouth.  Mrs.  R.  A.  Childs  was  its  first 
leader.  Its  work  has  grown  to  such  proportions 
that  two  leaders  are  now  required  to  conduct 
its  affairs. 

The  Foreign  Travel  Class  dropped  the  word 
Foreign,  and  took  into  its  fold  the  History  and 
Literature  Class,  which  had  become  too  weak 
to  exist  alone.  The  Current  Topics  Depart- 
ment also  became  assimilated  with  other  classes. 

In  10(K3  the  Music  Class  was  organized  with 
Mrs.  A.  E.  Walker  as  leader,  and  quickly  became 
popular.  A  Woman's  Chorus,  with  Mrs.  T.  D. 
Wallace  Director,  also  came  into  existence  and 
is  affiliated  with  the  Club. 

The  first  Bible  Class  had  been  discontinued, 
but  later  this  was  reorganized,  the  ministers  of 
the  village  willingly  offering  to  conduct  the 
lectures.  The  clergymen  who  thus  assisted  in 
awakening  this  class  to  life  were  Dr.  A.  M. 
Brodie,  of  the  Congregational  Church  ;  Rev.  M. 
N.  Preston,  retired ;  Rev.  Harry  Rogers,  Presby- 
terian Church ;  Rev.  E.  C.  Smith,  Unity  Church. 
None  of  these  gentlemen  are  now  in  the  vil- 
lage but  some  of  their  successors  have  taken 
up  the  work  and  the  rector  of  Grace  Episcopal 
Ch\u'ch  is  now  counted  among  the  lecturers  and 
an  active  endorser  of  this  plan  of  Bible  Study. 

During  the  spring  of  1910,  another  depart- 
ment was  added,  the  Drama  Class,  with  Mrs. 
C.  H.  Bisby,  leader,  and  the  Club  joined  the 
Drama  League  of  America  as  a  charter  member, 
In  1910  the  Club  purchased  a  Baby  Grand  Ma- 
son &  Hamlin  piano,  at  a  cost  of  $800.  for  the 
use  of  the  different  departments. 

Five  times  a  year  the  entire  Club  joins  in  a 
general  meeting  and  reception  of  considerable  so- 
cial prestige.     These  are  under  the  management 


of  each  class  in  succession  who  plan  the  enter- 
tainment, provide  refreshments  and  conduct  the 
social  part  of  the  affair.  This  follows  a  business 
meeting,  usually  brief.  On  the  third  Tuesday 
in  April  the  club  year  closes  with  the  annual 
meeting  and  luncheon. 

As  a  member  of  the  Municipal  Art  League, 
the  Club  joins  with  other  organizations  along 
the  Burlington  Line  in  taking  part  in  a  recep- 
tion and  View  Day  at  the  Art  Institute,  Chicago. 
Delegates  Day  is  becoming  an  annual  event,  in 
order  that  reports  from  the  committees  aud  dele- 
gates may  be  heard.  In  this  connection  it  may 
be  said,  the  Club  givej  an  annual  donation  and 
is  connected,  through  apjx)inted  delegates,  with 
the  following  committees  and  associations  of 
Chicago :  The  Municipal  Art  League.  Chicago 
Permanent  School  Extension  Committee.  The 
Juvenile  Protective  Association,  Illinois  Audu- 
bon Society,  The  Drama  League  of  America, 
and  the  Park  Ridge  Industrial  School  for  Girls. 
It  also  assists  in  the  support  of  the  Fresh  Air 
Home  in  Hinsdale,  which  is  open  for  Chicago's 
poor  during  the  summer.  Its  PhilanthroiJy  Com- 
mittee looks  after  needy  families  in  the  village. 
Its  civic  work  is  now  assumed  l\v  the  Men's 
Civic  League,  a  recent  organization.  The  Club 
is  deeply  Interested  in  the  work  of  the  Public 
Schools,  ai^d  designates  members  as  delegates  to 
look  after  the  interests  of  each  school  building. 

Each  year  a  donation  is  made  to  some  de- 
partment of  school  work,  after  consultation  with 
the  Superintendent.  Just  now  it  is  working  to 
install  a  large  vacuum  cleaner  in  the  South  Side 
School  at  a  cost  of  .?900.  All  school  teachers 
and  their  wives  are  honorary  members  of  the 
Club.  The  ministers  of  the  village  aud. their 
wives  are  also  honorary  m&mbers.  At  the  close 
of  the  season,  1910-1911,  the  enrolled  member- 
ship was  twenty-six  active  members,  and  seven- 
teen Junior  members  these  beins  exclusive  of 
the  honorary  list. 

The  management  of  the  Club  is  entrusted  to 
the  Executive  Committee,  which  is  composed  of 
the  officers  of  the  Club  and  leaders  of  depart- 
ments. 

The  object  of  the  organization — quoting  from 
the  Club  Manual  is — "Mutual  help,  intellectual 
improvement,  social  enjoyment  and  united  effort 
for  the  welfare  of  the  community."  and  none 
can  say  the  Club  has  not  lived  up  to  its  ideal. 

Although  the  Club  joined  the  National  Fede- 
ration   the   vear   of   its  organization,    its   mem- 


HISTORY  OF  DU  PAGE  COUNTY. 


747 


bersliip  was  permitted  to  lapse  through  the  vote 
of  the  committee.  In  1909  the  Club  determined, 
however,  to  resume  membership  and  was  read- 
mitted. The  same  year  the  Hinsdale  Club 
joined  with  others  in  the  district  in  forming  the 
the  Eleventh  District  Federation,  with  whiih  it  s 
closely  atflliated. 

During  its  fifteen  years  of  e.xistence  the  Club 
has  had  seven  Presidents,  viz. :  Mrs.  John  Bur- 
ton, Mrs.  W.  H.  Knight,  Mrs.  C.  E.  Raymond, 
Miss  Louise  Washburn,  Mrs.  A.  E.  Wallter,  Mrs. 
W.  II.  Edwards.  Mrs.  H.  Holverscheid  is  the 
nominee  for  the  coming  year. 


cii.\rTEU  XXVI n 


REI.KJIOUS  AND  PATRIOTIC  ORGANIZA- 
TIONS 


woman's      CHmsri.iN      TlCMPEIiANCE      uSlOiN"— ^  I'lSJ* 
FIKST    ORGANIZATION    AT    WIIEArON — MRS.    L.    N. 
STRATTON    ITS  FIRST   PRESIDENT-PLATER  DEVELOP- 
MENT— PRESENT   OFFICERS — NAPJ:RVILLE  -TrU.    Oi.  ■ 
A. — 'CAMPAIGN    FOR   RAISING    A    BUILDING    FUfflJ--^  * 
IT    IS    FINALLY    SUCCESSFUL   AND  'A    BUILDING    IS- 
ERECTED     IN      1910 — VALUE,      WITH     EQUIPMEWT, 
$40,000 — OFFICERS    AND    VARIOUS    COMMITTEES — 
GRAND  ARMY   PO.ST   NO.  380 OFFICERS  AND    MEM- 
BERS IN   1910, 

(BY   LOUISA    M.    STECK.) 

Mrs.  L.  N.  Stratten,  of  Wheaton,  the  first 
President  of  the  Du  Page  County  Woman's  Chris- 
tian Temperance  Union,  was  asked  to  write 
about  the  organization  for  the  History  of  Du 
Page  County.     She  says : 

"In  1882,  we  moved  from  Syracuse,  N.  Y., 
where  the  State  was  organized  into  local  and 
county  unions,  to  Wheaton,  III.,  and  finding  no 
county  organization,  it  seemed  very  lonely. 
After  consulting  -with  the  local  union,  we  decided 
to  write  each  pastor  and  Sunday  School  Superin- 
tendent and  any  who  were  interested  in  tem- 
perance worli,  to  meet  in  the  Wesleyan  Church 
at  Wheaton,  on  a  certain  date,  to  talli  over  plans 
for  general  work  throughout  the  county.     The 


result  was  that  the  great  need  for  concerted 
effort  to  awaken  an  interest  in  temperance 
work  was  acknowledged  by  all,  and  the  county 
■was  organized  and  officers  elected,  with  Mrs, 
L.  N.  Stratten  as  President. 

"Work  began  at  once,  visiting  towns  and 
villages,  arranging  for  a  day  and  evening  meet- 
ing. 

"We  found  ready  talent  for  speakers  in  the 
ministers,  and  often  had  some  of  the  celebrated 
W.  C.  T.  U.  workers  to  awaken  an  interest  in 
the  work.  There  were  two  colleges  in  the  coun- 
ty, AVheaton  and  the  Northwestern.  The  faculty 
of  each  was  in  full  sympathy  with  the  work. 
The  musicians  of  each  school  were  always  ready 
to  sing  and  greatly  assisted  in  'contest  work.' 

"Prayer  and  faith  in  God  were  the  warp  and 
woof  of  all  our  work.  Conventions  were  held 
every  three  months,  in  towns,  and  the  result  was 
that  only  two  towns  in  the  county  remained 
without  the  local  organization. 

"The  spirit  of  the  workers  was  beautiful,  ail 
'having  a  mind  to  work.'  One  conservative 
wotaan,  an  invalid  confined  to  her  couch  for 
.  jjegji'S,  asked  to  be  made  superintendent  of  the 
'Flower  Mission  Department.'  Other  branches 
of  yie  work  found  willing  hands  and  hearts. 
We.^were  always  represented  at  the  State  Con- 
'\^entions  as  delegates  of  the  local  unions,  and 
werp  often  envied  by  those  who  had  no  county 
organization. 

"At  the  present  time  there  are  300  members 
of  the  organization.  For  twenty-eight  years  we 
have  worked  constantly  for  the  betterment  of 
society  In  civil  and  educational  affairs.  We 
have  always  had  a  deep  interest  in  these  ques- 
tions. We  stand  for  civil  and  religious  liberty. 
We  are  patriotic  and  believe  there  are  still  great 
battles  to  be  fought  for  'God  and  Home  and  Na- 
tive Land.' 

"In  literary  endeavor  we  believe  we  compare 
favorably  with  any  of  the  Woman's  organiza- 
tions of  the  times." 

The  present  officers  of  the  organization  are: 

President — Mrs.  Louisa  M.  Steck.  of  Naper- 
ville. 

Vice-President  —  Mrs.  Mattie  Thomas,  of 
Wheaton. 

Recording  Secretar.v — Mrs.  Agnes  Movar,  of 
Downer's  Grove. 

Corresponding  Secretary — Mrs.  Ellen  Mueneh. 

Treasurer — Mrs.  Nettie  Hill. 


748 


HISTORY  OF  DU  PAGE  COUNTY. 


NAPERA'ILLE  Y.  M.  C.  A. 

(BY  MRS.   X.   J.   WAGXER.) 

A  Building  Campaign. — The  campaign  for  the 
raising  of  a  fund  to  construct  a  building  for  the 
Naperville  X.  M.  C.  A.  was  opened  by  the  fol- 
lowing letter  mailed  to  each  member  of  the  Citi- 
zen's Committee: 

'•Naperville,  III.,  June  10.  1909. 

"Deab  Sir  :  You  are  no  doubt  aware  of  the  de- 
mand made  by  the  young  men  of  our  community 
upon  the  citizens  of  IS'aperville,  that  they  be  sup- 
plied with  a  modern  well-equipped  Y.  JI.  C.  A. 

"It  has  been  decided  that  their  demands  are 
just,  and  we  have  therefore  organized  a  ■building 
campaign'  to  secure  funds  to  supply  their  needs. 
To  do  this  «e  will  need  the  co-oi)eration  of  every 
citizen  of  Xaperville.  You  have  been  appointed 
a  member  of  the  Citizen's  Committee.  The  plans 
of  this  camijaign  will  be  explained  at  a  dinner 
given  the  committee  at  headquarters.  21  W. 
Jefferson  Avenue,  Tuesday  noon.  June  22.  at 
12 :15  o'clock   sharp. 

"The  success  of  this  campaign  depends  upon 
your  co-operation,  and  it  is  very  important  that 
you  attend  this  meeting.     There  will  be  no  so- 
liciting of  funds  or  charge  made  for  the  dinner. 
"Yours  very  truly, 
"J.  Rice,  Chairman. 
"R.  N.  GiVLEE,  Vice-Cliuinnan." 

The  following  gentlemen  previously  had  been 
named  as  a  Board  of  Directors :  E.  J.  T.  Moyer. 
Dr.  A.  R.  Rikli,  John  Rice,  I^rof.  F.  A.  Kendall. 
B.  J.  Slick.  Dr.  R.  L.  Trultt,  A.  II.  Beidelman. 

CITIZENS'    COMMITTEE 
B.    N.    GIVLER,    VICE-CHAIRMAN 


H.  H.  Rassweiler, 
Alvin  Scott. 
H.  H.  Peaslee, 
A.  H.  Beidelman. 
E.  M.  Lunt, 
C.  W.  Leffler. 
Geo.  C.  Duel. 
Spencer  Greene, 
W.  R.  Goodwin, 
William  Boettger, 
W.  C.  Bomberger. 
E.  W.  Hey. 


M.  L.  Houser, 
H.  C.  Williams. 
John  S.  Goodwin, 
Thomas  Finkbeiner, 
Toliias  Yaggy, 
N.  J.  Wagner. 
Edgar  G.  Simpson, 
Carl  Broeker. 
A.  B.  Slick. 
R.  A.  linger, 
Frank  McCorkel, 
Frank  Strubler, 


L.  S.  Hall, 
John  ALspaugh, 
Will  Spiegler, 
H.  J.  Durrau, 
Samuel  Ranck. 

A.  R.  Beidelman, 

F.  A.  MesserscUmidt, 
O.  M.  Albig. 
Harvey  Hillegas, 
Walter  Rickert. 

O.  W.  Strubler. 
Willard  Scott, 
\V    .1.    I'ruitt, 

G.  A.  Yost. 

JI.  E.  Xonuamaker, 
John  C.  Bauer, 
H.  C.  Smith, 
W.  F.  Keeney. 
Peter  Ruch, 
E.  E.  Stark, 
Irving  Xeitz, 
G.  J.  Kirn, 
R.  X.  Ballou. 
L.  SI.  Umbach, 
C.  A.  Rassweiler, 

B.  J.  Slick. 

C.  A.  Xadelhoffer, 
Fred  Lueben, 
John  Kraushar, 
Philip  Corel, 
Fred  Kailer, 
Adolph  Strufe, 
W.  W.  Wickel, 

T.  J.  Steffes, 
John  Sigmund. 
Fred  Long, 
Bert  Sheldon, 
John  W.  Bauer, 
Jacob  Bard, 
A.  Muench, 


E.  Grant  Simpson, 
S.  L.  Umbach, 
G.  A.  Mason. 
Samuel  Rickert. 
C.  P.  Dorn, 
Fred  JIather, 
P.  E.  Kroehler, 
M.  C.  VanXorman 
Frank  JlcXally, 
E.  E.  Rife, 
H.  H.  Zaiuinger, 

E.  E.  Miller, 
W.  B.  Martin, 
Chas.  F.  Rohr, 

F.  S.  Baumgartner, 

G.  W.  Sindlinger, 

A.  C.  Gagenheimer, 
S.  M.  Schaefle, 

J.  A.  Hertel, 
J.  A.  Bell, 
Francis  Granger, 
Fred  von  Oven. 
H.  J.  Kiekhoefer, 
O.  A.  Goetz, 
Heni-y  Meiley, 

B.  C.  Beckman, 
E.  E.  Sargent, 
G.  P.  Xauman, 
William  Seherer, 
P.  W.  Heidner, 
John  Babel, 

A.  Dewar, 
Samuel  Mather. 
O.  E.  Higgins. 
Irving   Goodrich, 
Daniel  Strubler. 
Frank  Jlorrison, 
M.  W.  Coultrap, 

B.  H.  Myers, 

C.  O.  Daniels, 
E.  H.  Tillson. 


Chairman  Young  Men's  Committee — S.  F. 
Woodsman. 

The  purpose  of  the  campaign  was  to  raise  the 
sum  of  $2.0.000  within  fifteen  days. 

On  Sunday,  .lune  21,  1900,  Secretaries  Markel 
of  Aurora,  Lackland  of  Dixon,  Starkey  of  Mat- 
toon,  Dale  of  Evanston.  Fonken  of  Sterling,  and 
Pettersou  of  Elgin,  filling  the  pulpits  of  the 
several  churches  of  the  city,  spoke  in  behalf  of 
the  campaign.  In  the  afternoon  of  that  da.v.  at 
2 :30  o'clock,  A.  M.  Bruner,  known  as  the  "Illi- 


HISTORY  OF  DU  PAGE  COUNTY. 


749 


nois  Cycloue,"  conducted  a  meeting  at  the  Con- 
gregational Church  for  men  only,  his  subject 
being  "Tower  of  Silence." 

On  Monday  evening  June  22,  at  0:30 
o'clock,  a  business  men's  banquet  was  served  in 
Scott's  Hall,  under  the  auspices  of  Prof.  F.  A. 
Kendall,  Willard  Scott,  Dr.  R.  L.  Truitt,  Frank 
llcCabe,  and  Alex  Dewar,  as  banquet  committee. 
About  150  men  were  present.  Addresses  were 
made  by  J.  C.  Starkey,  C.  S.  Kilbourne.  D.  W. 
Wilcox,  R.  N.  Givler  and  A.  M.  Bruner. 

At  the  close  of  the  banquet  .$.500  was  pledged 
for  the  building  fund ;  at  the  end  of  the  first 
week  of  the  campaign  $5,060  had  been  pledged ; 
and  at  the  end  of  the  campaign,  on  July  7, 
$21,206  had  been  pledged  by  532  individual 
donors.  To  secure  the  offer  of  $5,000  made  by 
Mr.  Thomas  P.  Phillips,  however,  it  was  neces- 
sary to  secure  the  remaluing  $1,666  within  the 
following  week,  and  this  sum  was  raised  by  July 
15. 

During  the  campaign  dinner  was  served  to  the 
committee  at  6  o'clock  every  evening,  by  the 
Ladies  Societies  of  the  various  churches  of  the 
city. 

The  contract  for  the  building  was  awarded 
to  John  Bentz,  of  Xaperville,  in  October,  1909, 
for  $26,400.  Ground  was  broken  for  construction 
on  October  9,  1909,  by  voluntary  labor  on  the 
part  of  twenty-five  students  from  Northwestern 
College,  and  the  contractors  began  actual  work 
on  March  11,  1910. 

The  site  for  the  building  was  purchased  from 
Mr.  L.  E.  Dickenson  for  $6,000.  in  addition  to 
the  cost  of  the  building,  as  per  contract,  the  ex- 
cavation, done  by  Sargent  and- Hayes,  cost  $950. 
The  entire  cost  with  site,  building  and  equip- 
ment complete,  is  $40,000. 

Following  are  the  various  officers  and  com- 
mittees : 

President — E.  J.  T.  Moyer. 

Vice-President— Dr.  R.  L.  Truitt. 

Secretary — A.  L.  Beidelman. 

Treasurer — F.  A.  Kendall. 

Directors.— E.  J.  T.  iloyer.  Dr.  R.  I..  Truitt. 
B.  J.  Slick,  F.  A.  Kendall,  John  Kraushar.  John 
Rice,  A.  H.  Beidelman.  Dr.  A.  R.  Rikli. 

Building  Committee. — F.  A.  Kendall,  A.  H. 
Beidelman,  'Will.  Spiegler,  Dr.  R.  L.  Truitt,  R. 
N.  Ballon.  Dr.  A.  R.  Rikli,  Dr.  J.  A.  Bell. 


Camp.\ign   Manager. — F.  N.  Kornhaus. 

YOUNG   men's   committees 
1. 


B.  F.  McCabe,  Captain, 
W.  F.  McCabe, 
John  D.  Wolf, 
Elmer  Shlmp, 
Ken  Berry, 


Albert  Oaks, 
Arthur  Hobart, 
Will  Latshaw, 
Arthur  Beidelman, 
W.  Messerschmidt. 


2. 


Rollan  Mjers,  Captain,       E.  R.  Rosentrater, 


Loren    Myers, 
Herman  Beckman, 
Arthur  Becker, 
Arthur  Green, 


Grant  Vost, 
Julian  Kendall, 
Emery  Meiley, 
Emil  Volkman. 


3. 


Elbert    Kailer,    Captain. 


H.  R.   Kletzing, 
Carl  Muench. 
Ernest  Harter. 
Alex.  Freeman. 
C.  Camertsfekler, 


Harlan  Marshall, 
Moody  Good. 
Frank  Feik. 
Elmer  Schutz. 


4. 


H.  E.  Nels,  Captain. 


A.  E.  Umbach, 
Eldeu  Reardon, 
Walter   Rubrecht, 
Delmar  Say  lor. 
Robert  Unger, 


Clarence  Kailer, 
,\lmon  Hartzell, 
E.   Musselman, 
G.  Beidelman. 


Clarence  Barley,  Captain. 
Ralph  Unangst,  E.  Eichelberger, 

Earl  Leffler,  Harry  Reynolds, 

Emmet  Stenger,  Werner  Peterson, 

A.  W.  Dewar,  Fred  Boebel, 

Harold  TiU.son, 

The  corner-stone  within  which  this  record  is 
deposited,  was  laid  on  Monday  May  .30,  1010, 
at  the  hour  of  eleven  o'clock  in  the  forenoon. 

At  the  request  of  the  officers  of  the  organiza- 
tion the  foregoing  facts  are  as  above  transcribed 
to  perpetuate  the  same  by  the  undersigned. 
Mrs.  N.   J.   Wagner. 

Xaperville.  111..  May  .30,  1910. 

GRAND  ARMY  OF  THE  REPUBLIC. 

The  following  is  a  list  of  the  officers  and 
members,  of  G.  A.  R..  Post  No.  3S6,  for  the 
year  1910. 


750 


HISTORY  OF  DU  PAGE  COUNTY. 


orncEBs. 

Commander — Wm.  Hartronft. 
Sr.  Vice-Commander — L.  &  Shafer. 
Jr.  Vice-Commander — John  Alspaugh. 
Chaplain — John  Patterson. 
Quarter  Master — T.  W.  Saylor. 
Officer  of  the  Day — G.  A.  Mason. 
Officer  of  the  Guard— E.  V.  Powell. 
Adjutant — W.  if.  Crampton. 
Sergeant  Major— Chas.  F.  Stiefboldt. 
Qr.  M.  Sergeant — M.  L.  Houser. 
Public  Inspector — J.  F.  Lehman. 


Wm.  Blackenger, 
Wm.  J.  Laird, 
Louis  Bapst, 
A.  Martin, 
John   Ehrhardt. 
E.  C.  Rickert, 
Levi   Gerberich, 
Willard  Scott,  Jr., 
W.  L.  Good, 
G.  E.  Turner, 
Fred  Kailer. 
W.  H.  Wayman, 
Joseph  Lauer, 
David   Brown, 
A.  B.  Matter, 
R.  H.  Dickinson, 
L.  M.  Rich, 

Joseph 


F.  S.  Goetsch. 
H.  C.   Skelton. 
David  Gushard  , 
John  D.  Stoner, 
Chas.    Hinterlong, 
Samuel   Weinholt. 
J.  LaCoss, 
J.  A.  Bell. 
Jeremiah  Leffler, 
Aaron  Dissinger, 
Chas.  Xadelhoffer, 
J.  B.  Frost. 
Samuel   Rickert. 

C.  Gushard. 
Frank  Stoner, 

D.  B.  Givler, 
O.  D.  Thatcher. 

Kochly. 


CHAPTER  XXIX 


POLICE    AXD    FIRE    DEPARTMEXTS 


fire  losses  or  the  surveillance  of  the  police. 
The  little  log  cabins  were  isolated  and,  even  if 
destroyed  by  fire,  easily  replaced.  Their  prim- 
itive furni.shings  were  nearly  all  home  manu- 
factured, and  as  there  were  seldom  any  upper 
stories  in  these  log  structures,  it  was  not  dif- 
ficult to  get  out  their  contents  in  case  the  build- 
ing was  in  danger  of  being  burned  down. 

The  evils  which  always  follow  upon  undue 
congestion  of  iwpulation,  did  not  belong  to  pio- 
neer life.  Vice  hid  itself  and  men  lived  openly 
and  morally.  Most  of  the  troubles  of  those 
days  were  caused  by  land  disputes,  which  the 
several  land  claim  societies  handled  very  ably 
and  satisfactorily. 

However,  as  pioneer  conditions  passed,  the 
necessity  for  a  regular  police  and  an  organized 
fire  department  arose  in  each  community.  Du 
Page  County  people  were  never  slow  in  awaken- 
ing to  their  duty  in  any  direction,  and  as  re- 
quired, met  each  emergency  with  characteristic 
competency. 

At  first  the  fire  companies  were  entirely 
volunteer,  some  of  the  leading  men  in  each  set- 
tlement enrolling  themselves  and  pledging 
themselves  to  stand  ready  to  respond  to  any 
call  made  upon  them.  As  these  communities 
grew,  however,  this  system  was  found  to  be 
inadequate  for  the  requirements  of  the  service, 
and  the  present  magnificent  system  was  inau- 
gurated. All  of  the  larger  towns  and  cities  of 
Du  Page  County  have  their  regularly  organ- 
ized fire  companies,  equipped  with  engines  and 
other  appliances  housed  In  good  engine  quar- 
ters. 

The  police  of  the  county  rank  with  any  de- 
partment of  similar  responsibilities  in  the  State, 
being  conscientious,  brave,  honorable  men,  liv- 
ing up  to  their  pledges,  and  fearless  in  the 
prosecution  of  their  duties. 


CONDITIONS  IN  THE  PIONEER  STAGE — THE  LOSSES 
COMP.\RATIVELY  SMALLER  THAN  TO-DAY — RIGHTS 
OF  LAND  CLAIMANTS  PROTECTED  BY  MUTUAL  OR- 
GANIZATIONS— CHANGES  BROUGHT  BY  INCREASED 
POPULATION — THE  IJVRGER  TOWNS  AND  CITIES  OF 
DU  PAGE  COUNTY  NOW  PROTECTED  BY  WELL  OR- 
GANIZED FIRE   COMPANIES AN  EFFICIENT   POLICE 

FORCE  ALSO  IN   EXISTENCE  IN   DIFFERENT  PLACES. 

When  Du  Page  County  was  still  in  Its  pioneer 
state,  there  was  little  need  for  protection  from 


CHAPTER  XXX 


DU  PAGE  COUNTY  MILITARY   HISTORY 


THE  PART  BORNE  BY  CITIZENS  OF  DU  PAGE  COUNTY 
IN  VARIOUS  WABS— THE  BLACK  HAWK  WAR  AND 
THE  HARDSHIPS  WHICH  IT  CAUSED  TO  EARLY 
SETTLERS — THE  MEXICAN  WAR  PARTICIPATED  IN 
BY    A    NUMBER    OF    VOLUNTEERS    FROM    DU    PAGE 


CX^\  ^fV^f-^:^-x?^A^'^^ 


HISTORY  OF  DU  PAGE  COUNTY. 


751 


COUSTT — PATBIOTIC  BESPONSE  IN  CIVIL  WAB 
DATS — FIRST  PUBUC  MEETING  TO  PROMOTE  EN- 
LISTMENTS HELD  AT  FULLERSBURO,  JULY  29, 
1861 — SOME  LEADING  PROMOTORS  IN  DU  PAOE 
COUNTY — NUMBER  OF  VOLUNTEERS  FROM  THE 
COUNTY  AND  REGIMENTS  IN  WHICH  THEY' 
SERVED — SKETCHES  OF  REGIMENTS  AND  ROSTER 
OF  VOLUNTEERS  IN  EACH — ROSTER  OF  DU  PAGE 
VOLUNTEERS  WHO  SEBVED  IN  THE  SPANISH- 
AMERICAN  WAR — DU  PAGE  COUNTY'  MEMORIAL 
HALL. 

BY    AMOS    CHURCHELL. 

BLACK    HAWK    WAR 

The  Black  Hawk  War  occurred  soon  after  the 
first  settlement  of  Du  Page  County.  The  pre- 
ceding winter  had  been  one  of  great  severity 
and  the  settlers  were  glad  to  welcome  the  spring 
of  1832.  The  Black  Hawk  War  following  the 
advent  of  that  season  very  closely,  the  entire 
settlement  moved  to  Fort  Dearborn.  Chicago, 
where  they  remained  until  about  July,  when 
the  army  of  Gen.  Scott  passed  through  and  the 
war  was  over.  This — the  only  settlement  in  the 
county  at  that  time — was  known  as^NapcFTs"' 
Settlement,  the  political  designation;;  be^ng, 
"Scott's  General  Precinct,  Flagg  Creek  |ifi^M;' 
Cook  County.  111."'  \ 

This  subject  is  treated  quite  fully  asia  mat- 
ter of  general   state  history  in  the  "Hitetorf?^.'' 
Encyclopedia"  portion  of  this  work    (whi,ch  see 
Vol.  II,  pp.  608-615.)  '—•  — 

THE   MEXICAN   WAR 

In  1846  a  company  of  infantry  was  organized 
In  Naperville.  and  was  sent  to  Mexico  under  the 
command  of  Captain  E.  B.  Bill,  but  the  names 
of  these  patriots  are  not  available.  Gen.  Bill 
died  of  yellow  fever  on  board  ship,  while  re- 
turning home,  and  was  buried  in  Naperville. 

Capt.  Joseph  Naper  served  as  Quartermaster 
during  this  war  and  at  the  battle  of  Buena 
Vista  acted  as  aide  to  Gen.  Zachary  Taylor. 

CIVIL  WAR 

The  citizens  of  Du  Page  County  responded 
promptly  to  every  call  of  their  country,  whether 
for  men  or  money,  during  the  period  of  the  Civil 
War,  and  throughout  the  long  period  of  this 
strusgle  thev  were  earnest   in   their  sentiment 


for  the  suppression  of  the  rebellion  and  the 
preservation  of  the  Union.  They  forgot  the 
differences  which  had  drawn  sharp  party  lines, 
and  the  Union  party,  formed  in  the  fall  of  1861, 
continued  throughout  the  war.  The  spirit 
which  resulted  in  its  formation  was  one  of 
intense  loyalty  to  the  Union  cause,  and  aided 
very  materially  in  influencing  the  people  to 
respond  with  men  and  money,  as  well  as  to  the 
use  of  their  personal  influence  in  support  of 
the  various  organizations  which  forwarded  the 
common  object.  During  this  time  elective  of- 
fices were  given  to  Democrats  and  Republicans, 
irrespective  of  their  former  party  atliliations. 

During  the  early  part  of  the  war  response 
was  full  and  free,  all  were  enthusiastic  in  their 
support  of  the  country's  need,  and  this  condi- 
tion was  especially  noticeable  during  the  sum- 
mer of  1862,  after  the  President  had  called  for 
300,000  more  men.  The  entire  population  of 
the  county  seemed  vitally  interested  in  the 
business  of  recruiting  and  in  the  latter  part  of 
July  of  this  year  Sheriff  T.  S.  Rogers  received  a 
commission  to  recruit  one  company  of  one  hun- 
drejl  _mea~for  three  years'  service. 

"v'  •!  ^h# 'first   public    meeting    held    for   enlisting 

jjm'fla'iSrtok 'place  in  the  school  house  at  Fullers- 
burg  July  29th,  and  this  and  other  meetings 
were  attencfed  by  Mr,  L.  B.  Church,  who  led 
in  sijjgifig  such  patriotic  songs  as  "The  Sword 

'*^»=BnVkei-  Hill."  Meetings  were  held  in  all 
neighJiorlMJods  in  the  county,   in  school   houses, 

""churches  and  halls,  and  at  every  one  deep  feel- 
ing was  manifested.  Not  only  were  men  and 
boys  closely  interested,  but  fathers  and  mothers 
were  willing  to  part  with  their  sons,  and  sis- 
ters urged  their  brothers  to  fight  for  the  Union 
cause.  The  result  was  that  by  August  6th 
one  hundred  and  thirty-eight  men  had  en- 
listed in  Capt.  Rogers'  company,  only  one  hun- 
dred of  whom  were  needed.  A.  C.  Graves  then 
began  to  enlist  a  company,  which  in  a  few 
days  had  its  full  quota,  and  as  there  were 
many  left  who  desired  to  enlist.  Enos  Jones  and 
Capt.  Locke  engaged  in  the  work  and  another 
company  was  formed.  During  this  time  Capt. 
S.  F.  Daniels  had  been  enlisting  a  company, 
with  the  result  that,  in  less  than  thirty  days, 
four  companies  had  been  recruited  in  the  coun- 
ty, composed  of  its  best  and  most  valued  citi- 
zens, farmers,  mechanics,  merchants  and  pro- 
fessional men. 

Hons.  Lewis  Ellsworth,  T.  B.   Bryan  and  H. 


752 


HISTORY  OF  DU  PAGE  COUNTY. 


C.  Childs  had  been  largely  instnimeutal  in 
raising  these  companies,  and  in  honor  of  these 
gentlemen  Captain  Rogers'  company  was  known 
as  "Elsworth's  Guards;"  Capt.  Graves'  com- 
pany as  "Childs'  Rifles,"  and  Capt.  Daniels' 
company  as  the  "Bryan  Blues." 

These  four  companies,  with  six  companies  from 
DeKalb  Count:*',  formed  the  One  Hundred  and 
Fifth  Regiment  Illinois  Volunteers.  Du  Page 
furnished  more  than  fifteen  hundred  men,  in 
the  different  arms  of  the  service,  and  distrib- 
uted through  nearly  forty  regiments,  and  has 
special  reason  to  be  proud  of  the  Seventh  and 
Thirteenth,  the  first  to  enter  the  service ;  the 
One  Hundred  and  Fifth,  for  which  she  furnished 
four  companies;  of  the  Eighth  Illinois  Cavalry. 
for  which  she  furnished  two  companies,  and 
of  other  arms  of  the  service  in  which  her  men 
had  offered  their  services.  The  county  au- 
thorities expended  more  than  one  hundred  and 
eighty  thousand  dollars  in  bounties  for  sol- 
diers and  for  the  support  of  their  families,  and 
various  town  authorities  appropriated  nearly 
half  as  much  more. 

Soldiers'  Aid  Societies  were  formed  in  every 
town  within  the  county,  for  the  object  of  fur- 
nishing supplies  of  food  and  clotljing  for  the 
wants  of  the  sick  and  wounded  in  hospitals. 
Many  thousands  of  dollars  were  raised  by  the 
patriotic  women  of  the  country  for  these  noble 
purposes,  and  they  accomplished  inestimable 
results  in  the  support  of  the  cause  for  which 
they  devoted  so  much  thought  and  energy. 

Mr.  Cyrenus  Wirt  Litchfield,  of  Elmhurst. 
is  supposed  to  have  been  the  first  to  enlist  from 
Du  Page  County,  and  he  joined  Barker's  Dra- 
goons, in  Chicago,  April  19,  1801.  The  name 
of  Charles  Beckman,  of  Naperville,  stands  at 
the  head  of  the  muster  roll  of  Company  K. 
Thirteenth  Infantry,  the  first  organization  that 
entered  service  from  Du  Page  County. 

Summary  op  Voltjnteebs  by  Regiments. — The 
following  is  a  summary  of  the  number  of  sol- 
diers, by  regiments,  who  enlisted  from  Du  Page 
County  during  the  war : 

Regiments  No.  of  Men. 

Seventh    Infantry    26 

Tenth    Infantry    1 

Twelfth  Infantry   2 

Thirteenth    Infantry    92 

Fifteenth  Infantry  3 

Sixteenth   Infantry    14 


Nineteenth    Infantry    1 

Twentieth    Infantry    7 

Twenty-sixth   Infantry   1 

Thirty-third  Infantry    47 

Thirty-sixth   Infantry    45 

Thirt.y-seventh  Infantry  2 

Thirty-ninth    Infantry    2 

Fort.v-second    Infantry    7 

Forty-third    Infantry    2 

Forty-fourth    Infantry    1 

Fifty-first  Infantry    17 

Fifty -second    Infantry    25 

Fifty-third   Infanti-y    1 

Fifty-fourth    Infantry    3 

Fifty-fifth    Infantry    30 

Fifty-sixth   Infantry    1 

Fifty-seventh  Infantry   1 

Fiftj--eighth   Infantry    12 

Sixty-seventh    Infantry    4 

Sixty-ninth    Infantry    5 

Seventy-second    Infantry    15 

Eight.v-second    Infantry    1 

Eighty-eighth    Infantry    4 

Eighty-ninth    Infanti-y    7 

Ninety-fifth    Infantry    2 

One  Hundredth    Infantry    1 

One  Hundred  Fifth   Infantry    403 

One  Hundred  Twenty-seventh   Infantry    ....     5 

One  Hundred  Thirty-second  Infantry   15 

One  Hundred  Forty-first    Infantry    74 

One  Hundred  Fifty-third    Infantry    77 

One  Hundred  Fifty-ninth    Infantry    104 

leth  U.  S.  Colored  Infantry 1 

IP.th  IT.  S.  Colored  Infantry 1 

Total  of  Infantry 1.068 

Regiments  No.  of  Men 

Second   Cavalry    1 

Third    Cavalry    4 

Fourth    Cavalry    3 

Sixth   Cavalry    2 

Eighth    Cavalry    233 

Ninth   Cavalr.v    4 

Twelfth    Cavalry    46 

Thirteenth    Cavalry     7 

Fifteenth   Cavalry    14 

Seventeenth  Cavalry   71 

Total  of   Cavalry 385 

Regiments  No.  of  Men 

First   Artillei-y    2 

Second    Artillery    21 


HISTORY  OF  DU  PAGE  COUNTY. 


753 


Barker's   Dragoons    Artillery 1      Ehrhardt,  John;  Flisher,  William;  Gamber,  Ja- 

Pettifs  Battery  Artillery   1       cob;    Gilbover     John;    Hamilton.    Jesse;    Hell- 

•       goth,   Andrew ;    Hubrecht,   John  B. ;   Lamb,    Ly- 

Total   of  Artillery 2.o      man;    Mitchell,    Robert;    Nadlehoffer,    Charles; 

Stafflinger,    John ;    Vorhes,   William   JI. ;    Ward, 
GENEBAL  suMM.^RY  Charles;  Ward.  Stephen  D. 

Total  of  Infantry    1.008 

Total  of  Cavalry     38.5  Tenth  Infantry 

Total  of  Artillery     25 

iuiai    ui    .iiiiinri.v  o  COMPANY  C 

Grand    Total    1.^78  Private — Goodell,   Charles. 

Seventh   Infantry  Twelfth  Infantry 

Several    regiments    which    responded    to    the  company  i 

first  call  of  the  President  claimed  the  right  to 

be  recognized  as  the  first  in  the  field,  but  that  Privates— Bolin,  Dennis;  Ilannasy,  James, 

honor  was  finally  accorded  to  the  regiment  or- 
ganized in   Springfield  by   Col.  John  Cook,   and  Thirteenth  Infantry 
his    regiment    was    numbered    Seventh.      This 

number  was  given  for  the  reason  that  Illinois  The  Thirteenth  was  one  of  the  regiments  or- 

having  sent  six  regiments  to  the  Mexican  War.  ganized  under  the  "Ten  Pvegiment  Bill."  and 
by  courtesy  the  numbering  of  the  regiments  was  mustered  into  service  at  Dixon.  May  24, 
taking  part  in  the  War  for  the  Union  began  1861,  with  John  B.  Wyman  as  Colonel,  its  period 
with  number  Seven.  The  Seventh  Regiment  of  enlistment  being  three  years.  It  had  the 
was  nuistered  into  the  service  April  2.5,  1861.  honor  of  being  the  first  to  organize  and  enter 
and  spent  the  three  montlis  of  service  for  which  the  field  under  the  President's  first  call  for  men 
it  had  enlisted  at  Mound  City.  It  was  reor-  for  three  years.  They  took  part  in  battles  at 
ganized  and  mustered  in  for  three  years'  service  Chickasaw  Bayou,  Arkansas  Post.  Vicksburg. 
July  2.5,  1861,  and  took  part  in  the  battles  of  Jackson.  Missionary  Ridge.  Rossville  and  Ring- 
Fort  Donelson,  Shiloh.  Corinth.  Cherokee.  Al-  gold  Gap.  It  was  mustered  out  at  Springfield, 
latoona  Pass,  Salkahatchie  Swamp.  Benton-  June  18,  1864.  having  served  three  years  and 
ville   and   Columbia.     The   regiment    reenlisted      two  months. 

as   veterans    at    Pulaski.    Tenn.,    December    22,  In  October,  1861,  the  regiment  joined  the  army 

1863.  was  mustered  out  at  Louisville  July  9.  of  Gen.  Fremont,  at  Springfield,  Mo.,  where 
1865.  and  paid  off  and  discharged  at  Springfield  their  condition  and  fitness  for  service  were 
July  11th.  commented   upon   by   that   General.     In   March, 

The  roster  of  this  regiment  contains  the  fol-      1862.  they  came  under  command  of  Gen.  Curtis 
lowing  names  of  persons  from  Du  Page  County  :      and  took  part  in  the  march  across  the  country 

to  Helena,  Ark.,  during  which  journey  they 
endured  terrible  suffering  from  thirst,  heat  and 
short  rations.  In  December  of  the  same  year 
the  men  of  this  regiment,  being  considered  as 
veterans,  were  placed  in  the  advance  of  Gen. 
Sherman's  arm.v  in  the  attack  on  Chickasaw 
Bayou,  and  in  the  second  day  of  fighting  there 
lost  their  gallant  Colonel,  John  B.  Wynian. 
During  the  same  day  several  men  of  Company 
K.  were  either  killed  or  mortally  wounded, 
among  them  being  Charles  Hyde  and  Austin 
Naper.  On  the  29th.  a  fierce  charge  was  made 
on  Gen.  S.  D.  Lee's  intrenehments.  during 
which    the    regiment    lost    177    men    in    killed. 


COMPANY'    a 

Officer 

Musician — J.  Goodwin. 

Privates — Bates,  Alden ;  Boutwell.  C.  M. ; 
Hammond.  S.  F. ;  O.ver.  Joseph;  Smith,  A.  R. ; 
Thompson.  T.  J. ;  Trick.  Richard  A. ;  Wilson, 
O.  R. 

COMPANY   C 

Officer 


Musician — David  B.  Givler. 

Privates — Bader,    Emil ;    Battles.    Edwin    D. 


754 


HISTORY  OF  DU  PAGE  COUNTY. 


wounded  and  missing.  The  regiment  took  part 
in  capturing  Arkansas  Post,  and  later  accom- 
panied Gen.  Steele  on  liis  expedition  to  Green- 
ville, capturing  and  destroying  immense  sup- 
plies of  the  enemy.  They  went  with  General 
Grant  to  take  part  in  the  capture  of  Jackson 
and  the  siege  of  Vicksburg,  and  accompanied 
Gen.  Sherman  from  Corinth  to  Tuscumbia,  dur- 
ing which  they  were  engaged  with  the  enemy 
daily  for  one  week.  They  were  in  the  rear  of 
the  Fifteenth  Army  Corps  from  Tennessee  to 
Lookout  Valley. 

Under  Gen.  Hooker  (the  first  division  of  the 
Fifteenth  Army  Corps  being  temporarily  as- 
signed to  bis  army)  tbe  regiment  participated  in 
the  capture  of  Lookout  Mountain  and  the  battles 
of  Missionary  Ridge  and  Ringgold  Gap.  In  the 
engagement  at  Missionary  Ridge  the  Thirteenth 
Illinois  captured  more  than  tbeir  own  number 
of  tbe  Eighteenth  Alabama  Confederate  In- 
fantry, and  carried  the  latter's  battle  flag  off  the 
field.  At  Ringgold  Gap  they  were  tbe  first  to 
engage  the  enemy  and  the  last  to  leave  tbe  field, 
their  loss  during  the  battle  being  sixty-three 
killed  and  wounded.  They  were  highly  com- 
mended by  Gen.  Hooker  for  their  gallantry,  and 
after  mentioning  tbe  repeated  charges  made  by 
the  enemy  to  rotit  tbem  from  tbeir  position  he 
speaks  of  them  as  follows:  "The  Thirteenth  Illi- 
nois all  the  time  maintaining  its  position  with 
resolution  and  obstinaney."  Again,  he  says :  "It 
lias  ne^er  been  my  fortune  to  serve  with  more 
zealous  and  devoted  soldiers.'"  They  were  also 
given  high  commendation  in  tbe  official  report  of 
Gen.  Osterhaus. 

Captain  Walter  Blanchard,  of  Company  K, 
was  mortally  wounded  at  Ringgold  Gap,  which 
necessitated  the  amputation  of  his  leg,  and  he 
died  some  eight  or  ten  days  later.  He  was  held 
in  great  affection  by  his  men  and  his  last  com- 
mand, given  to  them  after  he  fell,  was.  "Don't 
give  up,  boys !    Fire  away." 

Later  the  Thirteenth  was  assigned  to  the  post 
of  the  First  Regiment.  First  Brigade.  Fifteenth 
Army  Corps,  and  in  April  was  changed  to  the 
Third  Division,  their  time  having  nearly  ex- 
pired. On  the  17th  of  April  they  fought  their 
last  battle  at  Mission  Station,  Ala.,  where  they 
had  been  surprised  and  surrounded  by  a  por- 
tion of  Roddy's  men,  who  advanced  on  the 
pickets  clothed  in  United  States  uniform,  and 
after  two  hours  of  hard  fighting  the  Thirteenth 
was  obliged  to  abandon  tbeir  station  and  break 


through  the  enemy's  lines,  Tbe  Thirteenth  at 
this  time  had  but  350  men  for  duty,  while  the 
enemy  bad  from  1,000  to  l.-")00  infantry  and 
cavalry,  and  three  pieces  of  artillery.  Sixty- 
six  of  their  pickets  and  skirmishers  were  cap- 
tured by  tbe  enemy,  and  the  latter  reported  a 
loss  of  sixty  killed,  wounded  and  missing. 

Du  Page  County  had  furnished  one-tenth  of 
this  notable  regiment.  Tbe  men  had  march- 
ed over  3,000  miles,  traveled  through  seven 
Southern  State.s,  and  participated  in  twenty 
different  battles  and  skirmishes.  The  regiments 
entered  service  with  1,010  men,  and  received 
fifty-five  recruits,  and  when  they  mustered  out 
the,v  numbered  500.  It  Is  believed  that  a  ma- 
jority reeulisted. 

The  following  is  the  roster  from  Du  Page 
County  in  this  regiment : 

COMPANY    H 

Privates — Babcoek,  F.  W. ;  Ketcbem.  .\bra- 
ham ;  KniflSu,  Daniel ;  Miller,  John  F. ;  That- 
cher, Nelson  L. 

COMPANY    K 

Officers 

Captain — Walter  Blanchard. 

First  Lieutenant — Merrit  S.   Hobson. 

Second  Lieutenant — Jordan  J.  Cole  (prcjpioted 
Captain). 

First  Sergeant — George  A.  Xaper  (promoted 
Second  Lieutenant). 

Sergeant — Eli      Baile.v      (promoted      Second 
Lieutenant). 

Corporals — Lewis  C.  Ball,  Franklin  Blan- 
chard, Eugene  W.  Farrer. 

Privates — Gadding,  John  G. ;  Ketcham,  Hi- 
ram ;  Page,  Edmund  E. ;  Hyde,  Charles  W. ; 
Kenyon,  Israel ;  Pollard,  Reuben  B. ;  Riley, 
Patrick ;  Wilson,  Franklin ;  Bader,  Adolph ; 
Balliman,  William ;  Ballou,  Daniel  W. ;  Ban- 
gertz,  Lorentz ;  Beekman,  Charles ;  Bessing, 
Lewis ;  Beuck,  Fritz ;-  Blanchard,  William ; 
Boettger,  Charles ;  Bolles,  Charles  E. ;  Bolles, 
Essee:  Carpenter.  Charles;  Daniels,  John; 
Dirr.  Adam  L. ;  Doerr,  Philip;  Duel,  Charles 
B. ;  Farrell,  James;  Ferris,  Charles  H. ;  Fowler, 
Oliver  S. ;  Greggs,  Joseph ;  Griffith,  Adam ; 
Grifiitb,  Charles;  Griffith,  Samuel;  Gokey, 
Lewis;  Hull,  Henry  K, ;  Harris.  Charles;  Hart, 
Matbias  ;  Hartigan,  Patrick ;  Heintz,  Michael ; 
Henricks,    Christian ;    Holley,    James   L. ;    How- 


Hlf^TORY  OP  DU  PAGE  COUNTY. 


755 


ard.  Abraham  ;  Howland,  Charles  E. ;  Hubbard, 
John  B. ;  Hunt,  Heury ;  Johnson,  William ; 
Kenyon,  John  M. ;  Kenyon,  William  J.;  Keu- 
chel,  Mathias;  Kreitzer,  Ferdinand;  Naper, 
John  X.:  Neadeshauser,  Daniel;  Neas,  Baptiste; 
Perry,  Merrit  S. ;  Potter.  Robert  IC. ;  Potter, 
William ;  Powers.  Hiram  M. ;  Prandelburg, 
Joseph:  Remmel.  Mathias;  Roush,  Jeremiah; 
Eoush.  John  M. ;  Rose.  William;  Rose,  William 
E. ;  Sheuster,  William;  Smith.  Joseph;  Snyder, 
Reuben ;  Standish.  Henry  ;  Stevens.  Dewltt  C. ; 
Sucher.  Jacob ;  Sucher,  James  W. ;  Tennant, 
Joseph  L. ;  Tilden,  Charles ;  Tirtlot.  John ; 
Townsend.  Lysander ;  Turner,  George ;  Tuttle, 
Charles;  Walters.  Christian;  Webster,  Charles; 
Wescott,  Theopliilus ;  Wifling,  Christian ; 
Woods,  Hollis.     * 

Fifteenth    I.nfantky 
company  a 
Private — Morris,  Joseph. 

COMPANY    E 

Private.s— Blaisdell,  William  E. ;  Watson,  JEd-_ 

ward.  ' "''  '-'■'"■^ 

Sixteenth    Infantry       '^Aiit'iil' 

COMPANY    F 

(Transferred   from    the   One   Hiindi;etl.  arwj. 
Fifth   Illinois)        '      ■  ■•''■■>. ,^,',1- 

Privates — Cline,  Lewis;  Edlie.  John. ;. £!eible, 
John ;  Gerline.  John ;  Graves.  James ;  Mayo, 
Alfred  II. ;  Mochel,  George. 

COMPANY    H 

The  following  enlisted  October  12,  1864, 
tran-sferred  to  the  One  Hundred  Fifth  Illinois. 

Corms.  Addison;  Holt,  Henry;  Mocklin,  Hen- 
ry ;  Wolf.  Christian. 

COMPANY    K 

(Transferred  to  the  One  Hundred  Fifth  Illi- 
nois.) 

Grant,  J.  C. ;  Letler.  Jeremiah ;  Wiloo.x,  Her- 
bert W. 

Ninteenth  Infantry 

COMPANY  c 

Private — Martin,  Miles. 


Twentieth  Infantry 

company-  a 

Boeker,    George   B. ;    Erving,    Robert ;    James, 
Henry ;  Scott,  Silas  C. ;  Wante,  Lucshing. 


COMPANY    B 


Xefif,   Martin. 


Twenty-Sixth   Infantry' 
company'  a 
Private — Arnold.  Alexander. 

Thirty-Third  Infantry 

The  Thirty-third  Illinois  Infantry  was  or- 
ganized and  mustered  into  service  at  Spring- 
field, in  September,  1801 ;  veteranized  at  Vicks- 
burg  January  1,  lSO-1,  and  was  there  mustered 
out  November  21.  1SG5,  being  finally  discharged 
at  Springfield  December  6  and  7.  The  aggre- 
gate enrollment  was  between  1,900  and  2,000, 
and  the  most  important  engagements  in  which 
it  participated  were  the  following:  Frederick- 
town,  Mo. ;  Port  Gibson,  Champion  Hills,  Black 
.■  Riiver  Bridge,  the  assault  and  siege  at  Vicks- 
j:  b^g. :siege  of  Jackson,  Fort  Esperanza.  and  In 
the  expedition  against  Mobile. 

SooH  after  being  mustered  in  the  regiment 
was  sent  to  Ironton,  Mo.,  where  it  remained 
« fliy'ingj  the  winter,  and  on  one  of  Its  occasional 
expeditious  into  the  countr.v,  it  fought  in  the 
baffle  of  Fredericktown.  The  following  March 
it  moved  southward,  under  command  of  Gen. 
Steele,  passing  into  Arkansas,  and  at  Batesville 
joined  Gen.  Curtis'  army ;  thence  went  via 
Jaeksonport,  Augusta  and  Clarendon,  to  Helena, 
Ark.,  taking  part  in  many  skirmishes.  During 
July  and  August  it  was  camped  near  Helena  and 
engaged  in  several  expeditions  up  and  down 
the  river.  In  September  it  moved  up  the  river 
to  Sulphur  Springs  and  thence  to  Pilot  Knob, 
Mo.,  which  was  reached  in  the  middle  of  Oc- 
tober. After  spending  the  winter  in  Missouri 
it  was  ordered  to  St.  Genevieve,  where  it  em- 
barked for  Milliken's  Bend.  La.,  and  being  at- 
tached to  the  First  Brigade.  First  Division, 
Thirteenth  Army  Corps,  engaged  in  all  its  bat- 
tles, concluding  with  the  siege  of  Jackson.  Fol- 
lowing this  the  regiment  moved  to  New  Or- 
leans   with    the    Thirteenth    Corps    in    August, 


756 


HISTORY  OF  DU  PAGE  COUNTY. 


later  iu  the  year  engaged  in   the  campaign  up 
the  Bayou  Tecbe,  and  in  November  returned  to 
New    Orleans.     Thence    they    were   ordered    to 
Brownsville,  Tex.,  but  before  landing  were  or- 
dered to  Arkansas  Pass.     They  participated  in 
the  capture  of  Fort  Esperanza  and  moved  thence 
to  Indianola  and  Port  Lavaca.     After  the  regi- 
ment   was    reorganized    at    Camp    Butler,     in 
April,  1S64,  they  went  to  New  Orleans,  and  in 
May  were  ordered  to  Brashear  City,  La.,  after 
which    the    regiment    was    scattered    along    the 
line  of  road  as  guard.     Sept.  17,  1864,  the  non- 
veterans  were  started  home  via  New  York  and 
mustered    out    at    Camp    Butler    in    October. 
March   2,   186.5,   the  veteran  members  were  or- 
dered  to  join   the   Sixteenth   Army   Corps,   and 
near  Boutte  Station,  the  train  was  thrown  from 
the    track    and    nine    men    killed    and    seventy 
wounded.     March  18th  they  embarked  on  Lake 
Ponchartrain.   for  the  Mobile   expedition,   land- 
ing at  Fish  River,  Ala.    From  March  27th  until 
April    1.3th    (the   day   after   the   capture)    they 
were  actively  engaged  in  front  of  Spanish  Fort, 
the  main  defense  of  Mobile.     After  the  surren- 
der of  Mobile  they  marched  with  the  Sixteenth 
Corps    for    MontgomeiT,    Ala.,    arriving    there 
April  2.jth.  and  while  encamped  on  the  .\labama 
River   they   received  news  of  the  surrender   of 
Lee  and  Johnson. 

The  following  served   in   this   regiment   from 
Du  Page  County : 

COMPANY    B 

Officers 

Captain — Moses  J.  Morgan. 

Sergeants— Forrester  S.  Lyon,  Sid  O.  Morgan. 

Corporals— James  M.  Barr,  Charles  M.  Cotter, 
Frank  D.  Green. 

Privates — Allison.  Andrew;  Andrews.  Char- 
les; Andrews.  Giles;  Austin.  Charles  G. ;  Bal- 
lou,  Morgan  ;  Block.  Ferdinand ;  Blodgett.  Scott ; 
Chatfield,  Alonzo  B. :  Chatfield.  George  W. ; 
Clark.  Luther  J.;  Clifford,  Edward;  Cry.  Sam- 
uel ;  Day,  Brace ;  Durant.  Edward  T. ;  Durant. 
William  E. ;  Fetterman.  Cyrus ;  Fischer,  Fred- 
erick J.;  Graunke,  Charles;  Grothman.  Fred- 
erick (York)  ;  Grothman.  Frederick  (Addison)  ; 
Hatch,  Edward  G. ;  Harbenger.  Jacob;  Heartt, 
George :  Holchampf .  Frederick  ;  Humme.  Jacob ; 
Koshner,  Charles;  Marvin.  Hector  A.;  Morgan. 
Henry  G.;  Nelson.  Henry;  Penken.  Henry 
Ridge,    Roger;    Rodgers,    Lucius    B. ;    Schmidt, 


Edward ;  Schwartz.  L<iuis ;  Shimner,  J.  C.  r 
Smart,  Wesley;  l^jrtlott,  James  M. ;  Vaughn. 
Aaron  C.  W. ;  Wakemau,  Bradford  J.;  Wheatly, 
William. 


COMP.\Xy    F 

Lappln,  Charles. 

Thlbty-sixth  Ixfaxtby 
company  a 
Private — Taylor,   John   B.   F. 

COMPANY    K 

Officers 

Captain — John  Q.  Adams.     • 

First    Sergeants — Eldridge    Adams.    John    F. 

Elliott. 
"  Sergeants— Romain  A.   Smith,  Charles  Hasle- 

hurst,  Matthew  J.  Hammond  (both  of  the  latter 

promoted  Second  Lieutenant). 

Coniorals — David    H.    Dickenson     (promoted 

First  Lieutenant),  Theodore  A.  Folson,  Abram 
J.  Ketchum.  Robert  II.  Starr,  Eugene  P.  Albro, 
Aseph  J.  Adams. 

Priy^tes — Adams.  William;  Allen.  Henry  C. ; 
Blank,  Harrison  W. ;  Birdsall,  Seneca  ;  Delaney. 
James;  Gates,  George  W. ;  Gordan,  John  M. ; 
Grandy,  Lemuel ;  Hammond,  Daniel ;  Harrison, 
M.  LaRue;  Haslehurst.  Frederick;  Hemming- 
way.  George  W. ;  Ilillard.  .Michael ;  Judd.  Fran- 
cis ;  Mattieson.  Thomas  P. ;  Minkler.  John  C. ; 
Monroe.  Edwin  E. ;  Monroe,  George ;  Mulnix, 
Edward  C. ;  Paul,  John;  Peterson,  John;  Pratt. 
Emery  W. ;  Samson.  Francis  ;  Sanders.  Harlan  ; 
Scales,  George  M. ;  Skinner.  Harmon  ;  Simmons, 
Benjamin  W. ;  Tewksberry.  Francis;  Tucker, 
Charles  X. ;  Wagoner.  Sidney  O. ;  Wood,  Orvin. 

Thirty-sevextii  Infantry 

Officer 

Quartermaster    Sergeant— Edward   Blodgett. 

COMPANY    G 

First  Assistant  Surgeon — Elijah  A.  Clark. 
Private — Tape!.  Deidrick. 

Thirty-ninth  Infantry 
company'  e 
Privates— Cook.  Ezra  A.;  Decker.  Lewis. 


HISTORY  OF  DU  PAGE  COUNTY. 


r57 


Forty-second  Infantry 
company'  b 
O'Brieu,  Edward. 

COMPANY    H 

(All   residents   of  Naperville) 
Bents,   Benjamin;   Butts,   Benjamin   F. ;   Gib- 
liu,    Thomas ;    Itzenhauser,   John ;    Shimp,   Wil- 
liam ;  Wilcox,  Elishn. 

FOKTY'-THIRD   INFANTRY 
COMPANY'   G 

Privates — Garrety,    Peter ;    Steiner,    Michael ; 
Vinat,  Louis. 

Forty-fourth  Infantry' 

company'  e 
Private — Goldhammer,  Heur.v. 

Fifty-fibst  Infantry 

COMPAliTY    B 

(All  Of  these  enlisted  December  24,  ISGl) 
Privates — Bates,  An.sel ;  Burman,  Lewis ; 
Bleasch,  Gustave ;  Foley,  John ;  Hahn,  Henry  ; 
Hoffman,  Paul ;  Johnson,  Christian ;  Kehler, 
Philip :  Kernan,  Mark  T. ;  Lapp,  Henry ;  Lauer- 
man,  John ;  Snow,  Edgar  J. ;  Welsh.  William ; 
Werder,  Frederic. 

COMPANY    E 

Hull.  Edward  E. ;  Daniels,  Hibbard. 

COMPANY-  I 

Miller,  George  W. ;  Prickett,  William  W. 

FIFTY'-SECOND  INFANTRY 
COMPANY   A 

Privates — Burnham,  Edward;  Giles,  Jerry 
W. ;   Graves,   James   D. 

COMPANY   c 

Parks,  Isaac. 

COMPANY    D 

Brown,  Gilbert  X. ;  Hammond,  James ;  Ham- 
mond, William  H. ;  Ogen,  John  Vander ;  Plant, 
Medar  H. ;  Recheubaeh.  Ohris-tlan ;  Stauffer, 
Lewis ;  Swenson,  John. 


COMPANY'  I 

Officer 
Corporal — Thomas  E,  Faruham. 

COMPANY'    K 

Officers 

Musicians — A.  B.  Gliues  (leader  regimental 
band),  John  Heitzler,  Gregory  Matbias.  Alex- 
ander H.  Saylor,  Morgan  F.  Saylor,  Thomas 
W.   Saylor,   Joseph    Swartz,  James  M.   Vallette. 

Privates — Cleveland,  Sylvester;  Currier,  Wil- 
liam R. ;  Ford.  John. 


FiFTY'-THIRD    INFANTRY' 
COMPANY    K 

Private — Kingston,  George. 

Fifty-fourth  Infantry' 

company'  d 
Privates — Cox,     Wesley    F. ;     Cox,     William ; 
Hardsoc,   Elsy. 

FiFTY'-FIFTH     INFANTRY 
COMPANY    C 

Privates — Sanders,  Calvin  A. ;  Summers, 
Thomas ;  Schultz,  Theodore. 

COMPANY'    E 

Officers 

First   Lieutenant — William   H.   Dixon. 

Sergeant — William  C.  Porter  (promoted  tti 
Captain). 

Privates — Arnot,  Hugo ;  Beie,  Henry ;  Bur- 
ger, Dedrlc ;  Beaultinghouse,  Amos ;  Dixon, 
Robert ;  Downing,  William ;  Garbs,  Richard ; 
Garst,  Christian ;  Gleasner,  Andrew ;  Gushard, 
Isaac ;  Gushert,  Emanuel ;  Kailer,  Frederick ; 
Kaiser,  Henry ;  Kellogg,  Samuel  C. ;  Kennedy, 
James ;  Liebundgood,  Christian ;  Leibundgood, 
Peter ;  Martin,  Porter  B, ;  Meisner,  Andrew ; 
Papp,  Martin  ;  Reynolds,  Henry ;  Reinohl,  Hen- 
ry ;  Reinohl,  Joseph ;  Shauning,  Diedrie ;  Shan- 
niug.  Richard  ;  Strieker.  David ;  Tesel,  Henry ; 
Timke.v,  Harmon ;  Veith,  Frederick ;  Warden. 
John  ;  Warden,  Moses. 


("58 


HISTORY  OF  DU  PAGE  COUNTY. 


FiFiy-sixTii    Infantry 

COMPANY  I 

Private — Teunent,  Joseph  L. 

Fifty-seventh    Infantry 

company  e 
Private — Kennedy,  James. 

Fifty-eighth    Infantry 

company  c 
Privates — Atwater,    Benjamin    F. ;    Eldridge, 
George  W. 

COMPANY'    D 

Mehan,   Jolm ;   Stuber,  Daniel. 

COMPANY    F 

Iloelin,  George;  Ugorecli,  Albert. 

COMPANY    H 

Seoville,  George  R. ;  Seoville,  Goodwin  D. 

COMPANY   I 

Battles,    Caleb ;    Dooner,    Jeremiah ;     Shultz, 
John  ;  Wilson,  Bink. 

Sixty-seventh   Infantry 

coaipany  b 
Private — Farnachtani,   Jlelvin. 

COMPANY'    D 

Blanchard,   William   F. ;   Gleason,    Bishop  J. ; 
Ward,  Isaac  S. 

Sixty-ninth  Infantry 

company'  b 
Privates — Benedict,   Thomas ;   Donovan,   Hen- 
ry ;    Griffith,    William ;    Ketchum,    Charles    F. ; 
Stephens,  Alonzo  S. 

Seventy-second  Infantry 

COMPANY   a 

Privates — Bluck,    ITenry  ;    Schnrzniann,    Char- 
les. 

COMPANY    B 

Graves.  Julius. 

COMPANY    E 

Wells.   Abraham ;    Wells,    Lucien ;    Winterton, 
William. 


COMPANY    G 

Stinson,  Thomas. 

COMPANY    K 

Hcinricks,  Peter ;  Heiuries,  Chris ;  Newhouse, 
Peter;  Ross,  Charles;  Shattman,  Ernst;  Wil- 
liams, William  M. 

COMPANY  c 

Gleason,  Henry  J. 

Eighty-second   Infantry 

company'  k 
Private — Bumgartner,  Andrew. 

Eighty-eighth   Infantry 

company  b 

Oflicer 

Musician — Robert  Hamilton. 
Privates — Jones,      James      H. ;      Sutherland, 
James  B. ;  Thomas,  Samuel  S. 

Eighth-ninth  Infantry 
company  k 

Offlccr 

Corporal — Emery  B.   Watson. 

Privates — Leary,  John ;  Portman,  Lewis ; 
Scott,  Otis  P.;  Temple,  George;  Washington, 
George;   Wright,  Wallace. 

Ninty-fiftii    Infantry 

company  a 
Privates — Pomeroy,    Luther;    Smith,    Thomas. 

One  Hundredth  Infantry 

COMPANY    d 

Private — Saylor.   Peter  H. 

One  Hundred   Fifth    Infantry 

This  regiment  was  mustered  into  service  at 
Dixon.  September  2,  1SG2,  and  participated  in 
the  Atlanta  Campaign,  taking  part  in  engage- 
ments at  Resaca.  Peach  Tree  Creek  and  At- 
lanta, and  being  almost  constantly  engaged  in 
skirmishing.    They  also  took  part  in  the  "March 


O^o^y^^fL^  ^o-n^jxt-A^* 


HISTORY  OF  DU  PAGE  COUNTY. 


rso 


to  the  Sea"  autl  the  cauiiiaigu  iu  the  Caroliiias. 
mdiuling  the  siege  of  Savanuah  and  the  hattles 
of  A\'ei-ysIioi-o  and  Hentouville.  They  took 
part  iu  the  Grand  Review  at  Washington,  where 
they  received  a  compliment  for  their  movements 
in  the  manual  of  arms  and  for  their  military 
appearance.  They  remained  iu  Washington 
until  June  7,  18(55.  when  they  were  mustered 
out,  and  they  were  paid  off  and  discharged  at 
Chicago  June  17th.  There  was  a  larger  num- 
ber of  Du  Page  County  citizens  in  this  regi- 
ment than  in  any  other  during  the  war,  and 
they  bore  themselves  with  credit  to  themselves 
and  to  their  regiment,  bearing  their  full  share 
of  the  hardships  and  dangers  gallantly  and  at 
all  times  performing  their  full  duty. 

The  following  is  the  roster  from  Du  Page 
County : 

Regimental  Officers 

Liutenant  Colonel — Henry  P.  Vallette. 
Adjutant — William  N.  Phillips. 
Surgeon — Horace   S.  Potter. 
Assistant        Surgeons  —  Alfred        Waterman, 
George  W.  Beggs. 

Non-Commissioncd  Staff 

Sergeant  Majors — Jonathan  G.  Vallette   Cpro- 

moted),  Ogden  Whitlock. 
Commissary  Sergeant — Clinton  Beach.  -s 

Principal    Musicians — Morell    Fuller.    Walter*" 

Van  Velzer. 

COMPANY    B 

Officers 

Captain — Theodore  S.  Rogers. 

First  Lieutenant — Lucius  B.  Church  (pro- 
moted Captain). 

Second  Lieutenant — Willard  Scott.  Jr.  (pro- 
moted First  Lieutenant). 

First  Sergeants — John  A.  Sedg\\-ick,  Isaac  D. 
Kelly    (promoted). 

Sergeants — Ashley  E.  Carpenter,  Gilbert  Be- 
dell, Perry  Townsend  (promoted). 

Corporals — Mark  A.  Xaiier  (promoted  Ser- 
geant). Morris  Town  (promoted  Sergeant), 
Elias  A.  Cooley,  William  Freeto,  Elias  Burns, 
Xicholas  Yacli,  Alexander  F.  Foster,  Samuel  A. 
Barr. 

Privates — Babbitt.  John  H. ;  Baehlem,  Wil- 
liam ;  Baleh,  Homer ;  Bannister,  Edmund  B. ; 
Beidleman.  William;  Bowker.  George;  Branch, 
Royal  D. ;   Brown,  W' illiam   H. ;   Buchanan,   Al- 


bert ;  Bucks.  Wesley ;  Burns,  John  R. ;  Butz, 
Joseph  J. ;  Chase.  Samuel  B. ;  Cooper,  Fred- 
erick ;  Corlett,  Robert ;  Cornell,  Joseph  ;  Cotes, 
John  S. ;  Davis,  Tora  B. ;  Fe.v,  Albert ;  Fisher. 
Hiram  B. ;  Fowler,  Daniel  H. ;  Fuller.  Morell ; 
Gager,  John  T. ;  Grumbine,  Moses ;  Gushert, 
Conrad;  Hammerschmidt.  Joseph:  Hand.  Lewis 
J. ;  Hifkle,  George :  Iloffnian.  Bartholomew ; 
Hynen.  Ernst;  Hughes.  William  S. ;  .Johnston, 
William ;  Jones,  Daniel ;  Kenyon.  Xicholas  R. ; 
Keuyon.  Paris  ;  Kessell,  George  ;  Kimball,  Delos  ; 
Kopp,  Henry  C. ;  Kummer.  Henry ;  Lindsey, 
Merritt ;  Matzberger,  Henry  ;  Meyers,  Edwin  B. ; 
Meyers,  Frederick  A. ;  Meyers.  Henry ;  Meyers, 
William  H. ;  McMillan,  James ;  Miller,  John ; 
Moeler.  Henry  ;  Mowry,  Henry  ;  Murray.  Char- 
les ;  Musselman,  Harrison;  Xeitz,  Moses;  Xor- 
ton,  Henry ;  Palmer,  Alonzo  L. ;  Perkins.  Till- 
man;  Pratt.  Lorenzo;  Purnell.  William;  Mc- 
Quinstou,  William ;  Reynolds,  Alonzo  L. ;  Riek- 
ert,  Edwin  C. ;  Ruth,  Adam ;  Stanley,  Joel ; 
Stanley,  Joseph ;  Stephenson,  John  P. ;  Stevens, 
Mathias  A.;  Stutenroth,  Charles  W. ;  Smith, 
Chauncy  B. ;  Townsend,  Augustus ;  Tucker ; 
George;  von  Oven.  Adelbert ;  Wallace,  Gerry; 
Watson.  Sanford;  Weaber.  Edward:  Weaver, 
feaiilel  R. ;  Woodward.  Horace;  Wright.  Albert 
H. ;  Wyant,  Albert  H. ;  Wilson,  Moultrie :  Wy- 
man,  William  H. ;  Zentniyer,  Ilenrv  S. 

COMPANY   D 

'  '  "  Officers 

Captain — Amos  C.  Graves. 

First  Lieutenant — William   H.  Jeffers. 

Second  Lieutenant — Luther  L.  Peaslee  (pro- 
moted First  Lieutenant). 

First  Sergeant — Jonathan  G.  Vallette  (pro- 
moted Sergeant  Major). 

Sergeants — George  D.  Sedgwick.  Jolin  Bill- 
ings Jr.,  Edward  Munk. 

Corporals — Adoniram  J.  Graves  (promoted 
Captain),  Edwin  Coffin  (promoted  First  Lieu- 
tenant). Milton  Pinney,  George  Apthorpe, 
George  Hayes,  Ferdinand  D.  Fowler.  Theodore 
R.   Freer.   George  Hamilton. 

Musicians — Joseph  H.  Watts.  Uri.ih  C.  White. 

Wagoner — James  H.  Wood. 

Cooks — Peter  Ayres,  Robert  Jones. 

Privates — Barrows.  James;  Bartholomew, 
Charles;  Bartholomew.  Darius;  Berry.  Isaac  J.; 
Billings.  Simeon;  Birdsall.  William  C. ;  Blake- 
man.   Jacob ;   Bostwick.   Arthur ;    Bostwick,   Hi- 


760 


HISTORY  OF  DU  PAGE  COUNTY. 


ram  A. ;  Chapmau,  Edward ;  Clark,  Henry  E. ; 
Cline,  Lewis;  Collins,  George;  Couners,  James; 
Corpe.  Lucien  W. ;  Coy,  David ;  Dalton,  Naylor ; 
Deuuy,  Charles  ;  Dixon,  James  C. ;  Drullard,  Al- 
varo ;  Eddie,  John ;  Elsy,  Isaac ;  Fennimore, 
Hugh ;  Fowler,  Daniel ;  French,  Joseph  G. ; 
Gary,  Erastus  N. ;  Gerlin,  John ;  Givler,  Solo- 
mon Jr. ;  Gieble,  John ;  Godfrey,  Luther  N. ; 
Goodell,  Henry ;  Grant,  Albert ;  Gumpsheimer, 
Christ ;  Hatch,  Reuben  R. ;  Hewit,  Frank  ;  lu- 
galls,  Abner  E. ;  Kummer,  Herman ;  Landon, 
Dwight ;  Lawrence,  Charley  ;  Leonard,  Charles ; 
Lilley,  Emery  A. ;  Linch,  Anton ;  Mayo,  Alfred 
H. ;  McFarren,  Hiram  H. ;  McKilUps,  Zerastus ; 
McQueston.  Christ ;  ileaebam,  Lucius ;  Meochel, 
George;  Meyers,  John  M. ;  Miles.  James;  Morey, 
John :  Munk.  James  C. ;  Palmer.  Alonzo ; 
Pierce,  John  H. ;  Puffer,  Charles ;  Eeseguie,  L. 
V. ;  Richards,  Samuel  T. ;  Robberts.  Charley ; 
Robberts,  Charles ;  Rogers,  Dedrich ;  Rogers, 
Thomas ;  Roush,  Luther ;  Rucherick,  Henry ; 
Schroder.  John  ;  Shilling,  Jacob  ;  Shimmelspfeu- 
ning.  Frank ;  Smith,  Aiu-ich  C. ;  Strauley,  Au- 
tonie;  Straulry,  Anton;  Stanley,  Elisha ; 
Strelilon,  Frederick;  Taylor,  Rufus  B. ;  Thomp- 
son, William ;  Umberger,  Hiram ;  Wallace.  Re- 
sell ;  Wheatley,  Isaac ;  Wilson.  Rolou ;  Winoss. 
Daniel ;  Winslow,  Edward  M. ;  Wolf,  George ; 
Wray,  William  F. ;  Tender,  Allis. 

COMPANY  F 

Officers 

Captain — Seth  P.  Daniels. 

First  Lieutenant— William  M.  Tirtlott. 

Second  Lieutenant — Porter  Warner  (pro- 
moted First  Lieutenant). 

Sergeants — Henry  C.  Wheeler  (promoted 
Second  Lieutenant),  Morgan  Wolcott,  Daniel 
E.  Perry.  Melvin  Smith  (promoted  First  Lieu- 
tenant). 

Corporals — George  W.  Boutwell  (promoted  to 
U.  S.  colored  troops).  Sterling  D.  Aiken,  George 
A.  Smith,  Perry  Harris,  Marchal  E.  Meacham. 
George  F.  Crane  (promoted  First  Sergeant). 
John  Thompson  Jr.,  George  W.  Kinnie. 

Musicians — George  W.  Kinyon,  Hiram  C. 
Standish. 

Wagoner — William   Carter. 

Privates — Ackerman,  Alonzo ;  Ackerman. 
John ;  Ackley.  William  W. ;  Adams,  Samuel ; 
Adams,  Charles  H. ;  Bachelder,  John ;  Baker. 
Silas  ;  Blank,  Joel ;  Brand,  David  N. ;  Brannou. 


Patrick  ;  Boutwell,  Charles  M. ;  Branch,  John  ; 
Brown,  William ;  Cary,  Edward ;  Clark,  Noi- 
man  S. ;  Compton,  Henry  D. ;  Congleton,  James 
A. ;  Connor,  James  P. ;  Depue,  Harrison 
J. ;  DeWolf,  Leonard  E. ;  Dissinger,  Aaron ; 
Donahue,  Patrick ;  Drody,  James ;  Ehle,  Her- 
man S.,  Fairbank,  James  H. ;  Fancher, 
Allison ;  Filer,  Fi'ank ;  Fletcher,  Nichols 
W. ;  Geer,  Daniel  V. ;  Geer,  Lewis  C. ;  Grant, 
Isaac  J. ;  Grant,  David  J. ;  Grant,  Oris  W. ; 
Gray,  Virgil  V. ;  Green,  Edwin ;  Griswold, 
Martin  E. ;  Hadley,  Azias  L. ;  Hammond,  John 
Jr. ;  Hammond,  Perry  H. ;  Hiatt,  Luther  L. ; 
Holmes,  Thomas  W ;  Jipson,  Thomas ;  John- 
ston, James  K. ;  Kenniston.  Uriah  B. ;  Kingsley, 
Henry  S. ;  Knickerbocker,  Wilson ;  Lewis.  Wil- 
liam ;  Long.  Silas ;  Mattocks.  Andrew  J. ;  Mc- 
Lean. Daniel ;  Miller,  Albert ;  Miller,  George  ; 
Mills,  Samuel ;  Minor,  Briton  ;  Mullen,  Orlando  ; 
McGraw,  Patrick ;  Nash,  Delos ;  Owen,  Elisha 
G. ;  Parker,  Dexter ;  Porter,  William ;  Reed, 
George  B. :  Reiley.  George  W. ;  Rice.  Arthur  P. : 
Rudd,  William  C. ;  Rush.  Green  B. ;  Pepper. 
Patrick ;  Samuelson,  Gustavus ;  Sayer,  Warren 
M. ;  Stockton.  Joseph  ;  Stonham,  John  ;  Stover. 
Lewis  C. ;  Sullivan,  John ;  Talmadge,  George 
H. ;  Trick.  Richard  A. ;  Vanhoughtou,  Milton ; 
Wakelee,  William  H. ;  Wheeler,  John  W. ;  Whit- 
lock,  Ogden ;  Whuton,  Peter ;  Wilcox,  Herbert 
W. ;  Wildman.  Joseph ;  Wright,  Benjamin  F. ; 
Yander.   Samuel. 

COMPANY  I 

Officers 

Captain — Enos  Jones. 

First  Lieutenant — William  O.  Locke  (pro- 
moted Captain). 

Second  Lieutenant — Augustus  H.  Fisher. 

Sergeants — John  Unold  (promoted  Captain), 
Hannibal  Pierce  (promoted  First  Sergeant), 
Joseph  Wagner.  Jolm  Baker. 

Corporals — Frederick  Knust,  Napoleou  Miller, 
Henry  Rinking.  John  Smith.  Joseph  Wigand, 
Lewis  Smldt  (promoted  Sergeant),  Jacob  Wer- 
ner. 

Privates — Anderson.  William;  Andre.*.  Val- 
entine :  Baker.  John  H. ;  Brems.  John ;  Brems, 
Henry ;  Brockman.  Henry ;  Brown,  Charles ; 
Comro.  Adolph  ;  Damerways.  Henry ;  Dohlman, 
Jochin ;  Dollinger,  Anton;  Dirking.  William; 
Fisher.  Diedrich ;  Fork,  Grehard  H. :  Foust, 
John ;   Frank,   David ;   Fredericks,  John ;   Fred- 


HISTORY  OF  DU  PAGE  COUNTY. 


761 


ericks.  George ;  Fullman,  Frederick  ;  Gray,  Fred- 
erick J. ;  Gletcher,  Frederick ;  Gimble,  John ; 
Hauebutb,  August ;  Hanebutli,  William ;  Heller, 
Henry  ;  Herbs,  Henry  ;  Herveman,  David  ;  Hin- 
ton.  Edward  ;  Holdorf,  Gotlieb ;  Huebl,  Gerbard ; 
Jenkins,  William  F. ;  Kempb,  Samuel ;  Kessel, 
Christian ;  Kline,  John ;  Knipenberg,  Henry ; 
Kouson,  Henry ;  ICoxing,  Henry ;  Lenssenhap, 
William ;  Leseberg,  Augustus ;  Leseberg,  Fred- 
erick ;  Leuchison,  Frederick ;  Meaas,  Peter ; 
Mehring,  Henry ;  Messenbrink,  Frederick ;  Mes- 
senbrink,  Lewis ;  Mills,  Samuel ;  Jlishe,  Au- 
gustus; JIueller,  Philip;  Muss,  Nicholas ;  New- 
man, Andrew  ;  Pelzer,  Henry  ;  Pepper,  Patrick  ; 
Ritter,  Carl ;  Ruprecht,  Henry ;  Schott.  J. ; 
Schott,  W.  H. ;  Schults,  Carl;  Smith,  John  H. ; 
Spangeuberg,  Chris. ;  Stuve,  Diedrieb ;  Teght- 
man,  Henry ;  Timmer,  Herman ;  Volberding. 
Lewis  A. ;  Wailou,  Peter  ;  Webber,  Frederick  ; 
Weisman.  Henry;  Zarzo,  John;  Milke,  Charles; 
Holt.  Henry  ;  Jones,  David  ;  Mochling.  Henry  ; 
Wolf,  Christian ;  PUunraor,  Sephenius ;  Levi 
(cook),   Roman. 

COMPANY  K 

Sigg.  David ;  Zimer,  Henry. 

One    Hundbed   Twenty-Seventh   Infantry 

company  a 
Privates — Mosley,   Albert ;   Mosley,   Henry. 

COMPANY    F 

Lewis.  Daniel  W. 

COMPANY    K 

Marchy,  Thomas  E. ;   Ruehel,  Philip  H. 
One    Hundred   Thirty-Second    Infantry 

COMP.\NY   c 

Private — Ufford,   Charles. 

COMPANY    I 

Officers 

Captain — John  A.  Sedgewick. 

Sergeant — Harold  C.  Herrick. 

Corporals — William  P.  Wright.  Levi  S.  Bish- 
ford. 

Privates — Bunn.  Isaac  H. ;  Conklin.  Lewis ; 
Denham.  George  W. ;  Hall,  Charles  H. ;  Hallam, 
Robert ;  Long,  Luther ;  McNeil,  John ;  Sellers, 
Edward  B. ;  Thatcher,  Charles  T. ;  Thumbull, 
George  F. 

10 


.    One   Hundred  Fobty-Fibst   Infantry 

company  g 
Private — Town,   Albert. 

COMPANY    H 

Officers 

Captain — Albert  S.  Janes. 

First  Lieutenant — Amos  Churchill. 

Second   Lieutenant — Joseph   R.   McChesney. 

Musicians — David  Eldridge,  Edward  Vallette. 

Privates — Ackerman,  Miles;  Bronson,  Charles; 
Bird.  Henry;  Bisbee,  Bruce;  Barnes,  William; 
Barber.  Joseph  ;  Churchill,  Andrew ;  Cook,  Na- 
thaniel ;  Clieeney,  Eugene  JI. ;  Dodge,  Parker 
C. ;  DeWolf.  Franklin;  Etland,  Ernest;  Ed- 
wards ,Tohn;  Lennemore,  Henry  (Fennemore?)  ; 
Giblin.  Henry ;  Holmes,  Alanson  W. ;  Hocka- 
day,  William ;  Hatch,  Henry  M. ;  Hennesy, 
Michael ;  Heim.  Fred ;  Hubbell,  John ;  Hill, 
David;  Harrington,  James  H. ;  Hageman, 
Francis  H. ;  Jewell,  Andrew ;  Jameson,  Hugh ; 
Johnson,  William  H. ;  Kane.  Thomas ;  Knutt, 
Herman;  Kelly.  James;  Litchfield,  Cyrus  W. ; 
Lake,  Robert  B. ;  Liebendguth,  Michael ;  Myers, 
Edwin  R. ;  Muzzy,  Harrison  ;  McCormick,  John  ; 
Meyers,  Charles  M. ;  Newton,  William  C. ; 
Michalson,  James  D. ;  Peck,  Sanford ;  Pierce, 
William  H. ;  Puffer,  George  W. ;  Quigle.v,  Adel- 
bert;  Rickert.  George;  Richardson,  Henry; 
Sandercock,  George ;  Stacy,  Philo  W. ;  Shepherd, 
William ;  Smith,  John ;  Sabin,  Charles  A. ; 
Sprout.  William;  Steavens,  .John;  Smith,  John; 
Talmadge,  Edgar ;  Thompson,  Alexander ;  Val- 
lette, John  O. :  Vallette.  Henry  A. ;  White, 
James ;  Wallace.  Henry  ;  Walsh,  Thomas ;  Wil- 
son, Alexander;  Weaber,  William;  Wing,  John 
P.;  Young,  Andrew;  Zeir,  Peter;  Zeill,  Ferdi- 
nand ;  Hagerman,   Francis  C. ;   Zeill,  Frederick. 

COMPANY   0 

Officers 

First   Sergeant — John  McAleer. 

Corporals — Eastman    Edwin ;    Lewis    C.    Ray. 

Musician — Willis   Shaw. 

Privates — Adams,  Hiram  ;  Barter,  Franklin ; 
Barther.  William;  Busche.  George;  Cliisholm, 
Oliver  P. ;  Fowler.  Charles ;  Gage,  James  H. ; 
Grow,  Freeman ;  Hall,  Chase  A. ;  Hammond, 
Abram  ;  Hemmlngway,  C.  E. ;  Johnson,  William 
H. ;  King,  George  T. ;  McKillips,  Albert  H. ; 
McKillips,     William    M. ;     McNaught,    Ezekiel; 


762 


HISTORY  OF  DU  PAGE  COUNTY. 


OBrien,  Heury;   Shaw,  George  W. ;   Smith,  Al- 
bert E. ;  Turner.  August ;  AVheeler.  Danford  M. 

COMPANY    D 

Artt.  Jauies  J. ;  Atherton,  L.  W. ;  Balcom,  T. 
H. ;  Delauo,  William  B. ;  Fuller.  Alouzo  W. ; 
Hulett,  John;  O'Siierry,  William:  'ruttle. 
Francis  L. 

COMPANY    E 

Brown.  Addison ;  Bucknor.  David ;  .Johnson, 
Samuel;  Nicholas.  Samuel;  Reddick,  Austin; 
Williams,  .Johu  H. 

COMPANY    I 

Officers 

Sergeants— Benjamin  W.  Warnock  (promoted 
Second  Lieutenant),  George  J.  Rickert.  Eugene 
M.  Cheeney  (promoted  Quartermaster  Sergeant). 

Corporals — Charles  H.  Howard.  George  T. 
Miller.  Miner  Ithamer.  Walter  S.  Wilson  (pro- 
moted Sergeant).  Thomas  Dow. 

Privates — Aitken.  Walter  ;  Anderson,  Andrew  ; 
Boardman,  Albert ;  Bohlander,  Henry ;  Bohlan- 
der,  Phily  G. ;  Bristol,  Augustus:  Bristol, 
Peleg;  Brown,  Luther  D. ;  Canfield,  John; 
Cleveland,  Sylvester  .T. ;  Denhem.  Robert ;  Flet- 
cher, Lewis:  Gary.  Charles  H. ;  Grutner,  Wil- 
liam ;  McGloue.  Michael ;  Moore,  Oscar ; 
OT.rien,  Thomas;  Oleson,  Sivert;  Perkins,  Wil- 
liam F. ;  Piatt,  William  T. ;  Tansel,  Rand ; 
Rau.slow,  S. ;  Soles,  John  D. ;  Sprout,  John ; 
Stevens,  Archibal ;  Town.  Albert  S. ;  Wallace, 
Henry;  Weaver  John;  Wilson,  Elliott;  Young, 
Andrew. 

One   Hcndeed   Fifty-Sixth   Infantry- 

The  One  Hundred  Fifty-si.xth  Infantry  was 
organized  and  mustered  in  during  the  months 
of  February  and  March.  1865,  for  the  term  of 
one  year,  and  was  made  up  from  the  northern 
counties  of  Illinois.  It  was  mustered  out  at 
Springfield  September  20,  180.^.  having  spent 
most  of  its  term  in  Tennessee.  The  regiment  was 
mustered  in  at  Camp  Fry,  Chicago,  went  from 
there  to  Louisville.  Ky.,  and  thence  to  Nash- 
ville, reaching  there  March  20,  1865.  April  1, 
1865,  it  reached  Chattanooga,  remained  tliere 
two  months,  when  the  regiment  was  divided 
for  garrison  duty  on  the  railroad  between  Chat- 
tanooga, Tenn.,  and  Dalton,  Ga.     The  regiment 


was  reunited  at  Cleveland,  Teun.,  about  July 
1st,  at  which  time  all  the  officers  of  Company 
D  resigned,  and  the  command  of  the  company 
fell  upon  First  Sergeant  William  P.  Wright, 
who  had  been  promoted  to  Second  Lieutenant 
and  later  to  Captain.  The  regiment  was  or- 
dered to  Memphis,  doing  city  patrol  and  prison 
guard  duty  there  until  the  latter  part  of  Sep- 
tember, when  it  proceeded  to  Springfield  and 
was  mustered  out. 

COMPANY-    A 

Privates — Alexander,  Samuel ;  Berry,  Wash- 
ington ;  Breese,  James  M. ;  Durphy.  Jefferson; 
Keeley.  Francis  M. ;  Stowers,  Robert  W. ;  Lace, 
Andrew. 

COMPANY    D 

Officers 

Captain— William   Blanchard. 

First  Lieutenant— Reuben   W.    Bard. 

Second  Lieutenant — Solomon  E.  Mertz,  Wil- 
liam  M.   Cranipton. 

First  Sergeant— W.  P.  Wright  (promoted 
Captain). 

Sergeants — William  H.  Hillegas  (promoted 
Lieutenant).  George  Hall.  Jones  B.  Brown. 

Corporals— Harvey  Weaver  and  Edward  C. 
Dudley  (both  promoted  Sergeant)  ;  George  F. 
Knauss,  Charles  T.  Thatcher.  George  J.  Kulp, 
Alexander  Wilson.  Lewis  JI.  Rich,  Levi  Miller. 

Musicians — Raljih  A.  Shepherd.  Julius  Aaron. 

Privates— Arnold,  James;  Atwood.  William; 
Atzell,  John  ;  Bapst,  Lewis ;  Bateman.  John  W. ; 
Berry.  Charles  H. ;  Ri-own,  David ;  Compt,  Eu- 
gene; Craigmile.  Alexander;  Chowaun.  Jacob; 
Davenport,  Oscar;  Drew,  Robert;  Eberlee,  John 
B. ;  Essington,  Thomas;  Escher  Martin  E. ;  Fli- 
sher.  John ;  Getsh.  Anton ;  Grass.  Frederick ; 
Gushard,  David ;  Good.  Robert  G. ;  Grashley, 
Charley ;  Heim,  Henry ;  Heinds.  Frederick ; 
Heitzler.  John ;  Hiuty.  Frederick ;  Holderer. 
Christ ;  Houser,  William  ;  Hubbard.  Charles  H. ; 
Hammer.  Peter ;  Hiuderlong.  Christian ;  Houser, 
Miltou  L. ;  Kailer,  Jacob ;  Kline.  Jacob ;  Kline, 
William;  Kockley,  Joseph;  Kreyder,  Charles; 
Kreyder,  John  ;  Lent,  Lawrence  E. ;  Liebenden- 
guth,  Michael ;  Maynard.  Levi ;  Mattis,  Joseph  ; 
Mattis,  Sabastian  ;  Mertz,  Wellington  :  Xetzley, 
John  W. ;  Oldfield,  Joshua  ;  Peters.  Frederick  ; 
Porter,  Alva  B. ;  Rehin.  Andrew ;  Rickert.  Alex- 
ander M. ;   Rickert.   Richard;   Riddle.   William; 


o 


c 
!z; 

o 
r 

H 


HISTORY  OF  DU  PAGE  COUNTY. 


763 


Shaffer,  Alfred;  Sliephard,  William;  Smith, 
Charles;  Smith,  George  Jr.;  Smith,  Frederick; 
Stoner,  Frauk  A, ;  Stover,  Edmund ;  Strauley, 
George;  Strauss,  Albert;  Turner,  George;  Ull- 
rich, Henry ;  Vogle,  Nelson ;  Wagner,  Jerry ; 
Wetter,  Valentine  C. ;  Wheatley,  Frederick ; 
Whitney,  William  C. ;  Vender,  George ;  Yundt, 
Simeon  E. 

COMPANY    E 

Haslett,     John ;     Kelley,     Jeflorson ;     Rooney, 
John  ;  Williams,  Jau;es. 

COMPANY    F 

Cragg,  Edward ;  Cragg,  George  H. ;  Griswold, 
David  M. ;   Misner,  Merit. 

COMPANY    G 

Campbell,  Garrett. 

Thirteenth    Colored   Infantry 
Private — Finley,  Willis. 

Sixteenth    Colored    Infantry 
Private — Meals,    Charles. 

Second   Cavalry 

company  m  ...... 

Private — Preston,   Charles. 


■4Vk. 


Third   Cavalry 


COMPANY   H  .    • . ■  . 

Privates — Hubbard,   William  ;   Fischer,  James 


H. 

COMPANY    I 

Backus,  Myron. 

COMPANY    K 

Milner,  Henry  C. 

Fourth  Cavalry 

COMPANY    c 

Privates — Avery  ,   John  ;    Avery.    Frank    H. ; 
Weaver,  Henry. 

•        Sixth    Cavalry 

company-  b 
Privates — McKinney,      John     H. ;     Rinehard, 
John. 


Eighth   Cavalry 

The  Eighth  Cavalry,  in  which  so  many  from 
Du  Page  County  served,  was  organized  at  St. 
Charles  under  Hon.  John  F.  Farnsworth,  Sep- 
tember 18,  ISGl,  and  was  mustered  out  at  St. 
Louis,  Mo.,  July  17,  1S65,  receiving  final  jiay 
and  discharge  at  Chicago.  No  regiment  served 
with  greater  faithluluess.  and  the  State  had 
reason  to  be  proud  of  its  gallantry  under  fire 
and  its  achievements.  It  was  ordered  to  Vir- 
ginia and  took  part  in  the  general  advance  on 
Manassas,  and  was  engaged  in  the  following 
engagements :  Torktown.  Williamsburg,  Me- 
ehanicsville,  Ashland,  Gaines'  Mill,  Dispatch 
Station,  Malvern  Hill,  Falls  Church  (all  in 
Virginia)  ;  Poolsville,  Darnestown,  Middletown, 
South  Mountain,  Boonesboro,  Antietam  "(Mary- 
land) ;  Shepherdstown.  Martinsburg.  Upperville, 
Fredericksburg.  Beverly  Ford  (Virginia)  ; 
Gettysburg,  Williamsport,  Falling  Waters,  Ches- 
ter Gap,  Culpeper,  Rapidan,  Martin's  Ford, 
Brandy  Station,  Brandy  Run.  Hazel  River,  and 
in  many  raids  and  skirmishes. 

At  Gaines'  Mill  it  merited  and  received  of- 
ficial approval  for  the  manner  in  which  it 
helped  to  keep  in  place  and  rally  the  stragglers 
of  infantry ;  in  the  summer  of  1862,  near  Pools- 
ville, Va.,  it  captured  the  colors  of  the  vaunted 
Twelfth  Virginia  Cavalry ;  at  Beverly  Ford  it 
distinguished  itself  and  was  complimented  for 
bra'i-ery  by  Gen.  Pleasanton ;  at  Gettysburg, 
Corapany  E.  fired  the  first  shot,  and  the  regi- 
jucnt  received  the  thanks  of  Gen.  Doubleday 
for  saving  his  division  from  slaughter  on  the 
first  day  of  that  battle;  and  the  first  of  Janu- 
ary, 1864,  its  term  having  expired,  and  the  regi- 
ment having  reenlisted  as  veterans,  it  resumed 
duty  as  patrol  guard  at  Washington.  In  June, 
1861,  this  regiment  fought  actively  in  repelling 
Early's  invasion,  and  at  Urbaua  it  held  two 
brigades  in  check,  thus  saving  the  bleeding 
army  of  Gen.  Lew  Wallace  from  destruction. 

Nearly  all  of  Companies  D  and  E.  both  of- 
ficers and  men,  were  enlisted  from  Du  Page 
County,  and  the  county  was  represented  in 
nearly  every  company  in  the  regiment. 

Regimental  Officer 
Chaplain — Lucius  C.  Matlack. 


764 


HISTORY  OF  DU  PAGE  COUNTY. 


Xon-Co)iimissionCi}  Staff 

Sergeant — Robert  W.  Gates  (proiuoted  Regi- 
iiiental  Quartermaster  Sergeant). 

Chief  Bugler — George  W.   Bartholomew. 

COMPANY    A 

Otficcr 

Sergeant — .lames  H.  Emei-y. 
Private — Hector.   Fraulv. 

COMPANY    D 

Offlcers 

Captain — Jacob  S.  Gerhart. 

First  Lieutenant — Henry  .J.  Ilotoff. 

Second  Lieutenant — Carlos  IL  Verlieck  (pro- 
moted First  Lieutenant). 

Sergeants — Robert  W.  Gates  (promoted  Regi- 
mental Quartermaster-Sergeant),  George  Wal- 
lis,  Charles  L.  Clark. 

Corporals — Andrew  Dunning,  Asa  W.  Farr 
(promoted  Sergeanf),  Curtis  H.  Coe,  Garrett 
P.  Durland. 

Privates — Avery,  Daniel  J. ;  Ackley,  John  W. ; 
Asendorf,  Albert ;  Bunnell,  Marcus ;  Baltz,  Wil- 
liam ;  Churchill,  Amos ;  Clark,  Morgan  L. ; 
Cheeseman,  George  B. ;  Chapman,  Thomas ; 
Douglass,  James ;  Delbert,  Jacob ;  Driscoll, 
Obadlah ;  Egglestou,  Surrial  G. ;  Ehle,  Austin 
J.;  Ehle,  John  H. ;  Eggist.  Christopher;  Fink, 
Barney  H. ;  Fournier,  Euseba  ;  Gannon.  Thomas  ; 
Gerhardt,  Livingstone  E. ;  Goodwin.  William 
W. ;  Giedman,  Heni-j- ;  Hackendorf,  Henry ; 
Hues.  Elkhanuon ;  Kollinan,  Henry ;  Kohn. 
Frederick ;  Landon,  Allen  S. ;  Landon,  Charles ; 
Lawrence,  Dennis ;  Landing.  Dedrich ;  Muzzy, 
Emeric  O. ;  Meacham.  S.vlvester ;  Mund,  Ded- 
rich ;  Mcintosh,  Hugh ;  Nash,  DeWitt ;  Nor- 
thrup,  Albert ;  Xoon,  John  ;  Pierce.  William  D. ; 
Pflarger,  August ;  Rickert,  Jacob  D. ;  Rave,  Wil- 
liam D. ;  Rode,  Ernst ;  Sedgwick,  Estus  P. ; 
Seegus,  Henry ;  Teimer.  Herman ;  Thorn,  Alex 
P.;  Volke,  John;  Weaber,  Benjamin  F. ;  Weaber. 
William ;  Wilk,  Henry ;  Wedmeir.  Henry ; 
Woodworth,  Henry ;  Way,  Edmond ;  Wright, 
.Sylvester ;  Bouheimer,  Henry ;  Bye,  William ; 
Clarke,  Charles  S. :  Dunning,  Andrew ;  Fehr- 
man,  Lewis ;  Fehrman,  August ;  Rave,  August ; 
Schneder,  Frederick ;  Weidmore,  Henry ;  Binso, 
William;  Dunning,  Samuel  M. ;  Elbert.  Wil- 
liam;  Miner,  William;  Reinhardt.  Henry. 


COMPANY    E 

Offlcers 

Captain — Elisha  S.  Kelley   (promoted  Major). 

First  Lieutenant — Benjamin  L.  Flagg. 

Second  Lieutenants — Woodbury  L.  Taylor, 
Thomas  S.  Hines. 

First  Sergeant — Daniel  W.  Buck  (promoted 
Captain). 

Quartermaster   Sergeant — George   Foster. 

Sergeants — Marcellus  E.  Jones.  Samuel  W. 
Smith    (promoted  Captain),   Merritt  Mott. 

Corporals — Owen  Whitaker.  Benjamin  F. 
Harner  (promoted  Sergeant).  Samuel  Over- 
liolzer,  George  Fosha.  Alexander  McS.  S.  Rid- 
dler.  Frank  Crosby.  Frank  M.  Ackley,  George 
S.  McNorth. 

Bugler — Henry  Lund  (promoted  Chief  Bug- 
ler). 

Farrier — Samuel    Bond. 

Privates — Brix>ks.  Edwin  H. ;  Bartholomew, 
George  W. ;  Benjamin,  Henry  H. ;  Burnham, 
Remembrance;  Cooley,  Herbert;  Clark.  Corbet; 
Chadwick.  William  H. ;  Churchill,  William  H. ; 
Ditzler.  Eli  H. ;  Davis.  Samuel ;  Dense.  Darwin ; 
Dissenger,  Aaron ;  Dodge.  Horace  O. ;  Foster, 
James ;  Franks,  Benjamin ;  Flagg.  Sewell ;  Far- 
rar,  Judson ;  Guio.  Augustus ;  Gross,  Daniel 
N. ;  Gates,  Jacob ;  Hardy,  Edgar  A. ;  Hart, 
Horace;  H.vmes,  Jacob;  Hale,  James  O. ; 
Hughes,  Morgan;  Hector,  Frank;  Howell. 
Charles ;  Havens.  John  W. ;  Hyde,  James ; 
lleim.  George;  Jewell,  Solomon  W. ;  Jones,  Wil- 
liam; Jepperson,  Herman  K. ;  Koekly,  Jacob; 
Kelley,  Benton  J. ;  Kinzie,  Abram  A. ;  Loser, 
William;  Loser,  John;  Mott,  Gilbert;  Meacham, 
Frank ;  Mertz.  Franklin  B. ;  Mills,  George  A. ; 
McCauley.  Augustus ;  McMillan,  Daniel ;  Plum- 
mer.  Benjamin ;  Poison.  Emerick ;  Potter,  Nel- 
son A. ;  Plant,  Roswell ;  Plant,  Charles ; 
Pinches,  William ;  Perry,  John ;  Persem, 
George  ;  Ringman,  George ;  Rogers,  Francis  A. ; 
Styler,  Charles;  Strouse,  Lewis;  Snyder, 
Daniel ;  Stoner,  John ;  Schseffer,  Levi  S. ;  Ste- 
vens. Abraham;  Schuster,  Franklin;  Tobias, 
William  J. ;  'VMieeler.  Allen  ;  Wentworth,  Henry  ; 
Weicoman,  Curtis  S. ;  Wayne.  Edward ;  Ash- 
ley, Benedick ;  Albright,  Nicholas  A. ;  Burn- 
ham.  Oscar  D. ;  Britegan,  William ;  Bennett, 
William ;  Bunn,  Henry ;  Culver,  Charles  S. : 
Campbell.  John;  Desenbrock,  Henry;  Dixon, 
Charles  G. ;  Freets.  William  ;  Graham,  James ; 
Gerbrick,    Levi ;    Gleasou.    Watson    W. ;    Hud- 


HISTORY  OF  DU  PAGE  COUNTY. 


765 


son,  William ;  Johnsou,  Oscar ;  Kribill,  John ; 
Mertz,  Owen;  Murry,  John;  Neff,  Joseph; 
Robinson,  Ashael  F. ;  Robinson,  Daniel  F. ; 
Stueker,  David;  Schaftmetyl,  Charles;  Stalt, 
Charles;  Wilson,  Thomas;  Ward,  James  A.; 
Wlndei-burg,   Louis;  Ward,  Charles  H. 

COMPANY    F 

Brown,  James ;  Hawley,  Oliver. 

COMPANY    H 

Hull,  Tidd;  Hull,  Frank;  Hull,  Deles;  Ken- 
yon,  Perry;  Newhall,  William  E. ;  Xichol,  Wil- 
liam; Harris,  Perry;  Maas,  Peter;  Pierce,  Wil- 
liam B. 

COMPANY'    I 

Meacbani,   Frank. 

COMPANY    K 

Colegrove,    Larius. 

COMPANY    M 

Avery,  Daniel ;  Baltz,  William ;  Churchill, 
Amos;  Coleman,  Henry;  Eggert,  Chris;  Kohn, 
Frederick ;  Reichmann,  Henry ;  Steinke.  Wil- 
liam;  Walljer,  Phineas  A.;  Clifford,  Patrick; 
Camell,  Charles;  Clark,  Morgan  L. ;  Duffy. 
Charles;  Drumm,  Michael;  Fitzler,  Henry; 
Griffith,  Samuel;  Jones.  John;  Kelley,  Sylves- 
ter; Maxwell,  Samuel;  Miller,  Henry; 
Meacham.   Patrick;   Russell,  James. 

Ninth  Cavalky 
company'  d 
Private — Tonne,   Dedrick. 

COMPANY    F 

Offlcer 
Corporal— Henry  C.  Bostwick. 

COMPANY    H 

Private — Orcutt,  Philip. 

COMPANY    K 

Private — Woodworth.  Frank. 

Twelfth  Cavalry 

The  Twelfth  Illinois  Cavalry  is  often  called 
the  "Twin  of  the  Eighth,"  and  their  histories 
are  very  similar.  They  participated  in  many 
of  the  same  engagements,  fought,  marched  and 
endured    hardships    together.     A    large    proiwr- 


tion  of  the  privates  and  several  officers  of  Com- 
pany C  were  enlisted  in  Du  Page  County.  The 
regiment  was  organized  at  Springfield  in  Febru- 
ary, 1SG2,  remained  in  that  city  guarding 
prisoners  until  June  25,  when  it  was  mounted 
and  sent  to  Martinsburg.  Va.  It  took  part  in 
the  battles  of  Fredericksburg,  Williamsport, 
Falling  Waters,  the  Rapidan  and  Steveusburg. 
On  November  26,  1863,  the  regiment  was  re- 
lieved from  service  and  ordered  home  to  re- 
organize as  veterans.  Later  it  joined  Banks 
In  the  Red  River  expedition  and  In  Davidson's 
expedition  against  Mobile.  While  at  Memphis 
the  regiment  was  consolidated  into  an  eight- 
company  organization  and  the  Fourth  Cavah'y, 
having  previously  been  consolidated  into  a  bat- 
talion of  five  companies,  was  consolidated  with 
the  Twelfth.  The  consolidated  regiment  was 
mustered  out  at  Houston,  Tex.,  May  29,  1866. 
and  on  June  IS  received  final  pay  and  discharge 
at  Springfield. 

The  following  is  the  roster  from  Du  Page 
County : 

COMPANY'    A 

Privates — Drury,   John  ;   Muck,   Henry. 

COMP.\NY    B 

Miskoski,   Egnotz. 

COMPANY    C 

Officers 

Captain — SteiJhen  Bronson  (promoted  to 
Major  and  later  as  Brigader  General). 

Second  Lieutenant — George  F.  Ward  (pro- 
moted First  Lieutenant). 

First  Sergeants — Stephen  Standish.  Alexan- 
der  Mills    (promoted   Second   Lieutenant). 

Corporals — Edwin  Cbadwick,  Robert  E. 
Paine. 

Bugler — Charles  L.  Finch. 

Blacksmith — Benjamin    Stearns. 

Saddler — Robert  Atkinson. 

Wagoner — E.    M.   Cheeney. 

Privates — Ackerman,  J.  D. ;  .\ckerraan.  G.  M. ; 
-Vlbright.  Nicholas:  Bedford,  Franklin;  Bron- 
son, Charles;  Burnes,  Patrick;  Bntterfield, 
Tiieodore;  Finch.  Elisha  W. ;  Hickey.  Ball;  Hig- 
gins.  Owen ;  Lewis.  John ;  Mason,  E.  IT. ;  Moon, 
G.  N. ;  Mott.  Willard ;  Riley,  John ;  Ushuer, 
Ferdinand ;  Vinton,  William  ;  Wakefield,  James 
B. ;  Welch.  John ;  Wentworth.  C.  E.  H. ;  Wright. 
William :  Fesich,  Charles  L. ;  Ferieh,  Elisha 
W. ;  Ensworth,  Edgar;  Woods,  William. 


766 


HISTORY  OF  DU  PAGE  COUNTY. 


COMPANY    D 

Keitli,  Charles ;  Langly,  F.  M. ;  Ogden, 
Alonzo ;  Painter,  Allen ;  Pettibone,  Caney ; 
Rabus,  Louis ;  Brown,  Henry  D. 

COMPANY    M 

MeGintry,  Joseph. 

Thibteekth  Cavalby" 

company  a 

Privates— Bicker,  Fried.  W. ;  Jenson,  Franz 
Z.  F.  W. 


COMPANY    B 


Kretzer,   Ferd. 


COMPANY    C 


Schroeder,  X.  K. 

COMPANY'   E 

Waskon,  William. 

COMPANY'    H 

Blackman,  Reuben  ;  Eyer,  Peter. 


Fifteenth    Cavalry' 
company  h 
Officers 

Corporals — Joseph  Bushell,  William  Warner. 
Joseph  Monk. 

Privates — Co£fman,  A.  G. ;  Canlon,  Arnold : 
Reinhart,  Charles  C. 

COMPANY    I 

Officers 

Corporals — George  W.  Haydom,  Allen  Mowry. 
Privates — Lucker,   L.    C. ;    Rathburn.   Joshua  : 
Vangorder,  John. 

COMPANY    K 

Larkin.  Nathan ;  Balch,  Edwin  E. 

COMPANY    L 

Officer 
Sergeant — John  C.  Barr. 

Seventeenth  Cavaley 
company  h 

Officers 

Adjutant— Samuel  W.  Smith  (promoted  Cap- 
tain Company  H). 


Q.  M.  Sergeant — Thomas  Hiler  (promoted 
First   Sergeant). 

Sergeants — Samuel  Oberholzer,  Benjamin  F. 
Harner  (promoted  Regimental  Quartermaster 
Sergeant ) . 

Corporals— Abram  W.  Mong,  Frank  H.  Por- 
ter, Jesse  F.  Green,  Milton  J.  Wells  (promoted 
Regimental  Commissary  Sergeant),  Walter  L. 
Good.  Peter  Parsons. 

Wagoner — Dewey  Andrews. 

Privates — Andrews.  August ;  Blessman,  Fred ; 
Bollman,  Fred ;  Barthall,  Henry ;  Bonnear, 
Henry:  Benchert.  Lawrence;  Bond,  Elijah; 
Bedows,  William  ;  Birchole.  Henry ;  Bond,  Ro- 
salvo ;  Coltman,  William ;  Cavanor,  Patrick ; 
Caulkins,  Joshua ;  Decker,  Squire  W. ;  Dunn, 
Joseph ;  Desinger.  David ;  Edwards.  John  W. ; 
Frj',  William ;  Grumbrin,  Solomon ;  Gibhart, 
Fred :  Grant,  Adelbert :  Gushart,  Samuel ;  Grif- 
fin, Joseph  :  Heinburg,  Charles ;  Hatch,  Frank- 
lin ;  Krestling.  August ;  Kenyon,  Charles  L. ; 
Ketchem,  Elias  D. ;  Lyon,  Charles ;  Lyman, 
John  F. ;  McMillan.  .Alexander;  McMasters, 
Frank ;  Morgan,  Royal  S. :  Larne.v.  John ; 
Meyers.  Henry;  Meaeham.  Henry;  Mitzler, 
Samuel ;  Minninghous.  Louis ;  Minor.  Martin ; 
Plummer,  Benjamin ;  Priess,  Frederick ;  Rippy. 
Samuel  A. ;  Rohler.  Henry ;  Stoner.  William ; 
Sperlow.  John;  Schotield.  Joseph  E. ;  Scott, 
Samuel  ;  Siniuger,  John ;  Turner.  George  J. ; 
Votner,  William ;  Warmke,  Frederick ;  War- 
ren, Martin  J.;  Ditzler,  William;  Daniels.  John; 
MeCurdy,  James ;  Xoddlehoffer,  William ;  Rein- 
liardt.  Frederick ;  Snibley,  Henry  C. :  Warkle, 
Chris. 

First  Artillery 

company  m 

Privates— Andreuss,  Charles  B. ;  Darst,  J.  H. 

Second  Artillery 

COMPANY    o 

Private — Maurer,  Ignatius. 

COMPANY    I 

Officers 

Captain — Charles  W.  Keith. 

Quartermaster  Sergeant — Charles  D.  Halght 
(promoted  Second  Lieutenant). 

Sergeants — Rufus  Stolp,  Judson  Rich  (pro- 
moted Captain),  George  F.  Ward. 


JrZirv^  Q    ^=4-cJLyv\ - 


HISTORY  OP  DU  PAGE  COUNTY. 


r67 


Privates — Kose.  William;  Black,  Neal  J.; 
Potter.  Robert  K. ;  Stolp,  Rufus  S. ;  Ward, 
George  T. 

COMPANY    K 

Pool,  Francis  K. ;  Young,  John. 

COMPANY    L 

Gager,  Cbarles  M. ;  Coe,  Samuel  A. ;  Ireland, 
John;  Reynolds.  Allen;  Smith.  Otis  A.:  Coffin, 
M.  C. ;  Fox.  Herman  M. ;  Burk,  Thomas. 

Pettit's    Battery 

Private — Wesley,   Christian. 

Babkeb's  Dragoons 

Private — Litchfield.  Cyrenus  W. ;  Relhausper- 
ger,  Lawrence ;  Reiley.  John. 

SPANISH-AMERICAN   WAR. 

This  portion  of  State  history  has  been  dis- 
cussed with  considerable  fullness  under  the 
above  title,  in  the  first  volume  of  this  work 
(Historical  Encyclopedia  of  Illinois).  (See 
same.  Vol.  II,  pp.  571-5TG,) 

Following  is  a  roster  of  men  who.  served  In 
the  Spanish-American  War  from  •'  DU ,  Page 
County :  ;  '  '' 

Privates — Alspauch,  Noel  E. ;  Ariderson,  Al- 
bert ;  Ashbv.  Rov ;  Assman,  George ;  Barnard, 
Edward ;  Carswell,  Ira  A. ;  Carswell^-.^pb^'^i 
Catlin.  George  E. ;  Colville,  David' .G.J_ Daniels* 
Charles;  Degroot.  John  S. ;  Dolby,  Harry  Hs-i- 
Edwards.  W.  H.  Jr. ;  Ehr,  Nicholas ;  Farrar, 
Archibald  C. ;  Feurstein.  Floerene  E. ;  Fox. 
Charles  M. ;  Gale.  Albert  E. ;  Gasanka,  Charles 
Grinnell,  Gilbert  R. ;  Grove,  Richard ;  Ham- 
mond, Frank  E. ;  Johnson.  Charles  A. ;  Johnson, 
Fred  X. ;  Ketcham,  John  M. ;  Krambs,  Frank  T. ; 
Later,  John  J. ;  Lair,  William  G. ;  Lueder, 
Arthur  C. ;  Luther,  Lewis  E. ;  Lutz,  Irving ; 
Marvin,  Lester  R. ;  Maurer.  Charles  F. ;  Mc- 
Donald. Hugh ;  Nachtigall,  Otto  F. ;  Phillips, 
Elmer  S. ;  Prescott.  Frank  G. ;  Prlgnitz,  Albert 


C. ;  Priguitz,  William ;  Pomeroy,  Clarke  E. ; 
Puffer,  Maurice  S. ;  Kehm,  Jacob ;  Sayles 
Daniel  R, ;  Schultz,  John ;  Smith,  Ernest  L. ; 
Stegman,  Oscar ;  Strubler,  Edward  C. ;  Sueka- 
mer,  Frederick  H. ;  St.  Clair,  Robert ;  Wagner, 
Charles  B. ;  Wand,  Benjamin ;  Weger,  Herman 
G. ;  Weger,  William  G. ;  Weatherbee,  Ben ; 
Wells,  William  R. ;  West,  Joseph  M. ;  Wheaton, 
Henry  W. 

DU    PAGE    COUNTY    MEMORIAL   HALL. 

During  the  years  1S9G-07  Du  Page  County 
erected  a  beautiful  Court  House,  and  on  the 
main  floor,  opening  into  the  main  corridor,  is 
a  Memorial  Hall,  16  by  36  feet,  containing  fine 
costly  receptacles  intended  to  bold  relics  of  gen- 
eral Interest,  this  commodious  and  beautiful 
room  being  dedicated  to  the  Grand  Army  of 
the  Republic  of  the  county.  The  county  also 
placed  bronze  tablets  on  the  walls  of  the  main 
corridor,  upon  which  were  inscribed  the  names 
of  soldiers  who  had  served  in  the  Ciril  and  Span- 
ish-American wars,  there  being  1.6S2  of  the  for- 
mer and  fifty-seven  of  the  latter.  So  w^ell  was 
the  work  done  that  it  Is  believed  these  beautiful 
tablets  contain  the  name  of  every  soldier  who 

•  ser.ved  his  country  in  these  wars,  and  the  ar- 
rangement is  such  that  tliose  who  enter  the  hall 
will  be  ,at  once  impressed  with  the  approprlate- 

.NjJ^ss  of*  this  memorial,  and  will  call  to  mind 
••t-he  -noble  sincerity  of  purpose  that  led  these 
.jpnen  to  offer  their  services  (and  their  lives.  If 
need  be),  to  the  land  they  loved  so  well.  All 
cherish  the  memory  of  at  least  one  of  these 
brave  men,  and  it  is  the  purpose  of  the  mem- 
orial for  which  Du  Page  County  devoted  a 
large  amount  of  time  and  money,  to  provide 
an  Inspirlation  to  patriotic  life  in  the  breasts 
of  future  generations,  as  well  as  to  perpetuate 
the  memory  of  those  who  proved  their  high 
purpose  and  loyalty  to  the  country  in  Its  time 
of  great  need,  with  a  full  measure  of  sacrifice 
and  devotion. 


BIOGRAPHICAL 


CHAPTER   XXXI 


THE  PART  OF  BIOGRAPHY  IN  GEKERAL  HISTORY — 
CITIZENS  OF  DU  PAGE  COUNTY — PERSONAL 
SKETCHES    ARRANGED    IN    ENCYCLOPEDIC    ORDER. 


The  verdict  of  niaiikiud  lias  awarded  to  the 
Muse  of  Histoiy  the  highest  place  amoug  the 
Classic  Nine.  Tlie  extent  of  her  office,  how- 
ever, appears  to  be,  by  many  minds,  but  im- 
perfectly understood.  The  task  of  the  historian 
is  comprehensive  and  exacting.  True  histor.v 
reaches  beyond  the  doings  of  court  or  camp, 
beyond  the  issue  of  battles,  or  the  effects  of 
treaties,  and  records  the  trials  and  the  tri- 
umphs, the  failures  and  the  successes  of  the 
men  who  make  histor.v.  It  is  but  an  imper- 
fect conception  of  the  philosophy  of  events  that 
fails  to  accord  to  portraiture  and  biography  its 
rightful  position  as  a  part — and  no  uuiuiportaut 
part — of  historical  narrative.  Behind  and  be- 
neath the  activities  of  outward  life  the  motive 
power  lies  out  of  sight,  just  as  the  furnace 
fires  that  work  the  piston  and  keep  the  ponder- 
ous screw  revolving  are  down  in  the  darkness 
of  the  hold.  So,  the  impulsive  power  which 
shapes  the  course  of  communities  may  be  found 
in  the  molding  influences  which  form  its  citi- 
zens. 

It  is  no  mere  idle  curiosity  that  prompts  men 
to  wish  to  learn  the  private  as  well  as  the  pub- 
lic lives  of  their  fellows.  Rather  is  it  true 
that  such  desire  tends  to  prove  universal 
brotherhood :  and  the  interest  in  personality  and 
biography  is  not  confined  to  men  of  any  par- 
ticular caste  or  vocation. 


The  list  of  those  to  whose  lot  it  falls  to  play 
a  conspicuous  part  in  the  great  drama  of  life 
is  comiiaratively  short ;  yet  communities  are 
made  up  of  individuals,  and  the  aggregate  of 
achievements — no  less  than  the  sum  total  of 
human  hapijiness — is  made  up  of  the  deeds  of 
those  men  and  women  whose  primary  aim. 
through  life,  is  faithfully  to  perform  the  duty 
that  comes  nearest  to  hand.  Individual  in- 
Huenee  upon  human  affairs  will  be  considered 
ix)tent  or  insignificant,  according  to  the  stand- 
Ijoint  from  which  it  is  viewed.  To  him  who, 
standing  uixtn  the  seashore,  notes  the  ebb  and 
flow  of  the  tides  and  listens  to  the  sullen  roar 
of  the  waves,  as  they  break  upon  the  beach  in 
seething  foam,  seemingly  chafing  at  their  limit- 
ations, the  ocean  appears  so  vast  as  to  need  no 
tributaries.  Yet,  without  the  smallest  rill  that 
helps  to  swell  the  "Father  of  Waters,"  the 
mighty  torrent  of  the  Mississippi  would  be 
lessened,  and  the  beneficent  influence  of  the 
Gulf  Stream  diminished.  Countless  streams, 
currents  and  counter-currents — sometimes  ming- 
ling, sometimes  counteracting  each  other — col- 
lectively combine  to  give  motion  to  the  accu- 
mulated mass  of  waters.  So  is  it — and  so  must 
it  ever  be — in  the  ocean  of  human  action,  which 
is  formed  by  the  blending  and  repulsion  of  cur- 
rents of  thought,  of  influence  and  of  life,  yet 
more  numerous  and  more  tortuous  than  those 
which  form  the  "fountains  of  the  deep."  The 
acts  and  characters  of  men,  like  the  several 
faces  that  compose  a  composite  picture,  are 
wrought  together  into  a  compact  or  heterogene- 
ous whole.  History  is  condensed  biography ; 
"Biography    is    History    teaching    by    example." 

It  is  both  interesting  and  instructive  to  rise 
above  the  generalization  of  history  and  trace, 
in  the  personality  and  careers  of  the  men  from 
whom   it  sprang,   the  principles  and   influences. 


769 


70 


HISTORY  OP  DU  PAGE  COUNTY. 


the  impulses  aud   ambitions,   tlie   labors,   strug- 
gles and   triumphs   that  engross   their   lives. 

Here  are  recorded  the  careers  and  achieve- 
ments of  pioneers,  who,  "when  the  fullness  of 
time  had  come,"  came  from  widely  separated 
sources,  some  from  beyond  the  sea,  impelled 
by  divers  motives,  little  conscious  of  the  im- 
port of  their  acts,  and  but  dimly  anticipating 
the  harvest  which  would  spring  from  the  sow- 
ing. They  built  their  primitive  homes,  toiling 
for  a  present  subsistence  while  laying  the  foun- 
dations of  private  fortunes  aud  further  advance- 
ment. 

Most  of  these  have  passed  away,  but  not 
before  they  beheld  a  development  of  business 
and  population  surpassing  the  wildest  dreams 
of  fancy  or  expectation.  A  few  yet  remain 
whose  years  have  passed  the  allotted  three- 
ecore  and  ten,  and  who  love  to  recount,  among 
the  cherished  memories  of  their  lives,  their  rem- 
iniscences of  early  days. 

Among  these  early,  hardy  settlers,  and  those 
who  followed  them,  may  be  found  the  names 
of  many  who  imparted  the  first  Impulse  to  the 
county's  development,  growth  and  homellke- 
ness ;  the  many  who.  through  their  identifica- 
tion with  commercial  and  agricultural  pursuits 
and  varied  interests,  aided  in  every  material 
progress;  or  skilled  mechanics  who  first  laid 
the  foundations  of  beautiful  homes  and  pro- 
ductive industries,  and  of  the  members  of  the 
learned  professions — clergymen,  physicians,  ed- 
ucators and  lawyers — whose  influence  upon  the 
Intellectual  life  and  development  of  a  immu- 
nity it  is  impossible  to  overestimate. 

Municipal  institutions  arise ;  Commerce 
spreads  her  siiils  and  prepares  the  way  for 
the  magic  of  Science  that  drives  the  locomo- 
tive engine  over  the  Iron  rails.  Trade  is  organ- 
ized, reaching  forth  to  the  shores  of  the  Great 
Lakes  and  stretching  Its  arms  across  the  prai- 
ries to  gather  In  and  distribute  the  products 
of  the  soil.  Church  spires  rise  to  express,  in 
architectural  form,  the  faith  and  aspirations  of 
the  people,  while  schools,  public  and  private, 
elevate  the  standards  of  education  and  of  artis- 
tic taste. 

Here  are  some  of  the  men  through  whose 
labors,  faith  and  thought,  these  magnificent 
results  have  been  achieved.  To  them  and  to 
their  co-laborers,  the  Du  Page  County  of  to- 
day   stands    an   enduring    monument,    attesting 


tlieir    faith,    their    energy,    their    courage,    and 
their  i-elf-sacrifice. 


[The  following  items  of  personal  and  family  history,  having 
been  arranged  in  encyclopedic  (or  alphabetical)  order  as  to  names 
of  the  individual  subjects,  no  special  index  to  this  part  of  tlld 
work   will   be  fuund   necessary.] 

ADAMS,  Jonas  Russell,  deceased.  A  resident  of 
Downer's  Grove  and  Xaiierville  for  many  years, 
whose  record  as  a  soldier,  farmer  and  citizen  en- 
titles him  to  something  more  than  passing  men- 
tion, but  who  will  only  be  remembered  by  those 
of  the  older  generation,  was  Jonas  Russell 
.\dams,  who  passed  away  at  the  latter  place 
June  0,  18G0.  after  a  long  and  honorable  career. 
Born  at  Ashburnham,  Worcester  county,  Massa- 
chusetts, April  8,  1777,  the  second  son  of  Thomas 
and  Hannah  (Hall)  Adams,  he  early  learned 
the  trade  of  hatter,  and  was  thus  employed  at 
the  time  of  the  outbreak  of  the  War  of  1812. 
Enlisting  in  the  ranks  of  the  American  army, 
he  rose  to  the  rank  of  lieutenant,  and  his  mili- 
tary record  was  that  of  a  gallant  aud  faithful 
soldier.  Mr.  Adams  came  to  Downer's  Grove, 
111.,  in  183G,  and  at  that  time  pre-empted  a  farm 
from  the  government,  on  which  he  resided  until 
1861.  carrying  on  extensive  agricultural  opera- 
tions. In  that  year  Mr.  Adams  made  removal 
to  Naperville,  where  the  remainder  of  his  life 
was  passed  in  practical  retirement.  Although 
he  had  reached  the  remarkable  age  of  ninety- 
two  years  and  two  months,  his  faculties  were 
practically  intact  to  within  a  few  weeks  of  his 
death.  He  passed  away  in  the  faith  of  the  Uni- 
versalist  church,  of  which  he  had  been  a  mem- 
ber for  many  years. 

Mr.  Adams  was  married  (first)  at  Ashburn- 
ham, Mass.,  to  Nancy  Tappin,  who  died  leav- 
ing two  children:  James  L.  and  Eliza  D.  Mr. 
Adams'  second  marriage  occurred  In  Brooklyn, 
Pa.,  where  he  was  united  with  Olivia  Seely,  and 
they  had  children  as  follows :  Nancy  Olivia, 
who  was  born  June  8,  1821 ;  Amos  Crandall, 
whose  birth  occurred  March  3,  1824 ;  Albert 
Ferdinand,  who  was  born  April  14,  1828;  and 
Mary  Eleanor,  who  was  born  January  16,  1834. 
Lieutenant  Adams  was  a  Republican  in  his  po- 
litical views,  but  was  essentially  an  agricultur- 
ist, and  his  ambitions  were  satisfied  by  his  ac- 
cumulation of  a  competency  and  the  rearing  of 
his  children,  so  that  public  life  never  claimed 
liim.     He  is  remembered  ns  a  good  citizen,  and 


HISTORY  OF  DU  PAGE  COUNTY. 


771 


oue  who  staiicbly  supported  all  movements  which 
had  for  their  object  the  advancement  of  educa- 
tion, morality  and  good  citizenship. 

AHERN,  Dennis  C.  Commercial  conditions  in 
large  institutions  require  the  services  of  expert 
credit  men  to  determine  the  financial  standing 
of  those  who  desire  accommodations.  It  is  Im- 
possible for  establishments  of  any  magnitude 
to  depend  entirely  upon  commercial  agencies 
for  a  customer's  rating;  each  one  has  its  credit 
man.  A  man  who  has  won  distinction  in  his 
particular  calling  is  Dennis  C.  Ahern,  credit 
manager  for  M.  D.  Wells  Co.,  of  195  Monroe 
street,  Chicago,  with  residence  at  West  Chicago. 
Mr.  AheiTi  was  born  in  New  Torli  City,  De- 
cember 11,  lSo9,  being  a  son  of  Dennis  and  Slary 
(Coleman)   Ahern. 

The  family  came  from  Xew  York  City  to 
Wayne  county.  111.,  and  thence  to  Du  Page  coun- 
ty, where  Mr.  Ahern  grew  up,  attending  the 
public  Schools  here.  For  a  number  of  years  he 
has  held  his  present  responsible  position,  and  his 
services  receive  due  appreciation.  In  addition 
to  his  connections  already  referred  to,  Mr. 
Ahern  Is  a  director  iu  the  West  Chicago  State 
Bank,  and  has  served  as  city  clerk  for  eleven 
years,  and  president  of  the  board  of  education 
for  seven  years,  being  elected  on  the  Republican 
ticket.  He  is  a  Roman  Catholic  in  religious 
faith.  His  associations  with  West  Chicago  have 
been  long  and  intimate,  he  has  the  welfare  of 
the  community  truly  at  heart,  and  has  done 
much  to  advance  civic  conditions.  ;      , ,'. .  . 

The  marriage  of  Mr.  Ahern  occurred  June  4, 
1800,  in  Chicago.  111.,  when  he  was  united  with 
Jennie  M.  Tye.  Three  children  have  been  born 
of  this  marriage.  Eleanor  A.,  Frances  E.,  and 
Mary  L.  Thoroughly  reliable,  keen,  shrewd  and 
conservative.  Mr.  Ahern  has  always  been  a 
valuable  asset  to  any  concern  with  which  he 
was  associated,  while  his  influence  in  West 
Chicago  must  not  be  lightly  considered,  for  it 
has  resulted  in  much  that  is  good  in  the  present 
government  and  financial  conditions. 

AHRENS,  Otto,  a  native  of  Hanover,  Ger- 
many, came  to  America  on  an  old  sailing  ship, 
landed  at  Xew  Orleans,  and  went  up  the  Mis- 
sissippi River  to  Du  Page  county.  Here  he 
worked  for  a  time  in  a  livery  barn,  then  went  to 
Missouri,  south  to  New  Orleans,  and  back  again 
to  Du  Page  county,  where  he  rented  land  for 


a  short  time,  then  bought  ItJO  acres,  in 
sections  i:M4,  on  which  he  built  a  house,  barn, 
and  other  improvements,  and  set  out  an  orchard. 
lie  died  on  this  farm,  at  the  age  of  eighty- 
three  years,  seven  months  and  eleven  days.  To 
him  and  his  wife  the  following  children  were 
born:  Henry  and  Caroline,  twins,  born  Dec. 
20,  1855,  Caroline  died  18G7;  Otto  Frederick 
Christian,  born  September  19,  1857. 

Otto,  the  last  named  above,  was  reared  on 
the  farm,  and  educated  in  the  German  and 
public  schools  of  York  township.  He  was  mar- 
ried, April  14,  1884,  to  Miss  Wilhelmina  Rosen- 
winkel,  a  daughter  of  Henry  and  Charlotte 
(B"'inke)  Rosenwinkel,  who  was  born  in  Du  Page 
county,  September  17,  1861.  To  them  two  chil- 
dren have  been  born :  Emma,  born  September  4, 
1886,  lives  in  Chicago;  Lena,  born  May  8,  1894, 
a  student  in  the  Elmhurst  High  School.  The 
family  are  members  of  the  Lutheran  Church,  of 
which  Mr.  Ahrens  has  been  deacon  and  col- 
lector. Mr.  .\hrens  was  a  special  deputy  of  the 
Horse  Society,  and  has  been  school  director  and 
trustee,  which  latter  position  he  holds  at  the 
present  time.  He  has  interests  in  considerable 
land  in  Du  Page  county,  and  owns  two  hundred 
and  ten  acres  of  grain-producing  land  in  Kan- 
kakee county.  Illinois.  He  devotes  his  time  ex- 
clusively to  farming,  and  now  lives  on  the  farm 
•on  .'ijhij.h-he  was  born. 

AHRENS,  William,  a  son  of  Ehler  and  Sophia 
(Glotterman)  was  horn  in  York  township,  near 
i'ftlji'ihiirsK  August  3,  1858.  Here  he  was  edu- 
cated in  the  German  and  public  schools,  and 
l.ltef"  commenced  his  work  as  a  farmer.  In  1887, 
he  became  the  owner  of  his  present  farm  of 
one  hundred  and  eight  acres,  buying  it  from  hla 
father-in-law,  Ben  Wilkens,  and  Charles  Hince, 
and  is  now  engaged  in  general  farming.  He  was 
commissioner  of  highways  for  six  years,  and  Is  a 
member  of  the  German  Lutheran   Church. 

On  October  6,  1872,  Mr.  Ahrens  was  married 
to  Miss  Wilhelmina  Wilkens,  a  daughter  of  Ben 
and  Wilhelmina  (Rummel)  Wilkens,  who  was 
born  in  Addison  township.  March  4,  1859.  To 
this  union  nine  children  have  been  born,  namely: 
Jennie,  born  July  16.  187.S.  died  October  16, 
1889;  Lena  (Mrs.  William  Blecke),  born  August 
10,  1883,  lives  in  Addison  township;  Alma  (Mrs. 
August  Ortlip),  born  May  17,  1885;  Bernhardt, 
bom  May  2,  1887.  at  home;  Minnie,  born  July 
16,  1892,  works  in  Chicago;    William,  born  No- 


772 


HISTORY  OF  DU  PAGE  COUNTY. 


vember  21,  1893,  at  home;    Auiia,  bom  August 
30,  1900 ;    Henry,  bom  June  25,  1900. 

ALBERS,  William,  an  industrious  and  pros- 
perous  farmer,  living  near  Lombard,  111.,  Is  a 
native  of  Hanover,  Germany,  born  July  21, 
184S,  a  son  of  Henry  and  Louisa  (ScUwert- 
figer)  Albers,  who  spent  their  entire  lives  in 
Germany.  He  was  reared  and  educated  in  his 
native  country,  and  about  the  time  he  attained 
his  majority  left  home  to  seek  his  fortune  in 
America.  He  emigi'ated  in  1S60,  coming  direct 
to  Du  Page  county,  where  he  worked  for  others 
about  ten  years,  and  in  1S79  purchased  seventy 
acres  of  land  upon  which  he  now  lives.  At  the 
time  of  its  purchase  this  land  had  no  improve- 
ments, and  he  has  since  erected  all  the  buildings 
now  standing  upon  it,  at  the  present  time  hav- 
ing a  fine  house  and  good  substantial  barns, 
sheds,  etc.,  and  a  modern  windmill.  He  has 
tiled  a  large  part  of  the  farm  and  now  has 
brought  it  to  a  high  state  of  cultivation  and  pro- 
ductiveness. He  has  also  added  sixteen  acres 
of  laud  and  carries  on  general  farming,  with 
special  attention  to  dairying,  having  a  dairy 
herd  of  twelve  cows,  and  shipping  about  three 
cans  of  milk  per  day. 

Mr.  Albers  was  married,  by  the  Rev.  Mr. 
Hotch,  to  Louisa  Potker,  daughter  of  TS'illiam 
and  Louisa  (Yarger)  Potker,  also  a  native  of 
Hanover,  Gennany,  born  March  6,  1S46.  Her 
mother  died  in  Germany,  but  her  father  came  to 
the  United  States,  where  he  spent  seventeen 
years,  prior  to  his  death,  with  the  subject  of 
this  review.  Three  children  have  been  born 
to  Mr.  Albers  and  wife,  namely :  Sophia,  bom 
October  6,  1875,  married  Charles  Berudt,  and 
they  live  in  Forest  Park,  111.,  having  one  son. 
Alfred ;  Lena,  also  living  in  Forest  Park,  was 
born  April  4,  1877,  married  Herman  Kannig ; 
and  their  only  son,  William,  born  April  2(:'),  1SS2. 
lives  at  home  with  his  parents  and  helps  opei'ate 
the  farm.  Mr.  Albers  and  his  wife  are  mem- 
bers of  the  Lutheran  church,  of  which  he  served 
six  years  as  director  and  sis  years  as  collector. 
He  has  a  good  standing  in  the  community  and 
he  and  his  wife  have  many  friends. 

ALBERT,  Christopher  J.,  manager  and  pro- 
prietor of  the  Albert  Teachers'  Agency,  resides 
at  Elmhurst,  Du  Page  county,  but  his  offices  are 
in  the  Studebaker  building  of  Chicago.    lie  was 


bom  in  Preble  county,  Ohio,  during  the  later 
fifties,  a  sou  of  Lewis  and  Catherine  (Seller) 
Albert,  the  former  being  a  cooper  and  farmer. 
Mr.  Albert  has  little  definite  knowledge  of  his 
ancestors,  except  that  they  were  honorable  men 
whose  hands  were  never  soiled  with  modern 
graft  methods,  and  that  his  maternal  gi-and- 
father  was  a  soldier  through  the  war  of  1812. 
His  father  was  of  German  birth,  and  came  to 
America  in  the  early  part  of  the  last  century, 
but  Mrs.  Albert's  ancestors  were  of  Pennsyl- 
vania-German stock. 

Christopher  J.  Albert  was  educated  in  the 
schools  of  his  native  place,  and  was  graduated 
from  Baldwin  Univei-sity  with  the  degrees  of 
B.  S.  and  A.  M.  Duriug  his  boyhood  he  was 
kept  busy  on  the  farm,  chopping  cord  wood, 
splitting  rails  and  performing  other  duties  inci- 
dent to  life  in  a  country  district.  From  child- 
hood he  was  fond  of  reading,  and  his  leisure 
moments  were  spent  poriug  over  any  book  he 
could  get  hold  of.  His  first  work  away  from 
home  was  teaching  at  Dayton.  Ohio,  beginning 
there  in  1878,  and  so  successful  was  he  that, 
in  1SS4.  Elmhurst  College  invited  him  to  become 
one  of  its  faculty.  T'ntil  1802  he  held  this  posi- 
tion, but  then  resigned  to  devote  all  his  time 
to  his  agency  and  his  business  has  now  gained 
large  proportions.  During  1SS2,  '83  and  '84, 
Mr.  Albert  was  a  member  of  the  Board  of 
County  Examiners  of  Montgomery  county,  Ohio, 
and  for  five  years  he  served  as  a  member  of 
the  Elmhurst  Board  of  Education.  He  was 
also  a  memljer  of  the  Village  Board  of  Trustees 
of  Elmhurst  for  two  .vears.  and  for  one  year 
President  of  the  Board.  After  the  incorpora- 
tion of  Elmhurst  as  a  city,  he  was  Alderman  for 
the  First  Ward  for  one  year.  Because  he  has 
always  believed  that  the  Democratic  party  rep- 
re.seuts  true  Republican  principles,  Mr.  Albert 
has  supported  its  platforms,  and  not  from  any 
ulterior  motive.  In  earlier  days  he  was  a 
Lutheran,  but  he  is  now  a  member  of  the 
Congregational   church. 

In  1883,  Mr.  Albert  was  married,  in  Ger- 
mantown.  Ohio,  to  Lillie  Paul.v,  and  one  son 
has  been  born  to  them.  Eugene  Pauly  Albert. 
While  residing  in  Germantown,  Ohio,  Mr.  Al- 
bert joined  the  Masonic  order.  He  has  always 
worked  hard,  read  deeply,  and  lieen  interested 
in  pulilic  affairs,  bringing  to  bear  upon  them  a 
well-trained  mind  and  definite  purpose.    He  owns 


HISTORY  OF  DU  PAGE  COUNTY. 


773 


Uis  pleasant  home  at  Elmburst.  As  an  educator, 
Mr.  Albert  met  witb  a  gratifying  success,  and 
yet  it  is  in  tiis  association  with  teachers  and 
school  officials,  through  his  agency,  that  he 
feels  that  he  has  accomplished  his  best  work  and 
done  the  most  good. 

ALLEN,  Charles  H.  JliUiy  changes  have  been 
ett'eoted  iu  business  methods  during  the  past 
lialf  a  century,  and  those  who  remember  when 
Elmhurst  was  but  a  hamlet,  recollect  that  the 
merchants  of  Chicago  were  called  upon  direct 
for  supplies,  they  having  but  few  traveling 
men  on  the  road,  and  those  never  covered  any 
considerable  territory.  Today  the  commercial 
traveler  is  a  very  imiwrtant  factor  iu  the  busi- 
ness life  of  the  country.  Through  his  energy, 
foresight  and  selling  sense,  the  products  of  great 
concerns  are  introduced  to  every  part  of  the 
civilized  world,  and  American  industrial  su- 
premacy is  maintained.  One  of  the  men  who 
has  nobly  borne  his  part  as  a  member  of  this 
important  fraternity,  is  Charles  H.  Allen  of 
Elmhurst. 

After  receiving  au  excellent  practical  educa- 
tion. Mr.  Allen  turned  his  attention  towards 
utilizing  his  knowledge,  and  has  developed  into 
one  of  the  best  salesmen  in  the  employ  of  his 
coni]iauy.  covering  a  wide  territory,  and  control- 
ling the  sales  of  a  number  of  important  patrons. 

P^3r  a  number  of  years  Mr.  Allen  has  given 
nmch  thought  to  civic  conditions  at  Elmhurst, 
and  is  interested  in  its  development  and  im- 
provement. His  home  is  there,  and  there  his 
family  reside,  and  he  is  naturally  anxious  to 
see  that  they  have  all  the  advantages  accruing 
from  modern  methods.  Belonging  to  several 
fraternities,  a  supporter  of  church  work,  Jlr. 
Allen  is  a  genial,  likeable  man,  with  a  host  of 
firm  friends  as  well  as  reliable  business  asso- 
ciates, all  of  whom  appreciate  him. 

ANDERMANN,  Fred,  a  prominent  farmer  of 
Downer's  Grove  township.  Du  Page  county,  is 
active  in  all  public  matters  of  his  county,  being 
an  enterprising  and  useful  citizen.  He  was  born 
in  Hanover.  Germany.  January  20,  1.S4.3.  In 
1854,  he  was  brought  by  his  parents,  .John  and 
Dorothea  Andermann.  to  America.  The  family 
located  in  Proviso  township.  Cook  county.  111.. 
where  the  father  carried  on  farming  ten  years, 
in  1864.  buying  the  farm  where  his  son  now  re- 
sides, paying  $25  per  acre  for  eighty  aci'es  of 


land.  There  was  a  small  house  on  the  farm,  in 
which  the  family  lived  for  some  time.  The 
father  died  on  this  farm  when  he  was  within 
one  month  of  being  eighty -four  years  old,  his 
wife  having  died  many  years  before.  They  had 
but  one  child,  Fred,  and  he  has  always  lived 
on  the  home  place,  taking  care  of  his  parents 
during  their  last  years.  The  buildings  now  on 
the  farm  were  erected  by  him,  and  he  has  made 
many  other  improvements  and  added  to  the 
original  holdings  from  time  to  time  until  he  now 
owns  two  hundred  acres,  for  which  he  has  paid 
,«49,  .$05  and  $72.50  per  acre,  all  of  which  is  now 
worth  $200  per  acre. 

Mr.  Andermann  keeps  a  good  many  cows  and 
carries  on  general  farming,  being  a  representa- 
tive German-American  farmer,  thrifty  and  in- 
dustrious, who  has  been  very  successful.  For 
many  years  he  served  as  supervisor  and  school 
director,  and  in  iwlitics  he  is  a  Republican.  His 
parents  were  both  charter  members  of  St.  John's 
Evangelical  Lutheran  Church,  of  Downer's 
Grove. 

At  the  age  of  twenty-three  years  Mr.  Ander- 
mann married  Miss  Sophia  Schramm,  of  Pro- 
viso, 111.,  also  a  native  of  Hanover,  Germany, 
and  to  this  union  eight  children  have  been  born, 
namely :  William,  who  lives  in  Downer's  Grove 
township,  married  Emma  Workentien,  issue,  four 
children,  Malinda,  Albert,  Herbert  and  Clara : 
Henry  who  is  operating  a  steam  laundry  at 
Hinsdale,  married  Caroline  Dieke,  issue,  Irene 
and  Vera  :  John,  who  is  operating  part  of  the 
home  farm,  married  Alice  Buschmann,  is- 
sue, Dorothy ;  Fred  and  Edward,  who  are  at 
home ;  Louise,  who  married  Ed  J.  Beathke,  of 
Cook  county;  Mary,  who  married  Charles 
Knapp,  of  Chicago,  issue,  Margaret.  Alvln  and 
Clara  and  Emma,  who  is  at  home.  Mr.  Ander- 
mann is  one  of  the  best  known  men  iu  his  town- 
ship and  is  well  regarded  by  his  neighbors  be- 
cause of  his  reliability  and  integrity  in  all  his 
dealings.  In  addition  to  his  other  interests, 
he  is  secretary  of  the  Downer's  Grove  Farmers 
Mutual  Insurance  Co. 

ANDERMANN,  Henry  W.  The  changes  in  do- 
mestic economy  have  necessitated  many  improve- 
ments upon  prevailing  methods,  and  brought  in- 
to prominence  the  work  of  the  laundries.  The 
modern  laundry  is  complete  in  equipment  and 
turns  out  perfect  work,  thus  eliminating  the 
drudgerv  of  washing,  and  it  cares  for  the  clothes 


HISTORY  OF  DU  PAGE  COUNTY. 


iu  a  sanitary  manner  imitossible  in  the  restrict- 
ed limits  of  the  ordinary  home.  One  of  the  men 
who  have  reeoguized  the  demand  for  lirst-class 
work  along  this  line  is  Henry  W.  Audermarm, 
proprietor  of  the  Hinsdale  Laundry.  He  was 
born  in  Downer's  Grove  township.  Du  Page 
county,  September  28,  1873,  a  son  of  Fred  and 
Sophia  (Schamm)  Audermann,  natives  of  Han- 
over, Germany,  where  the  former  was  born  Jan- 
uary 20,  1843.  The  parents  came  to  the  United 
States  in  1854.  with  their  parents,  settling  at 
Proviso,  111.,  where  they  now  live.  Tlie  Ander- 
manu  family  is  one  of  the  best  known  in  Du 
Page  and  Cook  counties.  The  father  was  a 
farmer  for  many  years. 

Henry  W.  Andermann  attended  school  In 
Do\yner's  Grove  township,  and  took  a  one-term 
course  in  the  Chicago  Business  College.  Brought 
up  on  a  farm,  his  first  work  away  from  home, 
was  in  the  Corner  Hill  creamery.  When  twenty 
years  old.  he  went  to  La  Grange,  to  work  in  a 
laundry,  for  a  short  time,  then  came  to  Hinsdale, 
and  established  a  laundry  of  his  own,  in  part- 
nership with  L.  B.  Ulrich.  These  young  men 
had  but  $200  each,  and  began  iu  a  small  way, 
hiring  but  one  man.  who  drove  the  wagon.  How- 
ever, as  from  the  tirst,  they  did  only  first  class 
work,  their  business  increased  steadily  and 
rapidly,  and  in  1903,  when  the  partnership  was 
dissolved,  they  were  employing  fifteen  men  and 
girls.  Mr.  Andermann  continued  the  business 
alone,  and  has  increased  his  working  force  until 
It  numbers  twenty  or  more.  He  al.so  owned  a 
laundry  at  Downer's  Grove,  but  sold  it  in  1908, 
to  give  all  his  attention  to  his  Hinsdale  plant. 
Mr.  Andermann  owns  the  two-story  building, 
33  X  88  feet,  occupied  by  the  laundry,  as  well 
as  his  residence,  corner  of  First  and  Grant 
streets,  and  another  house  corner  Washington 
and   Second  street,   Hinsdale. 

On  January  2,  1900,  Mr.  Andermann  was  mar- 
ried in  Cook  county,  by  the  Rev.  Streater  of 
the  Lutheran  Church  of  Proviso,  to  Caroline 
Dieke  born  October  11,  1879,  daughter  of  Louis 
and  Catharine  (Bohlander)  Dieke,  both  de- 
ceased. Mr.  and  Mrs.  Andermann  ha-i-e  two 
daughters:  Irene  who  was  born  December  16, 
1901,  and  A'era  who  was  born  October  29,  1908. 
For  years,  Mr.  Andermann  has  been  an  en- 
thusiastic Republican,  and  has  .served  as  judge 
of  election  many  times.  He  has  lent  his  sup- 
port to  every  worthy  movement  started  in  Hins- 
dale, and  is  very  loyal  to  his  city.     The  family 


belong  to  the  Lutheran  Church.  Mr.  Ander- 
mann's  thrift  and  resourcefulness  have  resulted 
in  an  unusual  mesisure  of  success,  which  has 
been  attended  by  the  full  confidence  of  his  busi- 
ness and  social  associates,  so  that  there  are  few 
men  who  are  as  popular  as  he,  throughout  all 
of  Du  Page  county. 

ARMBRUST,  Joseph,  who  owns  one  of  the 
finest  residences  iu  Milton  township.  Du  Page 
county,  for  many  years  directed  the  management 
of  hi^  farm,  but  has  now  retired  from  active 
work,  leasing  a  part  of  his  laud  which  is  located 
at  Pleasant  Hill.  He  is  a  native  of  Ohio,  bom 
near  Toledo,  that  state.  January  20,  1856,  a 
son  of  Martin  aud  Mary  Ann  (Munsinger)  Arm- 
brust.  The  father  was  born  iu  Schleswig-Hol- 
stein,  Germany,  in  1S32,  aud  in  1S39  was  brought 
by  his  parents  to  the  vicinity  of  Toledo,  where 
he  grew  to  manhood,  and  there  married,  at  the 
age  of  tweuty-one  years,  Mary  A.  Munsinger, 
who  was  born  in  Alsace,  German.v,  in  October 
1825,  and  came  to  America  in  1853.  In  1858 
Martin  Armbrust  brought  his  family  to  Du  Page 
count.v.  111.,  locating  near  Bloomingdale.  where 
he  purchased  eighty  acres  of  land.  He  lived 
there  until  1872.  then  sold  out  and  came  to  Mil- 
ton township,  buying  lOti  acres  iu  Sections  6  and 
7.  He  remained  on  this  farm  until  retiring  from 
active  life  in  1S98,  since  which  time  he  has 
made  his  home  with  his  children.  Mrs.  Arm- 
brust died  October  2.  1901.  At  present  Mr. 
Armbrust  is  residing  at  Burlington.  111. 

Eight  children  were  born  to  Martin  Armbrust 
and  wife,  of  whom  five  are  now  living :  Joseph, 
the  oldest :  Annie,  wife  of  Joseph  Schlick.  was 
born  April  6.  1860,  and  resides  at  Burlington, 
III. :  Anton,  born  May  11,  1SC3.  lives  at  Wheaton  ; 
Caroline,  born  September  6,  1865.  married  Mar- 
tin sutler  and  died  July  4.  1906;  Louis,  born 
July  13,  1868,  lives  in  Chicago:  Frank,  born 
May  4,  1870,  lives  on  the  home  farm. 

Joseph  Armbrust  was  educated  in  the  district 
schools  of  Bloomiugdale  township  and  the 
parochial  school  at  Winfield.  and  remained  with 
his  father  until  1S77,  when  he  nlarried  and 
rented  one  of  the  latter's  farms  for  six  years. 
In  1883  he  purchased  ninet.v  acres  of  land  in 
Sections  6  and  7  of  Milton  township,  later  added 
thirty  acres,  and  operated  this  farm  successfully 
until  1903,  when  he  retired.  He  has  reserved 
ten  acres  of  land  for  his  own  use.  and  has  here 
erected    a    modem    residence   with    all    possible 


HISTORY  OF  DU  PAGE  COUNTY. 


I  (D 


couvenieiices.  In  1000  he  laid  out  part  of  Ills 
Jiiud  oil  the  southern  portion  of  his  farm  Into 
lots,  calling  tJiis  suLdivision  Pleasant  Hill.  He 
has  the  streets  graded,  shade  trees  planted,  a 
drainage  system  installed  and  is  preparing  the 
installation  of  an  excellent  water  system.  His 
farm  is  most  pleasantly  situated  near  Wheaton 
on  the  Aurora  &  Elgin  line. 

October  23,  1877.  Mr.  Armbrust  married  Mary 
Arends,  born  in  Winfield  township,  near  Gary's 
Mills,  August  15,  ISoO,  daughter  of  Mathias  and 
Elizabeth  (Schramer)  Arends,  natives  of  Ger- 
many, who  came  to  America  about  18.5.5  and  lo- 
cated in  Winfield  township,  Du  Page  county. 
Mr.  and  Mrs.  Armbrust  became  parents  of  the 
following  children :  Martin,  born  September  5, 
1S7S.  and  lives  at  Wheaton;  Anna,  born  March 
S,  1880.  is  the  wife  of  Frank  Seller  and  lives 
at  Pleasant  Hill ;  Margaret,  born  October  IS, 
1SS3,  is  the  wife  of  John  Tinnes,  of  West  Chi- 
cago ;  Catherine,  born  March  2,  1886,  married 
Fred  Barter  and  they  live  at  Pleasant  Hill ; 
Mary  E.,  born  February  17,  1888,  lives  with  her 
parents ;  .John,  born  December  27,  1881,  lives  at 
Winfield,  III.;  Joseph  S.,  born  October  3,  1889, 
lives  with  his  parents ;  Helen,  born  July  14, 
1891;  Mathias,  born  February  24,:  1S93 ;  Ottilia/ 
H.,  born  February  11,  1895;  Petei'' M:;  torn'" 
November  15.  1901 ;  and  two  children  who  died 
in  infancy.  Mrs.  Armbru.st.  the  mother,  died 
February  19,  1912.  The  family  are  membei'S  t)f  ' 
the  Catholic  church  of  'WTieatonL  'Mr.'  'AV'm- 
brust  was  formerly  a  Democrat  in  i>olitbCs- bivt- 
is  now  a  Republican.  He  has  held  only  minor 
public  offices,  but  is  interested  in  everything 
pertaining  to  the  welfare  and  progress  of  his 
community.  He  has  lived  in  the  county  since 
his  infancy  and  is  well  known  and  popular, 
having  many  warm  friends. 

ARNOLD,  Ralph  Glenroy,  secretary  and  treas- 
urer of  The  Arnold  Company,  and  secretary  and 
treasurer  of  the  Elgin  &  Belvidere  Electric  Com- 
pany, is  one  of  the  successful  young  business 
men  of  Hinsdale  and  Chicago,  his  residence  be- 
ing in  the  former  place,  while  his  business 
relations  are  carried  on  in  the  latter.  He  was 
bom  at  A.shland.  Xeb.,  February  25,  1876,  wher? 
he  received  his  primary  education,  later  taking 
a  commercial  course  in  Chicago,  111.  His  par- 
ents were  Joseph  and  Geraldine  (Reynolds)  Ar- 
nold, the  former  being  an  attorney. 

Mr.  Arnold  was  united  In  marriage  in   Xew 


York  City,  April  5,  1904,  to  Hazel  McLane, 
daughter  of  George  and  Annie  McLane.  The 
following  children  have  been  born  to  Mr.  and 
Mrs.  Arnold :  Margaret,  who  died  in  childhood ; 
Virginia,  Stanton  and  Randolph.  In  politics, 
Mr.  Arnold  is  an  independent  Rei)ublican. 

ASHLEY,  J.  H.,  D.  D.  S.,  for  many  years  the 
leading  dentist  of  Wheaton,  and  later  sheriff 
of  Du  Page  county,  who  has  pas.sed  to  his  last 
reward,  was  a  man  of  strong  individuality  and 
one  whose  interest  was  largely  centered  in  ef- 
fecting reforms  and  steadily  bringing  about  a 
change  for  the  better  in  the  government  of  town, 
county,  state  and  nation.  He  was  born  in 
Marengo,  McHenry  county.  111..  January  1.  1854, 
being  a  son  of  John  H.  and  Charlotte  (Weed) 
Ashley,  and  grandson  of  George  W.  Ashley. 
The  latter  was  born  in  Rutland  county,  Vt., 
and  married  Sallie  Page  of  New  York  state.  He 
was  a  farmer  who,  in  1850,  migrated  to  Kanka- 
kee county.  111.  John  H.  Ashley,  who  was  a 
carpenter  and  contractor,  met  with  an  accident 
which  resulted  in  his  death  three  days  afterward 
and  his  widow  removed  to  Marengo  county, 
where  her  son,  J.  H.  Ashley  was  born  two 
mgpths  later. 

'  *Hel-e  the  lad  spent  the  early  years  of  his  life, 
working  on  a  farm  and  attending  public  school. 
During  the  winter  months  while  at  school  In 
•  («Wu,  he  worked  for  his  board.  Later,  he  taught 
school  \  for  three  years,  and  then  entered  the 
-(tenrCity  Business  College  of  Quincy,  111.,  from 
which  he  was  graduated  in  1S77.  Following  this 
he  began  the  study  of  dentistry  with  Dr.  J.  Q. 
Adams  of  Marengo,  a  graduate  of  the  Philadel- 
phia Dental  College.  Still  later,  Dr.  Ashley 
bought  out  Dr.  Adams'  practice,  and  continued 
his  profession  there  until  October,  1870,  when 
he  moved  to  Wheaton,  where  he  established 
himself.  Appreciating  the  need  of  further 
etiuipment  and  a  full  knowledge  of  modern  prog- 
ress in  dentistry.  Dr.  Ashley  entered  the  Chicago 
College  of  Dental  Surgery,  taUng  a  full  post- 
graduate course.  Being  a  man  never  consent 
with  pFesent  conditions,  Dr.  Ashley  kept  pace 
with  every  advance  in  his  profession,  and  was 
ever  a  diligent  and  untiring  student,  taking 
pride  in  having  a  well  equipped  office  and  one 
of  the  most  complete  dental  libraries  in  the 
state. 

On  September  1,  1879,  Dr.  Ashley  was  mar- 
ried  to  Miss  Marion  Mills  of  Marengo,  daugh- 


776 


HISTORY  OF  DU  PAGE  COUNTY. 


ter  uf  James  Mills,  tor  luany  years  oue  of  Mc- 
Ilemy  eouuty's  most  prominent  citizens.  Five 
( liildreu  were  boru  to  Dr.  and  Mrs.  Ashley : 
Nannie,  Harry,  Clarence,  Carrie  and  Clifford. 

On  tlie  morning  of  February  28,  1SS6,  the  resi- 
dence of  the  Hon.  L.  L.  Hlatt  was  robbed  by  an 
armed  mob,  and  the  residents  frightened 
and  held  in  quiet  submission  liy  the  display  of 
revolvers  and  threats  from  the  masked  men. 
As  soon  as  possible  after  their  departure.  Mr. 
Hiatt  rushed  to  his  neighbor,  Dr.  Ashley,  and 
confided  in  him.  Dr.  Ashley,  arming  himself 
with  both  shot  gun  and  revolver,  quiclcly  organ- 
ized a  posse,  and  started  in  pursuit.  The  mob 
was  trailed  five  miles  through  the  snow  to 
Turner's  Junction,  where  a  desperate  fight  en- 
sued which  resulted  in  the  capture  of  all  the 
marauders,  and  oue  of  them  was  literally  punc- 
tured with  shot  from  head  to  foot.  These  des- 
perate men  were  securely  confined  in  the  Du 
Page  county  jail,  and  in  due  time  tried  and  sen- 
tenced to  twenty-five  years  imprisonment.  This 
incident  brought  Dr.  Ashley  so  prominently  be- 
fore the  citizens  of  the  county  that  he  was  con- 
sidered the  logical  candidate  for  sheriff  of  the 
eount.v.  He  finally  consented  to  the  placing  of 
his  name  on  his  part.v  ticket,  was  nominated  by 
the  Republicans,  July  30,  ISSG,  and  at  the  en- 
suing November  election,  was  elected.  That  he 
proved  an  efficient  ofiicial  is  attested  by  the  fact 
that  his  record  for  the  capture  of  burglars, 
horse-thieves  and  other  criminals  stands  with- 
out a  parallel  in  the  history  of  the  county.  In 
nearly  every  instance  he  succeeded  in  captur- 
ing the  men  he  went  after,  and  his  prowess  was 
so  generally  recognized,  that  only  two  horses 
were  stolen  during  his  incumbency  in  office 
that  were  not  recovered.  At  the  expiration  of 
his  term,  he  had  in  his  possession  a  large  col- 
lection of  burglar's  tools  and  appliances  which 
he  had  taken  from  the  criminals  he  had  ca- 
tured.  He  also  had  the  distinction  of  being  the 
onl.v  sheriff  in  twenty-five  years  who  had  not 
allowed  prisoners  to  escape  from  him.  Dr. 
Ashley  was  stanch  in  his  support  of  Republican 
principles,  and  was  one  of  the  part.v's  most  effi- 
cient leaders. 

At  various  periods  of  his  life.  Dr.  Ashley  be- 
longed to  the  following  orders  and  societies : 
Wheaton  Lodge.  No.  2f!9,  A.  F.  &  A.  M.,  of 
which  he  was  Worshipful  Master  a  number  of 
years;  Doric  Chapter,  No.  160,  R.  A.  M.  of 
Turner.  111. ;  of  Sylvan  Commandery,  Xo.  54.  K. 


T.  of  Oak  Park;  of  Wheaton  Camp,  No.  4SS, 
M.  W.  A. ;  Orchid  Lodge,  No.  331,  K.  P.,  and  the 
National  Union.  He  also  held  all  of  the  oflices 
in  the  Modern  Woodmen  Lodge,  being  Venerable 
Counsel  for  three  successive  terms;  and  filled 
the  principal  offices  in  the  Knights  of  Pythias 
lodge,  and  was  Chancellor  Commander  of  Orchid 
Lodge.  Prior  to  his  death  he  had  given  up  ac- 
tive connection  with  all  the  orders  except  the 
Masonic,  the  Woodmen  and  Royal  Neighbors. 

Dr.  Ashley  was  a  man  of  commanding  pres- 
ence, genial  bearing  and  deportment  and  readily 
won  and  always  retained  friendship.  His  death 
occurred  February  2G,  1901,  as  the  result  of 
nervous  prostration  and  heart  failure,  after  an 
illness  of  several  months. 

ATWATER,  Alfred  Ira,  a  native  of  York  town- 
ship, was  born  Feliruary  28,  1854.  He  efirly 
attended  the  district  schools  and  those  of  Naper- 
ville,  later  taking  a  preparatory  course  at 
Wheaton  College.  On  leaving  school  he  took  a 
position  with  the  Burlington  Railroad,  which  he 
held  for  some  time,  finally  giving  it  up  to  re- 
turn to  the  farm.  There  he  remained  for  sev- 
eral years,  until  lie  received  the  inviting  offer 
of  a  position  as  mechanical  engineer.  At  this 
work  he  continued  until  lie  again  returned  to 
the  farm,  where  lie  has  since  remained.  He 
lias  put  many  improvements  on  the  farm,  and 
now  has  a  splendid  place  consisting  of  fifty-four 
acres  in  one  farm  and  four  acres  north  of  Hins- 
dale, on  which  are  a  good  house  and  barn. 

Mr.  Atwater  was  married,  February  13.  1878. 
to  Miss  Addie  Marie  Stevens,  a  daughter  of 
William  H.  O.  and  Elnora  (Waters)  Stevens, 
who  was  born  in  De  Kalb  county.  February  13, 
1857.  Three  children  were  born  to  them, 
as  follows:  Nelson  O.,  born  April  28.  18.80, 
works  for  Marshall  Field  &  Company ;  Elva, 
born  April  22,  1.S82.  died  September  13.  1898; 
Jesse  Eugene.  Iiorn  June  13.  1898.  at  home,  a 
student.  Jlrs.  Atwater  died  December  11.  1898, 
and  is  at  rest  in  the  York  cemeterv. 

Mr.  Atwater  was  married,  a  second  time,  to 
Miss  Susanna  Marie  Arbeeu,  on  the  2Cth  of  May, 
1901.  She  is  a  daughter  of  Claes  Otto  and 
Charlotta  (Sand)  Arheen,  who  was  born  In 
Stockholm.  Sweden.  January  16.  1880,  <and  was 
lii'ought  to  America,  when  two  .vears  old.  b.v  her 
parents,  who  located  first  at  Chicago,  then  at 
Western  Springs  where  they  have  since  lived. 
To  them  four  children  have  been  born.     They 


HISTORY  OP  DU  PAGE  COUNTY. 


777 


are:  George  Ileury,  born  February  27,  1901; 
Oliver  U.,  born  February  3,  1003,  died  February 
15,  1003 ;  Berton  Amaudas,  bom  August  13, 
1905 ;  Teressa,  born  July  29,  1906.  Mr.  Atwater 
lias  been  affiliated  with  tlie  A.  O.  U.  W.  Lodge 
of  Hinsdale,  has  gone  through  the  chairs,  and 
was  at  the  head  of  the  Order  for  two  years. 
He  has  been  school  director  of  his  district  for 
some  time. 

George  Henry  Atwater,  the  father  of  the  sub- 
ject of  this  sketch,  came  to  Du  Page  county, 
Illinois,  from  Pennsylvania,  in  the  spring  of 
1835.  His  father  came  in  18.34  and  squatted 
on  laud,  buying  eighty  acres  in  the  timber  sec- 
tion, and  later  moved  from  this  to  the  farm 
which  is  now  occupied  by  Alfred,  getting  the 
land  directly  from  the  government,  under  a 
patent  dated  by  James  K.  Polk,  May  1.  1845. 

George  Atwater  married  Miss  Phebe  Ann 
Willey.  a  native  of  Bradford  county,  Pennsyl- 
vania. George  died  February  18,  1898,  at  the 
age  of  sevnty-oue  years  ;  his  wife  died  December 
1,   1909,  aged  seventy-nine  years. 

AUBLE,  John  M.,  a  representative  farmer  of 
Wayne  township,  DuPage  county,  has  lived  on 
his  present  farm  since  1S7S  and  during  that 
time  has  greatly  developed  and  improved  it. 
He  is  a  native  of  Seneca  county,  N.  Y.,  born 
September  23,  1827,  a  sou  of  John  and  Mary 
(Mount)  Auble,  both  natives  of  New  York  state, 
where  their  entire  lives  were  spent.  The  par- 
ents removed  to  Yates  county,  N.  Y.,  in  1827 
and  located  on  a  farm  there.  Their  second 
son,  M.  F.  Auble,  came  to  Illinois  in  1850  and 
located  permanently  near  Burlington,  Kane 
count.v.  where  he  secured  110  acres  of  land. 
.John  M.  came  to  visit  his  brother  during  the  fall 
of  the  year  mentioned,  remaining  one  year  and 
then  returning  home,  and  in  1855  again  came  to 
Illinois,  securing  forty  acres  of  land  near  Bur- 
lington. He  had  received  his  education  in  the 
district  school  near  his  father's  home  and  had 
been  reared  to  agricultural  pursuits. 

In  1878  Mr.  Auble  purchased  eighty  acres  of 
land  on  Section  9,  Wayne  township,  where  he 
built  an  addition  to  the  house,  erected  new 
barns,  and  for  many  years  caiTied  on  general 
farming.  Politically  he  Is  a  Republican  and, 
soon  after  going  to  Kane  county,  was  elected  to 
the  office  of  school  director,  which  he  held  until 
moving  away.  He  also  held  the  office  of  Jus- 
tice of  the  Peace  two  terms  and.  during  that 
11 


time,  never  had  one  of  his  decisions  reversed 
by  a  higher  court.  He  also  held  the  office  of 
highway  commissioner.  Since  coming  to  Du 
Page  county  he  has  not  taken  a  very  active 
part  in  ijublic  afl'airs. 

Mr.  Auble  was  married  November  10,  1853, 
to  Susan  A.  Galusha,  who  was  born  in  New 
York,  April  25,  1827,  and  died  January  25,  1894, 
at  Burlington,  Vt,  deeply  mourned  by  his  family 
and  friends.  Seven  children  were  born  of  this 
union,  of  whom  three  survive,  namely :  Loa  E., 
born  March  0,  1855,  wife  of  Byron  L.  Ballard, 
of  Wayne ;  Willard  E.,  on  the  home  farm ;  Miss 
Ella  M.,  born  June  29,  1SC5,  also  at  home.  The 
last-named  is  a  member  of  the  Baptist  church 
and  active  in  its  good  work. 

Willard  E.  Auble,  who  was  born  in  March, 
18G1.  was  educated  in  the  district  school  and 
has  always  lived  on  his  father's  farm,  beginning 
farm  work  in  early  boyhood.  He  was  married 
in  November,  1900,  to  Miss  Sarah  A.  McKin- 
non,  by  Rev.  Amet  Depew,  who  was  born  near 
Toronto,  Canada,  April  25,  1864,  and  she  died 
March  16,  1907,  and  was  buried  in  Little  Woods 
cemetary,  leaving  two  children :  Donald  J.,  born 
January  1,  1903,  and  Willard  R.,  born  October 
24.  1904.  Mr.  Auble  is  an  enterprising  and  in- 
dustrious farmer  and  is  highly  respected  in  the 
community.  He  and  his  father  have  many 
friends  and  are  well  known  in  various  circles. 
The  younger  man  is  clerk  of  the  school  board, 
of  which  he  served  as  director  many  yep..rs,  and 
is  active  in  the  interests  of  the  Republican  party. 
He  is  a  charter  member  of  Wayne  Lodge  Modern 
Woodmen  of  America.  Mr.  Auble  is  a  mi^mber 
of  the  Congregational  church. 

BAETHKE,  William,  a  son  of  Henry  J.  and 
Dorothy  (Bahrenside)  Baethke,  was  born  in 
Cook  county.  111.,  September  21,  1860.  He  re- 
ceived his  education  in  the  German  and  public 
schools,  then  farmed  until  he  reached  the  age  of 
twenty-one.  For  two  years  after  this  he  did 
teaming  for  his  brother,  then  became  a  cheese 
and  butter  maker  in  one  of  the  five  cheese  and 
butter  factories  owned  by  his  brother-in-law. 
Subsequently  he  went  to  Lincoln  county,  Minn., 
and  worked  land  there  belonging  to  his  father. 
Here  he  remained  nine  years,  then  returned  to 
Elmhurst  and  purchased  a  creamery  from  his 
brother,  operated  it  for  fourteen  years,  then 
locked  its  doors  and  took  up  a  general  .store  in 
its  stead.    This  store,  which  is  located  at  the  cor- 


778 


HISTORY  OF  DU  PAGE  COUNTY. 


ner  of  York  and  Railroad  streets,  he  bought 
from  Chris  Bleveniug,  and  has  since  continued 
to  do  business  there.  Mr.  Baethlie  was  elected 
to  the  office  of  township  clerk  in  1003,  and  since 
that  time  has  always  succeeded  himself  at  each 
election.  For  three  years,  while  in  Jlinnesota, 
he  was  commissioner  of  highways,  and  upon  his 
return  to  Elnihurst  held  the  appointment  of  spe- 
cial police  for  five  years  and  the  dual  office  of 
secretary  and  treasurer  of  the  Elmhurst  Fire 
Department  for  six  years.  He  is  a  member  of 
the  Evangelical  Church.  He  was  married, 
March  14,  18S5,  to  Jliss  Hannah  Koaler,  daugh- 
ter of  Christ  and  Dorothy  (Thlesen)  Koaler, 
who  was  born  in  York  township,  February  25, 
1867.  Five  children  have  been  born  to  them ; 
Edward,  a  resident  of  Melrose,  employed  in  the 
Electric  Steel  Works ;  Dorothy,  at  home ;  Ella, 
a  twin  of  Doroth.v.  died  when  seven  years 
old;  Roy,  at  home,  a  student  in  the  German 
school. 

BAKER,  Charles  Edward,  a  successful  young 
llvery-mau  of  Du  Page  county,  is  a  native  of 
the  county,  born  in  Milton  township,  January 
18,  1885.  a  son  of  George  and  Caroline  (Klein) 
Baker,  the  former  deceased.  He  received  his 
education  in  the  local  schools  and  the  graded 
school  in  Downer's  Grove,  after  which  he  work- 
ed first  in  a  butcher  shop  and  later  in  a  dry 
goods  store  as  clerk  and  bookkeeper.  He  was 
employed  for  some  time  by  L.  Klein,  of  Down- 
er's Grove,  and  after  w-orking  three  years  in  that 
town  was  employed  by  a  Chicago  house,  later 
spending  three  years  as  clerk  and  salesman  in 
the  employ  of  Marshall  Field  &  Company. 
Then,  going  to  Iowa,  he  entered  the  employ  of 
his  uncle,  George  Klein,  who  was  engaged  in  a 
furniture  and  undertaking  business,  but  one 
year  later  he  returned  to  Illinois  and  worked 
In  a  Chicago  upholstering  factory.  In  December, 
1907,  Mr.  Baker  returned  to  Downer's  Grove 
and  was  for  one  year  engaged  in  a  livery  busi- 
ness on  Grove  street.  His  mother  then  erected 
a  handsome  modern  building,  at  a  cost  of  about 
$16,000,  and  in  January,  1909.  he  moved  Into 
it  with  his  livery  stock.  He  has  a  fine  line 
of  equipment  and  every  possible  convenience 
for  carrying  on  his  business,  owning  fifteen  horses 
and  seven  covered  vehicles,  also  buggies  of  vari- 
ous descriptions,  including  runabouts.  He  also 
runs  a  feed  stable  in  connection  with  his  livery ; 


has  built  up  a  good  trade  and  has  a  reputation 
for  honest   dealing  and   integrity  of  purpose. 

Mr.  Baker  is  unmarried,  and  with  his  mo- 
ther, sister  and  one  brother,  has  well  fitted 
apartments  over  his  place  of  business.  He  has 
one  of  the  best  conducted  liveries  in  this  part 
of  the  county  and  does  a  large  business,  being 
well  known  in  the  communit.v.  Mr.  Baker  takes 
an  Intelligent  interest  in  every  measure  calcu- 
lated to  advance  the  general  welfare  and  pros- 
perity of  the  town.  The  family  are  members  of 
the  St.  Paul  German  Evangelical  Church  and 
are  active  in  its  good  work. 

BALGEMANN,  Otto  W.  Elmhurst.  one  of  the 
most  desirable  residence  districts  in  the  vicinity 
of  Chicago,  and  an  important  village  in  Du 
Page  County,  offers  many  opportunities  to  the 
energetic  .voung  business  man,  a  fact  that  some 
of  the  most  representative  of  Du  Page  County's 
citizens  recognize.  One  of  these  who  has  won  dis- 
tinction, both  as  a  business  man  and  faithful 
public  official,  is  Otto  W.  Balgemann,  whose  oper- 
ations in  realty  values  have  been  large,  and 
whose  services  as  Postmaster  of  Elmhurst  can- 
not be  lightly  regarded.  He  was  born  in  the 
village,  September  17,  1874,  a  son  of  Louis  and 
Louisa  Balgemann. 

Louis  Balgemann  was  born  in  Germany,  but 
came  to  this  country  in  1853.  He  was  a  black- 
smith and  wagonmaker,  and  was  very  proficient 
in  both  trades.  During  the  years  he  made  Elm- 
hurst his  home,  Mr.  Balgemann  became  a  lead- 
ing factor  in  Its  life,  and  w-as  extremely  active 
in  the  Lutheran  Church.  He  was  a  trastee  of 
both  the  church  and  the  excellent  school  main- 
tained by  it.  During  his  later  years,  he  devoted 
much  of  his  time  and  attention  to  church  work, 
and  w-as  a  most  worthy  and  excellent  man.  His 
wife  died  May  20,  190S,  aud  on  December  26th 
of  that  same  year,  he  passed  away,  never  hav- 
ing recovered  from  her  loss. 

Otto  W.  Balgemann  attended  the  schools  of 
Elmhurst,  and  upon  finishing  his  courses  in 
them,  became  a  clerk  in  a  general  store.  Fol- 
lowing this,  he  was  a  clerk  in  the  post  office 
where  he  gained  an  experience  that  later  was  to 
prove  extremely  useful.  At  this  time  Henry  L. 
Glos  was  the  principal  realty  operator,  and  Mr. 
Balgemann  eventually  went  into  his  office,  be- 
coming his  right  hand  man,  so  that  when  Mr. 
Glos  died  Mr.  Balgemann  was  able  to  continue 


HISTORY  OF  DU  PAGE  COUNTY. 


the  business  for  Mrs.  GIos.  lu  1906,  Mr.  Balge- 
niann  was  appointed  Postmaster  at  Elmhurst, 
and  re-appointed  in  I'JIO.  He  has  served  as 
Village  Treasurer.  When  the  necessity  for  a 
national  bank  was  recognized,  Mr.  Balgemanu 
was  one  of  the  men  to  organize  the  First  Na- 
tional Bank  of  Elmhurst,  and  has  served  as  a 
member  of  its  board  of  directors  ever  since. 
Like  his  father,  he  is  a  Lutheran  and  belongs  to 
the  German  Lutheran  Church  of  this  village. 
A  young  man  in  the  very  prime  of  life,  ener- 
getic, and  an  excellent  business  man.  Mr.  Balge- 
niann  not  only  has  already  accomplished  much, 
but  has  a  brilliant  future  before  him. 

On  October  26,  IbOO,  Mr.  Balgemann  was  mar- 
ried at  Chicago  by  the  Rev.  Johns  of  St.  Paul's 
Church,  to  Minnie  Behrens,  born  in  Chicago, 
April  29,  1S75.  daughter  of  William  F.  and  Mary 
(Windhoru)  Behrens,  natives  of  Germany  who 
came  to  Chicago.  Mr.  and  Mrs.  Balgemann  be- 
came the  parents  of  two  children  :  Helen,  born 
at  Elmhurst,  Noveuilier  1,  1901 ;  and  Carl  W., 
born  in  the  same  place,  January  10,  1907.  Mrs. 
Balgemanu  died  February  20,  1908.  and  is  bur- 
ied in  Elm  Lawn  Cemetery.  _^ 

BALL,  Fred  M.  Wheaton  is  no«  Vrtla^p^dja^; 
being  the  county  seat  of  Du  I'age  county,  and 
the  home  of  Wheaton  College,  dear  to  the  hearts 
of  many  who  claim  it  as  their  altaa  .ipater^Jaut^ 
because  of  its  importance  as  a  epmuiereiai.C^'- .. 
ter  for  the  rich  farming  country  _cp_ntiguous  to 
It.  On  account  of  this  latter  qualification,  a 
number  of  representative  business  men  have  es- 
tablished themselves  here,  and  built  up  a  line 
of  patronage  that  yields  gratifying  results.  In 
spite  of  the  fact  that  the  automobile  is  popular, 
there  are  many  to  whom  the  horse-drawn  vehicle 
is  the  favorite  mode  of  lomoniotion,  and  such 
need  the  services  of  a  practical  liveryman.  Some 
only  desire  to  have  a  dependable  line  of  horses 
from  which  a  suitable  one  can  be  selected  for 
various  purposes ;  others  desire  a  comfortable 
boarding  stable  for  their  equine  pets,  where  they 
know  they  will  receive  sensible  and  skilled  care, 
while  still  others  only  wish  an  occasional  mount. 
Among  others  engaged  in  the  same  line,  Fred 
>L  Ball  probably  occupies  the  leading  place  not 
only  because  of  superior  equipment,  but  on  ac- 
count of  his  knowledge  of  horses  and  their  needs. 
For  years  Mr.  Ball  lias  conducted  his  com- 
modious livery,  boarding  and  feed  stables,  and 
he  has  gained  a  well-earned  reputation  for  fair- 


ness of  dealing,  and  honesty  of  purpose.  He  has 
a  number  of  fine  animals  for  sale,  and  is  called 
upon  to  dispose  of  choice  lots  whenever  they 
are  placed  upon  the  market  by  those  who  have 
bred  them.  For  this  reason  many  who  deal  in 
horse  flesh,  look  to  Mr.  Ball  for  their  supply,  and 
rely  upon  his  judgment  as  to  the  good  ix>ints 
and  fair  price  to  be  paid. 

Mr.  Ball  was  born  in  La  Salle  county,  on  a 
farm,  in  1870,  being  a  son  of  Joseph  and  Mary 
E.  Ball,  pioneers  of  this  locality.  He  has  always 
liked  horses,  and  his  present  business  is  the 
outcome  of  his  love  for  what  he  considers  the 
noblest  animal  given  for  the  use  of  man.  His 
success  in  business  is  the  result  of  untiring  in- 
dustry, unremitting  patience  and  a  close  study 
of  every  point.  Mr.  Ball  also  carries  on  a 
transfer  business,  and  carefully  transports  goods 
to  various  points  in  Wheaton  and  the  adjoining 
territory.  Telephone  orders  receive  prompt  at- 
tention. 

Genial,  kindly  of  disposition,  Mr.  Ball  makes 

many   friends,   whom   he    holds   because    of   his 

filedity  to  them.    Never  asking  more  than  he  is 

willing  to  bestow,  he  gains  a  reputation  for  fair- 

jiiiiesii  find  honesty   that  his   daily   life  sustains. 

( ^[ihin'g  him  as  a  whole,  it  is  doubtful  if  there 

is  any  man  in  Wheaton  who  stands  higher  in  the 

business    world,    or    who    owns    more    friends 

,  throughout  Du  Page  county. 

'.-»..■•    ; 
_  BANDEMER,  Herman  F.     The  problem  of  the 

world's  food  supply  has  assumed  such  magni- 
tude as  to  induce  men  of  more  than  ordinary 
ability  to  engage  in  farming  as  a  business.  They 
are  training  themselves,  gaining  a  broad,  com- 
plete and  general  knowledge  of  their  work  so  as 
to  produce  the  best  re.sults  from  their  land, 
whose  value  they  fully  appreciate.  One  of  the 
younger  generation  of  farmers  is  Herman  F. 
Bandemer,  of  section  23,  Milton  township,  one 
of  the  progressive  farmers  of  Du  Page  county. 
Mr.  Bandemer  was  born  here  March  12,  1876, 
being  a  son  of  August  and  Henrietta  (Rada- 
macher)   Bandemer. 

August  Bandemer  was  born  January  22,  1841, 
and  his  wife  on  March  17,  1841,  both  in  Ger- 
many, where  they  grew  up  in  farming  oiramu- 
nities.  Like  all  loyal  Germans,  he  served  in  the 
army  taking  part  in  the  German-Danish  disturb- 
ances in  1863;  the  German  and  Austrian  war, 
1866,  and  the  German-French  war  of  1870-1. 
He  won   the  silver   cross   in   the  first  war  and 


780 


HISTORY  OF  DU  PAGE  COUNTY. 


li;is  four  other  medals  bestowed  uiiou  him  for 
bravery  duriu^'  his  service.  Ilis  marriage  oc- 
curred in  1S04,  and  in  1873  be  and  his  wife  came 
to  America,  locating  fir.st  in  Chicago,  where 
Mr.  Bandemer  worked  as  a  carpenter,  in  the 
employ  'Of  the  city  street  department,  building 
walks,  crossings  and  similar  constructions.  In 
1875  he  moved  his  family  to  Miltou  township, 
where  be  rented  a  farm,  and  iu  1885  he  bought 
seventy-two  acres  on  section  23,  Milton  town- 
sUij).  v:hich  is  the  present  family  home.  In  ISOO 
he  pur  up  a  modern  residence :  in  1003  built  the 
magnificent  big  barn  and  silo,  which  was  the 
second  put  up  in  the  county.  At  present  he  and 
his  son,  Herman,  are  .conducting  a  dairy  of 
thirty  cows,  which  are  thoroughbred  Holstein 
•cattle. 

Herman  F.  Candemer  is  the  ouly  son  of  his 
parents,  and  has  never  left  home,  growing  up 
lu  Miltou  township,  where  he  attended  the  pub- 
lic schools  and  for  four  years  he  also  went  to 
a  German  parochial  school.  He  and  his  father 
work  in  conjunction  and  have  been  very  success- 
ful. On  June  IG,  1899.  >Ir.  Bandemer  was  united 
in  marriage  to  Toleda  Baker,  boru  in  Milton 
township,  in  1880,  daughter  of  Valentine  and 
Elizalietb  iLandgrader)  Baker  of  Milton  town- 
ship. Mr.  and  Mrs.  Bandemer  became  the  par- 
ents of  children  as  follows :  Esther  E..  who  was 
born  March  12.  1900;  Elma  M.,  who  was  born 
January  19.  1903;  Martha  H.,  who  was  bom 
November  3,  1904,  and  Walter  C.  who  was 
born  June  1(5,  1907.  The  family  all  belong  to 
the  German  Lutheran  church.  Mr.  Bandemer 
is  a  Republican  but  has  never  desired  otfice.  He 
is  industrious  aud  thrifty,  and  understands 
modern    farming   thoroughly. 

BANNISTER,  Asahel,  one  of  the  older  native- 
born  residents  of  Du  Page  county,  has  spent 
his  entire  life  on  the  farm  in  Lisle  township, 
where  he  was  born,  .January  4,  IS.oO,  and  where 
he  now  lives.  He  is  a  son  of  Harrison  aud 
Catherine  (Leitch)  Bannister,  the  former  a 
native  of  Ontario  county,  N.  Y.,  and  the  latter 
of  Pennsylvania.  His  father  was  a  son  of  Asa- 
hel Bannister.  The  father  came  to  Du  Page 
county  about  1848  and  the  mother  about  the  same 
time.  The  former  pre-empted  a  farm  now  owned 
by  the  sub.iect  of  this  sketch  and  married  after 
coming  to  Illinois.  He  had  ICO  acres  of  wild 
prairie  land,  which  he  cleared  and  improved, 
living  there  until  his  death,  April  26,  1SS7.    His 


widow  lived  iu  Xaperville  from  1894  until  her 
death,  February  IS,  190!.»,  Their  children  were: 
Asahel;  William,  of  Naperville;  Eva,  widow  of 
George  Buck,  living  in  Chicago ;  Catherine,  of 
Xaperville ;   aud  HaiTison,   now  deceased. 

After  the  death  of  his  parents,  Asahel  Ban- 
nister bought  the  interests  of  other  heirs  of  the 
estate,  which  then  contained  216  acres  of  land. 
He  has  continued  to  improve  and  develop  this 
land  until  he  now-  owns  one  of  the  valuable 
farms  iu  his  township.  He  is  an  intelligent  and 
enterprising  farmer,  carries  on  a  general  line  of 
that  vocation,  and  has  a  large  aud  profitable 
dairy.  He  was  educated  iu  the  district  schools 
aud  iu  Xaperville  Academy  and  since  leaving 
school  has  made  a  special  study  of  agricultural 
conditions  and  farming  methods.  He  is  an  up- 
right public-spirited  citizei^  and  in  politics  is  a 
Itepublicau.  He  has  sen-ed  as  school  director 
and  trustee  since  1906.  Fraternally  he  is  con- 
nected with  the  Modem  Woodmen  of  America 
aud  the  Court  of  Honor  of  Naperville.  He  is 
well  known  in  his  part  of  the  county,  where 
he  is  popular  and  has  many  firm  frieuds. 

Mr.  Bannister  was  married  Jauary  2.3,  1879, 
to  Miss  Arua  Lyman,  a  daughter  of  Romauzo 
and  Mar.v  (Alderman)  Lyuian,  the  father  a 
native  of  Massachusetts  and  the  mother  of 
Canada.  Miss  Lyman  was  born  in  California, 
and  came  to  Illinois  In  1871.  Two  children 
have  been  born  of  this  union,  Claude  E.  aud 
Pwight  L..  both  at  home. 

BARBER,  William,  one  of  the  oldest  residents 
of  Du  Page  county,  is  believed  to  have  been  the 
first  white  child  boru  in  that  territory.  He  was 
born  in  what  is  now  Naperville  township  (then 
a  part  of  Cook  County)  September  4,  1832,  a 
son  of  William  and  Lucetta  (Stevens)  Barber, 
of  Enosburg.  Vt.  His  paternal  grandparents 
were  William  and  Lucy  (Peet)  Barber,  the  lat- 
ter boru  in  Benson,  A't.  His  maternal  grand- 
father. Captain  John  Stevens,  who  had  com- 
manded a  company  of  Vermont  militia,  came 
with  his  own  family  and  the  Barber  family  to 
Illinois,  making  the  trip  via  the  Erie  Canal  to 
Buffalo,  thence  to  Chicago  on  a  boat,  and  then 
they  drove  through  to  Naperville.  Captain 
John  Stevens  and  the  father,  William  Barber, 
died  a  few  months  after  coming  here,  and  when 
the  sub.iect  of  this  sketch  was  a  few  week's  old. 
Mr.  Barber's  death  took  place  in  October,  1S32, 
leaving   his   widow   with    three   small    children. 


HISTORY  OF  DU  PAGE  COUNTY. 


781 


She  later  became  the  first  school  teacher  iu  Du 
Page  county,  aud  about  1S40  married  (second) 
Michael   Hiues. 

William  and  Lueetta  Barber  were  parents  of 
the  following  children  :  Horatio  W.,  who  served 
iu  the  First  ilinuesota  Regiment  during  the 
Civil  war,  participating  iu  the  first  battle  of 
Bull  Run  and  the  Battle  of  Gettysburg,  but  died 
at  Hot  Springs,  S.  D. ;  Jane  Ann  died  at  the  age 
of  six  years,  and  William.  Michael  Hiues  and 
wife  had  .children  as  follows :  Thomas,  died  in 
Iowa ;  Martha  W.,  widow  of  Samuel  W.  Smith, 
of  Kansas  City,  Mo. ;  Mary  Jane  aud  Vine,  died 
iu  infancy ;  Elizabeth,  Mrs.  O.  Q.  Hohuau,  of 
LaGrange,  HI.  After  their  maiTiage  Mr.  aud 
Mrs.  Hiues  resided  for  some  years  in  Naperville, 
where  he  was  engaged  in  business  as  a  shoe- 
maker, but  a  flood  in  the  Du  Page  river  washed 
away  the  buildings  where  his  business  was 
located,  soon  after  which  they  moved  away. 
They  finally  located  at  Cheston,  Iowa,  where 
both  died. 

■\Yilliam  Barber  has  had  an  adventurous  life, 
has  traveled  in  many  parts  of  the  world,  and  is 
able  to  give  a  most  interesting  account  of  his 
early  experiences.  He  remained  with  his  mother 
and  steijfather  until  1849,  and  during  that  year 
sailed  on  Lake  Michigan  aud  others  of  the 
Great  Lakes  in  the  open  season.  Iu  March, 
1S50,  with  a  party  of  twelve  men.  commanded 
by  Stephen  J.  Scott,  he  joined  an  expedition  to 
California  in  search  of  gold.  The.v  lost  their 
horses  by  drowning  while  crossing  the  Hum- 
boldt river,  but  finally  reached  Placerville. 
Mr.  Barber  worked  about  two  years  mining 
and  prospecting  in  various  parts  of  the  state, 
and  with  two  companions  eventually  reached 
San  Francisco,  where  they  saw  signs  displayed 
on  ships  in  the  harbor  stating  that  gold  was 
to  be  found  in  Australia.  Mr.  Barber,  with  a 
young  machinist  whose  acquaintance  he  had 
made,  took  boat  for  Australia  and  on  the  way 
the  ship  ran  aground  on  one  of  the  Fiji  Islands. 
but  the  ICO  passengers  aboard  helped  to  throw 
ballast  overboard  and  finally  the  ship  again 
floated  and  they  proceeded  on  their  wa.v.  They 
were  out  of  provisions  at  Norfolk  Island  and 
floated  the  signal  of  distress.  When  they  fin- 
ally reached  Sydney  they  had  been  out  from 
San  Francisco  sixty-four  days.  After  spend- 
ing two  weeks  at  Sydney  Mr.  Barber  and  his 
friend  joined  a  party  of  twelve  going  over  from 


.Sydney  to  Bendigo,  where  gold  was  being  mined. 
After  working  about  a  year  iu  the  mines  he  and 
his  companion,  Robert  Bi-uce,  bought  a  half- 
interest  iu  the  general  store  there,  which  they 
sold  one  year  later,  and  proceeding  to  Mel- 
bourne, took  ship  for  Peru,  after  spending  a 
short  time  at  Lima,  where  he  was  taken  sick, 
but  later  proceeded  to  Panama,  where  he  was 
attacked  with  yellow  fever.  After  having  sutii- 
eiently  recovered  he  started  on  his  way  home, 
crossing  the  isthmus  part  of  the  way  with 
mules  aud  the  remainder  by  rail — the  Pauama 
railroad  being  then  only  partially  completed. 
After  reaching  Aspinwall  he  w-aited  three  days 
for  a  ship  and  reached  New  York  City  in  June, 
1n.j4.  He  had  not  fully  recovered  from  his  at- 
tack of  yellow  fever  and  so  spent  one  week  in 
New  York  on  account  of  sickness.  He  took  a 
train  for  Chicago,  came  on  to  Wiufield  by  rail 
aud  drove  from  there  to  Naiierville.  While  in 
New  Y'ork  he  had  exchanged  the  ntiggets  of  gold 
he  brought  with  him  for  gold  coin,  and  brought 
this  home  with  him.  After  arriving  at  his 
mother's  he  was  sick  for  some  time  aud  it  was 
not  until  two  years  later  that  he  recovered  his 
usual  health.  In  the  fall  of  1S54  he  moved  to 
Manitowoc,  Wis.,  where  he  engaged  in  the  boot 
and  shoe  business  with  his  uncle,  Lewis  Sher- 
man, and  four  years  later  sold  his  interest  in 
this  business  to  his  uncle  and  went  to  Juneau, 
Wis. 

On  October  24,  1S.j.j.  ilr.  Barber  married  his 
cousin,  Martha  Adelaide  Crossett,  a  native  of 
Enosburg,  Yt.,  born  March  31,  1S34.  daughter  of 
Samuel  and  Eunice  (Barber)  Crossett,  the  for- 
mer a  native  of  Hebron,  N.  Y.  Her  paternal 
grandparents  were  William  aud  Margaret 
(Gray)  Crossett.  After  his  marriage,  Mr.  Bar- 
ber remained  in  Manitowoc  Wis.  three  years  and 
then  for  seven  years  kept  a  hotel  at  Juneau.  Re- 
turning to  Naperville  in  lS6fi,  he  purchased  a 
farm  in  Lisle  township  aud  operated  it  three 
years,  when  he  sold  out  and  moved  to  Naper- 
ville. Here  he  and  his  wife  continued  to  be 
residents  thirty-two  years,  when  in  1002  they 
moved  to  Downer's  Grove,  where  he  purchased 
a  nice  residence,  and  has  since  been  retired 
from  active  life. 

Mr.  Barber  was  educated  in  the  common 
schools  of  his  native  county,  while  his  wife  at- 
tended schools  in  Vermont  and  Canada.  They 
have    a    wide   circle   of   friends    and    have   the 


782 


HISTORY  OF  DU  PAGE  COUNTY. 


genuine  esteem  of  all  who*  know  them.  They 
are  ipembers  of  the  Episcopal  church.  lu 
politics  Mr.  Barber  is  a  Democrat ;  served 
two  terms  as  township  collector  while  living  in 
Dodge  county,  Wis.,  served  three  terms  as  trus- 
tee of  Xaperville,  and  has  also  been  alderman  of 
that  city.  He  is  a  member  of  Euclid  Lodge.  No. 
Cfi.  A.  F.  &  A.  M..  of  Naperville. 

Children  as  follows  have  been  born  to  Jlr. 
Barber  and  wife :  Frank,  who  died  in  infancy ; 
William  S..  died  at  the  age  of  thirty-three  years; 
Anna  died  at  the  age  of  fifteen;  Charles  and 
John  died  in  infancy;  Scott  died  at  the  age  of 
six  ,vears :  Heber  Bingham  died  at  Colorado 
Springs.  Colo.,  in  1901,  at  the  age  of  thirty-three 
years ;  Walter  C.  is  a  dentist  and  practices  his 
profession  at  Downer's  Grove.  He  married 
Marjie  Willey  and  they  live  at  Downer's  Grove. 

BARKDOLL,  George  Mathias.  A  thorough 
knowledge  of  soil  needs,  soil-breeding,  stock 
raising,  is  necessary  to  solve  the  pmbleui  of 
feeding  a  nation,  and  for  this  reason  the  farmer 
of  today  is  a  factor  whose  importance  cannot  be 
denied.  Du  Page  County  farmers  are  fully 
abreast  of  the  current  endeavor  along  agricul- 
tural lines,  and  one  wlio  has  met  with  a  gratify- 
ing success  is  George  Mathias  Barkdoll.  He 
was  born  in  Winfield  township,  which  has  con- 
tinued to  be  his  home,  September  17,  ISSl,  be- 
ing a  son  of  Henry  and  Sarah  (Mourer)  Bark- 
doll,  natives  of  Pennsylvania.  The  grand- 
parents. Mathias  and  Catherine  Barkdoll  of 
Pennsylvania,  and  George  and  Elizabeth  Mourer 
of  the  same  State,  both  came  to  Illinois.  The 
former  arrived  at  Naperville  the  day  President 
Lincoln  was  assassinated.  They  bought  230 
acres  of  prairie  land,  that  was  almost  unbroken, 
and  lived  on  the  farm  until  1S70.  when  they 
moved  to  Xaperville,  where  Mr.  Barkdoll  died 
hi  1S90.  His  wife  died  on  a  farm  in  1892.  Mr. 
and  Mrs.  Mourer  came  west  some  years  later. 

Henry  and  Sarah  (Mourer)  Barkdoll  were 
married  about  1S7S,  and  buying  the  Barkdoll 
home  farm.  lived  on  it  until  their  son  George 
married,  when  they  moved  to  Batavia.  They 
had  four  children :  Bertha,  who  died  in  in- 
fancy; George  M. ;  Catherine  who  lives  at  home, 
and  Frank.  By  a  former  marriage  with  Mar- 
garet Stitzel,  Henry  Barkdoll  had  two  children : 
William  of  Xaperville  Township,  and  Carrie, 
Mrs.  Harvey  Houck  of  Batavia. 

George  M.  Barkdoll  attended  district  school 
and  for  two  years  the  Church  of  The  Brethren 


school  at  Mt.  Morris.  After  his  marriage,  he 
rented  the  homestead  of  200  acres.  This  he  de- 
votes to  general  farming,  and  dairy  purposes, 
milking  an  average  of  thirty  cows.  He  also 
raises  hogs,  milch  cows,  horses  and  mules. 
His  father  attained  to  some  local  celebrity  as  a 
breeder  of  Percheron  horses. 

On  December  7,  1909,  Mr.  Barkdoll  was  mar- 
ried to  Eva  Spare,  born  in  Chicago,  September 
22,  1SS9,  daughter  of  Nathan  and  Sarah  (Stauf- 
fer)  Spare,  both  natives  of  Pennsylvania.  The 
grandparents  of  Mrs.  Barkdoll  were  William 
and  X'anc.y  Spare  of  Pennsylvania,  and  Daniel  and 
Sarah  (Schwenk)  Stauffeur  of  the  same  state. 
Mr.  and  Mrs.  Spare  were  married  in  Phila- 
delphia, coming  to  Coleta,  Whiteside  county, 
Hi.,  three  years  thereafter.  They  then  went  to 
Hand  County,  S.  D.,  and  six  years  later  moved 
to  Chicago.  In  1908,  Mr.  Spare  moved  to  Eola, 
where  he  conducted  a  general  store,  and  became 
I'ostmaster,  but  on  account  of  poor  health,  sold, 
and  began  traveling.  He  died  at  the  Presby- 
terian hospital  at  Chicago.  September  23.  1910. 
Mrs.  Barkdoll  has  been  carefully  educated,  hav- 
ing attended  Chicago  grammar  and  high  schools, 
and  the  University  of  Chicago.  He  belongs  to 
the  Church  of  The  Brethren.  He  is  an  in- 
dependent in  polities.  Two  sons  have  been  boTn 
to  them:  Roy  Keith,  on  October  31,  1910,  and 
Maynard  Spare,  on  February  11,  1912. 

Mr.  Barkdoll  has  made  a  decided  success  of 
his  farming.  He  is  steadily  increasing  his  dairy, 
and  adding  to  his  products.  He  realizes  the 
importance  of  modern  methods,  and  has  intro- 
duced so  many  into  his  works,  that  he  is  a 
recognized  authority  upon  numerous  questions 
pertaining  to  his  operations. 

BARKDOLL,  Harvey  M.  A  conscieiitioua  man 
can  exert  a  remarkable  influence  just  by  hia 
daily  living,  but  when  he  combines  with  an  up- 
right life,  duties  pertaining  to  the  ministry  he 
can  truly  feel  that  he  has  accomplished  much. 
One  of  the  men  whose  efforts  in  behalf  of  his 
church  and  the  cause  of  Prohibition  have 
singled  him  out  from  his  associates  in  Du  Page 
County,  is  Harvey  M.  Barkdoll  of  Winfield 
Township.  He  was  horn  in  Franklin  county, 
Penn..  December  4,  1S42,  being  a  son  of  Mathias 
and  Catherine  (Hubbard)  Barkdoll,  of  Frank- 
lin County,  Pennsylvania,  and  grandson  of  John 
Barkdoll  of  Germany  and  Peter  and  Susan 
Hubbard. 


^U.^^^^fC 


HISTORY  OP  DU  PAGE  COUNTY. 


783 


Attending  district  school  and  assisting  his 
parents.  Harvey  M.  Barlidoll  grew  into  a 
manly,  upright  young  fellow  of  eighteen  years 
lu  his  native  State.  At  that  time  he  came  with 
a  married  sister  to  Lee  county,  111.,  and  found 
work  with  a  carpenter.  After  two  and  one-half 
years  in  Lee  county,  he  came  to  Warreuville, 
where  he  joined  his  parents,  who  by  this  time 
had  settled  in  Winfield  township,  and  continued 
working  at  his  trade  until  his  marriage,  in  180S. 
when  he  began  farming  on  the  home  farm. 
After  five  years,  he  bought  this  farm,  but  five 
years  later  sold  it,  and  in  1880  bought  his  pres- 
ent property  at  Warreuville.  This  is  known  as 
the  Sunnyside  Farm.  All  of  the  present  build- 
ings have  been  erected  by  him.  His  ninety  acres 
of  good  land  are  well  cultivated,  but  since  1898 
they  have  been  operated  by  his  son.  he  giving 
most  of  his  attention  to  his  ministerial  work 
and  his  suinjort  of  the  Prohibition  party. 

On  January  23,  ISGS,  he  was  married  to  Sarah 
JIartin.  born  April  15.  18-t5.  in  Erie  county,  X. 
y.,  daughter  of  Christian  and  Sarah  (Rhodes) 
Martin  of  New  York  who  came  to  Geneva,  111., 
about  1848.  They  purchased  laud  near  that 
village  and  lived  on  their  farm  until  1870,  when 
they  moved  to  West  Chicago  in  Du  L*age"-(;i5vi5iT,.v,T ' 
and  in  1881  located  at  Naperville  ^wher.e  Six. 
Martin  died.  Mr.  and  Mi-s.  BarkdoU  became  tlife' 
parents  of  the  following  children:  Annie,  Mrs. 
Ira  Netzley,  of  Los  Angeles,  Cal. ;  Ella,  Mrs. 
Monroe  Rover  of  Imperial  Valley,  C!ar.  ;''Mitaii^'*' 
Mrs.  William  Bronson  of  Warrenville ;  Rhoda, 
Mrs.  Arthur  Xetzley  of  Xaperville ;  Jessie,  Mrs. 
Lester  Sollenberger  of  Ogle  county.  111.,  and 
Charles  who  is  working  the  farm  for  his  father. 
Mr.  BarkdoU  is  a  minister  of  the  Dunkard 
Brethren  Church,  and  has  accomplished  much  in 
his  work.  He  is  connected  at  present  with  the 
church  of  that  denomination  at  Naperville,  and 
is  beloved  by  his  pe<iple.  His  influence  politically 
is  always  cast  for  Prohibition  candidates,  and 
he  is  ever  ready  to  speak  in  behalf  of  them  and 
of  the  cause  they  advocate.  He  is  a  most  worthy 
and  good  man,  whose  life  has  been  spent  in 
hard  work  and  noble  deeds,  the  results  of  both 
being  a  monument  to  him  that  will  last  long 
after  his  earthly  part  shall  live  no  more. 

BARNARD,  Algernon  S.,  deceased.  Among  the 
families  which  came  to  Naperville  in  the  thir- 
ties is  that  bearing  the  name  of  Barnard,  repre- 
sentatives  of   which   have   borne   an    important 


part  in  the  development  of  Du  Page  county.  One 
of  these  was  the  late  Algernon  S.  Barnard,  born 
in  Monroe  county.  New  York.,  February  12.  1819, 
and  died  July  4,  1899.  He  entered  land  in  this 
county  as  early  as  1838,  settling  upon  it  at  that 
time.  In  1843,  he  returned  to  his  old  home  in 
New  York  and  was  married  at  Lima  that  state, 
July  12,  1843,  to  Elizabeth  M.  Raynolds.  Soon 
after  his  marriage,  he  returned  to  his  homestead 
in  Du  Page  county,  111.,  and  this  county  was 
afterwards  his  home  until  death.  Always  a  man 
of  progressive  spirit,  Mr.  Barnard  from  the  first 
was  in  the  front  ranks  of  those  who  worked  to- 
wards the  advancement  of  this  locality,  and  was 
called  upon  to  represent  his  district  in  the  lower 
house  of  the  State  Assembly.  As  a  statesman 
he  made  a  record  of  which  his  family  may  be 
justly  proud,  and  secured  for  the  iwople  whom 
he  represented,  much-needed  legislation. 

The  children  born  to  Mr.  and  Mrs.  Barnard 
were  as  follows:  Julia  H.  who  was  born  No- 
vember 17.  1844,  died  September  17,  1879,  having 
married  S.  A.  Ballon  on  May  17,  1865,  issue, 
Ray  Barnard,  who  died  July  5,  1886;  Timothy 
H.  who  was  Iwrn  December  29,  1846,  married 
Annie  Mcintosh  on  October  25.  1877,  issue. 
■.Jessie  E.  and  Harold  D. ;  Robert  R.  and  Charles 
R.-,  vtwins  who  were  born  September  12.  1850, 
the  latter  dying  April  17,  1851,  and  the  former 
marrying  Minnie  Crampton  on  December  23, 
1876.  and  on  February  13,  1881,  married  (see- 
'ondi)  Lizzie  M.  Childs.  issue,  Leon  Frank,  Nelson 
W.  .deceased,  Charles  R.,  Arthur  L.  and  Grace 
G. ;  Daniel  D.,  who  was  born  October  21,  1853. 
married  Helen  M.  Stone  on  December  22,  1891, 
issue,  Julia  H..  Rose  A..  Evelyn  deceased,  and 
Clarence  W. ;  Frank  Chester,  who  was  born  Jan- 
uary 19,  1858,  married  Elizabeth  Tatum,  who 
was  born  December  22,  1891,  Issue,  C.  Kenneth ; 
Fred  C,  who  was  born  December  18,  1859.  mar- 
ried Julia  Kenna,  issue.  Mary  Ruth  ;  and  Eliza- 
beth. The  latter  was  Iwrn  August  6,  1865  and 
married  J.  L.  Nichols  on  August  18,  1886,  Issue, 
Prace  N.,  Fred  C.  and  Laura  I.  Her  second  mar- 
riage was  to  William  C.  Simpson  on  June  15, 
1911.     He  died  February  24,  1912. 

Mr.  and  Mrs.  Barnard  celebrated  their  golden 
wedding  on  Wednesday,  July  12,  1893,  at  the 
residence  of  Prof.  J.  L.  Nichols,  in  Naperville. 
which  was  a  most  enjoyable  event,  and  was  at- 
tended by  all  their  children  and  grandchildren 
and  many  friends.  The  funeral  of  Mr.  Barnard 
was  conducted  in  the  Naperville  Congregational 


784 


HISTORY  OF  DU  PAGE  COUNTY. 


Churr-h,  July  6,  1899,  by  the  Rev.  Mr.  Till,  whose 
touching  address  was  founded  on  the  text: 

"And  even  to  your  old  age  I  am  He;  and 
even  to  hoar  hairs  will  I  carry  you ;  I  have 
made  and  I  will  bear ;  even  I  will  carry  and  I 
will  deliver  you."    Isaiah,  4G-4. 

Mrs.  Barnard  died  at  the  home  of  her  daugh- 
ter, Mrs.  J.  L.  Nichols,  Friday.  November  18, 
1904,  having  survived  her  husband  for  nearly 
five  years.  She  was  born  in  Mendon,  New  York, 
a  daughter  of  Captain  William  Raynolds,  and 
during  her  long  life  she  carried  out  the  prin- 
ciples upon  which  her  Christianity  was  founded. 
Her  funeral  was  conducted  by  the  Rev.  George 
Peebles  of  the  Congregational  Church  of  which 
she  had  long  been  an  active  member,  and  she 
was  laid  to  rest  by  the  side  of  the  husband  with 
whom  she  had  lived  for  over  sixty -one  years. 

BARIVES,  Charles  Montgomery,  deceased,  for 
many  years  engaged  in  handling  school  books, 
although  formerly  a  noted  clergyman  of  the 
Congregational  Church,  who  directed  his  ef- 
forts towards  the  establishment  of  a  church  of 
his  denomination  at  Hinsdale,  is  tenderly  remem- 
bered by  the  older  residents  of  Du  Page  count.v. 
Mr.  Barnes  was  born  in  Canton,  111.,  in  183.3, 
a  son  of  the  Rev.  Romulus  Barnes.  The  latter 
came  to  Illinois  in  1830,  as  a  member  of  the 
Tale  Band  of  Home  Missionaries.  Charles 
Montgomery  Barnes  attended  Knox  College  at 
Galesburg,  and  was  persuaded  by  President 
Blanchard  to  prepare  for  the  ministi'y,  so  he 
entered  Andover  Theological  Seminary.  Later 
he  went  to  Chicago  to  help  form  the  first  class 
that  was  graduated  from  the  Chicago  Theologi- 
cal Seminary,  and  he  received  the  first  diploma 
issued  by  that  institution.  Mr.  Barnes  held  pas- 
torates and  built  several  churches  in  more  than 
one  town  of  Illinois,  and  in  1862,  was  chosen 
chaplain  of  the  Ninety-third  Illinois  Volunteer 
Infantry,  which  formed  a  part  of  General  Sher- 
man's Army. 

In  18G6,  Mr.  Barnes  bought  twenty  acres  of 
land  which  he  laid  out  in  town  lots,  and  helped 
to  establish  the  town  of  Hinsdale,  building  the 
first  house  in  the  village,  and  organizing  the  first, 
and  for  many  years  the  only,  church  in  Hins- 
dale. Later  he  went  to  Missouri,  where  he  was 
ill  for  two  years,  and  was  obliged  to  give  np 
the  ministr.v.  In  1873.  he  started  a  school  book 
business,  paying  special  attention  to  second  hand 
school    books,   which   developed   into   large   pro- 


ixirtlons,  until  the  concern  bought  and  sold 
school  books  all  over  the  country.  The  business 
was  incorporated  and  is  still  conducted  under 
the  title  of  C.  M.  Barnes-Wilcox  Co.  Mr. 
Barnes  retired  from  business  in  1902,  and  spent 
five  years  in  California  and  Seattle,  Wash.,  in 
pursuit  of  health,  but  passed  away  at  the  latter 
city,  in  1907,  in  the  faith  he  always  professed, 
that  of  the  Congregational  Church.  Politically, 
he  was  an  enthusiastic  Republican,  as  was  his 
father  before  him.  The  latter  was  once  mobbed 
for  preaching  against  slavery,  and  Mrs.  Barnes 
was  injured  in  the  disturbance. 

In  1860,  Mr.  Barnes  was  married  at  Mendota, 
111.  to  Ellen  Moore,  formerly  principal  of  Wheat- 
on  College.  They  had  the  following  family: 
Mrs.  Olivia  B.  Dodds  of  Seattle,  Wash.;  Wil- 
liam R.  Barnes  of  Chicago;  Samuel  D.  Barnes 
of  Honolulu,  n.  I.:  Mrs.  Estella  B.  Fox  of  Chi- 
cago; and  Mrs.  Mary  Maud  B.  Steele  of  Han- 
ford.   California. 

BARTLETT,  Chester  D.,  superintendent  of  the 
Du  Page  County  Poor  Farm,  is  a  son  of  Luther 
and  Sophia  (Bartlett)  Bartlett.  Luther  Bart- 
lett,  deceased,  a  pioneer  sheep-raiser  of  Du  Page 
County,  was  born  at  South  Deerfield,  Mass., 
July  21,  1817,  a  son  of  Luther  and  Anna  (Sims) 
Bartlett,  natives  of  the  same  town  and  of  Welsh 
descent.  Mr.  Bartlett  was  educated  in  the  pub- 
lic schools  and  a  college  near  his  home,  growing 
to  manhood  on  his  father's  farm.  He  came  to 
Illinois  in  August,  1843,  and  located  on  a  farm 
in  Wayne  township,  Du  Page  county.  He  pur- 
chased a  herd  of  sheep  in  Michigan,  which  he 
drove  to  his  farm ;  later  raised  as  many  as 
1200  head  of  this  stock  in  a  year.  He  procured  land 
from  time  to  time  as  he  was  able,  and  at  one 
time  owned  1100  acres.  He  continued  breeding 
sheep  many  years  and  was  one  of  the  early 
treeders  of  Durham  cattle.  In  later  life  he  took 
up  dairying,  being  among  the  first  in  the  town- 
ship to  engage  extensively  in  this  Iiraneh  of 
farming,  and  his  dairy  herd  contained  about 
100  cows.  He  was  one  of  the  most  influential 
men  of  this  communit.v  and  was  several  times 
elected  Supervisor.  In  politics  he  was  a  Demo- 
crat, and  though  not  a  member  of  any  church, 
was  ready  to  loosen  his  purse-strings  and  lend  a 
helping  hand  in  cases  of  want  or  illness  among 
his  neighbors.  He  was  held  in  high  esteem  as  a 
man  of  strong  character  and  noble  aim  in  life, 
and  had  a  wide  circle  of  friends. 


HISTORY  OF  DU  PAGE  COUNTY. 


785 


November  S,  1844,  Mr.  Bartlett  married  Miss 
Sophia  Bartlett,  also  a  native  of  South  Deer- 
field,  boru  May  29.  1S26,  and  a  distant  cousin  of 
his.  She  accompanied  her  parents  to  Illinois  iu 
the  spring  of  1S44  and  with  them  located  iu 
Bureau  County.  Eleven  children  were  born  of 
this  union,  of  whom  one  died  in  infancy  and  one 
at  the  age  of  nine  years.  The  others  grew  to 
maturity.  Their  names  are  as  follows :  Cora, 
wife  of  Oliver  Hutchlns,  lived  in  Wayne  Town- 
ship many  years  but  is  now  deceased ;  Bascom 
S.,  of  Elgin ;  Carrie,  widow  of  Hon.  Frank 
Scales,  at  one  time  County  Judge  of  Cook  Coun- 
ty, lives  at  Chicago ;  Ella,  died  at  the  age  of 
nine  years ;  Etta,  wife  of  E.  L.  Dolsen,  now 
deceased ;  Chester  D..  whose  twin  brother 
Luther,  died  at  the  age  of  three  weeks ;  Luther, 
of  Chicago ;  Miss  Frances  M.,  of  Elgin ;  Ira  A., 
of  London,  England ;  Elma  J.,  wife  of  John 
Adameck,  died  in  the  Iroquois  Theater  fire,  at 
Chicago.  Luther  Bartlett.  the  father,  died  June 
25,  1SS2,  and  his  widow,  who  is  now  enjoying 
the  best  of  health,  lives  in  Elgin  at  the  present 
time,  having  spent  sixt.v-three  years  on  the  farm 
in  Wayne  Township. 

Chester  D.  Bartlett  was  bom  on  his  father's 
farm  August  27,  1S55,  and  made  his  home  there 
until  its  sale,  March  1,  lOOS.  At  his  father's 
death  he  took  charge  of  the  farm  and  operated 
it  until  it  was  sold.  He  then  took  charge  of  the 
Du  Page  County  Poor  Farm  as  Superintendent 
and  has  since  held  this  responsible  position. 
He  was  educated  in  the  district  school  and  Elgin 
Academy  and  has  since  then  been  interested  in 
agricultural  pursuits,  being  accounted  one  of 
the  most  progressive  and  enterprising  men  of  the 
county  in  this  line  of  work.  He  has  taken  an 
active  part  in  public  affairs,  held  the  office  of 
Supervisor  eighteen  consecutive  years,  si.t  of 
which  he  acted  as  Chairman  of  the  Board,  dur- 
ing which  time  the  present  Court  House  and 
Alms  House  were  erected.  He  was  Chairman  of 
the  Illinois  Live  Stock  Commission  for  four 
years  and  during  this  time  Installed  the  present 
system  of  inspection  now  used  in  the  stock  yards 
of  Chicago.  He  served  this  term  under  Gov. 
Altgeld  and  gave  most  satisfactoi-y  service  in  the 
post.  He  also  served  sixteen  consecutive  years 
as  President  of  the  Wayne  &  Hanover  Mutual 
Fire  Insurance  Company,  and  at  the  time  was 
President  of  the  Wayne  &  Hanover  Horse  Thief 
Protective  Association,  during  which  time  a 
horse  was  not  stolen  without  the  apprehension 


of  the  thief  and  the  return  of  the  property.  He 
is  a  member  of  the  Benevolent  Protective  Order 
of  Elks,  of  Elgin ;  the  Modern  Woodmen  of 
America,  of  Bartlett ;  Knights  of  the  Maccabees, 
and  Court  of  Honor,  of  Bartlett,  being  a  charter 
member  of  the  three  last-named  organizations. 
On  November  20.  1907,  Mr.  Bartlett  married 
Hannah  Trost,  born  in  Hanover  Township,  Cook 
County,  111.,  July  15,  1S6S,  daughter  of  Carl 
Trost  a  native  of  Germany.  Mr.  and  Mrs.  Bart- 
lett are  parents  of  one  child,  Royal  Chester,  born 
July  3,  1909.  Mr.  Bartlett  enjoys  the  fullest 
confidence  of  his  fellow-citizens  and  has  shown 
a  high  order  of  ability  and  efficiency  iu  perform- 
ing the  duties  that  have  been  assigned  to  him 
at  various  times. 

BARTLETT,  Luther,  deceased,  one  of  the  earliest 
settlers  in  the  town  of  Wayne,  this  county,  was 
born  July  21,  1S17,  iu  Conway,  Mass.  He  be- 
longed to  a  family  of  six  sons  and  one  daughter, 
lie  being  the  fourth  son  and  fifth  child  that  grew 
to  maturity.  His  father,  Luther,  and  his  mother 
Anna  (Nimms)  Bartlett,  were  both  natives  of 
Massachusetts,  and  the  latter  was  a  direct  de- 
scendant of  Godfrey  Nimms,  one  of  the  Deerfleld 
captives  taken  iu  a  battle  between  the  early 
settlers  of  Deerfleld  and  the  Indians. 

Luther  Bartlett  taught  school  for  several 
years,  and  then,  in  the  fall  of  1842,  went  to 
Michigan,  and  the  following  summer  he  and 
his  brother,  Lyman,  bought  a  farm  of  320  acres 
in  Wayne  township,  settling  on  the  same.  In 
the  following  spring  (18-14)  they  bought  of  the 
state,  enough  land  to  increase  their  holdings  to 
seven  hundred  and  sixty-five  acres.  In  the  fall 
of  this  year,  his  wife,  whose  maiden  name  haO 
been  Sophia  Bartlett.  whom  lie  had  married 
on  November  S.  began  her  housekeeping  on  the 
land.  She  was  also  born  in  Conway.  Mass.,  but 
came  to  Hennepin,  Putnam  count.v.  111.,  with 
her  father  Chester  Bartlett.  and  his  wife  Sophia 
rPuIsifer)  Bartlett.  Mr.  and  Mrs.  Luther  Bart- 
lett lived  on  their  farm  until  June  1882,  when 
Mr.  Bartlett  died  of  Bright's  disease  after  a 
sickness  of  only  a  few  days.  He  was  a  life- 
long Democrat,  serving  as  supervisor  for  several 
years,  and  was  a  man  highly  respected  in  the 
community  iu  which  he  lived,  and  one  whose 
word  was  as  good  as  his  bond  in  all  matters  of 
business.  Noted  for  his  strict  honesty,  he  was 
regarded  as  a  man  of  high  moral  character. 
.\lthough  not  a  member  of  any  religious  denomi- 


786 


HISTORY  OF  DU  PAGE  COUNTY. 


nation,  be  was  extremely  liberal  iu  his  dona- 
tions to  all  churches,  and  his  benevolence  and 
generosity  towards  the  sick  and  unfortunate 
were  well  known.  His  wife  remained  ujwn  the 
old  homestead  until  the  spring  of  1908,  when 
It  was  sold,  and  she  went  to  live  in  Elgin  with 
one  of  her  daughters.  She  still  survives,  and  is 
one  of  the  three  remaining  pioneers  of  AVayne. 

The  Bartlett  homestead  was  on  the  north 
road,  running  east  and  west  through  the  entire 
township  of  Wayne.  When  the  owner  lived,  this 
home  was  noted  for  its  hospitality,  for  no  caller 
was  allowed  to  leave  unfed.  Mr.  Bartlett  was 
a  good  example  of  the  early  settlers.  As  one 
who  knew  these  sturdy  pioneers  once  remarked, 
these  men  were  of  the  type  from  which  tiie 
House  of  Representatives  or  Senate  of  tlie 
United  States  might  be  formed,  for  all  of  them 
were  men  of  more  than  ordinary  intelligence, 
and  all  noted  for  their  strict  uprightness  and 
honest  principles,  regardless  of  party  ties  or 
religious  creeds.  These  citizens  of  Wayne  In 
its  early  days  included  such  men  as  Luther 
Bartlett.  Mr.  Herrick,  Henry  V.  Sayer.  Daniel 
Lyman.  Myron  Smith,  Captain  William  Ham- 
mond. Sylvenus  Moffatt,  Thomas  Morgan,  Abra- 
ham Kershaw,  Daniel  Stearns  and  Luther 
Pierce. 

Very  few  of  the  children  of  these  old  settlers 
are  now  residents  of  Wayne,  or  even  of  Du  Page 
county,  for  they  have  scattered  to  different  parts 
of  the  state  and  country,  but  wherever  found 
they  show  the  effects  of  their  early  training  that 
tended  to  develop  so  much  of  good  in  their 
natures. 

BATEMAN,  Rupert  E.  A  remarkable  business 
develoiimeut  of  recent  years  at  Downer's  Grove, 
is  that  effected  Ii.v  the  manufacture  of  poultry 
houses  and  appliances,  and  one  of  the  concerns 
closely  identified  with  this  growth  is  that  of  T. 
F.  Potter  &  Co.,  which  was  established  in  1902 
by  T.  F.  Potter  and  Rupert  E.  Batemau.  This 
company  manufactures  auto  and  poultry  houses, 
and  do  a  general  wood-working  business.  The 
plant  consists  of  two  buildings,  one  120  x  100 
feet,  and  the  other  40  x  60  feet.  Employment  is 
given  to  from  eighteen  to  twenty  men,  although 
at  the  inception  of  the  business  only  two  were 
required.  The  company  is  written  up  fully 
elsewhere. 

Mr.  Batemau  was  born  in  Buckingham,  111., 
Aiigust  20.  1S79,  a  son  of  Seymour  S.  and  Jane 


(Potter)  Bateman.  Mr.  Bateman  was  educated 
iu  the  public  schools  of  Downer's  Grove,  and  he 
was  graduated  from  its  high  school.  Downer's 
Grove  was  his  home  from  1S90,  when  he  was 
brought  here  at  the  age  of  eleven  years,  and  he 
has  retained  an  affection  for  the  place,  even 
when  he  went  to  Chicago  to  enter  the  employ  of 
a  mail-order  house.  He  later  returned  to 
Downer's  Grove  to  become  manager  of  the  T.  F. 
Potter  &  Co.'s  plant,  and  has  remained  with  it 
ever  since,  building  up  the  business  with  remark- 
able success,  placing  it  among  the  most  sub- 
stantial manufacturing  concerns  in  the  county. 
The  field  it  operates  in  extends  throughout  the 
whole  country  wherever  poultry  is  raised.  As 
owner  he  now  has  entire  control  of  the  T,  F. 
Potter  &  Co.  manufacturing  plant,  having  bought 
out  Mr.  Potter  in  May,  1911. 

On  October  21.  1910,  Mr.  Bateman  was  united 
iu  marriage  with  Miss  Bessie  Herring  of  Dow- 
ner's Grove,  daughter  of  William  J.  and  Marie 
Herring.  For  many  years  he  has  been  associ- 
ated with  the  work  of  the  Methodist  church, 
acting  as  recording  steward.  He  acted  as  assist- ' 
ant  superintendent  of  the  Sunday  school  for  two 
years  prior  to  his  being  made  superintendent, 
and  his  good  influence  in  this  position  cannot  be 
lightly  estimated.  Earnest,  steadfast,  true- 
hearted,  a  conscientious  man,  whether  engaged 
in  business  or  church  work,  Mr.  Bateman  com- 
mands universal  respect  and  stands  high  in 
the  confidence  of  the  people  of  Downer's  Grove. 

BATTEN,  Judge  John  H.  A  man  of  remark- 
able decision  of  character,  able  to  enter  upon 
great  undertakings  and  carry  them  through  to 
successful  conclusion,  possessed  of  those  char- 
acteristics which  result  in  the  development  of 
good  citizenship  in  any  profession  or  walk  of 
life,  .Judge  Johu  H.  Batton,  of  both  Chicago  and 
Xaperville,  is  one  whom  Presidents  delight  to 
know,  and  yet  who  is  so  thoroughly  democratic 
in  his  actions,  that  the  poorest  can  feel  sure  of 
obtaining  sympathetic  justice  at  his  hands. 
Judge  Batten  was  born  in  London,  England,  July 
16,  1850,  but  in  1854  was  brought  to  Chicago 
by  his  parents.  John  H.  and  Mary  J.  Batten. 

The  education  of  Judge  Batten  was  secured 
in  the  public  schools  of  Chicago  and  at  Racine 
College,  Racine,  Wis.  He  studied  law  in  the 
office  of  Dent  &  Black,  Chicago,  and  was  ad- 
mitted to  the  bar  in  1S72.  For  the  following 
five   years,    he    remained   with    Dent   &    Black, 


LUTHER   L.  HIATT 


HISTORY  OF  DU  PAGE  COUNTY 


7«V 


securiug  au  exiHTieuee  wbic-li  be  felt  was  iu- 
valiiable.  au'l  I'beii  engaged  iu  iiractice  for  biiii- 
self,  retaining  bis  offices  in  Cbicago  altbougb  be 
bad  located  at  Xaperville  in  IST.j.  Tbe  political 
career  of  Judge  Batten  is  an  interesting  one, 
for  it  proves  that  real  ability  ni"ets  witb  recog- 
nition, baving  bein  twice  elected  state's  attor- 
ney for  Du  Page  county,  bolding  tbis  responsible 
office  from  1888  to  1806.  In  1897  bis  dignified 
services  as  state's  attorney  received  tbe  stamp 
of  public  approval  by  his  election  to  tbe  office 
of  count.v  judge,  to  fill  out  tbe  unexpired  term 
of  .Judge  (iOii:ge  W.  Brown,  who  had  been  ele- 
vated to  tbe  Circuit  Bench.  In  November,  1898. 
be  was  re-elected  to  the  office  of  County  Judge, 
without  Democratic  opposition.  \Ybile  serving 
as  County  Judge  of  Du  I'age  count.v,  Judge 
Batten  acted  as  county  judge  of  Cook  county, 
at  the  request  of  Judge  Carter,  then  county 
judge  of  Cook  county.  Upon  the  elevation  of 
Judge  Kohlsaat  to  tbe  Federal  bench.  Judge 
Batten  was  selected  to  act  as  probate  judge 
of  Cook  county,  and  served  in  that  capacity 
until  Judge  Cutting  was  elected  to  that  office 
after  a   period  of  nearly  two  year^- .  .. -r.7'^X-  ■ 

Judge  Batten  was  elected  presicteiit .  of  .  tjije .' 
Hamilton  Club  of  Chicago  in  Ma.v,  lfl?l5.'  Duiih'g" 
bis  term  of  office  he  led  a  delegation  iof  one  hun- 
dred members  of  tbe  Club  to  New  ■.  York  City, 
to.  join  in  tbe  welcome  home  to  Col.  Ttt»tiiTOft' 
Itoosevelt,  and  later  presided  at  tbe,  great  ban- 
quet given  to  Colonel  Roosevelt  by  the  Hamil- 
ton Club  on   September  8.  1910. 

During  his  term  as  president  of  tbe  Ilaniilfon 
Club,  it  secured  a  ninety-nine  year  lease  on  a 
piece  of  property  on  Dearborn  Street  in  Chi- 
cago, having  a  frontage  of  102  feet,  and  worth 
$1,000,000.  lying  just  north  of  tbe  First  Na- 
tional bank  building.  Following  tbis,  tbe  plans 
for  the  new  Hamilton  Clul)  building  were  per- 
fected and  bonds  aggregating  .$27.">,O00,  were  .sold 
at  one  hundred  cents  on  the  dollar,  to  secure  the 
funds  to  erect  the  proposed  building,  and  before 
he  went  out  of  office  he  signed  the  contract  for 
its  erection,  all  tbis  having  been  accomplished 
to  a  large  degree  through  tbe  personal  efforts 
of  its  president.  In  recognition  of  the  great 
work  accomplished  by  the  judge  for  the  club, 
and  the  nian.v  sacrifices  made  by  him  to  bring 
about  such  results,  the  Hamilton  Club  raised  a 
sufficient  fund  to  send  him  and  his  wife  to 
Europe  in  the  summer  of  1911,  the  trip  occupy- 
ing several  months. 


The  cornerstone  of  tbe  new  Hamilton  Club 
building  was  laid  by  William  Howard  Taft, 
President  of  the  United  States,  on  October  30, 
1911,  upon  which  occasion  Judge  Batten  made 
an  address  and  presented  tbe  President. 

On  August  20,  1874.  Judge  Batten  married 
Miss  Ida  Ilaight  of  Naperville.  and  they  have 
three  children  :  Marion,  tbe  wife  of  Albert  H. 
Wetten;  Percy  Ilaight  and  Ralph  Ellsworth,  all 
of   whom   reside   in   Cbicago. 

Both  Chicago  aud  Naperville  claim  Judge  Bat- 
ten as  a  most  distinguished  citizen,  and  befeally 
belongs  to  both.  In  both  public  and  private  life 
be  has  rendered  most  valuable  .service  to  these 
communities  and  placed  the  people  in  both  urder 
lasting  obligations  to  him. 

BAXTER,  James  Edward,  a  well  known  farmer 
of  Milton  Township.  Du  Page  County,  is  a  na- 
tive of  tbe  county,  born  in  Winfleld  Township, 
Januar.v  IS.  IS'iO.  He  is  a  son  of  John  aud  Sarah 
( Sbariie)  Baxter,  both  natives  of  Leeds,  Eng- 
land, who  came  to  America  in  1819,  and  located 
near    Gary's    Mills,    Winfield   Township.      They 

^fiecuj^"ed  a  farm  of  forty  acres,  but  later  sold  it, 
and  se^ijred  another  farm  of  120  acres  at  the 
same  place,  where  they  lived  until  1890,  then 
moving  .to  \\'est  Chicago.  There  Mr.  Baxter 
died  in  lApril,   1901.   aged   seventy-seven   years, 

.•fng*vs:;do)v  surviving  him  until  June,  1910,  when 
she  passed  awa.v,  aged  seventy-nine  years.  At 
the  "time  they  retired  from  their  farm  they 
owned  108  ai'res  of  land.  They  belonged  to  the 
West  Chicago  Methodist  Eiiisiopal  Church.  Tbe 
following  children  were  born  to  them:  Mrs. 
Elizabeth  Jordan,  on  the  Gary's  Mills  farm ; 
Hattie,  wife  of. Thomas  Pierce  of  Elgin;  James 
E. ;  Charles  II.  of  Elgin:  Miss  Mary  of  West 
Chicago ;  Mrs.  Jane  Aspden  of  West  Chicago, 
now  deceased;  Emma,  wife  of  William  Itobbin 
of  Bangor,  Mich. ;  George  A.  of  Earlville. 

James  E.  Baxter  received  bis  educational 
training  in  the  district  schools  at  Gary's  Mills. 
and  was  reared  to  farm  work,  helping  his  father 
as  soon  as  he  was  old  enough.  He  remained  witb 
his  parents  until  be  attained  bis  majority,  and 
for  a  half  dozen  years  worked  as  a  farm  band. 
After  his  marriage  be  rented  a  farm  in  Winfield 
Township,  where  be  lived  some  time,  continuing 
to  rent  until  into,  when  Mrs.  Baxter  inherited 
a  farm  of  seventy  acres  of  land  on  Section  29 
of  Milton  Township,  .and  they  now  live  upon  it. 
Jlr.    Baxter    is    a    Republican    in    politics,    and 


788 


HISTOEY  OF  DU  PAGE  COUNTY. 


served  three  years  as  School  Director  in  the 
township.  He  is  an  intelligent,  progressive  citi- 
zen, interested  in  the  welfare  of  his  community, 
and  stands  well  with  his  neighbors. 

On  February  20,  1SS3,  Mr.  Baxter  was  mar- 
ried to  Miss  Dora  Butterfield  by  the  Rev.  S.  N. 
Stratton  of  Whe;itou.  She  was  born  in  Milton 
Township,  January  27,  1858,  and  is  a  daughter 
of  Andrew  J.  and  Mary  J.  (Hadley)  Butter- 
field.  Her  father  was  a  son  of  Lyman  and 
Amanda  Butterfield,  who  were  among  the  first 
ten  families  to  locate  in  Du  Page  County,  com- 
ing in  183G.  Mary  J.  Hadley  was  a  daughter 
of  Abiel  and  Almina  (Chadwick)  Hadley,  pio- 
neer settlers  of  Milton  Township.  Mrs.  Butter- 
field was  a  very  energetic  lady  and  one  who 
was  not  afraid  of  hard  work  and  often  walked 
to  Chicago  in  order  to  sell  her  butter  and  eggs, 
which  she  carried  with  her.  She  passed 
through  some  exeitiug  experiences  with  the  In- 
dians. The  Butterfield  road  is  named  for  this 
family.  Mr.  and  Mrs.  Baxter  had  one  son. 
William  James,  born  February  7.  1887.  He  died 
September  5,  1910,  from  typhoid  fever.  He  was 
a  young  man  of  great  promise,  and  his  death 
was  a  terrible  .shock  to  his  parents  who  had 
never  been  separated  from  him  as  he  lived  with 
them.  His  remains  were  tenderly  laid  to  rest 
in  Milton  Cemetery. 

BEATON,  George,  well  known  in  business  circles 
as  one  of  the  organizers  of  the  Hinsdale  Busi- 
ue.ss  Men's  Association,  of  which  he  is  a  director, 
has  been  engaged  in  the  contracting  business 
many  years.  He  is  a  native  of  Cape  Breton, 
Nova  Scotia,  born  September  3,  1875,  and  went 
to  Boston,  Mass.,  as  a  boy.  He  received  his 
grammar  school  education  there,  and  then 
learned  the. trade  of  carpenter,  and  was  gradu- 
ated from  Boston  (night)  High  School.  He 
came  to  Hinsdale  in  1002  and  embarked  in  busi- 
ness there  and  at  LaGrange  as  a  contractor, 
and  is  also  engaged  In  the  real  estate  and  insur- 
ance business.  He  is  actively  interested  in  every 
public  movement  in  the  community  and  has  con- 
tributed his  share  toward  its  development  and 
progress.  Is  president  of  the  Volunteer  Fire 
Department  and  is  popular  in  many  circles. 
He  is  a  member  of  the  Hinsdale  Club  and 
the  Hinsdale  Country  Tennis  Club,  as  well  as  the 
Business  Men's  Association,  and  has  received  the 
several  degrees  of  the  Masonic  bodies,  being 
afBliated   with    the    Medinah    Temple,    Mystic 


Shrine.  Mr.  Beaton  is  a  member  of  the  Congre- 
gational Church,  secretary  of  the  Sunday  school, 
a  member  of  Grace  Episcoi>al  Club,  and  is  active 
in  many  worthy  projects  tending  toward  the 
public  good. 

Mr.  Beaton  married  Miss  Ethel  Anslow,  of 
Boston,  Mass.,  who  died  July  1,  1906,  leaving  no 
children. 


J 


BECKMAN,  Phihp,  (deceased),  was  born  in 
Kircheimbolauden,  Bavaria,  Germany,  on  De- 
cember S,  lS3t),  a  son  of  Peter  Beckmau,  who  was 
a  glove-maker  and  carriage-builder.  He  received 
a  common  school  education  and  at  the  age  of 
seventeen  years  emigrated  to  America.  After 
short  stays  in  eastern  cities  he  located  in  Chi- 
cago, where  he  resided  four  years.  In  1S56  he 
joined  the  volunteer  fire  department  of  that 
city  and  served  as  assistant  foreman  of  Engine 
Ciinipany  No.  2,  with  the  old  "Medamora." 

Mr.  Beckman  was  married  in  185S  while  living 
in  Chicago  to  Miss  Elizabeth  Pfeififer,  who  was 
also  born  in  Germany,  and  in  the  following  year 
they  moved  to  Naperville,  where  he  engaged  in 
the  harness  and  saddlery  business,  which  he 
conducted  until  1892,  after  \\hich  he  spent  sev- 
eral years  in  travel,  and  in  the  meantime  en- 
joyed his  home  and  also  those  of  his  children. 
He  had  been  successful  in  business  and  had  the 
sincere  respect  and  regard  of  a  wide  circle  pf 
friends.  He  was  always  a  Republican  in  poli- 
ti<s.  and  although  He  never  sought  public  office, 
he  was  elected  road  commissioner  and  school 
director  a   number  of   fanes. 

Nine  children  were  born  to  Mr.  Beckman  and 
wife,  of  whom  two  are  deceased,  Carl  in  1SS7 
and  Lulu  in  1892.  The  others  are:  Miss  Pauline, 
a  stenographer,  now  in  California  ;  Martha,  Mrs. 
Clinton  P.  Strubbler.  whose  husband  is  assist- 
ant iwstmaster  at  Naperville;  Albertha,  Mrs. 
H.  P.  Harmegnies.  of  Oak  Park.  111.,  whose  hus- 
band is  interested  in  the  firm  of  Harmegnies  & 
Howell,  printers  and  binders,  of  Chicago ;  Eliza- 
beth, wife  of  Henry  E.  "tt'etmore,  of  Shabbona, 
111.,  an  emplo.ye  of  the  Chicago,  Burlington  & 
Quincy  Railroad  Company;  Bernard  C.  married 
Miss  May  Ballon,  lives  in  Naperville  and  is  west- 
em  sales  manager  for  the  Standard  Paint  Com- 
pany, of  Chicago:  Philip  Jr.,  married  and  in 
mercantile  business  at  Zearing,  111. ;  Herman  E., 
married  and  living  at  Naperville,  is  a  civil  en- 
gineer in  the  employ  of  the  Chicago,  Milwaukee 
c&  St.  Paul  Railroad  Company  in  Chicago.    Mrs. 


HISTORY  OF  DU  PAGE  COUNTY. 


789 


Beckmau  lives  in  the  old  home  on  Chicago  Ave- 
nue, Xaperville,  and  enjoys  visits  from  all  her 
children. 

Mr.  Beckmau  died  May  14,  1910,  having  been 
a  continuous  resident  of  Xaperville  for  more 
than  fifty  years.  The  surviving  children  erected 
a  fountain  in  his  memory,  placing  it  in  Water 
street  on  the  site  of  the  old  stone  watering 
trough,  which  was  a  NapeiTille  landmark  for 
many  years  and  which  Mr.  Beckman  had  been 
instrumental  in  having  consti'ucted  in  the  early 
"seventies.  He  was  well  known  in  Naperville 
and  vicinity  and  his  loss  was  deeply  mourned 
by  a  wide  circle  of  friends.  He  was  always 
greatly  Interested  in  every  movement  for  the 
public  welfare  or  progress  and  was  considered  a 
public-spirited  and  useful  citizen. 

BEIDELMAN,  Alvin  Herbert.  The  flourishing 
town  of  Xaperville,  111.,  which  has  grown  so 
rapidly  during  the  past  decade  or  so,  can  trace 
its  advancement  to  public-spirited  citizens  of 
energy  and  progressive  ideas  who  have  fostered 
and  supixirted  movements  for  the  benefit  of  the 
town,  placing  what  they  deemed  their  public 
duty  above  mercenary  personal  interests.  Alvin 
Herbert  Beidelman.  engaged  in  the  contracting 
and  building  Inisiness  at  Naperville.  is  one  of 
the  men  whom  the  town  has  to  thank  for  its 
present  state  of  prosperity.  He  has  been  espe- 
cially active  in  the  betterment  of  road  condi- 
tions, serving  as  a  member  of  the  City  Council 
on  committees  which  had  that  idea  their  object, 
but  he  has  not  limited  himself  to  that  one 
project,  some  of  his  most  effective  work  having 
been  done  as  a  member  of  the  Young  Men's 
Christian  Association. 

Alvin  Herbert  Beidelman  was  born  Xovem- 
lier  1.5.  1867,  in  Naperville,  111.,  a  son  of  Benja- 
min ly.  and  Sarah  Mull  (Kinsey)  Beidelman, 
the  fatlier  being  a  contractor  who  came  to  this 
town  in  1847,  and  erected  a  number  of  struc- 
tures. Mr.  Beidelman  secured  his  education  in 
the  public  schools  and  at  Northwestern  College, 
Naperville,  and  as  a  young  man  worked  for  his 
father,  in  this  way  learning  every  detail  of  the 
liusiness  which  he  chose  for  his  life  work.  He 
has  been  well  known  in  his  line  for  a  number 
of  years,  having  erected  such  buildings  as  the 
Naperville  lounge  factory,  Nichols'  Hall,  Con- 
gregational and  Grace  churches,  the  residences 
of  P.  E.  Kroehler  and  J.  S,  Goodwin,  and  the 
T.  M.  C.  A.  building.    In  addition  he  is  a  mem- 


ber of  the  grocery  firm  of  W.  C.  Bomberger  & 
Company,  is  a  manufacturer  of  cement  products 
and  also  conducts  a  builder's  supply  store. 

Mr.  Beidelman  lias  been  prominently  identi- 
fied with  pulilic  affairs  in  Naperville  for  a  num- 
ber of  years.  As  president  of  the  Voters' 
League,  he  was  largely  instrumental  in  driving 
the  liquor  interests  out  of  the  town,  and  he  has 
also  served  on  the  Board  of  Education  and  is 
in  his  third  term  as  a  member  of  the  City  Coun- 
cil. He  was  one  of  the  organizers  of  the  local 
Young  Men's  Christian  Association,  and  is  now 
serving  as  one  of  the  directors  of  the  organiza- 
tion. He  is  connected  religiously  with  the 
Methodist  Episcopal  Church,  in  which  he  holds 
a  local  minister's  license,  and  he  has  for  some 
years  served  as  steward. 

Mr.  Beidelman  was  married  October  25,  1895, 
to  Miss  Nellie  E.  Larson,  a  resident  of  Beloit, 
Wis,,  and  they  have  become  the  parents  of  four 
children,  namely :  J.  Clyde  Larson,  Leona  Win- 
nifred,  Dwayue  Benjamin  and  Alvin  Herbert, 
Jr. 

BERGMANN,  Henry,  a  son  of  Henry  and 
Sophia  (Kruse)  Bergmann,  was  born  in  Germany, 
December  19,  18.57,  came  to  America  in  1847,  and 
located  in  Addison  township  where  he  bought 
eighty  acres  of  wild,  swamp  land.  On  this  he 
built  a  rude  house  and  commenced  farming  oper- 
ations under  serious  difficulties.  This  land  has 
now  been  brought  to  a  very  high  state  of  cul- 
tivation. It  was  on  a  trip  from  this  farm  to 
Chicago  that  Mr.  Bergmann,  Sr.,  the  father  of 
the  subject  of  this  review,  met  with  an  accident 
that  caused  his  death,  being  thrown  from  his 
wagon  in  such  a  way  as  to  injure  him  fatally. 
Tlie  mother  died  here  in  1907,  at  the  age  of 
ninety-seven  years.  They  were  the  parents  of 
nine  children,  namely :  Fred,  died  in  the  old 
country,  aged  five  years;  Amelia  (Mrs.  Christ 
Esterman),  lives  In  Melrose:  Louisa,  died  aged 
18  years;  Augusta  (Mrs,  Herman  Constant), 
lives  in  Chicago;  the  other  children  died  in  in- 
fancy. They  were  all  members  of  the  Lutheran 
Church. 

Henry,  the  subject  of  this  sketch,  was  reared 
on  the  farm,  received  his  early  schooling  in  the 
local  schools,  and  eventually  chose  farming  as 
his  life  work.  He  improved  the  land,  which  he 
bought  in  a  ver.v  undeveloped  state,  and  made 
a  pleasant  home  and  a  highly  productive  farm. 
He  was  married,  July  27,  1875,  to  Miss  Dorothy 


r90 


HISTORY  OF  DU  PAGE  COUNTY. 


Seliroeuer,  a  (laughter  of  Christ  and  Marie 
(Miller)  St-Uroeder,  who  was  boru  in  Germauy, 
February  18,  1854,  and  came  to  America,  when 
10  years  old,  with  her  brother  and  sister,  lo- 
cating in  Du  Page  county.  They  are  the  parents 
of  five  children :  Otto,  born  July  1!.  1877,  died 
July  2,  1883;  Henry,  born  July  11.  1880,  lives 
in  Iowa;  Clara,  born  October  9.  1882;  Ernst, 
born  January  24,  1884;  Edward,  born  Septem- 
ber 5,  1887.     The  last  three  live  at  home. 

BETTS,  Thomas,  deceased,  one  of  the  leading 

residents  of  Najierville.  111.,  who  served  as 
mayor,  police  magistrate,  and  in  other  public  of- 
fices during  his  life,  was  born  in  Rochester,  N. 
Y..  December  0.  18"4.  He  was  a  son  of  Thomas 
and  Mary  (Wilson)  Betts,  natives  of  Yorkshire, 
England.  The  parents  came  to  Rochester,  N. 
Y.,  where  the  father  worked  for  a  few  years  at 
his  trade  of  shoemaking.  In  1840,  he  came  to 
Naperville  township.  Du  Tage  county,  and  pur- 
e-based a  large  tract  of  land,  being  one  of  the 
first  pioneers  of  the  township,  there  developing 
his  land  and  making  many  improvements  as  he 
was  a  man  of  great  industry  and  energy.  Both 
he  and  his  wife  died  at  Copenhagen,  111.,  where 
their  home  was  located. 

Thomas  Betts  received  his  education  in  the 
district  schools  and  was  reared  a  farmer,  re- 
maining with  his  parents  until  his  marriage. 
On  May  !),  1857.  he  was  married  in  Lafayette 
county,  Wis.,  to  Miss  Hannah  Wilson,  wiio  was 
born  in  Yorkshire,  England.  October  0.  1839,  a 
daughter  of  James  and  Elizabeth  (Johnson) 
Wilson,  who  came  to  Naperville  in  1853.  After 
marriage,  Mr.  Betts  moved  to  Adrian,  Wis.,  and 
carried  on  farming  in  that  vicinity  for  two  years, 
when  he  moved  to  Aurora.  HI.,  and  worked  in 
the  car  shops  of  the  Chicago,  Burlington  & 
Quincy  Railroad  Company. 

In  18r)2.  Mr.  Betts  enlisted  in  the  Fifty-eighth 
Illinois  Volunteer  Infantry,  and  participated 
In  many  important  battles.  He  was  wounded 
by  a  gun  shot  wound  in  both  thighs  at  the  battle 
of  Shiloh  and  was  incapacitated  for  six  months. 
At  the  expiration  of  his  term  of  service,  he  re- 
enlisted  in  the  Second  Illinois  Light  Artillery. 
Fourteenth  Army  Corps,  and  was  finally  honor- 
ably discharged,  with  a  good  record  as  a  soldier. 

After  the  war,  Mr.  Betts  returned  to  Aurora 
and  resumed  worli  In  the  car  shops,  but  later 
purchased  forty  acres  of  land  near  his  father's 
farm  in  Naperville  township,  to  which  he  was 


able  to  later  add  fifty  acres,  and  there  carried 
on  farming  several  years.  In  his  parents'  old 
age,  when  they  were  unable  to  look  out  for  them- 
selves, he  moved  to  the  home  farm  and  cared 
for  them.  Mr.  Betts  silent  the  latter  part  of  his 
life  in  Naperville,  where  he  was  active  in  pub- 
lic affairs  as  a  Republican,  and  was  elected 
mayor  of  the  cit.v,  and  a  short  time  before  his 
death,  he  was  elected  police  magistrate,  town 
clerk  and  clerk  of  the  school  board.  Prominent 
in  fraternal  circles,  he  was  affiliated  with  the 
Independent  Order  of  Odd  Fellows  and  the  An- 
cient Free  and  Accepted  Masons.  His  death 
occurred  May  24,  1900.  but  his  widow  still  lives 
in  the  old  home  with  a  daughter,  a  consistent 
member  of  the  Episeoiial  Church.  Mr.  Betts 
left  many  warm  friends  and  was  sadly  missed 
from  the  ranks  of  the  Grand  Army  of  the  Re- 
public Post  of  which  he  was  a  member.  Chil- 
dren as  follows  were  born  to  Mr.  and  Mrs.  Betts : 
Mary  Frances,  Mrs.  George  Frost,  who  lives 
with  her  mother ;  Charles  Robert,  who  is  of  St. 
Louis,  Mo. ;  Thomas  Henry,  who  is  or"  Naper- 
ville; Olive  Elizabeth,  Mrs.  Morris  Willard. 
who  is  of  Chicago. 

BETYEMANN,  George,  deceased,  was  a  native 
of  Germauy  and  as  a  young  man  traveled  to 
various  parts  of  Europe,  but  came  to  America 
before  he  reached  his  majority,  and  here  spent 
the  remainder  of  his  life.  He  was  born  January 
20,  1812,  reared  to  farm  work  and  educated  in 
his  native  country.  He  worked  for  a  time  in  a 
sugar  factory  in  London,  and,  at  the  age  of 
twenty  years,  set  sail  for  America.  He  worked 
in  various  parts  of  the  country  and  finally  pur- 
chased 160  acres  of  land  in  Wisconsin,  which 
he  sold  to  his  brother-in-law.  and,  in  1845,  he 
came  to  Cook  County,  111.  He  there  purchased 
117  acres  of  land  located  in  Proviso  Township 
and  later  became  quite  valuable.  He  was  .suc- 
cessful in  this  venture  and  erected  the  necessary 
buildings,  and  erected  his  house  without  digging 
a  cellar  under  it,  but  some  years  later  the  house, 
was  raised  and  the  cellar  dug.  This  residence 
still  stands  and  is  used  by  his  only  surviving 
child,  Margaret.  The  father  raised  corn  and 
fed  cattle  and  hogs,  which  he  sold  in  Chicago 
markets.  He  became  prominent  in  loc-al  affairs 
and  served  many  years  as  school  trustee  and 
road  overseer.  He  was  a  member  of  the  Evan- 
gelical Church  and  was  most  conscientious  in  the 
performance  of  all  his  duties  in  every  relation 


^ 


^ 
^ 

^ 


B^^i^^^ki.      ....^^^^^^^^^^^1 

-^ 

^ 

^ 


^ 


HISTORY  OF  DU  PAGE  COUNTY. 


r9i 


to  life.  lie  liail  many  fiieuds  and  his  loss  was 
felt  in  many  circle.*.    He  died  .\pril  0,  18S9. 

Mr.  Betyemann  was  married  iu  January, 
1S46,  to  Margaret  Kochler,  who  was  born  Octo- 
ber 28,  1828.  daughter  of  Barney  and  Maria 
(Whlborn)  Kochler,  and  died  December  16, 
IMS.  Three  children  were  born  of  this  union  : 
Margaret,  born  June  20,  1847 ;  Henry,  horn  De- 
cember 2."),  1848.  died  Deeemlier  8.  18'J8;  George. 
l)(jrn  June  15,  1852.  died  at  the  age  of  two  weeks. 

Miss  Margaret  Betyemann  is  the  only  mem- 
ber of  her  family  surviving  and  she  lives  on  the 
old  home  place.  She  owns  ISO  acres  of  land 
sixteen  miles  south  of  Maywood,  having  sold 
fifty-five  acres  of  this  for  the  construction  of  the 
dniinage  canal,  and  also  owns  nineteen  acres 
of  a  wood  lot  in  Addison  Township  and  two  city 
lots  in  Elmhnrst.  She  is  unmarried  and  looks 
after  the  management  of  her  property  herself. 
She  has  spent  much  of  her  life  on  the  home 
farm,  where  she  is  well  known  and  has  many 
friends.  She  remembers  a  great  deal  of  her  fa- 
ther's early  efforts  iu  developing  his  property 
and  with  reason  feels  proud  of  his  achieve>»eitts.  - 

BIERMANN,  Charles  H.  Tlie  farmefs '•o? -IJu' 
Page  County  are  stout-hearted,  btoad-niinded 
men  with  a  complete  and  thorough  general 
knowledge  of  their  work  which  has.  resitHed»h> 
the  development  of  as  fine  an  agriculfural  re- ' 
gion  as  can  be  found  in  this  part  of  the  State. 
One  of  the  men  who  has  done  a  great  deal  to 
bring  ationt  this  condition  of  affairs  is  Charles 
H.  Bierinanu  of  Section  4.  York  Township,  born 
in  Bloomingdale  Township,  this  county,  January 
t),  1802.  He  is  a  son  of  Frederick  M.  and  Fred- 
ricka  (Hahns)  Biermann.  He  was  born  iu 
Hanover,  Germany,  in  1817,  and  died  in  1863 ; 
his  wife  was  born  in  Mecklenburg,  Germany, 
Octoljer  16,  1826,  and  died  in  December,  1909. 
These  two  came  to  the  United  States  in  the  early 
fifties,  locating  in  Du  Page  County.  111.,  where 
Mr.  Biermann  rented  land  in  Bloomingdale 
Township,  which  continued  his  home  wntU  his 
death.  He  and  his  wife  had  five  children: 
Henry  who  died  iu  1909,  aged  flfty-four  years; 
Louisa,  wife  of  Fredrick  Ahrens,  of  York  Town- 
ship; the  twin  sisters,  Caroline,  wife  of  D.  Gol- 
termann  of  Y'ork  Township,  and  Wilhelmine, 
wife  of  George  Vogtt,  of  York  Township ; 
Charles.  Mrs.  Biermann  was  married  (second) 
in  1868,  to  Henry  Bade,  born  in  Mechlenburg, 
Germany.    They  had  a  daughter,  Mary,  wife  of 


.\ugust  Ahreus  of  York  Township.  Mr.  Bade 
died  in  1908,  and  his  widow  iu  1900. 

Charles  H.  Biermamv  was  educated  in  the 
German  schools  and  in  the  district  schools  of 
York  Township.  In  1865  Mr.  Biermann's 
mother  bought  a  farm  of  112  acres  in  Section 
4.  York  Township,  where  she  resided  until  1S89. 
when  she  moved  to  one  bought  by  Mr.  Bade  in 
York  Township,  in  1887.  where  she  died.  Mr. 
Biermann  remained  on  the  farm  with  his  mother 
until  1.S87,  when  he  married,  and  rented  the 
farm  his  stepfather  had  bought.  In  the  spring 
of  1880  he  bought  his  mother's  farm  in  Section 
4,  and  has  since  made  it  his  home.  Since  then 
he  has  added  si.\ty-six  acres  to  his  property, 
which  is  now  a  very  desirable  one.  splendidly 
rultivated. 

In  December.  1887.  Mr.  Bierui.iiui  w.is  mar- 
ried by  Rev.  Sieving  of  the  York  Center  Lutheran 
Church,  to  Wilhelmina  Schumacher,  born  in 
Y'ork  Township  in  1867,  daughter  of  Ehler  and 
Wilhelmina  (Shaper))  Schumacher.  Seven  chil- 
dren have  been  born  to  Mr,  and  Mrs.  Bier- 
ftiann :  Otto,  born  January  31,  1SS9 ;  Edwin, 
;  May  16,,  1891  ;  Martin,  June  28,  1896;  Arthur, 
M.'fyl2,  aS99;  Elmer,  September  1.  1902;  L.vdia. 
July  7, '1905;  Emil,  born  June  25.  189:!.  died 
November  4,  1894.  The  young  people  are  all 
nt'iome',  and  are  bright  and  intelligent.  Mr. 
Bi^rtuanii  is  independent  in  politics,  never  aspir- 
Jrig— t-o  any  office  aside  from  that  of  School  Di- 
rector, which  he  has  held  for  twenty-one  years, 
and  Assistant  Supervisor  of  York  Township, 
which  office  he  still  holds.  The  family  lielong  to 
the  Evangelical  Lutheran  Church,  and  are  ac- 
tive in  its  good  work.  He  is  a  keen,  shrewd 
business  man,  and  an  excellent  farmer  whose 
success  has  been  attained  through  hard  work 
and  thrifty  habits. 

BINDER,  Philip  P.,  who  has  been  a  carpenter 
of  Du  Page  county  for  the  past  fcu'ty  years,  is 
a  native  of  the  county  and  a  memljer  of  one  of 
its  oldest  families.  He  was  born  in  Downer's 
Grove  township  April  20,  1855,  son  of  Philip  F. 
and  Anna  Margaret  (Hidvel)  Binder.  The 
father,  who  came  from  Germany  in  18.52,  was  a 
farmer  by  occupation  and  died  February  28, 
1875,  at  the  age  of  fifty-seven  years.  The  mother 
died  April  16,  1910,  and  on  .Tahuary  2  of  that 
.vear  had  reached  the  age  of  eighty  years.  They 
were  highly  esteemed  by  their  neighbors  and 
friends,  and  reared  a  large  family. 


792 


HISTORY  OF  DU  PAGE  COUNTY. 


lu  boyhood,  Pliiilp  F.  Binder,  Ji-.,  attended 
the  local  schools,  and  after  completing  his  edu- 
cation learned  the  trade  of  a  carpenter  from 
John  Otto.  He  became  an  e.xpert  in  this  line 
and  worked  on  many  fine  buildings  iu  his  local- 
ity. He  now  resides  at  Downer's  Grove,  where 
he  has  a  pleasant  home.  A  man  of  intelligence, 
he  takes  an  active  interest  in  public  affairs. 
As  a  young  man,  he  served  one  term  as  iiath- 
master  in  Downer's  Grove  town.ship.  He  is  an 
industrious  and  energetic  man  and  has  been 
successful  iu  a  financial  way. 

On  June  13,  1888,  Mr.  Binder  married  Sarah 
Frank,  daughter  of  Philip  and  Anna  Mary 
(Grautwasser)  Frank,  who  was  born  in  Alsace, 
Germany,  December  28,  186.3,  and  they  have 
had  two  children:  Esther,  born  February  21, 
1900:  and  May,  born  November  25,  lOO.''..  both 
students  in  the  Downer's  Grove  school. 

BIRD,  Curtis  D.,  a  well  known  resident  of  Hins- 
dale, 111.,  and  a  public  spirited  citizen  who  has 
at  heart  the  welfare  and  progress  of  Du  Page 
County,  is  a  native  of  Wapello,  Iowa,  born 
January  26,  1850,  a  son  of  John  and  Rebecca 
(Miuton)  Bird.  He  received  his  college  train- 
ing at  the  Burlington  (Iowa)  University,  and 
afterward  took  up  bookkeeping  as  an  occupation. 
He  had  a  natural  aptitude  in  this  direction  and 
as  a  result  of  experience  and  careful  applica- 
tion to  the  work  before  him  was  able  to  ad^•ance 
continuously  and  has  held  positions  as  traveling 
auditor,  auditor  of  freight  accounts,  and  special 
accountant  for  the  Chicago,  Burlington  &  Quiucy 
Kailroad  Company,  being  employed  in  their  ac- 
counting department  in  Room  31,  226  West 
Adams  Street. 

Mr.  Bird  was  married  at  Burlington,  Iowa, 
December  15,  1875,  to  Miss  Minnie  Long,  and 
they  have  children  as  follows:  Claude  D.,  Mrs. 
June  (Bird)  Willard.  Mrs.  Rachel  M.  Godfrey, 
Mrs,  Helen  (Bird)  Hess.  In  politics  Mr.  Bird 
is  a  Democrat  and  he  served  four  years  as 
trustee  of  the  Village  Board  of  Hinsdale,  dur- 
ing two  years  of  this  time  being  chairman  of 
the  Finance  Committee.  His  residence  is  pleas- 
antly situated  at  204  Fourth  Street,  Hinsdale, 
and  the  family  are  well  known  socially.  He  is 
a  member  of  the  Hinsdale  Club,  the  Chicago 
Railway  Club,  and  the  Association  of  American 
Railway  Accounting  Officers.  He  has  been  a 
resident   of   Hinsdale   since  July   29,   1884,    and 


since  July  1,   1883,  has  been  iu  the  accounting 
department  of  the  railroad  comijauy. 

Mr.  Bird's  father,  John  Bird,  organized  Com- 
pany F,  Nineteenth  Regiment  Iowa  Volunteer 
Infantry,  was  selected  as  its  captain  and  in  this 
capacity  served  through  the  Civil  War,  from 
1861-65.  He  was  highly  respected  as  a  citizen 
and  in  private  life. 

BISHOP,  Harry  Andrew,  general  contractor  of 
Du  I'age  and  Cook  counties,  residing  at  Hins- 
dale, but  with  offices  at  No.  433,  72  Adams 
Street,  Chicago,  was  born  in  Burlington,  Iowa, 
November  17,  1856,  a  son  of  Philemon  and 
Martha  Ann  (Beasley)  Bishop.  The  father  was 
born  at  Ashtabula,  Ohio,  in  1812,  and  the 
mother  at  Savannah,  Ga.,  in  1815.  The  parents 
lived  iu  Tennessee  during  the  Civil  war,  the 
father  being  a  general  contractor.  The  family 
met  with  serious  losses,  such  as  were  suffered 
by  people  residing  in  the  South  during  that  un- 
happy period.  They  lost  their  slaves,  much  of 
their  property  was  destroyed  by  fire,  and  iu  1863, 
the  father  was  killed  by  guerrillas.  The  Bishop 
family  is  a  very  old  one  in  this  countr.y,  the 
founders  of  it  in  America  having  come  to  the 
colonies  from  England  with  Lord  Baltimore,  in 
10:U. 

Harry  Andrew  Bishop  was  educated  at  the 
Masonic  Academy,  Mason,  Tenn.,  and  after  leav- 
ing college  read  mediciue.  For  some  years,  he 
resided  at  Memphis,  Tenn.,  where  he  shared  the 
responsibilties  with  his  mother  of  providing  for 
the  support  of  the  family.  In  1873,  owing  to  the 
yellow  fever  epidemic,  he  moved  to  St.  Louis, 
and  from  there  to  Denver,  Col.  He  was  among 
the  first  prospectors  to  reach  Leadville,  that 
state,  when  gold  was  discovered  there.  Mr. 
Bishop  also  traveled  through  all  the  North- 
western states  before  any  railroads  were  con- 
structed, and  experienced  many  hardships. 
Returning  to  Denver,  in  ISSO,  he  remained  a 
short  time,  coming  to  Chicago  the  same  year, 
soon  thereafter  to  embark  in  a  general  contract- 
ing business  which  has  engaged  his  attention 
ever  since.  He  owns  the  home  which  he  occu- 
pies at  Hinsdale,  and  a  100-acre  farm  in  Ar- 
kansas. 

Mr.  Bishop  was  nian-ied  in  Chicago.  March  17. 
1884.  to  Emily  Dower,  bom  in  Cornwall,  Eng- 
land. April  11,  18.57.  a  daughter  of  Sanmel  and 
Elizabeth     (Sprage)     Dower,     both    natives    of 


HISTORY  OF  DU  PAGE  COUNTY. 


793 


Coruwall,  England,  where  lie  was  bom  in  1S14, 
and  she  in  1S17.  Mr.  and  Mrs.  Bishop  have 
had  children  as  follows:  Lee  Andrew,  born 
April  1,  1SS5;  Harr.y  Andrew,  born  February 
7,  ISfSO,  and  Ethel  Sally  born  September  20, 
ISOU.  They  have  also  an  adopted  son,  Freder- 
ick William,  born  May  22,  IST'J.  Mr.  Bishop 
was  a  Democrat  until  Mr.  Bryan  advanced  his 
tree-silver  doctrine,  to  which  he  could  not  sub- 
scribe, so  he  became  an  Independent  Democrat, 
and  has  so  continued.  In  1905,  he  joined  the 
Masonic  fraternity,  belonging  to  William  B. 
Warren  Blue  Lodge  and  Englewood  Chapter,  A. 
F.  &  A.  M.  The  Presbyterian  church  claims  his 
membership.  Mr.  Blshoi)  has  always  been  a 
hard  worker,  putting  much  energy  and  strength 
of  purpose  into  his  busiues.s,  and  the  gratifying 
success  which  is  now  his  has  been  honestly 
earned. 

BLACKMAN,  Nathan  L.  Within  recent  years, 
many  of  the  more  notable  attorneys-at-Iaw 
have  specialized  in  their  practice,  and  one 
vi'ho  has  attained  distincticni  in  Du  I'age 
county,  is  Nathan  L.  Blackman,  of  Wheaton, 
111.  He  was  bora  December  12.  1865,  at  Verona, 
Oneida  county,  N.  Y.,  a  son  of  George  W.  and 
Harriet  (Adams)  Blackman.  The  mother  be- 
longed to  the  famous  American  Adams  family 
that  gave  two  presidents  to  this  country,  lieing 
a  third  cousin  of  .John  Quincj-  Adams.  When 
Nathan  L.  Blackman  was  only  two  years  old, 
the  family  moved  to  Des  Moines,  la.,  where  the 
father  lived  until  his  death.  He  was  a  local 
minister  in  the  Methodist  church  of  Des  Moines, 
and  also  held  the  ottice  of  Justice  of  the  Peace. 
In  earlier  da.vs,  he  had  been  a  teacher,  and 
always  took  iileasure  in  instructing  those  eager 
for  knowledge.  All  who  knew  this  excellent 
man  affectionately  called  him  "Squire"  Black- 
man. 

Nathan  L.  Blackman  was  graduated  from 
the  Northern  Illinois  Normal  at  Dixon.  111.,  in 
1889,  after  a  year  spent  at  the  Iowa  Agricultural 
College  at  Ames,  la.  Following  his  graduation, 
he  became  principal  of  schools  at  La  Moille,  111., 
thus  continuing  for  three  years,  and  then  leav- 
ing there,  came  to  Chicago,  to  take  up  the 
study  of  law  in  the  office  of  H.  F.  Rhode  of 
that  city.  Here  Mr.  Blackman  remained  three 
.vears.  when  he  was  associated  in  partnership 
with  Charles  D.  Stillwell  for  two  years.     Since 

12 


then,    he    has   practiced    alone,    specializing    on 
real  estate  and  loan  law. 

On  August  20,  1891,  Mr.  Blackman  was  mar- 
ried to  Laureue  G.  Gilmore,  daughter  of  the  late 
Captain  Gilmore  of  Chicago.  Prior  to  her  mar- 
riage Mrs.  Blackman  was  one  of  the  faculty  of 
the  Jennings  Seminary  at  Aurora.  Mr.  and 
.Mrs.  Blackman  have  had  three  children :  Gracia 
L.,  Elaine  Adams  and  Winifred  Faith,  who  is 
deceased.  Mr.  Blackman  is  a  member  of  the 
Hamilton  Club  of  Chicago,  and  the  Wheaton 
Golf  Club,  of  which  he  has  been  treasurer,  and 
l)oth  he  and  his  wife  are  the  center  of  a  pleas- 
ant social  circle  in  Wheaton. 

BLACKMAN,  N.  L.  The  influence  of  the 
Board  of  Trade  upon  the  general  supply  and 
demand  of  the  country,  is  mighty  ami  constant. 
Through  it  and  the  brokers  connected  with  it. 
prices  are  established,  and  the  needs  of  the 
country  met.  Through  its  workings  enormous 
amounts  of  business  are  transacted,  and  some 
of  the  most  representative  men  of  the  coiantry 
give  to  it  their  hearty  support.  Du  Page  county 
has  contrijjuted  some  of  its  most  prosperous 
men  to  the  brokerage  business,  and  their  opera- 
tions constitute  an  important  factor  in  the  gen- 
eral estimating  of  the  volume  tran.sacted  an- 
nually. One  of  these  men  is  N.  L.  Blackman. 
with  otiices  at  No.  48  Board  of  Trade,  and  resi- 
dence  at    Hinsdale. 

Many  of  the  business  men  of  Chicago  have 
recognized  the  importance  of  establishing  their 
residences  far  away  from  its  noise  and  dust, 
and  have  for  years  made  their  homes  in  one 
or  other  of  the  beautiful  little  cities  for  which 
this  county  is  famous.  Through  their  efforts 
these  conununities  have  been  very  materially  im- 
]iroved  initil  the.v  bear  but  little  relation  to  the 
original  settlements.  This  is  especially  true 
of  Hinsdale,  probably  the  most  beautiful  of  them 
all.  Constant  improvements  are  being  inaugu- 
rated and  executed,  additions  are  being  made  to 
its  confines,  and  a  high  grade  of  excellence 
maintained.  One  of  the  men  who  has  mateiial- 
ly  contributed  towards  all  this  is  Mr.  Blackman 
whose  ideas  regarding  good  citizenshiii  do  not 
cease  with  the  depositing  of  his  ballot  for  the 
candidates  of  his  party. 

Mr.  Blackman  was  born  in  Vermont,  in  1S4.5, 
a  son  of  W.  and  Minerva  (Henry)  Blackman, 
old  settlers  of  the  county.  He  was  educated 
here,  but  early  showed  business  ability  that  led 


(94 


HISTORY  OF  DU  PAGE  COUxVTY. 


him  luto  adopting;  a  comiuerc-ial  career..  His 
succe.ss  is  well  iiieritfd  for  he  has  worked  hard 
to  attain  it. 

The  marriage  of  Mr.  Blackman  occurred  in 
1875,  when  he  was  united  with  Miss  Carrie 
Tinsley,  daughter  of  F.  and  Emma  Tinsley. 
They  have  three  living  children  :  W.  T.,  Bonnie 
Bell  and  Marjorie.  Mr.  Blackman  belongs  to  the 
Hinsdale  Club  and  is  an  iniiKirtant  factor  in  its 
life.  He  is  a  man  whose  friends  are  legion,  and 
who  is  recognized  as  one  of  the  most  represen- 
tative of  the  citizens  of  Hinsdale. 

BLECKE,  Louis,  born  on  his  father's  farm, 
March  5,  18411,  was  educated  in  the  German  and 
public  schools,  and  then  engaged  in  farming. 
With  the  exception  of  two  years  spent  in  the 
milling  business,  he  has  continued  at  this  voca- 
tion, uninterruptedly.  He  was  married.  Febru- 
ary 14,  187.5,  to  Miss  Louisa  Stuenkle.  a  daughter 
of  William  and  Maria  (Bartllng)  Stuenkle,  who 
was  born  in  Addition  township,  July  19,  18o2. 
There  are  five  children  resulting  from  this  union, 
namely:  Lena  (Mr.s.  Julius  Frillmann),  born 
Xovember  5,  187.").  lives  in  Rose  Park  ;  William, 
born  March  17,  1877,  lives  on  his  father's  farm : 
married  Caroline  Ahrens,  two  children :  Elmer, 
born  August  2,  1905 ;  Bernhart,  born  April, 
1909;  Sophia  (Mr.s.  Herman  Fiene),  born  Jan- 
uary 17,  1879;  Louis,  born  August  24,  1.881, 
died  August  24,  1883 ;  Amanda,  born  December 
30,  1887  (Mrs.  Henry  Baekhause),  livee-  ..n  a 
farm  in  the  town  of  York. 

Mr.  Blecke  is  the  son  of  Louis  and  Wilhel- 
mina  (Flage)  Blecke,  natives  of  Landisberg, 
Hanover,  Oermany,  born  March  31,  1823  and 
January  19.  1824.  respectively.  The  father  emi- 
grated to  America  in  1844,  on  an  old  sailing 
ship  taking  nine  weeks  crossing,  and  came  di- 
rectly to  Du  Page  count.v,  where  some  iieo- 
ple  from  his  native  town  in  Germany  were  lo- 
cated. Here  he  bought  80  acres  of  wild  land, 
built  the  necessary  house  and  barns,  improved 
the  land  and  lived  there  until  his  death  on  De- 
cember 29,  1902.  His  wife  died  April  19,  1890. 
They  were  the  parents  of  the  following  children  : 
Lena  (Mrs.  Louis  Stuenkle)  ;  Ixiuisa  (Mrs. 
Henry  Fiene),  lives  in  Addison;  Louis;  Au- 
gust, born  October  19,  1853,  lives  in  Oak  Park, 
111.;  Emeline  (Mrs.  Edward  Fiene)  lives  in 
Wooddale.  111. ;  Ernst  and  William,  born  Febru- 
ary 21.  1862,  William  died  in  Ausoist,  1862, 
Ernst  lives  in  West  Chicago. 


Louis  Blecke  is  now  the  owner  of  the  farm 
his  father  originally  bought,  has  remodeled  the 
buildings,  and  now  has  every  acre  in  a  high 
state  of  cultivation.  He  is  at  present  retired, 
and  the  farm  is  in  charge  of  his  son,  who  con- 
ducts a  dairy  in  addition  to  engaging  in  general 
farming.  The  father  is. now  acting  as  commit- 
tee man  in  the  Addison  College,  and  is  also  a  col- 
lector in  the  Lutheran  Church  where  he  has  for 
some  time  been   a  deacon. 

BLODGETT,  Charles  B.  The  name  of  Blodgett 
has  been  intimately  associated  with  the  growth 
and  expansion  not  only  of  Downer's  Grove  town- 
ship but  of  all  Du  Page  county,  since  1836 ;  but 
the  best  known  representative  of  the  family  is 
the  man  whose  services  as  a  public  official  are 
recognized  in  his  home  town,  at  the  county  seat, 
and  throughout  the  county  of  which  his  father 
was  an  honored  pioneer. 

Charles  B.  Blodgett  was  born  on  his  present 
place,  in  a  log  house  that  stood  on  the  site  of 
his  beautiful  home,  in  1840.  a  son  of  Israel  Por- 
ter and  Avis  (Dodge)  Blodgett.  Massachusetts 
was  the  birthplace  of  these  two  sturdy  pioneers, 
the  former  being  born  In  Amherst.  March  4, 
1797,  and  the  latter  in  Belchertown,  .Tune  5, 
1796.  They  came  to  Illinois  in  1830,  but  did  not 
locate  in  Downer's  Grove  until  1836.  In  that 
vc-ar  Mr.  Blodgett  selected  his  farm,  a  portion 
of  which  wag  later  to  become  a  portion  of  the 
village  of  Downer's  Grove,  in  Downer's  Grove. 
Even  the  name  of  this  beautiful  thoroughfare 
owes  its  existence  to  his  action,  for  it  was  he 
who  transplanted  the  trees  that  now  shade  the 
road,  from  a  neighboring  grove.  Hundreds  of 
saplings  were  thus  moved  to  a  place  where  they 
grew  and  not  only  afforded  pleasure  and  com- 
fort to  his  immediate  family,  but  have  offered 
grateful  shade  to  all  those  who  pass  along  Maple 
avenue.  At  the  time  Mr.  Blodgett  did  this  work, 
there  was  no  road,  and  b.v  cutting  trees  and  logs 
and  dragging  them  back  and  forth  with  ox 
teams,  he  marked  a  trail,  along  the  north  line 
of  his  claim,  that  later  became  a  part  of  the  old 
stage  road  from  Chicago  to  Aurora,  Princeton 
and  Galesburg,  and  that  portion  of  which 
passes  through  Downer's  Grove,  is  now  called 
Maple  avenue.  Mr.  Israel  Blodgett  was  always 
in  full  accord  and  sympathy  with  the  old  Aboli- 
tion partj- ;  a  collaborator  with  Love.ioy.  .Jona- 
than Burk  and  others  in  assisting  slaves  to  es- 
cape ;  and  a  keeper  of  the  underground  depot  or 


c^C^^4^^   J-c^c^^^'i-tf-i^f-iSf  ou^^ 


$d^  ^ -dc^^^r  ^Hyu^ 


HISTORY  OF  DU  PAGE  COUNTY. 


795 


relay  station  and  often  had,  of  a  night,  from  one 
or  two  to  as  many  as  fifteen  of  the  fugitives  in 
his  own  home.  He  was  always  foremost  in  pro- 
viding schools,  churches  and  everything  for  the 
improvement  of  the  community. 

Aside  from  the  things  already  mentioned.  Mr. 
Blodgett  left  one  other  lasting  mark  on  the  steps 
that  mark  progress  of  the  woi-ld.  It  was  he 
who  tirst  conceived  the  idea  of  the  present  style 
of  cloth-covered  burial  caskets.  He  had  had  oc- 
casion to  superintend  the  removal  of  some  of 
his  family,  and  had  noticed  that  the  more  com- 
mon hard  wood  caskets  that  had  customarily 
been  used,  crumbled  with  the  action  of  tlie  water 
and  the  earth,  while  those  made  of  the  cheaper 
pine  remained  in  perfect  condition  for  years. 
When  this  fact  came  to  his  notice,  he  requested 
his  family  to  bury  him  in  pine  when  the  time 
came.  They  demurred,  thinking  that  the  best 
cofHn  that  could  be  purchased  would  be  none  too 
good  for  him.  At  last  he  said  that  the  ootfiin  could 
be  covered  with  some  kind  of  black  cloth,  if  they 
thought  it  undesirable  that  the  pine  should  show. 
From  this  suggestion  he  studied  out  exactly 
what  he  wanted,  and  his  son  promised  to  carry 
out  his  ideas.  When  he  died  our  suliject;went 
to  Chicago  with  certain  speciflcatioiis  anpl^^liad  a*. 
pine  coffin  made  and  covered  with  broadcloth. 
So  the  old  pioneer  who  died  November  24,  ISGl, 
was  interred  exactly  as  he  wishfed.  His  wile, 
survived  him  until  JIarch  !i,  1SS2.  Togfe'tljerrtU*.'' 
now  lie  at  rest  in  the  shaded  little  cemetery  off 
Main  street,  in  Downer's  Gi'ove,  almost  within 
sight  of  their  old  home.  Their  graves  are 
marked  by  a  monument  bearing  this  inscription  : 

"ISRAEL    PORTER    BLODGETT 

Born  at  Amherst.  Mass.,  March   4,   1779 ; 
died  Xoveuilier  24,   IStJl. 

AVI.S  DODGE  BLODGETT 

Born    in    Belehertown,    Mass.,    June   5.    ITOii ; 

died  JIarch  9.  1882. 

Residents  of  Illinois  since  18.'>0." 

Within  six  months  of  the  death  of  Jlr.  Blod- 
gett. the  cloth-covered  casket,  made  of  pine  was 
universally  adopted.  Had  some  of  his  family 
patented  the  idea  they  would  undoulitedly  have 
received  abundant  financial  returns. 

Charles  B.  Blodgett  grew  to  manhood  on  the 
home  farm,  first  attending  a  subscription  school 
held  at  their  own  home  and  at  those  of  their 


neighbors,  and  then  the  public  schools.  He  was 
not  satisfied  with  the  scope  of  the  education  he 
received  in  these  schools,  so  he  commenced  a 
course  in  Wheaton  College.  This,  however,  he 
was  unable  to  complete  as  the  sickness  and  death 
of  his  father  necessitated  his  return  to  his  home 
to  assume  charge  of  affairs  there.  From  that 
time  on,  Mr.  Blodgett  has  been  a  leading  factor 
in  local  political  and  civic  affairs.  He  has  al- 
ways thrown  himself  into  public  matters  with 
enthusiasm  and  has  directed  them  to  the  best  of 
his  ability.  When  the  question  arose  of  secur- 
ing a  site  for  the  proposed  Chicago.  Burlington 
it  Quincy  Railroad,  he  was  one  of  the  six  to  do- 
nate the  necessary  laud,  and  to  carry  the  trans- 
action through  to  a  successful  termination. 
The  land  these  citizens  gave  to  the  projectors 
has  now  been  transformed  into  the  beautiful 
grounds  that  surround  the  handsome  new  depot 
and  make  undoubtedly  the  finest  of  their  kind 
on  the  line  of  the  C,  B.  cS:  Q.  R.  R.  There  has 
not  been  a  single  project  looking  toward  sensible 
improvements  that  he  has  not  earnestly  and 
generously  supported.  He  is  a  keen  business 
man  and  has  always  treated  matters  of  public 
■  piiterest  with  as  much  judgment  and  foresight 

'  *s  thflugh  they  were  identified  with  his  personal 
well-fieing  exclusively.  He  has  always  insisted 
on  the  futility  of  taxing  people  over-much  to 
.l^yild  ibnildings   that  must   be  maintained   by   a 

, -ftirther  taxation. 

In  ISSO  he  was  sent  to  Wheaton  as  one  of  the 
supervisors  of  his  township,  and  has  been  given 
this  position  at  each  successive  election  since 
that  time  w-ithout  opposition.  Du  Page  county 
has  cause  to  remember  his  services,  rendered  as 
chairman  of  the  building  committee,  during  the 
strenuous  years  of  tlie  erection  of  the  county 
buildings.  For  thirty-three  years.  Jlr.  Blodgett 
was  a  member  of  the  school  board  of  Downer's 
Grove  village,  and  when  he  retired,  his  fellow 
members  presented  him  with  the  beautiful  me- 
morial that  now  hangs  in  his  home.  Of  all  his 
iwssessions,  perhaps  this  is  the  most  highly 
prized,  and,  it  is  stated  that  more  than  once  he 
has  said  there  was  one  thing  that  money  could 
not  buy.  Mr.  Blodgett  has  also  for  seventeen 
years  labored  hard  and  long  as  a  member  of  the 
village  board  of  trustees,  a  part  of  this  time 
being   its  presiding  officer. 

It  is  to  such  men  as  Charles  B.  Blodgett,  who 
put  civic  advancement  before  private  interests 
and  who  give  generously  of  both  time  and  money 


796 


HISTORY  OF  DU  PAGE  COUNTY. 


lli.it  L>u  I'age  toiiuty  owes  its  present  iH>sition 
aiiioug  the  other  aivisions  of  Illinois. 

Mr.  Blodgett  was  married  in  ISCiC  to  Miss 
Emma  C.  Brookins  of  Milton  township,  near 
Ulen  Elljn.  Her  jjareut.s.  David  and  Kuby 
Brookius.  were  among  the  earliest  settlers  of 
that  township.  Mr.  and  Jlrs.  Blodgett  are  the 
parents  of  four  sous,  uamel.v  :  Harry  L.,  Wil- 
liam II.,  Dartd  P.  and  Charles  Blair,  deceased. 

Mr.  Blodgett  has  several  acres  of  laud  sur- 
rounding his  home  which  he  takes  great  pride  in 
keeping  in  good  condition.  He  is  indeed  a  very 
useful  and  busy  man.  who  still  takes  au  active 
part  in  everything  jiertaiuing  to  the  best  inter- 
ests of  both  the  village  and  county  which  has 
been  his  home  for  so  many  years. 

BLODGETT,  WilUam  Henry.  This  is  the  age 
of  young  men,  for  it  is  to  them  that  the  people 
are  looking  for  reforms  and  correction  of  abuses. 
The  majority  of  the  elective  offices  are  now 
held  by  men  who  have  uot  yet  much  more  than 
passed  their  fortieth  milestone.  One  of  the 
officials  of  Pu  Page  county,  who  has  been  re- 
cently brought  before  the  public,  is  William 
Henry  Blodgett,  city  collector  of  Do\vner"s  Grove. 
He  was  boru  March  3,  1.SC9  in  Downer's  Grove, 
a  son  of  Charles  Blair  and  Emma  (Brookins) 
Blodgett,  natives  of  Du  Page  county.  The 
mother  was  a  daughter  of  Thomas  S.  Brookins,  a 
farmer. 

Mr.  Blodgett  attended  his  neighborhood 
schools,  reniainiug  at  home  assisting  his  father 
with  the  farm  work  until  he  was  sixteen,  when 
he  obtained  employment  in  the  claim  depart- 
ment of  the  Chicago  office  of  the  Wells  Fargo 
Express  Co.,  continuing  thus  until  March  3. 
1910,  when  he  removed  to  Downer's  Grove,  hav- 
ing purchased  the  real  estate  business  of  David 
Goodman  Graham,  which  bad  been  established 
in  1890.  Mr.  Blodgett  carries  on  a  general  real 
estate  and  renting  business,  handling  some  very 
desirable  property  both  in  Downer's  Grove  and 
Du  Page  county,  and  also  writes  insurance  with 
all  the  standard  companies.  In  May.  1910.  Mr. 
Blodgett  assumed  the  duties  of  city  collector  of 
Downer"s  Grove,  and  the  way  in  which  he  is 
handling  them  demonstrates  that  he  is  a  man 
well  fitted  for  public  office  and  positions  of 
trust. 

On  June  1.  1904,  Mr,  Blodgett  was  united  in 
marriage  with  Miss  Edith  Graham,  daughter  of 
David  G.  and  Mary  Ann  Graham.  Mr.  and 
Mrs,    Blodgett    are   consistent    members   of    the 


First  Congregational  church,  and  are  active  in 
their  support  of  that  denomination.  Fraternally 
he  is  a  Mason,  and  a  Knight  of  I'ythias,  and  is 
active  iu  both  lodges.  A  sound,  reliable  consci- 
entious man  and  excellent  public  official.  Mr. 
Blodgett  commands  confidence  and  respect,  and 
is  one  of  the  representative  citizens  of  Downer's 
(jrove. 

BLUME,  Frederick,  a  prominent  German-Amer- 
ican citizen  of  Elmhurst,  now  living  retired 
from  active  life,  has  been  a  resident  of  Du  Page 
couuty  since  1S51,  when  he  accompanied  his 
parents  thither.  He  was  born  in  Hanover,  Ger- 
many, October  7,  1S33,  a  son  of  Christian  and 
Mary  (Ilahn)  Blume,  who  lived  on  a  farm 
near  Elmhurst  from  18.51,  until  their  deaths. 
The  father  passed  away  in  1SS9,  at  the  age  of 
eight.v-six  .vears  and  the  mother  in  ISSl,  at  the 
age  of  eighty  years.  Their  children  were :  Fred- 
erick :  William,  deceased ;  Louisa,  Mrs.  Peter 
Blanguth.  of  Elmhurst;  Caroline,  living  with 
her  sister  Louisa  ;  Mary,  Mrs.  August  Schnake, 
of  Chicago. 

Mr.  Blume  received  his  education  in  his  na- 
tive country  and  lived  there  until  eighteen  years 
of  age.  He  remained  with  his  parents  during 
their  lifetime,  and  after  his  marriage  bought  the 
home  farm  of  sevent.v-seven  acres,  to  which  he 
later  added  until  he  owned  121  acres,  adjoin- 
ing Proviso  township.  Cook  count.v.  He  made 
man.v  Improvements  and  carried  on  general  farm- 
ing euccessfully,  having  a  dairy  herd  of  twenty 
to  twenty-five  cows.  In  the  spring  of  1889,  he 
came  to  Elmhurst,  where  he  had  purchased  a 
handsome  residence,  turning  over  the  manage- 
ment of  the  farm  to  his  two  oldest  sons.  He  is 
a  Kepuhlican  in  politics,  and  lias  always  taken 
a  commendable  interest  iu  local  affairs,  .serving 
as  road  commissioner  and  =!chool  director.  A 
most  industrious  and  energetic  farmer,  be 
brought  his  farm  Into  a  high  state  of  cultiva- 
tion. He  is  well  known  in  York  townsbip,  and 
has  a  number  of  warm  personal  friends  there, 
who  aitpreciate  his  uprightness  and  integrity  in 
all  his  dealings,  whether  of  a  social,  private  or 
business  character. 

On  April  (i,  1SC.3,  Mr.  Blume  married  Magda- 
lena  Languth,  born  in  Proviso  township.  Cook 
eoimty,  daughter  of  Christian  and  Catherine 
CGlos)  Languth,  natives  of  Germany.  Her  birth 
occurred  February  10,  184."i.  and  she  died  May 
2."i.  1800.  having  borne  her  husband  children  as 


HISTORY  OF  DU  PAGE  COUNTY. 


797 


follows:  William  aud  Otto,  ou  the  home  farm; 
Fred  died  at  the  age  of  twenty-eight  years; 
Amelia  keeps  house  for  her  father ;  August  lives 
at  Elmhurst ;  Helen  married  Julius  Brawn,  of 
Elmhurst;  Amanda  died  at  the  age  of  five 
years;  Mary  died  in  infancy;  Tillie  married 
Adolph  Radeuzer,  of  Elmhurst;  Carl  at  home. 
Mr.  Blume  belongs  to  the  Evangelical  Lutheran 
church,  as  do  the  rest  of  the  family. 

BOERGERHOFF,  Fred,  a  successful  farmer 
aud  dairyman  of  York  township,  Du  Page 
county,  was  boru  in  Cook  county.  111.,  June  25, 
1865,  a  son  of  Frederick  and  Wilhelmiua  (Hau- 
uabut)  Boergerhoff.  He  was  educated  in  the 
public  schools  of  Cook  county  and  in  1SS7,  came 
to  a  farm  his  father  had  purchased  in  the  south- 
west quarter  of  Section  2G,  York  township.  lu 
1896,  he  purchased  the  place  from  the  other 
heirs.  His  father  died  in  Elmhurst  in  1894,  and 
the  mother  in  1890  on  the  home  place.  Fred  Boer- 
gerhoff made  some  additions  to  the  house,  and 
has  continued  to  improve  the  farm,  but  all  the 
buildings  it  now  contains,  were  left  by  his 
father.  He  carries  on  general  farming  aud  ships 
about  two  cans  of  milk  per  day,  owning  104 
30/100  acres  of  well  tilled  land  and  a  pleasant 
residence.  He  is  a  member  of  the  Evangelical 
Church  aud  stands  well  in  the  community,  where 
he  has  many  friends,  being  a  substantial  and  up- 
right citizen  aud  in  politics  a  Republican. 

Ou  October  IC,  1892.  Mr.  Boergerhoff  married 
Martha  Kuhlman,  a  daughter  of  Gottfreid  and 
Dora  (Moritz)  Kuhlman,  and  they  became  the 
parents  of  three  children :  Freda,  born  April  27, 
1893;  Fritz,  January  26,  1895.  and  Arthur,  De- 
cember 3  1897.  Mrs.  Boergerhoff  died  Septem- 
ber 10,  1899,  and  is  buried  at  Fullershurg.  On 
October  5,  1900,  Mr.  Boergerhoff  married  (sec- 
ond) Matilda  Ross,  a  native  of  York  township, 
bom  April  21,  1868,  and  they  had  five  children  : 
Ei-nst,  born  January  13,  1902;  Bertha,  born 
July  2.3.  1903,  died  September  22,  1903 ;  William. 
born  March  3,  1905;  Clara,  December  4.  1906, 
and  Amanda.  February  19,  1909. 

BOESKE,  Fred,  a  son  of  William  and  Cliarlotte 
(Schmidt)  Boeske.  was  born  in  Addison  town- 
ship, April  29,  1872.  During  his  youth  he  lived 
with  his  parents  on  the  home  farm,  and  attended 
the  local  German  and  public  schools.  He  has 
always  been  actively  interested  in  farming,  with 
the  exception  of  tAvo  years  spent  as  clerk  in  the 
hardware  store  of  Geo.  C.  Johnson,  at  the  comer 


of  Chicago  avenue  and  Armour  street,  Chicago. 
He  is  now  living  on  one  huudred  and  two  acres 
of  the  home  farm,  on  which  he  does  general 
farming  and  dairying. 

He  was  married.  January  (J,  1896.  to  Jliss 
Sophia  Stellmann.  a  daughter  of  Henry  and 
Sophia  (Fiene)  Stellmann.  They  have  two 
children  :  Raymond,  born  in  December,  1897 ;  and 
Lottie,  born  February  1,  1901.  They  are  mem- 
bers of  the  Lutheran  Church. 

BOESKE,  WilUam,  a  son  of  William  and  Char- 
lotte (Schmidt)  Boeske,  was  horn  on  the  farm 
he  now  owns,  November  3,  1869.  He  was  edu- 
cated in  the  public  aud  German  schools,  and  then 
engaged  in  farming.  With  the  exception  of 
three  years  spent  as  a  clerk  in  a  hardware 
store  in  Chicago,  he  has  always  been  actively  in- 
terested  in  farming. 

William  Boeske,  Sr..  tlie  father  of  the  subject 
of  this  article,  was  boru  in  Germany,  January 
4.  1823,  and  came  to  America,  when  he  was 
eleven  years  old,  with  his  mother  and  step- 
father, locating  in  Addisou  township,  where 
tliey  bought  laud  for  .$1.25  per  acre.  Jlrs. 
^^'illiam  Boeske,  Sr.,  was  boru  Feln'uary  19, 
1829,  in  Hanover,  Germany,  a  daughter  of 
Henry  and  Louisa  Schmidt,  and  came  to  Amer- 
ica in  June,  1835.  Here  she  was  married  to 
W'illiam  Boeske,  June  2.  1842.  To  them  were 
Ixiru  the  following  children:  Mathilda  (Mr.s. 
Henry  Marquardt).  born  August  16.  1849; 
Louisa  (Mrs.  H.  F.  Buckholz).  born  November 
20.  1851;  Emeline  (Mrs.  William  Stuenkle), 
born  January  12,  1854;  Augusta,  boru  May  20, 
1856,  died  September  24,  18.58;  Rozetta  (Mrs. 
Geo.  C.  Johnson),  born  January  19.  1859,  lives 
on  Chicago  avenue  aud  Robey  street,  Chicago ; 
Henrietta  (Mrs.  August  Webber),  horn  May 
24.  1S6L  died  June  13,  1887;  Emelie  (Mrs.  Ju- 
lius Stuenkle).  born  April  4,  1864.  died  June 
::.  1888;  William,  born  November  3,  1869;  Fred- 
erick, boru  April  29,  1872. 

William  Boeske,  Jr.,  was  married  on  March 
n.  1894.  to  Miss  Amanda  Stuenkle.  born  April 
10.  1870.  They  are  the  parents  of  children  as 
follows:  Edwin,  boru  May  21,  1896;  George, 
born  February  18.  1898;  Adela.  horn  June  10, 
1892;  Lydia.  boru  September  9.  1907.  The  fam- 
ily  are  members   of   the  Evangelical    Church. 

BOGER,  George.  Du  Page  County  numbers 
some  very  reliable  aud  responsible  business  men 
among   its   residents   whose   careers    have   been 


798 


HISTORY  OF  DU  PAGE  COUNTY. 


marked  by  steady  advauceuieut  aud  gratifying 
success.  Uue  of  tlie  lueu  wlio  is  deserving  of 
more  tliau  passing  mention  in  a  record  of  tliis 
natnre,  is  George  Boger  of  Hinsdale.  He  was 
born  in  tlie  town  of  I'orli,  Du  Page  County,  111., 
Mareli  18,  1853,  being  a  sou  of  Frederick  aud 
Mariali  (Okelman)  Boger.  Frederick  Boger  was 
a  native  of  Hanover,  Germany,  who  came  to 
Du  Page  county  in  1849,  to  engage  in  farming, 
dying  here  in  1885,  aged  seventy-six  years. 

George  Boger  received  an  excellent  imblic 
scliool  education,  and  was  farming  until  1800, 
having  moved  into  the  town  of  Downer's  Grove, 
there  residing  for  four  years,  on  a  farm.  In 
1890,  he  came  to  Hinsdale,  and  the  following 
year  established  himself  In  a  coal,  wood  and 
farm  implement  business,  which  is  now  con- 
ducted under  the  Arm  style  of  George  Boger  .& 
Sous.  This  concern  does  a  large  business  aud 
stands  well  with  the  financial  rating  companies. 
The  first  wife  of  Mr.  Boger  bore  him  two 
children,  Theodore  H.  and  Anua.  The  former 
was  educated  in  the  public  schools  of  Downers 
Grove,  and  a  Chicago  business  college.  He  then 
entered  the  employ  of  C.  X.  Barnes  &  Co.,  dealers 
in  school  books.  He  divided  his  time  between 
this  concern  and  the  firm  in  which  he  is  the 
junior  member.  Theodore  Boger  married  Slamio 
Karnatz  of  Hinsdale,  in  1900.  They  have  one 
child,  Mildred,  Both  he  and  his  wife  are  mem- 
bers of  the  Evangelical  Lutheran  Church.  Anua 
married  L.  H.  Winkelman  of  Hinsdale.  Mr. 
Winklemau  is  also  connected  with  George  Boger 
&  Sons  and  is  manager  of  the  Western  Springs 
branch.  Mr.  and  Mrs.  Winkelman  have  two 
children,  George  and  Louise. 

In  1900.  Mr.  Boger  was  married  to  Helen 
Pantke  of  Downer's  Grove.  He  and  his  wife 
are  consistent  members  of  the  Evangelical  Luth- 
eran Church  of  which  Mr.  Boger  is  a  trustee. 
Upon  more  than  one  occasion,  Mr.  Boger  has  been 
called  upon  to  represent  his  party  in  public  of- 
fice, serving  as  School  Director  for  eleven  years 
in  York  townsliip.  Township  Collector  of  York 
township  for  one  term,  and  for  the  past  four 
years  he  has  beeu  Supervisor.  In  all  of  these 
oliices  Mr.  Boger  has  given  of  the  best  of  him, 
to  faithfully  discharge  the  duties  devolving  upon 
him,  and  his  record  is  a  creditable  one.  When 
the  demand  arose  for  the  Hinsdale  State  Bank, 
Mr.  Boger  with  others  organized  it,  and  he  has 
continued  on  its  board  of  directors  ever  since. 
A  sound,  reliable  business  man  and  loyal   citi- 


zen, he  has   done   much   for  Hinsdale  aud  has 
great  faith   in   its   future. 

BOHLAND,  Francis,  was  born  in  Hesse  Darm- 
stadt. Germany,  September  29,  1S29,  came  to 
.\merica  in  1851,  and  settled  in  Bellwood,  Cook 
county.  He  soon  left  his  home  and  worked  in 
Chic-ago  for  eleven  years.  In  1871.  he  lost  prac- 
tically all  of  his  worldly  goods  in  the  Chicago 
fire,  then  in  1892,  after  fully  recovering  from 
this  loss,  he  was  able  to  move  to  Elmhurst, 
where   he  has  since  lived  in   retirement. 

He  was  married,  July  4,  1865,  to  Miss  Mar- 
garet Young,  a  daughter  of  Frank  and  Margaret 
Young,  who  was  born  in  Hesse  Darmstadt,  Ger- 
many, March  G,  1840.  and  came  to  America  with 
her  parents  to  settle  at  Bellwood,  111.  Her 
father  was  born  iu  ISO",  died  in  1883;  the 
mother,  born  in  1811,  died  in  189S.  In  this 
family  Mr.s.  Bohland  was  the  third  born  of 
the  eight  following  children:  Jlichael,  Stephen, 
Mrs.  Bohland.  Agnes,  and  four  who  died  in  in- 
fancy. 

To  Mr.  and  Mrs.  Francis  Bohland.  were  born 
six  children,  namely:  Frank,  born  January  26, 
1867,  died  November  7,  1888;  Herman,  married, 
lives  on  .\ddison  avenue.  Elmhurst;  Stephen, 
born  March  4.  1870.  died  .\ugust  8.  1872 ;  Agnes, 
born  August  5.  1873,  died  June  8.  1892;  Peter, 
iKiru  .\ugust  14.  1877.  died  April  8,  1894; 
Michael,  born  June  27,  1879,  died  July  14,  1899. 
The  family  were  members  of  the  Catholic 
Church. 

Francis  Bohland  is  one  of  a  family  of  seven 
children:  John.  Michael.  John,  Frank.  Margaret, 
Anna,  and  Catharine.  He  is  the  only  one  now- 
living. 

BOHLAND,  Herman  A.,  was  born  in  Chicago, 
November  7,  18C>8.  Here  he  attended  the  pub- 
lie  schools  until  his  parents  raov.-'d  to  a  farm 
four  and  one-half  miles  east  of  Elmhurst.  He 
remained  with  them  on  the  farm  for  some  time, 
then  returned  to  Chicago,  where  he  took  a  full 
course  in  the  Metropolitan  Business  College. 
His  first  situation  was  with  John  A.  Leslie  & 
Co.,  wholesale  dealers  in  fruits,  later  he  went 
with  Strouss,  Himer  &  Y'ager,  then  with  Park 
Bros.,  steel  handlers ;  and  finally  went  Into  the 
commission  business  for  himself,  on  South 
Water  street.  This  latter  venture  proved 
rather  unsuccessful  and  he  gave  It  up,  going  in 
with  the  Latrobe  Mailable  Casting  Co.,  now 
the    National    Casting   Co..    iu    the  position    of 


'  » 


r/^cLl^t^iyyn^  jr  a^L^..c^^u^Cl^J <:}Y^^Jji^ 


HISTORY  OF  DU  PAGE  COUNTY. 


r99 


tool  foreman,  where  he  has  charge  of,  aud  pur- 
chases all  of  the  tools  used.  He  has  uow  heen 
with  this  firm  for  over  ten  years. 

He  was  married  November  3,  1897,  to  Miss 
Anna  Mar.v  Kruppen,  a  daughter  of  Mathias  aud 
Maria  (Hoffman)  Kruppen.  They  have  no 
children. 

BOHLANDER,  John.  In  naming  the  well 
known  residents  of  Hinsdale,  111.,  prominent 
place  should  be  given  to  John  Bohlander,  who 
has  been  closely  identified  with  the  business, 
political  aud  religious  interests  of  this  city  for 
more  than  forty  years,  and  who  was  the  found- 
er of  the  large  hardware  firm  of  Bohlander 
Brothers,  from  which  he  retired  in  1010,  when 
he  sold  his  interest  to  his  sons.  Mr.  Bohlander 
has  been  a  prominent  factor  in  the  general  ad- 
vancement of  Hinsdale  during  the  |)ast  quarter 
of  a  century,  aud  now,  living  in  retirement,  can 
look  back  over  a  life  that  has  covered  many  ac- 
tivities, in  all  of  which  he  has  proved  himself 
to  be  of  untarnished  character  and  strict  in- 
tegrity. Mr.  Bohlander  was  born  May  24,  ISotJ, 
in  mid  ocean,  on  an  American  sliip  that  was 
making  the  journey  to  this  counti-j'  frctui-  Oer^ 
many,  his  parents  being  John  and  Maryi^yQ^^^ 
Bohlander.  who  had  been  farming  peoph;  in  the 
Fatherland. 

Mr.  Bolilander  was  one  year  old  when  his 
parents  brought  him  to  Illinois,  and  he  was.' 
reared  on  a  farm,  securing  his  educational  train- 
ing in  the  schools  of  his  locality.  He  was  twen- 
ty-one years  of  age  when  he  came  to  Du  Page 
county,  settling  in  York  township,  where  he 
purchased  a  farm,  and  later  conducted  a  gro- 
cery store  in  York  Centre  for  two  years.  He 
then  spent  seven  years  in  the  same  business  at 
Downer's  Grove,  and  then  again  followed  agri- 
cultural pursuits  for  two  or  three  years  and 
eventually,  in  1871.  came  to  Hinsdale  and  es- 
tablished himself  in  a  grocery  and  dry  goods 
business,  under  the  firm  name  of  Bohlander 
Brothers,  his  brother  Adam  being  his  partner. 
This  connection  continued  for  .some  time  and 
was  reasouabl.v  successful,  luit  Mr.  Bohlander 
decided  that  he  could  do  more  in  the  hardware 
line,  and  accordingly  entered  that  business,  in 
which  he  built  up  a  large  and  lucrative  patron- 
age. Later  he  took  his  sons  into  the  business, 
and  the  firm  soon  broadened  its  field,  including 
the  dealing  in  coal,  wood,  etc.,  with  its  hard- 
ware  dealings  and   in   this  line  has   also   been 


uniformly  successful.  Continuing  along  the  lines 
of  strict  integrity  laid  down  by  their  father, 
the  sons,  who  bought  his  interest  in  1910,  have 
by  their  fair  dealing  and  conscientious  living 
up  to  agreements  made,  established  a  business 
that  is  known  throughout  the  county. 

In  1802,  Mr.  Bohlander  was  united  in  mar- 
riage with  Sallie  Wolf,  the  daughter  of  George 
and  Mary  (Hintz)  Wolf,  well  known  people  of 
Downer's  Grove,  III.,  and  to  this  union  there 
were  born  five  children,  as  follows :  Carrie, 
who  married  Henry  Dorstewitz,  engaged  in  the 
tailoring  business  in  Hinsdale;  Louise,  who 
married  Charles  Hedge,  who  conducts  a  ton- 
sorial  parlor  in  Hinsdale;  Sarah,  who  mar- 
ried I'eter  Dehr,  the  proprietor  of  a  paint  store 
in  this  city ;  and  John,  Jr.,  and  Henry  M.,  who 
are  carrying  on  the  hardware  business  under 
the  firm  name  of  Bohlander  Brothers.  Mr. 
Bohlander  is  the  grandfather  of  twenty-two 
children  and  the  great-grandfather  of  four  chil- 
dren, all  of  whom  were  born  in  Hinsdale. 

Mr.  Boldander  was  appointed  jiostmaster  by 
President  Cleveland,  serving  as  such  through- 
out that  administration,  and  in  addition  has 
held"  the  office  of  trustee  of  Hinsdale.  He  is  a 
•  memJjer  of  the  German  Evangelical  Church,  tak- 
mg  a  great  interst  in  its  work,  and  contributing 
liberally  of  his  time  and  means  in  a.ssisting  its 
movements. 

BOLLES,  Charles  E.,  a  prominent  l)anker  and 
l]usihess  man  who  has  interests  in  various 
cities,  was  for  many  years  a  resident  of  Du 
Page  County,  and  came  to  Turner's  Junction, 
nbw  West  Chicago,  in  18.56.  from  Vermont.  He 
was  born  at  Cambridgeport.  Windham  Count.y, 
\'t..  October  14,  1844,  son  of  Lemuel  and  Mary 
Ann  (Weaver)  Bolles.  As  a  young  man  he  served 
as  private  in  Company  K,  Thirteenth  Illinois 
Volunteer  Infantry  dui'ing  the  Civil  War,  and 
was  wounded  at  Chickasaw  Bayou,  which  is  in 
the  rear  of  Vicksburg.  Mr.  Bolles  was  educated 
in  the  public  schools  of  his  native  town,  those 
of  West  Chicago.  Wheatou  College,  and  Fulton 
(111.)  Military  Academy,  and  in  1870  became 
interested  in  business  at  West  Chicago.  In  1880 
he  became  senior  member  of  Bolles  &  Rogers, 
hut  severed  his  connection  with  this  firm  in 
1007.  Mr.  Bolles  is  now  president  of  the  Min- 
neapolis Wool  Company,  who  are  manufacturers 
of  scoured  wools  and  pickled  skins,  with  offices 


800 


HISTORY  OF  DU  PAGE  COUNTY. 


at  Xo.  129  West  Kinzie  street.  Chicago,  and  Nos. 
210-212   First  avenue,  North.   Minneapolis. 

The  other  officers  of  the  Minneapolis  Wool 
Company  are :  S.  Rogers,  vice-president ;  J.  J. 
Tye.  secretary,  and  F.  E.  Hoover,  treasurer. 
The  present  company  was  established  in  1905. 
and  incorporated  two  years  later,  now  having  a 
capital  of  $100,000,  doing  a  large  wholesale 
business. 

Mr.  Bolles  is  president  of  the  West  Chicago 
State  Bank,  the  other  officers  being :  William 
Einfeldt,  vice-president,  and  C.  E.  Smiley,  cash- 
ier. The  bank  has  a  capital  stock  of  $50,000,  and 
the  Board  of  Directors  is  as  follows:  C.  D.  Clark. 
Jacob  Mortenson.  John  J.  Tye.  E.  A.  Cummings. 
C.  E.  Bolles.  W.  T.  Reed,  Frank  E.  Hoover, 
William  Einfeldt  and  D.  C.  Aheru.  Mr.  Bolles 
is  also  president  of  the  Avenue  State  Bank  of 
Oak  Park,  being  elected  on  January  1.5,  1912. 
for  the  thirteenth  time.  The  bank  has  a  capital 
stock  of  $100,000.  with  the  following  officers: 
C.  E.  Bolles.  president ;  Willis  S.  Herrick,  vice- 
president  ;  and  William  Einfeldr.  second  vice- 
president  and  cashier.  The  Board  of  Directors 
is  as  follows :  E.  A.  Cummings.  C.  A.  Sharpe, 
William  Einfeldt,  S.  P.  Nissen,  C.  E.  Bolles, 
Sampson  Rogers.  Jacob  Mortenson,  John  D.  Ross 
and  Willis  S.  Herrick.  He  is  also  a  director  of 
the  Harlem  State  Bank  at  Forest  Park,  111. 
Mr.  Bolles  has  lived  at  Oak  Park  for  over  thirty 
years,  and  is  now  at  No.  358  Lake  street.  He 
was  one  of  the  organizers  of  the  Oak  Park  Light 
&  Heat  Company. 

Mr.  Bolles  is  an  active  and  enterprising  man 
of  business  acumen  and  good  judgment,  and 
has  been  a  leading  factor  in  insuring  the  suc- 
cess of  the  various  ventures  with  which  he  is 
connected.  Socially  he  is  connected  with  the 
Union  League  Club  of  Chicago  and  the  Oak  Park 
and  Republican  Clubs  of  Oak  Park.  Fraternally 
he  is  a  Mason,  and  belongs  to  the  G.  A.  R. 
Post  of  Oak  Park.  Although  not  a  member  of 
any  church  organization,  he  attends  the  Congre- 
gational Church  of  Oak  Park. 

On  September  19.  1S67.  Mr.  Bolles  married 
Mattie  Butterfield,  the  event  taking  place  on 
the  Finley  farm  near  Wheaton.  One  child  has 
been  liorn  of  this  union :  Maud,  wife  of  Abram 
Gale  of  Oak  Park.  Mrs.  Bolles  died  April  14. 
1910.  and  on  May  15.  1912,  Mr.  Bolles  was  mar- 
ried to  Miss  Jeimie  Brice  of  Chicago. 

In  addition  to  his  other  large  interests.  Mr. 
Bolles  is   a  heavy   real   estate  holder    in   West 


Chicago.  Three  years  ago  he  erected  the  bank 
building  in  which  the  bank  of  which  he  is  presi- 
dent is  located,  lie  also  built  the  opera  house, 
and  owns  a  400-acre  farm  in  its  vicinity.  Mr. 
Bolles  located  the  Union  Tool  Company  at  West 
Chicago,  a  very  important  additional  industry, 
as  the  plant  will  in  time  give  employment  to  at 
least  300  men. 

BOLLWEG,  Henry.  The  BoUweg  family  is  an 
(lid  and  honored  one  in  Du  Page  County,  where 
its  members  have  developed  into  farmers  and 
liusiness  men  and  maintained  a  high  standard  of 
upright  living  and  business  capacity.  One  of 
these  is  Henry  Bollweg  born  in  Winfield  Town- 
ship. April  4.  1858.  a  sou  of  John  and  Mary 
(I^ikhurst)  Bollweg,  natives  of  Prussia,  Ger- 
many and  Mecklenburg,  Germany,  and  grand- 
son of  Otto  and  Elizabeth  Bollweg  and  Ernest 
and    Caroline    Eikhurst. 

While  Otto  Bollweg  was  on  his  way  to  the 
United  States  to  join  his  family  already  here, 
he  was  drowned,  and  with  him  was  lost  the 
money  he  had  .secured  from  settling  up  his  estate 
in  (iermany.  so  that  the  little  family  in  Winfield 
Township  was  forced  to  get  along  as  best  they 
could.  John  Bollweg  met  his  future  wife  in 
this  township,  to  which  her  parents  had  moved, 
and  here  they  married,  settling  on  the  farm 
that  adjoins  that  of  Henry  Bollweg,  There  John 
Bollweg  lived  until  1895.  when  he  retired,  mov- 
ing to  Wheaton,  where  he  died  December  26, 
I'.Hii;.  His  widow  makes  her  home  with  a 
daughter  in  Bloomingdale  Township. 

Henry  Bollweg  attended  a  Catholic  school  at 
Naperville,  and  lived  at  home  until  his  marriage 
in  1882.  when  he  rented  a  farm  in  Milton  Town- 
ship. After  two  years  he  moved  on  a  iwrtion 
of  his  father's  estate,  containing  1.37  acres.  On 
this  fai'm  he  built  a  large  barn  suitable  for 
dairy  luu-poses.  and  now  milks  from  fifteen  to 
twenty  cows,  in  addition  to  doing  general  farm- 
ing. Besides  building  his  barn.  Mr.  Bollweg  has 
made  other  improvements,  and  has  one  of  the 
liest  pieces  of  property  in  his  township. 

On  May  9.  1882.  Mr.  Bollweg  was  united  in 
marriage  with  Catherine  Lenertz,  born  in  Bloom- 
ingdale Township,  September  23,  1S61,  daughter 
of  Peter  and  Margaret  fRiehm)  Lenertz.  natives 
of  the  towns  of  Lutzenburg  and  Reinprensen, 
Germany.  Mr.  Lenertz  came  to  Du  Page  County 
when  seventeen  years  old.  while  his  future  wife 
was  brought  here  in   childhood  b.v  her  parent!*. 


HISTORY  OF  DU  PAGE  COUNTY. 


801 


Mifliael  and  Barbara  (Keller)  RleUm.  Tbey  all 
settled  in  Bloomiugdale  Township,  wliere  Mr. 
Lenertz  died  February  13,  1906.  Mr.  and  Mrs. 
Bolhveg  became  the  parents  of  the  following 
children  John  of  ^\'lleatou,  III.;  Mary,  who  is 
a  dressmaker;  Margaret,  who  died  at  the  age 
of  fourteen  years;  Auna,  ■^■lio  died  at  the 
age  of  twent.v-two  years;  Joseph,  who  lives  at 
Wheaton ;  Frances,  Peter.  Otto  and  Julia,  who 
are  at  home;  William,  Otto  J.,  George  and 
B'rank,  who  died  In  Infancy;  Edward  who  is  at 
home,  and  Gertrude,  who  died  in  infancy.  Mr. 
Bollweg  is  a  Catuolic.  belonging  to  St.  Michael's 
Catholic  Church  of  Wheaton,  111.  He  is  inde- 
pendent in  politics,  and  served  very  acceptably 
as  School  Director  from  his  district.  A  first- 
class  farmer  and  an  enterprising  business  man. 
he  has  made  a  success  of  his  life  work,  and  is 
numbered  among  the  representative  men  of  his 
community. 

BOYD,  John.  The  sturdy,  sound,  reliable  com- 
mon sense  and  frugal  habits  of  the  Scotch  have 
made  them  desirable  citizens  the  world  over.  A 
Scotchman  never  needs  to  ask  for  alms,  for  his 
foresight  has  resulted  in  the  accummulation 
of  a  "rainy  day"  hoard,  ilany  of  the  natives 
of  Scotland  have  come  to  this  country  and  be- 
come wealthy.  'SNTierever  they  are  found  their 
practicality  and  soundness  of  judgment  are 
called  upon,  and  they  often  occupy  offices  of 
public  imixirtance.  One  of  the  best  represent- 
atives of  his  country  in  Du  Page  county,  is 
John  Boyd  of  Glen  Ellyn,  one  of  the  most 
beautiful  residence  districts  in  Illinois.  Mr. 
Boyd  has  helped  to  develop  the  artistic  values 
of  Glen  Ellyn,  for  more  than  one  hundred  of 
the  beautiful  residences  that  grace  its  confines, 
were  erected  by  the  firm  of  which  he  is  a 
valued  member. 

The  birth  of  John  Boyd  took  place  in  Glas- 
gow. Scotland,  I>ecember  2.j.  ISiH,  be  being  a 
son  of  John  and  Jane  (Steplienson)  Boyd. 
The  father  was  a  contractor  and  builder  who 
came  to  America.  In  1874,  John  Boyd,  the 
younger,  came  to  Du  Page  county,  entering  the 
public  schools,  and  after  finisbiiig  his  educa- 
tional course,  he  learned  the  carpenter  trade. 
Later,  he,  with  R.  G.  Boyd  and  G.  Nave  en- 
tered into  a  contracting  and  building  business. 
the  partnership  still  continuing.  The  quality 
of  their  work,  and  tlie  honesty  which  charact- 
erizes  their  carrying  out  every  detail  of  their 


contracts,  are  shown  in  the  more  than  one  hun- 
dred residences  which  stand  to  their  credit. 
Mr.  Boyd  belongs  to  the  Modern  Woodmen  of 
America.  In  politics  he  is  a  Republican,  but 
does  not  desire  office. 

BOYD,  Robert  Gilbraith,  deceased.  It  ia  some- 
times gratifying  to  reflect  that  while  the  hu- 
man frame  is  frail,  and  returns  to  the  dust  from 
which  it  spuung,  the  deeds  done  by  the  body, 
directed  by  the  intellect  live  on,  with  far- 
reaching  results  that  never  die.  All  that  is 
earthy  of  Robert  Gilbrath  Boyd  has  been  laid 
to  rest  in  Forest  Hill  Cemetery,  but  the  spirit 
of  the  man  is  still  felt  in  Glen  Ellyn,  where 
for  thirty-five  years  he  was  so  imiiortant  a 
factor.  A  state  otficial  at  the  time  of  death, 
and  always  influential  in  securing  and  insuring 
its  best  interests,  his  loss  was  felt  all  over 
Du  Page  c-ounty.  and  bis  famll,y  had  many  to 
join  them  in  sincere  mourning  for  the  passing 
of  a  great,  good  man.  Mr.  Bo.vd  was  born  in 
Glasgow,  Scotland,  January  24,  ISGl,  a  son  of 
John  and  Jane  (Stephenson)  Bo.vd.  .John  Boyd 
was  a  contractor  and  builder  who  came  to 
America  in  180.5.  locating  in  Canada,  where 
be  followed  his  business  until  18G0.  when  he 
came  to  Chicago,  and  here  he  continued  in 
the  same  line  until  1872.  when  his  establishment 
was  destroyed  by  fire.  His  attention  was  then 
turned  to  Glen  Ellyn.  and  in  1873.  he  located 
here,  and  continued  in  active  work  until  his 
death  which  occurred  in  1800. 

Robert  Galbrath  Boyd  was  educated  in  the 
imblic  schools  of  Glen  Ellyn.  learning  the  car- 
penter trade  with  his  father,  and  was  later  as- 
sociated with  him  in  business.  In  1882.  be. 
with  his  brother,  John  J.,  embarked  in  a  hard- 
ware business,  which  he  continued  until  the 
time  of  his  demise.  He  was  at  one  time,  a 
lumber  dealer,  but  later  sold  his  interests  in 
that  line,  to  devote  himself  to  contracting  and 
bviilding.  erecting  some  of  the  finest  houses  in 
Glen  Ellyn.  His  brother.  John  J.,  his  associate 
continued,  the  business  still  operating  under 
the  caption  of  Bo.vd  Bros.  Over  one  hundred 
residences,  as  well  as  some  of  the  business  blocks 
here  were  put  up  b.v  them. 

Jlr.  Bo.vd  was  married  in  January.  1585,  to 
Jennie  Miner,  daughter  of  Salmon  and  Phoebe 
(Paddleford)  Miner.  Mr.  and  Mrs.  Boyd  have 
bad  children  as  follows:  Pearl  Anna,  who  as- 
sisted her  father  in  tbe  post  office:  Ruth  Ger- 


802 


HISTORY  OF  DU  PAGE  COUNTY. 


trudf.  who  is  a  graduate  of  the  Glen  Ellyn 
high  school,  aud  Chester  L.,  who  died  at  the 
age  of  thirteen  mouths.  A  .staunch  Republican, 
Mr.  Bo.vd  was  very  prominent,  serving  as  alder- 
man aud  for  twelve  years  was  a  member  of  the 
School  Board,  where  he  did  very  etJicieut  work 
on  the  Building  Committee.  His  experienced 
advice  and  conservative  ideas  resulted  in  the 
erection  of  handsome  school  buildings  at  a 
minimum  cost  to  the  tax  payers.  In  1S98, 
President  McKinley  appointed  Mr.  Boyd  post- 
master of  Glen  Ellyn.  a  position  he  was  hold- 
ing when  he  died.  The  Modern  Woodmen  of 
America  held  his  membership.  For  years,  he 
was  one  of  the  loyal  members  and  generous  sup- 
porters of  the  First  Congregational  Church  of 
Glen  Ellyn,  aud  his  death  robbed  the  congrega- 
tion of  a  valued  factor.  His  funeral  was  held 
In  the  church  edltice,  the  Rev.  J.  W.  Vallen- 
tyne  assisted  by  the  Rev.  H.  P.  Prince  of  St. 
Marks,  conducted  the  services.  In  compliment 
to  hiui  and  the  offlce  he  held,  all  of  the  stores 
were  closed,  aud  the  flag  in  the  park  was  at  half 
mast.  The  services  were  very  affecting,  and 
largely  attended.  Mr.  Boyd  passed  away  at 
his  home.  July  23.  1911.  He  was  one  of  the 
sound,  conservative  men  of  his  community,  and 
placed  it  under  a  heavy  debt  to  him  both  as 
a  private  citizen  and  public  official. 

BRACKMANN,  Fred.  Du  Page  county  like 
other  sections  of  Illinois  profited  by  the  wave 
of  German  emigration  which  brought  so  many 
sturdy  and  reliable  men  from  the  Fatherland 
to  this  country.  Having  been  well  trained  in 
their  native  land  they  were  prepared  for  hard 
work  here,  and  inspired  with  the  ambilion  to 
secure  land  and  eventually  ample  means  for 
themselves  and  their  children,  they  began  im- 
mediately to  try  to  attain  these  ends.  One  of  the 
solid  men  of  Du  Page  county  who  is  proud  of 
his  German  origin,  is  Fred  Brackmann  of 
Bloomingdale  township.  He  was  born  In  Han- 
over, Germany,  September  28,  1844,  being  a 
son  of  Jergin  and  Freda  (Shimloff)  Brack- 
mann. 

When  Fred  Brackmann  was  sixteen  years  old 
the  family  emigration  occurred,  they  coming 
direct  to  Du  Page  county,  where  for  five  years  a 
farm  was  rented  in  Bloomingdale  town.ship, 
and  every  energy  was  put  forth  to  accumulate 
sufficient  money  to  buy  land.  This  was  finally 
accomplished   and   purchase   was   made   of    115 


acres  In  Section  26.  Five  acres  of  this  farm 
were  sold  to  the  Illinois  Central  Railroad, 
hut  the  remainder  is  still  cultivated.  The  land 
was  partially  improved,  but  much  was  done  to 
it,  including  the  erection  of  new  buildings  be- 
fore the  father  died  in  1896.  He  had  the 
misfortune  to  lose  his  wife  in  1888.  The  chil- 
dren born  to  them  were:  Henry  who  lives  at 
Buckle.v.  111. ;  Fred ;  Christine,  Mrs.  Henry 
Hobusch  who  lives  at  Bloomingdale ;  Sophia 
who  is  the  widow  of  Henry  Fischer ;  August. 
who  lives  in  Bloomingdale  township ;  Alvlna 
who  married  Louis  Backhouse,  but  is  now  de- 
ceased;  and  Adolph  who   lives   at   Elmhurst. 

Fred  Brackmann  lived  with  his  parents  until 
both  passed  away.  After  the  death  of  his 
father,  he  secured  the  home  place,  upon  which 
he  keeps  eighteen  cows  and  carries  on  gen- 
eral farming  in  addition  to  his  dairy  work,  and 
also  owns  another  farm  on  which  he  has  put 
up  a    comfortable,    modern   residence. 

On  January  4.  1885,  Mr.  Brackmann  mar- 
ried Caroline  Gloff,  who  was  born  October  25, 
1849,  a  daughter  of  Louis  and  Caroline  (Sam- 
man)  Gloff,  the  former  dying  when  Mrs.  Brack- 
mann was  seven  mouths  old.  When  Mrs.  Brack- 
mann was  twenty  years  of  age,  she  came  to 
Bloomingdale  township,  and  here  married,  her 
mother  joining  her  some  years  later,  dying 
January  1,  1905.  Mr.  and  Mrs.  Brackmann  be- 
came the  parents  of  the  following  children : 
Henry,  who  was  born  January  28,  ISSC.  at 
home;  Alvlna.  who  was  born  April  13,  1890,  of 
Chicago;  Martin,  who  was  born  January  6, 
189.3.  at  home,  and  Clara,  who  was  born  March 
27,  1897.  Mr.  Brackmann  belongs  to  the  Luth- 
eran Church  of  Roselle.  In  political  faith,  he 
is  a  Republican,  but  has  not  yet  found  time  to 
come  before  the  public  for  political  honors. 

BRETTMANN,  Louis,  who  has  spent  his  entire 
active  life  in  farming,  was  born  on  the  farm 
where  he  now  lives,  October  4,  1845,  a  sou  of 
John  Henry  and  Sophia  (Leseberg)  Brettmanu, 
natives  of  Hanover,  Germany.  The  father  took 
up  government  land  in  Du  Page  County,  aud 
bought  172  acres.  Later  he  traded  for  prairie 
land  and  reduced  his  acreage  to  144  acres, 
which  was  eventually  divided  among  his  chil- 
dren. 

Louis  Brettmanu  was  educated  in  the  Ger- 
man and  public  schools  of  Addison  Township, 
and  reared  to  farm  work.     His  share  of  his  fa- 


^ 


,K 


HISTORY  OF  DU  PAGE  COUNTT. 


803 


tber's  fanu  was  forty-uiue  acres  ou  8ectiou  14, 
Addisou  Township,  where  he  erected  all  the  flue 
buildings  now  on  his  property,  with  the  excep- 
tion of  his  commodious  barn.  He  built  bis 
beautiful  residence  iu  1890,  and  into  it  put  mod- 
ern conveniences  as  far  as  practicable.  He  car- 
ries ou  general  fanning,  and  has  about  fifteen 
bead  of  cows  iu  his  dairy  herd,  shipping  approx- 
mately  four  eaus  of  milk  per  day  to  Chicago.  In 
addition  he  has  about  thirty  head  of  hogs  and 
some  other  stock.  He  is  a  wide-awake,  progress- 
ive farmer  of  good  business  judgment.  His 
.standing  is  good  in  the  community,  and  he  has 
many  friends.  For  a  time  he  served  as  School 
Director,  and  is  active  in  the  Evangelical  Church 
of  which  he  is  a  member,  as  are  the  others  of 
his  family.  Mrs.  Brettuiann  is  a  men\ber  of  the 
Ladies'  Aid  Society. 

On  February  11.  1S73,  Mr.  Brettmauu  mar- 
ried Frederica  Broeker,  daughter  of  John  and 
Anna  (Koebbeman)  BroecUer,  born  iu  Germany, 
September  2,  1852,  and  who  came  to  America 
with  her  father,  one  sister  and  three  brothers. 
The  family  located  iu  Addison  Township,  where 
they  have  since  resided.  The  mother  had  died 
In  Germany.  Sir.  Brettuiann  and  wife  .became-" 
the  parents  of  seven  children:  Edward, ^Ijopj 
January  8.  1874,  living  in  Elgin,  mjirried  Tilfie 
Mess,  issue. — Emil,  Laura  and  Ada  ;;  Louis,  lioru 
July  9,  187C,  a  carpenter,  living  at  .Bensonville, 
married  Clara  Scboppe.  issue, — one  living  cIl|riT,, 
Esther,  three  deceased;  Fred,  born  August  S, 
1S7S,  of  Iowa,  married  Louise  Steege," 'iKSU'e,-— ' 
Edward,  Albert  and  Elmer;  Herman  C,  born 
July  IS,  1881.  iu  the  Chicago  office  of  the  Chi- 
cago, Milwaukee  &  St.  Paul  Railroad,  married 
Amelia  Scboppe,  issue — Luella  and  Harvey,  and 
lives  at  Bensonville;  Gustav,  born  July  2,  1884, 
a  carpenter,  lives  at  Itaska,  married  Mary 
Senue,  issue, — Lillie  and  Arthur ;  Edwin  W.  G., 
born  July  14,  1803,  at  borne ;  and  a  daughter  who 
died  in  infancy.  Mr.  Brettniann  has  eleven 
grandchildren. 

BRETTMANN,  William,  a  prominent  and  suc- 
cessful farmer  of  York  Township,  Du  Page 
County,  is  a  native  of  the  county  and  belongs  to 
a  pioneer  family.  He  was  born  in  Addison 
township  March  21.  1840,  a  son  of  John  and 
Sophia  (Leeseherg)  Brettmann.  the  former  a 
native  of  Germany.  The  father  came  to  Du  Page 
county  when  a  young  man  and  purchased  claim 
rights  on  144  acres  of  land,  clearing  and  culti- 


vating this  laud,  putting  iu  all  the  improvements. 
He  was  married  in  Chicago,  and  had  eight  chil- 
dren, namely :  Henry,  Sophia,  Mary,  Louis, 
Louisa,  Lizetta  and  William,  who  died  in 
infancy.  Lizetta  married  Chris  Boucker  and 
they  live  at  Beuseuville;  Louisa  married  Chris 
iiieveuthal  and  they  live  on  North  Avenue  oppo- 
site Humboldt  I'ark,  in  Chicago;  Mary  married 
August  Pottradz  and  they  live  in  Minne.sota ; 
Sophia  married  Henry  Bender,  of  Wheaton. 

In  boyhood,  William  Brettmann  attended  the 
public  schools  and  studied  under  private  teach- 
ers, and  was  reared  to  farm  work,  which  he  has 
followed  all  bis  life.  He  bought  fifteen  acres 
of  land  in  1865,  and  his  wife  had  seventy-three 
acres,  his  present  farm  comprising  ninety  acres 
in  York  township.  whei"e  be  has  made  all  the 
improvements  and  erected  all  the  buildings 
except   the  bouse. 

Ou  October  8.  186.">.  Mr.  Brettman  married 
Henrietta  Dittmann.  daughter  of  Helmutb  and 
Minnis  (Zarn)  Dittmann,  and  they  had  the  fol- 
lowing children,  viz. :  Amanda,  died  at  the  age 
of  twenty  years ;  Herman,  born  May  26,  1867 ; 
Sophia,  July  26,  1860,  married  Bechman  and 
."•lives  nt  Forest  I'ark;  Louisa,  born  January  23, 
,il*Jl,  uaarried  Otto  Hintze  and  they  live  at 
Forest  .Park;  Minnie,  born  January  20,  1873, 
married  George  Kolzow  and  they  reside  at  Ful- 
lersburg;  Emil,  born  February  9,  1875,  lives  at 
.'JyJ<ihit;i|,  Kan. ;  William,  born  July  8,  1876,  lives 
at  Forest  Park  ;  Tillie,  born  July  8,  1879,  mar- 
riedGeorge  Shierhorn  and  tbey  live  at  Hinsdale. 
Hellmuth  Brettmauu  married  Sophia  Schop- 
lier,  daughter  of  Fred  and  Hannah  (Buckhaus) 
Schopper,  who  was  born  in  York  township,  Jlay 
23.  1873,  and  their  children  are  as  follows: 
Alma,  born  May  IS,  1S91,  died  May  10,  1004; 
Wilbur,  born  July  17,  1S97,  died  May  16,  1904 ; 
Henrietta,  born  April  13,  1892,  at  home;  Erwin, 
born  June  8.  1895 ;  Hellmuth  born  July  17,  1899 ; 
Gertrude.  November  9,  1007;  Paul,  January  26, 
Frederick,  June  21,  1903;  Viola.  July  26,  1905; 
1910. 

Mr.  Brettmann  is  well  known  as  a  public-spir- 
ited, upright  citizen,  and  is  held  in  high  esteem 
in  his  community.  He  takes  an  active  interest 
in  the  welfare  aud  development  of  his  township 
aud  count.v,  aud  has  a  large  number  of  warm 
friends. 

BRINKMAN,  N.  Henry,  a  well-known  German- 
American  citizen  of  Addisou  township,  has  lived 


804 


iflSTORY  OF  DU  PAGE  COUNTY. 


uiuc-h  of  his  life  ou  tlie  fariii  be  now  occuijies, 
where  his  pureuts  sjieut  the  latter  part  of  their 
lives.  He  was  horu  August  23,  IStiU,  sou  of  Ehler 
and  JIary  (Baoger)  Briukuiauu,  who  cauie  to 
America  wheu  their  sou  Ileury  was  about  uiue- 
teeu  years  old,  and  located  ou  the  farm  where  he 
uow  lives.  The  father  died  iu  1S85,  at  the  age 
of  sixty  years,  and  the  mother  died  in  1892,  aged 
sixty-four  years.  Both  were  buried  iu  York 
towuship. 

Mr.  Briukmaim  was  reared  ou  a  farm  aud  has 
followed  agriculture  all  his  active  life.  He  has 
added  to  the  house,  erected  new  buildings  aud 
made  many  other  Improvements  ou  the  farm, 
uow  having  111  acres  of  land  in  the  northwest- 
ern part  of  Section  31,  where  he  carries  ou  gen- 
eral farming.  He  has  tweuty-six  head  of  cattle, 
and  ships  three  or  four  cans  of  milk  daily ;  has 
live  horses  aud  some  other  stock.  He  is  a  pro- 
gressive aud  enterprising  farmer  and  is  actively 
interested  iu  the  welfare  of  the  community. 
Educated  iu  Germany,  he  retains  his  love  for  his 
native  land  and  is  a  member  of  the  German 
Evangelical  Church,  as  is  his  family. 

Ou  July  28,  1894,  Mr.  Briukmaun  was  mar- 
ried by  Rev.  Fritz  Brown,  to  Sophia  Meyer, 
daughter  of  Fritz  and  Sophia  Meyer,  who  was 
born  iu  Germany  February  11,  1868,  aud  came 
to  America  alone  at  the  age  of  twenty  years. 
Nine  children  have  blessed  this  union :  Minnie, 
born  September  15,  1895;  Sophia,  born  October 
7,  1896 ;  Dedrich,  born  December  26,  1897 ;  Mary, 
born  February  12,  1899 ;  May,  born  Deeemlier  16, 
1900;  Henry,  born  October  22,  1902;  Louise, 
born  July  14,  1904;  Amy,  bom  April  8.  1906; 
Elsie,  born  August  14.  1909.  Mr.  Brinkman's 
farm  is  well  improved  and  iu  a  high  state  of 
cultivation.  It  is  pleasantly  situated  and  the 
family  have  a  comfortable  and  well  furnished 
home.  He  is  a  member  of  the  Modern  Woodmen 
of  America  and  the  Royal  Anierlc-ans. 

BRISTOL,  Harvey  H.,  supcrlnlendeut  of  the 
Hin.sdale  Water  and  Liy;ht  plant,  one  of  the  lead- 
ing business  men  of  Hinsdale  aud  a  man  of  a 
high  order  of  ability,  was  born  in  Macomb 
County.  Mich.,  October  26,  18()7.  a  sou  of  Henry 
C.  aud  Jane  (Clugston)  Bristol.  The  former 
was  a  native  of  New  York  State,  bom  in  1827. 
died  July  1.  1909:  the  latter  a  native  of  same 
State,  was  born  iu  18.32,  aud  died  December, 
1890. 

The  parents  left  New  Y'ork  State  wheu  quite 


young,  going  to  the  State  of  Michigan,  where  the 
paternal  grandfather  entered  laud  from  the 
Government,  ou  the  site  of  the  city  of  Flint, 
Mich.  Wheu  a  young  man,  the  father  carried 
mail  on  horse-back  from  Flint,  to  Pontiac,  ill., 
later  driving  a  stage,  but  leaving  the  stage  coach, 
he  applied  himself  to  farming,  and  soon  acquired 
large  land   holdings. 

Harvey  H.  Bristol  was  brought  up  ou  his 
father's  farm,  attending  district  school  near  his 
home.  After  leaving  school,  he  worked  in  a 
grist-mill,  running  a  stationaiy  engine  for  some 
three  years.  Leaving  Flint,  Mich.,  he  then  went 
to  Charlotte,  Mich.,  worked  as  engineer  iu  a 
brick-yard  about  three  years.  Following  this,  he 
went  to  South  Bend,  Ind.,  and  worked  on  a 
farm  for  a  .short  time;  then  coming  to  Hinsdale, 
in  1890.  lie  engaged  as  engineer  of  the  Public 
School  for  five  years.  Mr.  Bristol  then  took  a 
IKXsition  as  engineer  at  the  Water  aud  Light 
plant,  and  is  at  jireseut  superintendent  of 
same,   having   been   with  this  plant  since  1902. 

Mr.  Bristol  was  married  November  7,  1897, 
iu  Chicago,  to  Caroline  W.  Meyer,  daughter 
of  Detrick  Meyer.  Two  charming  daughters 
have  blessed  this  union:  Edith  L..  born  October 
27,  1898.  aud  Gladys  J.,  born  September  28,  1901. 

Mr.  Bristol  is  a  member  of  Hinsdale  Lodge. 
K.  of  P.,  and  is  a  staunch  Republican,  being 
quite  active  in  political  affairs.  While  not  a 
member  of  any  church,  he  gives  liberally  to 
religious  aud  charitable  work,  and  is  deeply 
iutere.sted  iu  educational  matters.  During  his 
busy  useful  life,  he  has  always  been  able  to 
tind  the  time  to  aid  in  the  upbuilding  of  his 
couuuunity.  aud  is  truly  a  public  spirited  citizen, 
held  in  high  esteem  by  all  who  know  him. 
There  is  no  water  or  light  system  iu  Du  Page 
county  that  is  as  complete  as  that  at  Hinsdale, 
and  this  perfection  has  all  been  brought  about 
through  the  untiring  efforts  of  Mr.  Bristol,  for 
he  took  charge  of  it  when  it  was  in  its  infancy 
and  developed  it  to  its  present  high  state  of  ex- 
cellence. 

BROKER,  Fred,  a  native  of  Westphalia, 
Prussia,  Germany,  who  was  born  July  11,  1849, 
aud  came,  with  his  parents  and  five  other  chil- 
dren, to  America,  .settling  in  Itaska.  111.  Here 
the  f.-ither,  who  was  quite  deaf,  was  killed  by  a 
C.  M.  &  St.  Paul  train,  while  he  was  walking  on 
the  tracks.  He  was  72  years  old  at  the  time  of 
his  deatli.     The  mother  died  iu  1855. 


HISTORY  OF  DU  PAGE  COUNTY. 


805 


Fred  Broker  was  married  on  Dec.  22,  18S7, 
to  Miss  Anpa  Kniger,  a  daughter  of  Baru- 
hardt  and  JIar.v  (FinUe)  Kruger,  who  was  boru 
also  in  Westphalia,  May  IG,  1862,  and 
came  to  America  alone,  going  directly  to  the 
liome  of  Mr.  George  A.  Fischer,  wliere  she  lived 
until  her  marriage,  two  and  one-half  years 
later.  To  Mrs.  and  Mrs.  Broker  the  following 
tliildren  have  been  born :  JIary,  born  Oct.  30, 
l.SSS.  died  Oct.  15.  1889;  August.  Itorn  Nov.  20, 
1889 ;  Barney,  boru  Aug.  13,  1891 ;  Edwin,  born 
April  12,  1S93;  Otto,  boru  Feb.  24,  1895;  Ida, 
born  Dec.  12,  1898;  William,  born  March  28, 
1900. 

The  family  are  members  of  the  Evangelical 
Church,  and  derive  niucli  pleasure  and  benefit 
friini  this  association. 

BROOKS,  T.  E.,  ilcalcr  in  all  kinds  of  coal, 
brick,  stone,  sand,  black  dirt  and  tile,  also  has 
an  extensive  expressing  and  drayiug  business, 
making  trips  as  far  as  Chicago  and  specializing 
on  moving  jobs,  first  started  with  a  small  coal 
business  at  East  Grove  and  gradually  branched 
out  into  the  expressing  and  draying  business,  un- 
til he  now  has  one  of  the  most  extensive  establish- 
ments of  its  kind  in  the  county.  He  had  but  one 
wagon  when  beginning  his  trade  and  now  has 
eleven  horses  and  other  equipments  to  corres- 
pond. He  has  furni.shed  all  the  material  for  the 
construction  of  the  curb  and  gutter  in  the  village 
of  Downer's  Grove,  and  much  of  that  used  in  the 
sidewalk,  .'^ince  May  4.  19011,  he  has  had  a  large 
flre-proof  storage  plant  at  Downer's  Grove, 
where  he  owns  five  and  one-half  acres  of  ground. 
Mr.  Brooks  was  born  at  Alba,  la.,  on  May  4, 
1869,  and  reared  at  Mt.  Pleasant  in  that  State. 
As  a  young  man  he  engaged  in  working  for  The 
American  Express  Company  eight  years,  and 
twelve  years  for  The  Adams  Express  Company 
on  the  Chicago,  Burlington  &  Quincy  Railroad. 
He  subsequently  became  deiwt  agent  at  Bur- 
lington, la.,  and  at  a  later  i)eriod,  cashier  at 
Keokuk,  and  in  1892,  was  transferred  to  Chi 
cago,  as  an  express  messenger  on  the  road,  re- 
maining in  that  position  until  engaging  in  busi- 
ness on  his  own  account.  On  May  1.  1910.  he 
took  Fred  W.  Mueller  into  partnership  and  they 
now  operate  as  a  corporation,  with  a  capital 
of  $5.0tl0,  the  stock  being  all  owned  by  the 
two  men. 

Mr.    Brooks   is   a    sou   of    LeRoy    and    Helen 


(Millspaugh)  Brooks.  His  fattier  died  when  he 
was  three  years  old  but  his  mother  now  resides 
at  Mt.  I'leasant.  About  1900,  Mr.  Brooks  be- 
came a  member  of  the  Masonic  order  and  has 
now  taken  the  Thirty-Second  degree  in  Masonry, 
being  connected  with  the  Shriners  and  Consis- 
tory. He  is  also  affiliated  with  the  Modern 
Woodmen  of  America,  the  Royal  League,  the 
Order  of  Eastern  Star,  and  the  Independent  Or- 
der of  Odd  Fellows,  and  is  jiopular  in  social  and 
fraternal  circles  owning  many  friends.  Both  he 
and  his  partner  are  known  as  men  of  business 
probity  and  integrity,  and  they  have  a  large  and 
growing  concern. 

On  June  11,  1S90,  Mr.  Brooks  was  married  at 
Mt.  I'leasant,  la.,  to  Jennie,  daughter  of  Enoch 
and  Sarah  (Xeal)  Davis,  and  four  children  have 
been  born  of  this  union,  as  follows :  Gladys, 
June  8,  1891;  Dewitt,  January  22,  1S90,  died 
February  23,  1906;  Helen,  May  22,  1900,  died 
June  12.  1900;  Edward,  October  21,  1906.  In 
politics,  Mr.  Brooks  is  a  Republican  and  has 
.ihva.vs  displayed  an  Intelligent  interest  in  mat- 
ters pertaining  to  the  general  welfare  and  pros- 
perity of  the  town. 

BROWN,  Ira.  Jlany  of  the  constructive  citi- 
zens of  Du  Page  county  have  attained  eminence 
through  individual  effort  directed  towards  the 
betterment  of  humanity  without  thought  of  per- 
sonal profit.  Both  church  and  State  have  re- 
ceivefl  the  benefit  of  their  sage  adrice  and  ef- 
forts, and  their  names  have  been  intimatel.v 
connected  with  various  upward  movements. 
One  of  these  philanthropists  whose  reputation 
for  benevolence  and  generosity  are  wide-spread 
is  Ira  Brown  of  Wheatou.  Mr.  Brown  was 
born  in  Perrysburg.  O.,  January  25,  1835,  a  son 
of  Ira  and  Harriet  S.  (Laughborough)  Brown. 
He  was  one  of  those  who  inaugurated  the  pro- 
.iect  in  ISGO,  of  selling  lots  on  the  monthly  pay- 
ment plan  through  which  those  in  moderate  cir- 
cumstances could  secure  homes.  His  subdivi- 
sions are  scattered  all  over  Cook  county. 

Soon  after  the  birth  of  Mr.  Brown,  his  father 
moved  to  Defiance  county,  O.,  on  the  Maumee 
river.  He  made  a  dugout  canoe,  and  paddled 
his  household  goods,  the  mother  walking  and 
carrying  the  baby,  Ira,  in  her  arms,  or  on  her 
back,  fastened  like  an  Indiau  with  a  blanket. 
Arriving  at  their  destination,  after  four  days, 
the   father   purchased  a   large   farm,   where   he 


806 


HISTORY  OF  DU  PAGE  COUNTY. 


brought  up  his  family,  aiul  spent  the  remainder 
of  his  life.  He  was  born  ilay  27.  1804,  and 
died  January  17.  1!)05,  aged  one  hundred  years, 
eight  months  and  nineteen  days.  During  his  re- 
markably long  life,  he  posse.ssed  great  strength, 
and  when  nearly  one  hundred  years  old,  took  a 
daily  swim.  His  last  illness  lasted  only  nine 
days.  In  addition  to  farming,  he  specialized  on 
raising  tine  horses. 

Ira  Brown  was  educated  at  the  Defiance  high 
school,  and  when  only  nineteen  years  old,  he  ran 
away  from  home,  his  only  capital  being  $10.50 
which  his  mother  had  given  him  to  pay  for  a 
tailor-made  coat  and  vest.  He  walked  to  Cold- 
water,  Mich.,  where  he  caught  the  train  for 
Chicago.  Here  tlie  aggressive  young  man  se- 
cured a  position  in  a  hotel  as  "runner"'  to  meet 
the  boats  with  the  omnibus.  This  hotel  was  called 
the  American,  and  was  located  at  the  corner 
of  Lake  and  Wabash,  and  Jlr.  Brown  so  pleased 
the  management  that  he  was  made  clerk  and 
continued  to  hold  that  position  for  five  years. 
In  ISCO,  he  entered  the  real  estate  business, 
under  his  own  name,  continuing  to  ojierate 
along  this  line  until  IflOO.  when  he  retired.  Mr. 
Brown  became  active  politically,  serving  as 
alderman  from  the  old  Eleventh  Ward  from 
18G.3  to  1803,  being  elected  on  the  Republican 
ticket.  In  1885.  he  came  to  Wheaton,  where 
his  influence  was  soon  felt.  When  Judge  Gary 
gave  a  block  in  the  business  center  of  the  city 
of  Wheaton  as  an  endowment  for  the  $100,000 
Metlnidist  cluirch.  that  bears  his  name,  he  ap- 
pointed Ira  r.rown  to  look  after  it,  and  so  faith- 
fully has  Mr,  Brown  discharged  this  trust  that 
he  has  now  the  .satisfaction  of  knowing  that 
this  property  yields  an  income  of  $3.<i00  an- 
nually. Mr.  Brown  is  not  now-  engaged  in  any 
work  aside  from  superintending  his  own  ]iro]i- 
erty.  preferring  to  devote  his  time  to  travel 
and  church  affairs.  He  belongs  to  the  Hamilton 
Club.  It  is  as  a  member  and  ctlicia!  of  the 
Methodist  Cliurch  that  Mr.  Brown  has  done  his 
best  work.  He  was  a  trustee  of  the  old  Ada 
street  church,  having  given  $2..'»00  towards  its 
erection.  At  the  time  that  Judge  Gary  con- 
tributed the  $100,000  for  the  erection  of  the 
present  Wlieaton  edifice,  once  more  he  demon- 
strated his  faith  in  his  friend,  b.v  stipu- 
lating that  Jlr.  Brown  serve  on  the  building  com- 
mittee, and  the  later  cheerfully  gave  his  serv- 
ices as  its  chairman.  From  the  licginning,  he 
carefully  watched  every  detail  of  the  construc- 


tion, and  its  perfection  is  due  to  his  care  and 
good  judgment,  for  it  is  the  best  church  in  Il- 
linois, outside  Chicago. 

Mr.  Brown  was  married  to  Mary  E.  Ballou, 
daughter  of  Levi  Ballou.  a  farmer  of  Wheaton. 
The  ceremony  took  place  in  1SG2.  Mr.  Brown  is 
a  Master  Ma.son,  and  a  Knight  of  I'ythias.  hav- 
ing filled  all  the  chairs  in  the  latter  lodge,  and 
served  as  delegate  to  the  Grand  Lodge  many 
times.  He  is  equally  prominent  as  a  member 
of  the  Odd  Fellows,  filling  all  the  chairs,  and 
representing  his  lodge  at  the  Grand  Lodge  and 
Encampment  of  Illinois  many  times. 

A  man  whose  efforts  in  behalf  of  his  kind, 
have  been  conducted  quietly  and  reservedly,  for 
he  is  not  one  who  cares  to  have  his  charities 
known,  Mr.  Brown  is  an  honor  to  Wheaton. 
During  the  twenty-five  .vears  he  has  acted  as 
trustee  of  his  cluirch  in  Wheaton.  he  has  striven 
to  build  the  organization  up  to  proportions  that 
would  reflect  credit  uiion  the  communitj"  and 
his  fellow  members,  and  has  succeeded  beyond 
even  his  own  hopes.  He  has  accumulated  of 
this  world's  goods  enough  to  enable  hi:n  to  re- 
tire from  activities  of  that  kind. 

BROWN,  John.  Du  Page  county  is  admirably 
suited  for  either  general  farming  or  dairying, 
owing  to  the  fertility  of  the  .soil  and  the  variotis 
streams  which  bisect  Its  confines.  Because  of 
these  facts  as  well  as  the  unsurpas.sed  trans- 
portation facilities  offered  and  the  proximity  to 
Chicago,  a  number  of  reliable  and  substantial 
agriculturists  have  located  in  this  vicinity  where 
they  have  reaped  the  benefit  of  their  wi.sdom. 
One  of  these  farmers  is  John  Brown  of  Milton 
township.  He  was  born  in  \\'urteml)urg,  Ger- 
manv.  October  19,  1858,  a  son  of  George  and 
Martha  (Halla)  Brown,  both  of  whom  died  in 
their  native  land. 

John  Brown  grew  up  in  Germany,  receiving 
a  coninicm  school  education,  and  according  to  the 
requirements  of  his  country,  went  into  the  Ger- 
man army,  serving  with  it  until  l^-Sl.  He  had 
decided  upo«i  an  agricultural  career  in  America, 
and  so  as  soon  as  he  received  his  honorable  dis- 
charge, he  came  here,  locating  in  Milton  Town- 
ship. Du  Page  County.  From  the  first  his  ear- 
nestness and  readiness  to  work  secured  him  em- 
ployment by  the  month  with  the  farmers  until 
his  marriage,  in  1S.«.^.  He  then  rented  a  farm 
northwest  of  Wheaton.  and  operated  several 
farms  in  this  neighborhood,  until  in  the  fall  of 


^^^^^ 

1^!!^^  -^^^H 

IH 

^^91 

HISTORY  OF  DU  PAGE  COUNTY. 


»07 


1801.  he  liouglit  12.!>  acres  of  improveil  farm 
land  three  miles  southwest  of  Wheaton  in  Mil- 
ton township,  but  later  sold  seven  and  one-half 
acres  of  it  at  a  good  profit.  Here  he  carries  on 
farming  and  dairying,  milking  twenty-live  cows. 
On  March  1.  18S.5.  Mr.  Brown  was  married  to 
Rebecca  Gangher,  born  in  Du  Page  couuty, 
daughter  of  William  and  Mary  (Brown)  Gang- 
her of  Miltou  Township.  They  came  to  America 
on  a  sailing  vessel  from  Germany,  si.\  weelis  be- 
ing consumed  on  the  voyage.  Settling  in 
Wheaton,  the  father  worked  for  farmers  until 
he  bought  a  farm  north  of  that  town,  where  he 
and  his  wife  died,  she  June  25,  1888,  and  he,  in 
August,  1892.  Mr.  and  Mrs.  Brown  have  had 
seven  children,  as  follows:  John  K..  at  home; 
Martha,  Mrs.  George  Dunbar  of  West  Chicago ; 
Clara,  at  home;  Fred.  William.  Edward  and 
Charles.  Mr.  Brown  belongs  to  the  !St.  Michaels 
Lutheran  Church  of  West  Chicago.  In  politics, 
he  is  a  Republican,  but  he  has  never  come  be- 
fore the  public  for  office,  preferring  to  devote 
himself  to  his  business.  He  is  an.  excellent  far- 
mer and  being  both  industrious  and  thrifty,  has 
amassed  a  property  that  is  valuable  and  in- 
creasingly so,  because  of  the  iutelligent_laiioF 
he  exjiends  on  It.  •".   'V   -  •'• 

BROWN,  Martin,  deceased,  of  Xme  of  the  oldest 
families  in  Du  Page  County.  111.,  was  for  many 
years  one  of  the  prominent  merchants  of  Xfuiei*' 
ville,  and  is  well  remembered  bir  tue..ii4cl-i'#?i-'' 
dents  of  that  city.  He  was  born  in  Lancastej: 
County,  Pennsylvania.  August  3.  1831.  a  son  of 
David  and  Mary  (Fry)  Brown.  The  grand- 
parents were  Martin  and  >Iollie  (Diffenderfer) 
Brown,  natives  of  Peunsyh-ania.  and  Henry  and 
Catherine  (White)  Fry.  Martin  Brown  was  a 
son  of  John  Adam  and  Catherine  (Brown) 
Brown,  the  former  born  in  Pennsylvania  in  1T44. 
a  son  of  Martin  Braun,  a  native  of  Switzerland. 
The  Frys  were  also  an  old  Pennsylvania  family, 
and  it  was  in  her  native  State  that  Mrs.  Mary 
(Fry)  Brown  jiassed  away.  David  and  his  sec- 
ond wife,  Elizabeth  (Climpson)  Brown,  a  daugh- 
ter of  Amos  ami  Elizabeth  (Seisler)  Climpson, 
of  England,  and  of  Pennsylvania,  respec- 
tively, came  to  Xaperville  in  1844  and  bought 
a  farm  at  Copenhagen,  in  Naperville  Township, 
where  he  became  an  extensive  and  successful 
farmer.  The  father  retired  from  active  life 
in  his  later  years  and  died  at  Naiierville.  As 
a   result    of  his   two    marriages   he   became   the 


father  of  the  following  children:  Leah,  now 
eighty-four  years  of  age  (1011)  ;  Jacob,  Martin, 
and  Benjamin,  living  in  Xaperville;  Ellas  and 
Moses,  who  are  successful  business  men  of 
Waterloo,  Iowa  ;  David,  of  Xaperville ;  Sarah, 
widow  of  .John  Burkholder  of  Naperville ;  Esias 
of  Chicago;  three  children  who  are  now  de- 
ceased. 

.Martin  Brown  was  the  third  child  nf  his  pa- 
rents and  remained  at  home  until  he  was  nine- 
teen years  of  age.  After  coming  to  Illinois  he 
attended  Xaperville  Academy,  having  received 
his  early  education  in  his  native  couuty.  He 
worked  two  years  in  a  store  in  Chicago,  and 
when  he  reached  his  majority  went  to  Califor- 
nia and  spent  two  years  prospecting  and  min- 
ing. He  was  very  successful  in  his  mining  oper- 
ations and  at  the  end  of  two  years  was  able  to 
return  home  and  buy  a  farm.  This  he  operated 
five  years,  then  moved  to  Xaperville.  where  the 
remainder  of  his  life  was  spent.  He  bought  a 
liusiuess  block  and  in  it  conducted  a  general 
store  for  a  period  of  thirty-four  years,  meeting 
with  gratifj'ing  success.  The  first  few  years  he 
was  associated  in  business  with  his  father,  but 
later  he  carried  his  oiierations  on  alone,  having 
[lurchased  his  father's  interest.  He  also  had  a 
"warehouse  near  the  railroad  station  at  Xaper- 
vill^  and  was  interested  in  various  other  busi- 
ness ventures.  In  1898  he  sold  his  store  at  a 
-voocl  figure  to  Messrs.  Slick  &  ICoakley.  who 
■'•  stil  ^•onduet  it.  He  was  well  known  as  a  man 
— Hf'the  .strictest  integrity  and  probity,  npright 
in  all  his  business  dealings,  and  as  a  private 
citizen  of  high  character  and  reputation.  He 
was  looked  upon  with  general  respect  and  es- 
teem. 

On  September  17,  1857,  Mr.  Brown  married 
Jliss  Matilda  Riekert,  who  was  born  iu  Penn- 
sylvania November  2,  18.37,  and  they  became 
parents  of  three  children :  Emma,  of  Xaper- 
ville. unmarried ;  Lincoln,  of  Holdrege,  X'eb. ; 
ifary.  Mrs.  Charles  Barker,  of  Oswego.  111. 
.Mrs.  Brown  died  October  9.  1870.  Jlr.  Brown 
married  again  on  September  12,  187:3,  Jliss 
Mary  Barr,  who  was  born  iu  Pennsylvania  April 
10,  18.37.  and  they  were  parents  of  two  children  : 
Clarence,  w-ho  died  May  IG,  1884,  at  the  age  of 
seven  years,  and  Irvin,  who  died  September  28, 
ISSl.  at  the  age  of  nine  years.  Mr.  Brown  was 
a  member  of  the  Evangelical  Association  and 
in  i^olitics  was  a  Republican.  He  died  February 
24.  1907.  and  his  loss  was  sincerely  mourned  in 
nianv  cin-les. 


808 


HISTORY  OF  DU  PAGE  COUXTY. 


BRYAN,  Charles  Page,  a  citizen  of  wliom,  for 
yeurs,  Du  Page  (■ountj-  and  the  nation  as  a  wliole 
lias  liad  just  cause  to  be  proud,  is  Col.  Cliarles 
Page  Bryan,  Ex-Ambassador  to  the  Japanese 
Emjiire.  who.  on  the  lltli  of  November.  1912. 
resigned  his  post,  because  of  accidental  bodily 
injury,  and  returned  to  his  beautiful  home 
"Byrd's  Nest"  in  the  city  of  Elmhurst.  On  his 
arrival,  ^hich  Col.  Bi-yau  attempted  to  make  as 
uuimiMsing  as  jxissible,  his  friends  and  constit- 
uents showed  their  appreciation  of  the  man  and 
his  worlv  by  a  pleasing  demonstration  in  his 
honor. 

At  the  time  of  the  death  of  King  Leopold,  Col. 
Brj-an  was  the  American  Jlinister  at  Bruissels. 
and  it  was  fi'om  this  station  that  he  was  called 
to  become  our  Ambassador  to  Japan,  with  his 
residence  at  Toliio.  His  appointment  to  this  of- 
fice was  particularly  fitting,  for  his  father,  Thos. 
B.  Bryan,  had  been  chairman  of  the  first  com- 
mittee which  welcomed  the  first  Japanese  Em- 
bassy to  the  United  Suites;  and  Col.  Bryan  him- 
self had  been  appointed  by  the  Japanese  govern- 
ment to  select  the  site  of  the  Japanese  Build- 
ing at  the  World's  Fair  at  Chicago.  Col.  Br.vau"s 
welcome  at  the  csipital  of  Japan  was  one  of  great 
personal  cordiality,  and  during  the  year  of  his 
sta.v  there  his  jjopularity  steadily  increased  and 
he  and  his  sister.  Miss  Jennie  Byrd  Bryan,  have 
been  intimately  associated  Avitli  the  social  life 
of  the  Japanese  metroix)lis,  the  American  em- 
bassy having  had  as  the  guests  within  its  halls 
many  of  the  celebrities  of  the  Orient. 

BUCHHOLZ,  Henry,  one  of  the  leading  con- 
tractors and  real  estate  dealers  of  Hinsdale,  111., 
has  probably  done  more  to  develop  and  improve 
the  cit.v  than  any  other  one  man.  He  is  a  native 
of  Hanover.  Germany,  born  March  22,  1861,  a 
sou  of  Deidrich  and  Mary  fDrager)  Buchholz. 
and  received  his  education  in  his  native  coun- 
try. He  came  to  America  in  the  fall  of  ISSl. 
and  located  in  Du  Page  county  where  for  two 
and  one-half  years  he  carried  on  farming  with 
Chester  Plumnier.  He  then  came  to  Hinsdale, 
and  for  the  past  twenty-two  years  has  been  en- 
gaged in  the  contracting  business,  buying  and 
improving  more  property  than  anyone  else  in 
the  vicinit.v.  and  erecting  nearly  175  resi- 
dence buildings  in  Hinsdale.  He  has  built  these 
homes  to  sell  and  has  dealt  extensively  in  real 
estate  for  many  years  past,  as  the  natural  out- 
come of  his  contracting  business.    Well  regarded 


as  an  upright  and  substantial  citizen,  he  has  a 
good  standing  in  business  circles  as  a  man  of 
integrity  and  reliability.  In  politics,  he  is  a 
Republican  and  he  is  affiliated  with  the  Royal 
Arcanum  order. 

On  November  11,  1S7S.  Mr.  Buchholz  married 
Miss  Lizzie  Drake,  of  Hinsdale,  who  was  born  in 
Hanover,  Germany,  and  they  are  parents  of 
three  sons  and  three  daughters:  Ella,  Henry, 
Edward,  John.  Edna  and  Gertrude.  The  family 
have  many  friends  and  are  well  known  socially. 

BUCHHOLZ,  Henry.  The  Buchholz  family  ha3 
been  prominent  in  Du  Page  County  for  nearly 
seventy  years  and  its  members  have  always 
rei>resented  the  interests  of  their  community. 
Henry  Buchholz,  now  retired  from  active  life 
and  living  in  Elmhurst.  has  been  a  resident  of 
the  county  since  he  was  one  year  old.  He  was 
born  in  Hanover,  Germany,  November  5,  1S45, 
son  of  Henry  and  Wilhelmina  (Beckman) 
Buchholz,  who  came  to  America  in  1846,  spent 
a  short  time  in  Chicago,  then  purchased  land 
in  Du  Page  County,  where  the  father  died  in 
1871.  and  the  mother  in  1878.  Their  children 
were  Henry,  and  Louisa,  Mrs.  Henry  Kemmann, 
who  died  at  La  Grange.  111. 

Mr.  Buchholtz  spent  his  childhood  on  the 
farm,  receiving  his  education  in  the  district 
schools  and  in  Snow  Seminary,  of  Chicago.  He 
lived  with  his  parents  until  their  death  then  in- 
heriting the  home  farm  of  180  acres.  He  was 
married  in  October,  1871,  to  Caroline  Fischer, 
who  was  born  in  Addison  Township,  Du  Page 
County,  daughter  of  Frederick  and  Henrietta 
(Mesenbrink)  Fischer,  natives  of  Hanover,  who 
came  to  the  township  in  1813.  and  engaged  in 
farming.  After  marriage.  Mr.  Buchholz  con- 
tinued farming  and  lived  on  the  home  place 
until  1899,  when  he  purchased  a  modern  resi- 
dence in  Elmhurst,  where  the  family  have  the 
advantage  of  the  latest  improvements  and  con- 
veniences. Since  1910.  Mr.  Buchholz  has  been 
retired  from  active  work  and  his  son  carries  on 
the  farm  of  which  they  have  sold  ninet.v  acres 
for  a  new  subdivision  in  Elmhurst.  Two  chil- 
dren were  born  to  Mr.  Buchholz  and  wife,  Al- 
bert, who  carries  on  general  farming  on  the 
liomestead,  and  Carl,  who  died  in  1903,  at  the 
age  of  sixteen  years.  The  famil.v  attend  the 
Evangelical  Church,  Mr.  Buchholz  is  actively 
interested  in  public  affairs  and  is  affiliated  with 
the  Republican  party.     He  served  two  years  as 


HISTORY  OF  DU  PAGE  COUNTY. 


809 


Road  Commissioner  iu  Yorls  Township  and  has 
always  been  ready  to  promote  any  movement  for 
the  general  welfare  of  his  community.  He  is 
well  known  in  the  county,  having  spent  his  en- 
time  life  there,  and  enjoys  the  esteem  of  a  large 
number  of  friends. 

BUTLER,  Frank  Osgood,  vice-president  of  the 
J.  W.  Butler  Paper  Company  of  Chicago,  was 
born  In  that  city  April  22,  1861,  son  of  Julius 
Wales  and  Julia  (Osgood)  Butler,  born  near 
Burlington,  Vt.  The  imternal  grandfather, 
Julius  Butler,  was  also  a  native  of  Vermont,  and 
was  interested  in  a  iiaper  mill  in  the  vicinity 
of  Burlington.  The  family  comes  of  pure  Amer- 
ican stock,  the  founder  of  it  in  this  country,  hav- 
ing come  to  the  Colonies  in  1630,  and  his  de- 
scendants, as  far  as  known,  have  since  that 
time  been  interested  in  the  manufacture  of 
paper  until  the  present  generation.  The  fam- 
ily came  west  in  the  early  thirties,  passing 
through  Chicago  to  the  Fox  river,  and  made  a 
settlement  at  St.  Charles.  Here,  in  1840,  they 
erected  the  first  paper-mill  built  west  of  New- 
York,  the  ruins  of  which  still  stand.  In  the 
latter  fifties,  a  more  modern  mill  for  the  manu- 
facture of  print  paper,  was  erected  on  the  op- 
posite side  of  the  same  river. 

The  Chicago  warehouse  of  the  J.  W.  Butler 
Paper  Company  was  established  in  1814  as  a 
medium  for  the  distribution  of  the  product  of 
the  mills,  nil  transportation  in  those  days  be- 
ing effected  by  means  of  wagons  drawn  ^by 
horses.  Until  the  time  railroads  reached  Chi- 
cago, deliveries  were  made  to  points  as  far  dis- 
tant as  Janesville.  XlilwauUee,  St.  Paul  and 
Galena  by  teams,  the  wagons  taking  out  the 
finished  product  and  bringing  back  rags.  It  is 
most  interesting  to  compare  these  primitive 
methods  with  the  present  day  systems. 

Frank  O.  Butler  v\-as  educated  in  the  Brown 
school  and  Central  high  school  of  Chicago.  He 
was  married  at  Louisville,  Ky.,  June  10,  1886, 
to  Fannie  M.  Brennaker,  and  two  sons  have 
been  born  to  Mr.  and  Mrs.  Butler,  Paul  and 
Julius  Wales,  Jr. 

Ever  since  leaving  school.  Mr.  Butler  has 
been  connected  with  the  J.  W.  Butler  Paper 
Company,  first  entering  it  as  a  clerk.  Steadily 
he  ad^Tinced  until  he  was  made  vice-president  in 
1890,  which  office  he  has  since  held.  He  is  also 
vice-president  of  the  Standard  Paper  Company 
of  Milwaukee  and  president  of  the  Southwest- 

-13 


era  Paper  Company  of  Dallas,  Te.x.,  and  holds 
the  same  office  w-ith  the  Southwestern  Paper 
Company  of  Houston,  Tex.  The  Chicago  firm  is 
one  of  the  best  known  establishments  in  Chi- 
cago and  one  of  the  oldest  in  the  State,  and  its 
product  has  a  reputation  throughout  the  coun- 
try. The  following  representative  companies  are 
agents  for  the  Butler  brands  of  iiaper :  The 
Standard  Paper  Company  of  Milwaukee,  Wis. ; 
the  Interstate  Paper  Company  of  Kan.sas  City, 
Mo. ;  and  the  Southwestern  Paper  Company  of 
both  Dallas  and  Houston,  Tex.  The  following 
companies  have  been  incorjiorated  with  the  J. 
W.  Butler  Paper  Company :  the  Pacific  Coast 
I'aper  Company  of  San  Francisco,  Cal. ;  the 
Sierra  Paper  Company  of  Los  Angeles.  Cal. ; 
the  Oakland  Paper  Company  of  Oakland,  Cal. ; 
the  Central  Michigan  Paper  Company  of  Grand 
Rapids,  Jlich. ;  the  Mutual  Paper  Company  of 
Seattle,  Wash ;  the  American  Type  Founders 
Company  of  Spokane,  Wash.,  and  Vancouver. 
British  Columbia  ;  the  National  Paper  &  Type 
Company  (exix)rt  only)  of  New  York  City,  and 
the  National  Paper  &  Type  Company  of  the 
City  of  Mexico,  Mexico,  of  the  City  of  Jlont- 
erey,  Mexico  and  of  Havana,  Cuba. 

Mr.  Butler  is  a  Republican  in  politics.  He 
belongs  to  the  Union  League  Club  of  Chicago 
and  the  Hinsdale  Golf  Club.  His  business  ad- 
dress is  221-22.3-229  W.  Monroe  street,  Chi- 
cago, and  since  the  early  nineties,  his  residence 
has  been  at  Hinsdale,  where  his  various  inter- 
ests, chiefly  of  an  agricultural  nature,  have 
become  permanent.  Naturally  he  is  interested 
In  the  progress  of  his  home  city,  and  stands  very 
high  in  public  regard. 

BUTTERFIELD,  Milo  James.  The  courage  and 
cheerfulness  with  which  the  pioneers  of  Du  Page 
County  faced  the  dangers  and  hardships  incident 
to  settlement  here  in  early  days,  points  a  moral 
and  encourages  others  to  endure  with  patience 
what  life  sends.  One  of  the  families  closely 
associated  with  the  early  history  of  this  locality, 
is  that  bearing  the  name  of  Butterfield,  a  well- 
known  representative  of  which  is  Milo  James 
Butterfield  rural  mail  carrier,  residing  at  No. 
317  East  Wesley  Street,  Wheaton.  Mr.  Butter- 
field was  bom  here  September  10.  1872,  being  a 
son  of  Milo  and  Mary  (Pierce)   Butterfield. 

The  great-grandfather  of  Mr.  Butterfield  kept 
the  first  tavern  in  Chicago,  when  it  was  but  a 
handful  of  houses  clustered  about  the  fort.  The 


810 


HISTORY  OF  DU  PAGE  COUNTY. 


grandfather  came  to  Du  Page  County  prior  to 
the  Black  Hawk  War,  aud  secured  land  iu  the 
customary  way  by  plowing  a  furrow  about  it. 
Subsequently,  he  became  the  owner  of  a  vast 
estate,  at  one  time  possessing  as  much  as  S,000 
acres.  Trouble  with  the  Indians  drove  the  fam- 
ily to  the  protection  of  Fort  Dearborn  where 
they  remained  until  after  the  close  of  the  Black 
Hawk  War,  when  a  return  was  made  to  the 
settlement  already  commenced,  aud  there  the 
land  was  gradually  brought  into  subjection  to 
cultivation. 

Milo  J.  Butterfield  was  reared  on  the  family 
estate  three  aud  one-half  miles  southwest  of 
Wheaton,  and  was  educated  in  the  country 
schools.  He  farmed  and  learned  the  carpenter 
trade  following  the  latter  for  ten  or  a  dozen 
years.  He  then  entered  the  employ  of  the  gov- 
ernment, aud  for  two  years  was  in  Chicago, 
being  on  the  exchange  wagons  of  the  post  office 
department,  when  he  was  transfen-ed  to  Wheat- 
on, Here  he  has  been  in  charge  of  a  rural  route 
for  seven  years. 

Mr.  Butterfield  was  married  at  Elrahurst,  in 
December.  1S95,  to  Ella  Bueholtz,  born  at 
Stacy's  Corners,  June  10,  1S77,  daughter  of 
Charles  and  Minnie  Bueholtz.  Germans,  who 
came  to  this  locality  many  years  ago.  Two 
children  have  been  bom  to  Mr.  and  Mrs.  Butter- 
field:  William  M.  and  May.  Fraternally,  Mr. 
Buttertield  is  a  member  of  Camp  No.  488.  Wood- 
men of  America ;  Elgin  Lodge  No.  337,  of  Elks, 
and  the  Elgin  Lodge  of  Xoemen.  In  politics  he 
Is  a  Republican,  but  has  been  too  much  occupied 
with  his  duties  to  take  an  active  part  in  munici- 
pal affairs.  He  owns  his  residence,  and  the  two 
adjoining  lots,  on  one  of  which  is  another  house, 
as  well  as  thirty  acres  of  the  original  Butterfield 
homested.  Faithful  in  the  discharge  of  his 
duties,  loyal  to  his  city,  strong  in  his  support  of 
all  measures  looking  towards  the  advancement 
of  the  county,  Mr.  Butterfield  is  a  good  e.xample 
of  Du  Page  County's  native  sous. 

CABLE,  Fayette  Shepherd,  well  known  as  the 
president  and  treasurer  of  the  Cable-Nelson 
Piano  Company,  an  old-established  firm  of  Chi- 
cago, was  born  at  Cannonsville.  N.  Y.,  March  18, 
1855.  He  is  a  sou  of  Silas  and  Mary  (Goodrich) 
Cable,  and  was  reared  on  a  farm,  receiving  his 
early  education  In  the  public  schools,  but  later 
attended  Delaware  Literary  Institute  at  Frank- 
lin,   N.    y.      He    taught    school    a    number    of 


years  but  in  1N75,  became  agent  for  a  New  York 
book  concern,  travelling  for  it  four  years :  then 
becoming  manager  of  their  western  branch,  at 
Chicago.  In  1890,  he  became  a  director  and 
secretary  of  the  Chicago  Cottage  Organ  Com- 
pany, holding  this  position  until  1903,  when  the 
present  company  was  organized  as  the  Fayette 
S.  Cable  Company.  One  year  later  this  was 
re-organized  under  its  present  name,  and  he 
has  since  served  as  its  president- and  treasurer. 
He  is  well  fitted  by  experience  and  ability  to  fill 
such  a  position  and  the  affairs  of  the  concern 
are  in  a  prosperous  condition.  The  factory  is 
located  at  South  Haven,  Mich. 

Mr.  Cable  married  Kate  Elting,  of  Ellenville, 
N.  Y.,  and  four  children  have  been  born  of  the 
union :  Annie  S..  Rachel  E.,  Gladys  G.  and  Doro- 
thy R.  Mr.  Cable  is  prominent  socially  in  Hins- 
dale, and  in  various  circles  in  Chicago.  He  has 
been  a  resident  of  the  city  since  1880.  and  has 
many  friends  there.  He  belongs  to  the  Union 
League  Club  of  Chicago  and  to  the  Hinsdale 
Golf  Club,  and  is  esteemed  a  public-spirited  aud 
desirable  citizen,  having  the  respect  and  good 
will   of  his  fellow-townsmen. 

CAMPBELL,  Robert  'Willis,  attorney  at-law, 
with  offices  :\t  No.  700  Commercial  National 
Bank  Building,  Chicago,  and  residence  .at  No. 
416  Ellis  Avenue,  Wheaton,  111.,  Is  one  of  the 
notable  men  of  Du  Page  aud  Cook  Counties.  He 
was  born  at  Frankfort,  Clinton  County,  In- 
diana, July  30,  1874,  being  a  son  of  Joseph  C. 
and  Lena   CNicoll)   Campbell. 

Mr.  Campbell  attended  the  public  schools  at 
Stockton  and  San  Francisco,  California,  the 
high  school  of  the  latter  city,  was  graduated 
from  the  Leland-Stanford,  Jr.,  I'niversity,  Class 
of  1S96.  with  the  degree  of  A.  B..  and  spent  two 
years  at  Hastings  College  of  Law.  University  of 
California.  In  1899,  he  was  admitted  to  the 
California  Bar.  Prior  to  this,  from  1890  on,  he 
studied  law  and  acted  as  clerk  iu  the  law  office 
of  Reddy,  Campbell  &  Metsou.  After  his  ad- 
mission to  the  bar,  Mr.  Campbell  became  manag- 
ing clerk  of  this  firm,  thus  continuing  until  the 
death  of  Mr.  Reddy,  iu  1900,  when  he  was  ad- 
mitted to  the  firm,  the  style  changing  to  Camp- 
bell, Metson  &  Campbell.  In  Ma.v.  1904.  Mr. 
Campbell  resigned  from  the  firm  and  moved  to 
Chicago,  with  residence  at  Wheaton.  becoming 
a  member  of  the  firm  of  Knapp.  Haynie  &  Camp- 
btll,  the  members  being  Kemper  K.  Kuapp,  Wil- 


HISTOKY  OF  DU  PAGE  COUNTY. 


811 


liam  Duff  Hayuie,  and  Mr.  Campbell.  Mr.  Hay- 
iiie  retired  in  January,  190S,  wlien  the  name  was 
changed  to  its  present  one  of  Knapp  &  Campbell. 
The  firm  carry  on  general  and  corporation  prac- 
tice, and  are  counsel  for  the  Illinois  Steel  Com- 
pany and  other  subsidiary  companies  of  the 
United  States  Steel  Corporation  in  Chicago. 
Mr.  Campbell  is  general  attorney  and  director 
of  the  Illinois  Steel  Company,  the  Indiana  Steel 
Company,  the  Gary  Land  Company,  the  Chicago 
Lake  Shore  and  Eastern  Railroad  and  the  Elgin, 
Joliet  and  Eastern  Railroad,  and  director  and 
member  of  the  executive  committee  of  the  Cen- 
tral National  Fire  Insurance  Company. 

On  September  10,  1001,  Mr.  Camjibell  was 
married  to  Bertha  L.  Gary,  at  Wheaton,  111. 
They  have  one  child,  Julia  Elizabeth.  In  poli- 
tics Mr.  Campbell  is  a  Republican,  and  served  as 
Alderman  of  Wheaton  from  1905  to  1909.  He 
belongs  to  the  Masonic  fraternity,  being  con- 
nected with  the  Blue  Lodge,  Royal  Arch  Chap- 
ter and  Conmiandry.  He  is  Past  Commander 
of  the  Golden  Gate  Commandry,  No.  16,  K.  T. 


a  successful  dairyman  and  farmer.  He  was  born 
in  Milton  townshii),  June  2G,  1865,  a  son  of 
Bernard  and  Mary  (Spautz)  Cassel,  natives  of 
Luxemburg,  and  early  settlers  of  Du  Page 
count}'.  Until  he  reached  his  majority  he  lived 
with  his  parents,  being  reared  to  farm  work 
and  educated  in  SS.  Peter  and  Paul  Catholic 
School  of  Naperville. 

Ou  June  5,  ISST,  Mr.  Cassel  married  Mary 
Yackley,  a  native  of  Lisle  township  and  daugh- 
ter of  Robert  and  Susan  (Dieter)  Yackley,  the 
father  a  native  of  Alsace,  and  the  mother  of 
Hesse  Darmstadt,  Germany.  Mr.  and  Mrs. 
Cassel  have  four  children,  all  at  home :  Florence, 
Jennie,  Edward  and  Loraine.  Mr.  Cassel  left 
the  parental  roof  after  his  marriage  and  rented 
a  farm  in  Lisle  township,  which  he  operated 
three  years,  then  moving  to  Kossuth  county, 
la.,  and  carrying  on  farming  there  for  eight 
years,  when  he  returned  to  Lisle  township  pur- 
chasing his  present  fertile  farm  of  145  acres 
of  laud.  He  has  erected  several  new  buildings 
.and  rel)uilt  some  of  the  old  ones,  having  brought 


o'f  San  Francisco.  He  is  also  a  member  of. tlt^  .'.  hi' liuid  into  a  high  state  of  cultivation,  and 
ruiversity,  Union  League,  the  Law,  Chjcjigo  "i;  jeVoted;  it  to  mixed  farming,  paying  special  at- 
Automobile,  the  Chicago  Golf  and  'Wl^erftciil'^&ilt      tention  -to  dairying. 

Clubs.      The    Methodist    Episcopal  'Church    of  ji,  poi'itics  Mr.  Cassel  is  a  Republican  and  re- 

"Wheaton  holds  his  membership.  .  ygianslyilie  is  a  member  of  the  Catholic  Church. 

»       ■  ''^l^.,  t.t»H^lfas  served  as  school  director  and  takes  an 
CASE,  Peter,  was  horn  in  Prussiai  G'Wtoany,      a^ttvie-nvterest  in  all  aflfairs  affecting  the  gen- 
August    17,    18.32,    a   son   of    Peter   jljseph-  anff*'  eral    welfare    of    the    community.      Fraternally 
Christina   (Surges)   Case.     He  was  educated  in      i,e  is  connected  with  the  Modern  WcMxlmen  of 


the  schools  of  his  native  town,  then  engaged  in 
farming  until  his  twenty-second  year.  He  then 
came  to  America  ou  the  "David  Hoadley."  an 
old  sailing  shij)  which  took  thirty-two  days  to 
cross  the  ocean. 

Mr.  Case  iirst  located  in  Chicago,  but  later 
removed  to  Elmhurst,  where  he  built  his  pres- 
ent comfortable  house.  He  oi^erated  a  store  in 
Elmhurst  for  some  time,  but  shortly  after  his 
marriage  sold  this  and  went  to  farming.  To 
him  and  his  wife  were  bom  three  children, 
namely :  Frank,  died  in  infancy ;  John  Joseph, 
lives  on  the  old  homestead;  Catharina  died  in 
infancy.  The  family  are  members  of  the  Cath- 
olic church.  Mr.  Case  has  been  road  commis- 
sioner for  three  terms. 

CASSEL,  Eugene  B.,  a  native  Bon  of  Du  Page 
county,  has  a  well  improved  property  in  Lisle 
township,  known  as  the  "Ilill.side  Farm,"  and  is 


.\merica  and  the  Knights  of  Columbus 
perville. 


of  Xa- 


CASSEL,  Joseph  B.,  who  is  proprietor  of  a 
modern  hotel  and  restaurant  at  Naperville,  111., 
is  a  native  of  the  county  in  which  he  lives, 
having  been  born  July  14,  1871,  son  of  Bernard 
and  Mary  (Spans)  Cassel.  natives  of  Luxem- 
burg. Germany.  The  father  came  to  the  United 
States  in  1854,  making  the  voyage  in  a  sailing 
vessel  and  spending  a  month  on  the  water.  He 
landed  at  New  York  and  soon  afterward  came 
to  Aurora.  111.,  where  he  met  the  lady  who  be- 
came his  wife,  and  they  were  married  Septem- 
ber 3,  1857.  She  had  come  to  America  about 
the  same  time  as  he.  After  his  marriage,  he 
worked  in  tQat  vicinity  about  a  year  and  a  half, 
then  purchased  land  in  Milton  townsliip.  where 
he  developed  a  fine  farm.  Keeping  on  adding  to 
his  land  from  time  to  time  as  he  was  able,  he 


812 


HISTORY  OF  DU  PAGE  COUNTY. 


hecame  tbe  owuei'  of  100  acres,  ou  wliich  be 
made  all  tlie  improveiueuts,  erecting  suitable 
buildings,  developing  into  one  of  tbe  successful 
men  of  tbe  commuuity.  He  was  interested  In 
local  affairs  and  became  one  of  tbe  substantial 
residents  of  tbe  county.  His  deatb  occurred 
May  19,  190S ;  bis  wife  died  May  tbe  7tb,  1800. 
Tbeir  children  were:  Leona,  wbo  married  Frank 
Hoffman,  Jr.,  and  is  now  deceased ;  Caroline : 
Eugene  wbo  is  of  Lisle  t-owusbip;  Mary,  Mrs. 
Charles  Webling,  Jr.,  who  is  of  Wheaton.  and 
Joseph  B..  the  youngest  member  of  tbe  family. 

In  boyhood  Joseph  B.  Cassel  attended  the  dis- 
trict schools  and  was  reared  to  farm  work  from 
early  childhood.  '  He  practically  always  lived 
on  tbe  home  place,  and  after  the  deatb  of  his 
father,  be  and  his  sister  Caroline,  who  is  un- 
married, purchased  the  interests  of  tbe  other 
heire.  and  conducted  the  farm  in  partnership 
until  March.  1012,  -when  they  rented  the  farm 
and  established  their  present  business  at  Naper- 
ville. 

Mr.  Cassel  is  a  member  of  tbe  Catholic  Church, 
and  belongs  to  tbe  Modern  Woodmen  of  Amer- 
ica. He  served  six  years  as  highway  commis- 
sioner and  gave  entire  satisfaction  to  all  con- 
cerned, standing  well  in  the  community,  and 
having  a  number  of  friends,  being  highly  re- 
spected by  all  wbo  know  him. 

On  June  16,  1806,  Mr.  Cassel  married  Louisa 
Yaekley.  who  was  born  in  Lisle  township  Jan- 
uary 10.  1873.  daughter  of  Charles  and  Mary 
Yaekley.  prominent  farmers  of  that  township. 
Mr.  Xackley.  a  native  of  Alsace-Lorraine,  was 
a  son  of  John  and  Helen  (Staliley')  Xackley, 
wbo  came  to  Du  Page  county  in  1840.  Mrs. 
Yaekley  was  a  daughter  of  Peter  Baumeister, 
and  was  born  in  Bavaria.  Tbe  Baumeister  fam- 
ily came  to  Du  Page  county  in  1840.  Charles 
"Yaekley  and  Mary  Baumeister  were  married  in 
Du  Page  county  and  located  on  a  farm  in  Lisle 
township,  where  she  died  February  25,  1902. 
He  still  survives  and  resides  on  the  same  farm. 
One  son,  Bernard  Joseph,  was  born  Septem- 
ber 28,  1902,  to  Mr.  Cassel  and  wife.  Mrs. 
Cassel  was  educated  in  the  district  schools  and 
has  spent  her  entire  life  in  Du  Page  county. 

CAVERNO,    Rev.    Charles,    A.    M.    LLD.,    and 

Family. 

Rev.  Caverno  and  family  have  had  a  home  in 
Lombard.  Du  Page  county,  111.,  since  April,  1874. 
Charles  Caverno  was  born  at  Strafford,  Straf- 
ford county,  X.  H.,  August  19,  1832.     His  par- 


ents were  Jeremiah  and  Dorothy  Kingman 
(Balcb)  Caverno.  His  boyhood  was  spent  on  a 
farm.  In  the  summer  of  1840  be  attended  the 
Academy  at  Durham,  X.  H.  In  the  fall  of 
that  year  he  began  a  course  of  preparation  for 
college  at  Gilmanton  Academy. 

This  academy  he  attended  with  tbe  e.xception 
of  two  terms,  when  be  was  at  home  at  work  on 
tlie  farm,  and  during  the  winter  of  1847  and 
winters  after  that  date,  when  he  was  engaged 
In  teaching  school,  and  was  valedictorian  of  his 
class.  He  completed  his  preparation  for  college 
in  the  summer  of  1850  and  in  the  fall  entered 
Dartmouth   College. 

The  college  life  of  Caverno  was  normal.  He 
was  neither  tbe  first  scholar  in  tbe  cla.ss  nor 
tbe  last.  He  had  rank  in  tbe  first  third  and  so 
was  entitled  to  be  elected  to  the  college  society, 
tbe  Phi  Beta  Kappa.  During  the  winters  while 
in  college  Caverno  taught  school  in  Massachu- 
setts, during  the  first  three  winters  teaching  in 
Beverly  and  for  two  of  these  winters  he  was 
teacher  in  the  district  in  which  President  Taft 
maintained  bis  summer  home.  Mr.  Caverno 
received  bis  degree  of  A.  B.  in  1854  ou  bis  grad- 
uati(m.  In  1857  the  college  conferred  tbe  degree 
of  A.  M. 

After  graduating  Mr.  Caverno,  iu  the  fall  of 
18.54,  took  tbe  position  of  assistant  in  the  acad- 
emy at  Thetford,  Vt.,  to  Hiram  Orcutt,  even  then 
a  veteran  educator.  The  part  in  the  work  of 
tbe  academy  assigned  to  Mr.  Caverno  was 
mainly  the  last  year  of  the  Latin,  Greek  and 
mathematics,  preparatory  to  college.  There 
were  ten  students  in  this  class.  It  may  be 
worthy  of  record  here  that  one  of  these  students 
was  a  girl — Susan  White  of  Worcester,  Mass. 
She  carried  all  tbe  studies,  Greek  included,  in 
even  pace  with  the  rest  of  the  class.  Some  of 
tbe  members  of  that  class  in  after  life  attained 
distinction.  One  of  them  was  for  a  quarter  of 
a  century  or  niore  a  professor  of  modern  lan- 
guages in  Dartmouth  College.  One  became  U.  S. 
district  attorney  for  that  part  of  tbe  state  of 
Xew  York  in  which  New  York  City  and  Brook- 
l.vn  are  situated.  He  was  an  orator  of  great 
lorce  and  was  an  assistant  to  Mr.  Blaine  iu  his 
candidacy  for  the  presidency,  as  rear  car  plat- 
form speaker. 

Half  a  century  ago  tbe  Albany  Law  School 
had  even  then  attained  high  repute.  William 
McKinley  went  to  that  school  at  the  beginning 
of  his  legal  career.    In  the  fall  of  1855  Caverno 


HISTORY  OP  DU  PAGE  COUNTY. 


813 


entered  uix)n  tUe  course  of  iustruetiou  given  by 
that  school.  The  lectures  for  the  course  usually 
extended  over  a  i^riod  of  two  years.  But  in 
1855-6  all  were  given  in  oue  year,  save  a  short 
course,  on  the  criminal  statutes  of  the  state  of 
New  York.  Jlr.  Caverno  was  reading  law  while 
teaching  at  Thetford.  So  at  the  end  of  the 
spring  term  in  185(j  he  offered  himself  as  a  can- 
didate for  admission  to  the  bar  with  many 
others  of  his  class.  Caverno  was  among  those 
passed  by  a  committee  of  the  Supreme  Court  ap- 
pointed by  the  Albany  County  bar.  So  he  be- 
came a  lawyer,  duly  enrolled  in  the  bar  of 
the  state  of  New  York.  For  further  acquain- 
tance with  offii-e  practice  he  accepted  a  position 
as  clerk  and  student  in  the  oflice  of  his  uncle — 
Sullivan  Caverno  at  Lockport.  N.  Y.  Of  the 
quality  of  instruction  in  this  office  it  may  be 
said  that  Sullivan  Caverno  was  a  graduate  of 
Dartmouth  College  in  the  year  1831.  lie  had 
such  eminence  as  a  lawyer  that  he  was  appointed 
by  Governor  Horatio  Seymour  as  one  of  a  com- 
mission of  three  to  revise  the  statutes  of  the 
state. 

During  his  residence  in  LockiK)rt.  Charles 
Caverno  was  appointed  superintendent  of  schools 
for  Niagara  county.  Between  law  and  schools 
and  supervising  the  preparation  of  his  cousin, 
Daniel  H.,  for  college,  life  in  Lockport  was  busy. 

On  the  10th  day  of  October.  1857,  Jlr.  Caverno 
landed  in  Milwaukee,  Wis.,  to  begin  life  as  an 
attorney  and  coiniselor  at  law.  His  experience 
in  the  practice  of  law  for  six  years  in  that  city 
does  not  differ  essentially  from  that  of  any 
young  man  beginning  life  in  a  city  of  strangers. 
Some  things  outside  the  special  line  of  such 
practice  deserve  notice.  For  two  years,  1859-60, 
he  served  as  president  of  tlie  Young  Jlen's  As- 
sociation. Tliis  association  owned  and  supported 
the  only  pulilic  library  in  the  city.  This  library 
was  afterwaril  donated  to  the  city  and  formed 
the  basis  of  the  great  city  library  now  located 
on  Grand  avenue.  The  association  also  offered 
from  year  to  year  a  lecture  course  in  which  men 
like  Emerson,  Phillips,  John  P.  Hale,  Greeley, 
and  Bayard  Taylor  had  place. 

In  the  fall  of  1860,  without  any  effort  on  his 
part  and  without  the  expenditure  of  any  money. 
Mr.  Caverno  was  elected  fro)n  the  Fourth  ward 
of  the  city  to  the  Assembly  (or  lower  house)  of 
the  State  Legislature.  Abraham  Lincoln  was 
running  for  president.  Their  tally  ""'as  even  in 
that  ward.     Those  were  days   of  no  scratched 


tickets.  Men  meant  something  by  their  politics. 
It  is  perhaps  not  germane  to  the  object  of  this 
publication  to  relate  here  the  history  of  that 
legislature  or  experiences  in  it.  Mr.  Caverno 
served  on  three  committees — Judiciary,  Banks 
and  Banking  and  Railwa.vs.  Each  called  for 
exhausting  work  and  care.  In  banking  the  state 
was  still  in  the  wake  of  the  panic  of  "57.  This 
was  augmented  by  the  depresssion  of  bonds  of 
southern  states  consequent  on  secession.  But 
the  banks  of  Wisconsin  weathered  the  financial 
storm.  They  stood  together  and  gave  eastern 
exchange  for  their  total  circulation.  The  legis- 
lature showed  its  wisdom  by  refraining  from 
interfering  with  this  process,  while  liy  interfer- 
ing the  legislature  of  Illinois  tumljled  the  whole 
circulation  of  the  banks  into  a  waste  basket  and 
left  it  unredeemed  in  the  hands  of  the  people. 
.\  wise  legislator  may  lie  one  who  restrains 
the  people's  wrath  for  more  legislation  and 
kills  bills.  Legislation  against  lobbies  is  sill.y. 
It  puts  a  legislature  on  the  level  of  a  girls" 
iKiarding  scIuhiI.  The  people  can  choose  hon- 
e.st  men  for  legislators.  A  legislature  pre- 
sents no  more  or  worse  problems  to  an  honest 
man  than  any  other  business.  Mr.  Caverno  has. 
never  had  the  slightest  suspicion  that  any  mem- 
ber of  the  Wisconsin  legislature  of  1801  was  at 
any  time  bought  to  vote  for  or  against  any 
measure.  Graft  and  corruption  may  have  grown 
up  inside  a  legislature  since  that  time,  but  so 
may  lying  have  grown  up  outside  it.  If  they 
exist  the  people  maj'  blame  themselves  for  both. 
The  legislature  of  1861  ad.iourned  in  the  week 
following  the  firing  on  Fort  Sumter.  Both 
houses  came  togethei-  in  the  Assembly  chamber, 
sang  the  Star  Spangled  Banner  and  dissolved. 
After  a  few  weeks  the  legislature  was  called  to- 
gether again  by  the  governor.  Alexander  W. 
Randall,  and  the  state  put  on  war  footing.  It 
passes  easy  Iielief  that  Wisconsin  sent  00.000 
men  to  the  war. 

Mr.  Caverno  returned  to  Milwaukee  and  re- 
sumed the  practice  of  the  law.  The  most  of  the 
time  for  two  years  he  held  the  office  of  justice 
of  the  peace  for  the  Fourth  ward. 

In  the  spring  of  1863  Mr.  Caverno  laid  down 
the  profession  of  law  never  to  be  resumed.  The 
reason  for  this  action  was  entirely  of  a  physical 
nature.  From  childhood  he  had  been  troubled 
with  extreme  sensitiveness  of  the  retina  of  the 
eye.  "V'V'liat  tlie  end  would  be  he  well  knew.  He 
had  no  memory  of  his  mother  save  as  a  .sufferer 


814 


HISTOEY  OF  DU  PAGE  COUNTY. 


froiu  the  same  cause.  B^miu  ophtbalmie  inflaui- 
niatiou  aud  ueuvalgia  she  gradually  passed  into 
blindness.  To  continue  in  law  was  to  invite  the 
same  result  for  liimself.  These  facts  furnish 
the  sole  reason  why  Mr.  Caverno  left  the  pro- 
fe.ssion  of  the  law. 

In  the  spring  of  1S(J.3  Mr.  Caverno  removed 
into  the  Chipiwwa  Valley  and  took  up  a  farm 
under  the  Homestead  Act  in  the  town  of  La- 
fayette. His  postotiice  was  at  Chippewa  Falls, 
seven  miles  distant.  Here  he  remained  one  year. 
He  did  the  usual  worlc  of  a  pioneer  on  unbroken 
land.  Aside  from  interest  in  labor  he  found  a 
fine  opportunity  to  study  botany  and  entomology. 
Zoology  was  not  without  interest.  Wild  deer 
came  out  of  the  forest  to  eat  the  fresh  grass 
that  grew  up  on  the  spring  breaking  and  the 
foot  might  start  au.ywhere  in  the  brush  the 
warning  of  a  rattlesnake.  Prairie  chicks  boomed 
in  the  spring,  quail  called  all  summer  long,  and 
whippoorwills  came  evening  and  morning  and  sat 
on  the  doorstep  of  his  cabin.  With  so  much  to 
interest  why  this  stay  of  but  a  year  on  the 
home.stead?  P.syehology  must  be  called  in  to 
answer.  There  were  no  religious  privileges  in 
the  region  short  of  Chippewa  Falls,  seven  miles 
away  or  Eau  Claire,  twenty-two  miles.  But 
there  was  a  school  house  in  the  woods  only  a 
mile  distant.  Obtaining  permission  of  the  trus- 
tees, Mr.  Caverno  opened  a  Sabbath  school. 
Then  the  people  asked  him  to  preach.  That  was 
his  first  "call"  to  the  ministry.  There  were 
other  openings  in  the  logging  camps  in  the 
pineries.  The  sense  of  duty  is  common  and  any 
one  can  tell  what  thoughts  would  be  likely  to 
come  in  such  case.  The  duty  seemed  plain. 
Something  ought  to  be  done  and  it  could.  It 
seemed  wisest,  however,  to  have  approbation 
from  some  ecclesiastical  source  before  attempt- 
ing to  preach.  Mr.  Caverno  had  determined  to 
go  to  Milwaukee  and  take  out  a  license  to  preach 
from  the  Congregational  Association  and  then 
return  and  use  the  Sabliaths  as  opportunity  of- 
fered. At  this  juncture  he  received  a  favorable 
offer  for  his  homestead  claim  which  be  accepted. 

The  way  then  seemed  clear  to  become  in  full 
a  Home  Missionary.  When  Mr.  Caverno  reached 
Milwaukee  he  was  told  the  Congregational 
church  at  Waukesha  wished  to  hear  him  the 
next  Sabbath.  He  went,  and  the  resxilt  was  a 
call  to  that  church  for  a  year,  and  so  began  his 
career  of  now  forty-seven  years  in  the  ministry. 

It  may  be  asked   what   was  the  gain   to  the 


eyes  in  laying  down  the  law  and  taking  up  the 
ministry.  This — one  can  regulate  his  time  or 
times  of  work  in  the  one  and  he  cannot  in  the 
other.  In  the  one  he  works  w-hen  he  can,  in 
the  other  when  he  must.  Then  it  makes  a  great 
difi'erence  whether  one  is  in  the  struggle  of  com- 
petition, in  the  lime-light  of  the  business  of  a 
great  city  or  passes  life  iu  the  quiet  of  the 
country  or  of  a  village.  Mr.  Caverno  had  dis- 
cretion enough  to  choose  the  latter. 

"Along  the  cool  sequestered  vale  of  life 
He  kept  the  noiseless  tenor  of  his  way." 

When  Mr.  Caverno  lived  in  Waukesha  it  was 
still  the  "Prairie  Village"  which  it  was  originally 
named — not  the  renowned  "watering  place" 
which  it  afterward  came  to  be.  A  pleasant  year 
was  passed  with  a  kindly  and  intelligent  people, 
tolerant  of  the  newness  of  the  situation  to  the 
preacher  and  of  his  limitations. 

It  seemed  best  to  Mr.  Caverno  if  he  were  to 
continue  in  the  ministry  to  have  such  otitline  of 
the  thought  and  work  of  the  profession  as  a  theo- 
logical school  could  give.  Accordingly  he  passed 
the  seminary  year  1805-0  in  Chicago  Theological 
Seminar.v.  To  him  that  was  a  ye.ir  of  great 
value.  It  happened  that,  as  at  the  Law  School, 
the  work  of  two  years  was  in  the  main  crowded 
into  one.  ,Toseph  Haven  had  the  Department  of 
Theology.  Mr.  Caverno  regards  him  as  one  of 
the  few  great  men  whom  he  has  met.  He  was 
a  master  in  philosophy,  as  well  as  in  theology. 
Samuel  C.  Bartlett  was  a  brilliant  teacher  of 
Scripture  Exegesis.  He  believed  in  religion  and 
scholarship.  He  was  afterward  a  successful 
president  of  Dartmouth  College.  Professor  F. 
W.  Fisk  tolerated  no  carelessness  in  style  or 
speech.  He  taught  his  pupils  to  enunciate  so 
"^he  Sabbaths  of  this  seminary  year  were  spent 
in  pulpit  work  in  the  region  tributary  to  Chi- 
cago. Many  of  these  .Sabbaths  were  passed  witt 
the  church  at  Fort  Atkinson,  Wis. 

In  the  spring  of  1800  Mr.  Caverno  accepted  a 
call  to  the  Congregational  church  at  Lake  Mills, 
Wis.  Here  he  was  ordained  and  installed  as 
pastor.  This  relationship  continued  for  five  and 
a  half  years.  His  being  left  here  was  an  ideal 
privilege.  He  wanted  to  study  and  the  people 
wanted  him  to  study,  and  wanted  the  results  of 
it.  The  farmers  and  their  families  who  came 
in  from  five  miles  around  did  not  ol).ject  to  a 
close  theological  sermon.  They  had  strength  of 
mind  enough  to  carry  such  work.     Work  done 


HISTORY  OF  DU  PAGE  COUNTY. 


815 


here  in  stujy  of  the  Greek  New  Testameut  aud 
in  the  Septuagint  of  the  old  has  stood  him  in 
good  stead  during  the  whole  of  his  ministry. 

A  child — rrescott — was  horn  here  and  here 
died — a  year  and  a  week  old.  The  headstone  of 
liis  grave  and  now  thai  of  his  mother  are  in  the 
beautiful   cemetery  overlookhig   the  lake. 

In  the  fall  of  1S71  Mr.  Caverno  took  the  pas- 
torate of  the  Congregational  church  at  Amboy, 
III.  The  date  is  easily  remembered  as  that  of 
the  great  tire  in  Chicago.  It  was  a  marked 
change  to  pass  from  a  farming  community  to  a 
mercantile  and  railroad  town.  The  Illinois 
Central  railroad  was  then  operated  from  Am- 
boy to  Centralia  south,  and  north  and  west  to 
Freeport  and  to  Waterloo.  la.  The  repair 
shops  of  this  large  division  were  at  Ambo5'. 
They  employed  some  hundreds  of  men.  Freight 
and  passenger  trains  for  the  division  were  here 
mane  U]i.  Here  were  the  offices  of  the  superin- 
tendent, paymaster  and  soon  Anil)oy  was  'a  bus- 
ling  town  tilled  with  that  energetic  person  known 
as  a  railroad  man. 

The   immediate   predecessor    of    Mr.    Caverno 
was  the  Rev.  George  H.  Wells — a  classmate  in 
the   Theological    Seminary — a   fine   scholar   and;'- 
one  of  the  most  rapid  and  interesting!  speakers  . 
of  the  pulpit  of  his  day.  i '"    '•'•'•"''' 

He  had  gathered  into  the  church  anjl  congre- 
gation from  the  railway  contingent  ^nany  of- 
ficers  and   men.  ;      '^'  '  Ti 

The  problem  of  his  successor  was  mainYy  to 
"hold  the  fort."  This  was  done  for  three  and 
a  half  years.  The  church  increased  in  member- 
ship. The  liouse  was  well  filled  by  its  morn- 
ing congregations,  and  sometimes  for  evening 
discussions  was  crowded.  There  was  a  marked 
feeling  of  unity  between  all  the  churches  of 
the  town — which  has  happily  continued  from 
.that  day  to  this.  The  memory  of  life  in  Am- 
boy is  pleasant. 

Mr.  Caverno  accepted  a  call  to  the  Congre- 
gational Church  in  Lombard  and  removed  to 
that  place  the  second  week  in  April,  1874.  This 
pastorate  continued  for  fifteen  years,  lacking 
three  mouths.  In  many  ways  these  were  the 
most  important  years  of  his  life.  They  were  the 
most  fertile  in  output  in  writing.  The  congrega- 
tion of  this  church  did  not  care  simply  for  rhe- 
toric and  oratory.  They  wanted  thought  aud 
reason. 

Mr.  Caverno,  as  at  Amboy,  was  preceded  by 
one  who  brought  to  the  pulpit  the  highest  re- 
sults in  graces  of  diction  and  clearness  of  spir- 


itual insight.  This  was  fortunate  in  its  in- 
fluence over  Mr.  Caverno.  He  knew  that  a 
community  that  had  enjoyed  the  stately  services 
of  Professor  Joseph  llonne  would  tolerate  no 
careless  work  in  religion  or  philosophy.  He  was 
thus  held  to  put  force  where  he  most  desired 
it  should  be  placed.  In  intellectuality  this  was 
a  picked  congregation.  Sometimes  out  of  sixty 
present  there  were  sixteen  who  were  either  grad- 
uates of  colleges  or  professional  schools,  or  were 
then  in  study  in  such  institutions.  These  col- 
legians were  fairly  distributed  among  the  fam- 
ilies. 

Mr.  Caverno  has  published  five  volumes.  It 
is  proper  to  state  here  that  two  of  those  books 
were  published  by  a  firm  whose  members  re- 
sided at  Glen  Ellyn — C.  H.  Kerr  and  Co.  These 
books  are  now  out  of  the  market.  "They  had 
their  day  and  ceased  to  be."  But  the  main  ele- 
ments of  the  five  were  wrought  out  by  Mr.  Cav- 
erno during  this  pastorate  and  were  first  read 
to  his  people  on  Sabl)ath  mornings. 

In  the  winter  of  1882  Mr.  Caverno  delivered 
a  course  of  free  lectures  on  "Morals,"  in  Iler- 
shey  Hall  in  Chicago.  The  range  of  these  lec- 
tures Avent  over  the  ground  from  Theism  to 
.SocioU)gy.  These  lectures  were  read  to  his  jjeo- 
'ple  before  (they  were  given  in  Chicago.  That 
[irince  of  J:ehniars,  sage,  wit  and  satirist — Jo- 
siah  T.  Reade — said  to  their  author— "I  sup- 
'\>£>i^%  J*<>i>  tfy  these  lectures  on  us  and  if  they 
do  not  kill-  you  conclude  they  can  be  used  in 
tlie~ci'ty."  The  book  containing  these  lectures 
took  the  title  "Chalk  Lines  over  Morals."  The 
titles  of  the  other  volumes  are  "Divorce,"  "A 
Narrow  Ax  in  Biblical  Criticism,"  "The  Ten 
Words,"  and  "Theism  et  als."  Almost  the  total 
edition  of  the  last  named  book  was  burned  soon 
after  its  publication.  But  few  copies  of  it  exist. 
This  last  volume  was  issued  from  Ijoml)ard. 
The  others  were  issued  from  Boulder.  But 
they  were  thought  out  and  in  the  main  even 
written  in  Lombard.  This  fact  is  mentioned  in 
justice  to  the  kindliness  of  the  people  who  en- 
couraged Mr.  Caverno  in  work  of  this  kind  in 
his  ministry. 

During  this  period  Mr.  Caverno  was  a  con- 
tributor to  prominent  magazines — the  Andover 
Review,  the  Bibliotheca  Sacra  and  others- 
legal  and  scientific.  He  also  read  papers  before 
the  Wisconsin  Academy  of  Sciences— several 
of  which  were  published  in  its  proceedings.  Of 
this  academy  he  was  an  original  member  and 


816 


HISTORY  OF  DU  PAGE  COUNTY. 


still  retains  iiieaibership  therein.  The  academy 
was  formed  during  the  winter  Mr.  Caveruo  was 
iu  the  legiislature  of  Wisconsin.  This  literary 
review  is  justiflahle  here  for  it  shows  the  men- 
tal activity  of  Lombard  at  this  period. 

It  may  be  thought  that  the  work  of  Jlr.  Cav- 
eruo savored  of  intellectuality.  It  is  to  be 
hoped  that  it  did.  It  is  the  busiuess  of  the 
pulpit  to  miuister  to  all  classes — to  furnish 
"meat  for  strong  men"  as  well  as  "milk  for 
babes."  The  intellertual  need  not  be  non-moral 
or  non-spiritual.  There  was  certainly  religious 
purpose  of  marked  character  in  that  auditory. 
Then  it  must  be  remembered  that  there  were 
three  other  stated  opportunities  each  week  for 
other  forms  of  religious  teaching  and  influence ; 
the  Sabbath  school,  the  evening  service,  and 
the  mid-week  meeting.  For  the  latter  meeting 
tliis  is  to  be  said — during  this  pastorate  the 
roi5m  was  customaril.v  well  filled,  and  the  chil- 
dren and  young  people  of  the  parish  were  as 
constant  attendants  as  those  of  adult  years. 
There  is  one  part  of  the  Sabbath  service  of 
which  much  was  made  during  this  pastorate — 
that  is — the  reading  of  the  Scriptures.  That 
was  made  expository  and  nmeh  time  was  spent 
during  the  week  in  preparation  for  that  exercise. 
During  these  fifteen  years  the  whole  New  Testa- 
ment was  carefully  read  and  comment  seem- 
ingly needful  given.  Much  of  the  Old  Testament 
was  also  treated  iu  the  same  way.  If  such 
expository  exercise  is  not  pretichiug  tlie  gosjiel, 
it  is.  or  may  be.  a  plain  forth.settiug  of  what 
the  gospel   is. 

Mr.  Caveruo  has  received  as  many  expres- 
sions of  thankfulness  from  his  people  for  this 
work  as  for  his  sermons.  In  that  he  finds  satis- 
faction and  comfort, 

Mr.  Cavemo  did  not  fail  to  sliow  interest  in 
public  affairs.  He  voted.  He  wishes  to  testify 
that  in  civic  duty  his  church  members  were  as 
faithful  as  himself.  He  is  soniewliat  weary  of 
the  constant  scolding  the  church  receives  for 
not  securing  a  better  result  when  something 
goes  wrong  with  public  affairs.  His  observa-- 
tiou  is  that  when  bad  results  come  to  the  fore 
they  so  come  not  because  the  religious  element 
of  a  community  did  not  vote,  but  because  such 
element  was  outvoted.  In  the  year  1877  he 
served  as  town  treasurer  and  clerk  of  the  board 
of  trustees  of  the  town  of  Lombard.  He  was  a 
frequent  visitor  of  the  schools. 

In  the  year  1S7G  on  the  northeast  corner  of 


Ash  and  Main  streets  he  began  what  for  a 
generation  has  been  known  as  the  Caverno 
homestead.  A  house  and  barn  were  erected 
and  the  decoration  of  the  groimds  began  with 
the  planting  of  trees  and  shrubs.  The  work  of 
such  planting,  with  very  few  exceptions,  was 
done  by  himself  and  his  sou  Xenophon.  He 
over-planted,  as  he  intended  to  do,  but  he  had 
the  courage  to  cut  out  anything  that  failed  to 
meet  the  situation  in  which  it  was  placed.  The 
poet's  order  must  often  be  read  in  another  way : 
"Woodman,  spare  not  that  tree."  This  is  par- 
ticularly true  with  the  elm.  If  half  of  the  elms 
between  Lombard  and  Chicago  were  cut  out  the 
landscape  would  be  improved.  A  beautiful  elm 
is  the  most  beautiful  of  trees,  but  few  elms  are 
beautiful.  They  are  usually  scraggy  and  un- 
sightly. Out  of  a  numlier  with  which  he  ex- 
perimented, Mr.  Caverno  left  but  two  as  execut- 
ing the  ideal  of  an  elm.  To  these  two  he  calls 
the  attention  of  all  who  pass  by.  The  worship 
of  the  elm  is  overdone.  Because  an  elm  in  a 
New  England  meadow  is  beautiful,  it  does  not 
follow  that  streets  from  one  end  to  the  other  all 
over  tlie  land  should  be  suffocated  with  elms.  A 
colonade  of  elms  often  gives  a  damp,  cold  and 
doleful  look  to  the  homes  over  which  they  tower. 
There  is  one  consideration  which  those  in  the 
mid-west  should  heed.  An  elm  covets  a  moist 
place.  There  is  here  only  two-thirds  as  much 
rainfall  as  east  of  the  Alleghauies.  A  line  of 
elms  run  o^•er  gravelly  ridges  must  be  a  failure. 
The  tree  about  which  least  risk  is  run  as  a  com- 
panion for  a  home  in  this  region  is  the  rock, 
hard  or  sugar  maple — all  one  and  the  same  tree 
with  different  names.  It  will  grow  in  di-y  as 
well  as  iu  damp  places,  has  abundant  foliage, 
and  almost  without  fail  will  make  its  typical 
rounded  top.  There  is  complaint  that  this 
maple  is  of  slow  growth.  Suppose  it  is,  it  is 
beautiful  always  while  it  grows.  An  elm  keeps 
iu  a  pin-feather  stage  almost  for  a  generation. 
Mr.  Caverno  has  had  a  rock  maple  that  made  a 
growth  of  four  feet  in  diameter  of  stretch  of 
branches  and  was  beautiful  while  doing  it  and 
ever  after.  The  Norway  maple  gives  excellent 
results  in  dense  shade  iu  a  few  years.  It  is 
new  in  this  region  but  bids  fair  to  take  high 
rank  as  a  shade  tree.  Jlr.  Caveruo  introduced 
the  Norway  majile,  the  Ked  Bud  (Judas  tree), 
the  Bucke.ve,  and  the  oak-leaved  mountain  ash 
into  Lonil)aril,  lie  tliinks  his  was  the  first  cut- 
leaved  bin'li. 


HISTORY  OF  DU  PAGE  COUNTY. 


817 


In  one  respect  Mr.  C;ivei-no  feels  tbat  he  has 
beeu  of  positive  service  to  Lombard  and  to 
Du  Page  county.  When  he  lieijan  on  his  home- 
stead it  was  common  speec'h  aliout  town — "This 
is  no  country  for  pears.''  Now  that  this  is  a 
country  for  pears,  there  is  e.xisting  demonstra- 
tion on  the  homestead  aforesaid.  Almost  any 
variety  of  pear  will  live  and  thrive  and  bear 
fruit  in  this  region.  Some  of  the  delicate  varie- 
ties brought  here  from  the  east  may  fail,  but 
there  are  scores  of  varieties  that  are  healthy 
and  a  delight  to  the  taste.  Some  twenty  va- 
rieties have  been  tested  on  the  Caveruo  home- 
stead. From  these,  if  he  were  to  make  choice, 
he  would  set  out  llrst.  Clapp's  Favorite.  It  is 
hard.v,  bears  profusely  and  as  it  is  early  is  a  de- 
light to  the  hearts  of  children.  If  one  has  room 
but  for  one  tree  take  the  Sheldon.  It  bears 
abundantly  and  the  fruit  is  excellent.  The 
Seckle  is  late  in  coming  to  bearing  but  it  is  a 
strong  tree  and  is  delicious  to  the  taste.  A 
treatise  cannot  be  written  here,  but  courage  and 
care  will  give  fruit.  It  is  singular  that  there 
are  so  few  attempts  at  raising  pears. 

The  climate  of  the  lake  region  proving  se- 
vere for  one  speaking  so  constantly,  an  oppor- 
tunity to  try  that  of  the  Rocky  mountain  front 
seemed  attractive.  Mr.  Caverno  received  a  call 
to  the  Congregational  church  of  Boulder,  Colo- 
rado, and  began  work  with  that  church  on  New 
Tear's  Day,  188S.  That  pastorate  lasted  ten 
and  a  half  years.  But  the  homestead  was  kept 
in  Lomliard  and  there  he  returned  for  a  two 
months'  vacation  each  year.  Some  prominent 
items  of  that  life  In  Boulder  may  be  of  interest 
to  acquaintances  in  Du  Page  county. 

The  State  Uni\"«rsity  of  Colorado  is  located 
at  Boulder.  With  an  element  from  this  institu- 
tion and  with  farmers  from  the  plains  and 
miners  from  the  hills  there  was  call  for  some 
reach  of  adaptation  in  pulpit  and  pastoral  work. 
For  two  years  Mr.  Caverno  held  the  chairs  of 
Psychology  and  Ethics  in  the  University.  In  the 
year  1896  he  was  a  candidate  for  Regent  of  the 
University.  .\s  he  was  not  in  favor  of  the  free 
and  luilimited  coinage  of  silver  it  is  perhaps 
needless  to  say  he  was  uot  elected.  In  the  year 
1,801  the  degree  of  Doctor  of  Laws  was  con- 
ferred on  him  by  the  Board  of  Regents  of  the 
State  University.  Mental  work  in  the  high  alti- 
tude of  the  mountain  front  resulteil  in  persistent 
insomnia.  He  resigned  his  pastorate  in  Boulder 
and  returned  to  Lombard  where  he  has  since  re- 


sided. He  has  devoted  himself  during  these 
later  years  to  writing,  care  of  his  home  and  gar- 
den culture. 

ABBIE    HORTENSIA     (SMITH)    C.4VERN0 

Was  born  in  Waitsfield.  Vt.,  .Tannary  IG,  1833. 
She  came  from  a  family  of  ability  and  repute. 
Her  eldest  brother,  Chauncey  Smith,  was  an 
attorney  well  known  through  New  England  for 
his  erudition  in  Patent  Law.  He  drew  up  the 
Bell  Telephone  patent,  and  was  counselor  for 
the  compan.v  during  the  seventeen  years  of  the 
life  of  the  patent.  Another  brother,  Luther  L., 
was  a  chemist,  an  inventor  and  a  practical  scien- 
tist over  a  wide  range.  He  made  in  his  shops 
at  Ansonia,  Conn.,  the  first  steel  core,  copper- 
cased  wire  that  the  Postal  Telegraph  Company 
put  up  between  New  York  and  Chicago.  Abbie's 
education  was  attained  in  her  home.  Her  father 
was  a  linguist — a  master  of  the  classics  and  of 
modern  languages.  Among  the  teachers  she  had 
in  the  common  school  was  Matthew  Hall  Car- 
penter— the  distinguished  lawyer  who  became 
United  States  senator  for  several  terms  from 
Wisconsin.  She  attended  the  Academy  at  Thet- 
ford,  Vt.,  where  she  became  an  assistant  teacher 
in  1S54.  Here  an  acquaintance  was  formed  with 
her  by  Mr.  Caverno  which,  five  years  after,  re- 
sulted in  their  marriage.  For  four  of  these  in- 
tervening years  Miss  Smith  taught  in  the  high 
school  at  Chelsea,  Mass.  Mr.  Caverno  and  Miss 
Smith  were  married  at  Bellona.  Gates  county. 
New  York,  in  November,  1850.  They  made  their 
new  home  in  Milwaukee,  where  Mr.  Caverno  had 
already  lived  for  two  years.  Mrs.  Caverno  here 
entered  into  social  and  church  life  with  a  young 
woman's  aptness  and  zeal.  Part  of  the  time  she 
did  clerical  work  in  the  law  office.  In  doing 
clerical  work  she  mastered  the  principles  in  law 
that  lay  behind  it.  She  was  not  content  with 
half  knowing  anything.  So  she  came  to  have 
almost  intuition  in  knowing  what  was  correct  at 
law.  In  1861  when  Mr.  Caverno  went  to  the 
legislature,  he  found,  after  a  few  days  of  trial, 
that  it  would  be  impossible  for  him  to  crowd 
his  eyes  over  the  work  that  lay  before  him.  So 
permission  was  given  Iiy  the  Speaker  of  the  As- 
sembly for  Mrs.  Caverno  to  serve  at  his  desk  as 
his  clerk.  So  she  sat  near  the  middle  of  the 
,\.ssenibly  during  the  whole  of  the  session  of 
1861.  She  kept  a  book  account  of  each  day's 
proceedings  as  did  the  clerks  of  the  two  houses, 


818 


HISTORY  OF  DU  PAGE  COUNTY. 


and  could  tell  auy  member  of  each  house  in  the 
hands  of  what  committee  any  bill  might  be  or 
at  what  state  it  had  come  toward  enactment. 
When  the  crush  at  the  end  of  the  session  came, 
to  find  in  what  shape  any  of  its  business  was, 
the  crowd  about  her  chair  was  as  great  as  about 
the  clerk's  desk.  In  recognition  of  her  womanly 
bearing  and  helpfulness  the  members  of  the  As- 
sembly presented  her  a  gold  watch.  The  pre- 
sentation was  made  by  Col.  M.  Frank  of  Ke- 
nosha, "a  fine  old  western  gentleman — one  of 
the  olden  time."  The  docket  of  the  business 
that  came  before  Mr.  Caverno  as  justice  of  the 
peace  is  in  her  handwriting.  These  cases  were 
numerous — some  of  them  intricate  and  import- 
ant, but  the  docket  was  never  impeached  on  ap- 
peal. 

It  was  by  her  advice  and  couseut  that  Jlr. 
Caverno  made  the  change  from  the  law  to  the 
farm  and  from  the  farm  to  the  ministry.  It  is 
a  pity  that  she  has  not  left  notes  of  her  expe- 
riences in  the  life  connected  with  the  home- 
stead in  the  Chippewa  valley. 

When  he  began  his  work  of  writing  sermons 
Mr.  Caverno  made  the  first  draft  of  them  on 
the  grooved  cardboard  used  by  the  blind — wrote 
with  his  e.ves  shut.  They  were  then  passed  to 
her  for  arrangement  and  perhaps  for  copying. 
Some  of  those  sermons  are  still  in  existence  in 
her  handwriting.  Before  their  delivery  she  was 
a  remorseless  critic — never  afterward.  She  was 
logic  incarnate.  Mr.  Caverno  has  been  asked 
where  he  got  his  style.  Well  he  got  it  from  the 
Revised  Statutes  of  the  State  of  New  York  and 
from  his  wife.  They  were  inexorable — tolerated 
no  ambiguity. 

The  duties  of  motherhood  were  upon  her  while 
she  assisted  her  husband  in  the  ministry.  She 
had  eye.  hand  and  thought  for  both.  Her  life 
at  Waukesha,  Lake  Mills  and  Amboy  cannot  be 
set  forth  here.  But  it  lives  in  the  memories  of 
the  churches  and  people  of  those  places, 

Mrs.  Caverno's  life  in  Lombard  had  many  com- 
plications. How  well  she  met  them  the  people 
who  honor  memories  can  testify.  In  the  spring 
of  '77  the  family  moved  to  the  new  home.  The 
house  had  been  built  during  the  winter  of  '7G-7. 
It  is  proper  here  to  say  that  the  stone  work 
was  done  by  David  Frank  and  the  wood  work 
b.v  Joseph  Gregory — both  excellent  and  honor- 
able workmen  and  pleasant  neighbors.  Mrs. 
Caverno  was  her  own  architect.  The  plan  on 
which  she  worked  was  to  arrange  rooms  to  suit 


herself  and  put  on  an  outside  to  cover  them. 
The  house  proved  well  adapted  to  the  family 
lite.  The  plan  for  the  exterior  was  never  com- 
pleted. It  included  a  light  veranda  on  the  south 
and  west  sides.  The  house  and  its  appointments 
represent  Mrs.  Caverno's  idea  of  a  family  home 
— the  plan  of  the  grounds  and  their  decorations 
represent  the  thought  and  labor  of  Mr.  Caverno. 
The  education  problem  was  on  in  the  family, 
as  well  as  fitting  up  the  new  home  in  1877, 
Two  of  the  children,  Julia  H.  and  Xenophon, 
had  attended  the  common  school.  They  were 
for  two  years  under  the  instruction  of  that 
prince  of  teachers,  John  M.  Pierce.  For  some 
terms  they  had  for  teacher  that  all-round  uni- 
versity man,  Josiah  R.  Reade.  But  there  was  no 
high  school  in  the  town  and  the  children  had 
come  to  the  high  school  grade.  Mrs.  Caverno 
solved  the  problem  in  this  way.  The  front 
room  in  the  new  house  was  not  fitted  up  for  a 
parlor  but  for  a  school  room.  Rows  of  A.  H. 
Andrews  &  Co.'s  school  desks  were  put  in  and  a 
high  school  opened  in  her  own  home,  Mrs. 
Caverno  conducted  the  school,  and  continued 
this  work  for  four  years.  Pupils  came  to  this 
school  from  surrounding  villages  and  towns  as 
well  as  from  Lombard.  Four  pupils  from  this 
school  afterward  took  a  college  course.  Others 
became  teachers  or  went  into  the  professions  or 
presided  in  homes.  This  was  the  way  in  which 
Mrs.  Caverno  solved  the  educational  problem 
for  her  children  and  others,  in  some  cases  up 
even  to  entrance  in  college.  After  this  career  of 
teaching  Mrs.  Caverno  had  a  few  years  of  res- 
pite from  such  work  and  turned  to  the  more  do- 
mestic cares  of  the  home.  She  was  always  a 
participant  in  the  social  life  about  her.  The 
schools  and  municipal  affairs  always  had  her  at- 
tention. To  the  church  and  all  its  interests  she 
devoted  ungrudging  effort.  She  assisted  in  the 
formation  of  a  missionary  society  which  she 
served  as  secretary  to  the  year  of  her  death.  In 
1S85  it  was  settled  by  the  best  medical  authori- 
ties that  an  incurable  disease — cancer — had  its 
hold  upon  her.  She  was  told  she  might  live  a 
year.  With  only  a  few  da.vs  of  perturi'-.tlon 
over  such  an  announcement  she  caiml.v  looked 
the  future  in  the  f""  ...  ^iade  painstaking 
preparation  for  hei  _  .  re,  as  she  had  done 
for  all  the  prospective  wants  of  her  life.  Her 
"faith  failed  not,"  On  the  5th  of  August,  1886, 
in  Christian  trust  she  went  forward  into  the  life 
beyond. 


HISTORY  OF  DU  PAGE  COUNTY. 


819 


A  wouiau  great  and  true  passed  from  the  ex- 
periences of  earth   to  the  heavenly   kingdom. 

Here  it  should  be  said  that  the  family  have 
always  felt  that  one  could  not  go  out  by  the 
gnteway  of  suffering  and  have  relief  for  pain 
more  tenderly  and  skilfully  applied  than  was 
doue  by  her  home  physician.  Dr.  Charles  \V. 
Oleson. 

JUI.IA     H.\B\VOOD    CAVERNO 

Was  Ixiru  iu  Milwaukee  December  19.  1862. 
Dwellers  in  Du  Page  county  will  be  interested 
in  the  career  of  the  children  of  the  Caverno 
family  for  they  grew  from  childhood  to  ma- 
turity in  Lcmhard.  Julia  H.  went  from  the  tui- 
tion of  the  common  school,  supplemented  by  that 
of  her  mother  iu  1S8.3  to  Smith  College,  North- 
ampton, Mass.  With  no  preparation  except 
what  Lombard  thus  afforded  she  passed  an  ex- 
amination in  all  the  studies  required  for  en- 
trance into  college  and  was  admitted  without 
condition.  She  took  the  regular  classical  and 
scientific  course  and  received  her  degree  of  A.  B. 
in  1SS7 — having  rank  that  entitled  her  to  elec- 
tion afterward  to  the  society  of  the  Phi  BeTa' 
Kappa.  That  shows  that  her  standing  ;was  in 
the  first  third  of  her  class.  After  graduation 
she  taught  Greek  and  Latin  in  the  Grant  Col- 
legiate Institute  for  young  ladies  in  Chicago  for 
six  years.  In  1S93  she  was  appointed  instructor 
in  Greek  iu  Smith  College.  This  position  she 
has  held  ever  since — being  a  few  years  since 
advan  ed  to  a  full  professorship.  She  has 
traveled  iu  Europe  and  Asia  Minor  and  studied 
in  Germany  and  Italy  and  in  the  American 
school  in  Athens.  In  1890  she  was  granted  the 
degree  of  A.  M.  by  Smith  College.  She  has 
been  a  contributor  to  literary  and  educational 
magazines.  An  article  published  in  the  Andover 
Review  on  "The  Figures  of  Homer."  Is  an  ex- 
haustive study  not  only  of  Homer  but  is  a  treat- 
ise of  great  merit  in  comparative  philology.  In 
her  summer  vacations  at  home  Miss  Caverno 
has  taken  her  part  In  helping  others  to  prepare 
for  college  or  for  teaching. 

XENOPHON    CAVEHNO 

Xenophon  was  born  in  Waukesha.  Wisconsin, 
December  2C>,  180.").  He  went  to  tlie  school  in 
Lombai-d  as  did  his  sister  .lulia.  He  was  kept 
out  of  school  one  or  two  years  by  sickness^ 
ab.sce^s  on  the  hip  bone.     Here  again  the  family 


want  to  express  gratitude  to  the  family  physi- 
cian— Dr.  C.  W.  Oleson.  They  feel  that  it  was 
by  his  skill  and  care  that  the  boy  came  out 
without  a  short  leg  and  lameness.  Fearing  that 
he  would  not  he  able-bodied,  he  studied  the  bee 
business  while  he  was  sick,  so  that  he  might 
have  something  he  could  do  on  getting  out  into 
the  world  again.  He  began  Ills  practice  with 
two  hives  while  he  was  yet  on  his  crutches.  He 
and  his  bees  seemed  to  form  a  co-partnership  at 
once,  in  which  each  did  his  best  for  success. 
His  every  touch  upou  swarm  or  hive  was  per- 
mitted by  them  without  protest.  He  had  bee 
culture  in  hand  for  three  years.  The  last  year 
he  extracted  about  a  ton  of  honey.  With  health 
and  vigor  and  free  use  of  limb,  "he  sighed  for 
other  worlds  to  conquer."  He  spent  one  year 
with  his  uuele — the  chemist — in  Ausonia,  Conn., 
and  did  a  man's  work  at  the  reel,  putting  the 
steel  core  of  the  Postal  Telegraph  Company's 
wire  through  the  electrolytic  process  to  receive 
its  coat  of  copper.  He  took  some  terms  of  study 
in  Wheaton  College  and  a  .year  in  Beloit  Pre- 
paratory and- entered  the  Fniversity  of  Wiscon- 

■  ■siH.fM._,thii  fall  of  1886.  He  took  the  mechanical 
engineering  course  and  graduated  in  1890.  A 
part  of  his  graduating  thesis  was  to  set  in  mo- 

.tion  :before  the  examining  committee  a  hot-air 
eugine'^vhicli  he  had  made.  It  went  at  once  as 
if  used,  to  numing.  This  engine  was  kept  for 
years  by  the  dejiartment  as  an  exhibit  of  stu- 
dent work. 

After  graduation  in  the  fall  of  1890  he  went 
to  work  in  the  I'nion  Pacific  railroad  shops  in 
Denver.  He  worked  from  the  ground  up,  and  in 
two  years  was  at  the  head  of  the  draughting 
department.  He  had  put  his  hand  to  almost 
every  species  of  work  in  the  shops,  according  to 
need. 

In  the  spring  of  1893  Xenophon  resigned  rail- 
road work  and  position  and  took  the  superin- 
tendency  of  gas  works  at  Kewanee.  Illinois — 
where  he  has  since  resided.  In  his  business  line 
he  rebuilt  the  gas  works  plant,  and  erected  an 
entirely  new  electric  light  plant,  with  an  arti- 
ficial ice  works  and  a  down  town  heating  system 
as  adjuncts.  A  year  or  two  since  he  ceased  con- 
nection with  those  public  service  corporations. 
Since  that  time  he  has  organized  the  "Kewanee 
Water  Supply  Company"  and  is  Its  president. 
He  is  also  the  president  of  the  company  which 
imrchased  the  Star-Courier  newspaper  and  built 
for  it  a  large  Iniilding  adapted  to  all  kinds  of 


820 


HISTORY  OF  DU  PAGE  COUNTY. 


priuting.  He  lias  a  large  tract  of  land,  mainly 
wooded,  in  New  Madrid  county,  Missouri,  wbere 
he  is  operating  a  hnnber  business  and  some 
farming. 

So  the  Lombard  bee  keeper  boy  has  been  and 
is  a  somewhat  liusy  man.  He  is  a  helper  of 
others  as  well  as  himself. 

DOKOTHEA    R.    C.WEENO 

Dorothea  was  born  in  Lombard  April  12,  1875. 
Her   home   all   her   life   has   been   in    Lomliard, 
though  she  has  spent  a  great  deal  of  time  out 
of  it.     A  frail   child  physieall.v,  she  was  never 
an  attendant  in  the  common  school,  but  by  care 
of  her  parents  and  a  large  amount  of  good  com- 
mon sense  in  herself,  she  has  worked  out  into  a 
life   of   efficiency   of   which   the   following   is   a 
slight  outline:     Her  mother  died  when  she  was 
eleven  years  of  age.     Two  years  after  she  went 
with  her  father  to  Boulder.  Col.    She  was  under 
his  care?     On  the  contrary  he  was  under  hers. 
She  was   patient  with   him   and  watchful   over 
him.      For    two    years    she    studied    with    him. 
Then  she  liegan  work  in  the  Grant  Classical  In- 
stitute   where    her    sister    was    teaching.      She 
finished  the  course  preparatory  for  college  in  the 
year  1893  and  in  the  fall  of  that  year  entered 
Smith   College.     She  graduated  from   Smith  in 
1897  having  rank  that  entitled  her  to  election  to 
Phi   Beta   Kappa.      The   year  after   graduation 
she  taught  in   the  high  school   at  Fort  Dodge. 
Iowa.     In    the  fall   of   1898   she   went  back   to 
Northampton,  ilass.,  to  take  up  tutoring  for  such 
students  as  needed  assistance.     She  also  acted 
in  the  city  schools  of  Northampton  as  an  emer- 
gency teacher — (requisites — range  of  acquisition, 
courage,    "apt    to     teach'")— taking    any    place 
where  the  teacher  was  ill   or  absent.     In  1899 
she  became  a  teacher  in  the  Capen  school  for 
girls  and   young  women.     She   continued   there 
for  ten  years.     In  1910  she  took  a  like  position 
in  the  Burnham  school.     She  was  twice  in  Ger- 
many for  study.     Though  there  are  several  de- 
partments  which    she  prefers   she   still   acts  in 
adaptation  to  needs.    Any  one  from  Lombard  or 
Du  Page  county  calling  on  her  in  Northampton 
will  find  a  glad  recognition  from  the  Emergency 
Teacher — "Dorothy." 


ANNA     (MATSON)     CAVEBNO 

Anna  0.  Matsou  was  born  July  29,   184G,  at 
Oswego,   N.   T.     Her  parents  were  Newel!   and 


Flora     (Case)    Matson.      For    many    years    they 
had    their    houje    in    Lombard.    Their    daughter 
Anna  dwelt  with  them  here  till  her  marriage. 
Charles    Caverno    and    Anna    C.    Matsou    were 
married   on   the   11th   day   of   September,   188S. 
They    immediately   went    to   Boulder,   Colorado, 
where    Mr,    Caveruo    had    Ijecome    pastor    of   a 
cluirch.     Into  the  new  life  before  her  Mrs.  Cav- 
erno entered  with  interest.    r)uriug  the  ten  years 
of  her  residence  there  she  identified  herself  with 
all   the  departments  of  church  work.     She  was 
an  esteeemd   Sabbath  school   teacher.     Some  of 
her  pupils  are  now  high  in  rank  iu  the  educa- 
tional system  of  the  land.     She  was  successful 
in  drill  for   Sabbath   school  concerts,   in  which 
once  a  month  the  whole  school  came  before  the 
congregation    iu    the    evening.     These   exercises 
always  crowded  the  house.     She  was  a  sympa- 
thetic almoner  iu  church  care  for  the  poor.    She 
sought  the  homes  of  the  sick  and  the  troubled. 
The    poor   and    the    suffering    became   her    fast 
friends.    Her  strength  and  vitality  were  limited, 
but  what  she  had  she  reserved  first  for  those 
wlio  needed  it.    To  the  extent  of  her  ability  she 
was  a  faithful  aid  in  pastoral  work.     In  social 
life  she  was  a  favorite.     Having  a  quaint  mode 
of  tliought  and  speech  it  was  thought  quite  an 
intellectual    treat    to    secure   a    paper    or    short 
sjieech  from  her.     She  was  a  supporter  of  the 
Woman's  Club  of   Boulder  and  gave  assistance 
to  it  as  she  could,  but  she  always  subordinated 
effort  for  it  or  any  social  function  to  the  needs 
of  the  church. 

She  has  a  taste  for  art  and  has  tried  to  give 
it  expression.  Some  of  her  paintings  of  iieonies 
adorn  homes  in  Boulder  and  Denver,  as  well  as 
her  own  home  in  Lombard.  Since  her  return  to 
Lombard  she  has  mainly  put  her  energies  into 
care  for  the  home.  She  is  a  true  and  intelligent 
friend  of  all  mission  work  at  home  and  abroad, 
rarely  missing  a  meeting  of  the  church  mission- 
ary society. 

CHANDLER,  Richard  S.,  deceased.  Tlie  rapid 
growth  of  Du  Page  county  has  been  remark- 
able. Productive  farms  show  the  effects  of 
skillful  work  and  yield  handsome  incomes  to 
those  fortunate  enough  to  own  them.  All  this 
was  not  accomplished  without  sacrifice,  and 
some  of  those  who  did  the  most  paid  the  jienalty 
of  ill  health  for  a  long  time  that  those  who 
came  after  might  benefit.  One  of  the  men  who 
spent  his  energy  and  toiled  almost  unceasingly 


HISTORY  OF  DU  PAGE  COUNTY. 


821 


on  his  liiiul.  was  tbe  late  Richard  S.  Chuudler 
of  West  Chicago,  tor  uiauy  years  a  promineut 
factor  in  tbe  agricultural  life  of  WinfieliJ  town- 
ship. Mr.  Chandler  was  born  in  the  township, 
December  10,  1S40,  a  son  of  Luther  and  Polly 
(Sargant)  Chandler,  the  former  boru  January 
23,  1T9S,  and  the  latter  September  21.  1803. 
They  came  here  in  1834,  securing  government 
land  in  Winfleld  township,  and  upon  it  they 
lived  and  died,  she  passing  away  July  9,  1847, 
and  he  July  15,  1882.  He  was  one  of  the  first 
to  serve  as  road  commissioner,  helping  to  lay 
out  roads,  and  left  bis  mark  on  his  connuunity 
in  many  ways. 

Richard  S.  Chandler  lived  with  his  parents 
until  his  marriage  in  18G1,  when  he  bought  the 
farm  iu  Winfleld  township,  upon  which  be  .and 
his  wife  lived  for  some  years.  After  his  father 
died,  he  sold  this  property,  buying  the  home- 
stead, living  on  it  until  November,  1897,  when 
failing  health  prompted  him  to  vent  the  farm 
and  retire  to  West  Chicago.  Here  he  died, 
October  20,  1008,  his  passing  away  being  re- 
garded «ith  regret  by  many.  A  staunch  Repub- 
lican, he  gave  bis  party  the  benefit  of  bis  ex- 
perience and  sage  advice,  serving  as  supervisor 
and  road  commissioner. 

On  January  1,  1861,  Mr.  Chandler  wns  mar- 
ried to  Kate  Glos.  born  iu  Germany,  December 
18.  1.S42.  Her  parents  died  soon  after  their 
arrival  in  the  United  States,  and  she  was 
reared  by  W.  P.  Griffith  in  Wiufield  township. 
Tbe  children  of  Mr.  and  Mrs.  Chandler  were 
as  follows:  Frank  R..  who  was  of  Marseilles, 
111. ;  Carrie,  Mrs.  Clinton  Jones,  who  is  of 
Batavia,  111. ;  Cora,  Mrs.  A.  D.  Bartlett,  who  is 
of  West  Chicago ;  and  Bertha,  widow  of  Elias 
Rudd.  who  died  October  16,  1906,  leaving  three 
sons:  Melviu  E.,  Guy  C.  and  Richard  D.  Mrs. 
Chandler  and  her  daughter,  Mrs.  Rudd,  have 
lived  together  in  West  Chicago  since  the  death 
of  Mr.  Chandler. 

CHILDS,  Robert  Andrew,  lias  been  a  resident 
of  Hinsdale  since  1873.  He  was  born  in  Malone, 
N.  T.,  March  22,  1S45,  his  father  being  an  itin- 
erant Methodist  minister  and  his  mother's 
maiden  name  was  Calista  Corran.  His  father 
moved  to  Belvidere.  111.,  in  1852,  and  in  April, 
1861,  when  but  sixteen  years  of  age,  Robert  A. 
Childs  enlisted  in  the  company  of  Captain  Ste- 
phen A.  Hurlbnt,  who  afterwards  became  a  Gen- 
eral,  and  this  company   was  later   attached   to 


the  Fifteenth  Illinois  Volunteers.  He  served 
four  years  and  at  the  eud  of  the  war  entered 
school  and  was  graduated  from  the  Illinois  State 
Normal  University  iu  l.s70.  For  three  years, 
he  was  isrincipal  of  schools  at  Amboy,  111.,  dur- 
lug  which  time  be  studied  law  and  was  admitted 
to  the  bar.  He  began  the  practice  of  his  profes- 
sion in  Chicago  iu  1^73,  taking  up  his  residence 
at  Hinsdale,  and  has  since  steadily  advanced 
in  success  and  position.  He  Is  a  stanch  Repub- 
lican and  after  filling  many  local  offices  was 
chosen  presidential  elector  on  the  Republican 
ticket  iu  1SS4.  and  iu  1802,  was  elected  to  repre- 
sent the  Eighth  Illinois  District  in  the  Fifty- 
third  Congress.  He  Is  now  president  of  the  Du 
Page  County  Bar  Association  aud  stauds  high 
in  his  profession.  His  business  address  is  the 
New  York  Life  Building,  Chicago,  and  his  part- 
ners are  Robert  A.  and  Lester  C.  Childs,  who 
liave  been  associated  with  him  iu  the  firm  since 
May  1,  1905.  Mr.  Childs  is  a  self-made  man 
and  has  advanced  through  ability  and  energy,  to 
his  present  success.  He  began  his  professional 
career  with  Charles  E.  Fuller,  of  Belvidere,  with 
whom  he  was  associated  but  a  short  time. 

Mr.  Childs  was  married  at  Normal,  111.,  De- 
cember 24,  1873.  to  Mary  Elizabeth  Coffeen,  who 
died  August  26,  1911.  Children  were  born  to 
tliem  as  follows:  Lester  Coffeen,  Robert  Wil- 
liam. George  Washington.  John  Scott  and  Kent 
Coffeen.  Mr.  Childs  is  a  member  of  the  Con- 
gregational church  and  he  and  his  family  are 
will   known  in  Hinsdale  social  circles. 

CHRISTIE,  Andrew  J.,  of  Wheaton,  Du  Page 
county,  was  boru  iu  a  log  house  on  a  farm  In 
Milton  township.  November  26.  1849.  He  is  a 
son  of  John  and  Mary  R.  (Boyd)  Christie,  the 
former  a  native  of  Glasgow,  Scotland,  boru  in 
1811.  and  the  latter  born  in  Edinburg,  Scotland, 
in  1822.  The  paternal  grandfather  was  also 
named  John  Christie.  John  Christie  Jr.  came 
to  America  in  1832.  and  was  one  of  the  earliest 
settlers  at  Naperville.  where  for  about  a  year 
be  lived  with  a  sister.  Mrs.  George  Martin.  In 
183.3.  he  pre-empted  400  acres  of  land  on  sec- 
tions 32  and  .33.  Jliltou  township,  erected  a  log 
bouse,  and  lived  there  by  himself. 

Mary  R.  Boyd  came  to  America  with  her  par- 
ents when  a  young  girl  aud  her  family  located 
north  of  Chicago,  where  her  marriage  took 
place  to  Mr.  Christie.  The  newly  wedded  couple 
located    on    his    farm    and    there    sjient!   the    re- 


822 


HISTORY  OF  DU  PAGE  COUNTY. 


luainder  of  their  lives.  lie  added  to  liis  orig- 
inal holdings  and  at  one  time  owned  tlSo  acres 
of  land  on  sections  31  and  32.  Milton  town- 
ship. In  politics  he  was  a  Republican  but 
never  held  any  office  except  that  of  school  di- 
rector, and  he  belonged  to  the  Pre.«byterian 
Church  which  he  served  many  years  as  deacon, 
lie  and  his  wife  were  parents  of  seven  children, 
of  whom  Andrew  J.  is  the  fourth.  John  Christie 
died  in  December,  1882,  his  wife  having  passed 
away  in  18G2. 

In  boyhood  Andrew  J.  Christie  attended  the 
Christie  district  school  and  spent  one  term  at 
Wheaton  College.  He  lived  at  home  until  his 
father's  death,  when  be  inherited  200  acres  of 
the  home  place.  In  the  spring  of  1880  he  moved 
to  Wheaton  and  embarked  in  a  hotel  and  livery 
busines-s  c-ontinuing  in  it  for  a  time,  then  sold 
and  conducted  a  butchering  business  until  lS9.j, 
when  he  disposed  of  that.  A  Republican,  he 
was  elected  constable  in  1882,  and  served  con- 
tinuously for  twenty-two  years.  In  1880,  he  was 
appointed  deputy  sheriff  and  served  in  that  of- 
fice continuously  for  eighteen  years,  and  also 
held  the  office  of  patlimaster  a  number  of  years, 
lie  is  a  member  of  the  Wheaton  Lodge  No.  209, 
A.  F.  &  A.  M.,  and  is  a  charter  member  of  Camp 
Xo.  488.  M.  W.  A. 

In  August,  1883,  Mr.  Christie  married  Mrs. 
Minnie  (Mathers)  Sanders,  born  at  Wheaton, 
III.,  in  1S.j4.  daughter  of  Frederick  and  Rhoda 
E.  (Mechara)  Mathers,  natives  of  Vermont. 
Mr.  Christie  and  wife  became  the  parents  of 
six  children,  two  of  whom  are  living :  Mary 
Rebecca  and  Mildred  Jane,  both  at  home.  Mr. 
Christie  returned  to  the  farm  June  10,  1910, 
and  remained  until  March,  1911.  when  he  sold 
to  Mr.  Mark  Morton,  and  returned  to  Wheaton. 
Mrs.  Christie  was  first  married  to  Samuel  San- 
ders, a  native  of  Pennsylvania,  and  three  chil- 
dren were  born  to  them,  the  only  survivor  being 
Mrs.  Bessie  Sages,  of  Chicago.  Mr.  Sanders 
died  at  Colorado  Springs,  Colo.,  in  October,  1880. 
Mr.  Christie  has  been  following  the  occui)ation 
of  auctioneer  for  the  past  fourteen  years,  and  is 
very  successful  often  being  called  upon  by  those 
who  require  the  services  of  an  experienced  man 
in  this  line. 

CHURCHELL  Amos,  a  retired  farmer  of  Glen 
Ellyu.  HI.,  who  for  some  years  was  al.so  identi- 
fied with  the  business,  religious  and  official  life 


of  this  place,  is  a  son  of  Isaac  Bradford  and 
Angeliue  Churchell,  and  was  born  March  29, 
1S42.  in  Milton  township,  Du  Page  county.  111. 
.Mr.  Churchell  assisted  his  father  on  the  home 
farm  and  attended  the  district  school  until  he 
was  nineteen  years  of  age,  when,  on  September 
18,  1802,  he  enlisted  and  was  mustered  into  the 
service  of  the  United  States  army  as  a  member 
of  the  Eighth  Illinois  Cavalr.v,  at  Bloouiingdale. 
The  regiment  went  into  camp  at  St.  Charles, 
and  from  there  went  to  Washington,  D.  C,  and 
.Mr.  Churchell  was  there  detailed  an  orderly  to 
General  Sumner,  commanding  the  Second  Army 
Corps,  serving  as  such  during  all  the  battles 
fought  by  the  Army  of  the  Potomac  up  to  and 
including  Bradley  Station,  on  June  9.  1803. 
Among  these  engagements  were  Williamsburg, 
Hanover  Court  House,  Seven  Pines.  Fair  Oaks, 
where  Jlr.  Churchell  had  his  first  horse  shot 
under  him ;  Cross  Keys  and  Union  Church ;  Oak 
Grove.  Va. ;  Seven  Days'  Battles,  including  Me- 
ehauicsville,  Gaines'  Mill,  Chiekahoaiiny.  Sav- 
age's Station,  White  Oak  Swamp.  Glendale 
and  Malvern  Hill ;  Gainesville.  Va. ;  Poolesville, 
Md. ;  South  Mountain  and  Boouesborough ; 
Sharpsburg  and  Autietam :  Shepherdstown : 
Union  and  Barber's  Cross  Roads ;  Fredericks- 
burg; Chancellorsville,  Brandy  Station  and  a 
great  number  of  skirmishes.  At  the  second  bat- 
tle of  Malvern  Hill,  Mr.  Churchell  had  his  sec- 
ond horse  killed  while  riding  him.  had  his  two 
mounts  wounded,  one  at  Upperville  and  one  at 
Boouesborough.  and  the  fifth  one  was  killed 
June  9.  ISOo,  at  the  battle  of  Brandy  Station, 
when  Mr.  Churchell,  at  the  same  time,  received 
a  wound  in  the  right  elbow.  This  nec-es-sitated 
either  an  amputation  or  a  resection  of  the  elbow 
joint,  and  the  latter  was  eventually  decided 
upon.  This  was  the  first  oi>eration  of  the  kind 
ever  jierformed.  and  was  done  at  Brandy  Sta- 
tion, Virginia,  leaving  the  arm  three  inches 
shorter.  Subsequently  Jlr.  Churchell  was  re- 
moved to  the  Mansion  House  hosjiltal.  Alexan- 
dria, where  he  was  luider  the  care  of  a  Mrs. 
Brotherton.  who,  on  the  twenty-.«econd  day  of 
his  stay,  discovered  that  the  bullet  had  not  been 
removed,  but  had  passed  up  his  arm  and  lodgetl 
near  his  vitals.  A  doctor  was  Immediately  called 
and  the  bullet  removed,  and  after  remaining  in 
the  hospital  100  days.  Mr.  Churchell  was  dis- 
charged, .September  28,  1803,  being  unfit  for  the 
invalid  corps,  as  it  was  necessary  that  his  .irm 


HISTORY  OF  DU  PAGE  COUNTY. 


823 


be  Jressed  three  or  lour  times  a  day.  Ou  arriv- 
iug  home,  Mr.  Clnirchell  eiuiJloyed  three  different 
doctors,  wlio  failed  to  heal  the  arm. 

In  May,  1804,  the  government  called  for  sev- 
eral regiments  of  lUU-day  men,  notwithstanding 
the  condition  of  his  am),  Jlr.  Churchell  enlisted 
in  Comixiuy  H,  One  Hundred  and  Forty-tirst 
Regiment,  Illinois  Volunteer  Infantry,  deceiving 
the  officers  by  a  clever  device,  and  being  mus- 
tered into  the  service  as  first  lieutenant  of  Com- 
pany H.  Caring  for  himself  and  dressing  his 
wouud  every  day,  he  succeeded  in  being  ou  duty 
every  day  with  his  men,  and  at  the  expiration 
of  his  term  of  service  was  mustered  out  at  Cami) 
Fry,  Chicago,  111..  October  10,  1SG4.  lu  answer 
to  another  call  tor  one-year  men,  Mr.  Churchell 
recruited  thirty-four  men  aud  went  to  Camp 
Fry  to  be  mustereil  iuto  the  One  Hundred  aud 
Fifty-sixth  regiment,  but  this  time  he  was  de- 
tected, as  a  strict  medical  e.xamination  was  re- 
quired, aud  his  services  refused. 

From  that  time  until  November  26.  1800,  Mr. 
Churchell  attended  school  and  helped  his  father 
ou   the  home  farm,  and  on  the  date  mentioned 
was  married  to  Miss  Marilla   E.  Brouson,  ;'tBd-. 
to  this  uuion  there  were  born  sev^n^laiighteT-s,"' 
namely:     Mrs.  B.  B.  Curlie,  Mrs.  S>?  *)r'4e«\^  " 
.send.    Mrs.    George    H.    Whittle,    ^rs.    Fannie 
Rowland,  who  is  now  deceased ;  Mi*.  J.  B.  Loe- 
lieer;  Rhoda  ;  Julia,  who  died  in  ihfancK  ;..aJ*d- 
Amos    Churchell,    Jr.,    the    youngest    child  'Slid' 
only  sou.     Mr.  aud  Mrs.  Churchell  now  have  fif- 
teen  grandchildren   and   one   great-grandchild. 

In  the  spring  of  1866,  Mr.  Churchell  was 
elected  township  collector,  and  was  again  elected 
in  1867.  For  three  years  he  farmed  in  Lisle 
towuship,  and  the  balance  of  the  time  was  spent 
on  his  father's  farm  in  Milton  towuship.  In  1870 
he  was  elected  supervisor,  serving  as  such  eight 
years,  one  year  as  chairman  of  the  board.  In 
1002  he  was  elected  assistant  supervisor,  pre- 
ferring this  position  to  the  other,  serving  c-ou- 
tiuuously  for  eight  years,  and  for  six  years  be- 
ing chairman  of  the  county  farm  committee.  In 
the  latter  capacity  he  recommended  most  of  the 
valuable  improvements  and  secured  favorable 
action  by  the  board  of  su])ervisors.  In  all  mat- 
ters pertaining  to  the  farm  Mr.  Churchell  took 
an  active  interest,  aud  today  Du  Page  county 
has  an  establishment  of  which  it  may  justly  be 
proud.  Mr.  Churchell  took  a  personal  interest 
•in   seeing   that  modern   improvements   were  In- 


stalled, that  only  the  best  materials  were  u.sed 
in  the  construction,  and  that  everytliiiig  con- 
nected with  the  institution  should  be  made  of 
the  best  obtainable  goods. 

In  1883  Mr.  Churchell  sold  out  his  farming  in- 
terests and  formed  a  partnersliip  with  W.  H. 
Luther,  at  Glen  Ell.vu,  under  the  firm  name  of 
Luther  &  Churchell,  for  the  sale  o:  agricultural 
implements,  coal  aud  feed,  paints  and  oils.  This 
business  was  so  successful  that  in  a  short  time 
a  large  warehouse  was  built,  aud  ten  years  later 
Mr.  Luther  retired  and  disposed  of  ins  interest 
to  his  son-in-law.  L.  Q.  Newton,  the  firm  then 
liecouiing  Churchell  &  Newton.  This  coutiuued 
until  .September  22,  1003,  when  L.  Q.  Newton 
died,  and  in  the  following  December  the  busi- 
ness was  sold  to  L.  R.  Newton  and  W.  Barthie. 
During  these  years  of  active  business  life  Mr. 
Churchell  found  time  to  engage  in  religious  and 
official  life.  When  a  young  man  he  united  with 
the  First  Congregational  church,  and  .soon  was 
elected  Sunday  school  sui>erintendent.  which  of- 
fice he  held  for  twelve  consecutive  years,  being 
absent  only  four  Sundays  during  this  time.  He 
•'■wa^  also  elected  a  trustee  of  the  church  aud 
"' served  inany  years  until  he  resigned,  thinking  it 
lletter  t»  divide  the  duty  and  responsibility.  He 
was  aUo  elected  deacon,  aud  still  serves  the 
church  liu  that  capacity.  In  official  life  Mr. 
-•■?''fifn'cb<ill  was  for  eight  years  a  meniDer  of  the 
'  "vfflago  fouucil  aud  was  for  six  years  its  presi- 
dent. For  a  number  of  years  the  peoiile  of  the 
village  had  attempted  to  have  the  railroad  com- 
pany erect  a  new  depot  at  Gleu  Ellyn.  but  had 
failed  in  their  efforts,  but  as  president  of  the 
village  eouucil  Mr.  Churchell  formulated  a  plan, 
went  alone  to  the  railroad  officials,  and  suc- 
ceeded in  securing  the  pre.^ent  depot,  an  im- 
l)rovement  in  which  the  people  take  a  gi'eat  deal 
of  pride.  Ho  was  also  president  of  the  board  of 
education  for  six  years,  during  which  time  the 
Hawthorne  school  house  were  erected.  He  has 
taken  an  active  Interest  in  all  matters  that  have 
for  their  object  the  uplift  and  betterment  of  hu- 
manity. Even  at  this  time  of  life,  he  is  strong 
and  vigorous,  for  time  has  dealt  lightly  with 
him.  He  may  look  back  over  the  years  content 
that  he  has  accomplished  much  to  aid  his  fellow- 
men,  and  may  take  a  jiardouable  degree  of  pride 
in  the  members  of  his  family,  who  are  actively 
engaged  in  all  the  works  that  count  for  good 
citizenship. 


824 


HISTORY  OF  DU  PAGE  COUNTY. 


CHURCHELL,  Isaac  Bradford,  deceased,  was 
born  in  Oneida  county,  X.  1'.,  in  ISIS,  and  came 
to  Illinois  with  bis  father  in  1S3-I.  In  1S41  be 
married  Miss  Angeline  Barker,  and  tUey  moved 
to  his  ijrairie  farm,  all  of  their  earthly  goods 
being  easily  trausported  with  one  ox  team.  In 
this  ijrimitive  home  were  born  the  seven  chil- 
dren of  Isaac  Chiu-ehell  and  wife,  four  of  whom 
survive  bim,  namely :  Amos,  Andrew,  JCettie  and 
Hattie.  Isaac,  George  and  Perry  died  in  child- 
hood. 

All  bis  life  Mr.  Cburchell  stood  for  the  high- 
est mora4  ijrinciples,  and  never  used  liquor  or  to- 
bacco in  any  form.  He  was  a  man  of  indus- 
trious habits,  and  was  always  willing  to  give  bis 
support  to  all  good  works.  A  public-siurited 
man,  he  was  deeply  interested  in  local  and  na- 
tional affairs,  especially  those  having  for  their 
object  the  betterment  of  humanity.  His  life  was 
a  useful  one,  aud  his  well-directed  efforts  were 
crowned  with  material  success,  while  at  the 
same  time  he  won  and  retained  the  coufideuce 
aud  respect  of  his  associates. 

His  descendants  hold  an  honored  position 
among  the  people  of  Du  Page  county,  for  the  les- 
sons taught  them  while  growing  up  were  based 
upon  Christian  living,  aud  they  learned  to  re- 
spect their  elders,  and  to  work  hard  and  save 
thriftil.v.  Many  men's  good  works  live  in  their 
children,  and  this  is  the  case  with  the  respected 
pioneer  Isaac  Bradford  Cburchell.  In  his  des- 
cendants his  upright  life  is  perpetuated  aud  his 
influence  will  live  long  after  all  that  is  mortal 
of  Mr.  Cburchell  has  crumbled  aud  returned 
to  the  dust  from  which  it  was  raised. 

CHURCHILL,  WiUiam  H.,  a  leading  citizen  of 
Glen  Ellyn,  belongs  to  one  of  the  oldest  families 
in  Du  Page  County.  He  is  well  known  as  an 
honored  veteran  of  the  Civil  War,  and  has  held 
several  public  offices  of  honor  and  trust.  Mr. 
Churchill  is  a  native  of  the  county,  having  been 
born  in  Milton  Township,  July  17,  1840.  His 
parents  were  Seth  and  Roxanna  (Ward) 
Churchill.  Both  were  born  near  Syracuse,  X.  X., 
the  former  May  20,  1S05  and  the  latter  January 
lu,  ISOS.  There  they  were  reared  and  married 
and  in  1S34  accompanied  Mr.  Seth  Churchill's 
parents.  Deacon  Winslow  and  Mercy  (Dodge) 
Churchill  west,  making  the  trip  as  far  as  Chi- 
cago in  one  of  the  lake  boats.  The  party  con- 
sisted of  Deacon  Winslow  and  his  wife,  their 
five  sons,    (three  of  them   with   families),   and 


four  daughters.  The  children  were :  William, 
Seth,  Winslow%  Jr.,  Isaac  B.,  Hiram,  Christiana, 
Elizabeth,  Lorena,  and  Armanda.  They  all  lo- 
cated in  Milton  Township  and  took  an  active 
part  in  the  uiibuildiug  of  the  community.  Deacou 
V>'in.slow  Churchill,  as  well  as  his  children,  be- 
longed to  the  Methodist  Episcopal  Church  and 
was  an  enthusiastic  worker  In  its  interests. 
Seth  Churchill  and  wife  located  on  a  large  tract 
of  land,  Sections  1  and  12,  one  mile  west  of  Bab- 
cock's  Grove,  now  Lombard,  and  immediately 
erected  a  log  house  which  later  served  not  only 
as  a  family  dwelling,  but  also  at  times  for 
school,  Sunday  School  and  church  purposes.  It 
is  well  worth  mentioning  that  this  house  which 
was  built  in  1834,  is  still  standing  and  in  fairly 
good  condition.  In  1844,  he  built  a  large  and 
comfortable  frame  house  which  for  many  years 
was  known  as  Du  Page  Center  Tavern.  He  and 
his  wife  conducted  this  hotel  and  at  the  same 
time  improved  the  farm. 

In  1S4S.  they  leased  the  farm  and  moved  to 
Chicago,  their  home  being  north  of  the  Chicago 
river  near  the  conjunction  of  the  North  and 
South  branches.  In  the  spring  of  the  year  the 
water  rose  so  high  that  they  were  compelled  to 
abandon  the  first  floor  of  their  house  and  live 
entirely  on  the  second.  The  dampness  occasioned 
so  much  sickness  in  the  family  that  a  year  later 
they  moved  back  to  the  farm  where,  the  newer 
place  beng  occupied,  they  lived  In  the  log  bouse 
for  a  time.  In  18.56  they  moved  to  Lombard  and 
there  spent  their  remaining  days,  the  mother 
passing  away  March  12,  1872,  and  the  father, 
June  30,  ISSti.  Their  five  children  were :  Hor- 
ace, who  is  believed  to  have  been  killed  by  the 
Indians  while  on  his  way  to  California  in  1854 ; 
Mary  J.  Ketcbum,  born  January  S,  1S2S ;  died 
March  17,  1898;  Myron,  born  April  23,  1834; 
died  December  2.5,  1870 ;  Mrs.  Emily  Johnson, 
lorn  August  17,  183S  and  William  H.  The  latter 
two  were  born  in  the  log  house  and  are  still 
living,  residents  of  Glen  Ellyn.  Parents  and  chil- 
dren were  all  members  of  the  Methodist  Episco- 
•  pal  Church.  Politically  Mr.  Seth  Churchill  was 
a  Republican.  He  was  industrious,  worked  hard 
all  bis  life,  and  his  children  and  friends  revered 
him  as  an  upright  Christian  and  a  man  of 
strict  integrity  in  all  bis  dealings. 

William  H.  Churchill  received  his  education 
in  the  district  schools  of  Milton  Township.  He 
assisted  his  father  while  the  family  lived  on  the 
farm,  but  after  they  moved  to  Lombard  he  took 


HISTORY  OF  DU  PAGE  COUNTY. 


825 


nil  the  trade  of  cai'iientry  which  he  followed  un- 
til he  enlisted  as  a  volunteer  in  the  Civil  War. 
On  September  IS,  1S61,  he  was  mustered  into 
the  service  in  Co.  E,  Eighth  Illinois  Cavalr.v, 
under  Colonel  Farusworth.  They  were  assigned 
(o  the  Army  of  the  Potomac,  and  saw  action  in 
many  of  the  most  important  battles  of  the  war, 
enduring  many  hardships  and  drinking  the  bit- 
terest dregs  of  a  soldier's  life.  He  was  In  the 
siege  of  Yorktown  and  through  the  Wilderness 
til  within  sight  of  the  spires  of  Richmond.  One 
of  his  nearest  calls  to  death  was  when  a  bullet 
kissed  his  cheek,  burning  it  as  though  it  had 
been  touched  by  a  hot  iron.  During  the  Seven 
rniys  fight,  from  the  Siege  of  Richmond  to  the 
lucttle  of  Harrison's  I>auding,  Mr.  Churchill  was 
detailed  on  the  Pioneer  Corps  and  had  scarcely 
any  sleep  during  all  that  time.  In  speaking  of 
the  battle  of  Boouesboro,  South  Mountain,  he 
says : 

"It  was  early  on  the  morning  of  the  14th  of 
September.  1802.  when  we  were  aroused,  and 
without  being  given  time  for  breakfast,  were 
ordered  into  line.  Then  came  the  order,  'For- 
w  ad  1'  We  had  not  proceeded  far  when  the 
crack  of  a  gun  and  the  whiz  of  a  bullet  told  us 
the  enemy  was  close  at  hand.  A  moment  later 
we  were  upon  them  and  iu  the  hand-to-hand 
flglit  which  ensued  they  fell  back  two  or  three 
miles  towards  Boouesboro.  We  followed  them, 
scattered  along  the  different  roads  and  through 
the  fields,  until  we  came  upon  their  main  lines, 
when  the  infantry  relieved  us.  The  engage- 
ment then  became  general,  lasting  throughout 
the  day  of  September  15,  but  as  the  sun  set  on 
that  day  the  enemy  gave  way  and  victory  was 
ours.  All  that  long  and  awful  night  I  helped 
carry  the  wounded  from  the  battlefield,  and  at 
dawn  of  the  IGth  was  ordered  to  the  rear  for 
rest.  But  I  turned  to  the  orderly  and  replied, 
't  win  go  with  the  boys  where  ever  they  go!' 
Soon  we  were  on  the  move  again,  and,  meeting 
the  Confederate  forces,  after  some  close,  severe 
fighting,  again  forced  them  to  retreat  to  the 
main  body  of  their  army.  Here  they  made  a 
determined  stand  and  adopted  offensive  tactics. 
V.lth  a  yell,  once  heard,  never  forgotten,  they 
charged  on  us.  I  singled  out  one  of  their  ofiicers 
who.  yelling  and  brandishing  his  sabre,  was  one 
of  the  foremost  in  line,  and  called  the  attention 
of  our  Captain  to  him.  fTaking  a  careful  aim  I 
fired  1  He  fell !  Still  it  is  impossible  to  say 
who    shot    him.     Only    those    who    have    passed 

14 


through  similar  experiences  can  understand  the 
l)€sition  and  feeling  of  a  soldier.  A  moment 
later  Captain  E.  S.  Kelly  was  shot  and  my  own 
horse  was  shot  under  me.  I  fell  with  it,  of 
course,  and  as  I  rose  to  my  feet,  several  guns 
wore  leveled  at  my  head  and  I  was  ordered  to 
surrender.  I  obeyed,  of  course.  As  I  was  taken 
within  their  lines  an  officer  thru.st  a  gun  in  m.v 
face  and  with  an  oath  threatened  to  shoot  me, 
but  upon  learning  what  regiment  I  was  from 
ordered  me  to  the  rear.  While  this  was  being 
done  I  had  time  to  note  the  havoc  which  was 
being  wrought  by  our  guns.  The  air  above 
seemed  filled  with  shot  and  shell,  which,  had  It 
been  aimed  lower,  would  have  meant  death  to 
every   living   thing. 

"Tlien  came  nine  long  weeks  of  htniger  and 
privation  in  LIbby  Prison,  Richmond,  Va.  Death 
stared  us  in  the  face  at  every  turn,  and  the 
once  ruddy  face  and  strong  limlj  grew  pale  and 
thin  from  sickness  and  starvation." 

Finally  Mr.  Churchill  was  taken  to  Annapolis 
and  exchanged.  He  returned  to  his  company 
and  again  saw  much  hard  service.  He  was  on 
picket  duty  the  night  before  the  battle  of  Get- 
t.vsburg  and  heard  the  first  gun  in  that  memor- 
able battle,  fired  by  Captain  M.  E.  Jones  from 
the  left  of  Seminary  Ridge.  He  was  also  in  the 
fight  at  Chester  Gap.  Va.,  where  the  enemy 
pa.ssed  through  the  mountains;  at  Ft.  Stevens 
near  Washington ;  and  many  others.  Shortly 
before  his  discharge  from  the  army,  his  arm 
\ias  broken  by  a  fall  from  a  horse,  and  for  a 
long  time  he  was  deprived  of  Its  use.  He  re- 
ceived his  discharge  September  28,  1864,  after 
having  served  three  .vears  and  twenty-eight 
days. 

In  October,  ISG.j.  he  married  Mrs.  Matilda 
(Crum)  Sherman.  Two  children  were  born: 
Izzadora,  Febniary  13,  18G7,  and  William  H., 
Feb.  10,  1875.  About  the  time  of  his  marriage 
he  rented  his  father's  farm  and  continued  there 
for  thirteen  years.  Then  he  moved  to  Glen 
Ellyn,  (then  Prospect  Park)  and  ran  a  store 
and  did  a  general  .soliciting  business  for  a  short 
time.  In  the  spring  of  1880,  he  went  by  wagon 
to  Hancock  County.  Iowa,  the  family  joining 
him  early  the  following  winter.  Here  he  bought 
a  quarter  section  of  land  and  did  farming  for 
eight  years.  From  1882  until  1880  he  held  the 
oflice  of  Justice  of  Peace.  In  the  spring  of  1SS3 
he  assisted  in  organizing  a  Methodist  Episcopal 
Sunday  School  near  his  home  in  Iowa,  In  which 


826 


HISTORY  OF  DU  PAGE  COUNTY. 


he  served  as  Snperiuteudeut  for  four  years.  He 
regards  tUis  as  one  of  the  happiest  periods  of 
Lis  life. 

I'pon  retiirnins  to  Gleu  Ell.vu,  Mr.  Churchill 
again  did  carpentering,  but  later  took  up  elec- 
trical work  aud  is  still  interested  along  this 
line.  Politically,  he  is  a  Republican,  and  for 
some  years  has  taken  an  active  part  in  public 
affairs.  In  1903  he  was  elected  City  Marshal, 
which  post  he  held  until  the  spring  of  1910.  He 
was  also  Constable  for  four  years  of  this  period. 
To  him  is  due  the  credit  for  the  erection  of  an 
80-foot  flag  pole  with  the  tweut.v-foot  flag,  aud 
the  two  12-i>ounder  Howitzer  Dahlgren  brass 
cannons  with  the  pyramids  of  balls,  which  deco- 
rate the  small  park  in  the  center  of  the  village. 
The  guns  are  mounted  on  concrete  bases,  the, 
model  for  which  he  made  himself.  One  gun  is 
trained  north  on  Main  street  aud  the  other  east 
on  Crescent  Boulevard.  The  requisite  funds 
were  contributed  by  the  people  of  the  village, 
Mr.  Churchill  personally  doing  the  soliciting. 
He  is  a  member  of  the  E.  S.  Kelly  Post,  Xo. 
513,  G.  A.  R.  and  in  January,  1911,  was  installed 
as  its  Commander.  In  this  position  he  was  able 
to  secure  from  the  government,  with  the  aid  of 
the  Representative  from  his  district,  the  two 
cannon  which  were  shipped  from  Mare  Island. 
Calif.  The  idea  of  the  flag  originated  with  him, 
and  he  deserves  unlimited  praise  for  c-arrying 
out  his  idea  with  the  patriotic  citizens  of  Glen 
Ellyn  who  have  every  reason  to  be  proud  of 
themselves  and  Mr.  Churchill,  as  they  see  the 
emblem  of  their  country's  honor  proudly  waving 
in  the  breeze. 

Mr.  Churchill  attends  the  Free  Methodist 
Church,  of  which  his  wife  is  a  member,  and 
both  are  active  in  church  work  and  other  worthy 
causes.  The  family  are  prominent  in  various 
circles,  aud  highly  esteemed  by  all.  The  follow- 
ing verses  which  Mr.  Churchill  showetl,  although 
not  composed  by  him  are  appropriately  (juoted 
in  this  connection. 

".She's  up  there — Old    Glory — where    lightnings 

sped, 
She  dazzles  the  Nations  with  ripples  of  red — 
And  she'll  wave  for  us  living  or  drooij  o'er  us 

dead — 
The  Flag  of  our  County  forever ! 


■>he's   lii)    there — Old    Glor.y — How    bright    the 

Stars    seem ! 
And    the    Stripes,    like    red    signals    of    liberty 
gleam. 
And  we  dare  for  her,  living,  or  dream  the  last 

dreams 
'jS'eath  the  Flag  of  our  County  forever : 

"She's    up    there — Old    Glory — uo    tyrant    dealt 

scars. 
No    blur    on    her   brightness,    uo   stain  on    her 

stars ! 
The  brave  blood  of  heroes  hath  crimsoned  her 

bars — 
She's  the  Flag  of  our  Country  forever  I" 

CLARK,  Fred.  Since  the  installation  of  re- 
frigerator cars,  and  their  constant  use  by  the 
mighty  railroad  systems  which  bisect  the  coun- 
try, the  freight  bushiess  has  been  increased 
man.v-fold.  The  country  at  large  profits  by  this, 
for  now  the  fruits  of  the  Paciflc  wast  are  sent 
all  over  the  country ;  the  once  perishable  dairy 
products  of  the  grazing  lands  are  marketed  in 
cities  the  width  of  the  continent  away,  and  all 
sections  are  drawn  together.  In  every  rail- 
road company's  oflices  the  accounting  depart- 
ment is  one  of  the  most  important,  for  each 
car  shipped  over  its  tracks,  and  those  con- 
tiguous to  it,  nmst  be  followed  and  its  entire 
history  recorded.  This  demand  for  painstaking, 
expert  work  give  employment  to  a  highly  intel- 
ligent class  of  men,  whose  talents  are  thus  con- 
served with  an  ultimate  gain  not  only  to  the 
corporation,  but  to  the  countr.v.  One  of  those 
thus  engaged  is  Fred  Clark,  one  of  Du  Page 
county's  prosperous  business  men,  whose  beau- 
tiful home  in  Hinsdale  is  located  at  Xo.  140 
S.  Washington  street.  In  selecting  Hinsdale  as 
a  place  of  residence  Mr.  Clark  showed  remark- 
able good  sense  and  keen  busine.ss  judgment, 
for  any  realty  investment  in  this  exquisite 
little  city,  is  one  that  will  make  large  returns, 
not  only  in  a  material  way,  but  in  added  health, 
comfort  and  happiness. 

His  association  with  his  great  railroad  com- 
pany has  been  a  long  one.  and  his  rise  has 
been  earned  through  faithful,  painstaking  en- 
deavor. These  railroads  seldom  promote  save 
for  merit,  so  that  the  occupancy  of  a  place  of 
trust  is  equivalent  to  g  strong  endorsement  of 
character    and    efliciency.      Mr.    Clark    has    al- 


c4«Uw^      ViAilyi/ 


HISTORY  OF  DU  PAGE  COUNTY. 


827 


ways  been  deeply  iuterested  in  securiug  good 
goverumeut  aud  civic  iiuproveiueuts  iu  Iliusdale, 
and  has  great  faith  iu  its  future,  believing  as 
he  does  that  it  is  by  far  the  most  promising 
of  all  of  Du  rage  county's  beautiful  residence 
districts. 

CLARK,  George  B.,  who  owns  and  operates  a 
tine  farm  on  Section  0,  Wayne  township,  is  an 
enterprising,  wide-awake  farmer  and  business 
man  aud  follows  modern  methods  with  excel- 
lent success.  Mr.  Clark  is  a  native  of  the 
county,  born  at  Bloomingdale,  August  5,  1S71, 
a  son  of  Abuer  and  Mary  L.  (Money)  Clark. 
Abner  C.  Clark  was  also  born  in  the  county, 
his  birth  occurring  at  Wayne,  May  21,  1S37. 
and  he  is  a  son  of  Daniel  and  Sally  (Carey) 
Clark,  the  former  born  at  Burlington,  N.  Y.. 
March  2,  1S02,  and  the  latter  at  Williamsburg, 
Mass.,  April  3,  1803.  Daniel  Clark,  left  an 
orphan  at  a  tender  age  was  bound  out  to  work 
until  he  reached  his  majority.  At  the  age  of 
seventeen  years,  he  ran  away  and  went  to 
Strongsville,  O.,  and  began  working  for  his 
cousin.  David  Kanney.  remaining  there  four 
years,  then  being  discovered  by  his  former 'mits- 
ter,  who  compelled  Mr.  Ilauney  to  pay  hiru.thp, 
money  earned  by  the  boy.  However,  being  a' 
conscientious  young  man,  Daniel  Clark  continued 
working  for  his  cousin  until  he  had  paid  back 
the  money  in  question  and  had  saved  so^'^1;h|rfig'' 
for  himself,  and  about  1S25,  was  married.  At 
the  time  of  his  marriage,  he  was  living  iii' Massa~ 
chusetts,  and  he  resided  at  Chatham  until  1S31, 
during  which  time  he  sold  notions  throughout 
the  country  and  cai-ried  on  farming  part  of  the 
time.  In  the  year  mentioned,  he  returned  to 
Strongsville  aud  carried  on  farming  in  that  vi- 
cinity for  about  five  years,  then  drove  an  ox 
team  through  to  Illinois  and  entered  ICO  acres 
of  land  from  the  government  in  Wa.vne  Town- 
ship, Du  Page  County,  later  adding  eighty  acres 
to  his  possessions.  He  developed  a  farm,  which 
he  sold  in  1S43,  and  moved  to  what  was  then 
known  as  Cimletville,  now  called  Wayne  Cen- 
ter, and  conducted  a  hotel  there  one  year,  when 
he  moved  to  what  is  now  known  as  Ingalton. 
where  he  conducted  a  hotel  two  years.  He  then 
removed  to  Oak  Ridge.  Cook  County,  purchased 
sixty  acres  of  land  and  a  hotel,  lived  there  one 
year,  sold  out  and  for  one  year  rented  a  hotel 
at  Austin.  He  tlien  removed  to  Bloomingdale, 
where  he   bought   eighty   acres  of  land   and    a 


hotel,  a  mile  aud  one-half  east  of  the  present 
village,  aud  lived  on  this  place  until  his  death, 
Xovember  20,  18(il.  his  wife  surviving  him  until 
^.ictober  8,   1864,  -when  she  passed   away. 

Five  children  were  born  to  Daniel  Clark  and 
wife,  the  only  survivor  being  Abner  C,  the 
youngest  child  and  the  only  one  'born  in  Illi- 
nois. Abner  C.  Clark  was  educated  in  the  pub- 
lic school  at  WarrenvUle  and  the  preparatory 
school  at  Wheaton,  after  w'hich  he  taught  school 
some  six  years.  He  remained  with  his  parents 
after  reaching  his  majority,  and  following  his 
father's  death,  looked  after  his  mother's  inter- 
ests until  her  demise.  In  1864.  he  bought  sixty 
acres  of  land  in  Bloomingdale  township  and 
remained  there  one  year,  then  purchased  seven- 
teen acres  of  land  and  a  hotel  a  mile  aud  one- 
half  west  of  the  village,  carrying  on  the  place 
until  about  18S0,  w'hen  he  purchased  forty 
acres  of  land  on  Section  17  of  Wayue  town- 
ship, where  he  remained  one  year.  In  1888, 
he  sold  out  and  rented  the  Allen  Fairliank  Farm 
in  Wayne  township  occupying  it  until  1901, 
when  he  bought  sixty-eight  acres  of  land  on 
Section  IS  of  Wayue  township,  where  he  now 
liV^s^;  Politically  he  is  a  Republican,  and  about 
isCQ,.  was  elected  Constable  of  Bloomingdale, 
atid  with  the  exception  of  one  year  has  since 
held  this:  office  continuously  in  that  or  in  Wayne 
lownshiiv  Fraternally,  he  is  affiliated  with 
.fBe.'Modern  Woodmen  of  .\merica. 

On  Xciveniber  3.  1863,  Abner  C.  Clark  mar- 
ried Sfar.v  L.  Jloney,  who  was  born  at  Watson. 
Lewis  County.  N.  Y..  October  8.  ISl-I.  daughter 
of  Lewis  and  Susan  (Frankhouse)  Money,  both 
natives  of  Switzerland,  who  were  brought  to 
America  in  childhood  by  their  parents.  The 
Jloney  family  came  from  New  York  to  Illinois 
in  1847.  lived  for  a  time  near  Jefferson.  Cook 
County,  and  iu  1855,  moved  to  Wisconsin,  re- 
mained four  years  in  that  State,  then  returned 
to  Jefferson,  lived  there  two  years  and  then 
came  to  Bloomingdale.  About  1867,  they  moved 
to  a  farm  near  Waseka,  111.,  where  the  parents 
spent  the  remainder  of  their  lives. 

Seven  children  were  born  to  Abner  C.  Clark 
and  wife,  namely :  Ernest,  born  in  September, 
1804.  died  at  the  age  of  four  years ;  Hattie  J.. 
iKirn  in  June.  1866,  died  at  the  age  of  five ; 
Lucy  A.,  born  December  19,  1867,  married  E.  L. 
Evans  and  lives  at  Freeport ;  George  B..  born 
August  5.  1871 ;  Abraham  A.,  born  June  27,  1875, 
lives  in  Wayne  Township,  married    (first)    Au- 


828 


HISTORY  OF  DU  PAGE  COUNTY. 


rillii  Wagner  in  1899,  (second)  Florence  Wine- 
gar  in  June,  19US ;  Kittle  M..  born  Ma,v  i:5,  1877, 
married  Willlani  .Stevens  and  the.v  live  in  Wayne 
Township ;  A.  t'.  Jr.,  boru  May  4,  1S79,  married 
Mary  I^reager,  March  30,  1011,  also  of  Wayne 
TowushiiL 

George  B.  Clark  received  his  education  in  the 
pulilie  schools  of  Bloomingdale  and  Wayne,  and 
worked  on  his  father's  farm  until  he  was  twenty- 
four  years  of  age,  then  rented  a  farm  and  for 
three  years  worked  on  shares,  then  moved  to 
I.illylake,  Kane  County,  and  for  three  years 
rented  a  farm  near  there.  He  returned  to  Du 
Page  Count,v,  and  for  live  years  rented  a  farm 
in  Wayne  Township.  In  March,  1907,  he  moved 
lo  a  farm  of  fifty-five  and  one-half  acres  on 
Section  0  of  the  same  township,  which  he  had 
purchased  two  years  before.  He  has  made  many 
improvements  and  is  now  building  another  silo, 
having  recently  completed  one,  and  a  milk  house. 
He  has  about  twenty-five  cows  and  keeps  a 
dairy    winter    and    summer. 

Jlr.  Clark  was  married  on  February  26,  1890. 
by  Rev.  J.  D.  Seak  of  Batavia.  111.,  to  Rose  R. 
Austin,  a  native  of  DeKalb,  111.,  born  March 
IS,  1869,  daughter  of  Kli  and  Sarah  (Scott) 
Austin  her  father  being  a  native  of  new  York 
and  her  mother  of  Illinois,  and  both  now  liv- 
ing in  Kane  County.  She  died  July  17.  1910 ; 
buried  at  Batavia.  Mr.  Clark  and  wife  ha"d 
these  five  children :  Julia  O..  boru  December 
1-t.  1890:  Bertha  A.,  November  0,  1S9S :  Mary 
S..  born  December  2.  1900,  died  April  1.  1901. 
buried  at  Compton  cemeter.v  in  Kane  County ; 
Roy  G.,  born  .January  17.  190.S :  and  Mildred 
E..  born  March  3.  1907.  Mrs.  Clark  belonged 
to  the  oCngregational  Church  of  Wayne  and 
was  interested  in  its  good  work  as  are  ber 
children.  Mr.  Clark  is  Republican  in  pontics 
and  is  affiliated  witli  the  Modern  Woodmen  of 
America.  He  stands  well  in  the  communit.v. 
and  is  a  worthy  representative  of  a  family  that 
has  been  highly  respected  in  the  county  for  three 
generations. 

COCHRAN,  James  Ira.  Honesty  of  purpose, 
steadfastness  of  endeavor  and  concentration  of 
effort  bave  lieen  combined  in  making  James  Ira 
Cochran  one  of  the  captains  of  industry  in  Du 
Page  and  Cook  counties.  Intimately  associated 
witli  the  histor.v  and  development  of  Lombard, 
since  his  settlement  there  in  1878.  his  activities 


have  carried  him  be.vond  its  confines,  and  he 
now  has  offices  at  No.  1214.  200  La  Salle 
street,  and  is  a  member  of  the  Board  of  Trade, 
carr.ving  on  an  extensive  brokerage  business. 
He  was  born  in  Dublin,  N.  H.,  June  27,  1847, 
being  a  son  of  Clark  C.  and  Rebecca  (Crombie) 
Cochran,  also  born  in  New  Hampshire  and  com- 
ing of  sturdy  Scotch  ancestry.  There  were  three 
children  boru  to  Clark  and  Rebecca  Cochran, 
namely:  Mary  Celestia.  wife  of  O.  W.  Clapp; 
John  C.  of  Chicago  and  James  Ira. 

During  his  boyhood,  James  Ira  Cochran  at- 
tended Lee  Centre  Seminary  and  Bryant  &  Strat- 
ton  Business  College  of  Chicago,  fitting  himself 
so  thoroughl.v  for  a  business  career  in  the  latter 
institution,  that  immediately  following  his  grad- 
uation, he  became  bookkeeper  in  a  Chicago 
brokerage  and  commission  liouse.  thus  continu- 
ing until  he  embarked  in  business  for  himself  as 
a  dealer  in  grain  and  provisions.  Since  then 
he  has  been  alone,  extending  his  field  of  opera- 
tions until  he  now  controls  a  vast  volume  of 
business.  In  1861.  he  became  a  member  of  the 
Board  of  Trade,  and  has  continued  an  active 
factor  of  that  body  ever  since. 

Mr.  Cochran  was  married  in  August.  1874,  to 
Ella  C.  Newell,  born  in  Brattleboro.  Vt..  and 
four  children  were  born  of  this  marriage ;  Bert- 
ram Clark.  Ernest  Newell,  Dwight  Ira  and 
Mabel.  Mrs.  Cochran  died  at  Lombard,  Novem- 
ber 15,  1885,  firm  in  the  faith  of  the  Congrega- 
tional Church  of  which  she  had  been  a  consistent 
member  for  man.v  years.  On  October  2,  1889.  Mr. 
Cochran  married  Mrs.  Annie  M.  Harris,  born  on 
Prince  Edward  Island,  Canada,  daughter  of 
George  and  Margaret  McKay.  Mrs.  Cochran 
bad  a  daughter  by  her  first  marriage,  Helen 
Newell  Harris.  Mr.  and  Mrs.  Cochran  became 
the  parents  of  two  children :  Charlotte  and 
Henry   Symonds. 

Thoroughly  in  earnest  in  anything  he  under- 
takes. Mr.  Coclrran  has  given  nnicli  thought  and 
time  to  Tximbard  affairs,  serving  for  a  number 
of  .vears  on  the  Board  of  Education  and  in  other 
offices,  and  always  supporting  the  principles  of 
the  Republican  party.  Having  devoted  himself 
so  exhaustively  to  business  and  public  affairs, 
Mr.  Cochran  has  not  been  prominent  in  social 
organizations,  but  is  ever  ready  to  assist  in  pro- 
moting any  measure  he  is  convinced  will  work 
out  for  the  betterment  of  his  comnnmity.  and  the 
extension  of  its  general  welfare  and  usefulness. 


Ohu^^^/  ^^il^toUM^^   (^.iiUny 


HISTORY  OF  DU  PAGE  COUNTY. 


829 


COE,  Clarence  T.  Hinsdale  property  is  so 
valuable  tbat  the  possessor  of  it  finds  plenty  to 
occupy  his  attention  in  looking  after  it,  while 
if  he  also  owns  farming  land  in  its  vicinity, 
he  belongs  to  the  wealthy  class.  One  of  the 
men  thus  fortunate  is  Clarence  T.  Coe,  born 
in  the  house  he  now  owns  and  occupies,  in  Hins- 
dale, September  11,  1S59,  being  a  son  of  John  S. 
and  Harriet  Coe.  Mr.  Coe  was  educated  in 
the  Fullersburg  and  Hinsdale  private  schools, 
and  learned  the  blacksmith  trade  with  his 
father,  following  it  for  seven  years.  He  then 
established  bottling  works  at  Fullersburg,  con- 
ducting the  business  for  four  years,  and  sell- 
ing at  a  profit.  For  some  years  following,  he 
was  traveling  salesman  for  a  Chicago  packing 
concern.  For  the  next  four  years,  he  did  an 
extensive  business  enlarging  portraits,  once 
more  selling  out  at  a  profit.  He  then  conducted 
billiard  parlors  for  seven  years.  During  all 
this  time  he  had  been  investing  in  Baldwin 
county,  Ala.,  having  a'  strong  faith  in  the 
future  of  property  there,  and  In  1907  came  to 
the  village  to  look  after  his  interests.  His 
alillity  to  attend  to  his  own  property  led  him 
into  handling  that  of  others,  and  he  now  ls_ 
doing  a  flourishing  business,  dealing  'in  real : 
estate,  and  writing  insurance  in  .  ^11  of- .-the 
large  companies.  His  efforts  in  behalf  of  the 
cnnunnnity  resulted  in  his  election  upon  two 
occasions  to  the  ofiice  of  School  toirector  .  in  _ 
Fullersburg,  while  lu  1009,  he  was  elected- 
Justice  of  the  Peace. 

In  ISSl,  Mr.  Coe  was  united  lu  marriage 
with  Cloe  Llbbie  Iver.son  of  Chicago,  who  bore 
him  three  children :  James  Chester,  Julia 
i:thel  and  Webster  Theodore.  James  C.  is  con- 
nected with  a  correspondence  school  of  Chicago, 
but  lives  in  Milwaukee,  Wis.;  Julia  E.  mar- 
ried a  Mr.  Hale,  a  hotel  man  of  Corpus  Christi, 
Tex. ;  and  Webstei-  Theodore  is  with  a  leading 
newspaper  of  San  Antonia,  Tex.  In  1906,  after 
lie  separated  from  his  first  wife,  Mr.  Coe  mar- 
ried Helen  B.  Bowe  of  Carroll,  O. 

Fraternally,  Mr.  Coe  is  an  Odd  Fellow,  be- 
longing to  Downer"s  Grove  Lodge,  No.  750.  He 
is  an  Independent  Democrat,  active  In  party 
ranks.  His  career  has  been  marked  by  many 
changes,  but  he  has  found  the  business  for 
which  he  is  eminently  fitted,  and  through  his 
enterprise,  realty  values  have  been  largely  in- 
creased in  Hinsdale  and  the  territory  ad.ia- 
cent  to  it. 


COE,  John  S.,  (deceased),  who  for  many  years 
was  one  of  the  honored  pioneers  of  Du  Page 
County,  has  left  behind  him  many  descendants 
who  do  honor  to  the  name  he  made  so  well 
known.  He  was  born  in  Rockland  County,  >;. 
Y.,  November  2.s,  IfSlS,  and  died  February  12, 
1000,  having  rounded  out  a  long  and  useful 
life  of  ninety-one  years.  In  1840,  Mr.  Coe  came 
to  Chicago,  from  New  York  City,  believing  that 
in  a  newer  community  he  would  find  better 
opportunities  for  carrying  on  his  trade  of  gen- 
eral blacksmithing  and  carriage  manufactur- 
ing. When  work  was  begun  on  the  old  Illinois 
and  Michigan  Canal,  Mr.  Coe  went  to  Summit, 
111.,  and  after  working  on  the  canal  for  a  short 
time,  he  engaged  with  the  firm  of  Bishop  & 
Barnes,  but  later  established  himself  in  a  shop. 
Still  later,  he  went  to  Downer's  Grove  township, 
where  he  bought  a  IGO  acre  farm,  and  in  1844. 
established  him.self  at  Fullersburg.  where  he 
conducted  the  largest  blacksmith  shop  in  the 
count.v.  Energetic  and  fond  of  hard  work,  he 
kept  on  in  this  shop  until  1870,  when  he  was 
induced  by  his  family  to  retire. 

Mr.    Coe    married    Harriet    Fuller,    daughter 
..of  Jacob  and  Oandice  (Sutherland)   Fuller,  the 
'  former  being  known  as  the  "Father"  of  Fullers- 
-.btu'g.   which    was    named    for   him.      From    the 
time   he  located   in    Fullersburg,    Mr.    Coe   was 
active  in  promoting  its  development,  and  served 
•^.K^poad  Commissioner.     When  the  first  school- 
•  *wi.«te   was  built,  the  Directors  had  no  money, 
.  Jait-Mr.'Coe  was  so  anxious  to  give  the  children 
of  the  township  proper  educational  advantages, 
that  he  gave  his  personal  note  for  the  requisite 
amount.     This  building  was  completed  in  18.50. 
and  fift.v-one  years  later  his  son.  C.  T.  Coe.  pur- 
chased   a    .$500    bond    which    provided    for    the 
raising  of  the  building  to  a  two-story  structure. 
This    same   son   now  owns   the   old    homestead, 
and   is  proud  that  it   is  in  his  possession.     In 
addition  to  his  own  residence,  Mr.  Coe  built  two 
others   in    Fullersburg    during    the   early    days, 
and  took  a  pride  in  investing  all  his  money  in 
the  town  of  his  selection.     He  had  the  misfor- 
tune  to  lose  his   wife,   who   passed   awa.v   sev- 
eral   years    before    him,    dying    when    she    had 
passed  her  eight.v-thii-d  birthday. 

The  history  of  Du  Page  County  might  be 
filled  with  recollections  of  this  typical  pioneer, 
for  he  was  one  who  impressed  himself  strongly 
U])nn  conteniporar.v  events.  Space  forbids  this, 
and  in  conclusion  all  that  can  be  said  may  be 


»30 


HISTORY  OF  DU  PAGE  COUNTY. 


couiiiri.seJ  iu  the  worcLs,  he  did  bis  full  duty 
as  au  active  citizeu,  aud  aggressive  puljlic  olli- 
cial,  aud  luoiiglit  up  bis  family  to  honor  him 
aud  their  mother  aud  respect  the  hiws  of  the 
country. 

COE,  Samuel  A.  Nearly  half  a  century  has 
elapsed  siuce  the  outbreak  of  the  great  Civil 
War  when  meu's  souls  were  tried  as  by  fire, 
aud  their  patriotism  put  to  a  test  many  of  the 
present  generation  could  not  stand.  Thousands 
of  those  who  bravely  marched  away  in  defense 
of  their  country  never  returned,  while  of  those 
who  did.  too  many  already  have  passed  into 
eternal  rest.  Some  still  remain,  however,  and 
one  of  the  honored  veterans  of  the  mighty  con- 
flict, is  Samuel  A.  Coe  of  Hinsdale.  He  was 
born  in  York,  Du  Page  County,  111.,  in  1S44, 
being  a  son  of  John  S.  Coe,  a  sketch  of  whom 
is  to  be  found  elsewhere  in  this  work. 

After  a  boyhood  spent  in  Du  Page  County. 
and  school  days  in  Fullershurg,  in  February, 
1SC2,  the  lad  of  eighteen  years,  enlisted  in  Com- 
pany L,  Second  Regiment  of  Illinois  Light  Ar 
tillery,  taking  part  iu  the  battles  of  Vicksburg 
and  Corinth,  serving  with  his  company  for 
three  years,  until  March,  1SG5,  when  he  was 
mustered  out  at  Springfield,  having  participated 
in  some  of  the  bloodiest  conflicts  the  country 
knew.  Returning  home,  he  began  farmiug,  and 
soon  went  to  Vienna,  Clark  County,  S.  D.,  there 
taking  up  a  claim.  Later,  he  bought  additional 
land  until  he  owned  480  acres.  From  1SS3  un- 
til 1&0.5.  he  remained  in  South  Dakota,  but  re- 
turned to  Du  Page  Count}-,  and  is  living  retired 
at    Hinsdale. 

On  September  14,  1S71,  he  was  married  at 
Downer's  Grove,  Du  Page  County.  111.,  to 
Julia  .T.  Whitney,  a  daughter  of  Norman  K.  and 
Mary  (Harmon)  Whitney.  Mr.  Whitney  is  a 
charter  member  of  the  Chicago  Board  of  Trade, 
and  an  operator  on  it.  Eight  children  have 
been  born  to  Mr.  and  Mrs.  Coe :  John  Knox, 
editor  of  the  Pilot  Review  of  Clark,  S.  D. ;  Eva 
B.,  now  Mrs.  Lyman  Fannig,  residing  on  a  farm 
at  Rhame.  N.  D. ;  Julia,  married  Frank  R.  Cook, 
a  farmer  of  Seranton,  X.  D. ;  Charles  R.  a 
farmer  of  Harding,  S.  D. ;  Hattie  M.,  married 
D.  R.  Elrod,  assistant  cashier  of  a  bank  at 
Vienna.  S.  D..  and  engaged  in  a  real  estate  busi- 
ness :  Alice  M..  married  F.  D.  Porter  of  Brook- 
fleld,  111.:   Helen   E.  and  Francis  at  home,   the 


latter   being  a   graduate  of   the   Hinsdale  Hign 
school. 

Mr.  Coe  is  a  member  of  the  G.  A.  R.,  and 
of  the  Masonic  fraternity.  He  is  a  Republi- 
can aud  always  has  been  a  worker  in  the  ranks 
of  his  party,  for  years  being  a  member  of  the 
County  Central  Committee  while  residing  in 
South  Dakota.  He  was  on  his  party  ticket 
for  State  Senator  in  1893,  but  was  defeated  by 
the  Populist  vote,  although  he  ran  ahead  of 
the  ticket.  He  was  Supervisor  of  his  township 
for  a  number  of  years,  and  was  Justice  of  the 
Peace.  Both  he  and  his  wife  believe  In  the 
Baptist  churches  and  give  liberally  towards  their 
support. 

COLE,  A.  T.  During  recent  years  the  stock 
raising  business  has  been  increased  to  such  pro- 
portions that  it  is  now  one  of  the  most  im- 
portant features  of  industrial  life,  as  well  as  one 
which  has  revolutionized  agricultural  opera- 
tions. The  ever  increasing  demand  not  only 
of  our  90,000,000  people,  but  those  of  foreign 
lands  for  meats,  has  made  it  necessary  to  meet 
it  with  a  large  supply,  aud  uuiny  farmers  who 
formerly  engaged  in  general  farming,  now  spend 
all  their  energies  in  raising  high  grade  cattle 
aud  other  stock.  Or.e  of  the  men  whose  opera- 
tions along  these  lines  have  assumed  large  pro- 
portions during  recent  years,  is  A.  T.  Cole,  of 
Wheaton,  whose  office  Is  at  813  W.  Sixteenth 
street,  Chicago.  Having  been  reared  to  a  agri- 
cultural life,  and  given  the  test  of  his  years 
towards  studying  and  experimenting  in  raising 
stock.  Mr.  Cole  lias  now  attained  to  a  method 
which  brings  him  most  enviable  results. 

Mr.  Cole  attended  district  school,  and  early 
showed  skill  in  handling  farm  problems.  He 
was  not  content  to  follow  in  the  path  made  l)y 
his  father  and  neighbors,  but  decided  to  strike 
out  for  himself.  Little  by  little,  he  increased 
his  holdings  until  he  owns  at  present  one  of  the 
finest  stock  farms  in  Du  Page  county,  and  his 
exhibits  at  the  annual  Chicago  stock  show  re- 
ceive merited  attention.  Honest,  steadfast,  de- 
voted to  his  family  and  conmnmity,  Mr.  Cole 
is  an  excellent  example  of  the  sound  men  of  Du 
Page  county  who  have  made  it  known  through- 
out the  State  as  a  locality  desirable  for  resi- 
dence,  industrial  and  agricultural   purposes. 

COMPTON,  Henry  D.  There  i.s  always  op- 
portunity for  the  stout-hearted,  fearless,  honest 


HISTORY  OF  DU  PAGE  COUNTY. 


831 


man  in  any  new  community,  for  there  is  so 
mucti  need  of  earnest  workers.  One  of  the 
men  who  long  ago  established  his  reputation 
for  good  worlc,  faithful  carrying  out  of  eon- 
tracts,  and  civic  pride,  is  Henry  D.  Compton 
of  Wheatou,  to  whom  Du  Page  owes  an  im- 
mense debt,  for  he  it  is  who  is  responsible  for 
much  of  the  excellent  building  in  this  part  of 
the  State.  Mr.  Compton  was  born  in  Rochester, 
N.  Y.,  September  29,  184.3,  being  a  son  of  Henry 
and  Mary    (Gray)    Compton,  farming  people. 

Mr.  Compton  received  a  common  school  edu- 
cation, coining  to  Wheaton  when  seventeen 
years  old.  He  at  once  began  farming,  thus 
continuing  until  he  felt  his  country  had  need 
of  him.  when  he  enlisted,  September  2,  1862. 
in  Company  F,  One  Hundred  and  Fifth  Illinois 
Volunteer  Infantry,  at  Blooniingdale.  He  was 
in  the  battles  that  are  traced  in  words  of  blood 
from  Xashville  to  Dalton,  Ga.,  including  Ra- 
saca,  New  Hope  Church,  Big  Shanty,  Kenesaw 
Mountain,  and  Atlanta.  He  was  mu.stered  out 
in  June.  1865,  and  had  the  honor  of  partici- 
pating in  the  Grand  Review  at  Washington. 
Returning  to  Wheaton,  he  commenced  to  learn 
the  carpenter  trade,  later  branching  out  into 
a  general  contracting  and  building  business, 
in  which  he  continued  until  his  retirement  in 
1898.  He  built  three-fourths  of  the  houses  north 
of  Main  Street  and  nearly  all  the  best  residences 
in  Wheaton,  and  also  erected  the  Grote  block. 
He  served  very  acceptably  as  Alderman  and 
Assessor  and  Trustee  of  Schools,  faithfully  dis- 
charging the  duties  of  these  several  offices. 

Mr.  Compton  was  married,  in  June,  1868,  to 
Tirzah  Childs  of  Vermont.  They  had  six  chil- 
dren :  Sarah,  who  married  Edward  Mounlaud 
of  Wheaton :  Mary,  who  married  Fred  B.  Tay- 
lor assistant  cashier  of  the  Corn  Exchange 
Bank  of  Chicago,  a  resident  of  Wheatou ;  Jessie, 
who  married  Bead  Armstrong  of  Waukegon,  a 
newspaper  man ;  Alice,  who  married  Arthur  E. 
Webster,  County  Surveyor  of  Du  Page  County, 
a  resident  of  Wheatou ;  Isadore,  at  home,  as 
is  Tirzah  Louisa,  now  Mrs.  Goodrich  Lewis  of 
Wheaton.  Mrs.  Compton  died  in  1908,  leaving 
a  sorrowing  family  to  mourn  her  loss.  Mr.  Comp- 
ton is  a  member  of  Wheaton  Post.  G.  A.  R.,  in 
which  he  is  honored  for  his  war  record,  and  his 
personal  qualities  which  make  him  so  pleasant 
a   companion. 


CONLEY,  James.  In  the  pioneering  that 
won  our  half  of  the  continent,  it  was  personal 
physical  heroism,  combined  with  the  desire  for 
opportunity  to  gain  land,  that  played  an  im- 
portant part.  Coming  here  when  Iliuois  was 
little  more  than  a  vast  prairie,  many  of  the 
men  now  living,  bent  all  their  energies  and 
struggled  bravely  for  a  home  of  their  dreams,  so 
that  in  time  these  efforts  began  to  shape,  ijuietly, 
unalterably  and  definitely  into  the  Common- 
wealth as  we  now  know  it.  One  of  those  en- 
rolled on  the  lists  of  these  brave  jJioneers  is 
James  Conley,  of  West  Chicago.  He  was  born 
in  Tipperary,  Ireland,  June  25.  1819,  a  son  of 
Patrick  and  Xancy   (Dugan)   Conle.v. 

James  Conley  received  a  meagre  education 
in  his  native  place,  remaining  with  his  par- 
ents until  1S34  but  in  that  year  he  with  his 
father,  and  the  eight  children  of  the  family, 
embarked  on  a  sailing  vessel  from  Liverpool 
to  New  York,  being  seven  weeks  and  four  days 
on  the  voyage.  The  first  winter  was  spent  in 
Alban.v,  N.  Y.  James  Conley  then  secured  a 
position  on  a  farm  in  St.  Lawrence  County,  N. 
Y.,  remaining  there  two  .vears.  He  then  went 
to  Livingstone  County,  N.  Y..  where  he  remained 
until  the  spring  of  1S43,  when  he  married,  and 
came  to  Du  Page  County,  111.  He  bought  forty 
acres  of  land  on  the  present  site  of  West  Chi- 
cago. After  two  year.s,  he  sold  this,  buying 
eighty  acres  in  another  part  of  this  town.  Here 
he  lived  for  six  .years,  adding  fort.v-seven  acres 
more.  Selling,  he  bought  2.50  acres  in  the  vicin- 
ity, living  on  it  for  two  years.  For  the  next 
three  years,  he  rented  his  farm,  but  then  sold 
it.  Returning  to  West  Chicago,  he  built  him 
a  house  and  lived  In  it  for  thirty-five  years. 
The  town  had  begun  to  grow,  the  Chicago  and 
Northwestern  Railroad  running  through  it,  and 
Air.  Conley  kept  the  depot  restaurant  for  twenty- 
two  years,  his  wife  doing  all  the  cooking.  His 
first  house  was  the  third  one  built  in  the  town. 
and  stood  west  of  the  Methodist  parsonage, 
but  in  1880.  he  erected  a  large  frame  house  on 
two  acres  of  land  near  the  railroad  station. 
Mr.  Conley  owns  twenty  acres  adjoining  the 
corporation  of  West  Chicago.  Since  1900.  he 
has  lived  retired.  In  1902,  he  had  a  fall  which 
resulted  in  such  serious  injuries  that  he  has 
been  confined  to  the  house  ever  since. 

In  the  spring  of  1843.  Mr.  Conley  married 
Eliza  Sutter,  born  in  the  North  of  Ireland,  a 
daughter  of  Samuel  Sutter.     She  came  to  New 


83-2 


HISTORY  OF  DU  PAGE  COUNTY. 


York  State  with  a  brother  when  sixteen  years 
old.  Mrs.  Coiile.v  died  July  8,  1901.  a  truly 
Christian  woman  and  devoted  to  lier  family 
and  home.  The  children  horn  to  these  parents 
were :  Ann,  Mrs.  Nelson  Springer,  died  Octo- 
ber IG,  1891;  John  died  Marcli  17,  1903;  Eliza- 
beth, Mrs.  Thomas  Quiun,  her  father's  house- 
keeper, while  Mr.  Qulnn  is  in  the  employ  of 
the  C.  M.  &  S.  P.  Railroad. 

Mr.  Couley  was  brought  up  in  the  Catholic 
Church  although  not  a  memlier  of  it.  In  pol- 
itics, he  is  an  independent  and  has  served  in 
several  school  ofhces.  Although  venerable,  he 
retains  all  his  faculties,  and  is  bright  and  quick, 
a  man  who  enjoys  a  joke  and  who  knows  how 
to  tell  a  good  stor.v.  His  recollections  of  pioneer 
days  are  e.xtremely  entertaining,  and  valuable 
as  well  for  they  give  an  excellent  idea  of  con- 
ditions  in   tho.se   days. 

CONOVER,  Lawrence  P.  Some  of  the  memlicrs 
of  the  legal  profession  in  Du  Page  County  have 
established  their  reputations  as  reputable  and 
able  law.vers  through  long  and  honorable  prac- 
tice in  both  Du  Page  and  Cook  Counties.  They 
are  recognized  as  being  men  of  whom  their 
profession  is  proud,  conferring  distinction  upon 
their  calling  and  the  communities  in  which  they 
are  located.  One  of  these  eminent  lawyers  is 
Lawrence  P.  Ctonover,  with  otBces  at  Chicago, 
but  who  resides  in  Hinsdale.  He  was  born  at 
Dayton,  Ohio,  March  18,  1SG3,  being  a  son  of 
Harvey  and  Ellen  Margaret  (Pease)  Conover. 
Mr.  Conover  was  graduated  from  the  University 
of  Wisconsin  with  the  degree  of  A.  B.,  In  1885, 
securing  his  degree  of  LL.  B.  from  the  same  in- 
stitution in  1SS7.  In  that  same  year  he  was 
admitted  to  the  bar  and  began  a  general  prac- 
tice in  Chicago.  In  1893  he  located  at  Hinsdale, 
which  has  continued  to  be  his  place  of  resi- 
dence. 

On  September  16,  18S6.  Mr.  Conover  was  mar- 
ried at  Madison,  Wis.,  to  Isabel  Storer.  Mr. 
and  Mrs.  Conover  are  the  parents  of  four  chil- 
dren :  Mary  Storer,  Harvey,  George  Storer  and 
Eichard  Allan.  In  political  belief  Mr.  Conover 
is  a  Republican,  but  during  his  busy  life  has 
had  no  inclination  to  look  for  public  honors. 
The  Unitarian  Church  of  Hinsdale  holds  his 
membership.  He  is  a  keen,  shrewd,  capable 
attorney,  whose  strict  probity  is  universally  ad- 
mitted.    During   the   years   he    has    been   prac- 


ticing in  Du  Page  and  Cook  counties  he  has  had 
many  legal   triumphs. 

COREL,  Philip,  a  farmer  of  Lisle  township, 
was  born  at  Chicago.  111.,  Xoveniber  21,  ISoS, 
a  son  of  Jacob  and  Caroline  (Voght)  Corel,  the 
former  a  native  of  Baden,  and  the  latter  of 
Alsace,  Germany.  The  maternal  grandfather, 
George  Voght,  came  to  Lisle  township  in  1843. 
Jacob  Corel  located  in  Chicago  in  1845,  and  for 
many  years  worked  in  a  wagon  factory  as  fore- 
man. After  his  marriage  he  continued  to  live 
in  Chicago  until  the  spring  of  1859,  when  he 
purchased  a  farm  in  Lisle  township,  but  after 
living  there  four  years,  sold  and  bought  the 
property  now  occupied  by  his  son  Philip.  This 
farm  contains  235  acres  and  Mr.  Corel  became 
very  successful  operating  it.  carrying  it  on  until 
his  death,  April  2.  1894.  at  the  age  of  seventy- 
two  years.  His  widow  has  lived  in  Naperville 
since  April,  1902.  and  is  in  her  eight.v-second 
year.  They  had  children  as  follows :  Elizabeth, 
Mrs.  Rnfus  Xetzley.  who  lives  at  Naperville ; 
William  who  lives  with  his  brother  Philip; 
Caroline,  Mrs.  B.  W.  Hughes,  who  lives  in 
Lisle  township ;  Ida  .M.  who  lives  with  her 
mother;  George  J.  who  lives  on  the  home  farm 
with  his  brothers;  and  Philip. 

Philip  Corel  worked  for  his  father  until  the 
death  of  the  latter,  when  he  and  his  brother 
rented  the  homestead  from  their  mother,  and 
now  carry  on  general  farming  and  dairying. 
Their  place  is  large  enough  to  give  an  oppor- 
tunity for  diversified  farming  and  as  the  broth- 
ers are  men  of  intelligence  and  energy,  they 
are  conducting  their  operations  according  to  mod- 
ern methods,  reaping  thereby  the  maximum 
profits  from  the  ]iriidnctiveness  (rf  their  prop- 
erty. 

On  November  5,  1901,  Mr.  Corel  married  Let- 
tie  B.  Netzley.  born  in  Lisle  township,  August 
3,  1866,  daughter  of  Jacob  and  Dina  (Givler) 
Netzley,  the  father  a  native  of  Pennsylvania 
and  the  mother  of  Ohio.  To  Mr.  and  Mrs. 
Corel  have  been  born  three  children,  Leona  M., 
Glen  J.  and  Homer  G.  Mr.  Corel  received  his 
primary  education  in  the  district  schools  of  his 
neighborhood  and  later  spent  two  years  at  the 
Northwestern  College  at  Naperville.  Since 
leaving  college  he  has  followed  farming.  He  is 
a  member  of  the  Congregational  Church,  and 
in  politics  is  a  Republican,  serving  fourteen 
years    as   highway   commissioner,   six   years   as 


> 

Cd 


> 


HISTORY  OF  DU  PAGE  COUNTY. 


833 


school  trustee  aud  for  some  time  has  beeu  ;i 
school  director.  Interested  in  the  progress  and 
welfare  of  his  community  aud  especially  in  the 
cause  of  education,  Mr.  Corel  has  rendered  ef- 
fective service.  Fraternally  he  is  connected  with 
the  Modern  Woodnien  of  America  and  the  Court 
of  Ilouor. 


CRAMER,  Mathias  D.,  deceased,  was  a  well- 
known  and  highly  respected  citizen  of  Du  Page 
county,  identified  with  the  best  interests  of  his 
community,  who  left  a  wide  circle  of  friends  to 
sincerely  mourn  his  loss.  He  was  a  native  of 
New  Jersey,  born  in  April,  1S20,  and  reared  in 
his  native  state,  where  he  married  JIargaret 
Guthrie,  a  native  of  Scotland.  She  came  to 
America  in  girlhood.  In  IS.")."),  ilr.  Cramer  came 
to  Du  Page  county,  and  spent  a  short  time  in 
Downer's  Grove  township,  aud  the  following 
winter  was  in  Chicago.  In  the  spring  he  re- 
turned to  Du  Page  county  aud  engaged  in  oper- 
ating the  Walton  farm.  The  ne.xt  year  he  pur- 
chased seventy-one  and  one  quarter  acres  of  land 
on  section  31,  Downer's  Grove  township,  and 
lived  there  from  18.57  until  1882.  when  he  retired 
from  active  life  to  the  village  of  Downer's  Grove, 
where  his  death  occurred  March  15.  1909,  at  the 
age  of  eighty-eight  years  aud  eleven  mouths. 
His  widow  survived  but  a  shor^  tlilre'"lpBSW,"-. 
iiassing  awav  Aiiril  8.  1909.  aged,  aliout.  eigUtv-,  2",  18S5  to  Mr. 
nine  years.  Both  are  buried  iif  Fairview^em-  is  jyi  active  an 
etery.      They    were    parents    oS    four    children, 


a  iirtjductive  property  and  is  devoted  to  a  gen- 
eral line  of  farming,  with  special  attention  be- 
ing i»id  to  dairying. 

On  March  29,  1882,  Frank  H.  Cramer  mar- 
ried Jennie  Atwood,  daughter  of  John  K.  and 
Sarah  (Sheldrick)  Atwood,  the  latter  of  whom 
was  born  on  the  farm  where  she  now  resides, 
November  20,  1857.  .John  K.  Atwood  was  a 
native  of  England  who  came  to  America  as  a 
young  man.  He  spent  sl.x  months  in  Buffalo 
and  went  from  there  to  Illinois,  eventually 
reachhig  Du  Page  county,  where  he  purchased 
eighty  acres  of  land  from  a  Mr.  Leonard.  This 
was  all  uncultivated  prairie,  but  he  set  to  work 
to  erect  the  necessary  buildings  and  in  other 
\\a,\s  to  improve  the  place.  Some  years  later 
lie  moved  to  another  farm  of  the  same  size  and 
at  the  time  of  his  death  owned  150  acres  of 
land,  passing  away  in  May,  1904,  at  the  age  of 
eighty-four  years.  His  wife  died  in  Septem- 
ber. 1903,  aged  eighty-eight  years.  They  were 
jiarents  of  eight  children,  namely  :  Emil.v,  Wil- 
liam, John  Thomas  and  John  Knight,  all  of 
whom  are  deceased;  Thomas  w-ho  lives  at  Van- 
dalia  ;  Alfred  who  lives  on  part  of  the  home 
f;irni  :  Eliza.  Airs.  Henry  Smart,  who  lives  at 
Cass.  HI.;  aud  Jennie.  Mrs.  Cramer,  who  is  a 
twin  sister  of  Eliza. 

One   child.    Arthur    Ray,    was    born    January 

and  Mrs.  Cramer.     Mr.  Cramer 

x}\  active  and  useful  member  of  the  Method- 

t   Episcopal  Church  and  at  one  time  belonged 


namely  :  Adolphus  J.,  who  is  living  iu  Aurora  :  to  the  Modern  Woodmen  of  America  at  Down- 
Frank  Hector,  who  is  given  furthei^MeiltTOft  li?['  -'er's  Grove.  He  has  for  many  years  served  as 
low ;  Augustus  J.,  who  died  in  I860',  ageh'aboiit  '    ehafi'uian  of  the  Republican  county  central  com- 


nine  years,  and  is  buried  in  Fairview  Cemeter.v ; 
aud  Emma  J.,  who  is  the  wife  of  John  Peace. 
lives  at  484  West  One  Hundred  Twenty-fifth 
street.  New  York  City. 

Frank  Hector  Cramer,  who  was  Ixirn  in 
Bridgeport,  Conn.,  March  10.  1,848,  accompanied 
his  parents  to  Du  Page  comity  when  a  small 
boy  and  has  ever  since  resided  in  Downer's 
Grove  township.  He  has  spent  the  greater  part 
of  his  active  life  iu  building  and  mason  contract 
work,  in  conjunction  with  farming,  but  in  1804, 
came  to  his  present  farm  and  since  then  ha? 
confined  his  attention  to  agricultural  work,  liv 
lug  at  present  on  part  of  the  Atwood  farm 
■which  is  one  of  the  best  improved  places  in 
the  township.  In  addition  to  remodeling  the 
house  and  barn  he  has  in  other  ways  brought 
the  farm  into  a  very  desirable  condition.    It  is 


mittee  and  has  served  continuously  since  1903, 
as  .supervisor. 

CURTIS,  Alonzo  B.,  deceased,  who  spent  much 
of  his  life  in  Du  Page  County,  111.,  was  born 
at  West  Martinsburg,  Lewis  County,  N.  T.,  Au- 
gust 14,  1832,  a  son  of  Peter  Burr  and  Philena 
(Look)  Curtis.  In  the  spring  of  1837  the 
father  moved  to  a  homestead  two  miles  west  of 
what  is  now  Wheaton,  HI.,  and  resided  there 
until  his  death  in  1871.  It  was  on  this  farm 
that  Alonzo  B.  Curtis  grew  to  manhood,  and 
in  April,  1852,  he  was  married,  at  Wheaton,  111., 
to  Rebecca  Schatz.  They  resided  on  the  old 
homestead  until  October.  18SS,  then  sold  the 
farm  to  the  ofiicials  of  Du  Page  County,  to  be 
used  as  a  home  for  the  poor  of  the  county.  Mr. 
Curtis  then  removed  to  Geneva,  Neb.,  and  pur- 


834 


HISTORY  OB^  DU  PAGE  COL^^TY. 


chased  two  fai'ms,  but  coiitiuuetl  in  the  religious 
worli  iu  wbieh  lie  had  already  engaged  before 
leaviug  Illiuois.  He  had  been  an  honorable  and 
highly  respected  citizen  of  Du  I'age  County  and 
won  a  high  standing  iu  the  community  to  whicli 
he  had  removed. 

In  the  early  days,  when  trained  nurses  were 
unlinown.  Mr.  Curtis  was  often  found  taking 
care  of  the  sieli  or  preaching  a  sermon  after 
death  had  resulted  from  a  contiigious  disease. 
Where  others  would  have  stopped  to  count  the 
cost  he  did  not  hesitate,  but  went  wherever  he 
felt  called  by  dtity.  He  was  an  earnest  and 
faithful  worl^er  in  the  Jlethodist  Episcopal 
Church  at  Wheaton,  for  years  Superintendent 
of  the  Sunday  School,  and  upon  his  departure 
for  what  was  then  known  as  the  West,  was  pre- 
sented with  re.solutious  of  respect.  He  was 
known  as  a  farmer  but  aside  from  this  was  a 
local  exhorter  and  supplied  many  a  pulpit, 
preaching  forcible  sermons  and  preaching  the 
true  Gospel  of  Jesus  Christ,  declaring  the  truths 
of  the  Bible  and  appealing  to  all,  old  and  young, 
to  follow  the  teaching  of  the  Master.  Many 
were  converted  through  his  earnest  exhortations 
and  not  only  was  his  pleading  deeply  effective 
in  the  pulpit,  but  while  associated  with  those 
who  came  in  touch  with  him  on  the  farm,  he 
did  his  best  to  turn  their  thoughts  to  higher 
planes,  and  his  sou,  who  has  furnished  material 
for  this  sketch,  has  been  told  by  persons  who 
publicly  declared  themselves  for  Christ  several 
years  after  the  death  of  Mr.  Curtis,  that  it  was 
due  to  his  pleading  with  them  years  before.  He 
seemed  to  love  the  work  in  which  he  did  so 
much  good  and  was  never  ready  to  give  it  up 
as  long  as  he  remained  on  earth. 

To  5Iv.  Curtis  and  wife  ehidlren  were  born  as 
follows :  Augusta  died  when  two  years  of  age ; 
Ina  P.  died  at  Rock  .Springs,  Wyo..  at  the  age 
of  fifty  years ;  Ida  M.  and  Benjamin  B.  now  re- 
side at  Glen  Ellyn,  Du  Page  County.  The 
mother  of  these  children  has  lived  with  her 
son  Ben.iamin  since  the  death  of  her  husband, 
and  at  the  present  writing  (1012)  is  in  her 
eight.v-second  year.  Mr.  Curtis  was  in  all  things 
public-spirited  and  iu  politics  was  a  Republican. 

We  can  not  pass  without  saying  something  of 
the  home  life  of  Alouzo  B.  Curtis.  He  was  a 
man  who  dearly  loved  every  member  of  his 
family  and  did  everything  in  his  power  for  the 
welfare  and  future  of  his  children.  June  11, 
ISOO.  just  at  the  setting  of  the  sun,  he  left  this 


world  for  the  world  beyond,  of  which  he  had 
talked  so  much  ,and  where  a  well-earned  crown 
li;id  1  eeu  i>repared  for  him. 

GUSHING,  Emma  M.,  author  of  the  history  of 
Downer's  Grove  township,  including  that  of  the 
village  of  Downer's  Grove,  Hinsdale  and  the 
other  villages  within  the  confines  of  this  town- 
ship, is  one  of  the  most  honored  ladies  of  Hins- 
dale. She  was  born  in  Lincolnshire,  England, 
near  Wapode,  in  a  farming  district.  "\Mien  she 
was  only  si.x  m<mths  old,  her  parents  emigrated 
to  Amoriia,  in  a  sailing  vessel,  the  trip  consum- 
ing five  weeks.  .Settlement  was  made  at  Green- 
tield,  five  miles  from  the  city  of  Detroit,  Mich., 
where  two  years  later,  the  father.  John  Smith 
was  accidentally  killed.  The  widow  by  careful 
management,  working  with  her  needle,  succeeded 
in  rearing  her  family  which  consisted  of  Mrs. 
Cushing  and  three  older  children.  She  gave 
each  one  an  excellent  education,  and  instilled 
in  them  principles  of  industry,  frugality,  honesty 
and  revel  ence. 

As  Mrs.  Smith  moved  with  her  family  to  De- 
troit, after  the  death  of  her  husband,  Mrs.  Cush- 
ing attended  the  excellent  schools  of  that  city, 
being  graduated  from  the  high  school  of  her 
district  when  eighteen  years  old.  That  siime 
year,  she  commenced  teacliing  in  the  Detroit 
schools,  first  in  the  Houghton,  and  later  in  the 
old  Bishop  school,  thus  continuing  until  1875. 
when  she  was  married  to  Otis  Cushing  of  Bos- 
ton, whose  ancestors  came  to  Plymouth  in  1G38. 

At  first,  Mr.  and  Mrs.  Cushing  lived  at  De- 
troit, but  then  spent  one  year  at  Houghton, 
Mich.,  where  their  first  son  and  second  child 
was  born.  Coming  eventuallj-  to  Chicago,  they 
lived  at  Englewood,  but  iu  1886,  moved  to  Hins- 
dale, which  has  continued  to  be  their  home. 
Their  handsome  residence  at  32.3  Fifth  street, 
was  built  iu  1880.  Five  daughters  and  two  sons 
have  been  born  to  Mr.  and  Mrs.  Cushing.  the 
last  three  since  coming  to  Hinsdale. 

Mrs.  Cushing  has  been  for  years  officially 
connected  with  the  Hinsdale  Woman's  Club, 
with  the  Woman's  Board  of  Missions  of  the  In- 
terior, and  has  been  a  working  member  of  the 
Congregational  Church  and  its  societies  for  over 
twenty  years. 

DAMMEIER,  William,  deceased,  who  spent  the 
last  few  years  of  his  lite  at  Elmhurst,  111.,  re- 
tired   from    business,    took    an    active    part    in 


HISTORY  OF  DU  PAGE  COUNTY. 


835 


the  afl'nirs  of  the  city,  was  .1  prouiineut  uieiu- 
ler  of  the  Lutheran  Church,  aud  was  known 
as  an  upright,  intelligent  citizen,  who  had  the 
respect  and  esteem  of  a  large  circle  of  friends. 
He  served  some  time  as  collector  for  the  church 
and  for  six  years  was  a  meuiher  of  the  school 
board  of  Elnihursl.  Mr.  Damuieier  was  born  in 
the  town  of  Lyden,  t'ooli  county.  111.,  August 
]t3,  1^58.  a  sou  of  Frederick  aud  Caroline  (Blue) 
Dammeier.  He  was  educated  in  the  German 
schools  and  followed  farming  all  his  life  until 
locating  in  Elmhurst  November  20,  1802,  when 
he  erected  the  present  comfortable  home  of  the 
family  at  140  Clara  Place. 

On  May  2S.  ISSO,  Mr,  Dammeier  married  So- 
phia, daughter  of  William  and  Wilhelmina  (Eb- 
eling)  Xeddemeier  who  was  born  at  Lomljard 
May  IS.  IS.JO.  and  was  also  educated  in  the 
German  schools.  Mr.  Dammeier  and  wife  be- 
came the  parents  of  the  following  children: 
Alma,  who  was  born  May  2,  ISS.?,  died  June  17, 
I'JOO ;  Emil,  who  died  at  the  age  of  four  week.s, 
was  buried  in  Elm  Eawn  Cemetery ;  William, 
who  was  born  September  .30,  1S8(;,  lives 
at  lUver  Forest;  Emma,  who  is  deceased; 
Amanda,  who  was  born  May  17,  1891,  married 
William  Hoffman  and  they  lived  at  141  Clara 
Place,  Elmhurst:  Edwin,  who  is  deceased; 
and  Hulda,  who  was  born  March  '>.  1S92,  is  a 
telephone  operator  at  Oak  Park.  Sir.  Dem- 
meier  died  at  his  residence  in  Elmhurst  August 
24.  ino.5.  but  his  widow  still  resides  in  the  same 
place.  She  has  lately  erected  a  handsome  resi- 
dence at  141  Clara  I'lace,  now  occupied  by  her 
daughter  aud  son-in-law,  Mr.  and  Mrs.  Hoffman. 
A  member  of  the  Lutheran  Church  she  is  well 
known  in  this  congregation  as  well  as  in  social 
circles. 

DARLING,  WilUam  Herbert.  The  banking  in- 
terests of  any  community  are  of  such  vast  im- 
portance that  particular  attention  must  be  paid 
to  the  character  aud  business  standing  of  the 
men  connected  with  the  institutions  to  whom 
these  same  interests  are  intrusted.  Wheaton  is 
the  home  of  some  of  Du  Page  County's  wealth- 
iest men.  who  expect  to  have  their  banking  at- 
tended to  with  dispatch  and  perfect  safety,  and 
they  are  satisfied  that  all  the  requirements  of 
modern  financial  life  are  fully  met  by  the  Gary- 
Wheaton  Bank,  principally  because  of  the  men 
who  compose  its  staff.  One  of  them  who  has 
won  the  confidence  of   the  whole  community  is 


William  Herbert  Darling.  Mr.  Darling  was 
born  ou  a  farm  near  Union,  in  Graftou  Town- 
ship, SIcHenry  County,  HI.,  June  9,  1858,  being 
a  son  of  Thomas  aud  Sophrona  (Barber) 
Darling,  both  deceased. 

Mr.  Darling  spent  his  boyhood  attending  pub- 
lic school,  and  assisting  his  father  on  the 
farm,  but  was  given  a  more  liberal  education 
than  falls  to  the  lot  of  many  country  boys,  being 
sent  to  ,Ienning's  Seminary,  Aurora,  where  he 
worked  hard  to  earn  money  to  help  him  through 
his  cour.se.  Later,  he  studied  law  at  Dixon  aud 
while  he  has  never  practiced,  his  knowledge  of 
law  has  alwa.ys  proved  a  benefit  to  him  in  his 
several  business  connections.  Having  fluished 
his  education,  Mr.  Darling  for  a  time,  engaged 
in  teaching.  In  1884.  he  became  baggage  agent 
for  the  Chicago  and  Northwestern  Railroad  at 
Wheaton,  being  transferred  to  Union,  as  agent, 
in  1887.  While  residing  in  Union  he  took  an 
active  part  in  temperance  work.  He  was  also 
Justice  of  Peace  and  for  a  number  of  years, 
was  a  member  of  the  School  Board.  Through  his 
influence,  a  graded  course  of  study  was  estab- 
lished in  the  village  school.  In  1000,  Mr.  Dar- 
ling returned  to  W^heaton  aud  accepted  a 
position  with  the  Chicago  &  Northwestern  Rail- 
road in  the  Freight  Auditor's  office,  Chicago. 
This  position  he  held  uutil  1905,  when  he  en- 
tered the  Gary-Wheaton  Bank  as  assistant 
cashier,  still  retaining  this  important  position. 
He  is  a  member  of  the  Wheaton  Cemetery  As- 
sociation, and  au  Alderman  of  the  city  of 
Wheaton.     Fraternally,  he  is  a  Mason. 

Ou  September  21,  1887,  Mr.  Darling  married 
Lucy  Ellen  Wheaton,  a  daughter  of  Warren 
Wheaton,  a  sketch  of  whom  appears  elsewhere 
in  this  volume.  In  his  own  life,  Mr.  Darling 
has  pursued  business  policies  which  have  re- 
sulted favorably  to  his  interests,  aud  he  carries 
on  the  same  methods  in  the  bauk,  giving  the 
deiiositors  the  benefit  of  his  wide  experience  and 
conservative  ideas. 

DAVIS,  Charles  Ford.  Some  men  arc  not  con- 
tent to  confine  their  energies  to  a  single  line  of 
endeavor,  but  have  so  trained  themselves 
as  to  be  equally  proficient  in  several.  One  of 
the  men  who  is  noted  as  a  musician  aud  excel- 
lent business  man,  as  well  as  public-spirited 
citizen  of  Downer's  Grove,  is  Charles  Ford 
Davis.,  born  at  Fullcrsburg,  Du  Page  County, 
October   3.    1804,    being   a   son   of   Charles   and 


836 


HISTORY  OF  DU  PAGE  COUNTY. 


Emeliue  (Fuller)  Davis.  Eai'ly  in  life,  Charles 
Davis  was  au  arcliitect,  but  later  engaged  in 
farming.  His  death  occurred  in  ISUJ,  but  his 
widow  survived  him  until  1885.  A  complete 
sketch  of  the  Fuller  family  appears  elsewhere 
in  this  work. 

Charles  Ford  Davis  remained  on  the  farm 
until  sixteen  years  old,  when  he  became  con- 
nected with  the  Chicago  &  Northwestern  Rail- 
road in  a  clerical  capacity.  In  1SS9,  he  came 
to  Downer's  Grove  to  enter  a  furniture  and 
undertaking  business,  which  has  absorbed  a 
portion  of  his  time  ever  since.  He  is  a  licensed 
embalmer,  and  his  services  are  in  great  de- 
mand when  death  enters  the  houseliolds  of  his 
fellowtownsmen,  for  his  sympathy  as  well  as 
his  skill  proves  very  comforting  in  times  of  such 
deep  .sorrow.  Mr.  Davis  has  invented  a  folding 
chair,  whicli  he  has  patented  and  is  now 
manufacturing.  His  leisure  moments  for  the 
past  twenty  years,  have  been  engross-ed  with 
violin  making,  for  he  inherits  the  musical  tal- 
ent of  the  Fuller  famil.v.  His  product  compares 
favorably  with  that  of  many  experts  in  this 
line  throughout  the  country.  Mr.  Davis  pos- 
.sesses  the  valuable  Fuller  family  collection  of 
violins,  including  the  celebrated  one  made  by  a 
French  maker,  of  France. 

The  iirst  marriage  of  Mr.  Davis  took  place 
at  Wheaton,  to  Mimiie  J.  John.son,  who  died 
March  S,  1904,  leaving  a  son,  Charles  Ford. 
now  a  student  at  high  school.  In  100.">.  Mr. 
Davis  married  Margaret  Davies,  of  Brnidwood, 
111.,  daughter  of  William  T.  Davies. 

Mr.  Davis  is  a  Blue  Lodge  Mason.  He  has 
always  been  active  in  village  affairs,  serving 
from  1902  to  1904,  as. Township  Collector;  was 
Village  Clerk  in  1891,  and  Village  Trustee  from 
1901  to  1905.  Progressive,  he  has  always  sup- 
ported measures  looking  towards  the  advance- 
ment of  civic  affairs,  and  takes  a  i>ride  in 
every  Improvement  secured. 


now  residing  at  Sycamore,  III.  Grant  A.  Day- 
ton grew  up  in  his  native  locality,  attending 
public  school,  and  assisting  his  father  in  the 
farm  duties.  When  ready  to  leave  the  farm, 
he  first  took  a  commercial  course  at  Valparaiso, 
Ind.,  later  studying  law  in  Chicago,  being  grad- 
uated from  the  Kent  College  of  Law  of  that 
city,  in  189S. 

The  first  employment  .secured  by  Jlr.  Dayton 
was  as  railway  mail  clerk,  and  for  twelve  years 
he  followed  this  kind  of  work.  During  these 
years  be  thriftily  saved  his  money,  and  was 
able  to  become  one  of  the  organizers  of  the 
First  State.  Bank  of  Maple  Park,  111.,  being 
elected  cashier,  serving  as  such  until  his  re- 
moval to  West  Chicago,  in  1903.  In  that  year 
be  entered  the  private  bank  here  as  its  cashier, 
and  assisted  in  organizing  it  into  the  State 
Trust  &  Savings  Bank  of  West  Chicago,  of 
which  he  is  still  cashier.  His  sound,  sane 
policies  and  conservative  methods  have  assisted 
in  establishing  it  among  the  reliable  institu- 
tions of  its  kind  in  this  imrt  of  the  State.  Mr. 
Dayton  has  been  prominent  politically,  serving 
as  Mayor  of  West  Chicago  during  1906,  1907 
and  1008,  and  to  him  belongs  the  distinction 
of  being  the.  city's  first  mayor.  He  adminis- 
tration of  affairs  was  of  such  a  nature  that 
conditions  improved  materially,  and  finances 
were  put  in  excellent  shape. 

In  1895,  Mr.  Dayton  was  married  to  Mi.ss 
Wilda  Wayland  of  Sycamore,  111.,  a  daughter 
of  J.  r.  Wayland,  an  eminent  physician  of  that 
locality.  One  sou  has  been  born  of  this  mar- 
riage, Wayland,  now  a  student,  a  bright  lad 
of  much  promise.  Jlr.  Da\'ton  is  a  Knight 
Templar,  belonging  to  Sycamore  Commandery. 
Wide  awake,  aggressive,  while  never  ventur- 
ing outside  the  soimd  principles  upon  which 
be  has  governed  his  life,  Mr.  Dayton  has  de- 
velojied  rapidly  from  the  country  lad  into  the 
experienced  banker  and  dignified  public  official. 


DAYTON,  Grant  A.  After  many  years  of 
close  association  with  banking  institutions. 
Grant  A.  Dayton  of  West  Chicago,  is  now 
recognized  as  one  of  the  ablest  financiers  of 
Du  Page  Coimty.  whose  name  gives  weight  to 
whatever  concern  with  which  he  may  be  con- 
nected. Mr.  Dayton  was  born  in  De  Kalb 
County,  111..  December  5,  1SG5,  a  son  of  James 
M.  and  Anna  A.  (Ewig)  Dayton.  James  M. 
Dayton  is  a  retired  farmer  and  live-stock  dealer. 


de  GRASSE,  Joseph  A.  No  other  country  in 
the  world  has  gathered  together  so  much  that 
is  good  from  other  nations,  and  from  the  great 
melting  pot  of  necessit.v.  brought  forth  such 
substantial  citizens.  Because  of  this,  the  United 
States  of  .Vmerica  has  prospered  and  its  people 
are  numbered  among  the  most  progressive  in 
the  civilized  world.  One  of  the  men  who  has 
been  intimately  associated  with  the  growth  and 
development  of  Du   Page  Count.v  is  Joseph   .\. 


^?-v</ai><0  ^^r^s^oiA^^(?^-i-o 


HISTORY  OF  DU  PAGE  COUNTY. 


837 


de  Grasse.  Sr.,  of  the  firm  of  J.  A.  lie  Grasse 
&  Sou,  contractors  ami  builders,  general  jobbers, 
of  Wlieatou,  111. 

Mr.  de  Grasse  was  boru  iu  the  I'roviuce  of 
Quebec,  April  12,  1S52,  and  educated  iu  the 
public  schools  there,  aud  in  the  Christian 
Brothers  school  iu  Canada,  attending  both  un- 
til he  was  fifteen  years  of  age,  when  he  came 
to  the  United  States.  His  first  home  here  was 
iu  Detroit.  Mich.,  where  he  learned  the  car- 
penter trade,  living  there  until  1SS5.  Eventu- 
ally he  branched  out  into  a  contracting  aud 
liuilding  business,  but  iu  that  same  year  he  came 
(ii  Lombard,  111.,  finding  there  a  broader  field 
for  his  worlv.  He  made  Lombard  his  home 
until  IsOO,  when  he  came  to  Wheaton.  While 
living  in  Detroit,  Mich.,  he  had  also  been  in  a 
grocery  liusiness  for  four  .years,  and  did  con- 
siderable contracting  and  building  in  Chicago, 
during  the  period  he  lived  at  Lombard.  After 
coming  to  AVheaton,  he  acted  as  superiutendfut 
of  construction  for  four  years  for  Wheatou 
eount.v.  Since  1894,  he  has  devoted  himself  to 
his    contracting    and    building,    and    supervised 


the  inception  of  his  business  connections,  Mr. 
de  Grasse  has  always  carried  out  his  c-ontracts, 
and  endeaavored  to  make  his  work  represent 
his  own  honest  principles,  and  as  a  result  no 
man  .stands  higher  in  the  building  trades  in  his 
community. 

de  GRASSE,  Joseph  A.,  Jr.  The  young  men 
of  the  present  day  have  gained  their  sui)remacy 
in  the  business  world  by  intelligent  foresight 
and  forceful  grasping  of  all  opiwrtunities  offered. 
Some  of  them  stand  alone  iu  the  work  they 
have  accomplished,  others  have  associated  them- 
selves with  their  fathers  and  by  their  resource- 
fuluess  aud  strength  of  purpose  built  up  the 
enterprise  with  which  thy  are  connected.  One  of 
the  substantial  young  busiuess  men  of  Wheaton. 
is  the  junior  member  of  the  firm  of  J.  A.  de 
Grasse  &  Sou,  contractors  and  builders,  general 
jobbers,  Joseph  A.  de  Grasse,  Jr.  He  was  born 
July  1,  1879,  iu  Detroit,  Mich.,  a  son  of  Joseph 
A.  de  Grasse,  Sr.  aud  his  wife  Alice  J.  (C-arr) 
de  Grasse,  aud  grandson  of  J.  A.  de  Grasse.  The 
first  of  the  family  to  come  to  America  was  Count 
all  the  Chicago  Golf  Club  buildings,  and  the  _.Frmic;Jis'  Joseph  de  Grasse,  a  friend  of  La- 
east  wing  of  Wheaton  College,  and  has  built'-'  Fayette- -•  He  furnished  a  fleet  aud  fought  for 
aud  superintended  the  construction  of  35.0  buikl-;>,^jii*'''IiS^"ol'"tionary  cause,  endearing  himself  to 
iugs,  including  the  Alice  apartment  buik1ing,'and  the  Colonists,  by  whom  he  was  affectiouatelly 
his  own  beautiful  residence.  He  belongs  to  remembered  as  one  of  the  most  patriotic  of 
the    Knights    of    Columbus,    and    the    (J'atholic    J^Jreififilflreu. 

Order  of  Foresters.     In  religious  faith,  he  .is''a:  i,.  ;i^^a'\'1ug    been    brought    to    Wheatou    in    1890, 
Catholic,  and  is  a  member  of  St.  Michael's  par- 
ish.     In    politics,    he   is   a   Republican,    but  lias 
not  looked  for  public  honors. 

In  May.  1874.  Mr.  de  Grasse  was  united  in 
marriage  with  Miss  Alice  J.  Carr,  of  Detroit, 
Mich.,  daughter  of  Richard  and  Alice  Carr. 
.Mr.  Carr  was  a  contracting  plumber.  Four  chil- 
dren luive  been  boru  of  this  union:  Joseph  A., 
a  partner  of  his  father,  married  Pauline  .M. 
Lambe,  of  Wheaton  ;  Marie  T.,  a  talented  elo- 
cutionist, residing  at  home,  was  a  graduate  of 
the  high  school,  after  which  she  took  a  year's 
course  at  Wlieatou  college,  aiid  was  graduated  iu 
elocution  by  Jessie  Pattin  Milliner  of  the  Conser- 
vatory of  Music,  and  in  French  :  Anna  A.,  a  grad- 
uate of  Jlrs.  Berger  of  Chicago,  iu  instrumental 
nuisic.  now  teaching  the  piano  and  residing  at 
home:  and  Francis  Joseph  Paul,  associated  with 
Ills  father  in  the  building  business.  In  addi- 
tion Mr.  and  Mrs.  de  Grasse  had  three  childrpM 
wild  died  in  infancy,  aud  one,  Richard  Albert 
wlio  died  at  the  age  of  fourteen  months.     From 


aiK-de-  Grasse  attended  high  school  and  a  Cath- 
olic school,  aud  was  graduated  in  a  busiuess 
course  from  Wheaton  College.  Following  this, 
he  went  into  the  claim  department  of  the  Chi- 
cago &  Northwestern  Railroad,  and  from  there 
to  Marshall  Field's  retail  store  as  salesman. 
Later,  he  became  city  buyer  of  drugs,  notions 
and  toys,  and  still  later  was  in  the  auditing 
department.  In  the  meanwhile  his  father's 
bu.slness  had  increased  to  such  proportions  that 
he  was  needed  iu  it.  and  he  is  now  the  junior 
member  of  the  firm.  They  control  a  large 
amount  of  building  annually,  and  have  some 
of  the  best  houses  in  Wheaton  to  their  credit. 
Mr.  de  Grasse  belongs  to  the  Mystic  Workers, 
the  Modern  Woodmeu  of  America,  the  Knights 
of  Columbus,  the  Catholic  Order  of  Foresters. 
His  |X)litical  views  make  him  a  progressive 
Repulilican.  A  consistent  Catholic,  he  lielongs 
to  St.  Michaels  parish.  Mr.  de  Grasse  was  mar- 
ried January  15,  1903.  in  'mieaton.  to  Pauline 
M.  Lambe,  of  Wheaton.     They  have  three  chil- 


838 


HISTORY  OF  DU  PAGE  COUNTY. 


(Ireii  :  Kobevt  Willhiiii.  I'liuljiie  'SI.  .nul  Wallm/L" 
Kifhard.  Interested  iu  fraternal  matters,  a 
keen,  practical  business  man,  devoted  to  his 
home  and  family.  Air.  de  Grasse  combines  the 
characteristics  which  go  to  make  up  the  desir- 
able citizen  in  any  walk  of  life. 

DEICKE,  Freidrick,  one  of  the  Cerman-American 
citizens  who  have  attained  success  in  Du  Page 
County,  was  born  in  Hanover,  March  IS,  1853, 
son  of  Dietrich  and  Margaret  (Elderbrook) 
DeickB)  natives  of  Nienburg,  Hanover.  At  the 
age  of  eighteen  years,  having  received  a  com- 
mon school  education,  Mr.  Deicke  left  his  native 
land  and  came  to  the  United  States,  locating  in 
Du  Page  County  where  he  worked  at  the  trade 
of  mason.  He  worked  seven  years  at  Scbaum- 
burg.  Cook  County,  and  later  bought  ten  acres 
of  land  at  York  Center,  Du  Page  County,  which 
contained  a  store  building.  In  1880  he  estab- 
lished a  general  store,  erecting  a  new  building  in 
1888,  and  since  that  time  has  conducted  this 
enterprise.  In  18S1  he  built  a  creamery  and 
carried  on  that  business  until  1891  when  he  sold 
out,  and  has  since  contined  his  attention  to  bis 
store.  He  is  an  intelligent  and  honest  business 
man  and  has  always  enjoyed  the  patronage  and 
good  will  of  his  neighbors.  He  is  a  member  of 
the  Evangelical  Church  and  in  politics  is  a  Re- 
publican. He  has  taken  an  active  interest  in  the 
affairs  of  his  community  and  served  nine  jears 
as  School  Director.  He  is  one  of  the  best  known 
men  of  York  Township  and  enjoys  the  respect 
of  a  large  circle  of  friends. 

On  October  1,  1880,  Jlr.  Deicke  was  married 
by  Rev.  Gotch,  to  Regina  Goltermann.  a  nalive 
of  Y'ork  Township,  and  daughter  of  Henry  and 
Elizabeth  (Klusmeyer)  Goltermann.  natives  of 
Hanover.  The  father  came  to  Du  Page  County 
in  1S50,  there  located  on  a  farm,  and  was  mar- 
ried. Children  as  follows  were  born  to  Mr. 
Deicke  and  wife :  Martin,  of  Warrenville.  mar- 
ried Sophie  Windhorn  and  they  have  one  son, 
Fred;  Martha,  married  August  Beckniann,  liv- 
ing in  Y'ork  Township,  and  they  have  one  son, 
.\lfred  ;  and  Walter.  Enuna.  Clara.  Edwin.  Eilna. 
and  Ruth,  all  at  home.  Bertha,  the  rhii'd  rhild, 
died  at  the  age  of  three  years. 

DeWOLF,  William  Wirt,  Deputy  Sheriff, 
Court  House  Librarian,  Constable  and  Notary 
Public,  has  spent  most  of  his  life  in  Wheaton, 
being  brought  there  in  boyhood  by  bis  parents. 


He  was  born  January  1(>,  1S40,  at  Middletown 
Center,  I'a.,  son  of  Lymau  Edwin  and  Matilda 
(i'ratt)  DeWolf,  the  father  for  many  years 
one  of  the  leading  lawyers  of  Chicago,  111.  The 
DeWolf  family  have  had  many  members  who 
have  been  active  in  making  history  iu  two  con- 
tinents, and  the  great-grandfather  of  William 
W.  DeWolf,  Stephen  DeWolf,  one  of  the  Hugue- 
nots who  was  driven  from  France,  was  the 
emigrant  ancestor  of  the  family  in  .-Vmerica. 
He  settled  at  Pomfret,  then  Massachusetts,  but 
now  iu  Connecticut,  and  established  a  family 
that  has  since  e.xteuded  to  all  parts  of  the 
countr.v.  William  W.  DeWolf  has  iu  his  pos- 
session a  picture  of  Baron  L.  B.  DeWolf,  founder  . 
of  the  family,  and  a  family  genealogy  iu  which 
the  line  of  descent  is  traced  in  an  unbroken 
line   back  to  this  ancestor. 

Lyman  DeWolf  who  was  born  in  Mahophney 
in  ISO",  brought  his  family  to  Chicago,  land- 
ing there  September  20.  lS-14,  and  for  some 
years  was  associated  with  his  cousin,  Calvin 
DeWolf.  who  had  a  high  reputation  as  one 
of  the  foremost  lawyers  of  the  lime  in  Illinois. 
Later  Lyman  E.  DeWolf  was  associated  six 
years  with  a  Mr.  Daniels,  and  for  about  eight 
years  was  partuer  of  a  Mr.  Miller.  He  then 
formed  a  co-partnership  with  ex-Congressman 
Knowlton,  of  Wisconsin,  and  this  firm  was  a 
strong  one,  having  many  noted  clients  and  win- 
ning many  cases  where  much  was  involved. 
.\niong  these  was  the  one  regarding  the  Racine 
and  Mississippi  Railroad  mortgage,  the  decis- 
ion being  rendered  in  favor  of  the  farmers  as 
against  the  railroad  company.  This  case  had 
been  carried  through  all  the  courts,  the  decision 
was  obtained  through  the  arguments  of  Mr. 
DeWolf.  and  an  order  was  is.sued  for  the  sale 
of  the  road.  Afterward,  an  injunction  was  ob- 
tained against  its  sale,  but  nienntime  both  Mr. 
Knowlton  and  Mr.  DeWolf  had  died  and  the 
case  was  abandoned.  While  a  resident  of  Chi- 
cago Mr.  DeWolf,  in  addition  to  his  law  prac- 
tice, which  demanded  a  great  deal  of  atten- 
tion and  hard  work,  assisted  Zabrina  Eastman 
in  conducting  an  abolition  paper  published  in 
that  cit.v,  furnishing  the  money  and  writing 
most  of  the  leading  articles.  He  also  was  as- 
.sociated  with  the  establishment  of  the  Chicago 
Times,  which  paper  was  finally  merged  with 
the  Herald  and  the  paper  called  the  Times- 
Herald,  and  still  later  the  Record-Herald.  In 
company  with  J.  Young  Scammon.  Mr.  DeWolf 


HISTORY  OF  DU  PAGE  COUNTY. 


839 


established  the  Swedeuborgiau  Church  iu  the 
city. 

In  1854,  Lyman  Edwin  DeWulf  tuok  the 
l)riutiug  outlit  which  was  left  from  the  equip- 
ment for  the  ijrinting  of  the  abolition  paper, 
removed  it  to  Wheaton,  and  there  founded  the 
paper  which  is  now  represented  by  the  Wheaton 
lllinoisan  of  that  city.  He  lived  in  Wheaton 
until  1870,  when  with  two  of  his  children  he 
returned  to  Chicago  and  lived  on  the  north 
side  mitil   his  death,   in  l.s'JO. 

William  W.  DeWolf  received  his  ]irimary 
education  at  the  Dearborn  and  West  Madison 
Schools  and  later  spent  two  years  at  Wheaton 
College,  where  he  helped  organize  the  first 
college  literary  society.  Upon  leaving  school, 
he  engaged  in  farming  two  years,  then  came 
to  Wheaton  and  worked  at  the  trade  of  a 
mason  in  all  its  branches,  stone  and  brick  work 
and  plastering,  which  he  followed  successfully, 
thirty  years.  In  the  early  'seventies  he  went  to 
Kansas,  remained  there  about  a  year  and  a 
half,  and  returned  to  Wheaton,  soon  after  which 
he  was  elected  Constable  and  appointed  Road 
Commissioner  of  the  city,  holding  the  latter 
post  one  year,  and  the  former  office  (with  the 
exception  of  one  term),  to  the  present  time. 
The  second  year  of  his  service  as  Constable. 
Mr.  DeW^olf  was  appointed  Deputy  Sheriff  and 
Jailer  of  the  county.  He  was  Jailor  seven  or 
eight  years  and  with  the  exception  of  one  or 
two  terms,  has  since  been  Deputy  Sheriff,  al- 
though not  at  all  times  actively  occuiiied  in  fill- 
ing its  duties. 

On  September  20,  18G0,  Mr.  DeWolf  married 
Charlotte  W^aite.  of  Wayne  Township,  Du  Page 
Comity,  daughter  of  Oliver  Cromwell  and 
Wealthy  .\nn  (Holbrook)  Waite.  The  ancestry 
of  Mrs.  DeWolf  connects  her  with  many  of  the 
noted  early  families  of  New  England,  and  she 
is  a  lineal  descendant  of  Governor  Bradford. 
Her  mother  was  first  cousin  of  Gov.  Holbrook, 
of  Vermont.  Six  children  were  born  to  Mr. 
DeWolf  and  wife:  Leonard  Edwin,  Charles 
Sawyer,  Henry  Sellwyn.  W^orthington  Waite, 
Martha  Enieline.  William  Henry.  Henry  Sell- 
wyn. the  third  child,  died  at  the  age  of  eight- 
een months.  Martha  Emeline  married  Eugene 
Van  Ness,  of  Stuttgart,  Germany,  and  died  at 
the  age  of  thirty-three  years  and  three  months. 
William  Henry  is  engaged  in  a  railroad  busi- 
ness. In  the  Car  Tracers  office,  and  lives  in 
Wheaton.      Mrs.    DeWolf    died    December    20. 


I'.'iiT.  There  are  nineteen  grandchildren  in  the 
lamily.  thirteen  grandsons  and  six  graddaugh- 
ters.  Mr.  DeWolf  is  an  unassuming  man  and 
fond  of  the  society  of  his  friends.  He  has  held 
ottice  for  many  years  and  has  never  solicited 
public  favor,  receiving  his  various  elections  and 
appointments  to  office  through  the  confidence  of 
his  ecquaintances  in  his  integrity  and  con- 
scientious regard  for  the  public  welfare.  He 
is  a  very  active  man  physically.  As  he  says, 
although  seventy-tw-o  years  old,  he  can  do  just- 
as  uuich  work  as  he  could  at  the  age  of  forty. 

DICKE,  Casper  H.  Some  men  take  their 
resixinsibilities  as  citizens  seriously,  and  earn- 
estly endeavor  to  discharge  the  duties  resting 
upon  their  shoulders,  faithfully  and  well.  Such 
public  spirit  not  only  does  them ,  credit,  hut 
works  out  for  the  good  of  the  connnunities 
fortunate  enough  to  claim  them  as  residents. 
One  of  the  most  progressive  and  aggressive 
men  of  Du  Page  county  is  Casper  H.  Dieke  of 
Downer's  Grove,  whose  services  to  this  locality 
cannot  be  over-estimated.  Mr.  Dicke  was  born 
in  Cologne,  Germany,  January  IS.  1858,  being  a 
son  of  Casper  and  Mary  (Snider)   Dicke. 

.Vfter  a  boyhood  spent  in  his  native  land  dur- 
ing which  time  he  secured  a  good  common  school 
education  and  learned  to  be  a  skilled  machin- 
ist, he  came  to  the  United  States,  in  ISSl.  Go- 
ing direct  to  Chicago,  he  found  employment  in 
several  machine  .shops,  thus  continuing  until 
1886,  when  he  began  manufacturing  tools,  still 
remaining  in  Chicago,  until  1890,  when  he  lo- 
cated at  Downer's  Grove.  Mr.  Dieke  received 
the  grand  prize  on  his  tools  at  the  World's 
Fair,  the  Buffalo  Exposition  and  the  St.  Louis 
Exposition.  He  manufactures  electrical  linemen 
tools,  shipping  all  over  the  world.  The  busi- 
ness was  incorporated  in  1807,  as  the  Dicke  Tool 
Co.  In  lOOfi,  Mr.  Dicke  had  the  misfortune  to 
lose  his  buildings  by  fire,  but  replaced  them  with 
the  present  modern  structures,  which  are  well 
equipped  for  his  class  of  work.  The  quality  of 
his  product  is  unexcelled  and  his  tools  rank 
among  the  best  in  the  market. 

As  a  public  man.  he  has  been  equally  inter- 
ested in  progressive  movements.  Now  serving 
his  second  term  as  village  trustee,  and  as  chair- 
man of  the  committee  on  Light  and  Water,  he 
is  very  active  In  securing  improvements  for 
Downer's  Grove.  He  was  one  of  those  who  cir- 
culated the  first   petition  for  securing  the  pav- 


840 


HISTORY  OF  DU  PAGE  COUNTY. 


iug  of  the  streets  there,  aud  uow  has  the  satis- 
faction of  liuowing  that  the  village  is  beauti- 
fully paved.  Through  his  untiring  efforts  aud 
euthu.siasui.  a  fine  electric  light  plant  has  been 
developed,  and  he  can  be  counted  upon  in  the 
future  for  support  iu  all  like  endeavors  to  se- 
cure much  needed  improvements. 

Jlr.  Diclce  was  married  in  Chicago,  in  1884, 
to  Frieda  Binder,  born  in  Germany,  who  came 
to  the  United  .States  in  1881.  Eight  children 
have  been  born  to  them  :  Henry.  Frieda,  Grant, 
George,  Elmer.  Clarence,  Arthur  and  Leonard, 
Of  these  children  Henry  is  associated  with  his 
father  in  business,  is  secretary  of  the  Fireman's 
Association,  the  Christian  Endeavor,  and  is  a 
Knight  of  Pythias.  Mr.  Diclie  possesses  many 
of  the  sterling  traits  of  character  which  are 
known  the  world  over  as  belonging  to  his  coun- 
trymen, aud  his  careful  training  in  his  youth,  de- 
veloped a  skill  that  has  proven  of  much  benefit 
to  him  in  his  business. 

DICKERMAN,  Edward  A.,  a  successful  farmer 
of  Wayne  Township,  Du  Page  County,  was  born 
in  the  town  of  Jefferson,  Cook  County.  111.,  De- 
cember 2.5,  1S51.  He  is  a  son  of  Franklin  and 
Mary  (Alger)  Dickerman.  natives  of  Xew  York. 
Both  parents  were  brought  to  Illinois  about 
1830,  and  with  their  families  located  on  farms 
near  Chicago.  Frank  Dickerman  was  reared 
on  a  farm  and  owned  forty  acres  of  land  at 
Jefferson,  now  a  part  of  the  city  of  Chicago. 
.\hout  18.").5,  he  sold  out  there  and  moved  to 
Southern  Wisconsin,  where  he  spent  the  re- 
mainder  of   his   life. 

In  boyhood  Edward  A.  Dickerman  attended 
the  public  schools  of  East  Troy.  Wis.,  remain- 
ing on  his  father's  farm  until  he  was  twenty 
years  old.  then  going  to  Chicago  where  he 
learned  the  trade  of  a  machinist,  working  about 
ten  years  as  stationary  engineer.  In  February. 
188.^.  he  purchased  185  acres  of  land  in  Section 
7.  Wayne  Township.  Du  Page  County,  and  Sec- 
tion 12.  St.  Charles  Township,  Kane  County, 
about  100  acres  being  in  the  former.  He  has 
since  made  his  home  on  this  farm  and  car- 
ries on  a  general  line  of  work.  He  has  a  good 
standing  in  the  community  as  a  substantial, 
enterprising  citizen,  and  is  an  industrious  and 
progressive   farmer. 

In  1001,  Mr.  Dickerman  was  married  by  the 
Rev.  E.  E.  Thomas  of  Evanston.  to  Mrs.  Zilpha 
(Perkins)  Shepherd,  born  in  Kane  County,  April 


13,  18G2,  and  they  have  no  issue.  She  is  a 
daughter  of  H.  C.  Perkins  and  Elizabeth  (Hale) 
I'erUins.  Her  first  husband  was  Ernest  M. 
Shepherd,  and  they  had  one  daughter,  Edith  E. 
Shepherd,    born    February   28,    1883. 

DIEHL,  George,  of  Naperville  Township,  Du 
Page  County,  is  a  native  of  the  county,  son  of 
Adam  and  Fi'ances  (Hildenbrandt)  Diehl,  the 
father  born  in  Baden,  Germany,  May  25,  1830, 
and  the  mother  born  in  Byron,  Germany,  in 
1814.  The  paternal  grandparents,  Henry  Diehl 
and  wife,  died  in  Germany.  George  Diehl  was 
born  in  Lisle  Township,  June  19,  1859,  and 
was  educated  In  the  district  schools.  His 
father  came  to  New  York  in  1853,  worked  as 
a  wood-chopper  until  1856,  then  came  to  Lislle 
Townshii).  Du  Page  County,  and  worked  at 
farming.  Frances  Hildenbrandt  came  to  Lisle 
Township  in  1857,  and  worked  in  the  Dieter 
family.  There  she  met  Mr.  Diehl,  also  em- 
ployed by  them,  and  they  were  married  and 
settled  on  a  farm  in  that  township,  which  he 
operated  one  year,  then  purchasing  ninety  acres 
of  land  in  the  neighborhood,  where  he  lived  un- 
til 18(3.  He  sold  this  farm  and  purchased 
another  one  in  Lisle  Township,  where  he  died 
December  27,  1909,  at  the  time  of  his  death 
owning  310  acres  of  land  in  Lisle  Township. 
His  wife  died  September  IS,  1884.  Children 
were  Iwrn  to  them  as  follows :  George ;  Mich- 
ael, of  Lisle  Township;  Elizabeth.  Mrs.  Joseph 
P.enner,  of  Lisle  Towship;  Anna.  Mrs.  Michael 
Fortman.  of  Milton  Township :  Frances  died  in 
infancy ;  Henr.v.  of  Lisle  Township ;  Tillie  lives 
with    Henry. 

On  February  7.  1888.  George  Diehl  married 
Mary  (Gartner)  Dieter,  who  was  born  iu  Lisle 
Township.  August  13,  18li5.  daughter  of  Jacob 
and  Catherine  (Herbert)  Gartner,  natives  of 
Hesse-Darmstadt,  Germany.  Mrs.  Diehl  was  the 
widow  of  Jolin  Dieter,  by  whom  she  had  three 
children,  only  one  of  whom  lived  to  maturity, 
namely:  Margaret,  Mrs.  Adam  Meisinger  of 
Lisle  Township,  who  died  May  27,  1910.  Mr. 
and  Mrs.  Gartner  had  children  as  follows : 
Michael,  of  Lisle  Township;  May,  Mrs.  Diehl; 
.\nna.  Mrs.  Ignatz  Schmeier,  'of  Chicago ; 
Amelia,  who  died  May  10,  1908,  was  born  Jan- 
uary 27,  1860.  and  was  the  wife  of  William 
Feldott :  Barbara,  Mrs.  Henry  Brnmmel,  of 
Lisle  Township ;  John,  of  Naperville  Township ; 
p:mma,  Mrs.  John  Amenn,  of  Chicago ;  Joseph,  of 


^po2>mZ^ — 


HISTORY  OF  DU  PAGE  COUNTY. 


841 


Naperville  Township,  lives  witti  his  parents ; 
Frank  lives  at  home;  Julia,  Mrs.  Joseph  Sch- 
wartz of  Lisle  Township. 

Mr.  Diehl  had  lived  with  his  parents  until 
his  marriage,  attending  the  district  and  German 
schools  in  childhood.  After  marriage  he  rented 
a  farm  of  his  father  four  years,  then  moved 
to  Chicago  and  conducted  a  wholesale  and  re- 
tail milk  business  three  years,  sold  out  and 
January  25,  1895,  bought  the  farm  of  106  acres 
where  he  now  lives.  The  Aurora,  Elgin  &  Chi- 
cago Electric  Railroad  Company  purchased 
three  acres  of  land  where  their  line  passed 
through  his  farm.  He  has  always  had  a 
large  dairy  and  raises  many  cattle  and  hogs. 
October  17,  1910,  he  purchased  a  farm  of  160 
acres  in  Xaperville  township,  from  Calvin  Steek, 
and  is  now  one  of  the  most  extensive  farmers 
of  his  township.  He  and  his  wife  have  chil- 
dren as  follows :  Anna,  of  Naperville,  HI. ; 
William  died  at  the  age  of  two  and  one-half 
years ;  Cecilia,  Edward.  Jennie,  Joseph,  Harry, 
Albert  and  Clarence.  .  ^ 

Mr.  Diehl  is  a  member  of  the  Catholic  Ohttf-eh;. 
at  Big  Woods,  of  which  he  has  been  a  Ts^f^^^,^ 
since  1904.     He  is   indeiiendent  in  ixriitics  and  - 
has  served  as  School  Trustee  since  the  spring 
of  1910.     He  is  interested  in   all   mattery  jeg.-^ 
taining  to  the  welfare  and  progress  of  the\ com- 
munity and   especially   in   the   cause  of   educa- 
tion, and  is  regarded  as  an  upright,  enterpris- 
ing citizen,  with  a  wide  circle  of  friends.     He 
belongs  to  the  Catholic  Order  of  Foresters  and 
to  St.  Heinrich's  Court  Catholic  Western  Union, 
of  North  Aurora. 

DIETER,  Mathias,  member  of  a  family  that 
has  lived  in  Du  Page  County  since  1854,  was 
born  on  Section  31,  Bloomingdale  Township,  April 
12,  1865.  He  is  a  son  of  Nicholas  and  Catherine 
(Gardner)  Dieter,  natives  of  Hesse  Darmstadt, 
Germany.  The  parents  came  to  Wayne  Town- 
ship, Du  Page  County,  and  there  bought  a 
tract  of  timber  land  in  1854.  They  lived  in  the 
log  hou.se  which  the  place  already  contained 
for  ten  years,  then  left  that  farm  and  pur- 
chased 120  acres  of  prairie  land  in  Blooming- 
dale  Township,  which  is  still  owned  by  their 
son  Mathias.  The  father  died  September  28, 
1907.  his  wife  having  passed  away  January 
20,  ISfiO.  They  had  children  as  follows:  Se- 
bastian, born  in  Germany,  died  in  1891 ;  John, 
of  West  Chicago,   born  in  Germany ;   Jacob,  of 

15 


Bloomingdale  Township;  Susanna,  who  died 
November  3,  1910,  was  the  widow  of  Gebhardt 
Nagle;  Phillip  died  in  1900;  Mathias,  the 
youngest.  Is  a  boy  Mathias  Dieter  attended 
the  Catholic  parochial  schools  of  Du  Page 
County.  He  was  reared  to  farm  work  and  al- 
ways resided  on  the  home  place,  of  which  he 
purchased  ninety-one  acres  in  1889,  and  his 
father  afterwards  lived  with  him. 

On  September  25,  ISSS,  Mr.  Dieter  was  mar- 
ried by  the  Rev.  Father  Wiederholz  of  St.  John's 
Church,  to  Elizabeth  Bollweg,  born  February 
4.  1807,  in  Wiufleld  Township.  They  became 
the  parents  of  the  following  children :  Veron- 
ica A.,  born  August  21,  1SS9,  married  October 
10,  1911,  John  Kramer,  the  Rev.  Father  Wieder- 
holz officiating;  Frank  G.,  born  July  23,  1891; 
Henry  M.,  born  September  16,  1894;  Mathias  J., 
born  November  26,  1896 ;  Joseph  Sebastian,  born 
January  11,  1899 ;  Nicholas  John,  born  January 
6.  1901 ;  George  William,  bom  February  7,  1903 ; 
Edwin  Raymond,  born  August  22,  1904;  Eliza- 
beth Matilda,  born  December  24,  1905.  Mrs. 
DJeter  is  a  daughter  of  John  and  Mary  (Eicher) 

^J^l\\\^S. ,  The  father  died  at  Wheaton,  Decem- 
l>er  23,  1906,  and  is  buried  in  the  Catholic 
Cemetery.,-  His  widow  lived  with  Mr.  and  Mrs. 
r>i,eter,  .aad    is    eighty-six    years   old.      Two    of 

-Uef-4jiaterual  uncles  were  killed  in  Prussia  dur- 
ing the  war  with  the  great  Napoleon. 

Mr.  Dieter  carries  on  general  farming  and 
has  twenty-two  cows  in  his  dairy.  He  is  one 
of  the  best  known  and  most  popular  men  in 
his  community,  where  most  of  his  life  has  been 
.spent,  and  is  known  as  an  intelligent,  indus- 
trious farmer.  He  is  a  devout  Catholic  and  be- 
longs to  the  Catholic  Order  of  Foresters  No. 
148.  of  Winfield,  and  to  the  Order  of  Gleaners. 
In  politics  he  is  a   Democrat.     He  is  proud  of 

his   name  and  family  and  Is  representative  of 

the  best  interests  of  the  county,  where  he  has 
spent  his  entire  life. 

DIETER,  Valentine  Adam.  Conservative  ac- 
tion, sound  judgment,  a  thorough  understand- 
ing of  men  are  some  of  the  qualities  requisite 
for  success  in  a  banking  business.  Those 
handling  vast  sums  of  money  for  other  people 
must  be  men  of  unblemished  honor  and  un- 
fiinehing  honesty  of  purpose  to  gain  public  con- 
fidence. Valentine  Adam  Dieter,  cashier  of  the 
Reuss  State  Bank  of  Naperville  is  a  man  whose 
conduct   of   the   affairs  of   the  reliable   insti^u- 


842 


HISTORY  OF  DU  PAGE  COUNTY. 


tiou  with  which  he  is  connected  is  such  as  to 
comujaud  unrestricted  confidence  from  those 
with  whom  the  bank  does  business  and  add  to 
his  prestige  as  a  reliable  financier.  Mr.  Dieter 
is  a  native  of  Du  Page  County,  having  been 
born  in  Lisle  Township.  February  13,  1S52.  and 
speut  his  life  within  its  confines.  He  Is  a  son 
of  Valentine  and  Elizabeth  (Huepner)  Dieter, 
both  born  in  Kleinhauseu,  Hesse-Darmstadt, 
Germany.  They  were  Germans  who  became 
good  Americans,  arriving  in  Du  Page  County 
in  1840,  when  they  settled  in  Lisle  Township. 
Possessing  those  characteristics  which  qualify 
the  German  born  for  success — industry  and 
thrift,  they  soon  became  prosperous,  and  dying 
left  a  substantial  estate  behind  them  as  evi- 
dence of  their  ability  to  earn  and  save. 

Valentine  Adam  Dieter  was  educated  in  both 
public  and  private  schools,  and  was  brought 
up  to  the  healthy  life  of  a  farmer's  boy.  In 
the  spring  of  1870,  he  entered  the  mercantile 
firm  of  Willard  Scott  &  Co.,  of  Xaperville,  hav- 
ing come  to  this  city  in  November  of  the  pre- 
ceding year,  and  until  1890,  he  was  associated 
with  general  merchandising.  In  addition,  on 
May  1,  18S6,  when  George  Reuss  established 
his  bank,  Mr.  Dieter  was  made  cashier,  and 
has  continued  with  this  institution  ever  since, 
passing  through  its  organization  as  a  State 
bank  in  1897,  under  the  name  of  the  Reuss  State 
Bank. 

On  November  21.  1876,  Mr.  Dieter  was  united 
in  marriage  at  Naperville.  with  Miss  Elenora 
M.  Reuss,  daughter  of  George  and  Mary  A. 
Reuss,  a  sketch  of  whom  appear  elsewhere  in 
this  work.  The  children  of  Mr.  and  Mrs. 
Dieter  are :  Olive  Anna,  born  May  2G,  1S77 ; 
Julian  Michael,  born  Setember  6,  1879 :  George 
Valentine,  bom  December  4,  1881 ;  Anna  Helene, 
born  March  9,  1884 ;  Lucia  Elizabeth,  born  Oc- 
tober 27,  1886;  Bernard  Carl,  born  December 
23,  1889 ;  Eda  Elenora,  born  December  19,  1S92, 
and  Cornelia  A^^ela,  born  Februarj-  12.  1895. 
Until  1896.  Mr.  Dieter  was  a  Democrat,  but 
being  unable  to  subscribe  to  the  principles  ad- 
vocated by  William  Jenning  Bryan,  he  became  a 
Republican.  In  1876,  he  was  elected  Village 
Clerk:  in  1882  and  1884,  was  Village  Trustee; 
was  President  of  the  Village  Board  in  1887.  1888 
and  1889;  Mayor  of  the  city  of  Naperville  in 
1891  and  1897,  and  City  Treasurer  In  1909. 
Throughout  his  official  life,  Mr.  Dieter  dis- 
played the  same  consideration  for  the  interests 


of  others  w-hlch  characterize  his  career  as  a 
banker,  and  the  people  know  that  the  trust  re- 
posed in  him  will  never  be  violated.  He  be- 
longs to  the  Catholic  Order  of  Foresters  and 
Knights  of  Columbus,  and  has  been  presicUug 
officer  of  both  for  several  years.  A  strong 
Catholic,  he  is  a  member  of  SS.  Peter  and 
Paul  Church  of  Naperville.  Mr.  Dieter  owns 
his  pleasant  home  at  No.  123  Chicago  avenue, 
Naperville.  A  sound,  reliable,  conservative  fin- 
ancier, Mr.  Dieter  is  one  of  the  representative 
business  men  of  Naperville  and  one  who  has 
ably  borne  his  part  in  its  advancement. 

DODGE,  Nelson.  Wise  indeed  is  the  man  who 
early  in  life  learns  a  trade,  for  he  is  then  pre- 
pared to  earn  a  living  whatever  happens.  The 
carpenter  trade  Is  one  that  holds  many  oppor- 
tunities for  the  ambitious  young  man  who  is 
willing  to  take  advantage  of  them  and  is  not 
afraid  of  hard  work.  Some  of  the  most  sub- 
stantial men  of  Du  Page  County  gained  their 
wealth  through  following  this  honorable  call- 
ing during  the  days  of  their  activity,  and 
among  them  none  is  better  entitled  to  this 
credit  than  Nelson  Dodge  of  Glen  Ellyn.  Mr. 
Dodge  was  born  here  in  1849,  being  a  sou  of 
.Tubas  .S.  Dodge,  a  farmer. 

Young  Dodge  attended  the  jjublic  schools  of 
the  district,  and  was  then  taught  the  harness 
making  trade,  later  manufacturing  brooms  for 
a-  time,  but  his  inclinations  turned  in  the  di- 
rection of  carpenter  work,  and  he  learned  that 
trade.  Because  of  his  expertness.  he  soon  was 
given  contracts  of  his  own.  and  gradually  de- 
veloped a  large  contracting  and  building  busi- 
ness that  resulted  in  the  erection  of  some  of  the 
handsomest  business  blocks  and  residences  in 
Glen  Ellyn,  among  the  former  being  the  Eblers 
Block.  For  thirty-five  years,  Mr.  Dodge  was 
thus  profitably  engaged,  but  was  then  induced 
by  his  family,  to  retire. 

Mr.  Dodge  married  Mary  Jane  Smith,  of 
Glen  Ellyn,  a  daughter  of  John  and  Ann  Smith, 
farming  people.  These  children  have  been  born 
to  Mr.  and  Mrs.  Dodge:  Flora,  who  married 
Luther  J.  Hiatt  of  Glenn  Ellyn.  who  is  con- 
nected with  the  Chicago  and  Northwestern  Rail- 
road at  the  Chicago  offices ;  Louis,  a  civil  en- 
gineer living  at  Glen  Ellyn.  connected  with  the 
-Vurora  and  Elgin  Railroad. 

Mr.  Dodge  served  ably  as  Trustee  of  the  vil 
lage  and  as  School  Director.     He  has  alwayn 


HISTORY  OP  DU  PAGE  COUNTY. 


843 


been  iu  favor  of  good  schools,  and  tried  ear- 
nestly to  secure  them  for  the  children  of  his 
district.  Steadfast,  honest  of  purpose,  never 
shirking  what  he  believed  to  be  his  duty,  Mr. 
Dodge  has  rounded  out  a  useful  life,  and  is 
rightly  entitled  to  the  ease  he  is  now  enjoying. 

DODGE,  Orrin  D.  Glen  Ellyn,  one  of  the  most 
beautiful  little  cities  in  northern  Illinois,  has 
been  brought  to  Its  present  state  of  perfection 
through  the  efforts  of  some  of  its  leading  men, 
whose  energies  have  been  most  successfully  di- 
rected towards  an  advancement  of  the  local- 
ity, the  securing  of  local  improvements  and  the 
development  of  natural  advantages.  For  this 
reason  some  of  the  most  substantial  men  of 
Chicago  have  built  within  the  confines  of  Glen 
Ellyn,  realizing  that  in  it  they  could  secure  free- 
dom from  city  conditions  which  were  not  desir- 
able, and  those  advantages  pertaining  to  a  rural 
life.  The  residence  district  of  the  community, 
therefore,  comixires  very  favorably  with  any  in 
northern  Illinois.  Automobiles  convey  many  of 
the  residents  to  their  places  of  business  In  Chi- 
cago, and  bring  them  back  home  each  day,  al- 
though any  who  desire  can  take  advantage  of 
the  excellent  transportation  facilities  offered  by 
several  railroads. 

One  of  the  men  who  is  identified  with  the 
growth  and  development  of  Glen  Ellyn  Is  Orrin 
D.  Dodge,  whose  offices  are  at  Xo.  134  S.  La 
Salle  street,  Chicago,  but  whose  residence  is  at 
Glen  Ellyn.  He  was  born  in  Massachusetts,  in 
1848,  but  has  lived  in  Du  Page  county  for  a 
number  of  years,  and  his  time  is  fully  occupied 
at  present  with  the  management  of  estates.  A 
man  of  sound  judgment,  high  character,  and 
sterling  integrity,  he  has  always  faithfully  dis- 
charged every  obligation  laid  upon  him,  and 
while  not  seeking  public  notice,  never  fails  to 
do  his  duty  as  a  citizen. 

DOLLINGER,  Charles  A.,  a  prosperous  and 
well-known  druggist  who  has  established  a 
good  business  in  Wheaton.  111.,  has  spent  most 
of  his  life  in  that  city,  was  born  in  Chicago, 
March  1,  1872.  a  son  of  John  A.  and  Imogene 
C.  (Wicks)  DoUinger,  the  father  a  native  of 
Baden-Baden,  Germany,  and  the  mother  of 
Watertown,  N.  Y.  The  father  was  traveling 
salesman  for  a  wholesale  grocery  firm  and  the 
family   came   to   Wheaton    in   1876,    where    the 


father  died  iu  1907,  and  his  widow  still  resides 
there. 

After  completing  the  course  in  the  public 
schools  of  Wheaton,  Charles  A.  DoUinger  was 
graduated  from  the  Northwestern  .School  of 
I'harmacy,  of  Chicago  iu  1892.  He  immediately 
thereafter  engaged  in  business  on  his  own  ac- 
count and  now  has  a  store  that  is  equipped  with 
modern  furnishings,  and  he  carries  a  full  line 
of  goods.  He  has  had  a  good  trade  from  the 
start  and  handles  the  toilet  articles  aud  sim- 
ilar lines  usually  found  in  an  establishment  of 
the  kind  at  the  present  day,  having  the  con- 
fidence of  his  patrons  and  standing  well  iu  the 
business  and  medical  circles  of  the  city.  He 
is  most  thorough,  conscientious  and  paiustaking 
in  his  work  and  now  also  holds  the  office  of 
Collector.  In  politics  he  is  a  Republican.  Fra- 
ternally he  is  connected  with  the  Independent 
Order  of  Odd  Fellows,  the  Modern  Woodmen 
of  America,  the  Royal  Neighbors,  the  Ro.val 
League  and  the  Masons,  being  a  Shriner  and 
liaving  received  the  Thirty-second  degree  in 
Masonry. 

Mr.  DoUinger  was  married  September  18, 
liDl.  to  Emma  J.,  daughter  of  Rev.  W.  H. 
Chandler,  and  one  child  Charles  F.,  was  born 
to  this  union  in  1906. 

DOMIANUS,  Henry  C,  a  proinineiit  German- 
American  citizen  of  Elmhurst,  111.,  and  for 
twenty  years  a  Constable  in  Du  Page  County, 
was  born  in  Hanover,  August  28,  1847,  son  of 
Cord  and  Catherina  (Wers)  Domianus.  The 
parents  came  to  Du  Page  County  in  1857,  lived 
four  years  on  a  farm  in  Addison  Township  and 
then  located  in  York  Township,  where  the 
father  died  in  1875  and  the  mother  July  10, 
1885,  both  at  the  home  of  their  son  Henry. 
They  were  parents  of  three  children  :  Dorothy, 
Mrs.  John  Pelzer,  died  in  Cass  County,  Iowa  ; 
Henry  C. ;   Fred,  of  Winfleld  Township. 

Mr.  Domianus  received  his  education  in  the 
district  and  German  schools  near  home,  and 
remained  with  his  parents  as  long  as  they 
lived.  He  purchased  125  acres  of  land  in  York 
Township  and  there  for  many  years  carried  on 
farming  with  excellent  success.  March  11.  1910, 
he  retired  from  farm  work  and  moved  into  a 
handsome  frame  residence  in  Elmhurst  where 
the  family  enjoy  the  advantages  of  modern  im- 
provements and   conveniences.     Their   home   is 


844 


HISTORY  OF  DU  PAGE  COUNTY. 


jJeasautly  located  ou  Xorth  York  Street  and 
they  have  many  friends  in  the  locality.  Mr. 
Domianus  was  married  July  20,  1885,  at 
Wheaton,  111.,  to  Miss  Clara  Jones,  who  was  born 
in  Germany,  May  2.S,  181)3.  daughter  of  Gotlieb 
and  Louisa  (Beckmann)  Jones,  natives  of  Ger- 
many. Jlr.  Joues  died  in  Germany,  October  24, 
1887,  and  his  widow  came  to  Du  rage  County 
to  live  with  her  daughter,  dying  there  Decem- 
ber 13,  1802. 

Children  as  follows  were  tioru  to  Mr. 
Domianus  and  his  wife:  Fred  E.,  born  October 
16,  1880,  living  in  Elmhurst.  married  June  11, 
1911,  to  Minnie  Deibrieks  and  has  one  son, 
Elmer;  Henry  J.,  born  March  .31,  1888,  living  in 
Hinsdale,  married  Anna  Lowe  of  Hinsdale, 
January  20,  1912;  Martha  S.,  born  August  11, 
1889,  married  Albert  Raack,  lives  at  Benseu- 
ville,  and  has  two  children,  Lucile  C.  and  Marion 
A.;  Wiliam  E.,  born  June  4,  1891;  Ewald  W„ 
born  December  27,  1892;  and  Walter  F.,  born 
November  29.  1894.  The  youngest  ones  reside 
with  their  parents.  Mr.  Domianus  is  interested 
in  all  movements  for  the  benefit  of  his  com- 
munity and  is  well  known  in  his  part  of  the 
county.  He  is  a  Republican  in  politics,  has 
served  one  year  as  Tax  Collector  of  York  Towur 
ship  and  twenty  years  as  Constable,  and  since 
1908  haw  held  the  olfice  of  Road  Commissioner. 
His  public  service  has  been  most  satisfactory  and 
he  has  a  reputation  for  strict  integrity  and  re- 
liability. The  family  attend  St.  Peter's  Evangel- 
ical Church  of  Elmhurst.  Mr.  Domianus 
belongs  to  the  A.  F.  &  A.  M.  of  Wheaton  and 
the  Court  of  Honor  of  Elmhurst.  Mrs.  Domianus 
received  her  education  in  German  schools  and 
has  lived  in  the  United  States  fifty-six  years. 
She  has  for  eighteen  years  been  a  member  of 
the  Germanic  Evangelical   Society. 

DRENDEL,  Joseph  F.,  a  substantial  farmer  of 
Naperville  township,  Du  Page  county,  is  a  na- 
tive of  that  county,  born  in  Milton  township, 
August  1,  1861,  a  son  of  Joseph  and  Theresa 
(Hedrich)  Drendel,  natives  of  Alsace,  Germany. 
The  paternal  grandparents,  Xavier  and  Theresa 
(Hultsinger)  Drendel,  came  to  Du  Page  county 
about  184.3,  purchasing  a  farm  in  Naperville 
township  but  afterward  bought  land  in  Lisle 
township,  Theresa  Hedrich  came  to  Du  Page 
county  with  two  sisters  and  she  and  Mr.  Dren- 
del were  married  in  1856.  Joseph  Drendel,  Sr. 
purchased  his  father's  farm  in  Milton  township 


and  there  his  wife  died  in  1866.  They  were 
parents  of  three  children :  Frank  who  is  de- 
cea.sed;  Joseph;  and  Alois  who  lives  with 
Joseph.  Joseph  Drendel,  Sr.,  married  (second) 
Magdalena  Dimliug,  and  they  were  parents  of 
seven  children :  Catherine,  Mrs.  Ed,  Schwartz 
who  lives  in  Lisle  township;  George,  and  Wil- 
liam, who  are  of  De  Kalb  county.  111, ;  Anna, 
Mrs.  Daniel  Schwartz,  who  is  of  Naperville 
township;  Henry  who  is  of  Naperville  town- 
ship; Anthony  who  is  of  Milton  township;  and 
Emil  who  is  of  Naperville  township. 

On  April  10,  18SS,  Josejih  Drendel,  Jr.,  mar- 
ried Mary  Wehrli,  born  in  Lisle  township,  daugh- 
ter of  Joseph  and  Elizalietb  (Schmitt)  Wehrli, 
natives  of  Germany.  After  marriage  he  moved 
to  a  farm  his  father  owned  in  Naperville  town- 
ship, which  he  subsequently  purchased  and  has 
since  made  his  home.  After  his  father's  death, 
he  bought  the  share  of  the  other  heirs  to  161 
acres  of  land  and  erected  all  the  buildings  now- 
contained  on  the  plac-e,  including  a  modern  resi- 
dence, put  up  in  1010.  substantial  barns  and 
other  out-buildings.  He  has  forty-five  head  of 
cattle,  his  dairy  herd  containing  thirt.v-five  cows, 
and  carries  on  general  farming  with  improved 
machinery.  Since  moving  to  this  farm  he  has 
been  adding  to  the  value  and  iiroduetiveness  of 
his  land.  Mr.  Drendel  has  three  children,  all  at 
home:  .\ndrew  J.,  Joseph  B.,  and  Olive  Eliza- 
beth. Both  he  and  his  wife  were  educ-ated  in 
the  district  schools  and  they  have  many  friends 
in  the  county  who  were  their  classmates.  He  is 
a  member  of  the  Catholic  Church,  in  which  he 
has  been  a  trustee  since  1895.  In  polities  he  is  a 
Democrat,  and  served  three  years  as  road  master. 
Fraternally  he  belongs  to  the  Catholic  Order  of 
Foresters  and  the  Knights  of  Columbus.  A 
man  of  reliability  he  is  regarded  as  an  upright, 
useful  citizen  who  stands  well  in  his  community. 

DUCAT,  General  Arthur  C,  deceased.  For 
many  years  the  name  of  General  Arthur  C. 
Ducat  was  synonymous  with  distinguished  brav- 
ery and  exalted  military  honors.  He  was  born 
at  Glenagarry,  near  Kingstown,  County  Dublin, 
Ireland,  February  24,  1830,  youngest  child  of 
Mungo  Murray  and  Dorcas  Julia  Ducat.  The 
Ducat  family  originated  in  the  Highlands  of 
Scotland,  but  one  branch  moved  to  Forfarshire. 
The  house  in  which  Arthur  C.  Ducat  was  born 
was  called  Turvey  Place,  and  here  the  lad  was 
carefully    trained  under   a    tutor,    but   had   the 


HISTORY  OP  DU  PAGE  COUNTY. 


845 


misfortune  to  lose  his  father  when  he  was 
twelve  years  old.  This  led  to  his  being  ap- 
prenticed when  fifteen  years  old,  to  Messrs. 
Findlater  &  Co.,  merchants  of  Dublin,  but  he 
only  remained  with  the  firm  a  year,  when  he 
was  released,  and  resumed  his  studies  at  Bel- 
mont College.  For  the  next  two  years  he  stud- 
ied the  classics,  mathematics  and  civil  en- 
gineering, when  he  enlisted  in  the  army  as  a 
private  in  the  regiment  known  as  the  Duke  of 
Cambridge's  own  Regiment  of  Lancers.  His 
health,  however,  necessitated  his  discharge. 

The  high-spirited  young  man  then  left  Ire- 
land, and  arrived  in  New  York  City,  October 
28,  1850,  with  little  but  his  knowledge  of  civil 
engineering,  and  his  determination  to  succeed, 
as  his  capital.  Almost  immediately,  he  secured 
employment  on  railroad  construction,  and  for 
some  years  w-as  engaged  in  this  line  in  various 
parts  of  the  country,  finally  locating  In  Chi- 
cago, in  I8.06.  There  he  became  an  assistant  to 
Julius  White,  head  of  the  Board  of  Insurance 
Underwriters,  and  later  he  became  secretary  of 
the  board,  and  county  surveyor.  Interested  In 
the  fire  department,  he  exerted  himself  to  se- 
cure a  better  equipment,  and  it  is  not  giving  lUm-,- 
too  much  credit  to  declare  that  he  was  t^e  fkther  " 
of  the  present  system  of  the  fire  dep.-irflirefet?!; 
nor  that  he  was  largely  instrumental  .in  secur- 
ing proper  recognition  of  the  Board  ft  Under- 
writers. When  General  Ducat  replizwi.-  J*-;. 
1861  that  the  country  he  had  com*  rfj^lorB-- 
second  only  to  his  owu,  was  in  danger- -£cftU! 
an  enemy,  he  was  exceedingly  anxious  to  rush 
to  its  defense,  and  he  finally  volunteered  in 
his  friend,  Colonel  lIcArtUur's  regiment,  in 
the  Federal  service,  and  was  made  regimental 
adjutant,  and  later  second  lieutenant  of  Com- 
pany A,  and  still  later,  he  became  first  lieuten- 
ant. By  the  middle  of  June,  he  was  commis- 
sioned captain  of  his  company,  so  soon  was  his 
abilit.v  recognized,  and  in  August,  1861,  he  was 
appointed  major  of  the  regiment.  For  his  gal- 
lantry at  Fort  Donelson.  lie  received  honorable 
mention,  and  in  April.  1862,  he  was  appointed 
lieutenant-colonel,  and  participated  in  the  oper- 
ations at  Pittsburg  Landing,  and  the  advance 
on  Corinth.  His  next  advancement  was  when  he 
was  attached  as  senior  officer  to  the  staff  of 
Major-General  E.  O.  C.  Ord,  and  participated  in 
the  l)attle  of  luka.  He  was  made  inspector-gen- 
eral by  General  Grant,  and  still  later  was  ap- 
IKiinted  chief  of  staff  with   General   Rosecrans, 


and  in  this  connection  rendered  invaluable  serv- 
ice in  the  repairing  of  the  Louisville  &  Nashville 
Railroad,  whicli  had  been  lialf  destroyed.  Gen- 
eral Ducat  particiiiated  in  all  of  the  hard-fought 
battles  of  the  army  commanded  by  General  Rose- 
crans, until  he  was  transferred  to  the  command 
of  Major-General  Thomas.  In  the  fall  of  1S63, 
General  Ducat  was  sent  to  Chicago  on  a  fur- 
lough, having  contracted  dysentery,  and  when 
lie  rejoined  his  command,  he  had  not  recovered 
Ills  health,  and  was  forced  to  resign  February 
1!),  1864.  On  July  12,  1866,  he  was  appointed 
brevet  brigadier-general  for  meritorious  service 
during  the  war. 

In  1866,  he  closed  a  contract  with  the  Home 
Insurance  Company  of  New  York,  to  represent 
it  in  Chicago,  and  soon  placed  his  company  at 
the  head  of  insurance  organizations.  Later  he 
accepted  the  agencies  of  the  Manhattan,  Howard 
and  Citizens  Insurance  companies  of  New  York, 
and  controlled  an  immense  business.  In  1873, 
General  Ducat  took  George  M.  Lyon  into  part- 
nership, the  firm  being  knovi'n  as  Ducat  &  Lyon, 
and  continued  until  the  death  of  General  Ducat. 
Possessing  a  firm  faith  in  the  future  of  Chi- 
-XISillL  General  Ducat  invested  largely  in  land 
oii^botii  the  West  and  North  sides,  especially  at 
Jl'JrftiJtMon,-  and  these  ventures  yielded  him  large 
returns.  Ln  1S70.  he  purchased  a  tract  of  land 
at  Lake  Geneva,  Wis.,  and  organized  there  a 
r,vii^utjpg  dluh.  Selling  this  property,  he  pur- 
»Mi»sfi(l.  more  land  in  the  same  vicinity.  In  ad- 
.djtion.  General  Ducat  was  interested  in  the 
Linden  Heights  Association,  and  eventually  be- 
came the  owner  of  800  acres  in  the  vicinity  of 
Downer's  Grove.  Building  a  beautiful  home 
here,  he  lived  as  a  country  gentleman,  and  was 
extremely  fond  of  his  horses  and  dogs.  The 
health  of  General  Ducat  never  recovered  from 
the  strain  of  army  life,  and  he  often  was  forced 
to  travel  in  hopes  of  recuperating,  taking  several 
trips  to  Ireland,  and  California.  In  1S94,  he 
returned  to  the  Golden  State,  and  bought  a 
liome  in  the  vicinity  of  San  Diego,  and  hoped 
to  iiass  many  happy  years  there,  but  was  taken 
ill  and  died  January  29,  1896.  His  funeral 
services  were  held  on  January  31,  in  the  chapel 
at  Rose  Hill,  111.,  the  Rt.  Reverend  Bishop 
McLaren  of  the  Episcopal  diocese  of  Chicago,  offi- 
ciating. 

General  Ducat  was  deeply  interested  in  the 
militia  of  Illinois,  and  it  was  through  his  per- 
sonal efforts  that  the  present  National   Guards 


846 


HISTORY  OF  DU  PAGE  COUNTY. 


were  developed,  he  being  appointed  by  Gov. 
Cullom,  major-general  of  the  Division  of  the 
Illinois  National  Guard,  receiving  bis  commis- 
sion on  July  7.  1877.  but  be  resigned  in  1879. 
From  tbe  formation  of  tbe  party,  General  Du- 
cat was  an  enthusiastic  Republican.  supi>ort- 
ing  the  candidates  of  the  ticket  with  the  same 
loyal  enthusiasm  he  showed  for  anything  in 
which  he  was  interested.  All  his  life  he  was 
a  consistent  and  devout  member  of  the  Epis- 
copal Church,  and  for  years  was  one  of  the  most 
liberal  supporters  of  that  organization  in  what- 
ever community  he  chanced  to  reside. 

Loyal,  true-hearted,  unsparing  of  himself 
when  public-issues  were  at  stake.  General  Du- 
cat was  a  type  of  man  but  seldom  found  in 
these  days.  The  good  he  accomplished,  aside 
from  his  military  service  which  shortened  his 
life  and  deprived  the  country  of  one  of  its  best 
citizens  prematurely,  will  live  as  long  as  Chi- 
cago exists.  The  present  status  of  its  Board 
of  t'nderwriters,  and  the  couserjuent  protection 
given  householders,  and  the  efficiency  of  the 
magnificent  fire  department,  are  lasting  monu- 
ments to  the  ability,  keen  insight,  and  public- 
spirited  desire  to  advance  the  city  of  his  adop- 
tion, and  protect  its  people. 

DUGAN  A.  G.,  a  leading  citizens  of  Hinsdale, 
111.,  is  well  known  in  Chicago  business  circles 
and  elsewhere  as  general  agent  in  that  city 
for  the  Hartford  Fire  Insurance  Company.  He 
is  a  native  of  Kentucky,  born  at  Louisville, 
March  14.  ISfil.  a  son  of  James  W.  and  Mary 
J.  (Gray)  Dugan.  Mr.  Dugan  was  educated 
in  the  public  schools  and  an  academy  in  his 
native  city  and  his  first  work  was  in  the  line 
of  fire  insurance,  for  which  he  had  natural 
ability  and  preference.  He  became  special  agent 
and  ad.iuster  in  Kentucky  and  Tennessee  and 
later  was  general  agent  of  a  company  in  San 
Francisco.  In  1894,  he  returned  to  Louisville 
and  there  became  general  agent  of  the  "Hart- 
ford." In  100.3.  he  came  to  Chicago  as  repre- 
sentative of  this  company  and  has  since  con- 
tinued there.  He  is  one  of  the  ablest  and  most 
successful  agents  of  the  company  in  the  coun- 
try a.nd  does  an  enormous  business. 

Mr.  Dugan  was  married  in  April,  1889,  to 
Mary  Helen  Gates,  and  four  children  have 
blessed  this  union :  Forest,  Alphonse  G.,  Jr., 
Hugh  and  Joseph.  Mr.  Dugan  is  a  member  of 
the  T'nion  League  of  Chicago,  and  of  the  Hins- 


dale Golf  Club.  He  has  been  a  resident  or 
Hinsdale  since  1908.  and  is  considered  one 
of  the  city's  most  useful  and  desirable  citizens. 

DUNHAM,  Mark  W.,  deceased.  The  stock 
raising  fraternity  of  the  United  States  is  famil- 
iarly acciuaiuted  with  the  name  of  Mark  W. 
Dunham  for  it  has  been  associated  for  years 
with  the  raising  and  improvement  of  the  breed 
of  Pereheron  horses.  His  efforts  to  perfect  this 
breed  placed  him  in  the  fore  rank  of  stockmen 
of  the  country,  and  the  results  which  he  at- 
tained will  never  be  lost,  for  they  established  the 
superiority  of  the  Pereheron  draft  horses  beyond 
cpiestion.  Mr.  Dunham  was  born  June  22,  1842, 
in  the  old  brick  house  on  the  Oaklawu  farm,  on 
the  Du  Page  and  Kane  county  line.  His 
father.  Solomon  Dunham,  was  a  native  of  Xew 
York  state,  who  came  to  Illinois  to  secure  cheap 
land,  and  make  a  home  for  himself  and  his 
family,  entering  a  farm  in  Du  Page  and  Kane 
counties  in  1833. 

Mark  W.  Dunham  was  always  interested  in 
stock  raising  and  when  at  the  age  of  twenty- 
seven  years,  he  found  himself  in  jwssession  of 
300  acres  of  land,  inherited  from  his  father's 
estate,  he  began  to  turn  his  attention  towards 
Improving  the  breed  then  called  "Xormans."  It 
took  years  of  persistent  effort,  coupled  with  ex- 
haustive experiments  to  develop  the  present 
grade,  but  eventually  his  success  was  made  cer- 
tain, and  he  secured  the  establishment  of  the 
stud  books  of  France  and  America.  Having 
produced  such  remarkable  results  in  his  breed- 
ing of  the  Percherons.  Mr.  Dunham  then  turned 
his  attention  to  French  Coachers.  and  a  superb 
strain  was  secured.  Tbe  product  of  this  stock 
farm  in  both  breeds  is  without  equal  any- 
where, and  the  exhibits  from  it  form  a  special 
attraction  at  the  International  Stock  Show  at 
Chicago. 

With  Mr.  Dunham's  remarkable  success,  came 
the  necessity  for  more  extensive  quarters,  and 
additional  acres,  and  he  was  not  slow  to  pro- 
vide both,  the  present  quarters  being  almost 
princely.  Beautiful  Oaklawn  house,  one  of  the 
show  places  of  this  part  of  the  state,  if  not  of 
the  whole  country,  was  built.  It  has  been  visited 
by  some  of  the  greatest  stockmen  of  the  world, 
all  of  whom  went  awa.v  wiser  for  their  inspec- 
tion and  inquiry  into  the  methods  used  by  this 
king  among  farmers  and  stockmen.  Mr.  Dun- 
ham did  not  arrive  at  these  remarkable  results 


HISTORY  OF  DU  PAGE  COUNTY. 


847 


through  hai^hazard  experinieuts,  but  always 
pursued  a  careful  line  of  scientific  endeavor, 
based  upon  exhaustive  study  of  methods  and  re- 
quirements. Some  of  his  stallions  and  brood 
mares  hold  prizes  and  medals  from  stock  shows 
all  over  the  world.  In  addition  to  his  remarli- 
able  efforts  along  stock  raising  lines,  Mr.  Dun- 
ham also  gave  thought  and  study  to  the  breed- 
ing of  cattle,  and  general  farming,  and  was  an 
authority  upon  all  subjects  relative  thereto. 

In  the  very  prime  of  life,  with  a  useful  past 
behind  him  and  a  still  more  active  future 
stretching  out  before  him,  Mr.  Dunham  was 
stricken  down  with  blood  poisoning,  and  died 
within  a  week  of  his  seizure.  February  11,  1899. 
His  son,  Wirth  Dunham,  succeeded  to  the  prop- 
erty, and  with  the  assistance  of  Frank  B.  Tratt, 
who  for  the  past  fifteen  years  has  been  superin- 
tendent of  the  farm,  has  maintained  the  su- 
premacy of  the  product.  Mr.  Dunham  has 
passed  from  the  scene  of  his  activities,  but  the 
worli  he  accomplished,  and  the  impetus  he  gave 
to  the  breeding  industry  will  ever  live.  Through 
his  efforts  and  ex.imple,  the  quality  of  stock  was 
raised  inniieasnrably  not  only  in  Du  Page 
county,  but  throughout  the  country,  and  farmers 
were  made  to  realize  the  profit  accruing  from 
handling  only  high-grade  breeds.  Through  all 
this  agitation  other  improvements  followed,  so 
that  much  of  the  present  advancement  in  agri- 
cultural methods  can  be  traced  directly  to  Mark 
W.  I>unhaui. 

DUNHAM,  Solomon,  (deceased),  an  early  set- 
tler of  Du  Page  County,  was  born  In  Saratoga 
County.  N.  Y.,  in  1792,  a  son  of  Elijah  Dun- 
ham, who  was  a  Colonel  during  the  American 
Revolution.  He  was  a  descendant  of  an  old 
Puritan  family  that  came  from  England  dur- 
ing the  seventeenth  centun,-,  and  took  part  in 
many  stirring  events  in  the  early  history  of 
the  country.  .Solomon  Dunham  was  a  civil  en- 
gineer by  profession  and  was  married  in  New 
York  to  Lydia  Ballard,  born  in  Cattaraugus 
County,  N.  Y.,  in  1800.  In  1835,  he  brought 
his  wife  and  seven  children  by  wagon,  to  Illi- 
nois, leaving  New  York  Marcii  27,  and  arriv- 
ing at  their  destination  in  May.  He  located  in 
St.  Charles  Township,  Kane  County,  on  a  farm 
adjoining  the  Du  Page  County  line,  his  farm 
of  .800  acres  being  partly  in  the  latter  county, 
and  in  1842,  he  purcha.sed  this  land  of  the 
government. 


In  1830,  when  Kane  County  was  organized, 
with  thirty-two  congressional  townships,  the 
first  election  was  held  in  June,  with  less  than 
200  voters,  and  Solomon  Dunham  was  chosen 
as  one  of  the  three  Commissioners  of  the  new 
county,  receiving  a  large  vote.  For  many  years, 
he  was  the  only  Assessor  in  the  county,  and 
the  only  competent  surveyor  in  the  vicinity, 
being  employed  to  make  surveys  in  Kane  and 
surrounding  counties.  He  was  strong  and  fear- 
less in  his  convictions  of  right  and  wrong,  had 
an  unyielding  will  where  such  questions  were 
concerned,  and  was  invaluable  among  the  early 
settlers  in  organizing  them  and  assisting  in 
iheir  battles  for  their  rights  against  the  claim 
jumpers  during  the  eight  years  prior  to  the 
laud  sale.  About  1851,  when  the  first  train 
was  run  on  the  Chicago  and  Galena  line,  Mr. 
I'unham  located  at  Wayne,  where  he  erected 
the  first  depot  and  became  station  ageut.  He 
was  also  Postmaster  and  later  erected  a  gen- 
eral merchandise  store,  which  he  conducted  in 
connection  with  his  other  interests,  and  also 
carried  on  general  farming,  his  .sons  doing  most 
of  the  work,  and  as  his  wealth  increased,  he 
added  to  his  original  land  purchase. 

In  the  spring  of  1S57,  Mr.  Dunham  returned 
to  work  on  his  farm  and  in  October  of  that 
year  his  wife  died.  They  were  parents  of 
eleven  children,  namely :  a  son  who  died  before 
they  left  New  York;  Mrs.  Betsey  Albro,  born 
in  1S19,  died  in  1876;  Daniel,  born  in  1821.  died 
in  Novemlier.  1910 ;  Mrs.  Harriet  Fletcher,  born 
in  1823  and  died  in  1S75;  Mrs.  Cordelia  Pratt, 
born  in  1S25,  died  in  1905 ;  Jane,  wife  of  Daniel 
Stearns,  born  in  April,  1827,  died  in  August, 
1852;  Julia  died  at  the  age  of  about  eighteen 
years ;  Mrs,  Helen  Stearns,  born  March  29,  1834 ; 
Emily  died  when  a  child ;  Emma,  widow  of 
Robert  Carswell,  born  July  5,  1839;  Mark  W., 
liorn  in  1842,  died  February  11,  1899.  Mr. 
Dunham  died  in  April,  1865,  sincerely  mourned 
by  the  entire  community.  He  was  a  Democrat 
in  politics  and  belonged  to  the  Masonic  lodge. 

Miss  Emma  Dunham  was  married  in  1872, 
to  Roljert  Carswell,  who  was  born  in  Scotland 
in  May.  18.36,  and  in  1840,  accompanied  his 
parents  to  America.  The  family  settled  in  New 
Jersey,  where  Robert  learned  the  trade  of  car- 
penter, lie  came  to  Illinois  in  1868,  locating 
in  Elgin  for  a  time,  but  in  connection  with  his 
work  lived  in  various  places  in  Du  Page  and 
Kane    Counties.      After    marriage    he    and    his 


848 


HISTORY  OF  DU  PAGE  COUNTY. 


wife  lived  about  a  year  iu  Wbeaton,  wlieu  lie 
purchased  a  farm  of  172  acres  of  land  on 
Section  17  and  IS,  Wayne  Tovvusliip,  where 
they  resided  until  the  death  of  Mr.  Carswell, 
In  1SS4.  His  widow  still  makes  her  home 
on  this  farm.  Mr.  Carswell  was  prominent  and 
influential  in  his  community,  was  a  Republi- 
can iu  politics  and  a  charter  member  of  the 
Congregational  Church  at  Wayne.  Four  chil- 
dren were  bora  to  Mr.  Carswell  and  wife, 
namely :  Kobert  P.,  born  in  1S73,  living  in 
Elgin ;  Ira  A.,  born  in  1875,  living  in  'West  Chi- 
cago; Grace  D.,  wife  of  Charles  Laughlin,  liv- 
ing on  the  farm  with  her  mother,  was  born  in 
1877 ;  Willard,  born  in  1S79,  died  in  1884.  Mrs. 
Carswell  is  a  member  of  the  Congregational 
Church. 


that  place,  to  Mary  Ann  Wise.  Their  chil- 
dren are :  Christian  Henry,  born  July  0,  1S74, 
died  May  2G,  1S8.S ;  Julia  Marianne,  horn  Sep- 
tember 13,  1S70;  and  Edith  Mary,  born  Sep- 
tember 19,  1888.  Mr.  Durran  is  a  Democrat, 
politically.  The  family  residence  at  No.  74 
Mill  street  has  been  the  Durran  home  since 
1878,  with  the  exception  of  nine  months  when 
it  was  being  remodeled,  and  improved.  Mr. 
Durran  is  one  of  the  solid,  reliable  men  of  his 
couimunit.v.  retaining  many  of  the  sterling  Eng- 
lish characteristics  which  are  so  important  an 
aid  to  a  man's  advancement.  He  is  a  good  busi- 
ness man,  a  loyal  supporter  of  NapervlUe,  and 
a  citizen  who  can  be  counted  upon  to  advance 
its  interests  whenever  he  believes  the  movement 
on  foot  is  for  the  best. 


DURRAN,  Henry  James.  Skilled  work  in  any 
line  of  endeavor  brings  reward,  and  in  some 
directions  may  be  carried  to  such  tierfectiou 
as  to  become  an  art.  From  earliest  times  the 
jeweler  and  goldsmith  has  ranked  high  because 
of  the  beauty  and  perfection  of  his  work, 
and  toda.v  this  rating  remains  the  same.  The 
demand  for  watches  and  jewelry  is  so  great  as 
to  make  the  handling  and  manufacture  of  ar- 
ticles of  adornment  an  important  business.  One 
of  the  men  who  has  loug  been  associated  with 
this  class  of  industrial  endeavor  is  Henry  James 
Durran  of  Napen'ille,  who  is  conveniently  lo- 
cated at  No.  73  Washington  street,  while  his 
residence  is  at   No.   74   Mill   street. 

Mr.  Durran  was  educated  in  the  British  pub- 
lic school  at  Banbury,  Oxfordshire,  England. 
but  in  1871,  he  came  to  the  United  States,  lo- 
cating in  Naperville,  where  he  embarked  in 
a  jewelry  business,  continuing  in  it  until  1873. 
In  that  year  he  resolved  to  learn  something 
about  the  manufacture  of  American  watches, 
so  worked  at  watchmaking  in  the  Elgin  National 
Watch  Factory  from  1873  until  1878.  In  1879, 
John  W.  Collins  and  Henry  J.  Durran  estab- 
lished a  retail  boot,  shoe,  gent's  furnishing 
goods,  watch,  clock  and  jewelry  business,  con- 
tinuing together  until  1893,  when  Mr.  Durran 
bought  out  his  partner,  and  since  then  has  con- 
tinued alone.  His  stock  is  a  large  one,  thor- 
oughly up-to-date,  and  his  customers  continue 
to   patronize  him   year   after   year. 

On  November  10,  1873.  Mr.  Durran  was 
united  in  marriage  in  Naperville.  by  the  Rev. 
E.   W.   Hicks,  pastor  of  tlie  Baptist   church   of 


EHRHART,  Edward  Martin,  comes  of  a  fam- 
ily that  has  loug  been  prominent  in  Du  Page 
Count.y,  111.,  of  which  he  is  a  native,  having 
been  born  in  Lisle  Township,  February  26,  1866. 
He  is  a  son  of  Alois  and  Mary  (Spitz)  Ehrhart, 
natives  of  Alsace,  Germany.  His  maternal 
grandparents,  Martin  and  Elizabeth  (Fritch) 
Spitz,  came  to  Lisle  Township.  Du  Page  County, 
in  1S43,  and  located  on  a  farm.  Alois  Ehrhart 
came  to  the  township  when  twenty-four  years 
of  age,  was  there  married  and  carried  on  farm- 
ing eighteen  years,  when  he  sold  his  interests 
and  purchased  136  acres  of  land  in  Naperville 
Township.  He  bought  three  fanns  at  different 
times,  and  became  a  man  of  influence  and  promi- 
nence in  his  neighborhood.  His  death  occurred 
July  1,  1896,  and  his  widow  now  lives  in  Naper- 
ville. They  had  children  as  follows:  Frank 
and  Edward  M.,  of  Naperville  Township;  Mrs. 
Frances  Swiecke,  of  Naperville ;  Joseph  died 
at  the  age  of  thirteen  years ;  Albert,  of  Naper- 
ville Township;  William  on  the  home  farm. 

Mr.  Ehrhart  received  his  education  in  the 
common  schools  of  Du  Page  County  and  was 
reared  to  farm  work.  He  was  married  April 
10,  1803,  to  Annie  Welter,  who  was  born  in 
Aurora,  daughter  of  Nicholas  and  Catherine 
(Spahn)  Weiter.  natives  of  German.v.  After 
marriage,  Mr.  Ehrhart  and  wife  removed  to  a 
farm  in  Naperville  Township  which  was  given 
him  by  his  father;  and  in  1907,  he  purchased 
an  adjoining  farm  of  136  acres  of  land.  He 
carries  on  general  farming  and  has  a  good 
dair.v,  and  is  considered  one  of  the  substantial 
and  progressive  farmers  of  the  county  who  is 


S^d.<^    ^^ia^^tJ^   ^^::^l^y;^ 


HISTORY  OF  DU  PAGE  COUNTY. 


849 


interested  iu  the  welfare  of  his  comiuunity.  He 
has  a  well  tilled  farm  aud  a  comfortable  home 
and  has  been  more  than  ordinarily  successful. 
Both  he  and  his  wife  are  members  of  the  Cath- 
olic Church  and  he  is  affiliated  with  the  Modern 
Woodmen  of  America.  Four  children  were  born 
to  Mr.  and  Mrs.  Ehrliart :  Matilda  aud  Alois 
at  home ;  Cecilia,  who  died  in  infancy,  and 
Ernest    the   baby. 

EHRHART,  Frank.  Breeding  high-grade  stock 
has  become  one  of  the  most  profitable  branches 
of  agriculture,  aud  many  of  the  most  progres- 
sive of  Du  Page  County  farmers  have  been  de- 
voting themselves  to  it  fur  a  number  of  years, 
pnd  through  their  efforts  the  standard  in  this 
section  with  regard  to  blooded  stock,  has  been 
measurably  raised.  One  of  those  intimately 
associated  with  this  industi-y  is  Frank  Ehrhart, 
of  Naperville  Township.  Mr.  Ehrhart  was  born 
in  Lisle  Township,  August  28.  1801,  a  son  of 
Alois  and  Mary  (Spitz)  Ehrhart.  natives  of 
Alsace,  Germany.  The  family  history  is  treated 
of  extensively  in  the  sketch  of  Edward  Martin 
Ehrhart,  elsewhere  in  this  work.  •■,       •■     .. 

The  oldest  child  of  his  parents,.  Mr.  Ehrhart, 
after  having  started  a  fine  dairy  af  'hfs'hQUie, 
on  his  father's  farm  in  1872,  remained  with  his 
parents  until  his  marriage,  when  he  moved  to 
his  present  farm.  He  then  also . 'e'stabltf;Ji.ed,  f^ 
fine  dairy  on  this  farm,  then  owneil'by  bis, 
father  iu  1889,  so  that  makes  him  one  of  the 
oldest  dairymen  in  the  county.  For  two  years, 
Mr.  Ehrhart  rented  the  farm,  which  comprises 
115  acres,  and  then  bought  it.  Since  then,  he 
has  erected  some  new  buildings,  and  remodeled 
the  old  ones  so  that  the  value  of  the  property 
has  been  greatly  enhanced.  He  carries  on  gen- 
eral farming  and  raises  fine  Percheron  horses  of 
full-blooded  stock.  Mr,  Ehrhart  began  breeding 
this  strain  in  1900,  and  nows  owns  four  magnifi- 
cent Percheron  stallions  which  are  as  valuable 
as  any  to  be  found  in  the  State,  especially  the 
Percheron  stallion,  Dauphin,  62831  (56288) .  He 
w-as  imported  from  France  in  1906,  and  took 
championship  at  the  Du  Page  county  fair  in 
1907,  as  a  four  year  old.  His  dairy  herd  con- 
sists of  about  thirty  cows,  he  having  maintained 
this  number  since  lOOO,  when  he  branched  out 
in  all  lines  of  his  business.  The  milk  is  all 
shipped  to  Chicago  and  sold  at  good  prices  on 
account  of  Its  quality  and  purity,  for  the  dairy 
is    conducted   along    thoroughly    sanitary    lines, 


and  according  to  State  provisions.  Mr.  Ehrhart 
is  recognized  as  one  of  the  most  progressive 
agi-iculturalists  not  only  of  his  county,  but  the 
.State  as  well.  Having  had  rather  better  educa- 
tional advantages  than  many  others,  for  he  not 
only  attended  the  public  and  parochial  schools, 
but  two  terms  at  the  Northwestern  College  at 
Naperville,  he  puts  his  knowledge  to  practical 
use,  and  the  results  are  shown  in  his  well  eon- 
ducted  business  interests,  and  his  standing  with 
his  neighbors. 

On  May  16,  1889,  Mr.  Ehrhart  was  united  in 
marriage  to  Minnie  Schmidt,  born  at  German- 
town.  Wis.,  July  10.  1864,  daughter  of  William 
and  Barbara  (Rosbach)  Schmidt,  natives  of 
Germany,  where  they  married.  Mr.  and  Mrs. 
.Schmidt  had  the  following  children:  Margaret 
and  William,  deceased,  aud  Catherine,  now  Mrs. 
Jacob  Lemrich,  of  Dwight,  111.,  born  in  Ger- 
many, and  the  following  born  in  this  country : 
Elizabeth,  now  Mrs.  John  Barth ;  Mary,  now 
Mrs.  John  Gels,  of  Dwight ;  Barbara,  Rosa, 
Anna  and  Jacob,  deceased ;  and  Minnie,  now 
Mrs.  Ehrhart.  of  Naperville,  Hi.  Mrs.  Ehrhart 
was  educated  at  St.  Francis  school  in  Chicago. 
BQth  Mr.  and  Mrs.  Ehrhart  are  members  of  the 
,.f,<iatholic  Church,  and  active  in  its  good  work. 
Politically  Mr.  Ehrhart  is  an  Independent 
Democrat.  Fraternally  he  belongs  to  the  Cath- 
olie  order  of  Foresters,  the  Modern  Woodmen 
.and  the  Royal  Neighbors.  Always  interested  in 
educational  matters,  Mr.  Ehrhart  served  capably 
for  twelve  years  as  School  Director,  and  nine 
years  as  Clerk  of  the  Board. 

Mr.  and  Mrs.  Ehrhart  are  the  parents  of  the 
following  interesting  family :  Mary  and 
Eleanor,  at  home ;  Frances,  Joseph,  Arnold  and 
Henrietta  at  school.  The  services  rendered  by  a 
man  like  Mr.  Ehrhart  to  his  State,  county  and 
community,  in  maintaining  a  high  grade  of  stock, 
and  proving  the  wisdom  of  his  course  in  his 
everyday  life,  cannot  be  over-estimated,  and  he 
is  most  justly  recognized  to  be  one  of  the  most 
representative  agriculturalists  of  this  section,  as 
well  as  one  of  the  most  successful. 

ELFRING,  Frederick,  one  of  the  leading  busi- 
ness men  of  Bensenville,  and  Postmaster  of 
the  town  for  nearly  twenty  years,  was  born  In 
Germany,  in  the  Province  of  Westphalia,  Vil- 
lage of  Schale,  June  12,  1858,  and  Is  one  of 
the  best  examples  of  our  German-American 
citizens,   of   whom   we   are   justly   proud.      Mr. 


850 


HISTORY  OF  DU  PAGE  COUNTY. 


Elfi-iug  is  a  son  of  Gerhard  and  Catherine 
(Tascliej  Elf  ring.  The  former  was  born  iu  the 
same  village  as  his  sou,  aud  there  grew  up, 
engaging  in  farming.  There  his  marriage  took 
place  to  a  native  of  the  same  section,  who 
was  one  of  a  family  of  sixteen  children.  Ger- 
hard Elfring  rented  a  small  farm,  and  there 
all  his  children  were  born,  they  being:  Heiary, 
John  Bernard,  William,  John  Gerhard,  Freder- 
ika  aud  Frederick.  Gerhard  Elfriug  was  a 
hard-working  and  industrious  man,  carefully 
saviug  his  scanty  earnings,  until  he  had  enough 
to  bring  his  family  to  America.  They  all  came 
at  the  same  time,  sailing  from  Kottterdam,  Hol- 
land, on  a  steamer  for  New  York,  which  they 
reached  after  sixteen  days  of  sea  voyage,  ar- 
riving in  ilay,  1871. 

From  Is'ew   York  City,   they  came  by  rail   to 
Chicago,  aud  were  driven  to  Elk  Grove  by  Bar- 
ney  Schoppe,   one   of   their   old   German   neigh- 
bors,  who   came   to   their   train   to   meet   them. 
Mr.   Elfriug  soon  rented   twenty  acres  of  land 
near  Elk  Grove,  and  because  of  his  thrift  and 
industry  prospered.     A  few  years  after  his  ar- 
rival,  he  was  able  to  rent  a   farm  of  fifty-six 
acres.    Here  the  family  resided  for  many  years, 
or    until    Mr.    Elfriug    abandoned    farming,    to 
live  with  his  son  George  E.     After  two  yeai"s, 
however,   he  moved   to   Beusenville,   buj'iug   the 
lot    on    which    Frederick    Elfring    now    resides. 
Here  he   built   a   business  block.     Having   re- 
ceived a  good  common  school  education  in   his 
native  land,  Gerhard  Elfring  was  well  trained, 
and   being   a   man  of   unusual   intelligence   and 
good    judgment,    was    able    to    succeed    whore 
others  would  have  failed.     It  exhausted  his  re- 
sources to  bring  his  family  to  America,  but  he 
was     not  discouraged,  although  practically  pen- 
niless   when    he   arrived   in    Du    Page    County. 
This  part  of  the  country  has  aiways  been  gen- 
erous to  those  willing  to  work,  the  fertile  soil 
repaying  liberally  for  all  labor  expeuded  upon 
it.     In  all  of  his  undertakings  he  was  ably  as- 
sisted   by    his    wife,    wliose    good    management 
and   thrift   were   material    helps.      Mr.    Elfring 
died    in    Bensenville,    aged    seventy-two    years, 
but   his    widow    survived   him    for   some    time 
dying  when  eighty-two   years  old.     Both   were 
members    of    the   Evangelical    Association,    tak- 
ing an  active  part  in  its  good  work.     Mr.  Elf- 
ring   was    Sunday    school     superintendent    for 
many  years,   and  aided  in  other  ways.     A  Re- 
publican in  political  faith,  he  did  his  duty  as 


a  private  citizen.  Like  all  Germans,  he  gave 
his  military  servce  to  his  country,  but  saw  no 
actual  warfare.  The  children  born  to  himself 
and  wife  were :  Henry  who  is  a  resident  of 
Sutton,  Neb.,  where  for  many  years  he  was  a 
merchant ;  John  Bernard,  who  for  many  years 
was  a  farmer,  is  now  retired,  residing  at  Ann 
Arbor,  Mich.,  where  he  is  a  substantial  prop- 
erty owner ;  William  who  was  for  years  a  shoe 
merchant  of  Elgin,  is  now  a  prosperous  resi- 
dent of  that  city ;  John  Gerhard  who  is  a  farmer 
and  prosjjerous;  Fredrica  who  married  Williaxn 
Bokelman,  a  hardware  merchant  of  Rochelle, 
111.,  and  has  twelve  children ;  and  Frederick. 

Frederick  Elfring  was  twelve  years  old  when 
the  family  emigration  took  place,  and  well  re- 
members the  long  voyage.  He  attended  school 
before  leaving  Germany,  learning  to  read  and 
write  his  native  language,  but  after  his  arrival, 
!!e  v.-ent  to  school  in  Du  Page  County  to  learn 
to  speak  English.  During  the  summer,  how- 
ever, his  services  were  required  on  the  farm, 
so  he  could  only  go  to  school  in  the  wiuter.  In 
addition  to  going  to  school  in  Elk  Grove  and 
.\ddison  township,  he  attended  St.  John's  pa- 
rochial school.  Mr.  Elfring  remained  with  his 
parents  , until  he  was  twenty-six  years  old 
when  he  was  married  in  St.  John's  Church  by 
the  Rev.  Wm.  Boerner,  on  November  11,  1SS4, 
to  Mary  Landwehr,  born  October  20,  1861,  in 
Addison  Township,  a  daughter  of  John  and 
Adelaide    (Leuhrs)    Landwehr. 

John  Landwehr  was  the  son  of  a  cai^penter 
residing  in  the  same  village  of  Westphalia  as 
that  from  which  the  Elfring  family  came.  A 
farniiT,  he  sought  lietter  opportunities  In 
America,  coming  here  in  young  manhood,  first 
visiting  a  relative  at  Toledo,  Ohio.  Later  he 
went  south  to  Memphis  and  New  Orleans  where 
he  saw  and  recognized  the  evils  of  slavery, 
learning  to  detest  the  institution.  Not  liking  the 
south,  he  came  to  Chicago,  where  he  worked 
for  Mahlan  Ogden,  one  of  the  Chicago  build- 
ers, being  paid  twenty-flve  cents  per  day  for 
his  labor.  Mr.  Ogden's  residence  was  on  the 
North  Side,  and  after  the  great  fire  of  1871, 
was  the  only  house  left  standing.  Mr.  Land- 
wehr lived  in  the  woods  on  the  North  Side  for 
some  time  after  the  fire,  and  saw  many  of  the 
grewsome  details  of  the  burial  of  the  city's 
victims.  Having  saved  his  money  to  some  pur- 
pose, he  bought  .six  acres  of  land  near  the  pres- 
ent  site   of    Lincoln    Park,    later   buying   forty 


'Kx.M:^  l^cLct. 


HISTORY  OF  DU  PAGE  COUNTY. 


851 


more  near  Chicago,  finally  purcbasinj;  100  acres 
iu  Addisou  Township.  He  married  Adelaide 
Luehrs,  who  came  to  America  with  her  brother 
Fred  L.  Luehrs,  from  Hanover,  Germany,  and 
for  a  time  after  her  arrival  here,  she  worked 
tor  Fred  Smith  of  Du  Page  County.  Mr.  Land- 
wehr  developed  his  land,  building  on  it  a  resi- 
dence, and  made  it  his  home  for  some  years, 
then  sold  his  personal  property  and  returned 
with  his  family  to  Chicago.  He  owned  and 
drove  the  tir.st  omnibus  that  ran  regularly  on 
Milwaukee  avenue,  and  invested  in  real  estate 
on  this  thoroughfare.  Here  his  first  wife  passed 
away,  in  1S72.  Later  he  married  Margretha 
Niehaus.  who  survives.  The  children  born  to 
the  first  marriage  were :  Henry,  Fred.  Herman, 
,Tohn,  Mary,  I^ouisa,  while  by  the  second  they 
were,  Helen,  Carrie.  Josie,  Lydia,  Hattie,  George, 
Louie  and  Emil.  He  and  both  his  wives  were 
members  of  St.  John's  Evangelical  Church.  In 
politics,  he  was  a  Republican,  and  a  strong  ad- 
vocate  of   anti-slavery   principles. 

After  his  marriage,  Frederick  Elfring  settled 
in  Earrington.  engaging  in  a  mercantile  busi- 
ness until  1SS7.  when  he  moved  to  Bensenvillej 
to  continue  in  the  same  line  of  endeavorr  He" 
has  prospered  on  account  of  his  steady  sdfcoi-,.- 
ance  to  honorable  methods,  building  up  a  large 
trade.  He  bought  seventy-five  acres  of  laud  in 
Addison  Township,  and  in  addition  tojowyiiug^ 
that,  owns  the  mercantile  block  and  residancev^ 
erected  by  his  father,  in  Bensenville.  This  he 
has  improved  very  materiall.T.  Mrs.  Elfring 
has  assisted  in  the  store,  managed  her  hou.se- 
hold.  and  bore  and  brought  up  her  large  family. 
The  children  born  to  them  were  as  follows : 
Laura  Dora,  born  August  IS,  1SS5,  was  killed 
on  the  railroad  crossing  at  Bensenville,  while 
on  her  way  to  Sunday  school,  April  10,  1S9S, 
when  she  was  aged  twelv.e  years  and  eight 
months;  Delia  Louisa,  born  May  13,  ISSS; 
Fred  G.,  born  February  6,  1891 ;  Walter,  born 
March  4,  1S91,  died  February  14,  1900,  aged 
five  years  eleven  months  and  ten  days ;  Melvin, 
born  iu  November.  1S97;  Harry  F.,  born  August 
19,  1900:   Elnora  A.,  bom  April  10,  1904. 

Mr.  and  Mrs.  Elfring  are  consistent  mem- 
bers of  the  Evangelical  Association  of  Bensen- 
ville, as  are  all  their  children.  Mr.  Elfring 
lias  always  taken  a  personal  interest  in  the  wel- 
fare of  the  church,  and  as  Sunday  school  super- 
intendent has  served  it  acceptably  for  many 
years.     He  has  also  been  secretary  and  trustee. 


never  .sparing  himself  iu  his  efforts  to  ad- 
vance it,  and  assist  in  its  good  work.  He  is 
now  I'resident  of  the  Sunday  School  Associa- 
tion of  Addisou  Township,  and  also  of  Du  Page 
County  Sunday  School  Association.  In  politics, 
he  is  a  firm  Republican,  serving  as  a  mem- 
ber of  the  Village  Board,  and  was  the  first 
secretary  of  the  Fire  Department.  For  twenty 
years,  he  has  been  Postmaster.  Fraternally 
he  is  a  member  of  the  Modern  Woodmen,  and 
was  first  Banker  of  Camp,  No.  4544. 

Mr.s.  Elfring  was  ten  years  old  at  the  time 
of  the  fire  in  1S71,  and  as  she  then  lived  in 
Chicago,  remembers  it  distinctly,  and  the  days 
of  desolation  that  followed. 

ELLSWORTH,  Judge  Lewis.  The  Bench  and 
Bar  of  L)u  Page  County  number  among  their 
members  both  living  and  dead,  distinguished 
lights  of  the  legal  profession  in  Illinois,  who 
have  alwa.vs  directed  their  efforts  towards  main- 
taining the  highest  standards  of  their  calling. 
Judge  Lewis  Ellsworth,  who  was  the  second  Pro- 
bate Judge  of  Du  Page  Countj',  was  one  of 
those  who  earlier  in  the  history  of  this  county 
>J3pBe;^^,  -ef  alted  ixirt  in  much  of  the  juris- 
.Ji^'i^Uge  of  this  locality,  and  never  was  called 
upon''in  vain  for  the  performance  of  any  of  the 
manly  duties  pertaining  to  good  citizenship. 
Judge  Ellswprth  was  born  at  Walpole,  N.  H., 
^STuiy'***,'' ■  180.5,  and  died  in  Naperville,  Thurs- 
day  morning,  January  15,  1885,  aged  seventy- 
nine  years. 

Living  in  his  native  place  until  eighteen  years 
of  age,  he  then  went  to  Rutland  County,  Vt., 
remaining  there  until  1827,  when  he  went  to 
Troy,  N.  Y.  There  he  conducted  a  mercantile 
establishment,  but  when  in  1836,  he  was  offered 
the  opportunity  to  dispose  of  his  business,  he 
did  so,  a  little  later  on  visiting  Chicago  and 
Xaperville.  The  beautiful  prairies  near  the  lat- 
ter place  so  charmed  this  lover  of  nature,  that 
he  bought  the  tract,  iu  June,  1836,  upon  which  in 
the  following  year,  he  erected  his  substantial 
house.  To  this  home,  he  removed  his  family  in 
October  of  that  same  year,  and  entered  upon  a 
long  and  useful  career,  both  as  nurseymau  and 
merchant,  and  was  the  founder  of  the  Du  Page 
County  Nurseries,  which  became  so  well  known 
throughout  the  northwest. 

Being  a  man  of  much  more  than  ordiuary 
ability,  Mr.  Ellsworth  early  attracted  the  at- 
tention of  his  neighbors,  and  was  called  upon 
from   time  to   time   to  discharge  the   duties  of 


852 


HISTOEY  OF  DU  PAGE  COUNTY. 


important  official  positions,  being  one  of  the 
organizers,  and  for  some  time  president  of  the 
Du  Page  County  Agricultural  Society ;  was  one 
of  the  Incorporators  of  the  Union  Agricultural 
Society,  as  well  as  president  and  later  vice- 
president  of  it ;  was  one  of  the  constituent  mem- 
bers of  the  State  Agricultural  Society,  and  for 
many  years  was  a  member  of  the  State  Board ; 
was  Collector  of  Internal  Revenue,  being  ap- 
pointed by  President  Lincoln,  and  many  times 
served  on  the  Board  of  Supervisors.  The  Re- 
publican party  had  in  him  a  staunch  supporter, 
and  he  was  proud  of  the  fact  that  Abraham 
Lincoln  counted  him  among  his  intimate  friends. 

In  December,  1828,  Mr.  Ellsworth  was  united 
in  marriage  with  Chloe  JI.  Skinner,  of  Lebanon, 
X.  Y.  They  had  the  misfortune  to  lose  two 
children  in  childhood,  and  also  their  daughter. 
Eva.  but  two  sous  remained :  Miltou  S..  Ells- 
worth and  Hon.  Lewis  C.  Ellsworth.  Mrs.  Ells- 
worth died  soon  after  her  daughter,  October  16, 
1S7G. 

The  funeral  services  of  Judge  Ellsworth  were 
held  at  St.  John's  Episcopal  Church.  Canon 
Knowles  of  Chicago,  and  Rev.  M.  V.  Averill.  of 
Naperville,  offlciatiug.  The  beautiful  little 
church  was  crowded  with  those  who  sought  to 
pay  a  last  tribute  to  the  man  who  had  dwelt 
among  them  for  so  long,  and  who  had  inspired 
them  with  a  desire  to  lead  a  better  and  nobler 
life.  A  number  of  the  members  of  the  State 
Board  of  Agriculture  of  which  he  died  a  mem- 
lier,  attended.  A  touching  feature  of  the  cere- 
mony was  the  following  of  the  casket  as  honor- 
ary pall  bearers  of  several  of  the  pioneers,  who 
with  him  had  helped  to  build  up  Xaperville.  but 
who  were  themselves  too  frail  to  bear  the  bur- 
den as  pall  bearers.  Many  years  have  passed, 
over  a  quarter  of  a  century,  since  this  good  and 
representative  man  was  laid  to  his  last  rest,  and 
yet  he  is  not  forgotten,  for  during  the  time  he 
resided  here,  he  made  himself  so  necessary,  gave 
so  much  of  his  j^ersonality  to  his  community, 
that  the  results  of  his  endeavor  live  on,  and  the 
generation  unborn  when  he  passed  away,  is  now 
enjoying  the  fruits  of  the  harvest  he  sowed. 

ELLSWORTH,  Milton  S.,  deceased.  The  words 
"good  and  faithful  servant"  are  well  applied  to 
the  late  Miltou  S.  Ellsworth,  late  of  Xaperville, 
whose  life  in  this  community  has  been  of  im- 
mense benefit  to  Du  Page  County.  Born  of  a 
distinguished  father.  September  8.  1829.  at  Troy. 


X'.  T.,  Mr.  Ellsworth  lived  to  justify  the  careful 
training  bestowed  upon  him,  and  when  he  died 
at  his  home  in  Wheaton,  May  2.5,  1890,  he 
rounded  out  a  useful  life  of  sixty-seven  years. 
Mr.  Ellsworth  was  a  son  of  Judge  Lewis  Ells- 
worth, who  brought  him  to  Xaperville  in  18.37, 
and  grew  up  there,  attending  district  school  and 
Mt.  Morris  Academy. 

Taught  from  boyhood  the  dignity  of  lalx>r.  Mr. 
Ellsworth  was  always  a  busy  man,  early  in  life 
assisting  his  father  in  the  management  of  the 
Du  Page  County  Xurseries,  and  later  in  the  In- 
ternal Revenue  office.  During  all  these  years, 
however,  Mr.  Ellsworth  was  gaining  the  con- 
fidence of  the  people,  and  in  1877,  he  was  elected 
County  Clerk  of  Du  Page  County,  and  suc- 
cessively elected  to  that  office  for  five  terms, 
dying  while  an  incumbent  of  it.  Like  his  father, 
he  was  strong  in  his  suiiport  of  Republicanism, 
and  his  services  to  his  party  were  many  and 
valuable. 

Mr.  Ellswoi-th  was  married  May  22,  185i.  to 
Miss  Jane  E,  Barber.  Two  children  were  born 
to  them,  Lewis,  at  the  time  of  his  father's  death, 
a  druggist  at  \\'heaton.  and  Miss  Carrie,  who 
was  her  father's  efficient  clerk.  The  Congrega- 
tional Church  held  his  niemiiership  and  he  was 
very  earnest  in  his  religious  work.  Always 
interested  in  fraternal  matters.  Mr.  Ellsworth 
was  a  member  of  Euclid  Lodge,  Xo.  65,  F.  &  A. 
M..  Euclid  Chapter  Xo.  13,  R.  A.  M.,'  and  Gebal 
Council,  Xo.  81,  R.  and  S.  M.  His  funeral  was 
in  charge  of  his  lodges,  and  was  very  impres- 
sive. Rev.  Delos  M.  Tompkins  officiating.  His 
remains  were  interred  in  the  Xaperville 
cemetery. 

It  is  doubtful  if  Du  Page  County  ever  had  an 
official  who  was  more  universally  loved,  for  Mr. 
Ellsworth  wou  all  hearts  by  his  humanity.  He 
aiipeared  to  sense  a  trouble  and  know  exactly 
how  to  remedy  it.  Even  when  it  was  impossible 
for  him  to  do  anything  officially,  he  arranged 
matters  from  his  private  funds,  and  when  noth- 
ing else  was  possible,  gave  largely  of  that  rare 
and  tender  sympathy  that  was  priceless.  Both 
Xaperville  and  Wheaton  claimed  this  man.  and 
Du  Page  C-ounty  is  proud  of  the  fact  that  all  his 
life  outside  of  extreme  chidlhood,  was  spent 
within  its  confines.  Xo  one  today  can  be  long  in 
either  Xaperville  or  Wheaton  without  hearing 
some  mention  of  the  Ellsworths,  father  and  son, 
who  although  dead  are  still  present  in  what  they 


HISTORY  OF  DU  PAGE  COUNTY. 


853 


accomplished  for  good,   and  iu  the  memory  of 
their  useful,  houorable,  self-sacrifleiug  lives. 

EMERY,  John  T.  Many  of  the  people  of  Du 
Page  Couuty  have  taken  advautage  of  its  prox- 
imity to  Chicago,  and  while  residing  iu  one 
or  other  of  the  beautiful  villages  and  towns 
within  its  confines,  conduct  their  business  oper- 
ations in  the  nearby  city,  which  is  the  second 
in  the  country.  One  of  the  men  thus  pleas- 
antly and  conveniently  located,  is  John  T. 
Emery,  treasurer  of  the  Chicago  Rawhide  Manu- 
facturing Co.,  at  No.  1301  Elston  aveuue,  Chi- 
cago, who  resides  at  Elmhurst. 

Mr.  Emery  is  a  son  of  William  II.  and  Mary 
A.  (Tobey)  Emery,  and  one  of  a  family  of  five 
children :  John  T.,  Herbert,  Ida,  William  H. 
and  Grade,  all  of  whom  survive  except  Her- 
bert. The  family  came  to  Illinois  in  1869,  lo- 
cation being  made  at  Oak  Park.  The  father  em- 
barked in  a  hide  and  leather  business,  the 
forerunner  of  the  present  Chicago  Rawhide 
Manufacturing  Co.  In  1SS9,  Mr.  Emery,  Sr., 
moved  to  Elmhurst,  where  he  became  one  of 
its  most  progressive  citizens,  inaugurating  many 
much-needed  improvements,  and  bringing  that 
village  up  to  the  standard  of  others  of  its  size 
in  Du   Page  County. 

John  T.  Emery  was  educated  in  Oak  Park, 
and  associated  with  his  father  in  business,  be- 
coming upon  the  organization  of  the  present 
company,  its  treasurer.  He  has  always  been 
a  keen,  enterprising  business  man,  and  one  who 
has  thoroughly  understood  his  affairs.  Under 
his  capable  management,  affairs  have  been 
placed  in  an  excellent  condition,  and  the  field 
of  operation  extended.  He  is  a  Director  in 
the  Colonial  Trust  &  Savings  Bank,  the  North 
Avenue  State  Bank,  and  the  Michigan  Aveuue 
Trust  Co. 

Mr.  Emery  is  a  Republican,  following  in  the 
footsteps  of  his  father,  and  has  borne  his  part 
in  the  support  of  his  party.  He  is  a  Knight 
Templar,  fraternally,  and  in  religious  belief  a 
Tniversalist.  Steadfast,  faithful  to  his  duty  as 
he  sees  it,  interested  in  the  progress  of  his  city, 
Mr.  Emerj-  is  correctly  numbered  among  the' 
most  reliable  citizens  of  Du  Page  County,  while 
in  Chicago  he  is  considered  as  a  business  man 
of   unusual    ability. 

Mr.  Emery  was  married  December.  1S99,  to 
Mary   Allen  Ball  of  Boston.  Mass.     They  have 


these  sous :     Munsou  A.,  John  T. 
risou,  Howard  P.,  and  Robert  B. 


Jr.,  W.  Har- 


ENCK,  Robert,  who  owns  an  interest  in  a  coal, 
grain  and  feed  store  at  Naperville,  111.,  was 
born  iu  Cumberland  County,  Pa.,  January  21, 
18(54.  He  is  a  son  of  Isaac  and  Mary  (Coover) 
Enck,  the  former  a  native  of  Lancaster  County 
and  the  latter  of  Cumberland  County,  Pa.  The 
grandparents,  Henry  Enck  and  wife,  and  George 
and  Eliza  Coover,  all  died  in  I'enusylvauia,  and 
Isaac  and  Mary  Enck  still  reside  in  that  State. 

In  boyhood  Robert  Enck  attended  the  dis- 
irii  t  school  and  helped  his  father  with  the  farm 
work.  When  twenty-four  years  of  age  he  came 
to  Naperville,  working  on  farms  in  the  neigh- 
borhood several  years,  when  he  purchased  a 
farm  iu  Naperville  Township  and  conducted  it 
until  1905,  then  selling.  Following  this  he  in- 
vested in  his  present  business,  iu  company  with 
John  E.  Babel.  In  1908  Mr.  Drendel  b<:)ught 
Mr.  Babel's  interest  and  is  now  an  equal  part- 
ner with  Mr.  Enck.  They  have  a  large  patron- 
age in  Naperville  and  vicinity  and  both  are 
men  of  known  integrity  and  reliability.  Mr. 
Enck  is  a  member  of  the  Evangelical  Church 
and  iu  politics  is  a  Republican.  He  belongs 
to  the  local  Masonic  lodge. 

In  Juue,  1890,  Mr.  Enck  was  uuited  in  mar- 
riage with  Efiie  i'raley,  a  native  of  Du  Page 
County  and  daughter  of  Frank  and  Susan 
(Frost)  Frale.v,  the  former  a  native  of  Du  Page 
County  and  the  latter  of  Pennsylvania.  Four 
children  have  blessed  this  union :  Grace,  Ruth, 
Frank  and  Harold,  all  at  home.  Mr.  Enck  and 
wife  are  well  known  sociall.v  and  have  many 
friends. 

ERICKSON,  Charles  J.,  baggagemaster  and  ex- 
press agent  at  Hinsdale,  for  the  Chicago,  Bur- 
lington &  Quiney  Railroad,  is  one  of  the  most 
efficient  men  in  the  service  of  the  road,  as  well 
as  a  public-spirited  resident  of  Hinsdale.  He 
was  born  in  Sweden,  December  29,  1872,  a  son 
of  Erick  and  Marie  (^Vndrew)  Erickson,  both 
natives  of  Sweden,  where  they  died.  The  father 
was  a  farmer.  The  grandparents  on  both  sides 
lived  to  be  considerably  over  ninety  years  of  age. 

Charles  J.  Erickson  attended  public  school  in 
Sweden,  and  was  brought  up  on  a  farm,  amid 
healthy  conditions.  He  worked  in  various  towns 
in    Sweden,   putting   on   slate  roofs  in   partner- 


854 


HISTORY  OF  DU  PAGE  COUNTY. 


ship  with  his  brother,  but  left  his  native  coun- 
try, and  landed  in  the  United  States  May  23, 
1889,  from  the  White  Star  line.  After  his  ar- 
rival here,  he  learned  painting,  and  worked  for 
the  McCormick  Harvester  Company  for  eight 
years.  For  the  next  three  years,  he  conducted  a 
grocery  of  his  own,  when  he  returned  to  the 
McCormick  Harvester  Company.  Later  he  came 
to  Hinsdale  to  act  as  coachman  for  L.  C.  Newell, 
and  finally,  entered  the  employ  of  the  Chicago, 
Burlington  &  Quincy  Railroad  as  helper  in  the 
express  and  baggage  department,  and  his  worth 
was  recognized  to  such  an  extent,  that  he  was 
placed  in  charge  of  the  station  as  baggagemaster 
and  express  agent  in  1903,  and  has  since  con- 
tinued as  such. 

On  December  10,  1900,  Mr.  Erickson  was  mar- 
ried at  Chicago,  to  Anna  Peterson,  born  In 
Sweden,  May  17,  1873,  daughter  of  Gus  Peter- 
son ;  no  issue.  Mr.  Erickson  belongs  to  the 
Swedish  Baptist  Church,  and  is  chairman  of  its 
leading  committee.  Holding  strong  views  on  the 
temperance  question,  he  is  a  Prohibitionist. 
He  owns  his  residence  property  in  Hinsdale, 
and  is  a  man  of  substantial  standing.  His 
career  proves  that  it  is  not  necessary  for  a 
man  to  have  money  or  strong  backing  to  suc- 
ceed. If  he  is  capable  and  willing  to  work 
and  save,  he  is  sure  to  advance  along  any  line  he 
wishes  to  enter  upon. 

FAIRBANK,    Allen    Hale.     During    his    useful 

life  of  nearly  sixty  years.  Allen  Hale  Fairbank 
has  proven  him.^elf  an  excellent  farmer  and  effi- 
cient public  official,  earning  during  these  years 
the  confidence  and  respect  of  all  with  whom  he 
has  been  associated.  Mr.  Fairbank  is  now  a 
retired  farmer  and  auctioneer,  but  formerly 
made  a  specialt.v  of  raising  registered  HoLstein 
cattle  and  trotting  horses.  Mr.  Fairbank  was 
born  in  a  log  house  three  miles  south  of  West 
Chicago,  near  the  Du  Page  river,  December  19, 
1853,  a  son  of  James  and  Electa  P.  (Chandler) 
Fairbank.  The  former  was  born  January  21, 
1814,  in  Yorkshire,  England,  and  the  latter  born 
in  New  York,  August  28,  1828.  The  father  was 
a  farmer,  and  a  son  of  Francis  Fairbank,  who 
brought  his  family  from  England  to  America 
in  1825.  They  settled  at  Buffalo,  N.  Y.,  where 
they  carved  a  farm  out  of  the  forest.  Until  he 
was  twenty-two  years  old,  James  Fairbank  re- 
mained at  home,  but  at  that  time  left  for  the 
west,  arriving  in  Du  Page  county,  June  2,  1837, 


and  here  he  remained  until  his  death,  March 
20,  1891.  His  wife  was  born  August  28,  1828, 
and  came  with  her  parents  from  western  New 
York,  to  Du  Page  county  in  1835.  They  settled 
about  a  mile  northwest  of  Warrenville. 

Allen  H.  Fairbank  was  sent  to  the  school  at 
Gary's  Mills,  and  brought  up  to  farm  work.  He 
was  engaged  in  farming  until  December,  1891, 
when  he  moved  to  West  Chicago,  which  has 
since  continued  to  be  his  home.  In  order  to 
accommodate  a  friend,  he  acts  as  auctioneer 
upon  occasion,  but  prefers  to  be  free  to  look  after 
his  affairs.  For  twelve  years  he  was  president 
of  the  Turner  Cooperative  Creamery.  At  one 
time  he  owned  the  West  Chicago  Press,  a  weekly 
papr,  but  sold  it  to  the  present  owner. 

For  years  a  Republican,  at  times  Mr.  Fair- 
bank  gave  his  party  yeoman  service,  and  has 
held  many  offices.  He  was  supervisor  for  ten 
years,  during  two  of  which  he  was  chairman ; 
for  four  years,  he  was  a  member  of  the  board  of 
review ;  was  county  treasurer  four  years,  from 
December,  1890,  to  December,  1895.  and  was 
alderman  of  his  ward  upon  several  occasions. 
Fraternally,  he  is  a  Mason,  being  ixist  master  of 
his  lodge,  and  an  Odd  Fellow,  having  been  Xoble 
Grand  in  that  order,  and  has  been  president  of 
the  local  Farmers  Institute.  The  Methodist 
Church  holds  his  membership.  Since  the  forma- 
tion of  the  Progressive  party.  Mr.  Fairbank  has 
devoted  his  energy  and  knowledge  of  existing 
conditions  to  the  promotion  of  its  principles,  and 
feels  that  in  its  platform  and  aims  lie  the  coun- 
try's sitlvation. 

On  October  3,  1876,  Mr.  Fairbank  was  mar- 
ried at  West  Chicago,  to  Lydia  Martin,  daughter 
of  the  Rev.  C.  F.  and  Sarah  Martin,  who  came 
of  German  descent.  They  were  natives  of 
Pennsylvania  who  came  first  to  western  New 
York  and  then  to  Illinois.  Mr.  and  Mrs.  Fair- 
bank  have  had  the  following  children :  Elbert 
S.  who  was  born  March  13,  1879,  was  killed  in 
a  railroad  wreck  July  30,  1912,  at  Pueblo,  Col. ; 
Grace  Electa,  born  February  11,  1883,,  who  is  the 
wife  of  C.  Z.  Daniels ;  James  M.,  who  was  born 
September  13,  1884 ;  and  Alien  F.,  who  was  born 
July  27,  1897. 

FAIRBANK,  Judson  N.  Hard  work  like  farm- 
ing takes  so  amch  out  of  a  man  that  he  is  not 
able  to  continue  at  it  as  long  as  those  engaged 
in  less  exhaustive  labor,  so  it  often  happens  that 
many  of  the  men  who  have  attained  to  comfort- 


^ 


~Ti 


K 


^ 


HISTORY  OF  DU  PAGE  COUNTY. 


855 


able  eirmmstaiices  iu  agricultural  pursuits,  re- 
tire aud  speud  tlieir  decliuiug  years  iu  enjoy- 
meut  of  wliat  they  have  accumulated.  One  of 
these  retired  farmers  is  Judson  N.  Fairbank, 
uow  of  West  Chicago,  but  for  many  years  one 
of  the  thrifty  aud  progressive  farmers  of  Du 
Page  County.  Mr.  Fairbank  was  Liorn  iu  Win- 
field  Township,  March  30,  1S50,  a  son  of  John 
aud  Permelia  (Levens)  Fairbank.  John  Fair- 
bank  was  born  iu  England,  but  was  brought 
to  New  York  State  by  his  parents,  when  he 
was  eight  years  of  age.  In  1S37,  John  Fairbank 
came  to  Winfield  Township,  where  he  entered 
land,  returning  the  following  year  to  marry. 
The  .young  couple  came  back  to  Du  Page  County 
to  live  on  their  farm,  which  was  part  in  tim- 
ber and  the  rest  in  prairie.  As  time  went  ou, 
Mr.  Fairbank  became  a  man  of  substance,  held 
township  offices,  and  was  finally  gathered  to 
his  fathers.  Jauuary  10,  1S79.  His  widow  moved 
to  West  Chicago,  in  ISSO,  and  there  she  died 
in  April,  1S07.  The  children  bom  to  her  and 
her  husband  were  :  Almira,  deceased :  Francis, 
died  in  18.50;  Maria  died  in  186.'');  Ilariaef  tJtod-' 
in  18C4,  Judsou  N.,  and  Martha  E.,  wIio= res  idea-, 
with  her  brother  Judson.  .>Wk '**»■■  ■ 

Growing  up  in  Winfield  Townshli^  attending 
district  school,  Judson  N.  Fairbahli  "lived  as 
did  any  normal  country  boy  of  his  tiliirrc;''**re-' 
maining  at  home  until  his  marriage,  wiTen'  he 
assumed  charge  of  the  property  of  20/5  .aires;' 
operating  it  for  four  years.  In  1878,  he  received 
sevent.v-five  acres  from  his  father,  and  upon 
it  built,  and  later  added  to,  till  now  he  has  143 
acres,  residing  there  until  1901,  when  he  moved 
to  West  Chicago,  where  he  and  his  sister  now 
make  their  home. 

On  Decemlier  23.  1873.  Mr.  Fairbank  was  mar- 
ried to  Leah  Martin,  horn  iu  Kane  County,  111., 
daughter  of  Christian  and  Sarah  (Rhodes) 
Martin,  natives  of  Peuusylvania.  Mr.  and  Mrs. 
Fairbank  became  the  parents  of  four  children  : 
Ralph  of  West  Chicago  ;  John  of  Cbicago ;  Mable, 
Mrs.  William  Madison  of  West  Chicago,  and 
Marian,  at  home.  Although  not  a  politician, 
Mr.  Fairbank  is  interested  in  civic  affairs,  be- 
ing a  staunch  Republican,  and  has  held  several 
township  offices,  faithfully  discharging  the  du- 
ties pertaining  to  them. 

FAULHABER,  George,  a  prosperous  farmer  of 
Downer's  Grove  township,  has  spent  a  large 
share  of  his  life  on  the  farm  he  now  occupies. 


having  been  engaged  in  agricultural  pursuits 
since  he  was  old  enough  to  take  any  active  part 
iu  helping  to  carry  on  his  father's  work.  He 
was  born  in  Cook  county.  111.,  October  5,  1870, 
and  was  three  years  old  when  his  parents, 
Martin  and  Sarah  (Lehman)  Faulhaber,  came 
to  the  farm  where  he  now  lives.  He  was 
reared  on  the  farm,  attending  the  local  schools, 
and  has  always  lived  with  his  father.  In  1898 
he  purchased  forty  acres  of  land  adjoining  his 
father's  farm  and  in  1002  bought  the  homestead, 
and  now  has  180  acres  of  land,  all  the  improve- 
ments on  it  being  the  result  of  his  and  his 
father's  efforts.  He  carries  on  mixed  farming 
and  is  an  enterprising,  energetic  worker,  win- 
ning the  respect  and  esteem  of  his  neighbors  and 
reaping  a  good  profit  from  his  work.  Recognized 
as  a  useful,  upright  citizen  he  has  always 
borne  his  part  in  developing  the  interests  of  his 
community  and  in  securing  the  advancement  of 
every  gotid  cause  affecting  the  general  welfare. 
On  August  18,  1895,  Mr.  Faulhaber  married 
Caroline  Furst,  daughter  of  Matthew  and  Ros- 
nSiSr  (,Ringhofcr)  Furst,  who  was  born  in  Aus- 

-  t^-^.";"August  13,  1860.  Mr.  and  Mrs.  Faul- 
haber became  the  parents  of  the  following  chil- 
dren :  ^lara  who  was  born  August  7,  1896 ; 
^a^VSUue-  who  was  born  April  17,  1898,  died 
^pehMfary  13,  1010:  Martin  who  was  born  Alay 
27,  1900 ;'  Henry  who  was  born  October  13,  1902  : 

^George  who  was  born  September  2."),  1907 ;  and 
Emory  who  was  born  April  11,  1910.  In  polit- 
ical views  Mr.  Faulhaber  is  Independent,  voting 
for  the  party  and  man  he  thinks  represents 
the  best  interest  of  the  country.  He  and  fam- 
ily are  members  of  the  Evangelical  Lutheran 
Church  and  he  is  a  member  of  the  Modern 
Woodmen  of  America. 

FAULHABER,  Martin.  The  German-American 
citizens  who  have  settled  in  Du  Page  county 
have  been  important  factors  in  building  up  and 
promoting  the  prosperity  and  progress  of  the 
various  localities  where  they  have  lived.  Many 
of  them  have  been  farmers  ever  since  coming  to 
the  county  and  have  become  successful  and  use- 
ful citizens,  while  others  have  gained  the  same 
results  along  different  lines.  Martin  Faulhaber, 
a  well  known  farmer  of  Downer's  Grove  town- 
ship, was  born  in  Germany,  December  29,  1837, 
a  son  of  George  and  Eva  Faulhaber,  also  na- 
tives of  Germany.  He  was  educated  in  his  na- 
tive country  and  at  the  age  of  thirty-two  years 


856 


HISTORY  OF  DU  PAGE  COUNTY. 


came  to  the  United  States,  spending  fourteen 
days  on  tlie  ocean  voyage.  A  painter  by  trade, 
after  spending  about  six  months  in  Michigan, 
he  went  to  Chicago  and  followed  his  calling 
three  months,  after  which  he  continued  to  wield 
his  brush  in  connection  with  farming  in  the 
country  for  several  years. 

In  1870  Mr.  Faulhaber  purchased  forty  acres 
of  land  in  Cook  county,  which  he  disposed  of  in 
about  two  years,  and  in  1872  he  purchased 
eighty  acres  in  Du  Page  count.y,  to  which,  in 
1880,  he  added  sixty  acres  more,  and  now  owns 
140  acres  of  land,  all  under  cultivation.  The  first 
place  contained  some  small  buildings,  to  which 
he  has  added,  and  he  has  also  erected  new 
ones  as  necessary.  His  land  is  in  a  high  state 
of  cultivation  and  shows  the  result  of  industry 
and  good  care. 

Mr.  Faulhaber  was  married  in  Cook  county, 
111.,  in  1869,  to  Miss  Sally  Lehman,  a  daughter 
of  Henry  and  Eva  (Dietz)  Lehman.  She  was 
born  in  P"'rance,  January  14.  1830.  and  came  to 
America  with  her  parents  about  1855,  being  four 
weeks  in  crossing  tlie  ocean.  They  spent  some 
time  in  Lyons,  N.  Y.,  before  coming  to  Cook 
county,  Illinois.  Mr.  and  Mrs.  Faulhaber  have 
had  two  children :  George,  whose  sketch  also 
appears  in  this  work ;  and  Henry,  who  was 
born  October  5,  1872,  married  Emma  PfafC.  re- 
sides on  the  Pfaff  farm  in  Lisle  township.  Mr. 
Faulhaber  is  well  known  in  his  part  of  the 
county  and  has  always  represented  the  best  in- 
terests of  his  community.  He  has  attained  his 
possessions  through  his  own  efforts,  having  only 
eighteen  cents  left  when  he  landed  at  Detroit, 
Mich.,  sartng  his  money  until  he  had  enough  to 
make  his  first  investment  in  land,  and  adding 
to  it  from  time  to  time  as  he  was  able. 

FELDOTT,  John.  The  rich  soil  of  Du  Page 
County  has  already  made  generous  returns  for 
effort  expended  upon  it.  and  now  that  modern, 
scientific  methods  are  being  so  widely  adopted, 
there  are  years  more  of  fertility  left  for  it. 
Some  of  the  most  prosperous  men  of  the  county 
are  those  who  have  confined  themselves  to  work- 
ing the  soil,  and  among  them  one  who  is  worthy 
of  special  mention  is  John  Peldott.  He  was 
born  in  Winfleld  Township,  which  has  since 
continued  his  home,  October  27,  1872,  being  a 
son  of  John  and  Theressa  (Hendricks)  Feldott, 
both  natives  of  Germany. 


The  father  was  an  early  settler  of  Xaper- 
ville.  but  later  came  to  Winfleld  Township, 
buying  120  acres  in  the  timber.  This  he  cleared, 
making  of  it  a  flue  farm,  and  died  upon  it  in 
the  fall  of  1S94.  His  wife  died  in  February, 
1N7.J.  Their  children  were:  Henry  of  Batavia, 
111.;  Anna,  Mrs.  Otto  Weisbrock  of  Winfleld 
Township;  Mary,  Mrs.  Herman  Feirbone  of 
Kansas ;  Joseph  of  Batavia ;  Catherine,  Mrs. 
Tony  Comas  of  Winfleld  Township;  Christian 
of  Batavia;  William  of  NapeiTille  Township; 
John,  and  Emma,  Mrs.  William  Brummel  of 
Kane  County,  111. 

John  Feldott  attended  district  school,  and  for 
two  years  was  at  a  Catholic  School  at  Ba- 
tavia, connected  with  the  Holy  Cross  Catholic 
Church.  All  his  life  has  been  spent  on  the 
homestead,  which  he  bought  in  1904,  adding  in 
1909.  forty-five  acres  more.  He  keeps  an  aver- 
age of  twenty  milk  cows,  and  raises  many  more, 
and  carries  on  general  farming  as  well.  His 
farm  in  one  of  the  best  kept  in  the  county, 
and  yields  large  crops. 

On  February  7,  1892,  Mr.  Feldott  was  mar- 
ried to  Elizabeth  Seppelfrick,  born  in  Naper- 
ville.  a  daughter  of  John  and  Mary  Seppelfrick, 
natives  of  German.v.  Mr.  and  Mrs.  Feldott  have 
children  ,ts  follows :  Mar.v,  Anna,  Katie,  Laura, 
Elizabeth,  John  and  Christ.  Mr.  Feldott  be- 
longs to  the  Holy  Cross  Catholic  Church  of 
Batavia.  He  is  a  member  of  the  Catholic  Order 
of  Foresters.  Deeply  interested  in  his  farm- 
ing, always  anxious  to  adopt  measures  and 
methods  he  deems  will  result  satisfactoril.v, 
.Mr.  Feldott  is  an  excellent  example  of  the  in- 
telligent  farmer   of   the   twentieth   century. 

FELDOTT,  William,  a  representative  agri- 
culturalist of  Xaperville  township,  is  a  native  of 
the  county,  born  in  Lisle  township,  September 
14,  1806,  a  son  of  John  and  Theresa  (Ilemrich) 
Feldott.  both  natives  of  Germany  and  early 
settlers  of  Lisle  township.  They  were  parents 
of  ten  children,  eight  of  whom  are  now  living. 

William  Feldott  attended  the  district  and 
German  schools  and  early  began  to  help  with 
the  work  of  operating  his  father's  farm,  living 
with  his  parents  until  twenty  years  of  age, 
when  in  company  with  his  brother  Christian  he 
began  drilling  wells  in  Du  Page  and  surround- 
ing counties.  Nine  years  later  he  embarked  in 
the  business  on  his  own  account,  continuing  in 
it  with  success  until  about  1901,  when  he  gave 


HISTORY  OP  DU  PAGE  COUNTY. 


857 


it  up  and  since  has  couflned  his  attention  to 
other  interests. 

After  his  marrige  he  conducted  his  former 
business  two  years  at  Aurora,  111.,  then  for  two 
years  rented  a  farm  in  Naperville  township, 
and  about  1805,  purchased  his  farm  of  110 
acres  in  the  same  township,  where  he  has  since 
resided.  Since  the  time  of  his  marriage  he  has 
conducted  a  threshing  machine  during  the  har- 
vesting season,  and  has  found  this  venture  prof- 
itable. A  natural  mechanic,  he  has  a  taste  for 
running  any  kind  of  machinery,  and  being  an  in- 
telligent and  enterprising  man  he  has  been  suc- 
cessful in  all  branches  of  his  work.  At  present 
he  has  about  thirty  cows  for  dairy  purposes  and 
also  raises  a  good  many  horses  and  hogs,  besides 
carrying  on  general  farming.  Much  interested 
in  public  affairs  and  ready  to  promote  any 
measure  for  the  welfare  and  advancement  of 
his  community,  he  is  well  known  in  the  county 
where  his  life  has  ben  spent,  and  is  represen- 
tative of  its  best  class  of  citizens. 

On  November  .3,  1891,  Mr.  Feldott  married 
Miss  Amelia  Gardner,  of  Lisle  township,  daugh- 
ter of  Jacob  and  Catherine  Gardner,  who  were 
natives  of  Germany,  and  were  early  settlers  of 
Du  Page  county.  She  was  born  in  Dn  Page 
county.  January  27,  18Gf>. 

Children  as  follows  were  born  to  Mr.  Feldott 
and  wife:  Gertrude  C.  Anna  T.,  Albert  J., 
Alois  G.,  Ralph  M.  and  Emma  M.  The  wife  of 
Mr.  Feldott  and  mother  of  the  above  family 
died  on  May  10,  1908.  On  May  2.  1911.  he 
married  Mrs.  Finances  L.  Coesfeld,  widow  of  the 
late  Joseph  H.  Coesfeld,  and  daughter  of  Henry 
and  Elizabeth  (Stickling)  Burmann.  She  is  a 
native  of  Du  Page  county,  111.,  born,  October 
24,  1862.  The  family  are  members  of  the 
Catholic  church  and  Mr.  Feldott  is  also  affil- 
iated with  the  Knights  of  Columbus,  Catholic 
Order  of  Foresters  and  the  Western  Catholic 
Union.     He  is  a  Democrat  in  political  views. 

FIENE,  Adolph,  who  has  spent  his  entire  life 
on  a  farm,  was  born  in  Du  Page  County  March 
24,  18.56,  a  son  of  Louis  and  Sophia  (Thiese) 
Fiene.  natives  of  Germany.  He  was  educated 
in  the  public  and  German  schools  of  Addison 
Township  and  has  alwa.vs  followed  farming. 
He  owns  forty-two  acres  of  land  in  the  south- 
eastern part  of  Section  33  of  that  township 
and  nine  acres  in  Section  34.  Mr.  Fiene  erected 
his  present   house   and   barn   In   1905,   and   has 

16 


also  erected  the  other  buildings  necessary  for 
can-ying  on  the  farm  successfully.  He  carries 
on  general  farming  and  his  place  is  beauti- 
fully located,  two  and  one-half  miles  from 
IClmhurst.  It  is  in  an  excellent  state  of  cul- 
tivation and  yields  a  good  income  for  the  work 
e.vpeiiOed  upon  it.  He  is  a  member  of  the 
German  Lutheran  Church  and  interested  in 
the  progress  and  welfare  of  his  community, 
having  many  friends  and  is  regarded  as  a 
man  of  reliability  and  strict  honesty  in  all  his 
dealings. 

C)n  June  15,  1882,  Mr.  Fiene  married  Caro- 
line Trage.  by  whom  he  had  fourteen  children : 
Arminda.  Martin,  Adolph,  Augusta,  Theodore, 
William,  Emma,  Edward,  Fritz,  Freda,  Louis, 
Otto,  Malinda  and  Walter.  Freda  died  Novem- 
ber 24  1905,  at  the  age  of  eight  years,  and 
Malinda  died  on  the  same  day,  at  the  age  of 
four  years. 

Otto  Fiene,  a  son  of  Louis  and  Sophia 
(Thiese)  Fiene.  was  born  on  the  home  farm, 
f)ctober  11,  1875.  and  was  reared  and  educated 
in  Addison  Township,  attending  the  German 
schools  and  helping  with  the  work  on  his  father's 
farm.  He  has  followed  agricultural  pursuits 
all  hi.s  life  and  now  owns  a  part  of  the  old 
homestead  of  fifty-two  acres,  which  he  devotes 
to  general  farming.  In  the  summer  of  1910 
he  put  up  a  house,  bam  and  other  out-buildings, 
and  has  a  very  comfortable  home.  He  is  one 
of  (lie  sul)Stantial  and  respected  citizens  of  the 
township  and  is  well  liked  and  popular  in 
the  community.  He  is  a  member  of  the  Ger- 
man Lutheran  Church.  Mr.  Fiene  was  married 
September  1,  1909.  to  Bertha  Homeyer,  daugh- 
ter of  Henry  and  Lena  (Zars)  Homeyer,  who 
was  born  April  9,  1891,  in  Addison  Township, 
wJiere  her  parents  now  reside.  Mr.  Fiene  and 
his  wife  have  both  spent  their  entire  lives  in 
the  township  and  both  have  many  friends  there. 

FIENE,  Edward,  was  born  in  Addison  township, 
.\ugust  31,  1853,  a  son  of  Louis  and  Sophia 
(Thiesse)  Fiene.  His  youth  was  spent  on  his 
father's  farm,  while  he  attended  the  German 
and  public  schools  of  the  neighborhood.  When 
he  was  twenty-six  years  old.  be  bought  140 
acres  in  Bloomingdale  and  Addison  townships 
from  Jerome  Lester.  Here  he  built  the  barn, 
granary,  and  hog-house  now  in  use.  In  1907  he 
bought  slightly  over  five  acres  of  woodland  in 
Wooddale  township,  and  he  is  now  living  in  his 


858 


HISTORY  OP  DU  PAGE  COUNTY. 


very  comfortable  home  on  this  land.  He  was 
married  Oct.  31,  1879,  to  Miss  Emily  Bleeke,  a 
daughter  of  Louis  and  Wilhelmina  (Flege) 
Bleeke,  who  was  born  Feb.  6,  1858,  in  Addison 
township.  They  have  been  the  parents  of  four 
children:  Louis,  born  June  24,  1880,  died  Nov. 
24,  1882 ;  Jennie,  born,  Nov.  15,  1883.  died  Feb. 
23,  1901;  Bmeline  (Mrs.  Albert  Schafer),  born 
Oct.  27,  1887,  lives  in  Bloomingdale  township; 
Anna,  born  Nov.  3,  1891,  lives  at  home.  Mr. 
Fiene  is  a  member  of  the  Lutheran  Evangelical 
Science  church,  of  which  he  has  been  a  trustee 
for  over  two  years. 

FIENE,  Henry,  was  born  in  Addison  township, 
Sept.  4,  1856,  a  sou  of  Henry  and  Louisa 
(Kruse)  Fiene.  He  spent  his  early  years  on 
the  farm,  and  received  his  education  in  the  local 
German  and  public  schools.  He  was  married 
April  1,  1894,  to  Miss  Sophia  Rhoda,  a  daughter 
of  George  and  Sophia  (Baeger)  Rhoda,  who 
was  born  in  Germany,  and  came  to  America, 
with  a  friend,  when  twenty-seven  years  of  age, 
to  settle  in  Chicago.  In  1892  she  removed  from 
Chicago  to  Du  Page  county. 

Mr.  and  Mrs.  Fiene  are  the  parents  of  two 
children:  Henry,  born  Nov.  28,  1896,  at  home; 
Fred,  born  Feb.  IS,  1900.  The  family  are  mem- 
bers of  the  Lutheran  church. 

Mr.  Fiene  is  now  engaged  in  farming  on  120 
acres  of  the  old  farm,  on  which  the  buildings 
now  standing  were  built  by  his  father.  Besides 
general  farming  he  has  a  small  dairy  herd  and 
ships  a  can  of  milk  daily. 

FIENE,  Henry  A.,  was  born  in  Addison  town- 
ship, April  14,  18G5,  and  it  was  here  that  he 
gained  his  early  training  in  the  German  and 
public  schools.  He  was  married,  April  17,  1890, 
to  Miss  Louisa  Haberkamp,  a  daughter  of  Fred 
and  Emma  (Helmers)  Haberkamp.  To  them 
the  following  five  children  wereb  orn :  Louise, 
Helen,  Louis,  Lydla  and  Gertrude. 

Mr.  Fiene  was  engaged  in  actual  farming  dur- 
ing the  earlier  part  of  his  life,  but  in  1905  he 
bought  from  Herman  Merton,  the  general  store 
'  which  is  located  in  Elmhurst  at  136  N.  York 
street.  The  store  has  proved  quite  a  source  of 
Income  to  Mr.  Fiene,  and  he  is  still  operating 
it.  Mr.  Fiene  is  a  member  of  the  Lutheran 
church  in  Elmhurst. 

FIENE,   Henry   F.,   member   of  an   old   family 
In  Du  Page  County,  has  lived  there  since  he 


was  seven  years  of  age.    He  was  born  Novem. 
ber  24,  1839,  at  Hanover,  Germany,  and  educa- 
ted in  Du  Page  County.     He  is  a  son  of  Fred- 
erick  and   Dorothy    (Crupe)    Fiene.     Frederick 
Fiene   bought   ISO  acres   of   land   just   west   of 
Addison,   in   partnership   with   his  brother,  and 
here    Henry    F.    grew    to    manhood,    attending 
both  public  and  German  schools.    He  was  reared 
to    farm    work    and    at    the   age   of    thirty-two 
years,  his  father  having  died,  he  purchased  the 
shares  of  the  other  heirs  and  has  since  owned 
the    home    farm.     He   carried   it   on    very   suc- 
cessfully until   September   1,  1909,   then   rented 
it  and  moved  to  the  village  of  Addison,   retir- 
ing from  active  life.     He  took  a  useful  part  in 
the  affairs  of  his   community  and  was  always 
interested  iu  any  object  for  the  public  welfare. 
He  served  as   Pathmaster   at  one  time   and  In 
politics  was  a  Democrat.     He  is  a  member  of 
the    Lutheran    Church    and    has   always    taken 
part  in  church  work  as  do  the  members  of  his 
family.     Having   spent   practically    all    his   life 
in  the  vicinity  of  his  present  home,  he  is  well 
acquainted    there,    and    he    has    a    number    of 
friends.     Mr.  Fiene  is  a  man  of  strict  integrity 
and  has  the  confidence  and  regard  of  all  who 
know  him. 

Mr.  Fiene  was  married  in  1868,  to  Louise, 
daughter  of  Louis  and  Wllhelmine  (Flexe) 
Bleeke,  a  native  of  Addison  Township,  born 
May  31.  1849.  Both  parents  have  passed  away, 
dying  on  the  old  farm.  Seven  children  were 
born  to  Mr.  and  Mrs.  Fiene :  Otto,  born  March 
15,  1870,  married  Minnie  Kroeger  and  lives  In 
Forest  Park;  Charles,  born  November  24,  1,874, 
married  Martha  Fischer,  issue, — Gertrude,  Clar- 
ence and  Hilda,  and  lives  in  Addison;  Clara, 
born  July  31,  1877,  married  Ernst  Bolger,— issue 
a  son  who  is  deceased ;  Robert,  born  October  10, 
1880,  married  Martha  Schafer,  issue, — Elmer 
and  Esther,  lives  in  Addison ;  Fred,  born  August 
28,  1882,  married  Lydia  Hoene,  issue,  Adeline, 
lives  at  Forest  Park :  William  and  Ida,  twins, 
born  November  29,  1889,  at  home,  and  five  who 
are  deceased  and  buried  in  the  Addison  Ceme- 
tery. All  the  grandparents  were  natives  of  Ger- 
many. The  Flexe  grandparents  came  to  the 
ITnited  States  in  1846,  locating  in  Addison, 
where  the  grandfather  died.  The  grandmother 
married  (second)  Fred  Roger,  and  both  died  in 
Addison,  where  they  had  lived,  and  are  buried 
In  the  .\ddison  Cemetery.  These  were  the  only 
grandparents  of  either  Mr.  or  Mrs,  Fiene  to  come 


■eU  Puifis^in^  (i*(. 


The 


Nt 


I^^BLICLI. 


*»T»<». 


^'•■•e'*  "m.^^; 


HISTORY  OF  DU  PAGE  COUNTY. 


859 


to  this  country.     Mrs.  Fieue  is  a  member  of  tbe 
Ladies'  Aid  Society. 

FIENE,  Herman,  a  son  of  Louis  and  Sophia 
(Thiesse)  Fieue,  was  born  on  tbe  farm  on  which 
he  now  lives,  Oct.  19,  1869.  He  attended  the 
local  German  and  public  schools,  then  chose 
farming  as  bis  life  work.  At  the  death  of  his 
father,  in  190.3.  the  home  property  was  divided 
among  the  .sons,  Herman  receiring  sixty-three 
acres  of  land  and  all  the  buildings  except  tbe 
house.  On  this  property  be  built  his  present 
comfortable,  eight-room  bouse,  in  1904.  He  is 
interested  in  general  farming  and  dairying,  and 
ships  three  cans  of  milk  daily. 

Mr.  Fiene  was  married  Feb.  3,  1S9S,  to  Miss 
Sophia  Eleeke,  a  daughter  of  Louis  and  Louisa 
(Stuenkel)  Eleeke,  who  was  twrn  Jan.  17,  1879. 
They  have  four  children,  namely :  William, 
born  December  7,  1899;  Alma,  born  September 
19,  1903 ;  Lulu,  born  March  3,  1908 ;  Rosa,  born 
June  26,  1910. 

Louis  Fiene,  the  father  of  the  subject  of  this 
review,  was  born  April  16,  1829,  in  Hanover, 
Germany,  and  came  to  America  in  18K5.  His 
wife  was  also  born  in  Hanover,  November  18, 
1833,  and  came  to  America,  accompanied  by  her 
father,  in  1845.  They  were  married  in  Addison, 
October  12,  1852,  and  became  tbe  parents  of  the 
following  children :  Edward,  born  August  31, 
1853,  lives  in  Wooddale ;  Augusta  (Mrs.  Henry 
Backbans),  born  January  11,  1855,  lives  in  Ad- 
dison township ;  Adolph,  born  March  25,  1858 ; 
Louis,  born  February  10,  1861.  lives  in  Bloom- 
ingdale;  Johanna,  born  December  28,  1863,  died 
January  10,  1S&4;  Henry,  born  April  14,  1865, 
lives  in  Elmhurst;  Ernst,  born  July  17,  1868, 
lives  in  York  township,  Herman;  Emma  (Mrs. 
Fred  Geils),  born  January  18.  1871;  Otto,  born 
October  11.  1875;  Sophia  (Mrs.  John  Geils), 
born  January  27,  1877,  lives  in  Bloomingdale. 

FIENE,  Louis  D^  a  eon  of  David  and  Mary 
(Kruse)  Fiene,  was  born  in  Addison  township, 
September  16,  1856.  His  younger  days  were 
spent  on  the  farm,  and  in  the  local  German  and 
public  schools,  going  half  of  a  day  to  one  and 
half  to  the  other.  He  is  now  engaged  in  farm- 
ing, and  lives  on  twenty  acres  of  tbe  old  home 
farm,  and  owns  one  hundred  and  thirty  acres 
of  an  adjoining  property.  In  1905  he  con- 
structed the  buildings  now  in  use  on  his  farm. 


Mr.  Fiene  was  married,  June  13,  1885,  to  Miss 
Caroline  Hienemaun,  a  daughter  of  Louis  and 
Louisa  (Backhaus)  Hieuemann,  who  was  born 
in  this  township.  May  3,  1863.  They  are  the 
parents  of  three  children  :  Ellen,  born  in  1887, 
died  in  1891 ;  Martha,  born  Nov.  9,  1891,  lives 
at  home;  Lydia,  born  July  22,  1891,  also  at 
home.  The  family  are  members  of  the  Lutheran 
church,  and  Mr.  Fiene  has,  for  five  years,  been 
a  trustee  of  the  Lutheran  school. 

Louis  Hienemann,  a  son  of  Ludwig  and 
Louisa  (Essmann)  Hienemann,  was  born  De- 
cember 29,  1826,  and  came  to  America  in  1855. 
and  in  1869  bought  one  hundred  and  five  acres 
of  virgin  land  in  section  3,  York  township, 
which  he  improved  extensively  and  continued  to 
own  until  1910.  He  was  married  in  Du  Page 
County,  October  20,  1800,  to  Miss  Louisa  Back- 
haus. To  them  have  been  born  eleven  children, 
namely  :  Edwin,  deceased,  age  forty-five  years  ; 
Caroline  (Mrs.  L.  D.  Fiene)  ;  Malinda  (Mrs. 
Freil  Rpsenwinkle),  lives  in  Bloomingdale  town- 
ship ;  Louis  lives  in  Elmhurst ;  Herman  lives  in 
Missouri;  Ellen  (Mrs.  Wm.  D.  Fiene);  Otto, 
decease.d,  age  two  and  one-half  years ;  Deidrick, 
.d.ec^asetl, 'age  three  months;  August,  deceased, 
age  five  j\eeks ;  Fred,  deceased  in  infancy,  Hein- 
rich,  deceased  in  infancy.  Mrs.  Hienemann 
died  on  December  3,  1905.  The  family  were 
members  of  the  Lutheran  church,  in  which  Mr. 
Hienemann  was  trustee  until  1895. 

FIENE,  William  Dedrick,  a  progressive  young 
farmer  of  Addison  township,  Du  Page  countj', 
was  born  in  Bloomingdale  township,  March  16, 
1884,  son  of  William  and  Lena  (Rosewinkle) 
Fiene,  natives  of  Illinois.  Mr.  Fiene  attended 
the  public  and  German  schools  of  his  township 
and  spent  three  years  in  school  in  Elmhurst. 
Since  leaving  school  be  has  followed  farming, 
now  having  charge  of  a  good  farm.  He  is  an 
energetic  and  industrious  man  and  carries  on 
his  work  according  to  modern  methods  and  with 
improved  machinery.  In  November,  1910,  he 
had  the  misfortune  to  catch  his  arm  in  a 
shredding  corn-stalks  machine  and  injured  it  so 
that  it  was  necessary  to  amputate  his  forearm 
just  below  his  elbow.  This  has  seriously  inter- 
fered with  his  work,  but  he  is  still  in  charge 
and  being  an  ambitious  and  active  man,  is  able 
to  superintend  the  farm  work,  carrying  on  gen- 
eral farming.     He  is  a  member  of  the  Lutheran 


860 


HISTORY  OF  DU  PAGE  COUNTY. 


ehurcli,  being  much  interested  in  its  work  and 
active  in  promoting  tlie  iiublic  welfare  of  his 
community. 

On  October  13,  1907,  Mr.  Fiene  married  Ellen, 
daughter  of  Louis  and  Louisa  (Backhaus) 
Hlenemann,  and  they  have  three  childi'en : 
Helen,  who  was  born  July  13,  1908 ;  Edmund, 
who  was  born  October  23,  1909;  and  Wilbert, 
who  was  born  March  22,  1911. 

FISCHER,  Albert  Henry.  Business  Instincts 
are  often  inherited  and  are  traced  back  to  pros- 
perous progenitors  who  conquered  adverse  cir- 
cumstances and  established  themselves  among 
those  who  controlled  the  destinies  of  the  many. 
The  Fischer  family  is  one  that  has  many  rep- 
resentatives in  Du  Page  county,  and  is  of  Ger- 
man origin,  this  generation  possessing  in 
marked  degree  the  sterling  characteristics  so 
common  to  sons  of  the  Fatherland.  Among 
those  who  have  the  honor  to  belong  to  this 
honored  and  old  family  is  Albert  Henry  Fischer 
of  Elmhurst.  He  was  born  on  the  farm  which 
is  now  his  place  of  residence,  October  9,  1861,  a 
son  of  Frederick  John  and  Henrietta  (Mesen- 
brink)  Fischer. 

Frederick  John  Fischer  was  born  March  27, 
1823,  in  Esdorf,  Hanover,  Germany,  a  son  of 
Conrad  and  Louisa  (Ranking)  Fischer.  In 
1836,  the  family  emigrated  to  Chicago,  via  New 
York  city,  and  arrived  in  the  western  metrop- 
olis in  November  of  this  year,  making  the  trip 
by  way  of  the  lakes  and  Erie  canal  from  Buf- 
falo. At  this  time  Frederick  J.  Fischer  was 
about  thirteen  years  old,  but  had  already  re- 
ceived a  good  common  school  training  in  his 
native  land,  and  was  permitted  to  attend  school 
in  Cook  county  long  enough  to  gain  a  slight 
knowledge  of  the  new  language.  As  soon  as  the 
family  reached  Chic-ago,  employment  was  found 
for  Frederick  as  a  porter  in  Murphy's  Hotel, 
which  then  stood  on  the  corner  of  Lake  and 
Market  streets,  it  being  one  of  the  pioneer 
hostelries  of  the  city.  Here  the  lad  worked  for 
four  years,  and  then,  in  1840,  came  to  Du  Page 
county,  and  for  several  years  worked  among  the 
farmers  in  Du  Page  and  Cook  counties.  This 
continued  until  his  marriage,  in  1843,  when  he 
was  united  with  Henrietta  Mesenbrink,  born  In 
the  village  of  Rodewald.  Hanover.  Germany, 
March  27,  1826,  a  daughter  of  Henry  Mesen- 
brink, who  was  born  in  the  game  village  as  his 
daughter.     He   came  to   America    in    the  early 


forties,  making  his  way  direct  to  Chic-ago.  but 
later  located  at  Proviso,  Cixik  county,  buying 
land  and  developing  a  good  farm  with  the  help 
of  his  son,  Henry,  and  working  at  his  trade  of 
cabinetmaking.  A  black  walnut  davenport 
which  he  made  is  still  in  use  in  the  home,  and 
Is  in  excellent  condition.  Mr.  Mesenbrink  made 
it  from  black  walnut  lumber  cut  from  a  tree  on 
the  farm,  and  it  is  cherished  as  a  specimen  of 
his  handiwork.  Henry  Mesenbrink  and  wife 
were  the  parents  of  three  children,  two  daugh- 
ters and  one  son.  He  lived  to  be  over  sixty 
years  old,  dying  on  the  farm  he  had  secured. 
Both  he  and  his  wife  were  members  of  the  old 
Lutheran  church.  The  lead  frames  for  the 
windows  of  the  German  Lutheran  church  were 
made  by  him  about  1861. 

As  soon  as  they  were  married.  Frederick  J. 
Fischer  and  wife  settled  on  a  portion  of  the 
homestead  now  occupied  by  Albert  Henry 
Fischer,  160  acres  of  which  he  bought  from  the 
government  in  1843.  He  first  built  a  small 
frame  house,  gradually  improving  it,  and  erect- 
ing the  necessary  farm  buildings,  while  at  the 
same  time  he  added  to  his  holdings  until  he 
owned  312  acres  of  fine  farm  land.  Both  he 
and  his  wife  joined  the  Lutheran  church,  later 
associating  themselves  with  the  Evangelical 
Lutheran  church,  assisting  liberally  to  erect  the 
church  edifice.  In  jwlitics,  he  was  a  Republican, 
casting  his  vote  for  Abraiiam  Lincoln.  Mr. 
Fischer  was  a  respected  citizen,  and  was  hon- 
ored by  his  party  by  election  to  the  ofiBce  of 
road  commissioner,  and  to  others  of  similar 
importance. 

Frederick  J.  Fischer  and  wife  had  children  as 
follows  :  Louis,  who  was  born  October  14.  1846 ; 
Caroline,  who  was  born  March  1,  1848;  and 
Albert  H.,  who  was  born  October  9,  1861.  Mr. 
Fischer  lived  to  be  seventy-six  years  old,  dying 
May  2.5,  1899.  His  wife  died  many  years  be- 
fore him,  passing  away  December  23,  1879,  aged 
about  fifty -three  years. 

Albert  Henry  Fischer  was  reared  on  the 
homestead,  receiving  a  good  common  school  edu- 
cation, and  when  fifteen  years  old,  entered 
Bryant  &  Stratton's  Commercial  College  at 
Chicago,  and  still  later  the  Metropolitan  Com- 
mercial College,  where  he  studied  for  two 
winters.  Although  reared  a  farmer,  he  decided 
to  embrace  a  commercial  career,  and  upon  com- 
pleting his  business  course,  became  bookkeeper 
for  Grusindorf,  Ott  &  Company,  lumber  dealers. 


HISTORY  OF  DU  PAGE  COUNTY. 


861 


remaining  with  them  for  five  years.  In  1885, 
he  went  to  California  via  the  Union  and  Central 
Pacific  Railroad,  and  traveled  extensively  over 
that  state,  visiting  all  the  large  cities.  Having 
a  natural  taste  for  hunting  and  fishing,  and  be- 
ing successful  along  these  Hues,  he  found  pleas- 
ant and  jirofltable  employment  iu  supplying  the 
market  with  game  and  fish.  While  in  southern 
California,  he  found  wild  ducks,  geese  and  other 
feathered  game  very  plentiful. 

Abandoning  this  mode  of  living,  he  went  to 
San  Francisco,  where  he  learned  the  concrete 
business,  in  which  he  was'  engaged  for  some 
time,  but  eventually  returned  to  Chicago,  where 
he  entered  the  lumber  business  with  John  Ott, 
the  company  operating  under  the  firm  name  of 
The  John  Ott  Lumber  Co.  After  a  year  he 
went  back  to  Elmhurst,  to  become  superintend- 
ent and  manager  of  the  Elmhurst  Electric  Light 
and  Power  Co..  having  been  one  of  its  or- 
ganizers, a  stockholder,  secretary  and  one  of  the 
board  of  directors.  He  also  was  its  head  book- 
keeper and  practically  controlled  its  affairs  for 
five  years.  Iu  1900,  he  went  to  Europe  with  his 
wife,  son  and  daughter,  visiting  Switzerland 
and  Germany,  where  a  visit  was  made  to  the 
old  village  of  Esdorf,  the  family  home.  After 
his  return,  Mr.  Fischer  bought  7.0CK3  acres  of 
wild  land  in  Manitoba,  which  he  still  owns.  In 
the  meanwhile  he  was  called  upon  to  act  as 
administrator  and  executor  of  his  father's  es- 
tate, which  absorbed  much  of  his  attention.  In 
1905.  Mr.  Fischer  settled  on  the  old  homestead 
of  his  father,  where  he  and  his  family  eujoy  a 
beautiful  home.  His  present  farm  of  312  acres 
is  one  of  the  finest  in  Du  Page  county,  and  he 
also  owns  considerable  Elmhurst  realty,  having 
great  faith  in  this  locality,  and  proving  it  by 
investing  heavily  iu  its  property. 

While  residing  in  San  Francisco,  Mr.  Fischer 
was  married,  August  11,  1888,  to  Martha  C. 
Pauls,  born  in  Wit7,worst,  Germany,  daughter 
of  Sylvester  Frederick  and  Martha  (Sylvester) 
Pauls,  neither  of  whom  ever  came  to  America. 
Mrs.  Fischer  made  the  trip  to  New  York  all 
alone  in  1883.  From  that  city  she  went  west 
to  San  Francisco.  Her  father  is  dead,  but  the 
mother  sur\'ives,  making  her  home  in  Germany, 
having  now  attained  to  the  venerable  age  of 
eighty-five  years.  Mr.  and  Mrs.  Fischer  became 
the  parents  of  the  following  children  :  Hazel  H., 
who  was   born  October   17,   1889  in   San   Fran- 


cisco ;  and  John  Frederick,  who  was  born  Jan- 
uary 10,  1895,  in  Elmhurst. 

In  political  opinions,  Mr.  Fischer  is  a  strong 
Kepublicau,  serving  his  party  while  a  resident 
of  Elmhurst,  and  a  member  of  the  village 
board.  Fraternally  he  belongs  to  the  I.  O.  O. 
F.,  and  while  in  San  Francisco  was  a  member  of 
the  Foresters.  Mr.  Fisc-her  is  a  business  man 
of  varied  experience  and  extended  travel.  His 
adventures  would  fill  a  book  and  make  exceed- 
ingly entertaining  reading,  for  he  has  mingled 
with  all  classes  of  men,  and  knows  nature  in  all 
her  moods.  He  is  a  man  who  has  never  had  to 
face"  the  failure  of  any  of  his  projects  as  he 
possesses  good  business  judgmeut,  and  suflicient 
foresight  and  energy  to  successfully  prosecute 
any  undertaking  in  which  he  might  be  engaged. 

FISCHER,  Alonzo  G.  The  younger  generation 
is  rapidly  forging  to  the  front  for  this  is  an 
age  of  young  men.  They  are  being  called  upon 
to  fill  positions  of  trust  and  responsibility,  and 
with  the  enthusiasm  and  virility  of  youth,  are 
coping  with  every  situation.  One  of  the  men 
who  are  proving  their  mettle  is  A.  G.  Fischer, 
cashier  of  the  First  National  Bank  of  Elmhurst. 
who  has  not  much  more  than  passed  his  fir.st 
quarter  of  a  century  milestone,  having  been 
born  in  this  village,  December  16,  1SS4.  He  is 
a  son  of  Otto  A.  and  Mary  (Weinrebe)  Fischer, 
farming  people.  Mr.  Fischer  is  now  president 
of  the  Elm  Lawn  Cemetery,  and  a  man  of  afflu- 
ence. 

A.  G.  Fischer  was  educated  at  the  public 
schools  of  Elmhurst,  the  Lewis  Institute  of  Chi- 
cago, from  which  he  was  graduated  in  the  Class 
of  1903,  and  the  Polytechnic  Institute  of  Pasa- 
dena. Calif.  Returning  home,  he  entered  the 
Elmhurst  State  Bank  as  assistant  cashier,  thus 
continuing  until  September.  lOlO,  when  he  left 
to  become  cashier  of  the  First  National  Bank  of 
Elmhurst.  He  is  also  secretary  and  treasurer 
of  Elm  Lawn  Cemetery. 

Mr.  Fischer  is  a  member  of  the  German  Evan- 
gelical Church.  The  Elmhurst  Golf  Club  claims 
his  membership,  and  gives  him  needed  recrea- 
tion. Genial,  whole-hearted,  energetic  with  a 
remarkable  capacity  for  hard  work,  Mr.  Fischer 
has  already  managed  to  accomplish  more  than 
many  in  an  entire  lifetime,  and  is  planning  for 
a  useful  and  active  future,  that  promises  much 
to  him.  Belonging  to  the  old  Fischer  family 
that  is  so  prominent  in  Du  Page  County  history. 


862 


HISTORY  OP  DU  PAGE  COUNTY. 


he  is  proving  himself  worthy  of  the  name  he 
bears,  and  is  adding  laurels  to  it  by  his  keen 
business  comprehension  and  financial  acumen. 

FISCHER,  Edgar  B.,  masterin-chancery  of  the 
Circuit  Court  of  Du  Page  County  and  one  of  its 
most  capable  and  learned  lawyers,  is  a  native 
of  this  part  of  the  State.    He  is  a  son  of  George 

A.  Fischer  whose  work  with  reference  to  the 
local  affairs  of  Addison  Township,  entitles  him 
to  special  consideration.  He  was  a  son  of  Henry 
D  and  Maria  (Franzeu)  Fischer,  natives  of 
Hanover,  Germany,  and  Prussia,  respectively. 
George  A.  Fischer  was  born  in  Addison  Town- 
ship, where  his  long  and  useful  life  has  been 
spent,  his  father  having  located  here  in  1835, 
the  year  that  so  many  were  attracted  here 
on  account  of  the  opening  up  of  the  laud  for 
entry.  For  a  number  of  years  he  was  one  of 
the  most  prominent  farmers  in  the  township, 
as  well  as  its  leading  public  man,  holding  almost 
every  office  of  importance  within  the  gift  of  the 
people  of  his  locality.  Mr.  Fischer  was  also 
largely  instrumental  in  extending  and  operating 
the  Addison  Farmers'  Mutual  Insurance  Ctt.,  of 
which  he  was  early  made  a  director,  and  which 
his  father  assisted  in  founding,  and  in  every 
way  his  efforts  have  always  been  directed  along 
progressive  lines.  In  January,  1876,  he  married 
Mary  Franzen,  born  in  Cook  Count.y,  and  Edgar 

B.  Fischer  is  one  of  the  eight  children  bom  to 
them. 

Edgar  B.  Fischer  was  born  in  Addison  Town- 
ship, in  1878,  and  was  reared  to  the  healthy  life 
of  a  fanner's  boy,  but  being  ambitious,  he  soon 
left  farm  work  to  attend  Wheatou  College,  fol- 
lowing which  he  took  a  law  course  at  North- 
western University  Law  School,  from  which  he 
was  graduated  in  the  Class  of  1902.'  Since  then 
his  progress  has  been  rapid,  he  now  being  num- 
bered among  the  foremost  representatives  of  his 
profession  in  Du  Page  County.  His  ajipointment 
to  the  office  of  Master-in-Chancery  of  the  county 
was  a  wise  one,  for  in  him  the  people  have  a 
man  whose  honor  is  unblemished  and  whose  in- 
tegrity cannot  be  touched.  Still  a  youug  man, 
he  has  already  made  such  progress  both  politi- 
cally, and  in  his  profession  as  to  make  his  rela- 
tives and  friends  exceedngly  proud  of  him,  and 
to  foresee  a  brilliant  future  for  this  efficient 
young  attorney  who  is  proud  of  the  fact  that  he 
is  a  native  sou  of  Du  Page. 

In  February,   1911,  Mr.  Fischer  was  married 


to  Miss  Helen  C.  Clark,  a  native  of  Lisle  Town- 
ship. 

FISCHER,  Edwin  W.  The  solidity  of  a  bank- 
ing institution  depends  very  largely  upon  the 
men  who  are  connected  with  it,  and  when  Ed- 
win W.  Fischer  was  made  cashier  of  the  newly 
organized  Addison  State  Bank,  the  financial 
world  recognized  the  wisdom  of  the  appoint- 
ment. Mr.  Fischer  belongs  to  the  very  prom- 
inent Fischer  family  of  Du  Page  county,  which 
has  so  many  important  representatives  in  al- 
most every  walk  of  life.  Born  in  Addison  town- 
ship, December  26,  1866,  he  is  thus  in  the 
very  prime  of  life.  His  parents  were  Henry  D. 
and  Louisa  (Reinking)  Fischer.  The  father 
was  also  born  in  Addison  township,  but  the 
mother  is  a  native  of  Esdorf,  Germany,  and  a 
.sketch  of  them  is  to  be  found  elsewhere  in  this 
work. 

Until  he  was  fourteen  years  old,  Edwin  W. 
Fischer  attended  the  district  schools,  then  en- 
tered Wheaton  College  where  he  finished  his 
studies,  with  the  exception  of  one  year  spent  at 
Normal,  111.  During  his  college  courses,  he 
taught  school  and  for  a  year  following  his  grad- 
uation he  continued  his  career  as  a  teacher. 
However,  he  then  entered  business  life,  estab- 
lishing himself  in  a  lumber  and  coal  business  at 
Elmhurst,  under  the  firm  caption  of  E.  W. 
Fischer  &  Co.  Until  1902,  he  continued  in  this 
line  of  endeavor,  but  in  that  year  he  sold  his  in- 
terests, entering  the  Addi.son  State  Bank  as  one 
of  the  original  stockholders  and  cashier.  Since 
that  time  he  has  devoted  himself  to  his  duties, 
and  has  succeeded  in  establishing  his  bank 
among  the  sound,  financial  institutions  of  the 
county. 

He  is  identified  with  the  Republican  party, 
politically,  although  not  desiring  public  office. 
The  German  Evangelical  church  holds  his  mem- 
bershii).  A  sound,  reliable,  conservative  busi- 
ness man  and  financier,  Mr.  FLscher  is  one  of 
the  most  representative  men  of  Addison. 

FISCHER,  F.  J.  T.,  A.  M.,  M.  D.  Among  those 
who  lived  and  worked  for  neighbor,  county,  and 
state  during  the  last  half-century,  lew  are 
worthy  of  longer,  or  more  grateful  remembrance 
than  Dr.  Frederick  John  Thomas  Fischer.  He 
was  born  on  a  farm  about  a  mile  east  of  the 
village  of  Addison.  HI.,  July  30,  1842,  his  par- 
ents  Henry   D.   and   Maria    (Franzeu)    Fischer 


fa,& 


Ajiyv*LJU*-i/s, 


6  , )  ,  Uxw^  •-   tt,  S.Ta^ 


HISTORY  OF  DU  PAGE  COUNTY. 


863 


being  pioneers  of  Du  Page  county.  He  spent 
his  boyliood  working  on  his  father's  farm,  us- 
ing his  spare  lime  for  home-study,  and  during 
the  winter  montlis  attending  the  local  district 
school. 

At  an  early  age  he  discovered  that  farm  life 
would  not  satisfy  him  as  a  permanent  occupa- 
tion, for  his  ideals  carried  him  beyond  the  lim- 
its of  the  farm,  and  when  the  Civil  War  broke 
out  he  v^as  the  first  volunteer  from  his  town- 
ship to  respond  to  his  country's  call  to  arms  to 
save  the  Union.  He  enlisted  in  June,  1861,  in 
Company  B,  33d  Regiment,  Illinois  Volunteer 
Infantry,  and  was  in  active  service  for  over 
three  years,  participating  in  all  the  battles  in 
which  his  company  was  engaged,  among  others 
being  the  conflicts  at  Cache  River,  Arkansas, 
Bolivar  Bend,  Mississippi,  Champion  Hills,  Mis- 
sissippi, Fort  Esperauza,  Texas,  and  the  siege 
of  Vicksburg. 

Returning  from  the  war  after  recovering  from 
a   severe  attack  uf  typhoid   fever,   which  befell 
him   in  camp  as  a   result  of  the  hardships  en- 
countered, he  continued  to  grow  in  ?ffie -eatftem; ', 
of  all  with   whom  he  came  in  cont^<^- l^e^Mse- 
of  his  manly  character,  and  was  sooji  thereafter" 
elected   to   the  position   of   countyr!  clerk.     He 
held   this   office  for  three  years,   dtirlng   which 
time  he  won  the  admiration  of  all  lotvef^o^t'a.J?^ 
play  by  refusing  to  be  implicated  in  a   plot  to 
secretly  remove  the  records  from  the  the"n''couh?y  ' 
seat  of  Naperville  to  Wheatou,  although  strong 
pressure  was  brought  to  bear  to  induce  him  to 
do  so. 

Dr.  Fischer's  liberal  education  was  obtained 
principally  at  Oberlin  college,  where  he  gradu- 
ated in  1874,  with  the  high  honors  of  being 
elected  Greek  orator  of  the  class.  His  A.  B. 
degree  was  followed  by  an  A.  M.  from  Wheaton 
college.  His  medical  degree  was  obtained  by 
work  done  primarily  at  the  Universities  of  Hei- 
delberg and  Leipsic,  Germany.  He  likewise  at- 
tended Ohio  Medical  College,  Cincinnati,  Ohio. 

On  August  27,  1874,  he  was  married  to  Miss 
Martha  L.  Struckmann,  who  was  bom  Septem- 
ber 20,  1850.  at  Bensenville,  Illinois,  a  daughter 
of  Dietrich  and  Caroline  (Korthauer)  Struck- 
mann. The  first  three  years  of  married  life 
were  happily  spent  in  a  sojourn  abroad,  Mrs. 
Fischer  devoting  her  time  largely  to  the  study 
of  French  and  music,  while  the  doctor  pursued 
his  professional  studies.  Upon  their  return 
from  Europe  Dr.  and  Mrs.  Fischer  made  their 


home  in  Cincinnati,  Ohio,  where  the  doctor  es- 
tablished a  thriving  practice  and  remained  until 
the  spring  of  1879,  when  on  account  of  the  death 
of  Mrs.  Fischer's  father  he  removed  to  Elmhurst, 
Illinois,  so  he  might  manage  the  Struckmann 
estate.  Here  he  soon  proved  his  ability  as  a 
physician  anew,  and  for  almost  thirty  years 
carried  on  an  extensive  practice.  In  all  his 
dealings,  professional  and  otherwise,  he  was 
conscientious  and  high-minded.  As  a  result  he 
became  recognized  far  and  wide  as  a  jjowerful 
influence  for  good,  and  his  death  April  27,  1906, 
was  sincerely  mourned  by  all  who  knew  him. 

In  every  way  Mrs.  Fischer  proved  herself  a 
most  worthy  comrade  and  helper.  Her  activity 
in  the  home,  the  church,  and  the  community 
have  also  been  characterized  throughout  by 
the  same  high  ideals  and  purposes. 

Three  sons  were  born  to  Dr.  and  Mrs.  Fischer. 
Walter  D.  Fischer,  the  eldest,  after  graduating 
from   both   Oberlin   and   Wheaton   colleges  took 
up  the  study  of  medicine  at  Rush  Medical  col- 
lege^  Chicago,  where  he  received  his  degree  in 
'tUaisprlng  of  1904.     After  a  year's  interneship 
^jat,4t.li«»tGerman   Hospital   in   Chicago   he   began 
bulldingT;  up    an    independent    practice    in    that 
city.     H*  has  devoted  his  attention  principally 
_^tq^urg«'y  and  is   rapidly  gaining  an  enviable 
..i^lllfjtatiou    as    a    fearless    operator,    combining 
sound,    Conservative    judgment    with    technical 
"^tili.' ' 

Alfred  H.  Fischer,  after  graduating  from 
Wheaton  college  in  1905  and  having  charge  of 
the  department  of  Natural  Science  there  the 
following  year,  was  compelled  to  go  west  be- 
cause of  ill-health.  Here  he  took  up  the  study 
of  engineering  and  higher  mathematics,  getting 
the  degree  of  A.  M.  at  Colorado  College  in  June, 
1912. 

Herbert  C.  Fischer,  the  youngest  son,  died 
in   1897  at  the  age  of  eleven  years. 

As  in  his  private  and  professional  life,  so 
also  in  his  public  relationships,  Dr.  Fischer 
proved  himself  a  true,  strong  man.  Many  of 
the  improvements  which  helped  Elmhurst  and  . 
were  the  basis  of  its  growth  are  due  in  large 
measure  to  his  public  spirit  and  zeal.  He  was 
one  of  the  prime  movers  toward  establishing 
a  local  high  school  and  for  nine  years,  1896  to 
1905,  served  the  interests  of  public  education 
faithfully  as  member  of  the  school  board.  So 
also  every  measure  for  the  good  of  state  or 
country  had  his  enthusiastic  support.     To   the 


864 


HISTORY  OF  DU  PAGE  COUNTY. 


hour  of  his  death  he  strove  to  improve  his  owu 
mind  aud  character  and  to  help  his  fellow- 
men. 

FISCHER,  George  A.,  of  Addison,  111.,  was  born 
June  30,  1S51,  in  the  old  log  house  on  his  father's 
farm  in  Du  Page  County.  He  is  a  son  of  Henry 
Dledrleh  Fischer  who  vi'as  born  August  31,  1815, 
in  the  Kingdom  of  Hanover,  Germany,  in  the 
village  of  Esdorf,  being  himself  a  son  of  Con- 
rad and  Louise  (Relnking)  Fischer.  Conrad 
Fischer  was  born  in  1707,  in  the  same  village 
as  his  son,  and  became  a  German  soldier,  serv- 
ing under  the  great  Napoleon,  in  his  famous 
Russian  campaign.  Napoleon  on  the  disastrous 
retreat  from  Moscow,  stopped  at  the  village  of 
Esdorf.  There  the  members  of  the  Keiuking 
family  still   reside. 

Conrad  Fischer  was  a  tanner,  saddler  and  har- 
ness maker,  who  worked  hard  at  his  various 
callings.  His  children  were :  Henry  D. ;  Fred- 
erick J. ;  August ;  Louise,  who  married  Henry 
Bielefeld  of  Milwaukee  and  is  now  deceased ; 
Caroline,  who  married  Henry  Ahrbecker  who 
died  aud  she  then  married  Louis  Rathie  now  of 
Addison  Township.  Conrad  Fischer  and  his 
children,  except  Henry  D.  who  came  to  America 
before  the  others,  left  for  this  counti-y,  in  1S30, 
a  year  later  than  Henry  who  was  the  pioneer  of 
them  all.  Conrad  Fischer  entered  laud  east  of 
the  location  of  George  A.  Fischer.  He  improved 
this  farm  and  lived  on  it  until  his  son,  August, 
took  charge  of  it.  Mr.  Fischer  died  when  about 
eighty  years  old,  and  is  buried  in  the  Cemetery 
of  the  United  Evangelical  German  Church.  His 
wife  died,  aged  about  eighty.  They  were  among 
the  early  members  and  founders  of  the  old 
Reformed  Lutheran  Church,  called  by  the  pio- 
neers the  Dunkle  Grove  Church.  This  was 
the  first  German  church  established  in  this 
part  of  the  State,  and  from  it  was  organized  the 
first  German  church  in  Chicago.  There  was  a 
Lutheran  church  here.  There  was  another  Ger- 
man church  established  at  Schumburg,  Cook 
Couut.v,  and  another  at  what  was  then  called 
Dutchman's  Point,  Cook  County,  but  is  now 
Niles.  Of  all  of  these,  the  Dunkle  Grove  church 
was  the  mother.  Christian  Fischer,  a  brother  of 
Conrad  Fischer,  also  came  to  America  about  the 
same  time.  He  was  unmarried,  and  enlisted  in 
the  regular  army,  taking  part  in  the  Mexican 
War,  and  some  Indian  campaigns,  being  at  one 
time  stationed  at  Fort  Snelling,  Minn. 


Henry  D.  Fischer,  the  father  of  George  A. 
Fischer,  learned  the  trade  of  a  harness  maker 
in  Germany,  receiving  at  the  same  time  a  com- 
mon school  education.  He  came  to  America  when 
he  was  eighteen  years  old,  in  1S35,  sailing  from 
Breman,  in  a  sailing  vessel,  seven  weeks  being 
consumed  on  the  voyage.  The  passage  was 
stormy,  and  he  was  extremely  glad  to  land  in 
New  York.  From  that  city,  he  came  immedi- 
ately to  Chicago,  where  he  spent  two  years. 
Upon  arival  m  that  city,  he  applied  for  work  at 
his  trade,  and  was  surprised  to  find  that  there 
was  but  one  harness  maker  there  and  that  he 
did  not  have  enough  work  to  keep  him  busy. 
Necessity  compelled  the  young  German  to  work 
at  anything  that  offered  during  his  first  summer. 
In  the  fall,  discouraged,  he  walked  to  Green 
Bay,  Wis.,  finding  work  in  the  lumber  camp. 
In  the  spring,  however,  he  returned  to  Chi- 
cago, and  in  1837,  he  settled  on  the  home- 
stead, a  portion  of  which  is  owned  by  George 
A.  Fischer.  On  this  he  built  a  log  cabin  14x18 
feet,  one-story  high,  which  stood  northeast  of 
the  present  residence,  a  distance  of  one-eighth 
of  a  mile.  Here  he  lived  until  he  erected  a 
frame  house,  in  1851,  which  stood  on  the  site 
of  the  present  house.  This  was  more  preten- 
tious, being  two-stories  in  height.  It  is  still 
in  use  on  the  farm.  The  original  deed  to  the 
l)roperty  is  dated  March  10,  1843,  and  is  signed 
by  John  Tyler,  then  President.  This  deed  calls 
for  eighty  acres,  but  a  deed  for  eighty  acres 
more  is  dated  June  1,  1845,  and  is  signed  by 
President  James  K.   Polk. 

The  first  German  settler  in  Addison  Town- 
ship was  Bemhard  Koehler,  who  was  born  in 
Hanover,  Germany,  aud  settled  here  in  1833, 
about  one  and  one-half  miles  east  of  the  Fischer 
property.  He  was  then  the  only  German  set- 
ler  in  this  township.  The  Graves.  Schmidts 
came  next,  and  Henry  D.  Fischer  was  with  them. 
They  were  from  the  village  of  Lendesberg. 

Henry  D.  Fischer  was  married  in  Chicago 
to  Maria  Franzen,  born  at  Schaale,  Prussia, 
February  29,  1810,  daughter  of  Gerhard  Henry 
Franzen.  Mr.  and  Mrs.  Fischer  settled  on  their 
farm,  and  by  hard  work  aud  thrift,  coupled  with 
management,  made  a  good  home,  and  eventually 
Mr.  Fischer  became  the  owner  of  740  acres  of 
excellent  land.  At  times  he  operated  400  acres 
himself,  with  the  help  of  his  sons.  He  was  an 
energetic  and  successful  farmer.  One  of  the 
founders  of  the  old   Bush   Church,   and  of  the 


HISTORY  OF  DU  PAGE  COUNTY. 


865 


Evangelical  Eujanuel  Cliurcb  whicLi  is  still  flour- 
Ishiug,  he  was  a  Deacou  in  the  latter,  and  al- 
ways a  strong  siiiniorter  of  church  influence.  In 
political  opinions  he  was  first  an  O.  L.  W.,  and 
later  one  of  the  original  Republicans,  voting  for 
John  C.  Freemont  and  Abraham  Lincoln.  Dur- 
ing the  Civil  War,  he  was  a  strong  Union  man, 
and  cheerfully  gave  two  of  his  sons  to  its  ser- 
vice, Frederick  J.  T.  and  August  H.  being  brave 
soldiers,  the  former  enlisting  in  the  Thirty-third 
Illinois  A'olunteer  Infantry,  called  the  Normal 
Regiment.  Until  his  enlistment  he  had  been  at- 
tending the  St^te  Normal  School  at  Bloomiugton. 
During  the  three  years  he  served,  he  was  in 
many  battles,  including  the  Siege  of  Yicksburg. 
August  H.  was  in  the  One  Hundred  and  Fifth 
Illinois  Volunteer  Infantry,  and  was  killed  in  a 
skirmish  at  Atlanta,  after  two  years'  service. 
He  was  First  Lieutenant  of  Company  I,  and  at 
the  time  of  his  death  commanded  a  company,  of 
which  the  superior  officer  had  been  shot. 

Henry  D.  Fischer  was  a  man  of  marked  intelli- 
gence, and  became  an  honored  and  public-spirited 
citizen.  He  was  a  member  of  the  first  Board 
of  Supervisors  of  Du  Page  County,  and  Town- 
ship Treasurer  for  several  years.  He  was  also 
secretary  of  the  Addison  Farmers  Mutual  Insur- 
ance Co.  of  which  he  was  one  of  the  founders, 
and  also  served  as  Justice  of  the  Teace.  He  was 
a  progressive  citizen,  and  in  favor  of  public  im- 
provements, such  as  good  roads,  bridges  and 
schools.  Among  other  things,  he  was  largely 
instrumental  in  securing  one  of  the  first  schools 
in  his  Township. 

The  children  born  to  Henry  D.  Fischer  and 
wife  were :  Henry  D.,  born  May  31,  1838 ; 
Charles  Conrad,  born  March  1.  1840,  and  died 
aged  fifteen  years:  Frederick  J.,  born  July  30, 
1S42 :  August  H.,  born  October  1.  1844 ;  Herman 
A.,  born  September  6,  1846;  William  H.,  born 
December  18.  1848.  and  died  two  years  later; 
George  A.  born  June  30,  1S.51 ;  Eliza  C,  born 
June  2.5,  1853 ;  William  H..  born  August  17.  1855 ; 
Henrietta,  bom  November  17.  1857,  died  eighteen 
months  later.  Mr.  Fischer  died  on  the  farm. 
July  1,  1868,  aged  about  fifty-three  years.  His 
widow  survived  him  until  April  IS.  1896,  when 
she  passed  away,  being  then  over  eighty  years 
of  age. 

George  August  Fischer  attended  the  earlv 
schools  of  his  district,  his  first  teacher  being  a 
Mr.  Brown.  Later  he  went  to  Wheaton  College 
for  three  terms,  during  the  winters  of  1866,  lS(i7 


and  1868.  He  was  reared  a  farmer,  and  has 
followed  that  calling  all  his  life.  He  inherited 
and  acquired  by  purchase  237  acre.s  of  the  old 
homestead,  and  now  owns  280  acres  of  fine  farm- 
ing land,  all  in  an  excellent  state  of  cultivation. 
Mr.  Fischer  built  the  present  residence,  a  sub- 
stantial two-story  frame  house  in  1893,  while 
his  barn  was  built  by  his  father  in  1846.  The 
heavy  oak  frame  was  cut  on  the  farm.  Mr.  Fis- 
cher has  raised  it,  putting  a  stone  basement 
under  the  frame,  and  recovered  it. 

The  marriage  of  Mr.  Fischer  occurred  Janu- 
ary 30,  1876,  in  Addison  Township,  when  he  was 
united  with  Maria  Carolina  Franzen,  bom  in 
Leyden  Township,  Cook  County,  111.,  May  22. 
1856,  a  daughter  of  Bernhard  and  Charlotta 
(Buchholz)  Franzen.  Bernhard  Franzen  was  a 
son  of  Gerhard  Franzen  and  the  original  Fran- 
zen was  born  in  Prussia,  December  3,  1818.  He 
was  one  of  the  first  immigrants  of  this  family, 
settling  on  a  farm  in  Leyden  Township,  Cook 
County.  Bernhard  Franzen  prospered  and 
finally  owned  several  farms.  His  children  were : 
Henry  C,  rx)uisa,  Carolina,  August  and  Maria 
C,  wife  of  Mr.  Fischer.  Bernhard  Franzen  and 
wife  were  members  of  the  Evangelical  Church. 
In  politic-s,  he  was  a  Republican,  being  a  sub- 
stantial and  respected  citizen  in  the  fullest  sense 
of  the  word. 

George  A.  Fischer  developed  into  one  of  the 
sound  men  of  his  locality,  possessing  sterling 
traits  of  character  that  have  won  him  the  re- 
spect of  all  with  whom  he  comes  Into  contact. 
He  is  a  staunch  Republican,  and  has  been  School 
Trustee  of  Addison  Township  for  thirty-three 
years,  or  since  1877.  He  has  also  served  one 
term  as  Justice  of  the  Peace ;  Township  As- 
sessor for  two  years,  and  has  been  Supervisor 
since  1890.  He  is  a  director  of  the  Farmers 
Mutual  Fire  Insurance  Co.  of  Addison  Township 
for  fifteen  years,  and  for  ten  years  was  its 
treasurer.  This  company  by  special  charter  does 
business  all  over  the  State  of  Illinois.  Mr.  Fis- 
cher is  also  president  of  the  Addison  .State  Bank, 
which  has  a  capital  stock  of  $25,000,  and  holds 
the  same  executive  office  with  the  Addison  Pro- 
tective Society.  He  and  his  family  belong  to 
the  Evangelical  Emanuel  Church  of  which  he 
was  secretary  for  several  years. 

Mr.  and  Mrs.  Fischer  became  the  parents 
of  the  following  children :  Edgar  B.,  Henry  F., 
George  H..  Mary  L.,  Arvin  W.,  Lucy  C,  Frank 
F.   and   Alice  M. 


866 


HISTORY  OF  DU  PAGE  COUNTY. 


Mr.  Fischer  is  one  of  tlie  most  successful  rep- 
representatives  of  tlie  old  descendants  of  the 
old  German  pioneer  who  located  in  Du  Page 
County.  He  has  demonstrated  what  a  farmer 
can  accomplish  provided  he  is  willing  to  work 
hard  and  be  thrifty.  It  is  after  all  action 
that  speaks  rather  than  mere  words,  and  viewed 
in  this  light,  Mr.  Fischer  is  one  of  the  valuable 
American  citizens  who  form  the  very  backbone 
of  the  nation. 

FISCHER,  Gustaf  Dedrick,  a  native  of  Du 
Page  county.  111.,  was  born  December  13,  1856. 
He  was  brought  up  on  the  farm  and  his  youth 
was  spent  in  working  at  home  and  in  attending 
the  German  and  public  schools.  He  had  been 
engaged  on  the  farm  since  early  childnood, 
and  it  was  not  until  1904  that  he  moved  to  his 
beautiful  home  on  Tork  street,  Elmhurst. 

Mr.  Fischer  was  married  to  Miss  Mary 
Amelia  Glos,  a  daughter  of  Adam  and  Catharine 
(Soffel)  Glos,  who  was  born  in  Elmhurst. 
They  are  the  parents  of  one  child,  Mary 
Catharine  Eliza,  a  student  in  private  school, 
born  June  28,  1898. 

The  family  are  members  of  the  Evangelical 
church. 

FISCHER,  Henry  D.,  deceased.  The  men  who 
were  associated  with  the  early  history  of  Du 
Page  county,  have  many  of  them  passed  to  their 
last  reward,  but  the  result  of  their  efforts  re- 
mains In  the  shape  of  good  schools,  stable  gov- 
ernment and  general  advancement  of  realty 
values.  One  of  the  men  who  for  many  years 
was  active  in  county  affairs  was  the  late  Henry 
D.  Fischer,  born  in  Addison  township.  May  31, 
1838,  and  died  May  5,  1897.  After  taking  the 
course  of  the  country  schools,  Mr.  Fischer  en- 
tered Wheaton  College,  with  the  object  of  fitting 
himself  for  the  work  of  teaching,  and  did  follow 
that  caling  for  a  year,  liut  decided  to  leave  it 
for  farming.  He  served  as  supervisor  from 
1872  to  1873.  and  for  many  years  was  school 
director  of  his  district,  giving  it  the  benefit  of 
his  knowledge  of  the  requirements  of  teaching. 
His  religious  connections  were  with  the  Ger- 
man Evangelical  church,  of  which  he  was  a 
consistent  member. 

On  September  7,  1862,  he  was  married  to 
Louisa  Dora  Reinking,  born  in  Esdorf,  Ger- 
many,  January  10,   1857,   but  came  to  America 


when    twenty-two    years    old.      Her    death    oc- 
curred December  26,  1903. 

Edwin  W.  Fischer,  son  of  the  above  couple, 
and  the  eldest  of  three  brothers,  was  born  De- 
cember 26,  1865,  on  the  old  homestead  in  Addi- 
son township.  There  he  attended  country 
school  until  he  was  fourteen  years  old,  when  he 
entered  Wheaton  College,  remaining  there  until 
he  was  nineteen.  He  then  began  teaching,  al- 
ternating his  periods  of  instruction  with  attend- 
ance upon  college  courses,  including  one  year 
spent  at  the  Illinois  Normal  school  at  Normal, 
III.,  until  he  was  thirty  years  old.  In  1896,  he 
embarked  in  a  lumber  business  at  Elmhurst, 
111.,  but  sold  it  in  1902,  to  become  cashier  of 
the  Addison  State  Bank,  at  Addison,  assuming 
the  duties  of  that  jjosition  in  November  of  that 
same  year.  In  politic-s,  he  is  a  Republican.  His 
work  in  connection  with  the  German  Evangel- 
ical church  has  been  very  valuawe,  he  belonging 
to  the  choir,  and  for  many  years  he  was  assist- 
ant Sunday  school  superintendent.  Mr.  Fischer 
is  unmarried. 

FISCHER,  Oscar  George,  holding  the  position  of 
assistant  chemist  in  the  employ  of  the  Chicago 
&  Northwestern  Railroad  Company,  resides  at 
Elmhurst,  111.,  and  has  spent  most  of  his  life 
in  Du  Page  County.  He  is  a  native  of  the 
county,  born  in  Addison  Township,  December  23, 
1&70,  being  a  son  of  Henry  D.  and  Louisa  (Rein- 
king)  Fischer,  the  latter  a  native  of  Germany. 
Both  were  early  residents  of  the  township.  In 
boyhood  Oscar  G.  Fischer  attended  the  public 
schools  of  his  neighborhood,  and  in  1S94  was 
graduated  from  Wheaton  College  with  degree 
of  A.  B.  He  taught  school  the  next  four  years, 
and  then  took  a  scientific  course  at  the  Uni- 
versity of  Chicago.  For  the  following  two  years 
he  taught  in  the  scientific  department  of  Fair- 
mount  Academy,  of  Fairmount,  Ind. 

About  1901,  Mr.  Fischer  began  to  follow  chem- 
istry as  a  profession  and  in  1902,  secured  his 
present  position.  He  is  an  expert  in  his  line 
and  has  had  valuable  experience  in  the  capacity 
he  now  fills.  He  takes  an  active  interest  in 
public  affairs  and  served  as  Village  Trustee  of 
Elmhurst  from  1905  to  1909.  He  is  a  member 
of  the  Evangelical  Church  of  Addison  and  ready 
to  support  auy  worthy  cause.  At  present  he  is 
President  of  the  Elmhurst  Board  of  Educa- 
tion. 

On  September  6,  1899,  Mr.  Fischer  was  united 


(j^  jA>i,^^- 


HISTORY  OF  DU  PAGE  COUNTY. 


867 


iu  marriage  with  Emma  Dorottiea  Scliuette, 
daughter  of  Henry  W.  and  Frederica  (Franzen) 
Schuette,  a  native  of  Addison  Township,  born 
October  30,  1S70.  -One  child  has  been  born  of 
tlus  union,  Florence,  born  iu  1961,  a  pupil  in 
the  sixth  grade  in  the  Elmhurst  public  school. 

Mrs.  Fischer's  father  was  a  native  of  Bensen, 
Germany,  for  which  the  village  of  Benseuville, 
111.,  was  named,  he  being  one  of  the  earliest  set- 
tlers there.  Mr.  Schuette  served  In  the  Civil 
War,  enlisting  with  his  friend,  Louis  Schmidt, 
and  he  was  wounded  in  the  shoulder  while  in 
service.  He  was  discharged  with  honors  and 
died  some  time  after  retu  ruing  home.  His 
widow  later  married  her  husband's  comrade 
and  familiar  friend,  Louis  Schmidt,  a  slietch  of 
whom  appears  iu  this  work. 

FISCHER,  Otto  August,  one  of  the  leading 
citizeus  of  Elmhurst  and  proprietor  of  Elm 
Lawn  Cemetery,  belongs  to  the  old  Fischer  fam- 
ily which  has  so  many  notable  representatives 
in  Du  Page  County.  He  was  born  March  16, 
'1850,  on  his  father's  farm,  being  a  son  of  August 
and  Eliza  (Hackerott)  Fischer.  August  Fis- 
cher was  born  in  the  village  of  Esdorf,  Hauo^"er, 
Germany,  and  was  about  ten  years  old  when,  he, 
came  with  his  father's  family  to  America'.' '  At 
this  time,  he  had  a  fair  knowledge  of  German, 
having  attended  public  school  in  his- native  land, 
aud  later  was  given  educational  adva.iitages'in- 
his  new  home.     Brought  up  on  a  farm,  he  liini'- 

self  followed  agricultural  pursuits.  '    

In  1S49,  August  Fischer  married  in  Addison 
Township,  Eliza  Hackerott,  born  at  Iserm- 
hageu,  Hanover,  Germany,  daughter  of  August 
Hackerott,  who  came  to  America  somewhat  later 
than  the  Fischers.  When  he  came  here,  August 
Hackerott.  located  on  some  laud  he  had  pur- 
chased, that  is  now  contained  in  the  farm  of  Otto 
August  Fischer,  and  both  he  and  his  wife  are 
interred  ou  this  property.  Their  children  were 
as  follows :  August,  Ernst,  Louisa,  Henrietta 
Dorathea,  Eliza  and  Lusetta.  Both  parents  were 
members  of  the  old  Lutheran  Church.  Mr.  Hack- 
erott kept  a  log  tavern,  which  was  well  patron- 
ized during  pioneer  days.  It  was  on  the  hill 
near  the  O.  A.  Fischer  residence.  August  Fis- 
cher settled  on  laad  where  Charles  H.  Fischer, 
his  son,  now  lives.  He  prospered,  becoming  the 
owner  of  1,000  acres  of  land  iu  Addison  Town- 
ship and  Tork  Township,  in  addition  to  1,000 
acres  in  Iowa.    A  practical  and  progressive  man, 


he  directed  his  entire  attention  to  farming,  and 
became  one  of  the  heaviest  landowners  in  this 
part  of  the  county.    He  and  his  excellent  wife 
were    members     of     the     German     Evangelical 
Church.    In  political  faith  he  was  a  Republican. 
The   children   born   to   him    and   wife   were   as 
follows :  Otto  A.,  G.  D.,  Amelia,  Charles  H.  and 
Louisa  who  died  when  about  eighteen  years  old. 
Otto  A.  Fischer  was  brought  up  on  the  home- 
stead, attending  district  school  during  the  win- 
ter months,  and  working  on  the  farm  in  the  sum- 
mer.    One  of  his  early  teachers  was  Gold  Ham- 
mer, a  Germau.     He  attended  one  term  in  the 
Old  Oak  Ridge  School,  now  known  as  the  Oak 
Park  school.     For  two  winters  he  attended  Dy- 
renforth  Business  College  of  Chicago,   then   on 
Fifth  avenue,  but  later  moved  to  Clark  street. 
Having  been  brought  up  a  farmer,  Mr.  Fischer 
continued  to  devote  himself  to  that  line  of  work. 
On  July  10,  1875.  he  was  married  in  Addison 
Township  to  Mary  Weinrebe,  born  in  Elmhurst, 
December  2,   1852,   a   daughter  of   August   and 
Christina     (Norges)    Weinrebe.     August    Wein- 
rebe was  born  in  Holstein,  Germany,  coming  to 
America  when  a  young  man  about  twenty  years 
old.  .  H^  was  a  blacksmith,  following  his  trade 
.   at'  Elmhurst.    first    having    a    shop   in    the   old 
■'"F^Sctrertneighborhood.    His  marriage  took  place 
in    Adc|ison    Township,     to    Christina    Norges, 
whose  parents  never  came  to  this  country.     She 
'•Was  born  in  Hanover,  German.y.    One  year  after 
■  marriage,    Mr.    and    Mrs.    Winrebe   removed    to 
•Elmhurst  where  he  lived  until  his  death.     His 
children  were :  Mary  W.,  and  Caroline,  who  died 
aged  eighteen  years.    He  was  a  member  of  the 
Evangelical  Church.     Politically  he  was  a  Re- 
publican.    All  his  life,  he  was  a  hard-working, 
industrious  man. 

Otto  August  Fischer  and  wife  settled  on  land 
in  Addison  Township,  which  Mr.  Fischer's  father 
gave  him.  He  prospered  and  now  owns  two 
farms  of  140  acres  each  in  Addison  Township ; 
another  one  of  116  acres  and  eighty  acres  of 
woodland  in  Leyden  Township.  He  later  bought 
122  acres  on  the  county  line,  and  also  fifty  acres 
which  is  the  present  site  of  Elm  Lawn  Cemetery. 
In  1905,  he  bought  fifty-seven  lots  in  North 
Elmhurst.  and  the  following  year  he  built  his 
present  two-story,  six  room,  spacious  residence, 
which  contains  every  modern  convenience.  He 
also  owns  several  other  residences  in  Elm- 
hurst, and  ^his  farms  have  good  buildings  on 
them. 


HISTORY  OF  DU  PAGE  COUNTY. 


In  1005,  ill  company  with  his  sous,  Alphonse 
F.  and  Alonzo  G.,  and  Fred  R.  Wesenian,  Mr. 
Fischer  laid  out  Elm  Lawu  Cemetery,  making  it 
one  of  the  most  beautiful  "Cities  of  the  Dead" 
iu  this  part  of  the  State.  Its  massive  stone  en- 
trance leads  to  beautiful  walks  and  ornamen- 
tal shrubs  and  trees.  The  company  owns  390 
acres  adjoining  the  cemetery  which  it  intends  to 
add  to  the  main  part  whenever  necessary.  The 
premises  are  Ivept  in  exquisite  order,  and  the 
beautiful  surroundings  afford  comfort  to  those 
who   are   forced   to   lay  away   their   dear   ones. 

In  addition  to  his  other  interests,  Mr.  Fischer 
has  held  the  office  of  Secretary  of  the  Addison 
Farmers  Mutual  Insurance  Co.,  since  1SS2,  and 
has  assisted  materially  in  the  upbuilding  of  this 
business.  This  company  was  originally  estab- 
lished in  Addison  Township,  but  its  charter  en- 
ables it  to  write  business  throughout  the  State. 
The  father  of  Mr.  Fischer  was  one  of  the  found- 
ers of  this  company,  as  well  as  one  of  its  en- 
thusiastic supporters.  Mr.  Fischer  is  also  one 
of  the  founders  and  stockholders  of  the  Elm- 
hurst  State  Bank,  which  has  a  capital  stock  of 
$60,000;  is  a  stockholder  in  the  Lombard  State 
Bank,  and  one  of  the  founders,  director  and  a 
leading  stockholder  of  the  Addison  State  Bank ; 
also  director  in  the  First  National  Bank  of  Elm- 
hurst. 

Mr.  and  Mrs.  Fischer  became  the  parents  of 
children  as  follows :  Alphonse  F.,  married  Ma- 
linda  Marshall,  is  superintendent  of  the  Elm 
Lawn  Cemetery  Co,  have  one  daughter,  Selma; 
Alonzo  G.  is  secretary  and  treasurer  of  this 
same  company,  and  also  cashier  of  the  First  Na- 
tional Bank,  one  of  the  organizers  of  the  Lom- 
bard State  Bank,  as  well  as  one  of  the  stocli- 
holders  and  directors ;  and  Ellenora,  who  mar- 
ried Fred  Weseman,  vice  president  of  the  Elm 
Lawn  Cemetery  Co.  They  reside  in  Chicago. 
Mr.  and  Mre.  Fischer  are  members  of  the  Eman- 
uel Evangelical  Church,  of  which  Mr.  Fischer 
has  been  a  Trustee  for  several  years.  In  poli- 
ties, he  is  a  Republican.  Possessing  in  marked 
degree  a  remarkable  business  ability,  Mr.  Fischer 
has  developed  a  number  of  enten^rises  which 
have  become  important  ^'actors  in  the  life  of 
his  community.  His  sound,  conservative  policies 
insure  steady  growth  of  any  institution  with 
which  he  is  connected.  He  has  just  erected  the 
finest  business  block  in  Elmhurst. 


FISCHER,  William  Frederick,  son  of  Christian 
and  Frederick  (Mueller)  Fischer,  was  born  in 
Brandenburg,  Germany,  March  7,  1861,  and  was 
brought  to  America  by  his  parents  at  the  age 
of  five  years.  The  family  located  on  the  Ar- 
becker  farm  near  Elmhurst,  Du  Page  county, 
and  there  the  father  died  two  years  later,  at 
the  age  of  forty-five  years.  The  four  sons  then 
took  up  the  work  of  carrying  on  the  farm  and 
keeping  the  family  together.  The  mother  died 
in  Elmhurst  October  20,  1804.  at  the  age  of 
sevnty-four  yeai-s.  The  children  were:  August; 
Carl,  wlio  is  deceased;  William;  Christian; 
Minnie  and  Augusta,  who  died  when  young. 

Mr.  Fischer  was  educated  in  the  public 
schools,  and  taught  farming.  On  February  10, 
1886.  he  married  Ida  Schmidt,  who  was  born 
in  Addison  township  .\pril  10,  186G.  daughter  of 
Louis  and  Hannah  (Arbecker)  Schmidt.  Five 
children  have  been  born  of  this  union :  Edna, 
Ida,  who  was  born  April  19,  1887,  died  Feb- 
ruary 2,  1904 ;  William  and  two  others  who  died 
in  infancy ;  and  Louise  Emma,  who  was  born 
October  24,  1891,  at  home.  After  his  marriage 
Mr.  Fischer  purchased  the  Whitman  farm  of 
eighty  acres  in  York  township,  living  there  five 
years  when  he  moved  to  Ontarioville.  purchas- 
ing a  general  merchandise  store,  which  he 
operated  and  served  four  years  as  postmaster 
of  that  village.  He  then  sold  and  moved  to 
Hancock,  Minn.,  where  he  and  his  brother  bought 
a  store,  conducting  it  two  years  before  selling. 
Soon  afterwards  Mr.  Fischer  removed  to  Los 
Angeles,  Cal.,  where  for  fifteen  months  he  con- 
ducted a  rooming  house,  and  then  returning  to 
Elmhurst.  bought  a  store  which  he  operated 
two  and  a  half  years.  Going  back  to  Los 
Angeles,  he  located  on  a  fruit  ranch  at  Lan- 
caster, near  that  city,  which  he  later  sold  and 
returned  to  Du  Page  county,  buying  his  present 
farm  of  fort.v-two  and  one-half  acres  on  Sec- 
tions 14  and  23,  Addison  township.  He  is  an 
able  and  enterprising  farmer,  having  rebuilt 
the  house  and  made  various  other  improve- 
ments on  his  property.  William  Fischer  has 
spent  much  of  his  life  in  Du  Page  county  and 
has  many  warm  friends  here,  as  he  is  inter- 
ested in  the  welfare  and  progress  of  his  com- 
munity. Religiously  he  is- a  member  of  the 
German  Evangelical  church.  Politically  he  is  a 
Progressive  and  at  present  is  serving  as  collector 
of  Addison  township. 


HISTORY  OF  DU  PAGE  COUNTY. 


869 


FOSTER,  Alexander  F.,  (deceased).  Not  all 
tlie  heroes  of  the  Civil  War  pei-isUed  ou  the  bat- 
tlefields, or  languished  to  death  in  southern 
prisons.  Countless  numbers,  disabled,  weak 
and  wasted  by  privations,  came  back  home  to 
spend  the  remainder  of  their  lives  as  best  they 
could,  carrying  with  them  to  their  graves  re- 
minders of  their  bravei"y  and  patriotism.  One 
of  the  men  long  honored  as  a  veteran  of  the 
war,  and  a  substantial  resident  of  Downer's 
Grove,  III.,  was  the  late  Alexander  F.  Foster, 
father  of  Mrs.  Emma  J.  Miller.  He  was  born  in 
Middletown,  Conn.,  October  17,  1S15.  On  July 
16,  1839,  be  was  married  at  Downer's  Grove, 
111.,  to  Nancy  Olivia  Adams,  born  June  S,  1S21, 
daughter  of  Jonas  Kussell  and  Olivia  (Seely) 
Adams.  Jonas  R.  Adams  was  a  hatter,  and  later 
a  farmer,  born  at  Ashburnham,  Mass.,  April  S, 
1777,  the  second  son  of  Thomas  and  Hannah 
(Hall)  Adams.  Mr.  Adams  was  married  twice, 
his  first  wife  being  Nancy  Toppin,  and  his 
second  wife  Olivia  Seely.  His  first  marriage 
took  place  in  his  native  town,  but  the  second 
was  solemnized  at  Brooklyn,  Penn.  By  his  first 
marriage  Mr.  Adams  had  a  family  as  follows : 
James  L.  and  Eliza  D.  By  his  second  marriage 
he  bad  four  children  of  whom  Mrs.  Alexander 
Foster  was  the  eldest,  the  others  being :  Amos 
Crandall,  born  March  3,  1S24 ;  Albert  Fernando, 
born  April  14,  1S2S,  and  Mary  Eleanor,  born 
JanuaiY  1(1,  1834.  Mr.  Adams  served  as  a  Lieu- 
tenant in  the  War  of  1S12.  He  came  to  Down- 
er's Grove  in  1S36,  settling  on  a  farm  which 
he  operated  until  1861,  moving  then  to  Naper- 
ville  where  his  death  occurred  June  6,  1869,  when 
he  was  ninety-two  years  of  age.  He  retained 
his  faculties  to  within  a  few  weeks  of  his 
death.  After  the  formation  of  the  Republican 
party,  be  espoused  its  cause,  and  voted  its  tic- 
ket as  long  as  he  lived.  In  religious  faith  he 
was  a  Universalist. 

By  their  marriage,  Alexander  F.  Foster  and 
his  wife  Nancy  Olivia  (Adams)  Foster  had  the 
following  children:  William  A.,  deceased;  EUeu 
C,  Emma  J..  Walter  E..  Albert  Adams,  Jonas 
R.,  George  C,  deceased,  and  Harry  D.  In 
1837.  Mr.  Foster  had  located  on  a  farm  near 
Plainfield.  111.,  and  remained  on  this  farm  until 
1847,  when  he  moved  to  Turin,  N.  Y.,  his  old 
home,  but  once  more  came  to  Illinois,  settling 
in  Downer's  Grove  In  1848,  and  he  died  here 
August  f!.  1904,  aged  eighty-eight  years.  In 
1862,   he   enlisted    as   Corporal   in   Company    B, 


One  Hundred  and  Fifth  Illinois  Infantry,  but 
after  a  year  of  service,  he  was  injured  in  the 
shoulder,  and  received  his  honorable  discharge  in 
ls(j3.  He  was  a  Methodist  in  religious  faith, 
and  a  man  of  high  moral  principles,  whose 
life  was  ordered  according  to  his  belief.  A  true 
Christian,  he  bore  patiently  the  strain  of  111 
health  and  exerted  a  powerful  influence  for  good 
among  his  associates. 

FOSTER,  Harry  Dewaine.  Many  of  the  rail- 
roads have  inaugurated  a  system  of  merit  by 
means  of  which  their  faithful  and  able  employes 
are  promoted  from  the  most  humble  to  the 
highest  positions  in  the  service.  Experience  has 
taught  that  this  is  the  best  method  for  securing 
efficient  and  conscientious  work,  as  well  as  offer- 
ing encouragement  to  all.  One  of  the  men 
whose  rise  has  been  rapid,  and  yet  eminently  de- 
served, is  Harry  De  Walne  Foster  whose  long 
connection  with  the  Chicago,  Burlington  & 
Quincy  Railroad  has  been  rewarded  with  many 
advancements.  He  was  born  at  Downer's  Grove, 
111.,  October  24,  1866,  being  a  sou  of  the  highly 
esteemed  resident  of  Downer's  Grove,  Alexander 
F.  Foster,  and  his  wife  Nancy  Olivia  (Adams) 
Foster. 

Mr.  Foster  attended  the  public  schools  of 
Downer's  Grove,  and  then  being  determined  upon 
a  business  career,  he  entered  the  employ  of  the 
Chicago,  Burlington  &  Quincy  Railroad  as  mes- 
senger boy  in  the  general  offices  at  Chicago, 
June  8,  1882.  From  then  until  June  1,  1891,  he 
filled  various  clerical  positions,  in  each  one 
learning  something  of  the  great  system,  so  that 
he  was  deemed  the  best  man  for  the  position  of 
chief  clerk  of  the  office  of  auditor  of  ticket  ac- 
counts, serving  in  that  capacity  from  June  1, 
1891,  to  July  1,  1S92.  At  the  later  date  he  was 
made  ticket  auditor  of  the  Hanna  &  St.  Jos. 
Railroad,  the  Chicago,  Burlington  &  Kansas  City 
Railway,  the  Kansas  City,  St.  Joseph,  Chicago 
&  Burlington  Railroad  and  the  St.  Louis,  Kan- 
sas &  North  Western  Railway,  with  headquar- 
ters at  St.  Joseph,  Mo.  Ou  January  1,  1896, 
appreciation  of  his  valuable  services  was  shown 
by  his  being  made  auditor  of  freight  and  ticket 
accounts  for  these  same  roads,  he  thus  continu- 
ing until  November  23,  1903,  when  he  was  re- 
turned to  Chicago  to  become  auditor  of  expendi- 
tures for  the  Chicago,  Burlington  &  Quincy  Rail- 
road. In  May,  1906,  he  was  sent  to  Omaha  to 
be  assistant  auditor  for  the  same  road,  remain- 


870 


HISTORY  OF  DU  PAGE  COUNTY. 


ing  there  until  March  1,  1910,  when  he  once 
more  returned  to  the  general  Chicago  offices  to 
became  assistant  general  auditor  of  the  Chicago, 
Burlington  &  Quincy  system. 

Mr.  Foster  was  married  April  3,  ISSS,  at 
Downer's  Grove  to  Lizzie  Maude  Wheeler.  They 
have  three  children  :  Lawrence  Judson,  De  Witt 
Clinton  and  Harold  Emerson.  The  family  have 
a  beautiful  home  at  La  Grange,  111.  In  politics, 
Mr.  Foster  is  a  Republican. 

FOSTER,  Jonas  R.  Coincident  with  the 
growth  and  development  of  any  community,  Is 
the  increase  in  realty  values.  As  Downer's 
Grove  becomes  more  important  industrially  and 
'Commercially,  its  real  estate  grows  more  valu- 
able, and  its  handling  becomes  one  of  the  vital 
issues  in  the  business  life  of  the  community. 
One  of  the  men  now  identified  with  the  real 
estate  interests  of  Du  Page  County,  Is  Jonas  R. 
Foster  of  Downer's  Grove,  one  of  the  most  ag- 
gressive realty  men  of  the  locality.  He  was  born 
here,  May  2,  1857,  being  a  son  of  Alexander  F. 
and  Nancy  O.  (Adams)  Foster.  Mr.  Foster  was 
a  contractor  and  builder,  who  came  to  Du  Page 
County  in  1S35.  A  more  lengthy  sketch  is  given 
of  him  elsewhere  in  this  work. 

Jonas  R.  Foster  attended  the  excellent  pub- 
lic schools  of  Downer's  Grove,  growing  up  in 
the  community.  After  leaving  school,  he  did 
what  so  many  of  the  country's  great  men  did 
before  settling  upon  any  definite  career,  taught 
school,  being  located  in  both  Du  Page  and  Cook 
Counties  for  five  years.  He  then  went  to  Water- 
loo, la.,  where  until  1S99,  he  farmed  in  Black 
Hawk  County.  While  in  that  locality,  he  served 
as  Township  Trustee  and  secretary  and  Director 
of  the  School  Board  for  eight  years.  Return- 
ing to  Downer's  Grove  in  1S99,  he  immediately 
recognized  the  importance  of  the  realty  advance, 
and  established  the  firm  of  Xaramore  &  Foster. 
L.  P.  Naramore  being  his  associate.  The  firm 
conducts  a  regular  real  estate  business,  having 
charge  of  some  very  desirable  property  in  the 
village  and  vicinity.  They  also  write  insur- 
ance with  all  of  the  leading  companies,  and  col- 
lect rents  and  manage  estates.  Mr.  Foster  has 
been  President  of  the  School  Board  for  six  years, 
and  the  schools  have  the  benefit  of  his  years  of 
experience  as  a  teacher. 

In  1S7S,  Mr.  Foster  married  Frances  I.  Rey- 
nolds, of  Lyonsville,  Cook  County,  111.,  daughter 
of  William   and   Frances  Reynolds,   the   former 


being  a  carpenter  and  builder.  Two  children 
were  hum  of  this  marriage :  Arthur  William  of 
Waterloo,  la.,  a  farmer,  who  married  Lucy 
Bartle,  of  Downer's  Grove,  daughter  of  William 
G.  Bartle;  and  Harry  R.,  a  clerk  in  a  grocery 
store  at  Waterloo,  la.,  who  married  Mae  Potter, 
of  Downer's  Grove,  daughter  of  Oscar  Potter, 
an  inventor.  After  the  death  of  his  first  wife, 
Mr.  Foster  married  Susan  Faul  of  Downer's 
Grove,  daughter  of  Henry  Faul,  a  farmer.  Mr. 
and  Mrs.  Foster  are  members  of  the  Congrega- 
tional church,  of  which  Mr.  Foster  has  been 
Deacon  for  seven  years.  Fraternally  Mr.  Fos- 
ter is  a  Blue  Lodge  member  of  the  Masonic  Or- 
der and  belongs  to  the  Modern  Woodmen  of 
America.  Energetic,  progressive,  he  is  an  excel- 
lent business  man  and  public-spirited  citizen 
who  has  the  best  interests  of  the  village  at  heart. 

FRANK,  David,  a  well-known  resident  of 
Lombard,  111.,  is  much  respected  as  a  veteran  of 
the  Civil  War  and  a  useful,  public-spirited  citi- 
zen. Mr.  Frank  is  a  native  of  the  Province  of 
Saxony,  Germany,  born  July  11,  1837,  son  of 
John  and  Mary  (Wolfe)  Frank,  natives  of  Sax- 
on.v.  The  parents  had  but  two  children,  David, 
of  this  article,  and  Mary,  now  the  wife  of  John 
Schrumm,  of  Buffalo,  N.  Y.  John  Frank  brought 
his  family  to  America  in  the  fall  of  1850,  and 
after  spending  three  months  on  the  water,  dur- 
ing which  time  they  suffered  intensely  on  ac- 
count of  bad  weather  and  the  fact  that  pro- 
visions ran  low,  they  landed  at  New  York.  Their 
mone.v  was  almost  gone  when  they  reached  that 
city  and  soon  gave  out,  so  that  the  father  left 
the  family  there  and  went  to  Lancaster,  N.  Y., 
where  he  found  work,  and  soon  afterward  sent 
for  his  wife,  but  the  two  children  remained  in 
New  York  five  or  six  weeks  longer,  the  boy 
earning  his  living  by  picking  up  chips  in  the 
Uunber  yards,  which  he  was  able  to  sell  at  five 
cents  a  basket,  and  his  sister  working  for  a 
family  that  had  been  their  neighbors  in  Sax- 
ony. Both  parents  died  in  Lancaster,  the  father 
about  1856,  and  the  mother  about  1S58.  They 
had  but  two  children,  their  daughter  being  bom 
in  1839. 

Upon  going  to  Lancaster  David  Frank  began 
working  in  a  wagon  shop,  at  two  dollars  a 
month  and  board,  remaining  in  the  position  two 
years  for  the  same  wages.  He  then  went  to 
Canada  and  there  learned  the  trade  of  stone 
and    brick    mason    and   later   plastering.     Four 


HISTORY  OF  DU  PAGE  COUNTY. 


871 


years  later,  be  returned  to  the  United  States  and 
worked  at  liis  trade  at  different  points  in  tlie 
East  ami  South.  He  came  to  Lombard  in  the 
fall  of  1S57,  and  has  since  lived  there  most  of 
the  time.  After  spending  a  short  time  in  Lom- 
bard he  went  West  and  worked  at  his  trade, 
though  bis  home  was  in  that  village  during  this 
time. 

August  15,  lb02,  Mr.  Frank  was  enrolled  as  a 
member  of  Company  I,  One  Hundred  Fifth  Illi- 
nois Volunteer  Infantry,  being  mustered  in  at 
Dixon  September  2.  He  served  three  years,  dur- 
ing which  time  he  was  promoted  several  times, 
being  made  First  Sergeant  of  his  company  and 
later,  May  19,  1S(J5,  for  service  and  bravery, 
First  Lieutenant.  He  spent  six  weeks  in  a  hos- 
pital in  Louisville,  on  account  of  sickness,  but 
during  bis  service  was  never  wounded  or  taken 
prisoner.  He  participated  in  many  important 
battles  including  that  of  Nashville,  and  marched 
with  Sherman  "to  the  sea."  After  taking  part 
in  the  Grand  Review  at  Washington,  D.  C,  he 
was  honorably  discharged,  June  17,  ISGS. 

After  bis  discharge,  Mr.  Frank  returned  to 
Lombard  and  continued  to  work  at  his  trade, 
also  engaged  in  contracting  and  building,  and 
established  a  good  business.  He  won  a  reputa- 
tion in  the  county  for  business  ability  and  in.- 
tegrity  and  erected  a  good  many  buildings  there, 
retiring  from  active  life  in  100.'>.  Politically  be 
is  a  Democrat  and  soon  after  his  return  from 
the  war  served  one  term  as  Tax  Collector,  but 
has  never  cared  for  public  office,  being  too  much 
engrossed  in  business.  He  Is  a  member  of  E.  S. 
Kelly  Post  G.  A.  R.,  No.  513,  of  Wbeaton. 

Mr.  Frank  was  married  in  tlae  fall  of  1801,  to 
Miss  .\nnie  Kelly,  a  native  of  York  Township, 
Du  Page  County,  who  accompanied  her  hus- 
band to  Louisville  in  1862,  and  there  nursed 
him  when  he  was  in  the  hospital,  but  when  he 
left  that  city  the  authorities  sent  her  home. 
She  died  in  1882,  at  the  age  of  forty  years,  hav- 
ing borne  children  as  follows :  two  who  are  de- 
ceased ;  Minnie,  a  traied  nurse,  doing  private 
work  in  Chicago ;  William,  a  steam  engineer  at 
Chicago:  Arthur,  a  baggage-man  of  Chicago; 
Miss  Stella,  of  Chicago.  On  December  26,  1SS5, 
Mr.  Frank  married  Mrs.  Ernestine  (Procknow) 
Radamacher,  born  in  Berlin,  Germany,  Decem- 
ber 14,  1848.  She  accompanied  her  husband, 
Herman  Radamacher,  to  America,  in  1882,  and 
they  located  on  a  farm  near  Glen  Ell.vn.  in  Mil- 
ton   Township,    where   he   died    June    12,   1884, 


leaving  no  children.  No  children  were  born  of 
Mr.  Frank's  second  marriage.  She  died  May 
9,  1911. 

FRANK,  Dr.  John  C,  who  has  resided  in  Du 

Page  county  ever  since  entering  upon  the  prac- 
tice of  his  profession,  is  a  native  of  Saxony, 
Germany,  born  November  5,  1842.  His  parents 
came  to  America  about  1857,  locating  in  Jeffer- 
son county.  Pa.  John  0.  Frank  received  his 
earlier  educational  training  in  his  native  coun- 
try and  did  not  accompany  his  parents  to  the 
United  States,  but  when  he  was  about  seven- 
teen years  of  age  he  followed  them,  being 
partly  induced  to  do  so  on  account  of  being 
thus  able  to  avoid  military  duty.  After  joining 
his  family  he  studied  medicine,  was  graduated 
from  Rush  Medical  College,  of  Chicago,  in  1868, 
and  four  years  later  from  the  Chicago  Medical 
College.  Dr.  Frank  entered  upon  his  practice 
at  Fullersburg,  111.,  and  was  married  there, 
later  removing  to  Addison,  111.,  where  he  prac- 
ticed many  years,  and  in  1891,  erected  his  pres- 
ent beautiful  hctoe  in  York  township,  on  land 
which  he  had  owned  for  several  years. 

Dr.  Frank  was  married  August  7,  1866,  to 
Miss  Olive  Thurston,,  daughter  of  David  and 
.  Cijiljerii;,e  .(Fuller)  Thurstion  who  were  among 
the  earliest  pioneers  of  Du  Page  county.  She 
was  born  April  4,  1842,  in  York  township,  where 
her  father  had  located  in  1835,  when  there  were 
still  Indians  living  in  the  vicinity.  He  came 
from  Binghamton,  N.  Y.,  and  secured  160  acres 
of  government  land  on  Section  27  of  York  town- 
ship. There  Mr.  Thurston  and  his  wife  reared 
their  family  and  he  made  most  of  the  improve- 
ments now  to  be  found  on  the  estate.  He  died 
on  his  farm  in  1882,  at  the  age  of  seventy-two 
years,  and  his  widow  passed  away  in  1893,  aged 
eighty  years,  both  being  buried  on  the  home 
place.  Mr.  and  Mrs.  Thurston  were  parents  of 
ten  children,  namely:  Abby  and  Candis,  who 
are  both  deceased ;  Louisa,  who  lives  in  Iowa ; 
Harriet,  who  resides  in  Pasadena,  Cal. ;  Sarah ; 
David  Boyd,  who  is  deceased ;  Mahala,  who  is  a 
nurse  living  at  Downer's  Grove:  Adelaide,  who 
is  Mrs.  Theron  Sedgwick:  Jacob,  who  is  de- 
deceased:  and  Mrs.  Frank.  Mr.  Thurston  was 
very  prominent  among  the  early  residents 
of  the  county,  served  twent.v-eight  years 
as  'judge,  was  the  first  sui'veyor  of  the 
county,  and  drew  up  many  of  the  more  im- 
portant papers  needed  by  the  people  in  the  early 


872 


HISTORY  OF  DU  PAGE  COUNTY. 


days.  He  served  many  years  as  school  director 
and  supervisor  and  was  one  of  tlae  most  highly 
respected  men  of  his  time.  A  devout  member 
of  the  Methodist  Episcopal  church,  he  helped 
erect  the  church  building  at  Xorli  Center,  also 
served  many  years  as  deacon.  His  heirs  still 
own  the  old  homestead. 

Dr.  and  Mrs.  Fraulj  have  had  five  children, 
namely :  One  child,  who  died  in  infancy ;  Addle 
Jane  and  Candis  A.,  who  are  deceased :  Dr. 
Christian  F.  F.,  whose  office  is  located  on 
Twenty-si.xth  street,  Chicago ;  and  Ellen  Louisa. 
Dr.  Frank  is  one  of  the  oldest  physicians  of  the 
county  and  has  won  a  high  standing  in  his  pro- 
fession and  the  esteem  and  confidence  of  his 
community.  He  has  never  held  public  office  other 
than  that  of  school  director  for  a  time,  at  Ad- 
dison, but  is  one  of  the  best  Ijnowu  men  in  the 
county  and  he  and  his  wife  have  a  wide  circle 
of  friends. 

FRANZEN,  August  H.,  a  son  of  Bernhardt 
Franzen,  was  born  on  his  father's  farm  in  Addi- 
son township,  January  2,  ISo.j.  It  was  on  this 
homestead  that  he  lived  for  many  years,  or.  until 
he  bought  a  farm  of  his  own,  consisting  of  170 
acres  in  Sections  22  and  23,  where  he  made  his 
home  until  his  death,  Decemlier  19,  lOO). 

Some  time  after  reaching  man's  estate,  Mr. 
Franzen  married  Miss  Lizetta  Wiemerslage, 
wlio  was  born  in  Germany,  but  was  brought  to 
America  at  the  age  of  three  weeks.  Both  Mr. 
and  Mrs.  Franzen  were  members  of  the  Evan- 
gelical church.  Mrs.  Franzen  died  on  Decemlier 
20.  1907.  To  them  were  born  nine  children,  as 
follows:  Martha  (Mrs.  Albert  Shultz).  born 
February  10,  1SS2,  now  lives  on  the  home  place, 
the  mother  of  three  children — Elmer,  born  June 
22,  1901;  Herbert,  born  November  24,  190.3; 
Raymond,  born  March  5,  1909;  Walter,  de- 
ceased ;  Otto,  In  Chicago ;  Edna ;  Ida  and 
Amanda,  both  deceased ;  Arvin  and  Laura,  both 
students;    Amil.  at  liome. 

FRANZEN,  Frederick  WiUiam,  a  son  of  John 
H.  and  Anna  (Deeters)  Franzen,  was  born 
March  18,  18G1,  in  Addison  township,  in  the 
house  in  which  he  now  lives.  He  started  early 
to  gain  a  practical  eduaetion  along  agricultural 
lines,  and  divided  his  earlier  years  between  farm 
work  and  his  schooling,  which  he  obtained  in  the 
local  German  and  public  schools.  Later  he  at- 
tended  the   Business  College   at   Wheaton,   and 


there  learned  much  that  has  been  of  practical 
value  to  him  in  his  later  work.  After  farming 
for  some  time  he  decided  to  add  the  vocation  of 
an  auctioneer.  At  this  employment  he  has  con- 
tinued for  twenty  years,  up  to  the  present  time. 
In  addition  to  this  work,  he  operates  the  home 
farm  of  160  acres,  on  which  the  house  and  barn 
still  used  were  built  by  his  father.  The  old  niUl 
ju.st  north  of  the  house  was  also  built  by  him, 
and  was  the  first  of  its  kind  built  in  the  state  of 
Illinois. 

Frederick  W.  Franzen  was  married,  Nov- 
ember 11,  1881,  to  Miss  Lettie  Kalze,  a  daughter 
of  Henry  and  Maria  (Bristow)  Kalze,  who  was 
born  in  Cook  county,  August  12,  1865.  To  Mr. 
and  Mrs.  Franzen  have  been  born  the  following 
children :  Edwin  A.,  born  August  9.  1887,  in 
business ;  William  F.,  born  September  18,  1893, 
at  home;  Herbert  G.,  born  March  7,  1899,  at 
home;  Harold  L.,  born  .March  18,  1901;  Rozena, 
born  August  11,  1884,  died  October  18,  1901. 

Mr.  Franzen  has  twice  held  the  office  of 
township  collector,  once  in  1885  and  again  in 
1910.  He  has  been  a  trustee  of  Bensonville 
for  a  number  of  years,  president  for  thirteen 
years,  and  is  now  holding  the  latter  ofiice.  He 
and  bis  wife  are  membei-s  of  the  Evangelical 
church. 

FRANZEN,  Gustav  Henry.  Every  community 
has  certain  men  whose  business  careers  are  re- 
markaljle  for  the  progress  which  they  show. 
In  the  case  of  Gustav  Henry  Franzen.  the  mo- 
tive power  has  been  intelligently  directed  by 
common  sense  and  constant  industry,  combined 
nitli  frugal  habits  and  a  comprehension  of  good 
investment  for  savings,  and  Mr.  Franzen  has  be- 
come one  of  the  substantial  men  of  Elmhurst  by 
steady  upward  growth,  and  has  honorably 
earned  his  present  prominence  in  its  business 
circles.  Mr.  Franzen  was  born  in  Bensonville, 
November  29,  1877,  being  a  son  of  John  Henry 
and  Caroline  (Me.ver)  Franzen.  The  father  died 
in  1879,  but  the  widow  survives,  making  her 
home  in   Elmhurst. 

Mr.  Franzen  attended  the  public  schools  of 
Elmhurst,  and  later  a  business  college  in  Chi- 
cago, entering  upon  clerical  work  in  the  law 
office  of  the  Illinois  National  Bank  of  Chicago, 
soon  after  finishing  his  course.  For  two  years 
he  remained  with  this  institution,  giving  entire 
satisfaction,  and  gaining  an  experience  that  was 
to  be  of  value  to  him  later  in  life.     Following 


HISTORY  OF  DU  PAGE  COUNTY. 


873 


this  he  was  clerk  in  the  Bloomington,  Illinois 
State  Bank  for  two  years,  but  in  1002,  he  de- 
cided to  go  into  business  for  himself,  and  com- 
ing to  Elmhurst,  entered  into  partnership  with 
.\i:ix  i-Iammersclunldt,  under  the  firm  caption  of 
Hammerschmidt  &  Frauzen,  for  the  purpose  of 
conducting  a  lumber,  coal  and  feed  establish- 
ment. This  business  so  prospered  under  the 
aggressive  methods  of  the  firm,  that  in  1909,  it 
was  incorporated  as  The  Hammerschmidt  & 
Franzen  Co.,  with  Mr.  Franzen  as  vice  presi- 
dent. It  controls  a  large  volume  of  trade,  and  is 
recognized  as  one  of  the  sound  business  houses 
of  the  county.  In  addition  to  the  interests  cen- 
tered in  this  firm,  Mr.  Franzen  is  a  director  of 
the   First   National   Bank   of   Elmhurst. 

( iii  .\pril  27,  1904,  Mr.  Franzen  was  married 
to  Freda  Tinke,  of  York  Township,  a  daugh- 
ter of  Fred  and  Louisa  Tinke.  farming  people. 
Mr.  and  lies.  Franzen  have  become  the  par- 
ents of  a  daughter,  Margaret,  born  in  February, 
1005.  Mr.  Franzen  is  a  Master  Mason  and  a 
Modern  Woodman  of  America.  Both  he  and  his 
wife  belong  to  the  German  Evangelical  Church. 
Tb.ey  are  prominent  socially,  having  gathered 
about  them  a  circle  of  friends  with  whom  they 
are  congenial. 

FRANZEN,  Herman  J.,  who  owns  one  of  the 
most  fertile  farms  and  comfortable  residences  in 
Addison  township,  is  a  native  of  the  township, 
born  here  April  9,  1869,  son  of  Fred  and  Sophia 
(Topp)  Franzen.  the  former  of  whom  is  a  na- 
tive of  Du  Page  county,  111.,  and  the  latter  of 
Germany.  Herman  J.  Franzen  was  educated  in 
the  German  and  public  schools  of  his  locality, 
has  always  followed  farming  as  an  occupation. 
In  1906,  he  purchased  his  present  home,  having 
151  and  a  fraction  acres  of  land,  and  has  added 
to  the  house,  erecting  other  suitable  buildings 
for  carrying  on  his  work,  being  an  enterprising, 
up-to-date  farmer,  who  has  been  very  successful 
in  his  operations. 

On  April  9.  1890,  Mr.  Franzen  married  Louisa, 
daughter  of  Louis  and  Sophia  (Wischstadt) 
Pieper,  the  father  a  native  of  Germany  and  the 
mother  of  Du  Page  county.  111.,  Mrs.  Franzen 
was  born  in  Du  Page  county  April  9,  1875. 

Three  children  have  been  born  to  Mr.  and 
Mrs.  Franzen  :  Esther,  who  was  born  February 
16,  1897 :  Edgar,  who  was  born  September  14, 
1903,  and  Stanley,  who  was  born  July  11,  1909. 

Mr.  Frazen  stands  well  in  the  estimation  of 
IT 


his  neighbors  and  associates,  being  a  man  of 
stability  and  influence,  interested  in  the  wel- 
fare and  progress  of  the  township  and  county. 
The  Evangelical  church  holds  his  membership, 
and  benefits  by  his  support. 

FRANZEN,  John,  deceased,  a  son  of  John  and 
Adelaide  (Mueletiue)  was  born  July  9,  1S2S,  in 
GeiTuany.  He  came  to  America  with  his  parents 
at  the  age  of  nine  years  and  located  in  Addison 
township,  where  the  father  took  up  160  acres  of 
land,  of  which  he  later  sold  his  brother  one  half. 
In  1864  John,  Jr.,  bought  one  hundred  and  eight- 
een and  one-half  acres  and  built  all  the  build- 
ings, except  one  barn,  which  now  appear  on  the 
south  side  of  the  road.  He  always  followed 
farming  as  an  occupation. 

He  was  married.  May  24,  1856,  to  Miss  Louisa 
Moeckle,  a  daughter  of  Henrj-  and  Susanna 
(Mane)  Moeckle,  who  was  born  in  Switzerland, 
March  23,  1834,  and  came  to  America  by  herself, 
to  join  her  uncle,  the  Rev.  Jloeckle.  Mr.  and 
Mrs.  Franzen  had  no  children.  She  now  lives 
on  the  home  farm. 

On  April  20,  1896  Mrs.  Franzen  was  married, 
a  second  time,  to  Fred  Lenebbeke,  a  son  of  Wil- 
liam and  Charlotta  (Ploeger)  Lenebbeke,  who 
was  born  in  Germany,  Nov.  28,  1832,  and  came 
to  America  when  27  years  old  and  located  in 
Chicago,  where  he  worked  for  some  time  for  a 
wholesale  liquor  house.  Later  he  went  into  the 
dry  goods  business  for  himself  for  a  few  years, 
but  upon  his  marriage,  relinquished  this  and 
devoted  his  attention  to  the  care  of  the  farm. 

FRANZEN,  William  G.,  a  sou  of  John  Franzen, 
was  born  Feb.  12,  1847.  He  received  his  early 
e<lueation  in  the  German  and  public  schools  of 
the  neighborhood,  and  then  started  in  on  his  life- 
long vocation,  that  of  a  farmer.  In  1879  he  pur- 
chased land  amounting  to  eighteen  acres,  in  Sec. 
14,  and  erected  a  large  barn.  His  operations  on 
this  farm  were  visited  with  gratifying  success. 

Mr.  Franzen  was  married,  on  Feb.  9,  1872,  to 
Miss  Charlotte  Grunemeier,  a  daughter  of 
Philip  and  Amelia  Grunemeier.  Of  this  union 
were  born  five  children,  as  follows :  Wilhel- 
mina  Matilda,  born  June  11,  1874,  died  in  April, 
1895 ;  John  Edward,  born  December  19,  1876, 
lives  in  Bensenville ;  Herman  Frank,  born  Feb- 
ruary 4,  18^.  lives  in  Itaska ;  Louisa  Lillie, 
born  April  3.  1882.  died  May  17,  1884 :  Charlotte 
Amanda,    born    March    30,    1885    (Mrs.    Annie 


874 


HISTORY  OF  DU  PAGE  COUNTY. 


Stellnian).  lives  iu  Cook  county,  111.  After  the 
death  of  Mrs.  Franzeii,  June  10,  1888,  Mr.  Fran- 
zen  married  Maria  Sijalinyer,  a  daughter  of 
Jacob  aud  Elizabeth  (Muerkli)  Spalinger,  born 
iu  S\yitzerland,  Canton  Zurich,  Feb.  25,  1865. 
From  this  marriage  were  two  children :  Harry, 
born  September  5,  1898,  a  student;  and 
Josephine,  born  July  28,   1904. 

The  Franzen  family  are  all  members  of  the 
Evangelical  church. 

FULLER,  Morell.  The  dignity  of  labor  raises 
the  laborer  to  a  level  of  importance  correspond- 
ing to  that  occupied  by  any  class  of  producers. 
To  work  honestly  and  faithfully,  giving  the  best 
of  one"s  ability  along  any  legitimate  line,  is  to 
fulfill  the  destiny  of  man  and  make  possible  a 
peaceful,  happy,  contented  old  age.  Morell  Ful- 
ler, the  venerable  octogenarian  of  Fullersburgh, 
is  a  man  whose  life  has  been  spent  in  toil,  but 
who  although  always  busy,  has  never  failed 
to  find  time  to  make  friends  who  esteem  him  at 
his  true  value.  Mr.  Fuller  was  born  November 
7,  1829,  in  Broome  County,  N.  Y.,  being  a  son  of 
Jacob  W.  and  Candace  (Southerland)  Fuller, 
natives  of  Xew  York  State.  They  had  thirteen 
children,  and  in  order  to  provide  for  them,  they 
sold  their  farm  in  New  York  State,  in  1835, 
aud  moved  to  Illinois.  Here  they  purchased  a 
farm  of  200  acres,  sixteen  miles  from  Chicago, 
near  the  present  village  of  Fullersburg.  Here 
a  log  house  was  erected,  and  it  was  the  family 
home  for  many  years.  After  a  useful  life,  the 
mother  died  January  25,  1S47,  her  husband  sur- 
viving her  until  June  5,  1807. 

The  children  during  the  earlier  years  of  the 
last  century  were  not  given  many  educational 
opportunities,  and  so  Morell  Fuller  was  forced 
to  learn  when  he  could,  but  he  was  an  apt  pupil 
and  made  good  use  of  the  time  he  was  permit- 
ted to  spend  in  school.  One  thing,  however,  he 
was  taught  both  in  school  and  at  home,  and 
that  was  patriotism,  so  that  when  he  felt  his 
country  had  need  of  him.  he  enlisted  for  three 
re:ir-.  in  1862,  In  the  One  Hundred  and  Fifth 
Illinois  Volunteer  Infantry,  being  later  ap- 
pointed drum  major.  He  participated  In  the 
following  battles :  Resacca,  Kenesaw  Mountain, 
Peach  Tree  Creek,  Atlanta  and  Sherman's  March 
to  the  Sea,  and  was  in  the  Grand  Review  at 
Washington.  Returning  home.  Mr.  Fuller  set- 
tled down  in  Fullersburg.  the  little  village 
named  after  the  family. 


On  September  7,  1805,  he  married  Ellen  Mac- 
kinder,  daughter  of  John  and  Lydia  Mackinder, 
natives  of  Lincolnshire,  England,  who  had  come 
to  Fullersburg  in  November,  1851.  Two  chil- 
dren were  born  of  this  marriage:  Harvey  E., 
who  died  in  infancy,  and  Nella  B.,  a  popular 
primary  teacher  in  the  Fullersburg  public 
school.  For  thirty  years,  Mr.  Fuller  worked  at 
his  trade  of  a  mason,  but  within  recent  years 
has  been  induced  to  retire,  and  enjoy  the  remain- 
der of  his  life  removed  from  strenuous  effort. 
His  long  association  with  this  part  of  the  coun- 
try has  enabled  him  to  see  the  mighty  growth 
and  advancement  that  is  the  pride  of  every 
loyal  Illinoian,  and  his  recollections  of  early 
days,  as  contrasted  with  today,  are  exceedingly 
entertaining. 

G.'VMON,  Benjamin  H.,  a  resident  of  Wheaton. 
111.,  since  1873,  was  born  in  Pittsylvania 
County,  Va.,  November  3,  1842,  son  of  John  and 
Elizabeth  (Vaughan)  Gamon.  Both  his  father 
and  mother  had  ancestors  who  had  participated 
in  the  Revolutionary  War,  his  family  being  from 
Alsace-Lorraine  and  hers  from  England.  John 
Gamon  was  a  farmer  by  occupation  and  about 
1S43  moved  to  Kentucky,  where  he  died  three 
years  later.  In  1S50,  Mrs.  Gamon  and  her  son 
Benjamin  came  to  Salem.  111.,  where  they  lived 
until  1808,  the  mother  meantime  becoming  the 
wife  of  W.  C.  Scott,  of  that  city.  By  her  sec- 
ond marriage,  she  had  one  daughter,  the  latter 
and  Benjamin  being  the  only  two  members  of 
the  family  who  now  survive.  Mrs.  Scott  died 
about  1855.  and  her  daughter  married  George 
W.  Woley  and  resides  at  Centralia,  111. 

Until  about  eighteen  years  of  age,  Mr.  Gamon 
attended  public  school,  then  for  about  eighteen 
months  studied  at  an  academy  at  Salem.  For 
a  number  of  years  following,  he  was  engaged  in 
teaching,  and  while  engaged  in  this  profession, 
studied  law  under  private  tutors.  He  was 
admitted  to  the  Bar  in  1872,  and  immediately 
entered  upon  the  practice  of  his  profession. 
However,  he  found  the  struggle  of  a  young  law- 
yer, with  a  family  to  support  while  gaining  a 
foothold  in  his  profession,  too  arduous  for  him, 
and  after  a  brief  experience  along  this  line,  he 
abandoned  his  plans  aud  took  up  the  trade  of 
a  carpenter  as  assuring  him  and  his  family  more 
immediate  means  of  support.  He  followed  this 
line  of  work  until  1887,  and  in  that  year  passed 


t?s 


H 
SI 


HISTORY  OF  DU  PAGE  COUNTY. 


875 


the  civil  service  examination  for  the  position  of 
mail  clerli,  which  he  has  since  held. 

October  13,  1S72,  Mr.  Gamon  married  Miss 
Jane  T.  Daniels,  of  Mason,  111.,  and  soon  after 
marriage  they  moved  to  Newton,  lived  there  one 
year,  and  since  September  26,  1S73,  they  have 
livtd  in  Wheaton.  They  became  parents  of  four 
cliildren,  namely :  Maud  A.,  Mrs.  W.  B.  Collins, 
of  Sheboygan,  Wis. ;  William  A.,  in  the  grocery 
business,  married  Sarah  H.  Thompson  and  they 
live  in  Wheaton;  John  A.  married  Minnie  B. 
Moulton,  and  they  live  in  Glen  Ellyn;  Truman 
A.,  unmarried.  Mr.  Gamon  is  an  enterprising 
and  public-spirited  citizen  and  stands  well  in  his 
community.  In  politics  he  is  a  Democrat, 
though  he  has  never  taken  any  active  part  in 
public  affairs.  He  belongs  to  the  Modem  Wood- 
men of  America  and  to  the  Mutual  Benefit  Asso- 
ciation of  Railway  Mail  Clerks. 

GARDNER,  Henry  Alansin,  (deceased).  It  is  a 
notable  fact  that  many  of  our  leading  men, 
those  who  have  exerted  the  deepest  and  most 
lasting    influence    upon    the    political    and    pro- 


He  belonged  to  the  University  Club,  of  Chicago, 
the  Hinsdale  Club  and  Hinsdale  Golf  Club. 
Politically  he  was  an  independent  but  liberal  in 
his  views,  recognizing  the  fact  that  all  parties 
contain    some   good   elements. 

He  was  married  at  Stamford,  Conn.,  June  20, 
1878,  to  Deborah  Chandler  Fessenden,  and  five 
cliiltlreu  were  born  to  them  :  Mary  Abbe,  Sarah 
M<n-gan,  Henry  Alansin,  Grace  Fessenden  and 
Robert  Abbe,  all  of  whom,  with  his  widow,  sur- 
vive. 

Mr.  Gardner's  life  career  was  ended  by  his 
passing  away  at  his  home  in  Hinsdale,  February 
.'i.  llUl,  at  the  age  of  sixty-five  years,  and  an- 
other busy  and  useful  citizen  has  been  called 
to  liis  eternal  rest.  An  able  jurist,  a  capable 
lousiness  man,  a  devoted  husband  and  father, 
the  beautiful  and  attractive  residence  suburb 
of  Hinsdale  could  ill  afford  to  lose  one  who  had 
exercised  so  important  an  influence  for  the  good 
of  the  community  which  will  long  continue  to 
revere  his  memory. 

GARY,     Charles     Wesley,     deceased.    Without 


gressive  life  of  the  eountrj-,  liave  at  sonM-tJme-  -ttpvg*jt-of  personal  profit,  devoted  to  the  good 
been  connected  with  the  legal  profe^iSiV.  'Tl'Sf^  "pf'Jjjg^  community,  struggling  against  circum- 
is  something  in  the  thorough  mentalitrcTiiSi^'WB.  "^a^'ees,,  the  late  Charles  Wesley  Gary,  firmly 
that  calling  that  develops  a  man's  t^st  faculties  establisied  himself  in  the  hearts  of  the  people 
and  makes  him  able  to  cope  with  tl^  most  diffi-  of  West-iChicago,  and  with  stout-hearted  loyalty 
cult  circumstances  and  important  igsu«ei- -fie*.  T?B^,^am)mplished  much  in  his  too  short  span 
of  the  men  who  was  especially  iustt'uifl^tfta^'^i'''^  of  life,  "tile  was  born  in  Winfield  township.  Du 
developing  Hinsdale  to  its  present  enviable-coUi.— prfg^r-p-Qunty.  May  5,  1844,  being  a  son  of 
ditions  was  the  late  Henry  Ahmsin  Gardner,  at-  Charles  and  Matilda  (Morse)  Gary,  natives  of 
torney-at-law,  who  for  years  maintained  an 
office  at  No.  1000  American  Trust  Building,  Chi- 
cago, and  resided  at  Hinsdale. 

Mr.  Gardner  was  born  at  Lisbon.  Kendall 
County,  111.,  September  7,  1S4.'5,  a  son  of  Henry 
Alansin  and  Sarah  Price  (Morgan)  Gardner. 
He  was  educated  in  the  common  schools  of 
Dwight.  111.,  and  the  University  of  Chicago, 
from  which  he  was  graduated  in  1S6S,  with  the 
degree  of  A.  B.,  later  being  graduated  from  Har- 
vard Law  School  in  the  class  of  1870.  After  en- 
tering upon  the  practice  of  his  profession,  Mr. 
Gardner  was  interested  in  a  number  of  impor- 
tant business  enterprises.  He  was  for  a  time 
President  of  the  Morgan-Gardner  Electric  Com- 
pany of  Chicago,  and  at  the  time  of  his  death 
was  President  of  the  Hinsdale  Trust  and  Savings 
Bank.  He  was  one  of  the  organizers  of  the 
latter  institution,  chartered  April,  1910,  with  a 
capital  stock  of  $50,000  and  surplus  of  $16,000. 


Putnam,  Conn.,  and  Soutbbridge,  Mass.  They 
became  pioneers  of  Du  Page  county,  in  1837, 
settling  at  what  became  Gary's  Mills,  pay- 
ing $1.25  per  acre  for  the  land.  Recognizing 
the  necessity  for  a  sawmill,  Jlr.  Gary  erected 
one  in  the  timber,  and  operated  it  for  many 
years.  He  was  a  local  preacher  of  the 
Methodi.st  church,  and  leader  of  the  first  class 
which  was  formed  in  his  house.  After  the  or- 
ganization of  the  Republican  party,  he  espoused 
its  principles,  and  held  all  of  the  local  offices. 
His  death  occurred  August  31,  1871.  Only  one 
of  his  family  survives. 

Charles  W.  Gary  attended  the  district  schools 
and  worked  in  the  mill  and  on  the  farm,  finding 
plenty  to  do.  He  assisted  his  parents  until  his 
first  marriage,  and  then  assumed  management 
of  the  farm.  Mr.  Gary  continued  to  reside  In 
Winfield  township  until  February,  1898,  when 
he  retired  to  West  Chicago,  buying  a  beautiful 


876 


HISTORY  OF  DU  PAGE  COUNTY. 


home  in  it.  aud  there  he  died,  Jami;u'.v  2S,  1905, 
after  a  long  and  useful  life,  which  was  too 
short  for  his  many  good  deeds.  The  first  mar- 
riage of  Mr.  Gary  occurred  December  25,  18i;.3, 
when  he  was  united  with  Maria  Pierce,  born  in 
McLean  county.  III.  They  had  three  children: 
Charles  E.,  who  is  of  Aurora.  111. ;  Nettie,  Mrs. 
Frank  Hanscom,  who  is  of  Shenandoah,  la.,  and 
Ella,  who  died  July  i::.  ISiiT.  aged  twenty-three 
years. 

After  the  death  of  his  first  wife,  Mr.  Gary 
was  married  to  Mary  Baker,  born  in 'Illinois. 
The  one  daughter  born  of  this  marriage,  Lula, 
died  when  sixteen  years  old.  The  second  Mrs. 
Gary  died  March  31,  1894.  On  July  30,  1895, 
Mr.  Gary  married  Mrs.  Sarah  (Warne)  Mc- 
Farran,  born  in  Winfield  township,  a  daughter 
of  Daniel  S.  and  Hannah  (Bartholemew) 
Warne.  natives  of  New  Jersey  and  New  York, 
respectively.  They  had  been  brought  by  their 
parents  to  Winfield  township,  in  childhood,  and 
grew  up  here.  Mrs.  Gary  was  the  widow  of 
Warren  Edwin  McFarreu.  at  the  time  of  her 
second  marriage.  He  was  born  in  ^^^litehall, 
N.  T.,  and  died  December  10,  1893.  Mrs.  Gary 
had  three  children  by  her  first  marriage: 
Walter  Leslie,  who  is  of  Aurora.  111. ;  Lafayette, 
who  died  at  the  age  of  thirty-one  years,  and 
Daniel  Edwin,  who  is  of  Foley,  111. 

Mr.  Gar.v,  like  his  father,  identified  himself 
with  the  work  of  the  Methodist  church,  holding 
offices  in  it  and  in  the  Sunday  school.  He  was  a 
Repulilican  in  political  faith,  and  served  as 
township  supervisor.  Fraternally  he  w^as  con- 
nected with  the  Masonic  lodge  of  West  Chicago. 
A  man  like  Jlr.  Gary  does  not  live  in  vain,  for 
the  good  he  accomplished  lives  on,  and  his  ex- 
ample still  animates  and  encourages  others  to 
follow  in  his  footsteps. 

GARY,  William  Everett.  The  Gary  family  is 
intimately  associated  with  the  growth  and 
development  of  W'heaton  as  well  as  of  all  of  Du 
Page  county.  Its  individual  members  are  men 
of  high  standing  whose  positions  reflect  credit 
on  the  name  already  made  so  important.  One 
of  the  men  who  is  recognized  as  a  good  expon- 
ent of  all  that  is  best  in  WTieaton,  is  William 
Everett  Gary,  whose  life  has  been  spent  in  this 
county,  and  whose  efforts  are  now  directed  as 
cashier  of  the  Gary-Wheaton  Bank,  toward  the 
maintainence  of  the  prestige  of  this  institution, 


with  wliicb  his  father  was  also  connected  for  a 
number  of  years. 

Mr.  Gary  was  born  at  Gary's  Mills,  town  of 
Winfield,  Du  Page  county,  111.,  August  15,  1868, 
being  a  son  of  William  Lewis  and  Elizabeth 
(White)  Gary.  William  L.  Gary  was  cashier 
of  the  Gary-Wheaton  Bank  until  his  death  in 
1905,  having  held  that  office  from  the  organiza- 
tion of  that  institution.  He  also  served  as 
president  of  the  vilage  board  of  Wheaton,  when 
it  was  re-org.inized  into  a  city,  and  was  treas- 
urer of  it  for  years.  Just  as  faithful  in  the 
performance  of  his  religious  duties,  Mr.  Gary 
acted  as  steward  of  the  Methodist  church  for 
years,  and  In  him  Wheaton  lost  one  of  its  most 
eminent  citizens,  when  death  claim^  him. 

William  Everett  Gary  was  educated  in  the 
Wheaton  public  schools,  and  entered  the  Gary- 
Wheaton  bank  as  a  clerk  under  the  supervision 
of  his  father,  becoming  so  well  versed  in  the 
bank  routine  that  he  was  made  assistant  cashier 
in  1897,  and  succeeded  the  elder  Mr.  Gary  as 
cashier  when  he  died.  Like  his  father,  Mr. 
Gary  has  been  prominent  in  Wheaton  civic  af- 
fairs, serving  as  city  treasurer  several  years. 
He  is  a  trustee  of  the  Wheaton  Cemetery  Asso- 
ciation, and  interested  in  other  business  enter- 
prises. The  Methodist  church  has  long  held  his 
membership,  he  now  being  one  of  its  trustees. 

In  October,  1901,  Mr.  Gary  was  united  in 
marriage  with  Miss  Jennie  Kudd  of  WTieaton, 
a  daughter  of  William  C.  and  Eliza  (Orcutt) 
Rudd.  Mr.  Rudd  vi-as  a  contracting  mason,  but 
for  some  years  has  been  connected  with  the 
United  States  mail  service.  One  child  has  been 
born  to  Mr.  and  Mrs.  Gary.  Robert  Eugene,  a 
bright  student.  In  every  demand  made  upon 
him,  Mr.  Gaiy  has  proven  his  ability  to  handle 
whatever  work  is  given  him,  and  has  rapidly 
forged  to  the  front  among  those  who  are  respon- 
sible for  the  financial  security  of  Wheaton. 

GEILS,  Henry,  a  native  of  Hanover,  Antovio, 
Germany,  was  liorn  Sept.  4,  1S.".5,  and  died  June 
9,  1907.  He  married  Miss  Elizabeth  Schruder, 
of  Hanover.  Gardan,  Germany,  came  to  Amer- 
ica in  1855,  and  located  on  a  farm  in  York 
township,  where  he  was  interested  in  raising 
potatoes.  To  Mr.  and  Mrs.  Geils  were  born 
the  following  children:  Mary  (Mrs.  Louis 
Plass)  ;  John,  born  Jan.  19.  1867,  lives  in 
Bloomingdale;  Fred,  born  Sept.  28,  1869; 
Augusta,  born  1871,  died  1872 ;   Matilda,  born  in 


HISTORY  OF  DU  PAGE  COUNTY. 


877 


1873,  died.  1876;  Emma,  boru  Jan.  3,  1877  (Mrs. 
Louis  Haliiie),  lives  in  Lombard;  Ella,  (Mrs. 
Fred  Ilienke),  lives  in  York  Center.  The  fam- 
ily are  members  of  the  Lutheran  church.  Fred 
was  reared  on  the  farm,  and  educated  in  the 
German  and  public  schools  of  the  neighlwrhood. 
He  decided,  however,  not  to  make  farming  his 
life  work  and  embarked  in  the  Hour  and  feed 
business,  but  later  sold  out.  and  returned  to 
his  home.  For  years  he  has  been  a  trustee  of 
the  Lombard  church.  He  was  married  on  Nov. 
9,  1894,  to  Miss  Emma  Fiene,  a  daughter  of 
Louis  and  Sophia  (Thiese)  Fiene.  who  -nas 
born  in  Addison  township,  January  18.  1S71. 
They  have  six  children,  namely :  Freda,  at 
home;  Frederick,  born  Aug.  18.  1895,  at  home; 
Lydia,  born  Dee.  21.  1897;  Elma,  born 
March  11,  1902,  a  student  in  the  public  schools ; 
Helma,  born  March  8,  1905,  died  March  19,  1905  ; 
Evelyn,  born  Jan.  20,  1908.  Mr.  Geils  worked 
for  Fred  Krage  on  his  farm  for  some  little  time 
then  rented  the  place  where  the  Orphan  Asylum 
now  is,  and  later  bought  the  farm  now  occu- 
pied by  the  subject  of  this  sketch.  Here  he  lived 
until  he  retired,  and  went  to  Lombard,  where 
he  died  some  four  years  later. 

GEILS,  Henry  H.,  a  son  of  Henry  and  Mary 
(Bothke)  Geils,  was  born  on  a  farm  near  Des 
Plaines,  Feb.  9.  1871.  He  received  his  early  edu- 
cation in  the  neighboring  public  schools,  and 
then  went  earnestly  to  work  on  the  home  farm, 
where  he  remained  until  he  was  nineteen  years 
of  age.  He  then  went  to  Wisconsin  and  found 
work  in  a  flour  mill,  where  he  staid  for  over 
two  years,  until  he  was  attacked  by  illness  that 
necessitated  his  return  home  and  enforced  a 
year's  rest.  Upon  his  recovery,  he  secured  em- 
ployment in  a  piano  factory,  but  soon  went 
south  to  take  charge  of  a  cheese  and  butter 
factory  in  Iroquois  county.  He  found  this 
work  much  to  his  liking,  and  after  gaining  an 
experience  of  two  years,  he  came  north  again 
to  Itaska.  where  he  bought  a  cheese  and  butter 
factory  from  Herman  Wilk,  and  has  since  con- 
ducted it  himself.  The  factory  has  a  capacity 
of  2.000  pounds  daily.  In  1905  he.  with  others, 
organized  a  corporation  under  the  firm  name  of 
'•The  Homer  Squab  Farm  Co.",  capitalized  at 
?2.500.  When  this  firm  had  been  in  operation 
some  two  years,  Mr.  Geils  bought  out  the  other 
stockholders  and  has  since  conducted  the  busi- 
ness alone.     He  always  has  about  1,.300  squabs 


on  hand  and  ships  from  fifty  in  winter  to  six 
hundred  in  summer  to  the  Chicago  markets  each 
week. 

In  the  spring  of  1910.  he  started  the  construc- 
tion of  an  extensive  greenhouse,  and  now  has  a 
very  commodious  place.  What  time  he  has  to 
spare  he  devotes  to  civic  interests,  having  held 
the  offlee  of  trustee  for  about  eight  years  and 
that  of  constable  for  four. 

Mr.  Geils  was  married  on  the  2nd  of  May, 
1897,  to  Miss  Emma  Hen j  is,  a  daughter  of 
Christ  and  Hanna  (Busse)  Henjis,  who  was 
born  in  Elk  Grove.  Cook  county.  May  17,  1871. 
To  them  have  been  born  four  children,  namely : 
Martha,  boru  May  10,  1898;  Elmer;  Margaret, 
born  Aug.  14,  1905;  and  Alfred,  bom  May  15, 
1909. 

GIESE,  William.  Were  it  not  for  Germany,  the 
I'nited  States  would  have  lacked  some  of  its 
most  industrious,  thrifty  and  successful  citi- 
zen.s.  Coming  from  their  own  land  to  this  where 
they  have  been  given  better  opportunity,  the  Ger- 
mans have  developed  materially,  and  made  them- 
selves felt  in  the  government  and  also  in  com- 
mercial and  industrial  life.  One  of  the  men 
who  is  universally  respected  in  Du  Page  County, 
is  William  Giese  of  Winfleld  Township,  boru 
in  Prussia,  Germany,  April  3,  1858,  a  son  of 
Charles   and  Augusta    (Shoht)    Giese. 

In  1882,  William  Giese  came  to  the  United 
States,  locating  in  West  Chicago  where  he  found 
employment  on  tlie  Northwestern  Railroad  as  a 
section  hand.  After  eleven  months  of  this  kind 
of  work,  he  was  transferred  to  the  coal  shutes 
of  the  road,  remaining  at  this  for  four  years. 
He  then  rented  a  farm  in  Geneseo  Township, 
Kane  County,  and  three  years  later  rented  an- 
other farm  in  the  vicinity  of  West  Chicago. 
After  fourteen  years  spent  on  it.  in  1900,  he 
bought  180  acres  in  Winfleld  Township,  on  Sec- 
tions 17  and  20.  renting  it  until  March,  1904, 
when  he  moved  on  it.  He  had  oeen  making 
improvements,  erecting  a  corn  crib  in  1903,  and 
a  cow  barn  in  19<14,  and  in  1909  erected  an 
up-to-date  granary  and  lately  one  of  the  finest 
residences  in  Du  Page  County.  At  present  he 
is  conducting  a  dairy  of  thirty  cows,  shipping 
his  product,  and  raising  all  his  own  cows,  is 
sure  of  their  health.  In  1.883,  Mr.  Giese  sent 
for  his  parents  and  his  two  brothers,  who  joined 
him.     The   parents  lived   with    him   for   several 


878 


HISTOKY  OF  DU  PAGE  COUNTY. 


years,  tlieu  rented  a  fariii.     Both  died  iu  June, 
1890,  within  a  weeli  of  eaeli  other. 

On  February  13,  1881,  Mr.  Giese  wa.s  married 
by  the  Kev.  Griebler  iu  his  native  land  to  Wil- 
heluiiua  Hett,  born  iu  rrussia,  October  15,  ISo'J, 
daughter  of  Carl  and  Henrietta  Fredericlia 
(Holland)  Hett.  The  mother  died  in  Germany, 
iu  18€3,  while  he  died  in  1902,  also  iu  his  na- 
tive laud.  Mr.  aud  Mrs.  Giese  have  had  chil- 
dren as  follows :  oue  died  iu  infancy ;  Williaiu 
G..  born  March  2S.  1S83;  Henry  Charles,  born 
December  30,  18S4  and  I'aul  Ernest,  bom  May 
l.j.  ISSfi.  The  family  attend  the  German  Con- 
gregational Church.  In  politics,  Mr.  Giese  is  a 
Republican,  but  his  ideas  have  never  been  di- 
rected towards  a  public  life.  He  is  a  modest, 
unassuming  man,  who  has  acquired  an  excellent 
knowledge  of  the  English  language  since  coming 
liere.  He  is  well  educated  in  German,  as  are  so 
many  of  his  countiTuian.  An  excellent  farmer, 
Mr.  Giese  has  benefitted  by  the  various  im- 
provements in  farming  methods,  and  is  always 
ready  to  look  into  those  which  promise  to  be  of 
use  to  him  In  his  work.  He  landed  in  America 
with  three  cents  in  his  i)oeket  and  had  many 
hardships. 

GIVLER,  Rollo  N.  Public  opinion  has  long  been 
shaped  in  Naperville  by  Rollo  Givler,  publisher 
of  the  Naperville  Clarion,  the  organ  of  that  part 
of  Du  Page  Count.v.  Rollo  N.  Givler  is  a  prac- 
tical newspaper  man,  residing  at  No.  135  Brain- 
ard  street,  Naperville,  and  was  born  in  this 
city,  July  23,  1S7S.  He  is  a  son  of  David  B.  and 
Abbie  Anne  (Matter)  Givler.  Mr.  D.  B.  Giv- 
ler is  a  i"etired  newspaper  editor  and  pub- 
lisher from  Ohio,  and  his  wife  came  from 
Pennsylvania  in  an  early  day.  They  settled  in 
Wheatland,  near  Napen'ille.  During  the  Civil 
War,  David  B.  Givler  enlisted  in  Comixiny  C, 
Seventh  Illinois  Volunteer  Infantry,  with  rank 
as  musician,  and  later  he  enlisted  as  a  veteran. 

Rollo  N.  Givler  was  educated  in  the  Ellsworth 
School  of  Naperville,  and  the  Northwestern  Col- 
lege of  this  city,  following  which  he  worked  for 
his  father  iu  the  Clarion  ofiice,  learning  the 
business  from  the  Iwttom  up.  Mr.  Givler  has 
had  considerable  experience  in  the  newspaper 
line,  for  he  published  the  Wheaton  Illinoian  at 
Wheaton,  for  N.  E.  Matter,  in  1904,  but  on 
January  1,  1905,  he  bought  the  Clarion  from  his 
father.     Mr.  Givler  has  been  Police  Magistrate 


of  Naperville.  being  elected  to  that  otfice  on 
the  Republican  ticket  in  1903.  A  staunch  Re- 
publican, he  is  uow  Central  Committeeman  from 
the  First   Precinct  of  Lisle  Township. 

On  June  27,  1907,  Mr.  Givler  was  married  at 
Sycamore,  111.,  to  Alma  Budd  Hamiltou,  daugh- 
ter of  Mr.  and  Mrs.  James  Hamiltou.  Mr.  and 
Mrs.  Givler  have  one  son,  Donald  Newton,  born 
May  25,  1910.  In  religious  faith,  Mr.  Givler 
belongs  to  Grace  United  Evangelical  Church. 
Fraternally  he  belongs  to  the  Modern  Woodmen 
of  America,  having  joined  that  lodge  in  1904. 
He  is  oue  of  the  consistent,  public-spirited  young 
men  of  Naperville,  aud  backed  as  he  is  with 
his  newspaper,  wields  a  powerful  influence  for 
good  in  his  community.  As  the  political  or- 
gan of  his  party,  the  Clarion  occupies  a  strong 
place  here,  while  as  a  social  recorder  of  the 
events  of  each  week,  it  is  eagerly  welcomed 
into  each  household. 

GIVLER,  Walter  M.  That  the  financial  inter- 
ests of  Du  Page  County  are  on  a  sound  basis 
is  due  to  the  fact  that  they  have  been  governed 
by  men  of  reliability  and  experience,  who  in- 
stilled into  the  people  a  feeling  of  security  and 
confidence  such  as  to  prevent  any  outbreak  in 
the  nature  of  a  financial  panic.  The  First  Na- 
tional Bank  of  Naperrille  is  an  institution  that 
during  its  twenty  years  of  existence  has  grown 
so  rapidly  that  this  fact  alone  would  be  suffi- 
cient evidence  of  the  confidence  in  which  it  is 
held  and  its  affairs  are  looked  after  by  finan- 
ciers whose  names  are  known  in  banking  circles 
throughout  the  county.  Walter  M.  Givler,  who 
holds  the  responsible  position  of  cashier  of  the 
First  National  Bank,  was  born  May  17,  1866,  in 
Naperville  Township,  Du  Page  County,  111.,  a 
son  of  David  B.  and  Abbie  Ann  (Matter)  Giv- 
ler. 

Walter  M.  Givler  was  educated  in  the  public 
schools  of  Lisle  Township,  and  as  a  youth  en- 
gaged in  newspaper  work  with  his  father,  who 
was  a  .lournalist,  on  the  Naperville  Clarion.  He 
followed  newspaper  work  until  1891,  when  he 
decided  to  enter  the  banking  field,  and  became 
clerk  ill  the  First  National  Bank,  then  just 
organized.  His  ability  was  soon  recognized  and 
he  was  promoted  to  the  position  of  assistant 
cashier.  In  1001.  he  became  cashier  of  the 
Monroe  County  Bank  of  Sparta,  Wis.,  and  in 
that    same   town,   in   1907,   he   was   one   of   the 


T'-IK  NtW   •'"'RK 

y  -BUCUBKARY 


HISTORY  OF  DU  PAGE  COUNTY. 


879 


organizers  aud  became  casUler  aud  director  of 
Citizens'  State  Bauli.  Subsequently,  in  Janu- 
ary. 1910,  at  tbe  earnest  solicitation  of  Francis 
Granger  and  other  prominent  men  of  Naperville, 
he  returned  to  this  city  to  accept  the  position 
which  he  now  so  ably  fills.  The  First  National 
Bank  of  Naperville  was  organized  in  1S91,  be- 
ginning business  on  April  17,  of  that  year  with 
a  capital  of  $.^0,000,  aud  the  following  officers  : 
president,  T.  P.  Phillips ;  vice-president.  Martin 
Brown;  and  cashier.  A.  McS.  S.  Riddler.  In 
July.  1907.  the  capital  was  increased  to  $7ri,000 
and  in  1910,  the  suiiMus  was  $20,000.  During 
the  first  year  of  its  existence  the  deposits  were 
$SO,000,  and  in  191  n,  the  deposits  averaged  over 
$500,000.  The  present  officials  are:  Francis 
Granger,  president;  vice-president.  Ezra  E.  Mil- 
ler, and  cashier,  Walter  M.  Givler.  The  bank 
building,  which  is  of  Naperville  limestone,  is 
2Jxr5  feet  in  dimensions  and  has  two  stories, 
the  second  floor  being  used  for  lodge  purposes. 
Walter  M.  Givler  was  maiTied  August  15,  1895, 
to  Ilattie  B.  Byers.  the  daughter  of  the  Rev. 
D.  B.  Byers.  of  the  United  Evangelical  Church, 
and  they  have  had  four  children:  Dorothy  B., 
Walter  M..  Jr..  r>avid  B.  and  Beatrice  E.  Mr. 
Givler  is  a  Royal  Arch  Mason,  aud  belongs  iiJga - 
to  the  Modern  Woodmen  of  America. .  .to  the 
Knights  of  Pythias,  and  the  Local  Banl{5re'- 
Association.  In  his  political  belief,  he  adheres 
to  the  principles  of  the  Republican  paj-ty. 


y 


GLOS,  Adam  M.  Public  official,  able  Imsmesr 
man,  excellent  farmer.  Adam  M.  Glos  holds  a 
position  that  many  envy  and  stands  among  the 
dignified  representatives  of  the  best  interests  of 
Du  Page  County,  and  especially  those  centering 
about  Wayne,  where  for  fourteen  years  he  has 
been  Postmaster.  He  was  bom  in  Boston,  Mass., 
May  15.  1836,  being  a  son  of  John  and  Gabriel 
(Mannart)  Glos.  the  former  born  in  Bavaria, 
Prussia,  Germany,  and  she  born  at  Frankfort- 
on-the-Main.  They  came  to  Boston,  when  chil- 
dren, and  there  they  married.  He  was  a  cabinet- 
maker by  trade.  In  the  fall  of  1836,  John  Glos 
brought  his  family  to  Chicago,  but  a  few  weeks 
later  decided  to  locate  on  the  land  he  had  se- 
cured. Hiring  teams  they  drove  to  it.  and  to 
their  amazement  and  disappointment,  they  found 
it  all  under  water  clear  to  the  Des  Plaines 
river.  They  located  on  Cottage  Hill,  now^  Elm- 
hurst,  and  on  the  1,000  acres  he  had  bought  the 


water  drained  in  every  direction  into  tbe  river 
and   Salt  Creek. 

Somewhat  discouraged  at  tbe  state  of  the  land, 
Mr.  Glos  went  to  St.  Charles,  111.,  where  he  be- 
came associated  with  Stephen  A.  Douglas.  He 
worked  at  his  trade  until  he  secured  enough 
money  to  buy  land  in  Wayne  Township,  and 
farmed  it  until  1856,  when  he  was  elected  Circuit 
Clerk  of  Du  Page  County,  moving  to  Naperville. 
When  the  county  seat  was  changed  to  Wheaton, 
he  moved  to  the  latter  place,  continuing  in  office 
sixteen  years.  At  the  expiration  of  that  period, 
he  moved  to  his  farm,  and  later  still  to  St. 
Charles,  where  he  died  in  1888,  his  widow  fol- 
lowing him,  in  1889. 

Adam   M.  Glos.  the  eldest  of  seven  children, 
lived    with    his    parents    until    1854,    when    he 
joir.cd  the  St.  Charles  Cavalry,  a  State  company. 
On  Augu.st  15,  1S61,  he  was  married  by  Alexan- 
der V.  Sill  of  St.  Charles.  111.,  to  Anna  Martin, 
born  in  Erie  County,  X.  Y.,  daughter  of  Chris- 
tian and  Sarah   Martin,  whose  ancestors  came 
from  Germany,  in  1684,  to  Lancaster,  Peun.,  se- 
curing a  grant  from  William  Peun.     After  his 
marriage,  Mr.  Glos  farmed  the  homestead  four 
years,  then  bought  a  farm  in  Wayne  Township, 
-aii.d  .later   entered   into   a   general   merchandise 
^  business  In    Wayne,   which   he   continued   until 
••  iSm.-  "*On'December  1st  of  that  year  he  was  ap- 
pointed   Postmaster    of    Wayne,    and    has    been 
efficiently    discharging    the    duties    of    that    re- 
"-sp«BsiJtle  office  ever  since.     Under  his  manage- 
menf.'fh'e  post  office  has  increased  its  business, 
and   the -accommodation   of  patrons   is   entirely 
satisfactory. 

Mr.  and  Mrs.  Glos  became  the  parents  of  chil- 
dren as  follows :  Fred  A.  of  Wayne ;  George  W., 
cashier  of  the  Elgin  City  Bank;  Hattie  G., 
formerly  a  teacher  in  the  public  schools,  now 
assisting  her  father ;  Clara  M..  Mrs.  F.  H.  Grote 
of  ^Mieaton;  Myrtle  G..  Mrs.  Fred  Gray,  of 
Case.v,  la. ;  Mable  G.,  Mrs.  I.  C.  Edmonds  of 
Marcus,  la.,  and  Harold  Victor  of  Chicago.  Mr. 
Glos  has  been  a  Justice  of  the  Peace  since  1863 ; 
has  served  as  Township  Treasurer  since  1900, 
and  has  been  Township  Clerk  and  Supervisor 
and  held  other  township  offices,  always  proving 
himself  devoted  to  the  interests  of  his  constit- 
uents, and  firm  in  his  loyalty  to  the  Republican 
party. 

On  August  15.  1011,  Mr.  and  Mrs.  Glos  cele- 
brated their  golden  anniversary,  and  the  gath- 
ering  was   one  that   will    long  be   remembered. 


880 


HISTORY  OF  DU  PAGE  COUNTY. 


Not  only  did  tbe  immediate  family  attend,  but 
friends  from  the  neighborhood  and  from  all 
over  the  county,  came  to  pay  their  respects  to 
this  honored  couple.  The  position  of  the  GIos 
family,  and  especially  that  of  Mr.  and  Mrs.  Glos, 
cannot  be  over-estimated,  nor  can  the  importance 
of  the  strong  influence  every  member  exerted  on 
the  history  of  Du  Page  County. 

V    GLOS,  Adam  S.    Leadership  comes  naturally  to 

some  men,  who  through  force  of  character  and 
natural  ability  forge  to  the  front,  maintaining 
their  ix)sition  easily,  distanciug  others  in  the 
life  race.  To  be  at  the  head  of  vast  financial 
iustituticms,  intelligently  and  sagaciously  direct- 
ing their  operations  and  conserving  the  inter- 
ests of  those  conected  with  them,  requires  excep- 
ional  qualities,  and  keen  business  instinct,  and 
these  are  possessed  by  Adam  S.  Glos  of  Elm- 
hurst,  business  man,  organizer,  financier  and 
conservator  of  public  good.  He  was  born  in  Elm- 
hurst,  October  8,  184S,  being  a  son  of  Adam  Glos 
who  came  to  Du  Page  County,  from  Boston,  in 
1S36,  thus  being  one  of  the  pioneers  of  this  lo- 
cality. 

Adam  S.  Glos  attended  the  public  schools  of 
Elmhurst,  supplementing  this  course  with  one 
at  a  Chicago  business  college  and  for  the  four 
years  which  followed  he  put  to  practical  use 
the  knowledge  thus  gained  as  an  educator  in 
Cook  Count.v  and  Elmhurst  schools.  However, 
he  soon  realized  that  his  abilities  were  wasted 
in  such  a  field,  and  in  1870,  he  embarked  in  a 
hardware  business  which  has  received  a  portion 
of  his  attention  ever  since.  But  before  long,  Mr. 
Glos  began  to  utilize  his  business  ability,  organ- 
izing the  Elmhurst  State  Bank  December  30, 
1903,  and  serving  as  its  President  up  to  pres- 
ent time.  He  also  organized  the  First  Na- 
tional Bank,  acting  as  a  director  of  it;  became 
President  of  the  Addison  Farmers  Mutual  Insur- 
ance Co.,  and  director  of  the  Lombard  State 
Bank.  His  experience  and  conservatism  have 
proven  valuable  assets  of  the  various  concerns 
with  which  he  is  connected,  and  all  of  them 
have  prospered  to  a  remarkable  degree. 

In  1877.  Mr.  Glos  was  united  in  marriage  with 
Miss  Emilie  Fischer  of  Addison  Township, 
daughter  of  August  and  Eliza  (Hackerott)  Fis- 
cher, farming  people.  In  earlier  years.  Mr.  Glos 
was  very  active  in  the  ranks  of  the  Republican 
part.v.  serving  as  Clerk  of  York  Township  and  as 
its  Assessor,  displaying  in  office  those  same  char- 


acteristics which  have  made  him  so  successful 
as  a  business  man  and  financier.  As  the  many 
cares  of  his  various  enterprises  have  increased, 
hii\ve\er  he  has  been  forced  to  drop  some  of  his 
political  work,  and  now  confines  his  public  duties 
to  voting  for  the  candidates  of  his  party  and 
the  exertion  of  his  personal  Influence  for  the  ad- 
vancement of  the  commuuit}'.  The  German 
Evangelical  Church  holds  his  membership, 
and  benefits  by  his  generosity.  An  active  citi- 
zen and  aggressive  business  man,  Elmhurst  owes 
much  of  its  present  prosperity  to  his  foresight- 
edness  and  ability  to  organize  and  push  on  to 
successful  growth  institutions  which  stand  as 
witnesses  of  his  strength  as  a  financier. 


/ 


GLOS,  Henry  L.,  deceased.     Probably  no  person 

during  the  civic  life  of  Elmhurst.  has  done  more 
for  the  village  than  the  late  Henry  L.  Glos,  who 
as  first  president  of  the  Village  Board  of 
Trustees  and  the  incumbent  of  that  i)osition  for 
twenty  years  carried  on  a  work  which  justly 
entitled  him  to  be  called  "The  Father  of  Elm- 
hurst." Mr.  Glos  was  born  December  31,  1851, 
at  Elmhurst,  Du  Page  county.  111.,  and  his  edu- 
cation was  secured  in  the  public  schools  of  his 
native  village  and  in  the  Chicago  Business 
College. 

After  completing  his  educational  training, 
Mr.  Glos  taught  school  in  York  and  Addison 
townships,  and  having  saved  $1,000  from  his 
earnings,  in  1874,  he  built  a  brick  block  in  Elm- 
hurst, where  he  conducted  a  general  store  for 
some  time.  Later  he  entered  the  real  estate 
field,  operating  in  Elmhurst  and  throughout 
Cook  county,  and  finally,  in  1S94,  be  gave  up  his 
mercantile  interests  to  devote  his  whole  time  to 
his  real  estate  business  and  to  promoting  the 
advancement  and  general  progress  of  his  vil- 
lage. Largely  through  his  efforts  the  village 
was  incorporated  and  he  was  elected  president 
of  the  first  Village  Board  of  Trustees,  continu- 
ing to  hold  that  position  for  twenty  years.  For 
a  like  period,  he  was  a  member  of  the  Republi- 
can County  Central  Committee,  with  which  he 
I>erformed  yeoman  service.  He  was  religiously 
connected  with  the  German  Evangelical  church, 
and  he  always  gave  liberally  of  his  time  and 
means  in  promoting  movements  of  a  religious  or 
charitable  nature.  The  extent  of  Mr.  Glos's 
charities  w-ill  never  be  known,  but  it  is  a  fact 
that  any  unfortunate  could  count  on  assistance 
from   him    when    in    trouble.      The   following   Is 


fj'CtWi^'tTf    U   ^UAyiA  cxX^{^ 


1  PUBLIC  UBHaRV] 


HISTORY  OP  DU  PAGE  COUNTY. 


881 


quoted  from  au  article  published  iu  the  Elm- 
hurst  l^rcxs :  "Oue  of  Mr.  Gloss  chief  char- 
acteristics was  his  desire  to  help  others.  He 
was  always  ready,  no  matter  how  busy,  to  aid 
those  who  came  to  him  for  assistance.  His  re- 
lation to  the  community  was  a  most  peculiar 
one.  For  over  a  quarter  of  a  century,  rich  or 
poor,  without  distinction,  turned  to  him  for 
advice  or  assistance,  and  it  was  rare  that  they 
went  away  unsatisfied."  Mr.  Glos  died  July  25, 
IfWo,  and  on  the  day  of  his  funeral  all  the 
business  houses  in  Elmburst  were  closed. 

On  June  22,  1870,  Mr.  Glos  was  married  to 
Miss  Lucy  M.  Sctiwaan. 

GLOS,  Jacob,  a  member  of  one  of  the  oldest 
families  in  Du  Page  County,  is  a  successful  real 
estate  dealer,  with  au  otlice  iu  Chicago,  and  his 
residence  in  the  city  of  Elmburst.  Mr.  Glos  is 
a  native  of  the  county,  born  at  Elmburst,  May  4, 
1856,  and  is  a  son  of  Adam  and  Katherine  (Sof- 
fell)  Glos.  Adam  Glos  was  a  farmer  by  occu- 
pation and  a  prominent  and  influential  citizen 
of  his  locality,  taking  an  active  interest  in  pub- 
lic affairs.  He  and  bis  wife  are  natives  of  Ba- 
varia, Germany. 

As  a  boy  Jacob  Glos  helped  with  liie  work  oa 
bis  father's  farm,  receiving  bis  early  ediicition ; . 
in  the  public  schools  of  Elmburst  anirO.a'c.Park;  . 
Later  he  attended  Bryant  &  Stratton's  Bu.-;iness" 
College,  of  Chicago,  and  the  Northwestern  Law 
School  of  that  city,  then  engaged  in  ^irn.ing  on 
his  own  account.     He  bad  been  reared  to  jigpc^V  ., 
tural   pursuits  and  naturally  was  .siK'cessfni  as 
a   farmer,   continuing   this  occupation    until  Tie'" 
was   appointed   Tostmaster   at   Elmburst.   under 
President   Arthur,   serving  four  years  in  office. 
Later  he  invested  in  real  estate,  and  now  oper- 
ai:es  in  Chicago  and  also  in  Elmburst  and  vi<:'n- 
ity.     He  is  a  man  of  busness  ability  and  good 
.iudgnient,  and  has  been  able  to  build  up  a  prof- 
itable enterprise.    He  is  a  Republican  in  political 
views  and  served  nine  successive  years  as  Presi- 
dent  of   the   Board   of  Education. 

On  February  17,  18S5.  Mr.  Glos  was  united  in 
marriage  with  Emma  J.  Scliween,  of  Elgin,  111., 
and  four  children  have  been  born  to  them :  Clara 
L..  Albert  H.,  Walter  A.,  and  Mabelle  L. 


/ 


GLOS,  John,  one  of  the  honored  pioneers  of  Du 
Page  county,  emigrated  to  the  United  States 
from  Germany,  in  18.32,  landing  in  Boston.  He 
was  so  well  pleased  with  his  experiences  in  tbis 


country  that  he  wanted  all  his  people  and 
friends  to  enjoy  the  superior  advantages  that 
his  expansive  views  led  him  to  believe  that  no 
other  place  offered  to  those  developing  in- 
dividuality and  sociability  of  character,  thereby 
increasing  commerce  tending  towards  the  cul- 
ture of  fine  arts  and  sciences,  and  universal 
liberty.  In  1836,  his  father,  John  Glos,  Sr., 
came  to  this  country  with  his  wife  and  family, 
locating  in  Elmburst,  Du  Page  county,  where 
his  two  grandsons  and  two  granddaughters  still 
reside.  Here  be  celebrated  his  golden  wedding 
and  lived  for  forty-six  years,  dying  at  the  ad- 
\~anced  age  of  ninety-three  years. 

John  Glos,  Jr.,  located  in  St.  Charles,  111.,  in 
1837,  but  moved  to  his  farm  in  Wayne  township, 
in  1850.  Here  he  filled  many  offices,  justice 
of  the  peace,  assessor  and  clerk  of  the  circuit 
court  and  recorder  of  Du  Page  county.  In  1862, 
he  was  enrolling  ofllcer  and  deputy  United 
States  mar.shal  of  Du  Page  county.  It  was 
while  living  here  that  bis  daughter,  Amelia, 
now  Mrs.  Burning  of  Oak  Park,  was  lost  In  the 
woods,  and  was  gone  for  two  days  and  a  night 
before  she  was  found.  It  sent  a  thrill  of  joy 
through  the  hearts  of  the  fond  parents  and  also 
the  whole  village,  when  the  lost  child  was 
t>TOrigrb.t  hack  again,  for  the  timber  was  in- 
fpst:^:"witb  wolves  and  many  feared  that  she 
liad  perished. 

Adam  M.  Glos,  son  of  John  Glos,  the  oldest 
of  sevjen  children,  was  born  in  Boston,  in  1836. 
'.jTe.  was  brought  west  by  his  parents  in  1837. 
In  1861.  be  married  Anna  M.  Martin,  of  Geneva, 
'ni'.'  For  a  few  years  he  lived  on  the  homestead, 
and  then  moved  to  Wayne,  in  1864,  to  engage  in 
a  mercantile  business,  and  this  has  continued  to 
be  his  home  ever  since.  He  was  elected  justice 
of  the  peace  in  1863,  and  was  appointed  notary 
public  that  same  year,  atid  has  held  these  offices 
ever  since,  being  the  only  one  to  hold  them  in 
the  township  of  Wayne.  He  has  also  filled  the 
offices  of  supervisor,  town  clerk  and  township 
treasurer.  In  1897,  he  was  appointed  post- 
master. Mr.  and  Mrs.  Adam  M.  Glos  have 
seven  children :  Ifred  A.,  who  is  bookkeeper  for 
the  Dunham  Horse  Farm ;  George  W.,  who  is 
cashier  for  the  Elgin  City  Banking  Co. :  Harold 
v..  who  is  with  the  National  Board  of  Under- 
writers in  Chicago;  Clara,  who  married  F.  H. 
Grote  of  Wheaton ;  Myrtle,  who  married  F.  L. 
Gray,  of  Corley,  la. ;    Mabel,  who  married  I.  C. 


882 


HISTORY  OF  DU  PAGE  COUNTY. 


Edmonds  of  Marcus,  la.,  and  Hattie,  who  is  at 
home   with  her  parents. 

GOKEY,  WUliam  W.  That  faithful  service 
meets  its  riirhtful  reward,  has  lieen  proven  upon 
many  occasions,  and  in  no  case  more  ti-uly  than 
that  of  William  W.  Goke.v,  ijassenger  conductor 
for  the  Chicago  &  Northwestern  Railroad,  who 
resides  at  West  Chicago.  Both  he  and  his  wife 
have  interesting  family  histories,  which  are 
given  in  the  following  brief  record.  Mr.  Gokey 
was  born  in  Franklin  County,  N.  T.,  October  27, 
1848,  a  son  of  Peter  and  Theressa  (Jarvls) 
Gokey.  The  father  was  born  in  St.  Lawrence 
Count.v,  N.  T.,  Imt  the  mother  was  a  native  of 
Canada.  Until  the  fall  of  1852,  Peter  Gokey 
farmed  in  New  York  State,  but  then  came  to 
Kane  County,  111.,  where  he  spent  a  year  farm- 
ing, when  moving  to  Wayne  Township,  Du  Page 
County,  he  became  a  resident  of  this  part  of 
the  State.  Here  he  farmed  one  farm  for  twelve 
years,  later  pioving  to  another  in  the  same 
township.  Eventually,  he  rented  both  farms, 
going  to  Allegan  County,  Mich.,  wliere  he  died. 
September  3,  1875.  His  wife  had  died  June  24, 
1S74,  and  both  were  buried  in  Michigan. 
They  had  twelve  children,  three  of  whom 
died  in  infancy,  and  three  later  on  in 
life.  Those  now  surviving  are :  Harry  H.  of 
Grand  Rapids,  Mich. ;  William  W. ;  Sarah,  Mrs. 
Abner  Sheets  of  Grand  Rapids;  Flora,  Mrs. 
Thomas  Graham  of  Nelson,  Neb. ;  Caroline, 
Mrs.  Philip  McHeury  of  Kalamazoo,  Mich. 

When  he  was  only  fifteen  years  old,  'William 
W'.  Gokey  enlisted  in  Company  K,  One  Hundred 
and  Forty-fir.st  Illinois  Volunteer  Infantry,  in 
Du  Page  County,  May  1.  1864.  The  regiment 
was  stationed  at  Columbus,  K.v.,  for  three 
months  then  were  ordered  into  Northern  Ken- 
tuck.v.  The  hardships  of  army  life  were  a  new 
experience  to  the  lad  who  prior  to  his  enlist- 
ment had  never  spent  a  night  away  from  home, 
or  further  from  it  than  seven  miles.  However, 
he  was  plucky  and  made  a  good  record  before 
he  was  mustered  out  at  Chicago,  October  10, 
1864,  at  old  Camp  Fry.  He  was  on  an  extended 
march  through  Kentucky  and  Tennessee. 

For  the  next  two  years,  Mr.  Gokey  farmed, 
when  he  went  to  Eastcastle  Rock,  Dakota 
C(unty,  Minn.,  where  he  was  employed  on  a 
farm  during  the  summer,  and  worked  for  his 
board  in  the  winter,  with  the  privilege  of  attend- 
ing school,  so  that  he  was  able  to  make  up  for 


lack  of  educational  advantages  in  his  boyhood. 
In  1871,  he  returned  to  his  Michigan  home  on 
account  of  his  mother's  illness,  and  remained 
there  during  the  subsequent  illness  and  death 
of  both  parents  and  two  brothers.  In  the  winter 
of  1877,  he  came  to  Chicago,  locating  at  West 
Chicago,  where  he  renewed  an  aequaintance 
with  Miss  Allle  A.  Smith.  This  friendship 
ripened  into  love,  and  they  were  married  April 
22,  1877,  by  Rev.  Grey  of  the  Methodist  Church 
of  West  Chicago.  She  was  born  in  Albion,  Cal- 
houn County,  Mich.,  January  28, 1850,  a  daughter 
of  Joseph  W.  and  Eliza  Ann  (Lewis)  Smith. 
Mr.  Smith  was  born  in  Cazenovia,  N.  Y..  April 
30,  1812,  son  of  Spencer  and  Sarah  (Williams) 
Smith.  Spencer  Smith  was  born  September  28, 
1781,  in  New  York  State,  and  came  of  Scotch 
and  Welsh  descent.  Eliza  Ann  Lewis  was  born 
in  Greece,  Monroe  County,  N.  Y.,  daughter  of 
Moses  and  Hannah  (Kinney)  Lewis.  Her  birth 
occurred  June  10,  1812.  and  she  died  January  29, 
1895.  Joseph  W.  Smith  was  a  son  of  a  Revolu- 
tionary soldier.  He  moved  to  Albion,  Mich., 
where  he  became  prominent,  .serving  as  Sheriff 
of  his  county,  and  later  was  made  Warden  of 
the  State  prison  at  Jackson,  holding  that  posi- 
tion for  eighteen  months.  He  then  returned  to 
Albion,  where  he  had  charge  of  railroad  shops 
at  that  place,  and  still  later  had  charge  of  the 
shops  at  Michigan  City.  In  1858,  he  came  to 
West  Chicago,  where  he  worked  as  a  railroad 
blacksmith  until  Ma.v,  18G4.  He  enlisted  in  the 
One  Hundred  Day  Service  in  the  one  Hundred 
and  Forty-first  Illinois  Volunteer  Infantry.  Com- 
ing home,  he  worked  in  the  railroad  shops  at 
Belvldere  for  a  period  covering  one  year,  when 
he  once  more  returned  to  West  Chicago,  and 
worked  in  the  rolling  mill.  In  1872,  he  was  ap- 
pointed Postmaster,  and  served  for  thirteen 
,^ears.  and  his  daughter  Mrs.  Gokey  was  his 
deput.v  during  all  of  this  time,  and  also  acted 
as  Postmistress  until  a  new  man  was  appointed. 
Mr.  Smith  later  went  to  Fort  Atkinson,  Wis., 
where  he  died,  September  19,  1884,  being  Post- 
master at  the  time  of  his  death. 

After  marriage,  Mr.  Gokey  began  working 
for  the  Chicago  and  Northwestern  Railroad  in 
the  roundhouse,  being  on  the  night  shift,  and 
two  years  later  was  made  freight  brakeman. 
In  three  years  and  three  months,  he  was  made 
freight  conductor,  and  in  June,  1893,  was  pro- 
moted to  be  passenger  conductor,  and  still  holds 
that  position,  having  a  record  service  of  thirty- 


HISTORY  OF  DU  PAGE  COUNTY. 


883 


five  years  with  this  road.  He  and  his  wife  be- 
came the  parents  of  children  as  follows :  Josle, 
born  February  14,  1878,  at  home;  Spencer  P., 
born  June  14,  1883,  killed  March  10,  1910,  by 
a  railroad  accident ;  Theresa  M.,  born  October 
22,  1SS5,  married  September  25,  1910,  Everett 
A.  Judd  employed  by  the  Chicago  Telephone 
Company,  issue — Bessie  Eleene,  born  July  29, 
1911. 

Mr.  Gokey  belongs  to  the  Modern  Woodmen 
of  America,  the  Odd  Fellows,  the  Order  of 
Railroad  Conductors  of  Chicago;  E.  S.  Kelly 
Post,  G.  A.  R.  of  Wheaton,  while  his  wife  be- 
longs to  the  L.  A.  to  O.  R.  C,  the  L.  A.  to  B.  of 
K.  T.,  and  for  three  years  was  president  of  the 
Woman's  Relief  Corps  of  Wheaton,  and  is  now 
president  of  the  L.  A.  of  R.  T.,  deputy  of  the 
Rebeccas,  having  held  all  of  the  chairs  of  this 
lodge  twice.  She  treasures  as  one  of  her  most 
precious  possessions,  a  Masonic  apron  her 
grandfather  Lewis  wore  in  1792.  The  family 
affiliate  with  the  Methodist  Church.  Mr.  Gokey 
is  a  Republican.  Few  people  take  more  interest 
in  fraternal  matters  than  Mr.  Gokey  and  his 
accomplished  wife,  who  has  always  been  noted 
for  her  intellectual  tastes  and  culture. 

GOLTERMANN,  Dietrich,  a  prominent  farmer 
who  has  speut  all  his  life  in  York  Township,  Du 
Page  County,  was  born  November  29,  1859,  and  Is 
a  son  of  Henrj'  and  Elizabeth  (Klusmyer)  Gol- 
termann,  natives  of  Hanover,  and  the  father 
a  son  of  Gobst  C.oltermann.  At  the  age  of  six- 
teen years  Henry  Goltermann  came  to  York 
Township  and  worked  at  farming.  He  married 
and  settled  there,  buying  a  farm,  which  he  oc- 
cupied several  years,  then  sold  out  and  purchased 
another  farm  in  the  same  township.  He  died 
there  in  February,  1884,  his  first  wife  having 
passed  away  in  1SG6.  They  were  parents  of  chil- 
dren as  follows :  Mary ;  Louisa,  married  Henry 
Senne  of  Addison  Township ;  Dietrich ;  Regina, 
Mrs.  Fred  Deicke.  of  York  Center,  mentioned 
elsewhere  in  this  work ;  William,  and  two  de- 
ceased. Mr.  Goltermann's  second  wife  was  Mary 
Stumpenhausen,  and  they  became  parents  of 
four  children,  namely :  Sophia,  Mrs.  William 
Steben,  of  York  Township ;  Emma,  Mrs.  Fred 
Nordbrock,  of  Y'ork  Township ;  Fred,  and  one 
deceased. 

Mr.  Goltermann  attended  the  district  and 
German  schools  and  was  reared  to  farm  work. 
He  remained  with  his  parents  until  his  marri.age, 


after  which  he  moved  to  a  tract  of  ninety  acres 
of  land  which  his  father  owned.  Here  he  made 
all  possible  improvements,  erecting  suitable  and 
substantial  buiUlings,  and  has  since  carried  on 
general  farming.  He  keeps  about  sixteen  cows 
for  dairy  purposes.  Being  an  industrious  and 
energetic  farmer,  he  has  made  a  success  of  his 
venture  and  has  won  the  esteem  and  respect  of 
his  neighbors  and  associates.  He  is  a  member  of 
the  Lutheran  Church  and  in  politics  is  an  In- 
dependent voter. 

Mr.  Goltermann  was  married  December  22, 
ISSl.  by  the  Rev.  Gotch,  to  Caroline  Biermann, 
a  native  of  Bloomiugdale  Township,  daughter  of 
Frederick  and  Fredericka  (Hahus)  Biermann. 
Mr.  and  Mrs.  Goltermann  became  the  narents  of 
the  following  children  :  Anna,  born  November  IS, 
1882;  Meta.  born  December  11,  1SS4,  married 
Frank  Steben;  Matilda,  born  September  6,  188*?; 
Ernest,  born  August  2,  1S88 ;  Ida,  born  July  23, 
1890;  Paul,  born  December  31,  1892;  Emma, 
born  January  15.  1897;  Alma,  bom  October  25, 
1900,  died  March  4,  1904;  and  Gerhard,  born 
May  7,  190fi,  all'  at  home. 

GOLTERMANN,  Frederick  Henry,  a  business 
man  of  Elmhurst.  111.,  is  a  native  of  Du  Page 
County,  born  in  York  Township.  November  26, 
ISes.  He  is  a  son  of  Fred  and  Mary  (Meyer) 
Goltermann,  the  former  a  native  of  Germany. 
Fred  Goltermann  came  to  America  with  his 
father  in  18.50,  when  he  was  about  sixteen  years 
old,  and  the  family  located  on  IGO  ocres  of  land 
in  York  Township,  which  had  no  improvements. 
They  erected  buildings  and  began  to  improve  the 
wild  land,  which  was  sold  in  1908  to  Joseph  Sim- 
mons. Fred  Goltermann  was  married  three 
times,  the  first  time  to  a  Miss  Schopper,  by 
whom  he  had  one  child,  Henry,  living  at  2442 
South  Fortieth  Avenue,  Chicago.  His  second 
wife  died  without  children,  and  by  his  third 
wife,  Mary  Me.ver,  be  had  eight  children,  name- 
ly: Mary,  deceased;  Bertha,  of  Austin;  WiN 
Ham,  of  Chicago ;  Ferdinand,  on  the  old  home 
farm  at  York  Center;  Frederick  H. ;  Minnie, 
Mrs.  Ralph  Berril,  of  I^mbard,  111.;  Dora,  of 
Chicago,  and  Regina.  deceased.  The  father  died 
in  York  Center  and  the  mother  in  the  same  place. 

In  boyhood  Frederick  H.  Goltermann  at- 
tended the  German  schools  of  his  native  town- 
ship and  was  reared  to  farm  work.  When  he 
was  sixteen  years  of  age  he  began  learning  the 
blacksmith  trade,  with  Louis  Balgeman,  and  in 


884 


HISTORY  OF  DU  PAGE  COUNTY. 


1&92,  he  purchased  the  business  of  Mr.  Watson, 
at  Wheaton,  comlucted  it  one  year  and  then 
sold  out  to  Charles  Wilson  and  came  to  Elm- 
hurst,  where  he  has  since  been  in  business.  He 
purchased  the  shop  of  Mr.  Drager  on  Schiller 
Street,  carried  on  his  business  at  that  location 
two  years  and  then  bought  out  William  Geise, 
whose  business  was  at  the  corner  of  Yorls;  and 
."-^ciiiller  Streets,  where  he  remained  seven  years. 
In  lyoi,  Mr.  Goltermanu  bought  the  lot  where 
he  has  since  oiM>rated  his  shop,  purchased  of 
I'abst  Brewing  Company,  at  149  North  York 
Street,  to  which  he  moved.  He  does  practical 
horse-shoeing,  general  blacksmithing  and  repair- 
ing and  also  carries  on  wagon  manufacturing. 
He  is  an  expert  mechanic  and  has  a  good  trade 
from  the  surrounding  country.  He  served  as  a 
member  of  the  Village  Board  from  1901  until 
1903,  and  again  from  lOOS  to  1910.  He  was  one 
of  the  organizers  of  the  Fire  Department  and 
served  as  Marshal  from  1893  until  1907.  He 
also  served  two  years  as  a  member  of  the 
Wheaton  Fire  Department ;  was  Chief  of  Depart- 
ment eight   years. 

On  December  14,  1901,  Mr.  Golterniann  mar- 
ried Miss  Dora  HarlofE,  a  native  of  Du  Page 
County  and  daughter  of  Carl  Harloff  and  wife. 
Three  children  have  been  born  to  them  :  Paul, 
born  September  4.  1902,  attending  school ;  Bert- 
ram, born  October  26,  1904,  and  Adeline,  born 
April  14,  1909.  Mr.  Goltermann  is  much  inter- 
ested in  public  affairs  In  his  locality  and  both 
he  and  his  wife  are  well  known  in  that  part  of 
the  county,  where  they  have  many  friends.  He 
is  a  charter  member  of  the  Masonic  faternity 
of  Elnihurst,  and  the  Modern  Woodmen  of  Amer- 
ica. The  family  belong  to  the  German  Lutheran 
Church. 

GOODRICH,  Charles  Henry.  One  of  the  leading 
families  of  Du  Page  County,  III.,  founded  here 
many  years  ago  by  one  of  the  early  pioneers  of 
this  section,  is  that  of  Goodrich,  a  worthy  rep- 
resentative of  which  may  be  found  in  Charles 
Henry  Goodrich,  a  well  known  agriculturist,  who 
is  operating  an  excellent  property  of  212  acres 
located  near  the  village  of  Naperville.  The 
name  of  Goodrich  is  from  the  Teutonic  or  Saxon, 
and  means  "Rich  In  Goodness"  or  "A  Good 
Kuler,"  being  very  ancient  in  England  and  oc- 
curring frequently  in  the  Doomsday  Book.  The 
Goodrich  tribe  or  family  evidently  existed  in 
Great  Britain  at  a  very  early  period,  but  when 


or  what  jilace  it  first  appeared  is  lost  in  the  ob- 
scurity of  the  past.  The  earliest  mentioned  of 
the  name  is  in  870,  when  the  venerable.  Father 
Godric — as  then  written,  was  elected  Abbot  of 
the  Abbey  of  Crozland,  and  the  name  is  also 
mentioned  in  the  ancient  chronicles  of  Scotland. 
One  of  the  earliest  evidences  of  the  existence  of 
the  family  Is  found  in  the  ruins  of  Goodrich 
Castle,  in  the  southeastern  extremity  of  the 
County  of  Ilerford,  Herfordshire,  Wales,  on  the 
eastern  bank  of  the  River  Wye,  sixteen  miles 
south  of  Herford.  This  castle  was  for  defense, 
as  it  was  built  of  stone,  with  walls  seven  feet 
thick,  and  antedates  the  Norman  Conquest. 
There  were  at  least  five  original  settlers  of  the 
name  In  New  England  prior  to  1650,  viz :  William 
Goodrich  (or  Goodridge),  of  Watertown,  Mass., 
1636,  left  descendants  of  whom  there  are  no 
records ;  John  Goodrich,  of  Watertown,  Mass., 
1037,  is  supposed  to  have  been  a  brother  of 
William  above,  and  had  no  known  descendants ; 
Richard  Goodrich,  of  Guilford,  Conn.,  1639,  has 
recorded  descendants ;  John  Goodrich,  of 
Wethersfield,  Conn.,  and  William,  his  brother, 
whose  ancestry  is  fully  established.  The  latter, 
who  was  the  ancestor  of  nearly  all  of  the  name 
In  America,  w-as  a  native  of  Hessett,  a  typical 
Suffolk  village,  where  the  parish  church  records 
of  the  Goodrich  family  date  back  to  1600.  It  is 
thought  that  he  was  an  ensign  in  King  Philip's 
War,  and  the  family  has  been  noted  as  patriots, 
many  of  the  name  appearing  in  the  Revolution- 
ary records  both  as  officers  and  common  soldiers. 
No  less  than  ten  of  the  name  have  been  noted 
as  authors,  and  the  famous  Samuel  G.  Goodrich 
(Peter  Polley)  well  known  a  generation  since, 
belonged  to  the  same  branch  as  the  Du  Page 
Goodrichs. 

Charles  Henry  Goodrich  is  one  of  the  few  sur- 
vivors of  the  original  pioneers  of  Du  Page  County 
or  of  this  section  of  Illinois,  and  belongs  to  the 
old  Colonial  Massachusetts  family  of  the  name. 
His  grandfather,  Simeon  Goodrich,  was  born 
September  11,  1760,  and  died  February  7,  1852. 
He  was  married  January  17.  1785,  to  Sarah 
Howard  and  lived  near  Benson.  Rutland  County, 
Vt..  where  he  first  built  a  log  house  and  after 
his  services  as  a  soldier  in  the  Revolutionary 
War  were  completed,  he  returned  to  his  prop- 
erty where  he  erected  fine  buildings  which  are 
still  standing  in  a  good  state  of  preservation. 
This  fine  old  gentleman  who  lived  to  be  over 
ninety   years   of   age   was   a    deacon   for   many 


^  ay^^(^-r^^ 


HISTORY  OF  DU  PAGE  COUNTY. 


885 


years  in  the  Congregational  Church  at  Benson, 
where  for  uiauy  years  he  also  was  the  proprietor 
of  a  tavern,  on  the  road  from  Burlington  to 
White  Hall.  His  children  were :  Emily,  born 
November  .28,  17SC ;  Henry,  February  24,  17SS ; 
Simeon,  April  2,  1790;  Charles,  June  10,  1792; 
Lora,  July  10.  1794;  rouieroy  E..  Dei-enilier  1?., 
179G;  Elizabeth,  October  23,  1799;  and  Sarah, 
March  2,  1802. 

Henry  Goodrich,  father  of  Charles  Henry, 
was  born  at  Benson,  Vt.,  where  he  received  a 
common  school  education  and  for  a  time  took 
up  the  study  of  medicine.  l)ut  Inter  devoted  his 
attention  to  farming  which  he  followed  through- 
out the  remainder  of  his  life.  He  was  married 
in  Benson  January  23,  1815,  to  Thankful  Senna 
Watson,  who  was  born  November  30,  1785,  in 
Benson,  daughter  of  Timothy  Watson.  Timothy 
Watson  was  born  January  4,  1763,  and  was  mar- 
ried February  10,  1785,  to  Senna  Baker,  who 
was  born  January  9,  1761.  The  Watson  family 
was  of  English  stock. 

After  his  marriage,  Henry  Goodrich;  «.e,ttled 
on  the  Timothy  Watson  farm  and  lived  there 
until  1832,  at  which  time  Mr.  Goodi-ich*  fem&Ted' 
to  Illinois.  Mr._  and  Mrs.  Goodrich's  children 
were:  Eliza  Senna,  born  October  29.  1S15;  Sarah 
E.,  horn  April  15,  1817,  died  aged  alxHit  -twelve-. 
years;  Martha  born  July  30,  lSl?,"'alVo'di^'a- 
aged  about  twelve  years ;  Timothy  Watson,  born. 
August  5,  1820;  Charles  Henry,  born  July  31, 
1S23;  Willard.  born  February  20,  1825;  Frances 
Ann,  born  March  IS,  1830,  all  born  near  Benson, 
Vt.,  on  the  Watson  farm.  Henry  Goodrich,  his 
wife  and  daughter  Eliza,  Pomeroy  Goodrich  and 
his  wife,  Samuel  Goodrich  and  his  wife.  Deacon 
Isaac  Clark,  Clarissa  Standish  and  Lester  Peet, 
all  leading  members  of  the  Congregational 
church  in  Benson,  came  West  in  1832,  going  via 
Canal  to  Buffalo,  thence  by  sailing  vessel  to  Ash- 
tabula, and  stopped  that  summer  at  Thomp- 
son, Ohio,  to  await  the  close  of  the  Black  Hawk 
War.  Then  they  came  in  a  sailing  vessel  to 
Chicago,  arriving  in  October,  where  they  were 
met  by  an  old  neighbor  who  had  come  west 
prior  to  them  and  were  taken  thence  by  ox-team 
to  Naperville,  where  this  party  were  to  become 
the  founders  of  the  First  Congregational 
Church.  They  stopped  during  that  winter  tem- 
porarily at  the  edge  of  Will  Count.v,  but  Mr. 
Goodrich  and  his  family  sulisequently  moved  on 
to  a  farm  two  and  one-half  miles  east  of  the 
present  property  of  Charles  Henry  Goodrich,  on 


the  eastern  bank  of  the  Du  Page  River,  where 
Henry  Goodrich  entered  160  acres  of  land,  on 
which  he  resided  until  1836.  In  that  year  he 
removed  to  the  present  homestead  and  during 
1837-8  he  built  the  rear  part  of  the  residence 
thereon,  but  all  his  activities  were  cut  short  by 
his  death,  which  occurred  in  May,  1841.  His 
widow  survived  him  until  January  12,  1857.  He 
was  a  man  of  much  force  of  character,  was  a 
stanch  and  consistent  adherent  to  the  faith  of 
the  Congregational  Church  and  in  his  political 
views  was  an  Old  Line  Whig. 

Charles  Henry  Goodrich  received  the  usual 
common  school  education  to  be  secured  in  the 
schools  of  Vermont  in  his  day  and  was  nine 
years  old  when  he  accompanied  his  parents  to 
Illinois,  attending  the  tirst  school  opened  in  the 
neighborhood  of  his  old  home  on  the  Hobson 
farm,  his  first  teacher  here,  as  far  as  he  can 
remember,  being  a  Mr.  Giddings.  His  father 
\vas  a  great  advocate  of  the  value  of  an  educa- 
tion, however,  and  in  about  1S35  or  1836,  he 
sent  the  lad  to  Chicago  to  further  advance  his 
education.  Here  .voung  Goodrich  attended  a 
■'Scho'rf  on  Dearborn  street,  on  the  South  side, 
and  ^  the  fall  of  1840  he  went  to  Benson,  Vt., 
attending  Castleton  .\cademy  and  returning  to 
Hlinois  in  1849,  he  entered  Middlebury  and  at- 
'"tcilded  one  year.  In  addition  to  farming  on  the 
— laeme  property,  he  taught  school  in  Cook  County 
fifteen  miles  from  Chicago,  and  later  at  Spring- 
field, at  Richmond,  near  Chillicothe,  Ohio,  in 
Naperville  and  later  at  Barbar  Corners. 

On  October  4,  1851,  in  Chicago,  Mr.  Goodrich 
was  married  to  Phoebe  Jane  Turner,  bom  Au- 
gust 29,  1S21,  in  Orange  County,  N.  T.  Mrs. 
Goodrich  was  educated  at  Mt.  Holyoke  College 
and  came  to  Illinois  as  a  teacher.  After  his 
marriage  Mr.  Goodrich  located  on  the  old  home 
property,  where  he  has  since  resided,  and  has 
made  it  one  of  the  finest  farms  in  this  section 
of  Du  Page  County,  it  consisting  of  212  acres. 
Since  1840,  he  has  been  a  member  of  the  First 
Congregational  Church  at  Naperville,  and  a 
deacon  thereof  since  1859,  being  the  oldest  sur- 
viving deacon  of  that  bod.v.  He  cast  his  first 
vote  for  William  H.  Harrison  and  was  one  of 
those  to  assist  in  founding  the  Republican 
party,  casting  bis  vote  for  John  C.  Fremont.  Al- 
\^•ays  opiwsed  to  slavery,  he  spent  time  and 
money  in  the  Union  cause  and  was  ever  active 
throughout  the  Civil  War.     He  has  held  offices 


HISTORY  OF  DU  PAGE  COUNTY. 


of  Koad  Commissioner,  Supervsior  and  member 
of  tile  School  Board. 

Tlie  children  born  to  Charles  H.  and  Phoebe 
Jane  (Turner)  Goodrich  were  as  follows: 
Henry  Howard,  born  October  25,  1852,  died  Jan- 
uary 7,  1904 ;  Ida  Turner,  twin  of  Henry  How- 
ard; Jennie  Eliza,  born  September  29,  1S59; 
Charles  Watson,  born  January  4,  1855,  died 
May  22.  ISCO ;  Irving,  born  March  7,  18G2,  all 
born  on  the  home  farm.  Mrs.  Goodrich  died 
January  19,  1902. 

Heuiry  Howard  Goodrich  was  married  in 
Naperville,  November  22,  1882,  to  Ida  Lucetta 
Murray,  the  daughter  of  E.  H.  Murray,  and  they 
had  one  daughter,  namely:  Florence  Ida,  born 
November  18,  1901,  who  died  April  25,  1909.  Mr. 
Goodrich  was  liberally  educated,  read  law  and 
became  a  well  known  practitioner  in  Du  Page 
County,  later  locating  at  Naperville,  where  he 
became  editor  of  the  Naperville  Citizen,  and  at 
the  time  of  his  death  was  serving  as  State's  At- 
torney. 

Irving  Goodrich  was  married  June  1,  1905,  to 
Margaret  E.  McDowell,  and  they  reside  on  the 
home  farm. 

GOODRICH,  Irving.  The  Goodrich  family  has 
long  been  prominent  in  Du  Page  county  and  is 
given  further  mention  in  connection  with  the 
sketch  of  C.  H.  Goodrich,  which  also  appears 
in  this  work.  Irving  Goodrich  has  spent  his 
entire  life  on  the  farm  in  Lisle  township,  where 
he  was  born  March  7,  1862,  a  son  of  Charles 
H.  and  P.  Jane  (Turner)   Goodrich. 

Mr.  Goodrich  received  his  early  educational 
training  in  the  public  schools  of  his  neighbor- 
hood and  later  was  graduated  from  the  North- 
western College  at  Naperville.  Since  1885,  he 
has  had  entire  charge  of  managing  his  father's 
farm  of  212  acres  of  land,  and  has  erected  on 
it  a  house  containing  all  modern  conveniences. 
He  has  also  made  other  improvements  on  the 
land  and  has  brought  it  into  a  high  state  of  pro- 
ductiveness, doing  general  farming  and  keeping 
a  dairy  of  from  thirty  to  fort.v  cows,  specializ- 
ing on  raising  Brown  Swiss  cattle  and  Poland- 
China  hogs.  Mr.  Goodrich  is  well  known  as  an 
enterprising  and  progressive  farmer  and  in  his 
work  follows  modern  methods  and  Ideas. 

On  June  1,  1905,  Mr.  Goodrich  married  Eliza- 
beth M.  McDowell,  who  was  born  in  Naperville 
township.  June  2G,  1871.  a  daughter  of  William 


and  Elizabeth  (Darragh)  McDowell,  natives 
respectively  of  Pennsylvania  and  Michigan. 
One  child,  Charles  Howard,  was  born  Septem- 
ber 8,  1906.  Mr.  Goodrich  is  an  active  member 
of  the  Congregational  church  and  for  twenty- 
four  years  served  as  superintendent  of  the  Sun- 
day school.  He  has  been  school  director  since 
1890,  served  twelve  years  as  highway  commis- 
sioner and  in  1908.  was  elected  supervisor  of 
Lisle,  being  re-elected  in  1910,  serving  two  terms 
in  all.  Always  ready  to  contribute  his  share  to- 
ward the  support  of  any  object  calculated  to 
advance  the  general  welfare,  his  public  service 
has  been  most  satisfactory. 

GOODWIN,  The  Rev.  Eneas  Bernard,  priest- 
in  charge  of  St.  Joseph's  Catholic  church  of 
Downer's  Grove,  one  of  the  beloved  pastors  of 
his  faith,  was  born  February  3,  1873,  at  Chi- 
cago, 111.,  a  son  of  Bernard  James  and  Anna 
(MacDonnell)  Goodwin.  The  parents  were 
married  in  old  St.  Luke's  church  of  Chicago. 
The  Goodwin  family  came  from  Baltimore, 
Md.  His  father's  eldest  brother  was  in  the  Con- 
federate service  during  the  Civil  war.  By 
trade,  the  father  was  an  irnnsmith. 

Father  Goodwin's  educational  training  com- 
menced in  the  public  schools  of  Chicago,  but 
later,  he  entered  St.  Ignatius  College,  Chicago; 
studied  also  in  the  University  of  Chicago,  St. 
Marj-'s  Seminary,  Baltimore,  Md.,  and  Johns 
Hopkins  Uni\-ersity.  Baltimore,  Md.  He  was 
ordained  by  Archbishop  Feehan  in  the  Chicago 
cathedral,  June  21,  1895,  and  Is  a  fellow  of 
Johns  Hopkins  Fniversity.  Following  his  ordin- 
ation, he  was  made  curate  of  St.  Plus  church, 
Chicago,  and  then  attended  the  Catholic  Uni- 
versity of  Washington,  D.  C.  Father  Goodwin 
also  taught  Greek  in  St.  Cyril's  College,  Chi- 
cago, and  was  then  made  curate  at  La  Grange, 
111.  He  is  now  president  of  the  local  branch  of 
the  Western  Catholic  Union. 

Since  coming  to  Downer's  Grove.  Father 
Goodwin  has  won  the  hearts  of  his  people  by 
his  kindly  sympathy  and  generous  attention  to 
their  needs.  Under  his  skilful  care,  his  parish 
has  increased  both  spiritually  and  in  a  material 
sense,  and  there  are  few  men  of  his  faith  not 
only  in  Du  Page  county,  but  the  state  as  well, 
who  stand  any  higher  in  the  estimation  of  his 
superiors,  or  the  love  of  his  people.  The  parish 
house  is  at  the  corner  of  Main  and  Franklin 
streets. 


HISTORY  OF  DU  PAGE  COUNTY. 


887 


GOODWIN,  John  Samuel.  The  legal  profession 
is  oue  tliat  calls  for  unusual  ability  and  un- 
bounded knowledge  of  men,  laws  and  events. 
The  attorne.v  of  today  must  be  al)le  to  cope  with 
problems  and  to  be  thoroughly  posted  on  prece- 
dents that  would  have  daunted  the  best  lawyer 
of  half  a  century  ago.  Qne  who  has  occupied 
positions  of  trust,  and  has  faithfully  discharged 
the  duties  of  more  than  one  public  office,  as  well 
as  carried  ou  a  large  jDraetice,  is  John  Samuel 
Goodwin,  whose  offices  are  at  No.  304,  1S4  La 
Salle  street,  but  whose  residence  is  at  Naper- 
ville.  Like  many  of  the  substantial  men  of  this 
part  of  the  State,  whose  business  is  in  Chicago, 
he  prefers  to  live  outside  the  bustle  and  confu- 
sion of  the  city  in  bis  beautiful  home  at  Xaper- 
vllle.  Mr.  Goodwin  was  born  at  Ediuburg,  In- 
diana, March  16,  185S,  being  a  son  of  the  Rev. 
William  Rees  and  Susan  Ann  (Keely)  Goodwin. 

Mr.  Goodwin  was  educated  at  the  Indiana  As- 
bury.  now  De  Pauw  Tniversity,  being  gradu- 
ated therefrom  in  the  Class  of  1ST7,  as  Valedic- 
torian of  his  class,  with  the  degrees  of  A.  B. 
and  A.  M.,  and  has  since  received  the  Phi  Beta 
Kappa  key.  In  1910,  he  was  honored  by  his 
university  by  being  appointed  one  of  its  Trus- 
tees. After  leaving  the  university,  Mr.  Goodwin 
vi'ent  to  Indianapolis,  Ind.,  where  he  was  ad- 
mitted to  the  Bar  in  May,  1S7S.  In  September 
of  that  year  he  went  to  Beloit,  Kas.  In  1S91.  he 
located  in  Chicago,  forming  a  partnership  with 
General  John  C.  Black,  under  the  firm  caption  of 
Black  &  Goodwin,  for  the  purpose  of  practicing 
law,  and  this  continues.  For  seventeen  years. 
Mr.  Goodwin  has  been  a  bank  attorney.  He  was 
a  member  of  a  s.vndicate  of  four  which  consoli- 
dated the  Sioux  City,  la.,  Street  Railways. 
While  engaged  in  active  practice.  Mr.  Goodwin 
has  found  opportunity  to  make  four  somewhat 
extended  trips  abroad.  In  18S3.  he  became  in- 
terested in  Aberdeen-Angus  cattle,  which  led 
up  to  the  purchase,  in  1902,  of  the  Ellsworth 
estate,  and  adjoining  lands  in  and  about  Nap- 
erville.  as  a  home  for  the  Heatherton  herd  of 
these  cattle.  This  herd  is  next  to  the  oldest  In 
America,  and  the  farm  is  visited  annually  by 
hundreds  of  people  who  are  interested  in  modern 
country  home  life  and  in  fine  stock. 

Mr.  Goodwin  was  married  October  7,  1880,  at 
Danville,    111.,    to   Mary   Elizabeth    Forbes,   and 


oue  daughter,  Mrs.  Suzanne  (Goodwin)  John- 
ston, has  been  born  to  them.  A  Republican,  Mr. 
(ioodwin  has  been  called  upon  to  represent  his 
party  upon  many  occasions  and  served  as  Depu- 
ty County  Attorney  of  Mitchell  County,  Kas. ; 
Judge  pro  tern  of  the  District  Court,  City  Judge 
of  Beloit,  Kas.,  and  in  1900,  was  elected  City 
Attorney  of  Xaperville.  He  belongs  to  the 
Hamilton,  the  Union  League,  Saddle  &  Sirloin 
Clubs,  the  Beta  Theta  Pi  fraternity  and  Is  a 
Thirty-second  degree  Mason.  The  Methodist 
(  hurch  holds  his  membership. 

GOODWIN,  William  RansdaU.  One  of  the  con- 
ditions prevailing  in  any  town  or  village  adja- 
cent to  one  or  other  of  the  large  cities  of  the 
country,  is  the  living  in  them  of  men  whose  busi- 
ness interests  are  located  elsewhere.  These  men 
establish  their  homes  away  from  the  noise  and 
bustle  of  the  city,  realizing  that  In  the  more 
rural  surroundings  their  families  can  enjoy  a 
healthier  life.  One  of  the  representative  men  of 
Du  Page  County,  whose  home  is  the  Oakhurst 
Farm,  Naperville,  is  William  Ransdall  Goodwin, 
managing  editor  of  the  Breeders"  Gazette,  issued 
by  the  Sanders  Publishing  Co.,  of  which  he  is 
vice-president,  at  Xo.  542  South  Dearborn  street; 
Chicago.  Mr.  Goodwin  was  born  in  Brookville, 
Ind.,  August  19,  1863,  being  a  son  of  William 
Kees  and  Sue  A.    (Keely)    Goodwin. 

Mr.  Goodwin  was  educated  at  the  Illinois  Wes- 
leyan  University  from  1879  to  ISSl ;  and  the  In- 
diana Asbury  University  from  which  he  was 
graduated  in  1883  with  the  degrees  of  B.  A., 
taking  his  M.  A.  later.  For  a  year  following  his 
graduation  he  managed  Goodwin  Park  Stock 
Farm,  at  Beloit,  Kas.,  and  later  was  traveling 
correspondent  for  the  Kansas  City  Live  Stock 
Indicator.  In  1885  he  became  connected  with 
the  Breeder's  Gazette,  and  has  thus  continued 
for  over  a  quarter  of  a  century.  Through  his 
efforts  and  those  of  his  associates  this  journal 
has  become  a  recognized  authority  among  stock- 
men the  country  over. 

In  1889  Mr.  Goodwin  located  at  Xaperville.  but 
he  has  been  a  resident  of  Illinois  for  twenty-five 
.years.  His  farm  is  one  of  the  show  places  of 
Du   Page  County. 

On  Xovember  3.  1892.  Mr.  Goodwin  was  mar- 
ried to  Mary  Eva   Putman  Hazlett,  at  Quincy. 


HISTORY  OF  DU  PAGE  COUNTY, 


111.  Tbey  have  oue  sou,  Mortimer.  In  politics 
Mr.  Goodwiu  is  an  Indeiieudent  Republican. 
His  religious  attiliatious  are  with  the  First  Con- 
gregational Chruch  of  Xaperville.  .Socially  he 
belongs  to  the  Saddle  and  Sirloin  Club  and  the 
Chicago   Automobile   Club. 

GORDON,  Wilham  Gilchrist,  assistant  auditor 
for  the  treasury  department  of  the  Chicago,  Bur- 
lington and  Quiucy  Itailroad,  with  residence  at 
No.  72  North  Washington  street,  Hinsdale, 
Downer's  Grove  Township,  Du  Page  County,  111., 
is  one  of  the  substantial  men  of  this  locality. 
He  was  born  at  Taunton,  Mass.,  November  16, 
1S3G,  being  a  son  of  William  Alexander  and 
Maria  (Williams)  Gordon,  the  former  born  In 
Ilingham,  Mass.,  in  ISIO,  and  the  latter  at 
Taunton.  William  Alexander  Gordon  was  a  phy- 
sician, a  graduate  of  Harvard,  Class  of  1S26, 
studied  medicine  and  practiced  in  several  Mas- 
sachusetts communities,  Anally  settling  at  New 
Bedford,  that  State,  where  he  resided  from  1S39, 
until  his  death  January  14,  1SS7.  The  maternal 
grandfather  was  a  Chief  Justice  of  the  State 
(if  Massachusetts.  The  Gordon  family  is  of 
Scotch  descent,  the  founder  of  the  family  com- 
ing to  America  as  a  prisoner  of  war,  sent  here 
by  Oliver  Cromwell  because  of  his  loyalty  to  the 
Stuarts.  Later  he  was  released,  and  settled  at 
Exeter,  N.  II. 

William  Gilchrist  Gordon  was  educated  at 
New  Bedford  high  school,  Bristol  academy  at 
Taunton,  and  Harvard  University,  and  spent  a 
year  at  the  Dresden  (Germany)  Polytechnic 
school.  Mr.  Gordon  taught  in  Taunton,  both  in 
the  high  school  and  Bristol  academy,  in  the 
New  Bedford  high  school  and  academy,  and  in 
private  schools  at  Springfield  and  Burlington, 
la.  From  March  1S73  to  April,  1S75,  Mr.  Gor- 
don was  in  Nova  Scotia,  where  he  was  in  charge 
of  the  opening  and  operation  of  a  stone  quarry 
on  the  Bay  of  Fundy.  In  November,  1SS4,  he 
accepted  his  present  position,  the  duties  of 
which  he  has  acceptably  filled  ever  since.  He 
has  been  connected  with  the  the  Massachusetts 
Woman  Suffrage  Association,  and  belonged  to  the 
State  Committee  connected  with  its  workings,  be- 
ing associated  with  Julia  Ward  Howe  and  Franli 
R.  Sanborn  of  Massachusetts.  Always  a  Republi- 
can, he  never  failed  to  vote  for  the  candidates  of 
that  party  with  the  exception  of  the  two  cam- 
paigns of  Grover  Cleveland,  when  he  cast  his 
vote    for    him,    believing    in    the   man.      He    is 


strongly  in  favor  of  a  tariff  revision  downward 
towards  something  approaching  Free  Trade. 
Since  locating  in  Hinsdale,  Mr.  Gordon  has  been 
a  member  of  the  School  Board  thirteen  years, 
four  of  which  he  was  its  president.  He  was  a 
member  of  the  library  board  for  fourteen  years. 
For  nine  years  he  has  been  a  member  of  the 
Golf  Club ;  for  nineteen  years  has  been  a  mem- 
ber of  the  Hinsdale  Club,  and  for  twenty-live 
years  has  been  a  member  of  the  Harvard  Club 
of  Chicago.  While  in  college,  he  was  a  member 
of  the  Hasty  Pudding  Club,  the  Cricket  Club, 
the  Zeta  Psi,  and  while  living  in  Springfield, 
Mass.,  he  was  secretary  of  the  Springfield  Sci- 
entific Association,  and  member  of  the  Hampton 
County  Teachers'  Association.  During  his  child- 
hood, he  connected  himself  with  the  Unitarian 
Church,  and  believes  in  •  "Freedom,  Fellowship 
and  Character''  as  the  essentials  of  religion, 
and  for  nine  years  served  as  president  of  the 
Board  of  Trustees  of  Unity  Church  of  Hinsdale, 
ami  three  more  as  member  of  it.  He  is  a  mem- 
ber of  the  Unity  Club  of  that  church,  and  of  the 
Men's  Clubs  of  the  Episcopal  Church  there. 

While  residing  in  Taunton,  he  was  married, 
May  11.  ISUl,  to  Sarah  Otis  Storrs,  born  iu 
Bristol,  N.  Y.,  daughter  of  Otis  and  .  Ann 
(Bourne)  Storrs.  Mr.  and  Mrs.  Gordon  have 
three  living  children :  Mabel,  Helen  and  William 
Alexander,  and  one,  Alice,  died  in  infancy, 
lie  owns  his  residence  at  No.  72  North  Washing- 
ton street,  Hinsdale.  Independent  in  his  views 
with  regard  to  political  and  religious  matters, 
Mr.  Gordon  is  singularly  free  from  prejudice, 
and  open  to  conviction.  Social  by  nature,  he 
enjoys  gathering  his  friends  about  him,  but  does 
not  care  for  so-called  fa.shionable  life.  He  and 
his  wife  celebrated  their  golden  wedding  in 
1911. 

GRAHAM,   David   Gordon,   deceased.    In   every 

comniuuity,  large  or  small,  there  are  found  men, 
who  by  their  personality,  enterprise  and  natural 
ability  rise  above  their  fellows  and  gain  an  en- 
viable place  in  the  esteem  of  all.  Du  Page 
county.  111.,  has  furnished  many  such  men,  who 
have  made  their  mark  in  more  than  one  line, 
not  limiting  their  activities  to  the  following 
and  cultivating  of  their  own  interests,  but  find- 
ing time  to  give  attention  to  public,  educational 
and  charitable  movements.  Such  a  man  was  the 
late  David  Gordon  Graham,  who.  during  a  long 
and  active  career  in  Downer's   Grove,   111.,   en- 


HISTORY  OF  DU  PAGE  COUNTY. 


889 


ileared  bimself  to  those  wbo  were  in  need, 
earned  the  esteem  and  respect  of  all  as  an  of- 
ficial, and  made  his  personality  felt  in  every 
walk  of  life. 

Mr.  Graham  was  horn  January  IS.  183S.  in 
Cambridge,  X.  Y..  a  son  of  William  I.  and 
Eunice  (Gillette)  Graham.  lie  spent  his  boy- 
hood in  the  vicinity  of  his  birthplace,  near  Lake 
George,  but  at  the  age  of  fourteen  years  he 
moved  to  Reynoldsburg.  Ohio,  and  there  he  grew 
to  manhood.  On  May  3.  1SC.">.  he  was  married 
to  Mary  Ann  Graham,  who  survives  him  with 
two  daughters,  Mrs.  Hugh  Ilenning,  of  Piano, 
and  Mrs.  William  H.  Blodgett,  of  Downer's 
Grove. 

Mr.  Graham.  affectionately  known  in 
Downer's  Grove  as  "Judge."  had  a  successful 
career  in  business  and  official  life.  As  a  young 
man  he  taught  school  in  Ohio,  later  entered  the 
mercantile  business  in  Illinois,  whence  he  had 
come  hi  1872.  was  for  .years  police  magistrate 
and  justice  of  the  peace,  also  serving  as  post- 
master and  in  his  later  years  was  successfully 
engaged  in  a  real  estate  business.  In  political 
matters  he  was  a  Republican  and  was  always 
faithful  to  the  principles  of  that  party .__Jii. 
younger  days  a  United  Pre.sbyterian.^Ue- "later 
joined  the  Congregational  church,  atid-^i  '.th^:*  ' 
time  of  his  death  he  was  senior  deacon  and 
treasurer  of  the  First  church  of  that  denom- 
ination. •       • 

No  better  nor  more  fitting  tribute  ta  this  man- 
could  be  added  to  this  sketch  than  the  obituary 
written  by  one  of  his  own  townsmen,  which  ap- 
peared in  one  of  the  local  papers  at  the  time  of 
his  death,  and  which  was  in  part  as  follows: 

"No  braver,  better,  kindlier  spirit  ever  sped 
from  earth  than  the  great  soul  of  him  whom 
we  are  proud  to  call  pur  friend ;  who  in  a  thou- 
sand ways  won  our  love;  whose  generous  heart, 
whose  sterling  manhood  and  stanch  integrity 
had  earned  our  homage  and  respect.  For  more 
than  twenty  years  our  friend — The  Judge, — as 
many  loved  to  call  him,  has  been  identified  with 
the  life  of  the  village,  and  it  is  no  exaggeration 
to  say  that  the  entire  community  mourns  his 
departure. 

"Modest  and  unassuming  in  all  his  ways, 
kind  and  gentle  always,  but  stern  and  inflexible 
when  a  question  of  right  or  wrong  was  in- 
volved, he  made  for  himself  a  place  as  counselor 
and  guide  which  rarely  has  been  equaled.  He 
was  a   Christian,   but  his   charity  was  broader 

18 


than  all  creeds.  He  was  a  magistrate,  but  his 
justice  was  not  bounded  by  the  covers  of  any 
law  book.  He  was  a  man  with  all  the  attributes 
of  splendid  manhood." 

GRANGE,  Luther  H.  The  practice  of  law  in 
Du  Page  county  calls  forth  the  best  in  a  man 
and  makes  necessary  a  full  comprehension  of 
both  the  theory  and  philosophy  of  law.  One 
of  the  men  who  has  met  with  a  remarkable  suc- 
cess as  an  attorney  of  this  locality  is  Luther  H. 
Grange  of  Wheaton.  He  was  born  at  Eldred- 
ville.  Sullivan  county.  Penn.,  February  13,  1859, 
being  a  son  of  John  W.  and  Eliza  (Vough) 
Grange.  Both  the  Grange  and  Vough  families 
originated  In  England,  from  whence  the  grand- 
parents emigrated  being  eleven  weeks  on  the 
passage  across  the  Atlantic  in  a  sailing  vessel. 
They  went  directly  to  Pennsylvania,  and  lo- 
cated in  Eldredville. 

Luther  H.  Grange  was  educated  at  Towanda, 
Penn.,  in  the  Susquehanna  Collegiate  Institute, 
and  was  graduated  in  1S8.J.  from  the  Allen  Busi- 
ness College  at  Elmira,  X.  Y.,  but  prior  to  this 
last  course,  Mr.  Grange  taught  school  two  terms 
in  iiis  native  county.  Immediately  following  his 
graduati<in.  he  went  to  Houghton.  N.  Y..  to  be- 
came'principal  of  the  commercial  department  of 
the  Wesleyan  Seminary  at  that  place,  remain- 
ing there  two  years. 
,.  fW  xeifr  188!>.  marks  Mr.  Grange's  location 
in  'U'heatoo,  where  he  was  engaged  in  educa- 
tional work.  He  was  principal  for  seven  years 
of  the  Glen  Ellyn  public  high  school.  During 
the  last  three  years  of  his  occupancy  of  this 
position,  Mr.  Grange  studied  law  at  the  Chicago 
College  of  Law,  attending  the  night  sessions, 
and  was  graduated  therefrom  in  1898.  He  im- 
mediately opened  an  otfice  at  Wheaton,  and  be- 
gan the  practice  of  his  profession.  In  the  mean- 
while, he  continued  his  legal  studies,  taking  a 
post-graduate  course  of  one  year  at  the  same  in- 
stitution. He  met  with  fair  success  from  the 
start,  and  soon  ranked  with  the  leading  at- 
torneys of  Wheaton.  His  practice  has  steadily 
increased  until  he  now  enjoys  a  lucrative  pat- 
ronage. Mr.  Grange  takes  great  care  in  the 
preparation  of  his  cases,  and  leaves  no  stone 
unturned  in  digging  into  the  merits  and  de- 
merits of  any  case  he  may  be  engaged  upon. 
The  result  is  that  he  goes  Into  court  with  a 
thorough  equipment  for  the  ensuing  battle  so 
that  he  has  won  a  large  majority  of  his  cases. 


890 


HISTORY  OF  DU  PAGE  COUNTY. 


having  never  lost  any  of  importance.  He  ranks 
especialy  higti  as  a  trial  lawyer,  for  he  has  not 
only  a  close  and  Intimate  knowledge  of  law,  but 
also  of  human  nature,  and  is  quick  to  note  a 
weakness  in  the  case,  or  the  personnel  of  an 
opposing  advocate.  This  gives  him  additional 
forensic  weapons  against  the  enemy,  and  these 
advantages  combined  with  his  earnestness  and 
persistency  result  in  the  remarkable  success 
which  has  been  his.  He  has  one  of  the  best 
and  most  extensive  law  libraries  in  northern 
Illinois  and  by  far  the  best  in  Du  Page  county. 
Mr.  Grange  was  reared  in  the  Methodist 
church  and  has  always  been  consistent  and 
earnest  in  his  support  of  the  Christian  faith, 
now  belonging  to  the  Congregational  church  of 
Wheaton. 

GRANGER,  Francis,  a  resident  of  Du  Page 
County  for  more  than  seventy  years,  and  now 
President  of  the  First  National  Bank  of  Xaper- 
ville,  is  well  known  throughout  the  county  as 
an  able  and  enterprising  business  man  and 
public-spirited  citizen.  He  was  born  in  New 
Tork  City  in  1839.  and  accompanied  his  parents, 
who  were  farmers,  to  Illinois  when  about  one 
year  old.  They  located  in  Du  Page  County  and 
he  remained  on  a  farm  until  1S93,  since  which 
time  he  has  resided  in  Naperville.  He  was  edu- 
cated In  private  schools  and  as  a  boy  displayed 
business  ability  and  acumen.  He  was  successful 
in  his  agricultural  operations  and  was  prom- 
inent in  local  affairs,  serving  one  term  as  Super- 
visor, thirty  years  as  School  Trustee,  and  one 
term  as  Highway  Commissioner. 

In  1891,  Jlr.  Granger  helped  organize  the 
First  National  Bank,  of  -which  he  served  as 
director  two  years  and  in  Januarj-,  1893,  became 
cashier,  holding  this  position  until  January, 
1910,  when  he  was  elected  vice  president.  Since 
September,  of  the  same  year  he  has  been  presi- 
dent, and  in  his  management  of  the  affairs  of 
the  Institution  is  guided  by  exi>erieuce  and 
natural  ability,  being  fully  informed  of  every 
detail  of  the  building  up  of  the  establishment. 
For  the  past  seven  years,  Mr.  Granger  has 
served  as  President  of  the  West  Side  Board  of 
Education  and  served  one  year  as  Alderman. 
He  has  various  business  interests  in  the  county 
and  is  director  and  treasurer  of  J.  L.  Nichols 
Publishing  Company,  of  Naperville. 

Mr.  Granger  was  married  in  1S65,  to  Miss 
Vienna    Wright,    and    they    have    one   adopted 


daughter,  now  Mrs.  A.  C.  Uuger,  of  Naperville, 
whose  husband  is  a  traveling  salesman.  Mr. 
and  Mrs.  Unger  have  two  children,  Frances  E. 
and  Arthur  Clayton,  Jr.  Mr.  Granger  takes  an 
Intelligent  interest  in  the  welfare  and  develop- 
ment of  his  community  and  is  highly  esteemed 
as  a  citizen.  He  is  a  member  of  the  Congrega- 
tional Church,  of  which  he  ser^-ed  as  deacon 
twenty-three  years  and  ten  years  as  treasurer. 

GROSSE,  Rev.  T.  Joh,  who  for  many  years  past 
has  been  intimately  associated  with  the  affairs 
of  the  German  Lutheran  churches  and  other 
religious  organizations  in  Du  Page  county,  was 
bom  in  St.  Louis,  Mo.,  April  24,  1844,  a  son  of 
Moritz  Grosse.  who  was  bom  in  1813  and  be- 
came a  teacher.  In  1838,  he  came  to  St.  Louis, 
in  a  sailing  vessel,  the  trip  consuming  three 
months.  On  November  23,  1840,  he  was  mar- 
ried in  St.  Louis  to  Minnie  Hahn,  daughter  of 
George  Hahn. 

The  seven  children  born  to  him  and  his  wife 
were:  Elizabeth,  who  was  born  February  13, 
1842;  Moritz,  who  was  born  April  22,  1843;  T. 
Joh ;  Martin,  who  was  born  April  1.5,  1845 ; 
Benjamin,  who  was  born  June  28.  1846 ;  Minnie, 
who  was  born  July  14,  1848;  and  Pauline,  who 
was  born  June  18.   1849. 

When  T.  Joh  Grosse  was  five  years  of  age 
the  family  was  stricken  with  cholera  and  five 
of  the  seven  children :  Lizzie  Moritz,  Benjamin, 
Minnie  and  Pauline,  and  their  mother,  died 
soon  afterwards.  The  only  survivors  were  the 
father  and  two  sons,  Martin  and  T.  Joh,  and 
Martin  died  October  7,  1906.  The  father  died 
in  St.  Louis,  when  about  sixty-seven  years  old. 

After  receivng  his  education  in  a  parochial 
school,  T.  Joh  Grosse.  at  the  age  of  twelve 
years  entered  college,  and  he  was  graduated 
from  the  Theological  Seminary  at  St.  Louis, 
November  17,  1864.  His  first  charge  was  St. 
Paul's  Evangelical  Lutheran  church,  of  Chicago, 
of  which  he  was  the  second  pastor.  His  second 
call  was  St.  John's  church  of  Chicago.  Later 
he  received  a  call  to  teach  in  the  seminary  in 
Addison  township,  where  he  remained  from  1875 
until  1879,  then  being  installed  as  pastor  of  the 
church  in  Addison  township  known  as  the 
Evangelical  Lutheran  Science  church,  where  he 
has  since  labored  faithfully  and  with  gratifying 
results.  The  church  building  was  erected  in 
1861.  and  now  has  a  voting  membership  of 
ninet.v-three ;  although  counting  all  the  children. 


HISTORY  OF  DU  PAGE  COUNTY. 


891 


to  the  youngest  baby,  there  .ire  5.34  members, 
and  there  are  two  parochial  German  and  Eng- 
lish schools,  attended  by  fifty-nine  children  at 
this  time.  During  its  early  days,  the  members 
of  this  church  lived  in  a  district  fifteen  miles 
from  east  to  west  and  ten  miles  from  north  to 
south,  but  there  have  been  other  churches  built 
nearer  since  that  time.  The  land  owned  by  the 
eliurch  was  purchased  January  4,  1844,  of  Louis 
Schmidt,  who  sold  forty-eight  and  eighty-seven 
hundredths  acres  for  $200,  and  this  laud  has 
since  been  held  by  the  organization. 

During  the  Civil  war,  the  Rev.  Grosse  was  a 
member  of  the  St.  Louis  militia  and  served  about 
two  years,  but  was  exempted  a  short  time  before 
the  close  of  his  term  of  enlistment. 

On  November  27,  18G6,  the  Rev.  Grosse  mar- 
ried Louisa  Maria  Dorothy  Bartling,  daughter 
of  Hon.  Henry  and  Dorothy  (Kruse)  Bartling, 
and  one  child,  Amanda,  was  born,  on  April  7, 
1868,  and  died  July  2  of  the  same  year.  Mrs. 
Grosse  was  born  July  24,  1847,  in  Addison  town- 
ship, and  died  April  24,  1868.  The  Rev.  Grosse 
married  (second)  May  9,  1869,  Louise  Freder- 
ica  Johanna  Massmann.  daughter  of  August  and 
Sophia  (Mohns)  Massmann,  and  they  became 
parents  of  children  as  follows :  Henry,  who 
was  born  February  15.  1870,  married  Amanda 
Dauehl,  and  they  live  in  Wisconsin ;  Louise,  who 
was  born  February  15,  1872;  Mrs.  Louis  Dann- 
meier ;  Theodore,  who  was  born  November  28, 
1874,  is  deceased;  John,  who  was  born  Novem- 
ber 10.  1876,  is  pastor  of  a  church  at  Batavia  ; 
Herman,  who  was  born  February  24,  1878,  is 
also  deceased ;  Enuua,  who  was  born  July  20, 
1881,  married  Fred  Metzsche,  and  died  in  1907 ; 
Anna,  who  was  born  September  1,  1883,  is  at 
home;  William,  who  was  born  February  15,  1886, 
is  a  teacher,  living  in  Chicago ;  and  Helen,  who 
was  born  November  19,  1888.  died  at  the  age  of 
one  year. 

The  Rev.  Grosse  is  now  serving  as  president 
of  the  orphanage  connected  with  the  church, 
which  is  located  in  .\ddison,  having  held  this 
position  since  1879,  and  he  has  had  563  orphans 
under  his  control  since  that  time.  For  a  period 
he  served  as  a  member  of  the  board  of  trustees 
of  the  college  in  Addison  township,  but  resigned 
this  post  in  1893.  He  is  much  beloved  and  re- 
spected by  his  jiarishioners,  being  well  acquaint- 
ed with  them  through  his  long  years  of  service 
in  this  field,  and  the  fact  that  he  has  been  so 
successful  in  his  work  and  has  lived  so  long  In 


one  place  is  evidence  of  his  ability  as  a  pastor 
and  his  high  character  as  a  man.  His  many 
acxjuaintauces  and  friends  both  in  the  church  and 
outside,  appreciate  his  personal  character  and 
value  his  regard.  He  planned  his  life  work  in 
early  youth  and  prepared  himself  carefully  for 
his  future  career,  and  has  continued  his  study 
and  reading  along  these  lines,  having  always 
displayed  a  ready  sympathy  for  those  under  his 
charge,  in  joy  and  sorrow,  sickness  and  health. 

GROTE,  Henry  W.  a  prominent  German-Ameri- 
can citizen  of  Wheaton,  now  retired  from  active 
life,  has  held  various  municipal  offices  and  has 
the  respect  and  confidence  of  all  who  know  him. 
Mr.  Grote  was  born  in  Hanover  in  1841,  son  of 
Cord  Henry  and  Helena  (Ahreus)  Grote.  The 
grandfather.  Conrad  Grote,  came  to  America  in 
1S49,  and  in  1855  C.  H.  Grote  brought  his  fam- 
ily, settling  in  Chicago.  At  the  time  of  their 
coming  Henry  W.  was  fourteen  years  of  age 
and  had  been  educated  in  his  native  place. 

On  May  1.  1867,  Mr.  Grote  married  Mary  A. 
Hagerman,  of  Wheaton,  daughter  of  Dr.  F.  C. 
Hagermau,  born  in  Chicago  in  1847.  The  year 
following  Mr.  Grote  engaged  in  business  in 
Wheaton  in  the  line  of  general  merchandise,  and 
continued  this  enterprise  until  1S9S.  when  he 
sold  out  and  retired  from  active  business.  Four 
children  were  born  to  him  and  his  wife:  Wil- 
liam Frederick,  born  March  4,  1S6S ;  Henry  Wal- 
lace, July  11,  1869;  Harriet  Mary,  March  25, 
1S71 ;  Louis  Arthur,  February  20,  ISSO.  William 
Frederick  married  Agnes  Field,  of  Detroit,  Mich., 
and  they  have  three  children — Margaret,  Wil- 
liam Frederick,  Jr.,  and  Mai-j-  Elizabeth,  the 
two  oldest  born  in  Fort  leavenworth,  Kan.,  and 
the  youngest  in  Wyoming.  William  Frederick 
Grote  was  appointed  a  cadet  to  West  Point  Mili- 
tary Academy,  July  1,  1SS7,  and  four  years  later 
was  graduated  with  rank  of  Second  Lieutenant. 
His  first  service  was  with  the  Eighteenth  Infan- 
try, to  which  he  still  belongs,  though  for  some 
time  past  he  has  not  been  stationed  with  his 
regiment,  having  served  as  Commissary  in  the 
Philippines.  At  present  he  is  studying  in  the 
Army  and  Navy  School  at  Fort  Leavenworth. 
The  second  child  o*'  Henry  W.  Grote,  Henry 
Wallace,  married  Florence  Hnbbert,  and  they 
have  one  child,  Louise.  The  third  child,  Har- 
riet M.,  married  S.  C.  Reber,  and  they  live  at 
Wheaton.  Louis  Arthur,  the  youngest  child, 
married    Pearl    Robinson    and    they    have    two 


892 


HISTORY  OF  DU  PAGE  COUNIY. 


children.  Mrs.  Mary  Grote  died  December 
28,  1905.  In  political  views,  Mr.  Grote  is  in- 
dependent. He  lias  served  as  School  Director, 
City  Treasurer.  Alderman,  and  one  term  as 
Mayor,  being  one  of  the  best-known  men  in  the 
city  and  popular  in  many  circles.  Fraternally, 
he  is  a  Royal  Arch  Mason. 

GRUPE,  Henry,  one  of  the  substantial  resi- 
dents of  Bloomingdale.  has  for  some  years  been 
retired  from  active  business  life.  He  was  born 
at  Elkgrove.  Cook  count.v,  111.,  March  21,  18G0, 
a  son  of  Charles  and  Carolina  (Klinehaus) 
Grui>e.  who  were  both  natives  of  Germany,  the 
father  being  born  at  Hesse  Cassel,  and  the 
mother  at  Brownswig.  She  was  a  daughter  of 
William  Klinehaus,  who  came  to  Cook  county, 
111.,  at  an  early  day.  Mr.  Klinehaus,  his  wife 
and  one  daughter,  died  in  18.j2,  of  cholera,  with- 
in a  few  hours  of  each  other,  their  deaths  oc- 
curring in  Cook  county.  Charles  Grupe  worked 
as  a  farmer  for  a  few  years  in  Bloomingdale 
township,  then  in  1852  went  to  California,  where 
he  prospected  for  gold  mines  and  then  con- 
ducted a  butchering  business  there  for  four 
years.  Returning  to  Illinois,  he  married  and 
located  at  Elkgrove.  Subsequently  he  sold  out 
there  and  purchased  a  farm  in  Bloomingdale 
township,  where  his  death  occurred  July  5,  1889. 
His  wife  had  died  in  ISOO.  Their  children  were: 
Sophia,  Mrs.  Fred  Ehlers,  of  Bloomingdale,  and 
Henry. 

Henry  Grupe  remained  with  his  parents  as 
long  as  they  lived,  and  after  his  father's  death 
carried  on  the  farm  for  twelve  years,  purchas- 
ing his  sister's  share  of  one  hundred  and  twenty- 
four  and  one-half  acres,  after  which  he  made  va- 
rious improvements.  In  1898,  he  was  compelled 
to  retire  from  active  work  on  account  of  sick- 
ness and  moved  to  Bloomingdale,  where  he  owns 
a  comfortable  residence. 

On  October  7,  1886,  Mr.  Grupe  married  Ber- 
tha Haberstich.  born  in  Addison  township  July 
18.  1860,  daughter  of  Christian  and  Elizabeth 
(Xeeinswander)  Haberstich,  natives  of  Switzer- 
land. Children  as  follows  have  blessed  this 
union:  Amanda;  Minnie;  Mrs.  Charles  Bon- 
horst,  who  lives  in  South  Dakota;  William; 
Walter,  who  died  July  9,  1910,  at  the  age  of 
eighteen  years ;  Henry ;  Emma  ;  Lena  ;  Lucy, 
who  died  August  21,  1912 ;  and  Victor.  Mr. 
Grupe  and  family  are  members  of  the  German 


Evangelical  church.  He  received  his  education 
chiefly  in  German  schools,  having  attended  an 
English  school  but  about  two  months,  but  he  has 
learned  to  read  and  write  the  English  language 
fluently  and  has  always  taken  an  active  interest 
in  public  affairs.  A  Democrat  in  politics,  he  has 
served  as  a  collector  and  assessor  in  his  township, 
holdiug  the  latter  othce  at  the  present  time. 

GUILD,  William  Lyman,  M.  D.,  a  prominent 
physician,  who  practices  his  profession  in  the 
vicinity  of  Wayne,  Du  Page  County,  and  every 
afternoon  occupies  an  othce  in  the  city  of 
Wheaton,  is  a  native  of  the  county  and  has  spent 
his  entire  life  here.  Dr.  Guild  was  born  at 
Wayne  Center,  December  5,  1S59,  son  of  Elias 
C.  and  Alice  (Blair)  Guild.  The  father  was  born 
at  Conway,  Mass.,  April  10,  1833,  and  the  mother 
at  Edinburgh,  Scotland,  December  22,  1S34.  The 
Blair  family  came  to  America  in  1846,  and  lo- 
cated at  St.  Charles,  111.,  where  Mrs.  Guild  grew 
to  womanhood.  Elias  Guild  came  to  Illinois  in 
1S40,  with  his  parents,  Israel  and  Rachel  (Kel- 
logg) Guild,  also  natives  of  Massachusetts.  Is- 
rael Guild  was  a  carpenter  by  trade,  but  located 
on  a  farm  at  Wayne  Center  and  there  he  and  his 
wife  died. 

Elias  Guild  was  educated  in  the  district 
school,  Beloit  (Wis.)  College  and  Bennett  Medi- 
cal College,  of  Chicago',  being  graduated  from 
the  latter  in  1S74.  He  had  spent  some  time  in 
farming  before  acquiring  his  medical  education, 
and  in  1874,  went  to  Bartlett,  111.,  where  he  prac- 
ticed fourteen  years,  and  in  1SS8,  came  to 
Wheaton,  where  he  continued  in  active  practice 
until  his  death  April  26,  1908.  He  was  promi- 
nent in  local  affairs  and  well  known  throughout 
the  county.  In  politics,  he  was  a  Republican 
and  he  served  as  Justice  of  the  Peace.  He  was 
married  at  St.  Charles  and  he  and  his  wife  had 
seven  children  who  reached  maturity,  namely : 
Charles  S.,  born  in  1858,  died  in  1879;  Dr.  Wil- 
liam L. ;  Newman  H.,  deceased ;  Mrs.  Alice  J. 
Loveless,  of  Wheaton ;  Mrs.  Mattie  L.  Squires, 
of  Wheaton  ;  Mrs.  Hattie  R.  Hadley,  of  Wheaton, 
whose  husband  is  State's  Attorney;  and  Rufus 
C,  running  a  hotel  at  Buffalo,  N.  Y.  Mrs. 
Guild  survives  her  husband  and  makes  her 
home  at  Wheaton.  Dr.  Elias  Guild  was  a  strong 
union  sympathizer  at  the  time  of  the  Civil 
War  and  conducted  an  "Underground  Railway" 
station  for  fleeing  slaves. 


>^^^S^<^^  &/^  (Hc^cA 


HISTORY  OP  DU  PAGE  COUNTY. 


893 


Dr.  William  L.  Guild  received  his  primary  edu- 
cation in  tlie  public  schools  of  Bartlett,  111., 
later  attended  Elgin  Academy,  and  early  be- 
came imbued  with  an  ambition  to  study  medi- 
cine, attending  Bennett  Medical  College  and 
Hahnemann  Medical  College,  both  of  Chicago. 
Upon  his  graduation  in  lsti4,  he  selected  a  lo- 
cation for  beginning  the  practice  of  his  profes- 
sion, and  has  since  been  living  at  Wayne.  He 
soon  established  himself  in  the  confidence  and 
esteem  of  all  who  came  into  contact  with  him  and 
won  an  enviable  reputation  in  his  profession. 
He  has  spent  his  afternoons  at  his  Wheaton 
office  since  1908.  He  is  a  member  of  Chicago 
Medical  Society,  the  Modern  Woodmen  of 
America,  Independent  Order  of  Odd  Fellows  and 
Benevolent  Protective  Order  of  Elks,  and  takes 
an  active  interest  in  all  these  organizations.  In 
politics  he  is  Republican  and  is  a  member  of 
the  Republican  County  Central  Committee,  for 
many  years  past  being  the  only  member  from 
Wayne  Township.  He  is  an  influential  and  pub- 
lie-spirited  citizen  and  representative  of  the 
best   interests  of   the  community. 

Dr.   Guild  was  married  January   2, -1.909,  "to - 
Miss  Susan  M.  Adams,  a  native  of  low^i.bprn 
in  1880,   and   one  child  has  blessed  t^is  union,* 
William    L.    Jr.,    born    February   22,   1910. 

HADLEY,  Charles  William,  Prosecuting  ,-l*ftor^* 
ney  of  Du  Page  County,  is  an  upright  lawyer 
who  is  an  honor  to  the  profession.  There 
is  no  man  who  comprehends  better  than  he 
the  ethics  of  his  calling,  nor  who  is  more  fear- 
less in  the  prosecution  of  evil  doers.  His  con- 
science dictates  his  policies  and  he  follows 
them  without  thought  of  personal  loss  or  gain. 
Mr.  Hadley  was  bom  October  17,  1875,  on 
the  old  Bates  farm  in  West  Chicago,  a  son 
of  Philip  Lewis  Hadley. 

The  Hadley  family  history  is  a  very  inter- 
esting one,  extending  far  back  in  the  world's 
records. 

According  to  the  Newberry  library,  the  name 
in  England  means  a  local  man.  and  is  found  in 
Hertford,  Middlesex  and  Staffordshire,  a  cor- 
ruption of  Hadleigh,  which  name  is  given  par- 
ishes in  Suffolk,  Essex,  Berkshire  and  Mid- 
dlesex. 

The  old  town  of  Hadley,  Mass..  was  named 
from  Hadleigh  or  Hadley,  England,  in  the  County 
of  Suffolk,  situated  on  the  small  river  Berton, 


a  branch  of  the  Stour,  a  few  miles  west  of  Ips- 
wich and  east  of  Sudbury. 

The  Saxon  name  of  Hadleigh  was  Headlege. 
It  is  believed  that  many  of  the  early  settlers 
of  Hartford,  Conn.,  were  from  that  place,  and 
that  some  of  the  ttrst  planters  of  Hadley  came 
from   there  also. 

The  English  town  of  Hadleigh  is  of  Saxon 
origin,  and  one  of  the  ancient  towns  of  England. 
It  is  probable  that  the  town  took  its  name  from 
some  member  of  the  family  who  anciently  dwelt 
in  old  Hadley,  England.  A  member  of  this 
family  was  Lord  Mayor  of  Londan,  from  1379 
to   1393. 

Coats  of  Arms.     There  are  several  coats   of 
arms  recorded  in  Burke's  General  Armory,  one 
of  which  was  granted  to  Simon  Charles  Hadley. 
Es(i.,    Alderman    and    Sheriff   of   London.     The 
distinguishing  features  of  this  is  three  falcons 
in  the  center  of  a  buckle.     The  crest  is  a  fal- 
con, holding  in  his  dexter   claw  a  buckle,  and 
holding  in  his  beak  three  ears  of  wheat. 
The  Motto   is, — "God  is  my  help." 
The   English    family   of    Hadley   is    doubtless 
■,  .of   SajLon  origin,   and  one  of  the  most  ancient 
,"  In  ■  England. 

'••■Sifiong  tile  most  famous  Hadleys  is  George 
Hadley  (1J3S5-17GS)  a  distinguished  scientific 
writer.  References  to  his  woi'k  are  to  be  found 
'•in-Jhe.  Dictionary  of  Xational  Biography,  the 
'\jeh^i'Ogical  Work  of  Savage,  the  History  of 
■Westminster  County,  Mass.,  the  New  England 
Historical  and  Genealogical  Record,  History  of 
Weare,  N.  H.,  History  of  Hancock  County,  N. 
II.,  History  of  Petersboro,  N.  PI.,  Who's  Who, 
and   Appleton's   Biograhical   Dictionary. 

Charles  William  Hadley's  personal  family 
history  is  traced  to  Philip  Hadley,  who  was 
probably  born  on  the  island  of  New  Bedford, 
Mass. 

The  son  of  Philip  Hadley,  Abiel  Hadley,  was 
also  without  doubt  born  in  New  Bedford.  It 
is  thought  that  he  moved  to  Milton  Township, 
Du  Page  County,  111.,  about  1840,  accompanied 
by  his  wife  and  two  sons,  Hiram  H.  and  Wil- 
liam G.  He  came  via  the  Great  Lakes  to  Chi- 
cago, landing  in  that  city  on  July  4,  and  from 
there  to  Naperville  by  team.  He  settled  on  a 
farm  in  Milton  Township,  one  mile  south  of 
Wheaton,  which  is  now  owned  by  George  Plam- 
dom.  the  steel  magnate.  This  property  consisted 
of    160    acres    entered    from    the    government. 


894 


HISTORY  OF  DU  PAGE  COUNTY. 


George  Hadley,  brother  of  Abiel  Hadley  came 
here  at  tlie  same  time,  aud  also  entered  land. 
Abiel  Hadley  and  wife  liad  cliildren  as  fol- 
lows: Hiram  Hitchcock,  William  B.  and  Mary 
Jane.  The  death  of  Abiel  Hadley  occurred  when 
he'  was  eighty-one  j'ears  old,  in  Wheaton,  he 
having  retired  there  in  18(j!>.  His  first  wife 
bore  the  maiden  name  of  Louisa  Oharwick,  and 
his  brother  George  maiTied  her  sister,  so  the 
families  were  doubly  united.  After  the  death 
of  his  first  wife,  Abiel  Hadley  married  a  second 
time,  but  had  no  issue.  In  religious  belief  he 
was  a  Wesleyan  Methodist. 

Hiram  Hitchcock  Hadley,  son  of  Abiel  Hadley, 
was  boru  in  182G,  perhaps  in  Xew  Bedford, 
but  probably  in  Vermont  to  which  state  it  is 
thought  his  father  had  removed  prior  to  the 
family  migration  to  Illinois.  He  was  about  fif- 
teen years  of  age  when  settlement  was  made  in 
Milton  Township,  and  grew  up  here.  His  mar- 
riage occurred  July  12,  1845,  to  Charity  Sophia 
Lewis,  daughter  of  John  P.  and  Charity  Lewis, 
after  which  he  settled  on  the  homestead.  He  put 
up  a  log  house  for  himself  and  wife,  then  bought 
more  laud  until  he  owned  ISO  acres.  About 
1854.  he  built  one  of  the  best  farm  houses  in 
his  section  aud  kept  on  adding  to  his  holdings 
until  he  was  one  of  the  heaviest  land  owners 
in  this  part  of  the  county.  In  politics,  he  was 
an  Abraham  Lincoln  IJepublican,  and  prominent 
in  his  party.  In  1892  or  1S03.  he  moved  to 
Wheaton,  where  he  died,  firm  in  the  faith  of  the 
Methodist  Church  of  which  he  had  long  been 
a  consistent  member. 

Philip  Lewis  Hadley,  son  of  Hiram  H.  Had- 
ley, and  father  of  Charles  William  Hadley,  was 
born  June  1,  1849,  on  the  Hadley  homestead, 
in  the  primitive  log  house.  He  had  a  common 
school  education,  and  was  reared  a  farmer. 
When  nineteen  years  old,  he  married,  January 
1.  1868,  at  West  Chicago,  Du  Page  County, 
Mary  Ellen  Roundy,  daughter  of  Gordon  Xeed- 
ham  and  Maria  Louisa  (Kimball)  Roundy.  The 
Rev.  Mr.  Kimball  was  a  pioneer  Methodist  min- 
ister, and  a  man  widely  known  and  respected 
for  his  eloquence  and  piet.v.  After  marriage, 
the  young  couple  lived  with  Hiram  H.  Hadley 
for  three  years,  and  then  moved  to  a  farm 
near  West  Chicago,  remaining  on  it  seven  or  eight 
years.  They  then  moved  to  the  farm  formerly 
occupied  by  George  Hadley.  which  Philip  L. 
Hadley  bought.  This  contained  eighty  acres, 
and  Mr.  Hadley  finally  added  forty  acres  to  It, 


V.  !iu  h  adjoined  his  property.  Here  he  made  his 
home  until  1892,  when  he  moved  to  the  Hadley 
homestead,  although  he  continued  to  manage 
this  property  in  conjunction  with  the  other.  They 
adjoined,  so  this  was  easily  done.  The  home- 
stead continued  the  home  of  Mr.  Hadley  until 
1S99,  when  he  returned  to  his  own  farm,  aud  in 
the  winter  of  1904-5,  he  retired  to  Wheaton, 
purchasiug  a  house  and  lot,  but  was  accident- 
ally killed,  being  struck  by  a  Chicago  and  ^'orth- 
western  train  at  Wheaton,  December  21,  1905. 
In  politics,  he  was  a  staunch  Republican,  hold- 
ing several  township  offices,  and  was  highly  re- 
spected for  his  integrity  and  honor.  Both  he 
aud  his  wife  were  members  of  the  Wesleyan 
Methodist  Church  while  living  on  the  farm, 
and  of  the  Gary  Methodist  Church  of  Wheaton 
after  locating  in  that  village.  The  children  bom 
to  this  estimable  couple  were:  Jessie  K.,  now 
Mrs.  Jesse  S.  Fox  of  Wheaton;  Charles  W. ; 
Rutherford  Philip,  of  Wheaton;  Mary  J.,  now 
Mrs.  E.  H.  DeWolf  of  Wheaton;  and  Gordon 
Xeedham,   of  Wheaton. 

Charles  William  Hadley  attended  district 
school  and  high  school,  then  entering  Wheaton 
College,  from  which  he  was  graduated  in  the 
Class  of  1899.  Entering  the  law  department 
of  the  Northwestern  Universit.v,  he  was  grad- 
uated therefrom  in  1902,  and  was  admitted 
to  the  bar.  practicing  at  Wheaton  and  Chicago. 
He  had  early  begun  to  take  an  active  part 
in  local  politics,  even  before  he  was  of  legal  age, 
and  was  elected  Justice  of  the  Peace  in  1900, 
before  he  had  completed  his  law  course.  After 
serving  one  term,  he  was  re-elec-ted,  and  soon 
thereafter  was  appointed  to  serve  the  unexpired 
term  of  Prosecuting  Attorne.v,  the  vacancy  hav- 
ing been  caused  by  the  death  of  H.  H.  Good- 
rich. His  peculiar  fitness  for  this  important 
office  was  so  aptly  demonstrated  by  his  hand- 
ling of  its  duties,  that  he  was  elected  to  it  in 
the  fall  of  1908,  and  still  holds  it,  being  one 
of  the  best  men  the  county  has  ever  had.  In 
1910,  his  brother  attorneys  honored  him  by 
electing  him  President  of  the  Illinois  State  At- 
torneys' Association.  Mr.  Hadley  is  one  of  the 
youngest  members  of  this  association,  and  has 
already  served  as  both  its  secretary  and  treas- 
urer. 

Mr.  Hadley  was  married  in  Wheaton,  Feb- 
ruary 4.  1904.  to  Harriet  Rachael  Guild,  born 
in  Bartlett,  June  3,  1877.  daughter  of  Elias 
C.  and  Alice  D.   (Blair)   Guild,  natives  of  Edin- 


HISTORY  OF  DU  PAGE  COUNTY. 


895 


burg,  Scotland.  Mr.  aud  Mrs.  Hadley  are  mem- 
bers of  the  Gary  Metbodist  Church.  Fratern- 
ally he  is  a  member  of  the  Modern  Woodmen. 

HAHN,  Albert  Edmond.  The  various  railroad 
corporations  are  glad  to  keep  in  their  employ 
men  whose  reliability  and  probity  they  have 
proven  through  years  of  faithful  service. 
Such  men  can  be  trusted  with  the  lives  of  the 
thousands  who  travel  over  the  road,  for  they 
never  leave  anything  undone  to  insure  safety 
and  comfort.  Albert  Edmond  Hahn,  passenger 
conductor  on  the  Chicago  and  Northwestern 
Railroad,  with  a  regular  run  between  Freeport 
and  Chicago,  is  a  man  who  has  worked  his 
way  upward  in  the  service,  and  who  is  univer- 
sally liked  by  the  patrons  of  this  company. 
He  was  born  in  the  place  which  is  now  his  home, 
West  Chicago,  although  at  that  time  it  bore 
the  name  of  Turner  Junction,  March  13,  185S. 
His  parents  were  Michael  and  Barbara  (Wahl) 
Hahn.  natives  of  Germany.  They  came  to 
America,  settling  first  in  Ohio,  but  after  a 
short  residence  in  that  state,  came  on  to  Turner 
Junction,  where  they  conducted  a  boarding  house, 
and  Mr.  Hahn  helped  to  build  the  road  with 
which  his  son  is  now  connected,  working  on 
the  doulile  track  from  Chicago  to  West  Chi- 
cago, in  charge  of  a  gang  of  men.  His  death 
occurred  in  1S79,  but  his  wife  died  in  1862. 
Their  children  were:  Michael  who  died  on  the 
trip  over ;  Barbara,  Mrs.  Charles  Engleman  of 
West  Chicago;  Charles  died  March  10,  1S91; 
Frank  of  West  Chicago,  also  a  conductor  with 
the  same  TX)ad  as  his  brother,  as  is  George, 
also  a  resident  of  West  Chicago ;  Albert  E. ; 
Christian,  who  died  March  17,  1S91,  being  frozen 
in  Montana.  xVfter  the  death  of  his  first  wife, 
Mr.  Hahn  married  Miss  Magdelena  Swartz, 
by  whom  he  had  four  children :  William  of  West 
Chicago,  an  employe  of  the  E.  J.  &  E.  Railroad ; 
Henry,  who  died  in  May,  1886;  Minnie,  Mrs. 
Christian  Kress,  Jr.  of  Winfield  Township,  and 
i:)'i  who  died  at  the  age  of  ten  years. 

When  he  was  only  twelve  years  old,  Albert 
E.  Hahn  began  working  to  support  himself. 
During  the  winter  months,  he  worked  on  the 
farm,  and  attended  school,  and  in  the  summer 
gave  his  whole  attention  to  the  farm  work. 
This  continued  until  he  was  eighteen  years  old, 
with  the  exception  of  a  year  he  spent  at  Morri- 
son, 111.,  where  he  attended  school.  When  he 
was    twenty    years    old,    be   began   working    as 


freight  brakeman  on  the  Chicago  and  North- 
western Railroad,  continuing  in  that  position 
from  September  28,  1877  to  1SS2,  when  he  was 
made  freight  conductor.  Six  years  later  he  was 
made  express  passenger  conductor,  and  in  1891, 
secured  his  regular  run  between  Freeport  and 
Chicago.  There  is  no  conductor  in  the  employ 
of  the  road  who  is  better  known,  or  who  stands 
higher   in    the   estimation   of   the  company. 

On  November  17,  1885,  Mr.  Hahn  was  married 
by  the  Rev.  Adrian  of  the  Congregational 
Church  to  Rose  Berg,  born  April  12,  1804,  in 
Watertown,  Wis.,  daughter  of  John  W.  and  Chris- 
tiana (Rudloff)  Berg,  natives  of  Germany.  They 
came  to  Wisconsin  in  18.57.  Mr.  Berg  was  in 
the  boot  and  shoe  business  until  his  death.  In 
1903.  His  widow  then  came  to  live  with  Mr. 
Hahn,  and  died  at  her  son's  in  Milwaukee 
while  on  a  visit,  January  31,  1908.  The  chil- 
dren born  to  Mr.  and  Mrs.  Hahn  were:  Frank 
George  died  in  infancy;  Ella  B.,  bom  March 
28,  18S9;  George  A.,  bom  June  18,  1S91;  Grace 
L.,   born  October  5,   1S96.  " 

Mr.  and  Mrs.  Hahn  belong  to  the  German 
Evangelical  Church,  and  the  children  belong 
to  the  Methodist  Church.  Mr.  Hahn  is  a  Re- 
publican aud  has  served  as  Village  Trustee 
seven  terms.  In  the  spring  of  1909,  he  was 
honored  by  election  to  the  office  of  Mayor  of 
West  Chicago  and  has  given  the  city  the  best 
administration  it  could  ever  hope  to  receive. 
A  high  Mason,  he  belongs  to  Amity  Lodge  No. 
472,  Doric  Chapter,  No.  66,  Gable  Council,  No. 
181,  Henrietta  Chapter  Eastern  Star,  No.  162, 
Chicago  Commandery,  No.  19,  Oriental  Consistory 
of  Chicago,  and  Medina  Temple  Shrine.  He 
also  belongs  to  the  Order  of  Railroad  Conduc- 
tors, No.  293,  having  been  a  member  since  1883 ; 
also  a  social  member  of  the  Modern  Woodmen  of 
America,  of  West  Chicago ;  of  the  West  Chicago 
City  Club,  and  for  three  years  was  treasurer 
of  the  German   Maennerchor. 

It  is  impossible  to  do  justice  in  so  brief  a 
review  to  a  man  of  Mr.  Hahn's  ability  and  genial 
personality.  He  makes  friends  everywhere,  and 
never  loses  them,  binding  them  to  him  by  that 
kindliness  of  action  and  word  which  cannot  be 
acquired,  but  must  be  born  in  a  man.  Able, 
enthusiastic,  devoted  to  his  work  and  party, 
Mr.  Hahn  has  proven  himself  one  of  the  leaders 
in  whatever  he  undertakes,  and  is  recognized 
as  one  of  the  most  representative  men  of  West 
Chicago. 


896 


HISTORY  OF  DU  PAGE  COUNTY. 


HAIGHT,  Hally,  deceased.  For  many  years  the 
late  Ilally  Haigbt  was  recognized  as  the  most 
scholarly  man  in  Du  Page  County.  Man  of 
letters,  able  lawyer,  disinguished  citizen  and 
aecomplislied  linguist,  he  occupied  a  position 
second  to  none,  not  only  in  XapervlUe,  which 
was  his  home,  but  throughout  northern  Illinois. 
Men  came  from  afar  to  consult  with  him  regard- 
ing complicated  legal  matters,  especially  those 
necessitating  an  intimate  knowledge  of  foreign 
tongues,  and  his  untimely  demise  not  only  deso- 
lated a  home,  but  a  community,  and  left  prac- 
tically friendless  the  large  number  of  aliens 
who  depended  upon  his  generous  kindliness  in 
the  translation  of  their  letters  and  the  transac- 
tion of  their  business  affairs. 

Mr.  HaigUt  was  born  two  miles  out  of  Naper- 
vJlle,  January  IG,  1863,  and  belonged  to  two  of 
the  old  families  of  Du  Page  County,  he  having 
been  a  son  of  the  old  time  Naperville  lawyer, 
the  late  John  Haight,  and  his  wife  Elmire 
(Hobson)  Haight.  The  Hobsons  were  the  first 
white  people  to  settle  in  Du  Page  County,  and 
it  is  from  the  account  dictated  in  her  old  age 
by  "Grandma"  Hobson,  that  some  of  the  enter- 
taining experiences  of  the  early  settlers  here, 
are  gleaned.  After  attending  district  school, 
Mr.  Haight  went  to  the  old  Academy  in  Naper- 
ville, and  the  Northwestern  College  here,  and 
matriculated  in  law  at  the  Union  College  of 
Law,  Chicago.  Always  intensely  ambitious,  he 
bent  his  energies  to  round  out  his  education  by 
studies  abroad,  and  after  he  had  finished  his 
legal  studies  at  the  University  of  Michigan, 
Class  of  1882,  and  been  admitted  to  the  bar,  he 
went  to  the  Mecca  of  all  Americans,  Paris, 
where  for  sixteen  months  he  studied  in  the  Uni- 
versity of  Paris,  and  in  various  famous  libraries, 
galleries  and  museums  of  that  city,  and  traveled 
in  various  European  countries.  From  childhood 
Mr.  Haight  showed  a  peculiar  aptitude  for 
languages,  and  at  the  time  of  his  death  read, 
wrote  and  spoke  fluently  not  only  Greek,  Latin 
and  Hebrew,  but  almost  all  of  the  modern 
tongues,  and  left  behind  him  some  very  valuable 
translations  of  hitherto  untouched  works  in 
foreign  languages. 

In  the  spring  of  1887,  Mr.  Haight  returned 
to  Naperville,  where  he  entered  into  an  active 
practice  which  continued  until  his  death.  On 
April  1,  1895,  he  and  Joseph  A.  Reuss  formed 
a  co-partnership  which  was  to  prove  of  mutual 
benefit   and   to   weld  a    friendship   begun  when 


the  junior  partner  started  upon  his  legal  studies 
under  the  instruction  of  the  senior.  The  two 
continued  together  until  the  last,  being  united 
by  more  than  business  ties,  for  the  love  be- 
tween them  was  that  of  two  brothers,  and  the 
partner  who  is  left,  mourns  his  loss  as  though 
the  same  blood  flowed  in  their  veins. 

In  so  short  an  article  it  is  impossible  to  do 
justice  to  an  intellect  like  that  possessed  by  Mr. 
Haight.  No  subject  was  too  deep  for  him  to 
fathom,  no  language  had  hidden  secrets  from 
him.  While  wrapped  in  contemplation,  buried 
in  his  books  of  which  he  possessed  a  priceless 
collection,  he  was  ever  ready  to  use  his  re- 
markable talents  for  others,  and  many  times 
without  thought  of  material  gain.  Aside  from 
once  consenting  to  appear  on  the  Republican 
ticket  for  County  Judge,  Mr.  Haight  took  no 
part  in  political  life,  its  activities  not  aiJpealing 
to  the  scholar  he  was,  but  he  always  gave  a  loyal 
and  hearty  support  to  civic  improvements,  and 
held  advanced  views  with  regard  to  the  duties 
of  the  American  citizen.  The  Episcopal  Church 
had  in  him  a  faithful  member  and  generous 
supporter. 

On  January  20,  190.5.  Mr.  Haight  rounded  out 
his  life  by  marr.ving  Mrs.  Rhoda  Louise  (Royce) 
Whaley,-  a  descendent  of  one  of  the  respected 
pioneer  families  of  Will  County,  widow  of 
James  B.  Whaley,  grandnephew  of  Mason  B. 
Brayman,  deceased,  and  cousin  of  the  late  Gen- 
eral Starring,  Commissary  Sergeant  in  the 
United  States  army.  Mr.  and  Mrs  Haigbt  had 
one  son,  Hally  Jr.,  now  a  delightful  little  lad 
of  six  years,  who  with  his  mother  and  step- 
sister, Mary  M.  Whaley,  are  left  to  mourn  the 
loss  of  one  who  so  filled  their  lives  and  while 
carefully  shielding  them  from  the  world,  filled 
their  days  with  happiness,  and  set  them  a  lofty 
example  of  high  living  and  clean,  moral  thought. 

A  number  of  foreign  affairs  having  accumu- 
lated in  the  office,  in  the  spring  of  1902,  Mr. 
Haight  made  a  professional  trip  to  Europe, 
and  notwithstanding  the  rocky  path  prepared 
for  him  by  the  German  government  officials, 
terminated  successfully  all  the  negotiations 
undertaken.  Mr.  Haight  crossed  the  ocean  six 
times,  once  for  education — all  the  rest  for  pro- 
fessional purposes. 

For  several  years  Mr.  Haight  suffered  from  a 
mortal  disease,  but  never  giving  up,  he  kept  his 
suffering  to  himself,  and  continued  his  work 
until  laid  low  by  its  inroads  upon  a  naturally 


HISTORY  OF  DU  PAGE  COUNTY. 


897 


robust  constitution,  aud  lie  passed  away  May  3, 
1911.  His  funeral  was  one  of  the  most  largely 
attended  in  Naperville,  the  entire  city  turning 
out  to  do  honor  to  its  most  learned  citizen.  His 
rector  read  the  beautiful  burial  services  over 
bim  as  he  lay  in  the  magnificent  library  he  had 
but  recently  built,  and  all  that  was  mortal  of 
this  truly  great  man  was  laid  to  rest  in  the 
beautiful  cemetery  where  repose  the  dead  of 
Naperville. 

HALL,  George  W.  The  legal  profeBsion  is  one 
that  has  attracted  to  it  men  of  unusual  ability 
since  the  establishment  of  organized  govern- 
ment. It  is  a  calling  that  brings  out  the  best 
in  a  man,  developing  him  so  that  he  is  able  to 
cope  with  opportunities  that  arise  in  his  life  or 
in  those  about  him.  Du  Page  and  Cook 
counties,  whose  practice  is  so  closely  allied,  can 
boast  some  of  the  most  distinguished  members 
of  the  bar  that  the  country  affords,  and  among 
them  must  be  mentioned  George  W.  Hall,  with 
offices  at  No.  610,  160  Washington  street,  Chi- 
cago, and  residence  at  Hinsdale.  Mr.  Ha:U-wiiU 
born  at  Autioch,  Lake  county.  111.,  Nov£^nl^^;  ^5< 
1853,  being  a  son  of  Warren  F.,  and  Harriet 
Newell  (Benson)  Hall.  He  attended  the  country 
schools,  Lee's  Academy  at  Waukegan,  111.,  the 
high  school  in  the  same  place,  Waucond^'fiigli' 
school,  the  agricultural  college  at  Lansing,  Mich., 
the  University  of  Chicago,  from  which  he  was 
graduated  in  1881  with  degree  of  B.  A.,  and 
from  the  Union  College  of  Law  in  1883,  from 
which  he  received  his  degree  of  L.  L.  B.  Upon 
his  admission  to  the  bar  that  same  year,  Mr. 
Hall  began  a  general  practice,  locating  in  Hins- 
dale in  1891. 

On  June  8,  1886,  Mr.  Hall  was  united  in  mar- 
riage in  Chciago.  with  Eleanor  C.  Kelly.  Three 
children  have  been  born  to  them:  Eleanor, 
Hazel  and  Edythe.  In  politics  Mr.  Hall  is  a 
Republican,  but  has  never  been  willing  to  ac- 
cept public  office.  His  religious  affiliations  are 
with  the  Baptist  church,  to  which  he  belongs, 
giving  the  church  of  that  denomination  in  Hins- 
dale his  unqualified  support.  An  eloquent  and 
able  lawyer,  Mr.  Hall  has  met  with  a  gratifying 
success  in  his  life  work. 

HAMMERSCHMIDT,  Adolph.  The  Hammer- 
schmidts  are  among  the  older  families  of  Du 
Page  County,  where  they  have  ever  stood  for 
the  best  of  citizenship  and  public  spirit.    Adolph 


Ilauiuierschmidt,  now  living  retired  at  Naper- 
ville, was  born  in  Prussia,  Germany,  January 
30,  1S27,  son  of  William  and  Caroline 
(Schwartz)  Hanimerschmidt,  also  natives  of 
that  country.  During  the  uprising  there  in 
1848,  Adolph  and  his  brother  Herman  came  to 
America,  intending  to  return  to  their  native 
country  after  the  trouble  was  over.  They 
landed  in  New  York,  intending  to  proceed  to 
Tennessee,  but  instead  came  to  Chicago  and 
from  there  to  Du  Page  County.  They  bought 
100  acres  of  land  in  Naperville  Township,  on 
which  stood  a  log  house,  and  they  kept  house 
together  several  years,  becoming  so  well  ac- 
quainted with  everyone  in  the  vicinity  that  they 
lost  their  desire  to  return  to  Germany.  They 
took  a  leading  part  in  the  life  of  the  community 
at  that  time  and  helped  establish  the  first 
church  at  Naperville.  They  added  to  their  land 
from  time  to  time  and  developed  a  very  good 
farm. 

In  lS.j2,  Adolph  Hamnierschmidt  was  married, 
in  New  York  City,  to  Adeline  von  Oven,  a  native 

r..5)^tmv!j.j^{ilia,  Germany,  daughter  of  Frederick 
.aiijd.  ii^lizabeth    (Nottebohn)   von  Oven,   both   of 

'"wl'irim  died  in  Germany.  After  marriage  Mr. 
Ilammersohmidt  returned  to  the  farm  and  he 
and   his  brother  remained   in   partnership  until 

[  ''.1^7i',*theni  separated.  Adolph  continued  to  live 
on  Tiis  fafm  until  1893,  when  he  rented  it  and 
moved  "to  Naperville.  retiring  from  active  life, 
though  having  an  interest  in  the  business  of  his 
three  sons.  In  1878,  he  and  his  son  William, 
established  a  brick  and  tile  factory  at  Lom- 
bard, having  at  first  but  five  acres  of  laud. 
They  now  own  13.5  acres  of  brick  and  tile  clay 
land.  In  early  days  stone  was  very  scarce,  but 
after  suitable  locations  had  been  found  near 
Elmhurst.  Mr.  Hanimerschmidt  and  his  sons 
rented  land  and  developed  a  stone  quarry, 
carrying  on  the  business  in  this  way  from  188.3 
until  1885,  when  they  purchased  eleven  acres  of 
land,  at  a  price  of  .$3,300.  and  put  in  modern 
machinery,  with  a  crusher  and  an  elevator  for 
loading.  This  is  the  only  quarry  in  the  vicinity 
and  has  always  had  good  patronage,  and  they 
were  the  first  people  in  the  community  to  drain 
farm  land  with  tile.  All  are  good  business  men 
and  enterprising  and  industrious  to  a  degree 
that  has  insured  their  success  from  the  begin- 
ning. The  father  is  an  intelligent  and  well  read 
man.  having  received  a  college  education  in  his 
native  country,  and  has  always  been  interested 


HISTORY  OF  DU  PAGE  COUNTY. 


in  cburch  and  educational  worl;.  In  politics  he 
Is  a  Republican  and  belongs  to  the  Evangelical 
Church. 

Children  as  follows  were  born  to  Mr.  Ham- 
merschmidt  and  wife :  William,  of  Lombard ; 
Mary,  living  with  her  father ;  Elizabeth,  at 
home;  Anna,  died  at  the  age  of  twenty-four 
years;  Max,  of  Elmhurst;  Clara,  married  Rev. 
Adolph  Baltzer,  pastor  of  an  Evangelical 
church  at  Rochester,  N.  Y. ;  Freda  and  Lydia  at 
home ;  Richard,  of  Elmhurst ;  Martha  died  in 
1893,  at  the  age  of  seventeen  years.  Mrs.  Ham- 
merschmidt  died  December  8,  1905,  bavlng  been 
an  Invalid  for  ten  years.  She  was  a  model  wife 
and  mother  and  most  sincerely  mourned  by  her 
family  and  friends. 

HAMMERSCHMIDT,  F.     W.    Max,    mayor    of 

Elmhurst,  president  of  the  Hammerschmidt  «Ss 
Franzen  Company,  secretary  of  the  Elmhurst- 
Chieago  Stone  Company,  and  vice-president  of 
the  First  National  Bank  of  Elmhurst  is  one  of 
the  most  progressive  business  men  and  public- 
spirited  citizens  of  Elmhurst.  He  was  born  at 
Naperville  December  6,  18G4,  being  a  son  of 
Adolph  and  Adaline  (von  Oven)  Hammer- 
schmidt, natives  of  Germany  and  Naperville. 
The  father  was  a  farmer,  but  is  now  living  re- 
tired. Mr.  Hammerschmidt  came  to  Du  Page 
county  many  years  ago,  locating  on  land  in 
Naperville  township,  where  he  first  bought 
eighty  acres,  later  increasing  his  farm  to  160 
acres.  Eleven  children  were  born  to  him  and 
his  wife,  seven  of  whom  survive. 

Mayor  Hammersclmiidt  grew  up  in  Naper- 
ville. where  he  received  a  good  common  school 
education,  and  subsequently  attended  the  North- 
western College  there.  During  his  boyhood  he 
worked  on  the  farm,  learning  the  duties  pertain- 
ing to  an  agricultural  life  thoroughly.  He  then 
became  manager  of  the  Elmhurst-Chicago  Stone 
Company,  of  which  he  is  now  secretary,  and  de- 
voted himself  exclusively  to  its  affairs  for  thir- 
teen years.  In  1902.  in  conjunction  with  Gus- 
tat  H.  Franzen,  he  purchased  the  coal,  ice  and 
lumber  business  of  E.  W.  Fischer  &  Co.,  form- 
ing the  present  Hammerschmidt  &  Franzen 
Company,  with  himself  as  president.  The  latter 
comi)any  are  dealers  in  grain,  feed,  coal,  ice  and 
lumber,  own  and  operate  a  large  planing  mill 
and  manufacture  builders'  supplies,  doing  an 
immense  business  and  controlling  a  large  terri- 
tory.   The  offices  of  this  company  are  at  No   100 


Prospect  avenue,  and  the  planing  mill  Is  in  the 
rear.  Mr.  Hammerschmidt's  residence,  which 
he  owns,  is  at  No.  127  Maple  avenue,  and  is  one 
of  the  most  attractive  in  Elmhurst. 

On  August  10,  1902,  Mr.  Hammerschmidt  was 
married  in  Elmhurst  to  Alvena  Heideinaun  of 
this  city,  daughter  of  Dr.  George  F.  Heidei- 
naun. Mr.  Hammerschmidt  has  three  children : 
George  F.,  Alvin  N.  and  Maxine  Dorothy.  He 
belongs  to  the  Woodmen  of  America,  Eagles, 
and  is  a  Chapter  Mason.  His  religious  affilia- 
tions are  with  the  German  Lutheran  church.  In 
politics  he  is  a  Republican,  and  was  elected  by 
his  party  in  April,  1911,  to  the  highest  office 
within  the  gift  of  the  people  of  Elmhurst. 
Mayor  Hammerschmidt  is  a  man  of  advanced 
ideas,  enthusiastic,  aggressive,  and  willing  to 
sacrifice  much  personally  to  carry  out  his  plans 
for  public  improvements.  He  frankly  admits 
that  he  would  not  have  accepted  the  nomination 
for  mayor  if  he  had  not  believed  he  could  ef- 
fect some  much-needed  reforms  and  inaugurate 
and  carry  through  i)ublic  improvements.  Judg- 
ing by  his  success  along  business  lines,  there  Is 
no  doubt  but  that  he  will  carry  out  his  plans, 
and  advance  Elmhurst  very  materially  during 
his  incumbency  in  office.  Having  several  sturdy 
boys  of  his  own.  Mr.  Hammerschmidt  is  a  friend 
of  all  the  boys  of  Elmhurst,  who  look  to  him  for 
advice  and  encouragement  in  their  work  and 
play.  He  inaugurated  and  is  deeply  interested 
in  the  Boys'  Club,  of  which  he  is  a  director,  and 
believes  that  through  it  the  rising  generation 
can  be  taught  good  citizenship,  and  made  to  en- 
joy healthy  forms  of  amusement.  Himself  an 
example  of  successful  business  enterprise  and 
sturdy  manliness,  Mr.  Hammerschmidt  is  one 
well  fitted  to  lead  both  young  and  old,  both  as 
a  private  citizen  and  public  official,  and  those 
who  knew  him  best  predict  many  beneficial 
changes  in  Elmhurst  within  the  next  few  years. 

HAMMERSCHMIDT,  Richard,  a  member  of  an 

old  family  of  Du  Page  county,  was  born  In 
Naperville,  111.,  January  10,  1869.  The  family  is 
more  fully  described  in  sketches  of  some  of  its 
other  members  contained  elsewhere  in  these 
pages.  Mr.  Hammerschmidt  attended  the  com- 
mon schools,  and  in  youth  assisted  with  the  work 
on  his  father's  farm.  In  1894  he  became  inter- 
ested in  the  Elmhurst  Stone  Works  and  has 
since  been  a  director  of  the  company.  For  the 
past  eight  years  he  has  also  been  its  treasurer. 


HISTORY  OF  DU  PAGE  COUNTY. 


899 


This  company  is  doing  a  successful  business  In 
the  vicinity  of  Elmhurst  and  througliout  a  wide 
territory. 

Since  April,  1910,  Mr.  Hammerschniidt  has 
held  the  office  of  city  treasurer  of  Elmhurst,  and 
he  takes  an  active  interest  in  public  affairs. 
He  belongs  to  the  German  Evangelical  church 
of  Elmhurst  and  is  ready  to  support  its  various 
branch  organizations.  Mr.  Hammerschmidt  is 
prominent  in  fraternal  circles,  having  joined 
Camp  No.  4126  of  the  Modern  Woodmen  of 
America,  of  Elmhurst,  in  1902,  and  Is  a  charter 
member  of  the  American  Order  of  Eagles,  No. 
1874,  and  of  the  North  American  Union,  hav- 
ing served  the  Eagles  as  treasurer. 

On  June  29,  1S9S,  Mr.  Hammerschmidt  was 
married  to  Cora  May,  daughter  of  John  C.  and 
Carrie  (Hess)  Pfeiffer,  who  was  born  in  Cook 
county,  111.,  and  one  child  has  blessed  this  union, 
Lucile,  born  August  20,  1905.  Mr.  Hammer- 
schmidt is  one  of  the  best-known  citizens  of 
Elmhurst  and  popular  in  all  circles. 

HARTKE,  Herman,  deceased,  was  an  indus- 
trious and  successful  farmer  and  one  of  the 
public-spirited  German-Americans  of  Addison 
township.  He  was  born  in  Hanover,  Germany, 
May  13,  1S31,  a  son  of  George  Henry  and  Mary 
Hartke,  natives  of  Germany,  who  spent  their 
entire  lives  there.  After  receiving  an  educa- 
tional training  in  his  native  country,  Mr. 
Hartke  came  to  America  in  1854,  and  at  once 
located  In  Elk  Grove  township.  Cook  county.  111., 
living  there  until  1S72,  when  he  came  to  the 
farm  in  Addison  township,  where  he  spent  the 
remainder  of  his  life.  He  purchased  eighty  acres 
of  land  on  section  17,  Addison  township,  which 
contained  a  house  and  other  buildings,  on  which 
he  made  repairs  and  to  which  he  added,  putting 
the  farm  into  good  condition.  From  then  on  he 
engaged  in  general  farming,  and  since  his  death 
his  two  sons  have  carried  on  the  work,  remain- 
ing with  their  mother.  They  have  two  cows,  five 
horses  and  other  stock  and  are  meeting  with  suc- 
cess in  their  efforts,  and  are  con.sidered  substan- 
tial citizens  of  the  township. 

On  October  8,  1872,  Mr.  Hartke  married  Anna 
A.  Marshall,  born  in  Westphalia,  Germany,  Au- 
gust 16.  1848,  daughter  of  Henry  and  Anna  A. 
(Niehaus)  Marshall,  wlio  came  to  America  in 
1869.  The  Marsballs  located  on  a  farm  situ- 
ated on  the  line  between  Cook  and  Du  Page  coun- 
ties, and  there  the  parents  died,  the  father  at 


the  age  of  eighty-six  years,  and  the  mother  aged 
seventy-one  years.  Five  children  were  born  to 
Mr.  Hartke  and  wife:  Emma,  who  was  born 
January  6,  1874.  married  Edward  Scharring- 
hausen,  and  they  live  at  Benson ville,  111. ;  Henry, 
who  was  born  July  8,  1877,  on  the  home  farm ; 
Bertha,  who  was  born  August  13,  1880,  married 
Fred  Helmold  and  they  live  at  Bensonville; 
Prank,  who  was  horn  October  5,  1881,  died  Janu- 
ary 1,  1882 ;  and  William  August,  who  was  born 
July  8,  1882,  at  home.  The  children  were  reared 
on  the  farm  and  educated  in  the  neighborhood. 
Mr.  Hartke  was  a  member  of  the  E\-angelicar 
church  and  helped  in  its  good  work.  His  death 
occurred  at  his  home  October  7,  1901,  where  his 
widow  still  lives.  He  was  sincerely  mourned  by 
a  wide  circle  of  friends  who  knew  and  appreci- 
ated him. 

HEARTT,  George  B.  It  reciuires  courage  of  a 
high  order  to  leave  home  and  family  and  go 
forth  to  flght  for  flag  and  country,  but  it  also  re- 
quires courage  of  another  sort  to  come  back  and 
settle  down  to  a  quiet,  comparatively  uneventful 
life  after  the  stirring  experiences  of  war  times. 
One  of  the  honored  veterans  of  Du  Page  County 
who  successfully  met  both  emergencies,  is  George 
B.  Heartt,  born  at  Barry,  Pike  county.  111.,  May 
30,  1840,  a  son  of  William  J.  and  Susan  B. 
(Roberts)  Heartt,  farming  people,  who  came  to 
Du  Page  county  in  1842,  where  the  father  fol- 
lowed farming  until  his  death  in  1891. 

George  B.  Heartt  attended  the  common  schools 
at  Cass,  111.,  during  the  winter  uionths,  while  in 
the  summer  he  worked  on  the  farm.  When  only 
twenty-one  years  old  he  enlisted  for  service  in 
the  Civil  war.  on  August  20,  1861,  as  a  private 
in  Company  B,  Thirty-third  Illinois  Volunteer 
Infantry,  and  his  regiment  was  sent  from  Spring- 
field to  Pilot  Knob,  Mo.  The  members  of  this 
regiment  participated  in  the  battles  of  Fred- 
erickstown,  Cash  River,  and  Helena,  Ark.,  and 
in  the  summer  of  1862  were  kept  busy  picking 
up  cotton  from  the  landings  along  the  Missis- 
sippi river  for  government  use.  In  the  fall 
the  regiment  was  sent  north  to  the  Ozark  moun- 
tains, where  Mr.  Heartt  was  taken  sick  and  was 
sent  to  the  St.  Louis  City  Hospital,  where  he 
was  confined  six  weeks,  and  when  released  was 
detailed  to  the  transportation  office  for  two 
months.  In  the  spring  of  1863  he  rejoined  his 
regiment  at  Young's  Point  in  time  to  participate 
in  the  Vicksburg  campaign  and  it  was  the  first 


900 


HISTORY  OP  DU  PAGE  COUNTY. 


to   ruu   the  batteries  and  land  on   the  opposite 
side  of  the  river.     After  thirty  days  at  Vicks- 
burg,  the  regiment  was  sent  to  Jaciison,  Miss., 
but  did  not  talie  part  in  that  battle,  being  held 
in  reserve.     The  next  change  was  to   New  Or- 
leans,  the  trip  being   made  ou   transports,   but 
soon  afterward  this  command  was  sent  on  the 
Opelousas  campaign,   subsequently  returning  to 
New   Orleans,   from  whence   it  was   ordered   to 
Texas,  on  the  transport  Clinton.     The  soldiers 
attempted  to  land  at  Galveston  but  did  not  suc- 
ceed, so  went  on  to  St.  Joseph's  Island,  hurried 
across  to  the  main  land,  where  they  transported 
the  guns,  cannon  and  other  instruments  of  war 
and  made  use  of  them  at  Fort  Esperanza,  Tex., 
which  they  captured.    The  term  of  enlistment  of 
this  regiment  expiring  on  December  31.  1863.  Its 
members    were   discharged.     Mr.    Heartt    re-en- 
listed before  starting  for  his  old  home  at  Cass 
on  a  thirty  days'  furlough  accorded  a  veteran. 
The  entire  regiment  having  re-enlisted,   it  was 
re-organized   at   Bloomiugton   and   sent   to    Red 
River  to  reenforce  General  Banks,  and  once  more 
occupied   New    Orleans,    where   it   guarded   the 
railroad  running  between  that  city  and  Brayer 
City,   it   being  the  end  of  the  roalroad  at  that 
time.     It  had  been  intended  to  send  the  troops 
to   General   Sherman,   but   there  was  a   terrible 
wreck  ou  the  railroad  in  which  twenty  persons 
were  killed  and  thirty  more  wounded,  and  this 
regiment  was  stationed  in  New  Orleans  on  pro- 
vost duty  during  the  winter  of  1864.    They  later 
participated  in   the   Mobile  campaign,   lying   in 
front   of    Spanish    Fort,   and   in    the   spring   of 
1865,  the  regiment  was  marched  to  Montgomery, 
where  the  welcome   news  of   the  surrender   of 
General  Lee  and  the  capture  of  Jefferson  Davis 
was  received  and  the  distressing  report  of  the 
death  of  President  Lincoln.     Following  this  the 
regiment  was  sent  to  Vleksburg  and  Yazoo  City, 
on  guard  duty,  which  continued  until  November 
24,  1865,  when  the  troops  were  nmstered  out  at 
Yazoo  Cit.v. 

Mr.  Heartt  returned  to  Du  Page  county  to  re- 
sume his  farming  and  by  degrees  added  to  his 
holdings  until  he  owned  a  large  farm  and  bred 
stock  extensively,  continuing  thus  until  1901, 
when  he  retired  and  since  then  has  occupied 
himself  In  looking  after  his  varied  interests.  He 
owns  one  of  the  most  valuable  business  blocks 
at  Downer's  Grove.  111.,  also  the  building  in 
which  the  postofRce  is  located.  He  has  been 
active  In  township  affairs,  serving  as  school  di- 


rector while  residing  on  his  farm,  and  as  high- 
way commissioner  for  thirteen  years,  and  for 
twelve  years  was  treasurer  of  the  board.  When 
he  was  elected  highway  commissioner  no  gravel 
was  used  on  the  roads,  but  now  fifteen  miles  of 
gravel  have  been  laid  as  a  result  of  his  efforts. 
He  has  served  for  six  years  as  village  trustee, 
during  which  period  he  has  secured  many  needed 
improvements,  for  he  is  very  progressive  in 
every  way.  At  present  he  is  president  of  the 
I^ord  Lumber  Company  and  is  a  director  of  the 
Farmers  and  Slerchants  Bank  of  Downer's 
Grove,  and  Hinsdale  Trust  and  Savings  Bank, 
of  which  latter  institution  he  was  one  of  the  or- 
ganizers. 

On  May  11.  1869,  Mr.  Heartt  married  Miss 
Elizabeth  Ann  Oldtield,  of  Cass,  III.,  a  daughter 
of  John-and  Hannah  (Reader)  Oldfield,  the  for- 
mer of  whom  was  born  in  England,  June  15, 
1824.  On  April  7,  1845.  John  Oldfield  married 
Hannah,  daughter  of  William  Reader,  of  Wal- 
pole,  St,  Peter,  England.  On  the  thirteenth  day 
of  the  same  month,  Mr.  and  Mrs.  Oldfield,  to- 
gether with  Jesse  Oldfield.  James  Reader  and 
four  others,  left  Lynn  for  London  and  on  the 
eighteenth  sailed  on  the  boat  Queen  Victoria 
for  New  York.  On  June  12,  the  travelers 
reached  Chicago  and  Mr.  Oldfield  rented  a  place 
six  miles  north  on  the  North  Branch.  Here 
Elizal)eth,  now  Mrs.  G.  B.  Heartt,  was  born, 
December  10,  1845.  After  three  years  Mr.  Old- 
field  came  to  Downer's  Grove  where  his  first 
purchase  was  forty  acres  to  which  he  subse- 
quently added  until  he  had  2.000  acres  and  be- 
came a  very  extensive  stock  dealer.  Mrs.  Old- 
field  was  a  member  of  the  Methodist  Episcopal 
church  nearly  all  her  life,  and  he  was  a  liberal 
supporter  of  it.  Mr.  Oldfield  was  a  Republican 
In  politics  and  fraternally  a  Mason.  His  death 
occurred  in  1901,  he  having  survived  his  wife  , 
ten  years. 

Mr.  and  Mrs.  Heartt  have  four  children : 
Bertha  May,  who  married  Frank  Gregory,  a 
farmer  in  Du  Page  county ;  John  B.,  who  is  a 
farmer  of  Du  I'age  county,  married  Jessie  Brown, 
of  Harvey.  Ill, ;  Irving  George,  who  is  a  lumber 
dealer  residing  in  Downer's  Grove,  married  Lula 
Rassweiler.  of  Downer's  Grove ;  and  Cora  B.. 
who  is  the  wife  of  Rev.  Lew  B.  Lott,  a  Metho- 
dist minister  of  Chicago,  111.  Mr.  Heartt  be- 
longs to  the  G.  A.  R.  Post,  No.  468  of  Downer's 
Grove,  in  which  he  is  extremely  active  and  now 
serving    as    quartermaster.      He    is   a    Master 


HISTORY  OF  DU  PAGE  COUNTY. 


901 


Mason,  a  member  of  Grove  Lodge,  No.  824,  A.  F. 
&  A.  M..  hut  perbaps  bis  greatest  interest  is  In 
tbe  Metbodist  Episcopal  ctiurch.  He  has  served 
it  as  steward,  trustee.  Sunday-school  superintend- 
ent and  class  leader,  while  his  material  contri- 
butions to  it  are  exceedingly  liberal.  It  is  not 
easy  to  estimate  the  influence  for  good  he  has 
exerted  in  his  blameless  life,  nor  how  many  he 
has.  by  precept  and  example,  turned  from  evil 
to  a  Christian  way  of  living. 

HEARTT,  Irving  George.  The  advantages 
offered  by  Downer's  Grove  for  the  successful 
prosecution  of  various  lines  of  industrial  activity 
have  led  men  of  money  to  establish  their  con- 
cerns In  this  locality  where  shipping  facilities 
are  excellent,  and  realty  values  not  prohibitive. 
This  condition  has  developed  some  very  progres- 
sive l)usiues.s  men,  among  whom  one  who  is  well 
known  throughout  Du  I'age  county  and  contigu- 
ous territory,  is  Irving  George  Ileartt,  who  has 
been  associated  with  the  large  lumber  interests 
of  this  section  for  some  years. 

Mr.  Heartt  was  born  in  Cass,  Du  Page  couufy, 
July  3,  1877,  being  a  son  of  George  B.  and  Eliza- 
beth Ann  Heartt,  farming  people.  Mr.  Heartt 
attended  school  at  Downer's  Grove,  and  the  >Iet- 
ropolitau  Business  College,  thus  gaining  an,  ex- 
cellent commercial  training,  which  he  put  to^' 
practical  use,  when  on  September  1,  1901,  he 
entered  as  bookkeeper  the  P.  A.  Lord  Lumber 
Company,  of  which  his  father  was  president. 
In  1906  Mr.  Heartt  had  gained  so  tborough  a 
mastery  of  the  business  that  he  was  made  man- 
ager and  secretary  of  the  local  yards  and  busi- 
ness, and  has  continued  to  hold  these  responsi- 
ble positions  ever  since. 

Mr.  Heartt  was  married  on  October  14,  1902, 
at  Downer's  Grove,  to  Lula  W.  Rassweiler. 
daughter  of  John  K.  Rassweiler,  professor  of 
the  Downer's  Grove  schools,  and  county  superin- 
tendent of  Du  Page  schools,  who  died  September 
10,  1S97.  Fraternally  Mr.  Ileartt  is  a  Master 
Mason.  His  religious  athliatlons  are  with  the 
Methodist  Episcopal  church,  of  which  he  is  a 
trustee.  Although  a  young  man,  be  has  already 
made  a  deep  impress  upon  tbe  business  life  of 
his  community,-,  and  hrmly  established  the  repu- 
tation for  ability  and- sterling  integrity  that  is 
so  valuable  an  asset  to  the  man  of  affairs. 

HEINEMANN,  Louis  H.  The  Heinemann  fam- 
ilv   was   establi.-bcd    in   Du   Page   county   when 


Louis  (known  in  German  as  Lutrig)  Heinemann 
settletl  there.  He  secured  land  in  York  town- 
ship and  developed  a  good  farm,  which  he  culti- 
vated until  a  few  years  ago,  when  he  retired 
from  active  life  and  went  to  live  with  his  daugh- 
ter, Mrs.  Fieue,  where  be  died  on  October  1, 
1910.  He  and  his  wife  were  well  known  and 
highly  respected  by  the  early  settlers  of  that 
part  of  the  county  and  were  parents  of  six'  chil- 
dren. He  remembered  to  the  day  of  his  death 
the  voyage  to  America,  which  he  made  on  an  old 
sailing  vessel  that  took  several  times  as  long  to 
make  the  trip  as  is  required  today. 

Louis  H.  Heinemann,  son  of  Louis  and  Louisa 
(Baekhaus)  Heinemann,  was  born  on  tbe  home 
farm  in  York  township  January  20,  ISOS,  and 
was  educated  in  the  German  schools  there,  where 
he  also  studied  English.  After  completing  his 
education  he  followed  farming  for  several  years 
but  in  18G9  engaged  in  the  grocery  and  meat 
business,  which  he  and  his  brother  Edwin  car- 
ried on  seven  years.  He  then  purchased  his 
brother's  interest  and  he  and  his  brother-in-law, 
•WjlU-am    Fiene,   became   partners.     Some   years 

^  vl^t^r,  ha  puix-lltised  the  interest  of  Mr.  Fiene  and 
since  then  has  carried  on  the  business  alone. 
For  some  time  he  had  but  a  small  establishment 
and     did  .  a    comparatively     modest     business. 

"L^Aer.he-  erected  a  larger  and  more  modern 
building,  which  he  occupied  until  1900,  when 
'tfie  size  of  his  trade  demanded  still  more  com- 
modious quarters,  and  he  had  a  Chicago  contrac- 
tor rebuild  his  store,  which  has  since  then  been 
of  its  present  size.  He  has  up-to-date  fixtures 
and  conveniences,  and  has  built  up  a  large  trade. 
His  present  property  was  purchased  from  Ru- 
dolph Cramer.  He  has  not  always  operated  a 
grocery  store  in  connection  with  his  meat  mar- 
ket, but  has  done  so  for  the  past  four  years, 
and  now  handles  a  full  line  of  groceries,  provi- 
sions, meats,  fish  and  poultry. 

Mr.  Heinemann  has  always  been  actively  in- 
terested in  local  affairs  and  has  done  his  share 
in  supiwrting  the  various  movements  for  good 
in  his  community.  He  is  a  member  of  the  Evan- 
gelical Lutheran  church,  and  contributed  gener- 
ously toward  the  fund  for  erecting  a  church 
building  at  Elmhurst,  serving  for  tbe  past  three 
years  as  trustee  of  the  church.  For  the  past 
five  years  he  has  been  judge  of  elections  and  for 
the  past  four  years  has  been  a  director  in  the 
Business  Men's  Association  of  Elmhurst.  He  is 
a    stockholder   in    the   First    National    Bank   of 


902 


HISTORY  OF  DU  PAGE  COUNTY. 


Elmhurst,  and  stands  well  in  business  circles, 
being  favorably  known  in  bis  part  of  tbe  county 
as  a  public-spii'ited,  upright  citizen. 

On  November  19,  1893,  Mr.  Helnemann  mar- 
ried Louisa  Rosenwinkel,  daughter  of  Dedrich 
and  Louise  (Kruse)  Rosenwinkel,  and  a  native 
of  Du  Page  county,  where  her  parents  were  early 
settlers.  These  children  have  blessed  this  union : 
Louisa,  who  was  twrn  September  15,  1S94;  Ger- 
trude, who  was  born  Marcb  2,  1896 ;  Ella,  who 
was  born  September  23,  1897 ;  Herbert,  who  was 
born  June  11,  1899 ;  Arthur,  who  was  bom  Au- 
gust 21,  1900;  Hilda,  who  was  born  May  2,  1903; 
Julia,  who  was  born  July  14,  1904 ;  Edmond, 
wlio  was  born  October  14,  1907 ;  and  Hilma,  who 
was  born  November  11,  1908. 

HEINEMAN,  Simon.  Men  of  superior  force, 
ability,  diligence  and  enthusiasm  are  those  who 
win  out  in  the  life  race.  One  who  has  no  am- 
bition never  advances  beyond  the  narrow  con- 
fines of  his  own  desires,  and  the  evening  of 
life  finds  him  but  little  progressed  along  the 
roadway  of  endeavor.  A  man  who  has  never 
been  satifled  with  present  achievements,  but 
ever  pushed  onward  and  upward,  is  Simon 
Heineman  of  Hinsdale,  for  a  number  of  years 
connected  with  the  mercantile  and  commercial 
interests  of  Du  Page  county.  He  was  born 
in  New  York  City,  January  20,  1845  being  a 
son  of  Isaac  and  Clara  Heineman,  the  former 
an  extensive  buyer  and  seller  of  horses  and  cat- 
tle. 

Simon  Heineman  was  educated  in  New  York 
City,  but  as  early  as  1860,  he  went  to  North 
Carolina,  entering  a  general  store  as  clerk,  in 
the  town  of  Goldsboro,  remaining  there  dur- 
ing the  following  three  years.  He  then  spent 
a  few  years  in  several  western  states,  being 
connected  with  general  stores  wherever  he  stop- 
ped, finally  locating  at  Prairie  du  Chien,  Wis., 
where  he  married,  making  it  his  home  until 
1875,  when  he  established  himself  in  a  mercan- 
tile business  at  Fullersburg.  This  he  conducted 
until-  1S9S,  when  he  moved  his  concern  to  Hins- 
dale, conducting  it  as  S.  Heineman  for  eight 
years,  when  he  sold  at  a  profit.  Almost  imme- 
diately thereafter,  he  bought  the  Great  West- 
ern Fixture  Works  of  Chicago,  continuing  to 
operate  them  until  1907.  when  he  retired  from 
an  active  life.  He  was  School  Trustee  of  Ful- 
lersburg for  a  number  of  years,  and  has  also 
been  on  the  Board  of  Trustees  of  Hinsdale. 


In  1873,  Mr.  Heineman  married  Miss  Sarah 
Van  Velzer,  daughter  of  Barton  and  Mary 
(Fuller)  Van  Velzer,  a  complete  sketch  of  whom 
appears  elsewhere  in  this  work.  Mr.  Heineman 
is  a  director  of  the  Hinsdale  Trust  and  Savings 
Bank,  serving  on  its  building  committee.  Dur- 
ing his  long  and  useful  life  he  was  always 
able  to  compete  successfully  with  the  conditions 
he  met,  and  vigorously  and  intelligently  con- 
ducted the  various  concerns  with  which  he  was 
connected. 

HEINZ,  Michael,  proprietor  of  the  well-equipped 
farm  and  dairy  known  as  "Hickorydale,"  lo- 
cated in  Wayne  Township,  Du  Page  County, 
is  a  native  of  the  county,  born  in  Winfield 
Township,  May  26,  1S61,  son  of  John  and  Eliz- 
abeth (Bowman)  Heinz,  both  natives  of  Ger- 
many. The  father  was  born  in  1S22,  and  the 
mother  in  1824,  and  they  were  married  in  Ger- 
many, where  the  father  carried  on  a  farm. 
John  Heinz  left  his  family  and  came  to  the 
I'nited  States  about  1S50,  soon  afterward  find- 
ing employment  as  a  farm  hand  on  the  Schultz 
farm  near  Wheaton,  and  two  or  three  years 
later  was  joined  by  his  wife,  when  they  rented 
a  farm  near  Wheaton.  In  the  fall  of  1862,  Mr. 
Heinz  purchased  eighty  acres  of  land  on  Sec- 
tion 33,  Wayne  Township,  and  there  he  and  his 
wife  spent  the  remainder  of  their  lives.  At  the 
time  of  his  death,  he  also  owned  ninety-eight 
and  one-half  acres  on  Section  34,  where  his  son 
Michael  now  resides.  Mr.  Heinz  died  July  14, 
1895,  while  on  a  visit  to  a  daughter  in  Iowa, 
and  his  wife  died  May  1,  18S6.  They  were 
parents  of  nine  children,  the  first  four  of 
whom  died  in  infanc.v,  and  of  these  the  three 
eldest  died  in  two  days,  of  diphtheria.  The 
others  are :  Michael ;  Maggie,  wife  of  Nicholas 
Klein,  of  Minnesota ;  John,  of  Winfield,  111. ; 
Mary,  wife  of  George  Mueller,  now  living  in 
California ;  Peter,  on  the  old  homestead  in 
Wayne  Township. 

The  boyhood  of  Michael  Heinz  was  spent  on 
his  father's  farm  and  he  remained  at  home 
until  he  was  twenty-four  years  of  age,  receiving 
his  education  in  the  public  schools.  Upon  leav- 
ing his  parents  to  begin  life  on  his  own  ac- 
count, he  rented  land  some  fourteen  years, 
then  purchased  property  at  West  Chicago  and 
was  in  business  there  until  1905,  when  he  rented 
his  establishment  and  two  years  later  purchased 
the  portion  of  the  Heinz  Estate  which  was  lo- 


HISTORY  OF  DU  PAGE  COUNTY. 


903 


cated  on  Section  34,  the  ninety-eight  and  one- 
half  acres  of  land  heretofore  mentioned,  where 
he  has  since  erected  a  large  uiuderu  residence, 
requisite  barns  and  other  buildings,  and  has 
made  this  one  of  the  best  farms  in  the  vicinity. 
He  lieeps  a  tine  herd  of  thoroughbred  Ilolsteiu 
cattle  and  carries  on  general  farming.  His  dairy 
is  well  conducted  and  lias  a  good  reputation 
in  the  community.  Mr.  Heinz  has  proven  him- 
self an  alert,  enterprising  business  man,  and 
has  already  won  success  in  his  farming  opera- 
tions, rolitically  he  is  a  Democrat  and  has 
held  the  offices  of  School  Director  and  Commis- 
sioner. He  is  a  member  of  St.  John's  Catholic 
Church,  of  Winfield,  and  enjoys  the  respect  and 
esteem    of    liis    neighbors. 

On  May  25,  1886,  Mr.  Heinz  was  by  Father 
Wiederhold  of  St.  John's  Church  married  to 
Maggie  Ivlein,  a  native  of  Wayne  Township, 
born  April  14,  1SG6,  daughter  of  George  and 
Theresa  (Heutges)  Klein,  both  of  whom  were 
horn  in  Germany.  Mr.  Klein  was  born  Decem- 
ber 1,  1822,  and  his  wife  October  22,  1832, 
and  they  came  to  America  between  the  years 
1845  and  1849.  They  were  married  in  Du  Page 
County  and  located  on  a  farm  on  Section  33 
of  Wayne  Township,  where  they  lived  until  the 
death  of  Mr.  Ivlein,  in  1805.  To  Mr.  and  Mrs. 
Heinz  seven  children  were  born,  namely  :  Ther- 
esa E.,  born  April  12,  1887 ;  Margaret  M.,  born 
November  6,  1888;  George  J.,  born  July  25, 
1891 ;  John  N.,  born  November  27,  1894 ;  Albert 
P.,  born  April  29,  1897 ;  Agnes  M.,  born  June 
28,  1903 ;  Michael"  L..  born  March  20,  1906,  and 
all  live  at  home. 

HEMPSHELL,  John,  father  of  Beautiful  Hins- 
dale, a  man  whose  ideas  and  plans  for  making 
Hinsdale  one  of  the  most  desirable  residence 
districts  of  eastern  Illinois,  is  now  living  in  re- 
tirement in  the  community  which  owes  him  so 
much.  He  was  born  in  Nottinghamshire,  Eng- 
land, July  14.  1821.  a  son  of  William  and  Amis 
(Ellis)  Herapshell.  The  father  was  a  shepherd 
and  farmer.  From  his  surroundings  in  child- 
hood, Mr.  Hempshell  developed  a  love  for  the 
beautiful  in  nature,  and  grew  up  with  it,  attend- 
ing school  in  England,  but  preferring  being  out 
of  doors.  He  came  to  America  in  the  spring  of 
1859,  with  Chicago  as  his  destination,  but  later 
he  went  to  Fullersburg,  111. 

Before  coming  here  he  had  been  employed  as 
a  gardener  and  orchardist,  and  when  he  bought 


fifty  acres  in  Du  Page  county,  he  began  at  once 
to  beautify  it,  until  now  it  is  one  of  the  show 
places  of  the  county.  At  the  time  Hinsdale  was 
planned,  Mr.  Hempshell  embarked  in  a  general 
contracting  business,  building  roads  and  making 
excavations.  Realizing  the  dearth  of  appro- 
priate trees  in  and  about  the  proposed  village, 
he  drove  to  the  Calumet  river  and  brought  thou- 
sands of  evergreen  trees,  which  he  set  out,  so 
that  it  is  now  noted  for  its  profusion  of  pine  trees. 
His  example  inspired  neighbors  to  combine  the 
beautiful  with  the  utilitarian,  so  that  few  sub- 
urbs of  Chicago  or  any  other  city  possess  so 
much  arboreal  beauty.  For  a  quarter  of  a  cen- 
tury, Mr.  Hempshell  has  lived  retired,  his  hand- 
some stone  residence  standing  almost  on  the  old 
Indian  trail,  used  during  the  Black  Hawk  war. 
Mr.  Hempshell  took  an  active  part  in  church 
work,  and  was  Sunday-school  superintendent  for 
years.  In  jxilitical  faith  he  Is  a  Republican.  It 
was  Mr.  Hempshell's  pleasure  to  furnish  the 
facts  used  in  v^riting  the  history  of  Hinsdale. 

In  1851,  Mr.  Hempshell  married,  before  leav- 
ing his  native  land,  Jane  H.  Everton,  of  the 
same  locality  as  himself.  Two  children  were 
born  to  them :  Anna,  who  is  at  home  with  her 
father ;  and  Eliza,  .who  married  Joseph  Rigby, 
of  Manchester,  England,  a  dealer  in  wholesale 
textiles.  Mrs.  Hempshell  died  many  years  ago, 
in  1865.  Still  cherishing  his  ardent  love  of  na- 
ture, proud  of  the  part  he  has  played  in  the 
beautifying  of  Hinsdale,  Mr.  Hempshell  is  en- 
Joying  his  declining  years,  and  still  retains  his 
interest  In  the  growth  of  his  beloved  village. 

HENCH,  John  Bull,  M.  D.  No  other  profession 
calls  for  so  much  sacrifice  of  personal  comfort, 
or  demands  from  its  exponents  such  constant 
and  untiring  study,  as  that  of  medicine.  No 
matter  what  fees  a  physician  may  receive,  he 
can  never  be  fully  repaid  for  his  care  and  devo- 
tion to  a  case,  and  many  times  his  most  faithful 
efforts  go  unrewarded.  In  spite  of  the  numerous 
disadvantages  pertaining  to  the  practice  of 
medicine,  thousands  of  the  most  able  men  of  the 
country  belong  to  the  profession,  and  steadfastly 
uphold  its  dignity,  and  preserve  the  health  of 
the  community.  One  of  Du  Page  County's 
eminent  physicians  and  surgeons  is  Dr.  John 
Bull  Heneh,  of  Hinsdale.  He  was  born  in  Ogle 
County,  111.,  November  13,  1855,  being  a  son  of 
John  and  Grace  (Bull)    Hench.  farming  people. 

After  going  through   the  country  schools.  Dr. 


904 


HISTOKY  OF  DU  PAGE  COUNTY. 


HeiK-li  atteiKled  Roekford  Academy  and  Wlieaton 
College,  and  then  in  18S3,  entered  Rush  Medical 
College  of  Chicago.  Being  graduated  therefrom, 
he  located  at  Hinsdale  where  he  has  built  up  a 
large  and  steadily  increasing  practice.  He  be- 
longs to  the  Chicago  Medical  Society,  the  State 
Medical  Society,  and  the  American  Medical 
Association.  His  fraternal  associations  are  with 
the  Masonic  order. 

Dr.  Hench  was  married  at  Rocliford,  III., 
November  2S,  1883,  to  Jliss  Helen  Bebb,  daugh- 
ter of  Michael  S.  and  Josephine  (Hancock) 
Bebb.  Four  children  have  been  born  to  Dr.  and 
Mrs.  Hench  :  J.  Lyman,  a  traveling  salesman  for 
a  Chicago  firm ;  Horace  Bebb,  a  machinery  sales- 
man of  Chicago ;  Ralph,  a  student  at  Purdue 
University,  and  Helen,  a  student  of  the  Hins- 
dale high  school.  The  family  attend  the  Uni- 
tarian Church. 

Dr.  Hench  was  an  instructor  in  the  medical 
department  of  the  University  of  Illinois,  and 
for  one  year  during  his  younger  days,  he  taught 
public  school.  In  addition  to  attending  to  a 
large  practice.  Dr.  Hench  finds  time  to  act  as 
director  of  the  Chicago  Live  Stock  World  and 
the  J.  S.  Wilson  Floral  Co.,  of  Des  Moines, 
Iowa.  A  close  student,  a  .man  of  wide  and 
varied  experience,  possessed  of  a  manner  that 
makes  him  a  welcome  visitor  iu  the  sick  room, 
and  a  ready  sympathy  and  cheerfulness  that 
help  his  patients  more  than  any  one  realizes.  Dr. 
Hench  has  long  been  most  iwpular,  while  his 
sterling  traits  of  character  and  enterprising 
spirit,  make  him  well  liked  as  a  citizen. 

HENDRICKSON,  Silas  E.  Among  the  flourish- 
ing busine>s  enterprises  of  Wheaton,  one  which 
has  rapidly  grown  from  a  modest  beginning  into 
an  establishment  of  imiwrtance  is  the  Family 
Laundry,  the  proprietor  of  which.  Silas  E.  Hend- 
rickson,  has  earned  the  right  to  be  numbered 
with  the  progressive  young  business  citizens  of 
this  place.  Mr.  Hendrickson  is  a  native  lUi- 
noisan.  haviug  been  born  iu  De  Kalb  county, 
July  15,  1879,  a  son  of  Gunner  and  Sarah 
(Eriekson)  Hendrickson,  natives  of  Norway, 
the  former  born  in  1828  and  the  latter  in  1837. 
His  parents  emigrated  to  the  United  States  in 
1864,  and  first  settled  in  Lee  county,  Illinois, 
but  subsequently  removed  to  a  farm  in  De  Kalb 
county,  where  the  father  was  engaged  in  agri- 
cultural pursuits  until  his  retirement  in  1900, 
and  since  that  time  he  has  lived  with  his  son. 


Lewis.  The  mother  passed  away  January  29, 
190C,  in  Roehelle.  111. 

Silas  E.  Hendrickson  received  his  education 
in  the  public  schools  of  De  Kalb  county,  and 
there  his  boyhood  and  youth  were  spent  on  his 
father's  farm.  .\t  the  age  of  seventeen  years, 
having  decided  that  his  abilities  could  be  bet- 
ter developed  in  other  fields  of  endeavor,  he 
left  the  homestead  and  secured  employment  as 
a  stationary  engineer.  He  was  so  employed  un- 
til February  22,  1907,  at  which  time  he  entered 
the  employ  of  John  S.  Thomas,  who  conducted 
a  laundry  iu  Wheaton,  and  in  whose  service 
Mr.  Hendrickson  continued  until  he  embarked  in 
the  business  on  his  own  acount  in  1911.  He  Is 
energetic,  progressive  and  enterprising,  and  the 
support  he  has  received  from  the  people  of 
Wheaton  is  but  a  just  return  for  the  excellent 
service  he  is  giving  them.  His  establishment 
is  fitted  with  all  the  latest  equipments  known 
to  the  business,  and  the  quality  of  work  turned 
out  is  ample  evidence  of  the  proprietor's  knowl- 
edge of  his  vocation.  Mr.  Hendrickson  is  what 
is  known  as  a  "good  mixer,"  and  once  gained 
a  customer  is  never  lost. 

On  June  10,  1908,  Mr.  Hendrickson  was  mar- 
ried to  Miss  Lydia  Gauger,  who  was  born  in 
Wheaton,  111.,  June  30,  1887,  daughter  of  Mr. 
and  Mrs.  Crist  Gauger,  natives  of  Germany. 
Mrs.  Hendrickson's  parents  emigrated  to  the 
United  States  at  an  early  day  and  settled  in 
Wheaton,  where  the  father  pas.sed  away  April 
14.  1895.  Mr.  and  Mrs.  Hendrickson  became 
the  parents  of  one  child,  Wallace  L.,  born  March 
1.  1909.  They  are  members  of  the  English 
Lutheran  Church.  In  his  political  views,  Mr. 
Hendrickson  is  a  Republican,  but  outside  of 
holding  membership  in  the  Mystic  Workers  ot 
the  World  he  has  no  interests  save  those  ot 
his  business  and  his  home. 

HERMAN,  WiUiam,  engineer  of  the  water 
works  at  Hinsdale,  is  one  of  the  reliable  men  of 
Du  Page  county,  upon  whose  proficiency  and 
skill  depend  the  comfort  and  safety  of  many. 
Jlr.  Herman  was  born  at  Proviso,  Cook  county, 
111..  February  20,  1872.  a  son  of  Frederick  and 
Mary  (Martin)  Herman.  The  parents  were 
born  in  Germany,  but  came  to  Cook  county  at 
an  early  day,  and  there  the  father  farmed  for 
many  years.  William  Herman  attended  the  Ger- 
man schools  at  Fullersburg,  and  public  schools 
at  Hinsdale,  and  was  brought  up  amid  rural  sur- 


^,;?^.„i^  (^   /W-.z^,X^>>^^V^^?|^ 


HISTORY  OF  DU  PAGE  COUNTY. 


905 


roundings  on  a  farm.  Until  he  attained  his  ma- 
jority, Mr.  Herman  followed  agricultural  pur- 
suits, and  then  for  the  following  decade  en- 
gaged in  teaming.  At  the  expiration  of  that 
period,  he  engaged  as  fireman  of  the  boiler  at 
the  greenhouse  of  Bast  &  Washburn,  thus  con- 
tinuing until  1000,  when  he  was  engaged  in  the 
siime  capacity  at  the  Hinsdale  water  works. 
Having  proved  his  faithfulness  and  ability,  he 
was  promoted,  in  3909,  to  be  engineer  of  this 
public  utility,  and  has  so  continued. 

On  August  12,  1900,  Mr.  Herman  was  united 
in  marriage  with  Anna  S.  Walsh,  the  Rev. 
Father  Hagan  of  La  Grange  otficiating.  No 
issue.  Mr.  Herman  is  a  member  of  the  German 
Lutheran  Church,  but  Mrs.  Herman  is  a  Catho- 
lic, belonging  to  the  La  Grange  parish.  Her 
parents  were  born  and  died  in  Ireland,  where 
she  was  born.  Fraternally,  Mr.  Herman  belongs 
to  the  Modern  Woodmen  of  America,  and  the 
Illinois  Life  Insurance  Company.  For  some 
years  he  has  been  a  member  of  the  Illinois  Na- 
tional Guards.  Although  always  voting  the  Re- 
publican ticket,  he  has  never  aspired  to  public 
office,  his  private  duties  taking  his  tj,ijj.e,„_ Since . 
boyhood,  Mr.  Herman  has  bpeu  'a  man  -A-lio 
has  worked  hard  at  whatever-  eiigag'e** life  %t«- 
tention,  and  as  a  result,  he  has  risen  steadily, 
and  at  the  same  time  gained  ijnd  retained  the 
full  confidence  and  respect  of  those  .ij'itJ;,Ehojp-. 
he  has  been  associated.  ^     -,.v.i.-,»-  ••«' 

HERRICK,  Franlc  Earl.  Throughout  the  history 
of  the  country,  the  majority  of  our  most  dis- 
tinguished men  are  those  who  have  been  fitted 
for  public  life  through  the  study  and  practice 
of  law,  so  that  one  of  this  honored  profession 
is  more  likely  to  lead  his  community,  than  one 
who  has  never  enjoyed  such  advantages.  One  of 
the  men  belonging  to  the  younger  generation 
of  Du  Page  County,  who  has  already  demon- 
strated his  strength  politically,  as  well  as  in  his 
profession,  is  Frank  Earl  Herrick,  of  Wheaton, 
attorney-at-law,  Police  Magistrate  and  a  leader 
in  the  anti-liquor  agitation  in  this  locality.  Mr. 
Herrick  was  born  in  Winfield  Township.  Du 
Page  County,  March  24, 1875,  being  a  son  of  John 
H.  and  Virginia    (Hughes)   Herrick. 

The  Herrick  family  is  one  well  known  in 
Du  Page  County,  in  which  Ira  Herrick,  grand- 
father of  Mr.  Herrick,  settled  in  1S34.  Ira 
Herrick  was  a  native  of  Vermont,  and  his  wife 
was  also  born  in  Vermont.     Coming  west  at  a 

19 


very  early  day,  Mr.  Herrick  first  located  in 
Chicago,  where  he  erected  several  frame  houses 
which  were  among  the  first  of  their  kind  to  be 
built  in  what  is  now  the  great  metropolis  of 
the  west.  Coming  to  Du  Page  County,  Mr. 
Herrick  took  up  government  land,  which  is  now 
owned  by  his  grandson  of  whom  we  write.  It 
was  on  this  homestead  that  his  son,  John  H. 
Herrick,  father  of  Frank  Earl  Herrick,  spent 
his  life,  engaged  in  farming,  dying  February 
4,  190S. 

Frank  Earl  Herrick  was  educated  in  Wheaton 
Academy  and  College,  from  which  latter  he  was 
graduated  in  1899.  He  then  entered  the  Illi- 
nois College  of  Law,  being  graduated  therefrom 
in  1902,  and  the  same  year  was  admitted  to  the 
bar.  Mr.  Herrick  has  been  prominent  as  a  leader 
of  the  Prohibition  party  for  a  number  of  years 
and  has  been  County  Chairman  of  his  party 
since  1902.  He  has  been  on  the  Senatorial 
Committee  and  Precinct  Committee  and  Con- 
gressional Committee,  and  has  served  as  delegate 
to  a  number  of  State  and  National  Conventions. 
In  1904,   he  was  elected   Justice  of  the  Peace, 

,a»d  Police  Magistrate  of  Wheaton  in  1906,  and 
again   in   1909,  which  office  he  is  now  holding. 

■H*e  was  nominated  for  Clerk  of  the  Appellate 
Court  of  the  Second  Appellate  District  in  1908, 
rurtning  ahead  of  his  ticket  with  a  vote  of  11,000. 

•  He}  was   also   nominated   for   County   Judge  In 

'1906,  and  for  Representative  to  the  General  As- 
•sembly  from  the  Forty-first  Senatorial  Dis- 
trict, in  1910.  Owing  to  the  fact  that  his  party 
is  not  as  largely  represented  in  this  locality  as 
the  others,  he  has  been  defeated,  but  his  magni- 
ficent majorities  over  the  rest  of  his  ticket  have 
proven  how  popular  he  is  personally,  and  indi- 
cate that  the  time  Is  not  far  distant  when  his 
worth  will  prevail  over  party  lines.  He  is  a 
man  who  ought  to  be  allowed  perfect  freedom 
IMliticall.v  for  his  motives  are  of  the  highest, 
and  his  efforts  are  directed  towards  the  moral 
uplift  of  the  community  he  holds  so  dear. 

HERRICK,  Ralph  L.  The  Herricks  are  among 
the  oldest  families  of  Du  Page  County  and  have 
always  represented  the  best  interests  of  their 
community.  Ralph  L.  Herrick.  of  the  third 
generation  to  live  in  Illinois,  has  spent  his  en- 
tire life  in  Winfield  Township,  where  he  was 
born  September  15.  1872.  He  is  a  son  of  John 
and  Virginia  (Hughes)  Herrick.  the  father  a 
native  of  Winfield  Township,  born  April  3,  1838, 


906 


HISTORY  OP  DU  PAGE  COUNTY. 


and  the  mother  boi'u  iu  West  Virginia,  April  24, 
1834.  John  Herrick  was  a  sou  of  Ira  and 
Mabel  (Gulusha)  Herrick.  of  Vermont,  and 
Virginia  Hughes  was  a  daughter  of  James  and 
Lueretia  (Brindley)  Hughes,  of  Pocahontas 
County,  W.  Va.  Ira  Herrick  was  born  March 
4,  1801,  and  died  August  30,  1878,  and  his  wife 
was  born  April  13,  1801,  and  died  January  25, 
1873.  He  started  West  in  February,  1833,  driv- 
ing with  a  sleigh  from  Burlington,  Vt.,  to  Buf- 
falo, N.  Y.,  worked  there  for  a  time  to  earn 
money  for  his  passage  to  Chicago,  coming  as  far 
as  Detroit  on  a  boat  and  walking  the  remainder 
of  the  way,  while  a  stage  carried  his  trunk  and 
tool  chest.  His  family  joined  him  soon  after 
and  in  May,  1833,  he  entered  IGO  acres  of 
government  land  iu  Winfield  Township,  where 
his  grandson  Ralph  now  lives.  This  was  part 
prairie  and  part  timber  land  and  he  set  about 
breaking  the  former  and  bringing  it  under  cul- 
tivation. He  built  a  log  house  and  followed  it 
with  other  necessary  buildings,  and  in  1S49,  he 
erected  a  good  frame  house.  At  the  time  he 
first  came  to  the  county  there  were  but  few 
families  near  and  it  was  a  common  thing  to  see 
Indians  in  the  locality. 

James  and  Luci-etia  Hughes  came  West  in 
1834,  and  bought  a  farm  in  Elkhart  County, 
Ind.,  where  they  spent  the  remainder  of  their 
lives.  He  was  born  January  6,  1803,  and  died 
December  25,  1850,  and  she  was  born  May  5, 
1806,  and  died  March  30,  1874.  Their  daughter 
Virginia  went  from  Indiana  to  Galesburg,  111., 
and  there  she  was  married  to  Mr.  Herrick  in 
1867,  after  which  they  moved  to  the  farm  in 
Winfield  Township.  He  was  well  educated  but 
had  always  followed  farming  as  an  occupation. 
He  had  attended  the  common  schools,  at  St. 
Charles,  111.;  Wheaton  College,  and  Lombard 
University  at  Galesburg.  A  Universalist  in 
religious  belief,  he  held  various  offices  in  the 
church,  and  in  politics  he  was  a  Republican. 
He  was  a  total  abstainer  from  liquor  of  all 
kinds  and  temperate  in  all  things,  and  was  a 
man  of  strong  convictions,  who  lived  strictly  up 
to  his  beliefs  and  doctrines,^  but  had  broad 
charity  for  all  and  was  universally  beloved  for 
his  kind  heart  and  good  deeds.  He  died  Feb- 
ruary 4,  1908,  and  his  widow  now  resides  on  the 
old  place.  Their  children  were:  George  Ira, 
bom  June  11,  1868,  of  Los  Angeles,  Cal. ;  Mabel 
liucretia,  born  January  5,  1870,  graduated  from 
Wheaton  College  and  died  November  20,  1891 ; 


Ralph  Lovel,  of  this  review ;  Frank  Earl,  twin 
of  Charles  Edward,  born  March  24,  1875.  Frank 
E.  is  a  Police  Magistrate  and  lives  at  Wheaton, 
and  Charles  Edward  died  February  1.  1886. 

Ralph  Lovel  Herrick  was  educated  in  the 
public  schools  and  Wheaton  College  and  has 
spent  his  entire  life  on  the  farm,  which  he  now 
conducts.  He  is  an  intelligent  and  energetic 
farmer  and  follows  modern  methods  in  his  work. 
He  is  a  worthy  representative  of  his  name  and 
has  every  reason  to  feel  proud  of  his  family  and 
their  achievements.  The  farm  has  been  the 
property  of  the  Herricks  .since  it  was  entered 
from  the  Government  and  all  the  improvements 
are  due  to  their  efforts.  Mr.  Herrick  is  a  Re- 
publican in  politics  and  fraternally  is  connected 
with  the  Modern  Woodmen  of  America  and  the 
Royal  Neighbors,  of  Warrenville.  He  is  un- 
married. 

HEUER,  Henry  Frederick,  a  son  of  Henry  and 
Dora  (Hiene)  Heuer,  was  born  in  Elk  Grove, 
Cook  county.  111.,  Oct.  5,  1854.  He  spent  his 
early  days  on  the  home  farm  and  in  the  neigh- 
boring public  schools.  He  first  began  farming 
for  himself  in  Cook  County,  but  later  removed 
to  his  present  home,  where  he  has  126  acres  in 
section  23  and  a  splendid  wood-lot  in  section 
22.  He  now  has  suspended  his  actual  farming 
operations  almost  entirely,  reuting  his  farm.  He 
serves  in  the  office  of  township  commissioner. 
He  is  a  member  of  the  Evangelical  Church,  is 
President  of  the  Board,  and  has  been  a  deacon 
for  over  twelve  years. 

Mr.  Heuer  was  married  to  Miss  Maria  Schmidt, 
Nov.  23,  1879.  She  is  a  daughter  of  Frederick 
and  Maria  Anna  (Roderman)  Schmidt,  born 
June  5,  1859.  They  have  had  no  children  of 
their  own,  but  have  a  little  girl  living  with  them, 
born  Feb.  11,  1900,  who  is  a  daughter  of  Frank 
and  Martha    (Heuer)    Bell. 

Mr.  Heuer's  father  was  one  of  the  early  set- 
tlers of  this  part  of  the  country,  and  although 
he  did  not  take  land  directly  from  the  Govern- 
ment, he  bought  from  a  "Squatter"  quite  soon 
after   possession   had  been   granted  him. 

HEYDON,  Charles  Edward,  an  enterprising  citi- 
zen of  Naperville,  111.,  has  built  up  an  extensive 
business  from  a  small  beginning  and  stands  well 
in  the  commercial  circles  of  Du  Page  County. 
He  was  born  at  Middleton  Cheney,  Northamp- 
tonshire, England,  March  21,  1862,  son  of  Wil- 


HISTORY  OP  DU  PAGE  COUNTY. 


907 


Ham  and  Elizabeth  (Barton)  Heydon,  natives 
of  the  same  place,  his  paternal  grandfather  also 
being  named  William  Heydon.  He  lost  hla 
mother  when  he  was  but  sis  weeks  old  and  the 
father,  a  manufacturer  of  boots  and  shoes,  died 
in  1878.  Charles  E.  Heydon  was  the  youngest 
child  of  his  parents,  the  others  being:  Eliza- 
beth, who  died  in  October,  1910 ;  Selina,  of  Wim- 
beldon,  England;  John,  of  London,  and  Annie, 
living  at  Naperville  with  her  brother,  Charles  E. 

Mr.  Heydou  lived  at  home  until  the  death  of 
his  father,  then  went  to  London  and  followed 
the  trade  of  a  baker  until  1881,  when  he  came 
to  the  United  States,  landing  in  New  York  and 
for  some  time  traveled  througnout  the  country. 
He  finally  located  at  Fort  Mead,  S.  D.,  and  for 
over  a  year  worked  in  a  grocery  store.  After 
this  he  conducted  a  restaurant  there  for  more 
than  a  year,  when  he  entered  a  stock  company 
with  nine  other  men,  and  engaged  in  the  cattle 
business.  Two  years  later,  he  sold  his  interest 
and  for  one  year  conducted  a  draying  and  ex- 
press business  in  Buffalo  Gap,  S.  D.,  selling  that 
business,  for  three  months  he  conducted  a  hotel 
at  Rapid  City,  in  the  same  State,  after  which 
he  sold  and  came  to  Naperville,  where  he  has 
since  resided.  He  purchased  the  Nadelhoffer 
bakery,  which  he  conducted  successfully  for  five 
years,  and  then  moved  to  his  present  building 
and  put  in  a  full  line  of  groceries  in  connec- 
tion with  his  bakery  line.  He  has  built  up  a 
large  trade  and  owns  the  business  block  where 
his  store  is  located,  and  has  erected  a  fine 
cement  block  house  on  West  Jefferson  Street, 
which  he  has  christened  "Middleton,"  in  honor 
of  the  town  of  his  birth. 

On  IVIay  3,  1888,  Mr.  Heydon  was  married  to 
Emma  Wise,  born  in  Naperville,  daughter  of 
Christian  and  Sarah  (Kline)  Wise,  her  father 
n  native  of  Bavaria,  Germany,  and  her  mother, 
of  Pennsylvania.  He  came  to  Naperville  with 
his  parents  when  two  years  of  age,  and  the 
Klines  were  early  settlers  of  Naperville.  Mr. 
Wise  was  a  farmer  and  later  a  dealer  in  coal 
and  grain.  He  died  June  15,  1896,  and  his 
widow  April  4,  1907.  Mrs.  Heydon  was  gradu- 
ated from  Naperville  Academy,  while  her  hus- 
band received  a  common  school  education  in 
England.  They  became  parents  of  children  as 
follows :  Adra  died  aged  nine  years  and  two 
months;  Archibald  died  in  infancy;  Selina  died 
at  the  age  of  ten  years  and  three  months; 
Charles    Ernest,    Homer    H.,    Vera    Hazel    and 


Emma  Wise,  the  living,  all  at  home.  Mr.  Heydon 
is  a  member  of  the  Congregational  church  and 
in  politics  is  a  Republican.  He  has  been  a  mem- 
ber of  the  School  Board  since  1906,  and  is  aflil- 
iated  with  the  Modern  Woodmen  of  America, 
of  Naperville,  Naperville  Chapter  A.  F.  &  A.  M., 
Aurora  Commandry  K.  T.  and  Mystic  Shrine 
of  Chicago. 

HEYNEN,  Robert,  deceased,  formerly  a  suc- 
ce.ssful  farmer  of  Lisle  township  was  a  native  of 
Prussia,  Germany,  who  was  born  November  27, 
1844,  son  of  E.  W.  and  Matilda  (Krenzer)  Hey- 
nen.  The  parents  came  to  Illinois  in  1848,  rent- 
ing land  for  three  years  in  Stevenson  township, 
then  they  rented  a  farm  in  Lisle  township,  for 
four  or  five  years.  After  this  they  purchased 
sixty  acres  of  land  improving  and  cultivating 
it  and  developing  a  fine  farm,  to  which  they 
later  were  able  to  add  thirty  acres,  spending 
their  remaining  days  on  the  ninety-acre  farm 
now  owned  by  their  son  Robert.  The  father 
died  about  3905,  and  the  mother  about  1906, 
having  had  children  as  follows :  E.  W.,  who 
was  killed  while  serving  in  the  Uuion  army; 
Robert,  who  died  March  22,  1911 ;  Otto  W.  who 
is  of  Cedar  Rapids,  la;  A.  C. ;  Anna  (Mrs.  Al- 
bert Von  Oven),  of  Miles,  la.;  Carl,  who  died 
in  infancy ;  and  Mary,  who  married  Edward 
Hamerschmidt  and  is  now  deceased. 

As  a  boy  Robert  Heynen  helped  with  the  work 
cm  his  father's  farm  and  attended  the  district 
schools,  and  later  spent  two  terms  in  the  Naper- 
ville academy.  He  was  reared  to  agricultural 
pursuits  and  followed  them  all  his  life,  remain- 
ing with  his  parents  until  his  marriage.  This 
occurred  in  February,  1870,  with  Eugenia  Bick- 
enbach,  a  native  of  Prussia,  Germany,  daughter 
of  C.  R.  and  Augusta  (Heynen)  Biekenbach, 
who  came  to  Illinois  in  1848,  the  same  year  as 
the  Heynen  family.  After  marriage  Mr.  and 
Mrs.  Heynen  spent  five  years  on  a  farm  near 
Freeport,  II!.,  then  returned  to  the  Heynen  home, 
where  he  operated  the  home  farm  until  his 
father's  death,  after  which  he  bought  it.  He 
continued  to  improve  It  in  every  way  and  it 
contains  substantial  and  suitable  buildings,  the 
modern,  comfortable  farm  house  which  is  now 
the  family  home  having  been  erected  by  him. 
Carrying  on  general  farming,  raising  cattle  and 
hogs  and  conducting  a  dairy  herd  of  about 
twenty  cows,  Mr.  Heynen  rounded  out  a  useful 
life. 


908 


HISTORY  OF  DU  PAGE  COUNTY. 


Mr.  Heynen  was  a  highly  respected  man  in 
his  comniunity  where  he  was  well  known,  for 
it  had  been  his  home  most  of  his  life.  He  was 
a  deacon  in  the  Congregational  church,  while 
In  politics  he  was  a  Republican,  and  fraternally 
he  was  alBliated  with  the  Modern  Woodmen  of 
America.  To  him  and  his  wife  children  were 
lK)rn  as  follows :  E.  W.  and  K.  R.,  who  are  of 
Beaver  county,  Okla ;  R.  C,  who  is  of  the  Ever- 
glades, Fla, ;  Carl  S.,  who  is  at  home;  Louisa 
A.,  Mrs,  Samuel  Marchasa,  who  is  of  Chicago ; 
Laura  M.,  who  is  of  Beaver  county,  Okla  ;  Au- 
gusta, who  is  at  home;  and  Eugenia,  who  mar- 
ried Carl  Martin,  who  is  emplo.ved  in  the  Chi- 
cago city  hall. 

HIATT,  Charles  M.,  deceased.  Death  is  always 
an  unwelcome  visitant,  but  when  his  object  is 
the  snatching  away  of  the  youug  the  mowing 
down  of  a  life  scarcely  commenced,  the  blow 
he  gives  is  terrible.  The  late  Charles  M.  Hiatt, 
whose  death  cast  a  shadow  upon  all  of  Wheaton, 
was  one  of  the  most  enterprising  of  the  city's 
business  men.  He  was  born  in  WTieaton,  Sep- 
tember 29,  1873.  and  until  his  untimely  demise, 
December  17,  lOOG,  his  life  was  an  open  page, 
upon  which  was  written  deeds  of  kindnes.s, 
acts  of  charity,  and  successful  business  ven- 
tures. He  was  a  son  of  the  late  Luther  Lee 
Hiatt  and  his  wife  Statira  E.  (Jewett)  Hiatt, 
and  was  brought  up  in  Wheaton,  attending  the 
excellent  schools  here,  and  finishing  his  course, 
he  entered  upon  the  study  of  pharmacy.  In  1890 
he  and  his  brother,  Linneaus  L.,  assumed 
charge  of  their  father's  business  upon  his  death 
in  1S95,  the  new  firm  being  L.  L.   Hiatt's  Sons. 

Never  robust,  Mr.  Hiatt  soon  found  the  con- 
finement of  the  drug  trade  the  most  exacting 
occupation  there  is,  too  much  for  his  health, 
and  he  accepted  the  position  of  secretary  to  Col. 
Charles  Page  Bryan,  when  he  was  appointed 
United  States  minister  to  Brazil,  accompanying 
that  official  to  South  America.  This  climate  did 
not  agree  with  him  either,  and  he  returned  in 
the  fall  of  19<10,  after  six  months  in  the  tropics. 
Soon  thereafter  he  was  married  to  Miss  Lucia 
HoUiday,  of  Indianapolis,  and  two  children  were 
born  to  them:  Holliday  and  Lucia,  who  with 
their  mother  survive,   residing  in   Indianapolis. 

For  some  time  Mr.  Hiatt's  health  grew  stead- 
ily worse,  so  that  he  eventually  took  up  his  resi- 
dence with  his  widowed  mother  in  order  that 
she  could  add  her  ministrations  to  those  of  the 


young  wife,  but  he  finally  passed  away,  sur- 
rounded by  his  loved  ones.  His  life  was  a  short 
one,  spanning  only  thirty-three  years,  but  dur- 
ing that  time  he  endeared  himself  to  all  who 
knew  the  loveable  young  man,  and  his  virtues 
and  self-sacrificing  spirit  will  not  soon  he  for- 
gotten. 

HIATT,  Linneaus  Lee.  The  name  of  Hiatt  is 
one  which  will  always  be  tenderly  cherished  by 
the  people  of  Wheaton,  not  only  because  of  the 
position  held  by  those  of  the  name  now  sur- 
viving, but  because  of  the  services  of  the  late 
Luther  L.  Hiatt,  one  of  the  most  distinguished 
residents  of  Du  Page  county.  One  of  this  family, 
Linneaus  Lee  Hiatt,  who  has  worthily  followed 
in  the  father's  footsteps,  and  is  a  true  son  of  the 
city,  was  born  in  Wheaton,  April  11,  1872.  He 
is  a  sou  of  Luther  Lee  and  Statira 
Elizabeth  (Jewett)  Hiatt.  There  were  three 
brothers  in  the  family,  the  other  two  being: 
Charles  M..  who  passed  away  in  1906,  a  sketch 
of  whom  is  given  elsewhere ;  and  Luther  J.,  for 
years  connected  with  the  clerical  deiiartment  of 
the  Chicago  &  Northwestern  Railroad.  The 
latter  married  Florence  Dodge  of  Glen  EUyn, 
and  they  have  one  child.  Kenneth.  He  is  a 
Master  Mason,  and  a  member  of  the  Episcopal 
church. 

Linneaus  Lee  Hiatt  after  attending  public 
school  in  Wheaton,  entered  his  father's  drug 
store,  and  also  spent  three  years  mth  the  Chi- 
cago &  Northwestern  Railroad.  Upon  the  death 
of  his  father  in  1895,  he  and  his  brother  Charles 
M.  Hiatt,  took  charge  of  the  business  under  the 
firm  name  of  L.  L.  Hiatt's  Sons.  When  the 
younger  brother  died,  Mr.  Hiatt  assumed  full 
charge  and  has  continued  to  conduct  the  busi- 
ness alone.  It  is  the  oldest  business  house  In 
^\Tleaton,  having  been  established  by  his  grand- 
father. Dr.  Alfred  A.  Hiatt,  in  18.59,  and  the 
name  Hiatt  has  always  been  associated  with  it. 

On  .January  31,  1900,  Mr.  Hiatt  was  united  in 
marriage  at  Austin,  111.,  with  Miss  Josephine  A. 
Lattan.  daughter  of  Theodore  Lattan,  a  painter 
and  decorator.  Mr.  Hiatt  is  a  member  of  the 
Episcopal  church.  His  life  has  been  devoted  to 
his  business,  and  he  has  built  it  up  to  very  grat- 
if.ving  proportions.  Mr.  Hiatt  is  very  proud  of 
his  father's  record,  a  full  account  of  which  is 
given  elsewhere.  Naturally  he  is  attached  to 
the  place  in  which  he  has  spent  practically  all 
his  life,  and  which  is  endeared  to  him  because 


> 


SI 

33 


J^ 


HISTORY  OF  DU  PAGE  COUNTY. 


909 


of  his  father's  connection  with  it.  Mr.  Hiatt, 
his  grandfather,  father  and  two  brothers  have 
done  much  to  advance  the  general  welfare  of 
their  commimity,  and  to  uphold  high  standards 
of  morality. 

HIATT,   Luther   L.,   deceased.     An   old   soldier 

of  the  Civil  war  is  entitled  to  unstinted  honor 
for  the  services  he  rendered  his  country  when  it 
stood  in  need  of  them  ;  were  it  not  for  them,  this 
united  country  would  not  be  in  existence  today. 
One  of  the  men  who  will  always  be  remembered 
because  of  his  connection  with  this  mighty  strug- 
gle, as  well  as  for  his  services  as  an  aggressive 
business  man  and  faithful  supporter  of  the  best 
interests  of  Wheaton,  was  the  late  Luther  L. 
Hiatt,  born  in  Henry  county,  Indiana,  August  2. 
1S44,  oldest  sou  of  Dr.  A.  II.  and  Mary  Ann 
Hiatt. 

From  the  time  he  was  fourteen  years  old,  Mr. 
Hiatt  lived  in  Wheaton,  attending  the  excellent 
schools  here,  and  growing  up  to  consider  it  his 
home.     ^Vhen  his  father  established  himself  in 
a  drug  business,  the  son  entered  Wheaten-  Col; . , 
lege  with  the  idea  of  learning  to  be  a  druggisL- 
In   1862,   however,   he   left   college  -  fo  •-•etifi*;%  'i^  '' 
Company    F,    One    Hundred   and   Fifth    Illinois 
Volunteer  Infantry,  and  on  account  0f  the  knowl- 
edge he  possessed  of  pharmacy,  he  was  HietiriiM-  ^ 
as  prescription  clerk  of  the  medical  detiaftmeu't 
of  his  regiment,  and  was  later  prouiot^d  4©-the-'' 
same  position  for  his  brigade.    Alter  several  im- 
portant   battles,    his    services    were   invaluable, 
and  his  skill   and  coolness  saved  a   number  of 
lives.     At  one  time  he  had  charge  of  over  1,000 
soldiers  whose  wounds  were  serious.     Mr.  Hiatt 
was  mustered  out  at  Washington  in  June,  180.j, 
and  honorably  discharged  at  Springfield. 

Returning  home,  this  mere  lad,  who  yet  lacked 
several  years  of  his  majority,  entered  his  father's 
.store  and  soon  thereafter  became  sole  proprietor 
of  it.  In  October.  1865,  he  was  united  in  mar- 
riage with  Miss  Statira  E.  Jewett  of  Saratoga 
N.  Y.  Three  sons  were  born  of  this  happy  mar- 
riage: Linneaus  L.,  Charles  M.,  deceased,  and 
Luther  L. 

During  a  long  and  useful  life  Mr.  Hiatt  was 
a  Republican,  and  held  many  important  offices. 
For  over  twenty  years  he  was  justice  of  the 
peace  or  police  magistrate,  and  served  in  the 
Thirty-third  and  Thirty-fourth  General  Assem- 
blies, and  had  the  honor  of  voting  for  John  A. 
Logan    for    United    States    senator.      Governor 


Fifer  appointed  him  one  of  three  trustees  of  the 
Elgin  Insane  Hospital,  which  position  he  held 
until  after  the  election  of  Governor  Altgeld,  who 
was  of  a  different  political  faith.  For  years  he 
was  the  leading  spirit  of  E.  S.  Kelley  Post, 
G.  A.  R.,  and  when  he  died  he  was  its  com- 
mander. He  was  also  a  member  of  Wheaton 
Lodge,  No,  269,  F.  &  A.  M. ;  of  Doric  Chapter, 
No.  166,  R.  A.  M.,  and  of  the  National  Union. 

His  funeral  was  one  of  the  most  largely  at- 
tended of  any  ever  held  in  Wheaton,  and  was  in 
charge  of  the  G.  A.  R.  Post,  Capt.  M.  E.  Jones 
having  the  arrangements  in  his  hands.    Not  only 
were    the    sen-ices    conducted    by   the   Rev.    A. 
Mead    Burgess,    the    Rev.    Delos    Tomkius    and 
the  Rev.  Williston,  but  several  of  his  old  com- 
rades spoke  feelingly  of  him   and  his  services, 
and    the    choir    rendered    several    hymns,    and 
the  war  song  "Tramp,  Tramp,  Tramp,  the  Boys 
are  Marching,"  which  was  chosen  by  Mr.  Hiatt 
prior  to  his  death.     Men  of  national  distinction 
acted     as     pall     bearers,     and     his     remains 
were    laid    to    rest    in    the   beautiful    Wheatim 
Geuistefy.     The   ladies   of   the  Women's   Relief 
.  Qwmi  code    in    carriages,    and    over    one    hun- 
'ttred  o^  the  old  comrades  of  Mr.  Hiatt  followed 
the  he;i;rse   as   it   bore  him   to  his  last   resting 
place.    'Nothing   was  omittetl   to   render   honor 
"tt)'*fhjs  ^distinguished  man.     His   death,   an  un- 
timely   gne,   added    to   the   shock,    having  been 
.TeiTideutly  drowned  at  Powers  Lake,  October  5. 
1S95,  while  on  a  pleasure  trip.    He  and  William 
H.   Grote  were  out  in  a  row  boat,  which  over- 
turned,   both    men    losing    their    lives    thereby. 
Mr.   Hiatfs   body  was  discovered  the  following 
morning  at  ten  o'clock,  and  taken  to  his  home 
in   Wheaton. 

HIGGINS,  Sanders  Moses,  deceased.  Some  men 
in  passing  through  life  establish  a  record  for 
jirobity  and  uprightness  of  dealing  that  makes 
them  highly  valued  in  business,  while  as  citi- 
zens they  always  exhibit  a  public-spirited  in- 
terest in  civic  affairs.  Such  men's  Influence 
does  not  die  with  the  passing  away  of  their  mor- 
tality, but  lives  on,  animating  others  to  a 
better  life,  and  stirring  in  the  hearts  of  those 
most  closely  associated  with  them  a  desire  to 
emulate  their  example.  This  has  been  the  case 
since  the  demise  of  the  late  Sanders  Moses 
Higgins,  formerly  of  Winficld  where  he  was 
actively  engaged  in  general  merchandising.  He 
was  born  in  Milton  Township.  Du  Page  County 


910 


HISTORY  OF  DU  PAGE  COUNTY. 


ly,  and  was  oue  of  the  most  loyal  of  tbe  couu- 
ty's  sous.  The  (late  of  his  liirtU  was  July 
It;,  ISOO,  aud  as  he  died  December  2,  190f<, 
he  was  ouly  forty-two  years  old,  in  the  very 
prime  of  life.  He  was  a  son  of  Gilbert  and 
Cornelia  (Howard)  Higgius,  born  in  England. 
Their  declining  days  were  spent  iu  Winfield, 
w'here  they  died.  Their  children  were :  Mary, 
Mrs.  Levi  Spring  of  Grand  Junction.  Mich. ; 
Lucy,  Mrs.  John  Ceier  of  Winfield ;  Eliza,  Mrs. 
Charles  Schatz  of  Wheaton ;  Sanders  Moses ; 
William  of  West  Chicago,  aud  Oscar  A.  of  Win- 
field. 

Sanders  Moses  Higgins  attended  the  common 
schools  of  his  township,  then  spent  two  years 
iu  the  Wheaton  high  school,  and  was  always  ab- 
sorl>iug  information,  being  a  man  of  receptive 
mind.  On  Xoveiuher  30,  1SS9,  Mr.  Higgins  was 
united  in  marriage  by  Father  Wiederhold  of 
Winfield,  111.,  with  Barbara  Berkser,  born  iu 
Winfield,  111.,  February  13,  1S70  daughter  of 
Jacob  and  Antouette  (Klein)  Berkser  of  Ger- 
many. In  ises,  they  came  to  Winfield,  where 
both  still  reside,  he  being  seventy-five  years  old, 
?nd  she  sixty-nine  years  old.  Their  eight  chil- 
dren are  as  follows :  Nicholas  of  Rogers  Park ; 
Mrs.  Higgius ;  Catherine.  Mrs.  J.  S.  Miller  of 
Winfield ;  Marj-,  Mrs.  Matthew  Knippen,  of  Har- 
vard, 111. ;  Henry  of  Winfield ;  Leonard,  of  Au- 
rora ;  John,  of  Winfield ;  and  Elizabeth  who 
died  in  1902,  aged  twenty  years. 

Prior  to  his  marriage  Mr.  Higgins  had  resided 
with  his  parents,  but  he  then  became  agent  at 
Winfield  for  the  Chicago  and  Northwestern 
Railroad.  In  1S9-1,  he  bought  the  general  mer- 
chandise store  of  Mr.  Fehrm  in  Winfield,  which 
he  successfully  conducted  until  his  untimely  de- 
mise, December  2,  1908.  His  widow,  who  is 
a  splendid  business  woman,  is  continuing  the 
establishment  with  remarkable  success.  Tbe 
children  born  to  Mr.  and  Mrs.  Higgins  are  as 
follows :  George  Francis,  horn  September  27, 
1891;  Antouette  K..  May  28,  1893;  Marie  C, 
November  10.  1895 ;  Cornelia  A.,  August  1.  1897 ; 
Edward  John,  March  24,  1899,  died  December 
16.  1S99;  Henry  George.  September  27.  1900; 
Richard  M.,  March  5,  1902;  Alace  L.,  Novem- 
ber 13,  1904;  and  Clara  M.,  January  28.  1908. 
Mr.  Higgins  was  a  Catholic,  belonging  to  St. 
John's  parish.  He  was  a  member  of  the  Catholic 
Order  of  Foresters,  and  en.loyed  his  connection 
with  this  organization.  Loyal,  devoted  to  his 
family  and  church,  Mr.  Higgins  was  an  excel- 


lent example  of  a  good,  American  citizen  aud 
true.  Christian  man.  Mr.  Higgins  was  a  mem- 
ber of  the  Foresters  of  Winfield  and  the  Royal 
Neighbors  of  West  Chicago.  He  was  Justice 
of  the  Peace  for  many  years ;  also  Financial 
Secretary  of  the  Foresters  from  the  time  they 
were  organized  in  1890  until  a  year  before  he 
died. 

MILLIARD,  Wilham  J.,  of  Elmlmrst,  is  well 
known  in  his  vicinity  for  his  able  support  of 
educational  matters,  as  well  as  various  other 
movements  for  the  betterment  of  conditions  and 
the  welfare  of  the  people.  He  was  largely  in- 
strumental iu  securing  the  four-year  course  in 
the  Elmhurst  High  School  aud  has  served  as  a 
member  of  the  Board  of  Education  for  one 
term.  He  is  a  native  of  Hudson,  Mich.,  born 
November  3,  1SG2,  son  of  William  W.  and 
Martha  L.  (Sturgess)  Hilliard,  and  was  edu- 
cated in  the  schools  of  his  native  place.  His 
father  died  one  month  before  he  was  born  and 
his  mother  later  married  Geo.  W.  Steuben  and 
they  still  live  at  Hudson.  An  interesting  story 
is  told  of  one  of  Mr.  Steuben's  ancestors.  Baron 
von  Steuben,  who  came  to  America  many  years 
before  the  Revolution,  was  a  noble  friend  to 
the  cause  of  the  Colonists,  and  for  his  faith- 
fulness to  what  he  belived  to  he  right  was  allot- 
ed  by  the  Government  a  tract  of  land  now 
comprising  Steuben  County,  N.  Y.  During  his 
term  as  an  officer  in  command  of  an  army  he 
noted  with  displeasure  that  he  had  a  man  in  his 
ranks  who  bore  the  surname  of  Arnold,  which 
had  been  so  dishonored  by  the  traitor,  Bene- 
dict Arnold,  and  calling  this  man  to  his  pres- 
ence, remarked  to  him  that  he  was  too  fine  a 
man  to  bear  so  Ignoble  a  name,  suggesting  that 
he  adopt  another  in  its  place,  asking  him  what 
he  would  choose  and  promising  that  the  Courts 
would  allow  the  change.  While  he  was  think- 
ing over  various  names  from  which  his  selec- 
tion was  to  be  made.  Baron  von  Steuben  asked 
him  how  he  would  like  the  name  of  von  Steuben. 
Upon  the  soldier's  replying  that  he  would  con- 
sider this  a  great  honor,  the  baron  told  him 
he  should  afterward  bear  that  noble  name  and 
forthwith  gave  him  one-half  of  the  allotment  of 
land  he  had  himself  received.  This  man  Arnold 
was  the  grandfather  of  George  Washington  Steu- 
ben, who  married  Mrs.  Hilliard  when  her  son 
William  was  four  years  of  age.  He  is  a  vet- 
eran of  the  Civil  War  and  is  highly  respected 


HISTORY  OF  DU  PAGE  COUNTY. 


911 


by  his  stepson,  as  well  as  by  all  others  who 
know  him.  Mrs.  Steuben's  people  were  from 
JIassiu-liusetts  and  moved  thence  to  Hudson, 
Mich. 

Mr.  Uilliard  began  learning  the  trade  of 
(lUiMiber  in  his  native  town  and  completed  it 
in  Chicago.  He  worked  seven  years  as  jour- 
neyman plumber  and  August  1,  1893,  opened 
business  on  his  own  account,  in  the  basement  of 
the  Glos  Building.  In  the  winter  of  1905,  he 
erected  his  present  place  of  business  at  No.  13-1 
X.  York  Street,  where  he  has  since  enjoyed  a 
wide  patronage.  He  does  all  kinds  of  work  in 
his  line,  such  as  plumbing,  steam-fitting,  elec- 
tric wiring  and  the  like,  and  has  the  reputation 
of  being  a  first-class  workman.  He  employs 
about  four  men  throughout  the  year,  having  to 
hire  e.xtra  ones  during  his  busy  season. 

In  the  spring  of  1910,  Mr.  Hilliard  became  a 
Tolice  Magistrate  and  is  now  filling  that  otflce. 
He  served  twelve  .years  as  Deputy  Sheriff  under 
C.  B.  Gorham.  He  belongs  to  Christ  Church 
and  fraternally  is  a  member  of  Masonic  Lodge 
No.  941.  of  Elmhurst  of  which  he  is  a  charter 
member:  Eastern  Star  Chapter  No.  699;  Cicero 
Chapter  No.  ISO  Royal  Arch  Masons,  of  Aus- 
tin; Oak  Park  Council  No.  93  Royal  and  Select 
Masters ;  Siloam  Cammandery  No.  54  Knights 
Templar:  Nazareth  Shrine  No.  20.  He  is  also 
affiliated  with  the  Modem  Woodmen  of  Amer- 
ica, Elmhurst  Camp  No.  4120,  having  passed 
through  the  chairs  and  served  as  delegate  to  State 
Camp  several  times.  He  is  one  of  the  organ- 
izers of  the  Elmhurst  Lodge,  No.  696.  Mystic 
Workers  of  the  World,  and  since  that  time  has 
continuously  held  the  office  of  Secretary  until 
recently.  He  is  a  member  of  the  Master  Plum- 
ber's Association  and  is  President  of  the  State 
Association,  serving  his  second  term  in  this  of- 
fice. For  the  past  sixteen  years  he  has  not 
missed  a  State  Convention  and  having  several 
times  served  as  delegate  at  large  to  the  Na- 
tional Convention.  During  the  years  he  was 
identified  with  the  .Journeymen  Plumbers'  As- 
sociation, from  1SS6.  until  1S93.  Mr.  Hilliard 
served  as  its  Financial  Secretary. 

On  April  2^,  18SS,  Mr.  Hilliard  was  married 
by  Rev.  C.  E.  Mandeville,  now  deceased,  to  Anna 
L.  Prendergast.  daughter  of  Thomas  G.  and 
Amelia  (Bradner)  Prendergast,  who  was  born 
in  Leavenworth.  Kan.  Her  parents  moved  to 
Chicago  when  she  was  three  years  of  age  and 
have  since  resided  there.     Four  children  have 


been  born  of  this  union :  William  Robert,  born 
November  3,  1SS9,  associated  with  his  father  In 
business ;  Bessie  Lucile,  born  September  25, 
1S94,  a  student  in  the  sophomore  year  of  the 
high  school  at  Elmhurst,  and  Intending  to  pre- 
pare herself  for  a  teacher  of  Latin ;  Richard 
Bxadner,  born  August  28,  1000;  Ellsworth 
Si  urges,  September  23,  1904.  Mr.  Hilliard  joined 
the  Independent  Order  of  Odd  Fellows  in  Hud- 
son, Mich.,  during  the  week  he  attained  his 
majority,  was  affiliated  with  the  order  twenty 
years  and  filled  all  the  chairs  during  this  per- 
iod, having  served  two  terms  as  Noble  Grand 
of  his  lodge.  He  is  one  of  the  substantial  busi- 
ness men  of  Elmhurst  and  actively  interested 
in  local  affairs.  He  has  built  up  a  good  business 
from  a  small  beginning  and  has  been  able  to 
do  this  by  unremitting  energy  and  Industry. 

HILLS,  Albert  H.  The  reward  of  the  faithful 
worker  is  to  be  able  to  look  back  over  well- 
sjieut  .years  with  the  feeling  that  they  have  not 
been  wasted,  and  that  under  existing  circum- 
stances, the  best  was  done  every  time.  Albert 
H.  Hills,  one  of  the  retired  business  men  of 
West  Chicago,  and  a  man  whose  reputation  for 
strict  probity  and  sound  judgment  was  gained 
through  years  of  endeavor,  was  born  in  Kent, 
England,  September  IS,  1S37.  He  was  a  son  of 
James  ad  Harriet  (Tappenden)  Hills,  who  came 
to  the  United  States  in  the  fall  of  1840,  on  the 
old  clipper  ship,  the  "American  Eagle,"  being 
six  weeks  on  the  voyage,  although  he  had  in- 
ttnded  sailing  on  the  "Devonshire,"  but  was  de- 
layed. The  father  settled  In  Vernon,  N.  Y., 
where  he  worked  at  his  trade  establishing  him- 
self as  a  shoemaker  and  manufacturer  of  foot- 
wear. He  died  there,  June  22,  ISSS,  his  wife 
passing  In  the  same  place,  January  2,  1871. 

After  attending  district  school  until  he  was 
fifteen  years  of  age,  Albert  IT.  Hills  began  learn- 
ing the  carpenter  trade,  receiving  thirty  dollars 
the  first  year ;  sixty  dollars  the  second  year,  and 
the  third  year  he  was  advanced  to  receiving 
seventy-five  cents  per  day.  This  last  year,  Mr. 
Hills  boarded  at  home,  contributing  as  his 
sliare  a  barrel  of  flour,  for  which  he  paid  $12. 
For  the  following  two  years,  he  received  twenty 
dollars  per  nionth,  and  at  times  received  as  much 
as  $1  to  .$1.50  per  day.  He  then  came  to  Turner's 
Junction,  now  West  Chicago,  in  1865,  starting 
as  a  contractor  with  Thomas  Padghan,  an  old 
English   friend.     They  continued  together  until 


912 


HISTORY  OF  DU  PAGE  COUNTY. 


1870,  when  Mr.  Padghan  went  to  Chicago ;  and 
Mr.  Hills  went  to  Aurora.  After  a  year,  he  went 
to  Evanston,  but  four  years  later,  he  returned 
to  West  Chicago,  to  re-enter  the  contracting  busi- 
ness in  which  he  continued  until  1902,  when  he 
retired.  Some  of  the  best  building  in  West  Chi- 
cago has  been  done  by  him,  and  he  was  noted 
for  his  scrupulous  carrying  out  of  his  contracts. 
On  April  3,  1866,  Mr.  Hills  was  married  to 
Helen  Marion  Etheridge,  by  the  Rev.  George 
Hamilton,  born  in  Vernon,  N.  Y.,  September  16, ' 
1843,  daughter  of  William  and  Elizabeth 
(Myers)  Etheridge  of  Herkimer  and  Frankfort, 
N.  Y.  The  following  family  was  born  to  Mr. 
and  Mrs.  Hills :  Hobart  E.,  born  December  25, 
1866,  a  bookkeeper  employed  in  Chicago,  who  re- 
sides with  his  father  and  has  never  missed  a 
day  at  business  since  1882 ;  Hariette  E.,  bom 
November  19,  1871,  secured  employment  in  Chi- 
cago in  1SS8,  and  like  her  brother  has  established 
a  record,  never  having  missed  a  day  except 
through  sickness  in  the  family ;  Edith  May,  Mrs. 
William  A.  Keese  of  West  Chicago,  born  May 
11,  1878,  issue— Helen  C,  born  July  22,  1906, 
and  Margaret  W.,  born  August  10,  1908 ;  and 
Helen  Maude,  at  home,  born  June  21,  1884. 
Mrs.  Hills  died  October  29,  1909,  after  a  lovely 
Christian  life,  and  her  loss  is  deeply  felt  by  her 
family.  Mr.  Hills  is  a  member  of  the  Methodist 
Church,  of  which  he  has  been  steward,  trustee, 
class  leader  and  superintendent  of  the  Sunday 
school.  He  is  a  Republican,  and  has  served 
three  terms  as  Township  Collector,  and  con- 
tinuously since  1900,  as  Township  Assessor,  ex- 
cept one  year.  A  Mason,  he  belongs  to  Amity 
Lodge  No.  472,  Royal  Arch  Doric  Chapter  No. 
166,  and  Gebal  Council  No.  81,  all  of  West  Chi- 
cago. He  is  secretary  of  all  his  lodges,  having 
held  these  offices  since  1890,  and  is  active  in 
fraternal    work. 

HOFF,  Christian,  a  prominent  farmer  and  busi- 
ness man  of  Bloomingdale  township,  Du  Page 
county,  is  a  native  of  Holstein,  Germany,  born 
April  18,  1864,  son  of  Christian  Andres  and 
Dora  (Frazie)  Hoff.  In  1879,  the  father  came 
to  the  United  States,  going  direct  to  Chicago, 
where  he  worked  about  six  months  as  day 
laborer.  He  then  came  to  Du  Page  county  and 
for  four  years  was  on  a  farm,  after  which  he  be- 
gan operating  on  his  own  account  on  William 
Schaper's  farm.  Later  he  moved  to  Blooming- 
dale  and   has   there  dealt  in    stone  and  gravel 


taken  from  his  land.  His  wife  died  in  1907, 
having  borne  him  children  as  follows :  Dietrick, 
who  died  in  1005 ;  Henry,  who  resides  in  Mid- 
land county,  Mich. ;  Christian ;  Herman ;  and 
Katherine,  who  lives  in  Chicago,  and  is  the 
wife  of  All  Voglesang,  of  that  city. 

Christian  Hoff  received  his  education  in  his 
native  country  and  there  worked  on  a  farm 
until  1881,  two  years  after  his  father  had  left 
Germany.  He  then  joined  his  jiarents  and  for 
one  year  worked  for  William  Wade,  of  Bloom- 
ingdale township;  two  years  for  William 
Schaper ;  one  year  for  his  father ;  fourteen 
months  for  J.  D.  Becket,  of  Western  Springs, 
Cook  county ;  nine  months  for  George  Sage,  of 
Cook  county,  and  six  years  for  C.  S.  Pieper, 
who  was  in  the  ice  business  in  Chicago.  He 
then  joined  the  Regular  United  States  Infantry 
and  was  assigned  to  Boise,  Idaho,  where  he  re- 
mained eighteen  months,  later  being  discharged 
for  disability.  Returning  to  Bloomingdale,  he 
engaged  in  business  with  a  Mr.  Rozenhagen  in 
the  line  of  well-drilling,  this  partnership  con- 
tinuing four  years.  In  1898,  Mr.  Hoff  pur- 
chased thirty  acres  of  land  at  Bloomingdale, 
and  here  he  carries  on  farming,  his  principal 
crop  being  potatoes.  However,  he  has  other  in- 
terests in  the  community,  as  in  1907  he  began 
the  manufacture  of  cement  blocks  for  building 
purposes,  starting  out  on  a  small  scale  but  In- 
creasing his  capacity  until  his  daily  output  is 
now  125  to  175  blocks.  This  is  the  only  estab- 
lishment of  its  kind  within  a  radius  of  ten 
miles,  and  as  the  popularity  of  this  kind  of 
building  material  is  rapidly  growing  and  the 
quality  of  his  product  is  of  such  a  nature  as 
to  warrant  its  use  his  future  business  pros- 
pects are  very  bright. 

On  October  24,  1895,  Mr.  Hoff  married  Jennie 
Julia  Wackerke.  born  at  Bensonville,  111.,  daugh- 
ter of  Heinrieh  and  Minnie  (Schmidt)  Wack- 
erke. Her  father  was  born  in  Germany  and  her 
mother  in  Bensonville.  Children  as  follows  have 
been  born  to  Mr.  Hoff  and  wife:  Lucy,  Jennie, 
Katherine.  Cora,  Christian,  August.  The  family 
are  members  of  the  German  Lutheran  church  and 
Mr.  Hoff  is  a  Rejiubliean  in  politics.  He  served 
from  1898  until  1907,  as  memher  of  the  board 
of  trustees  of  Bloomingdale  corporation.  Fra- 
ternally he  is  affiliated  with  the  Modern  Wood- 
men of  .\meriea,  of  which  he  is  now  manager, 
having  held  this  post  since  1909,  and  previous 
to   that  served   two  years  as  advisor.     A  man 


o 
w 


HISTORY  OF  DU  PAGE  COUNTY. 


913 


of  genial,  pleasant  manner,  he  has  many  friends 
here  and  is  recognized  as  a  pulalic-spirited,  use- 
ful citizen. 


is  a  chauffeur,  resides  at  Hinsdale.  Jlr.  Hogrefe 
is  au  intelligent  and  energetic  farmer  and  has 
won  general  respect  among  his  neighbors. 


HOGREFE,  Henry,  a  progressive  and  successful 
farmer  of  Downer's  Grove  Township,  Du  Page 
County,  is  a  native  of  Germany  and  representa- 
tive of  the  highest  class  of  German-American 
citizens,  who  have  contributed  largely  to  the  set- 
tlement and  advancement  of  Du  Page  County. 
He  was  born  Nov.  26,  1S41,  a  son  of  Fred 
Hogrefe.  Fred  Hogrefe  brought  his  son  and 
daughter  to  Du  Page  County  in  1S55,  and 
they  settled  between  Bloomingdale  and  Lom- 
bard. Fred  Hogrefe  secured  a  farm  in  Downer's 
Grove  Township  but  in  later  life  lived  with  his 
son-in-law  and  died  in  Cook  County,  111.,  at  the 
age  of  seventy-six  years. 

Upon  coming  to  America,  Henry  Hogrefe 
worked  out  among  the  farmers  near  his  father's 
farm,  receiving  at  first  $S  per  mouth  and  never 
more  than  $15.  He  continued  this  occupation 
until  his  marriage,  at  the  age  of  twenty-three 
years,  at  which  time  he  had  saved  $S00,  being, 
most  industrial  and  economical  and  saving'  al'-" 
most  his  entire  wages.  In  1S73,  he  .pinclaaeEii-' 
his  IGO-acre  farm  for  $70  per  acre.  '  This  was 
one  of  the  best  improved  farms  in  th^  township 
and  has  always  been  kept  in  prime' eoryjitioa 
since  its  purchase.  He  now  keeps  aboQt  tsvjenty>  ■ 
five  cows  and  ships  milk  to  Chicago. '  He^hag , 
been  closely  confined  to  the  work  of  operating 
his  farm  and  has  had  little  time  for  public 
life,  although  interested  in  the  general  welfare. 
He  served  for  a  time  as  a  director  of  the 
Township  Mutual  Insurance  Company  and  has 
also  been  School  Director.  He  is  a  member  of 
the  Lutheran  Church  at  Lace,  being  an  officer 
and  one  of  the  strongest  supporters  of  the 
organization. 

Mr.  Hogrefe  was  married  in  Cook  County,  111., 
in  1fiC4.  to  Miss  Minnie  Hazelmeier,  also  a  a- 
tive  of  Germany,  who  was  twenty  years  of 
age  at  the  time  of  her  marriage.  Eight  children 
have  been  born  of  this  union,  as  follows  :  William 
operates  the  home  farm  in  company  with  Her- 
man ;  Henry  is  a  farmer  in  the  same  township ; 
Louise  married  Fred  Wehrmeister  and  they 
live  near  her  old  home;  Sophia  married  John 
Frahm  and  the.v  reside  at  Hinsdale ;  Jacob 
lives  at  Downer's  Grove ;  Herman,  living  at 
home;  Emma  married  George  Roth  and  they 
live  on  a  farm  near  Naperville,  and  Louie  who 


HOGREFE,  Henry,  Jr.,  an  enterprising  and  ener- 
getic farmer  of  Downer's  Grove  Township,  Du 
Page  County,  was  born  in  Cook  County,  111.,  a 
son  of  Henry  and  Minnie  (Hasermier)  Ho- 
grefe, natives  of  Germany.  When  he  was  a 
babe,  his  parents  moved  to  Du  Page  County, 
where  he  was  reared  and  educated,  attending 
both  the  German  and  public  schools.  He  was 
reared  to  farm  work  and  In  1S97,  began  this 
occupation  ou  his  own  account,  purchasing 
eighty  acres  of  land  of  John  I'opp,  where  he 
has  siuce  resided.  His  farm  is  located  on  the 
southwest  corner  of  Section  15,  and  he  has 
made  many  improvements  on  the  place.  It  con- 
tained several  buildings,  which  he  has  improved 
and  altered  to  suit  his  needs,  and  they  are 
now  more  modern  in  character  and  appearance 
and  kept  in  good  repair.  He  has  tiled  most  of 
his  land  and  now  has  every  acre  under  culti- 
vation. He  carries  on  general  farming,  with 
'  special  attention  to  dairying,  and  keeps  about 
■  ^tgliteen  cows,  shipping  an  average  of  three 
cans  of  link  daily.  He  also  raises  about  200 
chickens  ^ach  year,  and  his  fine  modern  hen 
.  hcftfs'^'  is  Iniilt  of  tile.  He  has  si-^  head  of 
horses  to  lise  in  his  operations. 
/  -©If  "December  9,  18S9.  Mr.  Hogrefe  married 
Matilda  Walkeustein,  daughter  of  Chris  and 
Louisa  (Boger)  Walkenstein  and  sister  of  Su- 
pervisor Walkeustein.  She  was  bom  February 
27,  1867,  and  died  January  31,  1906,  being 
buried  in  Lace  Cemetery.  She  had  borne  her 
husband  seven  children,  namely :  Mary,  born 
October  12,  1S90 ;  married  Louis  Eichhorst  and 
they  live  just  south  of  her  father;  Anna,  born 
June  13,  1892,  at  home;  Amanda,  born  May  9, 
1896 ;  Edward,  August  11,  1898.  a  student  In  the 
German  school ;  Matilda,  born  November  17, 
1900,  attending  district  school ;  Emma,  born 
March  27,  1902,  also  in  school ;  Martha,  born 
June  9,  1905,  at  home.  Mrs.  Hogrefe  was  a  de- 
voted wife  and  mother  and  left  a  wide  circle  of 
friends  who  sincerely  mourned  her  loss.  Mr. 
Hogrefe  is  an  active  member  of  the  Lutheran 
Church,  has  been  a  Director  in  same  nine 
years,  and  is  also  Collector.  He  is  an  influential 
and  public-spirited  citizen  and  interested  in 
every  movement  for  the  advancement  of  the  gen- 
eral   welfare.     Mr.   Hogrefe  has   also   been   di- 


914 


HISTORY  OF  DU  PAGE  COUNTY. 


rector  iu   the   Farmers   Insurance  Company   of 
Downer's  Grove  for  the  past  six  years. 

HOLCOMB,  Herbert  W.  One  of  the  men  belong- 
ing to  the  profession  of  law,  whose  name  is 
well  known  in  both  Du  Page  and  Cook  Counties 
is  Herbert  W.  Holcomb,  with  offices  at  140S, 
100  Washington  street,  and  residence  at  Hins- 
dale. Mr.  Holcomb  was  born  on  a  farm  in  Ford 
County,  111.,  October  4,  1869,  being  a  son  of 
William  H.  and  Elizabeth  A.  (Munsou)  Hol- 
comb. Mr.  Holcomb  attended  Kochelle,  111., 
public  school.  Lake  Forest  academy  during  18S4 
and  1885,  Hopkins  Grammar  school  of  New 
Haven,  being  graduated  from  the  latter  in  1SS7. 
Entering  Yale,  he  was  graduated  therefrom  in 
1891,  with  degree  of  A.  B.,  and  in  1893,  was 
graduated  from  the  Northwestern  Law  school. 
For  the  following  two  years,  he  was  law  clerk 
with  Hatch  and  Ritsher,  and  then  for  a  year 
practiced  alone,  but  in  1896,  he  formed  connec- 
tions with  Naugle  Holcomb  and  Co.,  being  house 
attorney  from  1901  to  190G.  From  the  latter 
date  until  1909,  he  was  managing  clerk  for 
A.  F.  Hatch,  when  he  formed  a  partnership  with 
Mr.  McBean.  under  the  style  of  Holcomb  & 
McBean,  but  he  is  now  alone.  Since  his  admis- 
sion to  the  bar  in  1893,  Mr.  Holcomb  has  prac- 
ticed in  Chicago  an5  Hinsdale,  and  has  met 
with  a  success  that  cannot  help  but  l^e  grati- 
f.\-ing. 

Mr.  Holcomb  belongs  to  the  Chicago  Bar  As- 
sociation, Illinois  State  Bar  Association,  the 
Du  Page  County  Bar  Association,  the  National 
Conservation  Association,  the  Hinsdale  Club,  of 
which  he  has  served  as  vice  president,  Yale 
Club  of  Chicago,  Men's  Club  of  Grace  Church  of 
Hinsdale,  and  the  Congregational  Brotherhood 
of  Hinsdale.  He  is  a  member  of  the  Congrega- 
tional Church  of  Hinsdale. 

The  marriage  of  Mr.  Holcomb  took  place 
June  13,  1899,  at  Hinsdale,  to  Amy  Jarrett, 
daughter  of  Mr.  and  Mrs.  John  R.  Jarrett  of 
Hiusdale.  One  son,  John  Jarrett,  was  bom 
of  this  marriage,  April  23,  1900.  Mr.  Holcomb 
came  to  Hinsdale  in  July,  1891,  and  since  then 
has  been  actively  identified  with  many  impor- 
tant movements.  As  an  independent  Republi- 
can, believing  in  progression,  he  has  served 
two  terms  on  the  Republican  County  Central 
Committee,  two  terms  on  the  Village  Board 
of  Hinsdale,  three  terms  as  president  of  Hins- 
dale Board  of  Education,  and  one  year  as  sec- 


retary of  the  Board  of  Local  Improvements  of 
Hinsdale.  He  resides  at  No.  15  Blair  avenue. 
Mr.  Holcomb  is  proud  of  his  father's  record. 
He  was  Captain  of  a  company  of  colored  troops 
during  the  Civil  war,  and  later  led  a  distin- 
guished business  career,  having  been  vice  presi- 
dent and  general  manager  of  the  L'nion  Pacific 
Railroad,  and  master  of  transportation  at  the 
Chicago   World's   Fair. 

HOLVERSCHEID,  Henry.     Henry  Holverscheid 

was  born  at  .Stratford,  Ontario,  on  the  thirty- 
first  of  August,  1856.  Stratford  was,  however, 
not  destined  long  to  be  his  home,  for  his  par- 
ents decided  that  Chicago  could  afford  them  bet- 
ter facilities  and  more  opportunities,  and  accord- 
ingly, tliey  moved  to  the  great  Lake  City,  in 
1859.  It  was  here  that  the  youth  of  Henry  Hol- 
verseheid  was  spent,  while  he,  .perhaps  uncon- 
sciously, was  perfecting  his  physical  develop- 
ment and  his  intellectual  attainments.  Soon 
after  his  school-days  were  over,  when  he  was 
twenty  years  old,  he  secured  a  position  with  the 
Pennsylvania  Coal  Company,  of  New  York,  where 
the  wages  he  received  and  the  work  he  had  to 
do,  were  just  such  as  any  young  man,  without 
special  influence,  might  expect  to  get.  With  the 
Pennsylvania  Coal  Company  he  remained  just 
,  a  few  months  less  than  twenty-five  years,  and 
in  that  length  of  time  w^as  successively  advanced 
through  all  the  offices  of  the  company  up  to  that 
of  superinteudout,  in  charge  of  western  busi- 
ness, which  he  held  at  the  time  of  his  with- 
drawal, March,  1901.  He  severed  his  connec- 
tion with  the  Pennsylvania  Coal  Company  that 
he  might  identify  himself  with  other  companies 
in  the  coal  trade  and  is  now  president  of  several 
such  concerns. 

A  record  such  as  Mr.  Holverscheid  has  thus 
far  left  behind  him  is  an  inspiration  to  any  am- 
bitious young  man  just  beginning  life,  for  it 
pictures,  very  distinctly  the  possibilities  which 
usually  result  from  persistent  and  conscientious 
endeavor. 

HOSFORD,  James  T.  Earnest  endeavor,  in- 
telligently directed  along  legitimate  lines,  re- 
sults in  gratifying  results.  The  man  willing 
to  work,  finds  plenty  of  opportunities  to  develop 
himself  anil  further  his  interests.  One  of  the 
energetic  business  men  of  West  Chicago,  who 
has  been  engaged  in  varied  lines  of  endeavor, 
is  James  T.  Hosford.  He  was  born  in  Wy- 
oming county,  N.  Y.,  August  10,  1845,  a  son  of 


HISTORY  OF  DU  PAGE  COUNTY. 


915 


James  L.  and  Xauey  (Thompson)  Hosford,  na- 
tives of  Albany  county,  N.  Y.  James  L.  Hosford 
was  a  physician  who  practiced  his  profession 
in  New  Yorlj  City  for  nine  years  prior  to  mov- 
ing to  Mt.  Morris,  Wis.,  where  he  died  in  1864. 
His  widow  then  came  to  West  Chicago,  where 
her  death  occurred. 

When  only  nineteen  years  old,  James  T.  Hos- 
ford, who  lived  with  his  mother  until  her  death, 
commenced  working  for  John  C.  Neltnor,  as  a 
clerk  in  a  genernl  store,  remaining  with  him 
for  three  years.  He  then  became  clerk  in  the 
round  house  at  West  Chicago,  for  the  Chicago 
and  Northwestern  Railroad,  later  becoming  con- 
ductor on  the  Pullman  cars,  and  two  years  later 
was  made  ticket  agent  for  the  Pullman  Com- 
pany, lu  Chicago.  After  three  years  In  that 
position,  he  became  ticket  agent  for  the  Erie 
and  Chicago  line  at  the  corner  of  Clark  and 
Washington  streets,  Chicago.  In  two  years  he 
became  district  passenger  agent  for  the  W.  A. 
&  0.  Railroad  of  Georgia,  with  headquarters 
at  No.  6  Clark  street,  Chicago.  Four  years 
later,  he  went  with  the  Columbia  Wire  Co.  as 
secretary  and  treasurer,  but  after  five  years, 
became  general  drug  clerk  for  the  City  Drug 
Store,  at  West  Chicago,  controlled  by  William 
Bradley  and  William  Grath.  This  drug  store 
has  the  general  agency  for  West  Chicago  for 
the  A.   E.  and  C.   Railroad  electric  line. 

In  November,  1SG7,  Mr.  Hosford  was  married 
at  Turner's  Junction,  now  West  Chicago,  to 
Carrie  West,  daughter  of  John  and  Elizabeth 
(Allison)  W^est,  natives  of  England  and  New 
York  State,  resijectively.  Mr.  and  Mrs.  Hos- 
ford became  the  parents  of  children  as  follows: 
Mary,  who  is  Mrs.  L.  E.  Woldmach  of  Hamilton, 
Mont.;  William  F.,  who  is  at  home;  and  Flor- 
ence, who  is  also  at  home.  Mrs.  Hosford  was 
given  more  than  usual  educational  advantage, 
not  only  attending  the  common  schools  of 
Wheatou,  but  the  Wheaton  College.  While  West 
Chicago  was  a  village,  he  served  as  president 
of  Its  board,  being  elected  on  the  Republican 
ticket.  He  is  an  excellent  example  of  the 
sound,  reliable,  conservative  citizen,  whose  name 
back  of  an  enterprise  a.ssures  its  success. 

HOWARD,  Julius  Leslie,  of  an  old  and  promi- 
nent family  of  Du  Page  County,  Is  a  native 
son  of  the  county,  born  at  Wheaton,  February 
25,  1868,  a  son  of  Charles  and  Charlotte 
(Crosby)    Howard,  natives  of  New  York.      The 


parents  had  three  children :  Chas.  Franklin 
Howard  died  September  24,  1898 ;  Francis  E. 
Howard ;  and  Julius  L.  Howard. 

After  securing  a  common  school  education  and 
attending  Wheaton  College  two  and  one-half 
years,  Julius  L.  Howard  spent  eighteen  months 
as  bookkeeper  in  the  employ  of  The  Servis  & 
Company  Candy  Manufacturing  Company,  at  No. 
65  North  Clark  Street,  Chicago ;  six  months 
working  for  his  father,  who  was  an  insurance 
broker,  and  then  entered  the  employ  of  the  Chi- 
cago &  Northwestern  Railroad  Company  in 
the  capacity  of  brakeman  on  a  passenger  train. 
He  held  this  position  about  fifteen  years, 
when  he  was  promoted  to  that  of  train  bag- 
gageman and  collector,  holding  same  seven 
years,  when  he  was  promoted  to  his  present 
one,  that  of  train  electrician.  He  runs  west 
on  the  Los  Angeles  Limited  and  east  on  the 
Los  Angeles  Limited.  He  is  an  old  employe 
of  the  company  and  enjoys  the  full  confidence 
and  trust  of  his  superiors  and  associates,  having 
proven  himself  mindful  of  the  Interests  of 
the  road  and  faithful  In  the  performance  of  his 
duties. 

February  12,  1890,  Mr.  Howard  married 
Ketta  Almira  Finch,  daughter  of  Ezra  and 
Ella  (Greenlee)  Finch,  born  at  Lynden,  111., 
September  26,  1872,  and  five  children  have  been 
born  of  this  union :  Eugene  Leslie,  born  Janu- 
ary 15,  1892,  died  February  26,  1895.  Allene, 
born  November  19,  1893,  is  a  comptometer  oper- 
ator in  the  employ  of  Mashall  Field  &  Company's 
wholesale  establishment ;  Mildred  Ellen  born 
August  6,  1897.  Is  attending  the  public  school 
at    Elmhurst;    Charlotte    Rose,    bom    April    2, 

1905,  a  student  in  the  first  grade  of  the  public 
school ;  Dorothy  Frances,  born  June  9,  1908. 
Mrs.  Howard  engaged  in  a  grocery  business  in 
Chicago  in  1899,  but  the  following  year  sold 
it,  as  it  had  grown  to  such  large  dimensions  that 
she  could  not  take  care  of  it  alone.  June  1, 
1910,  she  opened  a  dining  room  on  Addison 
Street  in  Elmhurst,  and  in  connection  with 
same  does  all  kinds  of  baking.  She  Is  an  In- 
telligent and  energetic  business  woman  and 
very  successful. 

Mr.  Howard  is  a  member  of  Hickory  Grove 
Lodge  I.  O.  O.  F.,  of  Rochelle,  111.,  which  he 
ioined  in  1895,  and  has  held  various  oflSces  in 
same.     He  joined  the  M.  W.  A.  of  Rochelle  In 

1906,  but  has  now  transferred  his  member- 
ship in  this  order  to  Lodge  No.  4120,  of  Elm- 


916 


HISTORY  OF  DU  PAGE  COUNTY. 


hurst.  He  is  affiliated  with  the  Brotherhood 
of  Railroad  Trainmen  Xo.  424,  of  Chicago.  The 
Howard  family  were  prominent  among  the  early 
settlers  of  Du  Page  County. 

HOWE,  Edward  B.,  deceased,  for  many  years  a 
resident  of  Du  Page  County,  was  a  man  of  noble 
character,  high  principles  and  kind  heart,  and 
was  greatly  esteemed  by  his  wide  circle  of 
friends.  Mr.  Howe  was  born  November  29, 
1S58,  at  Castleton,  Vt.,  son  of  John  and  Helen 
(Barber)  Howe,  both  also  natives  of  that  State. 
Their  only  child  was  Edward  B.  and  the  mother 
died  when  he  was  an  infant.  The  father  was 
a  successful  attorney  and  practiced  his  profes- 
sion at  Castleton.  About  1S70  be  went  to 
Florida,  spent  eight  years  there,  then  returned 
to  Castleton  and  resumed  his  private  practice. 
While  living  in  Florida  he  was  interested  in 
the  lumber  trade.  He  served  two  years  as 
Probate  Judge,  after  which  he  held  the  posi- 
tion of  County  Clerk  of  Rutland  County  until 
his  death,  in  June,  1S93.  He  was  a  soldier  In 
the  Civil  War  and  participated  in  various  en- 
gagements, among  them  being  the  first  Battle 
of  Bull  Run. 

At  the  age  of  five  years  Edward  B.  Howe  went 
to  live  with  his  step-mother's  parents  at  West 
Haven,  Vt.,  remaining  there  until  he  was  eight- 
een years  old.  He  recived  his  preliminary  edu- 
cation meantime,  and  after  coming  west  at- 
tended Lake  Forest  (111.)  Academy.  Upon  leav- 
ing school,  he  worked  about  five  years  on  a  farm 
near  Batavia.  He  was  married  January  29, 
1885,  to  Miss  Marcia  J.  Manville.  daughter  of 
Russell  and  Julia  (Smith)  Manville,  and  one 
child  -was  born  of  this  union,  Wiley  M..  who 
died  in  infancy.  They  have  one  foster-daughter, 
Mary  McMahon  Howe,  who  married  Frederick 
E.    Brubaker,    and   they   reside   in    Chicago. 

For  several  years  Mr.  Howe  was  associated 
in  the  lumber  business  at  Turner's  Junction, 
now  West  Chicago,  in  partnership  with  Charles 
Clark,  but  in  1892,  sold  his  interest  and  be- 
came a  member  of  the  Turner  Building  Asso- 
ciation, which  disbanded  two  years  later,  and 
Mr.  Howe  came  to  Wheaton  as  an  assistant  in 
the  County  Treasurer's  office.  In  October, 
1897,  he  was  appointed  Suerintendent  of  Du 
Page  County  Poor  Farm,  holding  the  position 
ten  and  one-half  years  and  then  resigned,  on 
account  of  failing  health.  He  was  a  most  con- 
scientious   public    servant    and    most    solicitous 


for  the  welfare  of  the  unfortunates  under  his 
care,  having  in  his  wife  a  most  valuable  assis- 
tant. She  is  a  woman  of  rare  sympathy  and 
noble-mindedness  and  the  lot  of  the  weak  and 
forlorn  has  always  appealed  to  her  inmost 
heart.  Mr.  Howe  had  never  enjoyed  robust 
health,  having  a  predisposition  to  consumption, 
but  his  death  was  caused  principally  by  a  can- 
cer, he  dying  at  Wheaton,  April  11,  1909.  He 
was  a  member  of  tlie  I.  O.  O.  F.,  the  A.  P. 
&  A.  M.,  the  M.  W.  A.,  and  the  C.  of  H.,  and 
in  politics,  he  was  a  Republican.  His  death  was 
mourned  in  many  circles,  and  especially  by  those 
who  knew  him  best.  His  life  had  been  guided 
by  high  purpose  and  sincerity  in  whatever  he 
undertook  and  left  a  strong  impression  upon 
his   friends  and  associates. 

Mrs.  Howe  took  seven  correspondence  courses 
in  metaphysical  healing,  and  later  took  a  class 
course  in  the  Weltmere  School  of  Healing, 
receiving  her  diploma  from  this  institution 
May  26.  1903.  Before  the  death  of  her  husband 
.she  had  engaged  in  caring  in  her  home  for  the 
aged,  feeble-minded,  nervous  and  mildly  insane, 
and  though  she  had  room  and  time  for  only  a 
limited  number  of  patients,  she  began  a  noble 
work,  which  she  has  since  carried  on.  She 
gives  the  best  of  care  and  kindest  of  treatment 
to  her  patients,  having  a  trained  nurse  to  assist 
her  in  this,  and  those  who  are  .nble  to  receive 
instruction  in  music  and  common  branches  of 
study  are  given  these  advantages. 

HOY,  Peter  Christian,  a  farmer  operating  on  an 
extensive  scale,  living  near  Lombard,  III.,  Is  a 
native  of  Denmark,  born  October  28,  1S61,  a 
son  of  Christian  Henry  and  Cecilia  Marie  (Jor- 
gensen)  Hoy.  both  also  born  in  Denmark.  The 
father  died  in  Oak  Park  April  4,  1910.  at  the 
age  of  seventy-eight  years,  and  the  mother  died 
at  the  same  place  March  27,  1907,  aged  seventy- 
four  years.  They  were  parents  of  twelve  chil- 
dren, and  at  the  time  of  their  deaths  had  fifty- 
seven   grandchildren. 

Peter  C  Hoy  was  reared  on  his  father's  farm 
in  Denmark,  and  there  studied  under  a  private 
tutor.  On  April  28,  1SS9.  he  came  to  the  Fnited 
States,  spending  one  year  in  Oak  Park,  after 
which  he  came  to  York  Township,  and  now  oper- 
ates 300  acres  of  land  belonging  to  Mrs.  Loy 
of  Austin,  from  whom  he  rents  the  property. 
Mr.  Hoy  bought  150  acres  of  the  old  Schan 
farm    south    of    Lombard,    and    also    owns    160 


HISTORY  OF  DU  PAGE  COUNTY. 


917 


acres  in  Kit  Carson  County,  Colo.,  near  Burling- 
ton. Mr.  Hoy  operates  a  fine  dairy  herd  of 
fifty  head  of  cows,  thirty  of  which  are  thorough- 
bred Holsteins,  and  bottles  and  retails  his  milk 
in  the  village  of  Lombard.  For  the  past  six 
years,  he  has  served  as  secretary  of  the  Farm- 
ers' Institute,  and  stands  well  with  the  farmers 
of  I>u  Page  County.  He  is  recognized  as  an 
industrious  man,  enterprising  and  successful. 
Mt.  Hoy  is  a  member  of  the  First  Congrega- 
tional Church  of  Lombard,  and  has  always  been 
a  Republican.  Fraternally,  he  belongs  to  the 
Modern  Woodmen  of  America,  and  the  Mutual 
Life  Insurance  Company. 

On  May  13,  1901,  Mr.  Hoy  was  married  to 
Indiana  Jorgensen,  daughter  of  Jorren  Mark 
Seeker  and  Elsine  (Als)  Jorgeusen,  both  of 
whom  reside  in  Denmark.  Mrs.  Hoy  was  born 
in  Denmark,  July  2.o,  1S72,  and  came  to  Lon- 
don, Ontario,  Canada,  March  1,  1S93.  In  Au- 
gust, 1894  she  came  to  Oak  Park  111.  but  in 
September,  1900,  returned,  coming  back  to  the 
United  States  in  1901  when  she  was  married. 
Three  children  have  been  born  to  Mr.  and  Mrs. 
Hoy:  Walter  Ixjuis,  born  February  10, --laOS- 
Olaf  rieeu.  born  February  10,  1904;  aijcV  Jaiifie- 
borg   Elizabeth,    born   September   14,    1905. 


eral  freight  department  of  the  Chicago.  Burling- 
ton &  Quincy  Railroad,  and  continued  during 
1861  as  well.  In  1S63  and  1864,  he  was  a  mem- 
ber of  the  engineer  corps  of  the  above  mentioned 
railroad,  and  in  1865,  became  engineer  and  as- 
sistant superintendent  of  the  Chicago  &.  Gr^at 
Eastern  Railroad,  now  a  part  of  the  Pennsyl- 
vania System.  During  1866,  he  was  in  charge 
of  the  engineer  corps  in  constructing  the  Chi- 
cago &  Northwestern  Railway  from  Boone,  la. 
to  Omaha,  Neb.  Mr.  Hudson  had  charge  of  con- 
struction of  the  Burlington  bridge  over  the 
Mississippi  river,  and  branch  of  the  Chicago, 
Burlington  &  Quincy  Railroad  from  Lewistown 
to  Rushville,  and  from  Burlington  to  Keokuk, 
la.  In  the  fall  of  1S69,  he  was  transferred 
to  Chicago,  to  become  superintendent  of  the 
Chicago  division  of  the  Chicago,  Burlington  & 
Quincy  Railroad,  residing  during  his  occupancy 
of  this  office  at  Hinsdale,  where  he  served  as 
president  of  the  village  council,  several  terms  as 
School  Director,  being  on  the  board  when  the 
first  high-school  building  was  constructed,  and 
remaining  on  the  board  until  the  bonds  were 
all  paid  and  the  district  out  of  debt.  He  was 
living  at. Hinsdale  at  the  time  of  the  Chicago 
fire,  Ijiit  in?  1872,  was  once  more  transferred  to 


Dubuque.  la'.,  to  become  general  superintendent 
HUDSON,   Charles   Henry,   civil   engineer,  ^now   ^of  the  C.  C.;&  D.  and  C.  D.  &  M.  roads,  running 
retired,  once  bore  an  important  part  lA  tli&Ves.-'Tr,^r9^'^i"tan,   la.,  to  LaCrosse,  W^is.     In   1874, 


tablishment  and  growth  of  some  of  fhe,  great 
railroad  systems  of  the  country.  Mr.  Hudson  was 
born  at  Westminster,  Mass..  July  10,  1833,  being 
a  son  of  Charles  and  Martha  Brigham  (Ryder) 
Hudson.  Mr.  Hudson's  grandfather  and  eight 
sons  served  in  the  Continental  Army  during  the 
Revolution,  and  his  father  was  a  soldier  in  the 
War  of  1812.  He  was  a  member  of  the  Gen- 
eral Assembly  of  Massachusetts  and  a  member 
of  the  governor's  council  for  some  years.  For 
eight  years,  he  served  in  Congress,  and  for  four 
years  was  naval  officer  of  the  Port  of  Boston, 
and  for  six  years  U.  S.  Assessor  of  Internal 
Revenue. 

Charles  Henry  Hudson  was  graduated  from 
Lawrence  Scientific  School,  Harvard  University, 
as  a  civil  engineer  in  1854,  with  the  degree  of 
S.  B.  During  1854.  1855  and  1856  he  followed 
his  calling  in  Ohio,  and  in  1857,  1858  and  1859 
he  was  engaged  in  the  railroad  survey  and 
construction  in  what  is  now  Minnesota  and  the 
Dakotas  as  well  as  in  Wisconsin.  Having  proven 
his  value,   in  1S60,   he  was  placed  in   the  gen- 


he  returned  to  Chicago,  as  assistant  general 
gopprtntendent  of  the  Chicago,  Burlington  & 
Quincy,  maintaining  his  residence  at  Hinsdale 
until  1885.  In  December,  1877,  he  was 'made 
general  superintendent  of  the  Baltimore  &  Ohio, 
we.st  of  the  Ohio  river,  with  headquarters  in 
Chicago.  This  continued  until  ISSl,  when  he  was 
made  general  manager  of  the  Minneapolis  & 
St.  Louis  Railroad,  at  Minneapolis,  Minn.,  where 
he  continued  until  1883,  then  becoming  super- 
intendent of  transportation  of  the  Cheasapeake 
&  Ohio  Railroad,  being  located  at  Richmond, 
Va.  In  1885,  he  was  made  general  manager 
of  the  East  Tennessee,  Virginia  &  Georgia  Rail- 
road, the  Memphis  &  Charleston  Railroad  and 
the  Mobile  &  Birmingham  Railroad,  with  head- 
quarters at  Knoxville,  Tenn.  From  1895  to 
1899,  he  was  chief  engineer  and  mechanical 
engineer  of  the  Southern  Railroad,  located  at 
Washington.  D.  C,  into  which  the  E.  T.  V. 
and  G.  was  merged.  In  1899,  he  retired  from 
active    railroad    service.      Mr.    Hudson    is    now 


918 


HISTORY  OF  DU  PAGE  COUNTY. 


residing  at  No.  1021  Circle  Parii,  Kuoxville, 
Teun. 

The  marriage  of  Mr.  Hudson  took  place  Janu- 
ary 1,  1862,  at  Boston,  Mass.,  to  Miss  Frances 
Helen  Nicholas.  Their  children  are  as  follows : 
Charles  Hudson,  who  lives  at  Oak  Park,  111.; 
Henry,  who  lives  at  Knoxville,  Tenn. ;  Mary 
Elizabeth,  who  is  deceased;  and  Mabelle  Eve- 
lyn and  John  William  who  are  of  Knoxville, 
Tenn.  Mr.  Hudson  is  a  Kepublicau.  He  belongs 
to  the  American  Railway  Guild,  the  Western 
Society  of  Engineers  and  the  Association  of 
Harvard  Engineers  and  Sons  of  the  Revolution, 
as  well  as  a  Knight  Templar  and  thirty-second 
degree  Mason. 

Although  now  retired  from  active  life,  he  is 
director  and  vice-president  of  the  Standard 
Knitting  Mills  and  president  of  the  Cumberland 
Property   Go.,  of   Knoxville,  Tenn. 

HULL,  Franklin,  deceased,  who  was  one  of  the 
best  known  and  most  prominent  citizens  of  Du 
Page  County,  was  a  competent  public  official 
and  enjoyed  the  esteem  of  a  wide  circle  of 
friends  and  acquaintances.  Mr.  Hull  was  born 
May  21,  1835,  in  Deruyter,  N.  Y.,  receiving  his 
education  in  the  common  school  and  the  semi- 
nary at  Deruyter.  He  was  a  son  of  Edward  and 
Maria  (Van  Valkenburg)  Hull,  of  New  York. 
In  September,  1851,  Franklin  Hull  accompanied 
his  uncle  Joseph  B.  Hull,  to  Babcock's  Grove 
(now  Lombard),  III.,  and  remained  as  clerk  in 
the  latter's  store  there  seven  years.  In  Janu- 
ary, 1858,  he  and  an  older  brother  purchased 
the  store  of  their  uncle  and  conducted  it  two 
years,  and  in  the  spring  of  1860,  Franklin  Hull 
moved  to  Harvard,  111.,  to  take  the  position  ol 
ticket  agent  for  the  Northwestern  Railroad 
Company,  remaining  a  year  and  a  half. 

In  September,  1S61,  Mr.  Hull  enlisted  in  Com- 
pany H  Illinois  Volunteer  Cavalr.v,  and  parti- 
cipated in  every  skirmish  and  battle  in  which 
his  regiment  served,  being  promoted  to  rank 
of  Sergeant.  At  Boonsboro,  Md.,  he  received  a 
saber  cut  across  his  fingers,  and  at  Malvern 
Hill  had  his  right  stirrup  carried  away,  at  the 
same  time  his  horse  was  wounded.  Among  the 
battles  in  which  the  Eighth  Regiment  participat- 
ed were  Meehanicsville,  Gaines'  Mill.  Manassas, 
Sugar  Loaf  Mountain,  Middleworth,  South 
Mountain.  Antietam.  Fredericksburg.  Sulphur 
Springs,  Warrenton,  Rapidan  Station,  Gettys- 
burg, Williamsburg,   Culpeper,   Brandy   Station, 


and  many  raids  and  skirmishes.  Though  Mr. 
Hull  partieiijated  in  forty-four  battles  he  was 
never  seriously  injured,  although  he  sufferefl 
from  a  severe  attack  of  typhoid.  At  the  expira- 
tion of  his  term  of  three  years,  he  joined  Sheri- 
dan's Cavalry  Corps,  and  spent  two  years  as  a 
citizen  clerk  in  the  commissary  department, 
then  was  appointed  by  the  Commissary  General 
a  clerk  in  the  commissary  department  of  Pow- 
der River,  Indian  Exposition,  serving  in  this 
position  a  year  and  a  half.  He  went  to  Big 
Horn,  Mont.,  and  from  there  returned  to  Lom- 
bard. He  was  soon  after  appointd  Deputy  Cir- 
cuit Clerk  and  Recorder  of  Du  Page  County, 
being  located  at  Wheaton  for  the  discharge  of 
his  duties.  In  1S76.  he  was  elected  to  the  of- 
fice of  Circuit  Clerk  and  Recorder  of  the 
county,  for  a  four-year  term,  and  at  the  time 
of  his  death  was  still  connected  with  the  office. 
He  was  a  member  of  E.  S.  Kelly  Post  G.  A.  R., 
of  Wheaton,  and  had  served  several  years  as 
Adjutant  -of  same.  He  filled  every  position  he 
was  called  upon  to  take,  with  competence  and 
faithful  devotion  to  duty,  and  had  the  confi- 
dence of  his  associates  in  all  activities. 

August  25,  1869,  Mr.  Hull  married  Mary  Al- 
blna,  daughter  of  Samuel  and  Mary  (Perry) 
Harris,  whose  parents  were  from  Truxton, 
N.  Y.,  and  early  settlers  at  Lombard.  She  had 
passed  her  childhood  at  Lombard.  To  this 
union  children  as  follows  were  born :  Mattie 
Harris.  Frances  Albina,  George  Wilbur  (de- 
ceased), Roland  Edward  (deceased),  Jennie 
Irene  (deceased),  Clara  Louise,  and  Virginia 
Ellen. 

Mr.  Hull  was  of  Quaker  descent  and  never 
united  with  any  church,  although  he  was  a  fre- 
quent attendant  of  the  Congregational  Church. 
He  belonged  to  no  societies  except  the  G.  A.  R. 
He  died  suddenly  of  apoplexy.  March  2.5,  1894, 
his  death  coming  as  a  shock  to  his  friends 
throughout  the  county,  and  the  resolutions 
liassed  by  the  Bar  of  the  county  at  the  time  of 
his  death  emphasized,  in  no  uncertain  terms,  the 
esteem  and  regard  in  which  he  was  generally 
held.  His  widow  still  resides  at  Wheaton, 
where  she  is  well  acquainted  and  has  many 
friends. 

HULL,  Thomas  M.,  recorder  of  Du  Page  county, 
and  proprietor  of  a  title  and  abstract  business 
at  Wheaton.  is  one  of  the  representative  men 
of   this   locality,    and   one   whose   name  is  well 


HISTORY  OP  DU  PAGE  COUNTY. 


919 


knowu  iu  this  part  of  the  state.  He  was  born 
in  Oneida  c-oimt.v,  X.  Y.,  in  1840,  and  comes  of 
one  of  the  old  families  here,  his  parents  being 
numbered  among  the  pioneers  who  helped  to 
develop  this  section.  For  the  past  thirty-six 
years,  Mr.  Hull  has  been  the  incumbent  of  the 
recorder's  office  and  has  faithfully  discharged 
the  duties  pertaining  thereto,  giving  the  people 
who  have  regularly  re-elected  him  a  flirst-class 
administration. 

Having  made  Wheaton  his  home  for  the  last 
thirty-six  years,  Mr.  Hull  is  naturally  Interested 
iu  Its  development,  and  his  efforts  have  been 
intelligently  directed  towards  securing  improve- 
ments and  e.xcellent  civic  governmejit.  Through 
his  title  and  abstract  business,  he  has  rendered 
efficient  service,  and  the  people  of  Du  Page 
county  are  under  a  heavy  debt  of  gratitude  to 
him  for  the  part  he  has  played  in  securing 
their  property  to  them  free  from  legal  flaws. 
Conservative,  willing  to  do  his  full  duty,  but 
seeking  to  obtain  favors  from  no  one,  Mr.  Hull 
is  a  sturdy,  indepeudent  man,  whose  record  as 
an  official  is  unblemished,  and  whose  life  as  a 
private  citizen  is  without  question.  His  knowl- 
edge of  the  details  of  his  office  is  thorough  and 
far-reaching,  and  he  never  spares  himself  in 
securing  the  best  possible  results.  Such  men 
as  he  give  strength  and  stability  to  any  com- 
munity. 

HUSSE,  Henry,  a  son  of  Fred  and  Sophia 
(Nettemeier)  Husse,  was  born  in  Addison  town- 
ship, December  9,  1853.  Most  of  the  younger 
years  of  his  life  were  spent  in  gaining  an  educa- 
tion, which  was  obtained  in  the  German  and  pub- 
lic schools  of  the  neighborhood.  After  his  school- 
days were  over  he  went  to  work  at  farming  and 
has  since  always  continued  in  this  business. 
He  was  married  December  23,  1894,  to  Miss 
Minnie  Rabe,  a  daughter  of  Fred  and  Maria 
(Mahler)  Rabe,  who  was  born  in  Germany, 
November  2,  1872,  and  came  with  her  parents 
to  America  when  twelve  years  old.  They  have 
two  children :  William,  born  November  16,  1895, 
and  Helena,  born  April  16,  1898,  both  being 
students  in  the  schools  of  Addison.  The  family 
are  members  of  the  German  Lutheran  Church. 

Fred  Husse,  the  father,  was  bom  in  Germany, 
August  10,  1827,  and  came  to  America  in  1845. 
Here  he  was  married,  in  1852,  to  Mrs.  Kruse, 
born  October  11,  1826,  in  Hanover,  Germany, 
and  came  to  this  country  in  1849.     They  were 


the  parents  of  three  children,  namely  :  Henry ; 
Sophia,  deceased,  age  two  and  one-half  years ; 
August,  lives  in  Lombard.  The  father,  when 
he  first  came,  bought  120  acres  of  land  from  the 
Government,  which  land  August  Husse  now 
owns,  together  with  sixty-seven  acres  which  he 
has  recently  added  to  his  holdings.  The 
land,  with  tile  exception  of  a  five  acre  wood- 
laud  plot,  is  iu  section  29.  A  greater  part  of 
this  farm  he  now  rents,  only  working  that  part 
of  it  which  immediately  surrounds  his  house. 
Mrs.  Ivruse's  own  father  was  born  June  5,  1843, 
and  her  mother  Aijril  10,  1840.  They  were  the 
parents  of  the  following  children :  Henry,  horn 
November  2,  1870 ;  Mi-s.  Kruse,  born  November 
2,  1872;  William,  deceased,  born  December  26, 
1875;  Fred,  born  July  19,  1878;  Anna,  born 
January  1,  1882 ;  George,  born  November  14, 
1887;   Herman,  born  September  19,  1889. 

ISHERWOOD,  T.  G.,  M.  D.  One  of  the  beloved 
physicians  of  I'u  Page  County  who  is  entitled 
by  years  of  faithful  service  to  special  consider- 
ation from  those  to  whom  he  has  ministered  so 
long,  is  Dr.  Thomas  G.  Isherwood  of  West  Chi- 
cago. Dr.  Isherwood  was  born  at  Mt.  Vernon, 
la..  May  30,  1856,  being  a  son  of  Thomas  G. 
and  Herpalicy  (Lowry)  Isherwood,  and  grand- 
son of  Robert  Isherwood.  The  latter  founded 
the  family  in  America,  coming  from  Liveriwol, 
England,  to  Pennsylvania,  where  his  son,  the 
elder  Thomas  G.,  was  born.  In  1842,  removal 
was  made  to  Iowa,  where  the  father  of  Dr.  Ish- 
erwood died  in  1891,  when  seventy-seven  years 
old.  Both  he  and  his  wife  early  joined  the 
Baptist  Church.  They  owned  considerable 
land,  and  were  prosperous  people. 

Dr.  Isherwood  grew  up  on  his  father's  farm, 
but  was  not  satisfied  with  its  life,  being  am- 
bitious to  study  medicine,  and  with  this  idea  in 
view,  took  first  a  literary  course  at  Cornell  Col- 
lege, from  which  he  was  graduated  in  the  Class 
of  1S81.  His  medical  training  was  secured  at 
Rush  Medical  College,  from  which  he  was  grad- 
uated in  1883.  Following  this  event,  he  located 
at  what  was  then  known  as  Turner's  Junction, 
but  is  now  West  Chicago,  and  from  that  time 
on,  has  been  faithful  in  his  care  of  those  whose 
well  being  Is  entrusted  to  him. 

On  September  14,  1887,  Dr.  Isherwood  mar- 
ried Lizzie  B.  Jones,  daughter  of  M.  Jones. 
Paul  A.  and  Helen  Louise  are  their  two  chil- 
dren.    Both   are   intelligent   young   people,    and 


920 


HISTORY  OF  DU  PAGE  COUNTY. 


favorites  with  their  companions.  Dr.  Isher- 
wood  has  always  been  interested  in  fraternal 
organizations,  belonging  to  Amity  Lodge  No. 
472.  A.  F.  &  A.  M. ;  Doric  Chapter  No.  166,  R. 
A.  M. ;  Bethel  Commandry  No.  36,  K.  T.  of 
Elgin,  and  a  member  of  Medinah  Temple  of 
Chicago,  as  well  as  to  the  Modern  Woodmen 
of  America  and  the  Foresters.  Strong  in  his 
supixjrt  of  Democracy,  Dr.  Isherwood  has  been 
called  upon  to  fill  more  than  one  office  within 
the  gift  of  the  people  of  his  commuuity,  and  no 
one  has  a  higher  official  record  than  he.  Has 
been  surgeon  for  the  Chicago  and  Northwest- 
ern Railway  Company  for  twenty-eight  years, 
and  some  years  ago  he  was  appointed  surgeon 
for  the  Elgin,  Joliet  and  Eastern  Railroad,  and 
also  surgeon  for  the  Alton,  Elgin  and  Chicago 
Railway  Company,  from  the  start  proving  him- 
self efficient  and   willing. 

Thoroughly  abreast  with  the  latest  discoveries 
in  his  profession ;  a  close  student,  and  reader 
with  more  than  ordinary  range.  Dr.  Isherwood 
is  a  physician  of  note,  and  one  whose  liindly 
manner  and  cheerful  personality  make  him  wel- 
come in  the  sick  room.  Outside  of  his  profes- 
sion, he  has  many  warm  friends  as  well  as 
those  attached  to  bim  because  of  his  offices 
as  a  physician,  and  few  are  beter  known 
throughout   the   entire   county  than   he. 

JACKSON,  William.  Dairvins  and  farming 
combine  as  profitable  business  ventures,  ■  and  a 
number  of  the  up-to-date  farmers  of  Du  Page 
County  have  recognized  this  fact  and  are  divid- 
ing their  attention  between  the  two  lines  of 
agricultural  life.  One  of  those  who  have  made 
their  life  work  more  than  ordinarily  successful, 
i.';  William  Jack.son  of  W  infield  Township,  who 
owns  one  of  the  fine  farms  of  this  section.  He 
v/as  born  in  the  township,  December  4,  1854, 
being  a  son  of  Miles  and  Maria  (Herrington) 
Jackson,  natives  of  England  and  Rhode  Island, 
respectively.  The  father  of  Miles  Jackson,  also 
Miles,  after  the  death  of  his  wife,  sailed  with 
his  son  Miles,  to  the  United  States,  in  1850. 
They  settled  in  Du  Page  County  where  he  fol- 
lowed farming  although  in  England  he  had  been 
a  shepherd.  The  maternal  grandfather,  CarmI 
Herrington,  also  came  to  Winfield  Township,  in 
1850,  buying  the  farm  adjoining  the  one  bought 
bv  the  Jacksons.  The  younger  Miles  Jackson 
married  Maria  Herrington  and  they  settled  on 
the  farm  where  their  son  William  Jackson  now 


resides.  Their  first  home  was  a  log  cabin, 
and  in  it  William  was  bom.  The  original  farm 
was  only  sixty-one  acres,  but  additions  were 
made  to  it  until  now  it  contains  121  acres. 
Miles  Jackson  gained  local  celebrity  as  a  heavy 
raiser  of  Durham  cattle  and  draft  horses.  His 
death  occurred  in  1S92,  when  he  was  seventy- 
one  years  old.  His  wife  died  in  1897,  aged 
eighty-one  years.  Their  children  were:  Jane, 
Mrs.  John  Thompson  of  West  Chicago  and  Wil- 
liam. 

William  Jackson  was  educated  in  the  district 
school  at  Gary  Mills,  and  worked  for  his  pa- 
rents until  his  marriage,  in  18S1,  following 
which  he  spent  throe  years  on  the  homestead, 
then  moving  to  another  of  his  father's  farms. 
Here  he  spent  nine  years.  When  his  father 
died,  he  moved  back  to  the  homestead,  and  built 
a  large  frame  house.  At  his  mother's  death 
he  came  into  possession  of  this  estate.  Mr. 
Jackson  milks  about  twenty  cows,  and  carries 
on  general  farming  in  conjunction  with  his 
dairy.  His  property  is  in  excellent  condition, 
and  he  is  noted  as  a  good  farmer  and  efficient 
manager. 

On  March  29,  1881,  Mr.  Jackson  was  married 
near  Turner's  Junction,  by  Rev.  H.  Holmes, 
Pastor  of  the  Methodist  Episcopal  Church  of 
West  Chicago,  to  Jane  Ann  Purnell,  born  in 
Winfield  Township,  Nov.  4,  1853,  daughter  of 
William  and  Martha  (House)  Purnell  of  Eng- 
land. They  have  no  children  of  their  own,  but 
have  adopted  a  daughter,  Ella  Clara,  born  De- 
cember 4,  1894,  whom  they  are  rearing,  giving 
her  the  affection  which  would  have  gone  to  one 
of  their  own  blood.  Mr.  and  Mrs.  Jackson  love 
their  adopted  daughter  and  will  give  her  every 
opportunity  in  life.  She  is  a  well  educated 
and  beautiful  young  girl.  Mr.  and  Mrs.  Jack- 
son are  active  and  much  appreciated  members 
of  the  Methodist  Church.  A  strong  Republican, 
Mr.  Jackson  has  served  very  efficiently  and 
faithfully  as  School  Commissioner  since  1901. 
Born  in  the  township  where  he  has  spent  his 
life,  Mr.  Jackson  is  naturally  very  much  attached 
to  it,  and  has  always  lent  his  influence  towards 
securing  good  government,  and  a  continual  bet- 
terment of  existing  conditions. 

JAEGER,  WilUam  0.  The  dairy  interests  of 
Du  Page  County  are  extremely  heavy  owing  to 
its  rich  farming  lands  which  furnish  ample 
pasturage  for  the  high-grade  cattle  and  the  prox- 


^(A  C^/l4^^*TyC//^^cf 


HISTORY  OF  DU  PAGE  COUNTY. 


921 


imity  of  Chicago  with  its  eiionuous  demand  for 
pure  milli.  One  of  the  men  who  lias  devoted 
considerable  attention  to  dairying  iu  conjunction 
with  general  farming,  is  William  O.  Jaeger  of 
Wiufield  Township.  He  was  born  on  his  pres- 
ent farm,  August  1,  1SG9,  being  a  son  of  Joseph 
and  Anna  (Brownlee)  Jaeger,  born  in  Hesse 
Darmstadt,  Germany.  They  came  to  the  United 
States,  in  lSo4,  stopping  first  in  Bridgeport, 
Conn.  Six  months  later  the  father  went  to 
California.  Returning,  he  was  at  Cleveland  for 
a  time,  and  then  went  to  Milwaukee.  Still  later 
he  came  to  Chicago.  This  traveling  was  done 
within  a  period  of  three  years,  and  all  this  time 
he  worked  at  his  trade  of  harnessmaking.  Dur- 
ing these  years  he  was  looking  for  a  permanent 
home,  and  iu  1859  he  bought  a  farmj[n  Wiu- 
field Township,  containing  only  ten  acres.  This 
was  but  the  beginning  of  a  good  farm  for  the 
thrifty  German  who  kept  on  adding  until  he 
had  117%  acres  iu  Section  23.  His  excellent 
wife  died  on  this  farm  in  July,  1894,  but  he 
survived  her  until  January,  1906.  The  children 
born  to  them  were  as  follows :  C.  V.  of  Chicago ; 
Joseph  of  Crawford  County,  III.;  John  of  Oak 
I'ark ;  Frank  of  Milwaukee ;  George  of  Jasper 
County,  111. :  Peter  of  Sioux  Falls,  S.  D. ;  Robert 
and  Anna,  deceased,  and  William  O.  .  ■■  • 
The  last  named  lived  with  his  parents, --W^, . 
in  1904,  he  bought  the  homestead.  He  carries 
on  dairying,  deals  iu  live  stock  and  does  general 
farming.  In  1910,  he  was  a  delegate  to^.the 
Milk  Producers  Association  at  Chlcagd.  Sinee 
1S9S,  Mr.  Jaeger  has  been  a  director  of  the  Mu- 
tual Insurance  Company.  In  every  line  of  busi- 
ness he  has  succeeded,  and  is  a  reputable,  level- 
headed man,  who  understands  thoroughly  how 
to  make  his  work  count  for  something. 

On  November  14,  1896,  Mr.  Jaeger  was  mar- 
ried to  Julia  Buhrnsen,  born  in  Winfield  Town- 
ship, a  daughter  of  George  and  Malinda 
(Jordan)  Buhrnsen,  born  in  Germany  and  Win- 
field  Township,  respectively.  They  have  four 
children :  Edna,  Grace,  George  Joseph  and  Eva. 
Ill  political  faith,  Mr.  Jaeger  is  a  Republican 
and  for  three  years  he  was  Road  Commissioner. 
His  fraternal  affiliations  are  with  the  Odd  Fel- 
lows Lodge,  No.  1003  of  Wheaton,  and  the  Mod- 
ern Woodmen  of  America  No.  428  of  Wheaton. 

JOHNSTON,  Alexander  Sanderson,  whose  ac- 
tive life  was  spent  as  a  builder  and  contractor, 
is    now    living    retired    in    Hinsdale    which    he 

20 


aided  in  developing  to  Its  present  beautiful  pro- 
portions, having  built  many  of  the  charming 
homes  and  more  pretentious  business  houses.  He 
was  born  iu  West  Linton,  Peblesshire,  Scotland, 
January  28,  1846,  a  sou  of  William  and  Helen 
(Sanderson)  Johnston,  the  former  born  Sep- 
tember 1,  1791,  and  died  September  22,  1860, 
and  the  latter  born  July  3,  1807,  and  died  in 
1860.  Both  passed  away  in  Scotland,  where  the 
father  was  a  custom  weaver.  The  grandparents 
on  the  iKiternal  side  were  born  in  1745,  and 
17.j4.  respectively.  The  grandfather,  Robert 
Johuston,  died  in  1830,  and  his  wife  iu  1820. 

Alexander  S.  Johnston  received  his  education 
iu  the  common  schools  of  West  Linton,  and  began 
learning  the  carpenter  trade  when  only  four- 
teen years  of  age,  continuing  as  a  carpenter  and 
contractor  until  1870,  when  he  embarked  iu 
business  in  Chicago,  having  come  to  that  cit.v 
from  Edinburgh.  Scotland,  in  1868.  Later,  he 
came  to  Hinsdale  and  has  since  been  very  active 
in  securing  all  kinds  of  improvements. 

Mr.  Johuston  was  married  by  the  Rev.  G.  P. 
Nichols,  July   1,   1873,   to  Mary  A.  Leslie,  born 
in  Cooper,  Fiteshire,  Scotland,  October  29,  1851, 
daughter  of  Walter  Leslie,  born  March  28,  1818, 
and  Mary   (McCabe)   Leslie,  born  June  5.  1820, 
■'W.Eusitand.    Mr.  Leslie  was  in  the  shoe  business 
•,  in  •Milwaukee   for   some  years.     Mr.   and   Mrs. 
Johnston  hiuve  become  the  parents  of  four  chil- 
dren :     Harry  L.,  who  was  born  June  11,  1874, 
_  married  .\nna    M.   English,   in  February,   1900; 
.  iisue^v^va'ph.  born  September  27,  1902 ;  Ruth  J., 
born  January  22,  1904 ;  and  Robert,  boru  May  3, 
1908.     Jessie,  who  is  an  artist  living  at  home, 
was  born  September  10,  1876.    Ethel  H.,  who  was 
born  March  22,  1883,  married  February  22,  1905, 
George  F.  Ordway ;  issue — Virginia,  born  October 
28,    1911.      Leslie    S.,    who   was    born    October 
13,  1891,  works  for  the  Chicago  Telephone  Com- 
pany. 

Mr.  Johnston  served  two  years  in  the  English 
Army  as  a  volunteer.  He  is  a  member  of  the 
.Masonic  Lodge  of  Hinsdale  No.  9.34,  and  he  and 
his  family  belong  to  Emanuel  Presbyterian 
Church  of  Milwaukee.  A  staunch  Republican, 
he  takes  an  active  interest  in  all  iwlitical  mat- 
ters, as  well  as  in  the  welfare  of  his  community, 
ever  being  ready  to  further  any  worthy  cause. 
He  is  considered  one  of  Du  Page  county's  most 
public-spirited  citizens,  while  he  is  remembered 
in  Chicago  business  circles  as  a  member  of  the 
firm   of   Duncan   &   Johnston,   of  No.   72  Ewlng 


922 


HISTORY  OF  DU  PAGE  COUNTY. 


street,  manufacturers  of  show  card  frames,  as 
he  was  couneeted  for  tweuty-fJye  years  with 
this  business  until  his  retirement  in  1902.  Mr. 
Johnston  made  a  trip  to  Scotland  the  year  of 
the  Chicago  tire,  1S71,  and  spent  several  months 
in  his  native  laud  very  enjoyably,  but  was  glad 
to  return.  The  family  also  stands  very  high  in 
public  esteem  here  and  elsewhere. 

JOHNSTON,    William.    The    proximity    of    a 

large  city  to  any  community  of  lesser  importance 
renders  necessary  the  erection  of  imposing  pub- 
lic buildings  and  stately  residences  that  will 
compare  favorably  with  those  in  the  former  place. 
Owing  to  this  fact  and  that  many  of  the  substan- 
tial business  men  of  Chicago  prefer  to  make 
their  homes  in  localities  a  little  removed  from 
the  stress  and  bustle  necessarily  attendant  upon 
the  life  of  any  city,  Hinsdale  has  been  developed 
Into  an  ideal  community.  The  beauty  of  its  gen- 
eral plan  is  Increased  by  the  artistic  values  of  Its 
Ijulldiugs,  and  realty  has  been  advanced  in  a  re- 
markable degree  on  account  of  these  conditions. 
One  of  the  men  who  has  been  materially  re- 
sponsible for  much  of  the  fine  work  done  along 
constructive  lines,  is  William  Johnston,  whose 
operations  in  building  and  contracting  reach 
enormous  proportions  annually. 

The  birth  of  William  Johnston  took  place  in 
Scotland,  March  1(J,  1843,  he  being  a  sou  of  Wil- 
liam, born  August  24,  1810,  died  July  31,  1842, 
and  Amelie  (Stewart)  Johnston,  also  of  Scot- 
land, where  the  father  carried  on  his  trade  of 
shoemaking.  Having  carefully  mastered  his 
trade,  the  younger  William  Johnston,  left  Scot- 
land in  1868,  to  come  first  to  Chicago.  After 
looking  the  ground  over,  he  settled  in  Hinsdale, 
believing  that  there  he  could  find  the  best  op- 
portunities for  his  work.  The  succeeding  years 
have  proven  the  wisdom  of  his  choice,  for  dur- 
ing them  he  has  built  up  a  large  contracting  and 
building  business,  and  erected  the  Congregational, 
Episcopal,  German  Lutheran  and  Unitarian 
churches,  the  old  stone  schoolhouse,  village  hall, 
the  Bassett,  William  Cradle,  W.  H.  Freeman  and 
the  Crosett  residences,  as  well  as  many  other 
public  and  private  buildings. 

Jlr.  Johnson  was  married  in  1870  to  Mary  E. 
Fullerton,  lx)rn  October  13,  1840,  daughter  of 
Judge  Daniel  Fullerton,  who  lived  for  a  number 
of  years  at  Goshen,  N.  T.,  and  the  mother  was 
born  In  the  same  state.  Later  he  moved  to  Mid- 
dleton.  N.  Y.,  where  his  second  wife  died.     His 


first  wife  died  at  Brookfield,  Orange  county,  N. 
Y.,  and  she  was  Mrs.  Johnston's  mother.  Mr. 
and  Mrs.  Johnston  have  one  son,  William  Stewart 
Johnston,  now  in  the  employ  of  a  large  whole- 
sale paper  house  of  Chicago.  The  latter  married 
Maud  Morris,  daughter  of  Jacob  Morris  of  Mary- 
laud.  Fraternally,  Mr.  Johnston  is  a  Mason,  as 
is  his  son.  He  has  voted  the  Republican  ticket 
all  his  life,  and  ser^-^d  as  a  member  of  the  Vil- 
lage Board  for  four  years,  during  which  time  he 
gave  the  community  the  benefit  of  his  intimate 
and  practical  knowledge,  and  many  improvements 
were  economically  carried  out  while  he  was  an 
incumbent  of  the  office.  When  he  came  to 
Hinsdale  in  18G8,  there  were  very  few  houses 
here,  and  no  streets  or  sidewalks  were  laid 
out,  all  fteing  unbroken  prairie.  In  1907,  Mr. 
Johnston  made  a  trip  back  to  Scotland,  after 
an  absence  of  forty  years,  and  found  many  of 
his  old  neighbors  still  there,  a  few  having  at- 
tained the  remarkable  age  of  ninety-five  years. 
His  son  also  took  an  enjoyable  trip  abroad,  in 
1890,  visiting  for  several  months  England,  Ire- 
land and   Scotland. 

JORDAN,  George  Walter,  deceased.  Farming  is 
an  occupation  that  tends  to  exhaust  the  men  en- 
gaged in  it,  the  hard  work  forcing  them  to  an 
early  retirement,  and  oftentimes  results  in  their 
death  when  still  in  the  prime  of  life.  One  of  the 
men  who,  during  a  useful  life,  made  his  mark 
on  his  conmiunit.v,  and  his  infinence  felt,  was 
the  late  George  Walter  Jordan  for  a  number 
of  years  a  thrifty  farmer  of  Winfleld  Township. 
He  was  born  in  the  township,  November  9, 
1846,  being  a  son  of  William  and  Mary  (Gary) 
Jordan  of  Connecticut,  and  grandson  of  Oliver 
and  Lovina  Jordan  and  Charles  and  Malinda 
Gary  of  New  England.  Mr.  Gary  was  one  of 
the  very  early  settlers  of  Du  Page  County,  build- 
ing a  saw-mill  that  retains  his  name  to  this 
day.  William  Jordan  and  Mary  Gary  were 
married  at  Gary's  Mills,  and  for  a  number  of 
years  he  was  a  farmer  of  the  township,  dying 
when  George  Walter  Jordan  was  twenty  years 
old.  He  and  his  wife  had  children  as  follows : 
George  Walter;  Sarah  who  lives  with  her 
widowed  mother;  and  Malinda.  Mrs.  George 
Bronson.    of   Warrenville.    111. 

After  the  death  of  his  father,  George  Walter 
Jordan  resided  with  his  mother  as  long  as  she 
survived,  and  after  her  demise,  purchased  the 
home  place  of  112  acres.     This   he  devoted   to 


HISTORY  OF  DU  PAGE  COUNTY. 


923 


Airming  aud  dairying,  developiug  it  iuto  a  very 
valuable  property.  His  deatli  occurred  Novem- 
ber 7,  lUUS,  when  he  was  but  sixty-two  years 
of  age,  aud  seemingly  should  have  had  mauy 
years  of  usefulness  yet  before  him. 

On  September  14,  1870,  Mr.  Jordau  married 
Elizabeth  Baxter,  born  in  Wiufleld  Township, 
November  5,  1851,  daughter  of  John  and  Sarah 
(Sharp)  Baxter,  born  near  Leeds,  England, 
who  came  to  the  United  States  in  October,  1S50, 
locating  at  Gary's  Mills.  Mr.  Baxter  bought  a 
farm  here,  living  on  it  until  1865,  then  rented 
a  year,  when  he  again  bought  a  farm  of  108 
acres,  but  retired  and  moved  to  West  Chicago, 
in  1880,  dying  there  April  5,  1901.  His  widow 
survived  him  until  June  7,  1910.  Mr.  and  Mrs. 
Jordan  had  the  following  children:  Stella  M., 
Mrs.  Frank  Bennett,  of  Franliliu  Grove,  111.; 
Mary,  Mrs.  Leslie  Wire  of  Oak  Park,  111.;  Lev- 
ina  died  aged  twelve  years,  and  John  William 
who  resides  with  his  mother. 

Mr.  Jordan  belonged  essentially  to  Du  Page 
County  where  all  his  interests  centered.  He 
was  born  there,  educated  in  its  district  schools, 
and  spent  his  manhood  strength  developing  its 
lands.  A  strong  Republican,  he  served  twenty- 
seven  years  as  School  Director,  was  School 
Trustee,  and  did  his  duty  wherever  he  found 
his  services  were  needed.  In  the  Methodist 
Church  he  was  a  pillar,  giving  it  his  member- 
ship and  adhering  to  its  faith.  He  associated 
himself  with  much  of  its  good  work,  and  was  an 
active  member  of  the  Good  Templar  Society. 
Never  seeking  to  bring  himself  Into  public  no- 
tice,' he  neverthele.ss  exerted  a  j)Owerful  in- 
fluence for  good,  and  was  known  throughout 
the  county  as  one  of  its  best  men  and  most  rep- 
resentative farmers. 

KAMMES,  Mathies,  an  enterprising  and  well- 
known  farmer  of  Milton  township,  was  born 
in  Kane  county.  111.,  November  6,  1859,  son  of 
Nicholas  and  Mary  (Finandy)  Kammes,  na- 
tives of  Luxuniburg.  The  father  came  to  Au- 
rora about  18-10 ;  while  the  mother  came  to  Illi- 
nois about  four  years  later,  and  they  were 
married  here  and  located  on  a  farm  three 
miles  northeast  of  Aurora,  where  he  died  in 
1901,  at  the  age  of  eighty-one  years.  Mrs. 
Kammes  lives  on  the  farm  with  a  son,  having 
reached  the  age  of  eighty  years.  Their  chil- 
dren were:  Mathies;  Peter,  who  lives  in  Kane 
county ;  Anthony,  who  lives  in  Du  Page  county ; 


Michael,  who  lives  in  Winfield  township;  Mar- 
garet, wife  of  Peter  Konen,  who  lives  at  Ba- 
tavia  ;  Eva,  Mrs.  Hugh  Tye,  who  died  at  Joliet 
in  the  fall  of  1908 ;  Kittie,  wife  of  Mike  Post 
who  lives  at  Batavia  ;  Nicholas,  who  is  on  the 
home  farm ;  Kate,  who  married  Frank  Sed- 
inger.  died  in  Aurora   in   1910. 

In  boyhood  Mathies  Kammes  attended  the 
public  schools  and  the  Catholic  school  at  Au- 
rora, and  when  thirteen  years  of  age  began 
working  for  the  neighboring  farmers,  continu- 
ing thus  until  he  was  twenty-two  years  of  age, 
when  he  aud  his  brother  Peter  rented  a  farm 
in  Naperville  township  and  operated  it  three 
years.  On  February  24,  188G,  Mr.  Kammes 
married  Mary  Comes,  a  native  of  Luxumburg. 
daughter  of  John  and  Margaret  (Schmitz) 
Comes,  of  Germany,  who  came  to  Aurora  about 
1868,  and  settled  on  a  farm  in  Kane  county. 
Later  the  Comes  family  came  to  Du  Page  county, 
where  the  mother  died,  after  which  the  father 
married  a  second  time  and  went  to  Aurora. 
After  his  marriage.  Mr.  Kammes  began  farm- 
ing for  himself,  remaining  in  Naperville  town- 
ship for  two  years,  when  he  moved  to  Milton 
township  and  rented  a  farm  four  years.  He 
then  bought  a  small  farm  which  he  operated 
four  years,  and  then  purchased  his  present 
property  of  170  acres.  He  is  an  intelligent 
and  indu.'itrious  farmer  aud  besides  general 
farming  operates  a  good  dairy.  He  and  his 
wife  have  children  as  follows:  Nicholas,  who 
is  of  Wheaton ;  Anna,  Mrs.  Tony  Drendel,  who 
died  April  21,  1908;  Josephine;  Tilly;  John; 
Elizabeth  ;  Peter  ;  Helen  ;  Frederick  ;  Ellis  and 
A.  Francis.  All  the  living  are  at  home.  Mr. 
Kammes  is  in  good  standing  in  his  community 
and  is  generally  respected  as  a  man  of  re- 
liability and  integrity.  He  belongs  to  St.  Mi- 
chael's Catholic  Church  of  Wheaton  and  in  poli- 
tics, is  a  Republican. 

KAMMEYER,  Herman  C,  one  of  the  moat  suc- 
cessful merchants  of  Hinsdale,  111.,  was  born 
near  Hinsdale,  October  15,  1879,  a  son  of  Fred 
and  Dora  (Weidler)  Kammeyer.  When  he  was 
about  seven  years  old  his  parents  moved  to 
Chickasaw  Count.v,  Iowa,  where  he  lived  ten 
years,  attending  the  public  school  until  he  was 
fifteen  years  of  age  and  then  taking  a  course 
in  a  business  college  at  New  Hampton,  Iowa. 
His  parents  were  natives  of  Germany,  but  were 
married  in  America  and  lived  in  Cook  County 


924 


HISTORY  OF  DU  PAGE  COUNTY. 


for  a  time  afterward,  then  moving  to  Du  Page 
County.     They  now  reside  in  Iowa. 

When  about  seventeen  years  of  age,  Herman 
C.  Kammeyer  came  to  Chicago  and  held  a 
clerkship  there  for  one  year,  then  worked 
three  years  at  Brookfield  and  three  years  in  La 
Grange,  111.,  coming  in  1904  to  Hinsdale.  On 
February  1,  1904,  he  purchased  a  general  store 
there,  where  he  has  built  up  a  large  patronage, 
and  now  probably  has  the  largest  business  of 
the  kind  in  the  village.  He  is  interested  in 
public  affairs,  being  a  member  of  the  Village 
Board  of  Trustees,  and  in  politics  is  a  Republi- 
can. He  is  a  member  of  the  German  Lutheran 
Church,  and  is  well  known  and  popular  in  Hins- 
dale,  standing  well    in  business  circles. 

Mr.  Kammeyer  was  married  at  LaGrauge 
May  5,  1904,  to  Miss  Minnie  Dieke,  a  native  of 
I.aGrange,  and  their  unioQ  has  been  blessed  with 
two  children — Alvin  H.  and  Dorothy. 

KARNSTEDT,  Carl,  deceased.  The  Kamstedta 
are  among  the  older  families  of  Du  Page  coun- 
ty and  are  prominent  German-American  resi- 
dents here.  They  have  always  done  their  share 
to  advance  the  general  welfare  and  prosperity 
of  the  locality  and  have  been  sober,  industrious 
citizens.  Carl  Karnstedt  and  wife  reared  a 
large  family  to  useful  manhood  and  woman- 
hood. He  was  born  in  Saxony,  Germany.  No- 
vember 22,  1843 ;  was  educated  in  his  native 
country  living  there  until  twenty-five  years  of 
age,  when  he  emigrated  to  America  on  a  sail- 
ing vessel  which  took  about  eight  weeks  to 
make  the  trip.  He  worked  about  one  year  at 
Freeport.  111. ;  spent  the  next  four  years  in 
Cook  county,  and  then  purchased  eighty  acres 
of  wild  prairie  land  in  Du  Page  county,  on 
which  he  erected  a  house,  barn  and  other  nec- 
essary buildings,  tiled  some  of  his  land,  and 
in  time  developed  a  good  farm,  where  he  spent 
the  remainder  of  his  life.  He  took  an  active 
part  in  local  affairs  and  at  one  time  served 
as  Road  Commissioner. 

Mr.  Karnstedt  was  married  in  Du  Page  coun- 
ty to  Natalie  Strueber,  daughter  of  August  and 
Ida  Strueber.  She  was  born  in  Germany  but 
came  to  Du  Page  county  with  her  parents  as 
a  child,  ilr.  Strueber  and  wife  were  among 
the  pioneers  of  York  township,  where  Mrs. 
Karnstedt  was  reared,  remaining  with  her  par- 
ents until  her  marriage,  and  afterward  re- 
siding on  their  farm  the  remainder  of  her  life. 


This  farm  is  now  occupied  by  her  son  Emil. 
Children  as  follows  were  born  to  Mr.  Karn- 
stedt and  wife:  Riecke,  Mrs.  Simon  Ilansler, 
who  lives  at  Ro-seland ;  Augusta,  Mrs.  William 
Ahmer,  who  lives  at  No.  3030  Broad  street, 
Chicago ;  Herman,  who  is  of  Addison ;  Fred, 
who  died  at  the  age  of  thirty -seven  years; 
Edward,  who  lives  at  No.  3443  Eleventh  street, 
Chicago;  Carl  and  Emil  who  live  together; 
Bertha,  unmarried,  who  lives  with  her  sister 
Mrs.  Ahmer ;  and  Nancy,  the  wife  of  George 
Hanson,  who  reside  at  No.  7.")50  Harvard  avenue, 
Chicago.  Mr.  Karnstedt  died  June  30,  1900,  and 
his  wife  July  18,  1892. 

Emil  Karnstedt  was  born  on  the  farm  where 
he  now  lives,  March  4,  1874,  and  was  educated 
in  the  local  public  schools  and  Addison  graded 
school,  being  reared  to  farm  work.  As  a  young 
man  he  worked  for  a  time  for  the  Western 
Toy  Works,  of  Chicago,  and  later  entered  the 
emiiloy  of  Luedke  &  Sou,  dealers  in  compressed 
yeast,  remaining  with  the  latter  about  four- 
teen months,  since  which  time  he  has  devoted 
his  attention  to  farming.  The  place  he  now 
owns  and  occupies  is  part  of  the  land  which 
was  secured  by  his  maternal  grandfather,  Au- 
gust Strueber,  and  since  that  time  has  been 
in  posses.sion  of  the  family,  being  later  pur- 
chased  by   his    father,   Carl    Karnstedt. 

On  December  6,  1903.  Emil  Karnstedt  mar- 
ried Louise  Fiene,  daughter  of  August  and 
Dorothy  (Backhaus)  Fiene,  who  was  born  In 
York  township,  Du  Page  county,  June  16,  1881. 
The  Backhaus  family  is  given  further  mention 
in  this  work.  Two  children  were  born  of  this 
union,  Eleanor  on  March  26,  1905,  and  Arthur 
on  May  8,   1908. 

KAUTZ,  Martin.  The  splendid  energy,  thrift 
and  foresight  of  the  farmers  of  Du  Page  County 
have  developed  this  section  of  country  into  a 
rich  agricultural  district  and  raised  the  value 
of  realty  in  a  remarkable  degree.  One  of  the 
men  who  has  spent  his  best  efforts  in  develop- 
ing farm  land  is  Martin  Kautz..  of  Winfield 
Township,  born  here,  April  17,  1860,  a  sou  of 
Martin  and  Barbara  (Hoag)  Kautz,  natives  of 
Germany.  The  father  came  to  the  United 
States,  in  1855,  settling  in  Du  Page  County,  111. 
Later  he  went  to  Geneva,  but  after  two  years, 
bought  prairie  land  in  Winfield  Township,  ag- 
gregating 2.33  acres,  .\bout  1888,  he  retired  to 
West   Chicago,   where   he   died   in   March,   1904. 


HISTORY  OF  DU  PAGE  COUNTY. 


925 


His  widow  died  iu  October,  1011.  The  follow- 
ing children  were  born  iu  the  family :  Carrie, 
Mrs.  George  Wolf,  of  Rice  County,  Kas. ;  Mary, 
Mrs.  Edward  Sehoct  of  West  Chicago;  Fred  of 
Winfield  Township;  Martin,  also  of  Winfield 
Township;  Jacob  of  Kane  County,  111.;  Barbara, 
Mrs.  H.  Almidinger  of  West  Chicago ;  Christina, 
widow  of  Jacob  Weger  of  West  Chicago. 

Martin  Kautz  resided  at  home  until  his  mar- 
riage, attending  district  school,  and  learning  all 
the  details  of  farm  life.  Following  his  marriage 
he  lived  on  one  of  his  father's  farms  until  1909, 
wheu  he  bought  fifty-five  acres  on  the  west  of 
West  Chicago.  He  devotes  his  land  to  dairying, 
poultry  raising  and  general  farming,  and  has 
met   with  gratifying   rewards  for  his   labors. 

Ou  Februay  15,  1883,  Mr.  Kautz  was  married 
to  Lena  Speilmau,  born  in  Winfield  Township, 
daughter  of  Matthew  and  Ann  Speilman,  na- 
tives of  Germany  and  Ohio.  Mr.  and  Mrs.  Kautz 
became  the  parents  of  the  following  children : 
Walter  of  Winfield  Township ;  Battle,  Mrs.  Peter 
Weber,  of  Kane  County,  111. ;  Louisa,  married 
Herman  King  on  November  16,  1911 ;  and  Henry 
died  in  infancy.  Mr.  Kautz  belongs  to  the 
Evangelical  Church,  in  which  he  is  au_  acUie 
factor.  A  strong  Republican,  he  ser.>-ed  as  Koa\r 
Commissioner  since  1904.  One  p^-  tUe-st*iJt-* 
hearted,  loyal  sons  of  Du  Page;  County,  Mr. 
Kautz  has  gained  the  confidence  jpf  his  neigh- 
bors, who  freely  pay  him  the  tribute  one^hofl^jt 
man  renders  to  another,  and  he  is  ttuorsugbljt 
representative  of  the  best  agricultural  interests, 
of  this  section. 

KEIMEL,  William  J.,  of  the  well  known  firm  of 
Wendland  &  Keimel,  operating  greenhouses 
and  a  florist  shop  in  the  village  of  Elmhurst, 
111.,  is  a  native  of  Germany,  born  September  7, 
1872,  and  came  to  America  "it  the  age  of  six- 
teen years.  The  business  in  which  he  is  now 
interested  was  started  Mar^'h  1,  1908,  a  little 
east  of  Elmhurst,  where  it  has  since  been  lo- 
cated. The  firm  have  a  tract  of  fifteen  acres 
of  laud  and  their  greenhouses  cover  150.000 
square  feet.  They  make  a  specialty  of  Killar- 
ney  roses  and  other  cut  flowers,  their  plant  being 
the  largest  of  its  kind  in  Du  Page  County  and 
patronized  throughout  a  large  territory.  The 
members  of  the  firm  are  both  men  of  business 
ability  and  enterprise,  well  informed  in  botany 
and  kindred  subjects,  and  thoroughly  exper- 
ienced in  their  present  line  of  endeavor.     They 


have  modern  machinery,  and  a  vacuum  system 
of  heating.  Their  annual  output  of  roses  alone 
is  2,000,000  blooms,  and  they  do  a  cash  business 
of  about  $75,000.  Their  product  is  largely 
handled  through  Chicago  commission  men  and 
they  ship  to  many  points  within  a  radius  of 
1.000  miles  from  Chicago.  The  utmost  care  Is 
used  to  keep  everything  iu  perfect  shape  and 
twice  daily  their  flowers  are  cut,  graded  and 
liacked  for  shipment.  At  present  they  employ 
twenty-five  men,  well  trained  to  perform  their 
various  duties.  The  firm  has  won  a  wide  repu- 
tation for  the  high  quality  of  their  output  and 
for  honest  dealing. 

In  1888,  Mr.  Keimel  came  to  the  United 
States,  having  made  an  exhaustive  study  of  the 
florist  business  in  his  native  country,  and 
worked  five  years  for  florists  at  Little  Rock, 
Ark.  His  parents  were  Gustav  and  Anna 
(Peglow)  Keimel,  the  former  of  whom  died  in 
Germany  when  William  was  but  seven  years 
of  age.  The  mother  married  (second)  John 
Dessou,  and  the  family  came  to  America  some 
years  ahead  of  William  J.,  because  he  preferred 
to  remain  in  his  native  land  to  complete  his 
educational  studies.  Mr.  Dessou  and  wife  now 
reside  in  Little     Rock.     Mr.     Keimel     came  to 

'■"flinsdale.  111.,  in  1893,  and  worked  for  others 
iintil  ^engaging  in  business  in  partnership 
with  Jjr.  Wendland  in  1908.     He  has  served  as 

•«h«rirmdn  of  the  Lutheran  Church  at  Morton 
"Cifove,  Jjeing  now  affiliated  with   the  Evangeli- 

,  cal-  -Church  at  Elmhurst. 

On  October  29.  1902,  Mr.  Keimel  was  united 
in  marriage  with  Augusta  Liskow,  a  native  of 
Chicago,  daughter  of  Julius  and  Augusta 
(Brialas)  Liskow,  and  three  children  have 
blessed  their  union :  Esther,  born  May  28,  1904 ; 
Ruth,  born  March  4,  1907,  and  Clara,  bom 
April  6.  1910. 

KELLER,  George  Adam,  a  successful  farmer  of 
Naperville  Township  Du  Page  County,  is  a  na- 
tive of  the  township,  born  February  14,  1SG2. 
He  is  a  son  of  Adam  and  Barbara  (Weigand) 
Keller,  both  born  in  Bavaria.  Germany,  the 
father  February  24,  1S31.  Adam  Keller  was  a 
son  of  John  Michael  and  Anna  E.  (Loesch) 
Keller,  and  his  wife  a  daughter  of  John  and 
Barbara  (B''iester)  Weigand.  Adam  Keller 
lived  with  his  parents  until  attaining  his  major- 
ity and  in  1852,  came  to  America  and  located 
in  Du  Page  County.     At  this  time  he  was  nine 


926 


HISTORY  OF  DU  PAGE  COUNTY. 


dollars  iu  debt  and  paid  this  back  with  bis  first 
earniugs.  He  worked  eight  years  in  the  em- 
ploy of  Hiram  Fowler,  at  $150  per  year,  in 
ISbO,  was  married,  and  then  rented  land  nine 
years.  About  IfsOU,  he  purchased  a  farm  and 
lived  there  the  remainder  of  his  life,  passing 
away  June  27,  1906.  He  made  most  of  the 
improvements  which  are  now  on  this  farm  and 
brought  it  to  a  high  state  of  cultivation.  His 
widow  now  lives  on  the  home  farm  with  two 
daughters.  She  and  her  husband  had  children 
as  follows :  Anna  B.,  widow  of  John  V.  Kreger, 
a  grocer  of  Naperville ;  George  A. ;  Mary  E., 
Mrs.  Frank  Seller,  of  Lisle  Township ;  Effie  E., 
Mrs.  Andrew  E.  WoUrli,  of  Naperville ;  Lora 
M.,  Mrs.  I*atrick  Burke,  died  November  19, 
1897;  Joseph  W.  died  April  o,  1.S75;  Bertha  A. 
with  her  mother ;  Frank  G.,  of  Lisle  Township ; 
Alma  G.,  who  died  February  16,  1895,  at  the 
age   of  fourteen   years. 

Adam  Keller  was  a  man  of  influence  and 
good  standing  in  his  community.  Although  a 
Democrat  iu  politics,  he  was  not  over-partisan 
and  voted  for  Abraham  Lincoln  and  U.  S. 
Grant  for  the  Presidency.  He  served  one  term 
as  Supervisor  and  three  years  as  Road  Com- 
missioner, besides  being  School  Director  for 
some  time.  He  owned  a  beautiful  home  and  a 
well  tilled  farm  and  was  successful  as  a  farmer. 
In  youth  be  assisted  his  father,  who  served  the 
German  Government  as  timber  and  game  ward- 
en, which  position  had  been  held  by  his  an- 
cestors for  more  than  200  years.  He  was  a 
man  of  high  ideals,  broad-minded  and  generous, 
and  had  many  warm  friends.  For  many  years 
he  served  as  a  trustee  of  SS.  Peter  and  Paul 
Catholic  Church  of  Naperville. 

George  A.  Keller  remained  with  his  parents 
until  some  time  after  reaching  his  majority  and 
was  educated  in  the  district  school.  He  was 
reared  to  agricultural  pursuits,  which  he  has 
followed  all  his  life  with  gratifying  success. 
He  was  married  November  16,  1886,  to  Miss 
Ida  Yackley,  born  In  Milton  Township,  Du 
I'ase  County,  daughter  of  Joseph  and  Magda- 
line  (Baumester)  Yackley.  Mr.  Yackley  was 
born  in  Alsace  aud  his  wife  in  Byron,  Ger- 
many. After  marriage  Mr.  and  Mrs.  Keller 
rented  a  farm  in  Naperville  Township  for  two  or 
three  years,  lived  three  years  on  Mr.  Yackley's 
farm,  and  then  moved  to  their  present  home, 
which  is  part  of  his  father's  farm.  He  rented 
the  farm  until  June,  1899,  then  purchased  half 


of  the  old  homestead  and  now  operates  the 
entire  home  place  of  210  acres  of  laud.  He 
has  a  good  dairy  herd  and  makes  a  specialty 
of  raising  short-horn  cattle,  Poland-China  hogs 
aud  English  Shire  horses.  He  carries  on  a 
general  line  of  farming  and  follows  in  the  foot- 
steps of  his  father  iu  displaying  a  high  order 
of  intelligence  and  enterprise  in  his  operations. 
He  takes  great  interest  in  local  affairs  and  in 
polities  is  an  Independent  Democrat.  He  served 
many  years  as  School  Director,  three  years  as 
Highway  Commissioner,  and  has  been  Super- 
visor since  1906.  He  is  a  member  of  SS.  Peter 
and  Paul  Catholic  Church  of  Naperville  and  is 
al.so  athliated  with  the  Kuights  of  Columbus, 
the  Western  Catholic  Inion,  the  Modern  Wood- 
men of  America,  the  Catholic  Order  of  Forest- 
ers, all  of  Naperville.  He  and  his  wife  have 
three  children:  Joseph  A.,  George  Edmond  Le- 
Koy  and  Arthur  Leo. 

KELLOGG,  Henry  Lyman,  deceased,  for  more 
than  twenty  years  before  his  death  a  resident 
of  Wheaton,  111.,  had  mauy  warm  personal 
friends  iu  that  city  and  was  esteemed  and  well 
liked  by  all  who  had  the  pleasure  of  his  ac- 
quaintance,  on  account  of  his  high  character 
and  noble  purpose  in  life.  As  editor  of  a  news- 
paper with  a  wide  circulation  he  was  well 
known  by  his  w-ritings  and  missed  by  many 
readers  who  knew  him  only  by  the  work  of  his 
pen.  Mr.  Kellogg  was  born  at  White  Pigeon, 
Mich.,  November  7,  1845,  son  of  Albert  Beujamin 
and  Harriet  (Loomis)  Kellogg,  who  were  married 
in  Canaan,  Conn.,  and  came  West  soon  after- 
ward. In  1850  they  located  in  Wethersfleld, 
Henry  County,  111.,  where  for  many  years  the 
father  followed  his  trade  of  cooper.  He  was 
a  musician  of  exceptional  ability,  both  vocal 
aud  instrumental,  aud  this  gift  has  been  shared 
by   nearly  every  member  of  his  family. 

Mr.  Kellogg  received  his  early  education  in 
the  common  and  high  schools  of  Wethersfleld, 
and  in  the  fall  of  1SG6,  entered  Wheaton  Col- 
lege, from  which  institution  he  was  graduated 
in  1870.  Upon  leaving  college,  he  was  elected 
to  the  position  of  office  editor  of  "The  Chris- 
tian Cynosure,"  aud  later  succeeded  his  father- 
in-law,  Jonathan  Blanchard,  as  editor-ini-liief, 
remaining  with  the  paper  in  this  capacity  until 
his  decease,  with  the  exception  of  one  year 
spent  in  California  for  the  beneiit  of  his  heatlh. 

Mr.   Kellogg  was   married   in  Wheaton   Oeto- 


HISTORY  OF  DU  PAGE  COUNTY. 


927 


Uer  15,  1S73,  to  Miss  Nora  E.,  daughter  of  Dr. 
Jonathan  and  Mary  A.  (Bent)  Blanchard. 
bleveu  children  were  born  to  Mr.  Kellogg  and 
wife,  nine  of  whom  survive :  Mary  Elizabeth ; 
Blanchard  died  at  the  age  of  nine  years ;  Caro- 
line died  at  the  age  of  seven  years ;  Ellen  Avery 
married  John  S.  Congdon,  Professor  of  Sciences 
in  Fort  Collins  (Col.)  High  School,  and  they 
have  four  children;  Henry  Louis,  a  civil  en- 
gineer in  the  employ  of  the  I'nion  Transfer  & 
Clearing  Company,  Chicago ;  Thomas  Pomeroy 
has  for  the  past  ten  years  been  employed  in 
the  trust  and  savings  department  of  the  First 
National  Bank  of  Chicago,  married  Miss  Cora 
W.  Kimball,  of  Miles,  Iowa,  and  they  have  one 
child,  Ruth  E. ;  Ceraldine  C,  a  teacher  in  Lin- 
coln Normal  School  at  Marion,  A'a. ;  Albert  B. 
graduated  Uom  Wheaton  College  in  June,  1S9"J, 
and  July  31  of  that  year  sailed  from  Seattle 
for  Japan,  under  contract  to  teach  two  years 
in  that  country,  being  now  locaed  at  Odawara 
and  Atzugi ;  Samuel  Adams,  a  sophomore  in 
Wheaton  College;  Gertrude  E.  in  the  same  class 
as  Samuel  A, ;  Nora  E.  in  the  third  year  of  the 
Preparatory  Academy.  All  of  the  children  who 
have  reached  maturity  wore  (graduated  from 
Wheaton  College,  with  the  exception  of  Thomas 
P.,  who  engaged  in  busiDpsq  life  afte"  3nit-:hing 
his  academic  course.  The  oldest  daughter, 
Mary  Elizabeth,  graduated  from  Wheaton  Col- 
lege in  June,  1S99,  taught  two  years  in  Brewer 
Normal  Institute  at  Greenwood,  S.  C. ;  in  the 
winter  of  1007  she  was  graduated  as  a  trained 
nurse  from  Frances  E.  Willard  Hosital,  Chi- 
cago, and  on  that  occasion  wrote  a  very  appro- 
priate song  which  was  sung  at  the  graduating 
exercises ;  in  1910,  she  was  graduated  from 
Moody  Bible  Institute  and  taught  nursing  and 
bible  study  at  Marion,  Ala.,  and  is  now  resident 
nurse  at  Moody  Bible  Institute  of  Chicago. 
She  is  a  young  woman  of.  noble  impulses  and 
sincerity  of  purpose  and  possesses  the  ability 
and  inclination   to  accomplish  much  gr.od. 

Mr.  Kellogg  died  November  15,  1S94,  from 
injuries  received  during  a  conflagration  which 
destroyed  his  residence  in  Wheaton,  where  he 
had  lived  ever  since  his  marriage,  going  back 
and  forth  to  his  work  in  the  city  each  day. 

KENDALL,  Francis  Austin,  secretary  and 
manager  of  the  Illinois  Pupils'  Reading  Circle, 
and  a  man  who  has  been  intimately  associated 
with  educational  matters  of  Du  Page  county  for 


many  years,  is  one  of  the  most  public-spirited 
men  of  Naperville.  For  three  years  Prof.  Ken- 
dall taught  in  the  rural  schools  of  Illinois;  for 
four  years,  he  was  a  grade  teacher  and  for 
twenty-one  years  held  the  responsible  position 
of  superintendent  of  city  schools.  For  a  quar- 
ter of  a  century,  he  was  associated  with  the 
Naperville  schools,  and  still  has  their  best  in- 
terests at  heart.  He  is  secretary  and  manager 
of  the  organization  mentioned  above ;  is  an 
active  member  of  the  National  Educational  As- 
sociation, of  the  Illinois  Teachers'  Association 
and  of  the  Northern  Illinois  Teachers'  Asso- 
ciation. 

Prof.  Kendall  was  born  at  Rochester,  Ind., 
February  15,  1853,  a  son  of  John  and  Marga- 
retta  (Snyder)  Kendall,  the  former  born  In 
Fayette  county,  Ohio,  in  1816,  and  the  latter  in 
Ross  county,  Ohio,  in  1830.  The  father  was 
a  son  of  William  Kendall,  a  native  of  North 
Carolina,  where  he  was  bom  in  1793.  In  boy- 
hood, he  went  to  Washington  Courthouse,  O., 
and  during  the  War  of  1812,  served  his  country 
as  a  gallant  soldier,  holding  the  commission  of 
lieutenant.  In  1826,  he  migrated  to  Tippeca- 
noe county,  Ind.  His  son,  John  Kendall  was 
a  lumberman,  miner  and  farmer,  who  owned 
and  operated  one  of  the  first  saw-mills  In 
northern  Indiana.  This  he  sold  and  went  into 
mining  in  Idaho,  in  186-1,  but  returned  in  1866, 
and  farmed  until  his  death  in  1880.  His  wife 
died  in  1856,  and  is  buried  in  the  Odd  Fel- 
lows Cemetery  at  Rochester,   Ind. 

Prof.  Kendall  attended  the  public  schools  of 
Indiana,  Northwestern  College  of  Naperville 
and  the  Chicago  University.  He  was  brought 
up  to  work  on  the  farm  and  about  the  saw- 
mill, and  developed  into  a  happy,  healthy  lad. 
His  life  has  been  devoted  to  educational  work, 
and  after  he  had  taught  in  the  rural  schools 
for  three  years.  Prof.  Kendall  was  elected  to  a 
position  in  the  grammar  grade  in  the  Naper- 
ville schools.  West  Side,  which  position  he  re- 
tained for  four  years,  when  he  was  made  su- 
perintendent of  the  East  Naperville  schools,  and 
thus  continued  for  twenty-one  years.  He  re- 
signed In  oTder  to  devote  all  his  attention  to 
conducting  the  Reading  Circle,  having  been 
elected  secretary  and  manager  of  it  by  the 
State  Teachers'  Association  at  Springfield  in 
1894,  and  has  continued  in  office  ever  since. 

He  has  always  voted  the  Republican  ticket, 
and  is  now  president  of  the  Naperville  school 


928 


HISTORY  OF  DU  PAGE  COUNTY. 


board,  having  been  elected  in  April,  1911.  A 
very  prominent  Mason,  Prof.  Kendall  belongs 
to  Euclid  Lodge  No.  65,  A.  F.  &  A.  M. ;  Euclid 
Chapter  No.  13,  R.  A.  M. ;  Aurora  Commandery, 
K.  T.  No.  22,  and  Medinah  Temple,  A.  A.  D. 
M.  S.  of  Chicago.  He  also  belongs  to  Napier 
Camp  No.  908,  Modern  Woodmen  of  America. 
A  reverent  Episcopalian,  he  is  junior  warden  of 
St.  John's  Episcopal  Church  of  Naperville. 

In  1882,  Prof.  Kendall  was  married  at  Naper- 
ville to  Linule  Mae  Strubler.  daughter  of  Philip 
and  Maria  (Mottinger)  Strubler,  born  at  Na- 
perville, September  8,  ISGl.  Her  father  was 
born  at  Warren,  Pa.,  in  1832,  and  her  mother 
in  Ohio,  in  1836.  George  Strubler,  the  paternal 
grandfather  of  Mrs.  Kendall,  settled  in  Naper- 
ville in  1837.  The  maternal  grandfather,  the 
Rev.  George  Mottinger,  settler  in  Plainstield,  111., 
in  1846.  Prof,  and  Mrs.  Kendall  became  the 
parents  of  the  following  children :  C.  Guy, 
who  was  born  in  1884;  Ralph  E.,  who  was  born 
in  1887;  Julian  O.,  who  was  born  in  1888; 
Grace,  who  was  born  in  1800 ;  Olive,  who  was 
born  in  1893,  and  Marjorie,  who  was  born  in 
1898.  The  beautiful  family  residence  is  at  No. 
31  East  Jefferson  avenue,  Naperville.  Prof. 
Kendall  was  a  candidate  for  nomination  as 
County  Superintendent  of  Du  Page  county,  but 
was  defeated  at  the  primaries  by  Royal  T. 
Morgan  of  Wheaton,  the  present  incumbent. 
For  years  Prof.  Kendall  has  been  a  member  of 
the  Young  Men's  Christian  Association,  and 
is  now  the  treasurer  of  the  local  body. 

KERMAN,  Robert  No  man  need  be  unedu- 
cated if  he  possesses  sufficient  ambition  and 
a  desire  to  learn.  Some  of  the  best  informed 
men  in  the  world  have  been  those  to  whom  edu- 
cational adrantages  were  entirely  denied.  Rob- 
ert Kerman,  of  Warrenville,  is  one  of  the  men 
who  has  demonstrated  the  possibility  of  a  man 
educating  himself,  and  developing  his  natural 
ability,  turning  it  to  good  purpose.  He  was 
born  on  the  Isle  of  Man,  December  24,  1836, 
being  a  son  of  John  and  Ella  (Corlett)  Ker- 
man. 

When  only  fiften  years  old,  Mr.  Kerman  be- 
gan worliing  as  a  sailor  on  a  merchant  ship, 
and  continued  to  follow  the  sea  for  sixteen 
years.  All  this  time  he  was  steadily  improv- 
ing himself,  learning  from  books  and  men.  In 
1868.  he  went  to  Muskegon.  Mich.,  where  he 
worked  in  the  lumber  woods,  driving  logs  until 


1878,  when  he  came  to  Warrenville,  111.,  hav- 
ing dec-ided  to  engage  in  farming.  In  pursu- 
ance of  this  intention,  he  bought  a  farm, 
operating  it  until  1903,  when  he  sold  it  on  ac- 
count of  the  death  of  his  son,  and  moved  to 
Warrenville,  where  he  has  since  lived  retired. 
In  1864,  he  was  united  in  marriage  with 
Judith  Callister,  bom  on  the  Isle  of  Man,  daugh- 
ter of  John  Callister,  a  native  of  the  same  place. 
Three  infants  born  to  Mr.  and  Mrs.  Kerman 
died  on  the  Isle  of  Man,  but  Robert  R.  lived  to 
be  twenty-nine  years  old,  and  was  the  pride  of 
his  parents,  when  he,  too,  was  taken  away.  Mrs. 
Kerman  never  recovered  from  her  los.s,  and  died 
in  April  1907.  Mr.  Kerman  is  a  member  of  the 
Episcopal  Church,  naturally  affiliating  with  it 
upon  coming  here,  as  it  is  nearest  to  the  Church 
of  England.  He  is  a  Republican,  and  has  held 
some  offices,  being  as  careful  and  conscientious 
an  official  as  he  is  a  private  citizen. 

KIMBELL,  Horace  M.,  a  successful  business 
man  of  Chicago.  111.,  has  been  a  resident  of 
Hinsdale  since  February  11,  1S95.  He  was 
born  in  Chicago,  September  26,  1870,  a  son  of 
Charles  B.  and  Almira  H.  (Bartholomew)  Kim- 
bell,  for  eight  years  attended  the  Brown  School 
in  his  native  city,  then  took  a  course  at  Bryant 
&  Stratton's  business  college  there.  In  1891, 
he  accepted  a  position  as  clerk  with  the  Chi- 
cago Hydraulic-Pressed  Brick  Company  at  their 
branch  at  Porter,  Ind.  Later,  he  became  secre- 
tary and  treasurer  for  the  Rubel  Manufacturing 
<."ompany,  but  in  1909,  sold  his  interests,  and 
returned  to  the  Chicago  Hydraulic-Pressed 
Brick  Company,  finally  becoming  assistant  man- 
ager of  their  Chicago  office.  He  resigned  his 
position,  owing  to  a  change  in  the  managenient 
and   policy   of   the  company. 

He  then  opened  up  a  face  brick  department 
for  the  Meacham  &  Wright  Company,  enter- 
ing their  employ  January  1.5,  1910.  and  remain- 
ing with  them  since.  They  manufacture  ce- 
ment and  facing  briciv  and  their  business  is  in 
a  flourishing  condition.  Mr.  Kirabell  is  an  able 
and  energetic  business  man  and  has  a  good 
reputation  in  business  circle.'.  His  offic;-  is  in 
the  Chamber  of  Commerce.  Chicago,  and  his 
residence  in  Hinsdale.  He  is  well  known  in 
business  and  fraternal  circles  and  is  a  member 
of  the  Hinsdale  Club  and  is  Past  Chancellor  of 
the  Knights  of  Pythias.  He  belongs  to  the 
Unitarian  Church,   and   in   politics  is  a   Repub- 


^•/iO.^e^iA.. 


HISTORY  OF  DU  PAGE  COUNTY. 


929 


licau. 

Mr.  KimLiell  was  married  in  Chicago  Novem- 
ber 14,  1S94,  to  Minnie  C.  Stierwiu,  and  they 
liave  been  blessed  witti  children  as  follows : 
Josephine  M.,  Augustus  B.,  Esther,  and  Eleanor 
Sherwin. 

KLEIN,  Jacob  J.,  who  died  May  20,  1911,  i8 
buried  iu  Winfield  cemetery.  He  owned  and 
operated  during  life,  a  farm  of  200  acres 
on  Sections  i!G  and  27,  Wayne  Township.  Du 
Page  County,  and  was  an  intelligent  progressive 
citizen,  who  carried  on  his  work  according  to 
the  best  modern  methods.  The  family  has  been 
well  known  and  highly  resijected  iu  Du  Page 
County  since  the  grandfather  of  Jacob  J.  Klein 
located  near  Naperville,  in  1846.  Mr.  Klein  was 
a  native  of  the  county,  born  in  Wayne  Town- 
ship, September  25,  1853,  son  of  George  and 
Theresa  (Ilentges)  Klein,  both  natives  of  Ger- 
many, the  father  having  been  born  at  Ferth,  in 
1822.  George  Klein  was  a  son  of  Michael  and 
Barbara  (Thule)  Klein,  who  came  to  America 
iu  184G,  and  located  near  Naperville,  later  mov- 
ing to  Wayne  Township,  where  they  spent  the 
remainder  of  their  lives.  George  "Klein  miira'ied.» 
Theresa  Hentges  in  1849.  She  -wtis  a  daughter 
of  Mathias  and  Theresa  (Wiertz)t  Hentges  and 
was  born  in  Nlederweis,  iu  1832.  ;  The  Ilentges  , 
family  came  to  America  in  the  fal-}  of  l'S4:f^^jn(}- 
located  near  Chicago,  but  in  1848,  came  to 
Wayne  Township.  

After  his  marriage,  George  Klein  lived  with 
his  parents  a  number  of  years,  and  then  pur- 
chased 153  acres  of  land  on  Section  23  of  Wayne 
Township,  where  his  death  occurred,  May  21, 
1895.  His  widow  still  resides  on  the  old  home- 
stead. At  one  time  Mr.  Klein  owned  a  200-acre 
farm  near  West  Chicago,  which  he  sold  prior  to 
his  death.  He  and  his  wife  were  both  members 
of  St.  John's  Catholic  Church  at  Winfield. 
Politically,  he  was  a  Democrat  and  for  a  num- 
ber of  years  held  the  office  of  Highway  Commis- 
sioner. He  and  his  wife  were  parents  of  six 
children,  namely :  Peter,  a  resident  of  Iowa ; 
Jacob  J. ;  Theresa,  deceased ;  Nicholas,  of 
Minnesota ;  Maggie,  wife  of  Michael  Heinz,  of 
Wayne  Township,  and  Geoi-ge. 

Jacob  J.  Klein  received  his  education  in  the 
district  school  and  the  high  school  at  Wheaton. 
He  lived  on  a  farm  with  his  parents  until  Febru- 
ary, 1877,  when  he  moved  to  Barton  County, 
Kas.,  and  located  on  a  farm  of  160  acres,  which 


was  school  laud.  Later  he  purcha.sed  other  land 
and  owned  800  acres  iu  one  body  in  that  State. 
He  carried  on  general  farming  and  became  an 
extensive  cattle  dealer,  meeting  with  success  in 
both  lines.  In  1903,  lie  returned  to  Illinois 
and  purchased  the  farm  he  occupied  up  to  the 
time  of  his  death.  He  erected  new  buildings 
and  made  all  possible  Improvements,  so  that  he 
brought  his  laud  to  a  high  state  of  productive- 
ness. In  October,  1904,  his  new  barn  was  struck 
by  lightning  and  burned,  but  he  rebuilt  it.  He 
had  an  excellent  dairy  and  milked  alxjut  forty 
co^\s,  and  spent  a  life  of  activity.  He  was  a 
member  of  the  Catholic  Church  at  Winfield  and 
took  an  active  interest  in  whatever  affected  the 
welfare  of  his  community.  He  had  many  warm 
friends  in  the  county,  where  a  large  part  of  his 
life  was  spent,  and  he  stood  well  with  all  who 
had  social  or  business  relations  with  him. 

Mr.  Klein  was  married  in  January,  1879,  by 
Father  Hundhauser  in  Barton  County,  Kas.,  to 
.Mary  Stark,  who  was  born  in  Bloomiugdale 
Township,  Du  Page  County,  September  4,  1854, 
daughter  of  Adam  and  Anna  M.  (Fiedler) 
Stark,  both  natives  of  Germany.  This  union 
-took  place  in  Kansas,  where  Miss  Stark  had 
gone  \o  visit  her  sister,  Mrs.  Margaret  Lies. 
Nine  cJiildren  were  born  to  Mr.  Klein  and  wife, 
,^of. whtim  two  died  in  infancy,  the  others  being: 
.  .4SBfrt>  on  the  home  farm  In  Kansas,  married 
tfl.Alary  Schueweis  and  they  have  three  children, 
Leo,  Albert  and  Helena;  Clara,  wife  of  Carl 
Lies,  of  Wayne  Township  and  they  have  one 
child,  Genevieve;  Leo,  Frank,  Matilda,  Adam, 
Victor,  all  at  home.  Mr.  Klein  was  a  Democrat 
politically  and  for  three  years  served  as  Road 
Commissioner  in   Wayne  Township. 

George  M.  Klein,  the  youngest  sou  of  George 
and  Theresa  (Hentges)  Klein,  was  born  on  the 
farm  he  now  occupies.  March  14,  1872.  He  at- 
tended the  district  schools  near  home  and  the 
parochial  school  at  Winfield,  living  at  home  with 
his  parents  until  he  was  twenty-three  years 
old,  when  he  opened  a  meat  market  at  Wheaton. 
At  the  end  of  two  years,  however,  he  sold  his 
business  and  returned  to  the  home  farm  where 
he  has  since  resided,  having  rented  It  since 
1899.  He  Is  a  Democrat  in  political  aflillations, 
but  has  never  taken  a  very  active  part  in  public 
affairs. 

On  May  30,  1899,  George  M.  Klein  married 
Kosa  Lenertz,  born  in  Bloomiugdale  Township, 
Du    Page   County,    iu   June.    1875,   daughter    of 


930 


HISTORY  OP  DU  PAGE  COUNTY. 


Peter  and  Margaret  (Riehm)  Leuertz.  Tbree 
children  have  beeu  boro  of  this  union :  Eleanora, 
born  January  20,  1903 ;  Edna,  born  in  July  1904 ; 
Alma,  born  December  30,  1905.  Mr.  Klein  is 
well  regarded  in  his  community  and  is  always 
ready  to  sui^jort  any  worthy  object  for  the 
good  of  the  peoijle.  He  follows  modern  ideas 
in  carrying  on  the  farm  and  has  reaped  success 
in  this  line. 

KLEIN,  John.  German  born  citizens  of  the 
United  States  always  retain  a  love  for  the  land 
which  gave  them  birth,  while  at  the  same  time 
they  are  zealoiis  patriots  of  the  country  which 
has  become  theirs  by  adoption.  Some  of  the 
most  substantial  men  of  this  land,  especially  in 
the  rural  regions,  were  born  in  Germany,  as 
is  the  case  with  John  Klein  of  Winfleld  Town- 
ship, a  man  well  known  throughout  Du  Page 
County.  He  was  born  in  Prussia,  Germany, 
on  the  line  of  Litzenburg,  December  25,  1S39, 
a  son  of  Nicholas  and  Katherine  (Schmitz) 
Klein.  The  father  died  in  Germany,  his  widow 
at  the  present  home  of  John  Klein. 

John  Klein  lived  in  a  village,  and  turned  his 
hand  to  all  kinds  of  honest  work,  he  could  find 
to  do.  When  he  was  twenty-two  years  old,  he 
was  drafted  into  the  German  army,  but  he 
had  no  inclination  for  military  life  so  left  for 
America,  coming  direct  to  Du  Page  County. 
After  his  arrival  here,  he  became  so  imbued 
with  a  love  for  his  new  land,  that  on  Septem- 
ber 2,  1862,  he  enlisted  in  Company  I,  One 
Hundred  and  Fifth  Illinois  Volunteer  Infantry, 
at  Wheaton,  and  was  mustered  into  the  service 
at  Dixon,  111.  From  there  the  regiment  was 
sent  to  Camp  Douglas,  111.,  and  thence  to  Louis- 
ville, Ky.  Then  they  were  sent  to  Frankfort 
in  pursuit  of  General  Morgan.  In  all  the  regi- 
ment participated  in  a  number  of  important 
engagements,  including  the  battles  of  Resaca. 
Peach  Tree  Creek,  and  many  skirmishes; 
marched  with  Sherman  to  the  Sea,  and  were  in 
the  Grand  Review  at  Washington.  Mr.  Klein 
received  an  honorable  discharge  in  June,  1865. 
He  received  a  gun  shot  wo'ind.  which  was  not 
regarded  as  serious  at  that  time,  but  in  these 
da.vs  of  iJeace,  probably  would  have  excited 
more  attention.  Having  formed  a  liking  for 
the  south,  he  went  to  Memphis,  Tenn.,  where 
he  entered  a  general  store,  owned  by  one  of 
the  enemy  he  had  fought  for  three  years.  In 
1808,  however,  he  returned  to  Du  Page  County, 


and  bought  thirty  acres  in  Winfleld  Township. 
This  was  unimproved  land,  which  he  at  once 
set  about  improving  buHding  a  house  and  barn. 
From  time  to  time  he  added  to  this  property, 
until  he  now  owns  205  acres  in  one  piece,  and 
the  Elgin,  Geneva  aud  Chicago  electric  car 
lines  run  through  it,  making  it  much  more  val- 
uable. Mr.  Klein  also  owns  property  in  Glen 
Ellyn  for  it  has  been  his  belief  that  real  estate 
is  the  best  investment  a  man  can  make.  Until 
r,i07,  he  was  actively  engaged  in  conducting  his 
farm,  but  was  then  forced  to  retire  on  account 
of  rheumatism,  his  sons  now  operating  it  for 
him. 

Mr.  Klein  was  married  in  June,  ISGS,  to  Ell 
zabeth  Sieber,  born  in  Kane  County,  111.,  daugh- 
ter of  Michael  and  Mary  Sieber,  born  in  Ba- 
varia, Germany,  but  came  to  the  United  States 
in  1840.  The  children  born  to  Mr.  and  Mrs. 
Klein  are:  Michael  of  Winfleld  Township; 
Jacob  of  the  same  township ;  Regiua,  Mrs. 
N'ick  .Schi-amer,  who  died  in  1902 ;  Lena,  at 
home ;  Elizabeth,  Mrs.  Theodore  Schraner  of 
Winfleld  Township;  Maiy,  Mrs.  Hugo  Stephen 
of  Glen  Ellyn;  and  John,  Barbara,  Bernard 
and  Catherine,  at  home.  Mr.  and  Mrs.  Klein 
belong  to  St.  John's  Catholic  Church  of  Win- 
field  Township,  and  their  children  were  brought 
up  in  it.  For  eighteen  years  Mr.  Klein  served 
as  Path  Master,  being  elected  on  the  Repub- 
lican ticket.  He  belongs  to  E.  B.  Kelly  Post, 
G.  A.  R.,  KTo.  13.  A  sound,  industrious, 
thrifty  German-American,  Mr.  Klein  has  gained 
the  respect  and  confidence  of  his  neighbors  and 
associates  who  comprehend  his  innate  good- 
ness of  heart  and  honest  principles. 

Mr.  Klein  has  been  active  in  the  office  of 
Road  Commissioner,  and  brought  about  a  re- 
form of  former  abuses,  so  that  now  no  com- 
missioner is  permitted  to  put  ills  own  teams  to 
work  on  jobs  paid  for  by  the  tax  payers. 

KNIGHT,  Frank  Jennings.  Progression  in  any 
community  can  only  be  effected  through  the 
Individual  efforts  of  those  men  who  have  its 
welfare  really  at  heart,  and  are  willing  to  exert 
themselves  towards  the  betterment  of  condi- 
tions and  the  advancement  of  institutions. 
Wheaton  as  a  community,  has  been  singularly 
fortunate  In  numbering  among  its  residents 
men  of  the  calibre  of  Frank  Jennings  Knight, 
the  champion  of  schools  and  the  welfare  of 
children.     Mr.  Knight  is  a  native  of  the  State, 


HISTORY  OF  DU  PAGE  COUNTY. 


931 


iiiiviug  Ljeeu  born  iu  KaueviUe.  Kaue  County, 
111.,  on  September  9,  1S07,  beiug  a  son  of  David 
A.  and  Mary  (Jennings)  Knight.  The  father 
was  a  farmer  and  large  denier  in  stock  and 
grain,  and  the  lad  grew  ujj  among  wholesome 
agricultural  surroundings,  learning  to  till  the 
soil  from  childhood.  David  A.  Knighi,  after  a 
successful  business  career,  came  to  Du  Page 
County  iu  1SS7,  and  is  now  living  retired  from 
active  labors. 

The  education  of  I'rank  Jt'uniugs  Kuight  was 
olitaiued  in  the  excellent  schools  of  West  Au- 
rora, he  being  graduated  from  the  high  school 
class  of  1SN5.  Following  this,  his  youthful 
energies  found  outlet  as  an  employe  of  the 
Chicago.  Burlington  and  Quebec  Railroad  until 
1SS7,  when  he  took  up  his  father's  calling  and 
for  ten  years  was  a  farmer.  In  1S97,  he  was 
apiKiiuted  clerk  in  the  County  Clerk's  office, 
and  served  that  ofhcial  and  also  in  the  office  of 
the  County  Treasurer  until  1002,  gaining  a  val- 
uable experience  that  served  him  well  when  in 
the  latter  year,  he  was  elected  County  Treas- 
urer. When  his  term  expired,  his  services  were 
rewarded  by  his  appointment  as  Chief  Clerk 
in  that  same  office,  where  for  four  years,  he 
faithfully  discharged  the  onerous  duties  rest- 
ing upon  his  shoulders.  In  1910.  he  Vv-as  further 
honored  by  receiving  the  nomination  of  the  Re- 
puliliean  party  for  the  office  of  County  Treas- 
urer, meeting  with  no  oi^positiou  In  the  pri- 
maries, and  receiving  a  strong  majority  of  the 
votes  at  the  November  election.  His  services 
to  his  party  have  been  many  and  varied,  and 
he  is  justly  recognized  as  one  of  its  leaders  in 
Du  Page  County. 

Mr.  Knight  was  united  in  marriage  in  l&SS, 
with  Inez  Cottrell  of  Aurora,  daughter  of  N.  A. 
anil  Angle  (Currier)  Cottrell,  farming  people. 
Three  children  have  been  born  to  Mr.  and  Mrs. 
Kuight ;  Clarence  D.,  a  student  in  the  law  de- 
partment of  the  University  of  Ann  Arbor, 
Mich. ;  Luella  A.,  a  student  of  the  Wheaton 
high  school ;  and  Frances  I.,  at  home.  Kindly 
of  heart,  pleasant  in  manner,  devoted  to  the 
welfare  of  his  community  and  county,  Mr. 
Knight  is  one  of  the  most  representative  of  Du 
Page  County's  progressive  men,  and  his  work 
is  not  yet  finished.  Before  his  career  has  ended. 
his  name  will  be  associated  with  other  and 
broader  fields  of  endeavor,  and  In  them,  as  he 
has  in  those  already  entered,   Mr.  Knight  will 


give  the   best  of  himself  to  promote  measures 
calculated  to  advance  humanity. 

KNIGHT,  William  Hugh,  well  known  as  the 
Secretary  and  Treasurer  of  the  American  Trot- 
ting and  the  American  Trotting  Registry  Asso- 
ciations, has  for  some  time  been  a  resident  of 
Hinsdale,  111.,  where  he  is  prominent  in  social 
circles.  He  is  a  native  of  Bradford,  Ontario, 
Canada,  born  October  14,  1S19,  a  son  of  Thomas 
and  Mary  (Wilson)  Knight,  and  was  educated 
iu  Public  School  No.  4,  Buffalo,  N.  Y.  He  has 
for  many  years  been  interested  in  his  present 
line  of  work  and  bis  business  is  now  conducted 
at  137  Ashland   Boulevard,   C'.iicago. 

June  9,  1880,  Mr.  Knight  married  Isabel 
Marie  Robbins,  at  Hinsdale,  and  they  have  one 
child,  Glendora  Elizabeth.  Mr.  Knight  is  inde- 
pendent in  politics  and  belongs  to  the  Episcopal 
Church.  He  is  considered  a  public-spirited  and 
useful  citizen  and  interested  in  the  welfare  of 
the  village  which  has  been  his  home  since  1S78. 
He  belongs  to  the  Hinsdale  and  to  the  Hinsdale 
Golf  Club. 

KOBUSCH,  Frederick  William,  was  born  in  St. 

Louis,  Mo..  .May  28.  18(32,  a  son  of  John  H.  and 
Christina  Henime  Koliusch,  the  father  a  na- 
tive of  Preuss,  and  the  mother  of  Osnabruck, 
Hanover,  Germany.  John  H.  Kobusch  was  born 
in  1834,  a  son  of  Haupeter  Kobusch,  and  Mrs. 
Kobusch  was  a  daughter  of  Frederick  and  Dor- 
othy Hemme,  who  came  to  the  United  States, 
landing  at  St.  Louis,  in  1850.  Mr.  Hemme  was 
a  stone  mason  by  trade  and  died  while  on  a 
visit  to  Concordia,  Mo.  John  H.  Kobusch  land- 
ed iu  New  Orleans  in  185G,  and  proceeded  thence 
to  St.  Louis,  iu  all  spending  eight  weeks  on  the 
ocean  and  eight  weeks  ou  the  Mississippi  river, 
After  reaching  St.  Louis  he  embarked  in  a 
lumber  business,  continuing  this  twenty-two 
years,  becoming  manager  of  a  St.  Louis  lum- 
ber concern.  For  six  mouths  thereafter  he 
was  engaged  in  a  lumber  commission  business, 
then  spent  one  year  in  a  grocery,  and  in  1886 
came  to  Bloomingdale,  111.,  where  he  embarked 
in  a  general  mercantile  business.  In  1891,  his 
son  Frederick  W.  was  given  a  half  interest  in 
this  and  three  years  later  Mr.  Kobusch  sold 
his  share  to  Chris  F.  Haseman,  who  has  since 
been  co-partner  in  the  concern.  John  H.  Ko- 
busch died  July  3,  1903,  and  his  wife  died 
.March  20,  1886. 


932 


HISTORY  OP  DU  PAGE  COUNTY. 


The  educatiou  of  Frederick  ^\^  Kobusch  was 
acquired  in  the  parochial  schools  of  St.  Louis 
and  Jones  Commercial  College,  and  he  then  be- 
came associated  with  his  father  in  business  life. 
He  and  his  present  partner  handle  all  kinds  of 
general  merchandise  usually  found  in  a  store 
of  this  class,  and  also  carry  agricultural  im- 
plements and  farm  machinery,  being  agents  for 
the  latest  equipments  for  agricultural  opera- 
tions. They  have  won  the  esteem  and  confi- 
dence of  their  patrons  and  have  a  good  trade 
in  their  part  of  the  county.  In  addition  to  his 
other  interests  Mr.  Kobusch  raises  Duroc  Jer- 
sey sn-ine  and  Buff  Orpington  chickens,  which 
he  has  been  breeding  since  1908,  and  also  pure 
Plymouth  Rock  chickens.  He  is  finding  this 
work  most  profitable  and  is  intending  to  engage 
in  it  more  extensively. 

Mr.  Kobusch  was  married  April  29,  1888,  to 
Eleonore  Madeline  Hallenberg,  a  native  of  St. 
Louis,  born  December  24,  1867,  daughter  of 
Henry  and  Mary  (Helsel)  Hallenberg,  the 
father  born  in  Waldeck,  Germany,  and  the 
mother  in  St.  Louis,  Mo.  Mr.  Kobusch  and  wife 
became  the  parents  of  the  following  children : 
John  Henry,  who  was  bom  February  7,  1889,  of 
Waxahachie,  Tex. ;  Herman  Henry,  who  was 
born  April  4,  1891,  a  resident  of  Chicago ;  Fred- 
erick TV.,  who  was  born  September  14,  1893,  at 
home;  Eleonore  Clara,  who  was  born  July  5, 
1895 ;  Robert  Carl,  who  was  born  Xoveniber  12, 
1897;  Dorothy  Helen,  who  was  bom  July  21. 
1906 ;  and  Helen  Elizabeth,  who  was  born  Sep- 
tember 19,  1908.  The  oldest  son,  John  Henry, 
married  Imalie  Llghtfoot,  of  Houston,  Tex.,  and 
they  have  one  daughter,  Harriet. 

Mr.  Kobusch  is  a  member  of  the  Lutheran 
Church,  and  in  politics  is  an  independent,  vot- 
ing for  men  and  measures  rather  than  party 
interests.  Since  c-omiug  to  Bloomingdale  Mr. 
Kobusch  has  been  prominent  in  local  affairs 
and  was  appointed  ixistmaster  in  1894,  retiring 
from  this  office  in  July,  1909.  He  is  well  known 
In  Du  Page  county  as  an  enterprising,  success- 
ful business  man.  and  has  a  wide  circle  of 
personal  friends,  who  appreciate  his  good  quali- 
ties. 

KOENIG,  John,  deceased,  one  of  the  earlier 
settlers  of  Du  Page  county,  left  many  descend- 
ants.    His  original  farm  is  owned  by  his  chil- 


dren, who  have  continued  to  improve  and  oper- 
ate  it.  Mr.  Koenig  was  well  known  throughout 
the  county  as  one  of  the  prominent  German- 
American  citizens  who  did  so  much  toward  the 
early  development  and  progress  of  this  locality. 
He  was  born  in  Mecklenburg,  Germany,  in  1817, 
and  in  1853  at  the  age  of  thirty-six  years  emi- 
grated to  America,  coming  direct  to  Du  Page 
county,  where  he  purchased  106  acres  of  land, 
most  of  it  undeveloped.  He  made  many  im- 
provements on  this  land,  which  is  located  in 
the  southwestern  corner  of  section  13,  York 
township,  and  spent  the  remainder  of  his  life 
on  it.  A  member  of  the  Evangelical  Church, 
he  was  a  man  of  good  principles  and  right  liv- 
ing. 

Mr.  Koenig  was  married  in  Germany  to  Miss 
Marj-  Koop,  and  they  became  parents  of  six 
children :  Fred,  who  lives  at  Forest  Park,  re- 
tired from  active  life;  Tochen.  who  was  born 
September  18.  1857,  unmarried,  living  on  the 
home  farm ;  Lena,  who  was  born  April  25,  1860, 
on  the  home  farm ;  Louisa,  Mrs.  Herman  Cordt, 
and  Minnie,  Mrs,  Henry  Westendorf,  who  both 
live  in  Elmhurst ;  and  William,  who  was  born 
October  11,  1868.  The  children  were  educated 
in  the  public  and  German  schools  of  York  town- 
ship, and  reared  to  honorable  manhood  and 
womanhood  on  their  father's  farm.  Mr.  Koenig 
died  in  1892.  and  his  widow  died  December  7, 
1901.  at  the  age  of  sixty-nine  years,  both  be- 
ing laid  to  rest  in  the  German  cemetery. 

KRAGE,  Frederick  E.,  a  prominent  farmer  of 
.\ddison  Township.  Du  Page  County,  is  a  native 
of  the  township,  born  August  13.  1873,  and  is  a 
son  of  Fred  L.  and  Carolina  (Grane)  Krage, 
natives  of  Hanover,  Germany,  and  the  United 
States,  respectively.  He  was  educated  in  the 
German  and  puiilic  schools  and  at  the  age  of 
nineteen  years  began  learning  the  tinner's  trade 
in  his  father's  hardware  store,  and  continued 
at  this  occupation  seven  years,  following 
which,  he  spent  three  years  at  teaming  in  Addi- 
son Township.  He  now  owns  a  farm  of  ninety- 
two  acres  of  land,  fifteen  acres  being  a  part  of 
the  old  home  farm,  and  on  it,  he  carries  on  a 
general  line  of  farming,  paying  special  attention 
to  dairying,  iwtato  and  chicken  raising.  He  has 
about  thirty-seven  head  of  cattle  and  ships 
about   four   cans   of   milk   per    day.    and    raises 


HISTORY  OF  DU  PAGE  COUNTY. 


933 


from  200  to  300  chickens  annually.  Most  of  the 
buildings  ou  the  farm  were  erected  by  him,  In- 
cluding a  spacious  barn,  wagon  shed  and  chiclien 
house. 

Mr.  Krage  was  married  May  1,  1898,  to  Miss 
Caroline  Schumacher,  daughter  of  Ehler  and 
Wilhelmiua  (Schaper)  Schumacher,  who  was 
born  in  York  Township,  Du  Page  County,  July 
15,  1878.  Four  children  have  blessed  this  union : 
Elmer,  boru  January  12,  1899;  Arthur,  Feb- 
ruary 23,  1902  ;  Ednumd,  April  4,  1905 ;  Harvey, 
March  3.  1900.  For  a  time,  Mr.  Krage  served 
as  Marshal  of  the  village  of  Addison,  and  since 
April,  1009,  he  has  been  a  Road  Commissioner. 
He  is  a  member  of  Addison  Lutheran  Church. 
Mr.  Krage  is  well  known  in  his  part  of  the 
county,  where  his  entire  life  has  been  spent  and 
has  a  wide  circle  of  friends. 

KRAGE,  Martin  F.  Among  the  enterprising  and 
successful  young  farmers  of  Addison  Township, 
Du  Page  County,  is  Martin  F.  Krage,  who  was 
born  on  the  farm,  part  of  which  he  now  owns, 
December  8,  1SS2.  He  is  a  son  of  Frederich 
and  Carolina  (Gram)  Krage,  natives  of  Ger- 
many and  the  United  States  respectively.  Mr. 
Krage  was  educated  in  the  German  and  p«bUe- 
schools  of  the  township  and  reared  to  farm 
work.  In  his  early  boyhood,  he  wbrlct'd'  noW- 
and  then  in  his  father's  hardware  store  at  Ad- 
dison, where  he  learned  the  trade  of  a  tinner, 
which  he  followed  until  1900,  and  thoa-iiirtfl"' 
1901,  worked  in  a  grocery  store  in  Everett,  IVlV 
For  six  months  he  followed  the  trade  of  a 
butcher  and  for  three  years  that  of  a  carpen- 
ter, being  a  member  of  the  Carpenter's  Union 
in  Los  Angeles,  where  he  lived  for  three  years. 
He  displayed  ability  in  these  various  lines,  but 
has  decided  in  favor  of  farming,  and  has  ac- 
quired forty-two  acres  of  the  home  place, 
where  in  1907  he  erected  his  beautiful  home 
and  other  substantial  buildings,  and  also  put 
up  a  modern   windmill. 

On  December  10,  1905,  Mr.  Krage  \^as  mar- 
ried by  Rev.  Dannenfeldt,  to  Matilda  Volber- 
ding,  adopted  daughter  of  Herman  and  Dora 
(Ahrens),  Volherding,  and  three  children  have 
been  born  to  this  union  :  Victoor,  born  August 
9,  1906;  Selma,  born  September  20,  1908;  and 
Paul,  born  January  13.  1911.  Mr.  Krage  car- 
ries on  general  farming  and  raises  colts,  hogs 
and  chickens.  Having  a  talent  for  farming 
and  considerable  experience  along  this  line,  he 


has  met  with  gratifying  success.  He  is  well 
known  in  the  community  and  takes  an  active 
interest  in  public  affairs.  In  politics  he  is  Re- 
publican. Both  he  and  his  wife  are  members 
of  the  German  Lutheran  church. 

KREGER,  John  Valentine,  (deceased),  who  for 
more  than  a  dozen  years  conducted  a  grocery 
store  at  Naperville,  111.,  was  a  native  of  Du 
Page  County,  born  at  Xaperville,  October  3, 
3857.  He  was  a  sou  of  Valentine  and  Theresa 
(Emling)  Kreger,  natives  of  Byron,  Germany, 
who  came  to  Xaperville  and  engaged  in  busi- 
ness, spending  the  remainder  of  their  lives 
there. 

Mr.  Kreger  remained  with  his  parents  until 
his  marriage  and  received  his  education  in  the 
public  and  the  Catholic  schools  of  Naperville. 
After  his  marriage  he  engaged  at  various  work 
for  several  years,  and  in  1S93,  embarked  In 
the  grocery  business,  carrying  on  a  prosperous 
trade  until  his  death,  since  which  time  his 
widow  and  sons  have  continued  it.  Mr.  Kreger 
was  married  October  19,  1880,  to  Anna  Keller, 
born  in  Naperville  Township  November  18, 
1860,  daughter  of  Adam  and  Barbara 
•■^eigand)  Keller,  natives  of  Ritterheim,  Ger- 
Riany,,^'^o  came  to  America  in  youth.  Bar- 
bara Weigand  came  to  Naperville  with  her 
parents  but  Adam  Keller  came  nione.  After 
their  marriage  they  lived  on  a  farm  lu  Naper- 
■-  v^flfe''*rowpship,  where  Mr.  Keller  died  June  27, 
1906,  while  his  widow  and  a  daughter  still  re- 
side' there.  Children  as  follows  were  born  to 
Mr.  Kreger  and  wife:  Adam  V.  L.,  born  Feb- 
ruary 28,  1882,  conducts  the  store  for  bis 
mother;  Arnold  Joseph,  born  March  30,  1886, 
works  for  his  mother ;  Antoinette,  born  May  18, 
1894;  George  Paul,  August  18,  1896;  Frank  E., 
October  12,  1898 ;  Alma  Blanche,  May  19.  1901 ; 
Anna  Barbara,  January  4,  1906.  Mrs.  Kreger 
received  her  education  in  the  public  and  Cath- 
olic schools  of  the  county  and  has  continued  to 
live  in  Naperville  since  her  husband's  death, 
August  14,  1906.  She  is  a  woman  of  business 
ability  and  good  judgment  and  has  met  with 
success  in  carrying  on  the  establishment  which 
was  left  to  her.  Mr.  Kreger  was  a  Democrat 
In  politics  and  a  member  of  the  Catholic 
Church.  He  had  a  great  many  friends  in  his 
part  of  the  county,  where  he  had  spent  his  en- 
tire life,  and  was  sadly  missed  by  many  circles. 
Arnold     J.      Kreger     married      Miss      Alma 


934 


HISTORY  OP  DU  PAGE  COUNTY. 


Winckler  on  April  6,  1906,  and  they  have  a 
daughter,  Louise  Anna,  born  September  25, 
1911.  Adam  V.  L.  Kreger  was  married  to 
Bertha  Schatzline  on  June  8,  1910. 

KRUSE,  Louis,  owner  and  operator  of  a  farm 
of  100  acres  near  Addison,  Du  I'age  county,  has 
spent  his  eptire  life  on  his  property.  The  farm 
has  long  been  in  jtossessiou  of  the  family  and 
all  the  buildings  have  been  erected  by  its  mem- 
bers. Mr.  Kruse  was  born  December  1,  1850, 
son  of  Diedrich  and  Mary  (Jleirer)  Knise,  and 
was  reared  on  this  same  farm  and  educated  In 
the  public  and  German  schools.  He  has  al- 
ways followed  agricultural  pursuits  and  has 
been  successful,  now  carrying  on  general  farm- 
ing and  milking  about  twenty  cows.  The  home- 
stead is  on  sections  20  and  29  and  the  land  is 
productive. 

On  June  17,  1S7S,  Mr.  Kruse  married  Emma 
Hachmeister,  daughter  of  Henry  and  Minetta 
(Schuenhoff)  Hachmeister,  who  was  born  in 
Bloomiugdale  township,  Du  Page  county,  June 
17,  1850.  Her  parents  secured  land  from  the 
government  there  and  spent  the  remainder  of 
their  lives  on  their  farm,  the  father  d.ving  at 
the  age  of  eighty-one  years  and  the  mother  at 
the  age  of  seventy-seven  years,  both  being  bur- 
ied in  Addison  cemetery.  Mr.  Kruse  and  wife 
became  the  parents  of  seven  children :  Ernst, 
who  was  born  May  0,  1880,  unmarried  and  carry- 
ing on  the  home  farm ;  Anna  ;  Alma,  who  died  in 
1882,  aged  about  two  mouths ;  Edward,  who  was 
born  September  18,  1884,  at  home;  Ida,'  who 
was  born  March  14,  1886,  died  October  8,  1893 ; 
William,  who  was  born  November  6,  1889,  and 
Otto,  who  was  born  February  12,  1893,  the 
last  two  both  at  home.  Mr.  Kruse  and  the 
other  members  of  the  family  are  faithful  mem- 
bers of  the  Lutheran  Church  and  he  served  two 
or  three  terms  as  collector  for  the  German 
Lutheran  School.  One  of  the  substantial,  re- 
spected members  of  society  in  the  township,  he 
has  many  warm  friends  there.  ' 

KUHN,  Aaron.  Opportunity  is  a  friend  to  those 
brave  en(Jugh  to  grasp  it  by  the  hand,  regard- 
less of  consequences,  for  through  it,  some 
achieve  fortune  and  make  and  retain  friends. 
Especially  is  this  true  in  the  United  States, 
where  the  poor,  uneducated  boy  has  an  equal 
chance  with  one  better  favored.  This  has  been 
proven  many  times  over,  and  never  more  clearly 
than  in  the  ca.se  of  Sheriff  Aaron  Kuhn.  the 


present  incumbent  of  the  Sheriff's  ofHce  for  Du 
Page  County.  Mr.  Kuhn  was  born  in  Frank- 
lin County,  Penn.,  ilarch  12,  1863,  son  of  poor 
but  honest  parents,  named  David  and  Esther 
(Eby)  Kuhn,  of  the  same  locality.  Peter 
Kuhn  established  the  family  in  Franklin  County 
in  1732,  and  Jacob  Eby  his  family  in  the  same 
county.  All  of  the  representatives  of  buth 
famUies  were  farming  people.  David  Kuhn 
farmed  all  his  life  in  Franklin  County,  dying 
there  June  29,  1S69,  while  his  widow  survived 
him  until  October  31,  1899,  when  she  too  passed 
away,  aged  seventy-eight  years.  The  ciiildren 
born  to  this  excellent  couple  were:  Samt'el  of 
Franklin  County ;  Leah,  Mrs.  George  Deal  of 
Greencastle,  Penn. ;  Elizabeth,  Mrs.  David 
Stanny,  of  Franklin  County ;  Nancy,  Mrs. 
James  W.  Wagner,  of  Washington,  D.  C. ;  David 
of  P^ranklin  County ;  Aaron ;  Dessie,  Mrs.  Gil- 
ford Brubecker  of  Franklin  County. 

The  early  education  of  Aaron  Kuhn  was  a 
verj-  meagre  one,  his  father  dying  when  he  was 
only  six  years  old.  When  about  tv»-elve  years 
of  age,  he  started  to  work  on  a  fanu,  and  with 
the  first  money  he  earned,  he  paid  for  further 
instruction,  for  he  was  very  ambitious  to  edu- 
cate himself.  After  a  year  in  Stark  County, 
O.,  he  returned  to  Franklin  County,  where  he 
farmed  for  others  until  1890,  when  he  moved 
to  Winfield  Township,  Du  Page  County,  and 
here  he  engaged  in  farming  until  1906,  when  he 
moved  to  West  Chicago  to  engage  in  handling 
hogs  and  cattle,  and  operated  a  rented  farm 
In  the  vicinity  with  hired  help.  Here  he  liought 
a  beautiful  home,  and  developed  into  one  of  the 
prosperous  men  of  his  community.  A  strong 
Republican,  he  had  served  as  School  Director, 
and  been  active  otherwise,  and  in  the  fall  of 
1910,  was  the  logical  candidate  of  his  party  for 
Sheriff.  The  strength  of  the  party,  combintd 
with  his  personal  popularity  elected  him  by  a 
large  majority,  and  he  will  hold  this  important 
office  for  the  next  four  years.  Mr.  Kuhn  also 
owns  a  half  section  of  land  in  Saskatchewan. 
Canada,  having  great  faith  in  that  section's 
agricultural  future. 

On  April  25,  1SS2,  Mr.  Kuhn  was  maiTied  to 
Alice  H.  Wagner,  born  in  Franklin  County, 
Penn.,  daughter  of  Alfred  and  Isabelle  i Miller) 
Wagner.  The  following  children  have  been 
born  to  Mr.  and  Mrs.  Kuhn  :  Retta,  at  home ; 
Cora ;  Ellen,  deceased ;  Paul,  attomey-at-law 
at  Batavia,  111.;  Sadie,  deceased,  and  Myra,  at 


HISTORY  OF  DU  PAGE  COUNTY. 


935 


home.  Mr.  Kuhn  is  member  of  the  Cougrega- 
tional  Church,  and  gives  it  his  hearty  support. 
His  conquest  over  obstacles  is  a  triumph  of 
brains  and  manhood,  and  Mr.  Kuhn  having 
struggled  hard  himself  knows  how  to  appre- 
ciate like  effort  in  others.  Genial,  kind-heari- 
ed,  loyal,  with  a  high  sense  of  duty,  he  is  giving 
the  county  a  splendid  administration,  and  prov- 
ing that  he  is  without  doubt  the  right  man  In 
the  place  to  which  the  majority  of  the  people 
elected  him. 

KUHN,  Adam.  The  Kuhn  family  have  lived  in 
Du  Page  County  since  1849,  when  the  grand- 
father of  Charles  W.  Kuhn  came  here  from 
New  York,  soon  after  his  emigration  to  Amer- 
ica. Mr.  Kuhn  is  a  native  of  the  couuty. 
born  on  the  farm  he  now  occupies,  in  Milton 
Township,  February  22,  1882,  son  of  Adam  and 
Mary  (Kuhn)  Kuhn,  both  natives  of  Bavaria. 
Adam  Kuhn  was  born  December  29,  1843,  a 
son  of  John  and  Barbara  (Schoamiug)  Kuhn, 
also  natives  of  Bavaria.  The  family  is  de- 
scribed more  fully  in  the  sketch  of  Joseph  W. 
Kuhn,  found  elsewhere  in  this  work.  John 
Kuhn  and  family  came  to  America  in  the  spring 
in  1849,  landing  in  New  York.  After  spending 
four  weeks  in  that  city,  during  which  time  the 
mother  died,  the  father  brought  his  family  west 
to  Du  Page  County.  Adam  was  the  eighth  of 
ten  children  and  received  his  education  in  the 
German  and  public  schools  of  Milton  Township, 
remaining  with  his  father  on  the  farm  until  he 
was  twenty-seven  years  of  age. 

On  September  27,  1870,  he  married  Anna 
Marie  Kuhn,  born  in  Bavaria,  Germany,  Feb- 
ruary 13.  1848,  daughter  of  Valentine  and  Eva 
(Waltz)  Kuhn,  who  spent  their  entire  lives  in 
Bavaria.  Jlrs.  Kuhn  had  come  to  America  in 
18G0,  and  lived  in  Du  Page  County  before  her 
marriage. 

Adam  Kuhn  and  wife  began  housekeeping  on 
ft  farm  of  eighty  acres  in  Milton  Township, 
which  he  had  purchased  in  1868,  and  which  he 
still  owns  now  having  121  acres  of  land.  Politi- 
cally he  is  a  Democrat  and  he  held  the  office 
of  Pathmaster  for  some  time.  He  retired  from 
the  farm  in  lOOH,  and  has  since  lived  in 
Wheaton.  He  and  his  wife  became  the  parents 
of  eight  children,  namely  :  Anna,  wife  of  James 
Perrin,  of  Lombard,  111.,  and  they  have  six 
children,  Gertrude  O.,  Chester  W.,  Olive  M.. 
Elsworth  R.,  Lawrence  V.,  and  Fredericka  M. ; 


Ida,  wife  of  Thomas  Prosser,  of  Chicago,  and 
they  have  three  children,  Herbert  Colleti  and 
Marie  C. ;  Catherine,  wife  of  Joseph  Surges,  of 
Elmhurst,  and  they  have  five  children,  Ray- 
mond, Helen,  Arthur,  Isebelle  and  Agnes ; 
Barbara  wife  of  Conrad  Schultz,  of  Milton 
TowTiship,  and  they  have  five  children  living 
and  one  deceased,  Frederick,  Alma,  Harvey, 
Andrew  and  Mabel;  Mary,  wife  of  Peter  Rau, 
of  Montana,  and  they  have  had  three  children, 
Walter  A..  Pauline  A.,  and  one  deceased; 
Charles  W.,  on  the  home  farm ;  Clara,  wife  of 
Paul  Yackley,  of  Wayne  Township,  Du  Page 
County ;  and  one  deceased.  Mr.  Kuhn  and 
family  are  members  of  the  Catholic  Church  of 
Wheaton. 

Charles  W.  Kuhn  is  the  sixth  of  eight  chil- 
dren and  the  only  sou.  He  was  educated  in  the 
district  school  and  a  German  school  at 
Wheaton,  was  reared  on  a  farm  and  has  al- 
ways been  engaged  in  farming  since  old  enough 
to  work.  He  lived  with  his  parents  until  they 
moved  to  WTieatou,  and  on  September  15,  1011, 
he  bought  the  home  place,  where  he  carries  on 
general  farming  with  e.\-cellent  success  and  has 
from  twenty  to  twenty-five  cows  in  his  dairy 
herd. 

On  May  22,  1906,  Mr.  Kuhn  married  Anna 
Konop.  born  in  Kewaunee  County.  Wis.,  August 
29,  1882,  daughter  of  Jacob  and  Anna  (Lodel) 
Konop,  natives  of  Bohemia,  now  living  at  Ewen, 
Mich.  Four  children  have  been  born  to  Mr. 
Kuhn  and  wife :  Elmer  W.,  June  20,  1908 ;  Helen 
L.,  April  14,  1910;  Paul  J.,  January  26,  1912; 
and  one  deceased.  The  family  are  members  of 
the  Catholic  Church  at  Wheaton  and  Mr.  Kuhn 
is  a  member  of  the  Catholic  Order  of  Foresters 
of  that  place.  He  is  an  industrious  and  am- 
bitious farmer  and  stands  well  in  his  com- 
munity. 

KUHN,  Joseph  W.,  of  Milton  Township,  Du  Page 
Count.v,  was  born  in  Byron,  Bavaria,  Germany, 
August  30,  1S45,  a  son  of  John  and  Barbara 
(Sehoemig)  Kuhn,  also  natives  of  Bavaria, 
the  former  born  in  ISOO.  The  parents  came  to 
New  York  In  the  Spring  of  1849,  and  the  mother 
died  in  that  city  soon  after  they  landed.  After 
spending  four  weeks  there  the  father  brought 
his  family  to  Du  Page  County  and  located  In 
Milton  Township,  where  they  have  since  been 
represented.  He  brought  ten  children  with  him 
to  America,  four  of  them  by  a  former  marriage 


936 


HISTORY  OF  DU  PAGE  COUNTY. 


and  six  by  his  second  marriage.  Of  the  form- 
er, three  are  living  at  the  present  time :  Andrew, 
of  Buchanan  County,  Iowa ;  Martin,  of  Wichi- 
ta, Kan. ;  Mrs.  Margaret  Summers,  of  Wheaton. 
Of  the  second  marriage,  three  of  the  six  chil- 
dren are  living :  Adam,  of  Wheaton ;  Mrs. 
Ursula  Klock,  of  Chicago ;  Joseph  W.,  who 
was  the  youngest  child. 

Upon  coming  to  Du  Page  County  John  Kuhn 
and  ten  children  located  on  160  acres  of  land, 
eighty  acres  in  Section  22  and  eighty  in  Sec- 
tion 27,  of  Milton  Township.  He  was  married 
(third)  to  Mrs.'  Hetty  Schatz,  a  native  of 
Pennsylvania,  and  seven  children  were  born  of 
this  union,  six  of  whom  are  living :  Henry,  of 
Iowa ;  Charles,  of  Wheaton ;  foreman  of  the 
Chicago  Golf  Club;  Mary,  wife  of  William  Car- 
ter, of  California;  Alexander,  of  Kane  County; 
Emma,  wife  of  Frank  Hageman,  of  Wheaton, 
Lizzie,  wife  of  Christ  Ichhorst,  of  Nebraska. 
The  father  of  this  family  made  his  home  on 
the  farm  until  ISSO,  then  moved  to  Wheaton, 
and  died  there  in  1S9.3;  his  widow  dying  in 
1901.  All  of  the  family  were  members  of  the 
Catholic  Church,  except  his  third  wife  and  her 
children.  Politically,  John  Kuhn  was  a  Demo- 
crat but  he  took  no  active  part  in  public  affairs. 

Joseph  W.  Kuhn  was  educated  in  the  district 
school  and  has  always  made  his  home  on  the 
farm  purchased  by  his  father.  He  was  married 
in  1871,  to  Miss  Mary  Kuhn,  who  was  bom  in 
Bavaria,  October  S,  1S51,  daughter  of  Andrew 
and  Mary  (Waltz)  Kuhn,  also  natives  of  Ba- 
varia, where  the  mother  now  lives  being  eighty- 
two  years  of  age.  Mrs.  Kuhn  came  to  Amer- 
ica in  1S69,  and  lived  in  Du  Page  County  be- 
fore her  marriage.  After  marriage,  Mr.  Kuhn 
rented  his  father's  farm  and  purchased  it  after 
the  latter's  death.  He  and  his  wife  are  pa- 
rents of  seven  children,  namely:  Miss  Margaret, 
of  Wheaton;  Frances,  wife  of  Ira  Stephen,  of 
Crocker,  Mo.;  Abbelon,  wife  of  Peter  Knippen ; 
Joseph,  of  Wheaton;  Julia,  wife  of  George 
Rieser,  of  Napervllle;  Walter,  a  fireman  In  the 
employ  of  the  Chicago  &  Northwestern  Railroad 
Company,  lives  with  his  parents;  Frank,  at 
home.  Politically,  Mr.  Kuhn  is  a  Democrat, 
although  he  has  never  taken  an  active  part  In 
public  affairs.  He  Is  a  substantial  and  pros- 
perous farmer,  well  known  In  his  community, 
where  he  has  many  friends.  He  is  a  member 
of  St.  Michel's  Catholic  Church,  of  Wheaton, 
as  are  the  other  members  of  his  family. 


KUHN,  Michael,  an  enterprising  German-Amert- 
can  citizen  of  Milton  Township,  Du  Page  County, 
is  a  native  of  Bavaria,  born  February  1,  1S54, 
a  sou  of  Valentine  and  Eva  (Waltz)  Kuhn,  who 
spent  their  entire  lives  in  that  country.  Michael 
Kuhn,  born  seventh  in  a  family  of  eight  chil- 
dren, was  educated  in  Germany  and  reared  to 
farm  work.  In  the  fall  of  1870,  he  came  to 
America  and  located  in  Du  Page  County,  where 
ho  worked  for  some  time  on  the  farm  of  hla 
uncle,  John  Kuhn,  of  Milton  Township,  and 
also  one  year  for  Adam  Kuhn,  of  Milton  Town- 
ship, and  one  season  for  Warren  L.  Wheaton. 
About  1S74  he  began  farming  on  his  own  ac- 
count, renting  a  small  place,  and  operated  the 
liind  on  shares,  for  the  first  two  years,  taking 
care  of  his  own  house.  In  March,  1880,  he 
bought  his  first  land,  eighty  acres  In  Section 
29,  Milton  Township,  where  he  lived  sixteen 
years,  and  then  sold  it.  In  the  spring  of  1897, 
he  purchased  172  acres  of  land  in  Section  21 
of  Milton  Township,  where  he  now  lives.  He 
carries  on  general  farming  and  has  a  dairy 
herd  of  20  cows.  He  is  independent  in  politics, 
and  although  he  is  interestetl  in  the  welfare  of 
the  community,  he  takes  no  active  part  in  public 
affairs.  He  Is  an  industrious  and  successful 
farmer  and  has  a  good  standing  with  his  neigh- 
bors. 

Mr.  Kuhn  was  married  in  November,  1879,  to 
Philomina  Sittler,  born  in  Miltou  Township  In 
1S59,  daughter  of  Oswald  and  Mary  (Vogel) 
Sittler.  Eight  children  were  born  to  Mr.  Kuhn 
and  wife,  of  whom  six  now  survive :  Eleanora 
M.,  widow  of  Fred  Mittmann,  of  W^heaton,  Jose- 
phine M.,  wife  of  Aquilin  Nagel,  of  Cloverdale, 
Hi.;  Agnes  M.,  wife  of  Anton  Nagle,  of  Clover- 
dale;  Elizabeth  P.;  William  M.  S.  and  Rosa  A., 
at  home.  The  family  are  members  of  the  Cath- 
olic Church  at  Wheaton  and  Mrs.  Kuhn  is  a 
member  of  the  Catholic  Order  of  Foresters. 

LAMBERT,  Philip.  Since  the  demand  for  In- 
creased production  of  milk  has  assumed  such 
Ijroportions,  a  number  of  the  more  progressive 
famiers  of  Illinois  have  recognized  the  profits 
from  dairying,  and  are  turning  their  attention 
towards  this  branch  of  agricultural  life.  One  of 
the  large  farmers  of  Du  Page  0)unty,  is  Philip 
Lambert  of  Section  22,  Milton  Township,  who 
has  entered  the  dairy  business  to  a  certain  ex- 
tent. He  was  born  in  Cleveland,  O.,  October  2, 
1852,    being   a   son   of  Valentine   and    Mary   A. 


^JWtvc^^AA" 


HISTORY  OF  DU  PAGE  COUNTY. 


937 


(Eagel)  Lambert,  natives  of  Germany,  where 
tbey  were  married.  Tbey  came  to  America 
about  1851,  locating  in  Cleveland,  O.,  where  Mr. 
Lambert  worked  at  the  carpenter  trade.  In 
1857,  they  came  to  Du  Page  County,  and  for 
some  years  Mr.  Lambert  found  ready  employ- 
ment as  a  carpenter  in  Bloomlngdale  Town- 
ship, but  later  he  turned  bis  attention  to 
farming,  on  a  small  scale,  owning  twenty- 
seven  acres  in  Bloomlngdale  Township,  which 
he  sold  and  bought  sixty-three  acres  on  Section 
22,  and  forty  acres  on  Section  15,  Milton  Town- 
ship. His  death  occurred  in  1902,  when  he 
was  eighty-two  years  old.'  His  wife  died  in 
1SS5,  aged  sixty-five  years.  They  were  the  pa- 
rents of  four  children :  Annie,  wife  of  Emil 
Freytag  of  California;  Philip;  Ellen,  widow  of 
Alamandes  Waguer,  of  Wheaton,  and  Barbara, 
wife  of  Jacob  Miller  of  Wheaton. 

Philip  Lambert  was  educated  in  the  Milton 
Township  district  schools,  living  on  the  farm 
with  bis  father  until  1SS5,  when  be  rented  his 
father's  farm,  and  bad  his  father  live  with  him 
until  he  died.  Later,  Mr.  Lambert  bought  land 
aggregating  eighty  acres  on  Sections  22  and  23, 
eighty-eight  acres  on  Section  30,  Yorli  Township, 
and  117  acres  on  Section  26,  Milton  Township, 
owning  in  all  3SS  acres.  He  has  -a.  d.'iiry.'OiC 
twoiity-five  cows  and  devotes  the  reihii,^nlfj-'  of- 
liis  land  to  general  farming.  His  residence's 
on  the  eighty  acres  in  Sections  22  and  23,  Milton 
Township.  While  he  is  a  good  Repv^bjican,  he 
has  no  desire  for  public  favor.  The- family" .6p-- 
long  to  St.  Michael's  Church,  of  Wheaton,  111. 

On  Februarj-  16,  1S85,  Mr.  Lambert  married 
Annie  Me.ver,  born  in  Bloomlngdale  Township, 
May  15,  1865,  daughter  of  Frederick  B.  and 
Gertrude  (Anxteller)  Meyer.  Mr.  Me.ver  died 
in  August,  1901,  and  Mrs.  Meyer  in  October, 
1909.  Ten  children  have  been  born  to  Mr.  and 
Mrs.  Lambert :  Valentine ;  Edward  G.,  who  died 
February  19,  1912,  aged  twenty-four  years ;  and 
Philip  W.,  Frank  G.,  Oscar  I.,  Veronica  M., 
Helen  G.,  Clarence  A.,  Irene  A.  and  Norbert  V., 
all  at  home.  No  man  on  earth  is  more  inde- 
pendent than  the  Illinois  farmer,  aud  when 
such  a  farmer  possesses  good  health,  intelli- 
gence and  loves  bis  work,  there  are  scarcely 
any  heights  of  honest  affluence  he  cannot  attain. 

LANE,  Charles  Edwin,  whose  long  and  faithful 
service  to  the  best  interests  of  Lombard,  with- 
out thought  of  personal  profit,  has  placed  him 

21 


among  the  loyal  and  stout-hearted  men  whose 
civic  devotion  is  almost  proverbial,  was  born 
in  Wakefield,  N.  H.,  where  be  worked  on  a 
farm,  and  at  eari>entry,  attending  the  country 
school  a  few  mouths  in  the  year,  until  he  was 
nineteen  years  of  age.  At  this  time,  through 
self  reliance,  and  personal  efforts  directed  in 
manual  labor  and  teaching  school,  he  was  able 
to  prepare  for  college,  entering  New  Hampshire 
Conference   Seminary  for  that  purpose. 

In  the  fall  of  1862,  he  entered  Dartmouth 
college  and  was  graduated  from  this  institu- 
tion with  the  degree  of  A.  B.,  in  1866,  re- 
ceiving the  degree  of  A.  M.  in  1869.  From 
1S66  to  1870,  he  was  successively  principal  of 
Westfleld  academy,  Westfleld,  N.  X. ;  principal 
of  a  public  school  in  Columbus,  Ohio,  and  su- 
perintendent of  public  schools  in  Van  Wert, 
Ohio.  In  1870,  he  became  southwestern  man- 
ager of  the  educational  department  of  D. 
Appleton  &  Co.,  at  St.  Louis,  Mo.,  remaining 
in  this  position  until  1S75.  when  he  was  appoint- 
ed northwestern  manager  for  the  same  com- 
pany at  Chicago,  111.  This  he  held  until  1890, 
when  be  became  manager  of  the  high  school 
and  college  department  of  the  American  Book 
Company   at   Chicago,    and  has   had   in   charge 

■^^r'^Ti^ious  important  interests  of  this  company  up 

,.  jo  .thfe  present  time. 
' '  Mr*  Lane  moved  from  Hyde  Park,  Chicago,  to 
Lombard,  in  April,  1899,  having  purchased  and 
improved  the  homestead  of  the  late  Dr.  W.  G. 
Le  Roy,  and  soon  made  his  influence  felt,  for 
in  1901,  he  was  elected  president  of  the  coun- 

'  cil  of  the  town  of  Lombard,  and  was  unani- 
mously re-elected  to  the  same  ofBce  for  three 
successive  terms,  retiring  in  1905.  During  his 
four  years  in  office,  be  and  his  associates  in  the 
council,  made  the  following  improvements  in 
the  town :  initiated  aud  set  well  under  way 
'  the  substitution  of  cement  for  plank  sidewalks ; 
introduced  gas  for  public  and  private  use; 
changed  the  form  of  government  of  the  town 
from  its  restrictive  special  charter  to  the  gen- 
eral law  of  the  State  for  the  government  of 
cities,  towns  and  villages ;  contracted  for  a  site 
for  town  hall,  engine  house  and  waterworks; 
drilled  a  well  for  public  water  supply ;  estab- 
lished a  sinking  fund  to  provide  water  and 
lights,  and  constructed  the  Parkside  driveway 
which  originated  with  the  preceding  adminis- 
tration. 

Mr.  Lane  was  chairman  of  the  Building  Com- 
■  ti    _   i     fl  "  i: 


938 


HISTORY  OF  DU  PAGE  COUNTY. 


uiittee  for  the  erection  of  the  biiildiu;::  of  the 
Lombard  State  Bank  and  was  elected  its  first 
president,  which  position  he  has  held  continu- 
ously to  the  present  time.  He  has  been  president 
of  the  Northwestern  D.  K.  E.  Alumni  Associa- 
tion, is  a  member  of  the  Dartmouth  College 
Alumni  Association  of  Chicago,  has  served  as 
its  president.  He  was  for  years  a  member  of  the 
T'uion  League  Club,  and  is  a  member  of  the 
Hamilton  Club  of  Chicago  and  the  Glen  Oak 
Club  of  Lombard.  He  is  a  citizen  of  public 
spirit,  who  takes  a  pride  in  the  improvement 
and  growth  of  Lombard  both  materially  and 
intellectually,  and  supports  liberally  all  meas- 
ures   tending   towards   that   end. 

LAWRENCE,  Henry  A.,  county  clerk  of  Du 
Page  County,  and  one  of  the  important  factors 
in  the  political  affairs  of  this  part  of  the  State 
for  the  past  thirty  years,  was  born  near  Itasca, 
Hi.,  his  present  home,  January  31,  1855.  He 
IS  a  son  of  Charles  and  Grace  (Fenemore)  Law- 
rence. These  parents  were  born  in  England, 
and  came  to  Du  Page  County  probably  as  early 
as  1840,  settling  on  a  farm  in  the  vicinity  of 
Itasca. 

Mr.  Lawrence  grew  up  amid  the  healthy  sur- 
roundings of  farm  life,  attending  district  school 
until  he  entered  Wheaton  College,  where  he  at- 
tended for  two  years.  Leaving  college,  he 
entered  into  a  mercantile  business,  conducting 
a  general  store  at  Itasca  until  his  election  to 
his  present  oflBce,  in  November,  1896.  He  was 
Postmaster  of  Itasca  for  twelve  years,  and  has 
always  been  a  loyal  adherent  of  the  Republi- 
can party. 

On  December  18,  1878,  Mr.  Lawrence  was 
united  in  marriage  to  Carrie  Eddy,  daughter  of 
Philo  and  Julia  Eddy.  They  have  three  chil- 
dren: Jeanette  S.,  Ida  M.  and  Duddie  G. 

Genial,  whole-hearted,  devoted  to  his  family, 
Mr.  Lawrence  is  a  man  who  commands  respect 
and  holds  friendships  made.  His  fitness  for  his 
otiice  is  undisputed,  and  his  knowledge  of  all  its 
details  is  of  inestimable  value  to  his  constitu- 
ents. His  capacity  for  hard  work  is  almost  un- 
limited, and  Du  Page  County  has  no  official  who 
stands  higher  in  general  esteem  than  does  he. 

LAWTON,  Thomas,  M.  D.  The  medical  profes- 
sion has  been  recruited  from  men  of  exceptional 
ability  and  strength  who  have  the  patience  and 
perseverance  to  go  through  the  years  of  train- 


ing necessary  to  fit  them  for  the  practice  of 
medicine.  One  of  the  physicians  and  surgeons 
who  has  become  eminent  in  Du  Page  County  is 
Dr.  Thomas  Lawton  of  Hinsdale,  111.  Dr. 
Lawton  is  the  oldest  son  in  the  family  of  John 
and  Ann  Lawton  being  born  in  Ustick  Township, 
Whiteside  County,  111.,  January  10,  1862. 

The  boyhood  of  Dr.  Lawton  was  spent  on  his 
father's  farm,  while  he  completed  a  district 
school  education.  Being  very  ambitious,  he  took 
a  four  years"  course  at  the  Northei'n  Illinois 
College  at  Fulton,  111.,  from  which  he  was 
graduated  with  the  degree  of  B.  S.  Following 
this  he  taught  school  for  three  years,  becoming 
one  of  the  popular  educators  of  his  county, 
and  then,  having  saved  a  sufficient  amount  to 
pay  for  his  medical  course,  he  entered  the  Chi- 
cago Homeopathic  Medical  College  of  which  he 
is  a  graduate.  Class  of  1890,  securing  from  it 
his  degree  of  M.  D.  Dr.  Lawton  then  located 
at  Hinsdale,  on  April  3rd  of  that  same  year,  and 
since  then  he  has  been  engaged  in  active  prac- 
tice here,  now  being  recognized  as  one  of  the 
leading  ph.vsicians  of  his  school  of  medicine  jn 
Do  Page  County. 

On  July  19.  1893,  Dr.  Lawton  was  married 
to  Miss  Lucy  Pulver,  and  they  have  five  daugh- 
ters and  three  sons.  He  is  a  member  of  the 
North  American  Institute  of  Homeopathy  and 
of  the  Illinois  Homeopathic  Medical  Institute. 
The  Congregational  Church  holds  his  member- 
ship, and  receives  his  material  support.  A  close 
student,  enthusiastic  with  regard  to  his  profes- 
sion, Dr.  Lawton  has  met  with  the  success  that 
is  due  him,  and  holds  the  confidence  of  his  com- 
munity. 

LEEDLE,  John  W.  To  be  a  successful  lawyer 
requires  brains,  talent  and  severe  training.  The 
conquest  of  obstacles  necessary  for  the  estab- 
lishment of  a  large  practice  is  not  easy,  but 
once  accomplished,  progress  is  rapid.  One  of 
the  law.vers  who  have  attained  to  distinction 
through  practice  in  Du  Page  and  Cook  coun- 
ties is  John  W.  Leedle,  with  offices  at  708,  709 
and  710.  No.  25  Dearborn  street,  Chicago,  and 
residence  at  West  Chicago.  He  was  boru  in 
Linn  Township,  Walworth  County,  Wis.,  De- 
cember 22,  1871,  being  a  son  of  George  and 
Mar.v  (Mulligan)   Leedle. 

Growing  up  in  a  country  district,  Mr.  Leedle 
attended  district  school,  later  Hebron  high 
school,  of  Hebron,  McHenry  County,   111.,  from 


HISTORY  OF  DU  PAGE  COUNTY. 


939 


which  he  was  graduated  June  IS,  1S94,  and 
eventually  after  a  three  years'  course  In  the 
Chicago  Law  school,  he  was  graduated  there- 
from June  10,  1902,  with  the  degree  of  LL.B. 
After  graduating  from  high  school,  Mr.  Leedle 
began  teaching  in  Walworth  County,  Wis.,  con- 
tinuing there  a  year.  In  the  fall  of ,  1895,  he 
began  teaching  in  McHenry  County,  111.,  contin- 
uing there  until  the  summer  of  1900.  He  was 
principal  at  different  times  of  the  schools  at 
Chemung,  Alden  and  Ringwood.  lu  1900  he 
resigned  as  principal  of  the  schools  of  Ring- 
wood,  to  come  to  Chicago  and  enter  a  law  office, 
following  which  he  studied  law  faithfully,  and 
was  admitted  to  practice  law  by  the  Supreme 
Court  of  Illinois,  in  May,  1902,  prior  to  his 
graduation.  He  began  with  no  practice  aud  no 
acquaintances  either  in  Chicago  or  West  Chi- 
cago, but  is  now  the  senior  member  of  the  tioui'- 
ishing  law  firm  of  Leedle  &  Rapp,  his  associate 
being  William  K.  Rapp,  which  was  established 
in  1900.  The  firm  control  a  large  practice  that 
has  been  built  up  steadily  and  along  legitimate 
lines. 

In  September,  1901,  Mr.  Leedle  located  at 
West  Chicago,  and  has  been  City  Attorney  of 
that  municipality  ever  since  its  organization  as 
a  city.  Always  a  Republican  he  has  demon- 
strated his  strength  in  his  party,  and  is  recog- 
nized as  one  of  its  leaders  in  Du  Page  County. 
While  not  a  member  of  any  religious  organiza- 
tion, he  usually  attends  the  Methodist  Church. 
On  December  10,  1896,  Mr.  Leedle  was  mar- 
ried to  Elizabeth  A.  Sinderson,  at  Walworth, 
Walworth  County,  Wis.  One  daughter  has 
been  born  of  this  marriage,  Je.ssie  Miriam.  Mr. 
Needle  is  a  member  of  the  Masonic  fraternity, 
the  Chicago  Bar  Association  and  the  Du  Page 
County  Bar  Association.  He  has  assisted  in 
organizing  and  promoting  several  business  cor- 
porations, his  experience  and  legal  knowledge 
being  invaluable  in  such  a  connection.  Mr. 
Leedle  can  justl.y  claim  to  have  risen  through 
sheer  ability  and  intelligent  effort,  and  ought 
to  be  proud  of  the  advance  he  has  made  within 
less  than  a  decade. 

LEESEBERG,  E.  H.  W.,  (deceased).  The  Leese- 
berg  family  was  one  of  the  earlier  to  settle  in 
Du  Page  County  and  its  members  have  always 
stood  for  advancement  and  progress.  E.  H.  W. 
Leeseberg,  the  first  one  of  them  to  come  to  the 
county,    was    a    native    of    Hanover,    Germany, 


boru  November  3,  1818,  came  to  America  at  the 
age  of  twenty  years.  The  sailing  vessel  on 
which  he  came  landed  at  New  Orleans  after 
spending  six  weeks  on  the  ocean.  He  came  up 
ilie  Mississippi  to  Illinois,  walking  part  of  the 
way,  and  began  working  for  a  company  on  the 
Illinois  Canal.  His  employers  became  bank- 
rupt and  he  lost  all  he  had  earned.  After 
working  a  short  time  in  St.  Louis,  he  came  to 
iJu  Page  County  and  took  up  eighty  acres  of 
government  land,  where  he  erected  a  house  and 
other  buildings,  and  developed  a  good  farm.  He 
added  to  his  holdings  until  he  owned  111  acres 
of  land  and  died  on  the  home  place  August  18, 
1809. 

Mr.  Leeseberg  was  united  in  marriage  with 
Adeline  Brettmann  and  they  became  parents 
of  eleven  children,  as  follows :  Frederick 
served  iu  the  One  Hundred  Fiftieth  Illinois  In- 
fantry and  died  at  Nashville  in  1863 ;  Louisa 
died  in  1898,  married  to  Ohas.  Burman ;  Sophia 
married  J.  W.  Senne  and  they  live  at  Oak 
Park,  111.;  Mary  died  in  1882,  man-led  to  Au- 
gust Gaushaw ;  Emma  married  Rudolph  Fritzke 
and  they  live  in  Milwaukee,  Wis. ;  Adolph  died 
at  the  age  of  eight  years ;  Louis  F.,  mentioned 
at  length  below ;  William  lives  at  Maywood, 
111.,  married  to  Matilda  Doop;  Lissette,  Mrs. 
William  Pfluge,  lives  in  Milwauee,  Wis. ;  Au- 
gustav  died  at  the  age  of  six  weeks ;  Martha, 
Mrs.  Fred  Kringel,  lives  in  Oak  Park. 

Mr.  Leeseberg  served  sixteen  years  as  Jus- 
tice of  the  Peace,  two  terms  as  Assessor  and 
for  many  years  as  Secretary  of  the  Mutual 
Insurance  Company.  He  was  a  member  of  the 
Lutheran  Church  and  both  he  and  his  wife 
were  buried  in  the  Lutheran  Cemetery  in  Ad- 
dison Township.  Mrs.  Leeseberg  died  August 
10,  1891.  She  was  boin  February  1,  1819,  and 
accompanied  her  parents  to  .\merica  at  the  age 
of  twenty-two  years. 

Louis  F.  Leeseberg,  who  was  born  on  the 
farm  in  Addison  Township  June  1,  1857,  at- 
tended the  German  and  public  schools  and  was 
reared  to  farm  work.  He  has  always  followed 
agricultural  operations  and  owns  aud  operates 
the  home  farm,  although  he  resides  in  the  vil- 
lage of  -Vddison.  He  is  an  influential  and  promi- 
nent citizen  and  has  taken  an  active  part  In 
local  affairs.  He  has  been  School  Director 
and  Church  Trustee  and  has  served  as  College 
Trustee.  For  the  past  two  years  he  has  been 
President  of  the  School  Board  of  Addison. 


940 


HISTORY  OF  DU  PAGE  COUNTY. 


On  February  1,  1SS4,  he  married  Mary  Krage, 
Uiiughter  of  F.  L.  aud  Man,-  (Weber)  Krage, 
who  was  born  in  Addison  Township  March  2s, 
1S05.  aud  six  children  have  blessed  this  union: 
Martha,  born  January  11,  ISSo ;  Adeline,  Octo- 
ber 10,  ISSti;  Lydia,  March  27,  ISSa  married  to 
William  H.  Kitteumiller,  and  lives  in  Elmhurst, 
111.;  Rose,  August  29,  1S92;  Pauline,  April  12, 
1896;  Clara,  June  2  1898.  Mr.  Leeseberg  is  an 
able  and  intelligent  farmer  and  successful  in 
his  work.  In  addition  he  is  the  representative 
in  Du  Page  County  of  the  American  Insurance 
Company,  of  Newark,  and  of  the  Northwestern 
National  Insurance  Company,  of  Milwaukee. 
The  family  are  members  of  St.  I'aul's  Lutheran 
Church. 

LEFFLER,  Charles  W.  The  price  of  success  is 
self-denial  aud  hard  work,  stimulated  by  gen- 
uine ambition,  and  the  ability  to  recognize  an 
opportunity  when  it  presents  itself.  One  of  the 
men  who  has  proven  the  truth  of  this  statement 
iu  his  life  is  Charles  W.  Leffler,  real  estate 
dealer  and  contractor,  with  offices  at  No.  625, 
280  La  Salle  Street,  and  residence  at  Naperville. 
Mr.  Leffler  not  only  has  done  a  man's  work  in  a 
man's  way,  Init  also  offered  his  country  his 
services  during  the  great  Civil  War,  bflt  was  not 
accepted  on  account  of  age,  he  being  then  only 
fourteen  years  old.  He  was  born  near  Potts- 
ville,  Peun..  January  1,  1851,  being  a  son  of 
John  and  Sarah  (Bock)   Leffler. 

For  five  years,  Mr.  Leffler  attended  school  at 
Pottsville,  and  spent  a  short  time  at  the  North- 
western College  at  Naperville.  His  great-grand- 
father was  an  officer  in  the  Revolutionary  War, 
with  rank  of  general,  and  he  was  first  provi- 
sional governor  of  Pennsylvania,  being  ap- 
pciinted  by  President  Washington.  No  wonder 
then,  that  the  lad  of  only  fourteen,  was  fired 
with  patriotism,  and  enlisted  in  March  1865,  to 
fight  for  his  country.  He  passed  the  examina- 
tion with  flying  colors,  but  fortunately  was  re- 
jected on  account  of  his  tender  years,  although 
this  was  a  bitter  disappointment  to  the  patriotic 
young  American. 

From  1873  to  1876,  Mr.  Leffler  was  a  conductor 
on  the  Central  Railroad  of  Iowa,  iu  the  latter 
year  becoming  a  contractor  and  builder  iu  Chi- 
cago and  outlying  districts,  thus  continuing  un- 
til 1889,  when  he  began  to  handle  real  estate. 
In  1900,  he  disposed  of  his  interests,  to  organize 
in  1901,  the  Du  Page  Oil  and  Gas  Co.,  and  the 


Cherokee  National  Oil  and  Gas  Co.,  both  of 
which  have  been  dissolved.  In  1906,  he  entered 
ii;to  association  with  other  capitalists,  forming 
the  Leffler  Electric  System,  which  business  he  is 
now  conducting  in  addition  to  realty  operations. 
In  addition  to  this  concern  he  has  other  in- 
terests, being  director  and  secretary  of  several 
other  companies. 

On  March  6,  1873,  Mr.  Leffler  was  married  at 
Naperville  to  Laura  P.  Fey,  no  issue.  Mr. 
Leffler  Is  a  Republican  and  served  for  three 
terms  of  two  years  each  as  Alderman  of  the 
First  Ward  of  Naperville.  The  United  Evan- 
gelical Church  holds  his  membership.  Always 
anxious  to  work  and  advance  his  condition,  Mr. 
Leffler  has  never  taken  a  step  backward,  but 
gone  on  steadily  until  he  is  now  one  of  the  sub- 
stantial men  of  Du  Page  County. 

LEFFLER,  Jeremiah.  Naperville  contains  many 
specimens  of  the  skill  and  fine  workmanship  of 
Jeremiah  Leffler,  carpenter  and  general  con- 
tractor, whose  success  in  his  chosen  line  of 
endeavor  has  come  as  a  direct  result  of  his  own 
effort  and  industry.  A  descendant  of  Revolu- 
tionary ancestors,  he  is  himself  the  bearer  of 
an  honorable  Civil  War  record,  and  his  career 
as  a  citizen  has  marked  him  as  a  man  of 
public  spirit,  and  one  whose  activities  have 
served  to  advance  his  section's  Interests.  Mr. 
I^effler  was  born  at  Myerstown,  Pa.,  October 
10.  1815,  a  sou  of  John  and  Sarah  (Bock) 
Leffler. 

Dr.  John  Peter  Conrad  Leffler,  the  paternal 
great-grandfather  of  Jeremiah  Leffler.  came 
from  Hesse-Cassel,  Germany,  to  America  in 
1706.  and  settled  in  Penn.sylvania.  He  was 
married  May  2.3,  1769,  in  Oley  township,  Berks 
Co.,  Pa.,  to  Catherine  DeHarte,  an  English- 
woman, and  it  is  thought  that  they  had  several 
sous  aud  one  daughter,  although  the  name  of 
only  one  child  is  known,  John.  Dr.  Leffler 
had  received  excellent  educational  advantages 
in  his  native  country,  being  a  graduate  of  the 
University  of  Giessen,  is  said  to  have  been  fa- 
miliar with  seven  or  eight  languages,  and  was 
a  man  of  great  influence  and  of  fine  character. 
Prior  to  the  outbreak  of  the  Revelutionary  War 
he  was  a  member  of  the  Committee  of  Safety 
from  Montgomery  county,  and  Major  of  the 
Sixth  Battalion  of  Associators  in  the  county  of 
Berks  for  the  protection  of  the  Province  and 
for   the   defense   of   American   liberty.     During 


c^. 


^2<< 


(Z^^^/^^^A^_^ 


HISTORY  OF  DU  PAGE  COUNTY. 


941 


the  struggle  for  Independence,  be  became  a 
major  general  in  the  Continental  Army,  and 
died  of  camp  fever  in  1777. 

John  Leffler,  grandfather  of  Jeremiah  Lef- 
fler,  lived  on  the  Muhlenbach  river,  near 
Schaefferstown,  Pa.,  and  was  one  of  the  first 
disciples  of  Jacob  Albright,  founder  of  the 
Evangelical  Church,  in  the  faith  of  which  he 
died  about  1850.  He  was  married  about  1798. 
to  Juliana  Becker,  a  daughter  of  John  George 
and  Juliana  Becker,  and  granddaughter  of  Peter 
Becker,  the  last-named  of  whom  had  come  from 
Germany  to  America  and  settled  ou  the  Muh- 
lenbach about  the  year  1721.  John  and  Juliana 
(Becker)  Leffler  bad  several  children,  among 
whom   was  John   Leffler. 

John  Leffler,  father  of  Jeremiah,  was  born 
on  the  iluhlenbach,  September  19,  1805.  moved 
to  Naperville,  111.,  in  1854,  and  died  June  20, 
1889.  On  September  12,  1840,  he  married 
Sarah  Bock,  who  died  at  Naperville  in  1856, 
and  they  had  the  following  children:  Susan- 
nah, who  married  Isaac  Gushard.  of  »-\y;y;^rloo, 
la. ;  Jeremiah,  who  is  the  oldest  son  in  direcf 
line  from  the  American  progenitor  of  the  fam- 
ily;  and   Charles  W.  and  Paul   W.: 

Jeremiah  Leffler  received  but  a  me^gpe,  edu-; 
cation  in  the  common  schools  of  Pennsylvania, 
and  was  still  a  lad  when  he  accompanied"  hiS" 
parents  on  their  trip  to  Naperville,  111.  At  the 
outbreak  of  the  Civil  War,  he  enlisted  in  the 
One  Hundred  and  Fifth  Illinois  Volunteer  In- 
fantry, and  on  completing  his  service  with  that 
organization,  veteranized  with  the  Sixteenth 
Regiment.  Returning  home  after  a  merito- 
rious service,  he  took  up  the  occupations  of 
peace  and  has  continued  to  be  engaged  in  car- 
pentering and  contracting  to  the  present  time. 
He  has  erected  some  of  the  most  substantial 
structures  in  Naperville.  and  at  the  present 
writing  is  building  the  largest  church  in  Du 
Page  county.  In  politics  Mr.  Leffler  is  no  party- 
man,  although  he  has  inclined  towards  Repub- 
lican policies,  and  at  all  times  favors  good  gov- 
ernment irrespective  of  party  lines.  He  has 
served  in  the  capacities  of  collector  and  member 
of  the  health  board,  and  is  interested  in  the 
success    of   the  "Dry"   movement. 

On  March  11.  1869,  Mr.  Leffler  was  married 
to  Loanna  Hoy,  daughter  of  Henry  and  Eliza- 
beth Hoy,  and  they  bad  five  children,  as  follows  : 
Burton  R.,  a  graduate  of  the  University  of  Illi- 
nois, who  now  resides  at  Cleveland,  O.,  who  is 


civil  engineer  for  the  Lake  Shore  Railroad; 
Claude  V.,  who  is  ticket  agent  for  the  Chicago, 
Burlington  &  Quincy  Railroad  at  Naperville; 
Ralph  R.,  a  graduate  of  the  University  of  Michi- 
gan, who  is  now  a  civil  engineer  in  the  employ  of 
the  Chicago.  Milwaukee  &  St.  Paul  R.  R. ;  Earl 
E.,  who  was  for  eight  years  a  banker  at  Naper- 
ville, at  present  attending  school  at  Berkeley 
Cal. ;  and  Ada  B.,  who  is  a  graduate  of  North- 
western College,  now  living  at  home  in  Naper- 
ville. 

Le  MESSURIER,  John.  Realty  opportunities 
in  Chicago  and  vicinity  are  of  such  importance, 
and  operations  in  them  assume  such  magnitude 
that  those  engaged  in  their  management  and 
sale  occupy  a  very  important  position.  The 
good  real  estate  dealer  can  make  or  mar  a 
neighborhood  through  his  handling  of  territory. 
Some  of  the  most  valuable  and  desirable  sub- 
urbs of  Chicago,  as  well  as  the  city  itself,  owe 
their  •existence  in  great  part  to  the  enterprise 
of -^".thf,  men  whom  the  realty  transac- 
't'lons  wei'e  made.  Because  of  these  facts,  many 
aggressive  and  capable  business  men  have  been 
attracteji  here,  and  launched  themselves  in  a 
'fe.'fl*  estjite  and  its  kindred  line,  insurance, 
business.  One  of  the  well-known  men  thus  en- 
"gag?d"is  John  Le  Messurier  of  No.  127  N.  Dear- 
born street,  Chicago,  with  a  branch  ofBce  at 
Glen   Ellyn,  where  his  home  is  located. 

Mr.  Le  Messurier  was  born  in  Newfoundland, 
July  20.  1852,  but  was  educated  in  St.  John's 
College,  England.  His  entrance  into  a  business 
career  was  made  when  be  entered  the  employ 
of  a  wholesale  fish  house  in  St.  John,  Mo.  Fol- 
lowing this  he  was  engaged  in  coppr  mining 
for  five  years,  later  being  interested  in  general 
mining  and  railroad  construction  work.  In 
1882,  he  came  to  Chicago,  entering  a  real  estate 
office  in  a  clerical  capacity.  Immediately  he 
realized  the  importance  of  this  line  <'f  bu.-tl- 
ness.  and  eagerly  absorbed  the  necessary  details 
so  that  he  was  well  prepared  to  be  successful 
when  he  engaged  in  business  for  himself  in 
1886.  Since  then  his  progress  has  bejn  steady 
and  sure,  and  he  controls  some  very  desirable 
property  both  in  Chicago  and  Glen  Ellyn.  His 
operations  include  a  general  realty  business, 
and  the  administration  of  estates,  as  wi;ll  as 
writing  insurance  with  all  of  the  leading  com- 
panies. 

In   1892,    Mr.   Le   Messurier   located   at   Glen 


942 


HISTORY  OF  DU  PAGE  COUNTY. 


EUyn,  and  since  then  he  has  been  one  of  the 
most  energetic  of  its  prosiJerous  citizens.  P'or 
eight  years  he  served  as  village  Treasurer  and 
lias  been  Judge  of  Election  several  times.  A 
devout  Episcopalian,  he  was  one  of  the  original 
members  of  the  mission  church  which  finally 
developed  into  St.  Marks  Episcopal  Church 
of  Glen  EUyu,  of  which  he  is  now  one  of  the 
leading  workers.  Fraternally,  he  is  a  Master 
Mason. 

In  1896,  Mr.  Le  Messurier  wa.^:  laiited  in  mar- 
riage with  Elizabeth  Ulrich,  born  in  Chicago, 
and  three  children  have  been  born  to  them : 
Clara,  Lester  U,  and  Sarah  E.,  all  attending 
school.  Mr.  Le  Messurier  was  one  of  the  origi- 
nal members  of  the  famous  Cross  Country 
Club,  which  was  the  leading  organization  of 
its  kind  for  many  years,  affording  the  residents 
of  Glen  Ellyn  and  other  suburbs,  a  much-ap- 
preciated ojiportunity  to  enjoy  the  pleasures 
offered  by  its  location.  In  every  movement 
looking  towards  the  improvement  of  Glen  Ellyn, 
and  its  material  advancement,  Mr.  Le  Messu- 
rier has  always  taken  a  progressive  part,  and 
through  his  influence  and  public-spirit  this  de- 
lightful village  has  become  one  of  the  most  de- 
sirable residence  districts  in  the  vicinity  of  the 
second  greatest  city  of  the  country. 

LEWIS,  Royal  D.  The  Lewis  family  were  early 
settlers  of  the  region  north  of  Lombard,  and 
their  representatives  have  always  been  public- 
spirited,  industrious  citizens.  Royal  D.  Lewis 
Is  a  native  of  the  county,  born  May  26,  1875, 
son  of  John  B.  and  Ella  E.  (Xorbury)  Lewis, 
the  father  a  native  of  Pennsylvania  and  the 
mother  of  Lombard.  The  paternal  grand- 
parents, Benjamin  Morgan  and  Sarah  (Robin- 
son) Lewis,  were  natives  of  Pennsylvania,  and 
in  1850,  they  settled  on  a  farm  north  of  Lom- 
bard, where  they  lived  many  years.  He  car- 
ried on  farming  and  conducted  a  store  for  some 
time,  dying  in  Wheaton  in  1S93,  and  his  widow, 
whose  birth  occurred  December  14,  1815,  in 
Berks  County,  Pa.,  died  July  5,  1899.  The  ma- 
ternal grandparents  of  Royal  D.  Lewis  were 
John  and  Elizabeth  (Boss)  Norbury,  the  former 
a  native  of  Wilmslow,  Cheshire,  England.  He 
came  to  Napervllle,  111.,  in  August,  1837,  and 
in  1846  purchased  a  home,  where  he  resided 
until  his  death  in  1906,  at  the  age  of  eighty-one 
years  and  three  months. 

After  marriage  John  B.  Lewis  and  wife  set- 


tled on  one  of  the  old  home  farms  near  Lom- 
l.ard,  and  three  or  four  years  later  moved  to 
i'eotone.  Will  County,  where  he  was  actively 
engaged  in  farming  until  1907.  In  that  year, 
Lewis  rented  his  farm  there,  and  since  has 
lived  retired  in  I'eotone.  He  and  his  wife  had 
si.x  sons  and  four  daughters,  of  whom  Royal 
o.   was   the  oldest. 

Royal  D.  Lewis  lived  with  his  parents  until 
he  reached  his  majority,  receiving  his  early 
education  in  the  public  schools,  and  then  en- 
teretl  the  Northern  Indiana  Normal  School  at 
Valparaiso,  spending  six  years  there.  He  spent 
one  year  in  North  Dakota,  then  returned  home, 
and  December  26,  1900,  took  charge  of  a  farm 
which  belonged  to  his  father,  located  in  Milton 
and  Winfleld  Townships.  Here  he  makes  a 
specialty  of  dairying,  most  of  the  126  acres  in 
the  farm  being  devoted  to  that  line  of  industry. 
He  has  made  the  improvements  on  this  place, 
erecting  the  house  and  all  other  buildings  now 
on  the  farm,  and  is  recognized  as  an  energetic, 
hustling  agriculturist.  ,  November  26,  1903,  he 
was  married  by  Dr.  E.  S.  Carr  of  the  Congrega- 
tional Church,  to  Carrie  Tousley,  a  native  of 
Lake  Mills,  Wis.,  born  October  31, 1876,  daughter 
of  William  Alnion  and  Hattie  (Gri-swold)  Tous- 
ley, both  born  near  Lake  Mills,  and  for  a  num- 
ber of  years  Mr.  Tousley  was  foreman  of  a 
manufacturing  plant  at  Lake  Mills.  He  moved 
to  Wheaton  in  1902,  where  he  now  lives  retired. 
Mrs.  Lewis  is  a  refined,  well-educated  woman, 
a  graduate  of  Lake  Mills  High  School  and  Mil- 
waukee State  Normal,  and  took  a  one-year 
course  at  Lawrence  Ctollege,  Appleton,  Wis. 
She  is  a  member  of  the  Methodist  Episcopal 
Church.  Mr.  Lewis  is  independent  in  politics 
and  takes  an  intelligent  interest  in  the  affairs 
of  his  communit.v.  Children  as  follows  have 
been  born  to  Mr.  Lewis  and  wife :  John  Rich- 
ard, born  November  12,  1904 ;  Royal  Dilloway, 
March  12,  1906;  Harold  Almon.  July  1,  1907; 
Ellen  Harriet,  April  14.  1909.  Mr.  Lewis  is  a 
member  of  the  Independent  Order  of  Odd  Fel- 
lows, and  is  also  a  director  in  the  Milk  Pro- 
ducers' Association  of  Du  Page  County. 

LIES,  Charles,  who  now  owns  an  excellent  farm 
in  Wayne  Township,  Du  Page  County,  is  a  native 
born  son  of  the  county,  born  in  Bloomingdale 
Township,  March  29,  1857.  He  is  a  son  of  John 
and  Margaret  (Schemer)  Lies,  both  natives  of 
Germany,  the  father  born  at  Bertdorf,  in  1809, 


HISTORY  OF  DU  PAGE  COUNTY. 


943 


and  the  mother  at  Ernzen,  in  1819.  John  Lies 
and  his  wife  were  both  reared  on  farms,  and 
came  to  America  alx)ut  1847  or  1848,  having 
been  married  in  Germany  many  years  before, 
and  at  that  time  had  become  parents  of  seven 
children.  They  spent  about  two  years  near 
the  town  of  Winfleld,  Du  Page  County,  then 
Ideated  on  a  farm  of  eighty  acres  in  Blooming- 
dale  Township,  which  they  purchased.  Mr.  Lies 
spent  the  remainder  of  his  life  on  this  farm  and 
died  there  April  2,  1887.  Both  he  and  his  wife 
were  members  of  the  Catholic  Church.  They 
were  parents  of  thirteen  children,  six  of  them 
born  in  Du  Page  County,  and  the  following  ten 
now  survive:  Nicholas,  of  Cloverdale,  111.; 
Mary,  wife  of  Theodore  Schramer.  of  Wayne 
Township ;  John  living  In  Bloomingdale  Town- 
ship ;  Kate,  wife  of  John  Smith,  of  Oali  Park, 
111. ;  Barbara  E.,  wife  of  William  Porter,  of 
Chicago ;  Susanna,  wife  of  John  Sauers,  of 
Wheaton;  Margaret,  of  Oak  Park;  Charles; 
Elizabeth,  wife  of  Peter  Schneider,  of  Hamp- 
shire. 111. ;  Anna,  wife  of  Tony  Hills,  of  Wheat- 
on. The  mother  of  these  children  died  Novem- 
ber 23,   I'.KIT. 

As  a  boy  Charles  Lies  helped  with  the  work  on 
his  father's  farm,  attending  the  district  school 
and  gaining  much  practical  knowledge  In  the 
art  of  farming.  He  remained  at  home  until  he 
reached  the  age  of  twenty-four  years,  rented  the 
home  farm  and  conducted  it  on  his  own  account 
eight  years,  then  for  eleven  years  rented  the 
ninety-acre  farm  in  Section  23,  Wayne  Town- 
ship, which  he  now  owns  and  occupies.  He  pur- 
chased this  farm  in  1901,  since  which  time  he 
has  built  a  modern  residence,  rebuilt  barns  and 
in  many  other  ways  improved  his  propert,y.  He 
is  an  industrious  and  successful  farmer,  and 
milks  about  fifteen  cows,  most  of  them  being  of 
Durham  breed.  He  breeds  Percheron  horses, 
and  has  his  farm  well  stocked.  Politically  he  is 
a  Republican  and  he  has  held  various  offices  in 
the  township,  having  served  twenty  years  as 
School  Director  and  several  terms  as  Path- 
master.  The  family  are  members  of  St.  John's 
Catholic  Church  at  Winfleld  and  much  inter- 
ested in  church  affairs  and  conscientious  work- 
ers for  any  worthy  cause  connected  with  same. 

Mr.  Lies  was  married  October  31,  1882.  to  Miss 
Margaret  Stephens,  who  was  born  in  Chicago, 
December  13,  1SG2,  daughter  of  Peter  and  Eliz- 
abeth (Doetch)  Stephens,  both  natives  of  Ger- 
many, the  father  bom  in  1829,  and  the  mother 


in  1835.  Mr.  Stephens  came  to  America  in  1842 
and  his  wife  in  1846,  his  parents  locating  at 
New  Berlin,  Wis.,  and  hers  (in  1844)  in  Chi- 
cago, aud  they  met  and  were  married  at  the  lat- 
ter place.  Prior  to  the  time  of  the  fire  of  1871, 
Mr.  Stephens  was  salesman  for  a  lumber  firm 
and  subsequently  purchased  an  interest  in  the 
business.  In  1877,  he  sold  his  interests  in  the 
city  and  purchased  nmety  acres  of  land  In 
Wayne  Township,  this  being  the  farm  now 
owned  by  Mr.  Lies.  Mr.  Stephens  died  on  this 
farm  in  August,  1SS8,  and  his  widow  continued 
to  live  there  with  her  daughter  and  son-in-law 
until  her  demise.  November  6,  1901.  Four  chil- 
dren were  born  to  Mr.  Stephens  and  wife,  of 
whom  one  died  in  infancy  and  another  later  on 
in  life,  and  two  are  living:  John  J.,  born  in 
ISCl,  residing  in  Huntington,  Ind.,  and  Mrs. 
Lies.  Mr.  and  Mrs.  Lies  became  parents  of  four 
children,  namely :  Carl  P.,  born  September  30, 
1883,  was  married  June  7,  1910,  to  Clara  Klein, 
daughter  of  Jacob  Klein  and  born  in  Kansas, 
aud  they  reside  in  Wayne  Township ;  Verena  K., 
born  October  23.  1886,  was  married  February 
2],  1911,  to  Mathias  Arends,  son  of  John  and 
Barbara  Arends.  of  Wayne  Township ;  Clara  A., 
born  January  13,  1891 ;  Alma  A.,  born  Febru- 
ary 25,  1894.  The  two  youngest  children  live  at 
home. 

LIES,  Nicholas  W.,  a  well-known  resident  of 
Bloomingdale  tonnship,  is  a  native  of  the  town- 
ship, born  October  17,  1872.  son  of  Nicholas  and 
Helen  (Schramen)  Lies,  natives  of  Prussia, 
Germany.  Nicholas  Lies  is  a  son  of  John  and 
Margaret  (Schomer)  Lies,  and  his  wife  was 
a  daughter  of  Nicholas  and  Catherine  (Ewen) 
Schramen.  The  maternal  grandparents  came 
to  Wayne  township,  Du  Page  count.?.  III.,  in 
1855,  and  later  Iwught  land  in  Bloomingdale 
township,  there  spending  the  remainder  of  their 
lives.  The  paternal  grandiiareuts  came  to  Du 
Page  county  in  1851,  locating  in  Winfleld  town- 
ship, and  two  years  later  they  came  to  Bloom- 
ingdale township,  where  the  son  Nicholas  was 
married  to  Helen  Schramen.  This  couple  lived 
with  the  Schramen  family  eleven  years,  then 
bought  100  acres  of  laud  on  section  19  of  the 
same  township.  The  farm  had  very  few  im- 
provements on  it  at  that  time  but  Mr.  Lies 
erected  new  barns,  made  an  addition  to  the 
house,  aud  has  since  resided  on  the  property. 
His  wife  died  January  8,  1886.     Their  children 


944 


HISTORY  OP  DU  PAGE  COUNTY. 


were:  John  J.,  who  died  April  2,  1902,  at  tlie 
age  of  tbirly-four  years ;  Nicholas  W. ;  and 
Mary  K.,  who  is  the  wife  of  Henry  P.  Hahn, 
of  Bloouiiugdale  township. 

In  boyhood  Nicholas  W.  Lies  attended  the 
district  schools  and  has  since  been  an  agricul- 
turist. He  has  always  lived  with  his  father 
and  now  has  entire  charge  of  the  farm,  hav- 
ing conducted  same  since  1900.  carrying  on 
diversified  farming,  and  having  a  dairy  of  about 
eighteen  cows.  He  is  one  of  the  substantial 
citizens  of  the  community  and  highly  respected. 
A  Democrat  iu  politics,  he  served  two  years  as 
tovpnship  collector,  and  in  1909,  was  elected 
justice  of  the  peace.  Both  he  and  his  wife 
belong  to  Lodge  No.  002  Mystic  Workers  of 
the  World  and  are  active  members  of  the  Win- 
field   Catholic   Church. 

On  November  G,  190<;>,  Mr.  Lies  married  Flora 
M.  Lederman,  born  iu  Bavaria.  Germany,  March 
5,  1S81,  daughter  of  Cornelius  and  Lucy  (Hal- 
big)  Lederman.  The  parents  came  to  Roselle 
111.,  in  1882.  and  the  father  there  worked  at 
his  trade  of  a  mason.  In  1902,  he  retired  and 
has  .since  lived  iu  Wheaton,  111.  Children  have 
blessed  this  union  as  follows :  Leo  N..  who  was 
born  November  3.  1901  ;  Irene  M.,  who  was 
born  March  8,  1903;  Helen  H..  who  was  born 
June  9,  1905;  and  Victor  G..  who  was  born 
May  11,  1907. 

LONG,  Frederick,  who  is  one  of  the  oldest  busi- 
ness men  of  Naperville,  111.,  was  bom  at  Wur- 
temburg,  Germany,  December  15,  1837,  a  son 
of  John  and  Christina  Long,  who  spent  their 
entire  lives  there.  He  was  reared  and  educated 
in  his  native  country  and  In  1853  came  to  Chi- 
cago, 111.,  where  he  joined  his  brother,  who  was 
conducting  a  livery  stable.  For  one  year  he 
worked  on  a  farm  in  Cook  County,  following 
which  he  .spent  three  years  as  an  apprentice 
iu  the  trade  of  cabinet-making,  at  which  he 
became  an  expert  workman.  He  worked  two 
years  as  journeyman  and  since  that  time  has 
been  In  business  for  himself.  Five  years  from 
his  first  venture  in  business  on  his  own  ac- 
count, he  engaged  in  undertaking,  purchasing 
stock  from  Mr.  Nadelhaffer,  who  was  the  first 
man   in   that  business  in  Naperville. 

In  1882.  Mr.  Long  began  manufacturing 
lounges  and  couches  and  continued  this  several 
years.  In  1892,  this  enterprise  was  turned 
over  to   a   stock   company,   of  which   Professor 


Nichols  was  President,  WUlard  Scott.  Vice 
President  and  John  Kraushar  is  also  an  officer. 
Mr.  Long  owned  stock  in  this  company  and 
managed  the  business  for  some  time,  but  has 
now  sold  his  interest  in  the  concern.  In  June, 
1911.  he  sold  his  business  to  Oliver  J.  and  Ar- 
thur R.  Beidleman,  known  under  the  firm  name 
as  Beidleman  Bros. 

In  March,  1861,  Mr.  Long  married  Amelia 
Beidelman,  who  was  born  at  Mt.  Carmel,  111., 
a  daughter  of  William  and  L.vdia  (Butts) 
Beidelman.  of  Pennsylvania.  No  children  have 
been  born  of  this  union.  Mr.  Long  is  a  mem- 
ber of  the  I'nited  Evangelical  Church  and 
served  four  years  as  trustee  of  same.  Since 
1880.  he  has  espoused  the  principles  of  the 
Prohibition  party.  He  is  actively  interested 
in  measures  for  the  welfare  and  i>rosperity  of 
the  conununit.v  and  is  popular  iu  business  cir- 
cles. On  June  19.  1911,  Mr.  Long  retired  from 
all  active  busine.s.s. 

LUMBARD,  Samuel  J.,  attorney-at-law,  with 
offices  in  the  Reaper  Block,  Chicago,  and  resi- 
dence at  Lombard,  is  one  of  the  distinguished 
lawyers  of  Cook  and  Du  Page  counties.  The 
profession  of  law  is  one  in  which  the  best 
trained  man  wins,  and  it  is  also  one  that  calls 
forth  the  most  there  is  in  any  one  who  desires 
to  make  his  llfework  more  than  a  passable 
success.  Mr.  Luuibard,  who  decidedly  belongs 
to  the  type  of  men  who  are  not  satisfied  with 
anything  short  of  the  best,  was  born  near  Os- 
wego, Kendall  county.  111.,  September  10.  18.59. 
being  a  son  of  John  and  Esther  (Guy)  Luui- 
bard. 

After  finishing  in  the  public  schools  of  his  lo- 
cality, Mr.  Lumbard  entered  Jennings  Seminary, 
Aurora,  111.,  where  he  remained  during  1880 
and  1881,  and  then  attended  the  Union  College 
of  Law,  Chicago,  from  which  he  was  graduated 
In  June.  1883,  with  the  degree  of  LL.  B. 
Soon  after  graduation.  Mr.  Lutnbard  entered 
upon  a  general  practice  which  has  steadily  in- 
creased. His  career  has  not  been  marked  by 
any  of  the  sensational  cases  which  some  less 
modest  of  the  profession  seek,  but  he  has  been 
kept  busy  with  those  which  he  could  honestly 
accept,  and  give  his  client  the  benefit  of  his 
faith  as  well  as  his  knowledge. 

On  October  3,  1888.  Mr.  Lumliard  was  mar- 
ried in  Wellington  to  Louise  E.  Simons.  They 
have  one  child. — Laone  E.    Mr.    Lumbard   is  a 


l^cut^jyx^^i^n^uL^  (^''<yhJt>ci>jr>-i^ 


/ 


HISTORY  OF  DU  PAGE  COUNTY. 


945 


Repubiicaii.  with  au  indeyeucleut  tendeucy.  and 
served  as  president  of  Loiubard  from  April, 
1007,  to  the  present  writii)g.  In  April.  ISOS. 
he  came  from  Oak  I'ark,  111.,  to  Lombard,  since 
which  time  his  interests  have  centered  here, 
and  lie  has  been  one  of  the  imxiortaut  factors 
in  the  development  of  this  community.  A  quiet, 
unassuming  man,  Mr.  Lumbard  exerts  an  in- 
fluence towards  moral  uplift,  and  is  giving  his 
village  au  excellent   administration. 

LYMAN,  Henry  Martyn,  (deceased.)  One  of  the 
old  and  prominent  families  of  l>u  Page  County, 
111.,  is  that  of  Lyman,  which  can  be  traced  back 
prior  to  the  time  of  William  the  Conqueror, 
and  which,  since  locating  in  America,  has  fur- 
nished soldiers,  statesmen,  professional  men 
and  citizens  who  have  become  prominent  in 
every  walk  of  life.  A  worthy  representative 
of  this  old  faniil.v  was  the  late  Henry  Martyn 
Lyman,  who  was  born  at  Vernon,  N.  T.,  October 
127.   ISL'l.   and  died   June  19,  1S94. 

The  origin  of  the  name  of  Lyman  .is.  Anglo. 
Saxon.   Leoman    (Lion   man)    apfeariilg  f^s'rfie- 
name  of  an  Anglo  Saxon  land''  holder*  "piisu 'tii 
the  Norman   Conquest.     Pronounced   rapidly   it 
becomes  Leman   and  this    became  the  common 
form,  but  it  has  been  spelled  v.Trioiisivy  J.alimtui.. 
Leyman.  I>yeman,  Lemmon.  LemairaiM-Berrfon.; 
In  America   the     name     has     taken,,  the  faum. 
Linion.    Limen.     Liman.    Leanian    and    Lyman. 
For  the  first  fifty  years,  the  name  was  gener- 
ally written  Limon,  but  early  In  the  eighteenth 
centur.v  it  took  the  fixed  and   settled  form   of 
the    present    appropriate    orthograph.v.    Lyinan. 
The  name  ajipears  in  England  as  early  as  l."i21. 

The  Lyman  family  has  at  various  times  borne 
five  different  armorial  bearings.  That  used  by 
Chester  Wolcott  Lyman  is  as  follows :  a  cen- 
tral figure,  without  and  under  the  crest  of  the 
helmet  and  rampant,  is  divided  into  four  parts, 
representing  three  crests  of  arms.  The  first 
and  fourth  are  the  Lyman  arms  to  make  up  the 
quarterly.  In  the  L.vman  arms  is  the  ring  or 
amulet  within  the  triangle.  This  was  an  an- 
cient and  frequent  emblem  in  heraldry,  and  is 
said  to  be  an  emblem  of  eternity,  having  neither 
beginning  nor  end.  It  is  described  also  as  a 
mark   of   nobility   and   .iurisdlction. 

The  second  figure  in  the  quarterly,  is  the 
arms  of  Elizabeth  Lambeth,  the  heiress  who  by 
her    marriage    about    1481,    with    Thomas    Ly- 


man    of     Xavistock     near     High     Ongor,     Eng- 
land. 

The  third  is  the  arms  of  Sarah  O.sborn,  the 
wife  of  liiehard,  the  original  Immigrant  to 
America,  and  the  ancestor  of  a  large  family  of 
Lymans,  whose  records  have  been  written.  It 
is  said  that  liichard  is  the  ancestor  of  all  the 
American  Lymans  of  English  blood. 

The  first  knowledge  of  the  Saxon  family  is 
obtained    from    the   ancient   records    or    survey 
of  the  lands  of  England,  known  as  the  Dooms- 
day Book,  made  by  the  order  of  King  William 
the  Conqueror,  more  than  SOO  years  ago.     In  it 
is   found   the   record   of  the   land   held   by   the 
Leman   famil.y.  as  the  name  was  then   spelled. 
The  record  of  the  family  is  an  houorable  one 
in  England,  showing  the  owning  of  lands  in  the 
counties  of  Essex  and  Kent,  and  that  members 
of  it  were  knights  and  gentlemen.     One  of  the 
most  imiiortant  was  Sir  John  Leman.  Kt..  citi- 
zen. Sheriff  and  Alderman,  Lord  Mayor  of  Lon- 
don, in  ltil6.     He  left  a  large  estate  in  London, 
_ajid  manors  in  Cambridgeshire  and  Huntingdon- 
-"■■  4iiife.     His  nephew,   William,   inherited   his  es- 
•'HftEt^.^    He  was  treasurer  of  war  and  represented 
the:  'County    of   Hertford   iu    Parliament. 

'the  Lyman  family  have  large  estates  In  the 
..  English  Court  of  Chancer.y,  estimated  at  $20.- 
•  nOROOO.  that  are  waiting,  so  it  is  said,  right- 
— fill'  heirs. 

The  American  Lymans  are  of  royal  descent, 
through  some  of  the  noble  lines. 

The  first  American  ancestor,  Richard  Ly- 
man, the  original  immigrant  from  England, 
was  born  in  High  Ongor,  County  Essex,  Eng- 
land, about  twenty-five  miles  south  of  London. 
He  married  Sarah  Osborne,  and  came  to  Amer- 
ica, in  the  ship  "Lion"  in  lii.'Sl.  William  Pierce. 
Master.  Eliot,  the  famous  Indian  apostle  was 
in  the  same  ship. 

Richard  Lyman  first  settled  in  Charlestown. 
Mass.,  but  later  was  one  of  the  founders  of 
Hartford.  Conn.  He  was  a  man  of  considerable 
propert.v  and  is  recorded  as  keeping  two  serv- 
ants. 

Wifb  this  introductory  history  of  the  Lyman 
famil.v.  we  refer  the  reader  to  the  excellent 
genealogy  of  the  famil.y  a  copy  of  which  can 
be  found  in  the  Newberry  library,  Chicago,  and 
pass  on  to  the  later  generations.  We  will  take 
up  the  space,  however,  to  state  that  more  than 
sixty  of  the  L.vman  name  served  as  soldiers  or 
sailors  in  the  American  Revolution,  from  Mas- 


946 


HISTORY  OF  DU  PAGE  COUNTY. 


sachusetts  alone,  and  General  Heitman  records 
six  officers  in  this  great  struggle,  among  them 
being  Surgeon-General  Lymau  of  South  Caro- 
lina. 

The  Lyman  family  is  of  good  old  New  Eng- 
land Puritan  stock,  and  numbers  some  of  the 
most  distinguished  men  of  the  United  States 
among  its  members. 

Henry  Martyn  Lyman,  a  patron  of  this  work, 
resides  on  the  old  Lyman  homestead  near 
Downer's  Grove.  Here  his  grandfather,  the 
Rev.  Orange  Lyman,  one  of  the  original  pio- 
neers of  Downer's  Grove  Township,  settled  in 
1839. 

The  Rev.  Orange  Lyman  was  born  in  Tolland, 
Conn.,  July  26,  1780,  being  a  son  of  David  and 
Mary  (Brown)  Lyman.  She  was  a  relative 
of  John  Brown  of  Harper's  Ferry  fame.  David 
Brown  was  a  Revolutionary  soldier,  a  son  of 
David  and  Mary  (Grittan)  Brown.  The  Brlt- 
tans  were  of  French-Huguenot  stock.  These 
families  all  lived  in  Tolland,  Conn.  David  Ly- 
man, rather  of  Orange  Lyman,  was  also  a 
soldier  in  the  Revolution,  and  was  detailed  to 
operate  a  grist-mill. 

Rev.  Orange  Lymau  was  educated  at  Wil- 
liams College,  and  received  ten  diplomas  from 
President  E.  Fitch.  He  studied  theology  with 
Rev.  Dr.  Porter  of  Catskill,  N.  T.  On  Sep- 
tember 13,  1S14,  he  married  Marcia  Dewey,  a 
sister  of  Prof.  Chester  Dewey  of  Rochester, 
N.  Y.,  at  one  time  a  professor  of  Williams  Col- 
lege. The  Deweys  belong  to  an  old  New  Eng- 
land family,  the  same  as  that  from  which 
Admiral  Dewey  is  descended.  The  Rev.  Orange 
Lyman  preached  in  New  York  State  and  Paines- 
ville  and  Madison,  Ohio,  but  in  1S3S  came  to 
Illinois,,  and  a  year  later  settled  on  the  farm 
ill  Downer's  Grove  Township. 

He  first  bought  a  claim,  but  later  entered  land 
until  he  owned,  in  conjunction  with  his  sons, 
about  six  hundred  acres,  all  in  one  body.  His 
sons  who  came  with  him  were :  Stephen  Dewey, 
Henry  M.  and  Thomas.  He  and  his  wife  had 
a  family  as  follows :  Stephen  Dewey,  born  at 
Sharon,  Conn.,  June  23,  181.5 ;  Cornelia,  born 
at  Vernon,  N.  Y.,  July  20,  1818,  died  at  Vernon, 
July  26,  1833,  aged  over  fifteen  years ;  Henry 
Martyn,  born  at  Veruon,  October  27.  1821,  died 
December  19,  1894,  in  Du  Page  County ;  Thomas, 
born   in   Vernon,   March   10,   1824,   at   Downer's 


Grove,  died  July  0,  1894 ;  Eurastus,  born  in 
Thompson,  O.,  January  12,  1827,  died  there 
March  1,  18.37;  Mary  Elizabeth,  born  in  New 
York  State,  August  16,  1829,  died  March  27, 
1831 ;  Edward,  born  at  Thompson,  O.,  July  3, 
1833,  died  March  4,  1837. 

There  was  a  house  built  of  logs,  one  and  one- 
half  story  in  height,  on  the  farm,  and  in  it  the 
family  lived.  This  had  probably  been  built  by 
the  first  settler  on  the  land,  Judge  John  W. 
Walker,  one  of  the  early  judges  of  Du  Page 
County,  whose  portrait  is  to  be  seen  among  the 
others  at  Wheaton.  For  nearly  eight  years 
this  primitive  abode  sheltered  the  large  family 
of  the  pioneer  preacher.  When  he  settled  in 
Illinois,  Mr.  Lyman  was  fifty-nine  years  old, 
and  he  had  no  regular  charge,  although  he 
preached  in  Naperville  and  for  a  time  in  a 
church  near  Belmont,  as  well  as  at  several  other 
places,  continuing  to  hold  services  until  a  short 
time  prior  to  his  death.  For  his  day,  he  was  a 
clergyman  of  influence  in  his  church.  When  he 
died,  the  Rev.  Dr.  Robert  Patterson  of  Chicago 
preached  the  funeral  sermon,  and  alluded  to 
liim  as  a  man  of  power  and  influence  in  the 
Presbytery,  slating  that  in  differences  of  opinion, 
his  words  were  like  oil  uix)n  the  waters.  Mr. 
Lyman  came  to  Illinois  with  the  idea  of  making 
a  home  for  himself  and  children,  and  to  retire 
from  the  burden  of  the  life  of  an  active  min- 
ister. 

Henry  Martyn  Lyman  was  seventeen  years 
old  when  he  came  to  Du  Page  County.  He  had 
received  his  education  in  the  public  schools  and 
select  schools  where  his  father  had  preached, 
especially  in  Madison,  O.,  and  had  the  distinc- 
tion of  being  a  schoolmate  of  his  uncle,  a  Mr. 
Dewey  in  New  Y'ork  City  for  a  period  of  one 
year. 

The  first  winter  after  the  Illinois  .settlement, 
he  taught  school  at  Hadley,  near  Gooding's 
Grove,  one  of  his  pupils  being  Judge  Peter 
Smith  Williams  of  Chicago,  who  bore  the  repu- 
tation of  being  an  apt  scholar.  Later  he 
aliandoned  teaching  for  work  on  the  farm,  which 
demanded  all  his  time.  When  he  was  twenty- 
nine  years  old,  on  September  17,  1850,  he  was 
married  in  Madison,  O.,  to  an  old  schoolmate, 
Lavern  Pease.  There  was  but  three  months 
difference  in  their  ages.  When  they  had  been 
sixteen    years    old,    they    had    attended    school 


HISTORY  OF  DU  PAGE  COUNTY. 


947 


together,  and  tbeir  childish  romance  budded 
into  a  true  love  affair.  Mrs.  Lyman  was  born 
in  Madison,  O.,  December  23,  1821,  being  a 
daughter  of  George  and  Lucinda  (Campbell) 
Pease.  George  Pease  was  born  in  Sheffield, 
Conn.,  being  a  son  of  George  Pease.  George 
I'ease,  Sr.,  was  a  farmer  of  New  York  State, 
where  he  had  a  large  estate,  on  which  was  an 
old  fashioned  two-story  colonial  house,  with 
wide  hall  through  the  center.  He  was  originally 
from  Connecticut,  iirobably  Sheffield.  Of  his 
children,  Calvin,  Warren  and  George  are  re- 
membered. The  Pease  family  comes  of  good 
old,  Puritan  New  England  stock. 

George  Pease,  son  of  above,  and  father  of 
Mrs.  Lyman,  was  a  pioneer,  residing  near  Mad- 
ison, O.,  where  he  cleared  his  farm,  becoming  a 
substantial  man.  He  married,  July  8,  1819, 
Lucinda  Campbell  of  Scotch  stock,  daughter  of 
Stanton  and  Sarah  (Babcock)  Campbell.  Mrs. 
Campbell  was  a  remote  cousin  of  the  famous 
poet,  Campbell.  She  was  a  fine  singer  and  sang 
the  old  Scotch  songs  she  had  heard  her  <x)usin 
sing. 

Stanton  Campbell  was  a  soldier  of  the  Amer- 
ican War  of  the  Revolution.  He  commanded  a 
gimboat  when  only  twenty  years  old.  It  is  be- 
lieved that  the  Campbells  first  settled  In  Vir- 
ginia. The  marriage  certificate  of  George  and 
Lucinda  (Campbell)  Pease,  has  been  preserved. 
It  is  dated  July  S,  1819,  and  signed  Andrew  Lee, 
clerk.  However,  at  this  time  William  Pease 
was  a  resident  of  Madison,  O.  He  lived  to  be 
seventy-three  years  old,  dying  at  Madison.  His 
wife  died  aged  fifty -one  years.  They  were  both 
members  of  the  Congregational  Church.  Mr. 
Pease  was  a  prominent  Mason,  a  member  of  the 
lodge  at  Madison,  O.  In  political  opinions  he 
and  his  wife  were  strong  Abolitionists.  They 
were  the  parents  of  the  following  children : 
Lavern.  Carlos  Campbell,  Lauren  Sexton,  Sarah 
Babcock  and  Granville  Winchester. 

Lavern  Pease  was  educated  first  at  the  pub- 
lic schools  and  later  a  select  school  in  Madison, 
O.  In  1S37,  when  she  was  eighteen  years  old, 
she  became  a  student  at  Oberlin  College  in  a 
class  of  eighty  members.  This  college  had  only 
been  in  existence  four  years,  when  she  entered 
it,  and  President  Mahan  was  then  Its  head. 
She  attended  here  two  years.  Another  member 
of  the  faculty  at  that  time  was  Peter  P.  Pease. 
Finishing  her  college  course,  she  began  teaching, 
thus  continuing  for  ten  years,  in  Ohio.    For  two 


years  she  was  at  Painesville,  with  her  brother 
Carlos,  and  as  was  usual,  she  boarded  arovjnd 
with  her  school  patrons.  After  marriage,  she 
and  Mr.  Lyman  came  direct  to  Illinois,  by 
steamer  to  Detroit,  and  rail  to  Chicago.  Henry 
M.  Lyman  had  bought  land  of  his  own,  but 
finally  inherited  and  bought  the  old  homestead, 
which  he  developed  into  the  best  farm  in  his 
neighborhood,  owning  268  acres.  He  took  a 
great  deal  of  interest  in  raising  cattle  of  good 
breeds,  and  was  one  of  the  first  to  import  the 
Durham  short  horn  cattle  to  Downer's  Grove 
Township.  He  hec-ame  an  extensive  breeder  of 
this  breed  of  cattle,  and  was  a  frequent  ex- 
hibitor at  the  Du  Page  County  Agricultural 
I'air,  of  which  he  was  corresponding  secretary 
for  some  time.  He  was  one  of  the  first  to  In- 
troduce a  pure  breed  of  merino  sheep,  and  kept 
a  large  flock.  Mr.  Lyman  was  well  known 
throughout  this  section  of  Illinois.  He  took 
pleasure  in  the  fact  that  he  was  a  kinsman  of 
John  S.  and  Timothy  Wright,  the  first  the 
founder  of  the  Prairie  Farmer,  and  the  latter 
one  of  the  founders  of  the  Chicago  Tribune. 
Mr.  Lyman  was  also  a  breeder  of  Morgan 
horses,  one  of  the  best  strains  for  all  puriwses 
la  the  United  States.  He  was  a  successful, 
practical  and  progressive  farmer.  In  political 
opinions,  he  was  an  old  line  Whig,  and  one  of 
the  original  Eepublic-aus,  casting  his  vote  for 
Abraham  Lincoln.  He  also  voted  for  John  C. 
Freemont.  Until  the  day  of  his  death  he  voted 
the  straight  Republican  ticket,  and  always  was 
a  strong  anti-slavery  man.  He  took  a  firm 
stand  with  regard  to  slavery.  While  not  liable 
to  draft,  he  sent  a  substitute  at  bis  own  expense. 
Both  he  and  his  excellent  wife  were  members 
of  the  Congregational  Church,  and  were  two  of 
the  fifteen  who  founded  the  first  Congregational 
Cburch  of  Downer's  Grove,  always  continuing 
firm  in  their  support  of  it.  Their  children  were 
Sarah  E.,  born  March  29,  1852;  Walter  Camp- 
bell, born  February  S,  1854. 

Mr.  Lyman  was  a  man  of  great  force  of 
character  and  enterprise,  although  of  very  quiet 
ditposition.  His  death  occurred  June  19,  1894, 
when  he  was  seventy-two  years  old.  Mrs.  Ly- 
man has  continued  to  reside  on  the  homestead, 
with  her  son  Walter.  She  was  liberally  edu- 
ca  ted,  and  her  active  mind  made  good  use  of  her 
opportunities.  She  was  one  of  the  earliest  advo- 
cates of  woman  suffrage,  and  at  a  time  when  It 


948 


HISTORY  OF  DU  PAGE  COUNTY. 


required  true  moral  courage  to  face  the  preju- 
dice against  the  movement. 

Walter  Campbell  Lyman,  son  of  the  above, 
and  the  patron  of  this  work,  was  born  and 
reared  on  the  farm,  receiving  a  good  public 
school  education  in  Downer's  Grove,  being  con- 
stantly encouraged  by  his  mother.  He  then  en- 
tered Naperville  College  where  he  spent  three 
years.  He  has  always  been  a  farmer,  and  is 
still  living  on  the  old  homestead.  For  many 
years,  he  has  taken  a  strong  interest  in  bee 
raising,  and  has  contributed  valuable  articles  to 
the  Bee  Journal.  He  received  the  only  premium 
given  to  Illinois  on  honey,  at  the  Columbian 
Exposition  In  1893.  In  1904,  he  built  a  tasteful 
modern  residence  on  the  home  farm.  He  takes 
his  pleasure  from  reading  and  owns  a  valuable 
library.  A  man  of  liberal  views,  he  is  a  fitting 
companion  to  his  aged  mother,  whose  faculties 
are  as  keen  as  ever. 

MacGREGOR,  Malcolm,  deceased.  Cut  off  in 
the  very  flower  of  his  .voung  manhood,  in  the 
home  his  ability  had  made  beautiful,  just  when 
life  presented  full  measure  of  happiness  and  con- 
tentment, Malcolm  MacGregor  of  Downer's  Grove 
left  behind  him  a  record  for  sterling  uprightness 
and  civic  honor  few  can  equal  and  none  excel. 
Possessing  in  marked  degree  those  virtues  char- 
acteristic of  his  native  land,  for  he  w'as  of 
Scotch  birth.  Mr.  Mac(iregor  found  ready  employ- 
ment for  his  naturally  keen  Intellect,  and  field 
for  his  operations  as  a  certified  public  account- 
ant. Mr.  MacGregor  was  born  at  Edinburgh, 
Scotland,  in  1878,  a  sou  of  Malcolm  MacGregor. 

In  1902  Mr.  MacGregor  came  to  the  United 
States,  and  was  attracted  towards  Downer's 
Grove.  Du  Page  county,  where  he  developed  a 
beautiful  country  home.  He  found  the  people  in 
this  flourishing  little  suburb  fully  living  up  to 
the  standard  set  by  those  who  developed  raw 
prairie  and  timber  laud  Into  a  prosperous  com- 
munity. His  desire  for  an  outdoor  life  led  him 
to  select  a  site  just  outside  of  the  city,  and  here 
he  established  and  maintained  the  largest  kennel 
of  Scotch  terriers  in  the  west,  importing  his  stock 
and  breeding  from  it.  The  development  of  these 
terriers  afforded  him  relaxation  from  the  exact- 
ing demands  of  his  business  life,  and  be  took  a 
great  pride  in  the  quality  of  his  dogs,  exhibiting 
them,  and  winning  a  number  of  blue  ribbons. 

His  business  connections  made  necessary  oSices 
in   Chicago,    at    71G,    No.   G9   West    Washington 


street,  where  he  was  a  certified  accountant,  hav- 
ing been  carefully  trained  In  the  University  of 
Edinburgh,  where  he  was  educated.  In  every 
line  of  endeavor  Mr.  MacGregor  showed  credit- 
able ability  and  stalwart  Integrity  of  character. 
The  marriage  of  Mr.  MacGregor  occurred  at 
Edinburgh.  Scotland,  June  21,  1902.  when  he  was 
united  with  Mary  Ducat,  daughter  of  General  A. 
C.  and  Mary  (Lyon)  Ducat,  a  sketch  of  whom 
appears  elsewhere  in  this  work.  One  daughter, 
Catherine,  now  eight  years  old.  is  the  only  child 
born  of  this  marriage,  and  is  left  with  the  widow 
to  mouru  Mr.  MacGregor's  untimely  demise.  He 
died  at  his  beautiful  country  home  September  10. 
1911.  A  man  of  retiring  disposition,  Mr.  Mac- 
Gregor was  not  one  to  seek  publicity,  but  he 
made  and  retained  friends,  by  whom  he  was 
thoroughly  appreciated,  and  they  all  join  the 
family  in  mourning  his  loss. 

MACK,  Elmer  Dewitt,  deceased.  The  present 
homestead  of  the  Macks  has  been  in  the  posses- 
sion of  the  family  since  the  land  was  purchased 
of  the  Government.  Elmer  Mack  was  born  on 
this  farm  March  1,  1S61,  a  son  of  Edward 
Packer  and  Maria  (Royce)  Mack,  the  former  a 
native  of  Pennsylvania  and  the  latter  of  Ver- 
mont. The  maternal  grandfather,  Jonathan 
Royce,  was  one  of  the  early  settlers  of  Will 
County,  coming  there  before  the  Indians  had 
left  that  region  and  taking  up  government  land. 
Edward  P.  Mack  secured  a  240  acre  timber 
tract  from  the  Government,  and  died  on  this 
place  November  23,  1902.  At  the  time  of  his 
death  he  had  developed  a  farm  and  made  many 
improvements.  His  wife  died  August  3,  1SS2. 
They  were  parents  of  ten  children,  of  whom 
Elmer  D.  was  next  to  the  youngest 

After  finishing  a  course  at  the  Gary's  Mills' 
.school.  Elmer  Dewitt  Mack  attended  Wheaton 
College,  and  spent  his  entire  life  on  the  home 
farm.  After  the  death  of  his  parents,  he  pur- 
chased eighty  acres  of  the  home  farm,  paying 
the  other  heirs  for  their  interest  in  same,  and 
later  he  secured  another  thirty-five  acres  from 
the  farm  adjoining;  was  a  most  successful 
farmer  and  carried  on  an  extensive  dairy  busi- 
ness. He  became  a  well-known  and  influential 
citizen  who  had  many  warm  friends,  that  deeply 
deplore  his  loss  from  their  midst.  He  had 
barely  reached  middle  age,  owned  a  comfortable 
home,  with  a  wife  and  a  large  family  to  brighten 
it.  and  enjoyed  all  that  Is  best  In  life.  He  passed 
away  March  22.  1902,  and  was  buried  in  War- 


HISTORY  OF  DU  PAGE  COUNTY. 


949 


reiiville  Cemetery,  since  which  time  the  estate 
has  been  handled  by  his  widow  and  oldest  son. 
Mr.  Mack  was  a  Republican  and  a  member  of 
the  Court  of  Honor  of  Warrenville,  School  Di- 
rector and  offic-er  in  the  Farmers"  Institute.  He 
was  strictly  temperate. 

February  1.5,  1SS2,  Mr.  Mack  married  Rosetta 
Singletery,  who  was  born  in  Will  County,  March 
21.  ISGl,  daughter  of  George  and  Susan 
(Knights)  Singletery,  natives  of  England,  who 
came  to  that  county  in  1860.  Mr.  Singletery 
worked  in  a  paper  mill  and  was  a  farmer.  He 
died  November  2.5,  1906,  and  his  wife  in  Janu- 
ary 20,  ISSS.  Mrs.  Mack  was  educated  in  the  com- 
mon schools  and  Naperville  Academy  and  was 
a  woman  of  good  judgment  and  business  ability. 
She  was  a  member  of  the  Methodist  Episcopal 
Cliurch.  Children  as  follows  were  born  to  Mr. 
Mack  and  wife.  Mable,  March  24,  1S84,  Mrs. 
Fred  Schusler,  on  part  of  the  home  place,  two 
children,  Grace  A.  and  Alfred  A.;  George  E., 
February  0,  1880,  who  in  company  with  his 
mother  conducts  the  home  farm ;  Florence,  May 
25,  18S8,  at  home;  Maud,  June  25,  1890,  a  book- 
keeper  in   the   Gary   &    Wheaton   Bank ;  Jiel«n' 


who  married  Herman  Hartmann  of  Schaumburg, 
Cook  county.  111.  Mr.  Mahler  is  a  public-spirited 
citizen,  interested  in  the  welfare  of  his  commu- 
nity, and  belongs  to  the  Lutheran  church  of 
Itasca. 

iVIANNING,  William  Josiah.  The  Mauiiinga 
were  among  the  earliest  settlers  of  Warrens- 
ville,  Du  Page  County,  and  conducted  the  first 
store  at  that  village,  as  well  as  the  first  at 
Wheaton.  William  Josiah  Manning  was  born 
at  Waterloo,  N.  Y.,  April  15,  1838,  son  of  Rock- 
well and  Sarah  (Warner)  Manning.  The  father 
was  a  hotel-keeper  there  and  also  had  mercan- 
tile interests.  He  came  to  Illinois  in  1849,  the 
trip  from  Buffalo  to  Chicago,  by  way  of  the 
lakes,  consuming  nine  days.  He  had  a  sister  at 
Naperville,  whom  he  visited  a  short  time  and 
tben  for  three  years  rented  a  farm  nearby. 
Later  he  rented  another  farm  and  established 
a  store  at  Warrenville,  which  he  conducted 
many  years,  and  also  during  this  time  estab- 
lislted  a  similar  enterisrise  at  Wheaton,  which 
.   was  one  of  the  first  in  that  village  and  started 


T,  x^        .,,    ,^.^„  ,.         ,      ^v  soolj  ;aft?r-.  the  railroad  ran  through  the  place. 

Royce,  Dec.  lb,  1892.  now  teachmg  the  (Jlptec---  .-r^iu  \  S  ,  ■        -j        j-  j        ,  ,      .  ^     ^ 

,  ;     „  ,      ,      '  ,..,     „      ^^       •      t^      .,-  ,c^S"*V?'t'*i''^P  and  his  widow  died  and  are  buried  at 
dale    School;    Edith   Rosetta,    m    March,'   1898,      -.Tr- •■'••'W.v"- .^, 

now  attending  high  school ;  Elsie  Irene,  Septem- 
ber 12,  1897 ;  and  Clarence  Elmer,  SeiJtember 
13,  1900,  at  home.  '     /" 


MAHLER,    William,    a    prosperous    farmer    of 

Addison  township,  is  a  native  of  Indiana,  born 
there  April  18.  1855.  He  is  a  son  of  Dedrich  and 
Dorothy  (Kahler)  Mahler,  both  natives  of  Ger- 
many. The  family  came  to  Illinois  when  Wil- 
liam was  a  small  boy. 

William  Mahler  was  educated  in  the  district 
schools  and  has  always  followed  farming  as  an 
occupation.  He  has  forty-three  acres  of  land  on 
the  edge  of  the  limits  of  Itasca  village,  where  he 
carries  on  general  farming,  having  his  place  in  a 
good  state  of  cultivation.  Mr.  Mahler  has  erected 
all  his  buildings  and  owns  a  large  threshing  out- 
fit with  which  he  does  a  big  business  during  the 
harvest  season,  traveling  throughout  the  country 
covering  an  extensive  territory,  in  which  he  is 
known  as  an  excellent  operator. 

In  1881  Mr.  JIahler  was  united  in  marriage 
with  Mrs.  Emma  ( Haberstich)  Hoffman,  a  na- 
tive of  Du  Page  county,  born  April  1,  1855,  and 
two  children  have  blessed  this  union,  William, 
who  is  a  farmer  in  Du  Page  county,  and  Alma, 


Warrenville.- .'They  were  well  known  throughout 
most  of  the  (bounty  and  were  everywhere  highly 
^ j-egarded.  TLeir  children  were :  Theodore  M., 
'  ■"4jlJ  WJirf^nvifle;  William  J.,  Harriet,  Mrs.  J.  A. 
Jewell,  of  Hopkinton,  Iowa ;  and  Augustus  K. 
who  died  in  Chicago  in  1909. 

The  boyhood  of  William  J.  Manning  was  spent 
on  his  father's  farm  and  he  received  his  educa- 
tion in  the  district  school,  Warrenville  Seminary 
and  a  law  school  conducted  by  Judge  Henry 
Booth,  of  Chicago.  After  studying  law  about 
five  .years  he  was  admitted  to  the  bar  in  June, 

1870,  after  which  he  opened  an  otflce  for  the 
practice  of  this  profession  in  Chicago,  contin- 
uing this  for  many  years.  He  lived  with  his 
parents  until  he  reached  his  majority  and  then 
engaged  in  mercantile  business  at  Warrenville, 
three  years  later  movng  to  Wheaton,  where  lie 
continued  the  same  line  of  business  three  years, 
then  went  to  Chicago  and  in  company  with  a 
Mr.  Torrence  carried  on  a  wholesale  business, 
studying  law  while  conducting  the  same,  and 
upon  selling  his  mercantile  interests  opened  an 
office.  His  outstanding  accounts  and  notes  were 
completely  destroyed  by  the  big  fire  of  October 

1871,  and    his    first   law    practice   was    an    ad- 


950 


HISTORY  OF  DU  PAGE  COUNTY. 


justmeut  of  fire  losses  with  eastern  insurance 
companies.  After  tlie  fire  lie  ijraetieed  in  Chi- 
cago until  1908,  when  he  retired  and  came  to 
Warrenville,  where  he  had  been  buying  land  for 
forty  years,  securing  tracts  of  different  sizes  at 
various  times,  until  now  he  has  a  large  sub- 
division there  laid  out  in  lots,  blocks  and  acre 
tracts.  He  secured  a  station  at  Warrenville  of 
the  Aurora,  Elgin  &  Chicago  Railway  Company 
had  arranged  so  that  all  trains  stop  there. 
Since  retiring  from  practice  about  1905,  Mr.  Man- 
ning has  devoted  his  entire  time  to  his  real 
estate  interests.  He  is  a  Republican  in  politics 
and  is  actively  interested  in  the  welfare  and 
prosperity  of  the  village.  He  is  a  man  of 
stability  and  influence  and  a  valuable  citizen  of 
his  community. 

Mr.  Manning  was  married  August  15,  1877, 
to  Ellen  Phelinda  Curtiss,  of  Peoria,  daughter 
of  Nathaniel  B.  and  Jane  M.  (Warren)  Cur- 
tiss. The  Warrens  were  among  the  first  settlers 
of  Du  Page  County  and  founders  of  the  town  of 
Warrenville.  Mr.  Manning  and  wife  have  two 
sons,  Ralph  C,  born  June  4,  1S79,  and  Curtiss 
R.,  born  November  8,  1880,  both  of  whom  are 
attorneys.  Ralph  C.  is  unmarried,  lives  at 
liome,  and  conducts  a  feed  mill  and  coal  yard, 
is  United  States  Express  Agent,  a  Justice  of  the 
Peace  and  Notary  Public.  Curtiss  R.,  who  re- 
sides at  Great  Falls,  Mont.,  is  interested  in  real 
estate  and  practices  his  profession  there. 

MARTIN,  A.  Vere.  While  not  now  a  resident 
of  Du  Page  County,  because  of  his  heavy  prop- 
erty interests  in  Wheaton  and  the  fact  that  for 
several  years  he  has  made  that  city  his  home, 
while  for  more  than  twenty  years  Mrs.  Martin 
was  one  of  the  social  and  club  leaders  in  that 
vicinity,  A.  Vere  Martin  is  proudly  claimed  by 
the  people  of  this  county.  He  is  one  of  those 
men  who  through  solid,  though  aggressive  busi- 
ness methods,  have  forced  their  way  to  the  front 
In  commercial  affairs,  and  is  now  a  well  known 
hardware  manufacturer  at  No.  164  N.  Wabash 
avenue,  Chicago,  while  his  residence  is  at  No. 
3914  Ellis  avenue,  "the  same  city. 

Mr.  Martin  was  born  in  De  Kalb  County,  May 
2,  1859,  being  a  son  of  George  and  Laura  Mar- 
tin, old  settlers  of  this  locality,  who  were  inti- 
mately associated  with  the  growth  and  develop- 
ment of  this  piirt  of  the  State,  and  they  now 
are  interred  in  the  little  cemetery  adjacent  to 
the  home  where  they  simii  their  happy  married 
life.    Growing  up  on  a  farm,  learning  the  healthy 


duties  pertaining  to  an  agricultural  life,  Mr. 
Martin  attended  district  school,  and  later  went 
to  Naperville  College.  For  a  number  of  years 
he  resided  in  Chicago,  but  after  his  marriage, 
he  moved  to  Wheaton,  which  remained  his  home 
until  the  Martin  i-esidence  was  destroyed  by 
fire  in  1907,  when  Mr.  and  Mrs.  Martin  took  up 
their  place  of  abode  in  Chicago.  It  is  the  pur- 
pose of  Mr.  and  Mrs.  Martin  to  plat  their  large 
property  in  Wheaton,  into  city  lots,  thus  making 
a  desirable  addition  to  the  community. 

Mr.  Martin  was  married  August  9,  1905,  to 
Mrs.  Delia  (Brockman)  Stiles,  widow  of  Charles 
H  Stiles.  While  Mr.  Martin  enjoyed  his  associ- 
ations with  Du  Page  people,  he  feels  that  he  is 
a  De  Kalb  man,  and  his  affection  is  given  to 
that  county  where  his  boyhood  and  early  man- 
hood were  spent  and  where  so  many .  of  his 
family  are  buried. 

MARTIN,  George,  deceased,  one  of  the  most 
prominent  early  settlers  of  Du  Page  county,  was 
associated  with  many  enterprises  and  was  instru- 
mental in  establishing  various  organizations  that 
have  since  grown  to  large  iiroportions.  Mr.  Mar- 
tin was  born  in  Edinburgh,  Scotland,  November 
30,  182(3,  and  was  a  son  of  George  and  Elizabeth 
(Christie)  Martin.  The  father  and  mother  were 
both  natives  of  Scotland  and  the  former  owned 
sailing  vessels  plying  between  the  Baltic  and 
Black  seas.  He  came  to  the  United  States  in 
1833,  stopping  for  a  time  in  Chicago,  later  pur- 
chasing over  1.000  acres  of  land  south  of  the 
river  at  Naperville.  He  erected  the  first  frame 
house  in  Du  Page  county,  which  is  still  standing. 
Both  he  and  his  wife  were  devout  Presbyterians 
and  reared  their  children  in  the  same  religious 
faith.  His  death  occurred  in  1841  and  his  widow 
died  in  1872. 

Mr.  Martin  remained  with  his  parents  until 
reaching  manhood,  and  his  first  independent  busi- 
ness was  a  mercantile  one  in  partner.ship  with 
Hon.  James  G.  Wright.  He  helped  establish  the 
Producers  Bank  of  Naperville  and  laid  out  sev- 
eral additions  to  that  city,  comprising  the  land 
south  and  west  of  the  Du  Page  river.  Discover- 
ing the  possibilities  for  stone  quarries,  he  estab- 
lished all  in  the  vicinity,  conducting  them  himself 
for  many  years,  and  founded  the  first  drain  tile 
and  brick  works  of  Naperville,  which  business  is 
now  conducted  by  members  of  the  family,  in  part- 
nership with  Fred  von  Oven.  Mrs.  William  King 
was  for  about  ten  years  a  partner  in  the  latter 


HISTORY  OF  DU  PAGE  COUNTY. 


951 


conrcni.  whic-h  from  the  time  of  its  establish- 
ment has  supported  from  fifteen  to  twenty  fam- 
ilies, and  has  been  rmming  since  1871.  The 
present  firm  name  is  Martin  &  von  Oven  and  the 
partners  have  an  extensive  patronage  through- 
out their  part  of  the  state.  Mr.  Martin  was  one 
of  the  most  notable  men  of  his  time  in  Du  Page 
couut.v  and  was  considered  a  man  of  remarkable 
liusiiiess  judgment  and  energy.  He  was  a  mem- 
lier  of  the  Congregational  church  iind  a  Mason 
of  high  standing. 

Mr.  Martin  was  married  to  Miss  Sibelia  Rid- 
dler,  daughter  of  Rev.  Alexander  Riddler,  who 
was  born  at  Aberdeen,  Scotland,  and  they  became 
parents  of  children  as  follows:  Elizabeth,  who 
lives  in  the  old  home;  Kittie,  who  died  May  31, 
1908 ;  George,  who  lives  in  Chicago  ;  and  Caroline, 
who  is  Mrs.  Edward  Grant  Mitchell.  Mr.  Martin 
died  July  15.  ISSf).  but  his  widow  survived  until 
December  19,  1907. 

Edward  G.  Mitchell,  husband  of  Mrs.  Caroline 
(Martin)  Mitchell,  was  born  in  Delaware  county, 
N.  Y.,  son  of  Archibald  and  Mary  (Grant) 
Mitchell.  His  grandfathers  were  William  Mit- 
cliell  and  Duncan  Grant,  both  natives  of  Scot- 
land, while  his  father  was  a  farmer  in  New 
York  and  died  in  1903,  his  wife  having  passed 
away  in  1892.  Edward  G.  Mitchell  lived  with 
his  parents  until  eight  years  of  age,  then  came 
to  reside  with  an  aunt  in  Chicago,  where  he  at- 
tended the  Miss  Grant  seminary.  After  his 
marriage  he  was  engaged  in  the  dry-goods  busi- 
ness in  Chicago  for  some  time,  but  he  and  his 
wife  are  now  in  charge  of  the  tile  works  which 
were  established  by  his  father-in-law.  Mr.  Mar- 
tin. 

MASON,  George  A.,  now  living  retired  from 
active  life  at  Naperville,  111.,  is  well  known  as  a 
veteran  of  the  Civil  War.  He  was  born  at 
Starksboro,  Addison  County,  Vt,  May  2,  1S38, 
a  son  of  Joseph  and  Eunice  (Akerman)  Mason, 
natives  of  New  Hampshire.  In  1850,  the  parents 
came  West,  making  the  trip  to  Buffalo  via  the 
Erie  Canal,  thence  by  lake  steamer  to  Chicago, 
and  located  on  a  farm  in  Winfield  Township, 
Du  Page  County.  A  year  later  the  family  moved 
to  a  farm  near  Wheaton  which  the  father 
bought,  and  in  1862,  he  enlisted  in  the  Twenty- 
eighth  Wisconsin  Volunteer  Infantry,  from 
Waukesha,  Wis.,  served  three  years  and  after 
his  discharge  lived  at  Waukesha,  which  had 
previously  been  his  home  for  a  few  years. 


In  boyhood,  George  A.  Mason  attended  the 
district  schools  of  Du  Page  County,  and  when 
the  parents  moved  to  Wisconsin,  he  accompanied 
them,  living  at  home  until  his  enlistment  at 
Waukesha,  in  August,  1802,  in  Company  K  of 
the  Twenty-eighth  Wisconsin  lufanti-y.  He 
was  assigned  first  to  the  Thirteenth  Army 
Corps,  and  spent  some  time  in  Arkansas,  then 
was  transferred  to  the  Seventh  Army  Corps. 
In  the  winter  of  1865,  they  were  transferred  to 
Mobile,  Ala.,  remaining  there  until  May,  1865, 
and  went  then  to  Brownsville,  Tex.,  where  they 
were  mustered  out  August  22,  1865,  receiving 
their  final  discharge  at  Madison,  Wis.,  in  Sep- 
tember. They  took  part  in  several  battles  and 
during  the  engagement  at  Jackson,  Miss.,  a  shell 
e.vploded  near  Mr.  Mason,  splintering  a  tree 
and  crippling  his  left  hand  badly,  but  he  did  not 
leave  the  service  on  this  account,  being  a  brave 
and  loyal  .soldier  and  earnestly  devoted  to  the 
cause.     His  accident  occurred  March  11,  1863. 

After  his  discharge  from  the  army  Mr.  Ma- 
son removed  to  Elk  County,  Kan.,  and  took 
charge  of  a  sheep  and  cattle  ranch.  Seven 
years  later  he  returned  to  Du  Page  County  and 
lived  near  Warrenville  until  1895,  when  he  re- 
tired from  active  life,  and  since  that  time  he  has 
resided  in  Naperville.  He  is  extensively  en- 
gaged in  raising  chickens  and  finds  this  a  profit- 
able enterprise.  He  has  a  pleasant  home  and 
has  erected  suitable  buildings  for  his  poultry 
raising. 

Mr.  Mason's  first  marriage  occurred  at  Wau- 
kesha, Wis.,  September  11.  1S62,  when  he  was 
united  with  Rhoda  Beach,  a  native  of  Grand 
Isle,  Vt.  and  they  became  parents  of  two  chil- 
dren :  Frank  of  Madison  County,  Iowa,  and 
Nora  Nevada,  wife  of  Frank  Kiser,  of  Dalhart, 
Tex.  The  mother  of  these  children  died  in 
October,  1878,  and  Mr.  Mason  married  (second) 
October  2,  1885,  Mrs.  Louisa  (Pelham-Kenyon) 
Boyd,  who  was  born  in  County  of  Kent,  Eng- 
land, March  29,  1839,  daughter  of  George  P.  and 
Louisa  (Uvenden)  Pelham,  who  located  near 
Cleveland,  Ohio,  when  they  first  came  to  the 
United  States,  and  in  1843  removed  to  Winfield 
Township,  Du  Page  County,  where  both  died. 
Louisa  Pelham  was  married  (first)  to  Israel 
Kenyon,  who  was  a  soldier  in  the  Thirteenth 
Illinois  Volunteer  Infantry,  and  they  had  two 
sons :  William  D.,  of  East  Auburn.  Colo.,  and 
Jephtha  A.,  who  lives  with  his  mother  and  Mr. 
Mason.     Her  second  marriage  was   to  Thomas 


952 


HISTORY  OF  DU  PAGE  COUNTY. 


Boyd,  who  was  bom  at  Harumondsport,  N.  Y., 
and  they  became  parents  of  one  daughter,  Mabel 
E.,  wife  of  George  Ferry,  at  Naperville  Town- 
ship. By  his  second  marriage,  Mr.  Mason  had 
no  children.  He  is  actively  identified  with  Wal- 
ter Blanchard  Post  No.  386  G.  A.  R.,  and  in 
ix)litics  is  a  Republican. 

MATHER,  Samuel.    The  question  of  supply  and 
demand   has    been    further    complicated    during 
recent  years  by  the  requirements  of  pure  food 
laws,  which  necessitate  the  production  of  arti- 
cles of  consumption  according  to  rules  provided 
for   in   the  various   acts  passed.     Some   of  the 
most  agressive  business  men  of  Du  Page  County 
have  found  it  to  their  advantage  to  embark  In 
enterprises   having   for  their  object   the  manu- 
facture of  wholesome  food  products,  which  be- 
cause of  their  purity  command  good  prices  in 
any    market.      One    of    these    men    is    Samuel 
Mather  secretary  and  treasurer  of  the  Naper- 
ville   Co-operative   Co.,    manufacturers    of   high 
grade  butter  and  cheese.    He  was  born  March  7, 
1847,  at  ^\Tiallonsburgh,  Essex  County,  N.  Y.,  be- 
ing a   son  of  Joshua   E.   and  Maria    (Frisbee) 
Mather.    Joshua  E.  Mather  was  a  mechanic  who 
at  one  time  was  engaged  in  manufacturing  iron 
articles.     He  came  to  Illinois  in  1S52,  becoming 
a  farmer,  and  dying  upon  his  property  in  ISSO. 
His  wife  survived  him  until   1891.     They  were 
farming  people  all  their  lives. 

From  1864  to  1S(15,  Mr.  Mather  attended  the 
Naperville  Academy,  then  returning  to  the  farm, 
conducted  it  until  1873.  He  then  had  some  ex- 
perience as  a  ranchman  in  California  from  1873 
to  1880.  In  1883,  he  came  to  Du  Page  County 
from  Will  County,  locating  in  Lisle  Township. 
In  1888,  with  William  King  and  J.  P.  Riekert, 
he  organized  the  Naperville  Co-operative  CO., 
with  himself  as  secertary  and  treasurer.  The 
creamery  has  a  capacity  of  from  2,700  to  30,000 
pounds  of  milk  per  day,  according  to  the  sup- 
ply. The  business  has  steadily  advanced,  and 
the  product  is  kept  up  to  a  high  standard  of 
excellence. 

Mr.  Mather  was  married  November  21,  1866, 
at  Lisle,  111.,  to  Malvina  Ballow.  The  children 
born  of  this  marriage  were :  Glen  E.,  deceased ; 
Zillia  A.,  deceased;  Boy  A.,  Fred  E.,  Roscoe, 
deceased,  and  Ethel  M.  Roy  and  Fred  were  edu- 
cated at  Champain,  111.,  the  latter  being  with 
the  St.  Paul  Railroad  as  civil  engineer,  while 


the  former  is  with  the  American  Bridge  Co.  at 
Ambridge,  Penn.  Zillia  died  when  twenty-two 
years  old,  after  graduating  from  the  Northwest- 
ern College  at  Naperville.  Ethel  married  Dean 
D.  Gross,  and  her  husband  is  a  merchant  of 
Yankton,  S.  D. ;  Daniel,  their  sou,  is  ex-post- 
master of  this  place. 

Mr.  Mather  has  always  been  active  in  Repub- 
lican party  matters,  serving  as  Alderman 
from  the  Third  Ward  of  Naperville  during  1907, 
1908  and  1909,  and  in  1910,  he  was  elected 
Mayor.  During  his  administration,  the  people 
er.joyed  a  businesslike  administration,  and  a 
number  of  improvements  were  inaugurated  and 
carried  out.  He  is  a  Past  Master  of  Euclid 
Lodge,  No.  65,  A.  F.  &  A.  M.,  and  Past  High 
Priest  of  Euclid  Chapter,  No.  13,  R.  A.  M. 
While  not  affiliated  with  any  religious  denom- 
ination, he  believes  in  the  Fatherhood  of  God 
and  the  Brotherhood  of  man.  Mr.  Mather  was 
Postmaster  here  for  six  years,  filling  a  part  of 
this  time  as  assistant. 

MATTHEWS,  Heinrick,  deceased,  who  was  an 

early  settler  of  Du  Page  county,  was  a  typical 
representative  of   the  higher  class  of  German- 
American  citizens.     Mr.  Matthews  was  born  in 
-Mecklenburg,    Germany,   October  24,   1820.     -He 
was  married  in  his  native  country  to  Caroline 
Hansche,  born  in  the  same  place,  on  September 
6,  1828,  and  two  days  after  marriage,  on  October 
1,  1852,  they  took  a  ship  for  America,  the  voyage 
consuming  four  weeks,  which  was  then  regarded 
as   a   quick   trip.     Proceeding   to   Chicago,   they 
spent  a   short  time  there,  and  then  located  in 
Du   Page  county,    which   continued    to   be  their 
home   for    the    remainder   of    their    lives.     Mr. 
Matthews  purchased  eight.v-five  acres  of  land  on 
section  4,  York  township,  which  contained  a  few 
small    buildings,   which   he   rebuilt   and    erected 
new   ones,    generally   improving  and   developing 
the  property.    Later  he  added  land  until  he  had 
267  acres  in  York  township,  and  adjoining  this 
five  acres  of  timberland   in  Addison    township. 
He   carried   on   diversified   farming   and   had   a 
large  dairy.    For  many  years  he  hauled  his  prod- 
uce  to   Chicago,   making   the    trip   six    times    a 
week.     The  home  jilace  is  now  operated  by  one 
of  his  sons,  who  rents  it.     Mr.  Matthews  was 
much  interested  in  the  cause  of  education  and 
served  a  number  of  years   as  president  of  the 
school  board  and  many  years  as  director.     He 
also  served  as  road  commissioner. 


.^^^^r  <isSi 


Jt'fr/iAf/:  .V/f/Mrif///  /// 


't^Te 


NF-.f- 


^K, 


'''BucutiH,;'; 


HISTORY  OF  DU  PAGE  COUNTY. 


953 


Ten  cUilclreu  were  born  to  Heinriek  Matthews 
aiul  wife.  iiiUiiel.v  :  Ileiiry.  who  was  born  Oc- 
tober IS,  IS-'iS ;  John  :  Mary,  who  was  born  Sep- 
tember 10.  18.50.  married  (first)  Louis  Limprecht. 
who  was  born  January  1.  1S52.  and  (second) 
August  Fiene,  and  lives  at  Elmhurst ;  Carl,  who 
is  deceased ;  Louisa,  who  is  deceased,  married 
Theodore  Fieu«  aud  died  in  January,  189.5; 
Amelia,  who  was  born  August  16,  1807,  married 
Rev.  C.  ('.  Metz.  and  lives  in  Minnesota  :  Au- 
gust, who  was  born  Oetoljer  23,  1870 ;  and  Enuna, 
who  was  boru  Seiiteiuher  26,  1873,  married  Henry 
Schueniacher.   and  lives  in   York   township. 

August   Matthews   was  reared   to   farm   work 
aud  now  operates  and  rents  the  home  plac-e.    He 
was   married   June   12,    1898,    to   Emma    Fiene, 
daughter  of  August  and  Dorothea    (Backhaus) 
Fiene,  who  was  born  In  York  township  Octobei 
8,   1879,   and  they  have  five  children :     August, 
who  was  lorn  June  24,  1900;  Dorothy,  who  was 
horn  Se[)tember  13,  1902;  Helena,  who  was  born 
Oetolier   19.    1903;    Ellen,    who   was   born    April 
2(j.    19(17 ;    and    Theodore,    who    was   born    July 
22.    190S.      Mr.    Matthews    is    progressive    and  .  , 
modern   in  his  methods  and  has   found  that  'it 
pays  well  to  raise  high  grade  stock.  _  so  jiuikes.  . 
a  specialty  of  high-grade  Holstein  cattle,  having 
a  dairy  herd"  of  thirty-nine  head,  twenty-two  of 
them  lieiiig  registered  slock,  and  a  thoroughVireii.,, 
bull    that   weighs   about  2,400  pounds'.     BLg'  ■ii'i^-'* 
added  greatly  to  the  attractiveness  and  produc;_. 
tiveness  of  the  place  by  erecting  modern"  build- 
ings  aud    now   lias   one   of   the   prettiest   rural 
homes  in  the  township,  being  considered  one  of 
the  most  intelligent  aud  successful  agricultural- 
ists  witliin    its   limits.      He   aud   his    wife   are 
memiiers  of  the  Lutheran  Church  and  he  served  « 
four  years  as  collector  for   the  German  school 
and  for  some  time  past  has   been  collector  for 
the  church.     For  three  years  he  was  a   school 
director   of   his   district,    his    term   expiring    in 
1909. 

MATTHEWS,  Henry,  Jr.,  the  eldest  child  of 
Ileinrich  and  Caroline  (Hansche)  Matthews, 
was  born  in  York  township,  Dn  Page  county,  Oe- 
tolier IS,  18.J3,  about  a  year  after  his  parents 
located  on  their  farm  there.  The  father  and 
mother  were  both  natives  of  Mecklenberg.  Ger- 
many, and  the  family  is  described  at  some  length 
elsewhere  in  this  worlc.  They  were  among  the 
early  settlei-s  of  York  township  and  became  very 
successful  at  farming  and  dairying. 

22 


Henry  Matthews  Jr.  attended  the  local  schools 
and  was  reared  to  farm  work,  which  he  has  fol- 
lowed all  his  life,  and  he  now  owns  120  acres 
of  the  home  farm.  He  has  made  all  the  im- 
provements on  this  land  and  has  a  fine  country 
residence,  devoting  considerable  attention  to 
dairying,  having  twenty  head  of  cattle  and  ship- 
ping about  three  cans  of  milk  daily.  He  has 
tiled  most  of  his  farm  and  has  brought  it  to 
a  high  state  of  cultivation,  aud  has  a  modern, 
substantial  barn  and  other  buildings  to  corre- 
spond. Mr.  Matthews  has  always  taken  an 
active  interest  in  every  branch  of  farm  work, 
reaps  a  good  profit  from  his  operations,  and  is 
a  substantial,  industrious  citizen  who  does  his 
share  to  advance  the  general  welfare  of  bis  com- 
munity. He  is  a  member  of  the  Lutheran  Church 
and  served  three  years  as  director  of  the  church 
at   Lomliard. 

On  March  14.  1877.  Jlr.  JIatHiews  married  Jo- 
hiinna  Klodz.  daughter  of  Ferdinand  and  Au- 
gusta (Clronkle)  Klodz,  a  native  of  Germany, 
and  six  children  have  been  born  of  their  union  : 
Wilhelinina,  Mrs.  August  Barwald,  who  is  of 
Forest  Pa-rk ;  Carolina,  who  was  boru  in  Oc- 
tob'^r,  1S81,  and  died  in  January,  1894;  Louis, 
who  wa^  horn  March  22,  1884,  at  home;  Theo- 
dore, who  was  born  September  1,  1885,  a  farmer 
lining-  at  'York  Center ;  Amanda,  who  was  born 
January  5.  1S90,  at  home ;  Henry,  who  was 
bcH-n  8ei*tember  9,  1892,  helping  his  father  with 
the  farm,  as  does  tlie  other  son  who  lives  at 
home.  The  children  have  been  educated  in  the 
local  schools  aud  reared  in  the  Lutheran  faith. 

MAURY,  J.  Millard,  M.  D.,  one  of  the  dis- 
tinguished physicians  of  Du  Page  County,  re- 
sides at  Wheaton,  which  has  been  his  home  for 
many  years.  Dr.  Maury  was  born  in  Barren 
County,  Ky.,  near  Glasgow,  January  19,  1858,  he 
being  a  son  of  Alfred  Pierce  Maury.  Dr.  Maury 
belongs  to  the  old  colonial  family  of  this  name 
which  originated  here  in  Virginia  to  which  the 
di.stinguished  Lieutenant  Maury  of  the  United 
States  Survey  also  belonged.  The  grandfather 
Maury,  migrated  from  A'irginia  to  Kentucky  at 
an  early  date,  purchasing  a  large  tract  of  land 
in  Barren  County.  He  owned  many  slaves,  and 
was  a  man  of  great  wealth  and  wide  influence. 
The  maiden  name  of  the  grandmother  was 
Pierce. 

The  son  of  this  couple,  Alfred  Pierce  Maury, 
was  Tjorn  in  Kentucky,  and  there  educated,  be- 


954 


HISTORY  OF  DU  PAGE  COUNTY. 


ing  brouglit  up  as  a  farmer.  He  married  Emily 
Allen,  boru  in  Macou  County,  Tenn.,  aud  then 
located  ou  400  acres  of  laud  whicb  he  inherited 
from  his  father.  From  this  he  made  a  flue  prop- 
erty, but  not  being  in  sympathy  with  slavery,  he 
left  the  south  in  1S56,  moving  to  Illinois,  locat- 
ing in  Montgomery  County  on  a  farm  near 
Litchfield.  After  two  years  spent  there,  he 
moved  to  Hillsboro.  His  conscientious  scruples 
against  slavery  which  had  made  him  leave  his 
wealth  in  the  south,  prompted  him  to  enlist  In 
Company  D,  One  Hundred  and  Twenty-ninth 
Illinois  Volunteer  Infantry,  for  three  years,  or 
during  the  war.  He  was  taken  sick  at  Pine 
Bluff,  Ark.,  and  died  at  home  while  on  a  sick 
furlough,  in  1863.  His  children  were :  William 
Woodson,  Isabella,  James  Millard,  all  born  In 
Kentucky.  Mrs.  Maury  lived  to  the  age  of  sev- 
enty-three years,  dying  at  the  residence  of  her 
son,  Dr.  Maury  at  Wheaton,  in  August,  1907. 
Both  she  and  her  husband  were  consistent  mem- 
bers of  the  Baptist  Church,  in  which  Mr.  Maury 
was  a  Deacon.  Politically,  he  was  one  of  the 
original  Lincoln  Republicans,  and  was  a  most 
sincere  and  good  man. 

Dr.  Maury  has  spent  almost  all  his  life  in 
Illinois,  having  been  but  an  infant  at  the  time 
of  the  family  migration  here.  He  received  an 
academic  education  in  Washington  Seminary,  in 
Richview,  HI.,  and  then  learned  the  drug  busi- 
ness In  Richview,  111.,  going  from  there  to  Cedar 
Falls,  Iowa,  in  the  early  seventies.  For  sis  years 
he  was  a  clerk  in  a  drug  store  of  that  city.  He 
then  became  traveling  salesman  for  a  Baltimore 
chemical  house  continuing  with  them  two  years, 
in  the  meanwhile  studying  medicine.  In  1894. 
he  entered  the  Illinois  Medical  College,  being 
graduated  therefrom  in  1S97,  and  while  in  col- 
lege, he  located  at  Wheaton  to  take  charge  of 
Hiatt's  drug  store,  being  at  that  time  the  only 
licensed  drug  clerk  of  the  village. 

After  graduating,  he  established  himself  in 
practice  in  Wheaton.  and  in  the  years  that  have 
followed  has  built  up  an  excellent  patronage, 
winning  the  respect  of  the  people  here  as  a  man 
of  unblemished  character,  skillful  and  learned. 
He  has  a  modern  scientific  medical  equipment, 
which  includes  electrical  instruments  and  appli- 
ances and  a  compressed  air  outfit.  His  medical 
library  is  a  very  valuable  one,  and  he  keeps 
abreast  of  his  profession  both  by  reading  and 
attendance  upon  post-graduate  courses  in  sev- 
eral New  York  colleges. 


On  October  16,  1903,  Dr.  Maury  married  in 
Wheaton,  Grace  Jeanette  Whittle,  born  at  Lake 
Geneva,  Wis.,  daughter  of  James  Frank  ^nd 
Harriet  (Haswell)  Whittle.  Dr.  and  Mrs. 
Maury  are  the  parents  of  children  as  follows: 
Walter  Allen  born  in  February,  1904 ;  and  James 
Hubert,  born  November  26,  1907.  They  reside 
in  a  pleasant  home  which  they  own.  Dr.  Maury 
belongs  to  the  Baptist  Church  serving  it  as 
trustee.  He  belongs  to  the  Mystic  Workers  of 
the  World,  aud  Modern  Woodmen,  being  examin- 
ing physician  for  both  orders. 

There  are  two  branches  of  the  Whittle  family, 
one  settling  in  New  Hampshire,  where  William 
Whittle  kept  one  of  the  noted  early  taverns.  He 
was  a  prominent  man,  and  is  mentioned  many 
times  in  the  history  of  the  town  of  Ware.  He 
was  a  trader  in  W^are  Center,  where  he  estab- 
lished its  first  store  in  1796,  although  he  had 
located  there  prior  to  1795.  His  birth  is  recorded 
as  taking  place  at  Litchfield,  in  1764,  and  when 
he  died,  he  left  a  large  family.  Another  branch 
.settled  in  Virginia,  intermarrying  with  descend- 
ants from  John  Rolfe  and  his  Indian  princess 
liride.  Among  the  descendants  of  this  branch  of 
the  ^^^]ittIe  family  are :  William  Conway  Whit- 
tle, formerly  commander  of  the  United  States 
Xrtv.v,  afterwards  commander  in  the  Confederate 
States  Navy;  also  James  M.  Whittle,  member  of 
Congress  from  Virginia  in  1850,  secretary  of 
state  of  Virginia  from  1849-50.  Some  prominent 
men  who  bear  this  distinguished  name  are : 
Francis  M.  Whittle,  Protestant  Episcopal  Bishop 
of  Virginia,  famous  both  as  orator  and  writer; 
Major  D.  W.  Whittle,  the  great  revivalist  and 
co-laborer  with  the  famous  singer  Bliss.  Whit- 
•tle  is  a  local  name  in  Lancashire,  aud  Derby- 
shire, England.  There  are  five  townships  of  the 
name,  two  in  Lancashire,  one  in  Derbyshire  and 
two  in  Northumberland.  Two  coats  of  arms  are 
shown  in  the  Whittle  family,  both  being  in  the 
Lancashire  branch.  The  distinguishing  feature 
of  both  is  three  talbot  heads.  There  is  still 
another  coat  of  arms,  the  distinguishing  feature 
of  which  is  a  lion  head. 

Both  Dr.  and  Mrs.  Maury  are  very  much  in- 
terested in  tracing  their  family  records,  taking 
pride  in  the  fact  that  they  come  from  good,  old, 
patriotic  colonial  stock.  The  chances  and 
changes  of  fortune,  and  Issues  of  polities,  have 
resulted  in  many  migrations,  but  the  character- 
istics of  the  forebears  have  been  reproduced  In 


HISTORY  OF  DU  PAGE  COUNTY. 


955 


their  descendants,  modified  by  modern  surround- 
ings and  requirements. 

McCABE,  Frank.  Practical  farming  is  a  line 
of  business  that  yields  ample  returns  for  money 
and  effort  invested.  Some  of  the  most  aggi-es- 
sive  and  level-headed  men  of  Du  Page  county 
have  devoted  the  better  part  of  their  lives  to 
agricultural  pursuits  and  have  no  reason  to  re- 
gret their  decision  in  favor  of  farming.  One  of 
these  men  thus  prosperous  is  Frank  McCabe  of 
Wayne  township,  born  in  the  towniship,  on  tlie 
farm  he  now  owns,  September  16,  184.5,  being 
a  son  of  James  and  Catherine  (Collins)  Mc- 
Cabe, both  natives  of  Ireland  where  they  were 
^rried. 

Mr.  and  Mrs.  McCabe  came  to  .\meriea  in 
1833,  locating  first  in  Canada,  where  they  re- 
mained a  few  years,  and  then  were  in  New  York 
City  for  a  short  time.  About  1840,  they  came 
to  Du  Page  county,  entering  land  on  sections 
35  and  3t5,  Wayne  township,  which  continued  to 
be  their  home  until  death  claimed  them.  At  one 
time  the  father  owned  500  acres,  the  greater 
part  of  which  was  cultivated.  Politically  a 
Democrat,  and  always  interested  in  local  affairs, 
he  could  never  be  induced  to  accept  of  office. 
As  one  of  tlie  pioneers,  James  McCabe  passed 
through  hard  times  in  the  early  days,  and  suf- 
fered many  hardsliips.  He  was  compelled  to 
haul  all  his  grain  to  Chicago  with  oxen,  and 
it  took  a  week  to  dispose  of  one  load.  Mr.  and 
Mrs.  McCabe  became  the  parents  of  children  as 
follows :  Edward,  who  was  born  in  New  York, 
deceased ;  Janjes,  who  was  horn  in  Canada,  a 
resident  of  West  Chicago ;  Mary  Venard,  who 
is  deceased  ;  Bernard,  who  is  of  Chicago ;  Frank  ; 
and  Catherine,  who  is  the  wife  of  Thomas  De- 
vlne  of  Wheaton.  Mr.  McCabe  died  in  1871,  aged 
sixty-two  years,  his  widow  surviving  him  until 
1877,  when  she  too  i>assed  away,  aged  seventy- 
two  years. 

Frank  McCabe  was  educated  in  the  district 
schools  of  the  towniship.  and  always  made  his 
home  on  the  farm,  remaining  with  his  parents 
until  both  were  dead.  He  then  inherited  the 
house  and  one  hundred  and  twenty  acres  of 
land,  which  has  continued  to  be  his  home,  and 
which  he  has  materially  improved.  Politically 
he  holds  to  the  faith  of  his  father  and  is  a 
Democrat.  He  was  reared  a  Catholic,  but  is 
not  a  member  of  the  church  to  which  his  parents 
belonged,  although  he  attends  its  services.     His 


wife  belongs  to  the  Evangelical  Church.  On 
October  9,  1878,  he  was  married  by  the  Rev. 
Father  Spellman,  to  Emma  Jorgens,  born  in 
Cliieago,  October  20,  1857,  a  daughter  of  Peter 
and  Johanna  (Heilus)  Jorgens,  natives  of  Ger- 
many, who  came  to  Chicago  about  1850.  In 
1859,  they  went  on  a  farm  in  Wayne  township, 
where  Mr.  Jorgens  died  in  1897,  aged  sixty- 
seven  years.  Mr.  Jorgens  who  was  born  in 
1821,  lived  with  his  daughter  Mrs.  Johanna 
Kiehm  of  West  Chicago  until  he  died  November 
18.  1911.  There  were  nine  children  in  the  Jor- 
gens family,  Mrs.  McCabe  being  the  second.  Mr. 
aJid  Mrs.  McCabe  have  had  five  children :  James 
Edward,  who  w-as  born  November  7,  1879;  Wil- 
liam Francis,  who  was  born  May  23,  1884;  Al- 
bert Bernard,  who  was  born  June  3,  1887;  Peter 
Cliarles.  who  was  born  December  14,  1889,  and 
Emma  Frances,  who  was  born  August  16,  1892, 
all  at  home.  Of  these  sons,  William  McCabe 
belongs  to  the  Jloderu  Woodmen  of  America, 
and  James  McCabe  to  tlie  Knights  of  Columbus 
and  Modern  Woodmen  of  America. 

Mr.  McCabe  has  devoted  his  life  to  farming, 
and  has  made  Ills  work  pay.  At  the  same  time 
he  has  established  a  reputation  for  fair  and 
honest  dealing,  and  is  recognized  as  a  good 
farmer  and  public-spirited  citizen. 

McCHESNEY,  Charles  H.  This  is  essentially 
the  age  of  the  young  man,  for  it  is  among  those 
of  the  present  generations  that  are  found  the 
most  striking  examples  of  aggre.sslve  business 
spirit  that  work  out  to  ultimate  success.  One 
of  the  best  examples  of  energetic  youthful  prog- 
ress is  to  be  found  in  the  case  of  Charles  H.  Mc- 
Cliesney  of  Glen  Ellyu,  who  although  not  much 
beyond  his  majority,  is  the  owner  of  one  of  the 
leading  mercantile  establishments  of  the  vil- 
lage, and  a  man  of  experience  and  substance. 

Mr.  McChesney  was  born  January  7,  1888,  in 
the  village  which  has  been  the  scene  of  his  re- 
markalile  business  career,  being  a  son  of  Joseph 
D.  and  Mattie  (Smith)  McChesney.  The  lad 
grew  up  here,  attending  public  school  and 
Wheaton  College,  and  when  only  sixteen  years 
old  he  entered  into  a  partnership  with  F.  L. 
Geisler,  under  the  firm  style  of  McChesney  & 
Geisler,  general  merchants.  This  association 
continued  for  two  years,  when  it  was  dissolved. 
Mr.  Parker  becoming  Mr.  McCTliesney's  partner, 
under  the  name  of  McChesney  &  Parker.  After 
three   years,    Mr.    McChesney    l)ought   Mr.    Par- 


956 


HISTORY  OF  DU  PAGE  COUNTY. 


ker's  interest,  and  now  conducts  his  busiues.s 
alone,  under  liis  own  name.  He  occupies  a 
handsome  double  store,  20  x  100  feet  and  24  x  65 
feet,  on  Main  street,  carrying  an  excellently 
assorted  stock  of  general  merchandise  which  his 
connections  enable  him  to  offer  at  prices  suit- 
able to  all  his  customers.  Mr.  McChesney  en- 
joys the  distinction  of  being  the  youngest  mer- 
chant in  the  .State  considering  his  length  of 
business  experience,  and  his  aggressive  spirit 
is  not  satisfied,  but  he  is  planning  new  ventures 
in  the  near  future. 

Mr.  McChesney  was  married  November  12, 
1907,  to  Gretchen  Jacobs,  of  Glen  Ellyn,  daugh- 
ter of  S.  T.  Jacobs,  President  of  the  Chicago 
Brick  Co.  They  have  one  daughter,  Nathalie 
Alice,  and  one  .son.  Jasper  Edgar.  Mr.  McChes- 
ney is  an  Odd  Fellow,  being  a  trustee  of  that 
organization,  and  a  member  of  the  Ways  and 
Means  Committee.  The  First  Congregational 
Church  holds  his  membership,  and  since  he  at- 
tained to  his  majority  he  has  acted  as  one  of 
its  trustees.  The  success  of  this  young  man 
lias  been  remarkable,  and  all  the  more  so  as  he 
has  never  been  too  busy  to  make  friends  or  to 
retain  them.  Genial,  energetic,  prompt  to  seize 
upon  an  opportunity  and  make  the  most  of  it, 
Mr.  McChesney  stands  in  a  class  by  himself, 
and  demonstrates  what  it  is  ix)ssible  for  a  bright 
American  to  accomplish  if  he  is  not  afraid  to 
go  ahead  and  have  perfect  confidence  in  his 
own  ability  and  business  foresight. 

McCHESNEY,  Joseph  D.,  a  banker  and  promi- 
nent business  man  of  Glen  Ellyn.  is  one  of  the 
representative  men  of  Du  Page  county.  He  is 
proud  of  his  family  history,  which  can  be  traced 
back  to  the  early  records  of  this  country.  James, 
Robert,  Hugh,  Susan  and  Martha  McChesney 
came  from  County  Armaugh.  Ireland,  prior  to 
1770,  settling  in  Vermont.  Their  descendants 
became  a  large  and  prosperous  element  in  the 
several  communities  in  which  they  located. 
The.se  descendants  marrie<l  into  equally  promi- 
nent families,  among  others  being  the  McCor- 
micks.  The  McChesney  family  is  of  Sc-oteh-Irish 
stock,  coming  as  It  did  from  the  north  of  Ire- 
land. Several  eminent  physicians  bore  this 
name. 

Mr.  Robert  McChesney,  a  native  of  Troy,  N.  Y., 
studied  medicine  with  Dr.  Joseph  White  of 
Cherry  Valley,  and  David  Little  of  Springfield, 
N.  Y.     In  1810.  he  removed  to  Madrid,  and  In 


the  year  following  to  Potsdam.  N.  Y.,  where  he 
engaged  in  practicing  his  profession  with  in- 
creasing reputation  and  success,  until  his  death 
in  182-1,  at  the  age  of  thirty-six  years.  He  was 
a  man  of  sound  judgment  and  unsurpassed  abil- 
it.v. 

John  McChesney.  one  of  the  Scotch  martyrs, 
was  banished  with  others  to  the  New  World. 
July  10,  1G84.  Members  of  this  branch  of  the 
family  served  in  the  Revolutionary  War,  coming 
from  Monmouth  and  Essex. 

The  bible  record  of  James  McChesney  is  dated 
1823.    This  bible  was  published  by  Daniel  Smith. 

David  McChesney,  born  1759,  Scotland,  proba- 
bl.v,  died  February  22.  18.39.  about  eighty  years 
old. 

James  McChesney.  sou  of  David,  born  North 
Ireland,  June  4,  1798. 

Matilda  McChesney,  wife  of  James,  born  April 
4.  1800,  on  Long  Island. 

James  McChesney,  son  of  James,  born  Febru- 
ary 12,  1825,  as  yet  living  in  Adams  county,  Wis. 

Mary  Jane,  daughter  of  James,  Sr.,  born  Feb- 
ruary 5,  1827,  died  August  C.  1827. 

Joseph  R..  son  of  James,  Sr.,  born  June  18, 
1828,  in  Newark,  N.  J. 

Susan  Matilda,  born  February  12,  18.31,  in 
Utica,  N.  Y.,  now  living  in  Glen  Ellyn,  daughter 
of  James,   Sr. 

Eliza  D.,  born  October  29,  1832,  at  Brooklyn, 
N.   Y. 

Josephine  Amelia,  born  January  28,  1847.  in 
Chicago,  daughter  of  .James  McChesney,  Jr.,  mar- 
ried Abraham  Leatherman  and  lives  in  Glen  El- 
lyn. 

Deaths. 

Mary  Jane  McChesue.v,  died  August  6,  1827. 

Eliza  D.   McChesney,  died  in  1833. 

Matilda  McChesney,  wife  of  James,  Sr..  died 
August  12,  1885. 

James  McChesney,  son  of  David,  died  April 
10,  1893.  at  Glen  Ellyn,  aged  ninety-four  years 
and  ten  months. 

Rev.  James  McChesney  died  at  Glen  Ellyn 
of  old  age  at  the  home  of  his  aged  son,  Joseph. 
He  was  one  of  ten  children,  and  the  seventh  in 
order  of  birth.  His  birth  occurred  in  County 
Monoghan,  North  Ireland,  and  he  was  a  de- 
scendant of  pure  Scotch  blood,  of  the  Highland 
Clan  of  Chasne.  During  the  troubulous  times 
of  religious  persecution,  the  family  moved  to  the 
north  of  Ireland.  His  mother  was  a  woman  of 
many  Christian  virtues.     After  her   death,  and 


<:;?^;>/^l:^;^  ^^^^^/^/^^L^ 


HISTORY  OF  DU  PAGE  COUNTY. 


957 


wlieii  he  was  ouly  seventeen  years  old,  James 
McCliesney  came  to  America,  probably  with  otUer 
members  of  the  family.  Becoming  a  convert 
to  Methodistism,  he  worked  with  that  religious 
body  until  1826,  when  he  left  because  of  his  Cal- 
viuistlc  views,  to  be  ordained  a  Congregational 
minister,  by  Dr.  Walker,  in  his  church  in  New 
York  City. 

When  he  was  ouly  twenty-three  years  old,  he 
met  the  famous  Lorenzo  Dow,  and  his  wife  Peg- 
gie, and  traveled  with  them  in  the  eastern  states, 
preaching  and  exhorting.  Mr.  McChesney  con- 
tinued to  preach  for  nearly  seventy  years,  be- 
coming a  member  of  the  Chicago  Association,  and 
preaching  in  the  vicinity  of  that  city.  He  had 
many  friends  among  in'omineut  men  of  Chicago, 
one  being  Prof.  Fisk.  Mr.  McChesuey  was  one 
of  the  early  Congregationalist  ministers  of  the 
west,  and  in  addition  to  his  preaching,  was  a 
facile  writer,  and  several  of  his  works  were  pub- 
lished, among  them  being  a  small  volume  on  the 
Divinity  of  Christ.  _ .  -  : 

James  H.  McChesuey,  sou  of  James, 'was  also 
a  minister  of  the  Congregationalist ■"CbBrfh;  "tfe- 
ing  a  powerful  preacher,  well  known  throughout 
Du  Page  county.  James  McChesuey  married  on 
April  4,  182-1,  Matilda  Davis,  probably,.  J>o»i*-'(>n  ^ 
Long  Island.  They  made  their  home'fo\'  ifaOFe 
than  fifty  years  at  Dauby,  now  Gleii  Ellyn. 

Joseph  R.  McChesuey,  son  of  James  H.  JIc- 
Chesney,  and^  father  of  Joseph  D.  McChesuey, 
was  born  in  Newark,  N.  J.,  June  18,  1828.  In 
early  life,  he  was  an  iron  worker,  with  busi- 
ness connections  at  Newark,  but  when  about 
seventeen  years  old,  he  came  to  Illinois,  arriv- 
ing here  in  1845.  He  married  in  Hanover.  Cook 
county,  about  1852,  Elizabeth  Leathermau,  born 
in  the  same  place,  about  1835,  a  daughter  of  Ab- 
raham and  Ann  Leatherman.  Abraham  Leather- 
mau was  a  pioneer  farmer  of  Cook  county,  de- 
scended from  Holland-Dutch  stock  which  had 
been  established,  very  probably,  in  Pennsylvania. 

Having  come  west,  Joseph  R.  McChesuey  settled 
in  Danby,  where  he  engaged  in  a  mercantile 
business  prior  to  the  Civil  War.  On  the  out- 
break of  this  conflict,  he  left  bis  business  in  the 
hands  of  his  father,  James  McChesney,  and  en- 
listed, being  a  recruiting  office  at  Dauby,  assist- 
ing in  forming  Company  H,  the  One  Hundred  and 
Forty-first  Illinois  Volunteer  Infantry,  lieiug  en- 
rolled himself  on  May  2,  1802,  as  a  private,  but 
mustered  in  as  a  lieutenant.  He  was  honorably 
discharged    October     10,     1864.      Returning     to 


Danb.v,  he  resumed  his  mercantile  operations, 
continuing  them  until  just  prior  to  his  death. 
He  then  sold  out  to  his  sou,  Edgar.  His  firm 
name  was  Joseph  R.  McChesney  &  Co.,  and  he 
made  it  a  well  known  one  in  his  county.  His 
partner  was  Joseph  D.  McChesuey.  After  the 
death  of  the  father,  the  two  brothers  carried 
on  the  business,  organizing  under  the  caption  of 
McChesney  Brothers,  contiuuing  together  for 
many  years.  Joseph  R.  McChesuey  was  a  suc- 
cessful business  man,  and  widely  respected.  He 
was  a  member  of  the  Odd  Fellows,  passing  all 
the  chairs  iueludiug  that  of  uoble  grand,  and 
represented  his  lodge  at  the  Grand  Lodge.  He 
was  also  a  JIasou,  belonging  to  the  Wheaton 
Lodge.  One  of  the  original  Republicans  he  cast 
his  vote  for  Abraham  Lincoln.  Mr.  McChesney 
was  one  of  the  organizers  of  the  E.  S.  Kelly 
Post.  G.  A.  R.  of  Dauby,  and  was  its  first  quart- 
ermaster. A  citizen  of  repute  and  serving  his 
village  very  acceptably  as  president  of  its  board 
■for  some  years,  he  had  the  distinciton  of  being 
pne_  Of  the  village  organizers.  For  two  terms 
lie'  sei^ved  Danby  as  postmaster,  i-eeeiving  his 
commission  from  President  Grant.  Mr.  Ohes- 
ney  aiAl  wife  had  the  following  children:     Wil- 

'luTIu,  viho  died  in  infancy;  Joseph  D.,  who  was 
born  October  30,  1837;  Edgar  H.,  who  was  born 

--STpTeinber  30,   1839,  and  Matilda   E.,  who  died 
iu  infancy. 

Joseph  D.  McChesney  was  born  at  Sehura, 
Cook  county.  111.,  and  received  a  common  school 
education.  Coming  to  Danby  when  about  thir- 
teen years  old,  he  continued  to  attend  school 
until  he  entered  the  store  of  H.  T.  Cox,  an  hon- 
ored merchant  of  Danby,  remaining  with  him  for 
two  years.  He  then  entered  his  father's  estab- 
lishment as  a  clerk,  serving  thus  until  he  was 
eighteen  years  old.  At  this  time  he  became  an 
employe  of  William  M.  Hoyt,  and  remained  with 
him  for  three  years.  In  the  spring  of  1878,  he 
became  a  partner  of  his  father,  remaining  with 
this  firm  until  1885,  when  its  name  was  changed 
to  that  of  McChesney  Brothers,  which  associa- 
tion he  maintained  until  1004.  Iu  that  year,  Mr 
McChesney  became  one  of  the  f<nniders  and 
stockholders  of  the  Glen  Ellyn  State  Bank,  with 
.>  capital  stock  of  .$25,000.  Mr.  McChesney  was 
elected  cashier  of  this  Institution,  and  is  giving 
it  the  benefit  of  his  wise  counsel  and  wiAe  ex- 
perience. Iu  political  opinions,  he  is  a  Repub- 
lican, and  has  served  as  a  member  of  the  village 
council    for  .many    years.      Fraternally   he   is   a 


958 


HISTORY  OF  DU  PAGE  COUNTY. 


member  of  Danby  Lodge  No.  187,  Glen  Kllyu, 
I.  O.  O.  F.,  aud  has  beeu  treasurer  of  this  lodge, 
represented  his  lodge  to  the  Grand  Lodge,  aud 
otherwise  prominent  in  it. 

On  November  7,  187s.  .Mr.  McChesney  was 
married  in  Glen  EUyn  to  Mattie  Smith,  born 
near  Lansing,  Mich.,  in  1855,  a  daughter  of  John 
and  Ann  (Smith)  Smith.  For  many  years  Mr. 
Smith  was  one  of  the  pioneer  farmers  of  Milton 
township,  becoming  the  owner  of  300  acres  of 
valuable  land.  He  was  born  in  England,  but 
came  to  America  when  about  twenty-eight  years 
old.  His  wife,  too,  was  born  in  England.  After 
arrival  here,  they  located  on  a  farm  near  Lan- 
sing, Mich.,  later  moving  to  Bloomington,  111., 
buying  land,  but  in  1865,  they  sold,  to  come  to 
Du  Page  county.  Here  he  died  in  1905,  but  his 
wife  died  some  years  prior  to  his  demise.  Mr. 
and  'Mrs.  Smith  had  children  as  folows :  Mary 
Jane,   Joseph   R.,   Charles  aud   Mattie. 

Mr.  and  Mrs.  McChesney  became  the  parents 
of  the  following  children  :  Sadie  Valerie,  who 
was  born  March  20,  1882;  Charles  Henry,  who 
was  born  January  7,  1888 ;  Alice  Ann,  who  was 
born  in  April.  1880.  Sadie  McChesney  married 
Magnes  Hanson,  they  reside  in  Chicago,  aud 
have  one  sou,  Magnes.  Charles  H.  married 
Gretchen  Jacob,  and  is  a  merchant  of  Glen 
Ellyn.  He  and  his  wife  have  one  child,  Nath- 
lie.  All  of  the  children  of  Mr.  and  Mrs.  Joseph 
D.  McChesney  have  been  liberally  educated,  and 
Sadie  and  Charles  H.  attended  \\1ieaton  College. 

McCLINTOCK,  James,  Postmaster  of  Hinsdale. 
is  a  man  whose  life  Is  an  exemplification  of  the 
fact  that  real  worth  receives  appropriate  recog- 
nition. From  childhood,  Mr.  McClintock  has 
shaped  his  life  according  to  the  precepts  taught 
him  by  his  excellent  parents,  and  has  gradually 
developed  into  a  solid,  substantial  man  and 
public-spirited  citizen,  steadfast  in  his  perform- 
ance of  the  duties  of  the  government  office  he 
so  ably  fills.  Mr.  McClintock  was  born  at  Lyons- 
ville.  111.,  in  the  county  of  Cook,  April  3,  1848, 
a  son  of  James  and  Phoebe  (Lane)  McClintock. 
The  father  was  born  at  Fredonia,  Chautauqua 
County,  N.  Y..  May  6,  1806,  and  died  May  18, 
1896.  His  wife  was  born  in  St.  Lawrence 
County,  N.  Y.  The  father  was  a  farmer  who 
moved  to  Illinois  on  August  12.  18.3-1,  but  in  the 
spring  of  1835.  went  to  Milwaukee.  Wis.,  where 
in  the  fall  of  1834,  he  built  a  boat,  but  did  not 
launch     it     until     October     2,     1838.      At     this 


time,  Milwaukee  was  only  a  trading  post,  and 
his  boat  was  the  first  to  be  launched  at  the 
place.  While  thus  engaged,  Mr.  McClintock 
boarded  with  a  Frenchman  by  the  name  of  Salla- 
mau  Jeaiieaur.  Returning  to  Illinois,  he  spent 
the  remainder  of  his  useful  life  in  this  State, 
marrying  here  in  1837. 

James  McClintock,  the  younger,  grew  up  to 
manhood  in  a  normal  way  at  Lyonsville  and 
Hinsdale,  and  received  a  good  public  school  edu- 
cation iu  the  schools  of  the  two  places.  With 
the  exception  of  two  years  spent  in  Kansas  as 
agent  for  a  railroad  company,  Mr.  McClintock 
has  passed  his  life  in  this  State.  In  1870  he 
returned  from  Kansas,  and  until  1890  occupied 
himself  with  farming.  In  that  year  he  left 
the  old  farm  and  came  to  Hinsdale,  where  he 
embarked  in  a  real  estate  and  insurance  busi- 
ness, and  in  this  connection  had  an  important 
work  to  perform  in  the  development  of  realty 
values  in  this  beautiful  little  city  of  Du  Page 
County.  He  also  wrote  some  of  the  most 
important  in.surance  taken  out  in  this  vicinity, 
representing  as  he  did  many  of  the  leading 
companies  of  the  country. 

Always  a  staunch  Republican,  he  was  called 
upon  to  discharge  the  duties  of  several  offices, 
and  from  1895  until  1907  he  sen'ecj,  continuously 
as  Supervisor  from  Downer's  Grove  Township. 
In  the  latter  year  he  was  appointed  Postmaster 
of  Hinsdale,  and  has  continued  iu  office,  being 
the  present  incumbent.  Tlie  office  has  never 
been  so  well  managed  as  at  present,  for  Mr. 
McClintock  gives  the  government  affairs  his 
personal  supervision,  and  takes  a  pride  in  main- 
taining and  increasing  the  efficiency  of  the 
service. 

On  December  23,  1872,  Mr.  McClintock  was 
married  in  Chicago  to  Augusta  Reynolds,  born 
at  Sterling,  111.,  September  2,  1851,  daughter  of 
William  H.  and  Fannie  (Fell)  Reynolds.  The 
Reynolds  were  of  English  origin,  coming  to 
America  about  18.39.  Mr.  and  Mrs.  McClintock 
have  had  two  children :  Birney,  born  January 
8,  1874 ;  and  Grace,  born  October  13,  1878.  Mr. 
McClintock  is  a  member  of  the  Loyal  American 
order  and  the  Knights  of  Pythias,  both  of  Hins- 
dale, and  is  interested  iu  fraternal  matters. 

Long  after  his  life  jxige  is  turned,  Mr.  Mc- 
Clintock will  be  remembered,  and  his  record 
will  stand  not  only  because  of  his  public  service, 
but  also  on  account  of  liis  worth  as  a  private 
citizen,    for   as   such   his   influence  has   always 


HISTORY  OF  DU  PAGE  COUNTY. 


959 


been  directed  towards  securing  a  betterment  of 
existing  conditions  and  the  upbolding  of  high 
moral  standards. 

McCREDIE,  William.  Some  of  the  older  resi- 
dents of  Hinsdale  are  proud  of  the  fact  that  they 
came  to  the  village  when  it  consisted  of  but  a 
few  houses,  and  grew  up  with  it,  participating 
in  all  its  advancement,  and  materially  aiding  in 
all  the  improvements.  One  of  the  oldest  resi- 
dents of  this  delightful  residence  district  of 
Du  Page  County  is  William  McCredie.  He  was 
born  June  9,  1832,  in  Wigtonshire,  Scotland, 
and  has  had  a  long  and  useful  life.  He  is  a 
son  of  William  and  Margaret  (McKinnon)  Mc- 
Credie. 

William  McCredie,  the  younger,  went  to  the 
country  school  and  night  school,  until  he  was 
thirteen,  working  at  odd  times  on  the  property 
his  father  was  managing.  When  he  had  reached 
that  age,  in  1848,  he  went  to  Glasgow  to  enter 
the  employ  of  the  Edinboro  &  Glasgow  Railroad 
as  office  boy,  and  for  the  following  nine  years 
he  was  engaged  in  railroad  work,  eight  of  them 
being  spent  with  his  first  employers.  Realizing 
his  lack  of  education,  this  ambitious  young  man 
worked  hard  all  day.  and  at  night  went  to  night 
school.  Owing  to  his  faithfulness,  he  rose  to  the 
position  of  senior  clerk,  but  on  April  S,  1857,  he 
left  to  come  to  London,  Canada.  He  spent  eight 
months  in  that  city,  when  he  came  to  the  Ameri- 
can side  trusting  for  better  luck,  for  he  had 
failed  to  secure  employment  in  Canada,  and  was 
penniless.  Making  his  way  to  Chicago,  he  soon 
found  work  with  the  Chicago,  Burlington  & 
Quincy  Railroad,  entering  its  employ  on  August 
25,  1857,  as  a  clerk  in  the  general  freight  offices. 
Following  this  to  1865.  he  filled  varioas  posi- 
tions. From  then  on,  hi.s  promotion  was  rapid, 
he  at  last  being  made  general  auditor  of  the 
Freight  Department,  thus  continuing  until  1887, 
when  he  was  forced  to  resign  on  account  of  ill 
health.  Since  then  he  has  lived  retired  from 
active  business.  In  1860  Mr.  McCredie  came  to 
Hinsdale  when  there  were  only  five  or  six  houses 
in  the  place,  and  erected  a  beautiful  residence. 
Since  then  he  has  been  active  in  civic  affairs, 
serving  as  Village  Trustee  for  three  terms,  two 
years  as  Secretary  of  the  Board  of  Health,  and 
tn'o  years  as  Treasurer  of  the  Library  Board, 
being  a  faithful  and  consientious  official.  Mr. 
McCredie  belongs  to  the  National  Union. 

On  January  18,  1869,  Mr.  SIcCredie  was  mar- 


ried to  Miss  Jeanie  Logan  Stewart,  of  Aurora, 
111.,  daughter  of  Thomas  and  Jeanie  (Logan) 
Stewart.  Their  two  sons,  William  Logan  and 
Thomas  Stewart,  died  of  scarlet  fever  when 
seven  and  eight  years  old.  The  daughter.  Miss 
Jeanie,  is  at  home.  Mr.  McCredie  has  been  one 
of  the  most  interested  of  Hinsdale's  residents, 
always  desiring  improvements,  and  exerting 
himself  to  secure  them,  and  good  government, 
both  as  an  official  and  a  private  citizen. 

McCURDY,  George  L.  While  a  native  of  Mass- 
achusetts, like  many  of  the  eastern  men  he 
found  a  better  opportunity  in  the  west  and  be- 
came a  resident  of  Hinsdale  many  years  ago. 
He  has  always  shown  a  deep  intere.st  in  Hins- 
dale and  lis  development. 

McLERAN,    George    Ralph,    general    agent    for 

the  Home  Life  Insurance  Company,  of  New  York, 
with  business  offices  in  Chicago,  resides  at  Hins- 
dale. He  was  born  at  Neiwnset.  111.,  August  7. 
1868,  a  son  of  William  and  Betsey  (Blanchard) 
McLeran.  Mr.  McLeran  was  educated  in  the 
public  schools  at  Audubon,  la.,  and  the  Omaha, 
Neb.,  Commercial  College,  and  entered  business- 
life  as  salesman  for  the  Crane  Company,  of 
Omaha,  remaining  as  such  for  seven  years. 
Later  he  spent  three  years  in  Chicago  as  sales- 
man for  the  Rundle-Speuce  Manufacturing  Com- 
pany, of  Milwaukee,  Wis.  In  these  connections, 
he  gained  much  valuable  experience  and  pre- 
pared himself  for  the  positions  he  has  since 
held. 

Mr.  McLeran  entered  the  insurance  business 
February  1,  1898,  and  spent  thirteen  years  In 
Chicago  as  representative  and  special  agent  of 
the  Northwestern  Mutual  Life  Insurance  Com- 
pany, of  Milwaukee.  On  January  1,  1911,  he 
entered  upon  his  present  duties.  The  Home 
Life  Insurance  Compauy  is  one  of  the  older  in- 
surance organizations,  having  been  established 
in  1860,  and  writes  up  good  business  throughout 
the  country.  Mr.  McLeran  has  business  ability 
of  a  high  order,  and  an  established  reputation,  so 
secures  his  full  share  of  patronage  in  his  field. 
He  has  been  a  resident  of  Hinsdale  since  May, 
1904,  but  lived  several  years  in  Chicago  prior 
to  that  time.  He  is  much  interested  in  local 
affairs  and  in  the  well-being  of  the  community. 
In  politics,  he  is  an  independent  Republican. 

On  September  i,  1894,  Mr.  McLeran  married 
Sliss  Neole  Ogden,  this  event  taking  place  at 
Council  Bluffs.  One'  child,  Donald  Ogden,  has 
blessed  this  union. 


960 


HISTORY  OF  DU  PAGE  COUNTY. 


MEIER,  Frederick,  deceased,  an  old  settler  of 
Du  I'age  county,  was  a  native  of  Hanover,  Ger- 
many, born  January  20,  1817,  and  reared  and 
educated  iu  his  native  land.  He  came  to  Amer- 
ica In  1848,  making  the  journey  on  a  sailing 
vessel  that  tooli  six  weeks  in  crossing.  After 
lauding,  he  came  by  way  of  the  St.  Lawrence 
river  and  the  Great  Lakes  to  Chicago,  and  thence 
to  Du  Page  county,  where  he  spent  the  re- 
mai)ider  of  his  life.  He  bought  195  acres  of  land 
on  section  30,  Addison  township,  erecting  all  the 
buildings  on  this  place,  including  a  good  sub- 
stantial house  and  barns;  purchased  IGO  acres 
of  land  in  Bloomlngdale  township;  240  acres  in 
Will  county  and  eighteen  acres  of  timberland 
in  Milton  and  York  townships.  An  extensive 
and  successful  farmer  he  had  good  standing  in 
the  c^ommunity,  and  for  three  years  served  as 
road  commissioner  and  took  an  active  interest 
iu  the  welfare  and  progress  of  the  community. 
Mr.  Meier  had  married  in  Germany,  Dorothy 
KTUse,  a  daughter  of  Henry  and  Dorothy 
(Meyer)  Kruse,  and  they  had  two  children  at 
the  time  they  came  to  America :  Mary,  who 
died  at  the  age  of  twelve  years,  and  Christina, 
who  is  deceased.  They  became  parents  of  five 
children  after  they  arrived  in  Du  Page  county, 
namely :  Louise,  who  is  deceased ;  Frederick, 
who  is  given  mention  in  the  succeeding  para- 
graph ;  Emma,  Mrs.  August  Plass,  who  died  In 
September,  1895;  and  Amelia,  who  died  at  the 
age  of  three  years. 

Frederick  Meier,  Jr.,  who  was  born  in  Ad- 
dison township,  Du  Page  county,  June  9,  1853, 
attended  the  German  schools  until  he  was  four- 
teen years  of  age,  and  then  for  two  years  at- 
tended the  public  schools.  He  has  always  fol- 
lowed farming  and  now  lives  on  the  home  place, 
which  he  has  tiled  and  improved  in  various 
other  ways.  Mr.  Meier  has  purchased  two  other 
farms,  of  118  and  144  acres  of  laud,  one  in  Ad- 
dison and  the  other  in  Bloomlngdale  township, 
being  an  enterprising  and  progressive  farmer 
who  is  held  in  high  esteem.  He  is  a  member  and 
active  worker  of  the  Lutheran  Church. 

On  December  16,  1881,  Mr.  Meier  was  married 
to  Emma  Leeseberg,  daughter  of  Frederick  and 
Mary  (Wegener)  Leeseberg,  who  was  born  In 
Addison  township  April  26,  1861.  The  Leese- 
berg family  is  given  rather  extensive  mention 
in  this  work  iu  connection  with  the  sketch  of 
E.  H.  W.  Leeseberg.  Mr.  Meier  and  wife  have 
five  children,  as  follows:     Ernst,  who  was  born 


Septenilier  9,  1883,  married  and  lives  on  one  of 
his  father's  farms  in  Addison  township;  Paul- 
ine, who  was  born  October  10,  1885,  married 
Albert  Marquardt  and  they  live  fin  a  farm  in 
Bloomlngdale  township ;  Alma,  who  was  born 
May  29,  1888,  married  A.  Brackmanu,  lives  in 
the  town  of  Bloomingdale ;  Edwin,  who  was 
born  May  3.  1893,  and  Martin,  who  was  born 
August  8,  1890. 

MENSCHING,  William  C,  a  successful  business 
man  of  Elmhurst,  is  a  native  of  Illinois,  born 
in  Elk  Grove  township,  Cook  county,  111.,  Oc- 
tober 27,  ISOS.  son  of  Fred  and  Mary  (Schwacke) 
Mensching,  the  former  a  native  of  Schaumberg, 
Cook  county,  and  the  latter  of  Hesse  Darmstadt, 
Germany.  The  paternal  grandfather.  Christian 
Mensching,  came  to  Schaumberg  and  two  years 
later  bought  land  in  Elk  Grove  township,  where 
he  died  in  1882.  His  widow  resided  iu  Cook 
county  until  1893,  then  went  to  Bremer  county, 
Iowa,  where  she  married  AV.  H.  Seeger.  She 
died  in  her  new  home  in  May,  1910.  Fred  Men- 
sching and  wife  had  children  as  follows :  Mary, 
Mrs.  Herman  Seeger,  of  Desplaines,  111. ;  Wil- 
liam C. ;  Henry,  of  Bremer  county,  Iowa  :  Sophia, 
Mi-s.  Conrad  Seeger,  of  Desplaines ;  Fred  and 
Herman  of  Bremer  county,  Iowa  ;  Minnie,  Mrs. 
Herman  Iluhe,  of  Texas;  Edward,  of  Bremer 
county. 

Mr.  Mensching  was  educated  in  the  public 
schools  and  lived  with  his  mother  until  he  was 
eighteen  years  of  age.  He  learned  the  carpenter 
trade,  followiug  it  ten  years.  Later  he  worked 
for  a  merchant  iu  Desplaines.  and  in  that  place 
also  carried  on  business  on  his  own  account  for 
some  time.  Selling  out  in  1907,  he  located  In 
Elmhurst,  where  he  has  developed  a  successful 
business,  one  of  the  largest  of  its  kind  in  that 
place.  He  was  married  October  30,  1898,  to  An- 
nie Raack,  a  native  of  Germany,  daughter  of 
August  Raack,  of  Desplaines.  Three  children 
have  been  born  of  this  union  :  Edwin,  on  June 
17,  1899 ;  Phebe,  on  March  4,  1901 ;  and  Elmer, 
on  December  14,  1910.  Mr.  Mensching  is  a 
member  of  the  Lutheran  Church  and  has  many 
warm  friends  in  the  community. 

MERRILL,  John  C.  F.  In  the  history  of  Hins- 
dale no  name  stands  higher  or  forth  more  prom- 
inently than  that  of  John  C.  F.  Merrill,  who  has 
been  intimately  associated  with  the  birth  and 
subsequent  development  of  this  most  desirable 


b 


«     ^-^    \ 


HISTORY  OF  DU  PAGE  COUNTY. 


961 


of  residence  districts  of  Dii  Page  County.  .VI- 
though  Mr.  Merrill's  activities  have  made  him 
a  well-known  figure  In  the  commercial  life  of 
Chicago,  and  placed  him  at  the  head  of  the 
Board  of  Trade  in  which  he  has  long  been  a 
potent  factor,  It  is  with  regard  to  his  senices 
to  Hinsdale,  that  he  is  most  interesting.  Mr. 
Merrill  was  born  at  Bergen,  Genessee  County, 
N.  Y.,  in  1S51,  being  a  son  of  Daniel  T.  and  El- 
vira M.  (Hudson)  Merrill.  In  1S7S,  after  hav- 
ing received  a  common  school  education,  Mr. 
Merrill  came  to  Chicago,  and  in  1SS6,  located 
at  Hinsdale.  Prior  to  this  his  experiences  had 
been  somewhat  varied,  he  having  conducted  a 
general  store  at  South  Byron,  X.  T.,  and  been  a 
traveling  salesman  for  a  dry  goods  concern.  He 
was  also  in  the  grain  business  for  four  and  one- 
half  years  in  Rockford,  III.  While  his  home  has 
been  in  Hinsdale  ever  since  1886,  Mr.  Merrill 
has  operated  in  Chicago  as  a  grain  commission 
merchant,  the  name  of  his  first  firm  having  been 
Agard,  Ross  &  Merrill.  Changes  were  made  in 
the  firm,  until  it  is  now  Merrill  &  Lyon,  with 
offices  at  No.  88  Board  of  Trade.  The  junior 
partner  of  the  firm  has  also  been  honored  with 
the  presidency  of  the  Board  of  Trade,  Mr.  Mer- 
rill succeeding  him  in  office.  Thfr  operafi'oiis  '-of 
the  firm  are  of  great  magnitude,*  and  itheifjoju^lei 
of  business  controlled  by  the  contern  is  immense. 
While  it  is  difficult  to  realize  that  beautiful 
Hinsdale,  the  de  luxe  edition  oj  suburbap^^resj;, 
dential  districts  was  ever  other  t^im-  ifc-is^^oi 
day,  yet  the  fact  remains  that  when  Mr.  IVIer^ 
rill  selected  it  as  his  home,  it  was  only  a  little 
village,  minus  sidewalks,  sewers,  electric  lights, 
while  the  streets  were  unpaved  and  after  a  rain 
almost  impassable.  From  the  first  Mr.  Jlerrill 
took  hold  with  a  vigor  that  awakened  people 
from  their  sloth,  and  finally  developed  the 
present  magnificent  conditions.  For  four  years 
as  a  member  of  the  Board  of  Trustees,  Mr.  Mer- 
rill exerted  himself,  but  it  was  not  until  he  was 
solicited  to  become  its  president  that  he  felt  he 
could  bring  about  the  ends  he  desired.  Before 
allowing  his  candidacy  to  be  announced,  Mr. 
Merrill  insisted  that  his  platform  be  recognized, 
and  came  out  boldly  for  improvements  along  all 
lines.  He  advocated  paving  and  lighting  of  the 
streets,  laying  of  sidewalks,  and  Inauguration  of 
all  the  improvements  necessary  to  make  It  a 
modern  city.  The  people  showed  that  they  ap- 
proved of  his  ideas,  by  electing  him  by  a  large 
majority,    and    during    his    incumbency    of    the 


office,  twenty  miles  of  sidewalks  were  laid; 
twenty  miles  of  sewers  constructed ;  an  electric 
light  plant  installed  and  the  streets  were  paved, 
so  that  his  pre-election  promises  were  carried 
out  generously.  Full  explanations  had  been 
made  that  these  improvements  would  necessitate 
increase  of  taxes,  and  the  imposition  of  special 
assessments,  but  the  people  were  willing  to  in- 
cur the  expense  when  they  realized  the  benefits 
accruing.  The  work  of  erecting  and  equipping 
the  electric  light  plant  was  carried  forward 
witliout  the  aid  of  an  engineer,  Mr.  Merrill  over- 
seeing it  himself  to  save  that  expense,  and  so 
thoroughly  did  he  execute  his  part,  that  one  of 
Chicago's  most  expert  construction  engineers 
called  in  to  pass  upon  the  finished  work,  de- 
clared that  it  was  executed  as  well  as  he  or  any 
other  of  his  profession  could  have  done.  In  this 
way  Mr.  Merrill  saved  the  people  of  Hinsdale 
$500  which  sum  was  expended  in  other  direc- 
ti(ms.  His  interest  has  not  moderated,  but  he 
can  always  be  counted  upon  to  neglect  private 
affairs  whenever  his  city  has  need  of  his  ser- 
vices, so  enthusiastic  has  he  always  been  with 
reference  to  his  home. 

Mr.  Merrill  was  married  March  25,  1885,  at 
■  Gallon,    O.,    to    Sarah    Bush   Linsley.    Mr.    and 

'  Mrs.  Merrill  have  two  children :  Charlotte  and 
Ralph.  Ever  since  casthig  his  first  vote,  Mr. 
Merrill   has   been   a    Republican.     The   Congre- 

...gatibnal  Church  of  Hinsdale  holds  his  member- 

« .ship;  and  benefits  by  his  liberality. 

_^._F<5r  two  years  Mr.  Merrill  was  vice  president 
of  the  Board  of  Trade  of  Chicago,  and  January, 
1911.  was  placed  at  its  head  as  chief  executive 
officer.  The  importance  of  this  office  is  in  pro- 
portion to  the  magnitude  of  the  operations  of 
those  connected  with  the  Board.  These  opera- 
tions constitute  a  very  valuable  addition  to  the 
business  life  of  Chicago  and  the  whole  country, 
and  to  handle  the  affairs  of  so  high  an  office  re- 
quires long  and  varied  experience,  combined 
with  sagacity  and  dignified  capacity. 

MIDDAUGH,  Henry  C.  When  a  man  has  lived 
honorably  and  industriously,  strenuously  em- 
jiloying  energy  towards  the  aeouirement  of  suf- 
ficient capital  to  justify  his  retirement  when  old 
age  overtakes  him,  he  has  earned  repose  in  his 
declining  years.  Many  men  prefer  to  work  hard 
for  a  certain  period,  never  sparing  themselves, 
so  that  later  on  they  can  retire  upon  their 
money,  and  then  give  attention  to  civic  matters. 


962 


HISTORY  OF  DU  PAGE  COUNTY. 


and  the  carrying  out  of  cherished  plans.  Du 
Page  County  once  was  the  scene  of  pioneer  hard- 
ships. Those  who  came  to  this  locality  in  its 
early  days,  suffered,  worked  and  the  best  of 
them  succeeded.  Indians  and  wild  conditions 
generally  opposed  advancement,  but  all  were 
swept  away  in  the  mighty  onward  wave  of  civi- 
lization. 

The  Pioneer  history  of  this  section  of  Illinois, 
has  been  written  up  in  another  portion  of  the 
work,  but  all  who  participated  in  the  work  of 
bringing  into  the  civilized  fold  any  part  of  the 
county,  should  receive  full  meed  of  praise.  A 
man  whose  name  has  been  long  and  intimately 
associated  with  Du  Page  County  history,  is 
Henry  C.  Middaugh,  now  retired,  living  in  his 
comfortable  home  at  Clarendon  Hills.  He  is  a 
man  of  sterling  worth,  whose  merits  are  fully 
appreciated,  and  his  efforts  and  ideas  regarding 
civic  matters,  receive  respectful  attention  from 
his  neighbors. 

Mr.  Middaugh  was  born  February  19,  1833, 
In  Scio,  Allegany  County,  N.  Y.,  and  he  came  to 
Illinois  in  1855,  locating  first  at  Chicago.  From 
1859  to  1866,  he  was  associated  with  Lyman  J. 
Gage  in  the  Merchants  Loan  &  Trust  Company 
of  Chicago. 

Coming  to  Du  Page  County,  he  devoted  him- 
self to  farming,  owning  large  tracts  of  land  at 
different  periods,  but  as  he  grew  older,  he  felt 
the  weight  of  his  years  upon  him,  and  yielding 
to  the  solicitations  of  his  family  retired  to  his 
piesent  home,  which  he  purchased  in  1869.  Few 
men  stand  higher  in  Du  Page  County  than  this 
lionorable,  upright,  Christian  gentleman,  whose 
life  has  been  spent  in  an  endeavor  to  do  his  full 
duty  as  he  has  seen  it,  and  to  give  everyone  a 
square  deal. 

MILLER,  Francis,  deceased.  Not  until  a  man 
has  passed  from  all  earthly  things  is  his  charac- 
ter fully  appreciated  or  understood.  Some  of 
the  most  benevolent  men  hide  their  good  deeds 
during  their  lives,  and  it  is  only  through  the  grief 
of  those  who  have  benefited  liy  the  kind-hearted 
generosity  of  the  dead,  that  charities  are  re- 
vealed. One  of  the  men  who  was  long  an  im- 
portant figure  in  the  life  of  Downer's  Grove 
was  the  late  Francis  Miller,  intimately  asso- 
ciated with  the  building  trade  of  his  vicinity. 
Mr.  Miller  was  born  in  Holland.  N.  T.,  July  26, 
1834.  and  passed  away  at  Downer's  Grove  Octo- 
ber 7.  1898.    His  parents  dying  when  he  was  ten 


years  of  age  Mr.  Miller  was  reared  by  his  grand- 
parents, living  with  them  and  giving  them  the 
assistance  of  his  youthful  efforts,  until  he  at- 
tained to  his  majority.  Having  learned  the  car- 
penter trade,  he  sought  a  field  where  there 
would  be  opportunity  for  him  to  carry  on  his 
work,  and  selecting  Downer's  Grove  came  to 
Du  Page  County  in  the  fifties.  Here  he  found 
prompt  recognition,  and  erected  many  of  the 
best  business  blocks  and  residences  of  the  place, 
iucluding  the  handsome  Curtiss  home.  He  con- 
tinued a  builder  and  contractor  until  his  demise. 

On  November  30,  1871,  Mr.  Miller  married 
Miss  Emma  J.  Foster,  a  daughter  of  Alexander 
and  Nancy  Olivia  (Adams)  Foster.  The  former 
was  a  contractor  and  builder  prior  to  the  Civil 
War,  but  was  disabled  in  that  great  struggle. 
A  sketch  Of  Mr.  Foster  is  given  elsewhere  in 
tills  work.  Mrs.  Miller  has  been  very  active  in 
many  movements  of  Du  Page  County.  A  mem- 
ber of  the  Eastern  Star,  she  is  now  Past  Worthy 
Matron  of  that  organization.  For  eight  years 
she  served  earnestly  and  well  as  Commander 
of  the  L.  O.  T.  M..  while  as  a  member  of  the 
Woman's  Club  of  Downer's  Grove  she  has  been 
closely  identified  with  all  of  the  progressive 
work  of  it,  serving  effectively  during  one  term 
as  its  President.  The  present  excellent  condi- 
tion of  the  Library  Association  Is  due  to  her 
efforts  in  large  part,  and  she  has  the  distinction 
of  being  one  of  its  founders. 

Mrs.  Miller  is  a  lady  of  modest  and  retiring 
ideas,  shrinking  from  having  her  good  deeds 
made  public,  but  it  is  only  her  due  to  make  a 
bare  statement  of  facts  for  what  she  has  accom- 
plished for  her  sex  and  the  general  welfare  of 
Du  Page  County,  forms  an  important  part  of  its 
history.  Charitable  to  a  marked  degree,  she  has 
quietly  gone  on  her  way,  trying  to  aid  all  who 
appealed  to  her,  and  giving  generously  not  only 
of  her  money,  but  of  what  was  better,  her  sym- 
pathy and  wise  and  experienced  advice. 

MINK,  Owen  J.,  M.  D.  The  career  of  Owen  J. 
Mink  has  been  notably  one  of  achievement  and 
advancement  since  he  completed  his  literary  and 
medical  education.  An  only  child,  left  fatherless 
when  about  one  year  old,  his  early  ambitions 
and  aspirations  were  nurtured  by  the  loving  care 
and  advice  of  a  wise  and  conscientious  mother, 
w-ho  centered  upon  him  all  her  affection  and  in- 
terest in  the  future.  Dr.  Mink  was  horn  in  Will 
County  April  26,  1879,  son  of  Owen  and  Anna  M. 


HISTORY  OF  DU  PAGE  COUNTY. 


963 


(Stover)  Mink,  natives  of  Pennsylvania,  the 
father  born  at  Allentown  in  1840,  and  the 
awther  born  in  York  County,  but  a  resident  of 
Du  rage  County,  111.,  from  the  age  of  ten  years. 
The  former  was  a  farmer  in  early  life  but  at  the 
time  of  his  death,  in  ISSO,  was  engaged  in  mer- 
cantile business  in  Will  County.  He  had  come 
to  Lombard,  111.,  as  a  young  man  and  was  mar- 
ried iu  the  county  September  25,  1SG2. 

Dr.  Mink  received  his  early  education  in  the 
common  school,  was  graduated  from  Oak  Park 
High  School  and  spent  six  years  in  the  Univer- 
sity of  Michigan,  taking  a  literary  and  medical 
course,  being  graduated  from  the  former  in 
1902,  with  degree  of  A.  B.,  and  two  years  later, 
from  the  medical  department,  with  degree  of 
M.  D.  Following  this  he  spent  six  months  in 
the  United  States  Naval  Medical  School  at 
Washington  and  his  first  government  service 
was  ivi  the  marine  hospital  at  Philadelphia, 
where  he  remained  from  July  to  October.  He 
speut  the  following  winter  in  Washington  and 
was  then  sent  to  the  Island  of  Guam,  in  the 
I'acific  Ocean,  and  for  two  and  one-half  years 
was  connected  with  the  Government  dispensary 
and  hospital.  He  went  thence  to  Yokohama, 
Japan,  and  spent  four  months  in  a  naval  hospi- 
tal, and  then  returned  to  Washington,  where  he 
was  given  the  title  of  Past  Assistant  Surgeon 
and  became  an  instructor  in  the  medical  school. 
Dr.  Mink  at  present  is  senior  medical  officer  on 
the  battleship  West  Virginia  now  in  the  Pacific. 
His  life  of  usefulness  and  achievement  Is  a 
source  of  great  satisfaction  and  pride  to  his 
mother,  whose  faith  in  his  ability  and  high  char- 
acter have  been  justitied. 

MOCHEL,  Valentine,  a  retired  farmer  living  at 
Downer's  Grove,  111.,  has  spent  most  of  his  life 
iu  Du  Page  County.  He  was  born  at  Porto, 
France.  February  0,  1847,  a  son  of  John  and 
Catherine  (Bohner)  Moehel,  natives  of  Alsace. 
The  parents  came  to  America  and  settled  in 
Downer's  Grove  Township,  Du  Page  County,  in 
1854.  The  father  purchased  eighty  acres  of 
land  at  a  price  of  $10  per  acre,  which  was  un- 
improved prairie  land.  He  erected  buildings 
and  otherwise  improved  the  place  and  added 
to  his  possessions  from  time  to  time  until  he 
had  100  acres  of  land.  His_wife  died  in  Octo- 
ber, 18G5.  and  in  March,  1866,  he  married  Cath- 
erine Guyler.  Mr.  Moehel  died  in  October,  1868. 
He  had  children  as  follows :     George  of  Hins- 


dale ;  Valentine,  of  this  sketch ;  Charles,  of 
Downer's  Grove ;  Catherine,  Mrs.  Fred  Wolf,  of 
Hinsdale ;  Mary,  Mrs.  Ernest  Bohlander,  of  Chi- 
cago. These  were  by  his  first  marriage  and  by 
his  second  wife,  his  children  were :  John  and 
Sarah,  both-  deceased. 

As  a  child  Valentine  Moehel  attended  the  dis- 
trict school  and  helped  with  the  work  on  his  fa- 
ther's farm.  He  has  always  lived  on  the  home 
place  and  at  the  death  of  his  father  inherited 
eighty  acres  of  laud.  He  was  married  March 
14,  1869,  to  Sarah  Wohlhuter,  who  was  born 
in  Cook  County,  a  daughter  of  Valentine  and 
Sarah  (Garst)  Wohlhuter,  natives  of  Alsace. 
After  his  marriage,  Mr.  Moehel  began  to  oper- 
ate his  farm  of  eighty  acres  and  carried  on  gen- 
eral farming.  He  has  added  to  his  possessions 
as  he  was  able  to  do  and  now  owns  two 
farms,  each  containing  120  acres  of  land,  and 
both  in  Downer's  Grove  Township.  He  operated 
the  home  farm  until  October,  1907,  then  moved 
to  Downer's  Grove  and  purchased  a  comfort- 
able residence  on  North  Main  Street,  where  he 
has  since  lived  retired  from  active  life.  His 
wife  died  April  4,  1900,  and  his  son  William  and 
wife  keep  house  for  him.  He  is  a  Republican 
in  politics  and  is  a  member  of  the  Evangelical 
Church.  He  is  always  interested  iu  any  meas- 
ure for  promoting  the  general  welfare  and  pros- 
perity of  his  community  and  stands  well  with 
all  who  know  him,  as  an  upright,  reliable  citi- 
zen. His  wife  had  a  number  of  warm  friends 
who  mourn  her  loss  and  was  much  devoted  to 
her  home  and  family.  She  was  an  earnest 
Christian  and  well  known  as  a  woman  of  strong 
character  and  true  worth. 

To  Mr.  Moehel  and  wife  chihlren  were  born 
as  follows :  George,  of  Downer's  Grove  Town- 
ship ;  Fred  conducts  a  meat  market  at  Downer's 
Grove ;  Charles  is  on  the  home  farm ;  William 
is  in  partnership  with  his  brother  Fred  and  re- 
sides with  his  father;  Elmer  and  Edward,  at 
home;  Louisa  married  Henry  Sucher  and  they 
live  in  Downer's  Grove  Township;  Matilda  mar- 
ried Peter  Johnson  and  they  live  at  Downer's 
Grove ;  Caroline  died  at  the  age  of  twenty-six 
years  and  Mary  at  one  and  one-half  years. 

MORGAN,  Prof.  Royal  Tucker,  for  many  years 
one  of  Illinois'  most  noted  educators,  a  veteran 
of  the  Civil  war.  who  is  now  serving  as  Super- 
intendent of  Schools  of  Du  Page  county,  comes 
of  the  old  Morgan  family  of  Wales  which   has 


964 


HISTORY  OF  DU  PAGE  COUNTY. 


given  representatives  to  every  line  of  endeavor. 

The  word  Morgan  means  one  born  to  the  sea, 
or  a  son  of  the  sea,  and  is  often  written  Mor- 
gen  and  Moregan.  We  find  in  the  fourth  cen- 
tury that  a  Celtic  monk,  named  Thomas  Morgan, 
rendered  his  name  into  Greek,  and  the  next 
reference  to  the  name  is  also  legendary,  the 
legend  being  that  King  Arthur  of  Britain  re- 
moved his  Queen  to  safety  to  the  coast  after 
some  defeat  or  other  in  battle.  Arthur's  young- 
est child,  there  born,  was  named  Morgan,  the 
man  born  by  the  sea,  whence  Glamorganshire, 
the  country  of  the  man  born  by  the  sea.  The 
original  home  of  the  family  is  Wales  and  they 
are  British  Celts.  There  are  a  number  of  coats 
of  arms,  belonging  to  the  different  branches  of 
the  families,  Burke  giving  the  number  as  fifty- 
five.  The  American  families  descend  from  emi- 
grants from  difl'ereut  jarts  of  Wales  and  there 
are  a  number  of  branches. 

James  Morgan,  whose  descendants  have  been 
well  traced,  was  the  common  ancestor  of  a 
numerous  family  now  scattered  widely  over 
nearly  every  state  or  territory  in  the  United 
States.  He  was  born  in  Wales  in  1007.  probably 
in  Llandoff,  County  Glamorgan,  and  it  is  be- 
lieved that  the  family  moved  thence  to  Bris- 
tol, England.  In  16.30,  in  March,  James  and 
two  younger  brothers,  John  and  Miles,  sailed 
from  Bristol  and  arrived  at  Boston,  Mass.,  in 
the  April  following,  John  later  going  to  Vir- 
ginia. Miles,  the  younger  brother,  was  born  in 
1615.  joined  a  party  of  emigrants,  mostly  from 
Roxbury,  of  whom  Col.  William  Pynchen  was 
the  head,  and  founded  the  settlement  of  Spring- 
field, Mass.  He  became  a  prominent  man  in  the 
settlement,  was  a  well-known  Indian  fighter  and 
has  many  descendants  in  Xew  England  as  well 
as  in  the  West.  A  statue  has  been  erected  to 
him  in  Springfield. 

The  family  of  Morgan  numbers  many  famous 
men,  among  them  the  renowned  Sir  Henry  Mor- 
gan, who  ran  away  from  home  to  follow  the 
sea  when  a  boy.  and  later  became  the  famous 
leader  of  the  buccaneers  who  ranged  the  Span- 
ish Main  in  the  early  days.  He  left  the  sea 
with  a  fortune  of  $2,000,000  and  was  made  cap- 
tain in  the  British  Navy  and  Governor  of 
Jamaica.  Gen.  Daniel  Morgan  of  Revolutionary 
fame  was  born  in  New  York.  Julius  Spencer 
Morgan,  banker,  was  the  father  of  John  Pier- 
pont  Morgan,  the  most  famous  financier  of  the 
age.    Surgeon-Gen.  John  Morgan  was  well  known 


during  the  War  of  the  Revolution..  The  noted 
Gen.  John  Morgan  of  the  Confederate  Army, 
famous  for  his  raids,  was  a  member  of  this 
family. 

Royal  Tucker  Morgan,  the  immediate  sub- 
ject of  this  sketch,  is  a  native  son  of  Illinois, 
having  been  born  May  9,  184.5.  at  Campton,  Kane 
county,  son  of  Elijah  and  Laura  Ann  (Ward) 
Morgan,  the  latter  born  near  Batavia,  X.  Y., 
daughter  of  James  and  Laura  (Dayton)  Ward, 
and  the  Mrs.  Ward,  who  was  the  cousin  of 
that  Dayton  who  ran  as  a  candidate  for  the 
vice-presidency  on  the  same  ticket  with  Fre- 
mont. Her  father.  Dayton,  kept  a  hotel  about 
sixteen  miles  from  Niagara  Falls  on  the  Cana- 
dian side.  Elij.ih  Morgan,  father  of  Royal  T., 
was  born  in  Vermont  and  had  a  good  education 
for  his  day.  He  was  bred  a  farmer  and  came 
to  Illinois  when  a  young  man.  being  first  em- 
ployed on  the  Court  House  at  Geneva.  Later 
he  moved  to  Kane  county,  settling  on  a  farm 
of  eighty  acres  at  Campton  for  a  short  time, 
when  his  wife  was  taken  sick  and  her  death 
occurred  on  the  James  Ward  farm,  one  mile 
from  Elijah  Morgan's  place.  Elijah  and  Laura 
Ann  (Ward)  Morgan  were  the  parents  of  one 
child  who  lived :  Royal  T.  After  the  death  of 
his  first  wife  Elijah  Morgan  was  married  a 
second  time,  the  lady  being  a  Widow  Blair, 
and  to  this  union  there  were  three  children : 
Mary.  Walter  and  Benjamin.  After  his  second 
marriage,  Mr.  Morgan  removed  to  Jackson 
county,  Iowa,  his  son  Royal  T.  being  reared 
by  his  grandfather  Ward.  He  attended  the  old 
district  schoolhouse  which  still  stands,  now  oc- 
cupied as  a  summer  home,  and  in  1856-7  re- 
moved to  Buchanan  county,  Iowa,  making  the 
journey  by  horse  team.  Royal  was  then  but 
twelve  years  of  age,  but  he  drove  one  of  the 
teams,  although  it  was  during  the  winter  and 
the  journey  consumed  two  weeks.  Shortly  after 
they  settled  at  Ward's  Corners,  Buchanan  county, 
Iowa,  where  Mr.  Morgan  assisted  in  improving 
a  new  farm,  driving  from  four  to  six  team  ef 
oxen  to  a  heavy  breaking  plow,  in  breaking 
the  prairie  sod.  He  attended  schools  during  the 
winters,  having  a  good  teacher  in  ilr.  Bogue, 
who  was  from  Kentucky  and  an  excellent  edu- 
cator. The  pioneers  had  large  and  sturdy  fam- 
ilies. Mr.  Morgan  remembering  having  seen 
twent.v-six  children  and  their  parents  sit  down 
to  the  heavily  laden  table  together.    These  chil- 


HISTORY  OF  DU  PAGE  COUNTY. 


965 


dren   were  by  two  wives  and  came  from   Ken- 
tucky. 

Subsequently.  Mr.  Morgan  removed  to  what 
is  now  West  Chicago,  where  his  aunt  Sarah 
(Ward)  McKee  was  then  living,  and  wo  rived 
on  a  farm  for  a  time,  then  attending  Wheatou 
College  in  1862,  during  the  fall  term  of  four 
months.  Later  he  returned  to  the  McKee  farm 
and  worked  until  the  following  September,  when 
he  returned  to  Wheaton  and  resumed  his  stud- 
ies. On  December  1,  1863,  he  enlisted  at 
Wheaton  as  a  iirivate  in  Company  H.  Seven- 
teenth Illinois  Cavalry,  to  serve  three  years  or 
during  the  war  and  served  until  honorably  dis- 
charged, December  27,  1865,  by  reason  of  gen- 
eral muster  out,  the  war  having  closed.  He 
participated  in  the  battles  of  Pine  Roads  as 
well  as  several  fights  with  the  Anderson  and 
Quantrell  gangs  of  bushwhackers,  oue  of  the 
latter  being  a  battle  in  the  night  at  Leesburg. 
Mo.  when  they  burned  their  own  suiiplies  In 
retiring  from  the  enemy.  Mr.  Morgan  was 
wounded  in  a  skirmish,  a  ball  striking  him  in 
the  ankle,  a  wound  which  troubled  him  for  three 
years,  and  he  also  had  a  narrow  escape  from 
death  when  a  bullet  grazed  his  head,  coming  so 
close  as  to  cut  away  a  lock  of  hair.  IJurifigTiH'^ 
service  he  was  promoted  to  the  rank  of  ^orj^jj-al.. 
and  was  detailed  foragemaster  of  his  regiment. 

After  the  war  Mr.  Morgan  ceturued  to 
Wheaton  College,  where  he  fitted  (himself  for 
the  college  department,  ijassed  throiigU.iE'^  jjjn'^; 
ior  year,  and  was  then  taken  sick  from  exposure. 
He  was  then  living  with  Evan  Jones,  at  Fotin--'— 
tainsdale.  who  was  a  large  farmer  on  the  line 
of  Winnebago  and  Ogle  counties.  In  that  dis- 
trict, he  tauglit  school  for  three  years,  making 
his  home  with  Mr.'  Jones,  and  on  partial  re- 
covery, he  started  working  on  the  farm.  He 
remembers  an  enormous  corn  field  covering  160 
acres,  which  he  planted  in  corn,  and  the  rows 
of  which  were  nearly  a  mile  long.  He  then  en- 
gaged in  teaching  school  at  $-10.00  per  month  in 
the  Fountainsdale  neighborhood,  this  being  the 
usual  price  paid  teachers  at  that  time,  and  in 
March.  1873.  he  returned  to  Wheatou  College, 
from  which  he  was  graduated  in  June,  1874. 
having  made  his  way  through  college  by  teach- 
ing and  farm  work.  After  graduation  he  re- 
turned to  the  same  neighborhood  and  taught 
school  for  three  years,  and  in  1877  gave  the 
Master's     Oration     before     his     classmates     at 


Wheaton  College.  He  then  attended  a  summer 
institute  at  Mt.  Morris,  III.,  assisting  Michael 
S.  Bebb  in  the  conducting  thereof,  and  later 
assisted  P.  R.  Walker  of  Rockford,  111.,  in  Zo- 
ology and  Botany  at  an  institute  at  Mt.  Morris. 
In  1877,  he  became  teacher  of  Natural  Sciences 
at  Wheaton  College  and  a  professor  the  next 
year,  and  filled  this  position  until  1886,  when  he 
became  Superintendent  of  Schools  of  Du  Page 
county.  During  his  long  term  in  this  important 
office.  Professor  Morgan  has  brought  about  many 
needed  reforms,  and  it  has  been  during  his  in- 
cumbency that  the  present  schools  were  built 
and  the  excellent  school  system  inaugurated. 
He  is  a  member  of  the  Grand  Army  of  the  Re- 
public, of  which  he  is  a  Past  Connuander  and 
at  present  serving  as  Adjutant  of  E.  S.  Kelly 
Post.  Fraternally  he  is  connected  with  the 
Modern   Woodmen  of   America. 

Mr.  Morgan  was  married  in  La  Salle  county, 
111.,  December  7. 1881.  to  Hattie  Jane  Gurnea,  who 
was  born  iu  Hope  township,  that  county,  April 
11.  1858.  daughter  of  George  Golder  and  Mary 
(Jlorrison)  Gurnea.  George  Gurnea  was  born 
in  Gloversville,  N.  T.,  a  son  of  Samuel  Gurnea, 
and  settled  in  Ohio  at  an  early  day,  from  whence 

-ITB",  removed    to    LaSalle    county.    111.,    in    18-14, 

.tajiiiig  .up  260  acres  of  land  iu  Hope  township, 
\Hi'ere  he  was  known  as  an  honored  pioneer 
and  highly  respected  citizen.  To  Mr.  and  Mrs. 
Morgan  .there  have  been  born  the  following  chil- 

*mi«lt:^  fceorge  G.,  born  March  21,  1885;  Royal 
Tircter,  iborn  July  17,  1888;  Lewis  Vivian,  born 

■  ilr\y  -T.  1891 ;  and  Dorothy,  born  ilay  19,  1894. 
.\11  of  the  children  were  born  in  Wheaton. 

Both  Professor  and  Mrs.  Morgan  are  mem- 
bers of  the  Gary  Memorial  Methodist  Church, 
of  which  he  is  a  steward.  He  was  one  of  the 
founders  of  the  Farmers  Institute,  of  which  he 
has  held  the  office  of  secretary  since  its  organi- 
zation. 

MOSHER,  Oscar  M.,  who  has  built  up  a  good 
business  iu  Hinsdale.  111.,  in  the  line  of  carpen- 
ter and  general  repair  work  along  this  line, 
has  made  his  own  way  in  life,  having  had  few 
educational  advantages  and  been  looking  out 
for  himself  since  early  youth.  He  was  born 
at  Glens  Falls,  X.  T..  December  18,  1862,  son  of 
Alexander  and  Elizabeth  (Speck)  Mosher.  the 
former  a  native  of  Canada  and  of  French  de- 
scent.    The    father   was   in   active    business   in 


966 


HISTORY  OF  DU  PAGE  COUNTY. 


New   York   for   many   years  and  died  in  North 
Dakota  in  1904  and  his  wife  in  1902. 

In  boyhood  and  early  manhood,  Oscar  M. 
Mosher  worked  at  farming  and  canal  boating. 
and  in  1887.  came  to  Illinois,  where  he  engaged 
in  carpenter  work.  He  gradually  branched  out 
into  general  repairing  and  now  has  a  large 
business,  having  considerable  work  ahead  and 
being  always  busy.  He  is  an  excellent  workman 
and  conscientious  in  turning  out  the  best  work 
for  his  customers.  He  has  the  reputation  of 
being  an  honest  and  upright  man  and  stands 
well  in  the  community.  He  was  married  De- 
cember 30,  1894.  to  Alvina  Wegener,  born  Sep- 
tember 19,  1875,  daughter  of  William  and  Dor- 
othy Wegener,  of  Fullersburg,  111.  Two  chil- 
dren have  been  born  to  them,  Fauntleroy,  Au- 
gust 3,  1895,  and  Herman  Lester.  March  27, 
1901.  in  Hinsdale.  Mr.  Mosher  is  a  Republican 
in  politics,  but  has  never  sought  nor  held  pub- 
lie  otiice.  being  absorbed  in  his  Imsiness  affairs. 
He  belongs  to  the  Modern  Woodmen  of  America 
and  to  the  Royal  Neighbors,  as  does  his  wife, 
and  they  have  a  large  circle  of  friends. 

MUELLER,  Fred  W.,  secretary  and  treasurer 
of  Brooks-Mueller  Co..  of  Downer's  Grove,  is  a 
native  of  Germany,  but  has  lived  in  the  United 
States  since  he  was  ten  years  old.  He  was  born 
March  29,  1882,  and  is  a  son  of  Fred  and 
Christina  (Eisner)  Mueller,  who  located  at 
Wheatland,  111.  There  Mr.  Mueller  received  his 
education  and  lived  until  he  reached  his  maj- 
ority. Soon  afterward  he  went  to  Chicago  and 
took  a  position  as  receiving  clerk,  remained  there 
two  years  and  then  spent  five  years  working  in  a 
pickle  factory,  contracting  for  the  purchase  of 
material  for  pickling.  In  1910.  he  engaged  in 
business  with  T.  E.  Brooks  at  Downer's  Grove, 
purchasing  stock  in  the  corjxiratiou  then  formed. 
This  business  venture  is  fully  described  in  con- 
nection with  the  sketch  of  Mr.  Brooks,  which  ap- 
pears in  this  work.  Mr.  Brooks  already  had  a 
good  business  established  and  had  won  a  reputa- 
tion for  business  enterprise  and  honesty  which 
is  now  shared  by  his  partner,  as  they  two  own 
practically  all  the  stock  in  the  concern,  which 
was  capitalized  for  ,$5,000.  Jlr.  Brooks  recog- 
nized the  ability  and  good  qualities  of  Mr. 
Mueller  and  they  have  a  bright  prospect  for  the 
future  of  their  business,  which  has  already 
reached  large  proportions.  The  managers  of 
the  concern  give   their  personal   supervision    to 


every  branch  of  their  enterprise  and  endeavor  to 
meet  the  needs  of  their  customers. 

October  12,  1904,  Mr.  Mueller  married  _Ella, 
daughter  of  Albert  and  Harriet  (Cavvkins) 
Shaw.  They  have  no  children.  They  have  re- 
sided in  Downer's  Grove  since  1903  and  have 
many  friends  there. 

MUERNER,  Peter,  deceased,  whose  long  and 
useful  life  was  rounded  out  in  peace  and  quiet 
at  No.  141  Braiuerd  street,  Nai>erville,  was  born 
at  Bern.  Switzerland,  December  20,  1820.  He 
was  a  son  of  Jacob  and  Susan  (Schluchter) 
Muerner,  natives  of  Switzerland  and  France, 
respectively.  The  father  was  an  agriculturist, 
and  a  man  of  retiring  dispositicta  who  loved 
his  home  and  family.  His  children  grew  up 
to  be  an  honor  to  him,  and  one  son,  Samuel, 
distinguished  himself  for  many  years  as  a  mem- 
ber of  the  Canadian  parliament. 

Peter  Muerner  was  educated  in  the  public 
schools  of  Switzerland,  and  of  Canada.  He  was 
reared  to  a  healthy  life  among  the  hills  sur- 
rounding Bern,  which  was  then  a  village.  As 
he  loved  all  animals  and  was  fond  of  outdoor 
life,  he  tended  lambs  in  his  spare  moments. 
Even  in  childhood,  he  was  taught  agricultural 
work,  and  his  activities  were  directed  along 
this  line  all  of  his  long  life.  During  his  eighty- 
five  years,  he  lived  in  but  four  houses :  the 
one  in  which  he  was  born,  at  Bern ;  the  one 
in  Canada  where  he  spent  a  few  years  prior 
to  his  marriage ;  the  one  he  built  on  government 
land  he  bought  in  Naperville  township  for  a 
few  dollars,  which  continued  his  home  until 
lS7t!.  when  he  retired  and  erected  the  comfort- 
able residence  on  Brainerd  street,  Naperville, 
where  his  death  occurred.   In   1906. 

Interested  in  educational  and  church  work, 
he  assisted  iu  the  erection  of  the  Northwestern 
College  and  several  churches.  He  did  not  be- 
lieve in  secret  societies,  but  his  religious  and 
IX)litical  connections  were  very  strong.  For 
years,  he  was  Sunday  school  superintendent  of 
the  United  Evangelical  Church,  and  was  also 
one  of  its  trustee.s.  The  Republican  party  re- 
ceived  his  cordial    support. 

On  July  8,  1848,  Mr.  Jluerner  was  married 
at  Naperville  to  Louisa  Knopf,  born  June  30, 
1820,  at  Baiarean.  Germany,  daughter  of  Adam 
and  Elizabeth  (Dather)  Knopf,  the  latter  be- 
iug  connected  with  a  noble  family.  This  did 
not  prevent  her  seeking  wider  opportunities  in 


HISTORY  OF  DU  PAGE  COUNTY. 


967 


America.  Mr.  and  Mrs.  Mueruer  became  the 
pareDts  of  the  following  children :  Mary,  who 
died  in  infancy;  Mrs.  Sophia  Moyer,  of  Naper- 
ville ;  Gideon  W.  of  Canton.  S.  D. ;  Sarah  M., 
who  died  in  1897 ;  Mrs.  Helen  Ascheubrenner, 
who  Is  of  Amboy ;  and  Emma  L.  and  Laura  A. 
who  are  of  Naperville.  Mr.  Muerner  was  a  great 
reader  and  kept  himself  well  posted  on  politi- 
cal, social  and  religious  movements.  At  the 
time  of  his  death  he  owned  his  residence  at  No. 
141  Brainerd  stret.  Naperville,  a  farm  on  sec- 
tion 3o  Nai)erville  township;  a  farm  on  section 
27  the  same  township,  and  a  farm  at  La  Moure, 
N.  D.  He  was  a  man  who  enjoyed  universal 
respect,  having  earned  It  by  his  high  moral 
principles  and  liindness  of  heart. 

MYERS,  Myron  Andrew.  Since  becoming  a 
citizen  of  Hinsdale,  in  1906,  Myron  A.  Myers 
has  taken  an  active  interest  in  public  affairs  and 
has  identified  himself  with  the  best  enterprises 
of  the  vilage.  He  is  a  native  of  New  Boston, 
Mercer  County,  111.,  born  April  30,  1855,  and  is 
a  sou  of  William  Perry  and  Louisa  B.  (Lar- 
rance)  Myers.  He  is  a  grandson  of  Andrew 
Myers,  who  was  a  Colonel  in  the  State  Militia. 
William  Perry  Myers  was  a  delegate  to  the  his- 
toric Republican  National  Convention,  which 
met  in  Philadelphia  in  1856. 

Mr.  Myers  attended  school  in  his  native  town 
until  he  was  fifteen  years  of  age,  and  his  first 
work  was  in  the  office  of  a  printing  office  there, 
which  he  entered  in  1871.  In  April,  1872.  he 
left  this  position  and  worked  in  the  office  of  the 
Wapello  (Iowa)  Republican  until  1876,  when 
he  came  to  Chicago.  He  began  as  typesetter  for 
the  A.  N.  Kellogg  Newspaper  Company,  and  in 
the  fall  of  1877  he  became  advertising  solicitor 
for  the  firm.  About  1880  he  was  given  the  posi- 
tion of  Western  Advertising  Manager,  holding 
that  until  September,  1904,  when  he  became 
president  and  general  manager  of  the  company, 
holding  that  position  until  January.  1906.  On 
April  1,  1906.  Mr.  Myers  accepted  the  position 
of  vice-president  of  the  Cable-Nelson  Piano 
Company,  of  Chicago,  and  held  it  until  February 
7,  1911.  He  became  well-known  in  business  cir- 
cles in  the  city  and  his  ability  and  efficiency 
won  him  a  prominent  place  there. 

Mr.  Myers  was  married  at  Anamosa.  Iowa. 
June  10.  1885,  to  Miss  Mary  Eldora  Rhodes,  and 
the  children  born  of  this  union  are :  Lloyd 
Rhodes,    Harold   Larrance,   Myron   Arthur,   and 


Florence  Louise,  born  in  Chicago,  and  Edwin 
Earle,  born  iu  Hinsdale.  Mr.  Myers  is  a  Re- 
l)ublican  iu  iwlitics  and  served  tour  years  as  a 
member  of  the  Village  Board  of  Hinsdale.  The 
family  have  a  pleasant  home  at  No.  46  First 
Street.  They  attend  the  Congregational  Church, 
in  which  Mr.  Myers  has  held  numerous  offices 
and  served  three  years  as  Superintendent  of  the 
Sunday  School.  He  is  a  Director  of  the  Chicago 
Missionary  Society  and  of  the  Chicago  Theo- 
logical Seminary,  and  is  a  corporate  member  of 
the  American  Board  of  Commissioners  for  For- 
eign Missions.  He  Is  a  member  of  the  Union 
League  Club,  of  Chicago,  and  also  of  the  Hins- 
dale Club  and  the  Hinsdale  Golf  Club. 

NADELHOFFER,  Christ.  Many  of  those  who 
seek  in  the  United  States  better  opportunities 
for  advancement  than  are  offered  In  their  native 
land,  at  first  engage  in  farming  until  they  de- 
cide upon  the  kind  of  business  they  want  to  fol- 
low definitely.  The  rules  governing  farming  are 
much  the  same  the  world  over  so  that  any  man 
who  knows  the  slightest  thing  about  agricul- 
ture can  earn  a  living  at  farm  work.  One  ot 
the  men  who  followed  this  line  of  procedure  is 
Christ  Nadelhoffer  of  Glen  Ellyn,  who  belongs 
to  the  substantial  German  family  of  that  name 
which  is  so  well  known  in  Du  Page  c-ounty.  Mr. 
Nadelhoffer  was  born  in  Elslas,  Germany,  De- 
cember 27,  1862,  a  sou  of  Jacob  and  Sallie  Na- 
delhoffer,  farming  people. 

In  1880,  the  family  emigrated  to  the  United 
States,  and  Christ  Nadelhoffer  reached  his  new 
home  when  he  was  eighteen  years  old.  His 
education  had  been  obtained  in  the  excellent 
public  schools  of  Germany,  but  he  had  to  gain 
a  knowledge  of  English  after  coming  here. 
While  doing  this,  he  worked  among  the  farmers 
of  Du  Page  county  for  six  years,  and  then,  in 
1893,  bought  sixty  acres  of  land  with  his  sav- 
ings. This  he  later  sold  at  a  profit,  and  rent- 
ing 250  acres  of  land,  he  operated  the  farm  until 
1900.  In  that  year  he  bought  a  livery,  board- 
ing and  general  teaming  business  at  Glen  El- 
lyn, and  has  continued  iu  it  ever  since,  making 
a  specialty  of  furniture  moving  and  storage. 
His  methods  and  equipment  are  such  as  to  com- 
mand confidence,  and  he  controls  a  large  amount 
of  patronage. 

In  1887,  Mr.  Nadelhoffer  was  married  in  Glen 
Ellyn  to  Mary  Langreter,  born  in  Glen  Ellyn, 
a  daughter  of  German  born  parents  who  came 


968 


HISTORY  OF  DU  PAGE  COUNTY. 


here  in  1854,  but  are  now  deceased.  Mr.  and 
Mrs.  Nadellioffer  are  tlie  parents  of  the  follow- 
ing children:  William,  who  is  with  his  father 
in  the  livery  business;  Matilda  who  was  edu- 
cated at  the  public  schools  of  Glen  Ellyn  ;  and 
Dora,  and  Enuna  who  are  students.  Mr.  Xabel- 
hoffer  is  a  member  of  the  German  Lutheran 
Church  of  which  he  was  a  deacon  for  a  num- 
ber of  years.  He  has  always  been  interested  in 
all  matters  looking  towards  a  betterment  of 
conditions  in  county  or  village,  and  is  a  man 
of  sterling  worth  who  has  steadily  advanced 
himself  through  sturdy  endeavor  aud  strictest 
integrity. 

NADELHOFFER,  William,  deceased.  Xo  coun- 
try has  given  to  America  so  many  sound, 
substantial  citizens  as  Germany.  There  is  some- 
thing in  the  thorough  training  which  is  obliga- 
tory, that  fits  the  sous  of  the  Fatherland  for 
■whatever  life  has  in  store  tor  them.  Forced  to 
learn  a  trade,  they  are  prejiared  to  earn  their 
living  wherever  placed,  and  endowed  with  thrifty 
liabits,  they  soon  save  enough  to  buy  homes  aud 
establish  themselves  in  a  business  of  their  own. 
One  of  the  men  who  lent  Naperville  the  influ- 
ence of  Ills  excellent  example  for  many  useful 
years,  was  the  late  William  Nadelhoffer.  l>orn 
July  9,  1817,  in  Ostheim,  Alsace,  Germany,  and 
died  at  Naperville  one  week  prior  to  his  golden 
wedding  day,  on  March  16,  189.5,  deeply 
mourned.  Mr.  Nadellioffer  learned  the  trade  of 
eabinet-tuaking  prior  to  liis  army  service  of 
seven  years  as  a  grenadier.  In  1845  he  married 
Mary  Wolfershaem,  born  December  28,  1828, 
at  Ostheim.  Alsace,  Genuany.  Soon  after  their 
marriage,  Mr.  and  Jlrs.  Nadelhoffer  started  for 
America,  and  made  their  way  to  Chicago,  where 
for  several  years  they  resided  near  the  court 
house.  Lake  street  and  Randolph  street  then 
being  good  residence  districts.  At  that  time 
there  was  little  eA"idence  that  Chicago  would 
one  time  be  the  second  city  in  the  eoimtry.  In 
fact,  Naperville  offered  better  opportunities  to 
the  thrifty  German  cabinetmaker,  and  he  came 
to  the  latter  village,  where  he  soon  established 
himself  in  a  furniture  business.  Later  he  added 
undertaking  and  gained  the  confidence  and  re- 
spect of  all  with  whom  he  came  into  contact. 
A  quiet,  reliable  man,  he  devoted  himself  to 
business,  never  desiring  office.  Mrs.  Nadelhoffer 
continues  to  reside  in  Naperville.  and  is  now 
eight.v-seven  years  old. 


The  children  born  to  this  excellent  couple  are 
as  follows:  William  of. Lawrence,  Kan.;  Mathes 
died  in  infancy ;  John  W.  of  Joliet :  George 
Henry,  deceased;  Mary  Ann.  deceased;  Charles 
Albert  of  Naperville;  Emma  Magdalene  of  Ba- 
tavia.  111.;  Ida  Salome,  now  Mrs.  Dr.  E.  Grant 
Simpson  of  Naperville ;  William  N.,  a  contractor 
of  Lawrence,  Kan.  The  record  of  the  lives  of 
these  two  is  ver.v  interesting,  especially  to  the 
older  inhaliitauts  of  Naperville  who  remember 
them  and  the  good  they  eft'ected  during  the  early 
days. 

NEDDERMEYER,  William,  deceased,  founder 
of  the  family  of  that  name  in  Du  Page  County, 
v>'as  one  of  the  pioneers  of  his  locality.  He 
bought  wild  land,  which  he  improved  and  devel- 
oped, adding  to  his  holdings  as  he  was  able,  un- 
til he  had  a  large  estate.  He  was  born  in  Han- 
over, Germany,  in  1S30,  a  son  of  Frederick  and 
Sophia  Neddermeyer,  and  was  reared  and  edu- 
cated in  his  native  countr.v.  As  a  young  man 
he  came  to  America,  and  purchased  120  acres  of 
land  in  Addison  Township,  on  which  he  erected 
suitable  buildings,  and  there  reared  his  family. 
His  wife,  Wilhelmina  Ebeling,  was  a  native  of 
Germany,  but  they  were  married  in  America. 
They  had  six  children,  Fred,  Louisa,  Henry, 
Sophia,  William  and  Emma,  the  last-named 
deceased.  The  parents  were  devout  members  of 
the  Lutheran  Church  and  the  children  were 
reared  in  that  faith.  The  father  died  in  1S97, 
at  the  age  of  sixty-seven  years  and  the  mother 
passed  away  in  1S95,  aged  fifty-eight  years. 

Henry,  the  second  son  of  William  and  Wil- 
helmina (Ebeling)  Neddermeyer,  was  born  on 
the  farm  he  now  owns  and  occuiiies,  September 
22,  1S5S.  He  attended  the  local  district  school 
and  was  reared  to  agricultural  operations,  which 
lie  has  always  followed,  now  owning  the  home 
fa.im  of  160  acres,  on  which  he  erected  many  of 
the  buildings.  The  improvements  have  all  been 
made  by  him  and  his  father.  He  is  an  energetic 
and  industrious  farmer  and  has  brought  the 
land  to  a  high  state  of  productiveness,  carrying 
on  general  farming  and  dairying. 

He  was  married  (first)  in  June,  1SS6,  to 
Dorothy  Fieue,  daughter  of  Henry  and  Louisa 
(Kruse)  Fiene,  who  was  born  in  Germany,  Four 
children  were  born  of  this  union,  as  follows: 
Caroline,  Alma,  and  Rosa  and  Hulda,  the  last 
two  being  twins.  The  mother  of  these  children 
died    January    1,    1902,    and    Mr,    Neddermeyer 


HISTORY  OF  DU  PAGE  COUNTY. 


969 


married  (secoud),  Louisa  Assmaun,  daugliter 
of  William  and  Louisa  (Grota)  Assmauu,  and 
one  child  has  blessed  this  union,  Elsie,  born 
Januarj-  17,  1907. 

NEDERMEYER,  Fred,  an  enterprising  and  suc- 
cessful farmer  of  Bloomingdale  Township,  Du 
Page  County,  is  a  native  of  the  county,  born 
March  9,  1S54,  of  German  parentage.  His 
father,  William  Xedermeyer,  was  born  in  Han- 
over, Germany,  and  as  a  young  man  came  to 
America,  locating  in  the  vicinity  of  Elmhurst, 
111.,  vi-here  he  worked  at  his  trade  of  mason. 
While  living  there,  he  met  and  married  Minnie 
Ebling,  also  a  native  of  Hanover,  Germany, 
who  was  working  at  the  hotel  where  he  boarded. 
After  their  marriage  they  purchased  a  farm  of 
120  acres  in  Addison  Township,  where  they  lived 
the  rest  of  their  days.  Later  they  purchased 
forty  acres  more  adjoining  this  farm  on  the 
west,  and  locateil  in  Bloomingdale  Township. 
He  died  in  ISOO  and  his  wife  in  1S88.  Their 
children  were:  Fred;  Louisa,  Mrs.  August 
Blecka,  of  Addison  Township :  Henry,  on  the 
home  farm:  Sophia,  widow  of  Williani  I)a;ii- ■  ■ 
iiieyer,  of  Elmhurst;  William,  of  Bloqiningdale 
Township ;   Emma   died   in  infancy.  ' '"'    '■ 

Mr.  Xedermeyer  acquired  his  education  in  a 
German  parochial  school  and  Wbeatou  College, 
and  resided  with  his  parents  until  hiii'Au'iirnage,-*^ 
November  S.  1S8S,  to  Emma  Rathje.  born  'm 
Bloomingdale  Township,  daughter  of  \\1tHam  ■■ 
and  Louisa  (Ahalers)  Rathje.  natives  of  Ger- 
many. After  marriage  tliey  located  on  their 
present  farm  of  100  acres  which  he  had  pur- 
chased prior  to  that  time.  The  farm  was  in  a 
deteriorated  condition,  witli  dilapidated  build- 
ings, and  needed  much  hard  work  to  bring  it  to 
its  present  state  of  prosperity  and  productive- 
ness. He  tore  down  the  old  buildings  and  re- 
placed them  with  modern,  substantial  and  con- 
venient ones,  and  has  kept  the  entire  place  in 
excellent  repair  since  that  time.  He  carries  on 
general  farming  and  has  about  twenty  milch 
cows.  He  is  a  representative  of  the  higher  class 
of  citizen  and  interested  in  public  affairs.  A 
Democrat  in  politics,  he  has  served  nine  years 
as  Commissioner  of  Highways  of  Bloomingdale 
Township,  was  .Supervisor  from  1904  to  1912,  and 
School  Director  since  1888.  He  was  reared  in 
the  Lutheran  faith,  to  wliich  he  firmly  adheres. 

Children  as  follows  were  liorn  to  Mr.  Xeder- 
meyer   and   wife:      Emeline,    born   October    28, 
23 


ISSo,  married,  June  24,  1911,  Julius  Marquardt 
of  Lombard ;  Louisa,  born  January  19,  1887 ; 
Anna,  born  December  24,  1S8S ;  Ellen,  born  April 
3,  1890 ;  Bertha,  born  February  4,  1892 ;  E.sther, 
born  JIarch  3,  1894 ;  Marie,  born  September  30, 
1896;  and  William  born  December  30,  1903,  all 
living  e.xcept  Louisa  who  died  April  4,  1908, 
at  the  age  of  twenty-two  years.  She  is  buried 
in  the  Bloomingdale  Cemetery. 

NICHOLS,  J.  t.  The  term  self-made  is  fre- 
quently assumed  by  tJiose  who  have  no  real  right 
to  it,  but  in  the  case  of  the  late  J.  L.  Nichols  of 
Naperville,  no  oue  more  truly  earned  the  right 
to  claim  credit  for  all  he  accomplished  than  he. 
The  life  history  of  this  man  reads  like  a  ro- 
mance, and  yet  its  every  detail  was  worked  out 
with  painstaking  effort  by  one  who  commenced 
life  handicapped  in  every  way,  except  by  bodily 
infirmity.  He  was  born  in  Coburg,  Germany, 
in  1851,  but  lost  his  father  iu  childhood,  and  his 
mother  married  again.  The  little  family  came 
to  New  York  when  J.  L.  Nichols  was  only  six 
years  old,  and  a  terrible  struggle  for  existence 

<;ommenced.  Removal  was  later  made  to  Bureau 
County,  111.,  and  a  year  later  the  child  lost  his 

•  niether,  and  life  being  unendurable  he  left  liome 
and  began  to  make  his  own  living.  He  was  only 
eight  years  old,  friendless  and  penniless,  and 
speakiiig  no  word  of  English.     Tiny  as  he  was, 

'tire'  clfild  e\'en  then  possessed  those  characteris- 

•■tifis.w'hich  were  to  carry  him  on  to  wealth  and 
prestige,  and  while  supporting  himself  through 
his  puny  efforts,  he  Itegan  his  education,  suc- 
ceeding iu  so  remarkable  a  manner  that  by  the 
time  he  was  nineteen  years  old  he  was  teaching 
school.  Saving  sufficient  money,  he  attended  Paw 
Paw  Seminary,  finishing  his  course  by  alter- 
nating teaching  with  selling  books.  In  1876  he 
came  to  Naperville,  having  in  his  possession  a 
well-grounded  education,  sound  judgment  and 
one  tliousand  dollars  in  money,  which  repre- 
sented much  self-denial  and  almost  unceasing 
labor.  Wishing  to  perfect  himself  in  several 
branches,  he  entered  the  Northwestern  College, 
from  which  he  was  graduated  in  1880,  burdened 
with  a  debt  of  seventy-five  dollars.  In  the  in- 
terval he  had  studied  in  the  University  at  Lin- 
coln, Neb.,  while  in  that  city.  His  ability  was 
early  recognized,  and  he  was  placed  in  charge 
of  the  Naperville  schools  as  principal,  from 
which  position  he  was  taken  by  the  North- 
western College  who  put  him  at  the  head  of  its 


970 


HISTORY  OF  DU  PAGE  COUNTY. 


coiumercial  deiiartiiieut,  wlici-e  he  I't'iuaiued  sev- 
eral years. 

Always  practical,  Mr.  Nichols  began  consider- 
ing business  methods,  and  finally  compiled  The 
Business  Guide,  which  he  used  in  his  depart- 
ment at  the  college.  The  demand  for  this  book 
increased  so  materially  that  The  Nichols  Pub- 
lishing Co.  was  founded  to  publish  it.  and  1.000,- 
000  copies  have  already  been  sold,  here  and  in 
Canada,  it  also  having  been  translated  into  Ger- 
man. In  addition  to  it,  the  company  have  is- 
sued a  number  of  other  useful  books,  including 
The  Household  Guide.  Search  Light,  Farmers' 
Manual,  Safe  Citizenship  and  others,  all  of 
which  were  either  written  by  Mr.  Nichols  him- 
self, or  compiled  under  his  direction.  These  all 
have  had  a  large  .sale,  and  continue  to  be  pop- 
ular. 

In  his  prosperity  Mr.  Nichols  did  not 
forget  the  neighborhood  in  which  he  had  risen 
from  poverty  to  affluence  but  generously  donated 
$10,000  to  found  a  library  that  bears  his  name, 
as  well  as  the  same  amount  for  a  gymnasium 
for  the  college  to  which  he  was  attached  for  so 
many  years.  His  death  occurred  August  IS, 
1S9.5,  at  Battle  Creek.  Mich.,  whither  he  had 
gone  seeking  relief  from  the  illness  which  had 
overcome  him.  The  funeral  services  were  held 
in  the  college  chapel,  August  20th,  Dr.  Freeman, 
Rev.  Mr.  Tull,  Rev.  J.  C.  Meyers,  and  the  Rev. 
H.  A.  Kramer  officiating, 

Mr.  Nichols  was  married  in  St.  Paul.  Minn., 
August  18.  1880,  to  Elizabeth  Barnard,  daughter 
of  Algernon  S.  and  Elizabeth  M.  (Reynolds) 
Barnard,  both  of  Mendon.  N.  Y..  a  sketch  of 
whom  appears  in  this  work.  Mr.  and  Mrs. 
Nichols  had  children  as  follows :  Grace  Mar- 
garet, born  June  18.  ISST:  James  Lawrence, 
born  December  9,  1890,  and  Laura  Isabella,  born 
May  22.  189.3.  Mr.  Nichols  was  a  member  of  the 
First  Congregational  Church  of  Naperville.  He 
was  a  Mason.  Fraternally  Mr.  Nichols  was  a 
Mason,  being  a  member  of  Euclid  Lodge  of 
Naperville,  No.  65. 

NICHOLSON,  John  W.,  chief  of  police  of  Hins- 
dale is  a  man  of  strong  force  of  character,  whose 
work  in  the  important  office  he  occupies,  distin- 
guishes him  as  being  particularly  fitted  to  cope 
with  criminal  conditions,  and  preserve  order  in 
the  community  of  which  he  has  official  charge. 
Mr.  Nicholson  was  born  in  Westmoreland.  Pa., 
December  6.  1863,  a  son  of  John  and  Charlotte 


(Pullin)  Nicholson,  natives  of  Pennsylvania  and 
New  Jersey,  respectively.  The  Nicholson  ances- 
tors came  of  good,  old  Puritan  stock.  The  father 
was  a  minister  of  the  United  Brethren  Church, 
and  a  man  of  high  moral  character,  and  an  earn- 
est Christian.  Both  he  and  Iiis  wife  died  in 
California. 

Chief  Nicholson  was  educated  in  the  common 
schools  of  Ohio,  and  the  college  at  Ashland,  O. 
During  his  boyhood,  he  worked  on  a  farm,  and 
then  for  several  years,  was  emiiloyed  in  a  grist- 
mill. In  1882,  he  entered  railroad  work  in  Iowa, 
helping  to  build  the  first  100  miles  of  the  Great 
Western  Railroad.  Leaving  the  employ  of  this 
company,  he  returned  to  Ohio,  where  he  em- 
barked in  a  milling  business  at  Ashland,  thus 
continuing  until  1891,  when  he  came  to  Hins- 
dale having  engaged  with  Marshall  Field  c& 
Company  in  their  wholesale  department.  Ou 
June  1,  1902,  he  left  this  c-oncern  to  accept  the 
appointment  as  chief  of  police  of  Hinsdale,  and 
since  then  has  safeguarded  the  interests  of  the 
city.  There  have  been  no  movements  looking 
towards  a  betterment  of  conditions  or  moral 
uplift  that  have  not  received  the  hearty  and 
efficient  support  of  Chief  Nicholson,  and  he  is 
deservedly  recognized  as  one  of  the  city's  most 
desirable  citizens. 

On  February  14,  18SC.  Chief  Nicholson  was 
married  at  Ashland,  O.,  to  Fannie  Protong,  born 
in  Germany.  This  was  at  one  time  a  part  of 
France,  the  river  Rhine  dividing  the  two  coun- 
tries. Her  parents  died  when  she  was  cjuite 
young,  and  she  was  adopted  by  Michael  Miller 
and  wife,  and  brought  up  as  one  of  their  own 
children.  Chief  and  Mrs.  Nicholson  have  two 
children :  Henry  D.,  who  was  born  August  26, 
1887 ;  and  Delia  May,  who  was  born  May  12, 
1889.  All  his  life,  the  Chief  has  been  a  Re- 
publican, He  belongs  to  the  Royal  Arcanum  and 
Knights  of  Pythias  of  Hinsdale.  Genial,  pleas- 
ant and  kind-hearted.  Chief  Nicholson  is  also 
a  man  whom  lawbreakers  fear,  and  Hinsdale 
never  had  a  more  efficient,  conscientious  and 
thoroughly  reliable  head  of  police,  than  now, 
and  the  condition  of  the  city  proves  this  fact. 

NORRIS,  John.  Splendid  energy,  consistent 
thrift  and  canny  foresight  have  laid  the  founda- 
tions for  more  than  one  fortune.  When  a  man 
possesses  these  attributes  and  lives  wisely  and 
temperately,  he  seldom  fails  to  accomplish  his 
aim  in  life,  a  fact  which  has  been  proven  true 


HISTORY  OF  DU  PAGE  COUNTY. 


971 


liy  the  Hon.  .lobii  Xonis,  who  w:is  JIajor  of 
West  Chicago  one  term,  and  is  a  man  of  more 
than  ordinary  force  of  character.  He  was  born 
in  Kent.  England,  Xovember  24,  1831,  being  a 
son  of  I'eter  and  JIary  (Dean)  Xorris,  who  died 
in  I'^iiglaiid,  the  father  having  attained  to  the  ad- 
vanced age  of  ninety-seven  years. 

Jolm  Xorris  was  educated  in  England,  learn- 
ing the  carpenter  trade.  Coming  to  the  United 
States  in  18.o2,  he  found  I'eady  employment  at 
his  trade  at  Kome,  X.  Y.,  but  after  two  years 
went  to  Syracuse,  X.  Y.,  and  in  18.5."),  came  to 
what  is  now  West  Chicago,  where  he  estab- 
lished himself  as  a  carpenter  and  contractor. 
In  1800  he  retired  after  years  of  useful  busi- 
ness life,  and  still  makes  his  home  in  West  Chi- 
cago,  wliich  he  helped  so  materially  to  build. 

On  February  28,  1858.  Mr.  Xorris  was  united 
in  marriage  with  Elizabeth  Clears,  born  in  Sus- 
.sex,  England,  who  came  to  Chicago  with  a 
brother  and  sister,  and  was  married  in  that 
city.  The  following  children  have  been  born 
to  Jlr.  and  Mrs.  Xorris :  Mary  L..  at  home ; 
Alfred  ,T.  of  Chicago,  and  Fred  L.,  who  resides 
at  home.  Mr.  Norris  is  a  Republican,  and  was 
elected  on  the  ticket  of  his  party  to  the  execu- 
tive chair  of  West  Chicago.  During  his  able 
administration  the  town  hall  was  erected.  Since 
1891  Mr.  Xorris  has  served  as  President  of 
Oak  wood  Cemetery,  and  has  been  a  man  of 
affairs  all  bis  life. 

NORTHROP,  Arthur  E.,  one  of  the  substantial 
residents  of  Wlieaton.  whose  business  connec- 
tions with  the  firm  of  W.  D.  Messinger  &  Co., 
Chicago,  are  of  long  duration,  was  born  in  Du 
Page  County,  December  7,  1867,  being  a  son  of 
Peter  and  Susan  B.  Xorthrop.  Peter  Northrop 
\ias  a  merchant  and  early  settler  of  Du  Page 
County,  where  he  was  a  well  known  man  for  a 
number  of  years.  After  finishing  a  high  school 
course,  at  Wheaton,  Mr.  Xorthrop  entered 
Wheaton  College,  from  which  he  was  graduated. 
His  business  life  has  been  a  useful  and  busy- 
one,  and  his  present  connections  are  of  a  reli- 
able character. 

On  March  13,  1902,  Mr.  Xorthrop  was  united 
in  marriage  at  Wheaton,  with  Mrs.  Edith  (Ver- 
non) Burnham.  The  children  born  to  Mr.  and 
Mrs.  Xorthrop  are :  Harriet  Mabel,  Arthur 
Vernon,  Edith  Vernon  and  Oledine  May.  In 
religious  belief.  Mr.  Xorthrop  is  a  Baptist  and 
is  a    member   of    the   First   Baptist   Church    of 


Wheaton.  In  politics  he  is  independent,  always 
carefully  selecting  his  candidates  with  relation 
to  his  belief  in  their  fitness  for  otfice.  without 
regard  to  party  affiliations.  Strictly  a  family 
man,  he  has  never  connected  himself  with  any 
social  or  fraternal  organizations,  giving  his 
time,  and  taking  his  pleasure  in  his  own  home. 

OAKS,  Philip,  a  retired  farmer  of  Xaperville, 
Hi.,  is  a  native  of  Du  Page  County,  where  his 
entire  life  has  been  spent.  He  was  born  in 
Xaperville  Township  September  5,  1S45,  son  of 
Henry  and  Jane  (Browning)  Oaks,  the  former 
a  native  of  Suffolk  and  the  latter  of  Devonshire, 
England.  At  the  age  of  twent.v-two  years  Henry 
Oaks  came  to  the  United  States  and  spent  five 
years  in  Madison  County,  X".  Y.,  then  came  to 
Xaperville  Township  and  purchased  eighty  acres 
of  land.  Jane  Browning  came  to  Xew  York 
State  when  twenty  years  old,  there  met  Mr. 
Oaks,  and  after  she  came  to  Du  Page  County 
they  were  married,  in  1S40.  They  began  house- 
keeping on  the  small  farm  he  had  purchased  and 
added  to  their  holdings  from  time  to  time  until 
they  owned  1S5  acres  of  well  tilled,  fertile  land. 
He  died  October  10,  1907,  and  she  Xovember  3, 
1S95.  They  were  parents  of  three  children: 
Carrie,  Mrs.  Tobias  Yaggy,  of  Xaperville; 
Philip;   Sarah  died  May  IS,  1900. 

Mr.  Oaks  was  educated  in  the  district  schools 
of  his  native  township  and  was  reared  to  farm 
work,  remaining  with  his  parents  until  some 
time  after  his  marriage,  which  occurred  March 
31,  1880,  when  he  was  united  with  Sophronla 
Babel,  a  native  of  Iowa  and  daughter  of  Adam 
and  Sarah  (Yaggy)  Babel.  Mr.  Babel  was  a 
native  of  Germany  and  his  wife  of  Ohio.  After 
marriage  Mr.  Oaks  worked  on  the  farm  for  his 
father,  and  at  the  latter's  death  the  farm  was 
left  to  him.  He  also  acquired  another  farm  of 
100  acers  of  land,  in  the  same  township.  He 
was  an  energetic  and  successful  farmer  and  won 
the  respect  of  all  who  had  any  dealings  with 
him.  In  December,  1910,  he  retired  from  hard 
work  and  moved  to  Xaperville,  where  he  has 
purchased  a  modern  residence  on  Sleight  Street. 
He  and  his  wife  have  two  sons :  Albert,  born 
January  19,  1885,  operates  the  home  farm ;  John, 
born  June  8,  1889,  resides  with  his  parents.  Mr. 
Oaks  is  a  member  of  the  Methodist  Episcopal 
Church  and  has  been  a  trustee  of  same  since 
1890.      In    politics    he    is    independent.      He    is 


97-2 


HISTORY  OP  DU  PAGE  COUNTY. 


highly  regarded  as  an  upright  aud  reliable  citi- 
zen aud  has  many  friends. 

OESTMANN,  William,  is  an  example  of  the 
German-American  citizen  who  has  had  so  large  a 
part  in  settling  and  developing  Du  Page  County, 
where  he  has  resided  since  1S69.  He  was  born 
in  Hanover,  January  5,  1S47,  and  made  the 
^•oyage  to  America  in  1S6S  in  a  sailing  vessel 
which  took  twenty-eight  days  to  cross.  He  had 
left  his  native  land  in  order  to  avoid  the  com- 
pulsory service  In  the  German  Army.  After 
landing  at  New  York,  he  worked  in  that  city 
four  months  and  about  fifteen  months  on  Staten 
Island,  and  in  June,  1S69,  came  to  Du  Page 
County,  where  he  had  a  cousin.  For  a  few 
years,  he  worked  at  farming  by  the  day  and  in 
November,  1872,  purchased  ten  acres  of  land 
near  Fullersburg,  in  ISSO  purchasing  fifteen 
acres  more  adjoining  his  first  property.  In  1894, 
lie  sold  five  acres  in  one  piece  and  two  and  one- 
half  acres  to  another  man.  after  which  he 
rented  a  farm  in  Downer"s  Grove  Township. 
Later  he  rented  another  farm  and  in  1901,  pur- 
chased 160  acres  of  land  on  Section  2i  of 
Downer's  Grove  Township,  which  contained  sev- 
eral buildings.  He  has  made  many  improvements 
on  the  laud,  has  tiled  much  of  it  and  has  it  all 
under  cultivation  at  the  present  time,  and  has 
also  erected  several  new  sheds  and  a  barn  and 
put  a  cellar  under  his  residence.  He  is  an  in- 
dustrious and  prosperous  farmer  aud  fairly  suc- 
cessful in  this  line  of  work,  carrying  on  a  gen- 
eral line  of  farming.  He  is  a  member  of  the 
Downer's  Grove  Township  Evangelical  Church, 
of  which  he  served  six  years  as  Deacon. 

October  7,  1S72,  Mr.  Oestmann  married  Caro- 
line Ross,  daughter  of  Joachim  and  Sophia 
(Grandorf)  Ross.  She  was  born  in  Germany 
November  2,  1S53,  and  came  to  America  at  the 
age  of  ten  years.  Thirteen  children  have  been 
born  to  Mr.  Oestmann  and  wife,  namely :  Julius, 
of  Downer's  Grove,  born  August  11,  1S73;  Ern- 
est, born  September  S,  1S75,  died  in  February, 
1SS2;  'William,  born  November  18,  1877,  is  a 
farmer  aud  lives  in  Colorado ;  Bertha,  born  De- 
cember 1,  1879,  married  Fred  'Wegner  and  they 
live  in  Iowa ;  Anna,  born  December  19,  1881, 
married  Louis  J.  Rediehs;  Henry,  bom  Febru- 
ary 17,  1SS3,  is  a  farmer  living  near  Sterling, 
Neb.;  John  and  Fred,  twins,  bom  April  17. 
1885,  the  former  a  carpenter  of  Hinsdale  and 
the  latter  a  farmer  in   Colorado;   Louis,   bom 


June  20,  ISSS,  lives  with  his  father ;  George, 
born  August  8,  1889,  a  farmer  living  in  Colo- 
rado ;  Amanda,  born  April  15,  1S92,  at  home ; 
Charles,  born  August  2,  189-5,  living  in  Colorado; 
Eleanora,  born  August  3.  1897,  at  home.  Mr. 
Oestmann  is  a  man  of  quiet  habits  and  fond  of 
home.  He  has  never  taken  an  active  part  in 
public  affairs  although  he  served  for  a  time  as 
School  Director  in  York  Township.  He  is  a 
citizen  of  good  standing  and  reliability  and  has 
many  warm  friends. 

OHLENKAMP,  William,  a  prominent  German- 
Anierii-an  of  York  townslii|i,  is  a  native  of  Han- 
over. Germany,  born  January  4,  1840,  a  son  of 
Henry  and  Mary  (Pillhop)  Oblenkamp.  The 
family  with  the  exception  of  one  child  who 
followed  later  came  to  America  when  William 
M.  was  eighteen  years  of  age,  nine  weeks  be- 
ing spent  on  the  ocean.  They  came  direct  to 
Elmhurst  after  landing  and  the  father  soon  af- 
terward engaged  in  farming  in  York  township, 
remaining  there  until  his  death.  He  is  buried 
in  Kankakee  aud  his  wife  in  Addison  township. 
Tlie.v  were  parents  of  seven  children :  Henry  ; 
Dietrich  and  Mary,  who  are  deceased ;  William 
H. ;  Frederick,  who  is  deceased ;  Sophia,  who 
married  (first)  Gustof  Me.ver.  and  (second) 
Fred  Schultz,  both  of  whom  are  deceased,  now 
resides  in  Kankakee:  and  Doris,  who  is  de- 
ceased. 

In  boyhood  William  Oblenkamp  attended  the 
public  schools  of  hi.s  native  county,  and  after 
coming  to  Du  Page  county  for  a  time  helped 
with  the  work  on  his  father's  farm.  He  was 
married  (first)  in  1863.  to  Mrs.  Amelia  Bo- 
lander,  widow  of  Johannus  Bolander,  b.v  whom 
he  had  no  children.  Mrs.  Oblenkamp  had  four 
children  by  her  firet  marriage:  Doris.  Mrs.  Fred 
Thomas,  who  is  living  on  Schiller  street,  at  the 
end  of  Clara  Avenue,  in  Elmhurst;  William,  who 
is  of  York  Center ;  Amelia,  who  is  of  Elmhurst. 
and  Ernst,  wlio  is  of  Chicago.  Mrs.  Oblenkamp 
died  August  6,  1896.  On  September  4,  1897, 
Mr.  Oblenkamp  married  (second)  Mar.v,  daugh- 
ter of  Frederick  and  Augusta  (Barufe)  Kline, 
who  was  born  in  Province  Gehlesien.  Germany. 
June  10.  1871,  and  came  to  America  in  1894. 
They  have  no  children. 

Mr.  Oblenkamp  purchased  the  farm  which  had 
belonged  to  his  first  wife  and  forty  acres  of 
land  adjoining.  He  has  made  nearly  all-the 
improvements  now  on  the  place,  and  now  owns 


^Zie^o-^fi^      ..^-C^^^\:a/^  ^«^^ 


HISTORY  OF  DU  PAGE  COUNTY. 


973 


IKl  acres  of  well-tilled,  fertile  land,  on  wliich 
he  has  a  comfortable  residence.  He  is  prominent 
in  public  affairs,  for  twenty-four  years  serving 
as  constable,  and  for  many  years  was  overseer 
of  highways.  In  addition  to  farming  he  does 
an  extensive  business  as  a  representative  of 
the  Addison  Insurance  Company,  his  territory 
beinj;  I  he  townships  of  York  and  Downer's 
(irove.  He  is  a  member  of  the  Evangelical 
rhnnii  and  has  always  been  active  in  its  cause, 
having  served  as  deacon  and  cashier,  and  holds 
tile  good  opinion  and  high  regard  of  all  who 
know  him,  being  active  in  his  support  of  every 
movement  looking  toward  the  advancement  and 
progress  of  his  conuniinity. 

OLDFIELD,  Jesse,  one  of  the  older  settlers  of 
Downer's  (imve  township,  owns  a  fine  estate 
and  is  a  self-made  man.  He  was  born  at  West 
Walton,  which  is  near  Wisbich,  Norfolk.  Eng- 
land April  25,  1828,  and  in  1845,  accompanied 
his  older  brother  John  to  the  United  States. 
The  younger  brother  worked  two  seasons  for 
farmers  near  Rochester,  N.  Y.,  for  $6  per  moiith,. 
and  then  joined  his  brother  John,  who  had  c6me' 
to  Cook  CMjunty.  111.  Later  they  purchased 'fdrtiiv' 
acres  of  land  at  $14  per  acre,  and  farmed  It  in 
partnership,  and  Ixiught  and  sold  stj)Ck,  oper- 
ating in  the  Chicago  market.  They  di'Ov^,tiioi*» 
stock  from  the  place  of  purchase  to}  thV■c^ty^ 
Jesse  Oldfleld  also  inirchased  forty  acues  pf . 
land  at  .$14  per  acre  for  himself  but  continued 
in  partnership  with  brother  John  for  many 
years  in  buying,  raising  and  selling  cattle,  and 
they  became  extensive  stock  men  and  were  also 
interested  in  buying  and  selling  horses,  raising 
them  on  their  own  farm.  Jesse  Oldfield 
kept  adding  to  his  possessions  until  he  now 
owns  about  320  acres  of  land,  most  of  it  under 
cultivation.  He  built  the  house  on  his  farm  soon 
after  uiiirriage.  Some  years  ago  he  retired  from 
active  life  and  makes  his  home  with  his  daugli- 
ter,   Mrs.   Charles   Hawkins. 

Mr.  Oldfield  Is  one  of  the  best  known  and 
most  higldy  respected  men  in  his  township,  and 
has  a  wide  circle  of  firm  friends.  In  politics 
he  is  a  Republican. 

When  he  was  twenty-six  years  old,  he  married 
Amanda  Lyon,  daughter  of  Hector  Lyon,  when 
she  was  sixteen  years  old.  They  had  ten  chil- 
dren who  grew  to  maturity,  of  whom  two  sons 
and  a   daughter  still  live  on  the  home  farm. 


OSTRANDER,  Ransom  H.  The  farmer  of  today 
faces  entirely  different  conditions  from  those 
which  confronted  his  forefathers.  Farming  is 
not  now  the  simple  experiment  it  used  to  be, 
when  the  sou  performed  his  work  as  did  his 
father  before  him.  Now  there  are  changes  in 
the  business  of  farming  just  as  there  are  iu 
every  other  line  of  industrial  and  commercial 
endeavor,  and  only  those  who  keep  abreast  of 
the  progress,  succeed.  One  of  the  progressive 
agriculturists  of  Du  Page  county  is  Ransom  H. 
Ostrander  of  Winfield  Township.  He  was  born 
In  Columbia  count}-.  Wis.,  JIarch  4,  1S4G,  being 
a  sou  of  Ransom  and  Donnie  Elvira  (Graves) 
Ostrander,  natives  of  Jefferson  county  and  Ham- 
burg. Erie  county.  N.  Y.,  respectively.  The 
grandparents  were  Andrew  and  Caroline  (Cris- 
pell)  Ostrander.  natives  of  Holland,  and  Hyram 
and  Sallie   (Bebee)   Graves  of  New  York. 

In  1833,  Andrew  Ostrander  and  his  family 
came  to  Proviso  township,  Du  Page  county, 
squatting  on  land,  not  yet  surveyed.  The  In- 
dians were  plentiful  at  that  time,  but  they  ex- 
perienced no  difficulty  with  them.    After  the  land 

''.w,aj5   placed  on   the  market,   Mr.   Ostrander   en- 

•  tered  ICOjacres,  and  there  he  and  his  wife  died. 
Hyram  Giaves  brought  his  family  west  to  the  vi- 
cinity of  Cockford,   111.,  about  1840.  iiut  a   few 

•-.v^^''#*  hit^r    moved    to    Jefferson    county,    AVis. 

""There  he  secured  land,  which  he  sold  in  1869, 
-BiWTng^o  Fayette  county,  la.  Both  he  and 
his  wife  passed  away  in  the  latter  place.  Ran- 
som Ostrander  married  at  Rockford,  111.,  moving 
afterwards  to  Columbia  county.  Wis.,  settling 
in  the  woods.  When  Ransom  II.  Ostrander  was 
two  years  old.  his  father  was  taken  suddenly 
ill,  and  his  wife  went  to  an  Indian  Jledicine 
Man,  five  miles  away,  carrying  her  baliy.  She 
waded  a  large  creek  and  went  through  more 
than  a  woman  of  today  could  endure,  and  when 
she  returned  with  the  medicine  given  her  by 
the  old  Indian,  her  husband  was  beyond  any 
earthly  assistance,  and  died  within  an  hour.  His 
widow  returned  to  Jefferson  county.  Wis.,  to  re- 
side with  her  parents,  but  later  ujarried  Reuben 
Richmond  of  Wayne  count.v,  X.  Y.,  the  ceremon.v 
occiu'ring  in  1850.  She  and  her  second  husband 
returned  to  New  Y'ork.  living  near  L.vons,  on 
a  farm  for  four  years.  However,  they  liked  the 
west  better,  so  returned  to  Wisconsin,  where 
Mr.  Richmond  bought  a  farm  in  Rock  county, 
and  they  lived  upon  it  until  1870,  then  sold 
and  went  to  Fayette  county.  la.,  buying  a   I'arm, 


974 


HISTORY  OF  DU  PAGE  COUNTY. 


where  Mr.  Riobmond  died  in  IS!)!),  lais  widow 
surviving  until  19U5.  Ransom  H.  Ostrander  was 
the  only  child  of  her  first  niariage.  but  by  her 
second  Mrs.  Richmond  had  children  as  follows: 
Caroline,  who  is  deceased;  Minerva.  Mrs.  Fred 
Rogers,  who  is  of  Hawkeye,  la. ;  Josephine.  Mrs. 
James  Bakewell,  who  is  of  northwestern  Ne- 
braska :  Henry,  who  is  of  Ilawkeye,  la, ;  and 
Florence, 

Ran.'om  I-I,  Ostrander  grew  up  in  his  step- 
father's home,  remaining  there  until  he  was 
si.xteeu  years  old.  when  he  Ijcgan  working  for 
himself  on  a  farm  in  Wisconsin.  In  August, 
18C4,  he  enlisted  in  Company  H.  Thirteenth  Wis- 
consin Volunteer  Infantry,  and  was  assigned  to 
Chattanooga,  Teun.,  and  did  arduous  guard  duty 
there  and  at  Huntsville,  Ala,  He  was  mustered 
out  at  Nashville,  Tenn,,  June  20,  1S»J.5,  He  re- 
turned to  Wisconsin  for  a  year,  and  then  came 
to  Du  Page  county,  spending  two  years  in  York 
township,  after  which  he  went  to  Naperville 
township,  where  lie  worked  by  the  month  for 
a  year.  Once  more  he  went  back  to  Wisconsin, 
where  he  bought  and  sold  horses,  operating  be- 
tween Wisconsin  and  Illinois,  In  1SU8,  he  pur- 
chased the  farm  which  his  wife's  grandparents 
had  bought  after  their  marriage,  and  in  1809. 
moved  on  it,  since  which  time  he  has  been  de- 
voting it  to  general  farming. 

On  February  4.  1870,  Mr.  Ostrander  married 
Mary  Jane  Bartholomew,  born  in  Winfield  town- 
ship, October  S,  1844.  a  daughter  of  Samuel  and 
Lucy  Ann  (Graves)  Bartholomew,  natives  of 
Whitehall.  X.  T..  and  '\'ermont.  The  grandpar- 
ents of  Mrs.  Ostrander  were  Thomas  Bartholo- 
mew and  Philip  and  Anna  (Kendall)  Graves 
of  Vermont.  Both  came  to  Winfield  township  at 
an  early  du.v.  Mr.  and  Mrs.  Ostrander  have 
a  daughter.  Mamie  O.,  who  married  R.  G. 
Minium  of  Aurora,  111.  They  have  three  chil- 
dren :  Helen.  George,  and  Clayton.  Mrs.  Os- 
trander is  a  Baptist.  Mr.  Ostrander  is  a  Re- 
publican, and  fraternally  is  a  Mason,  belong- 
ing to  Blue  Lodge  No.  728,  Waterman,  111,,  and 
Chapter  No.  52,  of  Dekalb,  111,  He  is  a  man 
of  more  than  ordinary  force  of  character,  who 
has  forged  to  the  front,  and  deserves  the  pros- 
perity which  lie  has  attained, 

OSTRUM,  George  D.,  a  prominent  and  public- 
spirited  citizen  of  Hinsdale.  111.,  has  spent  his 
entire  life  in  Du  Page  County.  He  has  been  a 
resident  of  that  place  since  1876,  and  has  taken 


an  active  interest  in  all  measures  tending  to 
advance  the  general  welfare  and  progress  of  the 
community.  He  was  born  at  Fullersburg,  111., 
October  10.  1S7(J,  son  of  William  and  Henrietta 
(Gneeh)  Ostrum,  natives  of  Bavaria,  Germany. 
He  attended  the  district  and  the  graded  schools 
of  Hinsdale,  being  graduated  therefrom  in  1S93, 
then  took  a  course  in  the  Chicago  Manual  Train- 
ing School,  from  which  he  was  graduated  in 
1897,  He  has  since  been  engaged  in  business  life 
and  now  holds  the  position  of  cashier  and  pay- 
mastei-  of  the  Otis  Elevator  Company,  at  No,  9 
Jackson  Boulevard,  Chicago. 

Mr,  Ostrum  was  married  at  Aurora,  111,, 
November  28,  1901,  to  Miss  Carolyn  Crosier,  a 
native  of  Naperville,  111.,  and  two  children  have 
blessed  this  union,  Karl  C,  and  Helen.  Mr, 
Ostrum  is  a  Republican  in  politics  and  in  April, 
1909,  was  elected  Village  Trustee,  fulfilling  the 
duties  of  that  office  satisfactorily.  Socially  he  is 
a  member  of  the  Hinsdale  Club,  of  which  he  has 
served  as  secretary-treasurer  the  past  three 
years,  being  first  elected  in  May,  1908.  He  be- 
longs to  the  Congregational  Church  and  is  a 
member  of  the  Men's  Social  Club  connected 
with  that  organization.  He  is  regarded  as  a 
patriotic,  desirable  citizen  and  he  and  his  wife 
are  well  known  in  social  circles.  He  has  been 
actively  identified  with  several  public  measures 
and  lends  his  influence  to  any  object  he  believes 
v.'ortliy  of  his  support. 

PAASKE,  Hans  Parelius.  Some  of  the  largest 
corporations  of  the  comitry  have  selected  Du 
Page  county  for  their  scene  of  operation,  as  its 
location  and  transportation  facilities  make  it 
an  ideal  place  for  manufacturing  purposes. 
Then.  too.  the  men  here  are  well  fitted  by  abil- 
ity and  training  to  handle' vast  interests,  having 
connections  that  insure  securing  of  competent 
workmen  and  the  turning  out  of  a  first-class 
product.  One  of  the  men  who  has  carried  the 
concern  under  his  supervision  to  ultimate  suc- 
cess, and  placed  its  interests  upon  a  firm  finan- 
cial standing,  is  Hans  Parelius  Paaske,  super- 
intendent of  the  Borden  Condensed  Milk  Com- 
pany of  West  Chicago,  Mr,  Paaske  was  born 
at  Orlandet,  Norway,  April  14,  1871,  a  son  of 
Peter  Carlson  and  Kathrine  Paaske.  The  father 
was  born  in  Norway,  October  30,  1824,  and 
died  at  Orlandet,  Norway,  October  27,  1906 ; 
while  his  wife  born  in  Norway  in  1832,  died 
August   17.   1908.     The  father  served  as  circuit 


HISTORY  OF  DU  PAGE  COUNTY. 


975 


judge  from  1875  to  1905,  and  was  a  man  of  con- 
siderable prominence  in  his  community.  The 
great-grandfather.  Peter  Carlseu  Paaske,  went 
from  Denmark  to  Norway  to  superintend  the 
building  of  war  vessels.  He  was  succeeded  in 
this  iuiportaut  position  by  his  son,  Carl  Peter- 
sen Paaske. 

Hans  P.  Paaske  was  educated  in  the  Thorud- 
hjm  Latin  School,  ami  the  Christiaia  Mercan- 
tile College,  both  in  Norway,  attending  to  his 
studies  until  twenty  years  of  age.  Leaving  col- 
lege, he  engaged  as  a  bookkeeper  in  his  native 
land,  which  he  left  April  4,  1890,  to  sail  for 
the  United  States.  Arriving  in  this  country  he 
worked  for  a  year  on  a  farm,  receiving  eight 
dollars  per  month  for  his  services.  For  three 
years  he  worked  for  William  Lorimer,  Noah 
IL  Pike  and  Henry  L.  Hertz.  Mr.  Paaske's 
connection  with  his  present  company  began 
October  24.  1004,  at  McHeury.  111.,  he  entering 
the  company's  employ  as  bottle  washer.  Within 
a  short  time  he  was  promoted  to  be  pasteurizing 
man,  then  buttermilk  man,  and  on  April  28, 
1007,  was  sent  to  West  Chicago  as  foreman  of 
the  plant  there.  On  June  20,  1910,  he  was  made 
Its  superintendent.  His  rise  was  due  to  his 
natural  aptitude  for  the  business,  and  his  mas- 
tering  of  each   detail   as   he   went   along. 

Mr.  Paaske  was  married  at  Christiana,  Nor- 
way. Decemrier  24.  lSt>4,  to  Dagny  Christensen, 
daughter  of  John  and  Ophelia  (Anderson) 
Christensen.  Mr.  Christensen  was  a  Sergeant  in 
the  Norwegian  army,  in  which  Mr.  Paaske  also 
served  two  years.  Mr.  and  Mrs.  Paaske  have 
had  children  as  follows:  Jens  Andreas  Weren- 
skiold.  who  was  born  February  15,  1896;  Carl 
Peter,  who  was  born  August  20.  1898:  Ethel, 
who  was  born  October  24.  1900:  Thomas,  who 
was  boru  January  29,  190(5;  Helen,  who  was 
horn  February  20.  1909;  and  Margiiaritha  Elisa- 
lietli.   who   was   born   January   30,    1912. 

The  Norwegian  Lutheran  Church  holds  Mr. 
Paaske's  membership,  and  receives  his  generous 
support.  Fraternally  he  belongs  to  the  Maca- 
bees  and  order  of  Ben  Hur.  Since  coming  to 
this  country,  he  has  been  a  staunch  Republi- 
can, and  can  be  depended  upon  to  supiwrt  the 
principles  of  his  party  upon  any  and  all  oc- 
casions. He  is  a  wholesouled,  genial  man,  ex- 
tremely popular  among  his  associates,  and  a 
jiower  among  his  fellow  Norwegians  who  de- 
pend upon  him  to  direct  them  in  many  matters. 
As  a  business  man.  few  can  excel  him  in  sound 


judgment  and  reliable  methods,  and  Du  Page 
county  has  in  him  one  of  its  most  substantial 
and  trustworthy  citizens,  whose  life  demon- 
strates what  can  be  accomplished  through  hard 
work,  intelligently  directed. 

PAHNKE,  Alfred  H.  The  present  system  of 
tiling  swamp  land  is  one  that  has  given  back 
thousands  of  acres  which  had  been  worthless. 
The  rich  land  thus  redeemed  yields  remarkable 
crops,  and  the  possessors  of  them  are  among 
the  most  prosperous  of  the  farmers  to  be  found 
in  any  section.  Among  those  thus  fortunate  in 
I»u  Page  County  is  .Vlfred  H.  Pahnke.  born  in 
Winfield  Township,  May  11.  ISSO,  a  sou  of  Fred 
W.  and  Albertiue  (Miller)  Pahnke,  natives  of 
Germany.  In  1871,  Fred  Pahulce  went  to  Chi- 
cago, just  after  the  big  fire,  realizing  that  there 
were  great  opportunities  offered  for  a  carpenter. 
After  two  years  in  that  city,  he  went  to  Batavia, 
where  he  worked  as  a  wagonmaker  with  the 
Newton  Wagon  Co.,  for  fifteen  years.  Albertine 
Jliller  had  come  to  Batavia  with  her  mother,  in 
1N()9,  and  on  February  25,  1875,  she  married  Mr. 
Pahnke.     Mrs.  Pahnke  died  March  26.  1909. 

In  connection  with  his  brother-in-law,  Mr. 
Pahnke  purchased  sixty-two  acres  in  Winfield 
Township,  but  soon  bought  the  former  out. 
There  were  no  improvements  on  this  place,  it  all 
being  swamp,  timber,  and  stumps  where  tim- 
ber had  been.  Mr.  Pahnke  first  built  a  house 
and  dug  a  well  in  a  little  space  he  cleared  in  the 
woods.  He  then  began  clearing  off  the  timber, 
and  put  the  laud  under  improvemeut.  He  kept 
<-!i  adding  buildings  and  buying  more  land,  un- 
til he  had  seventy-two  acres.  In  1903,  he  tiled 
and  drained  the  propert.y,  so  that  it  is  now  very 
valuable.  In  order  to  have  sufficient  money  to 
go  on  with  his  improvements,  Mr.  Pahnke 
worked  for  some  years  at  his  trade  in  Batavia, 
to  which  he  moved  in  October,  1910.  In  1899, 
he  bought  five  acres  just  across  the  road  in 
Kane  County,  and  in  1900  bought  more,  so  that 
the  farm  now  comprises  141  1-2  acres,  all  of 
which  is  cultivated  except  twenty-five  acres. 
Mr.  Pahnke  was  married  in  May,  1910,  to  Han- 
nah Miller,  sister  of  his  first  wife. 

Alfi'ed  H.  Pahnke  attended  district  .school, 
aud  spent  one  term  at  the  German  Lutheran 
school  at  West  Chicago.  On  March  1,  1910,  he 
aud  his  brother,  Fred  C,  assumed  charge  of  the 
fai-m  which  they  operate  together. 

Fred  C.  Pahnke  was  born  November  10,  1884, 


976 


HISTORY  OF  DU  PAGE  COUNTY. 


.A 


and  on  November  30,  1010,  he  married  Esther 
Eaddant.  born  in  Batavia  Townshij),  Kane 
County,  111.,  daughter  of  Fred  aud  Henrietta 
(Plautz)  Raddaut,  natives  of  Germany. 

The  Pahnkes  are  Lutherans  and  Republicans. 
Albert  H.  Pahnke  belongs  to  the  Aid  Association 
of  Lutherans  of  Batavia.  Jliss  Minnie  S.  Pahnke 
keeps  house  for  her  brother  Alfred.  They  all 
belong  to  a  family  \Yell  known  in  the  county, 
and  are  sturdy,  level-headed  young  agricultur- 
ists who  know  how  to  make  their  farm  pay  for 
the  work  they  expend  upon  it. 

PATRICE,  Wilbur  K.,  a  prominent  and  influen- 
tial resident  of  Blocmiingdale  township,  was  born 
on  the  farm  where  he  now  lives,  July  8.  1848, 
a  .son  of  William  Kirk  and  Mary  E.  (Knowles) 
Patrick,  natives  of  Cortland  county,  X.  Y.  Wil- 
liam K.  Patrick  was  a  son  of  StOiihcn  and  Pern 
lopy  Patrick,  -ffirtlTPs-tyf-SeatlaBd,  and  Mary  E. 
Knowles  was  a  daughter  of  Beniis  Knowles,  a 
unt»-p_iif  -Rnglaiid.  William  K.  Patrick  -was 
married  in  New  York  aud  in  ISIS  came  to  Bloom- 
ingdale  township,  purchasing  land  in  various 
parts  of  the  township,  which  he  later  sold  to 
buy  24(1  acres  of  raw  prairie  land,  on  which  he 
immediately  engaged  in  work  to  develop  a  farm. 
He  was  an  energetic  and  ambitious  farmer  and 
had  accomplished  a  great  deal  in  this  direction 
before  his  death  in  1882,  at  the  age  of  fifty- 
eight  years.  His  widow  survived  until  1001.  pass- 
ing away  at  the  age  of  seventy-five  years.  Their 
children  were  as  follows :  Adelia  A.,  who  is  the 
widow  of  Charles  B.  Field,  of  Berkeley.  Cal. : 
Ellen  M.,  Mrs.  Allen  E.  Hills,  who  is  of  Lom- 
bard; Florence,  who  is  of  Evanston,  111.;  Wil- 
bur K. ;  Francis  L.,  -who  is  a  physician  of  Austin. 
111. ;  Charles  B..  and  Abraham  L..  who  are  of 
Omaha,  Neb.,  aud  Jessie,  who  is  Mrs.  F.  S.  Frou- 
baugh  of  Austin. 

After  completing  a  course  in  the  conunon 
schools  Wilbur  K.  Patrick  attended  Wheaton 
College.  Always  an  enthusiastic  farmer  he 
began  early  in  life  to  follow  this  voc-ation.  He 
was  married  April  0,  ISSl.  to  Madge  E.  Evans, 
■who  was  born  at  Oswego,  N.  Y.,  daughter  of 
Thomas  and  Jane  (Kilbourn)  Evans,  the  father 
a  native  of  England  and  the  mother  of  Owego. 
Cliildren  as  follows  were  born  to  Jlr.  Patrick 
and  wife ;  Kirk,  who  died  in  infancy ;  Stella 
D..  who  is  Mrs.  Irving  Lutz,  of  Elgin.  111. ;  and 
Grace  and  Harry  E.,  who  are  at  home. 

Mr.  Patrick  had  heretofore  lived  at  home,  liut 


following  his  m.xrriage  moved  to  a  farm  of  his 
father's,  whes'e  he  remained  four  years,  then 
purchased  100  acres  of  the  home  place,  to  which 
he  moved.  He  now-  owns  ISO  acres  of  land  and 
besides  carrying  on  general  farming,  pays  spe- 
cial attention  to  raising  and  dealing  iu  stock  and 
dairying.  Haring  sjient  his  life  in  this  commun- 
ity, he  is  well  known  and  iwpular  and  has 
establislicd  himself  iu  the  confidence  of  his 
ueiglibors.  Mr.  Patrick  belongs  to  the  Congre- 
gational Church  of  Bloomingdale,  aud  is  a  Re- 
publican in  ixilitics.  Fraternally  he  is  asso- 
ciated with  the  Modern  Woodmen  of  America 
and  the  Court  of  Honor  at  Loniliard.  Mrs.  Pat- 
rick also  spent  hei-  youth  iu  Du  Page  county  and 
was  educated  at  the  Lombard  and  Elmhurst 
seminaries. 

PEARN,  William  B.  No  country  in  the  world 
gives  its  people  so  rigorous  a  business  training 
as  England,  so  that  when  they  go  to  other  lauds 
they  are  fitted  to  assume  the  duties  of  whatever 
calling  they  have  chosen,  and  to  succeed  in 
discharging  them  acceptably.  One  of  the  men 
residing  at  Elmhurst  who  is  proud  of  his  Eng- 
lish birth  is  William  B.  Pearn.  salesman  for 
McNeil  &  Higgins  Company,  wholesale  grocers, 
with  whom  he  has  been  connected  for  the  past 
twenty-sis  years.  Entering  the  employ  of  his 
present  firm  in  1880,  he  gradually  worked  him- 
self up  until  he  is  now  one  of  its  most  trusted 
and  valuable  employes.  Mr.  Pearn  was  born 
in  England,  August  22,  1862.  a  sou  of  John 
and  Elizabeth  (8nell)  Pearn.  farming  people. 
He  came  to  Chicago  in  1S84  and  lived  in  that 
city  from  March  0.  1884  to  July  0.  1008.  when 
he  moved  to  Elmhurst,  and  during  lOlo.  erected 
a  handsome  residence  at  No.  210  Larch  avenue. 

Upon  locating  at  Elmhurst,  Jlr.  Pearn  began 
to  take  an  active  part  in  civic  affairs,  and  his 
zeal  and  ability  met  with  recognition  from  the 
people  there,  he  being  elected  alderman  on  April 
IS,  1011.  He  formerly  belonged  to  Garfield 
Lodge  A.  F.  &  A.  M.,  joining  it  April  IS.  1004. 
but  when  a  new  lodge  was  formed  in  Elmhurst, 
he  became  a  charter  member  of  it.  aud  he  Is 
also  a  member  of  the  Oriental  Consistory.  Me- 
dinah  Temple,  Mystic  Shrine,  as  well  as  of  the 
Royal  League.  In  religious  belief,  he  is  an 
Episcopalian. 

Mr.  Pearn  has  been  twice  married,  his  first 
wife,  married  in  England,  on  January  24.  1S84, 
having  been    Marv   Elizabeth    Selden.     He  had 


'^^^l^^-x-c^ 


HISTORY  OF  DU  PAGE  COUNTY. 


977 


two  daugliters,  Lillian  and  Marion  by  tliis  mav- 
riage.  the  former  of  whom  died  February  5, 
1904.  Ilis  i-eeond  wife,  married  in  Chicago,  on 
May  24.  1S!>'.),  was  Amanda  I.  Fnermann.  grand- 
daughter of  A.  Fnermann  of  \\'atertown.  Wis., 
one  of  the  original  brewers  of  tliat  locality. 
Five  children  have  been  born  to  Mr.  and  Mrs. 
Pearn:  Elizabeth,  Florence  Jane.  William  B.. 
Helen  and  Rnth. 

PEARSALL,  Albert  Lycurgus,  deceased,  passed 
away  at  his  home  at  Hinsdale,  111.,  August  21, 
1800,  at  the  age  of  sixty-iiine  years,  nine  months 
and  twenty-three  days.  He  had  been  one  of 
the  most  prominent  residents  of  Hinsdale  since 
December  7,  1870,  and  held  various  public  of- 
fices. Mr.  Pearsall  was  a  sou  of  John  aud 
Clariuda  (Walker)  Pearsall.  and  at  the  age 
of  ten  years  with  his  brother  Sinmious  who 
was  two  years  his  senior,  was  brought  by  his 
parents  to  a  farm  four  miles  north  of  Bel- 
videre,  in  Boone  county,  which  his  father  had 
punhased  from  the  government.  The  two  sons 
soon  took  charge  of  the  industries  of  the  farm 
and  there  the  father  died  in  March,  1863,  the 
mother  surviving  until  1875,  dying  at  the  home 
of  a  daughter,  in  Iowa.  Simmons  UiedJn.  .voung 
nianlmod. 

Albert  L.  Pearsall  continued  to- ^eoUdueti.tDt- 
farm  alone  after  his  brother's  death  thus  con- 
tinuing until  his  father  died,  and  at  the  same 
time  gave  attention  to  interests^iy  ilie  _yilf,;  ttf. 
Belvldere.  In  1853,  he  became  »iw*er.este«l*  rn"«- 
hardware  store  and  there  met  the.l.ady.he,^U)i. 
setpiently  married,  she  being  at  the  home  of  an 
uncle,  attending  high  school.  Her  name  was 
Harriet  A.  Rockwell  and  she  was  born  at  Gaines- 
ville, N.  Y.,  but  resided  on  her  father's  large 
farm  near  Kalamazoo,  Mich.,  having  accompan- 
ied her  parents  there  in  young  girlhood.  In 
1855,  she  was  married  by  Rev.  Mr.  Gloss  of 
the  Methodist  Church,  at  Schoolcraft,  Mich., 
to  Albert  L.  Pearsall.  They  resided  for  a  time 
at  Belvldere  where  he  later  w^as  engaged  in 
the  livery  business  and  was  elected  to  imblic 
office,  being  collector,  assessor,  justice  of  the 
peace,  a  niemljer  of  the  town  board  and  a  school 
director.  Mr.  Pearsall  sold  his  interests  at 
Belvldere  in  December.  ISGO.  and  moved  to 
Hinsdale,  where  he  spent  the  remainder  of  his 
life.  He  purchased  twenty  acres  of  laud  ad- 
.ioiniiig  the  village  and  this  his  widow  later 
exchanged  fcr  her  present  beautiful  home.     Mr. 


Pearsall  held  the  office  of  postmaster  prior  to 
President  Cleveland's  administration,  and  be- 
came justice  of  the  peace  and  notary  public, 
and  dealt  in  insurance  and  real  estate  also  be- 
ing agant  for  a  steamship  line  He  remained 
in  active  business  until  his  death  and  was  suc- 
cessful in  all  his  ventures,  winning  the  genuine 
esteem  of  all  who  were  in  any  way  associated 
with  him. 

In  polities  he  was  an  active  Republican.'  Mr. 
Pear.sall,  his  sou  aud  Mr.  Robinson  were  all 
buried  in  Oak  Forest  Cemeterj-.  He  was  a  mem- 
ber of  the  Congregational  Church  as.  is  Mrs. 
Pearsal!.^  She  is  actively  interested  in  woman's 
clubs,  the  Eastern  Star  and  the  Rebecca,  and 
takes  an  intelligent  interest  in  every  public 
cause,  giving  her  assistance  to  many  worthy 
objects,  both  in  Hinsdale  and  in  California  aud 
the  south  where  she  has  spent  oonsideralile  time 
and,  though  she  has  had  many  sad  bereave- 
ments, makes  the  best  of  her  life  and  oppor- 
tunities and  delights  in  giving  pleasure  to 
others. 

Two  children  were  born  to  .Mr.  Pearsall  and 
wife,  Henry  A.  and  Eugenia,  the  latter  being 
tlie  widow  of  A.  R.  Robinson.  Henry  A.  Pear- 
sall died  at  the  age  of  twent.v-seven  years, 
called  from  a  career  which  seemed  to  promise 
ilnusual  success.  He  learned  telegraphy  and 
sSenographv,  working  several  years  in  the  em- 
llloy  of  .Tones  &  Lauglilin.  hardware  dealers  of 
(i'bicago,  but  at  the  time  of  his  death  was  a 
traveling  salesman  hiving  lieen  very  successful 
in  this  line.  Well  known  and  poimlar  socially. 
he  lived  with  his  mother  and  sister  when  at 
home.  He  had  never  been  strong  or  vigorous 
when  a  boy.  nor  after  reaching  manhood,  and 
his  death  was  tlie  result  of  an  abcess  on  the 
brain.  A  young  man  of  unusual  ambition  and 
energy,  he  had  been  a  hard  worker  from  tlie 
time  his  school  days  were  over,  and  had  ac- 
quired several  pieces  of  valuable  property  in 
Hinsdale. 

The  late  A.  R.  Robinson,  husband  of  Eugenia 
(Pearsall)  Robinson,  at  time  of  death  was  super- 
intendent of  the  R.  T.  Crane  Technical  high 
school  on  West  Van  Buren  street  between  Ir- 
vine and  .Seeley  avenue,  Chicago.  He  was  a 
graduate  of  the  Northwestern  University,  the 
class  of  1875,  had  been  a  teacher  at  Hinsdale 
and  was  instrumental  in  establishing  a  high 
school  there.  UiJon  leaving  Hinsdale,  he  became 
as.sociated   with  Chicago  schools,  with  which   he 


978 


HISTORY  OF  DU  PAGE  COUNTY. 


contiuued  uutil  his  death.  In  coaipany  with 
other  teachers,  including  Ella  Flagg  Young,  he 
took  an  e.xamination  for  a  State  certificate,  and 
at  his  death.  September  22.  1910,  had  a  very  high 
standing  in  his  professiou.  Three  children 
were  born  to  him  and  his  wife :  Mabel,  Kathryn 
and  Helen  E.  Mabel  Robinson  was  educated  in 
the  Hinsdale  high  school,  a  select  French  school 
at  Geneva.  Switzerland,  and  the  Chicago  Uni- 
versity. She  is  now  the  wife  of  Mark  A.  Gif- 
ford.  of  Dunkirk,  X.  Y.  Kathryn  Robinson  has 
attended  Belmont  College,  at  Xashrille,  Tenu., 
and  has  taken  a  course  at  the  Art  Institute, 
Chicago.  Helen  E.  died  in  18S9,  at  the  age  of 
two  years  and  four  months.  Mr.  Robinson  was 
a  Mason,  and  served  several  terms  as  Grand 
Master.  Mrs.  Robinson  now  lives  with  her 
mother. 

Albert  L.  Penrsal!  was  a  menibi^r  of  the  Ma- 
sonic fraternity  joining  Kishwankie  Chapter  Xo. 
90,  in  Belvidere.  111.,  of  which  he  was  made 
master,  March  20,  1S68.  He  was  instrumental 
in  organizing  the  lodge  in  Hinsdale,  and  for 
many  years  was  also  an  Odd  Fellow. 

PEARSONS,  Dr.  D.  K.  'Do  unto  others  as 
you  would  have  them  do  unto  you,"  is  indeed  a 
"golden"  rule.  It  is  a  prescription  to  cure  pes- 
simism, to  iiuUue  or  revive  a  faith  in  mankind, 
and  to  bring  men  into  closer  relations  one  with 
another.  While  the  operation  of  this  rale,  like 
every  other  action,  produces  an  equal  and  oij- 
iwsite  reaction,  it  does  not  comply  with  the  com- 
monly-accepted theory  that  desirable  things 
received  must  be  compensated  for  by  a  com- 
mensurate sacrifice.  Without  a  peer  as  an  e.K- 
ponent  of  the  Golden  Rule,  was  Dr.  D.  K.  Pear- 
sons, the  philanthropist,  of  Hinsdale,  111.  He 
learned  to  appreciate  the  full  value  of  a  helping 
hand  from  an  experience  of  his  youth,  and  he 
has  since  provided  wanted  opiMrtunities  to  thou- 
sands of  worthy  young  men  and  women  through- 
out our  entire  country.  The  extent  and  nature 
of  the  glorious  work  he  has  accomplished  ap- 
pears in  the  resume  of  his  life  which  follows. 

Daniel  K.  Pearsons  was  born,  in  Bradford, 
Vermont.  April  14.  1820,  one  of  seven  children 
of  whom  six  were  boys.  Two  of  his  brothers, 
Charles  and  Arthur,  died  in  infancy;  his  sister, 
Elizabeth,  married  Dr.  A.  M.  Cuching  of  Spring- 
field, Mass.,  and  died  many  years  later  on  .June 
14.  1880. 


Dr.  Pearsons  began  his  study  of  medicine  at 
Woodstock.  Vt..  and  from  the  tirst  applied  him- 
self very  a.ssiduously  to  the  work.  After  at- 
tending for  some  time,  funds  gave  out  and  he 
would  have  had  to  leave  the  work  had  not  one 
of  his  professors  offered  him  the  loan  of  one 
hundred  dollars,  with  which  to  complete  the 
course.  This  Pearsons  accepted,  and  after  his 
graduation,  settled  in  Chicopee,  Mass.,  and  en- 
tered a  jiartnership  in  the  medical  profession, 
witli  another  doctor.  His  jjractice  was  modera- 
tively  renuuierative  and  he  was  soon  enabled  to 
reiiay  the  i)rofessor  whose  kindness  made  it  pos- 
sible for  him  to  finish  his  training. 

Some  three  years  after  his  removal  to  Chico- 
pee, he  married  Miss  Marietta  Chapin,  a  daugh- 
ter of  Deacon  Giles  Chapin,  of  Chicopee.  The 
partnership  he  had  formed  was  then  dissolved 
and  he  commenced  practice  for  himself.  His 
wife,  who  had  received  her  education  at  Wil- 
lard  Seminary.  Troy,  X.  Y.,  was  an  extraordi- 
narily beautiful  and  talented  woman,  and  with 
her  help  and  influence.  Dr.  Pearsons  acquired  a 
very  valuable  clientage.  He  was  elected  Health 
Officer  and  was  later  given  an  appointment  as 
Superintendent  of  Schools.  While  life  was  very 
pleasant  and  busines  profitable  in  Chicopee,  he 
and  his  wife  had  a  desire  to  travel,  and  accord- 
ingly, he  sold  his  practice  and  they  started  on 
a  tour  of  the  world.  Dr.  Pearsons  lecturing  en- 
route.  On  their  return  from  Europe,  they  lo- 
cated in  Xashville,  Tenn.,  while  the  doctor 
travelled  through  the  South  speaking  at  prac- 
tically all  of  the  colleges.  His  lecture  work 
proved  to  lie  a  financial  success,  but  not  al- 
together pleasant,  so  he  and  Mrs.  Pearsons  came 
to  Illinois  to  make  their  permanent  home.  They 
first  had  tlieir  residence  in  Itochelle,  Ogle  count.v, 
where  the  doctor  bought  and  operated  a  farm ; 
but  as  he  preferred  the  occupation  of  selling  land 
rather  than  working  it,  he  disposed  of  this  prop- 
erty and  moved  to  Chicago  in  April,  18(!0.  Here 
he  purcliased  a  house  at  Xo.  48  Van  Buren  St., 
and  undertook  the  selling  of  real  estate  for 
Michael  .'Jullivan.  the  land  king,  Solomon  Sturgis 
and  others,  having  under  his  control  over  sixt.v 
thousand  acres  of  land.  After  a  year  or  so  at 
this  work  he  became  a  prominent  land  broker, 
and  his  offices  were  the  scene  of  many  of  the 
largest  transactions  that  Chicago  has  known. 
During  all  of  his  business  career  his  wife  had 
proved  a  wise  councillor,  and  through  their 
combined  good  judgment.  Dr.   Pearsons  became 


HISTORY  OF  DU  PAGE  COUNTY. 


979 


rich  ill  Ibe  decade  1800-TO.  rirtviii;j;  attained 
prominence,  the  name  of  Pearsons  became  a 
synonym  of  relial)ility.  and  he  was  sought  liy 
many  of  the  new  baulcs  and  other  city  enter- 
prises as  a  stocli-holder.  In  this  way  his  con- 
nection with  numerous  concerns  was  established, 
and  he  devoted  practically  all  of  his  time  and 
energy  to  their  promotion,  lu  1S77,  however, 
he  laid  aside  all  obli;;alions  of  this  sort,  and 
bent  himself  wholly  to  his  own  interests,  under 
his  own  name.  His  ventures  met  with  phenome- 
nal success. 

During  this  period  of  his  life  devoted  to  busi- 
ness. Dr.  Pearsons  gained  for  his  friends  many 
of  the  most  prominent  and  capaiile  men  of  the 
time.  He  did  not  allow  his  mind  to  be  monopo- 
lized by  business  affairs,  but  had  abundant  time 
to  give  to  the  "social,  educational,  and  refining 
interests  of  the  city."  Me  was  a  memlicr  of  the 
Presbyterian  Church.  Though  he  did  not  delve 
deeply  in  the  mysteries  of  politics,  his  influence 
was  so  wide  that,  in  1S7.3,  he  was  elected  alder- 
man of  the  First  ward,  and  served  in  this  ca- 
pacity for  three  years, 

Dr,  I'earsons  had  moved  his  home  to  Hins- 
dale, Illinois,  in  1S55,  and,  in  1S80.  he  retired 
from  active  commercial  life,  and  made  his  home 
the  scene  of  his  future  activities.  He  had,  in 
his  comparatively  short  business  career,  through 
thrift,  industry,  and  good  judgment,  accumu- 
lated a  vast  fortune,  and  on  bis  retirement 
made  the  statement  that  it  would  he  of  no 
avail  to  solicit  gifts,  for,  as  he  had  gained  his 
wealth  solely  through  his  own  efforts  and  fore- 
sight, be  proposed  to  dispose  of  it  ac-cording 
to  the  dictates  of  his  own  mind  and  conscience. 
He  and  Mrs.  Pear.sous  en.ioyed  their  home  life 
together  in  Hinsdale,  until  1000.  when,  after  a 
prolonged  illness,  she  jiassed  to  the  Realm  of 
the  Blessed.  This  was  the  greatest  of  bereave- 
ments to  Dr.  Pearsons,  for  all  through  their  mar- 
ried life,  she  had  been  a  loving  companion  .-ind 
a  wise  counsellor. 

At  this  time  the  doctor's  interest  in  colleges  bad 
not  yet  been  arousefl;  but  all  of  his  works  from 
then  on.  were  actuated  by  a  spirit  of  philan- 
thropy. His  heart  was  with  the  middle  and  lower 
classes  of  humanity,  and  it  was  his  desire  to 
evolve  some  wise  system  of  giving  that  would 
place  bis  immense  fortune  where  it  would  bene- 
fit them  most.  Some  of  the  ob.iects  of  his  free- 
handed generosity,  before  the  inception  of  his 
idea  of  assisting  the  worthy  colleges,  are  as  fol- 


lows: The  Young  Men's  Christian  Association, 
The  Historical  Society,  The  .\cademy  of  Science, 
The  Orchestra  Association,  The  Presbyterian 
Hospital,  The  Art  Institute  of  Chicago,  The  Mc- 
Cormack  Theological  Seminai-y,  the  Womans 
Foreign  Missionary  Board  (Presbyterian)  of  the 
Northwest,  The  Chicago  Theological  Seminary 
(Congregational)  of  Chicago,  The  Training  School 
for  Young  Women,  and  the  Chicago  Jlissionary 
Society.  Vast  were  his  gifts  to  these  and  other 
institutions  and  far-reaching  indeed  has  been 
(heir  influence  for  the  gootl  and  uplift  of  man- 
kind. 

It  came  to  the  notice  of  Dr,  Pear.sons  that 
many  of  the  western  colleges  and  many  of  the 
eastern  ones  that  had  been  founded  by  Christian 
denominations  were  financially  weak  and  un- 
able to  survive  a  great  length  of  time  against 
the  state  institutitms  of  newer  origin.  He  was 
not  strongly  denominational,  but,  in  his  efforts 
to  save  these  smaller  colleges,  was  actuated  by 
purely  Christian  motives.  His  motto  was,  "I 
will  save  souls  by  developing  brains."  He  com- 
menced a  personal  examination  of  the  matter 
and  when  he  found  a  thoroughly  worthy  school 
struggling  under  adverse  financial  conditions, 
it  was  his  utmost  pleasure  to  give  it  his  sup- 
port. Here  is  given  a  list  of  the  c<jlleges  that 
have  received  bis  assistance,  many  of  them  being 
saved  from  utter  extinction  by  bis  opportune 
aid :' 

Anatolia,   Marsovan,   Turkey. 

Berea.   Ky. 

Bethany,  \V.  Va. 

Carleton.  Xortbfleld,  Minn. 

Coe.  Cedar  Kapids,  la. 

Colorado,  Colorado  Springs,  Col. 

Deer   Lodge,    Mont. 

Doane,   Crete,   Nob. 

Drury,   Springfleld,   Mo. 

Fairmont,  Wichita,  Kaus. 

Fargn,  N.  Dak. 

German.   Dubuque,   la. 

Grant   University,   Chattanooga,   Tcnn. 

Guilford,    N.   C. 

Hastings.   Neb. 

Huron,  S.  Dak. 

Illinois,  Jacksonville,  111. 

Kingfisher,   Okla. 

Knox,  Galesburg.   III. 

Lake  Forest,  111. 

Lawrence  University.  Appleton,  Wis. 

Marietta,    Ohio. 


980 


HISTORY  OF  DU  PAGE  COUNTY. 


Marysville,   Teun. 
McKeiulree,  Lebanon.  111. 
.Midillebury,   Yt. 
ilt.  Ilolyoke,  S.  HaUley,  JIass. 
Newberry,  S.  C. 

Northwestern  University,  Evanstou,  111. 
Olivet,  Mich. 

I'acitic  University,  Forest  Grove,  Ore. 
Park   College,   Parkville,   Mo. 
Piedmont,  Deniorest,  Ga. 
Pomona,  Claremout,  Cal. 
Ripon,  Wis. 

P.ollius,  Winter  I'ark,  Fla. 
Tahoe,  Caldwell,  Idailio. 
Tabor,  la. 

Washington  and  'riisrnlnm,  Washington  Co., 
Tenn. 

Washburn.  Topeka.  Kans. 
Whitman.  Walla   Walla,   Wa.sh. 
Yankton,  S.  Dak. 

THEOLOGICAL   SEMINARIES. 

The  Chittigo  Theological  Seminary,  Chicago, 
111. 

The  MeCormack  Theological  Seminary.  Chi- 
cago, 111. 

SECONDARY    SCHOOLS. 

Montpelier,    Yt. 

Onarga,  111. 

Westminster  School,  Yt. 

West  Virginia  Conference  Seminary,  W.  Ya. 

Dr.  Pearsons  assuredly  accomplished  his  pur- 
pose of  disposing  of  his  wealth  so  that  it  might 
best  benefit  mankind,  and  he  did  a  work  the 
effects  of  which  Avill  almost  never  cease  to  be 
felt.  Since  the  time  of  his  first  large  gift,  he 
placed  his  entire  fortune,  aggregating  over  five 
millions  of  dollars,  in  the  hands  of  benevolent 
and  educational  institutions.  His  last  gift  was, 
in  some  ways,  perhaps  the  most  typical  of  the 
man  and  the  most  appreciated  by  its  recipients. 
He  gave  up  his  own  beautiful  home  in  Hinsdale 
and  transformed  it  into  a  library,  which  he 
opened  to  the  citizens  of  the  town. 

Dr.  Pearsons  always  enjoyed  life.  He  lived 
intensely  in  his  own  time  and  was  not 
devoted  to  the  past  events  of  past  centuries.  He 
lived  in  the  present  with  a  view  to  the  future. 
God  granted  him  more  than  the  average  span  of 
life,  and  in  later  years  he  missed  the  friends 
of  former  days ;  but  he  was  not  unhappy  for  he 
had  the   satisfaction    of   knowing   that   his   en- 


deavors had  not  been  in  vain.  He  saw  his  work 
grow  and  prosper.  His  was  indeed  a  most  re- 
markable and  unusnal  life,  and  when  he  finally 
was  called  to  his  Maker,  on  the  twenty-seventh 
of  April,  1012,  his  death  was  munrned  through- 
out the  entire  country. 

PEASLEE,  Horace  H.  Men  arc  not  apiiointed 
postmaster  of  any  community  unless  they  have 
established  a  reputation  for  integrity  and  ui)- 
right  dealing,  and  proved  themselves  worthy  of 
such  an  honor.  One  of  the  men  whose  devotion 
to  party  and  community  has  been  thus  re- 
warded, is  Horace  H.  Peaslee.  present  post- 
master of  Naperville,  and  a  man  widely  and  fa- 
vorably known  throughout  Du  Page  County.  Mr. 
Peaslee  was  born  in  the  county  in  1S46.  His 
father,  Henry  L.  Peaslee,  came  to  this  locality 
in  1S32,  from  Vermont,  but  went  back,  only  to 
return  in  1S3C,  to  establish  a  general  store  at 
Naperville.  This  he  conducted  until  ISoo.  when 
ho  sold,  and  oiierated  the  Produce  Bank,  a  pri- 
vate venture.  Still  later,  he  once  more  em- 
barked in  a  general  mercantile  business,  under 
the  firm  caption  of  Peaslee  &  Steight.  Once 
more  he  sold,  and  early  in  the  sixties,  he  retired. 

One  of  his  sons.  Luther  L.  Peaslee.  served  as 
Lieutenant  in  Company  D,  One  Hundred  and 
Fifth  Illinois  Volunteer  Infautry. 

Horace  H.  Pea.slee  was  educated  iu  the  public 
schools  of  Naperville,  and  early  began  his  busi- 
ness career  in  the  employ  of  a  Chicago  mercan- 
tile firm,  by  whom  he  was  employed  until  1S70. 
when  he  was  engaged  by  Marshall  Field  &  Co. 
at  their  retail  store,  as  head  of  one  of  their 
departments.  After  four  years  with  this  great 
concern,  in  1S70.  he  established  himself  iu  a 
merchandise  business  at  Naperville.  conducting 
a  general  store  for  a  quarter  of  a  century.  In 
1J|04,  he  was  appointed  postmaster  of  Naper- 
ville. which  office  he  still  holds.  Always  active 
pclitically,  he  has  served  as  City  Treasurer,  and 
has  been  township,  city  and  county  committee- 
man of  his  party.  For  years  he  has  been  one 
of  the  leading  Republicans  of  this  section,  and 
his  su[iport  of  party  candidates  has  materially 
contributed  to  Republican  suiiremacy. 

Mr.  Peaslee  was  married  to  Nellie  Thread- 
gold  of  Chicago.  One  son  was  born  to  them, 
Henry  L.  Peaslee,  now  manager  of  the  L'nited 
States  Crushed  Stone  Co.,  of  Chicago.  He  mar- 
ried Alice  Vincent  of  New  York.  Mr.  Peaslee  is 
a  Chapter  Mason,  and  active  in  that  fraternity. 


HISTORY  OF  DU  PAGE  COUNTY. 


981 


lie  is  a  man  whose  business  record  is  un- 
stained, and  whose  prominence  politically  has 
been  fairly  and  honorably  won. 

PETERS,  August  C,  a  substantial  and  public- 
spirited  German-American  citizen  of  Wheaton, 
111.,  was  burn  December  14,  1858,  in  Prussia,  son 
of  Charles  and  Wilhelmiua  (Ziemer)  Teters. 
When  about  eleven  years  of  age  Mr.  Peters 
accompanied  his  parents  to  America  and  the 
family  came  direct  to  Wheaton.  The  father  died 
in  1005.  and  the  mother  still  resides  in  Wheaton. 
Besides  August  C.  their  children  were :  Recke, 
Mrs.  Henry  Eggers,  and  Emma,  Mrs.  J.  Ileiden- 
reich.  both  of  W'heaton. 

After  receiving  his  education  in  the  public 
schools  of  Wheaton,  August  C.  Peters  worked 
at  the  trade  of  a  carpenter,  until  1S97,  when  he 
was  appointed  janitor  of  the  high  school  build- 
ing, and  still  holds  that  position.  He  has  ful- 
filled his  duties  with  characteristic  care  and 
efficiency  and  stands  well  with  all  who  know 
him.  He  was  married  March  2,  1886,  to  Miss 
Amelia  Brandt,  and  two  children  were  born  of  _ 
this  union,  one  of  whom  died  in  infancy,:  afiA  the 
other,  Luther  H.,  born  December  25,  ISSCrwas; 
educated  in  the  public  schools  and  is  now  em- 
ployed in  the  general  freight  department  of  the 
Chicago  &  Xorthwestern  Railway  Conjpaiyj^at  _ 
Chicago.  He  married  Miss  Bernadine.-Fi&-- 
brandt,  of  Elmhurst,  HI.,  June  19,  1909.      . 

Mr.  Peters  is  an  active  member  of  the  Luth- 
eran Church  and  in  politics  is  a  Republican. 
He  belongs  to  the  Modern  Woodmen  of  America 
Camp  No.  4SS,  of  Wheaton. 

PFEIFER,  Charles,  a  prominent  merchant  of 
Hinsdale,  111.,  is  well  known  by  the  older  resi- 
dents of  that  town  because  of  his  long  connec- 
tion with  the  fire  department.  He  was  the  prin- 
cipal organizer  of  the  volunteers  of  that  de- 
partment and  since  served  as  Chief  of  same 
until  about  two  years  ago,  when  be  resigned  bis 
mtmbership.  It  is  owing  to  bis  interest  and  ef- 
forts that  this  organization  has  been  so  well 
conducted  and  has  secured  its  persent  ap- 
paratus. Mr.  Pfeifer  was  born  in  Cook  County, 
111..  September  30.  1850,  a  son  of  Peter  and 
Philippine  (Bohlauder)  Pfeifer.  The  father 
was  a  farmer  by  occupation  and  of  Germau  ex- 
traction. 

Mr.  Pfeifer  was  educated  in  the  common 
schools  and  reared  to  farm  work.     When  about 


twenty  years  old  he  went  to  Fullersburg  and 
learned  the  trade  of  a  tinner,  which  he  followed 
from  then  imtil  about  1890.  After  spending  a 
short  time  at  Fullersburg,  Mr.  Pfeifer  moved  to 
Lyons  and  soon  afterward  to  Hinsdale,  where 
he  became  partner  of  Mr.  Bolilander,  their  busi- 
ness being  in  the  line  of  undertaking  and  the 
handling  of  tinware,  and  otiier  goods.  As  Mr. 
Pfeifer's  health  was  poor,  in  1800,  the  partner- 
ship was  dissolved,  he  taking  the  undertaking 
and  Mr.  Bohlander  the  hardware  business.  Mr. 
Pfeifer  sold  his  business  in  1910,  since  which 
time  he  has  confined  his  attention  to  the  jewelry 
business  he  had  established  in  1908.  He  has  the 
confidence  and  respect  of  all  who  know  him  and 
enjoys  a  large  patronage.  He  is  prominent  in 
fraternal  circles,  being  affiliated  with  U.  D. 
Lodge  A.  F.  &  A.  M.,  of  Hinsdale,  and  a  charter 
member  of  Juanita  Lodge  No.  374,  K.  P.,  of 
Hinsdale.     In  politics  he  is  a  Republican. 

Mr.  Pfeifer  was  married  October  28,  1878,  to 
Miss  Sarah  Wolf,  daughter  of  Fred  and  Sarah 
Wolf,  and  seven  children  were  born  of  this 
union,  namely ;  George  succeeded  his  father  in 
/.theiViqidertaking  establishment;  Ella  married 
'  Wiljiaiji- .Wj'eede,  of  Hinsdale;  Lulu  married 
George  Russell,  of  Hinsdale ;  Mattie,  Grace, 
Ruth  and  Qilbert. 

'  |,,Pj^TMILLER,  William,  a  prominent  citizen 
of  Bloomiiigdale  township,  has  spent  most  of 
h'is'Iife"  on  his  present  farm,  where  he  was  born, 
July  10,  1864.  He  is  a  son  of  William  and 
Cawliua  (P.uIIerman)  Pfortnuller,  natives  of 
Hanover,  Germany,  who  came  to  Addison  town- 
ship, when  young,  he  aljout  two  years  before 
his  wife,  and  they  were  there  married.  They 
rented  a  farm  for  eight  years,  after  which 
tliey  purchased  eighty  acres  of  the  home  farm, 
where  the  son  William  now  lives.  At  that  time 
the  place  contained  but  a  few  small  buildings, 
liut  the  father  replaced  them  with  better  ones 
as  rapidly  as  he  was  able,  and  made  all  iwssible 
improvements.  lie  died  there  March  0,  1902, 
Iiut  his  widow,  who  was  born  February  IS, 
18:!5,  lives  with  her  son  on  the  homestead. 
There  were  five  children  in  the  family,  namely: 
August,  who  lives  at  Roselle,  III. ;  Sophia,  Mrs. 
Louis  Winkling,  who  lives  at  Ontariaville,  III.; 
Ijouisa.  Mrs.  Albert  Bremer,  who  lives  in  Bloom- 
ingdale  township:  William  and  Lena,  Mrs.  John 

.    liobno.   who  lives  at   Hanover,  III. 

.\s   a    bov   William    Pfortmiller   attended   the 


982 


HISTORY  OF  DU  PAGE  COUNTY. 


German  schools  uear  liome,  aud  at  an  early 
age  began  working  on  Lis  father's  farm.  lie  was 
united  in  marriage  on  June  20,  1890,  with  Miss 
Ida  Meyer,  born  at  Seliaumberg,  111.,  Aiiril  10, 
1870,  daughter  of  Charles  and  Mary  (Hiuze) 
Meyer,  the  father  being  a  native  of  Germany 
and  the  mother  of  Schauml)erg.  After  marriage 
Mr.  Ptortmiller  and  wife  remained  on  the  old 
homestead  with  his  parents  until  March  1,  1897, 
during  that  time  becoming  owners  of  eighty  acres 
of  the  farm.  They  then  removed  to  Roselle, 
111.,  where  they  spent  one  year.  Returning ^to 
the  farm,  at  the  end  of  another  year  they  pur- 
chased the  remainder  of  the  place,  so  that  they 
now  own  180  acres  of  fine  farming  land.  Mr. 
Pfortmiller  has  a  dairy  of  from  thirty  to  forty 
cows  and  carries  on  diversified  farming  lie 
belongs  to  the  Rhodemberg  Lutheran  Church 
and  is  active  in  supporting  it.  In  politics  he  is 
a  Democrat  and  has  served  as  school  director 
since  the  spring  of  1900  and  since  the  spring  of 
1905,  as  road  commissioner  Holding  the  es- 
teem and  confidence  of  his  neighbors  and  as- 
sociates he  is  well  known  for  his  industry  aud 
honesty,  and  as  an  able  farmer,  lias  been  suc- 
cessful  to   a    gratifying   degree. 

Mr.  and  Mrs.  Pfortmiller  became  the  ijareuts 
of  children  as  follows :  Bertha  who  was  born 
October  15,  1892;  William,  who  was  born  May  S, 
1894 ;  Martin,  who  was  born  November  20,  1895 ; 
Walter,  wlio  was  boru  September  0,  1897 ;  Ida, 
who  was  boru  February  23,  1899,  died  March 
7,  1809;  Emma,  who  was  born  July  18.  1900; 
Clara,  who  was  born  September  0,  1903,  died 
September  17,  1905 ;  Theodore,  who  was  born 
June  15,  1905 ;  Lilly,  who  was  born  November 
14,  1907;  and  Anna,  who  was  born  October  27, 
1910. 

PFOTENHAUER,  Rev.  Adolph,  pastor  of  the 
German  Lutheran  Churdi  at  Addison,  111.,  is 
a  native  of  Hanover,  Germany,  born  July  28, 
1800,  son  of  Rev.  Herman  and  Louise  (Koehler) 
Pfotenhauer.  He  attended  the  public  schools  in 
his  native  place  and  later  spent  eight  years  at 
the  gynniasium  there,  before  coming  to  America 
in  1878.  He  was  graduated  from  the  St.  Louis 
College  in  1882,  and  then  made  a  visit  to  his 
old  home.  Returning  to  America,  he  entered 
upon  missionary  work  for  (he  Lutlieran  Church 
throughout  Miiuiesota  and  Dakota,  sijending 
five  years  in  this  field  of  usefulness. 

About    1887,    the    Rev.    Pfotenhauer   assumed 


charge  of  a  dunch  at  Palatine,  Cook  county, 
111.,  remaining  there  nine  years ;  spent  eleven 
years  at  Lemont,  111.,  and  assumed  the  pastorate 
of  the  church  at  Addison  upon  its  completion, 
being  installed  September  10,  1903.  There  are 
about  one  hundred  families  inider  his  charge, 
including  seven  liundred  and  eighty-eight  souls 
and  one  hundred  and  five  voting  members.  There 
are  two  schools  in  connection  with  the  organiza- 
tion, where  two  men  and  one  woman  comprise 
the  faculty,  and  in  all  there  are  two  hundred  and 
fifteen  pupils  who  are  instructed  in  German  and 
English,  the  branches  taught  in  the  common 
schools,  being  i)reparpd  for  high  school  work. 
The  Rev.  Pfotenhauer  has  the  aft'ection  and  es- 
teem of  all  his  parishioners  and  stands  well  in 
his  community,  where  he  is  well  known  as  a 
leader  in  many  worthy  causes.  He  is  an  en- 
thusiastic worker  In  all  the  organizations  c-on- 
nected  with  the  church,  and  he  inspires  others 
to  do  their  best  in  discharging  their  various 
duties.  In  this  way  he  has  effected  a  strong 
organization  in  the  interest  of  his  church  aud 
has  worked  indefatigably  to  maintain  a  high 
standard  in  everything  connected  with  it. 

Seven  children  were  born  to  Mr.  Pfotenhauer 
and  wife,  viz :  Herman,  who  is  a  minister  lo- 
cated at  Effingham,  111. ;  Lulu,  who  is  a  teacher 
in  the  school  at  Addison ;  Paul,  who  is  a  clerk 
in  the  First  National  Bank,  of  Chicago;  Otto, 
who  is  a  student  in  the  St.  Louis  College  and 
has  begun  to  study  for  the  ministry ;  Adolph, 
who  is  employed  in  Carsou,  Pirie  &  Comjiany's 
wholesale  house  in  Chicago;  Alfred  and  Her- 
bert, who  are  at  home  and  attending  the  par- 
ochial schools. 

PIEPER,  W.,  a  son  of  Christof  and  Dorothy 
Pieper  was  boru  In  Hanover,  Germany,  Sept. 
29.  1840.  and  came  to  America,  in  company  with 
four  brothers  and  two  sisters  when  he  was  but 
seven  years  old.  Of  the  i>arty  \\ho  came  over 
together,  Henry  lives  in  Kansas ;  Fred  died  in 
Chicago,  in  1910,  his  widow  lives  in  N.  Humboldt 
Park.  Chicago ;  August  lives  on  the  home  farm ; 
Louis  died  on  Nov.  17.  1903;  Christeua  (Mrs. 
Henry  Runge)  lives  on  Spaulding  Ave.,  Logan 
Sq. ;  Dorothy  (Mrs.  August  Meier)  died  in  Chi-- 
cago. 

Mr.  Pieiier's  father  came  directly  to  Du 
Page  county,  on  arriving  in  America,  and  there 
settled  on  the  farm  that  remained  his  home  un- 
til   his   death.     The  mother   soon   followed   her 


HISTORY  OF  DU  PAGE  COUNTY. 


983 


husliiuid  to  the  Great  Bejoud.  The  younger  Mr. 
I'ieper  was  brought  up  ou  the  farm  and  atteuded 
the  German  aud  public  school  of  the  locality. 
In  1881,  he,  iu  partnership  with  his  brother, 
bought  a  creamery,  and  conducted  it  conjointly 
for  some  six  ycar.'^,  when  he  bought  his  brother's 
share  and  ran  the  business  himself  for  one  year, 
then  selling  out.  lie  and  his  brother  bought  a 
farm  in  Kloomingdale  aud  worked  it  together 
until  he  sold  his  share,  and  iu  1883  bough;  his 
present  farm  of  eighty -six  and  one-fourth  acres, 
putting  up  all  the  buildings  now'  on  it,  with  the 
exception  of  the  house  he  occupies,  which  is 
something  over  seventy  years  old.  This  house 
he  has  remodeled  and  made  into  a  very  comfort- 
able home.  He  now  rents  the  farm  and  has  re- 
tired from  active  pursuits,  except  where  civic  in- 
terest has  led  him  to  act  as  a  judge  at  the  polls 
and  a  trustee  of  the  Village  Board.  This  last 
office  he  resigned,  at  the  time  the  village  became 
incorporated. 

Mr.  Pieper  was  married  in  October,  ISSO, 
to  Miss  Helena  Wishstadt,  a  daughter  of  William 
and  Mary  (Ohlerking)  Wishstadt,  who  was  born 
in  Addison  township  in  1860.  They  are  the  par- 
ents of  six  children,  as  follows.  Alma  ;  Martha 
(Mrs.  Emil  Boeusenberg),  lives  iu  Oali  Park.  111. ; 
Otto  W.,  lives  iu  Kansas ;  Adelia,  at  home ;  X\- 
bert  W..  at  home;  Elsie,   at  home. 

PLAGGE,  William,  deceased,  one  of  the  older 
settlers  of  Du  Page  County,  was  a  uative  of 
Germany  and  there  received  his  education,  com- 
ing to  America  as  a  young  man.  In  1840.  he 
secured  a  homestead  in  Addison  Township  and 
brought  this  land  from  its  wild  state  to  be  a 
well  improved  and  fertile  farm.  He  secured 
other  land  and  at  one  time  owned  200  acres, 
remaining  on  his  farm  until  his  death  in  1870, 
at  the  age  of  seventy  years.  By  his  first  mar- 
riage he  had  two  children,  Charles  Harvey 
and  Fritz,  of  Beecher.  Mr.  Plagge  was  married 
(second)  to  Dorothy  Eberding,  by  whom  he  had 
one  child,  Henry. 

The  wife  of  Henry  Plagge  was  Louise  Heuer, 
daughter  of  William  and  Sophia  (Wegner) 
Heuer,  and  they  had  five  children,  namely: 
William,  born  July  28,  1872,  died  March  31, 
1877 ;  Herman,  born  October  10,  1874,  lives  on 
the  home  farm ;  Charles,  born  October  11,  1877, 
married  Ida  Beutjer,  daughter  of  Christ  and 
Dorothy  (Barnshe)  Beutjer,  they  had  no  chil- 
dren, and  he  died  January  1,  1909;  Anna,  born 


June  3,  1882,  died  April  19,  18S7;  Martha,  born 
July  22,  1885.  married  to  Valentine  Tritthardt, 
lives  at  Elmhurst ;  Herman  lives  at  Elmhurst. 
Mrs.  Sophia  Plagge  was  born  in  the  town  of 
York,  March  3.  lss;3. 

PLANE,  Edward  W.,  a  representative  of  a  fam- 
ily that  has  been  prominent  in  Du  Page  County 
fur  many  years,  and  a  leading  farmer  of  Wayne 
Township,  is  l;nown  in  the  cuninumity  for 
bis  reliability  aud  integrity  as  a  private  citizen 
and  in  public  life.  He  has  spent  his  entire  life 
at  his  present  home,  known  as  "The  Alders," 
and  has  one  of  the  most  beautiful  as  well  as 
one  of  the  largest  residences  iu  the  township. 
This  house  was  erected  by  his  father  aud  has 
always  been  kept  in  excellent  condition  by  the 
family.  Mr.  Plane  owns  275  acres  in  his  farm, 
has  a  large  dairy  aud  raises  many  cattle,  hogs 
and  horses.  He  was  born  March  30,  1S5G,  a  .son 
of  Charles  aud  Sophia  (Applebee)  Plane,  the 
father  born  in  Norfolkshire,  England,  February 
13,  1820.  Charles  Plane  was  fourth  In  a  family 
of  twenty-two  children  born  to  Purling  and 
Honor  (Bowden)  Plane,  natives  of  England,  who 
came  to  America  iu  1833  and  located  first  at 
Geneseo,  N.  Y.  Nine  of  their  children  grew  to 
maturity,  and  their  oldest  son,  William,  who  re- 
mained in  England  aud  became  a  blacksmith  in 
the  town  of  Cambridge,  died  about  1875.  The 
only  member  of  the  family  now  surviving  is  the 
.voungest  daughter,  Mrs.  Esther  Riseborough,  of 
Mouroe  Center,  III.,  who  has  reached  the  age  of 
eighty-five  years. 

Purling  Plane  brought  his  family  to  Illinois 
in  1S30,  and  they  located  near  Byron.  Ogle 
County,  where  they  lived  many  years.  He  and 
his  wife  speut  one  year  with  their  sou  Charles, 
in  Wayne  Township,  then  went  to  live  with 
their  son  John,  the  pioneer  hardware  merchant 
of  Belvidere,  and  there  they  both  died,  he,  July 
20,  1870,  at  the  age  of  one  hundred  and  six 
years,  five  months  and  four  days,  and  his  widow 
in  1S78,  at  the  age  of  niuety-four  years. 

In  1835,  Charles  Plane  left  his  home  in  Gen- 
eseo, N.  Y.,  with  a  friend  of  the  family,  John 
Bowman,  and  came  to  Illinois.  They  came  to 
Byron  and  there  engaged  iu  the  work  of  ditching 
to  make  sod  fence,  at  which  Mr.  Plane  worked 
about  two  .years,  and  was  able  to  dig  as  much  as 
ten  rods  a  day.  3x3  feet  in  extent.  He  sub- 
sequently followed  various  occupations  until 
about  1846  or  1847,  when  he  came  to  Blooming- 


984 


HISTORY  OF  DU  PAGE  COUNTY. 


dale,  and  soon  after  married  Miss  Lucy  Clark, 
who  died  in  1851,  leaving  two  children :  Albert, 
of  Compton,  111.,  and  George,  who  died  at  Elgin. 
II).,  January  24,  1910.  Charles  Plane  married 
(second)  iu  1S52,  Sophia  Applebee.  who  was 
born  in  the  State  of  New  York,  March  .j,  1S33. 
daughter  of  Levi  and  Kebecca  (Stoddard)  Ap- 
plebee, natives  of  the  same  State.  The  Applebee 
family  were  among  the  pioneer  settlers  of  Du 
Page  County.  After  his  marriage  to  Miss  Clark, 
Mr.  Plane  went  into  partnership  with  Mr.  Allen 
Fairbauk,  iu  the  hotel  business,  at  Algonquin. 
111.,  and  various  other  towns.  Later  the  firm  of 
Fairbank  &  I'lane  were  owners  of  a  hotel  at 
Maywoort.  III.,  also  purchased  400  acres  of  land 
CI!  Sections  3o  and  36  of  Wayne  Township,  and 
upou  division  of  this  property  Mr.  Plane  secured 
as  his  share  160  acres,  eighty  acres  on  each  sec- 
tion mentioned.  About  1855,  he  went  to  live  on 
hifc  land  and  remained  there  until  1S89,  when  he 
moved  to  Wheatou,  and  there  his  death  oc- 
curred, in  June.  1903.  At  one  time  he  owned 
275  acres  in  Du  Page  County  aud  330  acres  of 
land  in  Kane  County.  He  was  always  inter- 
ested in  the  welfare  of  his  community,  was  a 
Republican  iu  politics  and  active  in  party  move- 
ments, but  never  eared  for  public  otfice.  His 
widow  died  in  1906.  They  were  parents  of  three 
children:  Edward  W. :  Mrs.  Carrie  E.  Iliggins. 
of  Elgin ;  Minnie,  wife  of  L.  D.  Rolierts,  of 
Wheaton. 

.\fter  taking  a  course  in  the  district  school. 
Edward  W.  Plane  attended  the  public  schools  of 
West  Chicago.  He  has  always  worked  on  the 
home  farm  and  for  fifteen  years  rented  it  of  his 
father,  aud  at  the  latter's  death  inherited  this 
part  of  the  estate.  He  is  also  a  Republican  in 
ixilitical  views  and  has  served  as  Township  Col- 
lector and  Road  Commissioner.  He  belongs  to 
the  Modern  Woodmen  of  America  of  Wayne,  is 
a  genial,  pleasant  man  among  his  friends  and 
acquaintances,  and  one  of  the  best  known  and 
most  popular  men  in  the  township. 

Mr.  Plane  was  married  by  Rev.  Felt  of  the 
Baptist  Church  of  Elburu,  111.,  in  1844,  to  Clara  N. 
Westgarth,  who  was  born  at  Geneva,  111.,  May 
15,  1S.59,  daughter  of  George  and  Agnes  (Bax- 
ter) Westgarth.  natives  of  England.  The  West- 
garth  family  came  to  the  United  States  in  1848, 
locating  in  Massachusetts.  About  two  years 
later  they  came  to  Geneva.  111.,  and  in  Novem- 
ber, 1S59,  moved  to  a  farm  in  Compton  Town- 
ship, Kane  County,  111.,  where  they  lived  a  num- 


ber of  years.  Mr.  Westgarth  died  in  Canada, 
March  2,  1899,  aud  his  widow  in  Michigan,  May 
27,    1906.     Both  are  buried  at  Geneva,  111. 

Mr.  Plane  aud  wife  have  five  living  children 
as  follows :  Grace  A.,  born  September  12,  1886 ; 
Charles  E. ;  Verna  B.,  boru  January  5,  1890. 
married  Leslie  Coleman — issue,  Charles,  born 
iXay  28,  1911 ;  Robert  J.,  boru  November  7,  1894, 
and  James  Leslie,  boru  August  6,  1895,  all  at 
home  except  Mrs.  Coleman,  who  resides  at 
Wayne,  111.  Mr.  Plane  recently  purchased  the 
A.  H.  Fairbank  farm  in  Wayne  Township,  con- 
sisting of  270  acres,  aud  a  residence  and  lot  in 
Wheaton. 

PLUM,  William  R.  One  of  the  most  prominent 
of  Du  Page  County's  citizens  is  William  R. 
Plum,  who  has  had  au  active  career,  covering 
over  three  years'  service  during  the  Civil  War 
as  a  military  telegraph  operator,  when  he  was 
one  of  his  country's  most  trusted  patriots,  has 
long  been  a  leading  member  of  the  Illinois  bar 
and  for  a  number  of  terms  served  as  the  presi- 
dent of  the  village  board  of  Lombard.  Mr.  Plum 
was  born  in  Massillon,  Ohio,  March  24.  1845.  a 
sou  of  Henry  aud  Nancy   (North)   Plum. 

The  name  of  Plum  is  of  Norman  French  ori- 
gin aud  is  derived  from  the  probable  occupa- 
tion of  some  of  Mr.  Plum's  forebears,  viz :  that 
of  plume  maker,  other  variations  of  the  name 
being  Plume.  Plumme.  Plumb.  Plumbe.  Plumer 
and  Plumier.  The  fir.^^t  of  the  name  is  found 
on  the  "Great  Roll  of  Normandy."  in  1180,  dur- 
ing the  reign  of  Heury  II  of  England,  and  the 
next  in  1195.  John  Plum,  the  first  of  the  name 
known  in  America,  located  in  Weathersfield, 
Conn.,  in  1035,  and  was  probably  from  Ridg- 
way  Hall,  Comity  Essex.  England.  It  is  well 
known  that  John  Plum  was  one  of  the  first  set- 
tlers of  Weathersfield.  and  it  is  believed  that 
he  emigrated  to  America  in  his  own  vessel,  hav- 
ing previously  sold  a  small  property  in  his  na- 
tive country,  aud  used  this  ship  iu  trading  with 
the  Indians  after  his  arrived  here.  We  are  in- 
formed by  history  that  there  was  a  dispute  iu 
the  church  at  Watertown,  as  well  as  at  New- 
town and  Dorchester.  Mass..  aud  the  ministers 
of  each  church  left  with  their  several  congrega- 
tions and  the  names  of  the  towns  were  changed 
to  Weathersfield.  Hartford  and  Windsor.  John 
Plum's  name  first  appears  iu  the  court  records 
of  Watertown.  where  he  was  appointed  as  one 
of  the  surveyors,   and  from   February  9.    1037, 


{y^^t.-'W*--^-'^^         ^^-T-tu!»^<e-<^^*.-t-<^^3^:^>iX' 


HISTORY  OF  DU  PAGE  COUNTY. 


985 


imtil  lti4i;.  he  was  a  member  of  the  court,  the 
general  church  Ijeiug  the  Assembly  of  the  Col- 
ony of  Connecticut.  At  a  court  heUl  at  Hart- 
ford, March  S.  1036,  Mr.  Plum,  being  a  member 
of  the  said  court,  participated  in  the  adoption 
of  some  means  of  buying  corn  from  the  In- 
dians, as  the  inhabitants  of  the  Colony  were  in 
a  starving  condition,  and  he  was  appointed  to 
receive  the  corn  for  Weathersfield.  lie  held 
^•arious  ofHces.  helped  to  mark  the  boundaries 
of  the  town,  hiid  out  roads,  determined  lines  be- 
tween the  towns  and  was  one  of  the  soldiers 
In  Captain  Mason's  little  army  during  the  I'e- 
quot  War  in  1037,  receiving  a  grant  of  land  for 
his  services.  In  the  fall  of  1044  he  sold  all  his 
land  and  houses  in  Weathersfield  and  removed 
to  Bramford,  .lohn  rlum's  eoat-of-arms  con- 
sisted (if  four  plumes,  although  others  of  the 
name  have  had  at  least  four  other  coats,  such 
as  the  greyhound,  the  hounds  and  a  wolf. 

The  Plum  family  has  an  enviable  Revolu- 
tionary record,  more  than  forty  of  the  name  hav- 
ing enlisted  in  that  struggle  from  Xew  England, 
and  their  Civil  War  record  is  also  one  th;V-w,il-l- 
be  hard  fo  excel.  Among  the  latter  may  be 
mentioned  .Joseph  William  Plum,  borif  ,'(t'^*(^V 
N.  Y.,  August  23.  18.30.  who  served  \\;itli  distinc- 
tion from  the  first  battle  of  Bull's  Run  to  Fred- 
ericksburg, and  later  gave  meritorinus  '»5>r\4(?e' 
during  our  war  with  Spain.  Senator  'Preston '  B' " 
Plumb,  born  in  Delaware,  Ohio,  served  through- 
out the  Civil  War  aud  reached  the  rank  of  lieu- 
tenant colonel,  later  becoming  United  States 
Senator.  Charles  Sumner  Plumb  is  a  distin- 
guished scientific  writer.  Jo.seph  Plumb,  born 
in  Xew  York  State  in  1791.  was  the  fopnder 
of  the  Liberty  Party  in  1840,  aud  owned  the 
laud  upon  which  the  town  of  Cattaraugus.  N.  Y., 
was  built,  selling  it  with  the  condition  that  no 
intoxicating  liquors  should  be  sold  thereon.  He 
was  one  of  the  first  to  take  such  a  step,  which 
was  upheld  by  the  courts  in  ISC.j  after  years  of 
litigation,  was  one  of  the  early  members  of  the 
Anti-Slavery  Partj",  and  declined  a  nomination 
to  Congress  in  18.52, 

William  R,  Plum  is  a  son  of  Henry  and  Xancy 
(Xortlil  Plum  and  a  grandson  of  Benoni  and 
Deliorah  (Tryou")  Plum,  great-grandson  of  Be- 
noni and  Esther  Plum  from  whom  he  traces  his 
ancestry  back  to  Benoni,  Jr.,  and  Rebecca  f  Ad- 
kins)   Plum,  Benoni  and  Dority   (Coall)   Plum, 

Benoni  Plum,  the  grandfather  of  Mr.  Plum, 
was  born   in  Middletown,  Conn.,  .July  21.   1732, 


and  married  Deborah  Tryon,  September  24,  1808, 
He  died  Xovember  1,  1871,  He  received  the 
usual  common  school  education  of  his  day  and 
in  early  life  learned  the  shoe  maker's  trade, 
but  later  engaged  in  the  mercantile  business, 
following  it  until  his  retirement,  at  which  time 
he  removed  to  Cuyahoga  Falls,  and  spent  his 
last  years  with  his  son  Henry.  Up  to  this  time 
he  had  lived  at  Monroe  Falls.  Ohio,  where  he 
had  become  a  pioneer  in  183C,  or  prior  to  that 
time,  and  he  made  the  journey  down  the  Con- 
necticut River  to  Long  Island  Sound,  thence  to 
Xew  York,  to  Albany  via  the  Hudson,  Erie 
Canal  to  Buffalo,  by  steamer  to  Cleveland, 
Ohio,  to  Old  Portage  via  the  Ohio  Canal  and 
thence  by  wagon  to  his  destination.  He  and  his 
wife  bad  four  children,  namely :  Mary  A., 
Henry.  Lucy  W.  and  Elizabeth. 

Henry  Plum,  father  of  Mr.  Plum,  was  born  in 
Middletown,  Conn,,  Xovember  14,  1813,  and 
died  OctoTjer  20,  1903.  He  received  a  common 
schtwl  education  in  Middletown  and  was  brought 
up  in  the  hoot  and  shoe  business.  On  October 
■ll..-18.35,;he  was  married  at  Middletown  to  Xancy 
,^'optln  -ahid  in  1830  or  1837,  moved  to  Monroe 
Falls,  oiio,  but  in  1844,  located  in  Massillon, 
Ohio,  wli^re  he  engaged  in  the  mercantile  busi- 
ness with  a  partner  under  tlie  firm  name  of 
,^Xi^h&  Plum.  Here  he  lived  until  1848.  when 
'  he  removed  to  Cuyahoga  Falls,  and  there  con- 
•fl'hiied'in  business  for  nearly  half  a  century. 
Both  he  and  wife  were  consistent  members  of 
the  Methodist  Church.  Xancy  Xewell  Xorth 
was  the  granddaughter  of  Simon  Xorth.  who 
gave  the  land  for  the  site  of  the  Wesleyan  Uni- 
versity at  Middletown.  Conn.  She  was  born  in 
that  town  October  21,  1814,  daughter  of  Selah 
and  Annie  (Xewell)  Xorth.  and  died  May  10, 
1901, 

Col,  Simon  Xorth  was  extensively  engaged  in 
the  manufacture  of  arms  on  Staddle  Hill,  a 
suburb  of  Middletown,  for  the  JTuited  States 
Government  from  1812,  until  his  death  in  18.52, 
was  the  first  manufacturer  of  guns  with  inter- 
changeable parts,  and  was  a  well  known  citizen 
of  his  day.  A  beautifully  mounted  pair  of  pis- 
tols, inlaid  with  gold,  and  made  by  him,  are 
preserved  in  the  National  Museum  at  Washing- 
ton. 

Selah  Xorth  was  born  at  Britain,  Conn.,  in 
1701.  and  was  brought  up  to  the  manufacture  of 
arms,  but  later  went  to  Stowe  Township,  near 
Monroe  Falls.  Ohio,  where  he  continued  to  live 


986 


HISTORY  OF  DU  PAGE  COUNTY. 


ou  a  fanu  uutil  his  deatli.     He  was  the  father 
of  thirteen  children. 

William  R.  Plum  was  about  two  years  of  age 
when  taken  to  Cuyahoga  Falls  by  his  parents, 
received  the  usual  common  school  education  and 
was  graduated  from  the  High  School.  When 
fifteen  years  of  age  he  learned  the  business  of 
telegrapher  with  Fred  Heath,  the  operator  of 
the  telegraph  instrument  located  in  a  drug  store 
where  young  Plum  was  a  clerk.  He  is  well  re- 
membered as  having  received  returns  at  the 
time  of  the  election  of  Abraham  Lincoln  to  the 
presidency,  and  later  became  operator  at  At- 
water.  Ohio,  being  there  at  the  time  Mr.  Lincoln 
passed  on  his  way  to  Washington  to  take  the 
presidential  chair.  During  his  stay  at  Atwater 
he  learned  to  read  by  sound,  and  was  promoted 
in  18G1.  to  take  charge  of  the  oftlce  of  the 
Cleveland  &  Pittsburgh  Railroad,  at  Cleveland. 
In  February,  1862,  he  offered  his  services  to 
Capt.  Anson  Stager,  in  Cleveland,  who  was 
in  charge  of  all  the  military  operators  for  the 
United  States  Government,  but  that  otficer  dis- 
missed biui  with  ''No.  Willie,  you  are  t«o  little." 
Nothing  daunted,  the  youth  telegraphed  the  cap- 
tain's  assistant.  Samuel  Brueb.  at  Louisville. 
Ky..  who  replied:  "Come  immediately,"  and  was 
sent  to  open  an  office  for  Gen.  J.  T.  Boyle,  whose 
headcpiarters  were  at  Columbia.  Ky..  where  he 
was  sworn  into  the  United  States  service.  On 
the  wa.v  to  Columbia  he  narrowly  escaped  cap- 
ture by  Colonel,  later  Gen.  .John  Morgan,  the 
famous  raider.  From  Columbia  he  was  sent  to 
Lebanon  .Junction,  on  the  Louisville  &  Nash- 
ville Railroad,  where  he  served  about  three 
months  and  was  then  ordered  to  Frankfort, 
which  it  was  expected  would  be  attacked  with 
a  large  force  under  Morgan.  From  there  he 
went  to  Nashvile.  working  in  the  main  office  un- 
til Buell's  army  passed  through  to  Louisville  to 
liead  off  Bragg.  Buell  left  a  garrison  under 
Gen.  .James  S.  Negley  at  Nashville,  the  wires 
being  run  from  head(iuarters  to  different  parts  of 
the  fortifications  which  surrounded  the  city. 
Young  Plum  was  stationed  at  Fort  Negley,  the 
principal  fort,  and  while  there  tendered  his 
services  to  Gen.  Miller  who  was  to  make  a  night 
attack  on  Gen.  Morgan,  who  was  at  Gallatin  on 
the  Ij.  &  N.  Ry.  The  command  under  General 
Miller  on  cars  rode  to  near  Gallatin  and  after 
disbarking  troops  and  artillery  was  about  to  ad- 
vance when  I^lum  connected  his  instrument  and 
received   a   telegram    from    Gen.   Neglev    to   the 


effect  that  the  city  was  in  danger  of  an  attack 
and  directed  him  to  return  immediately  to  Nash- 
ville. From  Nashville.  Mr.  Plum  was  sent  to 
Gen.  Gordon  Granger's  headquarters  at  Frank- 
lin. Tenn.,  and  was  later  ordered  to  report  to 
Gen.  Rosecrans'  headquarters  at  Murfeesboro, 
making  the  trip  with  an  assistant,  on  horse- 
back, and  during  the  journey  was  fired  upon  by 
the  picket  guards  as  he  was  rushing  past  for 
his  horse  had  taken  the  bit  in  his  teeth  and 
could  not  be  stopped.  Arriving  at  Gen.  Rose- 
crans' headquarters,  he  learned  that  Gen.  Grant 
was  in  desperate  need  of  operators  in  front  of 
Vicksburg.  and  with  two  other  operators  vol- 
unteered his  services,  but  at  Cairo  they  were' 
stopped  by  Col.  Anson  Stager  and  Plum  was 
sent  to  Gen.  Asboth.  at  Columbus,  whose  oper- 
ator had  just  died  of  smallpox.  After  a  short 
time  there  young  Plum  was  given  charge  of 
the  military  telegraph  lines  from  Paducah  via 
Smithland.  Fort  Donaldson.  Clarksville  and 
Nashville,  which  formed  another  telegraph  out- 
let to  the  North  via  Cairo,  and  was  repeatedly  in 
danger  of  capture  by  Captain  Hintou's  guerillas, 
who  killed  two  of  bis  men  who  were  repairing 
lines,  this  dangerous  work  being  done  without 
guard,  notwithstanding  word  was  received  that 
Hinton  would  kill  him.  From  this  work  he  was 
sent  to  Chattanooga  to  Gen.  Thomas's  head- 
quarters, expecting  to  start  ou  the  Atlanta  cam- 
paign, but  he  found  he  was  needed  in  that  city 
for  a  time  and  .so  did  not  join  the  army  until 
after  the  battle  of  Ivene.^aw  Mountain.  He 
was  with  Gen.  Thomas  throut'hout  the  siege  of 
Atlanta  and  accompanied  him  on  the  march 
south  of  Atlanta,  participating  in  the  battle  of 
Jonesboro.  On  the  return  of  the  army  to  At- 
lanta, they  found  it  evacuated  by  the  Confed- 
erates. He  then  served  in  the  city  office  during 
Sherman's  occupation  of  the  city  and  became 
its  manager  until  the  march  to  the  sea  was 
about  to  begin  when  he  was  offered  the  po.«ition 
of  operator  with  Gen.  ICilpatrick.  who  c-om- 
manded  Slierman's  cavalry,  but  chose  to  go  to 
Nashville,  and  rejoin  Gen.  Thomas,  with  whom 
he  was  also  during  the  battle  of  Nashville.  He 
accompanied  the  general  later  to  Knoxville  and 
Savannah,  Tenn.,  where  large  forces  of  cavalry 
were  started  for  Southern  ix)ints.  and  later  he 
went  to  Memphis  with  the  general.  During  all 
the  time  young  Plum  was  with  the  army  he 
held  one  of  the  cypher  keys  used  exclusively  by 
military  telcgrapliers.  nine  in  all.     At  one  time 


HISTORY  OF  DU  PAGE  COUNTY. 


987 


he  used  oue  particular  key  held  by  only  three 
others,  the  operator  at  Grant's  headquarters,  the 
operator  at  Sherman's  headquarters  and  the 
War  Department.  At  the  close  of  the  war,  Mr. 
Plum  resigned  to  go  to  school  at  New  Haven. 
In  recognition  of  his  brave  and  faithful  services, 
he  was  offered  a  presidential  appointment  to 
West  roint.  but  was  determined  to  become  a 
hiwyer,  and  so  went  to  New  Haven  at  his  own 
expense  lor  a  preparatory  course,  attending  a 
business  college  for  a  time  and  later  entering 
the  Yale  Law  School.  During  this  time  he  was 
manager  of  the  New  Haven  telegraph  office  for 
over  two  years  and  thus  worked  his  way 
through  school  and  saved  .$500.  After  gradua- 
tion and  admission  to  the  bar,  Mr.  Plum,  in  1867, 
located  in  Chicago,  entering  the  law  office  of 
Scates,  Bates  &  Towsley  for  three  months,  then 
locating  in  the  office  of  J.  S.  Page,  whose  partner 
he  became  later.  Mr.  Page  died  in  1883  and 
Mr.  Plum  practiced  alone  until  1898,  when  in 
conijiany  with  his  wife  he  visited  the  Pacific 
Coast,  Mexioo,  and  other  points,  and  during 
1899-1000  spent  fourteen  months  in  visiting 
England,  Ireland,  Scotland,  Wales,  Belgium, 
Holbinil,  (iei'uiany.  Norway,  Sweden,  Finland, 
Russia.  Austria,  Switzerland,  France  and  Italy. 
Mr.  Plum  is  a  much  traveled  mau  and  his  knowl- 
edge of  iMints  and  places  is  varied.  In  1879, 
he  began  collecting  material  for  a  "History  of 
Military  Telegraph  Corps  During  the  Civil 
War,"  publishing  the  too  volumes  in  1882,  and 
this  met  with  nuich  favor.  Shortly  after  re- 
turning from  Europe  lie  retired  from  the  active 
practice  of  the  law  and  devoted  himself  to  lit- 
erature and  study.  In  1.883  he  was  one  of  the 
charter  members  of  the  Society  of  Military 
Telegraphers  of  the  Civil  War,  and  for  seventeen 
consecutive  years,  he  was  made  president  by 
unanimous  vote.  In  1908,  a  banquet  was  held  at 
the  Maidiattau  Hotel,  New  York  City,  in  honor 
of  Mr.  Plum,  General  Thomas  F.  Eckert,  Col. 
R.  C.  Clowry  and  Andrew  Carnegie,  by  this 
society. 

In  April.  ISO",  Mr.  Plum  was  married  to 
Helen  M.  Williams,  who  was  born  July  10,  1845, 
and  who  is  a  direct  descendant  of  Roger  Wil- 
liams. Both  are  members  of  the  Congi-egational 
Church  of  Lombard,  of  which  he  is  a  trustee. 
He  is  a  memlier  of  the  Society  of  the  Army 
of  the  Cumberland.  Society  of  Military  Tele- 
grapliers.  the  Chicago  Law  Institute  and  other 
organizations.     In  politics  he  Is  a  stanch  Repub- 


lican, and  is  known  throughout  Du  Page  County 
as  a  sterling  citizen. 

PRATT,  Frank  B.  The  modeiii  farmer  lias  to 
be  as  well  trained  in  his  special  lines  as  any 
Iirofessional  man,  for  his  business  is  a  varied 
oue,  and  demands  knowledge  on  an  unlimited 
number  of  subjects.  It  is  the  one  who  realizes 
this  and  fits  himself  for  his  work  who  makes 
a  success  of  it,  and  no  one  has  proven  this  fact 
more  thoroughly  than  Frank  B.  Pratt  of  Wayne 
Station,  Du  Page  County.  Mr.  Pratt's  name  has 
been  associated  for  years  with  the  famous  Dun- 
ham stock  farm,  of  which  he  has  been  super- 
intendent since  1896,  and  he  is  also  the  owner 
of  the  well  known  Maple  Spring  Stock  Farm, 
where   he  raises  high-grade  Holstein   cattle. 

Mr.  Pratt  was  born  in  his  itresent  house.  Octo- 
ber 30.  1SG2,  being  a  sou  of  Peter  and  Cordelia 
(Dunham)  Pratt,  Peter  Pratt,  oue  of  t'ne  old- 
time  farmers  of  Du  Page  County,  was  born 
March  1,  1822,  at  Collins,  Erie  County,  N.  Y., 
and  was  one  of  the  pioneers  here  coming  to  the 
county  with  his  parents  in  18-12.  They  settled 
near  Wayne  where  he  bought  the  Maple  Spring 
farm,  and  on  it  he  located  after  his  marriage, 
September  24,  1847.  There  he  and  his  wife  lived 
until  their  demise,  he  passing  away  in  Novem- 
ber. 1904,  aged  eighty-two  years,  while  his  widow 
died  in  April  of  the  following  year,  aged  eighty 
years.  Their  children  were  George,  Mrs.  T. 
J.  Julian,  Mrs.  C.  R.  Coleman  and  Frank  B. 
In  ixilitics  he  always  was  a  strong  Republican 
from  the  time  that  party  was  formed,  and  prior 
to  that  was  a  Whig.  The  church  of  Wayne  was 
built  through  his  instrumentality,  and  he  gave 
it  a  generous  supiwrt.  His  remains  were  laid 
to  rest  in  the  Little  Woods  Cemetery. 

Frank  B.  Pratt  attended  district  school  and 
Elgin  Academy,  receiving  a  good,  practical  edu- 
cation, to  which  he  has  added  knowledge  dur- 
ing succeeding  years  by  reading  and  observa- 
tion. All  his  life  he  has  been  a  farmer,  and  in 
1896  assumed  the  duties  of  superintendent  of 
the  Dunham  stock  farm,  founded  by  his  mater- 
nal uncle,  whose  sketch  appears  elsewhere  in 
this  work. 

Like  his  father,  a  staunch  Repulilican,  he  has 
been  Township  Collector  for  two  teruis,  and 
«as  Town  Clerk  for  many  years.  Jlrs.  Pratt 
is  now  serving  her  second  term  as  School  Di- 
rector, and  during  her  incumbency  of  that  office 
the  modern  school  building  that  is  the  pride  of 


988 


HISTORY  OF  DU  PAGE  COUNTY. 


Wayne  Towusbiij  was  erected.  Jlr.  Tratt  is  a 
cbai'ter  member  of  Juniper  Camp,  No.  559, 
Wa.vue.  Modern  Woodmen  of  America,  having 
joined  it  in  ISSG.  In  1SS7  lie  became  a  member 
of  the  Maccabees,  and  he  is  also  a  member  of 
the  B.  P.  O.  E. 

He  was  married  September  24,  1889,  to  Louise 
King,  daughter  of  Robert  and  Mary  King,  of 
I'laiufield.  N.  J.  Mr.s.  Pratt  was  at  Wayne  on 
a  visit,  when  she  and  Mr.  Pratt  met.  and  their 
marriage  followed.  .She  is  a  lady  of  more  than 
ordinary  ability,  whose  good  common  sense  and 
thorough  realization  of  the  responsibilities  of 
her  ofiice  have  made  her  so  valuable  a  member 
of  the  School  Board.  Although  well  fitted  for 
public  office,  she  Is  none  the  less  a  flue  house- 
lieeper  and  honieniaker.  and  has  brought  up  a 
family  of  three  children  of  whom  any  parents 
might  well  be  proud.  The  eldest.  Miss  Made- 
line, who  graduated  from  the  Chicago  Musical 
College  in  the  spring  of  1911,  is  a  young  lady 
charmingly  fitted  to  adorn  any  position  in  life. 
and  possessed  of  remarkable  musical  talent, 
which  has  been  carefully  fostered  and  devel- 
oped by  her  parents.  George  and  Walter  are 
sturdy,  reliable  young  meu  who  have  charge  of 
the  home  farm.  This  consists  of  1.31  acres  of 
rich  land,  admirably  suited  for  the  raising  of  the 
Holstein  cattle,  in  -which  the  Pratts  specialize. 
their  product  receiving  well-merited  recognition 
at  the  dairy  shows,  and  in  the  market. 

Belonging  to  two  of  the  oldest  families  of 
Du  Page  County,  well  trained  in  his  work.  Mr, 
Pratt  is  an  authority  on  all  matters  pertaining 
to  township  affairs,  or  agricultural  subjects. 
Genial,  possessing  a  keen  sense  of  humor,  capa- 
ble of  entertaining  pleasantly,  and  exceedingly 
hospitable,  he  and  Mrs.  Pratt  make  welcome 
their  guests  with  a  warmth  and  generosity  that 
is  long  remembered  by  those  fortunate  enough 
to  come  beneath  their  rnoftree. 

PRATT,  William  0.,  a  prominent  citizen  of 
Wheatou.  now  retired  from  active  pursuits,  has 
spent  his  entire  life  in  Du  Page  County,  He 
was  horn  in  Wayne  Township,  March  11,  1S46, 
S(m  of  Daniel  and  Lucretia  (Cook)  Pratt,  na- 
tives of  Cattaraugus  County,  X,  T,  The  father 
■was  a  son  of  Peter  Pratt,  also  a  native  of  New 
York  State,  Daniel  Pratt  and  wife  came  to 
Du  Page  County  in  IS-W.  locating  in  Wayne 
Town.ship.  where  he  pre-emjited  eiglity  acres  of 
land,   later  purchased  eighty   acres.     He  subse- 


quently purchased  200  acres  of  land  at  Wayne 
Center,  where  he  spent  the  remainder  of  his 
life,  and  sold  his  original  100  acres.  Politically, 
he  was  a  Whig  and  later  a  Republican,  and  was 
always  interested  in  the  iTOlitical  affairs  of  his 
county.  He  served  as  Township  School  Trus- 
tee and  Highway  Commissioner.  Mr.  Pratt  con- 
ducted a  large  dairy  and  made  considerable 
cheese  for  market.  He  hauled  his  grain  and  the 
other  products  of  his  farm  to  Chicago  by  wagon. 
He  was  one  of  the  most  enterprising  farmers  of 
his  community  and  highly  successful.  He  had 
ueen  a  member  of  the  Baptist  Church  in  his  na- 
tive State,  but  after  coming  to  Illinois  did  not 
join  any  religious  organization,  although  he 
was  an  attendant  of  the  church  at  Wayne  Cen- 
ter and  contributed  towards  its  support.  He 
died  December  4.  1874,  at  the  age  of  seventy-six 
years,  and  his  wife  died  May  2,  1854.  at  the  age 
of  flfty-two  years.  Tliey  were  parents  of  twelve 
children,  one  of  whom  died  in  infancy,  the  others 
being :  Polly  O.,  wife  of  Robert  Hammond,  was 
married  in  New  York,  came  to  Illinois  two  years 
prior  to  her  father,  and  died  January  20,  1909, 
at  the  age  of  eiglity-eight  .vears;  Cornelia  Aun, 
married  Norman  Eastmann  in  New  York,  came 
to  Du  Page  County  before  her  father,  and  is 
now  deceased ;  Lucinda,  married  Washington 
Ilanuuond  and  died  in  Elgin  in  190.");  Lucretia, 
wife  of  Richard  Marks,  died  at  Marengo,  111. ; 
Eunice  married  Session  N,  Euos  and  traveled 
with  him  by  team  and  wagon  to  California, 
where  they  died  about  1850-51 ;  Clariuda,  of 
Elgin,  Neb.,  married  Hiram  Brown,  and  they 
celebrated  their  sixtieth  wedding  anniversary 
May  1st,  1910:  Franklin  C,  of  Fruitvale,  Cal. : 
Eli  D„  of  Winters,  Cal. ;  Ozro  B,  was  a  mem- 
ber of  Company  E.,  One  Hundred  Twenty-sev- 
enth Illinois  Volunteer  Infantry,  and  was  killed 
at  the  Battle  of  Atlanta,  July  22,  1804,  aged 
about  twenty -four  years ;  Laura  F.,  wife  of 
John  E.  Ford,  died  at  Fontanelle,  Iowa,  August 
20.  1.S99.  at  the  age  of  sixt.v-two  years:  William 
O,.  the  youngest. 

In  boyhood  William  O.  Pratt  attemh^l  the  dis- 
trict school  at  Wayne  Center  and  worked  on 
the  farm  for  his  father  until  his  majority,  then 
worked  the  farm  on  shares  until  his  father's 
death,  when  he  purchased  the  shares  of  the 
other  heirs  and  has  since  owned  the  farm. 
He  conducted  it  successfully  until  Slarch,  1S82. 
when  he  retired  and  came  to  ^Maeaton.  In  poli- 
tics he  is  independent  and  is  a  member  of  the 


HISTORY  OF  DU  PAGE  COUNTY. 


989 


Baptist  Church  at  Wheaton,  of  which  he  lias 
lieen  deacon  tweuty-six  years.  He  is  actively 
iuterested  in  the  welfare  and  progress  of  the 
city  and  stands  well  with  all  who  know  him. 

Mr.  Pratt  was  married  (first)  May  12,  1869, 
to  Serena  E.  White,  a  native  of  DeKalb  County. 
111.,  born  May  8.  1849,  and  she  died  January  3, 
1S72.  Mrs.  Pratt  left  one  child,  Clara  L..  wife 
of  Herbert  J.  Duntou,  born  November  25,  1870, 
and  residing  near  Elgin.  Mr.  Pratt  was  mar- 
ried (second)  January  8.  IST.S.  to  Elizabeth 
Wood,  born  at  Alexandra.  Prince  Edward  Island, 
.\pril  9,  1840,  daughter  of  William  and  Maria 
( Jndson)  Wood,  natives  of  the  island,  the  father 
dying  on  the  farm  where  he  was  born  and  spent 
his  entire  life.  Jlrs.  Pratt  and  two  sisters 
traveled  to  Illinois  and  she  came  to  Maple  I'ark. 
Kane  County,  in  1870.  Mr.  and  Mrs.  Pratt  have 
no  'Children. 

PRENDERGAST,  Hon.  Richard,  deceased,  was 
.iudge  of  I  he  county  court  of  Cook  county,  111., 
and  president  of  the  sanitary  district  of  Chi- 
cago, during  the  different  periods  of  his  life. 
Perhaps  no  man  of  the  Irish  race  in  .\iu««'k-a  ' 
achieved  so  much  in  so  short  a  time, irf  American 
life  and  had  a  Ijrighter  prospect  for  rVai'-l*iA^tB«' 
highest  places  in  the  land  than  did  Richard 
Prendergast  at  the  time  of  his  untimely  death 
in  the  year  of  1899,  at  the  early  age  of  fc*ty-foin> 
years.  While  yet  engaged  in  his  father^  bttsr-' 
ness,  he  enterd  St.  Ignatius  College  and  sit  obc^- 
took  first  place  in  every  class  during  the  whole 
curriiuluni.  and  was  eventually  admitted  to  the 
bar  at  the  head  of  his  class  in  the  year  1877. 
Possessed  of  a  wonderful  intellect,  a  hardy  frame 
and  tireless  energy,  he  immediately  began  to 
attract  a  large  and  lucrative  clientele.  No  young 
man  of  his  age  at  the  Chicago  bar  was  so  uni- 
formly successful  before  juries  and  courts.  So 
extraordinary  was  his  success  that  when  only 
twenty-eight  years  of  age  he  was  nominated 
for  the  county  bench  and  elected  by  a  decisive 
majority,  and  he  at  once  raised  that  court  from 
a  subordinate  one  to  one  of  commanding  in- 
fluence in  the  city  of  Chicago. 

Owing  to  the  exclusive  jurisdiction  of  thai 
court  in  many  matters  such  as  insolvency,  elec- 
tions and  special  assessment,  it  became  under 
the  administration  of  Judge  Prendergast  of  great 
and  extraordinary  power  and  influence,  and  when 
the  jurisdiction  of  the  court  was  assailed  in 
superior  courts,  the  young  jurist  was  firm  in  the 


assertion  of  the  exclusive  powers  of  the  court 
and  in  many  a  bitterly  litigated  controvers.v,  its 
jurisdiction  was  succ-essfully  protected  and  as- 
serted. Decisions  of  the  young  judge  were  mar- 
velously  able  and  lucid,  and  were  almost  uni- 
formly sustained  upon  appeal. 

While  upon  the  bench  Judge  Prendergast  be- 
came much  interested  in  the  future  of  the  great 
city  in  which  he  lived.  He  was  among  the  first 
to  disc-over  that  the  sanitation  of  Chicago  was 
wholly  inadequate  to  its  needs  and  that  if  it 
was  ever  to  become  the  greatest  city  in  the  west- 
ern hemisphere,  its  whole  system  of  sanitation 
would  have  to  be  changed.  The  sewerage  of  the 
city  at  the  time  was  emptied  into  Lake  Michigan, 
and  from  this  contaminated  water  at  the  doors 
of  the  city,  the  water  supply  was  takeu.  He 
was  among  the  first  men  in  public  life  to  per- 
ceive that  it  would  be  imix)ssilile  fur  the  city  to 
grow  uuless  it  maintained  its  health,  and  that 
it  could  not  do  this  while  the  water  supply 
came  from  the  very  place  where  the  sewerage  of 
the  city  was  emptied.  After  consultation  with 
civil  and  sanitary  engineers,  he  among  the  first 
■^7.ndyoc-ated  the  reversal  of  the  flow  of  the  Chi- 
■  t>'"'^p-^  later,  the  cutting  through  the  water  shed 
'which  separated  the  basin  of  the  St.  Lawrence 
from  th^  basin  of  the  Mississippi  river,  the  draw- 
ing of  tfee  pure,  clear  waters  of  Lake  Michigan 
•^M't^e  ©esplaines  river,  through  the  Chicago 
river,  an'd  thence  emptying  these  waters  with 
-the~sewerage  of  the  city  through  the  Desplaines 
river  into  the  Illinois  river,  the  Mississippi  and 
the  Gulf  of  Mexic-o.  This  daring  scheme,  which 
would  entail  the  expenditure  of  .f.JO.OOO.OOO.OO 
was  at  once  advocated  with  characteristic  l>oUl- 
ness  and  audacity  by  the  young  judge. 

Finding  the  position  of  a  judge  too  narrow  in 
its  scope  for  the  development  of  his  abilities,  he 
refused  a  third  nomination  for  the  county  court, 
and  retired  to  private  practice.  Even  in  the 
midst  of  an  active  and  lucrative  practice  he  found 
time  to  devote  himself  to  public  interests.  He 
was  largely  instrumental  in  creating  the  sani- 
tary district  of  Chicago,  which  was  organized 
by  the  legislature  for  the  purpose  of  cutting 
through  the  water  shed,  hereinbefore  mentioned, 
and  turning  the  waters  of  Lake  Michigan  into  the 
Mississippi.  After  the  sanitary  district  was  cre- 
ated as  a  corporation  by  the  legislature.  Demo- 
cratic and  Republican  parties  nominated  their 
representatives  for  the  first  board  of  trustees. 
By  arrangement  with  the  leaders  of  both  parties, 


990 


HISTORY  OV  DU  PAGE  COUNTY. 


these  nominees  were  selet-ted  because  of  their 
qualiticatious,  more  as  iioliticiaus  than  as  |)raeti- 
cal  husinss  men.  When  JuJf;e  Prendergast  dis- 
covered that  it  was  the  design  to  administer  this 
corporation  as  a  jiolitlcal  asset,  he  at  once  sounded 
a  crj-  of  alarr.!.  Going  from  paper  to  paper,  and 
from  one  influential  citizen  to  another,  he  finally 
organized  a  great  independent  movement,  which 
placed  in  nomination  nine  trustees  wholly  un- 
identified witli  either  of  the  great  political  par- 
ties. By  common  consent  Judge  Prendergast  was 
placed  at  the  head  of  the  ticket  and  to  the  as- 
tonishment and  amazement  of  the  whole  com- 
munity, this  independent  ticket,  led  by  Richard 
Prendergast,  was  triumphantly  successful.  After 
his  election  as  drainage  trustee,  he  was  elected 
first  president  of  the  sanitary  district  of  Chicago, 
and  served  with  credit  to  himself  and  to  the  great 
advantage  of  the  community  for  a  term  of  six 
years.  Thereafter,  he  again  retired  to  private 
practice  of  the  law. 

At  the  outbreak  of  the  Spanish-American  War, 
Judge  Prendergast  was  one  of  the  most  energtic 
citizens  in  Chicago,  in  completing  the  muster  of 
the  Irish-American  regiment  of  Chicago,  known 
as  the  Seventh  Infantry,  and  while  this  regiment 
was  at  the  front.  Judge  Prendergast  organized 
the  Seventh  Regiment  Au.xillary  Association, 
whose  aid  and  object  was  to  care  for  the  wives 
and  children  of  the  soldiers.  He  was  elected 
president  of  this  organization,  mainly  through 
his  splendid  appeals  to  the  public.  The  wives 
and  children  of  these  volunteers  were  provided 
for  while  their  husbands,  brothers  and  fathers 
were  absent  at  the  front. 

In  the  midst  of  one  of  the  most  successful 
careers  of  any  man  who  practiced  at  the  bar  In 
Chicago,  he  was  carried  off  ia  the  prime  of  his 
manhood  at  the  age  of  forty-four  years,  by 
an  attack  of  pernicious  anemia,  leaving  behind 
hiui  a  family  of  six  children ;  three  boys  and 
three  girls,  who  had  been  unfortunate  enough 
to  lose  their  j'oung  mother  seven  years  before. 

Judge  Prendergast  through  all  his  life  was  a 
Jeffersonian  Democrat,  a  hearty  Irish  National- 
ist and  a  zealous  Roman  Catholic,  Both  as 
citizen,  lawyer,  judge  and  public  oflicial  he 
earned  the  respect  and  admiration  of  the  whole 
community.  His  untimely  taking  off  was  due 
In  a  large  measure  to  the  overstrain  and  over- 
work which  his  indomitable  and  tireless  nature 
heaped  upon  him   in  his  professional  life.     He 


was  iHjssessed  of  a  commanding  presence,  was 
medium  in  stature  and  of  finely  chiseled  fea- 
tures, and  had  a  command  of  language  and  a 
gift  of  delivery  rarely  equalled  and  never  sur- 
passed at  the  Chicago  bar,  as  well  moreover,  a 
complete  command  of  invective  and  satire,  and 
was  possessed  of  a  sunny  humor,  characteristic 
of  his  race.  Few  could  equal  him  iu  the  on- 
slaught of  an  attack,  and  his  defences  were  mar- 
vels of  ingenuity  and  finesse.  He  swayed  the 
courts  by  his  masterly  logic  and  his  juries  by 
the  overwhelming  power  of  his  eloquence.  All 
of  which  made  him  one  of  the  most  remarkable 
men  of  his  day. 

In  1SS3,  Judge  Prendergast  was  married  to 
Miss  Winifred  Prendergast,  and  to  this  union 
there  were  born  six  children,  all  of  whom  are 
living,  namely:  John,  Richard,  Edmund,  Xannie, 
May   and   Margaret. 

John  Prendergast  was  born  December  21,  1883, 
and  began  his  education  at  St.  Ignatius  Col- 
lege, was  graduated  from  Harvard  College  in 
1900,  and  from  the  Northwestern  Law  School, 
r.»00,  in  which  same  year  he  was  admitted  to 
the  bar  of  Chicago,  where  he  is  now  engaged 
in  active  and  successful  practice.  He  is  a  mem- 
ber of  the  University  Club.  On  March  28,  1910, 
he  was  married  to  Marcia   Kettelle  of  Chicago. 

Richard  Prendergast  was  born  March  1,  1885, 
and  was  educated  at  St.  Ignatius  College,  Yale 
I'niverslty,  1900,  Northwestern  Law  School, 
1909,  during  which  latter  year  he  was  admitted 
to  the  bar,  and  November  S,  1910,  was  elected 
to  the  Legislature  from  the  forty-first  senatorial 
district.  He  is  a  member  of  the  University 
Club  of  Chicago,  the  Chicago  Golf  Club  and 
the   Chicago   Bar   Association. 

Edmund  Prendergast  was  born  August  21, 
1886,  and  was  educated  at  St.  Ignatius  College 
and  was  graduated  from  Harvard,  class  of  1909. 
He  is  a  manufacturer  of  cocoa  products  In 
Chicago,  where  he  is  a  member  of  the  T'niver- 
sity  Club. 

PRESTON,  Deming  Haven,  president  of  the 
Hinsdale  State  Bank,  was  born  in  Genesee 
county,  N.  Y.,  December  2,  184.5,  being  a  son  of 
the  Rev.  John  Bower,  and  Clarissa  (North) 
Preston.  In  1850  the  family  moved  to  Wiscon- 
sin, and  the  young  lad  grew  up  in  that  state, 
attending  the  country  school,  but  not  content 
to  remain  on  a  farm,  he  came  to  Chicago  in 
18C-t  fitting  himself  for  business  life  by  taking 


HISTORY  OF  DU  PAGE  COUNTY. 


991 


a  commercial  course.  His  first  employment  was 
as  bookkeeper  with  W.  E.  Joliuson  &  Co.,  deal- 
ers in  coal  aud  wood.  Here  bis  natural  ability 
and  faithfulness  won  him  admission  Into  the 
firm  in  1860  and  in  189.3  when  Mr.  Johnson  died. 
Mr.  Preston  bought  his  interest,  re-organizing 
under  the  name  of  D.  H.  I'reston  &  Co.  He 
continued  to  operate  the  business  until  1905, 
when   ill   health   demanded   liis   retirement. 

In  1SS6.  Mr.  Preston  moved  to  Hinsdale,  aud 
in  1902.  he  was  one  of  the  organizers  of  the 
Hinsdale  State  Bank,  becoming  its  president  in 
190S.  In  addition.  Mr.  Preston  has  been  in- 
terested in  other  matters,  serving  for  eight 
years  as  a  director  of  the  Chicago  Relief  and 
Aid  Society,  as  well  as  president  of  the  Hins- 
dale Public  Library,  which  otlice  he  still  re- 
tains. He  was  a  trustee  of  the  village  in  1S8S 
and   1889  and   its  president  in    1890  and   1S91. 

On  October  12.  1869,  Mr.  Preston  married  Miss 
Ella  C.  Mendsen.  of  Chicago,  a  daughter  of 
William  and  Julia  X-  Mendsen.  Mrs.  Preston 
died  May  7,  1909.  Mr.  Preston  is  a  consistent 
member  of  the  Congregational  Church,  to  which 
he  accords  a   generous  support. 

PURNELL,  Charles,  of  Winfield  township  was 
born  November  19,  1S64,  a  son  of  William  and 
Martha  (House)  Purnell.  William  Purnell  was 
born  in  Somersetshire,  England,  but  came  here 
in  1850.  In  England,  he  was  a  bookkeeper,  but 
began  farming  on  locating  in  Winfield  Town- 
ship. Here  he  died  in  May,  1894,  but  his  widow 
survived  him.  dying  October  12,  1909,  aged 
ninety-three  years.  Their  children  were:  William, 
of  Milton  Township;  Thirza,  Mrs,  H.  A.  Val- 
lette  of  Maywood;  Elizabeth,  Mrs.  A.  H.  SteV- 
ens,  of  Geneva,  Xeb. ;  George,  of  Wheaton ;  Jane, 
Mrs.  William  Jackson,  of  Winfield  Township; 
Henry  and  Andrew  of  West  Chicago,  and 
Cliarles. 

Charles  Purnell  was  the  youngest  of  the  fam- 
ily, and  lived  at  home,  securing  a  farm  of  forty- 
seven  acres  in  Winfield  Township.  He  had  at- 
tended Gary's  Mills  district  school,  and  learned 
farming  at  the  same  time.  His  marriage  took 
place  April  23.  1903,  when  he  was  united  by  Rev. 
Samuel  H.  Swartz,  with  Elta  Beggs,  born  at 
Wheaton.  111..  December  5,  1873.  daughter  of 
Edwin  and  Seutisha  (Higgins)  Beggs.  natives 
of  England  and  Ohio,  respectively.  Mr.  Beggs 
died  on  his  farm  in  1902,  his  wife  dying  a  little 
before  him  in  the  same  year.  The  children  born 


to  Mr.  and  Mrs.  Beggs  were :  Frank,  of  Winfield 
Township ;  Mrs.  Purnell,  and  Harry  of  Oak 
Park.  ilr.  and  Mrs.  Purnell  became  the  parents 
of  two  children :  Chester,  born  October  3,  1905, 
and  Mildred,  born  July  IS,  1907. 

Mr.  Purnell  was  Highway  Commissioner  in 
1S90,  and  School  Director  since  1902,  being 
elected  on  the  Republican  ticket.  He  is  a  Ma- 
son, belonging  to  the  Amity  Lodge,  No.  472,  of 
West  Chicago.  For  years  Mr.  Purnell  has  been 
devoting  his  land  to  dairying  and  general  farm- 
ing. 

PURNELL,  George  W.,  now  retired  from  active 
life  and  residing  on  his  farm  on  Section  8  of 
Milton  Township,  Du  Page  County,  belongs  to  a 
family  that  has  been  well  known  in  the  county 
for  about  sixty  years.  He  was  born  near  Elgin, 
Kane  County,  111..  June  2,  1851,  a  son  of  William 
and  Martha  (House)  Purnell,  and  has  lived  in 
Du  Page  County  since  he  was  one  year  old. 
The  parents  were  both  born  in  Somersetshire, 
England,  the  father  in  1817,  and  the  mother  in 
1816.  William  Purnell  received  a  liberal  educa- 
tion as  a  youth  and  became  bookkeeper  for  a 
coal  company,  which  position  he  held  a  number 
of  years.  He  was  married  in  November,  1838 
and  in  1850,  brought  his  family  to  America, 
locating  first  in  Du  Page  County,  but  the  follow- 
ing spring  they  went  to  Kane  County  and  spent 
one  year  near  Elgin,  after  which  they  returned 
to  Du  Page  County.  The  father  purchased  a 
farm  of  ICO  acres  in  Winfield  Township,  but  sold 
it  before  his  death.  He  spent  most  of  the  re- 
mainder of  his  life  in  farming.  Politically  he 
was  a  Republican  aud  took  a  commendable  in- 
terest in  public  affairs,  though  he  held  no  public 
oflices  except  minor  local  ones.  He  was  a  mem- 
tier  and  strong  supporter  of  the  Methodist  Epis- 
copal Church,  to  which  he  contributed  liberally, 
and  his  religion  entered  into  his  daily  life  and 
conduct. 

Ten  children  were  born  to  William  Purnell 
and  wife,  five  of  them  sons,  and  two  children 
died  in  infancy  in  England,  the  others  being : 
William,  living  on  a  farm  in  Milton  Township, 
Du  Page  County;  Thirza,  wife  of  H.  A.  Valett, 
of  Maywood,  was  bom  in  1845;  Elizabeth,  born 
in  1848,  married  A.  H.  Steven,  and  they  reside 
at  Geneva,  Neb. ;  George  W.,  subject  of  this  re- 
view; Jane,  born  in  1853,  wife  of  William  Jack- 
son, of  Winfield  Township;  Henry  J.,  born  in 
1856,  a  carpenter,  living  at  West  Chicago;  An- 


992 


HISTORY  OF  DU  PAGE  COUNTY. 


drew,  born  in  1S50.  a  resident  of  West  Cliicago, 
is  conductor  on  a  fast  mail  train  for  tlie  North- 
western Railway  Company ;  Cliarles.  born  in 
1SC4.  living  in  Winfield  Township.  William,  the 
oldest  son,  born  in  1840.  enlisted  September  2, 
1S62,  in  Company  B,  One  Hundred  Fifth  Illinois 
Volunteer  Infantry,  and  was  mustered  out  at 
Washington,  in  lS6.j,  never  having  been  wounded 
or  talien  prisoner.  He  now  resides  on  a  farm 
in  Milton  Township.  The  father  died  May  fi, 
1S94,  and  the  mother,  October  16,  1909. 

George  W.  Purnell.  the  sixth  child  of  his 
parents,  was  educated  in  a  district  school  in 
Winfield  Township,  after  the  age  of  sixteen 
years  attending  school  only  during  the  winter 
mouths  and  working  in  summer,  as  a  farm  hand. 
In  the  }-ear  1S71,  he  entered  the  employ  of  the 
Northwestern  Railroad  Company  as  bralieman 
on  a  freight  train,  remaining  fourteen  years  in 
the  service  of  the  company,  at  the  time  of  leav- 
ing this  occupation  having  become  conductor  of 
a  first-class  passenger  train  running  out  of  Chi- 
cago. He  then  moved  to  a  farm  of  102  acres 
on  Section  8  of  Milton  Township,  Du  Page 
County,  which  he  had  purchased  in  ISSO.  He 
has  since  made  this  his  home  and  for  eight 
years  conducted  a  dairy  and  millj  route.  In 
November,  1S96,  he  retired  from  active  farm 
v>"ork.  Politically  he  is  a  Republican  and  has 
held  the  office  of  Highway  Commissioner  since 
1890.  He  has  been  a  member  of  the  Masonic 
Order  since  1875,  and  is  affiliated  with  Amity 
Lodge  No.  472,  of  West  Chicago ;  and  Doric 
Chapter  No.  IGti,  of  West  Chicago.  His  wife  is 
a  member  of  the  Methodist  Episcopal  Church 
and  contributes  time  and  financial  aid  in  its  good 
work.  Mr.  Purnell  is  well  known  in  his  com- 
munity, where  he  has  a  good  standing  and  a 
reputation  for  integrity  and  reliability,  and  has 
a  large  circle  of  friends. 

April  13,  ISSO,  Mr.  Purnell  married  Miss 
Dora  Sprout,  a  native  of  Milton  Township,  born 
April  16,  1S59,  daughter  of  Alexander  and  Anna 
(Fry)  Sprout.  Both  her  parents  were  born  at 
Sandusky,  Ohio,  and  in  1840,  came  with  a  prairie 
schooner  and  their  household  effects,  to  Milton 
Township,  where  they  lived  many  years.  In 
1SS3  they  moved  to  Fillmore  County,  Neb., 
where  the  father  died  in  1S9S,  at  the  age  of 
seventy-six  years,  and  the  mother,  who  still 
lives  in  that  State,  celebrated  her  eighty -eighth 
birthday  in  February,  1911.       Of  their  twelve 


children   Mrs.   Purnell   was   the   ninth,   and   sis 
of  them  now  survive. 

To  Mr.  Purnell  and  wife  two  children  were 
born,  Clarence  George,  bom  March  7.  ISSl,  now 
residing  in  Wbeaton,  and  Raymond,  who  was 
born  in  1891  and  died  in  1899.  The  former  was 
graduated  from  the  high  school  at  Wueatou  in 
1900,  attended  Armour  Institute  In  Chicago  two 
years,  and  is  now  a  salesman  for  the  Califomia 
Land  Company.  He  was  married  in  1904  to 
Daisy  BurU,  of  Oak  Park,  111.,  and  they  became 
parents  of  two  children :  Raymond  and  Mar- 
jorie.  Mrs.  George  Purnell  died  May  2(5,  1911, 
Mr.  Purnell  is  a  young  man  of  enterprise  and 
business  ability  and  has  a  promising  future 
before  him. 

RAACH,  John  Henry,  M.  D.  A  physician  and 
surgeon  of  the  present  day  is  widely  separated 
from  that  of  even  a  quarter  of  a  century  ago. 
The  training  for  this  most  learned  of  the  pro- 
fessions, is  now  so  exacting  that  none  but  the 
most  painstaking  pass  through  it  to  ultimate 
practice.  Hospitals  and  post-graduate  courses 
fit  the  physician  to  cope  with  any  kind  of  disease 
before  he  ever  enters  into  active  practice,  so  that 
be  begins  sometimes  where  his  preceptor  stopped. 
One  of  the  rising  young  physicians  of  Du  Page 
County  Is  Dr.  John  Henry  Raach  of  Wheaton, 
where  he  has  made  himself  very  popular  be- 
cause of  his  skill  and  .sympathetic  manner.  He 
was  born  at  Celina,  Ohio,  July  12,  1875,  being 
a  son  of  Valentine  C.  and  Mary  (Blosser) 
Raach,  farming  people. 

Dr.  Raach  attended  the  public  schools  of  his 
native  neighborhood,  the  Ohio  Normal  Univer- 
sity- of  Ada,  Ohio,  and  later  studied  medicine  at 
the  Chicago  Homeopathic  College,  from  which 
bo  was  gi-aduated  in  1902.  Following  this  he 
spent  a  year  as  interne  in  the  Chicago  Homeo- 
pathic Hospital,  and  practiced  for  another  year 
in  this  .same  city.  In  190.5,  he  came  to  Wlieaton, 
where  he  embarked  in  a  general  practice.  Dr. 
Raach  took  a  post-graduate  course  at  the  Chi- 
cago Polyclinic  College  in  1909,  and  In  1910,  a 
post-gi-aduate  course  at  the  New  York  Post- 
graduate College.  He  Is  a  member  of  the  Chi- 
cago Medical  Society  and  the  Illinois  State 
Homeopathic  Medical  Society.  Fraternally  he 
is  a  Mason  and  an  Odd  Fellow.  His  religious 
affiliation  is  with  the  Gary  Memorial  Methodist 
Church,  he  belonging  to  the  official  board. 

Dr.    Raach    was    married    to    Miss    Clida    M. 


HISTORY  OF  DU  PAGE  COUNTY. 


993 


Fisher  of  Lima,  Ohio,  on  September  12,  1000, 
She  iis  a  daughter  of  F.  M.  Fisher,  a  retired 
farmer.  One  ilaughter,  Miklred  Mary  Kaach.  has 
beeu  horn  of  this  marriage.  Dr.  liaaeh  is  one 
of  the  best  linown  practitioners  of  this  locality, 
and  is  regarded  as  one  of  the  most  intelligent 
exponents  of  his  school  of  medicine.  He  has 
many  friends  who  have  grown  to  know  and 
appreciate  him  during  his  miui.stratious  to  them, 
and  who  value  him  both  as  a  physician  and  man. 
He  is  also  city  physician  of  Wheaton. 

RANCK,  Samuel  Eby,  for  many  years  carried 
on  farming  in  Illinois,  and  now  lives  retired 
from  active  life  in  the  town  of  Naperville.  Mr. 
Ranck  was  boru  in  Lancaster  County,  Pa..  Janu- 
ary 9,  1S34,  a  son  of  Joseph  and  Margaret 
(Ranck)  Ranck,  both  natives  of  that  state. 
The  grandparents  were  Michael  and  Elizabeth 
(Weaver)  Ranck  and  John  and  Elizabeth 
(Shively)  Ranck,  all  of  Pennsylvania.  The 
great-grandparents  were  Valentine  Ranck  and 
wife,  and  Jacob  and  Margaret  (Worst)  Ranck, 
ol  Pennsylvania ;  and  the  great-great-grand- 
parents of  the  paternal  side  were  Philip  and 
Barbara  Ranck,  of  Germany,  who  emigra,ted.'tQ-. 
Penns.vlvania  in  172S,  and  secured  land  from 
the  heirs  of  William  Peun.  This  land  is  still  in 
the  family,  being  now  owned  by  Elizabeth 
Weaver,  first  cousin  of  Mr.  Ranck.  The  ffl^at-". 
grandparents,  Valentine  and  Jacob  Ranck,  and 
their  wives,  died  in  that  vicinity,  and  the  graufl- 
parents  spent  their  lives  in  that  state. 

Joseph  and  Margaret  Ranck  were  married  in 
their  native  state  and  settled  near  their  peo- 
ple, where  he  died  in  1S49,  and  the  mother  lived 
there  until  ISt;.'),  when  she  joined  her  son  Sam- 
uel in  Naperviile.  though  she  secured  a  home  of 
her  own  at  that  place.  She  spent  the  last  years 
of  her  life  with  her  son  Joseph  C,  but  died  in 
1S85,  while  on  a  visit  to  Samuel  E.  She  and  her 
husband  had  the  following  children ;  Jonathan, 
of  Shelby  County,  Iowa;  Samuel  Eby;  Eliza- 
beth, married  Lewis  Emery  and  she  and  her 
husband  are  both  deceased;  Amos,  of  Joanna, 
Berks  County,  Pa. ;  Joseph  C.  of  Naperviile. 

Samuel  E.  Ranck  attended  the  district  schools 
of  his  native  place  and  remained  with  his  par- 
ents until  two  years  after  his  marriage.  In  the 
spring  of  1859.  he  came  to  Will  County,  111.  He 
spent  six  years  in  Du  Page  Township,  where  he 
secured  land,  but  purchased  a  larger  farm  in 
Wheatland    Township,    Will    County,    where   he 


larried  on  farming  with  good  success  until  1SS3, 
when  he  retired  from  active  life  and  came  to 
Naperviile.  He  is  a  devout  member  of  the 
Methodist  Episcopal  Church  and  served  as  Trus- 
tee over  twent.y-eight  years.  He  was  elected 
Alderman  in  1S93,  and  served  continuously  for 
ten  years  except  during  one  year,  he  spent  in 
California.  He  was  given  various  other  posi- 
tions of  trust  and  honor  and  has  discharged 
every  duty  imposed  upon  him  to  the  best  in- 
terests of  all  concerned  and  has  cared  for  the 
interests  of  the  public  as  though  they  were  his 
private  affairs.  He  was  for  several  years  a 
tiustee  of  the  Nichols  Library  and  of  the  Naper- 
viile Cemetery.  He  is  well  known  and  highly 
respected  in  Naperviile  and  has  many  friends 
throughout  the  county. 

Mr.  Ranck  was  married  (first)  in  December 
1S56,  to  Catherine  Emery,  bom  in  Chester 
County,  Pa.,  daughter  of  William  and  Margaret 
(Jordan)  Emery,  also  natives  of  Pennsylvania, 
and  she  died  in  1SG7.  having  had  children  as 
follows :  Margaret,  Mrs.  Hiram  Walker,  of 
Naperviile ;  Caroline,  Mrs.  Daniel  Catchpole,  of 
■jSferlihg,  -Nelj. ;  Ida  F.,  Mrs.  Robert  H.  Penning- 

:iteu,.of ,  Plaiiifleld,   111.;   Effie,   Mrs.   Henry   Rit- 
».  i      i  (  r;  *  J '  •  ' 
zeiitllaler.  dt  Plainfield,  III. ;  Minnie  A.,  wife  of 

Dr.  R.  G.  Marriuer,  of  Menominee.  Mich.  Mr. 
Ranck  was  married  (second)  in  February,  1S6S, 
^.{(j.'Jrt'V.' Barbara  A.  (Yaggy)  Musselmau,  who 
was  boru  in"  Switzerland,  and  as  a  child  accom- 
pntiien Tier  parents  to  Ohio,  and  later  to  Wheat- 
land, 111.  She  was  the  widow  of  Gideon  Mus- 
selman.  and  by  her  first  marriage  had  three 
children :  Josephine,  Mrs.  Elmber  Emery,  of 
Remington,  Ind. ;  Jacob,  of  Mason  City,  Iowa ; 
Leightou,  of  Berkeley,  Cal.  There  were  no  chil- 
dren by  the  second  marriage.  The  second  Mrs. 
Ranck  died  in  April  1903,  and  since  then  Mr. 
Ranck  has  made  his  home  with  his  grand- 
daughter, Elva,  wife  of  F.  L.  Hughes,  an  employe 
of  the  Chicago,  Burlington  &  Quincy  Railroad 
Company,  working  at  their  general  office  in 
Chicago.  Mrs.  Hughes  is  a  daughter  of  Mrs. 
Hiram  Walker  of  Naperviile,  111. 

RASSWEILER,  Henry  Haesler.  The  combina- 
tion of  talents  that  maizes  for  success  in  more 
than  one  line  of  human  endeavor  is  not  a  com- 
mon one.  for  to  successfully  pursue  even  one 
given  calling  in  these  days  of  keen  conLi)etition  re- 
quires abilities  of  more  than  an  ordinary  na- 
ture.    The  professional  man  is  not  ai't  to  nia^ce 


994 


HISTORY  OF  DU  PAGE  COUNTY. 


the  successful  financier,  the  mechanic  seldom 
secures  high  position  in  agricultural  life,  those 
versed  in  the  arts  and  sciences  do  not  always 
possess  the  qualities  that  attain  prominence  in 
the  world  of  husiness.  Yet  these  talents  are  pos- 
sessed in  no  small  degree  by  Prof.  Henry  Haes- 
ler  Rassweiler.  of  Nai>erville,  111.,  who  after 
a  long  and  honorable  career  as  an  instructor, 
has  turned  his  attention  to  labors  along  com- 
mercial lines,  and  has  gained  a  firmly-estab- 
lished position  in  the  insurance  field.  Prof. 
Rassweiler  was  born  at  Orwii:sburg.  Pa..  April 
3,  1S42,  and  is  a  son  of  Philip  and  .\nua  Doris 
(Haesler)    Rassweiler. 

After  completing  his  preliminary  training  in 
the  public  schools.  Prof.  Rassweiler  entered 
Northwestern  College,  at  Naperville,  111.,  from 
which  he  was  graduated  with  the  degree  of 
A.  M.  When  but  seventeen  years  of  age.  in 
1859.  he  began  his  career  as  an  educator,  teach- 
ing in  the  public  schools  of  Stephenson  county, 
111.,  for  nine  years.  Prior  to  his  graduation.  In 
1S(J7.  he  was  apointed  instructor  in  the  North- 
western College,  and  from  18S3  to  1888,  was 
president  of  that  institution.  Prof.  Rassweiler's 
distinguishing  professional  quality  was  his  ex- 
traordinary sliill  as  a  teacher.  In  the  teachers 
chair  he  was  a  master  who  sought  his  equal. 
Because  of  such  ability  as  an  instructor,  he  was 
especially  jiopular  among  the  students,  all  of 
whom  were  eager  to  come  under  his  tuition. 
He  knew  how.  in  a  vivacious  and  practical 
manner,  to  dispel  the  difficulties  which  embar- 
rassed the  students  iu  their  efforts  to  grasp 
the  fact  and  principles  of  their  studies.  He  pos- 
sessed the  art  of  turning  his  students'  ears  into 
eyes;  whoever  heard  any  of  his  practical  Il- 
lustrations must  thereafter  say :  "I  see — I 
understand.'' 

After  thirty  years  of  service  in  the  teacher's 
profession,  nine  in  the  public  schools  and  twenty- 
one  in  college.  Prof.  Rassweiler  was  for  two 
years  literary  editor  of  the  Western  Publishing 
House  of  Chicago.  In  1890,  he  became  special 
agent  of  the  In.surane  Company  of  North  Amer- 
ica, his  field  extending  all  over  Illinois.  In 
1892.  his  ability  in  selling  insurance  was  recog- 
nized and  rewarded  by  promotion  to  the  State 
agency  of  this  company,  and  he  still  holds  that 
responsible  position,  having  headquarters  at 
No.  76  West  Monroe  street.  Chicago.  In  1889, 
the  year  preceding  his  joining  the  company,  the 
Illinois  business  was  $176,000;  in  1911  it  aggre- 


gated over  $000,000.  Prof.  Rassweiler  possesses 
iu  a  marked  degree  those  jieculiar  abilities 
which  are  necessary  assets  of  the  dealer  in 
insurance.  An  extensive  acquaintance,  gained 
throus;h  his  many  years  spent  as  an  educator, 
and  the  high  reputation  he  enjoys  in  every  sec- 
tion to  which  his  activities  have  called  liim, 
have  been  aids  to  him  in  securing  business  for 
his  company. 

Prof.  Rassweiler  was  married  January  1,  1868, 
at  Cedar  Falls,  la.,  to  Susan  Victoria  Har- 
lacber.  and  two  children  have  been  born  to  this 
union :  Lorene  D.  and  Harry  C.  Prof.  Rass- 
weiler is  a  Republican,  but  has  not  sought  pub- 
lie  honors,  his  time  being  too  fully  occupied  by 
the  exacting  demands  of  his  several  callings. 
The  United  Evangelical  Church  of  Naperville 
holds  his  membership.  The  family  residence, 
at  No.  GO  Brainerd  street,  Naperville,  Is  one 
of  the  most  attractive  homes  in  Du  Page  county, 
where  the  Professor  and  his  wife  often  gather 
about  them  a  circle  of  congenial  people. 

RASSWEILER,  John  Koehl,  formerly  Superin- 
tendent of  schools  of  Downer's  Grove,  and 
Wheaton,  and  County  Superintendent  of  Schools 
of  Du  Page  County,  now  deceased,  was  for  many 
years  one  of  the  most  gifted  of  the  educators  in 
this  section.  He  was  born  iu  Millersburg,  Penn.. 
September  10,  1S52,  being  a  sou  of  Philip  and 
Auna  D.  (Haesler)  Rassweiler,  natives  of  Han- 
over, Germany,  who  came  in  1857,  to  Stephenson 
County,  111.,  after  some  years  spent  in  Pennsyl- 
vania. 

John  Koehl  Rassweiler  always  was  ambitious, 
and  early  resolved  to  secure  a  good  education  so 
as  to  fit  himself  for  the  calling  of  a  teacher. 
After  finishing  the  course  of  the  country  schools, 
he  entered  Cedarville  Academy,  when  only  fif- 
teen years  old,  and  was  qualified  there  to  teach 
in  the  country  schools.  For  several  winters,  he 
taught,  farming  in  the  summer,  until  he  was 
able  to  enter  the  Northwestern  College  in  1870, 
being  graduated  therefrom  in  1876.  For  those 
six  years,  he  taught  in  the  winters  at  Mendota, 
Fullersburg.  and  went  to  college  in  the  sum- 
mer months.  In  1876,  he  began  teaching  in 
Downer's  Grove,  building  the  schools  there  up 
from  the  primary  grades  to  rank  among  the 
best  in  the  county.  In  1882,  he  was  elected 
County  Superintendent  of  Du  Page  County,  and 
iu  1S84,  was  appointed  principal  of  the  Wheaton 
school.    In  1892,  he  was  appointed  Superintend- 


IIISTOKV  OF  DU  PAGE  COUiNTY. 


995 


ent  of  Dowuer's  Grove  schools  for  the  second 
time,  and  held  that  position  when  he  died  on 
September  IS,  1S97. 

Aside  from  his  duties  as  an  instructor,  Mr. 
Rassweiler  found  time  to  devote  to  civic  affairs, 
serving  as  A'illage  Trustee.  The  Methodist 
Church  owes  much  to  him,  for  he  acted  on  the 
Building  Committee  and  as  superintendent  of 
the  Sunday  school  for  a  number  of  years.  An 
earnest,  thoughtful  man,  devoted  to  his  work 
and  the  moral  uplift,  he  made  a  deep  impression 
upon  his  times,  and  dying,  left  behind  him  an 
unblemished  name,  and  honorable  record. 

RATHBUN,  Acors  Wells.  Glen  Ellyn  is  the 
home  of  some  of  the  most  aggressive  business 
men  of  Chicago,  who  tind  here  the  restful  i>eace 
their  activity  during  the  day  demands.  Because 
of  their  large  interests  in  the  second  greatest  city 
of  the  country,  they  are  able  to  give  a  hearty 
support  to  local  matters,  and  take  a  pride  in 
civic  conditions.  One  of  these  representative 
men  of  Imrh  Du  Page  and  Cook  counties  is  Acors 
Wells  Rathbun.  treasurer  of  Henry  O.  .Shepard 
Co.,  with  business  address  at  No.  C.S2  Sherman 
street,  Chicago,  and  home  at  Glen  Ellyn. 

Mr.  Rathbun  was  born  at  Bloomingdale,  111., 
December  7,  18G2,  a  son  of  Rowland  and 
.Josephine  ( Smith )  Rathbun,  and  has  been  a  resi- 
dent of  this  part  of  the  State  all  his  life.  From 
1N73  to  ls77.  Mr.  liathbun  attended  the  Aurora 
public  schools,  and  from  1S7S  to  1S79,  he  was 
in  the  Wheaton  high  school.  Having  then  de- 
cided upon  a  business  career,  he  took  a  six 
months'  course  at  Bryant  &  Strattou's  Business 
College  at  Chicago,  following  which  he  was  book- 
keeper in  a  Chicago  retail  lumber  yard  from 
July,  1S80,  to  May,  1SS7.  He  then  bought  an 
interest  in  a  lumber  yard  at  River  Forest,  and 
operated  it  until  July,  1S90.  On  November  20th 
of  that  same  year,  he  entered  the  firm  of  Henry 
O.  Shepard  Co,,  continuing  with  it  ever  since, 
and  from  the  start  he  has  been  Its  treas- 
urer. Mr.  Rathbun  holds  the  same  office  with 
the  Inland  Printer  Co.,  the  Inland  Trade  Press 
Co.,  the  Inland  Printer's  Tech.  School  and  the 
Thompson  Type  Machine  Co.,  and  is  secretary 
of  the  Central  Masonic  Temple. 

Mr.  Rathbun  was  married  October  14,  ISSG, 
at  No.  314  Wells  Street,  Chicago,  to  Annie  Louise 
Parker.  They  have  four  children :  Irene  L., 
Acors  Earl,  Harry  Roland  and  Rowland.  In 
politics  Mr.  Rathbun  is  a  Republican,  and  was 


a  member  of  the  Board  of  Trustees  of  the  village 
of  Glen  Ellyn  from  1800  to  1904.  Fraternally, 
he  Is  a  Mason. 

RA'WSON,  L.   A.     No   visitor  to   the   beautiful 

little  cily  of  Hinsdale  fails  to  be  impressed  by 
the  architectural  Aalues  of  its  residences.  They 
have  been  built  with  proper  appreciation  of  their 
surroundings,  and  with  an  idea  of  producing  a 
harmonious  whole,  and  as  a  result  the  effect 
is  delightful.  Such  results  have  been  attained 
through  the  skill  and  artistic  ability  of  the  ar- 
chitects who  have  been  employed  in  designing 
the  residences  and  business  blocks,  and  one  who 
has  been  called  uixm  frequently,  with  excellent 
effect,  is  L.  A.  Rawson.  with  studio  at  No.  G4  E. 
^'an  Buren  street,  Chicago.  Mr.  Rawson  makes 
his  home  at  Hinsdale,  where  for  years  he  has 
not  only  been  one  of  the  leading  architects,  but 
also  a  man  whose  interest  in  civic  affairs  is 
marked,  and  whose  pride  in  the  advancement 
of  his  city  shows  itself  in  material  effort. 

Mr.  Rawson  was  born  a  son  of  Lorin  and 
JIary  Rawson.  Being  given  a  good,  practical 
education,  Mr.  Rawson  early  turned  his  atten- 
tion towards  architectural  art,  with  such  good 
effect  that  he  now  is  numbered  among  the  well- 
known  architects  of  both  Cook  and  Du  Page 
counties.  His  ileld  of  operation  is  not  confined 
to  his  home  city,  tor  he  is  called  upon  to  super- 
intend as  well  as  furnish  designs  for  elegant 
residences  and  stately  public  buildings  as  well 
as  business  blocks  throughout  a  wide  area.  His 
knowledge  of  his  business,  as  well  as  accuracy 
in  making  estimates,  thoroughness  of  work  and 
strict  adherence  in  living  up  to  the  terms  of  his 
contracts,  have  established  him  firmly  in  his 
profession,  and  given  him  a  precedence  over 
some  of  his  competitors.  A  man  of  wide  sym- 
pathies, he  is  active  in  securing  good  govern- 
ment for  Hinsdale,  and  gives  his  party  a  hearty 
and  loyal  support.  Mr.  Rawson  is  a  man  who 
makes  and  retains  friends,  and  his  home  is  the 
scene   of   many  pleasant  gatherings. 

READE,  Josiah   Torrey.     While  a   number   of 

the  leading  men  of  Du  Page  county  are  in 
business  in  Chicago,  this  does  not  prevent  their 
giving  their  services  to  their  home  communities, 
or  of  discharging  the  duties  of  public  office  effi- 
ciently and  honorably.  One  of  the  residents  of 
Lombard,  living  on  Maple  street  in  that  village, 
is  a  clerk  with  the  American  Seating  Company 


996 


HISTORY  OF  DU  PAGE  COUNTY. 


of  No.  21 S  South  Wabash  avenue,  Chit-ago.  Mr. 
IJeade  was  lioru  at  Worcester,  Mass.,  Augu.st 
i,  l.si!9,  a  sou  ot  the  late  Samuel  Torrey  Reaile, 
a  farmer,  ami  his  wife.  Abigail  (Wight)  Keade. 
The  niaterual  grandfather,  Eliab  Wight,  was  a 
soldier  in  the  Uevolutionary  War,  while  an 
auoestor,  Edward  Kenritk,  was  Lord  Mayor  of 
Loudon,  England,  early  in  the  seventeenth  cen- 
tury. 

.Tosiah  Torrey  Keade  attended  the  eonimon 
Sfhools  of  Worcester,  Mass.,  including  the  pub- 
lic high  school,  but  left  the  latter  in  1840,  when 
only  seventeen  years  old,  to  enter  ui>on  a  busi- 
ness life.  Later,  however,  he  entered  Amherst 
College,  from  which  he  was  graduated  in  185G, 
with  tlie  degree  of  A.  B.  In  1859  he  received 
the  degree  of  M.  A.  from  the  same  institution. 
From  18.0(5  to  1804,  he  was  a  teacher,  but  in 
the  latter  year  entered  the  employ  of  the  C. 
&  N.  W.  Riiilway  as  a  clerk  iu  Chicago,  and 
thus  continued  until  1870,  when  he  helped  to 
establish  the  printing  firm  of  Duulop,  Reade 
&  Brewster,  at  100-102  Clark  street,  Chicago, 
continuing  with  it  until  1873.  He  was  nine 
years  iu  the  home  office  of  the  National  Life 
Insurance  Co.,  then  eleven  years  with  the  great 
furniture  house  of  A.  II.  Andrews  &  Co.  Iu 
1809  he  engaged  with  the  American  Seating 
Company,  with  which  he  has  since  continued, 
being  now  one  of  the  most  valued  employes  of 
the  concern. 

Going  to  Lombard  iu  1864,  before  it  was  in- 
corporated, Mr.  Reade  became  active  in  its 
affairs,  and  during  1870  and  1871,  was  president 
of  the  town  board,  being  the  second  to  hold 
this  office.  Teu  years  afterwards  he  served 
two  years  in  the  same  capacity.  Upon  numer- 
ous occasions,  he  has  been  elected  alderman. 
and  for  ten  years  was  town  and  village  clerk, 
always  giving  the  most  conscientious  attention 
to  his  work,  and  endeavoring  to  advanc-e  his 
town. 

On  December  22,  1800,  Mr.  Reade  was  married 
to  Miss  Christia  Murray  of  Delhi,  N.  Y.,  the 
ceremony  taking  i)lace  at  Chicago.  Mrs.  Reade 
died  May  14,  1808,  having  borne  her  husband 
three  children :  Henry  AYight  Reade,  Alice 
Murray  Reade,  and  Christia  Maria  Reade.  Mr. 
Reade  belongs  to  the  Amherst  Club  of  Chicago. 
His  religious  faith  makes  him  a  Congregation- 
alist.  He  was  one  of  the  founders  of  the  first 
permanent  church  in  Lombard,  and  has  always 
been  a  worker  in  it.     A  man  of  high  principles. 


he  has  always  endeavored  to  do  his  full  duty 
as  a  man  and  citizen,  and  enjoys  in  the  high- 
est degree  the  confidence  of  his  fellow  citizens. 

REBER,  Samuel  Losh,  deceased,  was  well  known 
among  the  early  settlers  of  Du  Page  county, 
and  for  many  years  he  carried  on  business 
there.  He  was  born  at  Reading,  Pa..  Febru- 
ary 1,  1807,  and  spent  his  latter  life  in  the 
village  of  Lombard.  When  he  came  to  York 
township,  Du  Page  county.  111.,  the  neighbor- 
hood was  but  sparsely  settled.  Later  he  pur- 
chased two  acres  of  land  at  Lombard,  where 
he  built  a  nice  home.  He  was  a  piano  manu- 
facturer and  cabinet-maker  by  trade,  following 
this  after  coming  west,  and  also  took  up  car- 
penter work  and  liridge  building,  for  which 
there  was  a  great  demand  in  the  newly  opened 
country.  For  twenty-five  years  prior  to  his 
death  he  was  retired  from  active  life,  and  passed 
away   at   Lombard,   September   14.   1892. 

On  December  27,  1835,  Mr.  Reber  was  mar- 
ried, iu  Pennsylvania,  to  Mary  Lewis,  daughter 
of  David  and  Rebecca  (Burns)  Lewis,  and  they 
had  children  as  follows:  Louis  William,  who 
was  born  July  10,  18;'.7,  died  August  7,  1839 ; 
Harriet,  who  died  in  childhood ;  JIary  Mar- 
garet, who  was  born  August  31,  1843,  died  Aiiril 
15,  1909;  Francis  Edwin,  who  was  boru  De- 
cember 9,  1845 ;  John  Quiucy  Adams,  who  was 
born  January  29,  1849 ;  and  one  child  unnamed, 
who  died  iu  infancy.  All  were  educated  in  the 
country  schools  and  Mary  M.  attended  college. 
The  father  was  a  member  of  the  German  Re- 
formed Church,  the  mother  was  a  Methodist, 
but  the  children  have  a  leaning  toward  the  Con- 
gregational Church. 

Francis  E.  Iteber  took  up  farming  in  York 
township  W'hen  he  was  old  enough  to  choose  a 
career.  He  rented  land  about  ten  years,  and 
then  engaged  in  teaming,  which  he  followed 
some  twenty-five  years  in  the  vicinity  of  Lom- 
bard. After  his  brother  was  appointed  post- 
master of  Lombard,  he  became  his  as.sistant  aud 
held  this  position  until  1908.  He  served  sev- 
eral years  as  village  trustee,  and  was  street 
commissioner  for  a  time  while  for  a  year  or  so 
he  has  held  the  office  of  village  collector. 

John  Q.  A.  Reber  engaged  in  the  grocery  busi- 
ness at  Lombard,  in  1881  locating  nesir  the  rail- 
road station  and  he  conducted  this  business 
until  1908.  On  May  15,  1889,  he  received  the 
apiiointment  of  postmaster  inider  President  Har- 


HISTORY  OF  DU  PAGE  COUNTY, 


997 


risoii,  ami  held  the  office  ooiitiuuously  uutil 
1908,  wheu  he  sold  out  Ills  business  to  D.  H. 
Fleege.  who  has  since  lieUl  the  aiipointnieiit  of 
postmaster.  At  present  Jlr.  Relier  is  agent  of  the 
Hartford  Insurance  Company  and  is  fairly  suc- 
cessful along  this  line.  He  was  an  enterprising 
and  successful  mercliant  and  had  a  reputation 
for  business  integrity  and  reliability.  Attend- 
ing the  Congregational  Church,  about  18.S4.  lie 
became    treasurer    of    the    organization. 

REED,  Charles  F.  Tlio  Eeeils  are  one  of  tlio 
old  and  well-linown  families  of  Wayne  Town- 
ship, Du  Page  County,  and  have  always  repre- 
sented the  best  Interests  of  their  community. 
Charles  F.  Eeed  was  born  on  the  farm  where  he 
now  lives,  on  Section  35  of  that  township,  July 
27,  1S50,  and  has  always  lived  there.  He  is  a 
son  of  George  Washington  and  Julia  Ann  (Ellin- 
wood)  Eeed,  botli  natives  of  Vermont,  and  the 
former  deceased.  George  W.  Eeed  was  Iwrn  at 
Cambridge,  February  22,  1806,  a  son  of  Nathan- 
iel and  Annie  (Keys)  Eeed,  natives  respectively 
of  England  and  Massachusetts.  Nathaniel  Reed 
came  to  Massachusetts  as  a  young  mjn,  and 
after  his  marriage  removed  to  Vermont,  where 
he  and  his  wife  spent  the  remSin^ei'-of •thaiiM 
lives.  Of  their  ele\en  children  iGeorge  W.  was 
the  seventh  son  and  eleventh  child. 

George  Washington  Eeed  was  reareji^^on  ji, 
farm  and  educated  in  the  common  schools-of  .^ais- 
day,  and  when  seventeen  years  old  went  to  St. 
Albans  and  spent  four  years  there  as  a  clerk  in 
a  store.  After  reaching  his  majority  he  engaged 
in  mercantile  business  on  his  own  account,  car- 
rj  ing  a  general  line  of  goods,  and  continued  in 
this  enterprise  until  1830,  when  he  sold  out  and 
went  to  Cuyahoga  Falls,  Ohio.  In  the  autumn 
of  the  following  year  he  removed  to  Chicago, 
spent  about  six  weeks  there,  and  in  the  neigh- 
borhood of  Christmas  located  on  a  farm  in 
Wa.vne  Township.  About  1842,  he  sold  this  land 
and  entered  160  acres  in  the  same  township, 
where  he  developed  a  fine  farm  and  at  his  death 
owned  178  acres,  this  being  still  in  the  posses- 
sion of  the  family.  Mr.  Eeed  was  married  Jan- 
iiary  1.  1834.  to  Julia  Ann  Ellinwood.  also  a 
native  of  Cambridge.  Vt..  lioru  Decemlter  28, 
1816.  daughter  of  Thomas  and  Alice  (Lathrop) 
Ellinwood,  natives  of  Vermont.  She  has  one 
brother  living.  Dr.  C.  N.  Ellinwood,  of  San 
Francisco.  Cal.  Mr.  Reed  was  a  Democrat  in 
early  life  but  later  became  a  Republican,  and  he 


and  liis  wife  were  members  of  the  Methodist 
Episcopal  Church.  Mr.  Eeed's  brother  Horace 
accompanied  him  to  Du  Page  County  and  took 
up  his  residence  at  Wayne  Center.  He  died 
about  1868,  at  the  age  of  seventy-two  years. 
Eight  children  were  born  to  George  W.  Eeed 
and  wife,  viz. :  Eodney  H.,  died  at  the  age  of 
fcrty-five  years ;  George  B.,  served  in  the  Civil 
War  and  now  resides  at  Lily  Lake,  111. ;  Wil- 
liam T.,  of  West  Chicago;  Charles  F. ;  Emma  A., 
widow  of  Robert  Benjamin,  of  West  Chicago ; 
David  E.,  died  at  the  age  of  four  years :  Mrs. 
Julia  A.  Campbell  of  West  Chicago ;  Mrs.  Ida 
May   Wagner,  of  West  Chicago. 

George  W.  Reed  died  at  his  home  February 
22,  1888,  from  neuralgia  of  the  heart,  and  since 
this  time  his  •Avidow  has  continued  to  reside  on 
the  farm.  She  is  a  woman  of  superior  education 
and  refinement  and  capable  in  a  business  way. 
She  enjoys  excellent  health  and  is  bright  and 
active  for  one  of  her  age.  She  is  well  known  in 
religious  and  social  circles  and  has  many 
friends. 

Cliarles  F.  Eeed  was  educated  in  the  district 
school  near  his  father's  farm  and  in  the  pub- 
■  Oic  schools  of  West  Chicago.    He  has  always  had 
•  a.uiftural  aptitude  for  agricultural  pursuits  and 
is  fond  of  outdoor  life.    He  rents  the  home  farm 
from    the   estate   and    besides   general    farming 
^conctucts  a  dairy  and  milks  from  twenty-five  to 
,  thirt^'  cows.    H*  has  spent  liis  entire  life  on  the 
family  homestead  and  is  one  of  the  best-known 
men  of  his  community,  standing  well  among  his 
neighbors  and  as.sociates,   and  is  a   member  of 
the    Modern    Woodmen    of    America,    and    poli- 
tically a   Eepnblican.     He  served  one  term   as 
Highway  Commissioner  and  is  considered  one  of 
the   township's   most   upright,   useful   citizens. 

Mr.  Reed  was  married  June  G,  1893,  by  Rev. 
Adams  of  West  Chicago,  to  Miss  Nellie  Wagner, 
a  native  of  the  county,  born  October  21,  1SG7, 
daughter  of  Ellas  H.  and  Susan  (Weidman) 
Wagner.  Three  children  have  blessed  this  union, 
namely  :  Hazel  E.,  born  March  23,  1894 ;  Ruth 
F..  August  12,  1S9.5.  and  George  W.,  February  9, 
1902. 

REED,  William  T.  Du  Page  County  was  not 
found  lacking  in  patriotism  when  the  country 
had  need  of  its  men  in  the  Civil  War.  and  some 
of  Iheni  still  survive,  honored  veterans  of  that 
great  struggle.  One  of  them  is  William  T. 
Reed    of    West    Chicago,    111.      Mr.    Reed    was 


998 


HIRTORY  OF  DT'  PAGE  COUNTY. 


lioni  In  Wayne  Township,  in  1S43.  being  a  son 
of  George  W.  and  Julia  (Ellen-Wood)  Reed. 
The  father  was  born  February  22,  1S06,  and 
died  on  his  birthday,  in  1S8S,  when  eighty-two 
jears  old.  The  mother,  born  December  2S.  1816, 
survives,  living  on  the  old  homestead,  now  aged 
ninety-four  years. 

William  T.  Reed  was  educated  at  the  public 
schools  of  his  neighborhood,  remaining  with  his 
father  managing  the  farm  until  he  was  tweuty- 
eight  years  old.  When  the  war  broke  out,  he 
longed  to  join  in  the  conflict,  but  at  first  yielded 
to  his  mother's  entreaties  on  account  of  his 
youth,  but  in  1SC4,  he  enlisted  in  Company  K, 
One  Hundred  and  Fort.v-first  Illinois  Volunteer 
Infantry,  as  a  private.  He  was  put  on  guard 
duty  at  Columbus.  Ky.,  and  was  mustered  out  In 
Xoveniber,  1S(14.  Returning  home  he  resumed 
his  farm  duties,  but  later  began  clerking  in  a 
general  store  in  West  Chicago.  In  1876.  he 
opened  a  general  store  of  his  own,  and  has  con- 
ducted it  ever  since,  enlarging  his  business  as 
occasion  demanded.  His  establishment  is  one 
of  the  best  of  lis  kind  in  the  county,  and  be  con- 
trols a  steady  trade  that  is  a  large  one. 

Mr.  Reed  married  Margaret  Campbell,  of 
Wayne  Township,  daughter  of  David  Campbell, 
now  deceased,  but  formerly  a  merchant  of  the 
county.  Mr.  and  Mrs.  Reed  had  children  as  fol- 
lows :  Irene,  now  Mrs.  H.  C.  Morris  of  St. 
Charles.  111..  Mr.  Morris  being  a  furniture  dealer 
and  imdertaker ;  Beulah,  a  graduate  of  the  Chi- 
cago I'niversit.v,  is  now  teaching  school ;  Chaun- 
cey  W.  is  a  student,  be  and  his  second  sister 
living  at  home. 

Mr.  Reed  is  one  of  the  active  Republicans  of 
his  locality,  and  has  served  most  capably  as 
Mayor  of  the  village  several  times,  has  been  Al- 
derman from  his  ward,  and  Supervisor  of  his 
township  two  terms,  as  well  as  Treasurer  of  the 
village  and  Police  Magistrate,  In  addition  to 
l:is  other  interests,  Mr.  Reed  is  a  director  of 
the  West  Chicago  State  Bank,  and  is  recognized 
as  a  man  of  substance  and  reliability,  whose  sup- 
port of  any  measure  insures  its  careful  con- 
sideration. He  is  a  Chapter  Mason,  and  belongs 
to  Wheaton  Post.  0.  A.  R. 

REUSS,  George,  deceased.  The  school  of  neces- 
sity teaches  hard  lessons,  but  they  are  of  a 
nature  never  to  be  forgotten  by  those  who  are 
forced  to  learn  them  through  privations  and 
suffering.    There  were  men  bred  during  the  for- 


ties in  Germany,  who,  in  that  now  prosi>erous 
country,  suffered  from  lack  of  sufficient  food, 
and  eagerly  sought  better  conditions  for  them- 
selves in  the  United  States.  Some  of  them, 
kindly  treated  in  the  laud  of  their  adoption, 
never  wished  to  return  to  the  country  where 
rbey  had  suffered  so  terribly,  but  devoted  their 
energies  towards  developing  their  communities 
and  reared  families  to  be  a  credit  to  them  and 
the  iilace  that  gave  them  birth.  .Such  a  man  was 
the  late  George  Reuss  of  Xaperville.  founder  of 
the  Reuss  State  Bank,  and  one  known  through- 
out Du  Page  County  for  his  inflexible  honesty. 

Mr.  Reuss  was  born  in  Hesslar,  Bavaria,  Ger- 
many. June  24,  1S31,  and  died  at  Xaperville, 
January  27,  1001.  He  emigrated  to  the  Tuited 
States  In  IS-ii.  on  account  of  dearth  of  work  in 
his  native  land.  He  bad  been  educated  in  Ger- 
man at  Hesslar.  Bavaria,  and  taught  the  tailor's 
trade,  and  after  he  arrived  in  Xaperville.  he 
learned  English  at  night  school.  After  arriving 
in  Xew  York,  he  learned  of  the  cholera  epidemic 
in  the  west,  so  deferred  his  journey  until  he 
could  make  it  in  safety,  arriving  eventually, 
however,  at  St.  Charles,  Kane  County.  111.,  and 
in  the  early  spring  of  1S5C.  he  came  to  Xaper- 
ville, whei"e  be  embarked  in  business  on  Wash- 
ington street,  as  a  tailor,  continuing  in  that  line 
\intil  his  death.  On  May  1.  1SS6,  he  established 
the  bank  which  became  the  Reuss  State  Bank, 
on  April  12.  1S97,  and  continued  its  president 
during  the  remainder  of  his  life. 

On  June  29,  1850,  Mr.  Reuss  was  married  in 
SS.  Peter  and  Paul  Catholic  Church  of  Xaper- 
ville, the  Rev.  Eusebius  Kaiser  officiating,  to 
an  old  schoolmate,  Anna  Maria  Krapf.  born  at 
Hesslar.  Bavaria,  Germany,  March  15,  1831, 
and  died  at  Xaperville,  March  3,  1907.  The 
children  boru  to  them  were  as  follows :  Elenora 
Reuss,  born  Xovember  9,  1S5S.  married  V.  A. 
Dieter ;  Anna  Reuss,  born  Xovember  23,  1864, 
married  C.  T.  Zahriuger.  and  Joseph  A.,  born 
July  25,  1869.  Mr.  Reuss  was  not  connected 
with  any  social  or  fraternal  association,  but  was 
a  consistent  and  faithful  member  of  the  Cath- 
olic Church,  belonging  to  SS.  Peter  and  Paul 
Church  of  Xaperville.  In  politics  he  was  a 
Democrat.  During  his  long  residence  in  X'aper- 
ville.  Mr.  Reuss  gained  the  unlimited  confidence 
of  the  people  of  Du  Page  Count.v.  and  was  ad- 
mired for  those  sterling  characteristics  he  dis- 
played in  all  he  undertook.  A  stern  man.  he 
«as  eminently  just,  and  demanded  much  more 


HISTORY  OF  DU  PAGE  COUNTY. 


999 


of  himself  than  he  did  of  auyoue  else.  Quiet, 
iinostentations.  he  held  firmly  to  the  friends  he 
made,  and  had  few  enemies.  His  success,  which 
was  marked,  was  entirely  owing  to  his  capacity 
for  unremitting  hard  work,  and  the  habits  of 
tiirift,  his  early  experience  had  taught  him, 
and  when  he  died  he  left  behind  him  a  large 
estate  as  a  monument  to  his  business  ability, 
and   his  strength  of  character. 

The  Reuss  State  Bank  is  a  successor  of  the 
George  Keuss  Bank,  founded  May  1,  1SS6,  with 
George  Reu.ss  as  proprietor;  Y.  A.  Dieter, 
cashier,  and  J.  A.  Reuss,  teller,  thus  continuing 
until  April  12,  1S97,  when  it  was  organized  as 
the  Reuss  State  Bank  with  George  Reuss  as 
president;  Isaac  N,  Murray,  vice  president;  V. 
A.  Dieter,  cashier,  and  J.  A.  Reuss,  assistant 
cashier.  Later  J.  A.  Reuss  became  vice  presi- 
dent, and  upon  the  death  of  his  father.  George 
Reuss,  was  elected  president.  The  original  cap- 
ital stock  of  the  Reuss  State  Bank  was  $2."..000, 
which  was  increased  in  1907,  to  $50,000.  The 
present  condition  of  the  bank  shows :  a  capital 
slock  of  .$50,000;  surplus  and  profits  of  $17,000, 
and  deposits  amounting  to  over  $400,000.  Under 
the  conservative  management  of  President 
Reuss  and  his  associates,  the  bank  is  in  a 
nourishing  condition,  and  its  reliability  and 
si'undness  is  uiKjuestioned. 

REUSS,  Joseph  A.  While  long  aiij  intimately 
associated  with  the  banking  interests  of  Du 
I'age  County,  and  still  holding  the  office  of  pres- 
ident of  the  Reuss  State  Bank  of  Naperville, 
Joseph  A.  Reuss  is  still  better  known  as  a  law- 
yer of  ability  and  integrity.  He  belongs  to  the 
old  and  honored  Reuss  famil.v,  established  in  the 
county  in  1S5C,  by  the  late  George  Reuss, 
founder  of  the  bank  that  bears  the  Reuss  name, 
and  one  of  the  substantial  business  men  of 
Naperville  for  many  years.  Joseph  A.  Reuss 
v,as  born  in  the  city  of  Naperville,  July  25,  1S60. 
being  a  son  of  the  late  George  and  Anna  Maria 
(Krapf)  Reuss.  both  natives  of  Hesslar, 
Bavaria,  Germany. 

Mr.  Reuss  was  brought  up  in  Naperville.  first 
attending  the  excellent  SS.  Peter  and  Paul  paro- 
chial school,  later  the  Old  Academy  or  West 
Side  school,  and  completing  his  studies  in  the 
Northwestern  College,  all  in  Naperville.  When 
his  father  established  the  bank,  Mr.  Reuss  was 
made  teller,  but  in  spite  of  his  father's  desire 
that  he  devote  himself  to  the  banking  business, 


and  his  own  wishes  to  comply  with  it.  the  young 
man's  ambitions  pointed  in  another  direction, 
and  he  began  the  .study  of  hiw  under  Mr.  Hally 
Haight.  In  all  his  leisure  moments  and  at 
night,  Mr.  Reuss  studied  diligently,  and  was  ad- 
mitted to  the  bar  in  1.^94.  While  yet  employed 
at  the  bank,  he  formed  a  partnership  with  his 
preceptor,  Mr.  Haight.  on  April  1,  1S05,  which 
pleasant  association  continued  until  the  death  of 
the  senior  member  of  the  firm,  May  3,  1911,  sinco 
which  time  he  has  continued  alone.  Upon  the 
death  of  his  father  in  1901,  Mr.  Reuss  severed 
his  connection  with  the  bank  as  an  employee, 
but  has  held  the  office  of  president  ever  since, 
succeeding  his  father. 

On  September  9,  180(3,  Mr.  Reuss  was  married 
in  Chicago,  to  Jeanette  Migely,  daughter  of 
Frederick  and  Mary  (Schall)  Migely,  who  was 
born  in  Chicago,  December  11,  1S75.  Mr.  Migely 
was  a  son  of  Rudolph  Migely.  who  settled  in 
Chicago  about  1835,  establishing  a  hotel  on  the 
present  site  of  the  Bismark  Hotel.  One  child 
has  been  born  to  Mr.  and  Mrs.  Reuss,  George 
Migely  Reu.ss,  on  March  20,  1905.  Mr.  Reuss  is 
a  Catholic,  belongs  to  SS.  Peter  and  Paul  Church 
of  Naperville.  He  belongs  to  the  ICnights  of 
Columbus.     He  is  a  Republican. 

Few  men  in  Du  Page  County  are  prouder  of 
their  locality  than  Mr.  Reuss,  who  is  always  to 
lie  found  in  the  front  ranks  of  those  working 
lor  the  betterment  of  the  city  and  county.  A 
man  of  convincing  manner  and  distinctive  per- 
sonality, his  success  at  the  bar  has  been  marked, 
while  his  position  among  his  business  associates 
is  one  of  unquestioned  authority. 

RICHIE,  Bruce  Edward,  who  is  engaged  in  the 
insurance  business  in  Chicago,  having  an  oflice 
at  29  South  La  Salle  Street  that  city,  was  born 
in  Louisville,  Ky.,  December  2,  1804,  and  is  a 
son  of  William  Franklin  and  Lucetta  Plume  (Mc- 
Ginnis)  Richie.  The  parents  moved  to  Hins- 
dale, 111.,  in  April,  1873,  since  which  Bruce  has 
made  his  home  there.  They  came  from  Chicago 
and  had  lived  in  that  city  but  a  few  years. 

Mr.  Richie  was  educated  in  the  schools  of 
Hinsdale  and  Fullersburg.  He  has  been  inter- 
ested in  fire  insurance  many  years  and  is  now 
vice  president  and  treasurer  of  the  firm  of  Ly- 
man, Richie  &  Company,  Incorporated.  He  re- 
■  sides  at  100  Park  Avenue.  Hinsdale,  and  is 
affiliated  with  the  Hinsdale  Club  and  the  Hins- 
dale Golf  Club.     He  is  identified  with  the  best 


1000 


HISTORY  OP  DU  PAGE  COUNTY, 


interests  of  the  city  aud  is  esteemed  as  a  desir- 
able, public-spirited  citizen.  Fraternally,  he  is 
a  member  of  the  llasonie  Order.  In  politics,  he 
Is  an  Independent  Democrat.  October  13,  1S80, 
Mr.  Kichie  married  Edmaressa  S.  Clarke,  of 
Hinsdale,  and  three  children  have  been  born  of 
this  union  :  William  Franklin,  Jr.,  Clarke  B.  and 
Jeanette. 

RINEHART,  Daniel  A.,  a  publie-spirited  and 
highly  esteemed  citizen  of  Wayne  Township, 
Du  Page  County,  has  spent  his  entire  life  on  the 
farm  he  now  o^ns  and  occupies.  He  was  born 
May  26,  1SJ2,  a  son  of  John  and  Susan  (Livers) 
EJnehart.  the  former  born  in  March  1779,  on 
tlie  ocean,  while  his  parents  were  coming  to 
America  from  Germany,  and  the  latter  born  in 
Baltimore,  Md..  in  1804.  John  and  Susan  Eine- 
hart,  were  married  in  the  east  and  lived  there 
until  1S37,  when  they  came  to  Illinois,  traveling 
by  water  to  Chicago  and  coming  thence  to  Du 
Page  County.  Mr.  Rinehart  was  a  carpenter  by 
trade  and  for  the  first  three  years  made  his 
heme  with  Casper  Klein,  in  Winfield  Township. 
In  1S40.  he  entered  from  the  Government  320 
acres  of  land  on  Sections  25  and  2G  of  Wayne 
Township,  which  has  since  been  the  family 
home.  He  erected  a  house  and  other  buildings 
and  developed  a  fine  farm,  making  all  possible 
improvements  and  remaining  there  until  his 
death.  December  15.  18S3.  His  wife  died  Decem- 
ber 2S.  ISSO.  They  were  members  of  the  Cathode 
Church  and  Mr.  Rinehart  was  a  Democrat  in 
politics,  and  though  much  interested  in  public 
affairs,  never  held  an  office  except  that  of  School 
Director. 

Eleven  children  were  born  to  John  Rinehart 
and  wife,  two  of  whom  died  in  infancy  during 
the  trip  to  Illinois,  and  of  the  others  but  the 
four  youngest  now  survive :  Theodore,  born 
October  27,  1S30,  lives  in  California ;  Daniel  A. ; 
Stephen,  born  March  23,  1844,  residing  in  Chi- 
cago; Susan  C.  born  January  6,  1846.  married 
J.  B.  Blank  and  lives  in  River  Forest. 

Daniel  Rinehart  was  educated  in  the  district 
school  and  received  the  training  usually  given  a 
farmer's  son,  helping  with  the  work  at  home  as 
soon  as  he  was  old  enough.  He  remained  at 
home  until  the  death  of  his  parents,  then  pur- 
chased of  the  estate  160  acres  of  the  homestead, 
paying  the  other  heirs  the  amount  of  their  in- 
terest in  the  same.  He  has  an  excellent  farm 
and   has   been  successful  in  his  operations.    Polit- 


ically, he  is  a  Democrat  and  active  in  local  af- 
fairs, having  held  the  office  of  School  Director 
thirty  years  and  of  Road  Commissioner  seven- 
teen years.  He  enjoys  the  good-will  and  con- 
fidence of  his  neighbors  and  has  many  warm 
friends  in  the  community. 

Mr.  Rinehart  was  married  in  1867,  by  Elder 
Powell,  at  Wheaton,  to  Jane  Howarth,  born  in 
ronton  Township,  Du  Page  County,  February  3, 
1S4G,  a  daughter  of  Sanders  and  Mary  Howarth. 
She  died  February  2,  1909,  leaving  no  chil- 
dren. Her  remains  were  interred  in  Pleasant 
Hill  Cemetery. 

ROBBINS,     WiUiam,     deceased.     Among     the 

pioneers  of  Du  Page  county  is  recorded  the 
name  of  William  Robbins.  who  for  many  years 
took  an  active  part  in  measures  looking  towards 
the  general  uplift  of  Hinsdale  and  its  vicinity, 
who  was  born  in  Oswego,  County,  N.  Y.,  July 
22.  1823.  and  died  in  June.  1889.  He  c-ame  to 
Chicago,  engaging  as  clerk  in  a  dry  goods  store, 
but  in  1850,  crossed  the  plains  lured  by  the  hope 
of  discovering  gold  in  California.  Reaching 
the  mining  district,  he  so<in  discovered  that 
there  was  more  money  in  suiiplying  the  miners 
than  in  seeking  the  precious  metal  in  the  ground, 
so  with  several  others  formed  a  .supply  com- 
pany, aud  located  at  Shasta,  California.  The 
firm,  known  as  Bull,  Baker  and  Robbins  con- 
tinued for  eight  years,  when  Mr.  Robbms  sold, 
to  enter  the  banking  business  in  .San  Francisco, 
under  the  same  firm  style,  but  after  two  years, 
he  came  east  as  far  as  St.  Louis,  and  was  inter- 
ested in  a  banking  venture,  but  upon  the  out- 
break of  the  Civil  War.  he  came  to  Chicago. 
About  this  time,  the  C.  B.  &  Q.  Railroad  was 
built  through  Hinsdale,  and  with  remarkable 
foresight  he  appreciated  the  future  value  of 
realtj-  here,  and  came  to  the  village,  laying  out 
the  town.  He  bought  1,000  acres,  so  that  all 
of  the  south  side  was  laid  out  by  him  from  it. 
Since  that  time,  his  confidence  in  the  venture 
has  been  justified,  as  it  has  developed  into  one 
of  the  finest  residence  districts  in  this  part  of 
the  state. 

Mr.  Robbins  did  not  allow  himself  to  be  con- 
tented with  merely  laying  out  the  town,  but  he 
built  the  first  school  house,  in  1866.  which  was 
later  purchased  by  the  town.  He  and  .1.  W. 
Reed  built  the  railroad  station  at  Highlands, 
III.,  to  accomodate  the  public.  In  addition,  he 
built  the  First  Congregational  Church,  and  was 


^^^""^ 

H 

^^B           ""'^.^^^^^^^^^^1 

^^^■H    '  t-^^^H 

^^^Ei^^^^^^^^^^^^^^l 

EEV.  AUGUST  WENKEE. 


HISTORY  OF  DU  PAGE  COUNTY. 


1001 


one  of  the  consistent  nieniliers  of  tluit  organiza- 
tion. For  some  yeiirs  lie  served  as  president  of 
tlie  villa;.'e  board,  and  was  in  every  way  a  loyal, 
stout-liearted  man,  whose  efforts  were  directed 
towards  public  good,  without  a  thought  of  per- 
sonal gain.  In  1854,  Mr.  Robbing  married  Marie 
Steele,  of  Hartford,  Conn.  Tliey  had  three 
children  :     John   Steele,   Lsabelle  and  George  B. 

John  .Steele  Robbius  was  born  iu  Shasta,  Cali- 
fornia, Init  reared  at  Hinsdale,  and  there  edu- 
cated, and  at  Lake  Forest  academy.  Later  he  en- 
tered the  Spaulding-Robbins  Disc  Plow  Co.  in 
San  Francisco,  and  died  in  that  city  in  May, 
1905.  He  married  Miss  Hattie  Bunch  of  Cali- 
fornia, wlio  survives  him. 

Isabelle  Robbius  married  William  IL  Knight 
of  Hinsdale,  secretary  and  treasurer  of  the 
American  Trotting  Association  of  Chicago,  with 
offices  at  3.55  Dearborn  street.  They  have  one 
daughter.    Glendora.    at   home. 

George  B.  Robbing  is  president  of  the  .\r- 
mor  Car  lines  of  Chicago.  He  has  three  chil- 
dren :  William  who  married  Elsa  Bartlett ; 
Cutler   H.   and   George    B.,   Jr. 

RODENBOSTEI.,    Wilhelm,    a    son.  of    August 

and  Dorothy  i. Mueller)  Roilenbbstet,''\vas'-ir(n;n 
iu  Suderberg.  Hanover,  Germany ,V&,^ft^!il)qr- Ij!;  , 
185.3.  He  was  educated  iu  thej  public  schools 
there,  and  later  learned  a  trade.  In  1875  he 
emigrated  to  America,  coming  ^dirs«;tjy.,jp_  the 
town  of  Addison,  where  after;  fatuBingri**' a-j 
short  time,  he  established  himself  .jn  the  boot 
and  shoe  business.  This  he  has  since  conducted. 
He  does  not  now  however,  make  new  shoes  by 
hand,  as  in  the  earlier  days,  the  repair  work 
only   requiring   manual   work. 

Mr.  Rodenbostel  was  married.  May  22.  18ST, 
to  Miss  Mary  Labbott,  a  daughter  of  Fred  and 
Aceue  (Sash)  Labbott,  a  native  of  Berlin,  Wis. 
They  are  the  parents  of  eight  children,  as  fol- 
lows :  Dorothy  ( JIrs,  August  Vierow )  born 
March  2,  ISS.S,  lives  iu  Oak  Park;William.  born 
August  IG,  ISSfl,  lives  iu  Maywood :  Heinrich, 
born  June  14.  1801 ;  Maria,  born  .January  1, 
1893,  lives  in  Oak  Park;  Frederick,  born  No- 
vember 0,  1894,  works  in  Maywood;  Matilda, 
born  February  27,  1895,  at  home;  August,  born 
December  29.  1898;  Hellene,  born  December  3, 
1907. 

The  subiect  of  this  sketch  has  one  sister,. 
Wilhelmina.  and  two  brothers.  Fritz,  with  Mar- 
shall Field  &  Co..  and  .\ugust.  of  Oak  Park, 
111. 

25 


ROGERS,  J,  Warren,  president  of  the  First 
National  Bank  of  Downer's  Grove.  Du  Page 
county.  111.,  has  long  been  a  representative  citi- 
zen of  this  section  and  closely  identified  with 
its  leading  interests.  H  was  born,  at  Morris- 
town,  St.  Lawrence  county.  New  York,  October 
19,  1833,  and  is  a  son  of  Joseph  Ives  Rogers,  a 
sketch  of  the  latter  appearing  in  this  work. 
J.  Warren  Rogers  was  iu  his  eleventh  year 
when  his  parents  moved  to  Illinois,  where  his 
father  bought  a  tract  of  partially  improved  land 
and  subsequently  developed  a  productive  farm. 
The  youth  was  here  reared  to  farm  pursuits 
and  until  he  was  nineteen  years  of  age,  the 
summer  seasons  were  mainly  spent  in  tilling  the 
soil  and  attending  to  the  stock,  while  his  win- 
ters were  given  to  advancing  his  educ-ation  in 
the  district  schools,  and  to  the  reading  of  such 
literature  as  came  into  his  possession,  books 
leing  held  as  treasures  and  even  new.spapers 
were  but  irregular  visitors.  Deciding  to  be- 
come a  school  teacher,  he  took  advantage  of 
every  opportunity  offered  for  educational  ad- 
vancement, and,  while  assisted  by  several  grate- 
fully remembered  teachers,  he  is,  to  a  large 
degree  self  taught. 

■  ■  Mr.  Rogers  taught  his  first  school  in  the  win- 
,ter  of  18.54-5.  iu  the  southern  part  of  Downer's 
Grov;e  township,  in  what  was  known  as  Up- 
per Cass,  which  is  four  miles  south  of  Gregg 
statfon,  and  the  Keuyon  and  Thurston  district 
,  was- the  second  place  in  which  he  conducted 
a  school,  this  being  in  the  town  of  York,  during 
The'  winter  of  lS.5.5-.5e.  The  next  year.  18.50-7, 
he  taught  iu  the  village  of  Downer's  Grove, 
where  a  small  frame  building  on  Maple  avenue, 
with  a  seating  capacity  of  sixty  pupils  had  to 
accomodate  a  much  larger  number  and  in  order 
that  all  the  children  should  en.joy  instruction 
arrangements  had  to  be  made,  but  when  all 
came  there  were  not  seats  enough  and  some  had 
to  stand.  Mr.  Rogers  recalls  with  much  humor 
the  methods  he  had  frequentlyto  make  use  of 
in  arranging  seating  and  standing  room  for  so 
man.v  restless  young  people,  a  numlier  of  whom, 
however,  were  fully  his  own  age.  After  leav- 
ing school  he  sold  lightning  rods  for  a  time. 
In  the  winter  of  1857  he  entered  into  a  business 
agreement  with  Jesse  McAllister,  a  stove  mer- 
chant and  agricultural  implement  dealer  of 
Plainfield,  111,,  and  sold  his  goods  through  the 
country,  traveling  by  wagon,  and  later  sold 
lightning  rods  for  the  firm  of  Budd  &  Fuller, 
of  Wheatou,  111.,  when  he  traveled  with  his  own 


1002 


HISTORY  OP  DU  PAGE  COUNTY. 


team  nuil  handled  agricultural  imiileuieuts  o« 
his  owu  ac-eouut.  His  first  purchase  of  laud 
was  iu  18511.  wheu  he  bought  about  forty  acres, 
situated  uorth  of  Dowuer's  Grove,  and  after  his 
marriage,  iu  the  foUowiug  year,  took  iK>sses- 
siou  of  this  iiroperty,  improved  it  aud  eoutiuued 
to  reside  there  until  1804,  when  he  sold  to  ad- 
vantage,  moving  then   to  Dowuer's    Grove. 

After  becoming  a  resident  of  the  above  vil- 
lage, where  he  purchased  two  and  one-half  acres 
of  land  on  which  his  present  home  stands,  he 
emliarked  in  the  lumlier  business,  to  which  be 
added  the  handling  of  coal,  feed,  agricultural 
implements,  stoves  aud  hardware,  meeting  the 
demands  of  the  times,  and  continued  an  active 
aud  prosperous  business  man  at  this  place  for 
thirty-three  consecutive  years.  During  1871  he 
had  as  partner.  Hiram  Hall,  but  afterward  as 
before,  conducted  his  business  as  an  individual 
enterprise.  The  recent  fortieth  anniversary  of 
the  great  Chicago  fire,  which  occurred  during 
the  aljove  partnership,  recalls  to  many  of  .Mr, 
Rogers  fellow  citizens  his  activity  in  promoting 
and  assisting  iu  the  benevolent  movements  of 
the  people  of  the  place,  who  were  among  the 
first  to  gather  together  supplies  to  forward  to 
the  suffering  and  homeless  men.  women  and  chil- 
dren of  the  devastated  cit.v.  On  the  night  of 
October  10.  LSTl,  .Mr.  Rogers  and  Mr.  Hall 
loaded  a  double  wagon  with  the  contributed 
provisions,  and  personally  drove  it  to  Chicago. 
In  subsequent  disasters  which  have  fallen  on 
other  sections,  Mr.  Rogers  has  shown  his  readi- 
ness to  cooperate  with  helpful  bodies,  and  has 
done  his  full  share  along  charitable  and  hu- 
manitarian  lines. 

In  the  latter  part  of  1872  Mr.  Rogers  dis- 
posed of  a  one-half  interest  in  his  business  to 
W.  S.  Brookings,  when  the  firm  style  became 
J.  W.  Rogers  &  Co..  and  this  name  continued 
until  in  August.  1892,  wheu  Mr.  Rogers  ad- 
mitted his  only  son,  the  late  Delbert  F.  Rogers 
as  a  partner,  the  firm  becoming  .T.  W.  Rogers 
&  Son.  which  continued  until  the  death  of  the 
junior  member,  on  February  2-1,  1804.  In  1.890. 
in  partnership  with  G.  H.  Bunge  and  .lohn  W. 
Nash,  Mr.  Rogers  organized  the  American  For- 
warding Company,  of  Chicago,  of  which  he  be- 
came treasurer,  and  until  1009.  maintained  liis 
office  in  Chicago,  siiending  the  regular  business 
hours  there  daily.  Ill  health  caused  him  to 
relinquish  duties  which  had  become  onerous, 
but  he  continues  to  be  a  heavy  stockholder  in 


the  above  enterprise  and  he  has  many  other 
investments  and  additional  business  connections. 
The  First  National  Bank  of  Dowuer's  (irove 
of  which  Mr.  Rogers  was  inviteil  to  become 
president  was  organized  in  1010,  aud  his  name 
at  the  head  of  this  institution  Ivw  )>c^<.\  a  valu- 
able asset. 

On  January  1.  18-57.  Mr.  Rogers  w.is  married 
to  Miss  Mary  Frances  Freeman,  who  was  born 
in  Lewis  county.  New  York,  .^pril  .S.  l.S:!7,  and 
accompanied  her  parents  to  Downer's  Grove 
in  ].S.">o,  being  then  sixteen  years  of  age.  She 
is  a  daughter  of  Rev.  .\lva  D.  and  Lydia  (  Har- 
mon) Freeman,  aud  a  granddaughter  of  Rev. 
John  E.  Freeman,  both  father  and  grandfather 
having  been  ministers  in  the  Baptist  Church. 
Rev.  .\lva  I).  Freeman  was  born  iu  Jefferson 
county.  .V.  Y..  where  he  was  reared.  There  he 
married  Lydi.-i  Harmon,  a  daughter  of  David 
Harmon,  a  prominent  citizen  of  New  York.  The 
name  is  well  known  in  that  state  as  it  is  in 
Ohio.  Governor  Harmon  of  the  latter  state  be- 
ing a  cousin  of  Mrs.  J.  Warren  Rogers,  .\fter 
his  marriage.  Rev.  Alva  D.  Freeman  moved  to 
Southern  Ohio,  and  from  there,  in  18.'5.3.  to  Illi- 
nois, locating  in  Du  Page  county.  He  purchased 
a  farm,  then  lying  east  of  the  village  of  Down- 
er's tirove.  of  which  it  is  now  a  part  aud  is 
known  as  East  Grove.  He  was  a  zealous  Chris- 
tian worker  and  not  only  ministered  to  charges 
at  Downer's  Grove  and  Warrenville,  but  has 
also  established  a  church  at  Plainsfield.  For 
some  years  he  was  at  Woodstock.  111.,  and  sub- 
sequently spent  some  years  in  Iowa.  Init  finally 
returned  to  Downer's  Grove,  and  on  February 
l.'j.  1804.  died  at  the  home  of  his  uephew.  Frank 
Bunnell,  at  NaiierviUe.  111.  No  history  of  the 
Baptist  Church  iu  Du  I'age  county  would  be  com- 
plete without  geuei-ous  mention  of  his  life  and 
activities. 

To  Mr.  and  Mrs.  Rogers  one  sou  was  tiorn, 
Delbert  Freeman,  Oc-tober  10.  1802.  An  un- 
usually intelligent  child,  he  grew  to  school  age 
and  proved  au  apt  pupil  and  receptive  student, 
and  in  early  manhood  taught  school.  He  was 
but  twenty-one  years  of  age  when  he  was  ten- 
dered an  important  position  with  the  Fergus 
Falls  branch  of  the  Northern  Facific  Railroad, 
which  he  accepted.  Later  he  was  cashier  and 
head  bookkeeper  for  the  Excelsior  Iron  Works, 
and  still  later,  was.  as  noted  above,  associated 
with  his  father  in  important  business  under- 
takings.     Personally    he    was    a    man    of    high 


HISTORY  OF  DU  PAGE  COUNTY. 


1003 


eliarafter  and  of  engaging  manner,  anil  his 
early  ileatli  liroiight  heavy  bereavement  to  his 
family.  At  (Jalesburg,  III.,  he  had  married 
-Miss  Grace  Brnnson,  who  was  born  at  Los  An,ge- 
les,  Cal.,  a  daughter  of  Judge  Ansou  Brunsou. 
She  survives,  with  their  daughter,  Gladys,  who 
was  liorn  at  Downer's  Grove,  February  5,  1895. 

.J.  Warren  Rogers  has  been  an  active  as  well 
as  usetiil  and  honorable  citizen.  With  one  ex- 
ception, that  being  when  he  cast  his  vote  at 
Galesbnrg  during  the  campaign  of  1800  that  re- 
sulted in  tlie  election  of  Abraham  Lincoln,  he 
has  never  voted  outside  of  Du  Page  county. 
During  the  Civil  war  he  belonged  to  a  local  or- 
ganization known  as  the  Plow  Boys,  which  was 
a  body  of  men  of  Republieau  political  faith. 
Liberally  of  time  and  money  Mr.  Rogers  con- 
tributed from  the  Ijeginning  until  the  end  of 
the  war  to  assist  the  Union  cause  and  was 
honored  with  Ihc  contidence  of  his  fellow  citi- 
zens, who  elected  him  treasurer  of  the  com- 
mittee entrusted  with  the  paying  of  bounty 
money.  He  was  eouimissioued  a  recruiting  otii- 
cer  in  isc.l,  with  rank  of  first  lieutenant,  and 
assisted  in  raising  the  last  company,  composed 
of  men  from  Lyle,  Xaperville  and  Downer's 
(Jrove.  So  eminently  a  man  fitted  for  public 
service,  Jlr,  Rogers'  qualifications  have  many 
times  been  recognized  by  his  fellow  citizens. 
He  was  a  member  of  the  first  board  of  review 
of  Du  Page  county ;  served  as  tax  collector  for 
Downer's  Grove;  was  supervisor  for  one  year; 
township  trustee  for  twelve  years ;  chairman  of 
the  township  school  board  for  six  years,  and 
school  director  for  many  years.  In  positions  of 
trust  Mr.  Rogers  has  freqently  served  and  for 
seventeen  years  was  treasurer  of  the  Downer's 
Grove  Loan  and  Homestead  Association  until 
the  same  was  closed  out.  Witb  the  exception 
of  two  years  he  has  been  village  treasurer  since 
the  organization  of  the  town,  which  was  or- 
ganizd  in  ISTIi. 

On  .January  1,  llXiT,  Mr.  and  Mrs,  Rogers 
celebrated  the  anniversary  of  their  golden  wed- 
ding. On  this  occasion,  Mrs,  Backus,  wife  of 
Inspector  Consor  Backus,  wlio  was  the  daugh- 
ter of  his  former  employer,  Jesse  McAllister,  in- 
vited the  couple  to  spend  the  day  with  them  In 
Chicago,  It  was  thus  that  Mr.  aud  Mrs.  Rog- 
ers spent  a  part  of  the  day  commemorated  to 
designate  the  end  of  fifty  happy  years  of  mar- 
ried life,  in  Chicago,  and  a  part  at  their  liome. 
A    great    many    friends   were   gathered   at    both 


l)laces  to   wii^h  future  jny  .mil  haiipir.e*-;  tn  the 
couple. 

ROGERS,  Captain  Theodore  Smith,  the  only 
surviving  Captain  of  the  One  Hundred  and  Fifth 
Illinois  ■\'olunteer  Infantry,  that  did  noble  ser- 
icc  in  the  great  Civil  War,  one  of  the  four 
which  went  into  the  army  from  r)u  Page  Coun- 
ty, is  now  one  of  the  most  representative  men 
of  Downer's  Grove,  He  wa.s  born  at  Jlorris- 
towu,  X,  Y,,  August  30,  1S31,  being  a  son  of 
Josepli  Ives  and  Caroline  Amelia  (Smith) 
Itogers. 

The  Rogers  family,  according  to  tlie  records 
ot  the  Xewhury  library  is  as  follows : 

Rogers  is  a  war  name,  coming  from  Rudiges ; 
famous  spearman.  Another  meaning  is  flame 
and  glory.  Historical  tradition  associates  it 
was  all  that  is  true  and  noble.  Another  mean- 
ing is  "one  whose  word  is  reliable."  The  origin 
of  the  name  is  believed  to  be  French.  The  pre- 
ponderance of  evidence  is  that  the  English  Rog- 
ers family  was  originally  Noniiau-French,  com- 
ing into  England  with  William  the  Conqueror, 
the  name  being  unknown  before  the  Xornian 
cnmiuest.  The  name  Rogers  occurs  frequently 
ir  the  Doomsday  Book.  The  family  of  Rogers 
of  Wisdome.  County  Devon,  baronets,  claim  to  be 
descended  from  John  Rogers,  prebendry  of  St. 
Pauls,  the  first  victim  of  the  Marian  persecution. 
who  was  burned  at  the  stake  in  Smithfleld,  15.55, 
now  a  portion  of  the  city  of  Birmingham. 

If  tradition  could  be  accepted  as  fact,  we 
would  believe  that  niue-tenths  of  those  in  this 
country  bearing  the  name  of  Rogers  are  de.scend- 
ants  of  John  Rogers  the  martyr  of  Queen  Mary's 
reign.  The  tradition  is  so  strong,  and  exists 
in  so  many  branches  of  the  family,  that  it  is 
probably  founded  on  truth.  Wheu  the  martyr, 
John  Rogers,  was  executed,  he  was  the  father 
of  ten  children  able  to  walk,  aud  one  at  the 
mother's  breast.  From  so  large  aud  strong  a 
f;\mily,  there  must  have  been  many  descendants 
ir.  the  number  of  years  that  elapsed  before  the 
inunigration  to  America.  However,  John  Lenuel 
Cliester,  a  mo.st  careful  and  thorough  geneolo- 
gist  and  himself  a  descendant  traditionally,  of 
John  Rogers,  and  the  author  of  his  life,  made  a 
very  careful  aud  painstaking  search  in  England, 
but  failed  to  find  anything  like  definite  data 
respecting  the  descendants  of  the  martyr,  so 
that  the  American  claim  must  rest  on  the  strong 
traditions   whch  have  been   handed  down  from 


1004 


HISTORY  OF  DU  PAGE  COUNTY. 


father  to  sou  through  all  the  Americau  genera- 
tions. John  Rogers'  (martyr)  Bible,  according 
agalu  to  tradition,  was  brought  to  America,  and 
this  book  has  beeu  handed  down  from  the 
branch  of  the  famil.v  in  Boxford.  It  is  printed 
in  black  letter,  without  verses,  sections  or  mark- 
ing on  the  margin  to  indicate  the  letters  of  the 
alphabet.  It  was  printed  by  John  Garwood  in 
1549.  The  pages  show  that  it  was  badly  burned, 
and  once  more  tradition  declares  these  deface- 
ments were  made  at  the  stake. 

The  Coat  of  Arms :  Books  on  heraldry  give 
many  coats  of  arms  of  the  Rogers'  families. 
General  T-'nderwood  who  made  a  study  of  the 
subject  says :  "The  earliest  crest  of  the  Rogers' 
escutcheon  was  a  Fleur  de  lis,  and  the  first 
motto  was  'Xos  mostraque  Deo,'  which  being 
freely  translated  means  'ourselves  and  our  pos- 
sessions to  God.'  " 

Captain  Theodore  Smith  Rogers  belongs  to 
the  old  New  England  Puritan  branch  of  the 
family,  his  ancestors  being  among  the  founders 
of  the  country,  locating  first  at  Springfield, 
Mass.  J.  Rogers  of  West  Springfield,  Mass., 
was  the  grandfather  of  Captain  Rogers,  and  it 
is  handed  down  by  tradition  that  he  had  three 
ov  four  brothers  whose  names  began  with  the 
letter  J. 

In  the  grandfather's  family  were  two  sons. 
Joseph  Ives  and  Theodore.  The  latter  died 
when  he  was  twenty-one  years  old.  Those 
daughters  of  whom  any  trace  can  be  found  were 
as  follows :  Julia  Ann,  who  married  Horace 
Aldrich  of  Jefferson  County,  N.  Y.,  moving  prob- 
ably about  1S31  to  Chicago,  and  in  1833  to  Du 
Page  County, — issue:  Lucinda,  who  married 
William  Smith,  son  of  Moses  Smith,  and  father 
of  the  wife  of  Joseph  Ives  Rogers'  issue.  These 
daughters  and  their  husi)ands  are  now  both 
dead,  but  their  descendants  are  living. 

Joseph  Ives  Rogers,  son  of  J.  Rogers,  and 
father  of  Captain  Rogers,  was  born  January  15, 
1S02,  in  West  Springfield,  Mass.  He  received  a 
common  school  education,  but  was  thoroughly 
gi'ounded  in  what  he  was  taught,  and  became  ex- 
pert  in  mental  arithmetic,  readily  solving  ex- 
amples mentally  with  great  accuracy.  When  a 
young  man  he  followed  lumbering  for  about 
twenty  years,  rafting  heavy  timber,  masts,  etc., 
down  the  St.  Lawrence  river  to  Quebec.  Later, 
ho  located  at  Morristown,  St.  Lawrence  County, 
N.  T.,  buying  a  farm,  on  which  he  lived  for  fif- 
teen years. 


On  June  3,  1829,  Jlr.  Rogers  was  married  by 
the  Rev.  J.  Taylor,  to  Caroline  Amelia  Smith, 
born  .\pril  10,  1812,  in  Herkimer  Village,  X.  Y., 
being  a  daughter  of  Moses  and  Sarah  (Chapin) 
Smith,  The  Chapius  and  Smiths  both  originally 
came  from  old  Massachusetts  families,  and  the 
Smiths  were  among  the  pioneers  of  Hammond, 
St.  Lawrence  County.  X.  Y.  In  1844,  Joseph 
Ives  Rogers  moved  with  his  family  to  Illinois, 
his  children  being  as  follows:  Mary  Lucinda, 
l)i)rn  February  21,  1830 ;  Theodore  Smith,  born 
.\ugust  30,  1831 ;  Joseph  Warren,  born  October 
lit,  1833 ;  Francis  .\ldrich,  born  June  27,  1841 ; 
Sarah  Nedora,  born  February  25,  1846;  Helen 
Elizabeth,  born  SepteTiber  10,  1849,  the  first  four 
having  been  boru  at  Alorristown,  X.  Y.,  and  the 
last  two  in  Du  Page  County,  111. 

The  journey  was  made  on  the  St.  'Lawrence 
River  in  the  steamboat  "Oneida,"  to  Rochester, 
X.  Y.  and  then  to  Buffalo  by  packet.  From  that 
city  they  came  west  to  Chicago  by  boat.  Mr. 
Rogers  was  in  good  circumstances  for  his  day, 
and  the  journey  was  a  comfortable  one  for  those 
times.  The  voyage  to  Chicago  was  made  in  the 
old  side  wheel  steamljoat  "Mi.ssouri"  Captain 
Wilkius  commanding,  which  was  a  first  class 
passenger  boat  at  this  time,  handsomely  fitted 
i".r>.  with  cabin,  .stateroom  and  berths.  After  an 
interesting  voyage  they  landed  at  Chicago,  May 
1,  1844.  Inmiediately  thereafter  the  little  party 
n.ade  its  way  via  teams  to  the  home  of  Mr.  Rog- 
ers" brother-in-law  Horace  Aldrich,  who  had  a 
few  years  before,  located  one  mile  north  of 
Downer's  Grove.  Others  had  also  located  there, 
they  being :  Israel  P.  Blodgett.  the  father  of 
the  late  Judge  of  that  name;  Samuel  Ctirtis; 
Levi  Aldrich  was  postmaster  and  kept  the  hotel ; 
liev.  Orange  Lyman ;  Pierce  Downer  for  whom 
the  place  was  named  who  had  settled  here  aljout 
1830,  coming  from  Rutland,  X.  Y. ;  Leonard  K. 
Hatch ;  Rockwell  Guild ;  Joseph  Blodgett ;  Dex- 
ter Stanley :  Pomoroy  Goodrich ;  Daniel  M. 
Green;  A.  L.  Barnard,  and  his  brother-in-law, 
William  Green.  There  were  of  course  many 
others  of  that  time  in  the  vicinity,  but  lack  of 
space  forbids  giving  all  of  them. 

Jo.seph  Ives  Rogers  bought  about  200  acres  of 
partly  improved  land,  for  which  he  paid  $14  per 
acre.  The  land  had  a  log  cabin  on  it,  one  and 
one-half  stories  high,  but  no  barn.  The  crops 
had  already  been  planted  when  he  settled  on  the 
farm,  except  the  corn,  which  he  put  in  himself. 
Tliere  were  some  peach  trees  on  the  farm  that 


HISTORY  OF  DU  PAGE  COUNTY. 


1005 


were  iu  fine  coudition,  and  they  bore  some 
delicious  fruit,  (.'aijtalii  Eogers  well  remeiiihers 
the  pleasure  of  himself  and  bis  brothers  and 
sisters  in  eating  his  fruit.  Naturally  he  feels 
that  there  never  have  been  such  peaches  since 
then.  This  orchard  was  killed  by  the  extremely 
cold  weather  of  the  winter  four  years  afte^-  the 
settlement  on  the  farm  of  the  Rogers.'  Ki-om  the 
time  he  took  charge,  Mr.  Rogers  began  im- 
liroving  his  propert.v,  and  made  it  his  home  until 
his  deatli.  which  occurred  November  IS,  1S03, 
when  he  was  sixty-one  years  old.  His  widow 
survived  him  until  Novemtjer  4,  1901,  when  she 
passed  away  at  the  home  of  Captain  Rogers, 
aged  nearly  ninety  years.  She  was  a  devout 
member  of  the  Congregational  Church. 

The    Rogers'    were   a    typical    pioneer    family. 
The   settlement    about    them   was   composed    of 
New    England    jieople,    of    great    energy,     very 
hardy  and  determined.     They  all  were  men  and 
wcimen  of  intelligence,  good  morals  and  believed 
in    government    by    the    people    and    for    them. 
They    were   competent   to    found,   organize   and 
establish  a  new  country,  to  build  the  towns  and 
manage  all  public  affairs  from  those  of  the  selioel-.  • 
districts  nil.     They  established  and  lifaintained   ' 
good  schools,  and  the  social  tone  of  the  'eeftiBfry  • 
neigliborhood  to  that  day.   was  far  Superior  to 
what  we  have  now.  Many  of  our  leading  Illinois 
families  were  thus  founded,  and  many  a»san>o#». 
a   pioneer  who  followed  a   great  team  of  fotir"* 
yoke  of  oxen  and  a  huge  breaking  plow  over  the  . 
tcugh  prairie  sod.  later  became  distinguished  as 
a  public  citizen,  or  followed  the  flag  on  southern 
battle  fields  to  an  honorable  death. 

Joseph  Ives  Rogers  was  a  public-spirited  man, 
of  excellent  character,  being  much  respected  as 
a  citizen.  He  was  like  most  Americans  of  his 
day  and  generation,  a  great  lover  of  liberty  and 
free  government.  At  the  time  of  the  Canadian 
Rebellion,  he  was  living  in  St.  Lawrence  County, 
N.  Y.,  and  the  struggle  of  the  Canadian  patriots 
as  they  were  called,  appealed  to  him  and  other 
sturdy  settlers  along  the  St.  Lawrence  with  the 
result  tliat  they  hastened  to  their  assistance,  Mr. 
Rogers  being  among  the  number.  He  crossed  the 
.St.  Lawrence  River  on  the  Ice  with  a  pair  of 
horses  and  a  long  sled  capable  of  hauling  light 
artillery.  He  managed  to  return  with  his  horses, 
but  had  a  different  sled. 

Captain  Theodore  Smith  Rogers  began  to  at- 
tend school  in  St.  Lawrence  County,  when  he 
was  tliree  .vears  old,  continuing  with  great  regu- 


larit.v.  He  remembers  in  painful  detail  the  reg- 
ular daily  whippings  he  received  from  his  ener- 
getic school  master,  and  is  led  to  believe  he  must 
have  been  somewhat  mischievous  as  well  as 
active.  About  thirteen  years  old  at  the  time  of 
the  family  migration,  he  remembers  distinctly 
the  various  features  of  that  long  trip,  as  well  as 
the  early  days  of  the  Illinois  settlement.  Dur- 
ing the  winter  seasons  he  was  given  the  oppor- 
tunity of  attending  school  until  he  was  seven- 
teen years  old.  It  is  his  opinion  that  both 
schools  and  teachers  were  better  then,  for  the 
piipils  were  so  thoroughly  grounded  in  the  com- 
mon branches  that  tliey  had  an  excellent  foun- 
dation upon  which  to  build  a  superstructure  of 
liigher  education.  When  only  nineteen,  in  1S50, 
ho  began  teaching,  his  first  school  being  at  Glen 
Ellyn.  and  was  paid  $13  per  month,  boarding 
around  among  the  people  of  the  district.  His 
second  school  was  at  Lisle  and  during  the  win- 
ters of  1851  and  1852,  1853  and  1854,  he  taught 
in  Downer's  Grove. 

On  December  13,  1855,  Captain  Rogers  was 
united  in  marriage  at  Downer's  Grove,  to  Helen 
•Mr-fttanley.  born  in  Susquehanna  County,  Penu., 
in.lS.33.  Her  father  was  Dexter  Stanley  who 
ifKfri'ied  Nancy  Capron  and  both  came  of  old 
Massachusetts  stock.  There  were  two  children 
I'y  this  uiarriage,  but  both  died  in  infancy.  Mrs. 
Wsgers  passed  away  February  5,  1906.  She  was 
'a  "sihcere 'Christian,  a  woman  of  high  character, 
posseissing  a  gentle  and  kindl.v  disposition,  which 
made  her  beloved  by  all  of  her  friends.  In  the 
fall  of  1S.J].  Mr.  Rogers  bought  a  threshing  ma- 
chine and  ran  it  during  the  season  for  eight 
.years.  In  1853,  he  bought  a  farm  one  and  one- 
half  miles  east  of  Downer's  Grove,  settling  upon 
it,  continuing  to  teach  school  during  the  winter. 
His  school  teaching  extended  over  a  period  of 
thirteen  years,  his  last  charge  being  in  Down- 
er's Grove  in  1864-5,  after  his  services  in  the 
Civil  War. 

He  ciist  his  first  vote  for  General  Winfield 
Scott  iu  1852,  voting  the  Whig  ticket,  aud  im- 
mediatel.v  began  to  take  an  active  part  in 
public  affairs.  In  1856.  he  was  an  active  par- 
tisan in  the  first  /  Republican  campaign,  sup- 
Iiorting  Fremont  and  Da.vton.  He  was  one  of 
the  organizers  and  Captain  of  the  Plow  Boys  as 
they  were  called,  a  company  of  young  men 
banded  together  for  that  campaign,  similar  to 
the  later  famous  "Wide  .Vwakes."  They  num- 
bered  fort.v-five,   and   had  n   large  wagon    built, 


1006 


HISTORY  OP  DU  PAGE  COUNTY. 


24x8  feet,  drawn  by  eight  horses,  caparisouecl 
with  net  and  ijlumes.  They  carried  a  flag  pole 
forty  feet  high  bearing  a  flag  twenty-two  feet 
long,  and  also  had  a  fife  and  drum  corps.  The 
uniform  con.sisted  of  white  trousers,  patent 
leather  belts,  red  shirts  and  glazed  caps.  They 
visited  all  the  neighboring  towns  and  later  Chi- 
cago. Elgin,  Aurora,  Batavia,  Naperville,  and 
Joliet.  not  only  in  1856,  but  also  in  18C0,  at- 
tracting much  attention  and  exciting  much  in- 
terest. All  the  members  took  a  hearty  interest 
In  the  campaign,  and  did  much  to  arouse  the 
people.  Captain  'Rogers  gave  the  Republican 
party  his  hearty  support  in  the  campaign  of 
ISeO,  being  one  of  the  original  Abraham  Lincoln 
Kepublicans.  He  was  elected  Sheriff  of  Du 
I'age  County  that  same  .year,  and  removed  to 
Naperville.  serving  actively  in  that  office  until 
obliged  to  leave  it  in  charge  of  deputies,  while 
he  commanded  his  company.  On  July  9,  1862, 
he  received  a  commission  from  Governor 
Eichard  Yates,  through  Attorney  General  Allen 
C.  Fuller  as  recruiting  officer,  and  assisted  in 
raising  four  companies  In  Du  Page  County,  and 
six  in  De  Kalb  County,  which  formed  the  One 
Hundred  and  Fifth  Hliuois  Volunteer  Infantry. 
The  other  captains  commanding  the  various 
companies  were :  Captains  Jones.  Daniels  and 
Graves  of  Du  Page,  and  Brown.  Terry.  Hunt. 
Nash,  from  De  Kalb. 

Captain  Rogers  was  mustered  into  the  United 
States  service,  Septeml)er  2,  18G2,  with  his  regi- 
ment at  Dixon,  111.,  for  a  three  years'  service, 
or  during  the  war.  The  first  service  was  in 
Kentucky,  imrsuing  the  famous  John  Morgan, 
with  whom  the  regiment  had  many  skirmishes. 
From  there  they  went  to  Gallatin,  Tenn.,  and 
were  in  several  skirmishes  during  that  fall  and 
early  wiute;-.  In  March,  186.3,  they  were  at 
Nashville,  and  in  March.  1864,  at  Chattanooga. 
The  regiment  participated  in  all  the  battles  of 
the  great  Atlanta  campaign,  from  Eesaca  to  the 
fall  of  Atlanta,  and  Captain  Itogers  was  in  com- 
mand of  his  company  every  day.  He  was  never 
seriously  wounded,  but  a  bullet  struck  his  left 
thumb  nail,  as  he  was  grasping  his  sword,  and 
tore  it  out.  This  happened  at  the  battle  of 
Dallas.  His  hat  brim  was  punctured  at  the 
battle  of  Peach  Tree  Creek,  and  at  the  battle 
of  Resaca.  his  tobacco  pouch  in  his  blouse,  was 
shot  through.  At  one  time  a  spent  ball  struck 
his  elbow,  and  several  times  his  clothing  w-as 
pierced,   so   that   he   had   a   number  of   narrow 


escapes.  At  the  battle  of  Peach  Tree  Creek, 
the  company  lost  five  killed  and  seven  wounded. 
After  the  Atlanta  campaign,  Captain  Rogers  re- 
signed his  commission  as  Captain  of  Company 
B,  to  return  home  and  resume  his  duties  as 
Sheriff,  for  the  county  had  need  of  him  during 
tliat  tyrbulent  period.  He  faithfully  discharged 
the  duties  of  that  office,  until  he  had  affairs  in 
good  order,  then  resigned  it.  July  1,  1866,  going 
to  Chicago,  where  he  embarked  in  a  market  and 
provision  business.  He  opened  a  store  in  a  one- 
story  building  on  the  present  cite  of  the  Trib- 
une building,  corner  of  Madison  and  Dearborn 
streets,  remaining  here  until  1868,  when  the 
Tribune  compan.v  built  upon  their  property.  He 
then  moved  to  the  corner  of  State  and  Adams 
streets,  on  the  present  site  of  Peacock's  jewelry 
store,  but  had  the  misfortune  to  be  burned  out 
on  October  8  and  9,  1871.  Following  this  he 
built  a  store  in  Eldridge  Court,  where  he  once 
more  suffered  loss  from  fire,  in  1874,  moving 
then  to  Twentieth  street  on  the  South  side. 
Still  later,  he  erected  a  new  market,  but  finally 
ii]oved  to  the  corner  of  Sixteenth  and  Waljash 
avenue,  remaining  tliere  for  nine  years.  He 
was  also  on  the  corner  of  Eighteenth  and  Wa- 
bash for  about  fourteen  .vears.  Captain  Rogers 
sold  his  interests  on  July  1,  1004,  and  retired 
from  active  business,  after  a  period  covering 
thirty-eight  years  to  a  day,  of  Chicago  business 
life.  Although  conducting  his  business  inter- 
ests in  Chicago,  Captain  Rogers  retained  his 
residence  at  Downer's  Grove.  Although  he  had 
some  distance  to  travel  each  morning,  eight 
o'clock  found  him  on  hand.  His  present  com- 
fortable residence  was  built  liy  him  in  1869,  and 
he  takes  great  pride  in  it,  and  his  beautiful 
grounds  which  he  has  laid  out  most  tastefully 
and  has  planted  many  shade  and  ornamental 
trees. 

Captain  Rogers  is  a  highly  respected  citizen, 
and  has  held  many  offices  within  the  gift  of  the 
people.  He  was  the  first  President  of  the  Vil- 
lage Board,  continuing  in  that  office  for  thir- 
teen .vears,  and  has  been  a  member  of  the  board 
of  trustees  fourteen  years.  He  was  appointed 
to  fill  a  vacancy  on  the  State  Board  of  Equaliza- 
tion and  filled  it  for  nearly  three  years,  and 
was  for  two  succeeding  terms  in  all  eleven 
years.  In  addition,  he  has  been  a  member  of 
the  Board  of  Tax  Review  for  Du  Page  County. 
Captain  Rogers  was  one  of  the  organizers  of 
the  Naper  Post.  No.  468,  G.  A.  R..  being  its  first 


HISTORY  OF  DU  PAGE  COUNTY. 


1007 


Commander,  and  is  the  present  one,  having  held 
tliat  office  coutiuuousl.v  ever  since  the  organiza- 
tion of  the  post,  with  the  exception  of  one 
year.  He  is  also  a  member  of  the  Society  of 
the  Army  of  the  Tennessee,  of  the  Army  of  the 
Cumberland,  the  Loyal  Legion  of  Illinois,  the 
Masonic  fraternity,  belonging  to  Grove  Lodge. 
Downer's  Grove,  and  has  been  JIarshal  since 
the  organization  of  the  lodge.  Always  a  public- 
spirited  man.  Captain  Rogers  has  favored  all 
[iiililic  improvements  and  assisted  in  carrying 
them  out  as  liberally  as  his  means  would  permit. 

While  not  a  member  of  the  Baptist  Church.  • 
ht  has  always  been  a  regular  attendant  upon  its 
services,  and  a  generous  contributor  towards  its 
support.  However,  he  has  not  limited  himself 
to  assisting  that  one  denomination,  but  given 
to  all  religious  orgauizations  in  Downer's 
Grove. 

On  May  11.  1007,  Captain  Rogers  married 
(second)  in  Downer's  Grove,  Calla  E.  Busli, 
widow  of  Henry  L.  Bush,  formerly  a  well 
known  resident  of  Downer's  Grove.  She  is  the 
mother  of  Hon.  Guy  L.  Bush  and  M.  K.  Bush, 
the  latter  also  of  Downer's  Grove. 

Captain  Rogers  is  a  man  of  remarkable  energy 
and  force  of  character.  He  is  one  of  the  best 
known  citizens  of  Du  Page  Count.v.  Straight- 
forward, kind-hearted,  outspoken,  he  numbers 
many  friends,  and  his  integrity  is  recognized  by 
all  who  know  him.  He  is  a  man  of  property, 
owning  very  valuable  realty  in  Downer's  Grove, 
having  evidenced  faith  in  its  future  from  the 
first,  by  investing  in  it. 

ROHR,  Charles  Forrest,  proprietor  of  tlie  Dm 
Page  Greenhouses  at  Xaperville.  111.,  is  a  young 
man  of  Imsiness  ability  and  euteriirise  far  above 
tlie  average  and  understands  thoroughly  every 
detail  of  his  bu.siuess.  He  was  born  at  Plain- 
field.  111..  October  2,  1S80,  a  sou  of  John  Jacob 
and  Anna  Maria  (Bender)  Rohr,  the  former  a 
native  of  Baden.  Genuany,  and  the  latter  of 
Naperville  Township,  and  a  grandson  of  Michael 
and  Mary  Ruhr.  The  father  came  to  Plainfield, 
Hi.,  in  1S70.  and  began  farming  in  Will  County. 
The  maternal  grandparents.  Joseph  and  Mar- 
garet (Forrest)  Bender,  of  Pennsylvania,  came 
to  Xaperville  Township  about  1S60  and  engaged 
in  farming. 

John  Jacob  hohr  was  married  at  Plaintield. 
where  he  carried  on  farming  and  conducted  a 
grist-mill   until  18S9.  then  moved  to  Napenille 


iind  was  superintendent  of  Xaperville  Cemetery 
until  lOOiJ.  when  he  resigned  the  position.  He 
worked  in  the  greenhouses  with  liis  son  until 
February  1,  1011,  since  wliicli  time  he  has  been 
emplo.ved  as  janitor  of  the  Y.  M.  C.  A.  building 
at  Xaperville. 

Charles  F.  Rohr  received  his  early  education 
in  the  public  schools  of  Xaperville,  spending 
two  jears  in  high  school,  and  at  the  age  of 
twenty  years  left  the  parental  roof  to  learn 
the  business  of  a  florist.  Two  years  later,  he 
returned  to  Xaperville,  where  his  father  had  a 
small  greenhouse,  and  in  l'.t04,  the  two  men 
built  tlie  present  fine  building,  which  has  .5,000 
square  feet  under  glass,  located  on  South  Wash- 
ington Street,  Xaperville.  In  190G,  the  younger 
n;an  purchased  his  father's  interest  and  is  uow 
sole  proprietor  of  the  business.  This  enterprise 
is  in  a  flourishing  condition,  with  a  large  and 
constantly  increasing  patronage,  and  Mr.  Rohr 
is  well  known  in  business  circles,  where  he  has 
an  excellent  reputation  for  uprigbtuess  and  in- 
tegrity. He  is  well  known  In  fraternal  circles, 
being  affiliated  with  the  I.  O.  O.  F.  Lodge  Xo. 
81  and  M.  W.  A.  Camp  Xo.  908,  of  Xaperville, 
He  is  a  member  of  Grace  Evangelical  Church 
and  belongs  to  the  Bracket  Class  in  the  Sunday 
School.  Politically,  he  espouses  the  cause  of 
I'rohibition. 

Air.  Rohr  was  married  January  10,  1006,  to 
iliss  Emma  May  Zook.  born  at  Xaausay.  Will 
County,  111.,  daughter  of  Elisha  and  Verdilla 
(Carpenter)  Zook,  natives  of  Pennsylvania. 
Two  children  have  been  born  of  this  union. 
Myrtle  Lucile  and  Forrest  Charles. 

ROHR,  John.  Solid  business  connections  and 
natural  ability,  combined  with  tliorough  ex- 
perience, assist  a  merchant  to  compete  success- 
fully with  competitors,  and  in  many  instances 
by  developing  an  originality  of  handling  sales, 
distance  them  and  make  satisfied  customers. 
One  of  the  men  who  has  long  Ijeen  connected 
with  mercantile  interests  in  Du  Page  County 
and  now  leads  all  other  merchants  in  his  special 
lines,  is  John  Rohr  of  West  Chicago.  He  was 
born  in  Baden,  Germany.  May  2.  1S4S,  a  son  of 
.Tobn  and  Christina  (Zimpper)  Rohr.  The  mother 
died  in  Germany  in  1879,  but  Mr.  Rohr  came  to 
the  United  States  in  1882.  to  reside  with  his  son 
John,  dying  with  him  In  December,  1803.  There 
w  ere  three  sons  and  three  daughters  in  the  fam- 


1008 


HISTORY  OF  DU  PAGE  COUNTY. 


ily,  and  John  Rohr  was  the  second  in  order  of 
birth. 

In  the  spring  of  1S71,  he  came  to  the  United 
States  after  having  sened  forty-two  months  in 
the  German  army.  His  first  home  here  was 
ill  Geneva.  111.,  but  after  a  very  brief  stay,  he 
went  to  Clinton,  la.,  where  he  worked  on  the 
Chicago  and  Northwestern  Railroad,  becoming 
freight  brakeman.  Two  years  later  he  came  to 
West  Chicago,  continuing  in  the  employ  of  the 
road,  and  was  in  its  machine  shops  until  1S79, 
when  he  was  made  foreman.  In  ISSl,  he  was 
promoted  to  the  position  of  freight  engineer, 
and  later  was  engineer  on  passenger  trains.  All 
this  time  he  was  saving  his  money  and  looking 
about  him  for  a  safe  investment.  In  1S92,  he 
went  into  business  with  several  others  under  the 
firm  name  of  Springer,  Rohr  &  Co.  They  com- 
menced in  a  small  store,  carrying  a  varied  line 
of  merchandise.  From  the  first  the  business  was 
a  success,  and  additions  were  made  to  the  stock, 
until  it  became  the  leading  general  mercantile 
establishment  in  Du  Page  County.  In  July, 
It'O'J,  Mr.  Rohr  bought  out  his  partners,  and  as- 
sumed charge  with  his  sou,  Fred,  in  the  firm 
under  the  name  of  John  Rohr  &  CO.  The  stock 
includes  a  large  and  varied  line  of  clothing, 
shoes,  groceries  and  all  kinds  of  merchandise 
generally  carried  in  such  an  establishment.  The 
service  is  as  nearly  perfect  as  Mr.  Rohr  and 
his  son  can  make  it,  delivery  being  prompt, 
and  salespersons  courteous  and  well-informed. 
Slany  who  felt  forced  to  go  to  Chicago  before 
tills  firm  assumed  its  present  proportions,  do  all 
their  shopping  in  their  home  town,  satisfied 
that  they  can  obtain  better  treatment  and  more 
reasonable  prices  there. 

On  November  1,  1874,  Mr.  Rohr  was  united 
in  marriage  with  Christina  Stover,  bom  in 
Baden,  Germany,  daughter  of  Jacob  and  Chris- 
tina (Wortz)  Stover,  who  came  to  West  Chicago 
in  180(5.  Mr.  and  Mrs.  Rohr  became  the  parents 
ot  children  as  follows:  Fred,  William  and 
Charles,  in  business  with  their  father ;  and  Car- 
rie, Mrs.  Dr.  Kempler  of  West  Chicago.  Mr. 
Rohr  is  a  Republican,  and  has  given  the  School 
Board  his  valuable  services  as  Director  for  nine 
years,  and  was  a  member  of  the  Town  Board 
for  three  terms.  He  belongs  to  the  Elks  of  Chi- 
cago, and  the  Odd  Fellows,  No.  420  of  West 
Chicago.  A  first-class  business  man,  who  knows 
every  detail  of  his  work,  a  loyal  citizen  striving 
to  bring  about  good  government  and  aid  in  the 


moral  uplift.  Mr.  Rohr  has  achieved  a  remark- 
able success  during  the  forty  years  he  has  made 
Du  Page  County  his  home. 

J?OOT,  Charles  Gardiner,  who  is  connected  with 
sc\-eral  large  business  enterprises  at  Chicago, 
111.,  has  been  a  resident  of  Hinsdale,  Du  Page 
County,  since  1903.  He  was  born  at  Remsen, 
Oneida  County.  N.  T.,  September  27,  1S4.5,  and 
is  a  son  of  Zalnion  Dana  and  Helen  Lavonia 
(Gardiner)  Root.  He  accompanied  his  parents 
from  New  York  to  Cook  County,  111.,  iu  1807. 
laid  iu  1862,  graduated  from  the  "Little  Red 
School  House"  in  District  No.  3  of  Maine  Town- 
ship, Cook  County.  He  was  fond  of  study  and 
made  the  most  of  his  opportunities.  In  1863, 
he  attended  a  preparatory  school  at  Evanstou, 
111.,  and  for  a  short  time  in  1864,  attended  Phil- 
lips Academy,  at  Exeter,  N.  H.  In  September, 
1865,  he  entered  the  Northwestern  University  at 
Evanston.  from  which  he  was  graduated  in  June. 
1869,  with  the  degrees  of  Bachelor  of  Philosophy 
and  Bachelor  of  Science. 

Following  Mr.  Root's  graduation  from  college, 
he  began  his  business  career.  In  which  he  has 
steadily  advanced,  and  during  this  time  has  or- 
ganized several  important  and  successful  enter- 
prises. His  first  work  was  as  newspaper  corre- 
spondent and  item  picker  for  the  Chicago  Times, 
under  Wilbur  F.  Story,  which  iX)sitiiin  he  held 
from  1869  to  1871;  from  1872  to  1870,  he  was 
auditor  of  Grover  &  Baker  Sewing  Machine 
Company;  from  1876  to  1886,  he  was  manager 
for  the  Weir  Plow  Company  of  Monmouth,  111., 
with  headquarters  in  Indianapolis.  From  1886 
until  1902,  Mr.  Root  was  connected  with  various 
enterprises  in  different  positions  and  capacities ; 
was  president  of  the  Adamant  Manufacturing 
Company,  of  Minneapolis ;  vice  president  of  the 
Adamant  Manufacturing  Company,  of  Milwau- 
kee ;  general  manager  of  the  Adamant  Manufac- 
turing Company  of  America,  of  Syracuse.  N.  Y. ; 
and  president  of  the  Ohio  Adamant  Manufac- 
turing Company,  of  Cleveland.  In  1902.  he 
helped  organize  the  United  States  Gypsum  Com- 
pany and  the  Erie  &  Michigan  Railway  &  Navi- 
gation Company,  and  since  1903  has  been  vice 
president  of  the  former  and  president  and  gen- 
eral manager  of  the  latter.  His  business  ad- 
dresses are  200  Monroe  Street  and  184  La  Salle 
Street,  Chicago.  He  is  an  able  and  aggressive 
business  man  and  has  large  interests  under  his 
control,    standing   well   in   business   circles   and 


^a^i^.  ^'^'^Cr^iy^ 


HISTORY  OF  DU  PAGE  COUNTY. 


1009 


liaving  many  friends  socially.  He  is  a  member 
of  the  University  Club,  of  Chicago,  and  is  well 
Unown  in  that  city,  as  well  as  in  Hinsdale.  He 
is  an  advocate  of  the  simple  life  and  has  never 
taken  an  active  part  in  politics,  although  per- 
forming his  duties  as  a  citizen  and  supporting 
auy  cause  calculated  to  advance  the  general  wel- 
fare of  his  community,  and  is  not  confined  to 
the  interests  of  any  one  political  party,  in  his 
views  along  this  line  saying.  "May  the  best  man 
win,''  which  sentiment  he  tries  to  see  carried 
out. 

On  January  lo,  1880,  Jlr.  Root  married  Mrs. 
Diana  Brooke  Colclazer,  of  Indianapolis,  Ind., 
and  they  have  one  child,  Richard  Gardiner 
Root.  By  her  first  marriage,  Mrs.  Root  had  a 
daughter,  Helen  Mary  Colclazer. 

ROSCHE,  George  F.,  was  born  at  Navarre, 
Stark  counly,  Ohio,  Aug.  IS,  1855.  He  received 
his  preparatory  education  in  the  district  schools, 
which  he  attended  until  his  sixteenth  year.  He 
was  naturally  very  talented  along  musical  lings, 
and,  to  further  his  ambition  to  become  an  artist, 
he  attended  the  nmsieal  college  af  '^WiFreju.; 
Ohio,  then,  in  1874.  went  abroad  ij"d  studied 
at  the  Royal  Conservatory  of  Music*,  Stuttgart, 
Germany,  for  two  years.  He  thi^n  rjetjiiyi,^, 
home  and  gave  private  instruction,  in'4nd«an-t 
aiK)lis,  Ind..  for  three  years.  In  1879  he  was 
elected  to  the  chair  of  music  In  the  Elmhurst 
Seminary,  where  he  taught  for  seven  yeai-s. 

In  1S87  he  gave  up  his  teaching  and  organized 
a  firm  under  the  name  of  George  F.  Rosche  & 
Co..  for  the  purpose  of  publishing  music  and 
selling  jiianos.  His  oflices  are  now  at  ?.37  West 
Madison  street.   Chicago. 

In  UK).")  Mr.  Roche  was  elected  to  the  village 
board,  again  in  lli07,  and  to  the  Elmhurst  city 
council  in  lOld,  in  which  body  he  Is  now- 
acting.  He  has  also  served,  for  one  term,  as 
the  president  of  the  board  of  education,  being 
elected  in  I'.ick;.  He  is  a  member  of  the  Elm- 
hurst Golf  Club. 

Mr.  Rosche  was  married,  at  ludianaiwlis.  to 
Miss  Ida  Kate  Weyser.  a  daughter  of  AVilliara 
and  Sarah  Elizabeth  (Staugh)  Weyser.  They 
have  had  three  children  born  to  them;  Myra. 
Frederick  William  and  Edward,  all  at  home. 
Mr.  Rosche  is  a  sou  of  Peter  and  Catharine 
(Urschel)  Rosche,  both  of  whom  were  born 
In  Germany,  and  cauie  to  America  to  settle  in 


Stark   county,   Ohio,   in    1840   and    1832.   respec- 
tively. 

ROSENWINKEL,  Edward  Henry,  member  of  a 
famil.v  that  has  long  been  prouilueut  in  Addison 
township,  is  the  owner  of  a  part  of  the  farm 
that  his  father  secured  in  the  sixties.  He  was 
born  in  the  township  October  14.  1809.  son  of 
Henry  anil  Charlotte  (Flnke)  Roseuwinkel,  na- 
tives of  Hanover.  Germany.  The  father  erected 
the  fine  large  barn  that  is  on  this  iilace  in  1884, 
and  at  the  same  time  put  up  the  handsome 
residence  which   has   since  been   remodeled. 

Mr.  Roseuwinkel  has  spent  all  his  life  on  this 
farm  and  has  always  followed  agricultural  pur- 
suits. He  was  educated  in  the  German  and 
public  schools  of  Addison  township.  At  present 
he  owns  one  hundred  and  twehe  and  a  half 
acres  of  well-tilled  laud,  where  he  carries  on 
diversified  farming  and  has  .-i  small  dairy.  He 
is  one  of  the  solid,  substantial  residents  of  the 
township,  interested  in  anything  that  concerns 
the  welfare  of  the  community,  and  is  a  member 
of  thellAitheran  church,  contributing  his  share 
■fcs\<nrd.lis  support.  Mr.  Roseuwinkel  was  mar- 
ried to  Miss  Anna  Kruse  on  April  2.  1911,  and 
they  have  one  child.  Richard,  who  was  born 
,»Vl51>st  22.  1912. 

>    J-  *  te    f-  1 

ROSENWINKEL,  Ernst  Wilham,  deceased.  The 
Roseuwinkel  family  was  founded  in  .Vddison 
Township.  Du  Page  County,  by  Henry  Roseu- 
winkel. a  native  of  Hanover,  (ierniany.  who 
came  to  America  at  an  early  day,  and  traveled 
through  various  parts  of  the  country  lie- 
fore  locating  in  Illinois.  Miss  Fiuke  came 
to  .\merica  in  lS.ol.  he  meeting  her  In  New 
Orleans,  and  there  their  marriage  took  place, 
after  which  they  went  to  California,  where  he 
worked  iu  a  gold  mine.  A  few  years  later,  he 
came  to  America  at  an  early  day,  and  traveled 
acres  of  land,  which  he  developed  into  a  fine 
farm,  and  erected  substantial  buildings.  Later 
he  ]purchased  10.^  acres  more,  which  after  his 
death,  was  divided  between  his  two  sous.  The 
parents,  Henry  and  Charlotte  (Finke)  Roseu- 
winkel. lived  on  this  place  from  1800.  to  their 
deaths. 

Ernst  W.  Roseuwinkel  was  born  on  the  home 
farm.  .January  27.  1875.  receiving  his  educiition 
In  the  German  schools,  near  home.  Reared  to 
farm  work,  he  always  followed  this  calling,  own- 
ing at  the  time  of  his  death  one-half  the  home 


1010 


HISTORY  OF  DU  PAGE  COUNTY. 


farm  wheie  he  carried  ou  general  farming.  His 
dairy  consisted  of  eigliteeu  cows,  and  lie  shipped 
five  and  one-half  cans  of  milk  daily.  He  was  an 
enthusiastic  and  progressive  farmer,  following 
modern  methods  and  winning  a  fair  degree  of 
success.  A  member  of  St.  Paul's  Lutheran 
Church,  he  was  interested  in  evei'y  measure 
promulgated  for  it  and  the  public  welfare.  He 
was  a  man  of  stability  and  influence  in  his  com- 
munity, where  he  was  well  known  and  res- 
pected. 

On  November  4,  1000.  Jlr.  Rosenwinkel  mar- 
ried Emma  Spraudel,  the  ceremony  being  per- 
formed by  the  Rev.  Grosse.  She  is  a  daughter  of 
Henry  and  Sophia  (Bode)  Sprandel.  The  fol- 
lowing children  have  been  born  of  this  mar- 
riage: Theodore,  born  February  16,  1902; 
Oscar,  born  November  4.  1903 :  Edwin,  born 
April  24.  1004,  died  aged  two  weeks,  and  Alma, 
born  the  same  date ;  Edna,  born  March  9,  1908 : 
L.vdia.  born  September  6,  1909,  and  Hugo,  born 
August  12.  1011, 

Mr.  Rosenwinkel  died  December  23.  1911.  and 
is  buried  in  Addison  Cemetery.  T\1ien  he  died, 
he  left  a  farm  to  his  widow,  who  is  sadly  bereft 
as  he  was  a  kind  and  loving  husband,  and  de- 
voted father.  The  family  is  a  respected  one, 
and  well  known  in  this  community. 


24,  1801;  Ida,  born  August  9,  1.S91;  Martin,  born 
Novemlier  10,  1892.  dietl  November  19.  1892; 
Ernest,  born  December  3,  1893 ;  George,  born 
December  20,  189.j ;  Herman.  Ijorn  Septenilier  0. 
1807.  died  September  15.  1897 ;  Walter,  born 
October  30,  1S98;  Ella,  born  January  7,.  1901; 
Alfred,  born  July  10.  1003.  and  Julius,  born 
June  23,  1905. 

Mr.  Rosenwinkel  owns  180  acres  of  laud  in 
Sections  17  and  18.  Addison  Township,  besides 
si.x  and  seventeen  hundreth  acres  in  Section  13 
of  Bloomiiigdale  Township.  He  is  an  industrious 
and  progressive  farmer  and  pays  special  atten- 
tion to  dairying,  having  flft.v-one  head  of  cattle 
and  shipping  alxiut  eight  cans  of  milk  per  day. 
He  raises  about  forty  hogs  annually  and  some 
horses,  having  eleven  head  at  the  present  time. 
His  land  is  in  a  high  state  of  cultivation  and 
that  he  has  in  Bloomingdale  Township  is  valu- 
al.le  timberland.  He  has  erected  most  of  the 
liarns  and  other  outbuildings  on  his  farm  and 
has  made  additions  to  the  house.  Mr.  Rosen- 
winkel is  proud  of  his  home  and  family,  a  re- 
markable one.  all  bright  and  healthy,  having 
never  had  any  serious  sickness,  and  Is  a  sub- 
stantial, upright  citizen,  having  many  friends 
in  the  community  where  his  entire  life  has  been 
spent. 


ROSENWINKEL,  WiUiam,  an  extensive  dairy 
farmer  of  Addison  Township.  Du  Page  County, 
is  a  native  of  that  township,  born  January  3, 
18.59,  a  son  of  Henry  and  Charlotte  (Finke) 
Rosenwinkel,  iirominent  farmers  there.  He  was 
educated  in  the  German  and  public  schools  and 
reared  to  agricultural  pursuits,  which  he  has 
followed.  He  is  active  in  public  afCairs  and 
since  1807.  by  re-elections,  has  held  the  ofHce  of 
Commissioner  of  Highways.  He  is  a  prominent 
member  of  the  Lutheran  Church,  of  which  he 
seiTed  three  years  as  Treasurer  and  Trustee, 

Mr,  Rosenwinkel  was  married  April  12,  1883, 
to  Minnie  Wischstadt,  daughter  of  William  and 
Mary  (Oehlerking)  Wischstadt,  who  was  born 
February  1.  1803.  Fourteen  children  have  been 
born  of  this  union,  namely :  Louis  H..  born 
March  24,  1884,  married  Amanda  Schafer, 
two  children, — Erwin  and  Emma ;  Albert  A„ 
born  September  17,  1885,  married  Ella  Bush- 
house,  one  child. — Lillie;  Emma,  born  October 
8.  1887.  died  the  next  day ;  Mary,  born  October 
3.  1SS8.  married  Louis  Fiene.  one  child. — Ray- 
mond :  Otto.  Iiorn  Julv  10.   1890.  died  February 


ROSS,  Joachim.  Nature  has  been  kind  to  Du 
Page  County,  and  because  of  this  and  the  energy 
of  the  farmers  of  the  locality,  some  of  the  finest 
farms  in  the  State  have  been  developed  here. 
One  of  the  aggressive  farmers  of  York  Town- 
ship, is  Joachim  Ross,  of  Section  33,  He  was 
born  in  Mecklenburg,  Germany,  June  10,  1S37. 
being  a  son  of  Joachuu  and  Sophia  (Garnni- 
dorf )  Ross,  both  natives  of  Germany.  The  little 
fpmily  came  to  the  United  States,  in  1865,  seek- 
ing for  a  better  opportunity  to  secure  land,  and 
located  at  Downer's  Grove,  Du  Page  County. 
Prior  to  coming  here.  Joachim  Ross  the  younger 
had  served  from  1858  to  1861,  in  the  German 
army,  with  a  further  period  from  1862  to  1865 
to  his  credit.  Upon  coming  here,  Mr.  Ross 
worked  as  a  farm  hand  for  about  three  years, 
then  rented  property  near  Fullersburg,  York 
Township,  thus  continuing  for  about  twenty- 
six  years.  In  1S04,  he  bought  eighty  acres  on 
Sections  27  and  28,  York  Township,  which  is  his 
present  home. 

In  the  fall  of  1865,  Mr.  Ross  married  Louisa 
Witt,   liorn   in   Mecklenburg,   Germany,   June   1, 


HISTORY  OF  DU  PAGE  COUNTY. 


1011 


1840.  daughter  of  John  Witt.  Mr.  and  Mrs. 
Itoss  became  the  parents  of  the  following  chil- 
dren :  Lena,  wife  of  Charles  Engl,  of  York  Town- 
ship ;  Matilda,  wife  of  Fi-ed  Bargerhoff,  of  York 
Township ;  Louisa,  wife  of  Louis  Ahrens  of  Chi- 
cago ;  and  Henry  of  La  Grange,  111. 

Mr.  Eoss  has  .served  York  Township  as  Road 
Commissioner  for  three  years,  and  has  been 
School  riirector  for  twelve  years,  although  he 
never  has  been  a  politician.  Conscientious,  he 
has  been  a  faithful  official.  The  German  Evan- 
gelical Church  of  Fullersburg,  holds  his  member- 
ship, and  he  has  been  one  of  its  trustees  since 
ISSG. 

ROSS,  William.  Farming  has  now  reached  the 
dignity  of  a  business,  and  some  men  now  operate 
their  land  in  a  way  that  makes  it  almost  .-i 
science.  .Such  meifhods  pay.  for  the  soil  gives 
large  returns  to  those  who  cultivate  it  correctly, 
and  nowhere  is  this  more  true  than  in  the  fertile 
lauds  of  Du  Page  county.  One  of  the  prosper- 
ous agriculturists  of  this  section,  is  Will  in  ni 
Ross  of  Y'ork  township,  born  in  this  township. 
September  il4.  1873,  son  of  Henry  and  Mary 
(Manning)  Ross.  The  former  was  born  in 
Mecklenburg.  Germany,  February  27.  1S?,'.'>.  and 
she  in  Hanover,  Germany,  March  17.  1848. 
Henry  Ross  was  the  third  sou  born  to  Joachim 
and  Sophia    (Gramdorf)   Ross. 

When  about  eighteen  .vears  old.  Henry  Ross 
came  direct  from  Germany  to  Du  Page  county. 
HI.,  working  as  a  laborer  on  the  railroad  and  .ms 
a  farm  hand  for  two  years.  He  then  sent  tor 
his  parents,  renting  a  farm  in  York  townshiii. 
In  the  spring  -of  1874  he  had  saved  sutficient  to 
buy  seventy-nine  acres  on  Section  80.  York 
township,  and  in  3S88  he  added  thirty  acres. 
In  1872  he  married,  and  he  and  his  wife  lived 
on  the  farm  until  IS'Jo.  when  he  moved  to  Floyd 
.county,  la.,  buying  320  acres.  Still  later  be 
liought  more  land,  now  owning  480  acre-=.  and 
residing  uikjii  his  large  farm.  He  and  his  wife 
were  the  parents  of  five  children:  William. 
Henry.  Eruest.  Regina.  and  August,  all  of  whom 
reside  in  Iowa,  except  William. 

William  Ross  was  married  October  22,  l.so.". 
to  Anna  Stebens.  born  in  York  township.  Novem- 
ber 1,  1873.  daughter  of  Henry  C.  and  Margaret 
(Boese)  Stebens.  Mr.  and  Mrs.  Ross  became 
the  parents  of  si.\  children  :  Laura,  born  .\n- 
gust  22,  ISOO ;  Kasper.  born  June  27,  1898 ; 
Esther,    born     September    27.    inoO;     Joseiibine. 


liorn  June  (i.  1003:  Viola  liorn  Xoveniber  5,  1905, 
and  Richard,  jjorn  October  :;,  1908.  Mr.  Ross 
belongs  to  the  Modern  Woodmen  of  America. 
Lombard  Camp  No.  3.J21.  Mr.  Ross  rents  Uis 
father's  farm,  and  has  made  a  number  of  im- 
provements on  it  since  assuming  charge.  lie 
is  jiroud  of  his  jiroducts,  and  takes  a  pride  in 
his  work  and  premises. 

ROTERMUND,  Edward.  'I'he  services  ren- 
dered li.v  the  locil  banks  in  any  connnunit.v  are 
not  always  fully  appreciated.  It  is  almost  im- 
possilde  for  the  business  men  to  carry  on  their 
various  moneyed  transactions  without  the  as- 
sistance of  banks  in  their  neighborhood,  and  this 
need  has  resulted  in  the  establishment  of  finan- 
cial institutions,  backed  by  men  of  large  means 
and  strict  probity.  One  of  these  banks  that  is 
doing  a  l;irge  amount  of  business  is  the  Addison 
State  Bank,  of  which  Edward  Rotermund  is 
assistant  cashier  and  director.  Jlr.  Rotermund 
was  born  in  Addison.  TIL.  March  14,  1849,  being 
.■1   son  of  Christian  and   Helena    (Fiene)    Roter- 

MUUld. 

•Mr.  Rotermund  first  attended  an  Ev.-ingolical 
Lutheran  private  school,  then  the  Addison  pub- 
lie  school,  and  in  ISOo.  entered  the  Eastman 
National  Business  College  at  Chicago,  where  he 
took  a  six  months'  course.  The  Rotermunci 
family  has  long  lived  in  Addison,  having  been 
founded  there  by  John  Henry  Rotermund,  a  na- 
tive of  Hanover,  Germany,  in  1841. 

After  completing  his  studies.  Mr.  Roternuuid 
was  a  dealer  in  general  merchandise  from  1871 
to  1,800.  with  headciuarters  at  Addison.  From 
1890  to  189.8.  he  dealt  in  lumber,  coal,  grain,  feed 
and  tlour.  but  in  that  year  withdrew  from  mer- 
cantile life  to  organize  the  Addison  State  Bank 
of  Addison,  of  which  he  has  since  continued  a 
ilireetor  and  assistant  cashier,  bringing  to  bear 
upon  Ills  duties  the  same  unflinching  inte,grit.v 
of  i)urpose  which  characterized  him  in  other 
lines  of  business. 

Mr.  Rotermund  was  married  November  24, 
1S78.  at  Addison,  to  Emeline  Grane.  Three  sons 
have  been  born  of  this  marriage:  .Vngust  E.. 
born  April  24,  1880,  married  Laura  Strunkel, 
one  child,  Florence;  and  Edwin  E.,  born  March 
11,  1890,  at  home;  and  one  son  deceased.  While 
a  strong  supporter  of  the  principles  of  Democ- 
racy. Mr.  Rotermund  has  never  aspired  fo 
Iiolitical  honors.  For  years  he  has  been  a  con- 
sistent   mendier    of    the    German     Evangelical 


1012 


HISTORY  OF  DU  PAGE  COUNTY. 


Lutheran  Cliurcli.  and  supported  it  liberally. 
He  is  a  man  of  strong  convictions,  wlio  lias  al- 
ways tried  to  follow  tlie  dictates  of  conscience, 
an<l  his  comniercial  rating  is  as  satisfactory  as 
his  standing  in  the  esteem  of  liis  fellow  towns- 
men. 

ROTERMUND,  Henry,  meniher  of  one  of  the 
older  families  of  Addison  Township.  Du  Page 
County,  was  born  on  the  farm  where  he  now 
lives,  August  13,  1854,  sou  of  Augustus  and 
Louisa  (Wegner)  Rotermund.  Augustus  Roter- 
mund  was  born  in  Hanover,  Germany,  and  when 
about  nine  years  of  age  came  with  his  parents 
to  Addison  Township,  where  they  established 
their  home.  At  his  marriage,  .Vngustus  Roter- 
mund settled  on  the  home  farm,  which  was  se- 
cured from  the  (iovernnient.  He  and  his  wife 
had  si.\-  children,  namely :  one  died  in  infancy ; 
August  and  Amelia,  deceased;  Edward,  de- 
ceased; Henry;  William  August,  of  Addison 
To\TOship.  nenr\-  lives  on  the  home  place  of 
151  acres,  twenty-three  acres  of  which  was 
woodland  at  the  time  it  came  into  possession  of 
the  family.  William  Rolermund  was  horn  Octo- 
ber 1.3,  IS.")!),  and  married  l';mma.  now  deceased, 
daughter  of  Herman  and  Frederica  (Landwehr) 
Wendt,  born  at  Bensonville,  Addison  Township. 
They  have  one  child.  Florence,  born  September 
9,   1909. 

Henry  Rotermund  received  his  edm-ation  in 
the  German  and  public  schools  of  his  native 
townshiii,  lieing  reared  to  farm  work  and  learn- 
ing all  the  necess;iry  details  of  his  vocation. 
He  carries  on  general  farming  and  is  enterpris- 
ing and  progressive  in  liis  methods.  He  is  a 
member  of  the  German  Evangelical  Church  and 
active  in  support  of  its  interests.  He  taught  two 
years  in  the  Sunday  School  and  has  always 
taken  a  sincere  interest  in  its  welfare. 

.Tune  15.  ],S91.  Mr.  Rotermund  was  married  by 
Rev.  Klenike  to  Marie  Alvina  Fisilier.  daughter 
of  Henry  and  Ix)uisa  (Rhineking)  Fischer,  and 
three  children  have  blessed  this  union:  Edward 
W.,  born  May  17,  1892;  Freda  Louisa,  July 
S,  1900;  and  Henry  A.,  born  March  17,  1897, 
died  April  7,  lOfiO.  Mr.  Roternuind's  many 
friends  appreciate  his  honesty  and  integrity  in 
all  his  dealings  and  he  is  a  man  of  influence  in 
his  community.  Mrs.  Rotermund  belongs  to 
the  Ladies'  Society  of  the  church. 

ROTT,  Ernest,  a  well  known  farmer  of 
Lisle  Township.  Du  Page  County,  has  spent  his 


entire  life  near  bis  present  home.  He  is  a  na- 
tive of  the  towusliip,  horn  February  5.  1S51, 
and  is  a  sou  of  Serapeiu  and  Theresa  (Stadler) 
Rott.  natives  of  Alsace,  Germany.  The  family 
of  his  father  is  described  at  some  length  in  con- 
nection with  the  sketch  of  Serapein  Rott,  which 
also  appears  in  this  work.  In  boyhood  Ernest 
Rott  had  little  chance  to  acquire  an  ethieatiou, 
as  he  was  one  of  the  older  children  of  the  fam- 
ily and  was  early  set  at  work  on  his  fathers 
farm.  At  the  age  of  ten  years  he  began  work- 
ing (iut  for  neighboring  farmers  and  continued 
this  occupation  until  his  marriage,  February  12, 
180<;.  to  Miss  Francis  Meadel,  also  a  native  of 
Lisle  Township  and  a  daughter  of  Jacob  and 
Theresa  (Loos)  .Meadel,  natives  of  Alsace,  The 
parents  came  to  Du  Page  County  in  youth  and 
after  marriage  settled  on  a  farm  in  Lisle  Town- 
shiii. where  both  died. 

After  marriage.  Ernest  Rott  rented  a  farm  in 
Lisle  Township  for  seven  years,  then  purchased 
his  present  home  of  ninety -three  acres'  of  land, 
on  which  he  has  erected  all  the  present  build- 
ings. He  is  a  self-made  man  and  has  won  suc- 
cess through  untiring  ambition  and  industry. 
He  carries  on  a  general  line  of  farming,  keeps 
a  large  dairy,  and  does  teaming  work  for  the 
highway  commis-sioners.  He  is  a  meml)er  of 
the  Catholic  Church  and  in  politics  is  a  Demo- 
crat. He  is  well  liked  in  his  community  and 
has  many  warm  friends.  To  him  and  his  wife 
five  Children  have  been  burn,  namely:  .Vlbert. 
Carrie  and  Rosa  (twins).  Anna  and  Henrietta. 
Mr,  Rotfs  home  is  pleasantly  situated  and  he 
has  his  farm  well  under  cultivation.  His  chil- 
dren .-ire  being  educated   in   the  local  si^hool. 

ROTT,  Serapein,  a  well  known  farmer  of 
Naperville  Township,  Du  Page  Couut.v,  is  a  na- 
tive of  the  county  and  was  born  in  Lisle  Town- 
ship. January  22,  1S59.  He  is  a  son  of  Serapein 
and  Theresa  (Stadler)  Rott.  both  natives  of  Al- 
sace. Germany,  who  came  to  Du  Page  County 
in  youth  and  were  there  married.  The  grand- 
father. George  Rott,  spent  his  entire  life  in 
Germany.  Serapeiu  Rott  Sr,  and  wife  settled 
on  a  farm  in  Lisle  Township  after  their  mar- 
riage and  there  reared  their  family.  He  now 
lives  there  with  his  .son  George,  and  has  reached 
the  age  of  eight.v-one  .years.  They  had  chil- 
dren as  follows:  Jlary,  Mrs.  Jacob  Keller,  of 
Kaperville :  William,  of  Hawthorne.  III.;  Sera- 
pein; Ernest,  of  Lisle  Township:  Frank,  of  Will 


GEORGE  WINCKLEE. 


HISTOKY  OF  DU  PAGE  COUNTY. 


1013 


Coiiuty.  111. :  Joseph,  deceased ;  Theresa.  Mrs. 
I'eter  Herman,  of  Barbers  Corners.  111. ;  Louisa, 
Mrs.  I'eter  Young,  of  Naperville  Township; 
Emma.  Mrs.  Philip  Schultz,  of  Will  County; 
George  of  Lisle  Township;  Carrie,  Mrs.  Henry 
Wohrle.  of  Xaperville. 

The  subject  of  this  biography  attended  the 
public  and  German  schools  and  after  leaving 
school  helped  with  the  work  on  his  father's 
farm.  When  he  was  seventeen  years  old,  he 
began  to  work  for  neighboring  farmers,  continu- 
ing until  his  marriage,  November  13.  1SS8.  to 
Miss  Annie  Letter,  who  was  born  in  Milton 
Township.  Du  Page  County,  daughter  of  Valen- 
tine and  Margaret  (Goldstine)  IjOtter.  natives 
of  Byron.  Germany,  who  were  married  in  the 
state  of  New  York.  In  1S59,  Mr.  Lotter  and 
wife  came  to  Milton  Township.  He  died  in  ISSS, 
and  she  in  1SS3. 

After  marriage  Mr.  Kott  and  wife  lived  three 
years  on  a  farm  in  Lisle  Township,  spent  three 
years  at  Barbers  Corners,  Wfll  County,  and  then 
moved  to  Naperville  Township,  their  home  since. 
He  carries  on  a  general  farming  and  has  a  good 
dairy.  He  is  known  as  one  of  the  most  indus- 
trious and  energetic  farmers  of  the  township 
and  has  bad  excellent  success.  He_jias  jiiade 
his  own  way  in  life  from  early  youth'  arid  now 
owns  a  well  cultivated  farm,  ou,  5tW*li  .he  lias 
a  comfortable  residence.  Three  children  have 
been  boru  to  him  and  hs  wife:  Harold,  Valen- 
tine and  Florence.  He  is  a  inemb§r..5tf,.tha. 
Catholic  Church  and  is  affiliate^  witti  .tlie-Ofith*  ' 
olic  Order  of  Foresters  and  the  Knight^  pi. 
Columbus,  of  Naperville. 

Mrs.  Rott  was  educated  in  the  public  and 
parochial  schools  of  Milton  Township.  Her 
parents  had  children  as  follows:  Andrew,  de- 
ceased; Rose.  Mrs.  Frank  Flush,  of  DeKalb,  III.; 
Barbara,  widow  of  Joseph  Hinterlong,  of  Min- 
den,  Neb. :  Margaret,  deceased,  was  the  wife  of 
Fred  Mittmann,  of  Nebraska;  Ellen,  wife  of 
Frank  Bidinger.  of  Chicago ;  George,  of  Du  Page 
County,  and  Mrs.  Rott. 

ROYER,  John  D.,  belongs  to  a  family  that  has 
been  well  known  in  Du  Page  county  for  more  than 
half  a  century.  He  is  a  native  of  that  county,  born 
in  Lisle  township,  November  17,  1861,  a  son  of 
D.  M.  and  Mary  A.  (Yundt)  Royer,  who  were 
born  in  Lancaster  county.  Pa.  The  parents  came 
to  Du  Pace  county  in  1858,  and  soon  after  their 
arrival    purchased    the    farm    where    their    son 


John  D.  now  resides.  ITie  fatlier  made  most 
of  the  iuiprovenitnts  on  this  land  and  carried 
on  the  farm  until  ISO-'j,  when  he  retired  from 
active  life  and  moved  to  Naperville,  where  his 
death  occurred  in  August.  1!W3.  His  widow  lives 
in  California.  Their  children  were  as  follows: 
Miles,  who  is  of  Star  City,  Ind. ;  Anna  E.,  who 
is  deceased ;  John  D. ;  Monroe,  of  Iloltrille, 
Cal. ;  Daniel,  who  died  in  infancy. 

In  boyhood  John  D.  Royer  attended  the  dis- 
trict schools  and  later  spent  three  months  at 
the  Northwestern  College  at  Naperville.  He 
livetl  with  his  parents  until  his  marriage  on 
December  IS.  188-1.  to  Miss  ilargaret  Sollen- 
lierger,  who  was  Iwru  in  Pennsylvania,  daugh- 
ter of  Michael  and  Sarah  (Etter)  Sollenberger, 
who  came  west  to  Du  Page  county  in  1869. 
Mr.  Sollenberger  liought  a  farm  two  miles  north 
of  Naperville  in  Naperville  town.ship.  and  lived 
on  it  until  ISOG.  since  which  time  he  has  lived 
at  Franklin  Grove,  111.,  retired  from  active  life 
His  flrst  wife  died  in  1879,  and  he  married 
(second)  Mrs.  Elizabeth  (Buck)  Weigle,  widow 
of  George  Weigle.  Mr.  and  Mrs.  Royer  have 
one  son.  John  Lloyd,  born  Ainil    17,   1900. 

After   marriage   Mr.   and   Mrs.    Royer   rented 
.1.  farm  three  miles  west  of  Naperville  for  one 
year,  then  moved  to  one  in  Lisle  township  known 
as  the  George  Frazier  farm,  which  was  owned 
liy  :JIr.    Royer's    father,    and   lived    there   eight 
years.      About    1893,    they    moved    to    the    old 
•  •Ro.vpr  homestead  of  203  acres,  which  had  been 
'  well;  improved  and  converted  into  a  stock  farm. 
-Mr.    Royer    raises   registered    Shorthorn    cattle, 
high-grade  Percheron   and   Hamiltonian   horses, 
and  other  stock,    also  carrying  on  general  farm- 
ing and  continuing  to  add  to  the  value  and  pro- 
ductiveness of  the  farm,  being  one  of  the  suc- 
cessful stock  farmers  of  his  region. 

Mr.  Royer  is  a  Republican  in  politics  and  has 
always  taken  an  intelligent  interest  in  public 
affairs.  He  has  been  school  director  since  1900, 
and  road  commissioner  since  1910.  The  Metho- 
dist Episcopal  church  of  Naperville  has  in  him 
a  memlier  and  he  has  been  a  trustee  of  it  since 
1908,  ha\ing  previously  served  one  year  as  stew- 
ard. He  is  well  known  in  Lisle  township,  where 
most  of  his  life  has  been  spent,  and  he  is  re- 
spected and  popular,  having  a  large  circle  of 
warm  friends. 

RUCHTY,  George  E.,  of  FuUersburg,,  is  a  na- 
tive of  Du  Page  county,   where  his  entire  life 


1014 


HISTORY  OF  DU  PAGE  COUNTY. 


luis  lieeu  spent,  ami  lie  is  a  ineuiljer  of  a  family 
that  lias  long  lieen  iutluential  in  that  vicinity. 
His  jiarents,  John  F.-  ami  Mary  (Strauel) 
IJiulity,  are  natives  of  Pennsylvania,  ami  Alsace 
Lorraine,  France,  respectively,  and  five  children 
were  born  to  them,  Harriet  and  Henry,  who  were 
twins;  William  R;  George  E.  and  Edward,  all 
of  whom  are  living  but  Henry,  who  died  at  tlie 
age  of  tliree  months. 

George  E.  Kuchty  was  born  in  Xaperville, 
September  10,  ISUO,  and  when  he  was  about 
one  year  old  was  brought  by  his  parents  to  Ful- 
lersburg,  receiving  his  education  in  the  public 
schools  at  this  place.  The  father  and  brothers 
were  engaged  in  the  ice  business  at  Fullers- 
burg  until  about  ISO!),  when  the  sons  pur- 
chasd  the  latter's  interest  and  continued  the 
business  until  .Tanuary,  1010,  then  consolidated 
with  tlie  Suburban  Ice  Company,  of  La  Grange, 
of  which  Mr  Itucbty  is  at  this  time  a  stock- 
holder. 

He  served  two  years  as  collector  of  Downer's 
Grove  township,  and  iu  April,  1900,  was  elected 
assessor  of  the  same  township,  which  office  he 
now  holds.  Mr.  ISnchty  stands  well  iu  his  eoin- 
niunity,  is  interested  in  everything  concerning 
tlie  general  welfare,  and  is  in  his  political  con- 
victiuns  a  Progressive.  He  is  well  known  iu 
FuUersbiirg  and  vicinity,  where  almost  his  en- 
tire life  has  been  sjieiit,  and  he  has  many  per- 
.sonal  friends. 

On  December  2."i,  1801,  Mr.  Rmhty  was  united 
in  marriage  with  Emma  D.  C'othii.  daughter  of 
Menzo  and  Enialine  (Fuller)  Coffin,  who  was 
born  in  Downer's  Grove  township,  August  12, 
187.^,  One  son  has  blessed  this  union,  G.  Elmer, 
born  February  3,  1893. 

Mr.  Ruchty  is  a  charter  member  of  Hinsdale 
Lodge  No.  934,  A.  F.  &  A,  M.,  and  also  a  mem- 
ber of  the  Royal  League,  La  Grange  Council, 
Xo.  1.3  He  is  president  of  the  Fullersburg  Cem- 
etery Association  and  stock  bolder  in  the  Hins- 
dale Ti-ust   and   Savings   Bank. 

RUNGE,  WilUam  C,  a  well  known  farmer  of 
York  township,  was  born  iu  Cook  county.  111., 
March  3,  ISOl,  and  was  brought  by  his  parents 
to  Du  Page  county  when  he  was  twelve  years  of 
age.  conijileting  his  education  in  the  latter 
county.  He  was  reared  to  farm  work  and  has 
followed  it  successfully  all  his  active  life.  He 
is  a  son  of  Frederick  and  Charlotte  (Zimmer- 
ing)    Runge,  natives  of  Germany,   who  came  to 


Cook  county  in  an  early  day,  being  among  the 
early  settlers  of  that  count.v.  The  family  lo- 
cated iu  York  township  about  1873,  and  there 
the  father  secured  a  farm,  ou  which  he  made 
most  of  the  improvements  it  now  contains.  He 
died  March  10,  190(1.  and  is  buried  iu  St.  Peters 
cemetery  at  Elmhurst.  The  mother  passed  away 
JIareh  27,  1901.  They  had  eight  children,  of 
whom  but  three  survive:  William  C.  who  re- 
sides ou  a  part  of  the  old  homestead  on  Section 
l'>:  Louisa,  who  married  William  Blume,  and 
lives  in  Cook  county ;  and  Mary,  who  married 
Fred  Hestermann  and  lives  at  Xaperville,  111. 
The  father  achieved  success  as  a  farmer  aud 
was  held  in  high  esteem  by  all  who  knew  him. 
Ou  Xovemlier  22,  1887,  William  C.  Runge  mar- 
ried -Vmia  K.  Schreiber.  daughter  of  Frauiv  aud 
Elizabeth  (Ileiscr)  Schreiber.  She  was  born  at 
Maywood,  III,,  Decemlier  l.j,  ISUO.  Mr.  and 
Jlrs.  Runge  became  the  parents  of  two  children : 
\A'illiam  C.  F.,  who  was  born  May  0,  IStKj,  helps 
his  father  with  the  work  on  the  farm,  as  does 
the  younger  son,  Frank  F.  C,  Avho  was  born 
February  1,  180,5,  Mr.  Runge  carries  ou  general 
farming,  and  is  known  as  a  substantial  and  up- 
right man  who  stands  well  in  the  community. 
Religiously  he  is  a  member  of  St.  Peter's  church 
of  Elmhurst  aud  active  in  its  good  work. 

RUSSELL,  Prof.  John  B.,  a  prominent  Illinois 
educator,  has  been  identified  with  various  or- 
ganizations whose  purpose  is  to  iuifirove  condi- 
tions and  methods  among  teachers.  He  is  a 
native  of  Henry  county.  111.,  born  February  2.5, 
18(J0,  a  sou  of  Samuel  and  JIatilda  (Zehuer) 
Russell,  the  former  a  native  of  Ohio.  The  pa- 
ternal great-grandfather  was  boru  in  Ireland 
and  at  the  age  of  thirteen  years  came  to  Amer- 
ica, eventually  locating  at  Clinton.  Ohio.  Sam- 
uel Russell's  mother  was  a  Miss  Wickersham,  a 
member  of  a  family  that  has  been  prominent  iu 
the  I'nited  States  for  many  generations.  He 
now  lives  retired  at  Kewanee,  III.,  having  spent 
most  of  his  life  on  a  farm. 

Professor  Russell  was  an  ambitious  young 
man  and  after  completing  the  course  In  the 
district  schools  aud  Wethersfield  high  school,  he 
entered  UTieatou  College,  from  which  institu- 
tion he  was  graduated  in  1885,  following  which 
he  engaged  in  teaching  for  a  time  and  then  took 
a  post-graduate  course  at  the  University  of  Chi- 
cago. He  served  during  the  year  of  18S(>-87  as 
principal  of  the  Glen  Ellyn  schools  aud  during 


HISTORY  OF  DU  PAGE  COUNTY. 


1015 


the  next  foui-  .ve.irs  as  prinoipal  of  tlie  Kewaiiee 
hi.sh  siliodl.  In  ]S!10  he  acoeiited  the  iioj^ition  ot 
superintendent  of  sehools  in  Henry  founty,  serv- 
ing three  years,  and  at  the  end  of  that  time  tooli 
the  chair  of  chemistry  and  biology  in  Wlieaton 
College,  occupying  same  for  t\yo  years,  since 
which  time  he  has  been  superintendent  of  the 
public  schools  of  Wheatou.  Professor  Kussell 
made  a  special  study  of  science  while  attendinj; 
the  University  of  Chicago,  and  by  individual 
work  :\nd  while  teaching  scientific  Iir.inches.  has 
been  alile  to  iml)ue  the  course  with  an  interest 
that  has  Ijeen  of  great  help  to  pupils  under  his 
charge.  Following  up  his  interest,  he  belongs  to 
the  American  Association  for  the  Advancement 
of  Science,  to  the  National  Geographical  So- 
ciety, the  Chicago  Academy  of  Science  and  to 
the  National  Educational  Association.  In  po- 
litical views  he  is  an  Independent  Kepublican. 
and  in  religious  affiliations  is  a  C<ingrega- 
tiouallst. 

Professor  Russell  was  married  December  '2'i, 
1885,  to  Miss  Belle  Gunn,  daughter  of  Alexan- 
der and  Eliza  A.  (Steveus)  Gunu.  The  Gunn 
family  is  of  Scotch  origin,  the  emigrant  ancestor 
having  gone  to  Canada  and  thence  to  Illinois, 
locating  near  Rocljford.  Professor  Russell  and 
wife  have  become  the  parents  of  two  children  : 
I'Mna  L.,  who  was  born  September  21,  188G; 
and  Everett  C.  who  was  born  August  !>,  1880. 
the  former  being  a  graduate  of  Wheaton  Col- 
lege. Professor  Russell  is  a  representative  and 
useful  citiznn  of  Wheaton  and  interests  him- 
self in  the  city's  welfare  and  progress. 

RUTH,  Judge  Linus  C,  deceased.  The  death  of 
Judge  Ruth  was  felt  as  a  bereavement  liy  nearly 
every  citizen  of  Du  Page  county,  where  his  char- 
acter as  a  man  and  Ids  ability  as  a  law.ver  and 
.iudge  were  generally  appreciated  and  admired. 
His  optimism  and  quiet  disposition  endeared  him 
to  all  who  had  associations  with  him,  and  he 
was  well  known  in  legal  circles  for  his  courte- 
ous treatment  of  all  who  came  into  his  court  to 
transact  any  kind  of  business.  He  seemed  to 
have  a  clear  insight  into  the  merits  of  any  case 
lirought  before  him  and  his  thought  upon  any 
sulxiect  was  comprehensive  and  profound.  His 
friends  v\-ere  many  and  included  all  who  had 
any  dealings  with  him.  Though  not  united  with 
any  church  he  was  devout  and  religious  by  na- 
ture, and  ever  unswerving  in  his  pei'formance 
of  duty.     .Iudge  Ruth  was  a  great  lover  of  his 


lionic  and  his  jireseuce  helped  to  make  it  happy 
and  satisfying  t<j  the  mendiers  of  his  family  and 
a  place  where  his  friends  were  cordially  wel- 
comed. His  influence  will  long  be  felt  in  the 
community  and  in  tlie  field  where  liis  laliors 
were  performed. 

Judge  Ruth  was  liorn  at  Long  (irove,  111., 
December  18,  18.ol,  a  son  of  Irwin  and  Leali 
(P.rown)  Ruth,  and  at  the  age  of  thirteen  years 
accompanied  his  parents  to  Story  countj .  la., 
where  he  attended  the  country  schools  and  at 
the  age  of  sixteen  began  teaching,  wiiich  jiro- 
fession  he  followed  for  a  few  terms.  Later 
he  attended  Iowa  State  C<jllege.  at  Ames,  and  in 
187.3,  returned  to  Illinois  and  studied  at  Br.yaut 
&  Stratton's  Business  College.  He  began  the 
study  of  law  and  on  Ma.v  27,  1880.  was  gradu- 
ated from  the  Union  College  of  Law,  Chicago, 
after  which  he  began  lecturing  upon  connner- 
cial  law  at  Bryant  &  Stratton's  College,  and  was 
.iilmitted  to  the  bar  during  the  same  year.  He 
located  in  Hinsdale  April  28.  1SS2,  while  en- 
gaged in  the  practice  of  his  profession  at  Chi- 
cago. He  served  as  village  trustee  from^]887 
until  1890,  and  from  then  luitil  1902,  as  village 
attorney.  On  November  1,  1002.  he  was  elected 
county  judge  of  Du  Page  county,  serving  as  such 
until  October  1.  1004,  when  he  resigned  and  be- 
c.-ime  a  ctindidate  for  circuit  .iudge.  I)eing  elected 
November  8,  1004.  in  the  sixteenth  judicial  cir- 
cuit, composed  of  the  counties  of  Du  Page,  Kane. 
I  )e  Kalb  and  Kendall,  and  was  serving  as  such 
when  deatli  suddenly  claimed  him. 

Jiulge  Ruth  was  married  at  Euglewood.  111.. 
August  18.  1881.  to  Ella  F.  Reardon.  and  three 
children  were  born  of  the  union:  Irwin  L.. 
Cliester  and  Linus  C.  Jr.  Mrs.  Ruth  is  a  lady 
of  culture  and  refinement  and  has  many  close 
friends.  She  takes  an  interest  in  the  questions 
of  the  day  and  lends  her  influence  to  many 
worthy  causes. 

SAGE,  William  Henry,  a  prominent  and  suc- 
cessful merchant  of  Wheaton,  111.,  was  born  at 
De(orah.  la..  June  lo.  1870.  a  son  of  Dr.  .\lraon 
P..  and  Matilda  (Wlllsie)  Sage,  both  members 
of  old  New  York  families  and  born  in  the  cen- 
tral part  of  that  state.  Dr.  Sage,  now  over 
seventy  years  of  age.  is  yet  actively  engaged  in 
the  practice  of  his  professioil  at  Parker,  S.  D., 
and  Mrs.  Sage  is  also  in  good  health.  Their 
children  were  Milton  W.,  Ernest  A..  Maude  I.. 
Flenne  and  William  H. 


1016 


HISTORY  OF  DU  PAGE  COUNTY. 


Mr.  Sage  was  graduated  from  the  corumon 
aud  liiirh  schools  of  his  native  town  and  later 
took  a  course  at  Bryant  &  Stratton"s  Business 
College,  Chicago.  He  later  attended  Hahnemann 
College  one  term  aud  in  1892  was  graduated 
from  St.  Louis  College  of  Pharmacy,  following 
which  he  engaged  in  a  drag  business  in  Chi- 
cago aud  spent  several  years  at  Thirty-eighth 
and  State  streets,  also  at  different  times  owned 
stores  in  otlier  iiortions  of  the  city.  He  has 
been  estalilished  in  business  in  Wheaton  since  De- 
cember, 10(17.  aud  has  a  tine  store,  well  equipijed. 
in  an  excellent  location,  where  he  has  the  bene- 
fit of  a  large  aud  prosperous  business,  enjoying 
the  confldeuce  of  his  patrous.  and  standing  well 
in  business  circles.  Fraternally  he  is  a  member 
of  the  B.  P.  O.  E..  being  afBliated  with  Elgin 
Lodge  No.  To".  In  jiolitics  he  is  a  Democrat 
and  is  interested  in  whatever  concerns  the  wel- 
fare aud  progress  of  the  city. 

On  April  -S.  1!X)9,  Jlr.  Sage  married  Miss 
Elizabeth  A.  Nicholson,  daughter  of  John  and 
Sarali  (Lowrey)  Nicholson.  The  Nicholsons 
were  early  settlers  of  Kendall  county.  One 
child.  John  Willsie,  was  born  of  this  union,  on 
February  24.  lOin. 

SARGENT,  Edwin  Earl.  A  number  of  the 
energetic  and  representative  business  men  of 
Du  Page  County  have  spent  their  lives  iu  this 
neighborhood,  growing  with  it,  and  always  inter- 
ested iu  its  development.  They  are  stout- 
hearted, loyal  men  whose  devotion  to  their 
county  has  resulted  in  an  advancement  for  them- 
selves, and  a  benefit  to  the  community.  One  of 
these  men  is  Edwin  Earl  Sargent,  of  Naperville. 
born  in  Lisle  Township,  this  county,  in  1S6G, 
being  a  sou  of  Marquis  T.  and  Tais  M.  (Ingalls) 
Sargent.     This  man's  father  came  here  iu  1837. 

Mr.  Sargent  was  educated  in  the  public 
schools  of  Naperville,  supplemented  with  a 
commercial  course  in  the  Northwestern  College. 
Until  he  was  thirty-one  years  old,  Mr.  Sargent 
devoted  his  attention  to  agricultural  pursuits, 
and  then  with  Dolese  and  Shepard  Company,  of 
Chicago,  he  engaged  as  manager  of  the  team- 
ing department,  and  later  was  paymster.  In 
1904.  he  embarked  in  a  livery  and  teaming  busi- 
ness of  his  own.  continuing  thus  until  February, 
1909.  when  he  sold  his  livery,  and  devoted  all 
his  attention  to  teaming  and  transferring,  con- 
trolling an  immense  trade.  His  methods  are 
such  as  to  retain  his  customers,  and  he  is  looked 


upon  as  one  of  the  best  men  in  his  line  in 
Du  Page  County.  In  addition  to  giving  his 
business  due  attention,  Mr.  Sargent  has  served 
very  acceptably  as  Township  Clerk  for  six 
years. 

In  1902,  Mr.  Sargent  was  united  in  marriage 
v,-ith  Celia  Royce.  Three  children  have  been 
born  of  this  marriage— Lois,  Charles  E.  and 
Caryl.  Mr.  Sargent  is  prominent  in  Masonic 
circles,  being  a  Knight  Templar,  belonging  to 
the  Aurora  Commandery,  and  the  Mystic  Shrine 
of  Chicago.  He  is  also  a  member  of  the  Mod- 
ern Woodmen  of  America.  The  First  Congrega- 
tional Church  of  Naperville  holds  his  member- 
ship. Mr.  Sargent  is  a  man  who  has  made  his 
own  way  in  life,  and  has  succeeded  because  he 
has  always  been  able  to  overcome  obstacles  and 
conquer  circumstances,  working  hard,  and 
thriftily  investing  his  savings  in  legitimate 
business  lines. 

SAUNDERS,  James,  M.  D.  No  professional 
man  can  rest  upon  what  he  has  already 
learned,  for  his  education  is  constantly  progress- 
ing, comprehending  a  broad,  complete  general 
knowledge  of  all  things.  The  theory  and  prac- 
tice of  medicine  is  acquired  by  constantly  aug- 
mented experience,  and  the  best  trained  man 
wins.  One  of  the  physicians  of  Du  Page  County 
v.-ho  has  won  his  present  enviable  position 
among  his  associates  is  Dr.  James  Saunders  of 
Glen  Ellyn. 

Dr.  Saunders  was  born  in  Bedford,  Oxford- 
shire, England,  March  9.  1848,  being  a  son  of 
Richard  West  and  Mary  Saunders.  The  father 
v,-as  a  musician,  composing  and  playing  difficult 
music,  and  passed  away  in  England.  Dr. 
Saunders  came  to  America  when  seventeen  years 
old.  aud  began  studying  law.  but  later  aban- 
doned it  for  medicine,  completing  his  course  in 
the  latter,  in  Bennett  Medical  college,  in  ISSl. 
Following  this.  Dr.  Saunders  practiced  in  Chi- 
cago for  a  number  of  year.*,  engaging  in  a  gen- 
eral practice.  He  had  come  direct  to  Chicago, 
and  from  there  to  Glen  Ellyn,  in  1875.  Dur- 
ing the  years  he  has  resided  here.  Dr.  Saunders 
has  become  an  important  factor  in  civic  affairs, 
for  sixteen  years  being  Police  Magistrate,  and 
in  1909,  was  elected  Justice  of  the  Peace.  His 
political  affiliations  are  with  the  Republican 
party,  and  he  is  one  of  the  recognized  leaders 
of  it  in  Du  Page  County. 

Dr.  Saunders  was  married  to  Anna  Dillon  of 


■r,v?K 


HISTORY  OF  DU  PAGE  COUNTY. 


loi; 


Chicago,  who  hore  him  two  children :  Grace  M.. 
who  uiari'ied  George  Spears,  a  contractor  and 
builder  of  Chicago,  and  they  have  five  children — 
Edna,  Anna.  Marian,  Bell  and  Ruth ;  and  George, 
a  plunilier  of  Glen  EUyn.  After  the  death  of 
his  first  wife,  Dr.  Saunders  married  Marian  B. 
Antwerp  of  Chicago. 

The  fraternal  affiliations  of  Dr.  Saunders  are 
many  and  congenial,  he  belonging  to  the  Sons 
of  St.  George,  an  English  order;  is  Past  Master 
of  the  Masonic  order,  he  being  both  a  Thirty- 
second  degree  Mason  and  a  Knights  Templar, 
and  was  Supreme  Commander  of  the  Order  of 
the  Red  Cross.  He  is  High  Chief  Ranger  of  the 
Crder  of  Foresters,  and  one  of  its  organizers, 
and  was  one  of  those  who  introduced  the  Mac- 
cabees into  this  country  from  Canada.  Dr. 
Saunders  is  also  an  Odd  Fellow.  He  has  the 
distinction  of  being  High  Chief  Ranger  of  the 
Order  of  Foresters  of  the  English  order  and  has 
been  many  times  honored  by  the  various  fra- 
ternities with  which  he  has  associated  himself. 
Since  his  retirement  from  active  practice,  in 
1000,  he  has  had  leisure  and  possesses  the  in- 
cUnation  to  enter  quite  fully  into  fraternal 
matters,  and  has  rendered  his  organizations- 
valuable  services  in  the  several  offices  which- l^e" " 
has  consented  to  hold, 

SCHAPER,  Edward.  The  Schaper  family  was 
auiong  the  e;irliest  settlers  in  Bloomingdale 
township,  Du  I'age  count.v,  where  public-spirited 
and  useful  citizens  have  since  represented  it, 
Edward  Schaper  was  born  on  the  farm  he  owns, 
February  24,  18GS.  He  is  a  son  of  William  and 
Mary  (Hackmister)  Schaper,  the  former  a  na- 
tive of  Hanover,  Germany,  son  of  German  par- 
ents, who  emigrated  to  America  and  settled  in 
Bloomingdale  township.  His  wife  was  born  in 
Adiliscni  township,  Du  Page  county,  daughter  of 
Henry  ami  Charlotte  Hackmister,  who  went  to 
St.  Louis  and  after  living  there  for  some  time, 
came  to  Addison  township  and  purchased  a 
farm.  William  Schaper  and  his  wife  settled 
ou  the  farm  now  occupied  by  their  son,  Edward, 
and  remained  there  some  years,  when  he  moved 
to  an  ad.ioining  farm,  which  he  had  purchased 
the  previous  year.  He  died  there  .Tune  20.  190G, 
and  his  widow  still  resides  ou  the  old  place.  Of 
their  seven  children  now  living.  Edward  is  the 
oldest. 

As  a  boy  Edward  Schaper  attended  the  Ger- 
man   and   public   schools   in    Addison    township. 


and  early  began  to  heli)  with  the  work  on  his 
father's  farm.  He  remained  with  his  parents 
until  his  marriage  April  12,  1804,  to  Martha 
Ileuer,  a  native  of  Addison  township,  daughter 
of  Henry  and  Louisa  (Kruse)  Ileuer,  natives 
resiiectively  of  Germany  and  ,\ddison  township. 
After  marriage  Mr.  Schaper  moved  to  the  farm 
of  120  acres  in  section  1.3  of  Bloomingdale  town- 
ship, and  since  that  time  has  carried  ou  general 
fanning.  He  keeps  a  good  sized  dairy  and  is  an 
industrious  and  successful  farmer,  standing  well 
with  his  neiglibors  and  a.ssociates.  A  member  of 
the  Lutheran  church  of  Itasca,  111.,  he  gives  it 
a  liberal  support.  Politically  he  is  a  Democrat. 
Children  as  follows  have  blessed  the  union  of 
Edward  Schaper  and  wife:  Otto.  Edward, 
Clara,  Louis,  Edna,  Gertrude,  Helen,  and  Louise, 
wlio  is  deceased. 

SCHARLAU,  Henry,  of  York  Township,  is  one 
of  the  most  enterprising  and  progressive  farmers 
of  his  region.  He  has  brought  his  farm  land 
from  its  wild  state  to  its  present  cultivation  and 
productiveness,  has  tiled  it  and  made  all  pos- 
sible improvements.  He  was  born  in  Prussia, 
GeriiiTinj'^  "January  31,  1S48,  and  is  a  son  of 
•iPavid  jynd  SQphia  (Seams)  Scharlau,  The  par- 
ents came  to  America  in  18.54,  and  purchased 
eighty  acres  of  land  at  Willow  Park,  southwest 
of  Elmhnrsf,  where  the  father  died  in  1893, 
the,  Vwther  diaving  passed  away  prior  to  that 
date.  Theii-  five  children  were :  John.  Henry, 
William;  Recca  married  Henry  Fairmau  and 
both  are  deceased ;  Minnie,  deceased,  was  the 
wife  of  Louis  Balgemann. 

Mr.  Scharlau  grew  to  manhood  in  York 
Township  and  attended  the  early  public  and 
German  schools.  He  has  always  followed 
farming  and  In  1S7S  purchased  ninety-two  and 
three-quarters  acres  of  land  in  Section  22  of 
York  Township,  of  which  he  sold  three-quar- 
ters of  an  acre  to  Minnie  Graling.  He  re- 
built the  dwelling  house  os  his  place,  erected 
a  good  barn  and  all  of  the  other  buildings,  and 
his  farm  is  in  flrst-class  condition.  He  is  a  suc- 
ctssful  operator,  carrying  on  mixed  farming  and 
shipping  about  one  can  of  milk  per  day.  Some 
years  since  he  served  a  term  as  Road  Master 
and  for  twelve  years  he  was  School  Director. 
He  owned  and  operated  a  threshing  machine 
outfit  at  one  time,  but  aside  from  this  has  de- 
moted his  entire  active  life  to  farming. 

On  November  8.  1878,  Mr.  Scharlau  was  mar- 


1018 


HISTORY  OF  DU  PAGE  COUNTY. 


ried  by  the  Rev.  Goteh  of  the  Lutheran  Church, 
of  York  Center,  to  Mary  Smidt.  daughter 
of  John  aud  Christina  (Jlatz)  Smidt.  She  was 
born  in  Jlecklenburg.  January  20.  ISCO.  aud 
came  to  America  when  she  was  about  ten  years 
of  age.  Seven  children  have  blessed  this  union, 
viz. :  August,  bom  October  17,  1S79.  lives  at 
Eoselle,  111.,  married  Clara  Meyer ;  Otto,  born 
March  21,  ISSl,  lives  at  Lombard  and  operates 
a  well-drilling  and  hay-baling  outfit,  married 
Minnie  Janicha  :  Bertha,  bom  January  30,  1SS4, 
married  George  Stebben  aud  they  are  operating 
the  Stebben  farm  iu  York  Township,  one  child. 
Hattie ;  Herman,  born  May  1.5,  1887 :  Amanda, 
born  Augu.st  7.  1889;  Meta,  born  January  18. 
1892.  and  Emma,  born  Febru:iry  8,  1800.  The 
four  youngest  reside  at  home. 

SCHARLAU,  John,  of  Lombard,  York  Town- 
ship, Du  Page  County,  is  a  native  of  Prussia, 
Germany,  born  April  4,  1845.  aud  secured  most 
of  bis  education  in  his  native  countr.v.  He  came 
to  America  when  aliout  ten  years  of  age  and 
attended  a  district  school  two  winters  there- 
after. Jlr.  Scbarlau  was  a  succes.sful  farmer 
but  has  now  retired  from  active  life  and  has 
erected  a  nice  home  at  Lombard.  He  is  much 
respected  as  a  veteran  of  the  Civil  War  and 
has  held  various  public  offices.  Mr.  Scharlau 
is  a  son  of  David  aud  Sophia  (Seems)  Scharlau, 
natives  of  Prussia,  Germany,  and  farmers  by 
occupation.  The  parents  came  to  the  United 
States  in  lS.j4.  and  after  spending  seven  weeks 
on  the  ocean,  lauded  at  New  York  Cit.v.  They 
came  direct  to  Chicago,  where  they  lived  until 
August,  1S55,  then  coming  to  York  Township, 
Du  Page  County.  Upon  reaching  Chicago  the 
Scharlau  family  had  but  a  Prussian  dollar  in 
tl'eir  po.ssessiou  and  the  first  winter  was  at- 
tended by  many  struggles.  However,  the  father 
and  his  son  John,  sawed  wood  and  performed 
any  other  odd  jobs  they  could  find  to  do.  thus 
heliiiug  the  family  through  the  first  winter,  and 
afterwards  they  steadily  progressed  in  their 
efforts  to  .succeed  in  the  new  home.  Upon  com- 
ing to  York  Township  they  rented  land  until 
ISCS.  then  purchased  eighty  acres,  adding  to  it 
later,  and  on  this  farm  the  father  spent  the  re- 
mainder of  his  life.  In  politics  he  was  a  Ke- 
publicau  and  belonged  to  the  Lutheran  Church 
at  York  Center,  of  which  he  served  as  Trustee. 
He  died  in  May,  1893,  at  the  age  of  seventy-two 
years,  and  his  wife  died  in  ISSl,  at  the  age  of 


sixty-two  years,  both  being  Ijuried  in  the  ceme- 
tery at  York  Center.  They  were  parents  of  five 
children,  of  whom  the  only  survi\-ors  are  John 
and  Henry,  both  of  York  Township. 

After  coming  to  I>u  Page  County.  John  Schar- 
lau spent  his  youth  working  for  his  father  most 
of  the  time,  but  the  first  suuuner  worked  for  au- 
otlier  farmer,  receiving  ?18  for  the  work  of  six 
months,  during  which  time  he  drove  a  team, 
niilked  cows,  and  many  other  kinds  of  work 
which  a  boy  of  his  age  could  accomplish.  He 
enlisted  in  December,  1863,  iu  Company  H. 
Seventeenth  Illinois  Cavalry,  in  which  he  served 
during  the  remainder  of  the  war.  He  partici- 
pated in  Price's  Raid  in  Missouri  and  spent 
most  of  his  time  in  bushwhacking  work,  during 
which  service  he  had  many  very  narrow  escapes, 
but  was  never  wounded.  He  received  an  honor- 
alile  discharge  at  Springfield  December  26,  1S65, 
returned  to  his  father's  farm  aud  worked  for 
him  until  December,  1874,  when  he  married 
Louisa  Theis.  who  was  born  iu  Lake  County, 
lil.,  December  14.  18.52.  daughter  of  John  and 
Lottie  (Piuney)  Theis.  Her  parents  were  na- 
tives of  Hanover,  Germany,  who  came  to 
America  in  1S52,  aud  located  iu  Lake  County, 
where  they  spent  the  remainder  of  their  lives. 

Seven  children  were  born  to  Mr.  Scharlau  and 
v,-ife,  of  whom  five  are  living :  Carrie,  wife  of 
Herman  Stock,  of  Lombard;  Martha,  wife  of 
Fred  Heinberg.  of  York  Center:  Miss  Tillie, 
living  with  her  father;  Annie,  wife  of  Edward 
Kruse,  of  Oak  Park;  Bertha,  living  at  home. 
I'lion  his  marriage,  Mr.  Scharlau  moved  to  a 
farm  of  eighty-three  acres  on  Section  16  of  York 
Township,  which  his  father  had  Iwught  for  him 
sometime  previous,  and  he  operated  it  success- 
fully until  November.  1903.  when  he  retired  aud 
moved  to  his  present  home  in  Lombard.  He  has 
a  modern  residence,  aud  has  all  possible  con- 
veniences and  comforts  installed  iu  it. 
'  Politically  Mr.  Scharlau  is  a  Republican  aud 
ho  served  one  term  as  School  Director,  two 
terms  as  Tas  Collector,  and  several  terms  as 
Pathmaster.  He  is  a  member  of  E.  S.  Kelley 
Post  No.  513,  G.  A.  R.,  of  "^'heatou.  and  belongs  , 
to  the  German  Lutheran  Church  at  York  Center. 

SCHICK,  Frederick,  is  a  member  of  the  family 
for  whom  the  village  of  Schick,  in  ^A■'ayne  town- 
ship, Du  Page  county  was  called,  those  of  the 
name  having  beeu  prominent  there  for  many 
.vears.      Mr.   .'Schick    was   born   in    Bioomingdale 


HISTORY  OF  DU  PAGE  COUXTY. 


1019 


towiishii]  .Tiiuuary  IC,  1857,  sou  of  Gottlieb  and 
Clnisti:in;i  (Weber )  Schick.  Tbe  fatUer  was 
born  at  Botteiibach  aud  tbe  mother  at  Sultzbach 
on  the  Muir.  Germany,  and  both  were  reared 
on  farms.  They  were  married  in  their  native 
country  and  in  the  early  part  of  1855  came  to 
.\.nioriia.  locating  in  Du  Page  county,  where 
they  lived  until  the  death  of  Mr.  Schick.  The 
family  remained  aljout  two  weeks  in  Addison 
tnwnship  and  there  Jlr.  Schick  found  work,  by 
tile  (lay.  They  then  rented  forty  acres  of  land 
near  Chjverdale.  in  Bloomiugdale  township,  and 
about  ISG.j.  purchased  eighty  acres  m  Wayne 
town.ship.  and  located  there,  adding  sixty  acres 
later.  He  died  there  in  the  spring  of  18G9, 
leaving  his  widow  with  nine  children,  of  whom 
six  now  survive:  Rosena,  who  is  the  widow  of 
Henry  Waterman,  residing  at  Waterman.  111. ; 
Frederick;  August,  who  is  of  Bartlett,  III.; 
.Mary,  who  is  the  wife  of  John  Markle.  of  Bart- 
lett;  Minnie,  who  is  the  wife  of  Charles  Kaiser. 
of  Wayne  township ;  and  Gottlieb,  who  is  ot 
Klgin.  .Mrs.  Schick  continued  to  live  on  the 
home  farm  until  about  1885,  when  she  moved 
to  Bartlett,  and  there  her  death  occurred  March 
8.  1887.  at  the  age  of  tift.v-six  years.  The  fam- 
ily belonged  to  the  Evangelical  Lutheran 
Church. 

As  a  boy  Frederick  Schick  attended  the  dis- 
trict school  and  as  soon  as  old  enough  helped  his 
mother  with  tlie  farm  work.  He  purchased  a 
threshing  machine  on  credit  and  ran  it  for  some 
years,  continuing  to  turn  over  all  his  earnings  to 
her  until  his  marriage,  at  the  age  of  twenty-six 
years.  In  188.1.  he  purchased  of  his  mother  the 
Obadiah  Tratt  farm  of  100  acres  on  Section  11. 
wliich  she  had  liought  a  year  prior  to  this,  and 
he  conducted  this  farm  successfully  until  1888. 
then  rented  his  land  and  engaged  in  a  milk  busi- 
ness in  Chicago,  remaiuiug  there  until  1890, 
when  he  returned  to  his  farm,  where  he  has 
since  lived.  Before  leaving  the  city  he  pur- 
chased a  piece  of  property  at  East  Twenty- 
fourth  street  and  South  Park  avenue,  reiilacing 
tlie  old  building  with  a  modern  structure,  con- 
sisting of  a  store  with  flats  above,  from  which 
he  derives  a  good  income.  In  1007  he  added  120 
acres  to  his  farm  in  Section  15  of  Wayne  town- 
ship, and  takes  charge  of  the  entire  180  acres 
himself.  He  has  from  forty  to  fifty  full-blood 
Holstein  cattle  in  his  dairy  herd,  and  also- raises 
full-blood  Sherman-Morgan  horses  and  Duroc- 
Jersey   hogs.     A   few   years  since   he  erected   a 


handsome  modern  residence  on  his  farm  and 
planted  a  fine  two-acre  orchard  of  various  fruit 
ti-ees.  In  10(X>  Jlr.  Schick  opened  a  general 
store  on  his  farm  and  in  February,  lool.  was  ap- 
pointed postmaster  at  Schick,  which  office  he 
still  holds.  He  is  one  of  the  most  successful 
farmers  and  business  men  of  his  part  of  the 
county  and  has  shown  the  best  of  judgment  in 
handling  his  affairs.  Before  leaving  home  he 
learned  the  trade  of  a  carpenter  and  followed 
it  five  years,  so  knows  that  the  work  on  his  resi- 
dence and  other  buildings  on  his  farm  is  done 
well  and  he  is  able  to  make  his  own  repairs. 
During  the  last  two  years  he  has  put  up  two 
large  silos  and  has  lately  purchased  a  steam 
threshing  outfit  for  his  own  use. 

Mr.  Schick  was  married  on  September  13,  1883, 
to  Sojibia  Hermeniug,  who  was  born  in  Chicago 
March  18,  1SC3,  daughter  of  Henry  J.  and  Doro- 
thea (Thies)  Hermeuing.  both  natives  of  Ger- 
man.v.  Mr.  Hermening  came  to  .\meriea  in  ISoi 
and  Mrs.  Hermeniug  came  in  1852  with  her  par- 
ents, wlio  located  at  Long  Grove,  III.  After 
their  marriage  Mr.  and  Mre.  Hermening  made 
their  home  in  Chicago,  but  in  1873  moved  to 
Bloomiugdale  township,  where  the.v  bought  a 
farm  of  310  acres.  Mr.  Hermening  died  De- 
cember Hi.  1003.  and  his  widow  still  lives  on 
their  farm. 

Mr.  Schidc  and  wife  are  [larents  of  Ave  chil- 
dren, namely  :  Frederick,  who  was  born  October 
0,  1885 :  Henry  J.,  who  was  born  December  29, 
1887;  William,  who  was  born  July  27.  1889; 
Edward  C.  who  was  horn  November  10.  1892; 
riiul  Louis,  who  was  born  October  2.  1902.  all  of 
whom  reside  at  home.  Politically  >lr.  Scliirk  is 
a  Republican  and  he  is  a  member  of  the  Knights 
of  I'ythias  and  the  Modern  Woodmen  of  .Vmer- 
ica.  The  family  are  members  of  tbe  Kvaiigeli- 
cal   Lutheran  church. 

SCHMIDT,  Frederick  Gray,  of  Hinsdale.  HI.,  is 
a  young  man  of  unusual  ability  both  as  a  chem- 
ical analyst  and  a  business  man.  Few  men  of 
his  age  and  length  of  experience  have  been  able 
to  secure  and  hold  a  position  in  the  business 
world  of  such  responsibility  and  trust.  He  is 
a  native  of  Chicago.  111.,  born  November  30, 
ISOO,  a  son  of  Adolph  George  Frederick  and 
Emma  Jane  (Gray)  Schmidt,  natives  of  Chi- 
cago. III.,  and  Toronto.  Out.  He  received  his 
e.'irly  education  in  the  public  schools  of  Hins- 
dale and  FuUershurg,  being  graduated  from  the 


1020 


HISTORY  OF  DU  PAGE  COUNTY. 


grammar  scbool  of  the  latter  place  iu  1003.  lu 
June.  1907.  he  was  graduated  from  Hiusdale 
high  scbool.  and  lie  is  also  accredited  with  two 
years  of  work  in  the  night  school  of  the 
Armour  Institute  of  Technology,  where  he  took 
an  advanced  course  in  chemistry.  He  started 
bis  business  career  as  a  clerk  in  the  employ 
of  the  Crane  Company,  of  Chicago.  September 
11.  1007.  and  in  June  of  the  following  year 
was  promoted  to  the  position  of  tester  in  the 
physical  laboratory.  In  November  of  the  same 
year,  be  became  chemical  analyst  in  the  chem- 
ical laboratory,  remaining  in  this  capacity  until 
January,  1010,  when  he  was  promoted  to  his 
present  position  of  assistant  metal  buyer. 

Mr.  Schmidt  is  prominent  in  social  circles  and 
is  a  member  of  the  Hiusdale  Club.  He  is  also 
a  member  of  the  Presbyterian  church  of  Hins- 
dale. .Still  unmarried,  he  resides  on  North  Lin- 
coln Street.  Hinsdale.  In  politics,  he  is  a  Re- 
publican. He  is  a  member  of  an  old  and  honor- 
able family  and  his  great  grandfather  was  pre- 
sented with  a  medal  for  bravery  on  the  field  of 
Waterloo,  where  he  served  under  the  connnnnd 
of  Gen.  Blucher. 

SCHMIDT,  John  A.,  a  successful  business  man 
and  banker  of  Chicago  and  Naperville.  is  one 
of  the  representative  residents  of  Du  Page 
county.  His  otlices  are  in  Chicago,  while  his 
residence  is  at  No.  144  Front  street,  Xaperville. 
Mr.  Schmidt  was  born  in  Chicago,  Novemlier  20, 
18(54,  a  son  of  Joseph  and  Margaretha  ( Stilger ) 
Schmidt.  The  grandfathers  on  both  sides  were 
engaged  in  the  Napoleonic  wars,  the  maternal 
grandfather  having  been  in  the  Moscow  cam- 
paign, later  was  with  Blucher's  army  at  Water- 
loo:  while  the  paternal  grandfather  also  en- 
gaged in  the  liattle  of  Waterloo,  when  the 
mighty  Napoleon  was  overthrown.  The  father 
of  Mr.  Schmidt  was  a  baker. 

After  receiving  a  liberal  education  at  St.  Fran- 
cis parochial  school,  Chicago,  and  St.  Ignatius 
College.  Mr.  Schmidt  entered  the  employ  of 
Bunte  Brothers,  manufacturing  confectioners. 
witli  whom  he  remained  from  the  spring  of  1880 
to  June.  1883.  He  then  entered  the  International 
Bank  as  messenger,  leaving  in  1886  to  become 
teller  for  Foreman  Brothers'  bank,  and  in  June, 
1800,  returned  to  the  International  Bank  as  pa.v- 
ing  teller.  Tliere  he  remained  until  its  consoli- 
dation with  the  Continental  National  Bank,  in 
February.  1808,  when  he  left   to  become  paying 


teller  for  the  Garden  City  Trust  Co.  In  1899 
he  was  elected  assistant  c-ashier,  and  in  1002  was 
jnade  cashier.  In  the  meanwhile  the  name  of 
the  bank  was  changed  to  that  of  the  Metropoli- 
tan Trust  and  Savings  Bank,  from  which  he  re- 
signed Januai-j'  1,  1909,  to  open  offices  in  the 
Roanoke  building  under  the  name  of  John  A. 
Schmidt  Co..  mortgage  bankers. 

Mr.  Schmidt  was  married  at  Naperville,  Sep- 
tember 2.  1891,  to  Anna  J.  Schwartz.  They  have 
children  as  follows:  Rosa  C,  who  was  born 
June  17,  1893 ;  Bernard  J.,  who  was  born  July 
25,  1895 ;  Carl  A.,  who  was  born  February  6, 
1897 ;  Anna  Marie,  who  was  born  February  26, 
1899.  died  April  2.  1899:  Antoinette  A.,  who  was 
liorn  .\pril  25.  1901:  and  Andrea,  who  was  born 
.Vugust  6.  1904. 

In  April,  18S(>.  Mr.  Schmidt  moved  from  Chi- 
cago to  Naperville,  since  which  time  he  has  been 
a  factor  iu  civic  affairs,  altbou,gh  too  occupied 
\\ith  business  matters  to  accept  public  office. 
In  jKilitics  he  is  an  Independent.  He  belongs  to 
the  Knights  of  Columbus.  Naperville  Council  No. 
I.'KIO;  is  also  a  member  of  St.  Joseph's  Court, 
Catholic  Order  of  Foresters,  and  Naperville 
Camp  of  Jlodern  Woodmen.  A  Catholic,  be  is 
a  member  of  SS,  Peter  and  Paul  Catholic  church 
of  Naperville. 

SCHMIDT,  Louis,  of  a  family  that  is  well 
known  in  Du  Page  County,  is  a  veteran  of  the 
Civil  War  and  a  successful  farmer.  He  was 
born  January  l.o,  1840,  on  the  farm  where  he 
i;ow  lives,  iu  Addison  Township,  in  a  block  bouse 
which  W.1S  erected  liy  his  father.  He  is  a  son  of 
I/Udwig  and  Louise  (Fisher)  Schmidt,  natives 
of  Germany.  He  was  educated  in  German  and 
imblic  schools  and  reared  to  farm  work,  which 
he  followed  until  his  enlistment,  August  15, 
1SC2,  in  Company  I,  One  Hundred  Fifth  Illinois 
Volunteer  Infantry,  made  up  at  Addison  and 
nuistered  in  at  Chicago,  in  which  he  served  two 
years  and  ten  months.  They  were  sent  to  Di.xon 
and  trained,  then  retureud  to  Chicago,  whence 
they  were  sent  to  Louisville,  Ky.,  their  first 
march.  They  went  through  Frankfort,  and  on 
to  South  Tunnel  where  they  remained  in  camp 
all  winter.  They  were  assigned  to  the  Army  of 
the  Cumberland,  Twentieth  Army  Corps, 
marched  with  Sherman  to  the  Sea  and  par- 
ticipated in  the  battles  of  Peach  Tree  Creek 
and  Atlanta,  and  .spent  sis  weeks  in  the  vicinity 
of   the  latter  cit.v.    He   fought  at  Charleston, 


HISTORY  OF  DU  PAGE  COUNTY. 


1021 


S.  C,  went  to  Washington  and  took  part  in  tbe 
Grand  Keview,  and  at  that  time  had  to  buy  a 
new  pair  of  boots,  as  he  had  marched  so  far 
and  his  feet  were  so  sore  his  boots  seemed  too 
small,  so  that  at  last  he  had  marched  with  his 
boots  over  his  shoulder.  He  was  mustered  out 
at  Washington,  June  7,  1865,  went  to  Camp  Fry, 
Chicago,  and  there  they  waited  eight  days  for 
their  money.  T'pon  reaching  Chicago  Mr. 
Sthmidt  remained  all  night  with  a  sister,  and 
the  following  forenoon,  when  their  Major 
Hiarched  them  down  the  sidewalk  they  were 
ordered  by  the  police  to  walk  in  the  street.  The 
streets  were  very  muddy  at  that  time  and  the 
Major,  being  a  man  short  of  patience,  told  them 
to  go  to  a  much  warmer  climate,  and  kept  on 
the  sidewalk,  this  being  their  last  march  to- 
gether. 

Tpon  returning  from  his  service  in  the  army, 
i^r.  Schmidt  returned-  to  the  farm  which  has 
since  been  his  home.  He  operated  it  himself 
until  a  few  years  since  and  has  now  retired 
,  from  active  life.  He  owns  164  acres  of  fine 
fertile  laud  and  now  lives  with  his  children. 
He  has  for  many  Jears  been  a  member  of  G.  H. 
Kelly  I'dSt,  G.  A.  It.,  of  Wheaton,  111.,  in  which 
he  has  held  various  ofHces.  He  belongs  to  the 
German  Kvangelica!  Church  and  is  a  contributor 
to  its  various  causes.  He  has  held  various  local 
otiices,  served  three  years  as  Assessor  and  also 
served  as  School  Trustee.  He  is  held  in  respect 
and  regard  by  his  neighbors  and  associates,  as 
a  man  of  reliability  and  integrity  in  all  his 
dealings. 

Mr.  Schmidt  was  married  (lirst)  to  Hannah 
Ahrbecker,  by  whom  he  had  two  children,  now 
living,  Ida,  Mrs.  William  Fischei',  and  Emma, 
Mrs.  William  Senf,  and  the  following  who  are 
deceased :  Herman,  Louis,  Edward,  Louise. 
Mrs.  Schmidt  died  in  18S0,  and  Mr.  Schmidt 
was  married  (second  in  1880,  to  Frederlca 
(Franzeu)  Scbuette,  widow  of  Henry  Sehuette, 
who  was  a  soldier  and  served  with  Mr.  Schmidt 
in  the  same  c-ompany.  She  had  three  children 
bj  Mr.  Sehuette:  Ida,  Emma  and  Anna,  and  by 
her  second  marriage  had  one  child,  Edna,  at 
home.  Mrs.  Schmidt  died  July  20,  1887,  and 
Mi\  Schmidt  married  (third)  Caroline  (Luet- 
kamann)  Miller,  widow  of  Henry  Miller,  who 
died  August  2,  1904,  leaving  no  children. 

SCHNEIDER,  Henry,  deceased,  who  spent  the 
latter  part   of   his  life   at  Addison,   111.,   where 


he  erected  a  hotel  which  is  now  owned  and  con- 
ducted by  his  son,  was  born  in  Germany  March 
12.  1821,  and  in  18C0  he  came  to  America,  hav- 
ing previously  spent  some  time  in  England.  He 
sjient  three  years  in  Toronto.  Canada,  and  in 
1863  came  to  Chicago.  Two  years  later  he  pur- 
chased a  steam-grist  mill,  but  was  injured  there 
;i  few  months  afterward,  and  had  to  go  away  for 
proper  treatment.  He  recovered  his  health,  and 
tile  following  spring  returned  to  .\ddison,  where 
he  erected  a  hotel  and  operated  it  until  it 
burned  down  iu  1870.  However,  he  built  an- 
other hotel  on  the  same  site  and  conducted  it 
until  his  death,  on  July  2,  1888,  and  the  prop- 
erty is  still  In  ixissession  of  the  family.  He  took 
a  prominent  part  in  public  affairs  and  served 
H\e  years  as  Commissioner  of  Highways.  He 
belonged  to  the  Evangelical  Church,  served 
twenty-live  years  as  its  deacon,  and  was  always 
much  interested  in  religious  movements,  and  is 
remembered  as  one  of  the  substantial,  highly  re- 
siiected  men  of  his  time  in  the  community,  who 
left  a  record  of  which  his  sons  are  justly  proud. 

Mr.  Schneider  was  married  in  Germany  to 
Louise  Erley,  and  they  were  parents  of  three 
cl.'ildren  :  Henry  ;  Cornad,  now  living  retired  at 
Addison;  an  Infant  who  died  in  England. 

Henry,  the  oldest  child  of  his  parents,  born 
June  8,  1849,  at  Frankfort-on-the-.Maia,  Ger- 
many, was  brought  to  America  at  the  age  of 
eleven  years,  and  completed  his  education  in 
Toronto,  and  then  learned  the  trade  of  paper- 
making  in  Kane  County,  111.,  following  this  occu- 
pation for  years.  He  returned  home  and  helped 
Ids  father  with  the  farm  work  a  year  or  two, 
then  took  a  position  as  salesman,  working  four- 
teen years  for  Louis  Seavert  and  later  for 
William  Horn.  In  1890  he  returned  to  Chi- 
cago and  engaged  in  business  for  himself  two 
years,  then  returned  to  Addison  and  has  since 
conducted  the  hotel  there.  His  brother  Conrad 
lives  in  Addison.  Henry  Schneider,  Jr..  was 
married  June  22,  1S7S,  by  Rev.  Albrecht,  to  Miss 
Elizabeth  Reil,  daughter  of  Mrs.  Catherine 
(Christ)  lieil,  who  was  born  on  the  .\tlautic 
Ocean  while  her  parents  were  on  their  way  to 
America.  The  father  died  of  cholera  in  Chi- 
cago when  the  child  was  five  months  old,  leaving 
his  widow  and  their  only  daughter.  Five  chil- 
dren have  been  born  of  this  union :  Henry, 
working  in  a  wholesale  house  in  Chicago,  mar- 
ried Lena  Sambrasher  and  they  have  two  chil- 
dren. Elsie  and  Herbert ;  Eliza,  born  April  28, 


1022 


HISTORY  OF  DU  PAGE  COUNTY. 


1881.  at  home;  Minuie,  bom  October  !),  1880, 
married  Joliu  Westpbal  at  Majwood,  111. ;  Carl, 
Jime  15,  1S93 ;  oue  child  died  iu  infancy.  All 
were  born  iu  Chicago  and  the  two  younger  ones 
live  at  home.  Carl  Schreider  was  educated  iu 
Addison  public  schools  and  Elmhurst  high  school 
and  now  helps  his  father  in  carrying  on  the 
hotel.  They  keep  everything  in  good  order  and 
have  a  neat,  attractive  house.  The  family  is  well 
known  iu  Addison  and  they  have  many  friends. 
Mr.  Schneider  is  a  Republican  and  for  seven 
years  was  constable  of  Addison  Township ;  also 
on  Town  Board;  was  appointed  Deputy  Sheriff 
of  the  county  serving  three  years,  under  Sheriff 
Jones ;  and  served  si.K  years  as  Tnistee  of  Addi- 
son. He  belongs  to  the  Evangelical  Church  and 
for  twenty-five  years  he  was  a  member  of  the 
Eed  Men  in  Chicago. 

SCHOEN,  Julius  Martin.  In  spite  of  all  that  is 
claimed  by  some  relative  to  the  necessity  for 
influential  backing  and  political  prestige  to  se- 
cure advancement,  the  fact  remains  that  those 
who  have  achieved  most,  have  started  out  in 
life  as  poor  boys,  and  gradually  attained  success 
through  hard  work  and  individual  effort.  One 
of  the  striking  examples  of  this  is  shown  iu  the 
career  of  the  alile  young  manager  of  I.  B.  Wil- 
liams &  Sous.  Chicago  office,  Nos.  14-lG  N. 
Franklin  street.  Chicago,  who  resides  in  the 
beautiful  little  city  of  Elmhurst.  He  was  born 
neiir  Lombard,  on  a  farm,  October  1.5.  1873,  be- 
ing a  son  of  Woldemar  and  Emilie  (Brunzel) 
Schoen.  These  pareuts  came  to  America  at  an 
early  day,  probably  about  1858.  settling  In  Du 
Page  County.  They  made  the  trip  with  their 
re.spective  parents,  and  some  years  later  were 
married  within  the  confines  of  this  county.  The 
paternal  grandfather  was  a  man  of  some  dis- 
tinction in  Germany,  being  a  minister  in  the 
Lutheran  Church  there,  and  a  representative 
from  his  district  to  Berlin.  He  came  to  Du 
Page  County  to  establish  a  church,  but  there 
being  scarcely  any  demand  for  men  of  this  pro- 
fession, he  finally  settled  do^-u  to  farming,  and 
lived  out  the  rest  of  his  life  here. 

Julius  Martin  Schoen  was  always  an  intelli- 
gent boy,  completing  his  common  grade  school- 
ing in  1886.  when  only  thirteen  years  old. 
Following  this,  he  worked  on  the  farm  for  his 
father,  and  went  to  Wheaton  college  during 
1886,  ISS"  and  1888,  and  in  1892-3,  took  a  busi- 
ness   course    in    Bryant    &    Stratton's    Business 


College  of  Chicago.  In  189-1,  Mr.  Schoen  began 
his  business  career  with  the  Deering  Harvester 
Works,  now  c<jnsolidated  as  the  International 
Harvester  Co.,  remaining  in  their  service  for  a 
period  of  four  years,  starting  as  clerk,  but  later 
holding  an  executive  position.  After  receiving 
the  benefit  of  this  training  in  the  manufacturing 
line.  Mr.  Schoen  accepted  a  more  favorable  posi- 
tion with  the  Peter  Schuttler  Wagon  Co.,  and 
after  liaving  received  several  promotions  because 
of  efficient  service,  during  a  period  e.xtending 
oAer  four  years,  he  finally  became  associated 
with  the  Chicago  office  of  I.  B.  Williams  &  Son.s, 
tanners  and  leather  belt  manufacturers,  whose 
home  office  and  fabtory  are  located  at  Dover. 
N.  H.  He  started  in  the  latter  part  of  1904, 
as  their  assistant  manager,  and  upon  the 
death  of  their  manager,  January  1,  1909. 
Mr.  .Schoen  was  appointed  to  fill  the  important 
and  responsible  position  left  vacant  by  the  de- 
mise of  William  H.  McCall.  Since  then,  under 
the  able  management  of  Mr.  Schoen.  the  firm 
has  made  wonderful  strides  forward  and  is  now 
enjoying  a  largely  increased  as  well  as  profitalile 
volume  at  business  and  its  commercial  standing 
lias  during  the  past  few  years,  become  widely 
known  among  tlie  leading  concerns  of  this  par- 
ticular lino. 

The  marriage  uf  Mr.  Schoen  with  Emilia 
Langguth.  of  Elmhurst.  occurred  in  Chicago. 
111..  April  2,  1899,  and  one  son,  Harold  Sidney 
Schoen  has  been  born  to  them.  With  the  excep- 
tion of  a  short  period  spent  in  Chicago  just 
after  their  marriage,  Mr.  and  Mrs.  Schoen  have 
lived  in  Elmhurst  all  of  their  married  life,  and 
have  a  delightful  home  there;  In  politics,  Mr. 
Sc-hoeu  is  a  Progressive  Republican.  He  be- 
longs to  St.  Peter's  German  Evangelical  Church. 
Mr.  Schoen  is  an  enthusiastic  Mason,  having 
affiliated  himself  with  Elmhurst  Lodge,  No.  941. 
A.  F.  &  A.  M.,  of  Elmhurst ;  Cicero  Chapter,  Xo. 
ISO,  R.  A.  M..  of  Austin  ;  Oak  Park  Council.  Xo. 
93,  R.  &  S.  W.,  of  Oak  Park;  Siloam  Conunand- 
ery.  No.  54,  K.  T.  of  Oak  Park,  and  Medinah 
Temple,  A.  A.  O.  N.  M.  S.  of  Chicago,  and  has 
taken  a  great  deal  of  interest  in  the  active  work 
of  all  the  orders.  He  Is  a  charter  member,  and 
one  of  the  officers  in  organizing  the  new  Elm- 
hurst Ma.souie  lodge,  as  well  as  the  -new  Elm- 
hurst Chapter,  Xo.  699,  of  the  Order  of  Eastern 
Star,  in  the  latter  serving  as  Worthy  Patron 
during  1912.  During  the  Thirty-first  Triennial 
C-ouclave,_  K.   T..   Chicago,    in   August.    1910,   he 


HISTORY  OF  DU  PAGE  COUNTY. 


1023 


took  au  active  ixirt  as  meuilier  of  the  Escort  ami 
Reception  Committee.  TLiis  conclave  was  ad- 
mittedly one  of  the  greatest  events  Chicago  ever 
witnessed.  Mr.  Sclioen  is  also  au  active  mem- 
ber, and  one  of  the  organizers  of  the  Siloam 
Knights  Templar  Band,  a  large  mu.sical  organi- 
zation, which  will  lead  his  connnaiidery,  No.  54 
K.  T.,  at  the  Thirty-second  Triennial  Conclave 
to  be  held  at  Denver  in  the  snnmier  of  liJlo,  for 
which  extensive  and  elaborate  preparations  are 
being  made.  Mr.  ScUoeu  is  also  a  member  of 
Deeriug  Lodge  Xo.  717,  I.  O.  O.  F.,  of  Chicago, 
and  represents  his  firm  as  au  active  member  of 
the  Associated  Manufacturers  Saddlery  Acces- 
sories, and  is  also  an  active  member  of  the 
Leather  Belting  Club  of  Chicago. 

Genial,  iileasing  in  manner,  and  a  man  who 
impresses  himself  favorably  upon  those  with 
whom  he  is  brought  into  contact,  and  gives  the 
impression  of  being  what  he  is.  a  sound,  reliable 
business  man.  thoroughly  conversant  with  every 
detail  of  his  own  line.  Mr.  Sehoen  ranks  high 
among  the  representative  men  of  Du  Page 
County,  as  well  as  among  his  associates  in 
Chicago.  , 

SCHRAMER,  Mathias.  The  furnishing  of  isvlfc 
to  meet  the  present  enormous  demam|  for  it.  is 
a  business  that  is  constantly  increa.s\ng.  Pure 
food  laws  outline  and  demand  sanitary  condi-_ 
tions  which  necessitate  a  scientific  cpudjict-ofc- 
dairy  wdrk.  The  profit  in  this  line  of  endeavor 
is  being  recognized  liy  the  progressive  farmers  of 
Du  Page  county,  and  one  who  is  engaged  in  it  is 
Mathias  Schr.imer  of  AVinfield  township.  He 
was  born  in  Prussia,  Germany.  .January  10,  1842, 
a  son  of  John  and  Mary  (Steil)  Schramer,  he 
boi'u  in  the  same  vicinity  as  his  sou,  and  she  at 
a  point  four  miles  distant.  They  were  mar- 
ried in  Prussia  in  1828.  and  in  1S57  came  to 
the  United  States,  locating  in  Wheaton.  Mr. 
Schramer  rented  a  farm  in  the  vicinity  for  a 
year,  and  then  bought  one  in  Winfleld  township. 
There  he  died.  Septemljer  23.  1860.  but  she  sur- 
vived until  .January  1.  1872.  Their  children 
were :  .John,  who  died  on  January  14.  1806 ; 
Peter,  who  died  In  February,  1910;  Nichola.s, 
who  died  July  5.  1S9S;  Helena,  Mrs.  John  Spo- 
den  of  Milton  township,  who  died  April  12.  1898; 
Ivatie.  who  is  Mrs.  Michael  Besch  of  Milton 
township ;  Elizabeth,  widow  of  JIatthew  Arntz 
of  Wheaton.  who  died  December  13.  1911;  Theo- 
dore, who  is  of  Englewood.  111. ;  Mathias,  who  Is 


the  one  of  whom  we  write ;  Nicholas,  who  is  of 
Virgil,  Kane  county.  111. ;  and  John,  who  is  of 
Elkdon,  S.  D. 

Mathias  Schramer  atl ended  the  Gary  school, 
and  lived  with  his  mother  until  his  marriage, 
after  which  he  rented  a  farm  in  Winfield  town- 
ship until  JIarch.  1870,  when  he  bought  eighty- 
seven  acres  of  his  present  farm.  Adding  to  it 
at  different  times,  he  now  owns  255  acres  in  this 
farm,  and  it  is  one  of  the  finest  properties  in  Du 
Page  county.  It  is  devoted  to  general  f.-irniing 
and  dairy  work,  he  milking  forty  cows. 

On  May  26,  186G,  Mr.  Schramer  was  married 
to  Catherine  Welter,  by  the  Rev.  Max  Albrecht 
of  Xaperville  Catholic  church.  She  was  born  in 
Befort,  Luxemburg,  October  4,  184.3,  daughter 
of  Nicholas  and  Helena  (Mueller)  Welter,  who 
came  to  Wayne  township.  Du  Page  county,  in 
1863,  remaining  there  some  .vears.  but  later  sold. 
and  resided  with  their  children  until  death 
claimed  them.  The  children  born  to  Mr.  and 
Mrs.  Schramer  were ;  JIary.  born  September 
23,  1867,  who  is  the  wife  of  Matthew  Elsen  of 
Winfleld  township,  by  whom  she  has  had  six  chil- 
__(ii:en,^Mathias,  Michael.  John,  Mary,  Annie  and 
:  I^icTiblas,;  the  last  named  being  deceased;  Eliza- 
l»bt>h:  liorA  February  20.  18t>9.  who  is  the  wife  of 
John  KuiUis  of  Aurora,  and  the  mother  of  five 
children.-Mvatie,  Jlary.  Anna.  Hilda  and  Leon- 
^  au(i,  »f  w|iom  Katie  is  the  wife  of  Paul  King, 
,.a!f '-JfeTi'dofti,  111.,  and  has  one  son,  John,  Iwrn 
July.12-.  1012;  Anna,  born  August  27,  1870,  who 
married  Peter  Heintz  of  Wa.vue  township,  and 
has  seven  children. — Katie,  Joseph.  Elizabeth. 
-Mathias,  Peter.  Edward  and  Loretta ;  Helena, 
born  November  1,  1872,  who  married  Jlike 
Kammes  of  Winfield  township,  and  has  nine  chil- 
dren,—Katie,  Mary,  Clara.  Margaret,  Theodore, 
Lena,  Annie,  Michael  and  Eva ;  Mathias,  born 
March  17,  1874,  who  is  unmarried ;  Theodore, 
born  June  3,  1877,  living  in  Kane  county,  who 
married  Anna  Hammond,  and  has  three  children. 
— Ralph.  LeRoy  and  .\rthur ;  Katherine.  born 
March  16,  1870,  who  married  John  Hanunond ; 
John,  born  September  9,  1880,  who  married 
Annie  Wieland.  and  has  two  children, — Aloysius 
and  Francis ;  Peter,  born  December  12,  1881 ; 
Angela,  born  ilarch  7,  1SS4,  who  married  John 
Wieland  of  Winfield  township,  and  has  two  chil- 
fli-en. — John  and  Raymond ;  Nicholas,  born  Janu- 
ary 18,  1S86;  and  William,  born  August  29, 
1887.  The  unmarried  children  are  at  home.  Mr. 
and  Mrs.  Schramer  have  thirty-three  grandehil- 


1024 


HtSTOKY  OP  DU  PAGE  COUNTY. 


dreii  aud  one  great-gi-audcljikl.  The  family  are 
all  Catholics.  Mr.  .Schramer  is  a  Democrat  and 
has  held  the  positions  of  road  commissioner  and 
school  direL-tor.  He  owns  3.55  acres  of  land  in 
Du  Page  county,  and  .320  acres  of  land  in  .Min- 
nesota. 

Mr.  Schramer  belongs  to  that  class  of  sturdy 
German-American  citizens  who  have  known  just 
how  to  get  along  in  their  new  homes.  Never 
afraid  of  work,  always  thrifty,  saving  something 
from  all  money  earned,  they  invest  their  money 
generally  in  land,  and  become  prosperous.  Mr. 
Schramer  possesses  a  kindly  disposition,  and 
stands  high  in  the  esteem  of  his  neighliors  who 
recognize  his  many  excellent  ciualities. 

SCHUETTE,  The  Rev.  Bernard  J.,  pastor  of 
SS.  I'eter  and  I'aul  church  of  Xaperville.  suc- 
ceeding the  late  Father  August  Wenker,  is  one 
of  the  scholarly  men  of  his  church.  He  was 
born  in  Everswiukel,  province  of  Wesphalia,  Ger- 
many, August  1,  1863,  son  of  Conrad  and  Ger- 
trude Schuette,  both  born  in  the  same  place. 
Destined  for  the  church,  Father  Schuette  re- 
ceived careful  training,  first  in  the  parochial 
schools  of  his  village,  and  later  a't  the  gymna- 
sium Laurentianum,  of  Warendorf.  There  he 
ecaipioted  his  classical  education,  and  then  at  the 
age  of  nineteen  years,  in  1S82,  he  came  to  Amer- 
ica to  enter  St.  Francis  Seminary,  after  a  short 
period  si>ent  at  Quincy,  111.  For  the  following 
three  years,  he  studied  philosophy  and  theology, 
and  then  leaving  ililwaukee,  where  the  Semi- 
nary is  locateJ.  he  went  to  Belgium,  where  in  the 
American  College  at  Louvain,  he  took  a  two- 
years'  theological  course,  and  was  ordained  there 
June  24,  1887. 

Returning  to  America,  September  24,  1887, 
Father  Schuette  entered  upon  his  clerical  life 
in  Du  Page  county,  as  assistant  at  St,  Mary's 
church  of  EInihurst,  during  the  sickness  of  Rev. 
Kanzleiter.  On  December  1,  1887,  he  was  ap- 
pointed assistant  at  Wllmette.  111.,  and  remained 
one  year.  On  November  10,  1888,  he  was  ap- 
pointed as  pastor  of  St.  Mary's  church  at  Sub- 
lette. Lee  county.  111.,  and  for  three  years  la- 
bored there  faithfully  and  well.  Attached 
hereto  were  as  missions  St.  Joseph's  church. 
West  Brooklyn,  Lee  county,  and  St.  Mary's 
church.  Maytown,  Lee  county,  wbich  were  visited 
each  month  once,  necessitating  therefore  on  two 
Sundays  every  month  after  the  services  at  Sub- 
lette a  drive  of  eight  and  seven  miles.     Leaving 


that  cliarge,  he  was  sent  to  Niles  Center.  Cook 
county,  February  11,  1892.  to  take  charge  of  St. 
Peter's  church,  where  he  continued  until  July  .5, 
1907.  At  that  time,  he  was  sent  to  St.  Joseph's 
church  of  Waukegan.  and  on  November  4,  1911, 
took  charge  of  the  Xaperville  parish.  This  par- 
ish contains  2,000  members,  and  is  one  of  the 
largest  in  the  archdiocese  of  Chicago.  It  is  the 
fervent  hope  of  the  jiarishioners.  to  whom  he 
has  already  endeared  himself,  that  Father 
Schiiette's  ministerial  duties  may  continue  to 
the  end  in  Du  Page  county,  where  his  [lastoral 
life  begau. 

Possessed  of  a  genial,  whclesouled  personality, 
Father  Schuette  exerts  a  powerful  influence  for 
good,  and  is  especially  interested  in  the  welfare 
of  the  young  people  in  his  charge.  He  has  in 
mind  some  very  desiraljle  measures  looking  to- 
wards the  advancement  of  his  yuiiug  people  and 
has  become  exceelingly  popular  not  only  with 
his  own  parishioners,  but  with  the  residents  of 
NaperviUe.  who  recognize  his  power  as  a  strong 
factor  in  the  moral  uplift  of  the  community. 

SCHUMACHER,  Henry  C.  Some  men  rise 
steadily  and  honorably  to  high  positions  in  the 
business  and  political  world,  through  sheer 
ability  and  honest  methods.  Their  keen  appre- 
ciation of  responsibility  and  the  value  of  the 
trusts  reposed  in  them,  urge  them  on  to  renewed 
efforts,  and  they  are  rewarded  by  additional 
confidence  on  the  part  of  those  they  so  faith- 
fully and  intelligently  serve.  One  of  the  men 
to  whose  untiring  efforts  so  much  of  the  growth 
of  Du  Page  County  is  certainly  due.  is  Henry 
C.  Schumacher,  cashier  of  the  Elmhurst  State 
Bank  of  Elmhurst.  public  official  of  untarnished 
name,  and  a  man  who  stands  high  in  the  finan- 
cial world  today. 

Mr.  Schuniaker  was  born  in  Chicago.  August 
8,  1870.  being  a  son  of  Charles  and  Sophia 
Schumacher.  His  parents  removing  to  Oak 
Park,  he  was  educated  in  the  excellent  schools 
there,  and  at  the  School  of  Telegraphy  of  Chi- 
cago. In  1888  he  came  to  Elmhurst  as  teleg- 
rapher in  the  Chicago  and  Northwestern  Rail- 
road office,  thus  serving  for  two  and  one-half 
.vears,  when  he  became  timekeei»r  for  the  Elm- 
hurst and  Chicago  Stone  Co.  After  three  years 
in  this  position,  he  entered  the  Henry  L.  Glos 
I'rivate  bank  as  cashier,  continuing  with  this 
institution  until  its  reorganization  as  the  Elm- 
hurst  State  Bank,   when   he  was   continued   as 


C}h/)j-  (hv)^  irhi   ^^^A^^^^y  /^)4^^^^ 


HISTORY  OF  DU  PAGE  COUNTY. 


1025 


cashier  with  the  new  conceru.  He  was  also 
associated  iu  the  oi-gauizatiou  of  the  Louibard 
State  Bank,  lieins  made  its  cashier,  and  lielped 
to  organize  tlie  First  National  Bank  of  Ehn- 
hurst. 

While  all  the  time  busily  engaged  in  his 
lirivate  business  enterprises,  Mr.  Schumacher 
has  not  neglected  civic  matters,  but  served  as 
village  clerk  from  1894  to  1004 ;  was  president 
of  the  village  from  190.5  to  1009 ;  was  the  first 
mayor  of  the  city  of  Elmhurst  under  city  organ- 
ization, served  as  village  collector  from  1807  to 
1903 ;  was  trustee  of  the  schools  of  York  Town- 
ship, from  1905  to  1908.  and  was  then  made 
township  school  treasurer  iu  1908,  still  holding 
that  responsible  office.  He  lias  always  faith- 
fully carried  out  the  wishes  of  his  constituents, 
giving  them  a  sound  business  administration, 
and  the  result  of  his  endeavors  can  be  seen  on 
every  hand.  He  also  served  as  secretary  of 
the  Klmhurst  Building  and  Loan  Association 
from  1894  to  1897,  and  did  much  to  place  that 
institution  on  a  sound  basis. 

Mr.  Schumacher  was  married  in  1891.  to  Mary 
Hohmaun,  daughter  of  Henry  and  Margaretha 
Hohmaun.  Mr.  Hohmauu  was  connected  with 
the  Chicago  and  Northwestern  Railroad  for 
years.  Mr.  and  Mrs.  Schumacher  have  had  two 
children :  Arthur  R..  a  student  in  the  Lewis, 
Institute,  and  Laura  H..  a  pupil  in  the  liome 
school.  Mr.  and  Mrs.  Schumacher  are  con- 
sistent members  of  the  German  Evangelical 
Church,  of  which  he  at  one  time  acted  as 
trustee  and  treasurer. 

SCHUSTER,  John  George,  one  of  the  oldest  resi- 
dents of  Du  I'age  county,  is  a  son  of  a  pioneer 
farmer  of  the  county,  and  one  of  the  best  known 
farmers  within  its  borders.  He  was  born  iu  Al- 
sace, Germany,  December  25,  1834,  son  of  John 
George  and  Catherine  (Rencart)  Schuster,  both 
natives  of  Germany.  The  father  died  in  1872 
at  the  age  of  seventy-three  and  one-half  j-ears, 
and  the  mother  died  in  1890.  at  the  age  of  ninety 
and  one-half  years.  They  were  early  settlers 
of  Du  Page  county  and  had  the  following  chil- 
dren :  Catherine,  who  married  George  Bostter. 
and  is  deceased :  Magdalene,  who  married  Fred 
Heinze,  and  is  deceased ;  and  John  George.  The 
father  of  this  family  first  purchased  eighty  acres 
of  land  where  his  son  now  lives,  which  our  subject 
subsequently  bought,  and  later  added  more  to  it 
from  time  to  time.    In  early  days  he  and  his  son 


were  obliged  to  shoot  tlie  prairie  wohes  which 
infested  the  region  and  preyed  uiion  their  stock. 
John  George  Schuster  was  educated  in  his 
ii.itive  country  and  after  coming  to  Du  I'age 
county  iu  18.54,  carried  on  farming  with  his 
father,  but  now  owns  the  home  f.irm  and  has 
157  acres  of  land  iu  oue  tract,  and  twent.v-one 
acres  of  timber  land,  all  in  Downer's  Grove 
township.  He  has  erected  the  buildings  on  the 
place  and  has  brought  the  farm  to  a  high  state 
of  cultivation,  devoting  it  to  general  farming. 
Mr.  Schuster  has  always  taken  an  interested 
and  intelligent  part  in  public  matters  and  is  ac- 
counted a  useful,  reliable  man.  In  jwlitics  he  is 
independent.  Mr.  Schu.ster  married  Catherine 
Klein,  who  was  born  January  11,  1835,  in  .VI- 
sace,  Germany,  daughter  of  David  Klein. 
I'jight  children  have  been  born  of  this  union: 
Fred,  who  died  at  the  age  of  seventeen  years; 
Caroline,  who  died  at  the  age  of  twenty-two 
years ;  George.  John,  Louise.  Catherine.  I-ena 
and  Mary,  who  are  still  living.  The  family  is 
well  known  iu  Downer's  Grove  township  and 
four  of  the  children  live  there.  Louise  aud 
Lena,  however,  reside  iu  ilartin  comity.  Minne- 
sota. The  mother  of  this  family  died  Seijtem- 
lier  29.  1901.  Mr.  Schuster  is  a  memlier  of  the 
Evangelical  church  and  is  oue  of  the  best  aud 
most  highly  respected  citizens  of  his  county. 

SCHUYVER,  Herbert  A.  .Many  of  the  most 
(•listinguished  pulilic  men  of  this  country  are 
lawyers.  The  stern  training  necessary  for  that 
profession  develops  brains  and  manhood,  fitting 
those  who  take  it  for  conquest  over  obstacles 
and  triumphs  iu  any  line  of  endeavor  iu  which 
they  may  engage.  Many  of  these  men  have  de- 
voted much  of  their  attention  to  public  matters, 
without  thought  of  persona!  profit,  striving  to 
secure  better  conditions,  and  have  received  the 
true  tribute  of  mau  to  man  in  recoguition  of 
their  valued  services.  Du  Page  County  is 
fortunate  iu  possessing  some  such  men.  among 
vhom  may  be  mentioned  Hjrbert  A.  Schuyver. 

Mr.  Schuyver  was  born  at  De  Kalb,  111.,  De- 
cemlier  28,  1871,  being  a  son  of  Albert  and  Han- 
nah Jane  (Martin)  Schuyver.  He  was  grad- 
uated from  the  De  Kalb  high  school.  Wheaton 
College  and  the  law  department  of  the  North- 
western University.  ."Vfter  his  admission  to  the 
bar,  Mr.  Schuyver  entered  upon  a  general  prac- 
tice, now  having  oflSces  at  112  W.  Adams  street, 
Chicago,   although   his   residence   is   at   No.  510 


1026 


HISTORY  OF  DU  PAGE  COUNTY. 


Ellis  avenue.  Wlieutou.  A  strung  Heimblicaii. 
Mr.  Schuyver  soon  became  au  imiiortaut  factor 
iu  civic  affairs,  and  lias  served  very  ably  as 
alderiuaii  and  city  attorney,  and  is  now  mayor 
of  Wbeaton.  tbe  city  receiving  under  bis  be- 
neficent rule  a  thoroughly  businesslike  adminis- 
tration. Understanding  as  be  does  every  legal 
complication,  Jlr.  Schuyver  is  enabled  to  avoid 
much  unnecessary  delay  in  securing  proper 
legislation,  and  already  the  effect  of  his  advice 
and  rulings  are  seen.  Tbe  Congregational 
Church  holds  his  membership,  and  benefits  by 
bis  generosity.  lie  is  a  member  of  the  Wbeaton 
Golf  Club,  and  is  an  enthusiast  regarding  the 
game. 

Mayor  .'^chuyver  was  married  .\pril  l.j.  ISOG. 
at  Streator.  111.,  to  .Jessie  Plumb.  Two  children 
have  been  born  of  this  marriage. — Albert  I'lumb 
and  Helen,  (ienial.  capable,  an  excellent  lawyer 
and  keen  business  man.  Ma.vor  Schuyver  is  a 
man  who  has  won  universal  confidence  and 
raised  the  tone  of  his  community  very  ma- 
terially. 

SCHWARTZ,  Alois,  deceased,  who  at  the  time 
of  his  death  was  one  of  the  most  extensive 
farmers  in  Lisle  Township,  Du  Page  County,  is 
well  remembered  as  an  industrious,  useful  citi- 
zen, and  his  loss  has  been  keenly  felt  in  many 
circles,  where  he  was  sincerely  mourned.  He 
was  born  in  Alsace.  Germany,  June  17,  1S2S.  a 
.son  of  Michael  and  Anna  Mary  (Vok)  Schwartz, 
both  natives  of  Germany,  who  came  to  Naper- 
ville.  111.,  in  lSi.5.  They  were  parents  of  five 
children,  all  sons,  only  two  now  living. 

Mr.  Schwartz  remained  with  his  parents  until 
he  was  about  twenty-two  years  of  age.  He  re- 
ceived a  meager  education  in  the  schools  of  his 
native  country.  In  1850,  he  went  to  California 
and  spent  five  years  there  engaged  in  mining, 
then  returned  to  Du  Page  County  and  engaged 
in  farming,  purchasing  216  acres  of  laud  in 
Lisle  Township,  most  of  it  prairie  land  and  un- 
broken. He  was  married  iu  November.  18G0.  to 
Catherine  Geib.  who  was  born  in  Byron,  Ger- 
many. March  15.  1840.  daughter  of  Jacob  and 
Anna  Marie  (Bussley)  Geib.  who  spent  their 
entire  lives  in  Germany.  She  came  to  Xew 
York  City  in  1857,  lived  there  six  years,  and 
then  she  and  a  sister  came  to  Xaperville.  After 
marriage,  tbe  young  couple  lived  a  year  with 
the  mother  of  Mr.  Schwartz  and  then  located 
on  his  farm.     He  was  an  energetic  and  success- 


ful farmer  and  raised  a  good  many  cattle,  hogs 
and  liur.-es.  Besides  his  home  farm,  he  acciuired 
considerable  other  land.  512  acres  altogether,  in 
the  lorni  of  three  farms  iu  Lisle  and  Xaperville 
Townships.  Mr.  Schwartz  was  an  influential 
and  public-spirited  mau  and  took  an  active  in- 
terest is  every  movement  calculated  to  advance 
the  general  progress  of  tbe  community.  He  was 
a  Democrat  iu  political  belief  and  served  seven- 
teen years  as  commissioner  of  Lisle  Township, 
being  highly  respected  as  a  man  of  honesty  and 
integrity,  and  in  bis  business  dealings,  his  re- 
lations with  others  were  highly  commendable. 

Children  as  follows  were  born  to  Mr.  Schwartz 
and  wife:  Edward,  of  Lisle  Township;  Amelia. 
.Mrs.  T.  F.  Becker,  of  Xaperville;  Daniel  C,  of 
Xaperville  Township ;  Andrew  A.,  who  lives 
with  his  mother  on  the  home  place  and  operates 
the  21C  acres  of  land  there.  Mr.  Schwartz  died 
Xovember  4.  1809.  having  lived  about  fifty  j-ears 
in  Du  Page  Count.w 

SCHWARTZ,  Emil  M.,  attorney  at  law,  and 
one  of  tlie  leading  men  of  Xaperville,  with  of- 
fices at  Xo.  5()  Washington  street,  and  home 
at  No.  102  Front  street,  was  born  in  Du  Page 
Township.  Will  County.  III.,  June  18,  1873,  be- 
ing a  son  of  Anthony  and  Louisa  (Riiii)) 
Schwartz.  Mr.  Schwartz  was  liberally  educated 
at  SS.  Peter  and  Paul  Parochial  school  of 
Xaperville,  the  Ellsworth  high  school  and  Xorth- 
western  College,  of  Naperrille ;  Chicngo  Kent 
College  of  Law,  from  which  he  was  grad- 
uated in  the  class  of  1808,  following  which  he 
took  a  post  graduate  course  iu  the  Illinois  Col- 
lege of  Law  of  Chicago.  From  180.3  to  180G.  Jlr. 
Schwartz  was  in  a  real  estate  and  loan  otHce  in 
Chicago,  after  which  he  began  the  study  of  law. 
In  1880,  he  formed  a  eo-partnership  with  H.  H. 
Goodrich  and  William  H.  Fischer,  under  the  firm 
name  of  Goodrich,  Fischer  and  Schwartz,  with 
offices  in  Chicago  and  Xaperville.  This  asso- 
ciation continued  until  1002.  when  Mr.  Schwartz 
retired  from  the  firm,  and  took  over  the  busi- 
ness of  the  Xaperville  office,  since  then  contin- 
uing alone.  He  has  been  tbe  attorney  for  the 
Board  of  Local  Improvements  for  the  past  five 
years,  still  holding  that  office,  and  has  done  all 
of  the  legal  work  for  tbe  Board  in  all  but 
the  original  water  works  plant,  which  includes 
water  extensions  on  the  east  and  west  sides, 
sewers  on  both  these  sides,  and  all  the  street 
1  laving. 


HISTORY  OF  DU  PAGE  COUNTY. 


1027 


A  stroug  Republican,  Mr.  Schwartz  has  tilled 
the  iinportaut  ottice  of  city  attorney  for  two 
terms.  He  is  a  Catholic,  belonging  to  SS.  Peter 
and  Paul  church  of  Xaperville.  Fraternally 
he  is  a  member  of  the  Kuiglits  of  Oilumbus, 
Modern  Woodmen  of  America,  and  the  Catholic 
Order  of  Foresters. 

On  May  31.  ISOS.  Mr.  .Schwartz  was  united  in 
marriage  with  Anna  M.  Tender,  in  SS.  Peter 
and  Paul  Catholic  Church  of  Xaperville.  Mr. 
and  Mrs.  Schwartz  have  children  as  follows : 
George  A.,  Louisa  A.,  Paul  H.,  Dorothy  U.  and 
Vincent  E.  Mr.  Schwartz  belongs  to  the  old  and 
honored  Schwartz  family  of  Naperville.  Mem- 
bers of  this  family  have  intermarried  into  other 
prominent  families  here,  until  the  connection  is 
wide-sjiread.  and  all  of  the  representatives  are 
substantial,   iivosjierous  and  highly  esteemed. 

SCHWASS,  Frederick,  a  well-known  niercliant 
of  Elmhurst.  111.,  has  been  a  resident  of  that 
village  since  October,  1887,  and  for  several 
years  after  that  conducted  a  hotel  there.  He 
w-as  born  at  Mecklenburg,  Germany.  April  21, 
1854,  a  son  of  Frederick  and  Mary  (Toellner) 
Schwass.  who  came  to  Oak  Park,  Cook  County, 
111.,  in  1S.">0.  The  father  carried  on  teaming 
there  until  his  death  in  November,  1907,  his 
funeral  taking  place  the  same  day.  He  and  his 
wife  had  twelve  children,  of  whom  ten  now  sur- 
vive, namely:  Frederick,  the  oldest;  Lena.  Mrs. 
John  Miller,  of  Forest  Park  ;  Reea,  Mrs.  Jacob 
Gold,  of  Forest  Park;  Henry,  Louis.  Frank.  Ed- 
ward, Charles,  John  and  Frank,  of  Harlem. 
Those  deceased  are  Herman  and  an  unnamed 
infant.     The  father  seiwed  in  the  German  army. 

Mr.  Schwass  resided  with  his  ixareuts  until 
his  marriage,  then  toolc  up  carpenter  work  at 
Forest  Park  and  also  engaged  in  teaming,  which 
he  continued  until  coming  to  Elmhurst,  He 
rented  a  Iniilding  two  years  and  in  1890,  erected 
his  present  two-story  building,  which  is  32x68 
feet.  He  is  one  of  the  substantial,  respected  citi- 
zens of  the  place  and  served  one  year  as  police- 
man, and  for  three  years  as  constable  of  the 
town  of  ProWso.  Cook  County,  while  living  there. 
He  is  a  Republican  in  political  views.  His  edu- 
cation was  obtained  in  the  Oak  Park  public 
schools,  liis  parents  having  come  to  Cook  County 
when  he  was  about  two  years  old. 

Mr.  Schwass  was  married  in  September.  1874. 
to  Mary  Toellner.  also  a  native  of  Mecklenburg, 
born   January   1.5.   18,58,  daughter  of   John   and 


Fredericka  (Dennis)  Toellner,  who  came  to  Oak 
Park,  111.,  in  1804.  Mr.  Toellner  was  a  laborer 
and  died  at  Forest  Park,  his  wife  passing  away 
in  the  fall  of  1909,  at  the  home  of  her  daughter, 
Mrs.  Schwass.  Two  sous  and  three  daughters 
w  ere  born  to  Jlr.  and  Mrs.  Schwass :  John  and 
Frederick  are  at  home;  Annie,  ilrs.  Frank 
Me.ver  of  Uoselle,  111.,  has  one  child, — Gladys, 
living,  and  one  who  is  deceased ;  Carrie,  Mrs. 
George  Lewder  of  Elmhurst,  has  one  living 
child, — Carrol,  and  two  deceased ;  and  Mrs.  John 
Chase,  of  Evaustou.  Two  grandchildren,  Esther 
and  Mable,  lost  their  mother  several  years  ago, 
and  the  former  lives  with  Mr,  Schwass,  while 
the  latter  is  with  her  maternal  grandmother. 
Mr.  and  Mrs.  Schwass  are  members  of  the  Ger- 
man Lutheran  Church,  and   active  in  its  work. 

SCOTT,  Alvin.  In  these  days  when  business 
honesty  appears  to  be  at  a  discount,  and  many 
public  oiHcials  traffic  with  their  honor,  those 
whose  integrity  is  unquestioned  and  whose  at- 
titude toward  the  world  is  that  of  kindly 
friendliness,  stand  out  in  distinctive  prominence. 
No  one  throughout  Du  Page  County  stands 
higher  as  an  honorable  business  man,  and  loyal 
friend  than  Alvin  Scott,  affectionately  called 
"Bay"  by  nearly  all  who  know  him,  insurance 
and  I'eal-estate  agent  of  Naperville.  Mr.  Scott 
was  born  in  this  city,  January  20,  1S64,  a  son 
of  Alvin  and  Emeline  (Gould)  Scott,  the  former 
also  born  in  Naperville.  and  the  latter  in  the 
county.  The  elder  Mr.  Scott  was  a  merchant 
and  a  man  of  substance,  who  was  among  the 
earlier  liusiness  men  of  Naperville. 

Alvin  Scott,  the  younger  attended  the  public 
schools  of  Naperville,  and  the  North  Western 
College,  and  when  he  left  the  latter  institution 
he  entered  the  employ  of  Willard  Scott  &  Co,, 
liankers,  March  1,  1881.  He  remained  with  this 
firm  until  it  was  dissolved,  in  October,  1007, 
since  which  time  he  has  conducted  an  insurance 
and  real-estate  office  in  the  premises  formerly 
occupied  by  the  bank,  Mr.  Scott  repre- 
sents many  of  the  leading  fire  and  life  insur- 
ance companies,  and  handles  some  of  the  most 
desirable  city  and  county  realty,  his  record  being 
such  that  he  is  chosen  upon  numerous  occa- 
sions to  act  as  executor  and  trustee  of  estates, 
those  thus  confiding  in  him  fully  realizing  that 
their  trust  will  be  conscientiously  justified.  He 
owns  two  dwellings  on  Chicago  avenue,  includ- 
ing No.   122. 


1028 


HISTORY  OF  DU  PAGE  COUNTY. 


Mr.  Scott  is  a  strong  Democrat  aud  has  been 
oil  his  party's  ticket  a  number  of  times,  carry- 
ing it  to  success.  lu  April,  1903,  lie  was  elected 
iiiayor  of  Naperville,  and  reelected  iii  1905.  He 
was  supervisor  of  Lisle  Township  for  a  por- 
tion of  one  year  to  complete  his  father's  term 
of  office  after  the  latter's  death  in  1907.  An 
enthusiastic  Mason,  he  belongs  to  Euclid  Lodge 
No.  6.5.  A.  F.  &  A.  M.,  Euclid  Chapter  No.  13, 
11.  A.  M.,  Aurora  Commandery  No.  22,  Oriental 
Consistory  of  Chicago  and  Medinah  Temple  of 
the  same  city.  For  five  tenus  he  served  as 
Master  of  Euclid  Lodge,  and  is  now  occupying 
that  position.  He  has  filled  all  the  other  offices 
al  different  times  and  is  Past  High  Priest  of 
Euclid  Chapter.  Early  in  life  he  joined  the 
Congregational  Church. 

On  January  17,  ISSS,  Mr.  Scott  was  married 
in  Chicago  to  Eli/.abeth  AVilsou.  born  in  that  city 
August  3,  1S6S,  a  daughter  of  J.  J.  and  Jane 
Wilson.  Mr.  Wilson  was  a  soldier  in  the  Civil 
War.  serving  for  four  years.  One  sou,  Robert 
AVillard  Scott,  was  born  to  Mr.  and  Mrs.  Scott 
or.  February  IS,  1889,  and  was  just  budding  into 
young  manhood  when  death  claimed  him  April  4, 
1907.  This  domestic  tragedy  cast  a  shadow  over 
all  of  Naperville  where  the  lad's  blameless  life 
liad  been  spent,  and  whore  he  was  universally 
loved.  Such  a  loss  belongs  to  the  unexplained 
sorrows  of  life,  which  cannot  be  understood  by 
finite  minds. 

SCOTT,  Willard,  Sr.,  deceased.  AVhen  all  the 
land  between  Lake  Michigan  and  Peoria  was 
in  Peoria  County;  before  this  portion  of  the 
State  was  open  for  entry ;  when  savage 
Indians  made  settlement  here  dangerous,  an 
ambitious  young  man  by  the  name  of  Willard 
Scott  braved  all  the  threatened  hardships  and 
perils  incident  to  pioneer  life  here,  and  became 
one  of  the  first  to  locate  in  the  vicinity  of  what 
is  now  Naperville,  coming  here  in  1S30.  At 
this  time,  he  was  not  much  more  than  twenty- 
one  years  old,  for  lie  was  born  April  20,  ISOS,  in 
Unadilla,  Otsego  County,  N.  Y.,  but  in  experience 
and  realization  of  the  responsibilities  of  life,  he 
was  much  more  mature  than  his  years.  He  was 
a  sou  of  Stephen  J.  and  Hadassah  (Trask) 
Scott,  the  former  being  a  native  of  Connecticut, 
and  in  early  life  master  of  a  sailing  vessel  in  the 
coast  trade.  The  mother  of  Mr.  Scott  was  a 
direct  descendant  of  General  Israel  Putnam, 
the  hero  of  the  Revolutionary  times.    After  their 


marriage  Stephen  J.  Scott  and  wife  went  to 
Inadilla,  N.  Y.,  and  in  ISlC,  to  Maryland.  After 
ten  years  in  that  State,  they  moved  to  St.  Joseph, 
Mich.,  but  not  liking  that  locality,  they  went 
thence  to  Evanston  in  1826.  Still  not  satisfied, 
a  change  was  made  to  three  miles  south  of 
Naperville. 

From  the  first.  Willard  Scott  was  a  distinctive 
figure  in  Du  Page  County  history.  Brave,  dar- 
ing, and  yet  possessing  sound  common  sense,  his 
advice  and  guidance  were  invaluable  in  the 
management  of  the  Indian  affairs.  As  Du  Page 
County  grew  because  of  the  continual  influx  of 
settlers,  his  counsel  was  sought  more  frequently, 
and  when  Naperville  became  a  village,  he  was 
looked  to  as  one  capable  of  establishing  impor- 
tant interests.  In  1838.  he  moved  to  Naperville, 
built  the  Naperville  Hotel,  and  made  it  a  well 
known  hostelry  for  eight  years.  Responding 
then  to  the  demand  for  a  first  class  mercantile 
house,  he  established  himself  in  this  line  of 
trade  later  associating  himself  with  his  son 
Thadeus,  as  Willard  Scott  &  Co.,  and  until  after 
the  expiration  of  the  Civil  War,  he  devoted  him- 
self to  this  line  of  business.  At  that  time,  how- 
ever, he  disposed  of  his  interests  in  the  mercan- 
tile house  to  his  namesake  son,  and  conducted  a 
private  bank  under  the  name  of  Willard  Scott 
iS.  Co.,  continuing  this  Institution  until  his  la- 
mented death,  September  13,  1S92. 

Mr.  Scott  was  married  in  Holderman's  Grove, 
July  16,  1829,  to  Caroline  Hawley,  daughter  of 
Pierce  Hawley,  who  had  located  there  in  1826. 
To  procure  his  license  he  was  compelled  to  go 
to  Peoria,  111.,  the  nearest  place  to  secure  the 
same.  When  Mr.  and  Mrs.  Scott  went  to  Du 
Page  County,  Mr.  Hawley  and  his  family  ac- 
companied them,  and  the  Hawley  family  is  num- 
bered among  the  first  to  recognize  the  possibili- 
ties of  this  locality.  Mr.  Scott  was  a  Jackson- 
iau  Democrat,  being  proud  of  the  fact  that  his 
first  vote  was  cast  for  Andrew  Jackson  in  1S2S 
and  he  upheld  the  principles  of  that  great 
statesman  throughout  his  life. 

A  man  of  unswerving  honesty,  upright  in 
thought  and  deed,  he  not  only  conserved  his 
own  interests,  but  protected  those  of  others,  and. 
advanced  his  home  community.  His  word  was 
taken  absolutely  without  reservation ;  the  trust 
reiiosed  in  him  by  his  fellow  townsmen  was 
never  violated,  and  he  lived  long  enough  to  see 
and  rejoice  in  the  effects  of  his  enterprise  and 
public-spirited  actions.     Years  have  iiassed  since 


HISTORY  OF  DU  PAGE  COUNTY. 


1029 


bis  demise,  and  yet  liis  nanie  is  still  fresh  \u  tlie 
memorj-  of  those  who  knew  and  appreciated  him. 
and  the  force  of  his  example  is  felt  in  the  lives 
of  the  present  generation,  and  in  the  industrial 
and  municipal  life  of  Naperville. 

SCOTT,  Willard,  Jr.  The  name  of  Wilhud 
Srott  is  one  that  commands  universal  respect 
in  Du  Page  Count.v,  for  it  has  been  liorne  li.v 
two  men  of  exceptional  business  ability  and 
personal  integrity,  father  and  son.  One  has 
passed  from  mortal  life,  but  the  other  still  re- 
sides in  Naperville  where  for  seventy-five  years 
he  has  been  a  loyal  promoter  of  its  interests. 
■Willard  Scott,  Jr.  was  born  three  miles  south 
of  Naperville.  October  0,  IS.3.5,  the  same  year 
that  land  in  this  locality  was  opened  for  entry. 
His  father  was  the  late  lamented  Willard  Scott, 
Sr..  and  his  motlier  Caroline  (Hawley)  Scott. 
An  extended  sketch  of  the  elder  Mr.  Scott  is  to 
be  found  elsewhere  In  this  work. 

The  younger  Willard  Scott  was  thoroughly 
educated  in  the  schools  of  Naperville,  and  began 
his  business  career  in  his  father's  mercantile 
establishment.  Here  he  continued  until  1N.J'^, 
when  he  went  to  Columbus.  Wis.,  and  for  three 
years  was  engaged  in  a  banking  business  there. 
Iteturning  to  Naperville,  he  was  again  asso- 
ciated with  his  father  and  brother  in  the  mer- 
cantile firm  of  Willard  Scott  &  Co.,  until  his 
enlistment  in  August.  1S62,  In  Company  B,  One 
Hundred  and  Fifth  Illinois  Volunteer  Infantry, 
which  was  assigned  to  the  Twentieth  Army 
Corps.  He  saw  much  active  service,  being  in 
the  battles  of  Eesaca.  Peach  Tree  Creek  and 
the  others  in  the  campaigns  In  which  the  Twen- 
tieth Army  Corps  was  engaged.  Mr.  Scott  was 
with  General  Sherman  in  his  campaigns  in 
Georgia,  and  through  the  Oarolinas,  eventually 
participating  iu  the  Grand  Review  at  Washing- 
ton. He  was  mustered  out  in  June,  1S65,  after 
a  loyal  service  of  nearly  three  years.  In  1S67, 
Mr.  Scott  bought  his  father's  Interest  in  the 
mercantile  firm  of  Willard  Scott  &  Co.,  and 
with  his  brother  Thadeus  continued  the  liusi- 
riess.  This  firm  for  many  years  controlled  the 
mercantile  trade  of  the  locality,  and  the  succes- 
sors to  it  are  reaping  the  benefits  of  long  years 
of  faithful  and  honorable  dealings. 

In  March.  1S68,  Mr.  Scott  was  married  at 
Cclumbus.  Wis.,  to  Etta  C.  Cooper,  a  daughter 
of  Mr.  and  Mrs.  H.  C.  Cooper,  of  that  city.  No 
issue.     Mr.  Scott  is  a  Chapter  Mason.     For  years 


he  has  been  a  member  of  the  Congregational 
Church,  serving  it  both  as  deacon  and  trustee. 
A  Democrat  of  pronounced  principles,  Mr.  Scott 
has  been  very  active  in  municipal  affairs,  serv- 
ing as  Mayor  for  four  years,  during  which  time 
be  inaugurated  and  carried  out  a  number  of  much 
needed  reforms  and  improvements;  was  Village 
Trustee  for  years  and  served  effectively  as  the 
first  Fire  Marshal.  During  his  incumbency  of 
that  oflice.  the  first  fire  engine  of  Naperville 
was  bought  and  housed.  Mr.  Scott  is  a  man  of 
whom  Naperville  and  Du  Page  County  are  proud. 
His  career  as  private  citizen,  soldier,  business 
man  and  public  official,  is  unblemshed.  He  has 
never  failed  to  do  what  he  believes  his  full  duty 
upon  every  occasion,  and  no  man  in  this  part 
(  f  the  State  enjoys  more  universal  esteem.  Re- 
cently, he  retired  from  active  business,  although 
his  time  is  still  pleasantly  occupied  in  advancing 
the  interests  of  his  friends,  and  looking  after 
his  property.  Known  by  everyone  in  Naper- 
ville, affectionately  esteemed  by  all  who  have 
the  honor  of  his  acquaintance,  Mr.  Scott  is  the 
best  representative  of  the  county's  native  sons, 
born  and  reared  as  he  was  during  the  pioneer 
days  of  Du  Page's  history. 

SECKER,  Matthias,  a  prominent  and  well- 
knciwu  ritizen  of  Wheaton.  HI.,  has  for  some 
years  lived  retired  from  active  life.  He  is  a  na- 
tive of  Hesse  Darmstadt.  (Jermany,  born  Decem- 
lier  22.  1S43,  son  of  Henry  and  Margaret  Seeker, 
both  natives  of  Germany.  The  parents  came  to 
.Vmerica  in  IS-U.  and  the  father's  first  oceupa- 
tinn  in  the  new  home  was  working  on  a  farm 
near  Niagara  Falls  and  Iieljiing  to  haul  grain 
for  a  grist-mill  from  Canada  fm-  Christ  Whit- 
nier.  Later  he  came  to  Chicago,  anil  f(ir  ■'pT2o 
purchased  forty  acres  of  the  land  now  adjoin- 
ing Rose  Hill  cemeter.v,  which  nine  years  later, 
he  sold  for  ,?.").000,  having  developed  a  fine  farm, 
lie  then  went  to  Du  Page  county  and  purchased 
forty  acres  of  land  near  Elmhurst.  paying  ^')0 
per  acre  for  it.  This  land,  which  is  now  all  in- 
cluded in  the  cit.v.  was  sold  by  his  heirs  for 
.*12."i  per  acre.  He  and  his  wife  had  children  as 
follows:  Matthias,  the  oldest;  (Jertrude.  widow 
of  Julius  Kunce.  of  Roselle.  111. :  Adeline,  widow 
of  William  Buderl)ach,  of  Chicago;  .Margaret, 
Mrs.  Joseph  Beck,  deceased,  and  Henry,  de- 
ceased. 

At  the  age  of  seventeen  years,  having  received 
his  educaticm  in  the  German  and  pulilic  schools. 


1030 


HISTORY  OP  DU  PAGE  COUNTY. 


.Matthias  Seeker  began  learning  the  trade  of  a 
■wagon-uialcer,  which  he  followed  until  1880.  In 
ISSo  he  tame  to  Itoselle  and  embarked  in  the  dry 
goods  business.  He  purchased  a  building  in 
18'JO  and  erected  a  large  business  block  GG  by 
132  feet,  and  there  conducted  a  dry  goods  and 
grocery  store  until  1003,  when  he  sold  and  re- 
tired. He  was  an  enterprising  and  successful 
merchant  and  won  an  excellent  reputation  In 
business  circles.  Taking  an  active  i)art  in  local 
affairs  he  has  contributed  his  share  to  the  i)ros- 
perity  of  his  coninninity.  In  jxiUtical  affairs  he 
is  independent,  and  served  one  term  as  alder- 
man of  the  city.  Being  a  man  of  unquestioned 
integrity  and  honesty  he  has  many  warm  per- 
sonal friends  in  Wheaton,  where  he  has  lived 
more  than  a  quarter  of  a  century. 

Mr.  Seeker  lived  with  his  parents  until  his 
first  marriage,  to  JIary  A.  Pfeifer.  who  was  born 
in  Elmhurst,  a  daughter  of  .John  and  Margaret 
(Ilenkle)  I'feifer.  She  died  in  March,  ISllS,  hav- 
ing JKjrne  lier  husband  children  as  follows: 
Bertha,  wlm  is  the  wife  of  John  Darmstadt,  ot 
Elniliurst,  a  traveling  auditor  in  the  employ  of 
the  Chicago  &  Northwestern ;  Adeline,  Mrs.  Fred 
Epp,  who  is  deceased  ;  Dr.  William  B..  who  is  a 
physician  of  Tolono,  111.:  Henry,  who  is  of 
AVheaton,  and  .Vrthnr,  who  is  at  home. 

Mr.  Seeker  married  (ser-ond)  in  June.  ]900, 
Mary  A.  Knippen,  born  in  Addison  township, 
in  September,  I.S.5."),  daughter  or  Mathias  and 
Maria  (Hoffni.inl  Knippen,  natives  of  Trier, 
Prussia.  Mr.  Knippen  was  a  mason  by  trade 
and  worked  at  this  calling  ten  years  after  com- 
ing to  America.  He  bought  a  farm  near  Lom- 
bard, and  there  he  died  in  Septemlier,  1802.  and 
his  widow  August  20,  1002.  One  child.  Marie 
Ruth,  was  born  of  this  union.  June  10,  1001. 
Mrs.  Seeker  was  educated  in  the  puljlic  schools 
and  spent  five  months  in  a  Oerman  school  in 
Chicago.  The  family  are  members  of  St. 
Michael's  Church,  of  Wlieaton. 

SHAFER,  Levi  S.,  a  highly  respected  veteran  of 
the  Civil  war,  is  a  native  of  Pennsylvania,  born 
in  that  state,  October  13,  1837.  He  came  to  Illi- 
nois in  18.5.5.  and  located  at  Xaperville.  where  he 
has  continued  to  reside,  doing  effective  work  as 
a  contractor  and  bulkier. 

Responding  to  the  call  of  his  country,  Mr. 
Shafer  enlisted,  September  18,  1861,  in  Com- 
pany E,  Eighth  Illinois  Cavalry,  for  service  dur- 
ing the  Civil  war.  and  served  in  the  .Vrmy  of  the 


Potomac  through  all  of  its  campaigns.  On  the 
memorable  niglit  before  the  battle  of  Gettys- 
burg, .Mr.  Shafer  was  in  the  field  as  sergeant  of 
the  pii-ket  post,  located  on  the  Chanibersburg 
turnpike.  When  it  became  known  to  him  that 
the  Confederates  were  in  the  immediate  vicinity, 
he  carried  the  news  to  his  commander.  Captain 
Jones,  and  retiu-ned  with  him  to  the  spot  where 
the  latter  tired  the  first  shot  of  the  battle,  with 
a  gun  which  he  took  from  the  hands  of  Mr. 
Shafer.  The  spot  from  wliich  this  shot  was  fired 
is  now  marked  by  a  monument  commemorating 
the  initial  event  in  one  of  the  world's  most  fa- 
fous  engagements.  Mr.  Slmfer  received  his  hon- 
orable discharge  from  active  ser\ice  on  the  9th 
of  October,  1SG4,  and  returned  to  his  home  In 
Xaperville. 

SIEBER,  Hultrich  L.,  who  has  been  a  mason 
contractor  since  1S82  at  Xaperville,  111.,  and 
served  thirty-five  years  as  a  member  of  Xaper- 
ville Volunteer  Fire  Department,  was  born  in 
Saxony,  Germany,  January  IS,  1854.  He  was  a 
son  of  Otto  and  Theresa  C.  (Merial)  Sieber, 
both  natives  of  Saxony,  who  came  to  America 
and  to  Chicago  in  1855.  The  father  worked  a 
few  months  at  his  trade  of  a  mason,  then 
located  in  Xaperville  and  embarked  in  business 
as  a  contractor  for  mason  work,  being  the  lead- 
ing contractor  of  the  locality  luitil  1882,  when 
he  retired  from  his  trade  and  from  then  until 
his  death,  in  July,  1804,  was  a  merchant.  His 
widow-  passed  away  in  Jul.v.  1004.  They  had 
children  as  follows :  Hultrich  L. :  Heni-y  is  in 
business  with  his  older  brother,  at  Xaperville; 
Mar.v.  of  Chicago;  Bertha,  Mrs.  Xewton  Tobias, 
of  Chicago ;  ^A'iIliam  died  when  twenty-nine 
years  old ;  Millie,  Mrs.  Xick  Repke.  whose  hus- 
band is  a  baker  living  in  Chicago. 

Mr.  Sieber  was  educated  in  the  public  schools 
and  the  academy  at  X'aperville  and  as  a  boy 
learned  the  trade  of  a  mason  with  liis  father. 
He  continued  this  line  of  work  until  his  father 
retired  from  it,  then  he  and  his  brother  Henry 
took  it  up  in  partnership  and  became  the  lead- 
ing contractoi-s  and  builders  in  the  community, 
erecting  the  principal  brick  and  stone  store  and 
residence  buildings  at  Xaperville.  They  had  a 
good  business  when  they  assumed  charge  and 
have  greatly  increased  their  patronage,  as  both 
arc  known  to  be  men  of  honest  purpose  and  busi- 
ness integrity,  and  the  character  of  the  work 
thev  turn  out  is  first-clas.s. 


HISTORY  OF  DU  PAGE  COUNTY. 


1031 


November  2S,  187(1.  Jlr.  Sieber  married  Emma 
Pfister.  wbo  was  born  in  Cliicago.  danglUer  of 
John  and  Amelia  i  Meyer)  Pflster.  tbe  fatlier  a 
native  of  Switzerland  and  the  mother  of  Saxony. 
Mr.  Pfister  came  to  Philadelphia  about  1S51, 
worlied  there  a  year  or  two  as  a  tinsmith,  theu 
moved  to  Chicago  and  conducted  a  Iiardware 
store  there  until  1857.  when  he  sold  out  and 
came  to  Naperville  Township.  He  purchased  a 
farm  and  conducted  it  about  five  years,  theu 
Sold  it  and  moved  to  the  village  of  Naperville. 
About  1805,  be  started  a  hardware  store  tliere, 
which  he  conducted  until  his  death.  May  2,  1906. 
Plis  widow  still  lives  at  Naperville.  Mr.  Sieber 
and  wife  have  one  daughter,  Minnie,  at  home. 

Mr.  Sieber  is  a  member  of  the  Congregational 
Church  and  lias  served  as  trustee  of  that  organi- 
zation. He  is  a  Democrat  in  politics  and  was 
serving  as  a  member  of  the  Village  Board  of 
Naperville  when  it  was  organized  as  a  city  in 
18ti0.  He  served  one  term  as  a  Director  of  the 
Nichols  Lilirary  and  was  one  of  the  organizers 
of  the  Volunteer  Fire  Department,  witli  which 
be  was  associated  thirty-five  years,  and  served 
as  captain,  treasurer,  and  in  other  offices,  of 
the  organization.  He  is  regarded  as  a  public- 
.spirited,  useful  citizen  and  an  able  Irasiness  man, 
and  lias  many   firm   friends. 

SI5MUND,  John,  a  prominent  resident  of 
Naperville.  111.,  and  a  successful  commission 
niercliant  of  Chicago,  was  born  June  20.  187:'.. 
at  Philadelphia,  a  son  of  Louis  and  Emille 
(Saner)  Sigmund.  his  father  a  native  of  Sindel- 
ilngen.  and  bis  wife  of  P.romberg,  Germany.  Mr, 
Sigmund,  tlie  father,  came  to  the  T'nited  States 
in  18r;."i,  and  located  in  Philadelphia.  He  was  a 
gdldsmitli  and  in  Germany  had  mauufctured  fine 
tapestries  and  laces.  He  began  the  manufac- 
ture of  cheese  in  Philadelphia  and  lived  there 
until  1874,  when  he  went  to  St.  Louis,  and  two 
years  later  to  Monterey,  Ind.  After  living  there 
two  years  he  came  to  Chicago  and  engaged  In 
the  same  business,  arriving  at  Naperville  in 
18.8.5.  He  continued  malcing  cheese  and  started 
a  creamery,  which  he  conducted  until  bis  death 
April  18,-  1009.  His  widow  still  lives  in  Naper- 
ville. Their  children  were :  John,  the  oldest ; 
Augusta.  Mrs.  E.  Senft,  of  Aurora  ;  Emily,  Mrs. 
John  Sehnibhen.  of  Naperville;  Williaon  :  Edith. 
Mrs.  Jacob  Frye.  of  Naiierville:  Louis,  living 
with  his  mother. 

In  189.">,  John  Sigmund  entered  into  a  business 


partnership  with  bis  father  under  the  firm  name 
of  Sigmund  &  Son.  and  in  l8!i7.  began  deal- 
ing in  cheese  in  Chicago,  in  February  of  that 
year  also  liegiuning  to  deal  in  butter  and  eggs, 
having  since  continued  in  the  business.  Since 
January  1,  1909,  his  brother  William  has  had  a 
one-third  interest  in  the  concern,  which  is  incor- 
porated as  Sigmund  Brothers  Compan.v,  of  which 
John  Sigmund  is  president,  his  brother  Louis, 
vice  president,  and  William,  secretary,  treasurer 
and  general  manager. 

Mr.  Sigmund  was  married  June  2."i.  ISOO,  to 
Elizabeth  A,  Bissell,  who  was  born  in  Chicago 
and  received  her  education  in  the  schools  of 
that  city.  She  is  a  daughter  of  Charles  and 
Mary  Ann  Moberl.v,  widow  of  Jlr.  Oldfield,  she 
born  in  Chelsea  and  he  at  Birmingham,  Eng- 
land. Mr.  Sigmund  and  wife  have  two  children, 
Charles  Louis,  born  March  2(>,  1900.  and  Irene 
Elizabeth.  August  14,  1902.  Mr.  Sigmund  is  a 
member  of  the  Episcopal  Church,  of  which  he 
lias  been  vestryman  since  1907  and  treasurer 
since  1909.  He  is  a  Republican  in  i>olitics.  and 
fraternally  is  a  Mason,  having  taken  the  Thirty- 
second  degree.  He  is  affiliated  with  the  Blue 
Lodge  of  Naperville.  Chapter  and  Comniandery 
of  Aurora,  and  the  Consistory  and  Shrine  of  Chi- 
cago, and  he  and  his  wife  belong  to  the  Eastern 
.Star  at  Naperville.  She  is  a  member  of  the 
Vrhite  Shrine,  of  Aurora,  and  al.so  belongs  to 
the  Woman's  Literary  Culb  of  Naperville  and 
tlie, Ladies'  Au.xiliary  Guild  of  St.  John's  Church. 
Mr.  Sigmund  belongs  to  the  Y.  M.  C.  A.  and  is 
a  member  of  the  Cbicag(j  Butter  and  Egg 
Board. 

Besides  his  other  business  interests.  Mr.  Sig- 
mund has  operated  a  3.3.50-acre  ranch  at  Del- 
hart,  Tex,,  since  1907,  and  cultivates  .500  acres 
of  it.  It  is  heavily  stocked  with  fancy  high-bred 
cattle  and  he  has  a  fine  line  of  Missouri  mules 
and  jacks.  He  is  an  able  and  enterprising 
business  man  and  is  a  patriotic  citizen  of  Du 
Page  County,  interested  in  any  measure  affect- 
ing the  general  welfare  and  prosperity. 

SIGMUND,  William,  a  commission  niercliant 
and  manufacturer,  whose  business  intex'ests  are 
located  at  730  Randolph  Street,  Chicago,  and 
Naperville,  has  been  a  resident  of  tbe  latter 
place  since  1885.  He  was  born  October  1,  1879, 
son  of  Louis  and  Emilie  (Sour)  Sigmund,  and 
received  his  early  education  in  Naperville  pub- 
lic schools,  later  attending  Northwestern  College, 


1032 


HISTORY  OF  DU  PAGE  COUNTY. 


where  he  took  a  eomniercial  course.  After  leav- 
ing school,  he  engaged  iu  business  and  in  1902, 
became  associated  with  the  German  Cheese 
Company,  of  which  he  is  now  secretarj-  and 
treasurer.  In  190S,  he  became  interested  in  the 
film  of  Sigmuud  Brothers  Company,  of  which 
he  Is  secretary  and  treasurer.  The  former  com- 
pany manufactures  hand  and  cottage  cheese  and 
caseine,  and  the  latter  company  deals  in  butter, 
eggs,  cheese,  poultry,  etc.,  wholesale.  Jlr.  Sig- 
mund  is  a  business  man  of  enterprise  and 
ability  and  has  contributed  ven-  largely  to  the 
success  of  the  various  concerns  with  which  he 
is  associated.  He  is  influential  iu  public  affairs 
as  a  Republican,  and  In  religious  views  is  a 
I-utherau,  in  which  faith  he  was  reared. 

Mr.  Sigmuud  was  married  at  Naperville  May 
6.  1902,  to  Ella  Barbara  Becker,  and  two  chil- 
dren have  been  born  of  this  union.  Arthur  W. 
and  Charlotte.  Mr.  Sigmund  and  his  wife  are 
both  well  known  in  Naperville.  where  they  have 
a  wide  circle  of  friends. 

SIMPSON,  E.  Grant,  M.  D.  The  pliysiciau  and 
surgeon  of  the  present  generation  contend  with 
conditions  materially  different  fi'om  those  con- 
fronting the  medical  men  of  an  earlier  period. 
Hospitals,  specialists  and  sundry  faith  cures 
have  combined  to  alter  the  complexion  of  a 
physician's  i>ractice.  No  longer  does  the  physi- 
cian engage  in  a  practice  before  he  has  obtained 
his  degree,  as  did  his  forefathers  in  the  medical 
world.  By  the  time  the  modern  physician  has 
secured  his  diploma,  he  is  a  thoroughly  expe- 
rienced man,  whose  knowledge  has  come  from 
actual  contact  with  all  kinds  of  diseases  in  his 
hosiiital  work,  and  he  is  more  comi^etent  to 
handle  his  cases  than  was  his  preceptor  after 
years  spent  in  general  practice.  One  of  the 
physicians  and  surgeons  of  Du  Page  County  who 
has  made  his  name  well  known  to  the  people  of 
Naperville  and  vicinity,  is  Dr.  E.  Grant  Simj)- 
son.  who  has  been  practicing  here  since  1892.  He 
was  born  iu  Grant  City,  Mo.,  October  21,  186."), 
being  a  son  of  Joseph  and  Martha  (Dearon) 
Simpson. 

Dr.  Simpson  obtained  his  literary  training  in 
the  public  schools  of  his  native  city  and  at  the 
Northwestern  College  of  Stanberry,  Mo.,  follow- 
ing which  he  taught  school  for  two  years.  His 
an;bition.  liowever.  was  to  fit  himself  for  the 
practice  of  medicine,  and  he  entered  Rush  Med- 
ical College  with  that  end  in  view,  continuing  his 


studies  until  he  was  graduated  therefrom  in 
1892.  Immediately  thereafter,  he  located  in 
Naperville.  and  for  the  past  eighteen  years  has 
been  one  of  its  most  honored  and  trusted  physi- 
ciaus.  From  1899  to  190.5,  Dr.  Simpson  was 
Health  Commissioner  of  Naperville,  and  was 
probably  the  best  otflcial  the  city  ever  had  at  the 
head  of  that  important  department.  Ever 
abreast  of  the  advance  made  in  his  profession. 
Dr.  Simpson  keeps  in  close  touch  with  the  Chi- 
cago Medical  Society,  the  Du  Page  County  Med- 
ical Society,  the  Illinois  State  Medical  Society 
and  the  American  Medical  Association.  For 
years  he  has  held  the  oflSce  of  medical  examiner 
of  almost  all  the  insurance  companies  doing  busi- 
ness in  this  county. 

In  1897.  Dr.  Simpson  married  Miss  Ida  S. 
Nadelhoffer.  daughter  of  William  and  Mary 
Nadelhoffer,  who  came  here  from  Germany  in 
184.5.  An  extended  sketch  of  them  is  found  else- 
where in  this  work.  Fully  imbued  with  the  im- 
portance and  dignity  of  his  calling,  Dr.  Simp- 
sou  has  advanced  steadily  and  rapidly  and  con- 
trols a  very  valuable  practice,  while  he  has  en- 
deared himself  to  countless  grateful  iiatieuts.  A 
progressive  citizen,  Napenille  finds  in  him  a 
faithful  exponent  of  its  best  interests,  while 
socially  he  is  very  popular  being  a  man  who 
makes  and  retains  friends. 

SLOCUiVr,  Robert  Stanton,  deceased,  who  died 
at  his  home  iu  Hinsdale,  111.,  February  8,  1895, 
was  a  native  of  Shannock  Mills,  R.  I.,  born 
May  2-1.  1818,  and  a  descendant  of  some  of  the 
first  families  of  New  England.  His  father, 
Samuel  Slocum,  became  well  known  through- 
out the  country  as  the  inventor  of  the  first  ma- 
chine for  making  pins  with  heads,  as  pins  had 
been  previou.sly  made  without  and  the  heads 
made  of  wire  pressed  around  them.  The  ma- 
chine was  taken  by  him  to  London,  England, 
and  there  sold.  Later  he  invented  a  machine 
for  manufacturing  horseshoe  nails,  which  he 
sold  in  Providence,  R.  I.,  for  the  sum  of  $10,000, 
a  large  amount  at  that  time  for  any  machine. 
Samuel  Slocum  married  Susan,  daughter  of 
John  Stanton,  a  soldier  of  the  War  of  1812, 
whose  old  musket  carried  at  that  time  is  now 
in  the  possession  of  Mrs.  Robert  S.  Slocum. 
They  had  three  sons,  namely :  Robert  S.,  Samuel 
D.  and  Col.  John  S.  Samuel  D.  Slocum  is  in 
the  United  States  Custom  House  at  Providence. 
Col.    John    S.    served    in    the    Civil    War,    was 


HISTORY  OF  DU  PAGE  COUNTY. 


1033 


wouuded  at  Bull  Run  aud  died  a  few  days  later. 
A  sword  which  was  presented  to  him  by  his 
fellow-citizens  when  he  went  away  at  the  head 
of  his  regiment,  is  now  in  the  possession  of  Mrs. 
Robert  S.  Slocum. 

The  marriage  of  Robert  S.  Slocum  took  place 
at  Providence,  where  he  was  united  with  Miss 
f?arah.  daughter  of  Hon.  John  H.  Clarke,  United 
States  Senator  from  Rhode  Island  and  a  gradu- 
ate of  Brown  University.  Her  mother,  who  was 
Elizabeth  Boweu,  was  a  daughter  of  Col. 
Ephraim  Boweu,  who  was  Colonel  in  the  war 
ot  1S12.  At  the  time  when  the  English  Ship 
"Gaspee"  came  to  Providence,  Col.  Bowen  col- 
lected a  crew  of  men,  and  with  muffled  oars  ap- 
proached the  ship,  which  lay  at  anchor  in  the 
harboi-,  boarded  it  when  all  on  board  were 
asleep,  and  set  it  afire,  so  that  it  burned  to  the 
water's  edge,  and  it  was  in  recognition  of  this 
act  of  bravery  that  he  was  given  the  rank  of 
Colonel.  Jiilin  H.  Clarke  of  Providence.  R.  I.. 
was  the  son  of  Dr.  Clarke,  a  physician,  of  Eliza- 
bethtown,  N.  J.,  aud  of  Amy  Hopkins,  daughter 
of  -Vdmiral  Esek  Hopkins,  the  first  Admiral  of 
the  United  States  Navy,  brother  of  Stephen 
Hopkins,  a  signer  of  the  Declaration  of  Inde- 
pendence. 

Mrs.  Sarah  A.  Slocum  is  the  only  survivor  of 
a  family  of  twenty-one  children  and  the  only 
one  who  ever  came  to  Du  Page  County.  She 
and  Robert  S.  Slocum  were  married  in  1845, 
and  he  then  took  charge  of  the  pin  factory  at 
Poughkeepsie.  with  offices  on  Beaver  Street, 
New  York  City,  continuing  in  this  line  for  many 
years,  and  abandoning  it  wheu  the  machinery 
was  sold.  Then  l)eing  a  friend  of  Governor 
Sprague.  of  Rhode  Island,  and  the  son-in-law 
of  Senator  Clai'ke,  he  secured  a  good  position  at 
the  New  York  Custom  House.  However,  a 
few  years  later  his  attention  was  directed  to 
opportunities  for  investment  and  progress  in 
the  West  and  he  came  to  Illinois,  and  opened  a 
general  merchandise  store  at  Hinsdale,  where  be 
also  became  postmaster.  He  secured  the  resi- 
dence which  has  been  the  family  home  since,  in 
ISSl. 

Mr.  Slocum  was  a  man  of  intelligence  and  cul- 
ture, possessed  of  many  endearing  qualities,  and 
was  most  highly  respected  by  all.  He  was  a 
devout  member  of  Grace  Episcopal  Church,  one 
of  its  most  influential  workers,  and  a  prime 
mover  in  advancing  its  interests.  He  served 
many  years  as  vestryman.    He  and  his  wife  had 

27 


children  as  follows:  Mrs.  Susan  C.  Shewell, 
living  with  her  mother;  John  Clarke,  a  mechani- 
cal egiueer,  who  married  Miss  Alice  Chant,  and 
they  have  the  following  children:  Robert  S., 
Kenneth  H..  Marinette,  Caryl,  Charles  C. ;  and 
-Vnnie  C,  wife  of  C.  H.  Thayer,  of  Hinsdale,  a 
member  of  the  Chicago  Board  of  Trade,  and 
they  have  one  son,  Robert  H.  Mrs.  Shewell  had 
;i  son,  Frederick  Seymour  Shewell,  now  deceased, 
who  took  a  course  in  the  Michigan  school  of 
Mines,  at  Houghton,  Mich.,  and  became  a  mining 
engineer.  He  married  Miss  Florence  Grace 
Gourdeau,  of  Ishpeming,  Mich.,  and  they  had 
one  daughter,  Sarah  Louise. 

In  youth,  Mrs.  Slocum  was  given  every  oppor- 
tunity for  education  and  she  became  accomplished 
ill  many  ways.  After  her  mother's  death,  her 
father  married  a  Connecticut  lady,  and  the 
family  was  among  the  social  leaders  of  Wash- 
ington society.  She  has  in  her  possession  many 
heirlooms,  among  them  a  chair  which  belonged 
to  her  great-grandfather.  Admiral  Esek  Hop- 
kins, and  a  copy  of  the  "Providence  Gazette,"  of 
October  27,  1798.  She  has  for  many  years  been 
an  active  worker  aud  member  of  Grace  Episco- 
pal Church,  but  is  not  interested  in  women's 
clubs  or  equal  suffrage.  She  is  a  great  reader, 
keeps  abreast  of  the  times,  and  is  an  enter- 
taining conversationalist.  Though  eighty  eight 
years  of  age.  she  is  able  to  read  without  glasses 
and  retains  her  interest  in  all  that  takes  place 
around  her.  She  feels  a  pardonable  pride  in 
her  ancestors  and  their  services  to  their  country 
in  its  times  of  stress  and  storm.  She  has  many 
warm  friends  in  Hinsdale,  who  well  appreciate 
her  many  fine  traits  of  character  and  her  good 
deeds. 

SLUSSER,  Judge  Mazzini,  circuit  judge  of  Du 
Page  county  and  one  of  the  most  able  jurists  of 
northern  Illinois,  was  born  in  Ohio  in  1854.  An 
able  attorney,  soon  after  his  location  in  Whea- 
fon,  he  attracted  attention  by  his  masterly 
handling  of  the  cases  confided  to  his  care,  and 
was  the  natural  candidate  for  the  office  of  state's 
attorney  of  Du  Page  county.  During  his  eight 
years'  incumbency  of  this  important  office,  he 
showed  a  fearlessness  in  dealing  with  criminals, 
and  such  a  thorough  knowledge  of  law,  that 
wheu  Judge  Ruth  retired  to  become  circuit  judge, 
Mr.  Slusser  was  appointed  to  fil!  his  unexpired 
term  of  one  year.  So  successfully  did  he  dis- 
charge the  duties  of  that  office,  that  he  was  re- 


1034 


HISTORY  OF  DU  PAGE  COUNTY. 


elected  to  the  siiue  seat,  Init  when  he  had  served 
hut  two  years,  he  himself  resigned  to  accept  the 
uominatiou  for  circuit  judge,  being  elected  liy  a 
large  majority. 

Judge  Slus.ser  is  known  throughout  Du  Page 
county  as  a  man  of  fearle.ss  honesty,  and  uiiright 
integrity  of  jiurijose,  while  as  a  jurist  his  de- 
cisions generally  stand. 

SMART,  Elisha.  The  Smart  family  was  one 
of  the  earliest  in  L)u  Page  eount.v,  and  its  mem- 
bers have  always  representetl  the  best  interests 
of  any  community  where  they  have  lived.  lu 
18-38  Elisha  Smart  brought  his  wife  and  one 
young  son,  William,  from  Cattaraugus  coimty, 
N.  Y..  to  Illinois,  being  accompanied  h.v  his 
wife's  father.  Josepli  Fell.  He  then  had  no  defi- 
nite location  in  mind,  and  after  lauding  at  Chi- 
cago looked  for  work,  and  was  emplo.ved  liy  Wil- 
liam B,  Ogden,  who  sent  him  to  Du  Page  county 
and  set  him  to  work  making  rails.  The  family 
began  housekeeping  in  a  little  log  house  and  he 
and  his  father-in-  law  made  good  wages  .siilitting 
rails  for  Mr.  Ogden  for  $3  per  hundred,  and  Mr, 
Smart  was  able  to  purchase  land  at  .$2..")0  per 
acre.  Mr.  Fell  also  brought  his  family  the  next 
year,  purchased  a  farm,  and  died  on  it  at  the 
age  of  fifty-four  years.  Mr.  Smart  was  often 
employed  at  teaming  and  hauled  goods  from 
Chicago  for  a  local  merchant,  among  other 
things  supplying  meat  to  builders  of  the  Illinois 
and  Michigan  canal  two  and  a  half  miles  distant. 
He  became  interested  in  various  enterprises  and 
always  prospered,  being  an  energetic  worker  and 
an  excellent  business  manager. 

In  IS.5.3  he  went  overland  to  California  in  com- 
pany with  L.  B.  Cobb  and  other  neighbors,  and 
spent  .seven  years  in  California  working  at  va- 
rious occupations  there,  including  chopping 
wood  and  mining.  He  sent  money  home  for  the 
purchase  of  more  laud  on  which  was  his  last 
residence,  and  returned  home  in  the  spring  of 
18.10.  At  that  time  he  owned  130  acres  of  good 
farm  land  and  spent  the  remainder  of  his  life 
in  farming.  At  one  time  he  was  constable.  He 
died  in  1900  at  the  age  of  eighty-seven  years, 
and  his  wife  died  in  her  seventy-third  year. 
They  had  eight  children  who  lived  to  maturity, 
namely :  Mary,  who  married  George  Price  and 
died  at  the  age  of  sixt.v-five  years ;  Wesley,  who 
served  through  the  Civil  war  and  died  when 
about  forty  years  old;  Caroline  Amelia  who  is 
the  widow  of  Thomas  Leonard  and  lives  in  Chi- 


cago ;  Fanny,  who  married  .Menzo  Gilbert  and 
lives  at  Chicago:  Jerome,  who  is  mentioned  at 
some  length  in  the  succeeding  paragraphs  of 
this  article;  Ihnma  C,  who  is  the  widow  of 
Peter  Warden  and  lives  at  Washington  Heights, 
111. ;  Maria,  who  married  John  Warden :  and 
Josejihiue,  who  is  the  wife  of  Hon.  Martin  P.. 
Madden,  M,  C„  and  lives  in  Chicago. 
■  Jerome  Fell  Smart  was  born  on  the  old  home 
farm  in  Downer's  Grove  township.  September 
lo.  184(j.  and  received  his  early  education  in 
the  public  scliools,  later  attending  college  at 
Plainfield  and  Wheaton.  In  1S8<»,  he  em- 
barked in  a  grocery  business  at  Lemont.  111., 
in  which  his  father  also  had  an  interest,  and 
he  spent  ten  years  in  Chicago,  where  he  had  a 
teaming  business.  In  1804.  he  returned  to  the 
home  farm,  which  he  has  since  made  his  place 
of  residence,  carrying  on  a  general  line  of  farm- 
ing and  having  a  dairy  of  about  twenty  cows. 
He  is  active  in  local  affairs  and  in  political 
principles  believes  in  securing  the  election  of 
the  men  best  fitted  to  fill  an  oiBc-e  of  public 
trust.  A  strong  supporter  of  the  Cass  Metho- 
dist Episcopal  Church,  of  which  his  parents  were 
original  members,  be  is  a  zealous  worker  in  the 
cause. 

On  December  31,  1878,  Jerome  F,  Smart  mar- 
ried Alada  V.  Aide,  of  Elgin,  and  they  became 
parents  of  three  children :  Mabel  Clare,  who 
is  a  teacher  in  the  Chicago  schools ;  E.  M.,  who 
is  a  teacher  in  the  public  schools  of  Kaneville ; 
Leslie  E„  who  is  a  student  in  the  agricultural 
department  of  the  State  University  of  Cliaui- 
paign.  Mr.  Smart  has  prospered  in  his  agricul- 
tural oi)erations  and.  like  his  father,  is  a  man 
of  business  acumen  and  aiiility.  He  has  the 
genuine  respect  of  his  neighbors  and  is  well 
known  throughout  the  township,  where  most  of 
his  life  has  beeu  passed. 

SMILEY,  Charles  E.  The  strength  of  any 
banking  institution  depends  upon  the  men  who 
are  connected  with  it.  If  they  possess  ex- 
perience and  wide  financial  connections,  com- 
bined with  conservative  methods,  the  bank  is 
certain  to  flourish  and  the  interests  of  depositors 
be  protected.  One  of  the  men  who  has  advanced 
the  banking  interests  of  Du  Page  County,  and 
strengthened  the  confidence  of  the  public  in 
them,  is  Charles  E.  Smiley  of  West  Chicago. 
Mr.   Smiley  was  born  in  Orange  County.  X.  T.. 


HISTORY  OF  DU  PAGE  COUNTY. 


1035 


October  12.  1843.  being  a  sou  of  AbraUaiu  and 
Agnes    (Stevenwin)    .Snnley,   fanning  i)eoiile. 

Mr.  Smiley  attended  the  public  schools  of  bis 
neighborhood,  but  his  studies  were  interrupted 
liy  the  outbreali  of  the  Civil  War,  he  enlisting 
in  ISOl,  in  Company  I.  Forty-second  Illinois 
Volunteer  Infantry,  as  a  private.  During  his 
service  lie  )iarticii)ated  in  the  battles  of  Sjiring 
Hill,  Mo..  Stone  Kiver.  Chickaniauga.  Mission- 
ary IJidge.  Dalton.  Resaca.  New  IIoi)e  Ch\irch, 
Ivenesiiw  Mountain,  being  woinided  in  that  en- 
gagement by  a  gun  shot  in  the  knee.  He  had 
been  promoted  to  a  First  Lieutenancy,  and  was 
mustered  out  with  tliat  rank,  in  December, 
ISli.'i.  After  recovering  from  his  wound,  he  re- 
joined his  regiment  at  Atlanta,  in  time  to  be  in 
the  battles  of  Nashville  and  Spring  Hill,  after 
wliich  the  regiment  was  ordered  to  Bull's  Gap, 
Eastern  Tennessee,  Following  the  surrender  of 
General  Lee,  the  Fourth  Corps,  to  which  Mr. 
Smiley  lielonged.  was  sent  to  Texas  where  they 
guarded  the  Rio  Grande  River.  From  there 
they  were  sent  to  the  Texas  coast,  and  were 
mustered  out  on  Jletagorda  Bay,  and  returned 
to  Sjiringtield.  where  they  received  their  honor- 
able discharge, 

Mr.  Smiley  came  to  Illinois  in  18.">S.  settling 
in  Kane  County,  but  in  1891,  he  located  in  Du 
Page  County,  which  has  since  been  his  place  of 
residence  and  the  scene  of  his  operations.  After 
the  war,  Mr.  Smiley  entered  a  drug  store,  con- 
di;cting  it  at  Lodi,  now  Maple  Park,  for  eigh- 
teen years.  He  was  then  elected  treasurer  of 
Kane  County,  serving  the  full  tenn  of  four 
years,  following  which  he  came  to  West  Chi- 
cago, and  established  a  private  bank,  under  the 
firm  caption  of  Newton  &  Smiley.  A  year  later, 
thjs  was  changed  to  the  Bank  of  Chicago, 
private,  Mr.  Smiley  conducted  this  institution 
until  100.5,  when  be  sold  his  Interests,  and  until 
1008,  traveled  extensively,  looking  into  financial 
conditions  in  various  parts  of  the  country.  Re- 
turning to  West  Chicago,  he  became  cashier  of 
the  West  Chicago  State  Bank,  and  in  that  jxisi- 
tion  finds  his  time  fully  occupied  with  the  heavy 
duties   pertaining  to  it. 

The  marriage  of  Mr.  Smiley  and  Emalinc  .\. 
Brown  took  place  January  20,  1860,  at  UmM.  III. 
She  is  a  daughter  of  David  and  Elizabeth 
Brown,  early  settlers  of  Kane  County,  who  spent 
their  lives  engaged  in  farming.  Two  children 
have  Iwen  born  to  Mr.  and  Mrs.  Smiley :  Grace, 
who  married  Harry  Norris ;   and  Clyde  C.  who 


died  when  thirty-three  years  old.  This  bright 
yovuig  man  had  served  as  clerk  of  the  court  at 
Geneva,  111.,  a  year  and  then  entered  the  private 
bank  of  his  father.  He  was  a  member  of  the 
Sous  of  \'eteraus,  the  Loyal  Legion  and  the 
Masonic  fraternity,  and  was  greatly  esteemed 
by  a  wide  circle  who  knew  and  afipreciated  him. 
Mr.  Smiley  is  a  member  of  the  Loyal  Legion 
.nid  is  a  Knight  Templar  and  Shriner.  His 
eminence  in  banking  circles  has  been  attained 
through  sheer  ability,  and  his  |>osition  in  the 
financial   world  is  unquestioned. 

SMITH,  A.  E.  The  wonderful  growth  and 
(leveloiHnent  of  tlie  railroad  systems  of  .Vmerlca 
have  been  attained  through  the  efforts  of  the 
men  associated  with  them.  Their  knowledge 
lit  detail,  comprehension  of  existing  conditions, 
and  ability  to  cope  with  dirticulties  as  they  arise, 
have  resulted  in  an  expansion  and  perfection 
that  even  a  quarter  of  a  century  ago,  would 
have  been  deemed  impossible.  One  of  the  best 
known  of  the  mighty  railroad  corporation,  whose 
equiiimeut  is  unexcelled;  wuich  has  but  re- 
cently erected  at  Chicago  the  finest  terminal 
station  in  the  country  and  whose  name  stands 
for  honesty  of  dealing  and  thoroughness  of 
service,  is  the  Chicago  &  Northwestern  Rail- 
road, One  of  the  men  long  associated  with  its 
workings,  and  one  whose  knowledge  of  its  re- 
quirements is  eminently  thorough,  is  A,  E,  Smith, 
in  the  general  offices  of  this  c-funpany  at  No. 
22()  W.  .Tacksou  boulevard.  Chicago,  who  resides 
at  Wheaton. 

ilr.  Smith  is  a  pro<Iuct  of  Wheaton  and 
Wheaton  College,  and  the  people  here  feel  proud 
of  him,  and  of  his  progress.  Born  here,  he  is  a 
son  of  Charles  and  Helen  Smith,  old  settlers  of 
Du  Page  county,  and  belongs  to  the  Smith 
family,  which  is  so  closely  associated  with  Du 
Page  county  histor,v,  and  his  progress  has  been 
rapid  as  well,  as  well  deserved.  His  birth  <x-- 
turred  in  1850, 

After  finishing  his  literary  education,  Mr. 
Smith  entered  upon  a  railroad  career,  and  his 
success  proves  the  wisdom  of  his  choice. 

In  1802,  Mr,  Smith  was  married  and  has 
three  children :  Allen,  Ralph  and  Mary.  The 
family  attend  the  Cogregational  Church,  towards 
which  Mr.  Smith  is  a  liberal  contributor.  He 
is  a  man  of  keen,  discriminating  character,  able 
and  timely  in  his  actions,  and  lives  up  to  his 
ideas  of  a  good  citizen. 


1036 


HISTORY  OF  DU  PAGE  COUNTY, 


SMITH,  George  Eli,  manager  of  the  lace  depart- 
meut  nf  Marsliall  Fiekl  &  Co.'s  Chicago  wholesale 
house,  is  one  of  the  leading  men  of  Hinsdale, 
residing  at  No.  55  Xo.  Lincoln  avenue,  to  whose 
unselfish  and  public-spirited  efforts  the  village 
owes  much.  He  was  born  at  Hadley,  Mass.,  In 
1S52.  being  a  son  of  Enos  Dickenson  and  Ada- 
line  (Cook)  Smith.  The  father  was  a  farmer 
■who  rounded  out  his  life  in  Massachusetts,  and 
the  rest  of  the  family  have  also  remained  in  the 
east,  George  E.  Smith  being  the  only  one  to 
come  to  Chicago. 

Growing  up  in  Hadley,  Mass.,  Mr.  Smith  had 
the  advantage  of  attending  the  excellent  schools 
of  that  iilace  until  he  was  sixteen  years  old. 
and  during  the  years  he  was  thus  engaged,  he 
also  assisted  his  father  with  the  farm  work. 
At  the  age  of  sixteen  he  entered  a  dry  goods 
establishment,  and  has  been  connected  with  this 
line  of  business  ever  since.  In  1873,  he  entered 
the  employ  of  Marshall  Field  &  Company,  and 
has  been  with  this  house  ever  since,  rising  by 
successive  promotions  to  his  present  position. 

Mr.  Smith  was  united  in  marriage  iu  1S79, 
with  Sarah  Hortou,  daughter  of  Henry  Horton, 
and  they  have  one  daughter.  Adaline  Smith. 
Mr.  Smith  is  an  independent  Republican,  but 
has  been  too  absorbed  in  business  to  accept  pub- 
lic office.  He  was  a  member  of  the  Illinois  State 
Guards  for  three  years,  and  for  one  year  be- 
longed to  Lackey's  Zouaves.  An  enthusiastic 
Mason,  he  has  taken  the  several  degrees  and 
is  now  a  Knight  Templar,  Both  the  Hinsdale 
Golf  and  the  Hinsdale  Clubs  have  received  con- 
siderable attention  from  him,  and  at  present  he 
is  president  of  the  latter.  Mrs.  Smith  is  a 
Unitarian,  and  Mr.  Smith  attends  services  with 
her.  although  not  connected  with  the  organiza- 
tion. His  long  association  with  the  important 
house  with  which  he  is  connected,  has  made 
him  a  very  valuable  man.  and  in  Hinsdale,  he 
is  recognized  as  one  always  in  favor  of  those 
measures  looking  towards  the  general  upbuild- 
ing of  his  community. 

SMITH,  Hiram,  deceased,  whose  personal  history 
is  intimately  connected  with  that  of  Wheatou 
as  he  was  one  of  its  earliest  settlers,  was  for 
many  years  a  responsible  business  man  of  Du 
Page  County.  He  was  born  in  Brownville. 
Jefferson  County,  N.  T.,  JIareh  17,  1S21.  The 
Smith  family  is  an  old  and  honored  one  in  this 
country,   for   the  grandfather  of  Hiram   Snnth. 


Lieutenant  William  Smith,  is  numbered  among 
the  heroes  of  the  Revolutionary  War.  The 
father  of  Hiram  Smith,  John  Smith,  settled  in 
Brownville,  X.  Y..  about  1820,  and  was  a  farmer 
there  for  twenty-eight  years,  but  in  1848,  he 
moved  to  Wisconsin  to  live  near  his  children  in 
comfortable  retirement.  Still  later  he  came  to 
Wheaton,  and  finally  died  at  Pine  Island,  Minn., 
iu  1871.  aged  seveutj--one  year.s.  There  were 
eight  children  iu   his  family. 

Hiram  Smith  was  brought  up  in  the  healthy 
conditions  pertaining  to  an  agricultural  life,  and 
was  educated  in  the  country  schools,  and  a  select 
school,  but  gained  much  information  from  his 
exijeriences  in  life.  As  was  the  case  with  .so 
many  ambitious  young  men  of  his  times.  Hiram 
Smith  became  a  teacher,  later  embarking  iu  a 
mercantile  business,  and  when  he  came  to 
Wheaton.  in  1857.  he  continued  in  that  line  with 
Joseph  Piatt,  his  father-in-law.  Wheaton  con- 
tinued his  home  until  1878,  when  he  went  to 
Pine  Island  to  engage  in  various  lumbering  en- 
terprises, and  was  there  seriously  injured,  so 
that  he  returned  to  Wheaton,  and  there  passed 
away,  on  April  ,S.  1894. 

Mr.  Smith  was  one  of  the  organizers  of  the 
Reiiublican  party  in  Wisconsin,  having  been 
sent  as  a  delegate  to  the  State  convention  in 
18.")4.  that  laid  the  foundations  of  the  present 
orgaiiization.  During  the  war  he  gave  efficient 
service  as  Supervisor  of  the  town  of  Milton. 
111.,  and  acted  as  a  recruiting  officer.  After 
coming  to  Wheaton.  he  was  a  member  of  the 
town  council,  and  occupied  the  same  position  at 
Pine  Island.  His  contributions  and  efforts  as- 
sisted in  the  raising  of  the  requisite  amount  for 
building  Iwth  the  Wheaton  court  house  and  the 
Universalist  Church  here.  A  muiscian  of  some 
note,  he  led  the  choir  of  the  Universalist  Churcli 
for  many  years,  and  gave  the  congregation  rare 
music. 

The  marriage  of  Mr.  Smith  and  Adeline  Piatt 
occurred  in  lS.jO.  She  was  born  at  Lisbon.  St. 
Lawrence  Co..  X.  Y..  being  a  daughter  of 
Joseph  and  Emily  (Bostwick)  Piatt.  The  eight 
children  of  this  marriage  w^ere:  Callie  A.,  Jay 
Piatt.  Emma,  Addie.  Xettie,  Daisy.  Burton  C. 
and  Fred  C.  For  many  years  Mr.  Smith  domi- 
nated the  mercantile  trade  of  Wheaton,  as  well 
as  municipal  affairs,  and  when  be  died  bis  loss 
was  felt  by  many  outside  his  hnmediate  family 
circle,  for  he  was  a  man  who  made  and  retained 
friends.      His    example    of    upright    living   and 


HISTORY  OF  DU  PAGE  COUNTY. 


1037 


])ouest.v  of  purpose  seryeil  to  help  uiliers  besides 
his  sous  who  houor  his  memory  auj  strive  to  be 
worthy  of  their  esteemed  father. 

SMITH,   Jay  Piatt.     The   steady   advancement 
of  souie  uieu  from  mauual  labor  to  emiuenee  iu 
oue  or  other  of  the  learued  professions,  demou- 
strates  that  nothing  Is  Impossible  to  the  sturdy 
American  of  ambition  and  ability.     The  record 
of  Jay  r.  Smith,  attorney-at-law.  with  offices  in 
the  Taeoma  buildinjj.  Chicago,  and  residence  at 
No.   224  Ellis  avenue,   Wheaton,   HI..   ilUistrales 
this  fact  very  clearly,  and  reflects  credit  upon 
him    and   his    work.     Mr.    Smith    was    born    at 
Kagle,  Wis.,  December  22,  1853,  being  the  eldest 
son  of  Hiram  and  Adeline  Ehoda  (Piatt)  Smith. 
When  Mr.  Smith  was  four  years  old.  the  fam- 
ily migrated  to  Wheaton,  111.,  and  here  he  grew 
to  manhood,   first   attending   the  public  schools, 
-  and    later    Wheaton    college,    but    left    the   last 
named  institution  after  two  terms,  to  follow  the 
trade  of  iiaintiug.     For  five  years  he  was  thus 
engaged,  but  he  was  ambitiou.s.  and  in  January, 
1877,  he  secured  employment  in  the  law  office  of 
E.  H.  and  N.  E.  Gary,  of  Chicago,  continuing  with 
this  firm   until   its  dissolution.     Having  proven 
his   usefulness,   however.   Mr.   X.  E.  Gary   took 
him    with    him.   and   Mr.    Smith    remained   with 
this  gentleman  until  his  death,  February  ~i.  lSil4. 
He  was  admitted  to  the  bar,  June  l.j,  1896,  when 
he    began   practicing   for   himself.       Since   that 
time    he    has    been    markedly    successful,    and 
now   controls  a  practice  that  is  very  valuable, 
while  he  has  firmly  established  himself  among 
the  reputable  and  able  lawyers  of  Cook  and  Du 
Page  counties, 

Mr,  Smith  was  married  June  0,  1882,  at 
Wheaton.  III.,  to  Jennie  S.  Kelly.  Two  children 
have  lieen  born  to  them:  Genevieve  Fay  and  Ora 
Irene.  Mr.  Smith's  political  affiliations  are  with 
the  Republican  party,  although  he  has  never  as- 
pired to  political  honors.  He  is  a  member  of  the 
Gentlemen's  Driving  Park  Club  of  Chicago.  In 
addition  to  the  business  of  his  law  practice.  Mr. 
Smith  has  associated  himself  with  the  South 
Chicago  Savings  Bank  and  the  Gary-Wheaton 
Bank  as  director,  and  his  name  gives  added 
strength  to  these  financial  institutions.  Always 
interested  in  educational  matters,  Mr.  Smith 
was  elected  a  member  of  the  Board  of  Educa- 
tion of  Wheaton.  iu  April.  1900.  and  still  holds 
that  office,  giving  to  the  village  the  benefit  of 
his  experience  and  legal  training. 


STACY,  Philo  Warren,  who  has  been  a  resident 
of  Du  I'age  County.  III.,  for  three-quarters  of  a 
century  is  a  pioneer  citizen  of  Glen  Ellyn.  where 
he  is  the  oldest  living  inhabitant,  and  a  member 
of  the  well  Icnown  Stacy  family  of  this  .section. 
The  name  of  Stacy  originates  from  the  French 
name  of  St.  Eustace,  and  has  been  spelled  at  times 
Stacy.  Stace.  Stacie.  Stacey  and  Stasy.  Hugh 
Stacy,  of  Plymouth,  came  in  the  ship  Fortune 
in  1C21,  and  Henry  was  found  at  Marblehead 
in  1048.  There  were  three  officers  of  the  name 
in  the  American  Revolution,  and  seventy  soldiers 
and  sailors  from  Massachusetts  alone.  The 
Stacy  coat-of-arms  is  given  on  page  958  of 
Burke's  Peerage.  On  his  mother's  side,  Mr. 
Stacy  belongs  to  the  well  known  Xew  England 
family  of  Kimball,  which  name  means  Xoble, 
Bold,  and  of  this  name  there  were  eight  officers 
in  the  Revolution, 

Pbilo  Warren  Stacy  was  liorn  near  .Spriiig- 
ville,  Cattaraugus  Comity,  X.  Y.,  January  13, 
1833,  a  son  of  Moses  and  Joan  (Kimball)  Stacy, 
the  former  of  whom  was  a  Minute  Man  of  the 
War  of  1812,  and  was  called  for  service  but 
never  got  into  action.  .loan  Kimball  was  the 
daughter  of  Pelatiah  Kimball,  who  married 
Xaomi  Warren  and  died  January  24,  1S4C,  in 
Ludlow,  Mass..  aged  seventy-eight  years.  He 
bad  a  son  Rufus  Kimball,  who  married  Olive 
Hill,  who  with  two  of  their  children,  and  the 
mother  of  Rufus,  Xaomi  Warren,  all  died  of 
malignant  dysentery  within  fifteu  days  of  each 
other  in  .September,  1848,  the  death  of  Xaomi 
Warren  Kimball  occurring  on  the  Gth  of  that 
month,  when  she  was  in  her  sixty-eighth  year. 
Rufus  Kimball  was  himself  very  sick,  but  re- 
covered and  lived  to  he  an  aged  man. 

Moses  Stacy,  the  father  of  Philo  W..  was  the 
son  of  Moses,  and  was  born  at  Belchertown. 
Mass,,  July  7,  179,5.  His  father  was  a  farmer 
and  Moses  was  brought  up  to  that  occupation, 
and  was  married  in  Ludlow,  Mass,,  March  7. 
1824,  to  Joan  Kimball,  who  was  born  February 
12.  1804.  in  Ashford.  Conn.  Moses  and  Joan 
(Kimball)  Stacy  were  the  parents  of  these  chil- 
dren :  Moses  Kimball,  born  in  Stratton.  Vt., 
February  20,  1827 :  Lucius  Barnett,  born  June 
24.  1831 ;  and  Philo  Warren,  born  January  13, 
1833.  Soon  after  marriage  Moses  Stacy  and  his 
wife  moved  to  Stratton.  Vt,  where  they  lived 
five  years  and  then  went  to  Cattaraugus  County, 
X.  Y.,  where  Mr.  Stacy  bought  between  100  and 


1038 


HISTORY  OF  DU  PAGE  COUNTY. 


200  lure.s  of  lanil.  ami  here  also  speut  about  five 
years.  lu  ],s3.">  he  came  to  Illinois,  making  the 
journey  from  Buffalo  by  lake  iu  a  schooner  to 
Chicago,  arriving  in  the  middle  of  August.  He 
started  from  Chicago  with  a  neighbor  by  the 
name  of  Kedder.  who  had  come  west  with  him. 
with  two  ox  teams  for  Hennepin  where  they  ex- 
pected to  settle,  liut  at  Ottawa  they  found  many 
sick  with  fever  and  chills  and  Mr.  Stacy  turned 
back.  However,  he  stoi)ped  iu  the  neighborhood 
of  Downer's  Grove,  on  his  return,  with  a  man 
named  Aldrich.  who  induced  him  to  look  over 
the  country  before  going  back  to  Xew  York,  and 
this  he  did.  At  Babcock's  Grove,  then  in  Cook 
County,  but  now  iu  Du  Page,  he  found  a  settler 
by  the  name  of  John  D.  Ackerman,  and  .Mr. 
Stacy  decided  to  settle  on  the  northwest  edge 
of  the  grove,  one-quarter  mile  from  Ackerman's 
place  and  Ixiught  a  claim  of  him  for  $200.  this 
being  in  August.  1S3."J.  He  then  moved  his  fam- 
ily from  Downer's  Grove  where  he  had  left  them 
while  prospecting,  and  in  about  two  weeks  had 
a  log  cabin  fit  to  use.  It  was  shingled  with 
basswood  logs  split  iu  half,  the  logs  extending 
the  full  length  of  each  side  of  the  roof  up  and 
down.  Two  of  the  logs  were  placetl  side  and 
side,  the  hollow  side  up.  and  the  third  round 
side  up  between  was  covered  tile  fashion  and  a 
fairly  tight  roof  was,  the  result,  this  being  the 
easiest  and  iiuickest  way  a  roof  could  be  made. 
The  next  year  he  built  a  one  and  one-half  story 
log  house.  12x24  feet  and  later  built  a  lean-to, 
and  in  1.S40.  he  built  a  frame  house  28x,32.  two 
stories  and  wing.  20x40.  This  was  a  large  house 
for  those  days  and  is  still  in  a  good  state  of 
re]iair.  In  early  days  Jlr.  Stacy  operated  a  sort 
of  tavern  for  the  landseekers  and  travelers, 
charging  them  fifty  cents  for  supper,  lodging  and 
breakfast,  and  two  horses  to  hay,  and  he  con- 
tinued to  charge  these  prices  for  years.  He  en- 
tered one-half  section  of  land,  paying  .$1.2."i  an 
acre  for  it.  this  being  secured  between  18.S.")  and 
1844.  and  during  the  latter  year  it  came  into  the 
market,  the  land  in  this  section  not  having  been 
surve.ved  until  about  1840.  He  later  bought 
more  land  and  at  the  time  of  his  death,  he  had 
about  .300  acres.  In  the  early  days  most  of  the 
people  manufactured  almost  everything  they 
used  themselves,  such  a  simple  staple  article  as 
sugar  being  taken  from  the  maple  trees.  Drov- 
ers from  the  West  used  to  stop  at  Jlr.  Stacy's 
tavern  which  had  a  reputation  for  hospitality, 
his  land  was  well  fenced,   his  cattle  were  well 


kept  and  he  was  known  far  and  near  as  one  of 
the  township's  good  citizens.  At  that  time  the 
cotmtry  was  Init  thinly  settled.  Chicago  then  hav- 
ing a  population  of  but  3.20.5.  and  it  being  five 
miles  from  Mr.  Stacy's  to  the  nearest  settle- 
ment. Jleachem's  Grove.  There  was  no  settle- 
ment at  Wheaton ;  Xaperville  was  just  being 
settled  and  Hobson's  mill,  two  miles  from  Xajjer- 
ville.  was  the  nearest  grist-mill,  the  farmers 
using  it  for  miles  around.  Mr.  Stacy  a.«sisted  iu 
organizing  the  county  aud  developing  the  town- 
ship into  school  districts.  Both  he  and  his  wfe 
were  early  Methodists  aud  their  house  was  the 
home  of  the  early  itinerant  Methodist  preachers, 
circuit  rider.s.  founders  of  Methodism  iu  Illinois. 
The  early  meetings  were  held  in  the  log  cabins, 
the  schoolhouses.  and  wherever  place  could  be 
found,  aud  the  first  church  at  Stacy's  Corners 
was  that  of  the  Baptist  denomination  which 
now  stands  ou  North  Railroad  street  and  is  used 
as  a  flat  building,  although  it  was  for  some  time 
known  as  Saunders"  Hall.  Kimball  Stac.v.  son 
of  Moses,  was  one  of  the  original  church  trustees, 
and  was  one  of  the  active  members  of  the  build- 
ing committee,  but  died  in  his  youth,  when  but 
tweuty-two  years  of  age.  May  o.  1849.  His  was 
the  first  funeral  service  held  in  the  church. 
Moses  ."^tacy  was  an  old  Line  Whig  and  later  a 
I!e|iublican  and  voted  for  Johu  C.  Fremont,  the 
first  Republican  presidential  candidate.  His 
death  occurred  when  he  was  within  a  few  days 
of  seventy-five  years  of  age,  on  June  15.  1870. 

Philo  W.  Stacy  was  two  and  one-half  years 
old-  when  brought  to  Illinois  by  his  parents,  and 
he  attended  a  log  schoolhouse  situated  near  the 
east  end  of  the  lake  at  Glen  Ellyn.  this  being 
the  first  log  schoolhouse  in  this  part  of  Du  Page 
County,  and  was  presided  over  by  Harriet  .lanes. 
Before  this  time  school  had  been  held  in  the  farm 
houses  of  the  section.  Mr.  Stacy  attended  school 
until  he  was  about  nineteen  years  of  age.  dur- 
ing winters,  and  when  he  was  thirteen  years 
old.  he  spent  eighteen  months  in  educational 
training  at  St.  Charles.  From  the  time  he  was 
about  se^■enteen  years  of  age.  for  about  four  or 
five  years,  he  had  a  spell  of  ill  health,  lint  as- 
si.sted  his  father  in  the  work  of  the  farm, 
eventually  going  east  with  E.  S.  Kelly,  a  friend, 
locating  at  Rutland.  Vt..  having  first  entered 
Troy  Academy,  at  Troy,  Vt..  but  after  a  short 
time  was  obliged  to  leave  on  account  of  sick- 
ness. Later,  he  attended  school  at  Ludlow,  Vt., 
and  for  a   time  the  Black  River  Academy,  and 


HISTORY  OF  DU  PAGE  COUNTY. 


1039 


while  east,  iu  the  fall  of  ISoO.  he  visited  his 
relatives  in  that  part  of  the  country.  While 
there  he  purchased  a  Black  Hawk  stallion,  in 
company  with  two  otiiers,  and  also  fifty  Merino 
sheep,  and  these  he  drove  through  from  Rutland. 
Vt..  to  Buffalo,  and  shipjied  them  by  lioat  to  Chi- 
cago. He  received  twelve  head  of  sheep  for  his 
share  and  kept  this  breed  of  sheep  for  many 
.years,  having  at  one  time  a  valuable  herd  of 
317,  and  these  he  sold  at  5-9.00  per  head,  a  total 
of  over  .f2.700.  He  also  bred  horses  from  his 
stallion. 

On  February  22.  lS-"i.'!.  in  Bloomingdale,  Du 
Page  County.  111..  Mr.  Stacy  was  married  to 
Betsy  D.  Taylor,  who  was  born  in  Tioga  Count.v, 
X.  Y..  .May  L!0.  1834.  daughter  of  Rev.  Philander 
and  Thankful  (Manning)  Taylor.  The  Taylors 
were  from  Vei'mont  and  the  JIannings  from 
Tioga  County,  X.  Y.  Rev.  V.  Taylor  was  a  Bap- 
tist minister  who  came  to  Illinois  about  1844 
and  fir.'it  settled  in  Kendall  County.  In  about 
lS4(j.  he  located  in  Babcock's  Orove  and 
preached  in  the  old  Baptist  Church  for  several 
years.  His  children  were:  Philander,  who  died 
in  18Sr.,  in  Cliieago:  .Vlfred  W.,  Thankful  L., 
Betsy  D..  Sarah  and  ^^^lOllbury  M.  Rev.  Taylor 
died  in  Ottawa.  111. 

Philo  W.  Stacy  was  given  si.\ty-two  acres  of 
land  by  his  father,  and  traded  and  bought  more 
land  until  he  owned  200  acres.  The  first  three 
years  after  his  marriage,  he  lived  with  his  father 
and  then  settled  on  his  own  land,  and  eventually 
became  a  prosperous  farmer  and  stockraiser. 
buying  land  until  he  owned  over  500  acres.  In 
1802  lie  disiiosed  of  his  holdings  and  built  a  two- 
story  house  in  Glen  Ellyu  at  a  cost  of  $10,000, 
and  located  in  his  ]iresent  home  in  the  suburb  in 
Au.gust,   1803. 

In  IS.Id.  Mr.  Stacy  cast  his  first  vote  for  John 
C.  Fremont  and  later  voted  for  Lincoln,  and 
since  that  time  has  alwa.vs  cast  his  vote  for  the 
Republican  candidate.  In  1857.  he  was  elected 
constalile  and  held  that  office  five  years.  Dur- 
ing the  financial  panic  of  1837-8-0  he  did  a  large 
amount  of  business  throughout  the  county.  He 
has  served  as  Deputy  Sheriff,  and  as  Jiistice  of 
the  Peace ;  was  Road  Commissioner  for  nine 
years;  Street  Commissioner  in  Glen  Ellyn  for  two 
.rears  ;  Township  Assessor  four  years.  Collector 
two  years  and  .School  Director  for  a  long  period. 
Mr.  Stacy  was  one  of  the  promoters  of  the  Du 
Page  County  .\gricultural  Society  and  has 
sei-\ed  as  iiresident.  vice-president,  second  treas- 


urer and  committeeman.  He  was  one  of  the 
promoters  of  Modern  Glen  Ellyn  and  active  in 
the  improvement  of  the  lake.  Mr.  Stacy  has  a 
Civil  War  record,  having  enlisted  at  Dauby 
(now  Glen  Ellyn)  .May  20,  18(54,  as  a  private 
of  Company  II.  One  Hundred  and  Forty-flrst 
Regiment.  Illinois  Volunteer  Infantr.v.  for  100 
days,  and  was  promoted  to  be  second  corporal. 
He  served  150  days  doing  guard  duty  and  was 
honorably  discharged  at  Chicago  in  1864.  Mr. 
and  Mrs.  Stacy  were  members  of  the  Baptist 
Church,  in  which  he  was  a  trustee,  and  in  the 
faith  of  which  Mrs.  Stacy  died  September  Ifith, 
1004. 

Mr.  and  .Mrs.  Stacy  were  the  parents  of  three 
children :  Carrie  A..  Iioru  May  21.  18.50,  a  mem- 
I  er  of  the  Wheaton  Baptist  Church;  Warren 
A.,  born  October  15.  1857,  died  at  the  a,?e  of 
fifteen  .years,  iu  1871 ;  and  Fannie  M„  born  July 
20,  1S(S4,  died  when  twenty -six  years  of  age. 

STAHMER,  Paul  D.,  a  well-known  Cerman- 
.American  citizen  of  Addison,  111.,  is  very  suc- 
cessful as  an  apiarist,  and  is  prominently  identi- 
fied with  the  various  German  Lutheran  organi- 
zations of  his  township  and  count.v.  He  was 
born  in  Holstein.  Germany,  November  28,  1845, 
a  son  of  Jacob  and  Caroline  (Kohn)  Stahmer. 
Mr.  Stahmer  was  educated  in  the  public  schools 
of  his  native  place  and  later  attended  a  college 
where  he  was  prepared  for  missionary  work  in 
.Vfrica.  However,  on  account  of  various  condi- 
tions he  gave  up  the  career  he  had  chosen,  and 
coming  to  America,  located  in  Addison,  IU. 
Four  months  later,  he  went  to  Davenport,  Iowa, 
where  he  purchased  one  acre  of  laud,  erected  a 
house  and  engaged  in  raising  bees  and  growing 
fruit.  He  remained  there  twenty-four  years, 
diu-ing  which  time  he  served  as  deacon  in  the 
cliurch,  and  was  active  in  religious  work.  He 
then  received  a  call  to  the  office  of  .steward  of 
the  seminary  at  Addison,  and  returning  in  1891, 
held  his  iwsitiou  at  that  institution  fourteen 
years.  Iu  1905,  he  purchased  his  present  place, 
erected  a  comfortable  house  and  again  engaged 
in  raising  bees.  He  has  twenty-two  colonies  of 
them  and  they  keep  him  fully  occupied  and  fur- 
nish a  good  income.  He  is  interested  in  all  the 
good  causes  that  come  to  his  notice  and  is  active 
in  religious  work,  being  for  the  past  nine  years 
treasurer  of  the  Orphan  Asylum. 

Mr.  Stahmer  has  been  twice  married,  (first) 
iu  Europe,  iu  December,   1806,   to  Mary   Spring- 


1040 


HISTORY  OF  DU  PAGE  COUNTY. 


hoin.  (lauiihtei-  of  Ileni-y  .Siiringhoiu  and  wife. 
aud  nine  chiklreu  were  born  to  them,  of  whom 
SIX  are  now  living :  Louisa,  widow  of  Henry 
Bockhaus,  a  teacher  in  the  Lutheran  College, 
has  five  children  and  lives  in  a  house  next  her 
father ;  Augusta.  Mrs.  August  Weise,  of  Iowa ; 
Gustaf.  a  teacher  in  the  Lutheran  school  at 
Holton,  111.;  Martin,  a  florist  of  Park  Ridge, 
111.,  is  au  extensive  mushroom  grower ; 
Julius,  a  steward  in  the  seminary  at  Addi- 
tion :  Otto,  a  teacher  living  in  Elmhurst ; 
^Yalter  died  at  the  age  of  twenty-one  months ; 
Rudolph  died  at  the  age  of  thirty-six  hours ; 
Mary,  Mrs.  Kaspar,  a  teacher  in  Texas,  died 
there  in  July,  1000,  at  the  age  of  twenty-five 
years.  Mrs.  Stahnier  died  April  12,  1909,  aged 
sixty-six  years.  Mr.  .Stabmer  married  (second) 
November  24.  1910,  Mrs.  Catherine  (Haver- 
kamp)  Fiene,  daughter  of  Fritz  and  Emma 
(Helmers)  Haverkamp,  and  widow  of  Edward 
Fiene,  who  died  January  10,  190S.  By  her 
former  marriage  she  had  one  child,  Emma,  who 
died  March  2,  1S9S,  aged  four  and  one-half 
years, 

STANCE,  Albert,  a  retired  citizen  of  Elmhurst, 
111.,  is  a  native  of  Prussia,  Germany,  born  Sep- 
tember S,  l.*34,  son  of  Frederick  and  Caroline 
Stange,  who  spent  their  entire  lives  in  that 
country.  He  was  educated  in  his  native  coun- 
try, there  learned  the  trade  of  a  millwright, 
and  when  nineteen  years  of  age  came  to  Amer- 
ica, landing  at  New  York,  from  whence  he  went 
to  Connecticut,  but  soon  returned  to  New  York. 
After  leaving  home,  he  worked  at  various  occu- 
pations, being  ready  to  accept  any  honest  work 
which  would  help  him  make  his  way  in  the 
world,  and  in  this  manner  he  has  been  able  to 
v;in  financial  success,  making  the  most  of  each 
opportunity  offered.  He  had  spent  but  a  year 
or  so  in  America  before  he  came  west  to  Du 
Page  County,  where  his  first  employment  was 
section  work  for  the  Chicago  &  Northwestern 
Railway  Company  in  York  Township.  A  year 
later  he  went  to  Shelby  County,  followed  farm- 
ing there  until  1.SG.5,  then,  for  four  years,  carried 
on  the  same  line  of  work,  in  Will  County.  In 
1S69,  Mr.  Stange  returned  to  Du  Page  County 
and  for  one  year  carried  on  farming  there,  after 
which  he  spent  one  year  in  the  lumber  and 
coal  business.  He  then  bought  the  interests  of 
the  partner  of  A.  S.  Brownell,  and  this  partner- 
ship   continued    until    ISSS,    when    Mr.    Stange 


bought  out  Mr.  Brownell's  interests  and  con- 
tinued this  business  alone  until  1S93.  when  he 
sold  and  retired  from  active  life.  This  business 
was  in  the  line  of  coal,  feed  and  lumber,  aud 
in  it  Mr.  Stange  won  gratifying  success.  He 
erected  a  nice  home  at  lo.")  Addison  Avenue, 
Elmhurst,  and  has  occupied  it  a  number  of 
years. 

Mr.  .Stange  was  married  iu  the  town  of  Addi- 
son to  Dorothy  Bormanu,  daughter  of  Herman 
and  Catharine  (Burdorf)  Bormann.  and  they 
had  three  children  :  Carrie,  Mary  and  Otto  H., 
engaged  in  real  estate  business  at  Elmhurst. 
Otto  II.  Stange  married  Bertha,  daughter  of 
Martin  and  Mary  Laude,  and  they  reside  at  Elm- 
hurst and  have  an  adopted  sou,  Clinton,  Mary 
married  Frank  Remmer  aud  they  have  one 
daughter,  Irene,  who  makes  her  home  with  her 
grandfather.    Mrs.  Stange  died  October  8,  1909. 

Mr.  Stange  has  many  friends  among  the  older 
residents  of  the  county  and  is  highly  esteemed 
by  all  who  know  him.  as  a  reliable,  public- 
spirited  citizen  and  a  man  of  honesty  aud  in- 
tegrity in  all  his  dealings.  He  is  a  member  of 
the  Evangelical  Church  and  .served  a  year  as 
clerk,  after  the  church  was  erected.  In  early 
life,  he  was  a  Republican,  but  for  many  years 
past  has  been  independent  of  party  athliations 
and  votes  for  men  and  measures  he  considers 
will  best  advance  the  general  welfare  aud  pros- 
perity. 

STANLEY,  Emerson  Otis.  The  Stanley  family 
history  is  very  interesting  aud  as  follows  :  The 
Stanleys  are  of  Saxon  origin,  and  far  antedate 
the  coming  to  England  of  William  the  Conqueror. 
They  originated  in  the  County  of  Statford,  Eng- 
land, where  in  very  ancient  times  there  was  au 
old  Saxon  manor  called  Stanley,  the  name  com- 
pounded of  stone  and  leah  or  ley  (modern,  lea), 
meaning  a  stony  meadow  or  field. 

At  the  time  of  the  Norman  conquest,  this  es- 
tate belonged  to  Sir  Henry  de  Stanley.  Among 
the  Norman  knights  who  accompanied  William 
to  England  in  lOCC,  were  Adam  de  Alditheley 
aud  his  two  sons  Lydulph  and  Adam.  They  re- 
ceived, as  did  others  of  William's  associates, 
large  possessions  from  the  conquered  lands  as 
a  reward  for  their  ser\ices.  Lydulph.  the  elder 
son,  had  Adam,  and  Adam  the  younger,  had  a 
son  William.  Those  two  young  Normans.  Adam 
aud  William,  both  married  wives  of  the  Saxon 
f.'imily  De  Stanley.     From  those  two  marriages. 


HISTORY  OF  DU  PAGE  COUNTY. 


1041 


there  are  several  lines  of  the  noble  English  lionse 
of  Stanley,  one  of  the  most  prominent  is  the 
Derby  I^ine,  the  t'amons  earls  of  Derby  belong- 
ing to  it.  There  are  sevei'al  coats  of  arms  in 
the  different  branches  of  the  family.  The  motto 
is :   "Sans  changes."  without  changing. 

The  American  families  of  the  name  are  snp- 
pcsed  to  have  descended  from  younger  brothers 
of  the  famous  English  families.  The  younger 
brothers  in  England  are  not  suiiposed  to  have 
any  pedigree,  and  no  title  to  real  estate.  There 
v.-ere  three  brothers,  and  possibly  a  sister,  who 
came  as  original  immigrants  to  America.  It  is 
believed  they  all  came  on  the  same  ship,  about 
May  14th  or  ICth,  1034,  and  had  a  prosiierous 
voyage.  It  is  furthermore  believed  that  the 
Stanleys  came  from  County  Kent,  England,  hav- 
ing descended  from  a  younger  son  of  a  family  of 
County  Lancaster.  The  names  of  the  brothers 
were:  John,  Thomas  and  Timothy,  and  that  of 
the  sister  was  Elizabeth.  John  died  on  the 
voyage.  They  at  first  made  their  home  at  New- 
town, near  Cambridge,  Mass.,  but  removed  with 
the  party  of  Rev.  Hooker,  and  were  among  the 
founders  of  Hartford,  Conn.  The  descendants 
of  those  families  have  been  well  traced  and 
written  out,  as  will  be  found  in  the  Newberry 
I-lbrary  records. 

The  Stanleys  have  spread  from  all  parts  of 
Ntw  England  to  most  of  the  United  States. 
Tliey  rank  among  tlie  best  of  the  old  New  Eng- 
land families,  and  number  among  them  such 
men  as  Major-General  Stanley  of  the  Civil  War. 
They  furnished  soldiers  for  King  Philip's  War. 
and  seven  officers  of  the  Revolutionary  War, 
while  Massachusetts  alone  furnished  seventy- 
eight  .soldiers  and  sailors  of  that  name  for  the 
great  struggle  with  England. 

Emerson  Otis  Stanley  of  Downer's  Grove,  is  a 
son  of  a  pioneer  of  Du  Page  County,  III.,  a  man 
who  has  borne  an  excellent  reputation  all  his 
long  and  useful  life,  De.xter  Stanley.  He  was 
born  in  Taunton,  Mass.,  where  he  was  probably 
ni.arried  to  Nancy  Capron.  He  moved  to  Penn- 
sylvania soon  after  his  marriage,  settling  on  the 
Suscpiehanna.  in  the  county  of  that  name,  on  a 
farm  in  the  woods.  Here  he  cleared  up  a  val- 
uable property,  living  for  some  years,  until  his 
oldest  child  was  about  twenty  years  old.  It  is 
believed  that  all  his  children  were  born  in  Penn- 
sylvania, they  being  as  follows  :  Eveline.  Nancy, 
Dexter,  Capron,  John,  Alden  Shubert,  w-ho  died 
in  1851,  aged  thirty-one  years,  Adelia,  Laban. 
Emerson  Otis  and  Helen  M. 


In  1S35.  Mr.  Stanley  moved  with  his  family 
a  typical  American  one.  by  wagon  to  Illhiois, 
settling  in  Downer's  Grove.  They  left  home 
-May  14,  1835,  camped  out  on  tlie  way  and  ar- 
rived at  their  destination  June  23.  1S.35.  Mr. 
.Stanley  settled  on  20iJ  acres  of  laud  in  Lisle 
Township,  just  west  of  Downer's  Grove,  a  por- 
tion of  it  being  in  timber.  He  entered  his  land 
and  paid  the  government  .$1.25  per  acre  for  it. 
and  upon  it  he  built  a  log  house.  Eventuall.v 
lie  became  a  well-known  pioneer,  who  im- 
pri:i\'ed  his  farm  and  made  it  a  gi>od  home. 
His  death  occurred  at  this  home.  Eebru- 
i\ry  2.  1S49,  aged  about  sixt.v-nine  .vears.  He 
and  his  wife  were  original  mendiers  of  the  first 
Congregational  Church  of  Du  Page  County.  In 
politics  he  was  an  Old  Line  Whig.  .V  plain, 
straightforward  man,  he  gained  and  retained 
the  respect  of  all  who  knew  him.  His  word  was 
recognized  as  good  as  his  bond.  His  widow  sur- 
vived him.  living  to  be  ninety-seven  .vears,  dying 
on  the  homestead,  in  1870.  Two  of  his  sons, 
Capron  and  Laban,  in  the  spring  of  IS.'iO,  went  to 
California,  overland,  and  remained  there  three 
years.  John,  another  son,  married  and  reared  a 
family. 

Einer.son  Otis  Stanley  was  born  in  Hartford 
Township.  Susquehanna  County.  Penn..  August 
S,  1828.  After  the  death  of  his  father,  the  care 
of  the  family  devolved  on  him.  He  had  at- 
tended .school  in  Pennsylvania,  and  learned 
farming  there  as  well.  He  well  recalls  the  in- 
cidents of  the  journey  across  country.  After 
arrival  at  the  new  home,  he  attended  school  in 
a  little  frame  building  which  his  father  erected 
on  a  comer  of  his  farm.  There  was  a  subscrip- 
tion school  held  in  it,  and  each  pioneer  paid 
whatever  he  could  afford.  One  winter  the 
school  \Vas  in  session  but  three  weeks,  as  money 
was  scarce.  The  farmer  could  obtain  but  little 
tor  his  products.  Oats  were  ten  cents  per 
bushel,  and  the  grain  had  to  be  hauled  to  Chi- 
cago and  sold  there.  Pork  brought  three  to  four 
cents  per  pound  for  a  number  of  years,  dressed 
and  delivered  by  wagon  in  the  Chicago  market. 
Mr.  Stanley  had  a  cousin  at  Ottawa,  who  hauled 
pork  to  Cliicago  and  the  expense  of  the  trip  was 
more  than  what  he  received  for  his  load. 

Later  on,  Mr.  Stanley  attended  school  in  the 
west  end  of  the  timber  at  Downer's  Grove.  Of 
course  he  only  went  to  school  during  that  part 
ol  the  winter  when  his  services  were  not  re- 
quired on  the  farm.  When  he  was  eighteen 
vears  old.  he  discontinued  his  attendance  upon 


1041 


HISTORY  OF  UU  PAGE  COUNTY. 


school,  as  his  father  had  died  and  he  had  to 
assume  a  man's  burdens.  He  took  charge  of 
the  farm  for  his  mother,  and  nobly  carried  out 
his  dut.T  towards  her.  Under  his  fostering  care, 
the  farm  was  materiall.v  Improved.  The  primi- 
tive house  was  replaced  by  an  excellent  frame 
one.  and  he  also  put  up  a  good  barn.  The  latter 
was  destroyed  by  fire,  in  1871,  and  he  rebuilt  it 
at  a  cost  of  .$1,000.  improving  upon  the  old  one. 
Receiving  11.3  acres  as  his  share  of  bis  father's 
estate,  he  bought  twenty  acres  more,  and  thus 
had  an  excellent  farm.  Marrying  on  October  10, 
1S62.  in  West  Chicago.  111.,  Mary  Lucinda  Allen, 
he  gained  a  cheerful  helpmate.  She  was  born 
January  20,  1S4.3,  at  Akron,  Ohio,  daughter  of 
Uriah  and  Lucinda  (Haydeu)  Allen.  Mr.  Allen 
was  born  July  14.  1799,  probably  on  the  West- 
ern Reserve,  while  his  wife  was  born  In  Sharon 
Center,  Ohio.  Mr.  Allen  came  of  New  England 
stock.  He  became  a  farmer  in  Medina  County, 
and  later  settled  in  Summit  County,  owning  a 
farm  at  Middlebury,  now  a  part  of  Akron,  Ohio, 
consisting  of  110  acres.  He  and  his  wife  were 
the  parents  of  eight  children,  all  born  in  Ohio. 
The  following  rec-ords  are  taken  from  the  old 
family  bible : 

Dated  IS.3.5 

M.irriages : 

Uriah  Allen  married  I.ucinda  Hayden.  March 
24,  182.5. 

Births : 

Uriah   Allen,  born  July  14,  1799: 
I.ucinda   Hayden,  born  August  24,  1807 ; 

Children : 

Rboda  A..  Ixirn  February  12,  1826; 
Edwin,  liorn  January  2.  1828; 
Hyram,  born  August  9,  1830; 
Harriet,  born  July  14,  1832; 
Uriah,  bom  October  7,  1834 ; 
George,  born  .\pril  6,  1837 ; 
Nelson,  born  April  6,  1841 ; 
Mary  I...  born  January  20,  1843. 

Deaths : 

Lucinda  (Hayden)  Allen,  died  November  10, 
1S70,  in  Sioux  City.  Iowa,  with  her  sou  Nelson 
Allen ; 

Uriah  .\lleu,  Sr..  died  from  effects  of  accident 
of  falling  from  a  wagon.  May  14,  1855 ; 

I'riah  Alien,  infant  child  of  above,  died  Au- 
gust .01,  1830; 


Edwin  Allen,  died  in  California,  August  24, 
18.50.  and  aged  tweut.v-two  years : 

Harriet  (.\llen»  Wheeler  died  on  No\  ember 
19.  1802: 

Nelson  Allen,  died  March  11.  1901; 

Nancy  (Capron)  Stanley  died  April  0,  1887, 
aged  ninet.v-si.x  years,  ten  months  and  six  days. 

After  marriage,  Mr.  and  Mrs.  E.  O.  Stanle.v 
settled  on  the  old  homestead,  but  moved  to 
Downer's  Grove  in  the  spring  of  1893.  He  built 
bis  present  residence  that  same  year.  The  fol- 
lowing family  was  born  to  them :  Adah  May, 
bom  September  9,  1807 :  Lee  Edwin,  born  June 
28.  1877.  both  on  the  farm.  Both  Mr.  and 
Mrs.  Stanley  are  members  of  the  Baptist 
Church,  which  they  joined  in  Downer's  Grove, 
in  1874,  uniting  with  it  together.  In  politic-s.  he 
is  a  Republican,  and  takes  pride  in  the  fact  that 
he  voted  for  John  C.  Fremont  and  Abraham  Lin- 
coln. He  was  a  member  of  the  Downer's 
Grove  Political  Club,  famous  as  the  Plow  Boys, 
marching  with  them  on  their  celebrated  proces- 
sions. On  one  occasion  when  the  organization 
went  to  Wheatou,  Mr.  and  Mrs.  Stanley  (prior 
to  their  marriage)  rode  at  the  head  of  the  pro- 
cession. .She  was  dressed  in  red  and  he  wore 
a  large  red  sash.  The  pioneer  Captain  Rogers 
was  in  command,  and  also  rode  at  the  head, 
accompanied  by  a  Miss  Ring,  who  was  dressed  in 
white.  Since  casting  his  first  vote  for  a  Re- 
publican candidate  Mr.  Stanley  has  been  faith- 
ful in  his  devotion  to  the  party. 

He  and  his  wife  took  pleasure  in  giving  their 
children  a  good  education,  in  the  common  and 
high  schools  of  Downer's  Grove.  The  daughter 
married  Andrew  .\nderson  in  1893,  and  they 
now  reside  at  Columbus.  Neb.  The  one 
daughter  of  this  marriage.  Helen  M..  now  lives 
with  her  grandparents  at  Downer's  Grove.  Lee 
Edwin  is  associated  with  his  father,  in  an  ice 
business  at  La  Grange.  He  married  Marrietta 
Norton  of  La  Porte,  Ind..  and  they  have  one  son, 
Emerson,  and  a  daughter,  Dorothy  J.  Their  resi- 
dence is  at  La  Grange.  Mr.  .Stanley  is  a  much 
respected  resident  of  Downer's  Grove,  and  is 
recognized  as  one  of  the  most  representative 
of  the  pioneers  who  are  left  of  those,  who,  so 
long  ago  braved  the  hardships  of  what  was  then 
considered  western  country-. 

STARK,  Eugene.  The  Stark  family  like  many 
others  of  importance  in  Du  Page  county,  had 
its  origin  in  Germany,  and  the  present  represen- 


HISTORY  OF  DU  PAGE  COUNTY. 


1043 


tatives  possess  luinieTOus  characteristit-s  of  those 
most  excellent  people.  Eugene  Stark,  cement 
manufacturer  of  Wheaton  and  one  of  the  snli- 
stautial  men  of  that  eit.v.  belongs  to  this  famil.v. 
and  was  torn  iu  Bloomingdale  township,  this 
county,  July  3,  1883.  He  is  a  sou  of  Antone 
aud  Mary  (Eckel)  Stark.  The  Stark  family 
came  to  America  in  1804.  becoming  settlers  of 
Du  Page  county.  The  great-grandfather's  name 
was  John  Stark,  aud  his  eldest  son.  Belthaser 
(spelled  Balzar  iu  German)  Stark  was  the  grand- 
father of  Eugene  Stark,  and  father  of  Antone 
Stark.  The  brothers  aud  sisters  of  Belthaser 
Stark  were:  Joseph,  who  is  deceased;  Adam, 
who  is  deceased  ;  John,  who  is  deceased ;  JIartin  : 
Odelia.  who  married  Joseph  Nagel  aud  is  de- 
ceased ;  and  Barbara,  who  is  the  widow  ot  Jolm 
Bush,  and  resides  at  Gleu  EUyu.  Antone  Stark 
eugaged  in  farming  in  Bloonungdale  township 
until  1802.  when  he  moved  to  Wheaton.  to  en- 
gage in  teaming  and  contracting  until  l'.)fl.").  when 
occurred  his  retirement  from  active  business. 
Having  more  time  to  devote  to  civic  affairs,  he 
is  now  aldeiinan. 

Eugene  Stark  has  had  a  (inite  advenlnnms 
life,  for  after  going  through  the  common  scliools 
and  two  terms  at  Wheaton  College,  he  enlisted 
in  the  I'uited  States  Xavy.  as  electrician  in 
IlKXi.  and  was  sent  to  Mare  Island  to  study 
wireless  telegraphy  in  the  naval  electrical  school. 
.Vfter  a  year  he  was  graduated,  and  was  sent  on 
the  transport.  Solace,  to  Houg  Kong.  China,  to 
the  T'.  S.  S.  Helena,  a  gunboat,  to  which  he  was 
assigned,  where  he  was  given  charge  of  the 
wireless  e<piipment.  For  eighteen  mouths  lie 
continued  on  this  boat,  making  trips  between 
Hong  Kong  and  Canada,  and  from  there  to 
Cavite.  r.  I.,  where  the  vessel  went  out  of  com- 
mission, and  Mr.  Stark  was  asslgued  to  the 
cruiser.  Baltimore,  aud  while  on  it  made  a 
cruise  to  Japan  and  various  points  in  the  Orient, 
including  Corea.  The  Baltimore  took  the  U.  S. 
Minister  Rcxkwell.  family  and  staff  to  Pekin. 
China,  aud  then  the  vessel  returned  to  Manila, 
from  whence  it  went  ou  a  cruise  to  Australia 
and  New  Zealand,  returning  to  Manila,  when 
Stark  was  transferred  to  the  U.  S.  S.  Colorado, 
rettu-ning  ou  it  to  the  United  States,  after  an 
absence  of  about  three  and  one-half  years  from 
his  native  laud.  He  served  several  months  more 
than  his  four  year.s'  enlistment,  and  was  in  Ori- 
ental waters  during  the  Paisso- Japanese  war. 
and  up  the  Yangtse  Kiang  river  during  the  great 


famine  in  that  valley.  IJcturning  home  in  Oe- 
tidier.  1!)07,  he  began  manufacturing  cement 
blDiks  f(ir  building  purposes,  and  has  been  more 
than  ordinarily  successful  in  this  line  of  eu- 
deav<u\ 

Jlr.  Stark  was  one  of  the  first  wireless  tele- 
graphers in  llie  rnited  States  service  ou  the 
Pacific  ocean,  and  his  record  in  the  navy  is 
flawless  both  as  a  telegraiilier  and  otticer.  His 
wide  experience  aud  broad  view  of  things  gained 
while  connected  with  the  navy  will  always  be 
of  immense  value  to  him  throughout  his  life.  He 
is  a  member  of  Elgin  Lodge.  B.  P.  O.  E. 

STARK,  Jacob,  a  retired  fanner  who  resides 
in  Xaiierville.  111.,  belongs  to  a  family  that  has 
long  been  prominent  in  Dn  Page  County.  Mr. 
Stark  was  born  in  Lancaster  County.  Pa.,  Octo- 
ber 21.  1S31,  and  is  a  sou  of  William  and  Eliza- 
beth (Koller)  Stark,  both  natives  of  the  same 
county.  Iu  1846,  the  family  came  to  Will 
County.  111.,  where  the  father  bought  land  and 
occupied  it  until  1870,  when  he  moved  to  Plain- 
field  and  sold  his  farm  to  his  sou  Jacob.  Wil- 
liam Stark  lived  iu  I'lainfield  about  eight  .years 
and  then  located  in  Xaiierville  Township,  where 
he  died  in  1903.  and  his  wife  in  1900.  They 
were  parents  of  the  following  children:  Mary, 
deceased  ;  Margaret,  deceased  ;  Enos,  deceased ; 
Ji'cob ;  Susau,  deceased ;  William,  of  Xaperville, 
a  sketch  of  whom  appears  in  this  work ;  Martin, 
of  Waterloo,  Iowa ;  Israel,  of  Abilene,  Kau. 

In  boyhood  Jacob  Stark  attended  the  district 
school,  as  did  his  sisters  and  brothers,  and  was 
reared  to  farm  work.  He  remained  with  his 
liarents  on  the  farm  until  his  marriage.  De- 
cemlier  0,  ISoo,  to  Rebecca  Hartman.  who  was 
born  in  Lancaster  Couut.v,  Pa.,  daughter  of 
Adam  aud  Susan  (Burgart)  Hartman,  of  Penn- 
sylvania, who  located  iu  Naperville  Township 
in  1844.  After  his  marriage,  he  rented  the  home 
t^tim  and  when  his  parents  moved  to  Plaiufield 
he  purchased  it.  operating  same  until  1800.  when 
he  retired  and  moved  to  Xaperville.  He  rented 
out  the  farm,  which  c<mtaineil  220  acres  of  land, 
until  1009.  when  he  sold  it. 

Mr.  Stark  and  wife  became  parents  of  chil- 
dren as  follows:  Henry,  of  Miimeapolis,  Minn,; 
Sarah,  widow  of  Edwiu  Hobert,  lives  with  her 
father :  John  on  the  home  farm ;  Emma,  Mrs. 
Elton  Matter  of  Will  County;  Rebecca,  Mrs. 
Xewton  Matter,  of  Wheaton ;  Adam,  of  Minne- 
apolis, Minn.;  Jacob,  of  Aurora;  Eli,  of  Naper- 


1044 


HISTORY  OF  DU  PAGE  COUNTY. 


ville;  Mahlou,  of  Oklahoma;  Miuuie,  JXrs. 
Charles  Hetche,  of  Naper ville;  Jerry,  of  Water- 
loo, Iowa,  is  the  seventh  ehilcl.  Mrs.  Stark  died 
June  20,  1895.  Mr.  Stark  is  a  member  of  the 
Evangelical  Church  and  an  active  worker  iu  its 
cause,  having  served  as  trustee,  class  leader, 
steward,  and  in  other  ottices.  He  is  a  Republi- 
can in  politics,  and  takes  an  intelligent  interest 
in    public    affairs,    whether    local    or    national. 

STARK,  John  Max,  a  successful  farmer  and 
dairyman  of  Bloomingdale,  Du  Page  county, 
has  spent  most  of  his  life  on  the  farm  he  now 
ow-ns  and  occupies.  He  was  born  in  Bavaria, 
Germany,  July  20,  IS.o.j,  son  of  Joseph  and  Anna 
(Creinus)  Stark,  the  latter  of  whom  died  iu 
1857.  The  father  brought  his  children  to  J>u 
Page  county  in  1801,  and  purchased  120  acres 
of  the  farm  now  owned  l)y  his  son  John  JI.,  iu 
Bloomingdale  township.  After  c-oming  to  Amer- 
ica, Mr.  Stark  married  Mrs.  Maria  Hansing,  who 
by  a  i>revious  marriage  had  a  s<iu  William,  now 
deceased.  By  his  second  marriage  Mr.  Stark  had 
one  .son,  Louis  G.,  of  Chicago.  111.  The  first  wife 
of  Joseph  Stark  was  a  widow  at  the  time  she 
married  him  and  had  two  suns  and  three  daugh- 
ters by  her  lirst  marriage,  namely ;  Caroline, 
Mary,  Charles,  Anna  and  Max.  all  now  deceased. 
Joseph  and  Anna  Stark  had  three  children:  Hat- 
tie,  widow  of  Itudolph  Weliber.  of  Chicago; 
Helena,  Mrs.  Henry  Klineot'en.  also  of  Chicago; 
and  John  Max.     Jlr.  Stark  died  June  2.">.  18!»0. 

John  JI.  Stark  was  educated  in  the  Du  Page 
county  district  schools  and  was  reared  to  farm 
work.  He  bought  out  the  other  heirs  to  the 
home  farm  after  his  father's  death  and  has 
since  carried  on  farming  and  dairying,  having 
about  thirty  cows  of  the  Holstein  breed,  t'pou 
taking  charge  of  the  farm,  he  immediately  set 
about  to  make  extensive  improvements,  jiuttiug 
in  tile,  setting  out  orchards,  drilling  a  deep 
well,  making  additions  to  the  house  and  erect- 
ing wire  fencing  around  the  different  fields. 
In  lOOS,  he  erected  one  of  the  most  sanitary 
modern  barns  in  the  county,  which  well  illus- 
trates his  ix)licy  of  adopting  up-to-date  ideas 
and  methods  in  carrying  on  his  work.  This 
barn  is  30  by  00  feet  and  fifty  feet  high,  and 
is  built  of  concrete  nine  to  eleven  feet  high  in 
the  cow  stalls,  containing  twenty  windows,  the 
entire  floor  being  made  of  concrete.  There  are 
few  similar  in  the  county  and  this  one  is  kept  in 
the  best  of  condition  at  all  times.     He  has  also 


put  up  a  modern  milk  house,  whose  foundation 
and  vats  are  of  concrete  and  it  is  also  fitted  with 
the  latest  conveniences  and  appliances. 

Mr.  Stark  was  married  February  2?,.  1880, 
to  Petra  Benson,  horn  in  Norway  October  2.3, 
ISOM,  daughter  of  John  and  Alvina  Ben.^ou,  who 
caine  to  Chicago  iu  1809.  Mr.  Benson  was  a 
cabinet-maker  by  trade,  who  died  about  1887, 
and  his  wife,  about  1879.  Mrs.  Stark  was  edu- 
cated in  the  Chicago  public  schools  and  a  Catho- 
lic schncil  at  Wheatou.  Children  as  follows  have 
filessed  this  union:  Ilattie.  who  married  Her- 
man I.ublie  and  they  reside  at  Warsaw.  Wis. ; 
Raymond  A.,  and  Joseph  T.,  who  are  both  at 
flume.  Mr.  Stark  is  active  in  public  affairs,  is 
a  Democrat  iu  politics  and  served  two  years  as 
township  collector  and  eight  years  as  school, 
trustee.  Fraternally  he  is  connected  with  the 
Modern  Woodmen  of  America  at  Bloomingdale 
and  the  Catholic  Order  of  Foresters  at  Winfield. 

STARK,  Martin,  deceased.  It  is  no  uncommon 
thing  to  find  fathers  and  their  sous  farming 
together,  the  older  men  giving  of  their  exper- 
ience, the  younger  putting  in  the  enthusiam  of 
youth.  Such  was  the  case  with  JIartin  Stark 
and  his  sons,  who  assisted  him  iu  operating  their 
magnificent  27."'>  acre  farm  in  Bloomingdale  town- 
ship. Mr.  Stark  was  born  in  BUmmingdale 
township.  March  15,  180:5,  so  that  he  is  a  sou 
of  Du  Page  county.  His  parents  were  Adam 
and  Mary  Anna  (Fiedler)  Stark,  born  iu  Ger- 
many. The  paternal  grandiiarents  came  with 
their  children  in  1848,  to  Bloomingdale  town- 
ship, first  settling  at  Glen  Ellyn.  A  few  years 
later,  Adam  Stark  bought  a  half  section  iu 
Bloomingdale  township,  all  of  which  was  un- 
improved prairie  land.  He  began  at  one*  to 
improve  it.  and  lived  upon  the  property  the 
greater  portion  of  his  life,  but  died  at  Engle- 
ton,  in  January.  1904.  Since  his  demise,  his 
venerable  widow  who  has  attained  to  eighty- 
seven  years,  lives  among  her  children.  Adam 
Stark  and  his  wife  had  children  as  follows: 
Barbara,  Mrs.  Williams  Arens  of  Wlayne  town- 
ship: Margaret,  Jlrs.  John  Lies,  who  is  of 
Bloomingdale  township;  Katie.  Mrs.  Louis 
Schulz.  who  is  of  Wheatou.  111.:  JIary.  Mrs. 
Jacoli  Klein,  who  is  of  Wayne  township ;  John 
who  died  at  the  age  of  seventeen  years ;  Laura, 
who  died  in  1900;  Louisa,  who  died  at  the  age 
of    seventeen    years ;    Martin,    who    heads    this 


HISTORY  OF  DU  PAGE  COUNTY. 


1045 


skelrh:  .uul  Soj)liia,  tUe  youugest  cliild  who 
dieil  at  the  age  of  seven  years. 

Martin  Stark  attended  the  district  schools,  and 
reuiahied  with  his  parents  until  twenty-t'i.nr 
years  of  age.  In  1898,  he  bought  160  acres  of 
his  father's  old  homestead,  later  adding  to  it 
the  farm  on  the  west,  consisting  of  115  acres. 
He  also  owned  100  acres  one  mile  north  of  uis 
home,  which  he  rented  until  his  death,  he  and 
his  sons  operating  the  home  property,  milking 
from  twenty  to  forty  cows  of  Holstein  breed, 
and  doing  general  farming.  Since  Mr.  Stark's 
death,  his  widow  operates  the  farm  in  con- 
nection with  her  sons. 

On  June  2,  1887,  Mr.  Stark  was  married  to 
Matilda  Harmeniug,  -who  was  born  in  Chicago, 
April  17.  ISO.",  daughter  of  J.  Henry  and  Dora 
(Thies)  Harmening,  natives  of  Germany.  Mr. 
and  Jlrs.  Stark  became  the  parents  of  the  fol- 
lowing children  :  Martin  T.  H.,  William  H.  and 
Edward  W..  who  are  all  at  home ;  Henry  Felix, 
who  died  in  .June,  1910,  aged  sixteen  years; 
Albert,  who  died  in  infancy;  Alfred,  who  is  at 
home,  and  Tillie,  who  died  at  the  age  of  one 
year.  Mr.  Stark  was  a  Catholic,  belonging  to 
St.  Michael's  Catholic  Church  of  Wheaton.  In 
politics  he  was  a  Democrat.  He  was  a  member 
of  Cloverdale  Lodge.  Modern  Woodmen  of  Amer- 
ica, and  was  a  man  of  determination,  who  al- 
wa.\s  worked  hard,  and  utilized  every  faculty. 
His  success  was  notable  even  in  his  township 
where  well-to-do  farmers  are  the  rule  rather 
than  an  exception.  Mr.  Stark  died  October  12, 
1911,  and  his  death  removed  from  Du  Page 
county  one  of  the  enterprising  and  public-spir- 
ited residents,  who  as  a  father,  husliand  and 
neighbor  stood  high  witli  all  who  knew  him. 

STARK,  'Winiam,  of  one  of  the  older  families  of 
Du  Page  County,  was  born  in  Lancaster  County, 
Pa.,  September  5,  1S33,  a  son  of  William  and 
Elizabeth  (Culler)  Stark,  of  Pennsylvania.  In 
ISIO.  the  family  came  to  Illinois  and  settled  first 
in  Will  County,  near  the  Du  Page  County  line, 
where  they  carried  on  a  farm.  Later  the  par- 
ents moved  to  Xaperville  Township,  in  the  lat- 
ter county,  where  they  died.  They  were  par- 
ents of  nine  children,  of  whom  six  survive: 
Margaret,  widow  of  Reuben  Houser ;  Jacob,  of 
Kaperville :  William ;  Susan,  widow  of  John 
L'mbach,  of  Kankakee,  111.  Mrs.  Houser  lives 
with   her   daughter,    Mrs.    Hyde,   in   Xaperville. 

Mr.  Stark  received  his  education   in  the  dis- 


trict schools  and  was  reared  to  farm  work.  He 
lived  with  his  parents  until  his  niari'iage,  Oc- 
tober 28,  1858,  to  Leah  Taggy,  a  native  of  Ohio 
and  a  daughter  of  Jacob  and  Elizabeth  Taggy, 
both  born  in  Germany.  After  marriage  Mr. 
Stark  moved  to  a  fann  in  Wheatland  Town- 
ship, Will  County,  where  he  owned  some  land, 
and  remained  there  until  ISOG,  then  purchased 
the  nice  home  in  Xaperville  that  he  still  oc- 
cupies. He  has  retired  from  active  life  and 
rents  his  farm,  ha\ing  been  an  active  and  In- 
dustrious farmer  highly  respected  wherever  he 
has  lived,  as  an  upright,  reliable  citizen.  He  is 
a  Republican  in  politics  and  is  a  member  of  the 
FJvangelical  Church.  Mrs.  Stark  died  October 
0.  1909,  at  the  age  of  seventy-one  years,  having 
been  a  devoted  wife  and  mother,  and  having 
many  warm  friends. 

Children  as  follows  were  born  to  Mr.  Stark 
and  wife:  Ella  married  Burton  Myers,  an  in- 
surance agent,  whose  home  is  at  Xaperville ; 
Elias,  of  Xaperville;  Hannah,  Mrs.  Elias  Bom- 
berger,  also  of  Xaperville;  Cyrus,  of  Will 
County;  Alice,  Mrs.  D.  E.  Spiecher,  of  Urbana, 
Ind. ;  Mary.  Mrs.  William  Myers,  of  Will 
County ;  Alvin.  on  the  home  farm ;  Levi,  of  Ur- 
bana. Ind.;  Nora,  Mrs.  William  Unger,  of  Xaper- 
ville ;  Edward,  of  Will  County. 

STEARNS,  Zenas  B.,  of  Wayne  Township,  Uu 
Page  county,  has  always  lived  on  the  farm  he 
now  occui)ies,  and  has  spent  his  entire  active 
life  in  farming.  He  was  born  July  10,  lS<i2,  and 
is  a  son  of  Daniel  and  Helen  (Dunham)  Stearns. 
L>aniel  Stearns,  deceased,  formerly  of  Wayne 
township,  was  liorn  in  Vermont,  October  2G, 
1816,  a  son  of  Simeon  and  Irene  (Xewcombe) 
Stearns,  natives  of  Bennington  county,  Vt. 
Daniel  Stearns  came  to  Illinois  about  3840.  lo- 
cated in  Du  Page  county,  and  for  several  years 
worked  as  a  farm  liand  in  summer,  at  a  wage  of 
.^l.'>  per  month  and  in  winter  cut  wood  at  three 
shillings  a  cord.  He  then  purchased  land  from 
the  goverinucnt  and  also  bought  a  pre-empted 
claim  from- a  private  party,  securing  in  all  about 
]40  acres,  in  section  6,  Wayne  township.  He 
made  his  home  on  this  farm  until  his  death,  at 
which  time  he  owned  nearly  200  acres  of  land, 
some  of  it  being  timlierland  in  Kane  countj-. 

In  1848,  Mr.  Stearns  married  Miss  Jane  Dun- 
ham, who  was  born  April  9,  1827,  and  died  Au- 
gust 21,  18.52.  leaving  one  son  William,  born 
.Tanuary   11.   18.50,   died  Xovemlier  0,   ]80:;.     In 


1040 


HISTORY  OF  DU  PAGE  COUNTY. 


1S53,  Mr.  Stearns  iiinrricd  a  sister  of  his  first 
wife.  Ilfloii  Dniiliaiii.  bom  Marcli  2!t.  1S34,  iu 
Cattarau;j;u.s  county.  X.  Y..  ilani;hter  of  Solomon 
and  Ljdia  (IJallard)  Dunham,  natives  of  New 
York.  He  came  to  Illinois  with  liis  famil.v  in 
18.35.  and  tool;  up  land  iu  Kaue  county,  ad- 
Joining  the  line  of  Wayne  town.ship.  Du  Page 
county.  Jlr.  Dunliaui  li\ed  many  years  on  this 
farm,  which  is  now  known  as  Oak  Lawn  Farm, 
and  about  ISoO-.ll,  when  the  railroad  was  built 
through  Wayne,  he  moved  to  that  village,  erected 
and  conducted  the  first  general  store  and  acted 
as  Postmaster,  being  the  first  to  hold  that  oHice 
there.  Later,  he  returned  to  his  farm,  where 
he  died.  He  aud  his  wife  had  eleven  children, 
of  whom  but  two  now  survive :  Mrs.  Stearn.*  aud 
Mrs.  Emma  Carswell,  the  latter  of  Wayne. 

By  his  second  wife  Mr.  Stearns  had  three 
children:  Franklin,  born  February  28,  ISoo. 
living  at  Sycamore,  111.;  Jennie,  wife  of  Xew- 
tou  Smith,  of  Wayne,  born  May  14.  18-58 :  Zenas 
B..  born  .July  10.  I8(i2,  on  the  home  farm. 
Mr.  Stearns  died  June  20.  1894,  and  his  widow 
still    makes   her   home   on   the  farm. 

Zenas  B.  Stearns,  the  only  sou  of  his  mother, 
was  educated  iu  (he  district  schools  and  Elgin 
Academy,  and  has  always  lived  on  the  home 
place,  which  he  aud  his  niotlier  own  together. 
They  have  a  large  <lairy,  milking  about  forty 
cows,  and  for  their  dairy  herd  have  graded 
Holstein-Friesian  cattle.  Like  his  father,  he 
Is  A  Kepuhlican  iu  politics,  but  has  never  held 
otflce  except  that  of  school  director.  He  is 
a  progressive,  enterprising  farmer  and  biisi- 
nesss  man  and  is  meeting  with  the  success  tliat 
follows  industry  and  good  judgnieut.  In  1001 
Mr.  Stearns  married  JIargaret  O'Brien,  Ixirn  in 
St.  Charles  township.  Kane  county.  111..  Sep- 
tember 1.  1S(>(!.  daughter  of  John  and  Mary 
O'Brien,  natives  of  Ireland.  There  are  no 
children  of  this  union. 

STECK,  Calvin,  of  Xapc-rville.  is  one  of  the 
leaders  of  the  temperance  movement  in  Du  Page 
County,  and  is  prominent  iu  various  other  public 
ecterprises.  having  served  sixteen  years  as  vice 
president  of  the  Du  Page  Farmers'  Institute. 
He  has  srient  most  of  his  life  In  the  county, 
being  brought  there  by  his  parents  when  about 
twelve  years  old.  Mr.  Steck  was  born  in  Frank- 
lin County.  Pa..  April  28,  1S53,  a  son  of  Jacob 
and  Susan  (Hawbecker)  Steck,  also  natives  of 
Franklin  County.    His  grandparents  were  Philip 


Steck.  a  native  of  Mar.vlaud.  and  Henry  aud 
Nancy  Hawbecker.  Jacob  Steck  brought  his 
family  to  Du  Page  County  November  1.  lSO.j. 
having  lived  at  Franklin  Grove  siuce  April  of 
tiiat  year.  He  purchased  a  farm  near  Naper- 
ville  aud  there  his  death  occurred  July  17.  1907, 
at  the  age  of  seventy-nine  years.  His  wife  died 
January  16,  1902.  Their  children  were :  Anna, 
widow  of  S.  B.  Oromer,  of  West  Chicago.  111. ; 
Jennie.  Mrs.  J.  N.  Cromer,  of  Chicago ;  Calvin ; 
William,  of  Wheaton ;  Stephen,  of  Aurora;  An- 
drew on  the  home  farm. 

As  a  hoy  Calvin  Steck  attended  district  school 
and  learned  all  kinds  of  farm  work.  When  he 
was  twenty  years  of  age  he  worked  at  farming 
by  the  mouth  for  four  years,  then  rented  land 
and  operated  it  on  his  own  account.  He  married 
Miss  Lovisa  Finch  March  14,  1S7S.  She  was 
born  in  Naperville  Township,  a  daughter  of 
■\^  illiam  and  Margaret  (Simp.son)  Finch,  he  a 
native  of  Saratoga  County.  N.  Y..  aud  his  wife 
of  England.  Her  grandparents  were  Stephen 
aud  Sarah  (Sears)  Finch,  of  New  York,  and 
George  and  Tamar  (Bell)  Simpson,  who  settled 
iu  New  York  State  in  1833.  Mr.  Finch  and  wife 
came  to  Du  Page  County  iu  1S49.  and  purchased 
a  farm  in  Naperville  Township  in  1S.51.  The 
mother  died  March  31,  1875,  aud  the  father 
November  2ii.  1895.  They  were  parents  of  eleven 
children,  namely  :  Lydia,  Mrs.  George  Cromer, 
of  Aurora ;  Orrin  died  in  1906 ;  Filetta,  Mrs. 
Cosier,  widow  of  George  Cosier,  of  Hinsdale, 
III.;  Elzora  died  March  21,  1S75;  Mrs.  Steck; 
Margaret,  Mrs.  D.  W.  Cromer,  of  Aurora ;  Lu- 
ella,  Mrs.  O.  J.  Wright,  who  died  in  1S83 ;  Wil- 
liam died  in  1894;  George,  of  Fullerton.  Neb.; 
Nellie.  Mr.s.  M.  E.  Hollister,  also  of  Fullerton; 
riiny  E.,  of  Aurora.  Mrs.  Steele  was  educated 
in  the  district  schools  and  Naperville  College 
aud  taught  two  years  iu  Naperville  Academy. 
She,  as  well  as  her  husband,  is  interested  in 
temperance  worli  and  is  serving  her  eleventh 
year  as  president  of  the  W.  C.  T.  V.  of  Du 
Page  Count.v.  She  has  been  a  teacher  in  Sunday 
school  for  the  past  twenty-five  years  and  has  the 
high  regard  of  her  pupils.  She  is  a  refined  and 
cultured  woman,  whose  influence  on  the  side  of 
the   riglit    is    strong    and    efficient. 

After  marriage.  Mr.  .Steck  rented  a  farm  uear 
Wheaton  in  Milton  Township,  lived  there  ten 
years,  then  moved  to  the  Finch  homestead  in 
Naperville  Township,  renting  the  farm  until  1896, 
when  he  purcliased  it.     Tliis  place  contained  100 


HISTORY  OP  UU  PAGE  COILXTY. 


1047 


acres  aud  he  made  many  impnivement  on  it, 
can'yins  on  general  farming  and  lieeping  a  large 
dairy,  until  Octolier.  1000,  when  he  retired  aud 
tame  to  Xaperville,  where  he  owus  a  fine  resi- 
dence. He  deals  in  various  lines  of  agricultural 
implements  aud  is  secretary  and  a  stockholder  in 
a  number  of  companies.  He  is  well  regarded  by 
his  fellow-citizens  aud  for  many  years  has  held 
the  office  of  vice-president  of  the  Prohibition 
County  Ceutral  Committee,  and  is  chairman  of 
the  Board  of  Trustees  of  the  First  Congrega- 
tional Cluircb  of  Xaperville.  He  is  lilieral  in  bis 
contributions  to  tlie  cause  of  temperance  and  to 
the  Congregational  Church.  Three  children  were 
born  to  Mr.  Steck  aud  wife,  as  follows :  Charles, 
born  March  24,  ISSl,  of  the  University  of  Chi- 
cago; Edward,  born  October  22,  1S86,  book- 
keeper at  the  First  National  Bank  of  Naper- 
ville;  William,  lioru  April  0.  ISSO.  died  May  0, 
18.S3. 

STEVENS,  John  M.,  who  owns  an  excellent  farm 
in  Wayne  Township,  Du  Page  County,  Is  a 
native  of  Onondaga  Cbunty,  N.  T.,  born  on  No- 
vember 20,  1864,  aud  son  of  De  Volis  W.  aud 
Margaret  A.  (Ha.vden)  Stevens,  both  natives 
of  the  same  county  aud  both  born  in  1S43.  The 
father  enlisted  in  IsOl,  in  a  New  York  Regi- 
nient  of  volunteer  infantry,  and  after  serving 
his  term  of  three  mouths,  re-enlisted  for  three 
years,  .sen-iug  faithfully  until  after  the  Battle 
ot  the  Wilderness,  where  be  was  wounded.  He 
sjjeut  some  time  in  a  hospital,  after  which  he 
received  an  honorable  discharge  on  account  of 
disabilit.v.  In  1S66,  he  brought  bis  family  to 
Illinois  and  purchased  a  farm  in  Kane  County, 
where  he  still  resides.  He  and  his  wife  became 
parents  of  eight  children,  all  of  whom  survive, 
the  oldest  being  John  M. 

As  a  boy,  John  M.  Stevens  attended  the  dis- 
trict school  and  w'orked  on  his  father's  farm, 
completing  his  education  by  attending  Monroe 
Collegiate  Institute,  at  Elbridge,  N.  T..  for  a 
year  aud  a  half,  t'pon  returning  home,  he  be- 
gan working  in  company  with  his  father  on  the 
home  place,  aud  remained  with  his  parents  until 
1887,  when  he  married  aud  rented  a  farm  near 
home.  He  continued  renting  land  until  1002. 
with  the  exception  of  three  years  when  he  lived 
in  Elgin,  then  purchased  100  acres  in  Section 
11  and  forty  acres  in  Section  12  of  Wayne  Town- 
ship, his  home  since  that  time.  He  moved  to 
his  farm   in   March.   1003.  aud  has  since  made 


various  imiirdvements.  He  is  an  energetic  and 
successful  farmer  aud  stands  well  in  the  com- 
munity. I'olitically,  he  is  a  Republican  and 
actively  interested  in  the  welfare  of  his  party. 
I'or  the  past  three  years  lie  has  held  the  oUice 
of  School  Trustee.  Fraternally  he  is  connected 
v.ith  the  Modern  Woodmen  of  America  and  the 
Maccabees. 

January  0.  1887,  Mr.  Stevens  was  married  to 
Sarah  E.  McDiarmid.  liorn  at  Plato.  III..  July 
o.  18(10.  daughter  of  Daniel  and  Janet  (Rus- 
sell) McDiarmid.  Iioth  natives  of  Olasgovv,  Scot- 
land. Her  parents  came  to  Kane  County.  111., 
about  1848,  aud  he  was  an  importer  of  Clydes- 
dale horses.  Mrs.  Stevens  was  the  youngest  of 
their  six  children.  To  Mr.  Stevens  and  wife  one 
daughter  was  born,  Janet  Mildred,  September  1, 
1800.  She  first  attended  the  district  school,  was 
graduated  in  1009  from  the  Wlieaton  High 
School,  and  is  finishing  her  third  term  as  a 
teacher  in  Wayne  Township.  The  family  are 
uiembers  of  the  Baptist  Church. 

STEVENS,  Sidney  P.,  proprietor  of  Oak  Glen, 
one  of  the  most  noted  daii-y  farms  of  Du  I'age 
county,  was  born  near  Dunning.  Pa..  September 
20.  18(13.  son  of  Sidney  P.  aud  Mary  E.  (Por- 
ter) Stevens,  both  natives  of  Penn.-jylvania.  In 
1870.  the  jiarents  moved  to  a  farm  near  Onnilia. 
Neb.,  and  there  the  sou  Sidney  rei-eived  his 
education.  He  worked  on  his  father's  farm  im- 
til  fourteen  or  fifteen  years  of  age.  when  he 
became  a  clerk  in  a  store,  aiul  some  five  yearn 
later  travelled  as  salesman  for  a  c.indy  uuiuu- 
facturer  of  Lincoln,  Neb.  In  1S8(J  he  engaged 
in  a  mercantile  business  in  Lincoln,  handling  re- 
tail groceries,  but  five  years  later  sold  tn  ac- 
cept a  position  as  city  salesman  for  Ueid. 
.Murdoch  &  Company,  of  Chicago.  Ten  years 
later  he  lierame  their  sales  manager  and  in  1000. 
a  director  in  the  company.  In  180:'.  he  moved 
to  Wilmette.  III.,  living  there  until  lIKis,  when 
he  purchased  the  Bartlett  Farm  of  400  acres 
on  sections  2  aud  11.  Wayue  township,  where 
he  erected  a  large  rustic  bungalow,  made  to 
represent  a  log  building,  aud  here  he  has  since 
resided.  The  beauty  of  this  home  has  l)een 
widely  remarked  and  it  is  greatly  adinireil  by 
.-ill  who  have  seeu  it.  It  is  finished  insiile  in 
natural  bard  wood  and  is  equipped  witli  every 
[tossible  luxury  and  convenience. 

Mr.  Stevens  has  two  other  dwellings  on  his 
farm  besides  bis  residence,  and  three  fine  barns. 


1048 


HISTORY  OF  DU  PAGE  COUNTY. 


Two  caili'iiils  of  fence  posts  and  four  miles  of 
railroad  woven  wire  fencing  were  used  in 
ITOperly  fencing  tlie  different  tields  and  divis- 
ions, and  the  place  is  l^ept  iu  the  best  of  order. 
Mr.  .Stevens  has  what  is  considered  by  dairy 
e.xperts  one  of  the  finest  dairy  barns  iu  the 
United  States,  213  feet  long,  36  feet  wide  with 
an  L  e.xtending  80x40  to  the  east  used  entirely 
for  box-stalls  and  for  calves.  Its  side  walls 
are  nine  feet  above  and  four  feet  below  the 
ground.  The  feed  room,  built  above  one  end 
of  the  cow  barn,  is  fourteen  by  eighty-six  feet. 
The  capacity  of  this  building  is  130  cows  in 
stanchions  and  there  are  fifteen-  box  stalls. 
At  one  end  of  the  barn  are  two  silos,  twenty 
feet  in  diameter  and  thirt.v-four  feet  high. 
Six  carloads  of  cement  were,  used  iu  the  con- 
struction of  this  barn  and  the  sand  and  gravel 
were  procured  from  the  farm.  The  liuildings 
are  equipped  with  running  water,  pumi)ed  from 
a  well  six  inches  iu  diameter  and  19(3  feet 
deep,  and  the  entire  place  is  lighted  with  a 
Pitner  gasoline  lighting  plant.  The  barn  is 
equipped  with  .Tames  sanitary  fixtures  and  the 
utmost  care  is  talven  in  keeping  everything 
clean  and  in  order.  The  head  dairyman  is  Ru- 
dolpli  Seholer,  who  is  also,  superintendent  at 
the  present  time.  There  are  one  hundred  milch 
cows  on  the  farm  and  iu  another  building  are 
fifty  head  of  other  cattle.  The  herd  of  seventy- 
two  head  thoroughljred  Holstein-Friesiau 
breed,  is  now  headed  by  the  famous  popular 
Duresa  De  Kol,  Registered  No.  53314.  winner 
in  1908  of  first  prizes  at  the  Xatioual  Dairy 
Show,  the  Tennessee  State  Fair,  the  Ohio 
State  Fair,  the  Indiana  State  Fair,  and  second 
prize  at  the  Keutucljy  State  Fair,  aud  ilr. 
Stevens  has  recently  bought  the  famous  Sir 
Concordia  Wild  Rose  De  Kol  Xo.  70202.  There 
are   thirty-one  head  of  horses  on  the  estate. 

Mr.  Stevens  was  married  iu  1886  at  Blair. 
Neb.,  by  Rev.  Rye  of  the  Presbyterian  Church 
to  Lillie  K.  Cook,  born  in  Harrison  county, 
Iowa,  on  September  21,  1805,  daughter  of  Wes- 
ley and  Deliuda  (Wolcott)  Cook,  natives  of 
Ohio.  She  was  educated  at  Blair,  Neb.  Two 
children  were  born  to  Mr.  and  Mrs.  Stevens. 
Letha.  who  was  born  November  15,  1894.  and 
Pauline,  who  was  horn  January  10,  1898,  both 
at  Wilmette,  111.  Mr.  aud  Mrs.  Stevens  ex- 
pect to  make  their  home  permanently  on  this 
estate  aud  have  taken  an  active  interest  in 
public    affairs    in    the    community,    using    their 


intlueuce  in  securing  a  new  school  building  in 
their  district,  which  is  both  substantial  and 
sanitary.  In  politics  Jlr.  Stevens  is  a  Demo- 
crat, aud  he  is  a  member  of  the  Royal  Ar- 
canum. 

STEWARD,  William  Riley,  a  retired  farmer 
living  at  Naperville,  is  a  native  of  Du  Page 
Township,  Will  County,  111.,  born  December  14, 
1S.35.  He  is  a  son  of  Peter  and  Louisa  (Eddy) 
Steward,  natives  of  Hamburg.  Erie  County,  N. 
V.  His  grandparents  were  Peter  S.  and  Jane 
(Finch)  Steward,  natives  of  New  York,  and 
Aaron  Eddy  and  wife.  Peter  Steward  and  wife 
drove  through  from  New  York  to  Du  Page 
Township,  with  a  covered  wagon,  in  the  fall  of 
lJ-3o,  being  among  the  earliest  white  settlers  of 
the  region.  They  bought  a  farm  near  what 
later  became  Barber's  Corners.  This  was  raw 
prairie  land,  with  no  improvements  whatever, 
and  they  set  to  work  at  once  to  bring  some  of 
it  under  cultivation.  They  lived  on  this  place 
until  1874,  then  moved  to  Naperville,  where  the 
father  died  in  1891,  at  the  age  of  seventy-nine 
years,  and  the  mother  iu  1887,  aged  seventy- 
four  years.  They  were  members  of  the  Metho- 
dist Episcopal  Church. 

Children  as  follows  were  born  to  Peter  and 
Louisa  Steward :  Uretta,  Mrs.  Henry  Hauna- 
ford,  a  widow  living  at  Manistee,  Mich. ;  Malin- 
da  died  in  infancy:  William  R.  Steward;  Eliz- 
abeth, deceased,  was  the  wife  of  Horatio  Hanna- 
ford ;  Peter,  deceased;  Nathan,  of  Aurora,  111.; 
Malinda,  Mr.s.  Charles  George,  of  Aurora ; 
.Sophia,  Mrs.  William  Melenger,  of  Aurora ; 
Henry,  of  Aurora,  is  the  twin  of  Sarah  J., 
who  died  wlien  two  years  old. 

William  Riley  Steward  was  educated  in  the 
public  schools.  After  leaving  school  he  helped 
his  father,  who  conducted  a  general  store  at 
Leland  Station,  LaSalle  County,  until  his  mar- 
riage, October  25,  1864,  when  he  was  united 
with  Cleopatra  Vienna  Gilbert,  a  native  of 
Castile,  N.  Y.  Mrs.  Steward  was  born  July 
26,  1844,  and  is  a  daughter  of  Jledad  P.  and 
Ilanna  (Hill)  Gilbert,  natives  respectively  of 
Manchester  aud  Stratton,  Vt.  She  is  a  graud- 
di'.ughter  of  Jonathan  and  Hannah  (Converse) 
Gi;bert.  aud  Noah  and  Lucretia  Hill,  all  of  Ver- 
mont, Medad  P.  Gilbert  and  wife  came  to 
l>(iwner's  Grove,  111.,  in  1849.  He  was  a  farmer 
aud  veterinary  surgeon  and  died  June  30,  1878. 
His    widow    died    January    9.    1886.      Of    their 


HISTORY  OF  DU  PAGE  COUNTY. 


10-19 


twelve  children  the  only  survivoi-  is  Mrs. 
Steward. 

After  marriage,  Mr.  Steward  and  wife  re- 
sided on  a  farm  at  Barber's  Corners,  Will 
County.  At  first,  he  owned  but  forty  acres,  but 
he  added  to  his  possessions  until  he  had  eighty 
acres  of  laud.  In  1S7S,  he  sold  his  farm  and 
has  since  lived  at  Naperville.  He  has  followed 
the  trade  of  carpenter  for  many  years,  and  has 
been  successful  in  his  various  undertakings,  at 
one  time  owning  considerable  property  in  Naper- 
ville. most  of  which  he  has  now  sold.  After 
leaving  the  farm,  he  oijerated  a  boot  and  shoe 
store  three  years,  and  for  twenty-one  years  after 
marriage,  his  wife  conducted  a  millinery  store 
at  Naperville.  They  are  parents  of  one  daugh- 
ter, Hattie  Jane,  Mrs.  W.  H.  Hill,  of  Pagosa 
Springs,  Col. 

Mr.  Steward  is  a  public-spirited  and  useful 
citizen,  well  known  and  highly  respected.  He 
served  as  Township  Clerk  for  a  time  while  living 
at  Barber's  Corners,  was  Constable  one  term  of 
four  years,  and  for  seven  years  served  as  Justice 
of  the  Peace  at  Naperville.  For  ten  years  he 
Vias  trustee  of  the  cemetery  board,  of  Naper- 
ville. 

STOVER,  Lewis  Charles,  deceased,  for  many 
years  prominent  in  otlicial  life  in  Du  Page 
county,  was  a  soldier  and  civilian,  born  in 
York,  Pa.  He  was  of  German  extraction  on  both 
the  paternal  and  maternal  sides  of  the  .house. 
His  father  was  Joseph,  and  his  mother  Sarah 
(ilyers)  Stover.  They  were  married  in  Penn- 
sylvania, and  came  west  in  their  early  married 
life,  locating  near  Glen  Ellyn.  Du  Page  county, 
Illinois. 

Lewis  C.  Stover  was  a  lad  when  he  came 
west  with  his  parents,  and  later  attended  the 
public  schools.  When  the  Civil  War  came  on. 
he  enlisted  in  the  One  Hundred  and  Fifth  Illi- 
nois Volunteer  Infantry,  and  went  to  the  front. 
After  serving  about  two  years,  he  met  with  an 
accident  that  not  only  necessitated  his  retire- 
ment from  the  service,  but  left  him  a  cripple  for 
life.  He  with  others,  was  on  detail  duty  con- 
ve.ving  jirisoners  from  one  point  to  another, 
when  he  fell  from  the  train,  both  legs  were 
crushed  below  the  knee,  necessitating  amputa- 
tion. He  was  sent  to  the  hospital  where  he 
recovered.  After  leaving  the  hospital.  Mr. 
Stover  was  sent  to  his  home  in  Glen  Ellyn. 
In    spite  of   this   calamity,   his   spirit    was    not 

28 


crushed,  for  he  immediately  set  al>out  to  earn 
his  livelihood.  After  being  fitted  with  arti- 
ficial limbs,  he  walked  for  the  remainder  of 
his  life  with  a  cane,  and  managed  so  well 
that  there  was  scarcely  a  jierceptible  limp. 

For  a  time,  Mr.  Stover  clerked  in  a  store  iu 
Lisle,  and  then  was  elected  treasurer  of  Du 
Page  county,  and  in  this  capacity  faithfully 
served  for  thirteen  years.  Later,  he  Iiecame 
deputy  circuit  clerk,  and  for  many  years  up  to 
lOO;:!.  held  this  office.  After  VJO'A,  he  practically 
retired  from  active  business  life.  Notwithstand- 
ing the  handicap  under  which  he  labored.  Mr 
Stover  was  .;i  successful  man  and  acquired  a 
competency. 

On  November  9,  187G,  Mr.  Sto\er  married 
Mrs.  Jennie  E.  Duraud.  nee  Eggleston,  in 
Wheaton,  where  Mr.  Stover  had  resided  since 
IST-l,  and  where  he  continued  to  make  his 
home  until  his  death.  Mrs.  Stover  had  one 
(laughter  before  mentioned  married  the  Rev. 
time  of  her  second  marriage  was  about  lonr- 
teen  years  old.  There  were  no  children  liorn 
to  the  union  of  Mr.  and  Mrs.  Stover.  The 
daughter  by  her  first  marriage,  who  at  the 
John  Polley  and  to  them  four  children  were 
horn,  and  in  this  connection  must  be  recorded  a 
sad  traged.v.  Mr.  and  Mrs.  Polley  and  three 
of  their  children  were  in  a  .sieigh  returning 
from  evening  services  at  his  church  in  Cary  to 
their  home  in  Algonquin,  when  the  sleigli  was 
struck  by  a  train  belonging  to  the  Great  West- 
ern Railroad,  The  Rev.  and  Mrs.  Polley  and 
their  little  daughter  were,  instantly  killed,  and 
their  two  sons  seriousl.v  injured,  one  of  them 
dying  later  in  a  hospital.  The  other  recovered, 
and  he  with  the  third  son,  who  was  not  in 
the  sleigh  at  the  time  of  the  accident,  became 
the  wards  of  their  grandparents  Mr.  and  Mrs. 
Stover,  and  carefully  educated  by  them.  Jesse 
L.  was  graduated  from  the  Wheaton  high  school 
in  June  1910,  and  Lewis  J.,  in  June,  1911. 
They  are  bright  and  promising  young  men 
whose  future  careers  bid  fair  to  reflect  credit 
on  the  loving  devotion  lavished  on  them  by 
their  grandparents.  Mrs.  Stover,  since  the 
death  of  her  husliand  five  years  ago.  had  de- 
voted herself  exclusively  to  their  training  and 
guidance. 

Jlrs.  Stover  is  a  daughter  of  B.  F.  and  Ange- 
line  (Whitniore)  Eggleston.  natives  of  Albion, 
N.  Y.  and  Middlebury.  Vt.  They  were  married 
in  Jackson.  Jlieh.,  in  April.  1831.  Mr.  Eggles- 
ton died  in  1884,  but  his  widow  survived  until 


1050 


HISTORY  OF  DU  PAGE  COUNTY. 


November  22.  lOll.  when  she  died  at  the  home 
of  her  ilaughter.  Mrs.  \V.  H.  Teetzel  of  Chi- 
cago. 

While  lie  ■sva.s  not  a  member  of  any  religious 
denomination.  Mr.  Stover  was  actively  inter- 
ested in  the  WTieatou  Baptist  Church  to  which 
his  wife  belongs,  and  was  on  the  committee 
that  built  the  new  church  edifice.  He  was  for 
many  years  and  uji  to  the  time  of  his  death,  a 
trustee  of  tlxe  church.  Fraternally,  he  belonged 
to  the  Masons  and  Odd  Fellows,  while  the 
G.  A.  K.  Post  held  his  membership.  Mr.  Stover 
was  distinguished  for  his  kindliness  of  spirit. 
and  liis  progressiveuess  in  all  matters  of  pub- 
lic and  local  enterprise.  He  had  a  multitude 
of  friends  and  no  man  ranked  higher  as  a  use- 
ful and  respected  citizen  than  he.  Mr.  Stover 
was  stricken  with  paralysis.  June  30,  lOO.j;  and 
was  a  helpless  invalid  from  that  time  until  his 
decease,  December  21,  1905. 

STREUSCHILD,  Otto,  was  Iwrn  in  Addison 
111..  Xovember  14,  18(J8.  He  attended  the  Ger- 
man and  iniblie  schools  during  his  youth,  then 
learned  the  trade  of  harness  maker  from  his 
brother  Cbarles.  who  had  succeeded  his  father 
in  the  work.  The  father,  Philipp,  was  born  in 
Meeklenberg,  (iermany,  and  came  to  America 
when  (juite  young,  locating  in  Chicago.  Here 
he  worked  for  some  time,  then  moved  to  Ad- 
dison, where  he  married  Miss  Louisa  Bock- 
holz.  They  were  the  parents  of  the  following 
children:  Charles  F..  Julius,  and  Liezetta,  de- 
ceased, Otto  and  Mary  (Mrs.  Fred  Schmidt) 
live  in  AVest  Hinsdale.  111.,  and  Jennie  (.Mrs. 
Martin  C.  Ahrens).  in  Bentley.  Mich.  The 
father  died  in  Ma.v.  1878,  at  the  age  of  fifty 
years.  Mrs.  Streuschild  then  married  Christof 
Siggers.  and  moved  to  Proviso.  111.,  where  she 
died  in  1!X)C.  aged  sixty-five  years. 

Otto  Sti'eu.schild  was  married  at  Elmhurst. 
in  February.  189.5.  to  Miss  Caroline  Schmidt,  a 
daughter  of  John  and  Christena  (JIaus) 
Schmidt,  who  is  now  living  in  Utopia,  aged 
seventy-five  years.  They  became  the  parents  of 
three  daughters:  Edna,  born  April  17.  189C.  is 
a  student  in  a  Chicago  millinery  school ;  Laui;a. 
born  February  4,  1900,  is  a  student  in  the  Ger- 
man school :  Elsie,  born  August  S.  1902.  is  also 
studying  in  the  German  school. 

In  1005  Mr.  Streuschild  erected  the  two-story 
building  at  140  S.  York  St..  Elmhurst.  in  which 
he  now  has  his  harness-making  shop.  He  also 
owns  a   comfortable  residence  in   Addison. 


STRUBLER,  Oliver  W.  Some  men  appear  to  he 
fitted  for  public  office,  their  appreciation  of  the 
responsibilities  of  such  positions  being  strong 
enough  to  enable  them  to  give  a  thorough 
service,  and  a  businesslike  administration.  One 
of  the  capable  men  of  Xaperville  whose  life 
has  been  spent  within  its  confines,  and  devoted 
to  its  advancement,  is  Oliver  W.  Strubler  who 
lias  been  honored  by  appointment  and  election 
to  many  important  offices,  and  has  never  been 
found  lacking  in  loyalty  or  ability.  He  was  born 
here.  October  30,  1870,  being  a  .son  of  Philip  and 
Maria   (Mottiuger)    Strubler. 

Philip  Strubler,  whose  parents  came  from 
Alsace,  France,  was  born  in  AVarren.  Pa.,  in 
1832,  and  came  to  Xaperville  with  his  parents 
in  1837.  For  nearly  forty  years  he  was  express 
agent,  and  also  was  engaged  in  mercantile  af- 
fiiirs.  He  served  a  term  as  Sheriff  of  Du  Page 
County,  was  Postmaster  and  held  other  public 
offices.     He  died  in  1910. 

Oliver  W.  Strubler  attended  the  public  schools 
of  Naperville,  and  the  North-Western  College. 
Leaving  the  latter,  he  was  his  father's  assistant 
in  the  express  oflice  for  ten  years.  For  five 
years  he  was  bookkeeper  for  the  lumber  firm 
of  M.  Schwartz  &  Co.  and  its  successor.  Charles 
L.  Schwartz.  In  1804.  he  was  elected  Town 
Clerk,  and  has  been  elected  at  various  times 
since,  now  serving  his  eighth  term.  In  1895.  he 
was  elected  City  Clerk,  and  held  that  office  for 
six  years ;  a  longer  period  of  service  than  that 
of  any  .other  incumbent.  In  1903.  he  was  elected 
Constable,  and  still  holds  that  office,  and  in  the 
same  .vear  was  made  Deputy  Sheriff,  in  which 
office  he  .served  two  appointments.  In  1910,  he 
V.  as  appointed  City  Comptroller  and  City  Col- 
lector, which  responsible  offices  are  now  held  by 
him.  As  City  Comptroller,  he  has  charge  of,  and 
supervision  over,  the  electric  light  plant  and 
water  works  and  sewerage  systems  of  the  city. 
Possessing  in  a  remarkable  degree  just  those 
qualities  which  fit  him  for  the  faithful  discharge 
of  the  duties  resting  upon  him,  Mr.  Strubler  is 
giving  his  people  a  successful  administration  of 
affairs,  and  there  is  no  doubt  but  that  he  will 
be  continued  in  the  public  service.  He  has  been 
a  member  of  the  volunteer  fire  department  for 
over  seventeen  years,  and  has  served  several 
terms  as  president  of  that  organization.  He  is 
now,  and  has  been  for  several  years,  foreman  of 
the  hook  and  ladder  company.  While  much  in- 
terested in  his  work.  Mr.  Strubler  finds  time  to 
attend  to  church  matters  and  is  an  Episcopalian. 


HISTORY  OF  DU  PAGE  COUNTY. 


1051 


STUENKEL,  Carl,  has  spent  most  of  hia 
life  on  the  t'ann  where  he  was  liorn.  a  [mrt 
of  which  he  uow  owus  and  occupies.  Tlie  taiii- 
il.v  of  which  he  is  a  iiiemher  has  lieeu  well 
known  in  Addison  township  for  many  years, 
lieinj;  among  the  very  earliest  pioneers  of  that 
section  of  country.  Mr.  Stuenljel  was  born 
.January  27.  l.ST.l.  and  is  a  son  of  William  and 
.Maria  (IJarthing)  Stuenkel,  who  were  natives 
of  Germany  who  imnii^jrated  to  the  United 
States  at  an  early  day.  They  were  parents  of 
ten  children :  Louisa,  Sophia,  Emma,  Ernst, 
Wilhelm,  Anna,  Amanda,  Martin,  Carl  and 
George,  who  died  in   infancy. 

Mr.  Stuenkel  was  educated  in  the  public  and 
German  schools  and  has  been  a  farmer  since 
old  enough  to  work.  However,  he  secured  an 
interest  in  a  store  at  Elmhurst  in  con;paiiy 
with  his  brother-in-law,  Edward  Ileinamann  but 
two  months  of  this  work  convinced  him  he 
would  prefer  outdoor  life,  so  he  sold  to  his  part- 
ner and  returned  to  the  farm,  where  he  has 
sinc-e  lived.  He  secured  fifty  acres  of  the  home 
farm,  this  part  containing  the  building  which 
had  been  used  by  his  parents,  and  he  does  farm- 
ing and  dairying,  having  fourteen  cows  and 
shipping  about  two  cans  of  milk  per  day.  He 
is  accounted  one  of  the  intelligent,  progressive 
farmers  of  his  comnnniity  and  is  well  regarded 
by  all  who  know  him. 

On  August  28.  1904.  Mr.  Stuenkel  married  Miss 
Meta  Kolwitz,  daughter  of  Chris  and  Frederica 
(Scliultz)  Kolwitz.  She  was  born  in  Addi- 
.son  township.  March  M.  1880.  and  educated  in 
the  German  and  public  schools.  Her  father 
still  resides  in  the  township.  Two  children 
have  been  born  to  Mr.  and  Mrs.  Stuenkel : 
Alvin.  who  was  born  July  (i,  1905,  and  Clara, 
who   was  liorn    December   .30,   1909. 

STUENKEL,  Ernst,  for  several  years  a  mer- 
chant of  Elmhurst,  111.,  has  spent  his  entire  life 
ir.  Du  Page  County,  his  father  having  been  a 
representative  German-American  citizen  who 
developed  and  improved  a  farm  and  helped  in 
the  building  up  of  the  county.  Mr.  Stuenkel  is 
a  son  of  William  and  Mary  (Bartliug)  Stuenkel, 
both  natives  of  Hanover,  Germany.  The  father 
died  on  his  farm  in  ISSl,  after  which  Ernst  re- 
mained with  his  mother  and  carried  on  the 
farm  until  1896.  He  was  born  on  his  father's 
farm  in  Addison  Township,  February  2.3,  1S02, 
and  as  a  boy  attended  the  German  school  one- 


half  day  and  the  public  school  one-half  da.v.  He 
was  reared  to  farm  work  and  was  an  industri- 
ous and  ambitious  youth.  In  1896  he  came  to 
Elmhurst  and  embarked  in  mercantile  business, 
selling  in  1002.  to  his  brother  Martin,  who  still 
conducts  the  business.  He  then  served  four 
years  as  carrier  on  Rural  Delivery  Route  No. 
2  from  Elmhurst.  and  in  this  connection  per- 
formed very  satisfactory  work.  In  1909,  Mr.  ^ 
Stuenkel  was  elected  for  one  year  to  the  olflce 
of  Township  Assessor  and  at  the  end  of  his 
term  was  re-elected  for  a  two-year  term.  He 
has  always  been  most  conscientious  and  pains- 
taking in  his  public  service,  and  has  given  the 
most  careful  attention  to  his  duties. 

On  October  18.  1896,  Jlr.  Stuenkel  married 
Regina  Bucholz.  born  in  Du  Page  County  De- 
cember 10.  1S74,  daughter  of  Fred  H.  and 
Kloise  (Boeske)  Bucholz,  the  former  born  Jan- 
uary 2,  1840.  and  the  latter  November  20,  1S51. 
Her  grandmother  was  one  of  the  earliest  settlers 
of  Addison  Township,  coming  there  before  the 
Indians  had  left  that  region,  Mr.  and  Mrs. 
Bucholz  had  the  following  children  besides  Mrs. 
Stuenkel :  Emma.  Mrs.  Herman  Heinemann, 
ol  Truman.  Minn. ;  Mary,  Mrs.  A.  Y.  Vandrey, 
and  Martha,  of  Minnesota  :  IjOui.se,  Mrs.  Kauke, 
i.f  907  Robey  Street.  Chicago ;  Anna,  at  home  in 
Addison  Township.  Mr.  Stuenkel  and  wife  have 
one  son,  Wilbur,  bom  March  6,  1907.  They  are 
members  of  the  German  Lutheran  Church,  and 
in  politics  he  is  a  Republican. 

STUENKEL,  Fred,  a  farmer  of  Addison  town- 
ship, was  born  in  the  old  log  house  in  Addison 
townshiii  where  his  parents  spent  their  early 
married  lives.  April  7.  1S49.  He  is  a  son  of 
Fred  and  Mary  (Marquardt)  Stuenkel,  and  was 
reared  on  the  farm,  attending  the  ijublic  and 
(ierman  schools  of  the  neighborhood.  Later  he 
went  to  college  at  Fort  Wayne,  where  he  .vas 
lirepared  for  the  ministry-,  although  he  has 
never  followed  that  calling.  However,  he 
has  alwa.vs  been  much  interestetl  in  church  af- 
fairs and  is  an  active  men)ber  of  the  Lutheran 
Church  in  the  vicinity  of  his  home,  of  which 
he  is  now  treasurer  and  for  several  years  was 
chairman.  ' 

After  leaving  college  Mr.  Stuenkel  engaged  in 
a  mercantile  business  in  iiartnership  with  his 
uncle.  Louis  Stuenkel,  and  two  .vears  later 
bought  the  hitter's  interests  continuing  the  busi- 
ness alone  for  seven   years,   when  he  sold,   the 


1052 


HISTORY  OF  DU  PAGE  COUNTY. 


establislimem  haviug  since  been  eonducleO.  by 
Fred  Tieiehler.  Mr.  Stuenkel  then  went  to 
Arlington  Heights  and  opened  a  general  store 
and  creamery,  wbicli  be  condncted  seven  years 
before  he  sold  it.  and  established  a  general 
warehouse  in  the  same  place.  Seven  .vear.s 
later,  be  sold  this  business  to  Sherman  Pate 
and  for  several  years  lived  retired  from  busi- 
ness. He  then  opened  a  grocery  store  in  Chi- 
cago, which  he  sold  to  engage  in  a  commission 
business  on  South  Water  street,  continuing  this 
enteriirise  for  about  nine  months.  For  a  few- 
years  following  he  gave  up  active  business  and 
then  came  to  his  present  farm  of  forty  acres 
on  ilarch  1.  1907  where  he  repaired  and  made 
additions  to  the  various  buildings,  being  engaged 
in  general  farming.  Mr.  Stuenkel  looks  after 
the  work  himself  and  has  every  reason  to  be 
pleased  with  the  results.  He  stands  well  in 
the  conmiunit.\'.  where  he  is  regarded  as  a 
man  of  integrity  and  reliabilit.v.  as  well  as  an  ef- 
ficient public  offlcial  as  he  served  one  year  as 
collector  of  the  township. 

On  January  J.s.  LSTi!.  .Mr.  Stuenkel  married 
Augusta  Krage,  daughter  of  Fred  and  Wilhel- 
mina  (Grauei  Krage.  and  they  have  five  chil- 
dren :  Edward,  who  is  in  a  grocery  business 
in  Highland  Park :  Paul,  who  died  at  the  age 
of  one  year:  Pauline.  Mrs.  Henry  C.  Klehm. 
who  is  of  Arlingt<in  Heights:  Arthur  .7..  M.  D. 
who  is  of  Arlington  Heights :  and  Laura.  Mrs. 
August  Roderman.   who   is   of   Elmhurst. 

STUENKEL,  William,  a  son  of  one  of  the  pio- 
neers of  Addison  township,  Du  Page  county, 
is  a  worthy  representative  of  his  family.  He 
owns  one  of  the  best  farms  of  the  neighbor- 
hood, on  which  he  has  erected  all  the  buildings. 
and  his  land  is  in  a  high  state  of  cultivation. 
Mr.  Stuenkel  was  born  on  the  farm  adjoining 
his  own.  Xovember  21.  1,S<U.  a  son  of  William 
and  Maria  (Bartling)  Stuenkel,  natives  of  Ger- 
many. He  was  reared  to  farm  work  and  edu- 
cated in  the  public  and  German  schools  of  Ad- 
dison. Mr.  Stuenkel  owns  seventy -seven  acres 
of  laud  where  he  carries  on  diversified  farm- 
ing and  has  fifteen  cows,  shipping  about  three 
cans  of  milk  per  day.  He  is  a  member  of  the 
Lutheran  church  and  is  now  holding  the  office 
of  collector  for  the  German  school.  One  of 
the  most  influential  and  substantial  citizens 
of  his  township,  he  has  a  large  number  of 
friends. 


On  July  l-j.  18.SS.  Jlr.  Stuenkel  married  Anna 
Wieck,  a  native  of  Mecklenberg,  Germany,  born 
March  11.  18GC.  daughter  of  Heury  and  Sophia 
(Siggelkow)  Wieck.  .Mrs.  Stuenkel  came  to 
America  in  1872  with  her  parents,  who  located 
in  Cook  county  and  in  1885,  she  came  to  Ad- 
dison township.  Her  father  died  October  23, 
1886,  aged  fifty  years,  but  her  mother,  who 
was  born  February  3,  1841,  lives  at  JIaywood, 
111.  Mr.  Stuenkel  and  wife  have  had  eleven 
children  :  Walter,  who  was  born  May  18.  1889  ; 
Helen,  who  was  born  September  3,  1890 ;  Hulda, 
who  was  born  Jlay  18,  1892 ;  a  child  who  was 
born  December  13,  1893,  died  in  infancy ;  Wil- 
liam, who  was  born  December  29,  189.0 ;  Emma, 
who  was  born  March  19,  1897 ;  Anna,  who  was 
born  April  22,  1899 :  Malinda,  who  was  born 
April  24,  1901 ;  George,  who  was  born  Octoljer 
2(),  1904:  Louisa,  who  was  born  Xovember  23. 
ItKJO,  died  same  day :  and  an  infant  born  life- 
less, March  1.  1909. 

STUENKEL,  WilUam  M.  F.,  a  son  of  Fred  and 
Mary  (Marquardt)  Stuenkel  was  born  in  Addi- 
son township,  April  13,  1851.  He  was  reared  on 
the  farm  and  received  his  early  education  in 
the  German  and  public  schools,  giving  one-half 
day  to  each.  He  was  actively  engaged  in  farm- 
ing until  he  was  twenty-eight  years  old.  then 
l)nilt  a  cheese  factory  near  Lombard,  bought 
another  in  Bloomingdale,  and  operated  l>oth 
for  five  years,  when  he  sold  out  and  returned 
to  the  farm.  Years  later  he  opened  a  hard- 
ware store  in  Chicago,  at  the  corner  of  Chicago 
avenue  and  Robey  street,  remained  in  business 
there  for  four  years,  when  he  disposed  of  the 
place  and  came  back  to  the  farm.  Here  he 
lived  until  bis  death  August  IS,  1906.  He  was 
a  member  of  the  German  church,  in  which  he 
liad  been  an  elder  for  six  years.  He  was  also 
collector  for  the  German  school,  and  a  memlier 
of  the  election  board. 

Mr.  Stuenkel  was  married  December  17.  1876. 
to  Miss  Emeline  Boeske.  a  daughter  of  William 
and  Charlotte  (Schmidt)  Boeske,  who  was  born 
in  Addison  township,  January  12,  1854.  To 
them  the  following  children  have  been  Iwrn : 
Ellen  (Mrs.  George  Ruttmueller).  born  Septem- 
ber 27.  1877,  two  children,  Edwin,  born  July 
3.  1901.  and  Arthur,  born  Xovember  9,  1905: 
Emanda  (Mrs.  Martin  Eggerding),  bora  Oc- 
tober 25,  1879.  one  child,  Anna,  born  April  10, 


HISTORY  OF  DU  PAGE  COUNTY. 


1053 


1000:    George.    Imrii    M:iy    13,    1883.    died    when 
live   years    old. 

STURGES,    Lee,    vice-president    and    treasurer 

of  tlie  Sfurge.s  &  Burn  ilanut'juturinf;:  Coiniiany, 
of  Chicago,  and  associated  witli  various  otlier 
liusiness  interests  in  tbat  cit.v,  is  a  iironiinent 
resident  of  Elmliurst.  He  was  born  in  Ciii- 
c-ago  .Vugust  ];i,  IStio.  a  son  of  Franl;  and  .lau- 
nette  Elizahetli  (Lee)  Sturges,  the  father  a 
lirominent  and  successfnl  business  man.  He 
was  educated  in  tlie  Chicago  public  schools,  the 
-Markhani  Academy  at  Mihvaulvee  and  the  Penn- 
sylvania Academy  uf  Fine  Arts.  He  began  his 
business  career  with  the  Chicago  Stamjiing 
Company  in  18SG,  and  later  organized  the 
Sturges  &  Burn  Manufacturing  Company  and  the 
English  Manufacturing  Company,  the  former 
lieing  eslablislied  in  1900.  He  Is  vice-president 
of  the  English  Manufacturing  Company,  of  .\n- ^ 
tiga.  Wis.,  and  president  of  the  Elmliurst  Spring 
Water  Company.  Sturges  &  Burn  Manufactur- 
ing Ccmipany  make  sheet  metal  specialties  and 
their  business  is  a  large  and  prosiierous  one. 
They  emiiloy  about  three  hundred  and  tifty 
people  in   their  plant. 

Mr.  Sturges  was  married  in  Morris  county, 
Kan.,  October  1,  1890,  to  Mary  Allen  SuUlvant, 
and  they  are  parents  of  three  children:  Mary 
S.,  Frank  J.  and  Lucy  Hale.  The  family  are 
well  known  in  social  circles  and  have  many 
friends.  Mr.  Sturges  is  a  Republican  in  poli- 
tics. He  Is  a  member  of  the  Chicago  Athletic 
.Association,  the  Chicago  Association  of  Com- 
merce, the  Glen  Oak  Country  Club  and  the  Elm- 
hurst  Golf  Club,  and  stands  well  in  business 
circles  being  well  known  as  a  public-spirited 
citizen,  interested  in  whatever  is  calculated  to 
advance  the  interests  of  his  county  or  state. 

SURGES,  Nicholas,  a  prominent  and  successful 
farmer  of  York  Township,  Du  Page  County, 
was  born  in  a  Rhine  Province,  Germany,  No- 
vember 29,  1841,  and  at  the  age  of  fourteen 
years  came  to  America  with  his  parents,  Theo- 
dore and  Catherine  (Kramer)  Surges.  The 
family  came  direct  to  Addison  Township,  Du 
Page  County,  rented  a  farm  there  seven  years. 
In  1804,  the  father  bought  140  acres  of 
land  on  Sections  7  and  18  of  Xork  Township, 
which  also  extends  to  the  town  of  Milton,  and 
died  on  this  farm  July  21,  1888,  at  the  age 
of    seventy-eight    years,    and    the    mother    died 


February  8,  1883,  at  the  age  of  seventy-two 
years.  They  were  parents  of  seven  children, 
namely  :  Frank,  Bernard,  Joseph  and  Theodore, 
all  deceased;  Catherine,  Mrs.  Frank  Moss,  of 
Wheaton  :   Mary,  deceased ;   and   Kicholas. 

Nicholas  Surges  is  the  third  in  order  of  birth 
of  his  parents'  children  and  has  lived  in  Du 
Page  County  since  early  boyhood.  He  came  into 
possession  of  the  home  farm  and  the  buildings, 
he  now  uses  were  erected  by  him  and  his  father, 
and  all  other  improvements  made  by  them.  There 
was  an  old  house  and  a  small  barn  and  granary 
on  the  farm,  which  he  has  replaced  by  larger 
and  more  modern  buildings.  He  is  an  enterpris- 
ing and  energetic  farmer  and  has  brought  his 
land  to  a  high  state  of  productiveness,  and  is 
also  interested  in  public  affairs,  being  in  politics, 
a  Democrat.  He  served  one  term  as  Road  Coui- 
uiissioner  and  two  terms  as  School  Director. 
He  has  prospered  in  his  operations  and  in  1007. 
purchased  another  farm  of  148  acres  of  land 
adjoining  his  home  on  the  south,  he  and  his 
sons  operate  the  home  farm,  but  he  rents  the 
last  purchase.  For  eight  j-ears  he  was  one  of 
the  stockholders  and  a  director  of  the  Lombard 
Creamery  Company.  He  is  a  member  of  the 
Wheaton  Catholic  Church. 

On  June  26,  1SS3,  Mr.  Surges  was  married  by 
Father  Kaucleter  at  St.  Mary's  Church,  Elm- 
hurst,  to  Elizabeth  Feldman,  daughter  of  Jo- 
seph and  Elizabeth  (Schafgen)  Feldman,  who 
was  born  at  Winnetka.  Cook  County.  Ill,  March 
31,  1864,  and  ten  children  have  blessed  their 
union,  as  follows  :  Mary,  born  March  27,  ISS.i, 
at  home;  Joseph,  March  IS,  1887.  at  home; 
Anna.  May  25, 188S,  married  to  Joseph  Schweihs, 
lives  at  Addison ;  Christine,  May  20,  1890 ;  Mar- 
garet, December  29,  1892 ;  Frank,  February  18, 
1895;  Fred,  July  26,  1897;  Nicholas,  May  3, 
1000;  Elizabeth,  March  1,  1903;  Florence,  March 
23,  1905.  Nicholas  Surges  is  a  good  example  of 
the  industrious,  thrifty  Germau-.American  citi- 
zen, and  he  and  his  wife  have  many  friends  in 
their  community,  where  they  are  well  knowu- 

SUTCLIFFE,  Harrison  'Willis,  M.  D.  There  is 
no  period  in  the  world's  history  whiili  fails 
to  demonstrate  that  exceptional  ability  and 
knowledge  are  invariably  triumphant  and  last- 
ing, and  live  in  memory  long  after  finite  clay 
has  returned  to  mother  earth.  In  medicine,  as 
in  every  science,  nothing  .succeeds  like  success, 
but    to    attain    this    desirable    end,    requires    a 


10o4 


HISTORY  OF  DU  PAGE  COUNTY. 


master  iiiiuJ.  a  logiial  and  conservative  iwlicy 
aud  a  thorough  uuderstiindiug  of  a  chosen  call- 
ing. Be.vond  the  time  of  the  ancient  Egyptians, 
a  knowledge  of  medicine  has  been  considered 
essential.  The  Mosaic  law  treats  of  medical 
and  sanitai'y  arrangements  exhaustively.  In 
fable,  Chiron,  the  Egyptian  has  been  credited 
with  introducing  a  knowledge  of  medicine  into 
Greece,  aud  certain  it  is  that  tliat  remarkable 
people  developed  considerably  along  this  im- 
portant line.  Aesculapius  is  said  to  have 
been  bis  imiiil.  From  this  recognized  Father 
of  Jledieine.  whom  tlie  Greeks  deified,  to  the  pres- 
ent day,  there  have  been  meu  of  renown,  whose 
lives  aud  altilities  have  been  devoted  to  wrest- 
ing from  nature  the  secrets  so  necessary  to  the 
pre.-^ervatiou  of  liealth,  the  defeating  of  disease 
aud  the  warding  off  of  death.  Pythagoras  be- 
gan to  appreciate  the  inujortauce  of  anatomy  ; 
Hippocrates  founded  the  science  of  medicine; 
Eratosthenes  aud  Hierophilus  added  to  the 
then  known  facts  regarding  the  human  body. 
Galen  ministered  to  the  Romans,  aud  stamped 
his  age  with  his  remarkable  personality.  Har- 
vey discovered  the  circulation  of  the  blood,  and 
Lister  the  wonderful  fact  of  the  possibility  of 
rendering  wounds  antiseptic  that  has  revolu- 
tionized modern  surgery.  These  names  are  but 
a  few  culled  from  the  thousand  of  eminent  med- 
ical men  of  the  ages,  who  have  given  so  much  to 
suffering  humanity.  The  list  is  not  nearly  coui- 
lilete.  for  the  medical  meu  of  today  are  forg- 
ing ahead  of  any  who  have  gone  liefore  them. 
With  serums  discovered  that  mitigate  those  fear- 
ful scourges  that  once  decimated  whole  com- 
munities ;  tuberculosis  under  definite  control ; 
cancer's  cure  almost  ijerfected,  the  medical  men 
of  the  twentieth  century  stand  forth  pre-eminent 
among  all   of  their  profession  of  all  time. 

Combined  with  the  researches  of  modern  sci- 
ence has  come  an  appreciation  of  the  value  of 
health  to  the  employer  as  well  as  the  man  who 
works  for  him,  aud  the  heads  of  large  concerns 
have  adopted  the  plan  of  placing  in  medical  charge 
of  their  men  some  capable  physician  and  sur- 
geon, who  is  kept  near  at  hand  to  minister  to 
them  in  case  of  accident  or  sudden  seizure  of 
disease.  One  of  the  distinguished  members  of 
the  medical  profession  who  is  rendering  so  im- 
portant a  service  to  humanity  is  Dr.  Harrison 
Willis  Sutcliffe.  physician  and  surgecm  for  the 
Illinois  Steel  Company.  He  has  offices  at  Xo. 
727,  72  West  Adams  street,  Chicago,  aud  resi- 
dence No.  316  Hale  street,  Wheatou. 


I»r.  Sutcliffe  was  born  at  Kenosha,  Wis.,  May 
IS.  18(j7,  a  sou  of  Johu  aud  Martha  (Muzzy) 
Sutcliffe,  natives  of  Bytbram,  England,  and 
I'enusylvania,  respectively.  John  Sutcliffe  came 
to  America  in  young  manhood,  aud  eventually 
settled  in  Bloomingdale,  Du  Page  county,  where 
lie  was  married.  He  was  a  merchant  and  sub- 
stantial  business  mau. 

Dr.  Sutcliffe  was  educated  in  the  Wheatou 
high  school  and  Oberlin  College,  later  taking  a 
medical  course  in  the  Chicago  College  of  Phy- 
sicians and  Surgeons,  from  which  he  was  gradu- 
ated in  1804,  and  in  Rush  Medical  College,  from 
which  he  was  graduated  in  189.5.  He  entered 
at  once  into  a  general  practice  in  Wheatou, 
which  lias  continued  bis  home  ever  since  1868. 
Later,  he  relinquished  this  in  great  part  to  at- 
tend to  his  duties  as  surgeon  for  the  vast  cor- 
lH)ration  to  which   he  is  attached. 

On  December  28.  1893,  Dr.  Sutcliffe  was 
united  in  marriage  at  Wheatou  with  Gertnide 
Gary.  She  is  a  daughter  of  Judge  Elbert  Gary. 
Dr.  and  Mrs.  Sutcliffe  have  one  sou,  Elbert 
Gary  Sutcliffe.  born  .\pril  20,  189.5.  In  [lolitical 
faitli.  Dr.  Sutcliffe  is  a  Republican,  aud  has 
been  jiresident  of  the  school  board  for  some 
years.  He  is  a  memlier  of  the  First  Baptist 
Church  of  WluMtnii.  Fraternally,  he  is.  a 
Chapter  Mason,  lii  addition  to  his  professional 
interests.  Dr.  Sutcliffe  is  vice-president  of  the 
Gary-Wlieaton  Bank  of  Wheatou,  and  a  mem- 
ber of  the  firm  of  Johu  Sutcliffes  Sons. 

SUTCLIFFE,  John,  deceased.  When  a  good 
man  passes  away  in  the  mellowness  of  mature 
years,  having  accomplished  much,  carried  out 
his  life  plans  and  shed  abroad  the  light  of  his 
Christian  intlnence,  the  monument  to  his  mem- 
ory he  leaves  behind  is  not  wrought  of  marble, 
but  of  his  own  deeds  and  their  consetiuences. 
The  late  John  Sutcliffe  of  Wheatou.  Du  Page 
County,  was  a  native  of  England,  having  been 
born  in  Bythorne.  Huntingtonshire,  August  20. 
18.30.  and  passed  away  at  his  home,  .\ugust  20. 
1909,  having  passed  his  seventy-ninth  milestone 
by  four  mouths,  and  it  will  be  long  before  he  and 
what  he  accomplished  passes  from  the  memory 
of  the  people  of  his  community. 

Mr.  Sutcliffe  grew  up  in  his  native  land,  re- 
ceiving a  careful  training  from  his  mother  whose 
Christian  character  was  deeply  impressed  upon 
her  children,  to  whom  she  had  to  take  the  place 
of  both  parents,  the  father  having  beeu  killed 
by  an  accident,  when  they  were  of  tender  age. 


HISTORY  OF  DU  PAGE  COUNTY. 


1055 


Tbe  religious  iiifliieiices  witli  which  he  was  sur- 
ruuuded  so  affected  the  lad.  that  when  ouly 
nine  years  of  age,  he  iiuited  with  the  Baptist 
Church.  The  ueed  arisiug  for  his  knowing 
something  practical,  he  was  apprenticed  to  a 
miller,  from  whom  he  learned  the  trade  he  bad 
selected,  but  he  realized  that  he  could  not  de- 
velop as  he  desired  in  England,  so  when  only 
twenty,  he  came  to  the  United  States,  and  reach- 
ing Cleveland,  worked  at  this  trade  for  several 
years,  specializing  on  redressing  millstones. 
Later  he  made  his  way  ou  foot  to  Chicago,  ob- 
taining employment  with  tbe  City  Hydraulic 
Flouring  Mills,  becoming  in  a  short  time  the 
manager.  Still  later  be  was  placed  in  charge 
of  the  luimping  station  of  (he  water  supply  for 
the  city,  and  during  the  cholera  epidemic,  when 
people  fled  the  city  by  the  thousands,  be  stood 
at  his  post,  and  saved  countless  lives.  His  at- 
tention being  called  to  Du  Page  County,  he 
came  here  in  18.53,  opening  and  operating  a  mill 
for  several  years.  During  this  time  be  felt  the 
need  of  religious  connections,  and  made  a  prac- 
tice of  attending  service  at  the  .Baptist  Church 
of  Bloomingdale.  where,  while  singing  in  tbe 
choir,  he  met  Miss  Martha  M.  Muzzy,  whom  he 
married  Xovemlier  24,  l.S.>."). 

In  I.S.jT  they  moved  to  Wbeaton  and  built  a 
flour  mill  ou  the  west  side  of  Cross  street,  where 
be  continued  in  business  until  bis  plant  was 
destroyed  by  the  fire  from  a  passing  engine. 
Xot  discouraged,  however,  be  established  a 
grain,  flour  and  feed  business  on  tbe  corner  of 
Hale  and  North  Railroad  streets,  and  there  con- 
tiriued  until  his  death,  with  the  exception  of 
three  years  spent  on  a  farm  in  the  vicinity  of 
Kenosha.  Wis.  It  was  not.  however,  entirely 
as  a  business  man  that  Mr.  Sutcliffe  is  remem- 
bered, although  he  attained  to  a  success  that 
showed  that  be  possessed  a  keen  seuse  of  values 
and  understood  bis  lines  of  endeavor  thor- 
oughly, but  as  the  founder  of  the  Baptist  Church 
of  Wbeaton.  There  was  no  church  of  his  de- 
nomination when  he  first  located  here,  and  for  a 
time  he  and  his  wife  attended  Methodist  serv- 
ice, but  soon  they  bad  gathered  about  them  a  few 
of  their  own  faith.  or.ganizing  a  Baptist  con- 
gregation. A  church  was  built  on  St.  Charles 
Road  aud  from  time  to  time  was  improved  as 
occasion  demanded,  and  for  thirty-flve  years  Mr. 
Sutcliffe  was  one  of  its  principals,  filling  many 
of  tbe  offices.  Including  Sunday  school  superin- 


tendent aud  deacon.     In  this  church  he  is  deeply 
missed. 

Mr.  and  Mrs.  Sutcliffe  became  tbe  parents  of 
five  sons  and  two  daughters :  Newton  E. ;  Wil- 
lis John,  who  died  in  July,  ISGtJ;  Elmer  Ells- 
worth, who  died  in  February,  1893;  Mrs.  Eliza- 
beth Lavina  Mills;  Dr.  Harrison  Willis;  Lewis 
Ja.v,  who  died  in  June.  1874,  and  Mrs.  Bertha 
Margaret  Ferry,  tbe  four  survivors  all  being 
residents  of  Wbeaton.  Mrs.  Sutcliffe  passed 
a«ay  October  8,  1902.  For  many  years  Mr. 
Sutcliffe  served  as  a  member  of  tbe  School 
Board  both  as  director  and  trustee.  His  funeral 
services  were  In  charge  of  his  old  pastor  Rev. 
George  R.  Wood,  assisted  by  tbe  Rev.  Mr. 
Cheney  and  the  Rev.  Daniel  Bryant.  Six  of  his 
grandsons  were  the  pall-bearers,  while  thirty  of 
lus  old  friends  were  honorary  pall-bearers.  Tbe 
ceremony  was  most  impressive,  and  the  convic- 
tion struck  home  to  those  i>resent  of  the  mighty 
ix>wer  wielded  by  a  Christian  man  who  lives  up 
to  his  creed. 

SUTCLIFFE,  Newton  E.  One  of  the  valued 
business  men  and  honored  citizens  of  Wbeaton, 
whose  energies  have  resulted  in  the  concentra- 
tion of  much  business  here,  and  whose  name 
back  of  any  enterprise  is  sufficient  guarantee  of 
its  solidity,  is  Newton  E.  Sutcliffe.  He  was 
born  in  this  county,  in  1857,  aud  was  educated 
in  the  Wbeaton  grammar  and  high  schools.  As 
soon  as  old  enough,  he  lent  his  efforts  towards 
the  assistance  of  his  father  in  a  feed,  grain  and 
flour  business. 

In  1SS2  Mr.  Sutcliffe  was  united  in  marriage 
at  Wbeaton.  111.,  with  Cora  B.  Traver,  of  this 
city,  daughter  of  H.  J.  and  .\nn  C.  Traver. 
Mr.  Traver  was  a  carriage  manufacturer  of 
Wadsworth,  O.  Eight  children  have  been  born 
to  Mr.  and  Mrs.  Sutcliffe.  three  having  died  in 
infancy.  Those  surviving  are :  Helen.  Flor- 
ence. Willis,  Margaret  and  Esther,  all  at  home, 
remarkabl.v  intelligent,  pleasant  .voung  people. 
The  family  belong  to  the  Baptist  Church,  of 
which  Jlr.  Sutcliffe  has  beeu  trustee  for  the  past 
fifteen  years.  For  twenty  years  he  has  been  in 
charge  of  tbe  choir. 

Mr.  Sutcliffe  has  developed  tbe  business  of 
bis  father  into  large  proixirtions.  associating 
with  him  in  late  years  his  son  Willis.  He  does 
a  general  feed  and  elevator  business,  aud  his 
solid   business  connections  and  accommodations 


1056 


HISTORY  OF  DU  PAGE  COUNTY. 


are  of  such  a  nature  as  to  materially  assist  liiui 
iu  the  transaction  of  liis  everyday  affairs. 

TAYLOR,  Adrian  P.,  a  well-known  resident  of 
Elnihurst.  is  a  representative  of  the  Chicago 
Telephone  Company  lu  their  work  of  securing 
their  right  of  way  for  uew  lines  and  extensions 
within  a  radius  of  about  sixty  miles  around 
Chicago.  He  is  a  native  of  London,  England, 
born  April  7,  1869,  son  of  William  and  Char- 
lotte (Bennett)  Taylor,  and  was  educated  iu 
England,  where  he  attended  the  public  schools, 
and  at  the  age  of  sixteen  years  came  to  Amer- 
ica, locating  at  St.  Paul,  Minn..  He  spent  tour 
years  iu  the  wholesale  grocery  house  of  Reld, 
JIurdock  &  Co.,  and  then  began  working  for 
De^'oe  Reynolds  and  company  remaining  lu  their 
employ  a  number  of  years.  For  some  years 
thereafter  he  worked  at  various  occupatio)is 
and  in  1901.  became  an  employe  of  the  tele- 
Ijhoue  company,  later  taking  his  present  posi- 
tion as  right-of-way  agent. 

Mr.  Taylor  married  (first)  iu  1896,  Josephine 
Horn,  daughter  of  William  Horn,  a  native  of 
Ohio.  Four  children  were  born  of  this  union, 
namely  :  Maude  and  Evelyn,  twins,  who  were 
burn  October  HI,  1890;  Henry  William,  who 
was  born  November  30,  1897 :  and  Henrietta, 
who  was  born  April  7,  1899.  All  are  students 
iu  the  Ehuhurst  schools.  Mr.  Taylor  was  mar- 
ried (second)  August  29.  190G.  to  Mrs.  Anna 
(Stuenkel)  Helnemaun,  who  was  born  in  Ad- 
dison townshiii.  January  10,  1808.  Her  family 
are  given  extensive  mention  in  connection  with 
the  sketch  of  Ernest  Stuenkel,  to  be  found  iu 
this  work.  Anna  Stuenkel  was  educated  in  Ger- 
man schools,  studying  English  a  half-day  mean- 
while, and  was  married  (first)  in  Addison  town- 
ship, to  Edwin  Heinemann,  son  of  Louis  and 
Louisa  (Backhaus)  Helnemaun.  He  was  also 
a  native  of  Addiscm  township,  born  April  17, 
1800.  and  until  he  was  twenty-eight  years  of 
age  worked  on  his  father's  farm,  when  he  pur- 
chased a  meat  market  on  York  street,  Elmhurst, 
in  partnership  with  his  brother-in-law.  After 
being  in  this  business  seven  years  he  sold  his 
interest  to  William  Fiene,  and  for  two  years 
worked  at  the  trade  of  carpenter  and  in  various 
other  vocations.  Meanwhile,  he  had  purchased 
a  business  block,  opened  a  general  store  and 
acted  as  general  agent  for  the  McCormick  Har- 
vester Company,  continuing  in  business  until  his 
death,  December  27,  1904.     He  was  at  first  in 


partnership  with  Ernst  Stuenkel,  who  sold  out 
to  his  brother  ilartin,  and  after  his  death  his 
widow  sold  her  interest  to  the  latter,  who  still 
conducts  the  business.  Mr.  Heinemann  liecame 
manager  of  the  Chicago  Telephone  Company, 
and  since  his  death  his  widow  ha.s  continued 
as  manager  of  the  Elmhurst  office. 

By  her  first  marriage  she  had  seven  children, 
namely  :  Wilhelm,  who  was  born  July  10,  1890, 
a  graduate  of  the  public.  German  and  high 
schools,  and  of  the  Metropolitan  Business  Col- 
lege, took  a  three-year  course  iu  music ;  Amanda, 
who  was  born  December  20,  1892,  Is  an  operator 
iu  the  employ  of  the  Chicago  Telephone  Com- 
pany at  Elmhurst ;  Edwin,  who  was  born  Janu- 
ary 17,  1891,  is  employed  in  the  store  of  his 
uncle,  Martin  Stuenkel ;  Lydia,  who  was  born 
November  2.  1895.  is  a  nurse ;  Eleanora,  who 
was  born  September  23,  1899 ;  George,  who  was 
Iwrn  January  2.j,  1901  ;  and  Helen,  who  was 
born  December  29,   1002. 

Mr.  Taylor  and  wife  have  nwny  friends  in 
Elmhurst  and  vicinity,  where  both  are  well 
known.  She  is  a  member  of  the  Evangelical 
Lutheran  church. 

THATCHER,  Lucius  S.,  a  retired  fanner  living 
at  Naperville,  111.,  was  born  lu  Wayne  County, 
N.  Y..  January  28.  1827.  a  sou  of  Thomas  and 
Roxanna  (Look)  Thatcher,  the  father  a  native 
of  Rhode  Island  and  the  mother  of  New  Hami> 
shire.  Thomas  Thatcher'.s  parents.  Joseph 
Thatcher  and  wife,  were  natives  of  England, 
and  Roxanna  Look's  parents,  Heni-j-  Look  and 
wife,  were  natives  of  New  England.  The  fatlier 
was  a  blacksmith  by  trade,  also  fcillowed  farm- 
ing and  kept  a  hotel  iu  Wayne  County.  In  1S3S 
he  and  his  family  drove  with  a  wagon  to  Naper- 
ville, spending  five  weeks  on  the  journey.  He 
pre-empted  land  lu  Naperville  Township  and 
purchased  a  tract  of  160  acres  of  land,  adding 
to  it,  until  he  owned  300  acres.  None  of  this 
land  had  been  cleared  or  cultivated  except  fom-- 
teen  acres  which  had  been  broken  and  con- 
tained a  house  14  by  16  feet.  Mr.  Thatcher 
set  to  work  to  improve  the  land  and  soon  made  a 
log  addition  to  the  house.  He  had  come  to  the 
place  the  winter  before,  with  a  son,  to  look 
for  a  suitable  place  to  locate.  They  ha'd  very 
few  neighbors  at  first  and  suffered  the  usual 
privations  and  hardships  of  pioneers.  The  fa- 
ther was  born  February  18,  1789.  and  dietl  No- 
vember 19.  18."4.  and  the  mother,  who  was  born 


HISTORY  OP  DU  PAGE  COUNTY. 


1057 


April  14,  1790,  died  in  1884.  Their  cbiUlren 
were :  Alpbius,  Harriet.  Mary.  Marietta  aud 
Roxauua,  deceased ;  Helen  R.,  widow  of  William 
Denton,  of  Lockijort,  HI. ;  Lucius  S.  and  Lucia 
E.,  twius,  the  latter  deceased ;  Harriet,  deceased. 

Mr.  Thatcher  attended  the  district  school  and 
was  reared  to  farm  work,  which  he  followed  all 
his  active  life.  He  liveil  with  his  parents  until 
his  marriage,  in  September.  18.55,  to  Miss  I'hebe 
Salishury,  a  native  of  Du  Page  County,  and  one 
child  was  born  of  this  uuiou,  Cyrus,  deceased. 
Mr.  Thatcher  married  (second)  iu  September, 
18(37,  Adeline  Stanley,  who  was  boru  iu  Wayne 
County,  Ohio,  ilarch  G,  18-44,  a  daughter  of 
Nathaniel  Stanle.v,  a  native  of  Pennsylvania. 
By  his  second  marriage,  Mr.  Thatcher  had  chil- 
dren as  follows :  Thomas  C,  born  November 
16,  18G0,  died  May  2G,  1907;  Ella  Mabel,  born 
March  18.  1885,  was  married  December  17,  1903, 
to  Walter  F.  Meiley,  who  was  boru  in  Naper- 
ville  Township,  December  2,  1877,  and  they  are 
IKirents  of  one  son,  Stanley  E..  bom  December 
29,  1905.  Mrs.  Thatcher  died  February  17, 
1904.  She  Iiad  spent  her  entire  life  in  Du  Page 
County,  wliere  her  father  was  an  e;irly  settler, 
and  had  a  number  of  warm  personal  friends, 
by  whom  her  loss  was  sincerely  mourned. 

Jlr.  Thatcher  moved  to  a  farm  west  of  Naper- 
ville  after  his  first  marriage,  lived  there  until 
1863.  then  went  to  Stockton,  Cal„  and  later  to 
Portland,  Oregon.  In  1864  he  returned  to  the 
home  farm  and  followed  various  vocations  until 
his  second  marriage,  after  which  he  moved  on 
the  home  farm  and  oiierated  it  until  1S89.  since 
which  he  has  resided  in  Naperville.  He  is  a 
Republican  in  politics,  holding  various  township 
otHces  while  living  on  a  farm,  and  for  several 
years  was  Justice  of  the  Peace,  The  family 
were  among  the  earlier  pioneers  of  Du  Page 
County  and  have  taken  a  prominent  part  in  its 
progress  and  development  from  a  very  early 
date. 

THOMAS,  John  S.  It  is  not  difficult  in  con- 
sidering the  business  men  iu  a  community,  to 
discover  why  some  are  frankly  prosperous  while 
others  advance  but  little  year  after  year.  Per- 
sistent energy  is  a  very  necessary  factor  in 
achieving  success,  and  those  who  have  this  qual- 
ity are  the  ones  who  make  their  undertakings 
prosper.  In  this  connection  may  be  mentioned 
John  S.  Thomas,  who  is  proprietor  of  a  vei-y 
important  liusiness  enterprise  at  Wheaton.   111., 


the  Wheaton  Laundry,  with  which  he  has  been 
identified  since  lUOo,  and  has  owned  since  1010. 

John  S.  Thomas  was  horn  at  Hardin,  O.,  May 
5.  1869,  and  is  a  son  of  John  F.  and  Caroline 
(Sturgon)  Thomas,  and  a  grandson  of  Benjamin 
Thomas,  the  latter  of  whom  was  born  in  .Mary- 
land iu  1807.  John  F.  Thomas  was  boru  at 
Dayton.  ()..  in  1835.  and  when  he  grew  to  man- 
hood engaged  in  farm  pnrsuits  and  then  oper- 
ated a  saw-mill  at  Hardin,  O..  for  ten  yc.irs, 
when  the  mill  was  destro.veJ  by  fire.  .Mr. 
Thomas  then  turned  his  attention  to  farming. 
and  continued  until  1892.  when  he  retired  and 
at  present  is  a  resident  of  .\nstin.  III.  He  mar- 
ried Caroline  Sturgon,  who  was  born  at  ILirdin, 
0„   iu  18.34.  and  still  survives. 

In  the  e.xeellent  public  schools  of  Hardhi.  O., 
John  S.  Thomas  obtained  his  education  and 
afterward  assisted  on  his  father's  farm  until 
he  became  of  legal  age,  when  he  went  into  the 
wholesale  grocery  business  at  Chattanooga, 
Tenn.,  where  he  was  engaged  for  one  year,  after 
which  he  returned  home  for  a  short  season.  In 
1892  Mr.  Thomas  came  to  Illinois  and  accepted 
a  position  as  engineer  in  the  Chai>in  Laundry, 
iu  Chicago,  and  for  two  years  had  practical 
laundry  experience  there.  The  next  four  years 
he  spent  in  Colorado  and  after  his  return  to 
Chicago,  in  1898,  resumed  his  business  connec- 
tion with  the  Chapin  Laundry  and  remained  for 
two  more  years  and  then  became  associated  with 
his  brother.  Charles  R.  Thomas,  iu  the  laundry 
business,  first  at  Naperville,  removing  to  Whea- 
ton June  18,  1903.  On  January  1,  1910.  Mr. 
Thomas  bought  his  brother's  interest  and  has 
lieeii  sole  proprietor  ever  since.  He  operates  a 
modern  laundry  according  to  the  most  approved 
and  sanitary  methods,  having  a  finely  eiinlpped 
plant  and  giving  constant  employment  to  from 
fifteen  to  twenty  people. 

Mr,  Thomas  was  married  to  Mrs.  l':;iizabeth 
(Dunland)  Ruddock,  who  was  born  August  22, 
1859,  a  daughter  af  G.  B.  Dunland.  a  resident 
of  Wheaton,  111.  The  father  of  Mrs.  Thomas 
was  a  veteran  of  the  Civil  war  and  served  three 
and  one-half  years  with  the  rank  of  sergeant 
in  the  Eighth  Illinois  Volunteer  Cavalry.  Mr. 
and  Mrs.  Thomas  have  no. children.  lie  is  a 
member  of  the  Presbyterian  churcli,  while  she  is 
a  member  of  the  Baptist  church.  In  his  iwliti- 
cal  views  he  is  a  Reiiublicau,  but  can  sc-arcely 
be  called  a  politician,  his  interest  in  bnsiness 
being    much    greater    than    in    outside    matters. 


1058 


HISTORY  OF  DU  PAGE  COUNTY. 


He  is  recognized  as  one  of  tlie  eomiietent,  self- 
reliant  and  successful  business  men  of  Wheaton 
and  lias  reacljed  this  large  measure  of  pnlilii- 
confidence  througli  liis  own  efforts. 

TORODE,  John  A.,  a  successful  farmer  of  York 
township,  Du  Page  count.v,  was  boru  April  1.5, 
ISGl.  and  is  a  sou  of  a  pioneer  settler  of  this 
section.  The  ancestors  had  lived  in  the  Isle  of 
Guernse.v  for  many  generations  and  the  family 
was  founded  in  Du  Page  county  by  Philander 
Torode,  who  was  born  in  Jlonroe  county,  Ohio. 
November  4,  1824,  a  son  of  Nicholas,  who  was 
the  sou  of  .John  and  a  native  of  Guernsey,  whose 
ancestors  originally  came  from  Normandy. 

John  Arthur  Torode  has  spent  all  his  life  on 
the  home  farm.  He  attended  the  district  school 
and  AVheaton  College,  but  on  account  of  the  ill- 
ness of  his  father  did  not  finish  the  course  in 
that  institution.  The  father  had  gone  to  Ala- 
bama, where  he  owned  520  acres  of  land,  and 
was  away  from  home  so  long  that  John  A.  had 
to  give  up  his  studies  and  return  home  to  care 
for  things  there.  He  was  married  October  1."). 
1885.  to  Minnie  Amelia  Rodgers,  daughter  of 
Francis  aud  Mary  A.  (Plumber)  Rodgers.  She 
was  born  at  Downer"s  Grove.  July  7.  1867. 
Three  children  have  been  born  of  this  luiion : 
\'i\ian  Rodgers,  boru  .\ugust  23,  1880,  who  was 
born  on  the  home  farm,  is  a  teacher  in  the 
schools  of  her  native  township :  Edith  Minnie, 
born  January  12,  1893,  graduated  from  school 
in  the  class  of  1910.  but  is  still  in  attendance 
there:  Mildred,  born  June  23,  1901,  also  at- 
tending school.  The  oldest  daughter.  Vivian,  is 
a  graduate  of  Downer's  Grove  high  school.  Mr. 
Torode  has  never  held  public  office  e.xcept  while 
serving  for  a  time  as  schcxjl  trustee.  Until  re- 
cently he  has  operated  a  large  dairy,  but  now 
devotes  his  land  to  general  farming  purfwses.  in 
which  he  is  meeting  with  gratifying  success. 

TOWNSEND,  Melvin  Charles.  Love  of  country 
is  something  that  is  ingrained  in  a  man  and  in- 
fluences his  every  action.  Those  who  do  not  pos- 
sess it  are  lacking  in  true  patriotism,  aud  they 
are  never  to  be  found  among  the  public-spirited 
citizens  of  a  community.  Perhaps  there  is  no 
one  in  all  of  Du  Page  County  who  more  thor- 
oughly appreciates  the  benefits  accruing  from 
American  birth  and  a  long  and  honorable  line 
of  American-born  ancestry  than  Melvin  Charles 
Townsend  of  Hinsdale,  cashier  and  secretary  of 


the  commission  and  grain  firm  of  Merrill  & 
L.\on.  .\o.  88  Board  of  Trade.  Mr.  Townsend 
was  born  on  a  f.irni,  four  miles  north  of  Hins- 
dale on  the  old  Buttertield  road,  January  28, 
1872,  being  a  son  of  Augustus  H.  aud  Elizabeth 
(Keruau)  Townsend.  the  former  born  in  Buf- 
falo, N.  Y.  The  grandfather,  Gilbert  \V.  Town- 
send,  made  the  trip  overland  from  Buffalo  with 
three  of  his  sons,  one  of  whom  was  Augustus 
II.  There  were  seven  sons  and  four  daughters 
in  his  family.  Arriving  hi  Du  Page  County,  he 
settled  on  100  acres  on  the  Butterfield  road  at 
a  time  when  Chicago  consisted  of  a  few  log 
houses,  the  fort  and  a  couple  of  old  taverns.  Six 
of  the  .seven  sons  in  this  family  served  in  the 
Civil  War,  and  all  became  staunch  Republicans. 
.Vugustus  II.  Townsend  was  a  decorator,  but  re- 
tired from  that  calling  and  now  resides  at  Hins- 
dale with  his  wife,  and  is  well  known  through- 
out the  county  as  a  professional  nurse,  his  serv- 
ices being  called  upon  in  critical  cases  by  the 
physicians  who  know  his  skill  and  patience. 

.Melvin  Charles  Townsend  was  one  of  the 
three  sons  aud  daughter  born  to  his  parents, 
and  was  educated  in  the  coniiuou  and  high 
schools  of  Hinsdale.  After  leaving  school,  he  was 
emplo.ved  in  the  shipping  department  of  Mar- 
shall FieUVs  wholesale  house,  later  becoming 
bu.ver  and  cashier  at  Hinsdale  for  Ditzler  & 
I.lnsley.  After  several  years  he  came  to  the 
Board  of  Trade,  entering  the  present  firm  iu 
1902.  Both  members  of  the  firm  have  been  presi- 
dents of  the  board.  Mr.  Merrill  being  the  pres- 
ent iucumbeut.  He  has  taken  a  pulilic-spirited 
interest  in  municipal  affairs  .-it  Hhisdale.  and 
was  the  Republican  candidate  for  the  office  of 
.\klermaii  in  1911,  and  elected  by  a  large  ma- 
.iority. 

On  June  9,  1904,  he  was  married  at  .Joliet  to 
-\lta  M.  Stephenson,  daughter  of  A.  M.  Stephen- 
.son.  She  was  born  at  Beardstowu.  III.  Three 
children  have  been  born  of  this  marriage: 
Theodore.  Flora  and  Alfa.  Mr.  Townsend  at- 
tends the  Congregational  Church,  of  which  his 
wife  Is  a  member.  He  is  a  director  of  the  Hins- 
dale Club,  and  one  of  its  most  enthusiastic 
members,  and  belongs  to  the  Knights  of  Pythias. 
of  which  he  is  ex-chancellor,  and  Woodmen  of 
.\nierica.  The  beautiful  Townsend  home  at 
Hinsdale  is  owned  by  Mr.  Townsend.  ■U^lile  he 
has  been  called  upon  to  hold  office,  Mr.  Town- 
send  feels  that  his  best  work  for  his  party  and 
community    is    done    as   a    private    citizen,    and 


HISTORY  OF  DU  PAGE  COUNTY, 


1059 


merely  because  he  is  interested  in  securing  gDod 
government  and  honest  administration  of  af- 
fairs. It  is  such  men  as  he,  iiroud  of  country, 
state,  county  and  community,  that  make  the 
true,  loyal,  trustworthy  American  citizens  re- 
•siionsible  for  tlie  oldest  and  most  stable  gorern- 
meut  in  tlie  world. 

TRIPLETT,  Nelson  Moran.  It  lias  become  a 
recognized  fact  that  farming  has  been  developed 
into  a  business  and  that  those  engaged  in  it  are 
uniiucstlonably  controlling  the  food  supply  of 
the  countr.y.  The  standard  of  living  among 
farmers  has  materially  improved  during  the  past 
decade,  and  all  because  of  the  intelli,gent  prog- 
ress of  the  farmers  themselves.  One  of  the 
representative  modern  farmers  of  Du  Page 
Ccmnty  is  Nelson  Moran  Triplett,  of  Wlnfield 
Township.  He  was  born  at  Princeton.  111.. 
January  '22.  18-lG,  being  a  sou  of  Samuel  and 
Mary  Ann  (Vaughn)  Triplett.  He  is  a  native 
of  Culpepper  County.  Ky.,  and  she  of  New 
Hampshire.  The  maternal  grandparents,  John 
and  Mary  A.  (Moran)  A'aughn  were  of  New 
England  birth.  Both  the  Triplett  and  A'arighn 
families  came  to  Princeton.  III.,  where  they  were 
hotel  keepers.  Samuel  Triplett  here  married 
Mar.v  Ann  A'aughu.  and  they  went  to  farming 
in  the  vicinity,  thus  continuing  as  long  as  they 
lived.  They  had  the  following  children  :  John 
B.  of  Denver.  Col. :  George  L.  died  in  infancy ; 
Jaiues  W.  of  Cass  County.  la. ;  Nelson  M. ;  Orrin 
of  Ohiotown,  111. ;  Myra.  Mrs.  Dr.  Lesher.  died 
about  1905 :  George  of  Castle  Rock,  Col. ;  Mary 
A.,  Mrs.  Woding  of  Dixon,  111.,  and  Florence, 
widow  of  Joseph  Marsh,  of  Maywood.   III. 

Nelson  Moran  Triplett  was  educated  In  the 
common  schools  and  Jennings  Seminary  of 
.\urora.  He  remained  at  home  until  he  was 
seventeen  years  old,  when  he  embarked  in  a 
general  merchandise  business  at  Princeton, 
owned  by  his  father.  As  .soon  as  he  attained  his 
nia,jority  he  bought  out  his  father,  and  con- 
tinued the  business  in  conjunction  with  a  part- 
ner, for  five  years.  Buying  his  ijartner's  inter- 
est, he  took  his  brother  .John  In  with  lilm.  and 
for  two  years  they  continued  together,  then  sold. 
and  in  1872.  Mr.  Triplett  came  to  Wlnfield 
Township,  renting  land  for  a  year.  lie  then 
bought  thirty-four  acres  of  his  present  farm, 
to  which  he  added  until  he  now  owns  12-1  acres, 
which  he  devotes  to  general  farming. 

On  February  23.  l.SGS.  Mr.  Triplett  was  mar- 


ried liy  the  I!ev.  E.  Martin  of  the  .Methodist 
Church  of  Winfleld  Township,  to  Clara  M.  John- 
son, born  in  Winfleld  Townsliip,  November  22, 
1847.  a  daughter  of  Calviu  and  Bedelia  (Rey- 
nolds) .Johnson,  of  New  York  State.  They  came 
with  their  family  to  Illinois,  settling  in  Win- 
Held  Township,  where  they  owned  a  farm, 
There  the  father  died  June  3,  1.S77.  A  year 
later  his  widow  moved  to  Wheaton.  where  she 
died  June  7.  18,S4.  .Mr.  and  .Mrs.  Trii)lett  be- 
came the  parents  of  the  following  children: 
Harry  Montford.  born  February  5,  18G9,  of  Ne- 
braska, a  minister  of  the  Congregational 
Church ;  Samuel  Calvin,  born  August  17,  1872, 
of  Peoria,  111. ;  Louie  M..  born  May  1,  1875,  at 
home:  Clara  E..  born  March  21,  1880,  Is  also  at 
home.  Mrs.  Triplett  died  October  1,  Kill,  and 
she  is  burie«l  in  the  cemetery  at  Warrenville. 

Mr.  Triplett  is  a  member  of  the  Methodist 
Church,  of  whk-h  he  has  been  a  trustee  for  a 
number  of  years,  and  for  a  long  while  he  was 
superintendent  of  the  Sunday  school.  He  has 
been  School  Director  for  twenty  years,  and  given 
his  district  a  thrifty  and  .sensible  administra- 
tion. Since  the  prohibition  question  has  been 
I'rought  before  the  people  prominently  enough  to 
cause  the  formation  of  a  political  party  espous- 
ing It.  .Mr.  Triplett  has  been  one  of  its  earnest 
advocates  and  prior  to  this  always  e.Kerted  his 
influence  in  favor  of  temperance.  He  is  a  good 
farmer,  a  true  and  trusted  church  member,  and 
•  well  liked  by  his  associates  everywhere.  The 
Court  of  Honor  of  Warrenville  holds  his  mein- 
bershi])  and  affords  him  fraternal  association. 

TRUITT,  William  John,  M.  D.,  who  lias  been 
engaged  in  the  general  practice  of  his  profes- 
sion in  Napervllle,  111.,  since  July.  1892,  stands 
well  in  his  calling  and  has  won  the  confidence 
and  esteem  of  the  community.  He  is  a  highly- 
respected  citizen  and  well  liked  in  professional, 
iwlitical.  fraternal  and  social  circles.  He  served 
two  terms  as  Alderman  and  performed  his  dti- 
ties  In  that  connection  most  satisfactorily  and 
faithfully.  Dr.  Ti'uitt  was  born  in  Wilming- 
ton. Del.,  October  2(i.  1.S07,  a  son  of  David  S. 
and  Rosetta  (Musgrove)  Truitt.  the  father  a 
merchant  and  ship-builder  In  Mllford,  Del. 

Dr.  Truitt  first  studied  medicine  In  Philadel- 
phia and  in  1889,  was  graduated  from  Hahne- 
mann College.  Chicago,  after  which  he  Imme- 
diatel.v  entered  upon  the  practice  of  his  profes- 
sion at  Michigan  City,  Ind.     He  lived  at  West- 


1060 


HISTORY  OF  DU  PAGE  COUNTY. 


ville,  IiKl.,  from  ISftO  to  1S02.  then  ciuue  to  Na- 
perville.  lie  was  associate  professor  of  obstet- 
ries  at  the  National  Medical  College  from  1893 
until  180G.  and  has  always  paid  special  atten- 
tion to  this  branch  of  the  profession.  He  is  a 
nieml)er  of  the  American  Institution  Honieo- 
liathy.  Fraternally  he  is  a  Mason,  a  Knight  of 
I'ytliias  and  a  Modern  Woodman  of  America. 

Dr.  Truitt  married  June  10,  1891,  Nettie, 
daughter  of  James  A.  Bell,  M.  D..  and  one  child 
has  blesseil  this  union.  .John  \V..  born  Febrnary 
12,   1894. 

TYE,  John  J.  Chicago  merchants  are  very 
generally  men  of  brains,  talent  and  unbounded 
enthusiasm,  whose  long  e.xperience  has-  taught 
them  the  needs  of  their  iiatrons  and  enabled 
I  hem  to  form  solid  business  connections  and 
accounuodations,  and  many  develop  nnich  orig- 
inality in  presenting  their  wares.  One  of 
the  well-known  merchants  of  the  second  city  of 
the  country,  is  .Tolm  J.  Tye  of  the  firm  of  Bolles 
&  Rogers,  merchants  at  No.  131  West  Kinzie 
street,  Chicago,  with  residence  at  West  Chicago. 
Mr.  Tye  was  born  January  21,  ISGl,  a  son  of 
John  and  Esther   (Gallagher)  Tye. 

Mr.  Tye  attended  West  Chicago  high  school 
.uid  Bryant's  Business  College,  following  which 
he  began  working  for  the  firm  of  Bolles  &  Rogers 
as  a  clerk,  thus  continuing  from  March  1,  1880, 
until  he  was  taken  into  the  firm.  The  members 
of  tills  firm  are :  C.  E.  Bolles,  Sanipsou  Rogers, 
F.  E.  Hoover  and  John  T.  Tye.  The  house  deals 
in  hides,  pelts,  tallow,  wool  and  fnrs,  and  was 
established  in  ISSO,  since  which  time  it  has 
enjoyed  a  prosperous  career,  marked  by  a 
steady  and  healthy  increase  in  the  volume  of 
business. 

Mr.  T.ve  was  married  (first)  in  June,  1899,  to 
Miss  Lillian  Kivitts,  who  died  in  1902,  issue — 
one  child,  Frank  E.  On  August  15,  1894,  Mr. 
Tye  was  married  to  Miss  Katie  Farrell.  Three 
children  have  been  born  of  this  marriage: 
Willie  I..,  I'aul  F.  and  Allen  J.  Mr.  Tye  is  a 
Republican  in  political  sentiments.  In  religious 
faith  he  is  a  Catholic.  In  addition  to  his  con- 
nections with  the  above  mentioned  firm,  Mr.  Tye 
is  also  secretary  of  the  Minneapolis  Wool  Com- 
Iiany,  and  director  of  the  West  Chicago  State 
Bank.  He  is  now  serving  his  third  term  on  the 
West  Chicago  School  Board,  and  as  he  has  al- 
ways been  interested  in  educational  matters,  his 
influence  has  been  directed  towards  securing  the 


best  teachers  and  conditions  possible  for  the 
children  of  his  district.  A  most  excellent  busi- 
ness man,  he  has  worked  his  way  upward,  and 
his  commercial  rating  is  as  good  as  the  estima- 
tion In  which  he  is  held  by  his  neighbors  in 
West  Chicago. 

VELZER,  Barto  Van,  deceased.  To  live  long  and 
wisely,  and  when  dying  to  leave  behind  a  name 
untarnished  and  a  goodly  amouut  of  this  world's 
wealth,  is  a  consummation  to  be  desired.  The 
late  Barto  Van  Velzer,  father  of  Mrs.  Simon 
Heineman.  was  a  man  whose  record  as  a  busi- 
ness man  and  public-.spirited  citizen  was  without 
blemish,  who  was  born  in  Syracuse.  N.  T.,  Au- 
gust 12,  ISIS,  and  died  November  29,  190-5.  He 
was  educated  in  the  excellent  schools  of  Syra- 
cuse, and  in  early  life  obtained  eni[iloymeut  as 
a  driver  of  a  canal  boat  on  the  Erie  canal. 

In  1S41.  realizing  that  so  many  more  oppor- 
tunities were  offered  further  west,  he  came  to 
Illinois,  buying  a  farm  at  Fullersburg.  which 
he  operated,  living  in  town.  He  specialized  in 
buying  and  selling  horses.  During  the  time  he 
lived  in  this  locality,  he  was  connected  with 
many  public  matters,  among  other  things  help- 
ing to  lay  the  old  plank  road,  and  then  when  its 
day  of  usefulness  was  over,  assisted  in  its  re- 
moval. He  also  served  as  toll  keeper.  In  1803 
he  went  to  Chicago  where  he  conducted  the 
Lincoln  House  for  seven  years,  then  moved  to 
Prairie  Du  Chieu,  Wis.,  there  to  open  the  Mon- 
dell  House,  conducting  it  until  1S7S.  when  he 
returned  to  Chicago.  Later  he  established  him- 
self with  his  daughter  Mrs.  Heineman,  where 
his  death  occurred. 

On  March  4.  1841.  he  married  Mary  Fuller  of 
Fullersburg,  daughter  of  Jacob  Fuller,  a  farmer. 
ilr.  and  Mrs.  Velzer  had  ten  children,  seven  of 
whom  survive:  Tammy,  Mary,  Ellen,  Catherine. 
Lovena,  Sarah,  Jessie.  Those  who  are  deceased 
are  Walter.  William  and  Ivouisa.  Mrs.  Van 
Velzer  died  March  4,  1879.  Genial,  kind-hearted, 
generous  to  a  fault.  Mr.  Van  Velzer  was  beloved 
b.v  all  who  knew  him.  Fond  of  a  joke,  and  en- 
jo.ving  a  good  story,  he  was  always  the  center 
of  interest,  and  when  he  died  his  loss  was  felt 
by   many  outside  his  home  circle. 

VOLBERDING,  Fred  Henry,  the  leadincj  mer- 
chant of  Bensenrille,  Du  Page  County,  111., 
comes  of  the  good,  old  sturdy  German  stock 
which  has  been  so  materially  responsible  for  the 


HISTORY  OF  DU  PAGE  COUNTY. 


1061 


developmeut  of  this  part  of  the  State.  He  was 
born  on  his  father's  farm.  December  2'.}.  18(j]. 
being  a  son  of  Fred  Henry  Volbenling,  Sr..  born 
iu  the  vilhige  of  Lutter.  Hanover.  Germany. 
April  IS,  1828,  son  of  Henry  Volberding,  Sr., 
who  founded  the  family  in  America,  being  a 
pioneer  of  Du  Page  County.  Henry  Volberding 
was  born  also  in  Lutter.  where  lie  became  a 
farmer,  and  there  all  his  children  were  born. 
they  being :  Frederick  Henry,  Sopliia.  Ilenrietle. 
Dorothy  and  Louis. 

.\s  his  children  grew  up.  Henry  "\'olberding 
recognized  the  necessity  for  making  some  change 
that  would  bring  within  their  reach  better 
opportunities  for  advancement,  so  iu  1845  he 
came  to  the  United  States,  sailing  from  Ham- 
burg, Germany,  and  arriving  at  New  Orleans. 
From  this  city  he  made  his  way  to  .Vddison 
Township.  Du  Page  County,  coming  via  tlie 
Mississippi  river.  He  entered  land  to  tlie 
amount  of  lO.j  acres  in  the  township  of  his 
choice,  and  was  the  original  settler  on  the  prop- 
erty. Immediately  he  began  improving  it,  Imt 
the  change  and  hard  labor  following  the  long 
trip  resulted  in  his  death  a  few  years  after  liis 
arrival.  He  was  one  of  the  charter  nieniliers 
of  the  old  Lutheran  Church  in  Addison  Towu- 
shi]).  and  a  most  worthy  and  excellent  man. 

Frederidv  Henry  Volberding  followed  his  fa- 
ther a  year  later,  arriving  here  in  18-tG.  then 
being  a  young  man  eighteen  years  old.  well  edu- 
cated in  his  own  language.  He  settled  on  tlie 
farm  his  father  had  entered,  and  later  married 
Louisa  Stuenkel,  liorn  in  Germany.  These  two 
spent  their  lives  on  this  farm.  They  made  many 
improvements,  erecting  good,  substantial  liuild- 
ings  and  developing  the  land  into  a  high  state  of 
production.  In  addition  to  the  original  prop- 
erty, they  owned  eighty  acres  in  Bloomingdale 
Township  and  370  acres  in  Hanover  Townshi|i 
in  Cook  Count.v.  as  well  as  heavily  timbered  land 
in  tlie  latter  count.v.  Their  industry  and  thrift 
resulted  in  the  accumulation  of  a  substantial 
fortune,  and  they  died  wealthy.  Their  cbihlren 
were:  Sophia.  Amelia,. JIary.  Louisa,  who  died 
when  twenty-one  years  old,  and  Fred  Henry. 
Jlr.  VoUierding  died  on  the  farm  February  2;!. 
1S83  his  wife  having  passed  away  in  1872.  In 
politics  he  was  a  Republican  and  was  proud  of 
fhe  fact  that  he  voted  for  Abraham  Lincoln. 

Fred  Henry  Volberding  was  brought  up  in 
the  healthy  atmosphere  of  the  farm,  where  he 
learned  the  duties  pertaining  to  an  agricullurnl 


life,  attending  school  until  he  was  nineteen 
years  old.  When  he  was  twenty-one  years  of 
age  he  married  in  Leydeii  To^\^lship,  Cook 
County,  on  April  11,  1883,  Rosie  Louisa  Dierk- 
ing,  born  November  13,  1805,  a  daughter  of 
Henry  and  Minnie  (Bunge)  Dierking,  who  set- 
tled after  their  marriage  in  Du  Page  County. 
.Mr.  and  Mrs.  Volberding  lived  on  the  Volber- 
ding homestead  of  105  acres  until  their  removal 
to  Bensenville  in  189.3.  Here  they  had  a  pleas- 
ant farm  home,  but  wlieii  they  located  in  the 
vilage  they  embarked  in  a  mercantile  business, 
and  had  more  opiiortunity  to  give  to  social  mat- 
ters. Sir.  Volberding  is  a  man  of  exceptional 
business  ability,  and  has  managed  his  estab- 
lishment in  such  a  manner  as  to  win  continued 
custom  and  his  prosperous  career  has  been  very 
gratifying  not  only  to  himself  but  his  fellow- 
townsmen  who  take  a  pride  in  the  success  of 
village  institutions.  Mr.  and  Mrs.  Volberding 
are  the  parents  of  the  following  cliildreii: 
Amanda,  born  February  10,  1SS4,  married  A. 
H.  Bauck.  an  engraver  in  Chicago,  Harry  H., 
b(jru  January  10.  ISOl  :  Rosa,  born  April  18, 
1800;  Lero.v,  born  September  30.  1800;  Freder- 
ick, born  September  2.  1002:  Fsllicr.  born  Sep- 
tember 20,  10<14. 

The  political  convictions  of  Mr.  \'cilberding 
make  him  a  strong  Republican.  Fraternally 
he  is  a  member  of  the  Modern  Woodmen.  He 
has  had  a  successful  career,  and  his  straight- 
forward course  has  won  for  him  the  confidence 
and  good  will  of  his  neighbors  and  fellow- 
citizens.  Although  a  resident  of  Bensenville, 
Mr,  Volberding  retains  flie  family  farm,  which 
lie  ilierislies  as  the  homestead  of  the  Volber- 
dings  and  looks  upon  it  as  a  inonument  to  the 
hard  work  of  his  fcu-ebears. 

VON  OVEN  Family,  The.  Some  of  the  most 
representative  families  of  northern  Illinois  are 
those  whose  founders  in  this  country  settled  in 
and  around  Naperville  during  the  early  days  of 
its  history.  The  descendants  of  the.se  sturdy 
jiioneers  have  become  important  factors  iu  the 
development  and  advancement  of  this  locality, 
and  their  individual  history  forms  a  neces.sary 
part  of  the  records  of  Du  Page  county.  One  of 
these  families  deserving  of  much  more  than  pass- 
ing mention  is  that  bearing  the  name  of  von 
Oven.  The  founder  was  Ernst  von  Oven  a  son  of 
Krnst  von  Oven,  who  was  born  at  Gelseiikirchen, 
Westiihalia.  near  Essen.  Germany,  in  February, 


1062 


HISTORY  OF  DU  PAGE  COUNTY. 


1803,  on  the  ol«l  vou  Oven  estate,  wlikli  dates 
back  to  1014.  This  estate  is  still  in  the  posses- 
sion of  nienibers  of  tlie  von  Oven  family  living 
in  Germany. 

Ernst  von  Oven,  son  of  Fredericli  William  von 
Oven,  was  born  at  HiUisbrnch,  Hattingen,  near 
Dusselilorf.  Germany,  November  7,  1835.  He 
was  edncateil  at  Dusscldorf  and  when  nineteen 
years  of  asie,  during  the  sunnner  of  18.54,  he 
crossed  the  Atlantic  ocean  to  join  his  sisters, 
Mrs.  Adoljili  and  Mrs.  Herman  Hammersmith, 
at  Xaijerville.  During  the  several  years  that 
followed  he  farmed  in  the  vicinity  of  Downer's 
Grove  and  Xapervllle.  but  upon  the  return  of 
his  brother  Adalbert  from  service  in  the  army 
through  the  Civil  war,  he  joined  him,  and  the 
two  settled  on  the  site  now  owned  and  operated 
!)}•  the  Xa])erville  Nurseries.  Here  tli*y  (in- 
ducted a  fruit  farm  and  nui-sery.  which  was 
eventually  developed  into  the  present  general 
nursery  l)usiness.  In  1878  Mr.  von  Oven  inir- 
chased  William  King's  interests  in  the  tile  and 
brick  business,  at  that  time  being  operated 
under  the  tirin  name  of  Martin  &  King,  but 
which  since  then  has  continued  under  the  well- 
known  caption  of  Martin  &  von  Oven.  The  busi- 
ness ability  of  Mr.  von  Oven  enabled  him  to  as- 
sume further  responsibilities,  and  in  1884  he  and 
Mr.  B.  P..  Boeeker  began  to  operate  a  quarry 
under  the  name  of  Boeeker  &  von  Oven,  ^^■hieh 
concern  later  became  the  Naperville  Stone  Com- 
l>any.  After  a  long  and  useful  life  tilled  with 
activities  of  more  than  ordinai-y  importance, 
Ernst  von  Oven  died  on  January  ].j.  10(11.  aged 
seventy  years.  His  death  was  felt  not  only  in 
his  immediate  family  circle,  Init  throughout  Du 
Page  county,  where  for  so  many  years  he  had 
been  so  important  a  factor. 

On  April  12.  lS(i(>.  .Mr.  von  Oven  was  married 
at  Naperville  to  Enuna  Ueifernath.  of  Ililchen- 
bach  Westphalia.  Germany,  and  four  daughters 
and  one  son  were  born  to  them  :  Helene,  Jo- 
hanna, Emma,  Hedwig  ,iud  Frederick.  The 
three  elder  daughters  ,ind  the  son  attended  the 
old  academy  at  Naperville.  Hedwig  having  died 
at  the  age  of  two  .vears.  Misses  Helene  and 
Emma  von  Oven  took  l)usiness  courses,  itrejiar- 
ing  themselves  for  ixisitions  in  connection  with 
the  Inisiness  interets  of  their  father.  Miss  Jo- 
hanna specialized  along  artistic  lines,  and  when 
her  untimely  death  occurred,  October  1,  1909, 
she  had  already  established  her  reputation  as 
an    artist    of    exceiitional    ability.      The    family 


were  all  reared  in  the  fath  of  the  German  Luth- 
eran church,  and  early  became  members  of  that 
denoniin,ition. 

Frederick  von  Oven,  the  only  son  of  I-^rust 
von  Oven,  .and  one  of  the  most  aggressive  and 
successful  young  business  men  of  Du  Page 
county,  was  carefully  trained  for  the  profession 
of  civil  engineering,  being  graduated  in  that 
calling  from  the  University  of  Illinois,  class  of 
1898.  with  highest  honors,  despite  the  fact  that 
he  was  also  an  excellent  all-round  athlete.  For 
the  next  eight  years  he  practiced  his  profession, 
directly  or  indirectly,  on  railroad  construction 
and  maintenance,  and  was  also  connected  with 
industrial  and  commercial  enterprises.  Upon  the 
death  of  his  father  in  1900  Mr.  vou  Oven  was 
chosen  to  manage  tlie  affairs  of  the  estate,  and 
is  ii«w  in  charge  of  the  Naperville  Nurseries, 
whith  do  a  general  line  of  nursery  and  land- 
scape work,  anil  directs  the  business  of  the  firm 
of  Martin  \  vim  Oven,  manufacturers  of  tile, 
brick  and  clay  products,  and  under  his  efficient 
management  both  concerns  are  increasing  their 
fields  of  oiieration  very  materially. 

On  April  19,  1900,  Mr.  von  Oven  was  married 
to  Irene  Huxley  Love,  of  Aurora.  Mr.  von 
Oven  has  two  daughters:  Frances,  wlii>  was 
born  November  ;i,  19(11.  and  Mercedes,  who  was 
born  March  11.  19(i3.  These  two  little  girls  are 
the  only  grandchildren  in  the  von  Oven  family. 
Since  his  marriage  Mr.  von  Oven  has'  been  a 
member  of  the  Episcopal  church.  He  lielongs 
to  the  Illinois  Clay  Workers'  Association,  the 
Illinois  Society  of  Engineers  and  Surveyors,  and 
the  Western  Society  of  Engineers.  Fraternally 
he  is  a  member  of  the  B.  P.  O.  E..  the  Delta 
Tan  Delta  fraternity  ,ind  of  several  social  clubs. 
Energetic,  with  an  immense  capacity  for  busi- 
ness. Mr.  vou  Oven  is  eminentl.v  fitted  for  the 
place  he  occupies  in  the  industrial  life  ot  Dn 
Page  county.  With  a  mind  broadened  by  his 
professional  work  and  contact  with  all  classes 
of  men,  he  ajipreeiates  the  needs  of  his  counnu- 
nity  and  is  public-spirited  in  his  endeavor.^  to 
advance   Naperville   in   every   possible  wa.v. 

WAGNER,  George  Luther,  associated  with  the 
firm  of  G.  M.  H.  Wa.gner  &  Sons,  commission 
merchants  of  Chicago,  is  a  resident  of  Glen 
Ellyn.  111.,  and  tlie  family  has  long  been  promi- 
nent in  Du  Page  County.  He  was  born  at  Wil- 
liamsport.  Pa..  November  17.  1856.  a  son  of  G. 
M.    H.    and    So|ihia     ( .Vlbrii-'lit  l    Wagner.      The 


HISTORY  OF  DU  PAGE  COUNTY. 


1063 


father  was  of  German  desceut,  but  the  family 
had  resided  in  I'ennsjivania  for  several  genera- 
tions, his  grandfather  being  a  native  of  that 
State.  G.  M.  H.  Waguer  was  one  of  the  earliest 
commission  merchants  of  Chicago,  starting  in 
business  soon  after  the  devastating  fire  of  1871. 
and  his  sous  have  carried  on  to  the  present  time 
the  enterprise  established  by  his  business  fore- 
sight. In  his  younger  days  he  was  a  merchant 
at  Fort  Clinton.  Pa.,  and  in  IStiS  came  to  what 
was  then  Dauby  (now  Glen  Ellyn).  Du  I'age 
County.  III.,  where  he  engaged  in  mercantile 
business.  On  account  of  ill  health  he  sold  his 
business  there  in  1870  aud  iu  the  latter  laart  of 
1S72.  immediately  following  the  fire,  he  engaged 
in  general  produce  and  fruit  commission  business 
on  West  Lake  Street.  In  1872.  when  the  busi- 
ness part  of  the  city  had  been  partly  rebuilt,  he 
moved  to  130  South  Water  Street.  For  the  first 
few  years  he  was  associated  with  a  Mr.  Watts, 
under  the  firm  name  of  Watts  &  Wagner  ;  then, 
as  his  two  older  sons,  F.  E.  and  W.  L.,  grew  up, 
he  took  them  into  partnership  with  him,  having 
dissolved  liis  former  associations.  They  were 
associated  with  him,  under  the  present  firm 
name,  until  his  death,  in  September.  1901.  and 
still  conduct  the  business  as  G.  M.  H.  Wagner  & 
Sons. 

G.  JI.  II.  \>  agncr  was  well  known  as  a  busi- 
ness man  of  probity  and  honor,  and  his  name 
was  a  synonym  for  fair  dealing  aud  reliability. 
The  reputation  of  the  firm  has  been  held  up  to 
its  high  standard  by  his  sons  as  his  successors. 
He  was  representative  of  the  best  interests  of 
Du  Page  County  and  was  always  patriotic  and 
loyal  to  the  county  and  its  citizens  and  was  al- 
ways a  Republican.  He  was  i-eady  to  aid  in  the 
promotion  of  any  worthy  cause  and  was  most 
highly  respected  by  all  who  knew  him.  in  busi- 
ness or  socially. 

George  L.  Wagner  accomiianied  his  parents 
to  Du  Page  County  in  181)8.  and  he  contiuueil 
his  education  in  the  common  school  of  Illinois, 
siiending  two  years  later  at  Evansville  (Wis.) 
Seminary.  His  first  work  was  in  his  father's 
business,  and  when  he  was  seventeen  years  of 
age  he  went  west  aud  for  several  years  was 
engaged  in  constructing  various  public  works. 
He  returned  home  in  1902,  following  his  father's 
death,  and  has  since  been  associated  with  the 
business  established  by  his  father.  He  was  mar- 
ried .June  30.  19(14.  to  Mrs.  Ida  JI.  Dingman.  a 
daughter  of  \.  B.  Curtis,  a  biography  of  whom 


appears  elsewhere  in  this  work.  Mr.  Wagner 
is  a  Kepubliean  in  politics  and  takes  an  active 
interest  in  public  affairs.  He  is  an  energetic 
liusiness  man  aud  enjo.vs  the  reputatou  of  being 
an  upriglit,  public-spirited  citizen. 

WANDSCHNEIDER,  Fred,  deceased.  f.,rnievly 
proprietor  of  the  Hotel  Edelweiss,  of  Elmhurst, 
was  a  representative  German-Americaa  citizen, 
and  was  held  in  high  esteem  by  all  who  knew 
him.  He  was  a  native  of  Mecklenburg,  Ger- 
many, born  May  2(5,  1S65,  and  came  to  America 
in  18S0,  spending  some  time  at  farming  in 
Michigan.  Later,  he  came  to  Elmhurst,  work- 
ing on  the  railroad  for  several  years,  when  he 
followed  the  trade  of  a  mason  until  1900,  when 
lu  bought  a  piece  of  land,  and  erected  the 
building  where  he  conducted  a  hotel  until  his 
death,  March  22,  1908.  The  business  is  now 
ably  managed  by  his  widow,  who  has  the  assis- 
tance of  her  two  sons  and  one  daughter  in  this 
connection.  Mr.  Wandschneider  was  educated 
in  the  public  scliools  of  his  native  land.  He 
was  a  member  of  the  Evangelical  Church,  in 
politics  was  a  Democrat,  and  belonged  to  the 
(ierman  Harugarl  and  Platdeutche  Gilde  of 
l!lmhurst. 

Mr.  Wandschneider  was  married  December  9, 
ISSS.  by  the  Kev.  A.  Berens,  to  Miss  Anna 
Gaebler,  who  was  born  iu  Hanover.  Germany, 
January  3,  1866,  daughter  of  Gottfried  and  Mar- 
garet (Morritz)  Gaebler.  who  located  in  Elm- 
hurst in  May.  1866.  The  father  was  a  farmer 
and  for  many  years  worked  for  the  Chicago  & 
Xorthwestarn  Railway  Company.  He  retired 
from  active  life  and  settled  in  the  village  of 
Elmhurst.  where  his  death  occurred  in  March, 
1898.  aud  his  widow  now  resides  there  with  her 
sister,  Dorothy,  widow  of  William  Wolff. 

To  Mr.  Wandschneider  and  wife,  children 
were  born  as  follows:  Walter,  September  7. 
1,SS9:  Frank.  September  30.  1891:  Stella.  Sep- 
tember 30.  1893.  Jlr.  Wandschneider  is  buried 
in  St.  Peter's  Cemetery,  aud  his  demise  was 
sadly  mourned  by  his  family  and  numerous 
friends.  He  was  an  industrious  and  successful 
business  man,  and  a  reliable  citizen  in  public 
and  private  life.  His  widow  is  well  known  in 
Elmhurst  aud  is  highly  regarded  by  all.  Mrs. 
Wandschneider  remembers  very  well  the  Chicago 
fire.  The  following  touching  tribute  is  made  in 
iiu'iiiiiry  (if  .Mr.  Wandschneider: 


1064 


HISTORY  OF  DU  PAGE  COUNTY. 


"IX  MEMORY: 

"A  precious  one  from  us  has  gone, 
A  voice  we  loved  is  stilled. 

A  place  is  vacant  in  our  home, 
■^hich  never  can  be  tilled. 

God  in  His  wisdom  has  called 
The  boon  His  love   had  given. 

And  though  the  body  slumbers  here, 
The  soul  is  safe  in  Heaven." 

WANZER,  Edwin  T.,  who  has  established  a 
successful  florist  business  north  of  the  town  of 
Wheaton.  111.,  was  born  in  Huntley,  McHenry 
County.  111..  September  21.  1859,  son  of  Ellas 
and  Hannah  M.  (Haighti  Wanzer.  both  natives 
of  the  State  of  New  Yorlr.  The  parents  located 
at  Huntley  in  ISoT  and  there  the  father  taught 
school  for  a  time,  and  later  engaged  in  an  in- 
surance line.  He  eventually  became  a  member 
of  the  firm  of  Wanzer  &  Company,  commission 
merchants  of  Chicago,  and  In  1873  the  family 
moved  to  Austin.  Mr.  Wanzer  died  in  1896.  at 
the  age  of  seventy-two  years,  and  his  widow, 
who  survives  him.  celebrated  her  eighty-third 
birthday  in  December,  1910.  being  still  active 
and  alile  to  superintend  the  management  of  her 
house.  Mr.  Wanzer  was  a  public-spirited  and 
useful  citizen,  actively  interested  in  political 
matters.  He  was  a  Republican  in  politics  and 
belonged  to  the  Masonic  Order.  Two  children 
were  born  to  him  and  his  wife.  Clarence  H..  liv- 
ing on  the  old  home  in  Chicago,  and  Edwin  T. 

The  early  education  of  Edwin  T.  Wanzer  was 
acquired  in  his  native  village  and  later  he  at- 
tended the  Austin  schools.  He  also  completed  a 
business  course  at  the  Metropolitan  Commercial 
College  of  Chicago.  When  he  was  sixteen  years 
of  age  he  began  spending  his  summers  as  clerk 
In  the  employ  of  the  firm  of  which  his  father 
was  a  member,  and  learned  the  details  of  the 
commission  business.  About  1879  or  ISSO  he 
and  his  brother  formed  a  partnership  and  estab- 
lished the  firm  of  Wanzer  Brothers,  operating 
on  the  open  Board  of  Trade,  and  they  continued 
this  enterprise  twenty-seven  years. 

In  July.  190.5.  Mr.  Wanzer  purchased  seven- 
teen acres  of  land  in  Milton  Township.  Du  Page 
County,  where  he  began  erecting  green-houses, 
and   durins   that   summer   bnilt   three  of   them. 


each  2tiO  hy  2.3'-;  feet.  The  following  spring  he 
built  three  more  of  the  same  size,  with  "lean-to" 
additions.  He  has  continued  to  add  to  them 
from  time  to  time  and  now  has  about  one  acre 
cf  buildings,  all  under  glass.  July  25,  1909,  the 
office  and  cooling  roms  were  destroyed  by  fire, 
but  they  have  since  been  rebuilt,  the  material 
used  for  same  being  solid  cement  and  the  ground 
space  covered  is  20  by  115  feet.  About  80.000 
carnation  plants  are  grown  annually,  one-half 
of  them  under  glas,s.  and  the  plants  are  all 
propagated  by  Mr.  Wanzer.  They  also  grow 
20.000  chrysantbemums.  lO.OOO  geraniums,  3.000 
stevia  plants,  1.50.000  asters  from  seed,  25,000 
gladioli,  and  plant  one  acre  in  peonies.  These 
plants,  and  especially  cut  flowers,  are  sold 
throughout  Hie  United  States,  through  whole- 
sale commission  men  of  Chicago.  Mr.  Wanzer 
has  reason  to  feel  proud  of  what  he  has  accom- 
plished, although  he  modestly  gives  the  credit 
to  his  superintendent.  Mr.  Rudolph  Scheffler. 
a  native  of  Germany,  who  has  been  in  charge 
since  January,  1906.  He  was  educated  in  Mil- 
waukee. Wis.,  and  has  spent  almost  all  his  life 
in  the  flower  business,  being  one  of  the  best 
posted  men  In  this  line  to  he  found  in  all  of 
Illinois. 

The  material  for  tbe  houses  and  other  build- 
ings was  purchased  direct  from  the  manufac- 
turer, and  the  construction  done  by  men  in  the 
employ  of  the  concern,  under  the  direction  of 
Mr.  Scheffler.  Mr.  Wanzer  has  erected  three 
dwellings,  a  barn  and  other  buildings,  besides 
the  greenhouses  on  his  land,  for  the  convenience 
of  the  men  in  his  employ.  T'ntil  190"  Mr.  Wan- 
zer lived  at  Austin,  but  in  that  year  came  to 
Wheaton.  He  takes  an  interest  in  the  progress 
and  welfare  of  the  community,  and  is  regarded 
as  a  useful  citizen  and  upright  business  man. 
winning  many  friends  in  Wheaton  and  its  vicin- 
ity, whose  goodwill  and  esteem  he  holds. 

Mr.  Wanzer  was  married  November  15.  1892. 
to  Miss  Etta  E.  Finch,  daughter  of  John  H.  and 
Elizabeth  (Britton)  Finch,  natives  of  New  York 
State  and  New  Hampshire,  respectively.  Mr. 
Finch  was  a  farmer  at  Woodstoclc.  111.,  where 
Mrs.  Wanzer  was  born.  The  father  died  about 
ten  years  ago.  but  his  widow  survives,  being 
now  eighty -one  years  old.  Mr.  and  Mrs.  Wanzer 
have  had  two  children :  Alice  F..  aged  twenty 
years,  and  Irving  H..  aged  eighteen  years.  Mrs. 
Wanzer  and  children  belong  to  the  Wheaton 
Congregational    Church. 


HISTORY  OF  DU  PAGE  COUNTY. 


1065 


WARKENTIEN,  John,  a  faviiier  of  York  Town- 
ship, Dii  r'aire  County,  is  a  native  of  Mecklen- 
burg, Geiuiany.  boi'u  January  6,  ISoO,  a  sou  of 
Christian  and  Mary  (Lehmanu)  Warkeutien, 
wlio  brouglit  him  to  America  as  an  infant, 
starting  when  he  was  eleven  weeks  old.  They 
made  the  ocean  voyage  in  a  sailing  ve.ssel  which 
took  fourteen  weeks  to  make  the  crossing,  and 
came  direct  to  Elmhurst.  The  father  bought  an 
eighty-acre  farm  hi  York  Township,  which  con- 
tained an  old  house,  to  which  he  made  additions 
and  erected  other  buildings.  He  carried  on 
farmiug  until  he  retired  on  account  of  advanced 
years,  then  moved  to  Chicago,  where  his  death 
occurred  in  October,  1SS2,  at  the  age  of  sixty- 
two  years.  The  mother  died  in  1S5S.  They 
were  parents  of  six  children,  namely :  Sophia 
and  Louisa,  deceased ;  Christian  served  as  a 
soldier  in  the  Civil  War  and  is  now  deceased: 
John  of  this  sketch  :  Fred,  of  Indiana  ;  Caroline, 
widow  of  William  Wiegrave.  Mr.  Wiegiave  was 
a  German  school  teacher.  Jlrs.  Wiegrave  now 
lives  in  Forest  I'ark. 

John  Warkeutien  grew  to  maturity  in  York 
Township  and  received  his  education  in  the  pub- 
lic school.  He  was  reared  to  farm  work  and  lias 
always  followed  this  occupation  with  the  excep- 
tion of  two  years  when  he  was  employed  as  a 
fireiuan  for  the  Chicago,  Burlington  &  Quiney 
r.ailw.ny  Company,  between  Aurora  and  Chi- 
cago. He  bad  no  taste  for  railroad  work  and 
was  glad  to  return  to  farming.  About  l.SSO,-he 
purchased  110  acres  of  land  in  the  southeast 
quarter  of  Section  24  of  Y'ork  Township,  on 
which  be  had  placed  all  tlie  improvements  with 
the  exception  of  the  old  stone  house.  He  has 
brought  bis  laud  to  a  high  state  of  cultivation 
and  productiveness  and  carries  on  general  farm- 
hig  with  special  attention  to  dairying,  shipping 
about  four  cans  of  milk  per  day.  Besides  his 
farming  interests  he  is  a  representative  of  the 
Downer's  Grove  Insurance  Company,  by  whom 
he  has  been  employed  for  the  past  fifteen  years, 
and  his  territory  is  north  of  the  Burlington  Road 
and  East  of  York  street.  H".  is  prominent  in 
i;ublic  affairs  and  has  held  .several  offices  of 
honor  and  trust,  of  which  he  has  ably  fulfilled 
the  duties.  He  served  twenty-one  years  from 
1&S9  to  I'Jld  as  .\ssessor  of  his  township  and 
was  succeeded  by  Ernst  Stuenkel,  tlie  present 
incumbent.  Before  assuming  the  office  of 
Assessor.  Mr.  Warkeutien  had  served  three  years 
as  Commissioner  of  Highways,  and  for  several 

29 


years  prior  to  accepting  that  office,  had  been 
Constable.  He  also  served  several  years  as 
School  Director.  He  Is  now  Treasurer  of  the 
Proviso  Protective  Association.  He  is  well 
known  in  York  Township,  where  most  of  his 
life  has  been  spent,  and  has  a  number  of  firm 
friends. 

On  October  16,  1875,  Mr.  Warkeutien,  married 
Mary  Boger  daughter  of  William  and  Elizabeth 
(Ahrens)  Boger,  a  native  of  Du  Page  County, 
born  January  15,  1S54.  Five  children  have  been 
born  of  this  union,  viz. :  Edward,  born  Jauu- 
arj  3,  1876,  is  at  home;  William,  born  January 
8,  1878,  lives  in  Cook  County;  Lillle,  Mrs.  John 
JXyers,  born  August  17,  1880,  lives  at  LaGrauge, 
Hi.;  Lulu,  born  July  13,  1SS5,  married  William 
J.  Hoepuer,  and  they  live  in  York  Township; 
and  Lizzie,  born  December  4,  1S91,  at  home. 

WARREN,  W.  S.  The  requiremnts  of  the 
strenuous  business  life  of  today,  necessitates  so 
much  expenditure  of  energy  that  many  of  the 
men  whose  affairs  require  their  iiresence  in  one 
or  other  of  the  crovvded  marts  of  industry,  make 
their  homes  In  a  more  suburban  atmosphere 
where  their  families  may  enjoy  the  healthful 
surroundings  of  a  country  existence,  and  .yet  not 
forfeit  those  of  urban  residence.  This  fact, 
combined  with  natural  attractions  nave  made 
Hinsdale  the  home  of  many  of  the  prosperous 
business  men  of  Chicago.  Here  amid  the  ex- 
quisitely wooded  hilly  streets,  with  their  rolling 
expanse,  are  beauriful  homes.  Well  regulated 
clubs,  handsomely  built  and  carefully  conducted 
churches  and  charming  small  parks  all  give 
added  zest  to  life,  and  those  fortunate  enough 
to  be  located  here,  get  more  than  mere  living 
out  of  their  moments. 

One  of  the  men  who  have  been  interested  in 
the  progress  of  Du  Page  county  and  instrumeu- 
tal  in  forwarding  Hinsdale  to  its  present  proud 
pre-eminence,  Is  W.  S.  Warren,  a  broker  at  No. 
130  South  La  Salle  street,  Chicago,  whose  beauti- 
ful home  at  Garfield  and  Third  streets,  is  num- 
bered among  the  finest  in  this  distinctively  resi- 
dence district.  He  -was  born  in  the  county,  be- 
ing a  son  of  John  and  JIary  Warren.  |>!oneers 
of  this  locality.  Some  years  ago,  Mr.  Warren 
turned  his  attention  to  his  present  line  of  busi- 
ness, and  through  natural  ability,  keen  fore- 
sight, and  a  thiiroiigh  uuderstanding  of  tl  e  de- 
mands of  it,  reached  ultimate  success,  which  has 
come  as  a  just  reward  of  years  of  labor.     He 


1066 


HISTORY  OF  DU  PAGE  COUNTY. 


stands  very  bigli  in  the  coutideuce  and  esteem 
ot  his  fellow  associates,  in  botli  a  social  and 
business  way. 

WEBER,  Gottfried,  a  member  of  the  city  coun- 
cil of  Elnihnrst,  operates  a  bakin;;  establishment 
ou  Xorli  street,  aud  is  a  representative  German- 
American  citizen.  He  was  boru  February  22, 
1S67,  a  sou  of  Philip  aud  Jlicha  (Ehler)  Weber, 
the  father  now  living  in  Grimnielshofeu,  Ger- 
many, but  the  mother  died  August  2.j,  ISSO. 
They  were  the  parents  of  six  children :  Geueva, 
Gottfried,  Emil.  Kniest  J..  Maria  and  Anna, 
Mr.  Weber  grew  to  manhood,  receiving  his  edu- 
cation lu  Germany,  and  after  leaving  school 
learned  the  trade  of  a  balcer.  He  served  three 
years  as  a  soldier  iu  the  German  army,  and  in 
1891  came  to  the  I'nited  States. 

Ou  July  4,  1801.  Mr.  Weber  located  in  Chi- 
cago, -where  he  worked  at  his  trade  for  a  time, 
later  engaging  in  business  for  himself.  Still 
later  he  sold  out  and  worked  for  others,  and 
then  once  more  went  into  business  ou  his  own 
account.  lie  came  to  Elmhurst  Febniary  4, 
1905,  and  has  since  been  numbered  amoug  the 
business  men  of  this  place.  He  Is  identified 
with  the  best  interests  of  his  community,  and 
has  been  an  alderman  since  May,  1910.  His 
bakiug  establishment  is  located  at  Xo.  112  North 
York  street,  where  he  has  a  retail  store.  His 
product  is  first-class,  and  the  greatest  care  is 
taken  to  keep  the  place  in  perfect  order,  and  in 
a  strictly  sanitary  condition. 

Mr.  Weber  was  married  (first)  March  21.  1895, 
to  Miss  Emma  Kline,  a  native  of  Germany, 
daughter  of  Ferdinand  and  Christina  (Berns- 
hauseu)  Kline.  They  had  one  sou,  Frederick, 
boru  December  17,  1896,  who  helps  his  father. 
Mrs.  Weber  died  March  27,  1898,  aud  ilr.  Weber 
was  married  (second)  January  1,  1900,  to  Miss 
Hermiua  Kline,  a  sister  of  his  first  wife,  who 
was  born  March  12,  1877,  iu  Germany,  but  came 
to  America  when  she  was  twenty  years  of  age. 
Six  children  have  been  born  of  this  marriage : 
Otto,  on  September  9,  1900 ;  Ernst,  on  Decem- 
ber 21,  1901 ;  Arthur,  ou  July  21,  1903 ;  Freda, 
ou  May  7,  1905;  Edna,  on  May  22,  1907;  and 
Martha,  on  January  1,  1910.  Mr.  Weber  belongs 
to  the  Modern  Woodmen  of  America,  and  his 
wife  to  the  North  American  Union,  and  ho  is 
also  a  Mason.  The  family  belong  to  St.  Peter's 
church.     Mr.  Weber  Is  proud  of  the  fact  that  al- 


though he  had  but  seventy-five  cents  when  he 
came  to  this  c-onntry,  he  has  worked  himself  up 
to  his  present  prosjjerous  condition. 

WEBSTER,  Arthur  L.  Within  retent  years 
farming  has  beeu  revolutionized  and  countless 
acres  of  waste  laud  redeemed  through  drainage 
systems.  Where  once  unsanitary  swamps  poi- 
soned the  air,  now  are  to  be  foimd  fertile  fields 
which  produce  abundant  croiis.  The  work  of 
draining  these  swamps  has  engrossed  the  atten- 
tion of  some  of  our  most  aggressive  business 
men.  aud  Du  Page  has  an  able  representative 
in  this  class  of  endeavor  in  the  person  o^  Arthur 
L.  Webster  of  Wheatou,  111.  He  was  born  in 
Sheldon,  Minn..  October  22.  1877.  being  a  son 
of  Edgar  E.  and  Lucia  M.  Webster,  the  former 
being  a  lumber  manufacturer. 

WHieu  Mr.  Webster  was  a  lad  of  si.x  years  he 
was  taken  by  his  parents  to  Alabama,  and  later 
to  Florida,  where  he  remained  until  1899.  Dur- 
ing this  time  he  had  received  a  very  liberal  edu- 
cation at  the  Summerline  Institute,  at  Barlow, 
Fla.,  and  later,  iu  1902,  1903  and  1904,  studied 
civil  euginering  at  the  University  of  Illinois.  In 
the  meanwhile  he  had  located  at  Wheaton.  in 
June,  1899,  and  has  regarded  this  village  as  his 
home  ever  since. 

During  1900.  1901  and  a  part  of  1902  Mr. 
Webster  was  in  the  employ  of  the  Aurora.  Elgin 
&  Chicago  Railroad  in  their  engineering  corps 
doing  location  and  construction  work,  and  in 
the  summer  of  1903  acquired  valuable  experi- 
ence on  preliminary  and  location  surveys  for 
proposed  new  electric  railroads  iu  southern  Illi- 
nois and  eastern  Iowa.  For  nine  months,  dur- 
ing a  portion  of  1904  and  1905.  he  was  employed 
in  the  engineering  department  of  the  city  of 
Elgin,  and  then  for  fourteen  months  was  resi- 
dent engineer  at  Hawthorne.  111.,  with  the  Manu- 
facturers' Junction  Railroad,  owned  by  the 
Western  Electric  Company,  he  attending  to  the 
field  engineering  of  all  their  building  work 
during  this  period.  In  June.  1906.  he  resigned 
from  this  position  to  enter  into  a  business  of  his 
own.  with  headquarters  at  Wheatou.  For  the 
past  four  years  he  has  been  devoting  himself 
to  drainage  engineering  with  remarkable  re- 
sults, making  a  specialty  of  Boone.  McHenr.v. 
Kane  and  Du  Page  Counties,  Mr.  Webster  has 
under  way  and  completed  the  drainage  of  25.000 
acres  of  land  which  heretofore  was  utterly 
worthless,    thus    reclaiming    territory    that    but 


HISTORY  OF  DU  PAGE  COUNTY. 


1067 


for  bis  enterprise  might  have  ooutiiiued  to  lie 
fallow. 

That  he  has  made  many  friends  was  evinced 
by  his  election  by  a  very  large  vote  as  County 
.Surveyor  of  Du  Page  County  in  1008,  for  a 
four-year  term,  during  which  time  he  estab- 
lished a  record  for  permanent  and  accurate 
work,  and  before  his  term  expired  required  more 
pages  for  record  of  his  accomplishment  than  all 
the  surveyors  for  the  twenty-three  years  previ- 
ous, taken  together,  have  needed.  In  May, 
1900,  be  was  appointed  City  Engineer  of  Whea- 
ton  by  Mayor  Scbryver,  and  reappointed  in 
1011    for    another    two-year   period. 

On  May  12.  1000.  Mr.  Webster  was  married 
to  Alice  Comptou  of  Wheaton,  daughter  of  11. 
D.  and  Terzah  Compton,  the  former  being  a 
contractor.  Jlr.  Webster  belongs  to  the  Presby- 
terian Church,  of  which  be  was  formerly  trus- 
tee. He  is  an  active  member  of  the  Illinois  So- 
ciity  of  Engineers  and  Surveyors,  having  acted 
as  chairman  of  various  committees,  and  is  also 
a  member  of  the  Modern  Woodmen  of  America. 

From  the  beginning  of  his  career  Mr.  Webster 
has  worked  with  a  singleness  of  puriwse,  estab- 
lishing and  retaining  a  clean  and  honest  record. 
Many  of  Wheaton's  best  young  men  have  been 
employed  by  him.  and  encouraged  to  secure  bet- 
ter education  or  positions.  As  long  as  the  lands 
he  has  reclaimed  continue  to  bear  abundantly 
he  will  be  kindly  remembered  as  one  who  was 
willing  and  al)le  to  go  forward  fearlessly  and 
uuselfislily.  where  he  saw  an  opportunity  to 
be  of  benefit  to  his  fellow  man.  An  advocate  of 
better  roads,  and  of  improving  the  natural  ad- 
vantages of  Du  Page  County,  the  gateway  to 
Chicago,  and  the  home  of  its  busiest  and  bright- 
est men,  his  efforts  are  bound  to  leave  a  lasting 
impression. 

WEGNER,  William,  a  well  known  and  success- 
ful farmer  of  York  Township,  Du  Page  County, 
was  born  in  Hanover,  Germany,  August  30,  IS44. 
and  is  a  son  of  Fred  and  Margaret  (Smith) 
Wegner.  The  family  came  to  America  when 
he  was  about  thirteen  years  of  age,  making  the 
voyage  in  a  sailing  vessel  which  took  nearly 
three  months  to  cross  and  carried  110  passen- 
gers. They  came  direct  to  Lombard,  where  they 
occupied  an  old  log  cabin,  which  at  first  let  in 
the  rain  in  torrents  when  it  stormed.  William 
was  hired  by  Henry  Golternian,  Supervisor  of 
York,   at  one  dollar  per  week,  which   they  con- 


sidered a  good  price  for  his  services.  In  this 
position  he  learned  to  milk  and  perform  other 
work  on  the  farm  and  attended  the  public  school 
for  a  time.  The  parents  lived  in  Lombard  but 
a  short  time  and  then  moved  to  Proviso.  Cook 
County,  and  the  father  worked  for  many  years 
at  his  trade  of  carpenter  there  and  in  other 
places  in  that  region.  He  died  at  Fullersburg 
in  1809.  at,  the  age  of  seventy-eight  years,  and 
the  mother  died  in  1887,  aged  sixty-five  years. 
They  were  parents  of  three  children :  William  ; 
Henry,  of  Fullersburg ;  Dorothy,  widow  of 
.\dolph  Froscher,  lives  in  Hinsdale  and  her  son 
runs  the  business  which  had  been  carried  on 
by  her  husband.  For  many  years  Fred  Wegner 
was  agent  for  the  Addison  Insurance  Company. 
He  erected  many  buildings  in  Du  Page  County 
and  was  well  known  for  the  thoroughness  of  his 
work. 

."Vt  the  age  of  nineteen  years  William  Wegner 
began  to  learn  the  trade  of  a  carpenter  with  his 
father,  with  whom  he  remained  five  years  and 
then  engaged  in  work  on  his  own  responsibility. 
He  worked  for  others  until  he  was  thirty  years 
of  age.  then  entered  partnership  with  his  broth- 
er-in-law, Mr.  Froscher.  and  they  became  the 
leading  contractors  of  the  locality,  their  head- 
quarters being  at  Hinsdale.  They  sometimes 
employed  as  many  as  twenty  men  at  one  time. 
Mr.  Wegner  was  taken  sick,  and  as  his  health 
improved  very  slowly,  he  was  induced  to  sell 
his  business  interests  and  locate  on  a  farm. 
He  has  lived  on  his  present  place  since  1894. 
and  has  it  well  under  cultivation.  He  is  a  good 
business  manager  and  has  been  successful  In 
all  his  ventures. 

April  10,  1875.  Mr.  Wegner  married  Doroth,y 
Andorf.  daughter  of  William  and  Mary  (Gehka) 
.\ndorf.  who  was  born  in  Hanover.  Germany, 
April  13,  1855,  and  came  to  America  when  she 
was  sixteen  years  of  age.  The  family  located  in 
Y'ork  Township  and  the  father  carried  on  farm- 
ing. He  died  in  April,  1800,  and  is  buried  in 
Fullersburg,  and  the  mother  died  in  .\pril.  1885. 
Mr.  Andorf  and  wife  had  three  daughters: 
Louisa  died  when  four  years  of  age:  Lizzie  mar- 
ried John  Hingst,  now  deceased ;  Mrs.  Wegner. 
Six  children  were  born  to  Mr.  Wegner  and 
wife :  Fred,  born  December  22,  1876.  lives  in 
Iowa:  William,  born  March  28.  1881;  Henry, 
December  9,  1883 :  George,  born  August  4.  1895 ; 
Alvena.  born  September  10.  1875,  married  Oscar 
Mosier    and   they    reside    in    Hinsdale:    Mamie. 


106« 


HISTORY  OF  DU  PAGE  COUNTY. 


boru  Ajiril  30.  1878.  married  Harry  Leiurafer 
and  they  reside  in  Hinsdale.  Mr.  Wegner  tias 
twelve  grandchildren. 

WEHRLI,  Andrew  E.,  of  an  old  and  prominent 
family  of  Du  Page  County,  is  a  retired  farmer 
and  resides  in  Naperville.  He  is  a  native  of  the 
county,  born  in  Lisle  Township  April  IS,  1S61,  a 
son  of  Joseph  and  Elizabeth  (Schmitt)  Wehrli, 
and  grandson  of  Anthony  and  Marie  (Herschell) 
Wehrli  and  Martin  and  Anna  Maria  (Pfaff) 
Schmitt.  Martin  Schmitt  and  wife  came  to  Dn 
Page  County  and  located  on  a  farm  In  Lisle 
Township,  where  the  remainder  of  their  lives 
were  spent.  Joseph  Wehrli  and  wife  were  born 
in  Alsace.  German.v.  and  came  to  Xaperville  in 
1S49,  working  a  short  time  in  a  brewery  and  then 
engaging  in  farming.  His  parents  followed  him 
to  the  county  a  few  years  after  his  arrival.  He 
and  Elizabeth  Schmitt  were  married  at  Naper- 
ville and  a  few  years  later,  purchased  a  farm  In 
Lisle  Township,  on  which  they  remained  about 
teu  years  and  then  sold  and  purchased  another 
farm  in  the  same  township,  which  the  father 
operated  until  1S95,  and  then  retired  from  active 
life  and  moved  to  Xaperville.  where  he  died  Janu- 
ary 20,  1S9S.  His  wife  died  February  1,  1894. 
Their  children  were:  William,  born  November 
4,  18.50,  lives  in  Greene  County,  Iowa ;  Andrew 
E. ;  Mary  born  September  22,  1864,  married  Jo- 
seph Drendel  and  they  reside  in  Naperville 
Township ;  Frank  died  in  infancy ;  Henry,  born 
November  4,  1SG8,  died  December  IS.  igo.j : 
Elizabeth,  born  May  20,  1872.  married  Adam 
Kohley,  of  Lisle  Township. 

In  boyhood  Andrew  E.  Wehrli  attended  the 
district  school  and  learned  all  kinds  of  farm 
work.  He  resided  with  his  parents  until  his 
marriage  May  15,  1888,  to  Eva  Keller,  who  was 
Ixirn  in  Naperville  Township  Jannary  27,  1S66, 
daughter  of  Adam  and  Barbara  (Wiegand) 
Keller.  Mr.  Keller  was  from  Rhine  Byron, 
German.v,  and  his  wife  from  Byron,  Germany. 
Her  parents  were  John  and  Barbara  (Fierier) 
Weigand.  He  and  his  wife  rented  land  in 
Naperville  Township  three  years.  Mrs.  Kel- 
ler's father,  John  Weigand.  was  a  widower 
•when  he  came  to  Illinois  and  later  married 
(second)  Kamukuda  Waltz  and  (third)  Ger- 
trude Flemmen. 

After  his  marriage  Mr.  Wehrli  took  up  his 
residence  on  a  farm  his  father  owned  two  miles 
south    of    Naperville,    in    Lisle    Township,    and 


after  the  death  of  his  father,  he  purchased  1.37 
acres  of  land  owned  by  his  father,  to  which  he 
has  since  added  from  time  to  time,  and  now 
owns  282  acres.  This  farm  was  devoted  to 
mixed  farming,  with  special  attention  to  dairy- 
ing, and  became  known  as  Mill  Brook  Dairy 
Farm.  lie  was  an  energetic  and  progressive 
farmer  and  won  a  high  degree  of  success.  May 
4,  1903,  he  Inoved  to  Naperville  and  retired 
from  active  life.  He  and  his  wife  are  parents 
of  two  children,  Coletta  H.  E.,  born  March  6, 
1S92,  and  Frank  Joseph,  October  9,  1896.  Mr. 
Wehrli  is  a  member  of  the  Catholic  Church  and 
is  a  trustee  of  St.  Peter  and  St.  Paul  Church  of 
Xcperville,  having  held  this  office  since  1901. 
He  is  independent  in  political  views,  and  frater- 
nally is  affiliated  with  the  Catholic  Order  of 
Foresters  and  the  Knights  of  Columbus  of 
X'aperville.  He  stands  well  in  his  community  as 
an  upright,  public-spirited  citizen  and  enjoys  the 
regard  of  a  wide  circle  of  friends. 

WEHRS,  William,  member  of  the  firm  of  See- 
liausen.  Wehrs  &  Co..  dealers  in  engiueers'  and 
mill  supplies  at  No.  178  N.  Franklin  street, 
Chicago,  and  vice-president  of  the  Lombard 
State  Bank  of  lyombard.  is  one  of  the  successful 
Inisiuess  men  of  Du  Page  and  Cook  counties. 
He  was  born  at  Dubuque.  la..  November  2. 
1S67,  being  a  sou  of  Henry  W.  and  Anna  M. 
(Hemuier)  Wehrs.  Henry  W.  Wehrs  is  a  min- 
ister of  the  Evangelical  Lutheran  Church,  and 
the  family  lived  in  various  towns  and  cities  to 
which  Mr.  Wehrs  was  sent  in  his  clerical  ca- 
pacity. 

William  Wehrs  was  educated  in  the  common 
schools  of  several  places,  and  took  a  business 
course  at  Watertown,  Wis.  After  some  years  in 
whicli  he  was  engaged  in  several  lines  of  en- 
deavor, the  present  firm  purchased  the  business 
conducted  by  Spaulding  and  Metcalf.  in  1894. 
when  the  caption  now  used  was  adopted.  In  the 
spring  of  1908  some  of  the  substantial  business 
men  of  Lomliard  and  Elmhurst.  recognizing  the 
need  for  a  banking  institution  at  the  former 
place,  organized  the  State  Bank  of  Lombard, 
with  a  capital  stock  of  $25,000.  and  a  surplus  of 
S3,7.50.  Charles  E.  Lane  was  elected  president; 
William  Wehr.s.  vice-president ;  Henry  C. 
Schumacher,  cashier,  and  George  H.  Fisclier, 
assistant  cashier.  The  Board  of  Directors  are: 
Charles  E.  Lane.  John  J.  Case.  Alonzo  G.  Fisher, 
William  Wehrs.  Adam  S.  Glos.  Henry  D.  Gray, 


HISTORY  OF  DU  PAGE  COUNTY. 


1069 


Heury  Schumacher,  Johu  Scharlau,  and  William 
Ilammerschmidt.  The  present  substantial  and 
artistic  bank  building  was  erected  during  1909, 
and  the  bank  opened  for  business  January  1, 
1910.  The  sjime  otficials  were  re-elected.  The 
business  of  the  bank  is  in  charge  of  George  H. 
Fischer,  who  is  called  acting  cashier.  The  af- 
fairs of  the  bank  are  in  excellent  condition,  and 
the  people  of  Lombard  and  the  outlying  dis- 
tricts contiguous  to  it  appreciate  the  accommo- 
dation afforded  by  it. 

Mr.  Wehrs  was  married  at  Lombard,  Novem- 
ber 29.  1900,  to  Amanda  L.  Maracjuardt.  Three 
children  have  been  born  of  this  marriage:  Mara- 
quardt,  Anna  and  Ruth.  In  politics  Mr.  Wehrs 
is  a  Democrat,  while  in  religious  belief  he  is  a 
member  of  the  Evangelical  Lutheran  Church. 

WEIGAND,  Peter,  for  many  years  associated 
with  the  hotel  bu.siness  in  Du  Page  county,  dur- 
ing which  time  he  afforded  entertainment  for 
many  of  the  notable  visitors  to  this  locality  for 
an  indefinite  period,  and  set  up  a  standard  of 
excellence  hard  to  be  beaten,  was  born  near 
Lombard.  York  township.  October  25,  1855.  He 
is  a  sou  of  John  and  Mrs.  Gertrude  (Flichnian- 
Janzer)  Weigand,  the  latter  having  been  a 
widow  when  she  married  Mr.  Weigand. 

Growing  up  in  York  township.  Peter  Weigand 
attended  the  district  schools  and  spent  a  short 
time  in  a  Catholic  parochial  school.  When  four- 
teen years  old.  he  began  working  as  a  farm 
hand,  continuing  thus  for  four  years,  when  he 
began  buying  horses.  Later  he  did  teaming  and 
threshing,  always  saving  money  and  keeping  an 
outlook  for  good  opportunities  to  invest  it.  By 
the  time  he  had  attained  his  majority,  he  was 
ready  to  farm  for  himself,  so  he  rented  property 
from  his  mother,  continuing  to  operate  this  until 
1SS9,  at  the  same  time  keeping  up  with  his 
thre.shing.  In  the  fall  of  that  year,  he  renfeil 
the  Lombard  Hotel,  conducting  it  for  eight 
years,  and  firmly  establishing  its  reputation  for 
good  meals  and  general  excellent  treatment  of 
guest«.  In  the  spring  of  1898,  he  retired  temiw- 
rarily  from  the  hotel  business  on  account  of  ill 
health,  but  In  March,  1900,  he  resumed  its  cares, 
buying  his  old  hostelry  and  running  it  until 
April  23,  1910.  when  once  more  he  was  forced 
to  retire,  and  so  sold  his  property.  In  1898  he 
built  a  large,  modern  residence  in  Lombard, 
which  is  the  family  nome. 

On  November  1,   1889.   Mr.   Weigand  married 


Mary  Sehenipp,  born  in  Philadelphia,  November 
30,  186-1,  daughter  of  Phjlip  and  Nanetta  (Elser) 
Schempp.  natives  of  Germany.  After  the  death 
of  his  first  wife  he  married  her  sister  Mary. 
The  Schempp  family  came  to  Lombard  July  21, 
1887.  and  Mr.  Schempp  died  December  i,  1889, 
aged  fifty-two  years.  His  widow  later  married 
Carl  Ketcher,  and  after  bis  death  was  united 
with  Carl  Koseck.  and  they  reside  in  Lombard. 
Mr.  and  Mrs.  Weigaud  became  the  parents  of 
four  children :  Albert  I'.,  who  was  boru  August 
3.  1890,  a  student  of  applied  electricity  at  Pratt 
Institute,  of  Brooklyn,  N.  Y.,  having  already  been 
graduated  from  the  Lewis  Institute  of  Chicago; 
Ferdinand  W,.  who  was  boru  May  19,  1892,  and 
graduated  from  the  Lombard  grammar  school, 
is  with  his  father:  Gertrude  M.,  who  was  liorn 
February  11,  1890.  a  graduate  of  the  Lombard 
granmiar  school.  Is  a  student  of  the  Lewis  In- 
stitute; and  Harold  G.,  who  was  born  Septem- 
ber 29,  1903.  Mr.  Weigand  is  a  Democrat,  but 
has  never  desired  office,  preferring  to  devote 
himself  to  his  private  affairs.  Having  been  con- 
nected with  hotel  life  for  so  long  a  time,  Mr. 
Weigand  Is  known  all  over  the  state,  and  af- 
fectionately remembered  by  those  who  had  the 
i)leasure  of  being  his  transient  guests,  as  well 
as  tliose  who  lived  in  his  hotel. 

WEIS,  John  A.,  a  prominent  and  well  known 
citizen  of  Napervile,  111.,  has  been  retired  from 
active  life  for  the  past  dozen  years.  He  has 
lived  in  Du  Page  County  much  of  the  time 
since  the  fifties,  and  has  always  been  interested 
in  its  welfare  and  prosperity.  Mr.  Weis  was 
born  in  Nansau.  Germany,  December  12.  1839, 
a  sou  of  John  and  Margaret  Weis.  who  spent 
their  entire  lives  in  Germany.  He  attended 
the  common  schools  of  his  native  country  and 
was  reared  in  the  Catholic  faith.  In  the  fifties 
he  came  to  America  and  spent  the  first  two 
years  at  Downer's  Grove.  111.,  where  he  learned 
the  trade  of  wagon-maker.  Later  he  worked 
many  years  in  a  baby  carriage  factory  in  Chi- 
cago, and  In  May,  1882.  located  in  Naperville. 
which  has  since  been  his  residence.  He  con- 
tinued to  work  in  Chicago  through  the  week, 
returning  home  over  Suuda.vs.  until  his  retire^ 
ment  in  1900,  and  is  now  enjoying  a  well-earned 
rest.  He  takes  an  intelligent  interest  In  local 
affairs,  and  in  politics  is  a  Democrat.  He  is  a 
member  of  the  Catholic  Church  and  fraternally 
Is  connected  with  the  Western  Catholic  Union. 


1070 


HISTORY  OF  DU  PAGE  COUNTY. 


He  purcliased  residence  property  in  Xaperville 
when  he  caiue  to  that  place  to  live  in  1872,  and 
owns  a  very  iileasant  home. 

He  was  married  February  22,  1870.  to  Mary 
Caroline  Ketterer,  who  was  boru  in  that  village 
September  11.  1850.  a  daughter  of  Andrew  and 
Mary  Anna  (Shue)  Ketterer.  both  natives  of 
Germany  and  the  mother  born  in  Alsace.  Mr. 
Ketterer  came  to  Dn  Page  County  in  1847  and 
settled  at  Xaperville,  where  he  conducted  a 
shop,  being  a  cooper  by  trade,  and  had  the  larg- 
est and  best  establishment  of  its  l^ind  in  that 
part  of  the  county.  He  enlisted  in  the  Union 
Army.  September  2.  18C1,  in  Company  B.  Fort.v- 
secoud  Illinois  Yohniteer  Infantry,  was  taken 
sick  while  on  the  march  and  died  in  Tennessee, 
July  1-1.  1SC2.  His  widow  disposed  of  his  busi- 
ness and  later  married  John  Xoll,  of  Lacton,  now 
Belmont,  Lisle  Township,  where  she  died 
June  20.  1869.  Mrs.  Weis  was  the  only  child 
of  her  parents  and  was  educated  in  the  paroch- 
ial school  and  academy  at  Xaperville.  Mr.  and 
Mrs.  Weis  became  parents  of  children  as  fol- 
lows :  Carrie  II..  at  home :  Olive  M..  Jlrs.  M. 
R.  S.  Lilly,  of  Richmond,  Va. ;  J.  Hattie  E.,  at 
home :  Mary,  John  and  Anthony,  deceased ;  Leo, 
at  home. 

WENDLAND,  Herman  Christian,  of  the  firm 
of  Wendland  &  Keimel,  is  a  well  known  citizen 
of  Elmhurst,  111.,  and  for  the  past  few  years 
has  been  in  partnership  with  William  J.  Keimel. 
They  have  the  most  e.\tensive  florist  and  green- 
house establishment  in  Du  Page  Count.v,  and 
tlieir  plant  and  enterprise  is  described  at  length 
in  connection  with  the  biographical  sketch  of 
William  J.  Keimel,  to  be  found  In  this  work. 
The  members  of  the  firm  are  men  of  estab- 
lished business  reputation  and  high  character 
and  enjoy  the  respect  of  all  who  know  them. 
Their  business  is  almost  wholly  confined  to  cut 
roses,  which  they  sell  by  wholesale  through  Chi- 
cago brokers.  Mr.  Wendland  is  a  native  of 
Mecklenburg,  Germany,  born  April  11,  1S7S,  a  son 
of  Carl  and  Helen  (Schulte)  Wendland.  He 
grew  to  maturity  in  his  native  country,  there 
attending  the  public  schools  and  also  a  select  or 
private  school.  He  learned  the  trade  of  baker 
and  in  1S99.  came  alone  to  the  United  States, 
locating  first  in  Chicago,  where  he  worked 
several  years  at  his  trade.  In  1904,  he  pur- 
chased a  bakery  at  1440  West  Fullerton  Avenue, 
which  he  sold  in  190S,  to  engage  in  his  present 


enterprise,  in  which  he  has  met  with  gratifying 
success. 

Mr.  Wendland  was  married  in  Chicago,  April 
2o,  1904,  to  Minnie  Drecoll,  a  native  of  Ger- 
many, and  three  children  have  blessed  this 
union  :  Helen,  horn  April  20,  1906 ;  Henry,  March 
20,  1908;  Frederick,  October  19,  1910.  Mr. 
Wendland  attends  the  Lutheran  Church. 

WENKER,  Rev.  August,  deceased.  The  death 
of  liov.  August  Weuker,  which  occurred  after  a 
wearying  illness  of  some  months,  on  October  22, 
1011,  at  the  parish  residence  connected  with 
SS.  Peter  and  Paul  church  at  Xaperville,  111., 
where  he  h.id  been  priest-In-charge  for  thirty- 
four  years,  brought  grief  not  only  to  his  large 
congregation  liut  to  the  general  public  who  could 
not  fail  to  realize  that  a  good  man  and  an  en- 
nobling influence  had  passed  away.  Modest  and 
self-sacrificing,  he  yet  had  been  a  man  who  had 
accomplished  much.  He  was  born  at  Wareudorf, 
in  Westphalia,  Germany,  February  22.  1880,  and 
was  a  son  of  Heinrich  and  Bernardine  (West- 
lujes)   Weuker. 

In  his  home  town.  August  Wenker  attended  the 
Gymnasium  Laureiitianum,  and  in  the  fall  of 
1870  had  made  his  choice  of  career,  beginning 
his  theological  studies  at  Munster,  Westphalia, 
and  on  May  30.  1874,  was  ordained  priest  at  the 
Cathedral  of  St.  Paul,  in  that  city.  Already 
jireparations  had  been  made  for  his  departure 
to  America  and  on  September  19,  1874,  he 
reached  Xew  York  City,  and  proceeded  from 
there  to  Chicago,  his  first  appointment  being  a* 
curate  to  Rev.  Ferdinand  Kalvelage,  of  St. 
Francis  church.  On  July  29,  1876,  he  was  placed 
in  charge  of  St.  Joseph  church,  at  La  Salle,  111., 
and  of  the  mission  of  Rutland,  and  in  the  per- 
formance of  somewhat  arduous  duties  he  con- 
tinued until  his  appointment  on  October  23,  1878, 
liastor  of  SS.  Peter  and  Paul  Church.  Xaperville. 
111.  From  the  beginning  of  his  long  pastorate, 
his  people  recognized  his  worth.  He  considered 
them  his  children  and,  as  far  as  possible,  bore 
the  weight  of  their  troubles,  gave  them  both 
spiritual  and  temporal  advice  and  his  memory 
is  enshrined  in  their  hearts,  connected  as  he 
was.  for  so  long  with  their  joys  and  sorrows. 

Father  Wenker  was  well  fitted  to  advance  the 
material  prosperity  of  his  parish,  and  the  condi- 
tion which  prevailed  at  the  time  of  his  death 
proved  his  exceptional  executive  ability  and 
business    judgment.      Through     his    encourage- 


HISTORY  OF  DU  PAGE  COUNTY. 


1071 


ment  and  effort  many  improvements  of  note 
were  made  and  mention  may  be  made  of  Carolus 
Hall,  which,  unfortunately  was  destroyed  by  tire 
on  August  24,  1911.  Although  Father  WenUer 
at  that  time  was  suffering  with  what  he  realized 
to  be  a  mortal  illness,  he  commenced  to  plan  its 
rebuilding  and  gave  encouragement  to  those  who 
sorely  deplored  the  loss  of  the  parish  school 
building  in  which  all  had  taken  so  much  pride. 
This  hall  had  been  built  in  1802  at  a  cost  ot 
$18,000.  In  190;:!  the  ground  on  which  the  mag- 
nificent parsonage  stands  was  purchased  for 
$3,000.  this  building  being  erected  as  a  cost  ot 
$12,000. 

Father  Wenker  was  a  man  of  profound  knowl- 
edge and  scholarly  in  his  attainments  hut  with 
so  unassuming  a  manner  and  so  simple  of  life 
that  the  most  ignorant  and  lowly  of  his  peojile 
found  him  sympathetic  and  understanding  in 
tlieir  perplexities  and  his  guidance  was  along 
the  exact  lines  of  their  comprehension.  He  was 
open-handed  in  his  charities,  forgiving  to  the 
erring  as  became  a  compassionate  man  as  well 
as  priest,  and  not  only  won  respect  from  those 
who  knew  him  in  his  own  communion  but  honor 
and  warm  esteem  from  those  with  whom  the  as- 
sociations of  the  common  life  brought  him  con- 
stantly into  contact. 

The  funeral  obsequies  were  held  on  Thurs- 
day, October  20,  1911,  In  SS.  Peter  and  I'aul 
Church,  His  Grace.  Archbishop  James  Edward 
Quigley  officiating  as  celebrant  at  the  Pontifical 
Requiem  High  JIass. 

WHEATON,  Franklin  Emory.  The  Wheaton 
family  of  the  community  that  bears  its  honored 
name,  is  one  of  the  most  important  in  Du  Page 
County  histor.v.  Its  record  has  been  carefully 
traced  and  is  given  in  detail  elsewhere  in  this 
work,  but  its  several  representatives  are  deserv- 
ing of  more  than  casual  mention,  for  they  have 
sustained  the  reputation  established  by  the 
f<iunders  of  the  family  in  Illinois.  One  of  the 
men  who  was  born  in  Wheaton  itself,  is  Frank- 
lin Emory  Wheaton,  one  of  the  prosperous  busi- 
ness men  of  Du  Page  County.  Mr.  Wheaton 
was  born  on  the  Wheaton  homestead,  July  12, 
1852,  being  a  son  of  Jesse  Childs  Wheaton, 
whose  biography  is  given  at  length  elsewhere, 

Mr.  Wheaton  was  given  a  liberal  education, 
first  attending  the  common  schools  of  Wheaton, 
and  later  Wheaton  College,  where  he  spent  three 
years  before  entering  the  law  department  of  the 


T'niversity  of  Michigan,  at  Ann  Arbor,  in  1876, 
from  which  he  was  graduated  the  following 
year:  When  only  twenty-two  years  old,  Mr. 
Wheaton  began  teaching  in  Du  Page  County 
thus  continuing  for  ten  winters,  seven  of  them 
being  spent  in  WarrenvUle.  Following  this,  he 
bought  a  farm  near  Wheaton.  comprising  ninety- 
two  acres  of  laud  which  is  still  in  his  possession. 
This  property  was  a  part  of  the  Warren  L. 
Wheaton  land. 

On  December  29,  1881,  Mr.  Wheaton  was  mar- 
ried in  Du  Page  County,  to  Ella  Lowrie,  born 
February  5,  1857,  a  daughter  of  Dr.  J.  O.  and 
Anna  Maria  (Kidsom)  Lowrie.  Dr.  Lowrie  was 
an  early  druggist  of  Wheaton,  as  well  as  a  prac- 
ticing physician.  One  child  was  born  to  Mr. 
and  Mrs.  Wheaton,  Ralph  Lowrie  Wheaton,  on 
September  3,  18S3.  in  Wheaton.  He  married 
Clara  Safford  of  Milburn,  111.,  daughter  of  the 
Kev.  and  Mrs.  Safford,  the  former  a  minister 
of  the  Congregational  Church.  One  child,  Ralph 
Lowrie  Wheaton,  Jr„  was  born  of  this  marriage. 
Mrs.  Franklin  E.  Wheaton  passed  away  at  her 
home  in  Wheaton,  October  22,  1894.  She  was 
loved  not  only  in  her  family  circle,  but  by  her 
fellow  members  of  the  Gary  Methodist  Church. 
A  lady  of  refinement  of  character,  and  many  vir- 
tues, her  death  was  mourned  very  widely. 

In  1S92,  Mr.  Wheaton  embarked  in  a  coal  and 
lumber  business,  and  has  continued  .along  these 
lines  ever  since,  his  concern  being  one  of  the 
n.ost  substantial  of  its  kind  in  Du  Page  County. 
Mr.  Wheaton  and  his  brother,  Washington 
Wheaton,  inherited  the  old  Wheaton  homestead, 
cu  Wheaton  avenue,  which  covers  an  entire  city 
block.  The  famous  old  rock  maple  trees  on  the 
property  were  planted  by  his  father  many  years 
ago.  The  large  two-story  residence  was  built  by 
him  in  1856. 

In  political  opinions.  Mr.  Wheaton  was  form- 
erly a  strong  Republican,  but  he  Is  now  a 
staunch  advocate  of  temperance  reform,  and  of 
late  years  has  been  a  Prohibitionist.  He  has 
been  a  member  of  the  City  Council  for  two 
J  ears,  and  a  member  of  the  School  Board  for  six 
years.  The  Gary  Methodist  Church  holds  hia 
membership  and  has  his  generous  support,  he  be- 
ing one  of  its  trustees.  Proud  of  his  family  his- 
tory, confident  of  the  continued  prosperity  of 
Wheaton  which  he  regards  as  the  ideal  residence 
district  of  the  country,  successful  in  his  business 
operations,  Mr.  Wheaton  is  a  man  whose  life 
has  been  singularly  prosperous,   and  whose   in- 


1072 


-HISTORY  OF  DU  PAGE  COUNTY. 


fluence  for  good  is  very  strong  not  ouly  in  his 
Immediate  couimuuity,  but  wherever  he  may 
happen  to  te,  for  he  is  one  who  is  not  afraid  to 
isupi»rt  his  principles,  or  to  give  voice  to  his 
faith.  His  work  in  behalf  of  the  cause  he 
holds  so  dear,  has  brought  him  in  contact  with 
the  leading  Prohibitionists  of  the  country,  with 
wiiom  he  is  in  thorough  sympathy. 

WHEATON,  Jesse  Childs,  son  of  tlie  pioneer 
for  whom  the  town  of  Wheaton  is  named,  and 
who  bore  the  same  name.  Jesse  Childs  Wheaton, 
was  born  on  the  old  Wheaton  homestead.  Aug- 
ust 30,  1842.  There  is  a  tradition  in  the  Wheat- 
on family,  that  the  first  of  the  name  came  to 
Rehoboth,  Mass.,  from 'Swansea,  Wales.  Robert 
AVheaton  was  at  Rehoboth,  in  1C43-6 ;  Jeremiah 
Wheaton  was  at  Rehoboth  in  1676 ;  Christopher 
Wheaton  a  fisherman  of  Hull,  served  In  King 
Philip's  War  iu  .Johnson's  company.  There  were 
other  early  ATheatons  iu  America.  The  above 
records  are  from  the  work  of  Judge  Savage,  a 
niember  of  the  Massachussets  Histortcal  Society. 
I-'armer  writes  that  fourteen  of  this  name  had 
iu  1S29,  been  graduated  from  New  England  col- 
leges. Joseph  Wheaton  of  Rhode  Island  was  an 
ensign  iu  a  Rhode  Island  regiment  in  the  Revo- 
lutionary War.  Wheaton  is  a  local  name  in 
.Staffordshire.  Jesse  Childs  Wheaton,  Sr.,  was 
born  in  Pomfret,  Conn.,  a  son  of  James  Wheaton. 

James  Wheaton  was  a  farmer  who  owned  a 
form  in  Pomfret.  His  children  were  Warren 
Lyon  and  Jesse  Childs,  by  his  first  wife.  By  a 
second  wife  he  had  these  children :  Gerdon, 
Muuroe.  Mason,  Angel,  Henry  and  Nancy.  He 
died  at  Pomfret,  Conn.,  a  member  of  the  Bap- 
list  Church. 

The  birth  of  the  elder  Jesse  Childs  Wheaton 
was  dated  May  1.5,  1S13,  and  he  was  given  a 
common  school  education  in  New  England 
schools.  In  1835.  he  came  to  Illinois,  when  he 
was  alxiut  twenty-two  years  old.  By  trade  a 
carpenter,  he  found  ready  employment  in  the 
growing  communities  in  Du  Page  County,  and 
nmch  of  his  work  still  stands,  so  excellent  was 
ic.  The  marriage  of  Jesse  Childs  Wheaton  and 
Oriuda  Gary,  occurred  in  Du  Page  County.  She 
was  a  daughter  of  William  Gary,  who  died  in 
Pomfret,  and  a  sister  of  Charles  Erastus  and 
Jude  Gary,  the  first  settlers  of  Warrenville,  Du 
Page  County,  in  1831.  Those  brothers  were 
soldiers  in  the  Black  Hawk  War,  and  Mrs. 
Wheaton  was  one  of  those  forced  to  fly  to  Fort 


Dearborn  for  shelter  because  of  iear  nf  an 
Indian  attack.  After  marriage.  Mr.  Wheaton 
entered  land,  owning  about  400  acres  of  land, 
where  his  son  now  resides.  He  buUt  on  it  a 
small  frame  house.  The  Gary  brothers  put  up 
a  sawmill  four  miles  west  on  a  branch  of  the 
Du  Page  river,  and  supplied  lumber  for  the 
early  settlers. 

Warren  L.  Wheaton,  a  brother  came  here  in 
1837,  and  settled  on  land  adjoining  Jesse  C. 
Wheaton  on  the  east.  He  bought  900  acres  from 
the  government.  The  two  brothers  owned  most 
of  the  land  on  which  tlie  village  of  Wheaton 
now  stands.  They  laid  out  aud  founded  the 
town,  and  were  very  liberal  in  giving  it  a  start, 
dcmating  many  lots  as  inducements  to  the  right 
kind  of  people  to  locate  in  it,  and  also  land  for 
the  schools  and  the  right  of  way  for  the  rail- 
road, church  land  aud  a  cemetery.  They  assisted 
in  establishing  the  college,  building  the  First 
Methodist  Church  almost  entirely  from  their 
own  private  funds. 

The  children  born  to  Jesse  C.  and  Orinda 
(Gary)  Wheaton  were:  I.ora  Ann.  bom  in 
1838;  Xancy  M.,  Jesse  Childs.  Ellen  Frances, 
Mary  Elizabeth,  James  Munroe.  Wa.sfaington 
Irving,  Franklin  Emory,  and  Ellen  Frances,  the 
second,  the  other  of  that  name  having  died. 
Both  Mr.  and  Mrs.  Wheaton  were  members  of 
the  Methodist  Church.  Mr.  Wheaton  was  United 
Slates  Internal  Revenue  Collector  in  war  times. 
He  was  at  one  time  collector  of  taxes  in  Du 
Page  County,  and  also  a  member  of  the  School 
Board,  as  well  as  the  Town  Council  of  Wheaton. 
Originally  a  Democrat,  he  became  a  strong 
Abraham  Lincoln  Republican,  and  was  an  ar- 
dent Union  mau  during  the  Civil  War,  assi-st- 
iug  to  raise  troops  for  the  great  struggle.  He 
was  very  public-spirited  and  besides  his  other 
gifts  in  land  to  the  town  of  Wheaton,  he  also 
contributed  the  land  for  the  fair  grounds,  and 
donated  $4,000  to  establish  the  County  Seat  at 
Wheaton.  All  in  all,  Mr.  Wheaton  was  an 
example  of  our  sturdy  Illinois  pioneer.  He  and 
men  like  him,  founded  a  great  State,  and  the 
work  of  empire  building  came  natural  to  them. 

Jesse  Childs  Wheaton,  Jr..  son  of  the  above, 
was  brought  up  amid  pioneer  surroundings, 
learning  to  work  on  the  farm  and  appreciate 
what  educational  advantages  his  father  gave 
him.  Living  among  pioneers,  their  ways  and 
appearances,  their  modes  of  speech  and  conduct 
impressed  themselves  upon  the  young  mind,  and 


HISTORY  OF  DU  PAGE  COUNTY. 


1073 


ho  lias  uever  forgotten  these  straightforward 
and  wholehearted  men.  He  dechires  that  their 
rule  of  life  was  to  do  right  and  to  do  good,  and 
no  other  thoughts  ever  entered  their  minds. 

Mr.  Wheatou  attended  the  first  school  at 
Grange  Mill,  and  the  first  religious  service  he 
remembers  attending  was  held  there  by  his 
uncle  Rev.  Charles  Gary,  a  Methodist  minister. 
Mr.  Wheaton  also  remembers  going  to  church 
at  Gary's  Mill,  in  the  winter  with  the  family  on 
an  ox  sled.  He  also  attended  school  in  a  frame 
schoolhouse  three-quarters  of  a  mile  west  of  his 
father's  house,  on  what  is  now  Chicago  avenue. 
His  first  school  teacher  was  George  Kimball. 
One  of  the  early  schools  he  attended,  is  now 
torn  down,  but  stood  on  what  is  now  West 
street,  Wheaton. 

After  he  was  ten  years  old,  Mr.  Wheaton 
worked  on  the  farm  in  the  summer,  for  his 
father  needed  his  help,  and  believed  in  young 
peoiUe  working.  His  sisters  also  worked  in  the 
fields,  as  did  many  of  the  pioneer  girls.  Mr. 
Wheaton  attended  Wheaton  college,  and  when 
he  was  twenty-one  years  old,  he  began  teaching 
school,  hi.s  first  school  being  at  Gary's  Mill. 
He  continued  to  teach  the  winter  school  there 
for  three  terms.  He  afterwards  taught  in  the 
I'atrick  District,  and  at  Bloomingdale  for  seven 
winters,  and  five  winters  in  the  Kelly  District. 
Then  for  three  winters,  he  taught  at  Stacy's 
Comers,  one  year  in  Wheaton,  and  was  Super- 
intendent of  Public  Schools  of  Wheaton  during 
1870  and  1S71. 

On  December  30.  ISGC.  he  was  married  at  Big 
Woods,  Du  Page  County,  eight  miles  west  of 
Wheatou.  to  Sarah  Slatilda  Brown,  born  in  that 
place,  October  2i>,  1S40,  daughter  of  James  and 
Anna  (Crane)  Brown.  Anna  Crane  was  born 
at  Marion.  Wayne  County,  M.  Y.,  a  daughter  of 
Zebina  and  Anna  (Gould)  Crane.  Anna  Gould 
came  of  the  same  family  stock  as  Jay  Gould. 

James  Brown  was  born  in  Sodus,  N.  Y..  April 
15,  1810,  son  of  James  and  Elizabeth  (White) 
Brown.  James  Brown  came  to  Illinois  in  1834, 
bringing  with  him  his  wife  and  children.  The 
trip  was  made  by  the  lakes  to  Chicago.  He 
entered  from  300  to  400  acres  and  first  erected 
a  log  house.  Eventually,  he  became  a  substan- 
tial Illinois  pioneer,  and  in  addition  to  farming, 
was  a  veterinary  surgeon.  He  was  one  of  the 
early  Methodists,  active  in  the  church,  being  a 
class  leader.  Generous  and  kind-hearted,  he 
gave  liberally  to  the  poor  and  needy,  and  was  a 


man  of  eminence  in  his  couuty.  The  success 
that  attended  him  was  all  the  more  to  be  com- 
mended, as  he  lost  his  father  four  days  before 
be  was  born,  and  he  was  bound  out  in  child- 
hood. He  was  twice  married,  the  children  by 
bis  first  wife  being:  Dewitt  C,  Ann  Eliza, 
t'rances  Elizabeth,  Charles  Rollins,  Mary  Ellen, 
Lovisa  Amelia,  Sarah  Matilda.  James  Henry, 
David  Gould,  William  Alonzo  and  Mirou  Gary. 
Mrs.  Brown  died  in  1857,  and  he  later  married 
Rosanna  Scofield,  who  bore  him  one  son,  George 
W.  Brown,  bora  May  17,  IS.'iO.  The  latter  be- 
came Circuit  Judge  and  later  Judge  of  the 
Appelate  Court,  and  died  June  10,  lOO'i.  Mr. 
Brown  was  sixt.v-eight  years  old. 

Jesse  Childs  Wheaton  and  wife  are  the  par- 
ents of  the  following  family  :  Edith  May.  born 
January  IS,  1868,  married  Euos  William  Shaw 
an  attorney  of  Chicago ;  Henry  Ward,  born  Jan- 
uary 21,  1870,  married  Mary  Hughes  Caywood ; 
and  Sadie  Brown,  born  July  31.  1SS7,  died 
when  about  three  years  old. 

Both  Mr.  and  Mrs.  Wheaton  are  members  of 
the  old  Wheaton  Methodist  Church,  he  having 
joined  it  when  he  was  ten  years  old.  When 
between  sixteen  and  seventeen  years  old.  he  was 
a  class  leader  in  it.  and  has  held  the  oflices  of 
steward  and  trustee.  A  staunch  Republican,  he 
cast  bis  first  vote  for  Abraham  Lincoln  in  his 
second  campaign,  and  has  voted  the  straight  Re- 
publican ticket  ever  since.  Mr.  Wheaton  has 
been  Supervisor  of  Streets  of  Wheaton  for  over 
thirt.v  years.  He  is  a  well-known  and  highly 
respected  citizen,  who  has  spent  his  life  in  the 
town  named  for  his  honored  father,  and  his 
honesty  of  purpose,  and  Integrity  of  action,  ha,ve 
won  for  him  the  confidence  and  esteem  of  those 
with  whom  he  has  been  associated. 

WHEATON,  Warren  L.,  one  of  the  ber-t  known 
citizens  of  Wheaton,  111.,  where  his  entire  life 
lias  been  spent,  is  an  extensive  and, successful 
farmer  and  stands  well  with  his  neighbors  and 
business  associates.  He  is  a  member  of  one  of 
the  oldest  and  most  prominent  families  of  Du 
Page  Cinuity.  and  other  members  of  the  family 
are  given  extensive  mention  elsewhere  in  this 
work.  They  were  pioneers  and  ha\e  al\^•ays 
been  largely  instrumental  in  promoting  the  pros- 
perity and  development  of  their  part  of  the 
county.  Mr.  Wheaton  was  born  at  Wheaton, 
June  11,  1850,  a  son  of  Warren  L.  and  Harriet 
Elizabeth    (Rickard)    Wheaton,  natives  of  Con- 


1074 


HISTORY  OF  DU  PAGE  COUNTY. 


necticait.  He  was  educated  in  the  public  scliools 
of  his  native  place  and  in  Wheaton  College  and 
has  followed  farming  all  his  life  since  leaving 
college.  He  was  reared  to  habits  of  industry 
and  is  well  known  for  his  enterprise  and  public 
spirit.  In  politics  he  gives  his  support  to  the 
Eepubllcan  party.     Mr.  Wheaton  is  unmarried. 

WHEATON,  Hon.  Warren  L.,  deceased.  In  the 
annals  of  Du  Page  county,  there  can  be  found 
no  more  distinguished  name  than  that  of  the 
late  Wnrren  L.  Wheaton,  founder  of  the  village 
of  Wheaton.  pioneer,  statesman,  philanthropist 
and  man.  who.  during  a  lifetime  that  covered 
nearly  ninety-cue  years,  had  a  record  for  clean, 
honorable  living,  strength  of  purpose  and  strict 
integrity  which  it  would  be  hard  to  equal.  Born 
In  the  town  of  Pomfret,  Conn.,  March  iS,  1812, 
he  was  reared  among  sturdy  New  England  peo- 
ple, inheriting  a  strong  constitution,  well  built 
body  and  strength  of  character,  and  in  early  life 
formed  those  habits  of  sobriety  and  self  reliance 
which  were  conspicuous  throughout  his  long  and 
eventful  life.  Warren  L.  Wheaton  was  a  direct 
descendant  of  Robert  Wheaton,  who  came  from 
the  pure,  unmixed  native  Welsh  or  rather  Cumry 
race,  which  was  of  Tartaric  origin,  which  was 
never  subjugated,  which  never  intermarried, 
and  which  never,  since  A.  D.  180  changed  relig- 
ion. Their  -religion,  creed,  church  government 
and  mode  of  worship  were  and  ever  had  been, 
essentially  like  the  Baptists  of  the  present  day. 

Robert  Wheaton  was  born  in  Swansea,  Wales, 
in  100.1.  and  came  to  this  continent  between  the 
years  1030  and  16.36,  locating  first  at  .Salem, 
Mass.,  and  afterward  settling  at  Rehoboth, 
where  he  was  instrumental  in  building  the  first 
Baptist  church  in  Massachusetts  and  was  in 
active  sympathy  with  Obadiah  Holmes  and 
Roger  Williams.  As  said  of  Roger  Williams,  so 
may  it  be  truthfully  said  of  Robert  Wheaton : 
"The  principles  which  he  laid  down,  both  in  re- 
ligion and  politics,  may  be  summed  up  in  cue 
word — toleration." 

Keeping  in  mind  the  foregoing  in  the  sketch 
which  follows,  the  influence  of  heredity  is  ap- 
parent. We  find  the  same  stanch  principles  re- 
touched and  softened  by  a  broad  spirit  of  tolera- 
tion. 

After  leaving  the  public  schools  of  his  nalive 
town.  Mr.  Wheaton  became  a  student  at  Wood- 
stock Academy,  where  he  made  special  prepara- 
tion  for   teaching,   and  at   the  age   of   nineteen 


years  entered  uix)n  his  school  duties  with  such 
ability,  tact  and  enthusiasm  as  to  ensure  success 
from  the  start.  In  1837,  at  the  suggestioji  of 
Erastus  Gary,  who  had  just  returned  from  Illi- 
nois and  given  a  glowing  description  of  the  West, 
he  was  induced  to  give  up  educational  work, 
leave  the  stony  ground  of  his  native  state  and 
seek  better  conditions  on  the  broad  prairies  of 
Illinois.  He  soon  reached  Chicago,  going  thence 
by  stage  to  Hartford,  from  there  by  water  to 
Albany,  and  on  the  only  railroad  at  that  time  in 
the  state  to  Schenectady,  and  from  there  by  way 
of  the  Erie  Canal  and  the  Great  Lakes  to  Chi- 
cago, arriving  in  that  city  on  June  1,  l.S:j7.  That 
same  day  he  walked  to  Warrenville.  During  this 
long  trii>  he  kept  a  diary,  which  is  now  in  the 
pos.session  of  his  daughter,  Mrs.  W.  H.  Darling, 
of  Wheaton.  111.  A  quotation  explains  his  later 
movements  and  also  gives  a  picture  of  condi- 
tions of  transportation  at  the  time  he  wrote. 

"On  Xovemlier  20.  1838,  I  started  for  my 
home  in  Connecticut,  reaching  Chicago  to  find 
the  last  boat  for  the  season  had  gone.  I  walked 
to  St.  Joe,  in  Michigan,  found  the  last  boat  had 
left.  Then  I  made  my  way  to  Detroit,  getting 
a  ride  here  and  there  when  I  could,  and  reached 
my  home  in  Connecticut  about  Christmas." 

A  few  months  after  taking  up  his  permanent 
home  in  Illinois  he  was  followed  by  his  brother. 
Jesse  Wheaton.  and  the  brothers  found  a  home 
for  some  time  at  the  Gary  log  residence,  .vhich 
soon  afterward  was  doubled  in  size  in  order  to 
meet  the  needs  of  more  than  a  half-dozen  pio- 
neer families.  Here  the  brothers  came  directly 
under  the  spiritual  influences  which  brought 
about  their  conversion  and  a  little  later  they 
joined  the  Methodist  church  and  became  faith- 
ful and  influential  memliers  thereof.  After  mak- 
ing a  somewhat  extended  trip  through  Illinois, 
Iowa  and  Wisconsin,  Mr.  Wheaton  took  up  a 
section  of  government  land  in  Du  Page  county, 
his  claim  to  the  land  being  fixed  by  ploughing 
a  furrow  around  it,  as  that  was  before  the  sur- 
veyors had  laid  out  the  county.  No  fence  pro- 
tected his  040  acres  from  his  neighbors'  cattle 
and  occasionally  a  deer  wandered  through. 
Later  he  built  the  house  to  which  he  took  his 
young  bride,  who  had  been  Miss  Harriot  E. 
Rickard.  whose  mother  was  Mrs.  Laura  Gary 
Rickard,  and  here  were  Ijorn  their  six  children  : 
Warren.  Stella,  Charles,  Lucy,  Wilbur  and 
Harry.  Four  days  after  the  birth  of  the  last 
child,    Jlrs.    Wheaton.    who    had    so    cheerfully 


HISTORY  OF  DU  PAGE  COUNTY. 


1075 


shared  the  hardships  of  [jioneer  life  in  urder  to 
make  a  comfortahle  home  for  husband  and  chil- 
dren, passed  to  her  reward,  to  be  joined  ten 
days  later  hy  the  daughter.  Stella,  then  aged 
ten  years.  The  infant  .son  was  placed  in  the 
home  of  Mrs.  Wheatou's  sister,  Mrs.  Ellen  Fa- 
ville,  of  Wisconsin,  and  Mr.  Wheaton  made  the 
best  provision  he  could  for  his  other  motherless 
children. 

As  early  as  1S48  Mr.  Wheaton  was  elected  a 
representative  to  the  Illinois  state  legislature, 
and  took  an  active  part  iu  the  deliberations  of 
that  body.  His  efforts,  coupled  with  those  of 
his  brother  Jesse,  to  have  the  Northwestern 
Kailroad  (then  the  Galena  &  Chicago  Union) 
run  through  their  farms;  their  generous  gifts 
to  induce  people  to  locate  in  the  village  that 
soon  sprung  up.  and  donations  to  colleges, 
churches  and  to  other  enterprises,  are  facts  well 
known  to  all  the  early  settlers  of  the  town  and 
surrounding  country.  He  drew  the  first  cor- 
porate village  charter  which  is  still  preserved  in 
his  handwriting.  In  1850  he  contributed  to  the 
Milwaukee.  Galena  &  Chicago  Telegraph  Com- 
pan.v.  He  gave  the  right  of  way  to  the  railroad 
for  over  a  mile ;  gave  the  sit*  for  the  court 
house  when  it  was  removed  from  Xaperville  to 
Wheaton ;  also  the  site  for  Wheaton  College,  to 
which  institution  lie  made  generous  cash  con- 
tributions and,  to  quote  from  his  diary :  '■Vn- 
divided  one-half  of  the  south  one-half  of  the 
southwest  one-half  of  section  15,  and  the  undi- 
vided half  of  sixty  acres  on  the  southeast  one- 
quarter  of  section  16.  township  39  north,  range 
10  east  of  the  third  P.  M. ;"  on  October  20.  ISGO, 
gave  financial  assistance  to  the  Aurora  Institute 
and  Clark  Seminary ;  took  some  of  the  stock  to 
assist  in  starting  Evanston  College  and  assisted 
in  organizing  the  Mutual  Security  Company  of 
Wheaton. 

On  the  occasion  of  his  ninetieth  birthday, 
when  over  200  of  his  friends  came  to  visit  him 
and  pay  their  respects.  Mr.  Wheaton  was  seem- 
ingly in  the  best  of  health,  certainly  in  the  best 
of  spirits.  That  he  was  in  full  possession  of  all 
his  faculties  is  evidenced  by  the  invitations 
written  b.v  himself  at  this  time,  in  a  beautiful, 
firm  hand,  a  copy  of  which  follows : 
"1812  1002. 

"My  folks  say  I  must  have  a  reception  on  my 
ninetieth  birthday,  as  it  will  not  occur  again. 
It  is  March  sixth  and  I  want  you  to  come.  Boys 
and  girls  about  my  age  and  all  whose  folks  are 


not  willing  they  should  go  out  at  night  will  be 
welc-ome  from  three  to  five  o'clock  in  the  after- 
noon. Other  children,  not  afraid  of  the  dark, 
please  come  in  the  evening  from  seven  to  nine. 
"Warben  L.   Wheaton. 

"■411  Xaperville  street, 
"Wheaton,   III." 

At  this  time  the  students  of  Wheaton  Col- 
lege ])re.sented  Mr.  Wheaton  with  a  monstrous 
bunch  of  roses,  and  the  faculty  gave  the  four- 
volume  edition  of  the  great  series  of  paintings 
of  Tlssot,  with  ac-companying  history. 

Iu  1899,  on  the  death  of  his  second  wife, 
Christiana  (Shugg)  WHieaton,  formerly  of  New 
York  City,  with  whom  he  had  lived  for  more 
than  twenty  .years,  he  was  rescued  from  loneli- 
ness by  his  daughter,  Mrs.  William  Darling. 
She  immediately  closed  her  home  at  Union  and 
went  to  her  father,  with  whom  her  brother 
W'arren  had  lived  for  years.  Mr.  and  Mrs. 
Darling  did  all  that  unselfish  love  and  tender- 
ness could  suggest  to  minister  to  the  father's 
daily  comfort  and  to  make  the  evening  of  his 
lengthened  life  one  of  peaceful  happiness. 
XMien  the  end  came,  on  February  1.  190.3,  and 
it  was  known  that  Warren  U.  Wheaton,  Sr..  the 
eldest  of  thirteen  children  and  the  last  surviv- 
ing member  of  that  household  and  the  oldest 
resident  of  the  cit.v  that  bore  his  name,  had 
,  passed  away,  not  only  his  immediate  family  and 
large  circle  of  relatives  felt  that  they  were 
poorer  because  he  had  gone  from  their  midst, 
l>ut  all  the  people  of  the  city  mourned  also, 
knowing  that  they  had  lost  one  whose  place  it 
would  be  Impos-slblo  to  fill. 

WHITE,  Bert  C,  who  has  been  a  resident  of 
Downer's  Grove,  111.,  since  1890,  is  a  well-known 
and  popular  citizen  of  that  place  and  interested 
in  whatever  concerns  the  welfare  and  progress 
of  Du  Page  County.  He  was  born  at  Rochester, 
Minn.,  .\pril  22.  ISOfi,  a  son  of  W'illlam  Henry 
and  Ellen  L.  (Wicks)  White,  was  educated  in 
the  public  schools  and  Darling's  Business  Col- 
lege, and  began  his  business  career  in  his  native 
city.  Ills  father  served  tw-o  terms  as  a  member 
of  the  Minnesota  State  Ijegislature,  and  also 
served  two  terms  as  Sheriff  of  Olmsted  County, 
being  the  only  Democrat  who  ever  held  that 
office. 

After  leaving  school,  Mr.  White  worked  four 
years  as  clerk  in  a  grocery  store,  then  spent 
something  over  four  j-ears  in  the  railway  mail 


1076 


HISTORY  OF  DU  PAGE  COUNTY. 


sorviie.  and  in  18110.  came  to  Duwiier's  Grove 
and  entered  the  employ  of  the  Canada  Manufac- 
turing Company.  About  one  year  later  he  be- 
gan working  for  the  Chicago,  Burlington  & 
Quincy  Railroad  Company,  and  since  that  time 
ha.s  continued  in  the  office  of  the  "Q."'  Through 
various  promotions  he  has  now  reached  the 
position  of  chief  freight  rate  clerk  at  Chicago, 
their  office  being  located  at  220  Adams  Street. 
Mv.  White  has  aptitude  and  ability  in  the  line 
of  his  work  and  stands  well  with  his  associates. 
He  is  a  member  of  the  A.  F.  &  A.  M.,  has 
served  in  the  Blue  Ix)dge  and  has  passed  the 
chairs  in  the  K.  P.  Lodge.  In  religious  views  he 
is  a  Uuiversalist. 

Mr.  White  was  married  (first)  in  1801,  to 
Carrie  B.  Rose,  and  his  second  marriage  oc- 
curred in  lOOG,  when  he  was  united  with  Maud 
J.  Plaiile.  He  has  one  son,  W.  Howard  White. 
Mr.  White  is  a  Democrat  in  politics  and  has 
served  as  Village  Clerk  of  Downer's  Grove  fifteen 
years,  also  several  years  as  a  member  of  the 
Democratic  County  Committee. 

WHITE,  Martin.  Much  of  the  desirable  con- 
dition of  Downers  Grove  is  due  to  the  skillful 
and  patriotic  efforts  of  Martin  White,  the  effi- 
cient superintendent  of  streets  and  parks,  and 
his  work  stands  as  a  lasting  monument  to  him 
and  his  love  for  his  city.  Mr.  ^liite  was  born 
at  Laurel,  Ind..  March  3.  1873,  a  son  of  Edward 
and  Martha  (McGlin)  White,  natives  of  Ireland. 
The  father  came  to  America  in  1844,  Miss  Mc- 
Glin coming  later.  They  were  married  at  Cin- 
cinnati, O.,  but  later  moved  to  Laurel.  Ind., 
where  the  fatlier  passed  away,  aged  uinety-eiglit 
years.  His  widow  survives,  making  her  home  at 
Laurel.  During  his  long  life  the  father  was  an 
agriculturist. 

Mr.  White,  who  is  perhaps  one  of  the  best 
known  men  of  Du  Page  county,  was  educated  in 
the  public  .schools  of  his  native  place,  and  re- 
sided with  his  parents  until  he  was  twenty  years 
old,  when  he  began  working  for  himself.  In 
1901  lie  came  to  Downer's  (Jrove  to  engage  v\'ith 
the  Chicago.  Burlington  &  (Juincy  Railroad,  in 
their  freight  office  at  this  [joint.  For  six  years 
he  was  one  of  the  road's  most  efficient  men.  but 
then  left  this  company  to  engage  in  a  furniture 
and  household  moving  business,  which  absorbed 
his  attention  until  1910.  He  was  then  appointed 
superintendent  of  streets  and  parks  by  Frank 
Linslay.  and  re-apjiointed  in  1911  by  W.  S.  Ellis, 


which  position  he  still  liolds.  Mr.  White  is  also 
deputy  sheriff  of  Du  Page  county,  and  is  a  fear- 
less official   in  the  discharge  of  his  duty. 

In  1900  Mr.  White  was  married  at  Rainsville, 
Ind..  to  Miss  Ida  Fink,  daughter  of  Ferdinand 
and  Mary  Fink.  These  parents  were  born  in 
(Jermany,  but  came  to  the  United  States  and  set- 
tled ill  Illinois  in  1901.  Mr.  and  Mrs.  White 
are  the  parents  of  two  children  :  Frederick  V., 
who  was  born  .January  IS,  1901 ;  and  Ruth  M., 
who  was  born  June  11,  1903.  He  is  a  Republi- 
can in  political  faith.  Fraternally  Mr.  White 
belongs  to  the  Modern  Woodmen  of  America. 
For  some  years  he  has  been  a  consistent  mem- 
ber of  the  Evangelical  church.  During  his  in- 
cumbency of  his  present  position.  Mr.  AVhite  has 
put  in  eight  miles  of  paved  streets,  and  is  now 
overseeing  the  construction  of  the  sewer  system 
of  Downer's  Grove.  A  man  of  energy  and  en- 
thusiasm, he  carries  out  successfully  whatever 
he  undertakes,  and  in  the  very  prime  of  life, 
has  a  promising  future  before  him. 

WILLIAMS,  George  H.  The  necessity  for  cor- 
rect reports  of  court  proceedings,  has  created  a 
very  important  "class  of  work  in  the  transcrib- 
ing of  tliem.  and  some  of  those  engaged  in  it  are 
e.xperts  in  their  line.  One  of  the  men  whose 
work  has  gained  him  an  enviable  reputation  for 
accuracy  and  sjieed  is  George  H.  Williams,  of- 
ficial court  reporter  of  circuit  and  county  courts 
of  Du  Page  and  Kendall  counties,  with  offices 
at  No.  402.  107  Washington  street.  Chicago,  and 
residence  at  Hinsdale. 

Mr.  Williams  was  born  in  Delaware  county, 
X.  Y..  .January  2.3,  1S47.  a  son  of  Thomas  and 
Sallie'Aun  (Bagley)  Williams.  Thomas  Wil- 
liams was  a  merchant  and  manufacturer.  After 
receiving  a  llbei-al  education  at  the  Delaware 
Academy  and  Starkey  College,  Mr.  Williams  em- 
barked in  a  mercantile  career  in  Delaware 
county  and  western  Pennsylvania,  but  in  1874 
he  began  the  study  of  law,  in  conjunction  with 
tliat  of  stenograiihy,  being  admitted  to  the  bar 
in  1877,  and  at  the  same  time  was  made  official 
court  reporter.  In  June,  1879.  Mr.  Williams 
came  to  Chicago,  where  for  two  years  he  was  in 
a  law  office,  but  at  the  expiration  of  that  period 
he  began  general  court  reporting,  and  has  con- 
tinued this  work,  for  which  he  is  so  well  fitted 
by  long  training  and  wide  experience. 

In  1880.  Mr.  Williams  located  at  Hinsdale, 
which  has  since  continued  to  be  his  home.     In 


HISTORY  OF  DU  PAGE  COUNTY. 


1077 


1910  he  was  elected  village  clerk.  For  twenly- 
two  years  he  lias  been  organist  of  Trinity  Unity 
church,  to  which  he  belongs.  Mr.  Williams  is  a 
Knight  Templar. 

On  December  20,  1870,  Mr.  Williams  was 
united  in  marriage  with  Ada  C.  Chadwid;  of 
Lakemout.  X.  Y.  They  had  two  children : 
Marion  C.  and  Albert.  The  former  married 
Harry  J.  Saviss,  of  Fall  River,  N.  J.,  a  hotel 
proprietor  and  contractor,  who  died  in  March, 
1904.  Mr.  and  Mrs.  Saviss  had  one  child. 
George  Henry.  Albert  Williams  was  graduated 
from  the  mechanical  department  of  Cornell  I'ni- 
versity,  and  died  at  Denver,  Col.,  September  19. 
1907. 

WILLIS,  Thomas  Hite,  has  been  a  resident  of 
Hinsdale.  111.,  since  1907.  and  prior  to  that  time 
lived  in  Chicago  for  many  years.  He  was  born 
at  Rock  Hall.  Jefferson  county.  W.  Va.,  Novem- 
ber 14,  1S72.  son  of  Nathaniel  Hite  and  Jane  C. 
(Washington)  Willis,  the  latter  of  Mt.  Vernon, 
Va.  His  father  was  a  soldier  in  the  Confederate 
cavalry,  and  his  maternal  grandfather,  Col.  John 
A.  Washington,  former  owner  of  Mt.  Vernon,  was 
on  the  staff  of  Gen.  Robert  E.  Lee  until  he  was 
killed  during  the  Civil  war. 

Thomas  H.  Willis  received  his  collegiate  train- 
ing in  the  Male  Academy  at  Charlestown,  W. 
Va.,  and  began  his  business  career  in  Chicago, 
111.,  in  1895.  at  the  same  time  studying  law.  He 
was  admitted  to  the  bar  and  is  now  a  member  of 
the  firm  of  Henry  H.  Walker  &  Company,  at  No. 
201  Taeoma  building.  Chicago,  the  other  mem- 
ber being  Henry  H.  Walker.  They  are  exten- 
sive dealers  in  real  estate  In  and  around  Chi- 
cago. Both  are  men  of  fine  business  ability  and 
a  high  order  of  integrity  and  stand  well  in  busi- 
ness circles.  Mr.  Willis  is  a  member  of  the  Chi- 
cago Bar  Association  and  of  the  Chicago  Real 
Estate  Board.  He  is  a  member  of  the  Episcopal 
church,  and  in  politics  is  a  Democrat. 

Mr.  Willis  was  married  at  Louisville.  Ky., 
October  10.  190.3.  to  Josephine  Bangs,  of  that 
city,  and  their  miion  has  been  blessed  with  two 
children,  .Vdelia  Bangs  and  Jane  Washington. 

WILSON,  Alonzo  Edes.  Never  before  in  the 
history  of  the  country  has  such  remarkable 
work  been  done  In  the  Prohibition  cause,  as  In 
the  past  couple  of  years.  Men  of  intellectual 
brawn  and  strength  have  sprung  to  its  "defense, 
and  won  battle  after  battle.    The  final  outcome 


is  already  in  sight,  although  there  is  much  yet 
to  accomplish.  One  of  the  men  who  has  prac- 
tically devoted  his  life  to  the  advocacy  of  Pro- 
hibition principles,  and  has  himself  effected 
radical  reforms,  is  Alonzo  Edes  Wilson  of 
Wheaton,  who  more  than  once  has  come  before 
the  people  as  a  candidate  to  the  General 
Assembly  of  Illinois  from  Will  and  Du  Page 
counties,  and  been  defeated  through  election 
frauds,  but  served  during  190.5  and  1006. 

He  was  horn  in  Madison,  Wis.,  February  5, 
1868,  being  a  son  of  James  Voorhis  and  Char- 
lotte A.  (I'lantz)  Wilson.  His  education  was 
secured  in  the  Chicago  public  schools  and  West 
Side  business  college,  and  early  turned  his  atten- 
tion to  newspaper  work.  From  the  beginning 
his  sympathies  were  enlisted  in  favor  of  tem- 
perance, and  he  has  done  valiant  service  for  it 
as  writer,  editor  and  lecturer.  He  organized  the 
Lincoln  Temperance  Chautauqua  System,  which 
has  one  hundred  Chatauquas  operating  in  Illinois, 
and  is  now  its  president.  He  is  secretary  of  five 
State  and  three  National  Conventions,  Chair- 
man of  the  Illinois  Prohibition  State  Central 
Committee  for  seven  years,  while  as  a  member 
of  the  (ieueral  Assembly  during  1905  and  1906, 
he  distinguished  himself  in  work  for  his  cause. 
He  served  very  ably  as  editor  of  the  Lever  for 
several  years,  as  editor  of  the  St.  Paul,  Minn,, 
Times  for  one  year,  and  was  editor  of  the  Amer- 
ican Prohibition  Year  Book  from  1000  to  1910, 
so  that  his  efforts  as  a  writer  to  uphold  and  ad- 
vance Prohibition  have  been  varied  and  effective. 

On  June  14.  1897.  Mr.  Wilson  was  married  at 
Rockford,  111.,  to  Marie  Nelson.  Three  children 
have  been  born  of  this  marriage:  Grace  Esther, 
Virginia  Hale  and  James  Voorhis.  In  1901,  Mr. 
Wilson  came  to  Wheaton  and  since  then  has  be- 
come one  of  its  most  enthusiastic  citizens,  ever 
laboring  to  protect-  its  interests  and  raise  its 
moral  condition.  He  is  a  member  of  the  Na- 
tional Geographic  Society,  the  City  Club  of  Chi- 
cago and  the  Commercial  Club  of  Wheaton.  The 
Methodist  Episcopal  Church  holds  his  member- 
ship, and  lienefits  by  his  advice  and  association, 
he  acting  as  trustee  and  class  leader  in  it  as 
well  as  an  officer  of  the  Methodist  Temjierance 
society,  to  which  he  was  elei-ted  by  the  General 
Conference. 

A  man  like  Mr.  Wilson  who  has  advocated  the 
following  named  measures,  is  one  who  will  be 
for  the  people  first,  last  and  always :  Extension 
of  civil  servii-e  to  all  State  in.stitutious  ;  improve- 


1078 


HISTORY  OP  DU  PAGE  COUNTY. 


ment  of  primary  law  with  direct  nominations ; 
centralization  of  rural  schools  upon  popular 
vote ;  one  board  of  control  for  all  State  insti- 
tutions; extension  of  local  anti-saloon  law  to 
vote  by  counties  and  wards;  improvement  and 
extension  of  sanitary  canal  and  deep  waterway; 
just  legislation  for  protection  of  working  men ; 
change  of  rules  of  legislation  to  prevent  gavel 
rule  and  smothering  of  good  measures;  others 
providing  for  the  extension  of  Prohibition. 

WINCKLER,  Frank  X.,  now.  living  retired  from 
active  life,  was  for  many  years  a  successful 
farmer.  He  has  been  a  resident  of  Naperville 
since  December  10,  1008,  and  has  erected  a  fine 
residence,  which  has  every  modern  convenience. 
Mr.  Winckler  was  born  at  Wheatland,  111.,  Sep- 
tember 1.5,  1858,  a  son  of  Frank  X.  and  Eliza- 
beth (Bohmer)  Winckler,  the  former  a  native  of 
Alsace  and  the  latter  of  Munster,  Westphalia, 
Gei'many.  The  grandfather  of  Mr.  Winckler, 
Xavier  Winckler,  brought  his  family  to  Wheat- 
land, 111.,  in  1845,  bought  laud  near  there,  and 
with  an  ox  team  brought  lumber  from  Chicago 
for  a  house,  which  he  erected  on  the  prairie, 
nine  miles  from  Naperville  and  located  in  Will 
County.  Elizabeth  Bohmer  came  with  neigh- 
Ijors  to  Naperville  and  worked  there  until  her 
marriage,  after  which  she  and  her  husband 
settled  near  his  father.  He  spent  his  whole 
active  life  in  agricultural  pursuits.  In  1864,  he 
moved  to  Lisle  Township,  Du  Page  County, 
where  he  bought  120  acres  of  laud.  He  lived  on 
this  farm  four  years,  then  traded  it  for  160 
acres  of  laud  four  miles  west  of  Naperville  and 
carried  on  farming  there  until  1SS6,  then  re- 
tired from  hard  work  and  located  in  Naper- 
ville where  he  died  in  May,  1006,  and  his  wife 
in  May,  1802.  They  were  pai'ents  of  three  chil- 
dren, of  whom  Frank  X.  was  the  youngest,  the 
others  being :  George,  who  died  in  1903,  and 
liOuisa,  Mrs.  Frank  Kiedy,  of  Lisle  Township. 

Mr.  Winckler  was  reared  on  a  farm  and  edu- 
cated in  common  and  parochial  schools.  He 
early  learned  to  do  farm  work  and  remained  on 
the  farm  with  his  parents  two  years  after  his 
marriage.  When  they  retired  from  the  farm  he 
took  charge  of  it,  and  operated  it  about  twenty- 
two  years,  or  until  he  himself  came  to  Naper- 
ville to  live.  He  has  been  owner  of  the  home 
farm  since  his  father's  death  aud  also  owns 
several  houses  and  lots  in  Naperville.  He  has 
prospered  through  hard  work  and  thrifty  habits. 


and  has  shown  business  ability  in  his  iuvest- 
iiieuts  and  various  dealings.  He  has  been  well 
regarded  wherever  he  has  lived  and  is  known  as 
a  reliable,  upright  citizen.  In  politics,  he  is  in- 
dependent and  he  is  a  member  of  the  Modern 
Woodmen  of  America,  the  Catholic  Order  of 
Foresters  and  Knights  of  Columbus.  He  be- 
longs to  the  Catholic  Church  and  was  reared  in 
that  faith. 

Mr.  Winckler  was  married  (first)  in  ISSl,  to 
Mary  Schwartz,  born  in  Chicago,  daughter  of 
I'erdinaud  and  Magdaliue  (Drendel)  Schwartz, 
natives  of  Alsace.  Four  children  were  born  of 
this  union :  Edward  on  the  home  farm ;  Mar- 
garet, deceased ;  Joseph,  of  Aurora ;  Henrietta 
living  with  her  father.  Mrs.  Winckler  died  Au- 
gust 22,  1801.  and  Mr.  Winckler  married  (sec- 
ond) May  17,  1S92,  Mary  Bonifas.  born  at 
Naperville,  daughter  of  Mathias  aud  Barbara 
(Schmars)  Bonifas.  Her  parents  were  natives 
of  Prussia,  Germany,  and  came  to  Najierville 
in  185G.  Mr.  Bonifas  worked  sixteen  years  for 
a  railroad  company,  moved  to  Sheridan,  where 
the  family  lived  five  years,  and  then  bought  a 
farm  at  Plainfield  and  operated  it  fourteen 
years,  after  which  he  came  to  Naperville  aud 
secured  a  home  aud  died  there  August  1,  1007. 
Mr.  and  Mrs.  Bonifas  had  children  as  follows : 
Mathias,  of  Somonauk ;  Susan.  Mrs.  P.  M. 
Weber,  of  Aurora  ;  John,  of  Aurora  ;  Catherine, 
Mrs.  C.  W.  Dusell;  Margaret,  Mrs.  H.  O.  Bailey; 
Mrs.  Winckler;  William,  of  Jesup,  Iowa.  By 
his  second  marriage  Mr.  Winckler  had  three 
children :  Barbara,  Frank  and  Leo. 

WINCKLER,  George,  deceased,  spent  his  entire 
life  in  Du  Page  County,  was  reared  on  a  farm 
and  spent  all  his  active  years  in  agricultural 
pursuits.  He  was  born  in  Lisle  Township.  Oc- 
tober IS,  18.56,  a  son  of  Frank  X.  and  Elizabeth 
'\^  luckier.  The  parents  were  both  natives  of 
Germany  and  early  settlers  of  Du  Page  County, 
where  they  secured  a  farm.  George  Winckler 
was  educated  in  the  district  school  and  in  a 
Catholic  school,  aud  at  an  early  age  engaged  in 
helping  with  the  farm  work  at  home.  After 
his  iirst  marriage,  he  moved  to  a  farm  of  his 
father's  in  Naperville  Township,  of  which  he 
eventually  became  the  owner,  and  there  spent 
the  remainder  of  his  life,  operating  his  farm 
and  having  various  other  interests.  He  was 
married  (first)  on  October  18,  1S76,  to  Louisa 
Ililteubrand,  a  native  of  Lisle  Township,  daugh- 


HISTORY  OF  DU  PAGE  COUNTY. 


1079 


ter  of  Thusand  and  Magdaline  Ililtenbraud. 
Mrs.  Winckler  died  lu  August,  1S94.  leaving  two 
children:  Alma  I..,  wife  of  Arnold  Keger,  a 
grocer  of  Naperville,  and  Frances  M.,  residing 
with  her  father's  widow. 

Mr.  Wiucljler  was  married  (second)  Jauuarj' 
21,  1806,  to  Mary  Blasey,  born  in  Iroquois 
Count.T,  111.,  daughter  of  Charles  and  Josephine 
(Keiffer)  Blasey,  of  Alsace,  Germany  and  one 
of  nine  children.  Mr.  Blasey  came  to  Du  Page 
County  at  the  age  of  fourteen  years  and  Jos- 
ephine Keiffer  was  brought  there  by  her  parents 
•when  she  was  three  years  old.  They  were  mar- 
ried in  Naperville  and  later  lived  on  a  farm  in 
Lisle  Township  until  1S67,  then  moved  to  Iro- 
quois County  and  carried  on  a  farm,  where  he 
died  September  7,  1898,  and  she  March  31^ 
1P05.  Their  children  were:  Barnard,  of  Bur- 
eau County,  111.;  Joseph,  of  Calhoun  County, 
Iowa ;  Emma,  Mrs.  Samuel  Hiltenbrand,  of 
Naperville;  Mrs.  Winckler;  Ella,  Mrs.  Joseph 
Thomas,  of  Calhoun  County,  Iowa ;  Charles, 
of  Ada,  Minn. ;  William,  of  Calhoun  County ; 
Josephine,  Mrs.  Joseph  Preiser,  of  Iroquois 
County ;  Julius,  also  of  that  county.  By  his 
second  marriage  Mr.  Winckler  had  four  chil- 
dren :  Helen  J.,  Marlon  A.,  Lillian  B.  and  Jul- 
ian J.,  all  living  with  their  mother. 

Mr.  Winckler  continued  to  live  on  the  farm 
after  his  second  marriage  and  acquired  an  in- 
terest in  a  corn  husker,  which  he  operated  in 
tte  neighborhood  of  his  home.  W'hile  prepar- 
ing this  machine  for  husking  his  left  arm  was 
caught  and  pulled  out  at  the  shoulder  socket. 
He  died  a  few  hours  later,  the  date  of  his 
demise  being  November  4,  1901.  His  death 
came  as  a  sad  shock  to  his  family  and  many 
friends  and  he  was  much  missed  in  the  com- 
munity. He  was  highly  regarded  as  an  honest, 
reliable  citizen  and  an  industrious,  able  farmer. 
In  politics  he  was  a  Democrat  and  actively  in- 
terested in  public  affairs,  and  had  served  as 
Road  Commissioner.  He  belonged  to  the  Cath- 
olic Church  and  was  affiliated  with  the  Catholic 
Order  of  Foresters,  of  Naperville.  His  widow 
cuntinued  to  live  on  the  farm  until  January  15, 
1908,  then  she  and  her  children  moved  to  a 
handsome  residence  at  180  Washington  Street, 
Naperville.  which  they  now  occupy,  and  she  has 
lented  out  the  farm. 

WISBROCK,  Otto.    The  solution  of  the  cost-of- 
living  problem  is  one  that  lies  in  the  hands  of 


the  farmers,  for  if  the  people  of  the  world  are  to 
have  sutticient  to  eat.  farming  must  keep  on, 
and  agriculture  be  dignified  as  a  business.  One 
of  the  men  who  has  borne  well  his  part  as  one 
of  the  progressive  farmers  of  Du  Page  County 
is  Otto  Wisbrock,  now  living  retired  in  Winfleld 
Township.  He  was  born  in  Westphalia,  Ger- 
many, March  11,  1819,  being  a  son  of  Herman 
and  Mary  (Longereit)  Wisbrock.  The  mother 
died  in  Germany,  but  the  father  came  to  the 
United  States,  in  1853,  locating  In  Naperville 
Township.  Otto  renjaining  liehind  with  au  uncle 
until  1SC5,  when  he  joined  hi.s  father.  There 
were  six  children  in  the  family,  and  the  father 
had  their  assistance  in  working  his  farm  in 
Naperville  Township. 

Otto  Wisbrock  had  attended  the  public 
schools  of  Germany,  but  when  he  came  here  he 
had  no  knowledge  of  the  language  and  worked 
at  whatever  he  could  find  to  do.  On  March  13, 
1S79,  he  was  married  by  Rev.  Father  Kanslider 
to  Anna  Feldott,  born  in  Naperville  Township, 
March  9,  1857,  daughter  of  John  and  Thressa 
(Hendricks)  Feldott  of  Westphalia,  Germany, 
where  they  married.  She  died  December  20, 
1910  and  is  buried  at  the  Big  Woods  Cemetery. 
For  the  first  year  after  marriage,  Mr.  Wisbrock 
'lived  on  a  rented  farm  in  Aurora  Towiishii), 
Kane  County.  He  then  moved  to  the  farm  where 
he  now  resides,  in  Winfleld  Township.  For  nine- 
teen years  he  rented  it,  then  bought  the  200 
acres,  eighty  acres  of  which  are  improved,  the 
remainder  being  in  pasture.  He  has  built  a 
large  bani,  36  s  84  feet,  with  cement  floor,  and 
modern  appliances.  In  1909,  Mr.  Wisbrook  re- 
tired, his  son-in-law,  George  Holter  conducting 
the  farm  for  him.  Mr.  and  Mrs.  Wisbrock  be- 
came the  parents  of  the  following  children : 
Theresa,  Mrs.  Joseph  Petitjean  of  Winfleld 
Township ;  five  children  Eulalia,  Clarence. 
Claretta,  Mary  and  Leonard  and  one  deceased, 
Evelyn ;  Mary,  Mrs.  George  Holter,  one  child  Eve- 
lyn ;  Albert,  who  married  Catherine  Komas  of 
Winfleld  Township,  one  child,  Anna.  Mr.  Wis- 
brock is  a  Catholic,  being  connected  with  the 
church  at  Big  Woods.  In  politics  he  is  a  Demo- 
crat, and  he  belongs  to  the  Western  Catholic 
Vnion.  His  experience  and  success  make  his 
opinions  of  value  in  the  community  and  he  has 
always  understood  the  vital  point  in  his  work. 
His  interest  in  farming  has  not  vanished  with 
hit  retirement,  and  he  gives  sound  advice  on  all 


lObO 


HISTORY  OF  DU  PAGE  COUNTY. 


questions   pertaiuing    to    the   operations    of   his 
farm. 

WISCHSTADT,  Herman  H.,  a  member  of  one  of 
the  most  prominent  families  of  Dn  Page  connty, 
was  born  on  the  farm  where  he  now  lives,  in 
Addison  township,  September  28,  1884.  Ho  is  a 
son  of  William  H.  and  Louisa  (Pelper)  Wisch- 
stadt.  the  father  also  being  a  native  of  Du  Page 
county.  The  family  is  mentioned  quite  fully  in 
the  biography  of  William  H.  Wischstadt,  which 
also  appears  in  this  work.  Herman  H.  Wisch- 
stadt  attended  the  public  schools  of  Itasca, 
which  village  was  near  his  father's  farm,  and 
took  a  commercial  course  at  the  Metroiwlitau 
Business  College,  of  Chicago.  He  was  reared  a 
farmer  and  has  made  agriculture  bis  li:e  work. 
His  father  early  inculcated  habits  of  Industry 
and  thrift  in  his  children,  with  the  result  that 
all  have  developed  into  useful  citizens. 

Mr.  Wiscbstadt  has  bad  the  management  of 
the  home  farm  since  January.  1907.  having 
nearly  1S4  acres  under  bis  charge,  and  carries 
on  a  general  line  of  farming,  paying  special  at- 
tention to  dairying.  He  averages  about  twenty- 
six  cows  in  his  dairy  herd,  ships  an  average  of 
five  cans  of  milk  per  day,  owns  four  horses,  and 
raises  a  number  of  fine  hogs  aunuall.y.  Jlr.^ 
Wiscbstadt  is  known  as  an  intelligent  and  pro- 
gressive farmer  and  is  very  successful  in  his 
operations.  Though  comparatively  a  young  man 
he  has  displayed  excellent  .ludgment  in  c-onduct- 
ing  his  affairs.  In  September  19.  1907.  he  was 
elected  treasurer  of  the  village  of  Itasca,  and 
has  served  in  that  office  to  the  satisfaction  of 
all.  He  belongs  to  the  Blfiomingdale  Evangelical 
church. 

Mr.  Wiscbstadt  was  married  Septeml:er  ."i, 
1906,  to  Lillie  H.  Goeddeke,  daughter  of  August 
C.  and  Alvina  fLandmeier)  Goeddeke.  She  was 
born  iu  Addison  township  August  9,  1885. 
Three  children  have  been  born  to  Mr.  Wiscb- 
stadt and  wife.  Luellen,  who  was  born  October 
5,  1907 :  Laura,  who  was  born  November  30. 
1908;  and  Walter,  who  was  born  May  14.  1012 
Mr.  Wiscbstadt  and  wife  are  well  known  in  tlio 
township,  where  both  have  always  lived. 

WISCHSTADT,  William  H.  Members  of  the 
Wiscbstadt  family  were  among  the  earliest  set- 
tlers of  Du  Page  county  and  the  name  has  ever 
been  representative  of  the  best  interests  of  this 
locality.     William  H.  Wiscbstadt  is  a  native  of 


the  county,  born  in  Addison  township,  .July  20, 
18.54.  He  attended  the  early  public  and  German 
.schools  of  his  neighborhood,  and  was  reared  to 
farm  work.  His  father.  William  Wiscbstadt, 
came  to  America  from  Germany  in  1847,  pur- 
chasing 110  acres  of  land  in  the  northwestern 
1  art  of  Addison  township  from  the  government 
and  on  this  farm  erected  frame  building.s.  In 
18G2  he  purchased  220  acres  at  Itasca,  this 
count.v.  which  contained  an  old  log  house.  This 
place  has  been  in  the  family  ever  since.  William 
Wiscbstadt  was  twice  married,  first  to  Dorothea 
These,  by  whom  he  bad  six  children,  and  second 
to  Maria  Oblerking.  by  whom  be  bad  five  chil- 
dren. His  children  were  as  follows:  Sophia, 
Mrs.  Louis  Peiper,  who  is  of  Itasca  ;  AVilliani  II. ; 
Louisa.  Mrs.  Frank  Holstein,  who  is  of  Whea- 
ton.  111. ;  Lena,  who  married  William  Peiper, 
now  deceased ;  Minnie.  Jlrs.  William  Roseu- 
winkel,  who  is  of  Addison  township ;  Alvina, 
Mrs.  George  Speckmann,  who  is  of  Blooming- 
dale;  Emma,  Mrs.  Herman  Wellner.  who  is  of 
Bloomingdale  township;  Mary,  Mrs.  William 
Becker,  who  is  of  Iowa  ;  Bertha.  Mrs.  George 
Dunterniann,  who  is  of  Bloomingdale ;  and  Ma- 
tilda, who  mari'ied  William  Witte,  now  deceased. 

William  H.  Wiscbstadt  has  been  very  success- 
ful as  a  farmer,  owning  a  fine,  fertile  proiierty, 
equipped  with  all  modern  appliances,  and  has 
become  interested  in  various  local  enterprises. 
He  is  active  in  public  affairs  and  has  acceptably 
filled  many  public  offices.  For  twenty-one  years 
he  has  been  village  trustee  of  Itasca,  for  three 
terms  was  road  commissioner,  and  for  nine  years 
director  of  the  school  board.  He  is  a  member 
of  the  Evangelical  church  and  for  twelve  years 
has  served  as  director  of  the  church  at  Bloom- 
ingdale. 

Mr.  Wiscbstadt  was  married  April  10,  1881. 
to  Louise  Peiper,  daughter  of  Fred  and  Caro- 
line Peiper,  who  was  born  in  Cook  county.  111., 
May  8.  1861.  Six  children  have  blessed  the 
union  :  Emma,  who  was  born  June  5,  1882.  died 
April  5,  1003 ;  Herman  II.,  who  was  born  Sep- 
tember 28,  1884.  operated  a  part  of  the  home 
farm  ;  Linda,  who  was  born  August  30,  1887,  is 
at  home:  Edwin,  who  was  born  May  15,  1891; 
Elvina,  who  was  born  M.ay  25,  1895,  is  at  home, 
as  is  also  Hilda,  who  was  born  September  29. 
1897.  Mr.  Wiscbstadt  is  well  known  for  his  busi- 
ness ability  and  enterprise  and  is  one  of  the  most 
succes,sful  farmers  of  his  community. 


HISTORY  OP  DU  PAGE  COUNTY, 


1081 


WOLF,  Lorenz,  ;i  liighly  esteemed  resident  of 
Kimhuist.  111.,  is  representative  of  the  type  of 
Gerinau-Aiiierieau  oitizeu.  He  was  boru  Feb- 
ruary 28,  1S35,  ill  Hesse  Darnistatlt,  Germany, 
and  is  a  son  of  Lorene  and  Anna  Mary  (Darm- 
stadt) Wolf,  wlio  spent  their  entire  lives  there. 
On  May  1.  1.S.j7,  Mr.  Wolf  reached  Chicago,  hav- 
ing come  from  his  native  country  ou  a  sailing 
vessel  and  spent  twenty -seven  clays  on  the  ocean 
voyage.  He  purchased  eighty -six  acres  of  land 
on  Section  S  and  eighty-seven  acres  on  Section 
7  in  the  township  of  Proviso,  Cook  County,  and 
still  retains  the  second  purchase,  the  laud  being 
now  most  valuable.  He  erected  new  buildings, 
imiiroved  the  land  and  carried  on  fanning  there 
until  1SS4,  in  February  of  which  year  he  pur- 
chased his  present  comfortable  home  at  171 
York  Street,  Elmhurst.  He  Lad  served  twelve 
years  as  Assessor  of  Proviso  Township  and  one 
term  as  Collector  and  was  prominent  in  all  pub- 
lic movements.  He  is  a  devout  member  of  the 
Catholic  Church  and  in  politics  is  Democrat. 
He  has  a  host  of  friends  among  the  older 
settlers  of  Du  I'age  County  and  enjoys  the  re- 
siiect  of  all  who  know  him. 

May  20,  1S58,  Mr.  Wolf  married  Caroliue 
tiunther,  and  six  children  were  born  of  this 
union :  Peter,  Helen,  Agnes,  Katie,  John  and 
George,  all  deceased  except  Katie.  Mrs.  John 
Kemp,  who  lives  at  Wheaton  and  has  two  chil- 
dren, Florence  and  Harry. 

WOLFE,  Scott  H.,  superintendent  of  the  water 
works  of  West  t'hicago,  is  a  man  whose  stead- 
fast aim  ill  life  has  been  to  do  well  whatever  line 
of  work  engaged  his  efforts,  lie  was  boru  in 
Chambersburg.  Pa.,  August  31.  1848,  a  sou  of 
Bernard  and  Catherine  (Leonard)  Wolfe.  The 
father  was  a  ship  (•ari)enter,  who  lirought  his 
wife  to  Auierica  at  an  early  day.  They  .settled 
in  I'ennsylvania,  where  both  died.  They  were 
very  worthy  penple,  who  gave  their  children 
every  advantage  possible. 

Scott  II.  Wolfe  was  educated  in  the  public 
schools  and  academy  at  Chambersburg,  Pa.,  and 
Dickinson  College  at  Carlisle.  Pa.  After  finish- 
ing his  collegiate  course.  Mr.  Wolfe  was  ap- 
prenticedto  learn  civil  engineering  at  Chambers- 
burg. From  1872  to  187(5  he  worked  in  a  ma- 
chine sho]i  at  .\Uoona.  Pa.,  and  in  the  fall  of 
that  same  yeiir  came  to  Illinois,  and  spent  a 
short  time  at  Sandwich,  from  whence  he  went 
to  Rochelle  where  he  took  charge  of  the  water 

.'SO 


works.  In  ]8S(i  he  left  there,  to  assume  charge 
ot  the  water  works  at  West  Chicago,  \>hich  were 
them  in  process  of  construction,  and  has  Iieen 
superintendent  of  the  same  since  June,  iS'M. 

On  December  8,  1873.  Mr.  Wolfe  was  married 
by  the  Itev.  Seykes  at  .Martinsburg,  Pa.,  to 
Caddsia  Myers,  born  at  Williamsburg,  Pa.,  t^cto- 
ber  1,  IS.jl.  She  is  a  daughter  of  Jacob  and 
Elizabeth  (Stevens)  Myers.  The  father  was  a 
farmer,  but  is  now  deceased,  passing  away  in 
Illinois,  as  did  his  wife,  they  coming  to  this 
state  ill  an  early  day  in  its  history.  Jlr.  and 
.Mrs.  Wtdfe  became  the  parents  of  six  children: 
Omah  :  Howard  E. ;  Eflie  P.,  who  married 
Lincoln  Colditz,  lives  at  Koclielle ;  P>lanehe  M., 
who  died  in  June.  1008;  Flossie  V.,  who  married 
C.  J.  Iteese.  Jr.,  and  lives  in  West  Chicago,  hav- 
ing one  child,  Marion:  and  Max  V.  In  religious 
faith  Mr.  Wolfe  is  liberal,  but  his  family  belong 
to  the  Baptist  church.  He  has  always  been  a 
Republican.  Fraternally  be  belongs  to  the  Mod- 
ern Woodmen  of  -Vmerica.  Camp  Xo.  1103  of 
West  Chicago.  He  owns  his  residence  in  West 
Chicago  on  Grand  I>ake  boulevard.  During  the 
time  he  has  lived  in  West  (^hicago  Mr.  Wolfe 
has  liecome  thoroughly  identified  with  its  prog- 
ress and  lias  lent  his  aid  in  securing  some  of  the 
best  improvements.  He  is  a  sound,  reliable  man, 
who  holds  the  full  confidence  of  his  felli>w  citi- 
zens. 

WOLKENHAUER,  August,  a  son  of  Fredeiick 
and  Louisa  (Kathce)  Wolkenhauer,  was  born 
oil  the  farm  on  which  he  now  lives,  November 
1(1,  18-18.  He  received  his  earlier  training  in  the 
local  German  and  public  schools,  dividing  his 
time  equally  between  them.  When  his  educa- 
tion, so  far  as  actual  schooling  was  concerned, 
cnileil.  he  chose  farming  as  his  life  work,  and 
li;is  since  applied  himself  to  this  occuiiation  ou 
ills  farm  of  104  acres,  which  was  bought  from 
.1  Mr.  Watson  by  his  father  in  1)^2.  The  father 
died  in  1804  and  the  mother  died  four  years 
later.  They  had  six  children  viz.,  Mary  (Mrs. 
-Vugnst  Kock),  lives  at  1746  Addison  aveuue, 
Chicago.  III.;  Emily  (jrrs.  Henry  Heine)  later 
(Mrs.  IT.  Dommeier).  lives  in  Arkansas;  Emma 
(Mrs.  Christof  Moehling).  lives  in  Des  Plaines, 
III.;  Lena  (Mrs.  William  Snatch),  lives  at  2828 
Lexington  avenue.  Chicago.  III. ;  Louisa,  died 
at  the  age  of  seven  years,  in  ]8(>0;  August  lives 
at"  home. 

The  subject  of  this  article  was  married  Feb- 


1082 


HISTORY  OP  DU  PAGE  COUNTY. 


ruary  IS.  1872,  to  Miss  Sophia  Stueul^el.  a 
dauirlilei-  of  Frederiol;  and  Amelia  (llaiiiuai-dt) 
Stueiilcel.  who  was  boru  in  Addison  township 
llaicli  20,  1S53.  To  theiu  have  been  born 
twelve  children  as  follow  s  :  Ida,  born  November 
'31,  1ST4,  died  October  17,  1895;  Fred,  born  No- 
vember 21.  187a,  at  home;  Pauline,  born  Decem- 
ber 4,  1877  (Mrs.  Rev.  John  Grosse),  lives  in 
Batavia  ;  Emma,  born  November  15,  1879  (Mrs. 
I'rof.  Paul  Strauferdt),  lives  in  Hinsdale,  111.; 
Erust.  born  September  1.3,  1877,  died  November 
S,  1882;  Albert,  born  February  12,  1883,  lives  in 
Hobart,  lud. ;  Anna,  born  July  2,  1885  (Mrs. 
Prof.  Richard  Siegel),  lives  in  Irene,  Mich.; 
Matilda,  born  March  15,  1887,  lives  at  home; 
Theodore,  born  October  8,  1889,  died  February 
27,  18S0;  Lena,  born  August  10,  1892,  died  De- 
cember 28,  1895 ;  Selma,  born  .Tune  4,  1896,  lives 
at  home;  Lydia,  torn  March  23.  1894. 

Mr.  Wolkenhauer  and  family  are  memliers  of 
the  Lutheran  church. 

WOOD,  Henry  Seymour.  Some  men  spend 
their  lives  engaged  in  agricultural  pursuits, 
while  others  vary  their  interests  by  working 
along  different  lines.  Some  of  the  most  repre- 
sentative men  of  Du  Page  county  are  fitted  to 
give  advice  ui>on  several  subjects  for  they  have 
learned  by  personal  experience  what  is  best  to 
be  done  under  certain  circumstances.  One  of 
those  whose  life  work  has  led  him  into  more 
than  one  kind  of  business  and  several  localities. 
Is  Henry  Seymour  Wood.  He  -was  born  In 
Franklin  county,  Vt.,  October  4,  1833,  being  a 
son  of  Daniel  and  Sybel  (Holbrook)  Wood.  The 
former  was  born  in  Massachusetts,  a  son  of 
Daniel  and  Lois  Wood  also  of  Massachusetts, 
while  she  was  born  in  Vermont,  a  daughter  of 
Sylvanus  and  Abigail  (Cheney)  Holbrook.  of 
England.  ITie  Wood  family  were  of  Scotch  de- 
scent, and  all  Puritans.  Daniel  Wood  went  to 
Vermont  when  he  married.  By  trade  he  was  a 
carijeuter,  and  learning  of  the  opportunities  in 
what  w^as  then  the  far  West,  he  came  to  Du  Page 
county,  111.,  in  1855,  joining  his  son,  Henry,  who 
had  come  to  West  Chicago  in   1854. 

Henry  S.  Wood  attended  the  public  schools 
and  an  academy  in  Vermont.  After  coming  to 
West  Chicago  he  worked  at  the  carpenter  trade 
he  had  learned  with  his  father,  and  secured  an 
eighty-acre  farm  in  the  vicinity,  upon  which  fac- 
tories at  present  rear  their  tall  chimneys.  In 
December,  1858,  he  married  Sarah  A.  Stevens, 


burn  in  Orange  county,  Vt,  daughter  of  IJiih- 
ard  and  Lucinda  (Kellogg)  Stevens,  natives  of 
New-  Hampshire  and  Vermont,  respectively. 
They  came  to  Illinois  in  1849,  locating  in  Wayne 
townshii)  where  fbey  farmed.  After  their  mar- 
riage, Mr.  anil  Mrs.  Wood  moved  to  their  farm, 
living  in  the  first  house  built  in  that  section. 
Here  tbey  remained  until  18G4,  when  Mr.  Wood 
went  to  Martin  county,  Minn.  There  he  home- 
steaded  160  acres  of  prairie  land,  improving  it, 
and  living  on  it  until  1872,  when  he  sold  and 
went  to  Blue  Earth  county,  Mont.,  where  he 
worked  at  his  trade  until  1889,  when  he  went 
still  further  west,  to  Spokane.  Wash.,  where  he 
entered  into  a  contracting  and  building  busi- 
ness, furnishing  the  plans  for  his  buildings.  In 
1902  he  sold  part  of  his  property,  returning  to 
West  Chicago,  where  he  now  resides  with  his 
.-^ister.  Mrs.  .Jennie  Hawks,  being  retired  from 
active  business.  Mrs.  Wood  died  in  January, 
1S9G.  in  Spokane.  Wash.,  where  she  is  buried. 
Mr.  and  Mrs.  Wood  have  children  as  follows: 
Edna,  Mrs.  W.  N.  Shoemaker,  of  Maukato, 
Minn.:  Lillis.  Mrs.  James  P.  Slaughter,  of  Rit- 
ter.  Ore.;  Julia,  Mrs,  L.  A.  Pennoyer,  of  Hamil- 
ton, Mont.;  Amelia,  Mrs.  R.  S.  Feurtado.  of  Oak 
Park;  and  Stella,  Mrs,  H.  B.  Meacham,  of 
White  Bear  Lake.  Minn. 

.Vfter  going  to  .Minnesota.  Mr.  Wood  enlisted 
.March  1,  18C5,  in  the  First  Minnesota  Light  Ar- 
tillery, and  was  assigned  to  the  Army  of  the 
Tennessee.  He  was  with  General  Sherman,  and 
participated  in  the  grand  review  at  Washington, 
being  lionorably  discharged  in  July,  1S65,  He 
is  a  member  of  the  fongregational  church.  A 
strong  Republican,  he  served  as  township  clerk 
in  Minnesota  for  many  years,  and  was  also  jus- 
tice of  the  peace  while  in  that  state,  and  for 
eight  years  was  county  commissioner.  For  many 
.vears  he  served  in  several  communities  as  school 
director.  He  belongs  to  tlie  Masonic  lodge  of 
JIankato,  Minn.,  and  to  the  Knights  of  Honor 
of  the  same  place.  In  the  last  named  organiza- 
tion he  lias  gained  the  distinction  of  being  a 
niemlier  of  the  Grand  Lodge.  He  is  an  honor- 
able, level-headed  man,  whose  instincts  have  al- 
wa.vs  directed  him  in  the  paths  of  loyalty  and 
devotion  to  family  and  nation. 

WOOD,  John  C.  Steady  industry,  combined 
with  honest  methods,  result  in  the  establishment 
of  a  good  record  In  the  business  world.  Tlie 
problem  of  the  food  supply  is  one  that  attracts 


HISTORY  OF  DU  PAGE  COUNTY. 


1083 


iii;iuy.  iiutl  iirovidiug  for  it  furnishes  an  excel- 
lent business  in  many  varied  lines.  One  of  the 
nieu  who  has  attained  to  wide-spread  prom- 
inence as  a  commission  merchant,  handling 
grains  and  provisions  on  the  Chicago  Broad  of 
Trade,  making  a  specialty  of  the  latter,  with 
offices  at  Xo.  46  Board  of  Trade,  is  John  C. 
\\'ood.  for  some  years  a  resident  of  Hinsdale. 
He  was  born  at  EockviUe,  Conn.,  in  1S70,  being 
a  sou  of  John  B.  and  Kebecca   (Magill)  Wood. 

Mr.  Wood  attended  the  common  schools  at 
Providence,  R.  I.,  and  the  common  and  high 
schools  of  Indianapolis,  and  coming  to  Chicago, 
became  connected  with  the  packing  interests  at 
the  Union  Stock  Yards,  leaving  there  to  take  up 
the  Board  of  Trade  work,  in  which  he  has  since 
continued.  He  carries  on  his  business  under  the 
firm  name  of  J.  C.  Wood  &  Co.,  but  he  is  the 
only  member  of  It.  In  addition  he  is  director  of 
the  Hinsdale  State  Bank  and  the  Chicago  Board 
of  Trade. 

In  ISO".  Mr.  Wood  was  married  to  Eva  Xor- 
mington  at  Dnrand,  111.,  who  bore  him  a  daugh- 
ter. Marion.  Mrs.  Wood  died  in  1S90.  In  1909, 
Mr.  Wood  was  married  at  Dayton,  O.,  to  Mary 
\.  Bell,  and  they  have  one  child,  Mary  E.  In 
1002,  he  took  up  his  residence  in  Hinsdale,  since 
which  time  he  has  become  thoroughly  identified 
with  it,  now  living  at  No.  165  Walnut  Street, 
lie  has  served  as  trustee  and  president  of  the 
Village  Board  for  four  j-ears.  He  has  served  as 
Republican  County  Central  Committeeman  for 
Dn  Page  for  five  years.  The  religious  affilia- 
tions of  Mr.  Wood  are  with  the  Episcopal 
Church.  He  is  a  member  of  the  Chicago  Athletic 
Club,  the  Chicago  Automobile  Club,  the  Hins- 
dale Golf  Club,  the  Hinsdale  Club  and  the  Chi- 
cago Board  of  Trade. 

WRIGHT,  James  George.  I'ciuliar  qualities 
are  demanded  in  those  dealing  with  the  govern- 
meiit  wards,  the  Indians.  Not  only  must  a  man 
be  capable,  Init  he  has  to  understand  the  Indian 
character,  and  while  proving  himself  their 
friend,  impress  upon  them  tlie  dignity  of  the 
government.  James  George  Wright.  Commis- 
sioner for  the  Five  Civilizetl  T^-ibes  in  Okla- 
homa, stationed  at  Muskogee,  that  state,  is  one 
of  the  most  efficient  of  the  governmenfs  trustefl 
officials.  He  was  liorn  at  Naperville.  January 
S,  1S60.  being  a  son  of  the  late  James  Gregsmi 
and  Alniira  (Van  Osdell  Wright.  They  were 
pioneers  of   Naperville.   where  Mr.   Wright  was 


postmaster,  member  of  one  of  the  old  banking 
firms  of  that  place,  and  member  of  the  state  as- 
sembly of  Illinois  for  si.x  terms.  Later  his 
work  for  tlie  Republican  party  and  distinguislied 
services  as  a  statesman  were  appropriately  rec- 
ognized by  his  appointment  as  Indian  agent  of 
the  Rosebud  Reservation.  The  life  of  Mr. 
Wright  is  given  at  full  length  elsewhere  in  this 
work. 

James  G.  Wright  attended  the  public  school 
and  Northwestern  College  at  Naperville.  and  in 
188.3.  was  appointed  clerk  of  the  Rosebud  In- 
dian agenc.y,  in  Dakota,  where  his  father  was 
Indian  agent,  and  served  continuously  in  that 
position  until  he  was  made  agent  in  charge. 
The  .young  man  showed  such  marked  ability  and 
tact  in  handling  the  delicate  questions  which 
constantly  jireseuted  themselves,  that  he  was,  in 
1889,  appointed  agent  in  charge,  through  the 
recommendation  of  General  George  Crook  and 
others,  and  although  a  Republican,  was  re- 
appointed by  President  Cleveland,  and  later 
made  Inspector.  Presidents  McKinle.v  and 
Roosevelt  re-appointed  him,  and  through  Sec- 
retary of  the  Interior  Gar'field.  he  was  made 
Commissioner  of  the  Five  Tribes. 

Reared  an  Episcopalian,  he  has  always  ad- 
hered to  that  church.  A  strong  Republican,  he 
gives  an  earnest  and  hearty  support  to  that 
party.  Air.  Wright  has  never  married.  Devoted 
to  his  work,  conscientious  and  hard-working,  Mr. 
Wright  has  earned  the  confidence  of  his  govern- 
ment, which  has  showed  its  appreciation  of  his 
services  by  promoting  him  as  fast  as  permissible. 

WRIGHT,  James  Gregson.  Du  Page  county 
numbers  among  its  deceased  pioneers  many 
whose  claim  to  enduring  fame  are  worthy  of 
consideration,  but  there  is  none  who  stood  higher 
or  who  did  more  for  his  community,  than  the 
late  Hon.  James  Gregson  Wright,  for  years  a 
leading  spirit  iti  the  life  of  Naperville.  During 
his  life  in  this  flourishing  little  city,  no  measure 
of  public  interest  was  carried  out  to  successful 
completion  without  the  hearty  cooperation  of 
Mr.  Wright,  and  he  never  lost  his  deep  interest 
in  the  place.  He  was  born  in  lyiverpool.  Eng- 
land, June  6.  182.S,  being  a  son  of  Joseph  and 
Sarah  (Parkinson)  Wright,  who  spent  their 
lives  in  England.  'OTien  a  boy  Mr.  Wright  was 
brought  to  New  York  City,  and  there  contiinied 
the  studies  begun  in  England.  In  184?,  he  came 
to  Du   Page   county,   and  entered   160   acres   of 


1084 


HISTORY  OP  DU  PAGE  COUNTY. 


liiiul  from  the  gdveniii.eiit.  iiaying  tlie  ciLstDiiiiuy 
$1.2."i  per  acre  for  it.  For  years  be  worked  eariy 
and  late  to  bring  it  into  a  state  where  farming 
was  iirotitahle.  In  the  meanwhile  Xajierville  had 
grown  iult)  a  village  of  considerable  size,  and  he. 
with  George  Martin,  established  there  a  li;uik. 
under  the  name  of  JIartin.  Wright  &  Co.  Mr. 
Wri^'Iit  had  the  distinction  of  being  the  first  Re- 
imlilican  i)ostmaster  of  Xaperville.  lieing  a]i- 
poiuted  by  President  Lincoln,  for  with  the  form 
ation  of  the  Kepubilcan  party,  he  had  entered 
into  the  promulgation  of  its  doctrines,  and  con- 
tinued a  staunch  supporter  of  it  until  the  day 
of  his  death.  Having  been  for  years  one  of  tlie 
leading  men  of  his  community,  it  was  but  natui';il 
that  he  should  be  sent  to  represent  his  district 
in  the  State  As.sembly,  six  terms,  serving  his 
commonwealth  and  constituents  with  distinction. 
Governor  .'^helby  JI.  Cullom  selected  him  witb 
others  to  represent  the  state  of  Illinois  at  the 
funeral  of  President  Garfield, 

Mr.  Wright  was  united  in  marriage  in  Chicago 
in  184.",  in  the  old  Baptist  church,  which  once 
stood  at  the  corner  of  Washington  and  La  Salle 
streets,  to  Alniira  Van  Osdel.  si.ster  of  .John  >I. 
Van  Osdel.  Chicago's  first  architect.  Mrs. 
Wright  was  born  in  Baltimore,  Md..  .ind  died  in 
Chicago.  August  30.  1800.  Mr.  and  Mrs.  Wright 
became  the  parents  of  children  as  follows:  Wil- 
liam P.,  spoken  of  elsewhere;  Sarah  E..  mar- 
ried Thomas  Bruce  and  died  in  London.  April 
l."i.  lOiiO:  Margaret  E..  residing  in  Chicago;  Mary 
ICIlcii.  mimarvied,  died  May  7,  1000;  Catherine 
.v..  married  Alexander  B.  Thorburn  and  lives 
in  Liverpool.  England:  J.  George  and  .T.  .Joseph, 
also  written  up  elsewhere  in  this  work.  Mr.  and 
Mrs.  Wright  celebrated  their  golden  wedding  in 
189.").  From  1804  to  1883,  Mr.  Wright  was  senior 
warden  of  St.  John's  Episcopal  church  of  Xapei-- 
ville,  and  was  always  one  of  the  strongest  sup- 
]Hirters  of  that  diurch. 

Through  the  friendship  of  Gen.  .John  A.  Lo- 
gan, in  1882  Mr.  Wright  was  appointed  l'nite<l 
States  agent  at  Rosebud  .Vgeney.  S.  D.,  being  in 
charge  of  8.000  of  the  most  turbulent  Sioux  In- 
dians, who  did  no  productive  work,  content  to 
live  in  tepees.  They  congregated  in  large 
camps,  but  had  no  schools  nor  were  they  under 
any  settled  civilizing  influence,  Mr.  Wright 
took  charge,  with  characteristic  energy,  and 
when  he  retired  from  the  service  uiion  the  ex- 
piration of  his  term  of  office,  iu  1880.  he  had 
succeeded  in  breaking  up  the  wild  camp  life  of 


the  Indian,  injiugurating  a  system  of  locatins 
Indians  ou  sei>arate  tracts  of  land,  and  estab- 
lishing day  schools,  which  policy  has  since  been 
adopted  and  continued  by  the  government 
throughout  the  United   States. 

Returning  to  Illinois  iu  1880,  Mr.  Wright  set- 
tled in  Chicago,  where  he  lived  retired  until  his 
death.  January  7.  100.">.  Honorable  in  the  high- 
est degree,  he  never  failed  to  accord  fairness  of 
dealing  to  everyone,  and  was  proud  of  keeping 
his  record  unblemished,  both  as  a  private  citi- 
zen and  public  official,  and  making  it  soniethinsr 
to  hand  down  to  his  children. 

WRIGHT,  John  Joseph.  The  Wright  family  is 
one  of  the  oldest  and  best  known  in  Xaperville, 
where  for  many  years  the  late  Hon.  James 
Gregson  Wright  was  accorded  a  well-earned  dis- 
tinction. Mr.  Wright  lame  to  Du  Page  county 
in  its  early  days,  and  materially  assisted  in  its 
development  and  onward  progress.  For  some 
years  he  belonged  to  the  rural  districts,  in  the 
vicinity  of  Xaperville.  but  later  devoted  himself 
to  the  establishment  and  operation  of  a  banking' 
establishment  under  the  name  of  .Martin.  Wright 
&  Co.  The  Reiniblicau  party  advocated  the 
princiiiles  which  were  a  part  of  his  nature,  and 
he  became  one  of  its  most  faithful  and  tireless 
workers,  thus  contiiniing  during  his  long  and 
useful  life.  Representative  in  the  State  Assem- 
bly for  six  terms.  Mr.  Wright  was  a  statesman 
of  whom  the  Connnonwealth  may  well  be  proud, 
and  both  as  postmaster  of  Xaperville.  appointed 
by  President  Lincoln,  and  United  States  Indian 
.Vgent  of  the  Rosebud  Sioux  Reservation,  he  was 
an  official  of  unblennshed  record.  A  full  ac- 
count of  his  life  is  given  elsewhere  in  this  work. 

One  of  the  sons  of  this  statesman.  John  Joseiih 
Wright,  is  proud  of  being  a  native  of  Du  Page 
county,  having  been  born  at  Xa|>erville,  May  28. 
180.">.  He  is  engaged  in  a  general  real  estate  and 
loan  l>usiness  in  Chicago,  where  he  now  resides. 
Mr.  Wright  was  eduacted  in  the  public  schools. 
Xorthwesteni  College  at  X'aperville,  and  Racine 
College.  Racine.  Wisconsin,  and  upon  leaving 
the  latter  engaged  as  clerk  iu  a  real  estate  office 
in  Chicago.  Having  his  attention  thus  early 
turned  towards  the  real  estate  business,  he  has 
always  followed  it.  In  addition  to  his  real  es- 
tate and  loan  business,  Mr.  Wright  organized 
and  is  an  officer  and  director  of  several  con- 
cerns, among  them  being :  coal  companies  in  Illi- 
nois.  Iowa  and  Wyoming,  the  combined  capaci- 


HISTORY  OF  DU  PAGE  COUNTY. 


1085 


tii's  of  wliich  are  Ki.Ooo  tous  per  day:  oil  i>rop- 
ert.v  with  large  production  in  Illinois.  He  spent 
some  years  in  building  railroads  w^nnei-ted  with 
loal  mining  in  Iowa.  Mr.  Wright  started  the 
building  of  the  electrit-  railroad  from  Elgin  to 
Itelvidere.  111.,  and  assisted  in  the  l)Uildiug  of 
tlie  eleetric  road  now  under  i-onstrui-tion  from 
.Marengo.  111.,  north  to  Lake  Geneva,   Wis. 

.Mr.  Wright  married  Elizabeth  Sloat  in  Cali- 
fornia in  February,  l(tl2,  she  being  the  daughter 
of  William  H.  Sloat,  native  of  New  Yorlj  state, 
and  a  direct  descendant  of  Commodore  John 
l>rake  Sloat.  who  first  raised  the  United  States 
flag  in  California   in  lS4(j. 

WRIGHT,  William  Parkinson.  Bearing  with 
a  distinguished  air  the  honors  accorded  him, 
("apt.  William  Parkinson  Wright  gives  little  evi- 
dence in  his  appearance  of  his  age.  although  he 
is  over  sixty-five  years  old.  having  beeu  born 
March  20.  lS4(i.  at  Xaperville,  Du  Page  county. 
III.,  and  is  a  veteran  of  the  Civil  war.  He  is  a 
son  of  .James  Gregsnn  Wright,  a  pioneer  of  Du 
Page  county,  postmaster  of  Naperville.  illstin- 
guislied  member  of  the  State  Assenilily  of  Illi- 
nois for  six  terms,  and  United  States  Indian 
.\gent  at  the  Rosebud  Reservation,  whose  valu- 
able services  to  his  Commonwealtli  and  coun- 
try are  siioken  of  at  length  elsewhere  in  this 
work,  for  they  form  an  important  part  of  tlie  his- 
tory of  Illinois. 

Captain  Wriglit  attended  public  scliool  in 
Xaperville.  then  was  sent  to  England,  where  at 
Asliton-Under-Lime.  he  spent  two  happy  years 
with  his  paternal  grandparents,  continuing  his 
studies.  Coming  back  home  he  entered  Jubilee 
College,  near  Peoria,  then  under  the  manage- 
ment of  the  Episco|>i>l  church.  He  enlisted  in 
Coinpany»I.  One  Hundred  and  Thirty-second  Illi- 
nois Volunteer  Infantry,  when  still  a  mere  lad, 
and  when  his  three  months'  term  of  service  ex- 
pired, he  re-enlisted  in  Company  D.  One  Hun- 
ilreil  and  Fifty-sixth  Illinois  Volunteer  Infai.try. 
He  was  made  Captain  of  his  company  and  spent 
the  greater  part  of  his  time  in  the  army  guard- 
ing tlie  Chickaiuauga  river  from  Chattanooga  to 
Dalton.  Within  this  restricted  territory  the 
railroad  crossed  the  river  seventeen  times,  and 
if  was  very  necessary  that  it  lie  maintained  to 
Insure  the  transportation  of  supi)lles.  Captain 
Wright  received  bis  honorable  discharge  Sep- 
tember 25.  ISO."),  and  returned  to  Xaperville. 

On  October  3.  1,S72,  Captain  Wright  was  mar- 


ried in  Xaperville  to  Ida  Sleight,  born  Ajgiist 
4.  IS.JO.  Mrs.  Wright  belongs  to  the  old  Du  Page 
county  family  of  Sleights  s|M)ken  of  elsewhere  in 
this  woik.  One  son.  Ileiu-y  Delcar,  was  born 
to  Caiitain  and  .Mrs.  Wriglit,  on  May  27,  ISTo. 
He  is  named  for  his  maternal  grandfather,  who 
received  his  unusual  name  in  a  i>eculiar  way. 
His  fatlier  was  plowing  on  his  farm  in  Xew 
York  stale,  when  lie  turned  up  two  coins.  On 
one  of  tliem  the  word  Delcar  was  to  1  e  plainly 
distinguished,  and  this  so  pleasantly  impressed 
his  wife  that  »lie  named  one  of  her  sons  Delcar. 
Captain  Wriglit  has  taken  an  active  [lart  in  the 
affairs  of  .\brahain  Lincoln  Post,  Deiiartment  of 
Illinois.  Xo.  01.  G.  A.  R.,  being  now  adjutant, 
having  been  in  this  ottice  for  fourteen  years,  and 
prior  to  that  was  commander  of  the  Post  for  one 
year.  He  was  also  commander  of  the  I'osI  at 
Xaiierville.  He  was  also  state  commander  of 
the  Military  Order  of  the  Loyal  Legion  of  the 
United  Stales.  ,uid  has  always  been  prominent 
in  the  workings  of  this  organization.  For 
twenty  years  Captain  Wright  has  been  a  vestry- 
man of  Grace  Episcopal  church.  Chicago,  and 
for  sixteen  years  bad  been  superintendent  of  the 
Sunday  school,  when  he  retired  from  thai  ottice. 
\\'bile  he  was  brought  up  a  Republican,  and  still 
\otes  the  ticket  of  that  party  in  national  matters, 
he  reserves  the  right  to  pick  his  own  candidates, 
preferring  to  vote  for  the  man  lest  suited  to 
the  office  rather  than  to  confine  himself  to  those 
cliosen   by   the  organization. 

WRISLEY,  Allen  B.  Lombard  is  one  of  the 
oldest  settlements  in  Du  Page  County,  this  city 
and  Xaperville  dividing  honors  as  to  age.  Both 
claim  to  be  older  than  Chicago,  and  certainly 
both  afforded  desirable  locations  for  those  pio- 
neers who  coming  from  points  in  the  east,  saw- 
herein  the  beginnings  of  happy  homes  and 
fertile  farms.  When  first  settlements  were 
made  at  Lombard,  the  Indiaus  were  still  giving 
trouble,  and  those  who  braved  the  hardship  of 
tlie  jirairie  and  forest,  had  to  cope  with  tlie 
diingers  incident  to  having  the  Red  Man  as  close 
neighbor.  Such  conditions  have  long  been  rele- 
gated to  history  that  has  been  written.  In  later 
days,  ihose  desiring  homes  where  city  advan- 
tages were  combined  with  the  delights  of  a  coun- 
tr.i  existence,  saw  in  Lombard  the  ideal  place 
for  the  establishment  of  homesteads,  and  on 
every  side  modern  dwellings  were  built,  that  are 
as  comfortable  and  well  equipped  as  any  to  be 


1086 


HISTORY  OF  DU  PAGE  COUNTY. 


found  ill  Chicago  itself.  Witli  the  iiiflux  of 
iirw  life,  business  interests  improved,  and  iu 
I'.Hl.s,  the  State  Bank  of  Lombard  was  organ- 
ized: the  following  year  the  massive  stone  struc- 
ture wliicli  attracts  instant  attention  and  ad- 
miration, was  erected,  and  now  the  people,  vpho 
formerly  were  forced  to  transact  their  business 
ill  a  banking  line  with  the  financial  institution 
at  Elmhurst,  or  other  communities,  have  a  bank 
that  is  second  to  none  in  Du  Page  County.  All 
these  changes  have  not  been  effected  by  any 
one,  but  by  the  co-operative  efforts  of  the  lead- 
ing citizens,  who  work  together  harmoniously 
towards  the  betterment  of  all.  One  of  these 
representative  men  is  Allen  B.  Wrlsley  of  Lom- 
bard and  Chicago,  president  of  the  Allen  B. 
Wrlsley  Co.,  soap  manufacturers,  with  plant  at 
No.  91.5-925   S.  Fifth  avenue,   the  latter  city. 

Mr.  Wrlsley  was  born  in  Gill,  Mass.,  being  a 
sou  of  Alvah  and  Clarrissa  Wrisley.  His  edu- 
cation was  a  practical  one.  and  he  has  risen 
rapidly  to  his  present  commercial  importance 
Ibrough  natural  business  ability,  and  sound 
methods,  which  have  placed  his  house  among 
the  foremost  ones  in  his  line  in  this  part  of  the 
country.  Few  men  stand  higher  in  the  estima- 
tion of  Du  Page  County  people  than  Mr.  Wris- 
ley, whose  business  ability  and  pleasant  person- 
ality are  recognized  and  appreciated  wliere\er 
ho  is  known. 

WURTZ,  Christian.  Tlie  redemption  of  swiuiip 
land  is  cliaiiging  that  which  was  almost  worth- 
less into  rich  farms  whose  yield  is  almost  in- 
creditable.  The  work  has  gone  on  gradually, 
first  being  done  as  an  experiment,  until  ex- 
perience showed  how-  Important  it  really  was, 
and  now  it  is  a  shiftless  farmer  Indeed  who 
allows  any  of  his  land  to  lie  under  water.  One 
of  the  men  who  lias  been  extensively  asso- 
ciated with  much  of  the  redemption  work  of 
Du  Page  County  is  Christian  Wurtz  of  Winfield 
Township.  He  belongs  to  that  sturdy  class  of 
German-Americans  which  is  welcomed  every- 
where. His  birth  occurred  iu  Baden,  Ger- 
many, August  1.  1.S2S,  he  being  a  son  of  Michael 
and  Catherine  Susanna  (Pflefer)  Wurtz.  In 
IS.'il.  these  parents  joined  Cliristian  Wurtz  and 
Ills  lirothei'  who  had  come  to  Du  Page  Couunty 
in  1840.  locating  in  Winfield  Township.  They 
bought  a  farm  on  the  Batavia  road,  where  the 
mother  died  in  1S5.5,  and  her  husband,  in  1866. 
The    children    of    this    excellent    couple    were: 


Jacob,  deceased ;  Catherine  S.,  Mrs.  Kasser,  who 
died  iu  DeKalb,  111.,  in  1904;  Michael  of  Win- 
field Township,  and  Christian. 

( 'hristiau  Wurtz  went  to  school  iu  Germany, 
but  had  to  learn  the  English  language  after 
coming  over  here.  He  resided  with  his  pareuts 
as  long  as  they  lived,  and  when  the  farm  was 
divided,  he  received  110  acres  as  his  share.  This 
be  later  sold  to  his  brother,  who  resides  on  the 
place.  Christian  Wurtz  then  bought  a  farm  of 
eighty  acres  on  the  Geneva  road.  After  three 
years  of  living  upon  it,  he  sold  at  a  profit,  and 
bought  200  acres,  and  another  of  180  acres  in 
(he  vicinity.  This  land  was  all  low  and  a  part 
of  It  swamp  land,  but  he  has  placed  it  under 
cultivation,  iiutting  in  a  large  amount  of  tile  to 
drain  it.  He  devotes  part  of  his  attention  to 
dairying  and  milks  a  number  of  cows.  About 
1,S73  he  built  his  present  house,  and  did  it  so 
well  that  it  is  still  a  very  desirable  residence. 

On  March  27,  1S57,  he  was  married  to  Eliza- 
beth K.  Bachman.  Iwrii  in  Wurtemburg.  Ger- 
many, who  came  to  New  York  State  when  eigh- 
teen years  old.  Two  years  later  she  came  to 
Illinois,  where  she  married.  The  children  born 
to  Mr.  and  Mrs.  Wurtz  were  as  follows:  Ben- 
jamin F.  of  Maywood,  111.;  George  W.  of  Bu- 
chanan County,  la. ;  Michael  E.,  who  resides 
with  his  father ;  Christian  G.,  of  the  State  of 
Washington ;  Susan  C,  Mrs.  Ed.  E.  Hasses  of 
Buchanan  County,  la.  Michael  E.  ^^'^.lrtz  mar- 
ried Willemiua  Weber,  born  in  Chicago,  July  l-l, 
181>7.  daughter  of  I'eter  and  Minnie  (Weitine) 
W'clier.  natives  of  Geniuuiy.  Tlieir  children 
are;  William,  Mary.  Elizabetli.  Cliristian,  Paul, 
.Martha,  Alfred  Lewis,  and  Joliii ;  Walter  and 
Grace  who  died  in  infancy. 

Christian  Wurtz  is  a  member  of  the  Evan- 
gelical Church,  and  has  held  various  offices  iu 
it,  as  w-ell  as  iu  the  Sunday  school.  He  is  a 
Republican,  but  not  an  office  seeker.  He  has 
always  worked  hard,  and  been  thrifty,  and  as  a 
result,  has  developed  into  one  of  the  prosperous 
farmers  and  representative  citizens  of  Du  Page 
(!;ounty,  w'hose  spoken  promise  is  regarded  as 
good  as  his  signed  bond. 

WURTZ,  Michael  J.  The  fanner  of  today  finds 
he  has  considei'able  scope  in  his  work,  owing  to 
the  variety  of  lines  along  which  he  may  carry 
out  his  ojierations.  Some  find  their  land  bet- 
ter fitted  to  dairying,  while  others  prefer  to  breed 
stock.     Still   others,   carry  on   general   farming. 


HISTORY  OF  DU  PAGE  COUNTY. 


1087 


iiiarketiug  all  their  product.  One  of  tbe  pros- 
perous agriculturists  of  Du  Page  County  who 
has  made  a  success  of  whatever  he  has  uuder- 
taken,  is  Michael  J.  Wurtz  of  Wiufield  Town- 
ship. He  was  born  here  April  6.  1S56.  being  a 
son  of  Jacob  and  Saloma  (Schoch)  Wurtz.  born 
in  Baden,  Germany.  The  father  was  a  .sou  of 
Micliai'l  and  Catherine  Susanna  (I'tiefer) 
Wurtz.  wliilo  the  mother  was  a  daughter  of 
Christian  and  Saloma   Schoch. 

Jacob  Wurtz,  his  wife  and  a  brother  came 
to  Lancaster,  N.  Y..  in  1S49,  remaining  in  Erie 
County  until  1851.  During  this  time  their  par- 
ents joined  them,  and  the  little  party  came 
west  to  r>u  Page  County,  III.,  locating  in  Win- 
tield  Township.  They  bought  farms  near  the 
Geneva  road,  paying  ten  dollars  per  acre  for  the 
land.  This  property  was  partly  improved. 
Later,  the  father  sold  his  first  farm,  and  in  1S66, 
bought  one'  on  Sections  21  and  16,  consisting  of 
102  acres.  Here  he  carried  on  dairying  and 
general  farming,  dying  May  21,  1900.  His  widow 
has  since  lived  with  her  son,  Michael  J.  The 
father  was  a  Republican  and  served  very  ably 
as  School  Director  and  held  other  township 
offices.  The  children  born  to  these  parents  were : 
Saloma,  Mrs.  Michael  Assmus,  of  Town  Line, 
Erie  County,  N.  Y.,  born  September  25,  1S51 ; 
Christian  of  Buffalo,  N.  Y.,  born  October  27, 
1S54 ;  Michael  J. ;  JLouisa,  Mrs.  H.  Wolf  of  Elm- 
hurst,  111.,  where  her  husband  has  charge  of 
the  German  Evangelical  Church,  born  November 
S,  1S62. 

Michael  J.  Wurtz  grew  up  in  Wiufield  Town- 
ship, attending  the  district  school.  He  remained 
with  liis  parents,  and  when  his  father  was 
stricken  down  about  1SS5,  he  assumed  sole  man- 
agement. He  bought  the  farm,  now  owning  126 
acres,  also  320  acres  in  southern  Minnesota  and 
Dakota,  which  he  is  operating  under  the  share- 
rent  system.  He  milks  an  average  of  thirty 
cows.  In  addition  to  his  dairy  interests,  Mr. 
M'^urtz  carries  on  general  farming. 

On  September  7,  1896,  Mr.  Wurtz  was  united 
in  marriage  with  Catherine  Forney,  born  in 
Dauphin  County,  Penn.,  May  7,  1860,  a  daughter 
of  George  and  Susan  (Hoffman)  Forney  of  the 
same  county.  The  grandparents  of  Mrs.  Wurtz 
were  John  and  Anna  Marie.  (Meyers)  Forney 
of  Pennsylvania,  and  John  Hoffman  of  the  same 
State.  The  Meyers  were  among  the  earliest 
settlers  of  Pennsylvania.  The .  Forneys  were 
of  Scotch  descent,  and  they,  too,  early  located 


iu  the  Keystone  State.  Mr.  and  Mrs.  George 
Forney  came  to  Ogle  County,  111.,  in  1871.  locat- 
ing on  a  farm,  where  she  died  November  20. 
ISns,  and  he  in  December.  1902.  They  had  ten 
children :  Mary,  Mrs.  John  Riegel  of  Dauphin 
County,  Penn. ;  Sarah.  Mrs.  Sauuiel  Zoller  died 
at  Forreston,  111.;  Franklin,  lives  on  the  parents' 
old  farm  in  Maryland,  111.:  Mrs.  Wurtz;  Ida. 
Mrs.  Samuel  Byers  died  at  Forreston,  111. ;  and 
the  remaining  five  who  died  in  infancy.  Mr. 
and  Mrs.  Wurtz  became  the  parents  of  a  daugh- 
ter, Estella  Euth,  born  January  12,  1897. 

Mr.  Wurtz  belongs  to  the  Methodist  Church, 
of  which  he  was  trustee  and  is  now  steward, 
and  served  ou  the  building  conunittee  when  a 
new  cliurch  was  erected,  and  his  wife  belongs  to 
the  various  church  societies.  In  politics,  he 
is  a  Republican.  Fraternally,  he  is  an  Odd 
Fellow,  being  connected  with  the  lodge  of  West 
Chicago,  and  has  been  very  prominent  in  it.  He 
was  a  representative  to  the  State  Grand  Lodge, 
and  was  sent  as  representative  to  Springfield. 
In  addition  to  his  farming  interests,  he  is  County 
Director  of  the  Milk  Producers'  Association  and 
President  of  the  Local  Milk  Producers'  Associa- 
tion. He  also  took  an  active  part  in  organizing 
the  Turner  Co-operative  Creamery  Co.,  and 
served  as  vice-president,  then  as  jiresident.  This 
farmers'  creamery  was  a  success  for  about  18 
.vears  or  until  the  big  bottling  plants  commenced 
njeratiug  in  the  cnmmnnity.  Shrewd,  keen,  an 
excellent  business  man,  and  level-headed  citizen, 
h(-  has  fowarded  a  number  of  measures  looking 
towards  the  advancement  of  his  community.  In 
church  and  local  affairs,  he  has  proven  his 
worth,  and  is  one  iu  whom  unlimited  depend- 
ence can  be  placed,  for  he  is  worthy  of  it. 

YAGGY,  Tobias  R.,  a  retired  fanner  who  owns  a 
fine  home  at  Naperville,  111.,  was  born  in  Will 
County,  111..  January  6,  1847,  his  parents  being 
among  the  earl.v  settlers  of  that  part  of  the 
State.  He  is  a  son  of  Jacob  and  Elizabeth 
(Pfeister)  Yaggy.  both  natives  of  Switzerland. 
They  came  to  the  United  States  about  1S3S  and 
spent  five  years  near  Sandusky.  Ohio.  He  was 
a  blacksmith  by  trade  and  in  1846  brought  his 
family  to  Wheatland  Township,  Will  County, 
where  he  purchased  a  farm.  He  carried  on 
farming  there  until  1868,  when  he  retired  from 
active  life  and  located  in  Plainfield.  He  died 
in  Plainfield  about  1872,  and  his  vcldow  went  to 
live  with  her  daughter,  Mrs.  Stark,  and  died  at 


1088 


HISTORY  OF  DU  PAGE  COUNTY. 


the  Ialter"s  home  about  1890.  Jacob  Yaggy  aud 
wife  bad  tbirteeu  children,  namely :  Boaz,  lives 
at  Dunkerton,  Iowa;  Jos  H.,  of  Des  Moines. 
It'wa ;  Tobias  R. :  Levi  W..  of  Chicago;  Ezra. 
of  Xora  Springs,  Iowa ;  three  died  when  small ; 
Ruth  died  aged  thirteen ;  .Sarah  died  when 
r\\  enty-seven :  Rebecca,  Jlrs.  Dundore.  died 
wlien  fifty  years;  Barbara,  Mrs.  RaucU.  died 
when  seventy-one ;  Leah.  Mrs.  Starli.  died  about 
seventy-one. 

Mr.  Yaggy  received  his  education  in  the  pub- 
lic schools  of  Will  County  and  was  reared  to 
farm  work,  which  he  followed  all  his  active  life, 
remaining  with  his  parents  until  twenty  years 
of  age.  He  then  started  out  on  his  own  account 
and  helped  his  brother  Job.  H.  conduct  the  home 
farm  one  year.  \Vhen  twenty-two  years  of  age, 
be  purchased  a  farm  in  Xaperville  Township. 
Me  owned  but  eighty  acres  Of  land  at  first,  hut 
later  added  to  it  until  he  owned  101  acres. 
He  carried  on  general  farming,  constantly  im- 
proving his  land  aud  adding  to  its  jn-oductive- 
iiess  and  value.  He  secured  a  good  dairy  herd 
and  found  this  branch  of  industry  very  proflt- 
alle.  In  April.  1900.  he  moved  to  Xaperville. 
rttlriug  from  active  work,  and  purchased  a 
nice  property  on  Chicago  Avenue,  which  he  now 
occupies.  He  rented  his  farm  until  1903,  and 
then  sold  it  to  his  brother-in-law.  Mr.  Oaks. 
Mr.  Yaggy  has  always  taken  an  active  interest 
in  public  matters  and  is  a  Republican  in  politics. 
He  is  an  active  and  useful  member  of  the  Meth- 
odist Episcopal  Church  and  is  now  a  class  leader 
aud  steward,  having  also  served  as  a  trustee, 
and  has  held  all  offices  in  the  church.  He  is 
highly  respected  as  an  upright  citizen  and  a 
rnau  of  unquestioned  integrity  and   reliability. 


October  2s,  1872,  Mr.  Yaggy  married  Miss 
Carrie,  daughter  of  Henry  and  Jane  (Brown- 
ing) Oaks,  a  native  of  Xaperville  Township. 
The  Oaks  family  are  mentioned  at  length  in  the 
sketch  of  Philip  Oaks,  which  also  appears  in 
thi.s  work.  Mr,  Yaggy  and  wife  have  no  chil- 
dren. Both  are  well  known  in  the  community 
and  have  many  friends. 

YONKERS,  Edward  H.  For  a  number  of  years 
EInihurst  has  been  rec-ognized  as  one  of  the 
most  desirable  residence  districts  of  northern 
Illinois,  for  here  can  be  secured  urban  advan- 
tages without  any  of  the  discomforts  of  city  life. 
For  this  reason  many  men  have  built  their  per- 
manent homes  within  its  confines,  and  are  there- 
fore interested  in  seeing  that  civic  conditions  are 
improved,  and  that  the  place  secures  the  best 
possible  adu!inistration.  Many  of  the  leading 
residents  of  Elmhurst  are  engaged  in  business 
in  Chicago,  but  their  homes  are  in  the  former 
place,  aud  their  interests  centered  upon  it.  One 
of  tlie  men  of  this  class  is  Edward  H.  Yonkers, 
for  some  time  identified  with  the  clothing  in- 
terests of  Chicago. 

Having  a  keen  sense  of  business,  he  long  ago 
realized  that  in  order  to  advance  Elmhurst,  pro- 
gressive methods  were  needed,  and  he  lent  his 
efforts  towards  securing  much  needed  reforms. 
Steadfast  to  his  party,  he  has  been  a  loyal 
worker  in  its  ranks,  and  whenever  called  upon 
to  show  civic  pride,  he  has  never  failed  those 
who  rejiosed  confidence  in  him. 

T'riright.  honorable  aud  devoted  to  his  com- 
munity and  family.  Mr.  Yonkers  c-an  well  be  re- 
garded as  one  of  the  representative  men  of  Du 
Page  county,  and  one  in  whom  confidence  is 
never  misplaced. 


^i- 


NOV    2  1  1931