Full text of "Portrait and biographical album of Whiteside County, Illinois : containing full-page portraits and biographies of all the governors of Illinois, and of the presidents of the United States"

OF THE
UNIVERSITY
Of ILLINOIS

977v335
P838

I .H.S.

ALBU

WHITESIDE COUNTY, ILLINOIS,

CONTAINING

Full-page portrait? aqd Biogifaphical etche^ of

fiitizeq^ of tlje Countij.

and

TOGETHER WITH

PORTRAITS AND BIOGRAPHIES OP ALL THE GOVERNORS OP ILLINOIS,
AND OP THE PRESIDENTS OP THE UNITED STATES.

ALSO CONTAINING A HISTORY OF THE COUNTY, FROM ITS EARLIEST SETTLEMENT

TO THE PRESENT TIME.

CHICAGO:
CHAPMAN BROTHERS.

1883.

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s.' '

E HAVE completed our labors in writing and compiling the PORTRAIT ANDBIOGRAPH'
ALBUM OF WHITESIDE COUNTY, and wish, in presenting it to our patrons, to speak
briefly of the importance of local works of this nature. It is certainly the duty
of the present to commemorate the past, to perpetuatethe names of the pioneers,
to furnish a record of their early settlement, and to relate the story of their progress.
The civilization of our day, the enlightenment of the age, and this solemn duty which
men of the present time owe to their ancestors, to themselves and to their posterity
demand that a record of their lives and deeds should be made. In local history is found a power
to instruct man by precedent, to enliven the mental faculties, and to waft down the river of time a safe
vessel in which the names and actions of the people who contributed to raise this region from its
primitive state may be preserved. Surely and rapidly the noble men, who in their vigor and prime
came to Whiteside County and claimed the virgin soil as their heritage, are passing to
their graves. The number remaining who can relate the history of the first days of settlement is
becoming small indeed, so that an actual necessity exists for the collection and preservation of his-
torical matter without delay, before the settlers of the wilderness are cut down by time. Not only
is it of the greatest importance to render history of pioneer times full and accurate, but it is also essen-
tial that the history of the county, from its settlement to the present day, should be treated through its various
phases, so that a record, complete and impartial, may be handed down to the future. The present the age
of progress, is reviewed, standing out in bold relief over the quiet, unostentatious olden times; it is abrilliant
record, which is destined to live in the future; the good works of men, their magnificent enterprises, theii
lives, whether commercial or military, do not sink into oblivion, but, on the contrary, grow brighter with age,
and contribute to build up a record which carries with it precedents and principles that will be advanced and
observed when the acts of soulless men will be forgotten, and their very names hidden in obscurity.

In the preparation of the personal sketches contained in this volume, unusual care and pains were
taken to have them accurate, even in the smallest detail. Indeed, nothing was passed lightly over or treated
indifferently, and we flatter ourselves that it is one of the most accurate works of its nature ever published.
As one of the most interesting features of this work, we present the portraits of numerous representa-
tive citizens. It has been our aim to have the prominent men of to-day, as well as the pioneers, represented
in this department ; and we congratulate Ourselves on the uniformly high character of the gentlemen whose
portraits we present. They are in the strictest sense representative men, and are selected from all the call-
ings and professions worthy to be represented. There are others, it is true, who claim equal prominence with
those presented, but of course it was impossible for us to give portraits of all the leading men and pioneers
of the county. We are under great obligation to many of the noble and generous people of Whiteside
County for kindly and material assistance in the preparation of this ALBUM.

CHAPMAN BROTHERS.
CHICAGO, August, 1885.

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FJXST PRESIDENT.

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HE Father of our Country was
born in Westmorland Co., Va.,
Feb. 22, 1732. His parents
were Augustine and Mary
(Ball) Washington. The family
to which he belonged has not
been satisfactorily traced 'in
England. His great-grand-
father, John Washington, em-
igrated to Virginia about 1657,
and became a prosperous
planter. He had two sons,
Lawrence and John. The
former married Mildred Warner
and had three children, John,
Augustine and Mildred. Augus-
tine, the father of George, first
married Jane Butler, who bore
him four children, two of whom,
Lawrence and Augustine, reached
maturity. Of six children by his
second marriage, George was the
eldest, the others being Betty,
Samuel, John Augustine, Charles
and Mildred.

Augustine Washington, the father of George, died
in 1743, leaving a large landed property. To his
eldest son, Lawrence, he bequeathed an estate on
the Patomac, afterwards known as Mount Vernon,
and to George he left the parental residence. George
received only such education as the neighborhood
schools afforded, save for a short time after he left
school, when he received private instruction in
mathematics. His spelling was rather defective.

Remarkable stories are told of his great physical
strength and development at an early age. He was
an acknowledged leader among his companions, and
was early noted for that nobleness of character, fair-
ness and veracity which characterized his whole life.

When George was 1 4 years old he had a desire to go to
sea, and a midshipman's warrant was secured for him,
but through the opposition of his mother the idea was
abandoned. Two years later he was appointed
surveyor to the immense estate of Lord Fairfax. In
this business he spent three years in a rough frontier
life, gaining experience which afterwards proved very
essential to him. In 1751, though only 19 years of
age, he was appointed adjutant with the rank of
major in the Virginia militia, then being trained for
active service against the French and Indians. Soon
after this he sailed to the West Indies with his brother
Lawrence, who went there to restore his health. They
soon returned, and in the summer of 1752 Lawrence
died, leaving a large fortune to an infant daughter
who did not long survive him. On her demise the
estate of Mount Vernon was given to George.

Upon the arrival of Robert Dinwiddie, as Lieuten-
ant-Governor of Virginia, in 1752, the militia was
reorganized, and the province divided into four mili-
tary districts, of which the northern was assigned to
Washington as adjutant general. Shortly after this
a very perilous mission was assigned him and ac-
cepted, which others had refused. This was to pro-
ceed to the French post near Lake Erie in North-
western Pennsylvania. The distance to be traversed
was between 500 and 600 miles. Winter was at hand,
and the journey was to be made without military
escort, through a territory occupied by Indians. The

'x'Hf^V,

GEORGE WASHINGTON.

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trip was a perilous one, and several times he came near
losing his life, yet he returned in safety and furnished
a full and useful report of his expedition. A regiment
of 300 men was raised in Virginia and put in com-
mand of Col. Joshua Fry, and Major Washington was
commissioned lieutenant-colonel. Active war was
then begun against the French and Indians, in which
Washington took a most important part. In the
memorable event of July 9, 1755, known as Brad-
dock's defeat, Washington was almost the only officer
of distinction who escaped from the calamities of the
day with life and honor. The other aids of Braddock
were disabled early in the action, and Washington
alone was left in that capacity on the field. In a letter
to his brother he says : " I had four bullets through
my coat, and two horses shot under me, yet I escaped
unhurt, though death was leveling my companions
on every side." An Indian sharpshooter said he was
not born to be killed by a bullet, for he had taken
direct aim at him seventeen times, and failed to hit
him.

After having been five years in the military service,
and vainly sought promotion in the royal army, he
look advantage of the fall of Fort Duquesne and the
expulsion of the French from the valley of the Ohio,
to resign his commission. Soon after he entered the
Legislature, where, although not a leader, he took an
active and important part. January 17, 1759, he
married Mrs. Martha (Dandridge) Custis, the wealthy
widow of John Parke Custis.

When the British Parliament had closed the port
of Boston, the cry went up throughout the provinces
that "The cause of Boston is the cause of us all."
It was then, at the suggestion of Virginia, that a Con-
gress of all the colonies was called to meet at Phila-
delphia.Sept. 5, 1774, to secure their common liberties,
peaceably if possible. To this Congress Col. Wash-
ington was sent as a delegate. On May 10, 1775, the
Congress re-assembled, when the hostile intentions of
England were plainly apparent. The battles of Con-
cord and Lexington had been fought. Among the
first acts of this Congress was the election of a com-
mander-in-chief of the colonial forces. This high and
responsible office was conferred upon Washington,
who was still a member of the Congress. He accepted
it on June 19, but upon the express condition that he
receive no salary. He would keep an exact account
of expenses and expect Congress 1o pay them and
nothing more. It is not the object of this sketch to
trace the military acts of Washington, to whom the
fortunes and liberties of the people of this country
were so long confided. The war was conducted by
him under ever)- possible disadvantage, and while his
forces often met with reverses, yet he overcame every
obstacle, and after seven years of heroic devotion
and matchless skill he gained liberty for the greatest
nation of earth. On Dec. 23, 1783, Washington, in
a parting address of surpassing beauty, resigned his

x :

commission as commander-in-chief of the army to
to the Continental Congress sitting at Annapolis. He
retired immediately to Mount Vernon and resumed
his occupation as a farmer and planter, shunning all
connection with public life.

In February, 1 789, Washington was unanimously
elected President. In his presidential career he was
subject to the peculiar trials incidental to a new
government ; trials from lack of confidence on the part
of other governments; trials from want of harmony
between the different sections of our own country ;
trials from the impoverished condition of the country,
owing to the war and want of credit; trials from the
beginnings of party strife. He was no partisan. His
clear judgment could discern the golden mean ; and
while perhaps this alone kept our government from
sinking at the very outset, it left him exposed to
attacks from both sides, which were often bitter and
very annoying.

At the expiration of his first term he was unani-
mously re-elected. At the end of this term many
were anxious that he be re-elected, but he absolutely
refused a third nomination. On the fourth of March,
1797, at the expiraton of his second term as Presi-
dent, he returned to his home, hoping to pass there
his few remaining years free from the annoyances of
public life. Later in the year, however, his repose
seemed likely to be interrupted by war with France.
At the prospect of such a war he was again urged to
take command of the armies. He chose his sub-
ordinate officers and left to them the charge of mat-
ters in the field, which he superintended from his
home. In accepting the command he made the
reservation that he was not to be in the field until
it was necessary. In the midst of these preparations
his life was suddenly cut off. December 12, he took
a severe cold from a ride in the rain, which, settling
in his throat, produced inflammation, and terminated
fatally on the night of the fourteenth. On the eigh-
teenth his body was borne with military honors to its
final resting place, and interred in the family vault at
Mount Vernon.

Of the character of Washington it is impossible to
speak but in terms of the highest respect and ad-
miration. The more we see of the operations of
our government, and the more deeply we feel the
difficulty of unit : ng all opinions in a common interest,
the more highly we must estimate the force of his tal-
ent and character, which have been able to challenge
the reverence of all parties, and principles, and na-
tions, and to win a fame as extended as the limits
of the globe, and which we cannot but believe will
be as lasting as the existence of man.

The person of Washington was unusally tall, erect
and well proportioned. His muscular strength was
great. His features were of a beautiful symmetry.
He commanded respect without any appearance of
haughtiness, and ever serious without being dull.

SECOND PRESIDENT.

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OHN ADAMS, the second
President and the first Vice-
President of the United States,
was born in Braintree ( now
Quincy),Mass., and about ten
miles from Boston, Oct. 19,
1735. His great-grandfather, Henry
Adams, emigrated from England
about 1640, with a family of eight
sons, and settled at Braintree. The
parents of John were John and
Susannah (Boylston) Adams. His
father was a farmer of limited
means, to which he added the bus-
iness of shoemaking. He gave his
eldest son, John, a classical educa-
tion at ' Harvard College. John
graduated in 1755, and at once took charge of the
school in Worcester, Mass. This he found but a
"school of affliction," from which he endeavored to
gain relief by devoting ' himself, in addition, to the
study of law. For this purpose he placed himself
under the tuition of the only lawyer in the town. He
had thought seriously of the clerical profession
but seems to have been turned from this by what he
termed " the frightful engines of ecclesiastical coun-
cils, of diabolical malice, and Calvanistic good nature,''
of the operations of which he had been a witness in
his native town. He was well fitted for the legal
'profession, possessing a clear, sonorous voice, being
ready and fluent of speech, and having quick percep-
tive powers. He gradually gained practice, and in
1764 married Abigail Smith, a daughter of a minister,
and a lady of superior intelligence. Shortly after his
marriage, (1765), the attempt of Parliamentary taxa-
tion turned him from law to politics. He took initial
steps toward holding a town meeting, and the resolu-

tions he offered on the subject became very popular
throughout the Province, and were adopted word for
word by over forty different towns. He moved to Bos-
ton in 1768, and became one of the most courageous
and prominent advocates of the popular cause, and
was chosen a member of the General Court (the Leg-
lislature) in 1770.

Mr. Adams was chosen one of the first delegates
from Massachusetts to the first Continental Congress,
which met in 1774. Here he distinguished himself
by his capacity for business and for debate, and ad-
vocated the movement for independence against the
majority of the members. In May, 1776, he moved
and carried a resolution in Congress that the Colonies
should assume the duties of self-government. He
was a prominent member of the committee of five
appointed June n, to prepare a declaration of inde-
pendence. This article was drawn by Jefferson, but
on Adams devolved the task of battling it through
Congress in a three days debate.

On the day after the Declaration of Independence
was passed, while his soul was yet warm with the
glow of excited feeling, he wrote a letter to his wile,
which, as we read it now, seems to have been dictated
by the spirit of prophecy. "Yesterday," he says, "the
greatest question was decided that ever was debated
in America; and greater, perhaps, never was or will
be decided among men. A resolution was passed
without one dissenting colony, ' that these United
States are, and of right ought to be, free and inde-
pendent states." The day is passed. The fourth of
July, 1776, will be a memorable epoch in the history
of America. I am apt to believe it will be celebrated
by succeeding generations, as the great anniversary
festival. It ought to be commemorated as the day of
deliverance by solemn acts of devotion to Almighty
God, It ought to be solemnized with pomp, shows>

~~ v : K-

JOHN ADAMS.

i *

games, sports, guns, bells, bonfires, and illuminations
from one end of the continent to the other, from this
time forward for ever. You will think me transported
with enthusiasm, but I am not. I am well aware of
the toil, and blood and treasure, that it will cost to
maintain this declaration, and support and defend
these States; yet, through all the gloom, I can see the
rays of light and glory. 1 can see that the end is
worth more than all the means; and that posterity
will triumph, although you and I may rue, which I
hope we shall not."

In November, 1777, Mr. Adams was appointed a
delegate to France, and to co-operate with Bemjamin
Franklin and Arthur Lee, who were then in Paris, in
the endeavor to obtain assistance in arms and money
from the French Government. This was a severe trial
to his patriotism, as it separated him from his home,
compelled him to cross the ocean in winter, and ex-
posed him to great peril of capture by the British cruis-
ers, who were seeking him. He left France June 17,
1779. In September of the same year he was again
chosen to go to Paris, and there hold himself in readi-
ness to negotiate a treaty of peace and of commerce
with Great Britian, as soon as the British Cabinet
might be found willing to listen to such pvoposels. He
sailed for France in November, from there he went to
Holland, where he negotiated important loans and
formed important commercial treaties.

Finally a treaty of peace with England was signed
Jan. 21, 1783. The re-action from the excitement,
toil and anxiety through which Mr. Adams had passed
threw him into a fever. After suffering from a con-
tinued fever and becoming feeble and emaciated he
was advised to goto England to drink the waters of
Bath. While in England, still drooping and despond-
ing, he received dispatches from his own government
urging the necessity of his going to Amsterdam to
negotiate another loan. It was winter, his health was
delicate, yet he immediately set out, and through
storm, on sea, on horseback and foot,hemade the trip.

February 24, 1785, Congress appointed Mr. Adams
envoy to the Court of St. James. Here he. met face
to face the King of England, who had so long re-
garded him as a traitor. As England did not
condescend to appoint a minister to the United
States, and as Mr. Adams felt that he was accom-
plishing but little, he sought permission to return to
his own country, where he arrived in June, 1788.

When Washington was first chosen President, John
Adams, rendered illustiious by his signal services at
home and abroad, was chosen Vice President. Again
at the second election of Washington as President,
Adams was chosen Vice President. In 1796, Wash-
ington retired from public life, and Mr. Adams was
elected President.though not without much opiwsition.
Serving in this office four years,he was succeeded by
Mr. Jefferson, his opponent in politics.

While Mr. Adams was Vice President the great

French Revolution shook the continent of Europe,
and it was upon this point which he was at issue with
the majority of his countrymen led by Mr. Jefferson.
Mr. Adams felt no sympathy with the French people
in their struggle, for he had no confidence in their
power of self-government, and he utterly abhored the
classof atheist philosophers who he claimed caused it.
On the other hand Jefferson's sympathies were strongly
enlisted in behalf of the French people. Hence or-
iginated the alienation between these distinguished
men, and two powerful parties were thus soon organ-
ized, Adams at the head of the one whose sympathies
were with England and Jefferson led the other in
sympathy with France.

The world has seldom seen a spectacle of more
moral beauty and grandeur, than was presented by the
old age of Mr. Adams. The violence of party feeling
had died away, and he had begun to receive that just
appreciation which, to most men, is not accorded till
after death. No one could look upon his venerable
form, and think of what he had done and suffered,
and how he had given up all the prime and strength
of his life to the public good, without the deepest
emotion of gratitude and respect. It was his peculiar
good fortune to witness the complete success of the
institution which he had been so active in creating and
supporting. In 1824, his cup of happiness was filled
to the brim, by seeing his son elevated to the highest
station in the gift of the people.

The fourth of July, 1826, which completed the half
century since the signing of the Declaration of Inde-
pendence, arrived, and there were but three of the
signers of that immortal instrument left upon the
earth to hail its morning light. And, as it is
well known, on that day two of these finished their
earthly pilgrimage, a coincidence so remarkable as
to seem miraculous. For a few days before Mr.
Adams had been rapidly failing, and on the morning
of the fourth he found himself too weak to rise from
his bed. On being requested to name a toast for the
customary celebration of the day, he exclaimed " IN-
DEPENDENCE FOREVER." When the day was ushered
in, by the ringing of bells and the firing of cannons,
he was asked by one of his attendants if he knew
what day it was? He replied, "O yes; it is the glor-
ious fourth of July God bless it God bless you all."
In the course o r the day he said, " It is a great and
glorious day." The last words he uttered were,
"Jefferson survives." But he had, at one o'clock, re-
signed his spitit into the hands of his God.

The personal appearance and manners of Mr.
Adams were not particularly prepossessing. His face,
as his jx>rtrait manifests.was intellectual ard expres-
sive, but his figure was low and ungraceful, and his
manners were frequently abrupt and uncourteous.
He had neither the lofty dignity of Washington, nor
the engaging elegance and gracefulness which marked
the manners and address of Jefferson.

t >rr*, ,, v

OF ILLINOIS

THIRD PRESIDENT.

THOMAS

HOMAS JEFFERSON was
born April 2, 1743, at Shad-
"well, Albermarle county, Va.

His parents were Peter and
Jane ( Randolph) Jefferson,
the former a native of Wales,
and the latter born in Lon-
don. To them were born six
daughters and two sons, of
whom Thomas was the elder.
When 14 years of age his
father died. He received a
most liberal education, hav-
ing been kept diligently at school
from the time he was five years of
age. In 1760 he entered William
and Mary College. Williamsburg was then the seat
of the Colonial Court, and it was the obodeof fashion
a.id splendor^! Young Jefferson, who was then 17
years old, lived somewhat expensively, keeping fine
horses, and much caressed by gay society, yet he
was earnestly devoted to his studies, and irreproacha-
able in his morals. It is strange, however, under
such influences, that he was not ruined. In the sec-
ond year of his college course, moved by some un-
explained inward impulse, he discarded his horses,
society, and even his favorite violin, to which he had
previously given much time. He often devoted fifteen
hours a day to haid study, allowing himself for ex-
ercise only a run in the evening twilight of a mile out
of the city and back again. He thus attained very
high intellectual culture, alike excellence in philoso-
phy and the languages. The most difficult Latin and
Greek authors he read with facility. A more finished
scholar has seldom gone forth from college halls; and

there was not to be found, perhaps, in all Virginia, a
more pureminded, upright, gentlemanly young man.

Immediately upon leaving college he began the
study of law. For the short time he continued in the
practice of his profession he rose rapidly and distin-
guished himself by his energy and accuteness as a
lawyer. But the times called for greater action.
The policy of England had awakened the spirit of
resistance of the American Colonies, and the enlarged
views which Jefferson had ever entertained, soon led
him into active political life. In 1769 he was chosen
a member of the Virginia House of Burgesses. In
1772 he married Mrs. Martha Skelton, a very beauti-
ful, wealthy and highly accomplished young widow.

Upon Mr. Jefferson's large estate at Shadwell, there
was a majestic swell of land, called Monticello, which
commanded a prospect of wonderful extent and
beauty. This spot Mr. Jefferson selected for his new
home; and here he reared a mansion of modest yet
elegant architecture, which, next to Mount Vernon,
became the most distinguished resort in our land.

In 1775 he was sent to the Colonial Congress,
where, though a silent member, his abilities as a
writer and a reasoner soon become known, and he
was placed upon a number of important committees,
and was chairman of the one appointed for the draw-
ing up of a declaration of independence. This com-
mittee consisted of Thomas Jefferson, John Adams,
Benjamin Franklin, Roger Sherman and Robert R.
Livingston. Jefferson, as chairman, was appointed
to draw up the paper. Franklin and Adams suggested
a few verbal changes before it was submitted to Con-
gress. On June 28, a few slight changes were made
in it by Congress, and it was passed and signed July
4, 1776. What must have been the feelings of that

<a>

man what the emotions that swelled his breast
who was charged with the preparation of that Dec-
laration, which, while it made known the wrongs of
America, was also to publish her to the world, free,
soverign and independent. It is one of the most re-
markable papers ever written ; and did no other effort
of the mind of its author exist, that alone would be
sufficient to stamp his name with immortality.

In 1779 Mr. Jefferson was elected successor to
Patrick Henry, as Governor of Virginia. At one time
the British officer, Tarleton, sent a secret expedition to
Monticello, to capture the Governor. Scarcely five
minutes elapsed after the hurried escape of Mr. Jef-
ferson and his family, ere his mansion was in posses-
sion of the British troops. His wife's health, never
very good, was much injured by this excitement, and
in the summer of 1782 she died.

Mr. Jefferson was elected to Congress in 1783.
Two yeirs later he was api>ointed Minister Plenipo-
tentiary to France. Returning to the United States
in September, 1789, he became Secretary of State
in Washington's cabinet. This position he resigned
Jan. i, 1794. In 1797, he was chosen Vice Presi-
dent, and four years later was elected President over
Mr. Adams, with Aaron Burr as Vice President. In
1804 he was re-elected with wonderful unanimity,
and George Clinton, Vice President.

The early part of Mr. Jefferson's second adminstra-
tion was disturbed by an event which threatened the
tranquility and peace of the Union ; this was the con-
spiracyof Aaron Burr. Defeated in the late election
to the Vice Presidency, and led on by an unprincipled
ambition, this extraordinary man formed the plan of a
military expedition into the Spanish territories on our
southwestern frontier, for the purpose of forming there
a new republic. This has been generally supposed
was a mere pretext ; and although it has not been
generally known what his real plans were, there is no
doubt that they were of a far more dangerous
character.

In 1809, at the expiration of the second term for
which Mr. Jefferson had been elected, he determined
to retire from political life. For a period of nearly
forty years, he had been continually before the pub-
lic, and all that time had been employed in offices of
the greatest trust and responsibility. Having thus de-
voted the best part of his life to the service of his
country, he now felt desirous of that rest which his
declining years required, and upon the organization of
the new administration, in March, 1809, he bid fare-
well forever to public life, and retired to Monticello.

Mr. Jefferson was profuse in his hospitality. Whole
families came in their coaches with their horses,
fathers aTid mothers, boys and girls, babies and
nurses, and remained three and even six months.
Life at Monticello, for years, resembled that at a
fashionable watering-place.

The fourth of July, 1826, being the fiftieth anniver-

THOMAS JEFFERSON.

sary of the Declaration of American Independence,
great preparations were made in every part of the
Union for its celebration, as the nation's jubilee, and
the citizens of Washington, to add to the solemnity
of the occasion, invited Mr. Jefferson, as the framer,
and one of the few surviving signers of the Declara-
tion, to participate in their festivities. But an ill-
ness, which had been of several weeks duration, and
had been continually increasing, compelled him to
decline the invitation.

On the second of July, the disease under which
he was laboring left him, but in such a reduced
state that his medical attendants, entertained no
hope of his recovery. From this time he was perfectly
sensible that his last hour was at hand. On the next
day, which was Monday, he asked of those around
him, the day of the month, and on being told it was
the third of July, he expressed the earnest wish that
he might be permitted to breathe the air of the fiftieth
anniversary. His prayer was heard that day, whose
dawn was hailed with such rapture through our land,
burst upon his eyes, and then they were closed for-
ever. And what a noble consummation of a noble
life ! To die on that day, the birthday of a nation,- -
the day which his own name and his own act had
rendered glorious; to die amidst the rejoicings and
festivities of a whole nation, who looked up to him,
as the author, under God, of their greatest blessings,
was all that was wanting to fill up the record his life.

Almost at the same hour of his death, the kin-
dred spirit of the venerable Adams, as if to bear
him company, left the scene of his earthly honors.
Hand in hand they had stood forth, the champions of
freedom; hand in hand, during the dark and desper-
ate struggle of the Revolution, they had cheered and
animated their desponding countrymen; for half a
century they had labored together for the good of
the country; and now hand in hand they depart.
In their lives they had been united in the same great
cause of liberty, and in their deaths they were not
divided.

In person Mr. Jefferson was tall and thin, rather
above six feet in height, but well formed; his eyes
were light, his hair originally red, in after life became
white and silvery ; his complexion was fair, his fore-
head broad, and his whole countenance intelligent and
thoughtful. He possessed great fortitude of mind as
well as personal courage ; and his command of tem-
per was such that his oldest and most intimate friends
never recollected to have seen him in a passion.
His manners, though dignified, were simple and un-
affected, and his hospitality was so unbounded that
all found at his house a ready welcome. In conver-
sation he was fluent, eloquent and enthusiastic; and
his language was remarkably pure and correct. He'
was a finished classical scholar, and in his writings is
discernable the care with which he formed his style
upon the best models of antiquity.

*&* **

UNIVERSITY 01- 11
UKfcAM*

FOURTH PRESIDENT.

BIDES IDIDISOD.

AMES MADISON, "Father
of the Constitution," and fourth
President of the United States,
was born March 16, 1757, and
died at his home in Virginia,
June 28, 1836. The name of
James Madison is inseparably con-
nected with most of the important
events in that heroic period of our
country during which the founda-
tions of this great republic were
laid. He was the last of the founders
of the Constitution of the United
States to be called to his eternal
reward.

The Madison family were among
the early emigrants to the New World,
landing upon the shores of the Chesa-
peake but 15 years after the settle-
ment of Jamestown. The father of
James Madison was an opulent
planter, residing upon a very fine es-
tate called "Montpelier," Orange Co.,
Va. The mansion was situated in
the midst of scenery highly pictur-
esque and romantic, on the west side
of South-west Mountain, at the foot of
It was but 25 miles from the home of
Jefferson at Monticello. The closest personal and
[xjlitical attachment existed between these illustrious
men, from their early youth until death.

The early education of Mr. Madison was conducted
mostly at home under a private tutor. At the age of
1 8 he was sent to Princeton College, in New Jersey.
Here he applied himself to study with the most im-

Blue Ridge.

prudent zeal ; allowing himself, for months, but three
hours' sleep out of the 24; His health thus became so
seriously impaired that he never recovered any vigor
of constitution. He graduated in 1771, with a feeble
body, with a character of utmost purity, and with a
mind highly disciplined and richly stored with learning
which embellished and gave proficiency to his subse-
quent career.

Returning to Virginia, he commenced the study of
law and a course of extensive and systematic reading.
This educational course, the spirit of the times in
which he lived, and the society with which he asso-
ciated, all combined to inspire him with a strong
love of liberty, and to train him for his life-work of
a statesman. Being naturally of a religious turn of
mind, and his frail health leading him to think that
his life was not to be long, he directed especial atten-
tion to theological studies. Endowed with a mind
singularly free from passion and prejudice, and with
almost unequalled powers of reasoning, he weighed
all the arguments for and against revealed religion,
until his faith became so established as never to
be shaken.

In the spring of 1776, when 26 years of age, he
was elected a member of the Virginia Convention, to
frame the constitution of the State. The next year
(1777), he was a candidate for the General Assembly.
He refused to treat the whisky-loving voters, and
consequently lost his election ; but those who had
witnessed the talent, energy and public spirit of the
modest young man, enlisted themselves in his behalf,
and he was appointed to the Executive Council.

Both Patrick Henry and Thomas Jefferson were
Governors of Virginia while Mr. Madison remained
member of the Council ; and their appreciation of his

IS)

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(21

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intellectual, social and moral worth, contributed not
a little to his subsequent eminence. In the year
1780, he was elected a member of the Continental
Congress. Here lie met the most illustrious men in
our land, and he was immediately assigned to one of
the most conspicuous positions among them.

For three years Mr. Madison continued in Con-
gress, one of its most active and influential members.
In the year 1784, his term having expired, he was
elected a member of the Virginia Legislature.

No man felt more deeply than Mr. Madison the
utter inefficiency of the old confederacy, with no na-
tional government, with no power to form treaties
which would be binding, or to enforce law. There
was not any State more prominent than Virginia in
the declaration, that an efficient national government
must be formed. In January, 1786, Mr. Madison
carried a resolution through the General Assembly of
Virginia, inviting the other States to appoint commis-
sioners to meet in convention at Annapolis to discuss
this subject. Five States only were represented. The
convention, however, issued another call, drawn up
by Mr. Madison, urging all the States to send their
delegates to Philadelphia, in May, 1787, to draft
a Constitution for the United States, to take the place
of that Confederate League. The delegates met at
the time appointed. Every State but Rhode Island
was represented. George Washington was chosen
president of the convention ; and the present Consti-
tution of the United States was then and there formed.
There was, perhaps, no mind and no pen more ac-
tive in framing this immortal document than the mind
and the pen of James Madison.

The Constitution, adopted by a vote 81 to 79, was
to be presented to the several States for acceptance.
But grave solicitude was felt. Should it be rejected
we should be left but a conglomeration of independent
States, with but little power at home and little respect
abroad. Mr. Madison was selected by the conven-
tion to draw up an address to the people of the United
States, expounding the principles of the Constitution,
and urging its adoption. There was great opposition
to it at first, but it at length triumphed over all, and
went into effect in 1789.

Mr. Madison was elected to the House of Repre-
sentatives in the first Congress, and soon became the
avowed leader of the Republican party. While in
New York attending Congress, he met Mrs. Todd, a
young widow of remarkable power of fascination,
whom he married. She was in person and character
queenly, and probably no lady has thus far occupied
so prominent a position in the very peculiar society
which has constituted our republican court as Mrs.
Madison.

Mr. Madison served as Secretary of State under
Jefferson, and at the close of his administration
was chosen President. At this time the encroach-
ments of England had brought us to the verge of war.

British orders in council destioyed our commerce, and
our flag was exposed to constant insult. Mr. Madison
was a man of peace. Scholarly in his taste, retiring
in his disposition, war had no charms for him. But the
meekest spirit can be roused. It makes one's blood
boil, even now, to think of an American ship brought
to, upon the ocean, by the guns of an English cruiser.
A young lieutenant steps on board and orders the
crew to be paraded before him. With great nonchal-
ance he selects any number whom he may please to
designate as British subjects ; orders them down the
ship's side into his boat ; and places them on the gun-
deck of his man-of-war, to fight, by compulsion, the
battles of England. This right of search and im-
pressment, no efforts of our Government could induce
the British cabinet to relinquish.

On the 1 8th of June, 1812, President Madison gave
his approval to an act of Congress declaring war
against Great Britain. Notwithstanding the bitter
hostility of the Federal party to the war, the country
in general approved; and Mr. Madison, on the 4th
of March, 1813, was re-elected by a large majority,
and entered upon his second term of office. This is
not the place to describe the various adventures of
this war on the land and on the water. Our infant
navy then laid the foundations of its renown in grap-
pling with the most formidable power which ever
swept the seas. The contest commenced in earnest
by the appearance of a British fleet, early in Februaiy,
1813, in Chesapeake Bay, declaring nearly the whole
coast of the United States under blockade.

The Emperor of Russia offered his services as me
dilator. America accepted ; England refused. A Brit-
ish force of five thousand men landed on the banks
of the Patuxet River, near its entrance into Chesa-
peake Bay, and marched rapidly, by way of Bladens-
burg, upon Washington.

The straggling little city of Washington was thrown
into consternation. The cannon of the brief conflict
at Bladensburg echoed through the streets of the
metropolis. The whole population fled from the city.
The President, leaving Mrs. Madison in the White
House, with her carriage drawn up at the door to
await his speedy return, hurried to meet the officers
in a council of war. He met our troops utterly routed,
and he could not go back without danger of being
captured. Bui few hours elapsed ere the Presidential
Mansion, the Capitol, and all the public buildings in
Washington were in flames.

The war closed after two years of fighting, and on
Feb. 13, 1815, the treaty of peace was signed atGhent.

On the 4th of March, 1817, his second term of
office expired, and he resigned the Presidential chair
to his friend, James Monroe. He retired to his beau-
tiful home at Montpelier, and there passed the re-
mainder of his days. On June 28, 1836, then at the
age of 85 years, he fell asleep in death. Mrs. Madi-
son died July 12, 1849.

.^/^V^-T

UBRfUft
WWVERSITY of iLUIWtt

U88AHM

FIFTH PRESIDENT.

AMES MONROE, the fifth
President of The United States,
was born in Westmoreland Co.,
Va., April 28, 1758. His early
life was passed at the place of
nativity. His ancestors had for
many years resided in the prov-
ince in which he was born. When,
at 17 years of age, in the process
of completing his education at
William and Mary College, the Co-
lonial Congress assembled at Phila-
delphia to deliberate upon the un-
just and manifold oppressions of
Great Britian, declared the separa-
tion of the Colonies, and promul-
gated the Declaration of Indepen-
dence. Had he been born ten years before it is highly
probable that he would have been one of the signers
of that celebrated instrument. At this time he left
school and enlisted among the patriots.

He joined the army when everything looked hope-
less and gloomy. The number of deserters increased
from day to day. The invading armies came pouring
in ; and the tories not only favored the cause of the
mother country, but disheartened the new recruits,
who were sufficiently terrified at the prospect of con-
tending with an enemy whom they had been taught
to deem invincible. To such brave spirits as James
Monroe, who went right onward, undismayed through
difficulty and danger, the United States owe their
political emancipation. The young cadet joined the
ranks, and espoused the cause of his injured country,
with a firm determination to live or die with her strife

for liberty. Firmly yet sadly he shared in the mel-
ancholy retreat from Harleam Heights and White
Plains, and accompanied the dispirited army as it fled
before its foes through New Jersey. In four months
after the Declaration of Independence, the patriots
had been beaten in seven battles. At the battle of
Trenton he led the vanguard, and, in the act of charg-
ing upon the enemy he received a wound in the left
shoulder.

As a reward for his bravery, Mr. Monroe was pro-
moted a captain of infantry, and, having recovered
from his wound, he rejoined the army. He, however,
receded from the line of promotion, by becoming an
officer in the staff of Lord Sterling. During the cam-
paigns of 1777 and 1778, in the actions of Brandy-
wine, Germantown and Monmouth, he continued
aid-de-camp; but becoming desirous to regain his
position in the army, he exerted himself to collect a
regiment for the Virginia line. This scheme failed
owing to the exhausted condition of the State. Upon
this failure he entered the office of Mr. Jefferson, at
that period Governor, and pursued, with considerable
ardor, the study of common law. He did not, however,
entirely lay aside the knapsack for the green bag;
but on the invasions of the enemy, served as a volun-
teer, during the two years of his legal pursuits.

In 1782, he was elected from King George county,
a member of the Legislature of Virginia, and by that
body he was elevated to a seat in the Executive
Council. He was thus honored with the confidence
of his fellow citizens at 23 years of age ; and having
at this early period displayed some of that ability
and aptitude for legislation, which were afterwards
employed with unremitting energy for the public good,

* to

Of*

- .. -

JAMES MONROE.

he was in the succeeding year chosen a member of
the Congress of the United States.

Deeply as Mr. Monroe felt the imperfections of the old
Confederacy, he was opposed to the new Constitution,
thinking, with many others of the Republican party,
that it gave too much power to the Central Government,
and not enough to the individual States. Still he re-
tained the esteem of his friends who were its warm
supporters, and who, notwithstanding his opposition
secured its adoption. In 1789, he became a member
of the United States Senate; which office he held for
four years. Every month the line of distinction be-
tween the two great parties which divided the nation,
the Federal and the Republican, was growing more
distinct. The two prominent ideas which now sep-
arated them were, that the Republican party was in
sympathy with France, and also in favor of such a
strict construction of the Constitution as to give the
Central Government as little power, and the State
Governments as much power, as the Constitution would
warrant. The Federalists sympathized with England,
and were in favor of a liberal construction of the Con-
stitution, which would give as much power to the
Central Government as that document could possibly
authorize.

The leading Federalists and Republicans were
alike noble men, consecrating all their energies to the
good of the nation. Two more honest men or more
pure patriots than John Adams the Federalist, and
James Monroe the Republican, never breathed. In
building up this majestic nation, which is destined
to eclipse all Grecian and Assyrian greatness, the com-
bination of their antagonism was needed to create the
right equilibrium. And yet each in his day was de-
nounced as almost a demon.

Washington was then President. England had es-
poused the cause of the Bourbons against the princi-
ples of the French Revolution. All Europe was drawn
into the conflict. We were feeble and far away.
Washington issued a proclamation of neutrality be-
tween these contending powers. France had helped
us in the struggle for our liberties. All the despotisms
of Europe were now combined to prevent the French
from escaping from a tyranny a thousand-fold worse
than that which we had endured Col. Monroe, more
magnanimous than prudent, was anxious that, at
whatever hazard, we should help our old allies in
their extremity. It was the impulse of a generous
and noble nature. He violently opposed the Pres-
ident's proclamation as ungrateful and wanting in
magnanimity.

Washington, who could appreciate such a character,
developed his calm, serene, almost divine greatness,
by appointing that very James Monroe, who was de-
nouncing the policy of the Government, as the minister
of that Government to the Republic of France. Mr.
Monroe was welcomed by the National Convention
in France with the most enthusiastic demonstrations.

-/> VX;

Shortly after his return to this country, Mr. Mon-
roe was elected Governor of Virginia, and held the
office for three yeais. He was again sent to France to
co-operate with Chancellor Livingston in obtaining
the vast territory then known as the Province of
Louisiana, which France had but shortly before ob-
tained from Spain. Their united efforts were suc-
cessful. For the comparatively small sum of fifteen
millions of dollars, the entire territory of Orleans and
district of Louisiana were added to the United States.
This was probably the largest transfer of real estate
which was ever made in all the history of the world.

From France Mr. Monroe went to England to ob-
tain from that country some recognition of our
rights as neutrals, and to remonstrate against those
odious impressments of our seamen. But Eng-
land was unrelenting. He again returned to Eng-
land on the same mission, but could receive no
redress. He returned to his home and was again
chosen Governor of Virginia. This he soon resigned
to accept the position of Secretary of State under
Madison. While in this office war with England was
declared, the Secretary of War resigned, and during
these trying times, the duties of the War Department
were also put upon him. He was truly the armor-
bearer of President Madison, and the most efficient
business man in his cabinet. Upon the return of
peace he resigned the Department of War, but con-
tinued in the office of Secretary of State until the ex-
piration of Mr. Madison's adminstration. At the elec-
tion held the previous autumn Mr. Monroe himself had
been chosen President with but little opposition, and
upon March 4, 1817, was inaugurated. Four years
later he was elected for a second term.

Among the important measures of his Presidency
were the cession of Florida to the United States; the
Missouri Compromise, and the " Monroe doctrine."'

This famous doctrine, since known as the " Monroe
doctrine," was enunciated by him in 1823. At that
time the United States had recognized the independ-
ence of the South American states, and did not wish
to have European powers longer attempting to sub-
due portions of the American Continent. The doctrine
is as follows: "That we should consider any attempt
on the part of European powers to extend their sys-
tem to any portion of this hemisphere as dangerous
to our peace and safety," and "that we could not
view any interposition for the purpose of oppressing
or controlling American governments or provinces in
any other light than as a manifestation by European
powers of an unfriendly disposition toward the United
States." This doctrine immediately affected the course
of foreign governments, and has become the approved
sentiment of the United States.

At the end of his ? econd term Mr. Monroe retired
to his home in Virginia, where he lived until 18-50,
when he went to New York to live with his son-in-
law. In that city he died,on the 4th of July, 1831.

^S.l

^*i^>s

^TSkT'V

UNIVERSITY OF IIUNO(S

J, oL.

SIXTH PRESIDENT.

OHN QUINCY ADAMS, the
sixth President of the United
States, was born in the rural
home of his honored father,
John Adams, in Quincy, Mass.,
T||!, on the i i th cf July, 1767. His
mother, a woman of exalted
worth, watched over his childhood
during the almost constant ab-
sence of his father. When but
eight years of age, he stood with
his mother on an eminence, listen-
ing to the booming of the great bat-
tle on Bunker's Hill, and gazing on
upon the smoke and flames billow-
ing up from the conflagration of
Charlestdwn.

When but eleven years old he
took a tearful adieu of his mother,
to sail with his father for Europe,
through a fleet of hostile British cruisers. The bright,
animated boy spent a year and a half in Paris, where
his father was associated with Franklin and Lee as
minister plenipotentiary. His intelligence attracted
the notice of these distinguished men, and he received
from them flattering marks of attention.

Mr. John Adams had scarcely returned to this
country, in 1779, ere he was again sent abroad. Again
John Quincy accompanied his father. At Paris he
applied himself with great diligence, for six months,
to study; then accompained his father to Holland,
where he entered, first a school in Amsterdam, then
the University at Leyden. About a year from this
time, in i78r, when the manly boy was but fourteen
years of age, he was selected by Mr. Dana, our min-
ister to the Russian court, as his private secretary.

In this school of incessant labor and of .enobling
culture he spent fourteen months, and then returned
to Holland through Sweden, Denmark, Hamburg and
Bremen. This long journey he took alone, in the
winter, when in his sixteenth year. Again he resumed
his studies, under a private tutor, at Hague, Thence,

in the spring of 1782, he accompanied his father to
Paris, traveling leisurely, and forming acquaintance
with the most distinguished men on the Continent;
examining architectural remains, galleries of paintings,
and all renowned works of art. At Paris he again
became associated with the most illustrious men of
all lands in the contemplations of the loftiest temporal
themes which can engross the human mind. After
a short visit to England he returned to Paris, and
consecrated all his energies to study until May, 1785,
when he returned to America. To a brilliant young
man of eighteen, who had seen much of the world,
and who was familiar with the etiquette of courts, a
residence with his father in London, under such cir-
cumstances, must have been extremely attractive;
but with judgment very rare in one of his age, he pre-
ferred to return to America to complete his education
in an American college. He wished then to study
law, that with an honorable profession, he might be
able to obtain an independent support.

Upon leaving Harvard College, at the age of twenty,
he studied law for three years. In June, 1794, be-
ing then but twenty-seven years of age, he was ap-
pointed by Washington, resident minister at the
Netherlands. Sailing from Boston in July, he reached
London in October, where he was immediately admit-
ted to the deliberations of Messrs. Jay and Pinckney,
assisting them in negotiating a commercial treaty with
Great Britian. After thus spending a fortnight in
London, he proceeded to the Hague.

In July, 1797, he left the Hague to go to Portugal as
minister plenipotentiary. On his way to Portugal,
upon arriving in London, he met with despatches
directing him to the court of Berlin, but requesting
him to remain in London until he should receive his
instructions. While waiting he was married to an
American lady to whom he had been previously en-
gaged, Miss Louisa Catherine Johnson, daughter
of Mr. Joshua Johnson, American consul in London;
a lady endownd with that beauty and those accom-
plishment which eminently fitted her to move in the
elevated sphere for which she was destined.

: v?

JOHN QUINCY ADAMS.

He reached Berlin with his wife in November, 1797 ;
where he remained until July, 1799, when, having ful-
filled all the purposes of his mission, he solicited his
recall.

Soon after his return, in 1802, he was chosen to
the Senate of Massachusetts, from Boston, and then
was elected Senator of the United States for six years,
from the 4th of March, 1804. His reputation, his
ability and his experience, placed him immediately
among the most prominent and influential members
of that body. Especially did he sustain the Govern-
ment in its measures of resistance to the encroach-
ments of England, destroying our commerce and in-
sulting our flag. There was no man in America more
familiar with the arrogance of the British court upon
these points, and no one more resolved to present
a firm resistance.

In 1809, Madison succeeded Jefferson in the Pres-
idential chair, and he immediately nominated John
Quincy Adams minister to St. Petersburg. Resign-
ing his professorship in Harvard College, he embarked
at Boston, in August, 1809.

While in Russia, Mr. Adams was an intense stu-
dent. He devoted his attention to the language and
history of Russia; to the Chinese trade; to the
European system of weights, measures, and coins ; to
the climate and astronomical observations ; while he
kept up a familiar acquaintance with the Greek and
Latin classics. In all the universities of Europe, a
more accomplished scholar could scarcely be found.
All through life the Bible constituted an important
part of his studies. It was his rule to read five
chapters every day.

On the 4th of March, 1817, Mr. Monroe took the
Presidential chair, and immediately appointed Mr.
Adams Secretary of State. Taking leave of his num-
erous friends in public and private life in Europe, he
sailed in June, 1819, for the United States. On the
i8th of August, he again crossed the threshold of his
home in Quincy. During the eight years of Mr. Mon-
roe's administration, Mr. Adams continued Secretary
of State.

Some time before the close of Mr. Monroe's second
term of office, new candidates began to be presented
for the Presidency. The friends of Mr. Adams brought
forward his name. It was an exciting campaign.
Party spirit was never more bitter. Two hundred and
sixty electoral votes were cast. Andrew Jackson re-
ceived ninety. nine; John Quincy Adams, eighty-four;
William H. Crawford, forty -one; Henry Clay, thirty-
seven. As there was no choice by the people, the
question went to the House of Representatives. Mr.
Clay gave the vote of Kentucky to Mr. Adams, and
he was elected.

The friends of all the disappointed candidates now
combined in a venomous and persistent assault upon
Mr. Adams. There is nothing more disgraceful in
the past history of our country than the abuse which

was poured in one uninterrupted stream, upon this
high-minded, upright, patriotic man. There never was
an administration more pure in principles, more con-
scientiously devoted to the best interests of the coun-
try, than that of John Quincy Adams; and never, per-
haps, was there an administration more unscrupu-
lously and outrageously assailed.

Mr. Adams was, to a very remarkable degree, ab-
stemious and temperate in his habits; always rising
early, and taking much exercise. When at his home in
Quincy, he has been known to walk, before breakfast,
seven miles to Boston. In Washington, it was said
that he was the first man up in the city, lighting his
own fire and applying himself to work in his library
often long before dawn.

On the 4th of March, 1829, Mr. Adams retired
from the Presidency, and was succeeded by Andrew
Jackson. John C. Calhoun was elected Vice Presi-
dent. The slavery question now began to assume
portentous magnitude. Mr. Adams returned to
Quincy and to his studies, which he pursued with un-
abated zeal. But he was not long permitted to re-
main in retirement. In November, 1830, he was
elected representative to Congress. For seventeen
years, until his death, he occupied the post as repre-
sentative, towering above all his peers, ever ready to
do brave battle' for freedom, and winning the title of
"the old man eloquent." Upon taking his seat in
the House, he announced that he should hold him-
self bound to no party. Probably there never was a
member more devoted to his duties. He was usually
the first in his place in the morning, and the last to
leave his seat in the evening. Not a measure could
be brought forward and escape his scrutiny. The
battle which Mr. Adams fought, almost singly, against
the proslavery party in the Government, was sublime
in its moral dating and heroism. For persisting in
presenting petitions for the abolition of slavery, he
was threatened with indictment by the grand jury,
with expulsion from the House, with assassination ;
but no threats could intimidate him, and his final
triumph was complete.

It has been said of President Adams, that when his
body was bent and his hair silvered by the lapse of
fourscore years, yielding to the simple faith of a little
child, he was accustomed to repeat every night, before
he slept, the player which his mother taught him in
his infant years.

On the 2istof February, 1848, he rose on the floor
of Congress, with a paper in his hand, to address the
speaker. Suddenly he fell, again stricken by paraly-
sis, and was caught in the arms of those around him.
For a time he was senseless, as he was conveyed to
the sofa in the rotunda. With reviving conscious-
ness, he opened his eyes, looked calmly around and
said " This is the end of earth /'then after a moment's
pause he added, "I am content" These were the
last words of the grand "Old Man Eloquent."

B *&*

SEVENTH PRESIDENT.

tg)

NDREW JACKSON, the
seventh President of the
United States, was born in
VVaxhaw settlement, N. C.,
March 15, 1767, a few days
after his father's death. His
parents were poor emigrants
from Ireland, and took up
their abode in Waxhaw set-
tlement, where they lived in
deepest poverty.
Andrew, or Andy, as he was
universally called, grew up a very
rough, rude, turbulent boy. His
features were coarse, his form un-
gainly; and there was but very
little in his character, made visible, which was at-
tractive.

When only thirteen years old he joined the volun-
teers of Carolina against the British invasion. In
1781, he and his brother Robert were captured and
imprisoned for a time at Camden. A British officer
ordered him to brush his mud-spattered boots. " I am
a prisoner of war, not your servant," was the reply of
the dauntless boy.

The brute drew his sword, and aimed a desperate
blow at the head of the helpless young prisoner.
Andrew raised his hand, and thus received two fear-
ful gashes, one on the hand and the other upon the
head. The officer then turned to his brother Robert
with the same demand. He also refused, and re-
ceived a blow from the keen-edged sabre, which quite
diiabled him, and which probably soon after caused
his death. They suffered much other ill-treatment, and
were finally stricken with the small-pox. Their
mother was successful in obtaining their exchange,

and took her sick boys home. After a long illness
Andrew recovered, and the death of his mother soon
left him entirely friendless.

Andrew supported himself in various ways, such as
working at the saddler's trade, teaching school and
clerking in a general store, until 1784, when he
entered a law office at Salisbury, N. C. He, however,
gave more attention to the wild amusements of the
times than to his studies. In 1788, he was appointed
solicitor for the western district of North Carolina, of
which Tennessee was then a part. This involved
many long and tedious journeys amid dangers of
every kind, but Andrew Jackson never knew fear,
and the Indians had no desire to repeat a skirmish
with the Sharp Knife.

In 1791, Mr. Jackson was married to a woman who
supposed herself divorced from her former husband.
Great was the surprise of both parties, two years later,
to find that the conditions of the divorce had just been
definitely settled by the first husband. The marriage
ceremony was performed a second time, but the occur-
rence was often used by his enemies to bring Mr.
Jackson into disfavor.

During these years he worked hard at his profes-
sion, and frequently had one or more duels on hand,
one of which, when he killed Dickenson, was espec-
ially disgraceful.

In January, 1796, the Territory of Tennessee then
containing nearly eighty thousand inhabitants, the
people met in convention at Knoxville to frame a con-
stitution. Five were sent from each of the eleven
counties. Andrew Jackson was one of the delegates.
The new State was entitled to but one member in
the National House of Representatives. Andrew Jack-
son was chosen that member. Mounting his horse he
rode to Philedelphia, where Congress then held its

sessions, a distance of about eight hundred miles.

Jackson was an earnest advocate of the Demo-
cratic party. Jefferson was his idol. He admired
Bonaparte, loved France and hated England. As Mr.
Jackson took his seat, Gen. Washington, whose
second term of office was then expi-.ing, delivered his
last speech to Congress. A committee drew up a
complimentary address in reply. Andrew Jackson
did not approve of the address, and was one of the
twelve who voted against it. He was not willing to
say that Gen. Washington's adminstration had been
" wise, firm and patriotic."

Mr. Jackson was elected to the United States
Senate in 1797, but soon resigned and returned home.
Soon after he was chosen Judge of the Supreme Court
of his State, which position he held for six years.

Wheu the war of 1812 with Great Britian com-
menced, Madison occupied the Presidential chair.
Aaron Burr sent word to the President that there was
an unknown man in the West, Andrew Jackson, who
would do credit to a commission if one were con-
ferred upon him. Just at that time Gen. Jackson
offered his services and those of twenty-five hurdred
volunteers. His offer was accepted, and the troops
were assembled at Nashville.

As the British were hourly expected to make an at-
tack upon New Orleans, where Gen. Wilkinson was
in command, he was ordered to descend the river
with fifteen hundred troops to aid Wilkinson. The
expedition reached Natchez ; and after a delay of sev
eral weeks there, without accomplishing anything,
the men were ordered back to their homes. But the
energy Gen. Jackson had displayed, and his entire
devotion to the comrfort of his soldiers, won him
golden opinions ; and he became the most popular
man in the State. It was in this expedition that his
toughness gave him the nickname of " Old Hickory."

Soon after this, while attempting to horsewhip Col.
Thomas H. Beriton, for a remark that gentleman
made about his taking a part as second in a duel, in
which a younger brother of Benton's was engaged,
he received two severe pistol wounds. While he was
lingering upon a bed of suffering news came that the
Indians, who had combined under Tecumseh from
Florida to the Lakes, to exterminate the white set-
tlers, were committing the most awful ravages. De-
cisive action became necessary. Gen. Jackson, with
his fractured bone just beginning to heal, his arm in
a sling, and unable to mount his horse without assis-
tance, gave his amazing energies to the raising of an
army to rendezvous at Fayettesville, Alabama.

The Creek Indians had established a strong fort on
one of the bends of the Tallapoosa River, near the cen-
ter of Alabama, about fifty miles below Fort Strother.
With an army of two thousand men, Gen. Jackson
traversed the pathless wilderness in a march of eleven
days. He reached their fort, called Tohopeka or
Horse-shoe, on the 27th of March. 1814. The bend

of the river enclosed nearly one hundred acres of
tangled forest and wild ravine. Across the narrow
neck the Indians had constructed a formidable breast-
work of logs and brush. Here nine hundred warriors,
with an ample suplyof arms were assembled.

The fort was stormed. The fight was utterly des-
perate. Not an Indian would accept of quarter. When
bleeding and dying, they would fight those who en-
deavored to spare their lives. From ten in the morn-
ing until dark, the battle raged. The carnage was
awful and revolting. Some threw themselves into the
river; but the unerring bullet struck their heads as
they swam. Nearly everyone of the nine hundred war-
rios were killed A few probably, in the night, swam
the river and escaped. This ended the war. The
[xjwer of the Creeks was broken forever. This bold
plunge into the wilderness, with its terriffic slaughter,
so appalled the savages, that the haggard remnants
of the bands caiiie to the camp, begging for peace.

This closing of the Creek war enabled us to con-
centrate all our militia upon the British, who were the
allies of the Indians No man of less resolute will
than Gen. Jackson could have conducted this Indian
campaign to so successful an issue Immediately he
was appointed major-general.

Late in August, with an army of two thousand
men, on a rushing march, Gen. Jackson came to
Mobile. A British fleet came from Pensacola, landed
a force upon the beach, anchored near the little fort,
and from both ship and shore commenced a furious
assault The battle was long and doubtful. At length
one of the ships was blown up and the rest retired.

Garrisoning Mobile, where he had taken his little
army, he moved his troops to New Orleans,
And the battle of New Orleans w hich soon ensued,
was in reality a very arduous campaign. This won
for Gen. Jackson an imperishable name. Here his
troops, which numbered about four thousand men,
won a signal victory over the British army of about
nine thousand. His loss was but thirteen, while the
loss of the British was two thousand six hundred.

The name of Gen. Jackson soon began to be men-
tioned in connection with the Presidency, but, in 1824,
he was defeated by Mr. Adams. He was, however,
successful in the election of 1828, and was re-elected
for a second term in 1832. In 1829, just before he
assumed the reins of the government, he met with
the most terrible affliction of his life in the death of
his wife, whom he had loved with a devotion which has
perhaps never been surpassed. From the shock of
her death he never recovered.

His administration was one of the most memorable
in the annals of our country; applauded by one party,
condemned by the other. No man had more bitter
enemies or warmer friends. At the expiration of his
two terms of office he retired to the Hermitage, where
he died June 8, 1845. The last years of Mr. Jack-
son's life were that of a devoted Christian man.

I rr-r ' -v

UNIVERSITY ik ILLINOIS

' 7/1? 06

EIGHTH PRESIDENT.

ARTIN VAN BUREN, the
eighth President of the
United States, was born at
Kinderhook, N. Y., Dec. 5,
1782. He died at the same
place, July 24, 1862. His
body rests in the cemetery
at Kinderhook. Above it is
a plain granite shaft fifteen feet
high, bearing a simple inscription
about half way up on one face.
The lot is unfenced, unbordered
or unbounded by shrub or flower.

There is but little in the life of Martin Van Buren
of romantic interest. He fought no battles, engaged
in no wild adventures. Though his life was stormy in
political and intellectual conflicts, and he gained many
signal victories, his days passed uneventful in those
incidents which give zest to biography. His an-
cestors, as his name indicates, were of Dutch origin,
and were among the earliest emigrants from Holland
to the banks of the Hudson. His father was a farmer,
residing in the old town of Kinderhook. His mother,
also of Dutch lineage, was a woman of superior intel-
ligence and exemplary piety.

He was decidedly a precocious boy, developing un-
usual activity, vigor and strength of mind. At the
age of fourteen, he had finished his academic studies
in his native village, and commenced the study of
law. As he had not a collegiate education, seven
years of study in a law-office were required of him
before he could be admitted to the bar. Inspired with
a lofty ambition, and conscious of his powers, he pur-
sued his studies with indefatigable industry. After
spending six years in an office in his native village,

he went to the city of New York, and prosecuted his
studies for the seventh year.

In 1803, Mr. Van Buren, then twenty-one years of
age, commenced the practice of law in his native vil-
lage. The great conflict between the Federal and
Republican party was then at its height. Mr. Van
Buren was from the beginning a politician. He had,
perhaps, imbibed that spirit while listening to the
many discussions which had been carried on in his
father's hotel. He was in cordial sympathy with
Jefferson, and earnestly and eloquently espoused the
cause of State Rights ; though at that time the Fed-
eral party held the supremacy both in his town
and State.

His success and increasing ruputation led him,
after six years of practice, to remove to Hudson, the
county seat of his county. Here he spent seven years,
constantly gaining strength by contending in the
courts with some of the ablest men who have adorned
the bar of his State.

Just before leaving Kinderhook for Hudson, Mr.
Van Buren married a lady alike distinguished for
beauty and accomplishments. After twelve short
years she sank into the grave, the victim of consump-
tion, leaving her husband and four sons to weep over
her loss. For twenty-five years, Mr. Van Buren was
an earnest, successful, assiduous lawyer. The record
of those years is barren in items of public interest.
In 1812, when thirty years of age, he was chosen to
the State Senate, and gave his strenuous support to
Mr. Madison's adminstration. In 1815, he was ap-
pointed Attorney-General, and the next year moved
to Albany, the capital of the State.

While he was acknowledged as one of the most
prominent leaders of the Democratic party, he had

MARTIN VAN BUREN.

the moral courage to avow that true democracy did
not require that " universal suffrage" which admits
the vile, the degraded, the ignorant, to the right of
governing the State. In true consistency with his
democratic principles, he contended that, while the
path leading to the privilege of voting should be open
to every man without distinction, no one should be
invested with that sacred prerogative, unless he were
in some degree qualified for it by intelligence, virtue
and some property interests in the welfare of the
State.

In 1821 he was elected a member of the United
States Senate; and in the same year, he took a seat
in the convention to revise the constitution of his
native State. His course in this convention secured
the approval of men of all parties. No one could
doubt the singleness of his endeavors to promote the
interests of all classes in the community. In the
Senate of the United States, he rose at once to a
conspicuous position as an active and useful legislator.

In 1827, John Quincy Adams being then in the
Presidential chair, Mr. Van Buren was re-elected to
the Senate. He had been from the beginning a de-
termined opposer of the Administration, adopting the
"State Rights" view in opposition to what was
deemed the Federal proclivities of Mr. Adams.

Soon after this, in 1828, he was chosen Governorof
the State of New York, and accordingly resigned his
seat in the Senate. Probably no one in the United
States contributed so much towards ejecting John Q.
Adams from the Presidential chair, and placing in it
Andrew Jackson, as did Martin Van Buren. Whether
entitled to the reputation or not, he certainly was re-
garded throughout the United States as 'one of the
most skillful, sagacious and cunning of politicians.
It was supposed that no one knew so well as he how
to touch the secret springs of action; how to pull all
the wires to put his machinery in motion ; and how to
organize a political army which would, secretly and
stealthily accomplish the most gigantic results. By
these powers it is said that he outwitted Mr. Adams,
Mr. Clay, Mr. Webster, and secured results which
few thought then could be accomplished.

When Andrew Jackson was elected President he
appointed Mr. Van Buren Secretary of State. This
position he resigned in 1831, and was immediately
appointed Minister to England, where he went the
same autumn. The Senate, however, when it met,
ratify the nomination, and he returned

home, apparently untroubled ; was nominated Vice
President in the place of Calhoun, at the re-election
of President Jackson ; and with smiles for all and
frowns for none, he took his place at the head of that
Senate which had refused to confirm his nomination
as ambassador.

His rejection by the Senate roused all the zeal of
President Jackson in behalf of his repudiated favor-
ite; and this, probably more than any other cause,
secured his elevation to the chair of the Chief Execu-
tive. On the 2oth of May, 1836, Mr. Van Buren re-
ceived the Democratic nomination to succeed Gen.
Jackson as President of the United States. He was
elected by a handsome majority, to the delight of the
retiring President. " Leaving New York out of the
canvass," says Mr. Parton, "the election of Mr. Van
Buren to the Presidency was as much the act of Gen.
Jackson as though the Constitution had conferred
upon him the power to appoint a successor."

His administration was filled with exciting events.
The insurrection in Canada, which threatened to in
volve this country in war with England, the agitation
of the slavery question, and finally the great commer-
cial panic which spread over the country, all were
trials to his wisdom. The financial distress was at-
tributed to the management of the Democratic party,
and brought the President into such disfavor that he
failed of re-election.

With the exception of being nominated for the
Presidency by the "Free Soil" Democrats, in 1848,
Mr. Van Buren lived quietly upon his estate until
his death.

He had ever been a prudent man, of frugal habits,
and living within his income, had now fortunately a
competence for his declining years. His unblemished
character, his commanding abilities, his unquestioned
patriotism, and the distinguished positions which he
had occupied in the government of our country, se-
cured to him not only the homage of his party, but
the respect ot ihe whole community. It was on the
4th of March, 1841, that Mr. Van Buren retired from
the presidency. From his fine estate at Lindenwald,
he still exerted a powerful influence upon the politics
of the country. From this time until his death, on
the 24th of July, 1862, at the age of eighty years, he
resided at Lindenwald, a gentleman of leisure, of
culture and of wealth; enjoying in a healthy old
' age, probably far more happiness than he had before
experienced amid the stormy scenes of his active life.

;"-.--. -^

-^^ 6veGo>>^-

NINTH PRESIDENT.

J4@^-<^

K fTS33<ViS'

HENRY HARRISON.

ILLIAM HENRY HARRI-
SON, the ninth President of
the United States, was born
at Berkeley, Va., Feb. 9, 1773.
His father, Benjamin Harri-
son, was in comparatively op-
ulent circumstances, and was
one of the most distinguished
men of his day. He was an
intimate friend of George
Washington, was early elected
a member of the Continental
Congress, and was conspicuous
among the patriots of Virginia in
resisting the encroachments of the
British crown. In the celebrated
Congress of 1775, Benjamin Har-
rison and John Hancock were
both candidates for the office of
speaker.

Mr Harrison was subsequently
chosen Governor of Virginia, and
was twice re-elected. His son,
i William Henry, of course enjoyed

in childhood all the advantages which wealth and
intellectual and cultivated society could give. Hav-
ing received a thorough common-school education, he
entered Hampden Sidney College, where he graduated
with honor soon after the death of his father. He
then repaired to Philadelphia to study medicine under
the instructions of Dr. Rush and the guardianship of
Robert Morris, both of whom were, with his father,
signers of the Declaration of Independence.

Upon the outbreak of the Indian troubles, and not-
withstanding the remonstrances of his friends, he
abandoned his medical studies and entered the army,
having obtained a commission of Ensign from Presi-

dent Washington. He was then but 19 years old.
From that time he passed gradually upward in rank
until he became aid to General Wayne, after whose
death he resigned his commission. He was then ap-
pointed Secretary of the North-western Territory. This
Territory was then entitled to but one member in
Congress and Capt. Harrison was chosen to fill that
position.

In the sgring of 1800 the North-western Territory
was divided by Congress into two portions. The
eastern portion, comprising the region now embraced
in the State of Ohio, was called " The Territory
north-west of the Ohio." The western portion, which
included what is now called Indiana, Illinois and
Wisconsin, was called the "Indiana Territory." Wil-
liam Henry Harrison; then 27 years of age, was ap-
pointed by John Adams, Governor of the Indiana
Territory, and immediately after, also Governor of
Upper Louisiana. He was thus ruler over almost as
extensive a realm as any sovereign upon the globe. He
was Superintendent of Indian Affairs, and was in-
vested with powers nearly dictatorial over the now
rapidly increasing white population. The ability and
fidelity with which he discharged these responsible
duties may be inferred from the fact that he was four
times appointed to this office first by John Adams,
twice by Thomas Jefferson and afterwards by Presi-
dent Madison.

When he began his adminstration there were but
three white settlements in that almost boundless region,
now crowded with cities and resounding with all the
tumult of wealth and traffic. One of these settlements
was on the Ohio, nearly opposite Louisville; one at
Vincennes, on the Wabash, and the third a French
settlement.

The vast wilderness over which Gov. Harrison
reigned was filled with many tribes of Indians. About

r -.
''

<jnns

S 2

WILLIAM HENRY HARRISON.

' the year 1806, two extraordinary men, twin brothers,
of the Shawnese tribe, rose among them. One of
these was called Tecumseh, or " The Crouching
Panther;" the other, Olliwacheca, or " The Prophet."
Tecumseh was not only an Indian warrior, but a man
of great sagacity, far-reaching foresight and indomit-
able perseverance in any enterprise in which he might
engage. He was inspired with the highest enthusiasm,
and had long regarded with dread and with hatred
the encroachment of the whites upon the hunting-
grounds of his fathers. His brother, the Prophet, was
an orator, who could sway the feelings of the untutored
Indian as the gale tossed the tree-tops beneath which
they dwelt.

But the Prophet was not merely an orator : he was,
in the superstitious minds of the Indians, invested
with the superhuman dignity of a medicine-man or a
magician. With an enthusiasm unsurpassed by Peter
the Hermit rousing Europe to the crusades, he went
from tribe to tribe, assuming that he was specially sent
by the Great Spirit.

Gov. Harrison made many attempts to conciliate
the Indians, but at last the war came, and at Tippe-
) canoe the Indians were routed with great slaughter.
October 28, 1812, his army began its march. When
near the Prophet's town three Indians of rank made

their appearance and inquired why Gov. Harrison was
approaching them in so hostile an attitude. After a
short conference, arrangements were made for a meet-
ing the next day, to agree upon terms of peace.

But Gov. Harrison was too well acquainted with
the Indian character to be deceived by such protes-
tations. Selecting a favorable spot for his night's en-
campment, he took every precaution against surprise.
His troops were posted in a hollow square, and slept
upon their arms.

The troops threw themselves upon the ground for
rest; but every man had his accourtrements on, his
loaded musket by his side, and his bayonet fixed. The
wakeful Governor, between three and four o'clock in
the morning, had risen, and was sitting in conversa-
tion with his aids by the embers of a waning fire. It
was a chill, cloudy morning with a drizzling rain. In
the darkness, the Indians had crept as near as possi-
ble, and just then, with a savage yell, rushed, with all
the desperation which superstition and passion most
highly inflamed could give, upon the left flank of the
little army. The savages had been amply provided
with guns and ammunition by the English. Their
war-whoop was accompanied by a shower of bullets.

The camp-fires were instantly extinguished, as the
light aided the Indians in their aim. With hide-
ous yells, the Indian bands rushed on, not doubting a
speedy and an entire victory. But Gen. Harrison's
troops stood as immovable as the rocks around them
until day dawned : they then made a simultaneous
charge with the bayonet, and swept every thing be-
f them, and completely routing the foe.

Gov. Harrison now had all his energies tasked
to the utmost. The British descending from the Can -
adas, were of themselves a very formidable force ; but
with their savage allies, rushing like wolves from the
forest, searching out every remote farm-house, burn-
ing, plundering, scalping, torturing, the wide frontier
was plunged into a state of consternation which even
the most vivid imagination can but faintly conceive.
The war-whoop was resounding everywhere in the
forest. The horizon was illuminated with the conflagra-
tion of the cabins of the settlers. Gen Hull had made
the ignominious surrender of his forces at Detroit.
Under these despairing circumstances, Gov. Harrison
was appointed by President Madison commander-in-
chief of the North-western army, with orders to retake
Detroit, and to protect the frontiers.

It would be difficult to place a man in a situation
demanding more energy, sagacity and courage; but
General Harrison was found equal to the position,
and nobly and triumphantly did he meet all the re-
sponsibilities.

He won the love of his soldiers by always sharing
with them their fatigue. His whole baggage, while
pursuing the foe up the Thames, was carried in a
valise; and his bedding consisted of a single blanket
lashed over his saddle. Thirty-five British officers,
his prisoners of war, supped with him after the battle.
The only fare he could give them was beef roasted
before the fire, without bread or salt.

In 1816, Gen. Harrison was chosen a member of
the National House of Representatives, to represent
the District of Ohio. In Congress he proved an
active member; and whenever he spoke, it was with
force of reason and power of eloquence, which arrested
the attention of all the members.

In 1819, Harrison was elected to the Senate of
Ohio; and in 1824, as one of the presidential electors
of that State, he gave his vote for Henry Clay. The
same year he was chosen to the United States Senate.

In 1836, the friends of Gen. Harrison brought him
forward as a candidate for the Presidency against
Van Buren, but he was defeated. At the close of
Mr. Van Buren's term, he was re-nominated by his
party, and Mr. Harrison was unanimously nominated
by the Whigs, with John Tyler for the Vice Presidency.
The contest was very animated. Gen. Jackson gave
all his influence to prevent Harrison's election ; but
his triumph was signal.

The cabinet which he formed, with Daniel Webster
at its head as Secretary of State,, was one of the most
brilliant with which any President had ever been
surrounded. Never were the prospects of an admin-
istration more flattering, or the hopes of the country
more sanguine. In the midst of these bright and
joyous prospects, Gen. Harrison was seized by a
pleurisy-fever and after a few days of violent sick-
ness, died on the 4th of April ; just one month after
his inauguration as President of the United States.

X -

^T/VSJC;

f .- .,

UNIVERSITY w

, uinuw

TENTH PRESIDENT.

OHN TYLER, the tenth
Presidentof the United States.
He was born in Charles-city
Co., Va., March 29, 1790. He
was the favored child of af-
fluence and high social po-
sition. At the early age of
twelve, John entered William
and Mary College and grad-
uated with much honor when
but seventeen years old. After
graduating, he devoted him-
self with great assiduity to the
study of law, partly with his
father and partly with Edmund
Randolph, one of the most distin-
guished lawyers of Virginia.

At nineteen years of age, lie
commenced the practice of law.
His success was rapid and aston-
ishing. It is said that three
months had not elapsed ere there
was scarcely a case on the dock-
et of the court in which he was
not retained. When but twenty-one years of age, he
was almost unanimously elected to a seat in the State
Legislature. He connected himself with the Demo-
cratic party, and warmly advocated the measures of
Jefferson and Madison. For five successive years he
was elected to the Legislature, receiving nearly the
unanimous vote or his county.

When but twenty-six years of age, he was elected
a member of Congress. Here he acted earnestly and
ably with the Democratic party, opposing a national
bank, internal improvements by the General Govern-

ment, a protective tariff, and advocating a strict con-
struction of the Constitution, and the most careful
vigilance over State rights. His labors in Congress
were so arduous that before the close of his second
term he found it necessary to resign and retire to his
estate in Charles-city Co., to recruit his health. He,
however, soon after consented to take his seat in the
State Legislature, where his influence was powerful
in promoting public works of great utility. With a
reputation thus canstantly increasing, he was chosen
by a very large majority of votes, Governor of his
native State. His administration was signally a suc-
cessful one. His popularity secured his re-election.

John Randolph, a brilliant, erratic, half-crazed
man, then represented Virginia in the Senate of the
United States. A portion of the Democratic party
was displeased with Mr. Randolph's wayward course,
and brought forward John Tyler as his opponent,
considering him the only man in Virginia of sufficient
popularity to succeed against the renowned orator of
Roanoke. Mr. Tyler was the victor.

In accordance with his professions, upon taking his
seat in the Senate, he joined the ranks of the opposi-
tion. He opposed the tariff; he spoke against and
voted against the bank as unconstitutional ; he stren-
uously opposed all restrictions upon slavery, resist-
ing all projects of internal improvements by the Gen-
eral Government, and avowed his sympathy with Mr.
Calhoun's view of nullification ; he declared that Gen.
Jackson, by his opposition to the nullifiers, had
abandoned the principles of the Democratic party.
Such was Mr. Tyler's record in Congress, a record
in perfect accordance with the principles which he
had always avowed.

Returning to Virginia, he resumed the practice of
his profession. There was a split in the Democratic

^OU

JOHN

&PD>T

TYLER.

"?&.

party. His friends still regarded him as a true Jef-
fersonian, gave him a dinner, and showered compli-
ments upon him. He had now attained the age of
forty-six. His career had been very brilliant. In con-
sequence of his devotion to public business, his pri-
vate affairs had fallen into some disorder ; and it was
not without satisfaction that he resumed the practice
of law, and devoted himself to the culture of his plan-
tation. Soon after this he remov ed to Williamsburg,
for the better education of his children ; and he again
took his seat in the Legislature of Virginia.

By the Southern Whigs, he was sent to the national
convention at Harrisburg to nominate a President in
1839. The majority of votes were given to Gen. Har-
rison, a genuine Whig, much to the disappointment of
the South, who wished for Henry Clay. To concili-
ate the Southern Whigs and to secure their vote, the
convention then nominated John Tyler for Vice Pres-
ident. It was well known that he was not in sympa-
thy with the Whig party in the Noith : but the Vice
President has but very little power in the Govern-
ment, his main and almost only duty being to pre-
side over the meetings of the Senate. Thus it hap-
pened that a Whig President, and, in reality, a
Democratic Vice President were chosen.

In 1841, Mr. Tyler was inaugurated Vice Presi-
dent of the United States. In one short month from
that time, President Harrison died, and Mr. Tyler
thus found himself, to his own surprise and 'that of
the whole Nation, an occupant of the Presidential
chair. This was a new test of the stability of our
institutions, as it was the first time in the history of our
country that such an event had occured. Mr. Tyler
was at home in Williamsburg when he received the
unexpected tidings of the death of President Harri-
son. He hastened to Washington, and on the 6th of
April was inaugurated to the high and responsible
office. He was placed in a position of exceeding
delicacy and difficulty. All his long life he had been
opposed to the main principles of the party which had
brought him into power. He had ever been a con-
sistent, honest man, with an unblemished record.
Gen. Harrison had selected a Whig cabinet. Should
he retain them, and thus surround himself with coun-
sellors whose views were antagonistic to his own? or,
on the other hand, should he turn against the party
which had elected him and select a cabinet in har-
mony with himself, and which would oppose all those
views which the Whigs deemed essential to the pub-
lic welfare? This was his fearful dilemma. He in-
vited the cabinet which President Harrison had
selected to retain their seats. He reccomm ended a
day of fasting and prayer, that God would guide and
bless us.

The Whigs carried through Congress a bill for the
incorporation of a fiscal bank of the United States.
The President, after ten days' delay, returned it with
his veto. He suggested, however, that he would

^^^ &*m

E=X

approve of a bill drawn up upon such a plan as he
proposed. Such a bill was accordingly prepared, and
privately submitted to him. He gave it his approval.
It was passed without alteration, and he sent it back
with his veto. Here commenced the open rupture.
It is said that Mr. Tyler was provoked to this meas-
ure by a published letter from the Hon. John M.
Botts, a distinguished Virginia Whig, who severely
touched the pride of the President.

The opposition now exultingly received the Presi-
dent into their arms. The party which elected him
denounced him bitterly. All the members of his
cabinet, excepting Mr. Webster, resigned. The Whigs
of Congress, both the Senate and the House, held a
meeting and issued an address to the people of the
United States, proclaiming that all political alliance
between the Whigs and President Tyler were at
an end.

Still the President attempted to conciliate. He
appointed a new cabinet of distinguished Whigs and
Conservatives, carefully leaving out all strong party
men. Mr. Webster soon found it necessary to resign,
forced out by the pressure of his Whig friends. Thus
the four years of Mr. Tyler's unfortunate administra-
tion passed sadly away. No one was satisfied. The
land was filled with murmurs and vituperation. Whigs
and Democrats alike assailed him. More and more,
however, he brought himself into sympathy with his
old friends, the Democrats, until at the close of his term,
he gave his whole influence to the support of Mr.
Polk, the Democratic candidate for his successor.

On the 4th of March, 1845, he retired from the
harassments of office, to the regret of neither party, and
probably to his own unspeakable relief. His first wife,
Miss Letitia Christian, died in Washington, in 1842;
and in June, 1844, President Tyler was again married,
at New York, to Miss Julia Gardiner, a young lady of
many personal and intellectual accomplishments.'

The remainder of his days Mr. Tyler passed mainly
in retirement at his beautiful home, Sherwood For-
est, Charles-city Co., Va. A polished gentleman in
his manners, richly furnished with information from
books and experience in the world, and possessing
brilliant powers of conversation, his family circle was
the scene of unusual attractions. With sufficient
means for the exercise of a generous hospitality, he
might have enjoyed a serene old age with the few
friends who gathered around him, were it not for the
storms of civil war which his own principles and
policy had helped to introduce.

When the great Rebellion rose, which the State-
rights and nullifying doctrines of Mr. John C. Cal-
houn had inaugurated, President Tyler renounced his
allegiance to the United States, and joined the Confed-
erates. He was chosen a member of their Congress;
and while engaged in active measures to destroy, by
force of arms, the Government over which he had
once presided, he was taken sick and soon died.

ur
UNIVERSITY OF

<2/tx^-**-fi

ELEVENTH PRESIDENT.

AMES IK- PDIK"

AMES K. POLK, the eleventh
President of the United States,
was bom in Mecklenburg Co.,
N. C., Nov. 2, 1795. His par-

ents were ^ amue ' an d J ane
(Knox) Polk, the former a son

of Col. Thomas Polk, who located
at the above place, as one of the
first pioneers, in 1735.

In the year 1006, with his wife
and children, and soon after fol-
lowed by most of the members of
the Polk farnly, Samuel Polk emi-
grated some two or three hundred
miles farther west, to the rich valley
of the Duck River. Here in the
midst of the wilderness, in a region
which was subsequently called Mau-
ry Co., they reared their log huts,
and established their homes. In the
hard toil of a new farm in the wil-
derness, James^ K. Polk spent the
early years of his childhood and
youth. His father, adding the pur-
suit of a surveyor to that of a farmer,
gradually increased in wealth until
he became one of the leading men of the region. His
mother was a superior woman, of strong common
sense and earnest piety.

Very early in life, James developed a taste for
reading and expressed the strongest desire to obtain
a liberal education. His mother's training had made
him methodical in his habits, had taught him punct-
uality and industry, and had inspired him with lofty
principles of morality. His health was frail ; and his
father, fearing that he might not be able to endure a

sedentary life, got a situation for him behind the
counter, hoping to fit him for commercial pursuits.

This was to James a bitter disappointment. He
had no taste for these duties, and his daily tasks
were irksome in the extreme. He remained in this
uncongenial occupation but a few weeks, when at his
earnest solicitation his father removed him, and made
arrangements for him to prosecute his studies. Soon
after he sent him to Murfreesboro Academy. With
ardor which could scarcely be surpassed, he pressed
forward in his studies, and in less than two and a half
years, in the autumn of 1815, entered the sophomore
class in the University of North Carolina, at Chapel
Hill. Here he was one of the most exemplary of
scholars, punctual in every exercise, never allowing
himself to be absent from a recitation or a religious
service.

He graduated in 1818, with the highest honors, be-
ing deemed the best scholar of his class, both in
mathematics and the classics. He was then twenty-
three years of age. Mr. Folk's health was at this
time much impaired by the assiduity with which he
had prosecuted his studies. After a short season of
relaxation he went to Nashville, and entered the
office of Felix Grundy, to study law. Here Mr. Polk
renewed his acquaintance with Andrew Jackson, who
resided on his plantation, the Hermitage, but a few
miles from Nashville. They had probably been
slightly acquainted before.

Mr. Folk's father was a Jeffersonian Republican,
and James K. Polk ever adhered to the same politi-
cal faith. He was a popular public speaker, and was
constantly called upon to address the meetings of his
party friends. His skill as a speaker was such that
he was popularly called the Napoleon of the stump.
He was a man of unblemished morals, genial and

86&l@>^(5)

^yrejc'XV^i

r 1

JAMBS K. POLK.

xmrteous in his bearing, and with that sympathetic
nature in the jo>s and griefs of others which ever gave
him troops of friends. In 1823, Mr. Polk was elected
to the Legislature of Tennessee. Here he gave his
strong influence towards the election of his friend,
Mr. Jackson, to the Presidency of the United States.

In January, 1824, Mr. Polk married Miss Sarah
Childress, of Rutherford Co., Tenn. His bride was
altogether worthy of him, a lady of beauty and cul-
ture. In the fall of 1825, Mr. Polk was chosen a
member of Congress. The satisfaction which he gave
to his constituents may be inferred from the fact, that
for fourteen successive years, until 1839, he was con-
tinued in that office. He then voluntarily withdrew,
only that lie might accept the Gubernatorial chair
of Tennessee. In Congress he was a laborious
member, a frequent and a popular speaker. He was
always in his seat, always courteous ; and whenever
he spoke it was always to the point, and without any
ambitious rhetorical display.

During five sessions of Congress, Mr. Polk was
Speaker of the House Strong passions were roused,
and stormy scenes were witnessed ; but Mr Polk per-
formed his arduous duties to a very general satisfac-
tion, and a unanimous vote of thanks to him was
passed by the House as he withdrew on the 4th of
March, 1839.

In accordance with Southern usage, Mr. Polk, as a
candidate for Governor, canvassed the State. He was
elected by a large majority, and on the 141)1 of Octo-
ber, 1839, took the oath of office at Nashville. In 1841,
his term of office expired, and he was again the can-
didate of the Democratic party, but was defeated.

On the 4th of March, 1845, Mr. Polk was inaugur-
ated President of the United States. The verdict of
the country in favor of the annexation of Texas, exerted
its influence upon Congress ; and the last act of the
administration of President Tyler was to affix his sig-
nature to a joint resolution of Congress, passed on the
3d of March, approving of the annexation of Texas to
the American Union. As Mexico still claimed Texas
as one of her provinces, the Mexican minister,
Almonte, immediately demanded his passports and
left the country, declaring the act of the annexation
to be an act hostile to Mexico.

In his first message, President Polk urged that
Texas should immediately, by act of Congress, be re-
ceived into the Union on the same footing with the
other States. In the meantime, Gen. Taylor was sent

K-'-x-^-

with an army into Texas to hold the country. He was
sent first to Nueces, which the Mexicans said was the
western boundary of Texas. Then he was sent nearly
two hundred miles further west, to the Rio Grande,
where he erected batteries which commanded the
Mexican city of Matamoras, which was situated on
the western banks.

The anticipated collision soon took place, and war
was declared against Mexico by President Polk. The
war was pushed forward by Mr. Polk's administration
with great vigor. Gen. Taylor, whose army was first
called one of " observation," then of " occupation,"
then of " invasion, "was sent forward to Monterey. The
feeble Mexicans, in every encounter, were hopelessly
and awfully slaughtered. The day of judgement
alone can reveal the misery which this war caused.
It was by the ingenuity of Mr. Polk's administration
that the war was brought on.

'To the victors belong the spoils." Mexico was
prostrate before us. Her capital was in our hands.
We now consented to peace upon the condition that
Mexico should surrender to us, in addition to Texas,
all of New Mexico, and all of Upper and Lower Cal-
ifornia. This new demand embraced, exclusive of
Texas, eight hundred thousand square miles. This
was an extent of territory equal to nine States of the
size of New York. Thus slavery was securing eighteen
majestic States to be added to the Union. There were
some Americans who thought it all right : there were
others who thought it all wrong. In the prosecution
of this war, we expended twenty thousand lives and
more than a hundred million of dollars. Of this
money fifteen millions were paid to Mexico.

On the 3d of March, 1849, Mr. Polk retired from
office, having served one term. The next day was
Sunday. On the 5th, Gen'. Taylor was inaugurated
as his successor. Mr Polk rode to the Capitol in the
same carriage with Gen. Taylor; and the same even-
ing, with Mrs. Polk, he commenced his return to
Tennessee. He was then but fifty-four years of age.
He had ever been strictly temperate in all his habits,
and his health was good. With an ample fortune,
a choice library, a cultivated mind, and domestic ties
of the dearest nature, it seemed as though long years
of tranquility and happiness were before him. But the
cholera -that fearful scourge was then sweeping up
the Valley of the Mississippi. This he contracted,
and died on the isth of June, 1849,111 the fifty-fourth
year of his age, greatly mourned by his countrymen.

U --r "
-I .

UHiVERsirv or-

TWELFTH PRESIDENT.

,~r^ ^T^,
few ~>. '- -5X

ACHARY TAYLOR, twelfth
President of the United States,
was born on the 241)1 of Nov.,
1784, in Orange Co., Va. His
father, Colonel Taylor, was
a Virginian of note, and a dis-
tinguished patriot and soldier of
the Revolution. When Zachary
was an infant, his father with his
wife and two children, emigrated
to Kentucky, where he settled in
the pathless wilderness, a few
miles from Louisville. In this front-
ier home, away from civilization and
all its refinements, young Zachary
y could enjoy but few social and educational advan-
tages. When six years of age he attended a common
) school, and was then regarded as a bright, active boy,
rather remarkable for bluntness and decision of char-
acter He was strong, fearless and self-reliant, and
manifested a strong desire to enter the army to fight
the Indians who were ravaging the frontiers. There
is little to be recorded of the uneventful years of his
childhood on his father's large but lonely plantation.
In 1808, his father succeeded in obtaining for him
the commission of lieutenant in the United States
army ; and he joined the troops which were stationed
at New Orleans under Gen. Wilkinson. Soon after
this he married Miss Margaret Smith, a young lady
from one of the first families of Maryland.

Immediately after the declaration of war with Eng-
v land, in 1812, Capt. Taylor (for he had then been
promoted to that rank) was put in command of Fort
Harrison, on the Wabash, about fifty miles above
Vincennes. This fort had been built in the wilder-
ness by Gen. Harrison, on his march to Tippecanoe.
It was one of the first points of attack by the Indians,
led by Tecumseh. Its garrison consisted of a broken

company of infantry numbering fifty men, many of
whom were sick.

Early in the autumn of 1812, the Indians, stealthily,
and in large numbers, moved upon the fort. Their
approach was first indicated by the murder of two
soldiers just outside of the stockade. Capt. Taylor
made every possible preparation to meet the antici-
pated assault. On the 4th of September, a band of
forty painted and plumed savages came to the fort,
waving a white flag, and informed Capt. Taylor that
in the morning their chief would come to have a talk
with him. It was evident that their object was merely
to ascertain the state of things at the fort, and Capt.
Taylor, well versed in the wiles of the savages, kept
them at a distance.

The sun went down ; the savages disappeared , the
garrison slept upon their arms. One hour before
midnight the war whoop burst from a thousand lips
in the forest around, followed by the discharge of
musketry, and the rush of the foe. Every man, sick
and well, sprang to his post. Every man knew that
defeat was not merely death, but in the case of cap-
ture, death by the most agonizing and prolonged tor-
ture. No pen can describe, no. immagination can
conceive the scenes which ensued. The savages suc-
ceeded in setting fire to one of the block-houses-
Until six o'clock in the morning, this awful conflict
continued. The savages then, baffled at every point,
and gnashing their teeth with rage, retired. Capt.
Taylor, for this gallant defence, was promoted to the
rank of major by brevet.

Until the close of the war, Major Taylor was placed
in such situations that he saw but little more of active
service. He was sent far away into the depths of the
wilderness, to Fort Crawford, on Fox River, which
empties into Green Bay. Here there was but little
to be done but to wear away the tedious hours as one
best could. There were no books, no society, no in-

6 4

s_^ V .V- H H <L H H y V

ZACHARY TAYLOR.

tellectual stimulus. Thus with him the uneventful
years rolled on Gradually he rose to the rank of
colonel. In the Black-Hawk war, which resulted in
the capture of that renowned chieftain, Col Taylor
took a subordinate but a brave and efficient part.

For twenty-four years Col. Taylor was engaged in
the defence of the frontiers, in scenes so remote, and in
employments so obscure, that his name was unknown
beyond the limits of his own immediate acquaintance.
In the year 1836, he was sent to Florida to compel
the Seminole Indians to vacate that region and re-
tire beyond the Mississippi, as their chiefs by treaty,
had promised they should do. The services rendered
here secured for Col. Taylor the high appreciation of
the Government; and as a reward, he was elevated
to the rank of brigadier-general by brevet ; and soon
after, in May, 1838, was appointed to the chief com-
mand of the United States troops in Florida.

After two years of such wearisome employment
amidst the everglades of the peninsula, Gen. Taylor
obtained, at his own request, a change of command,
and was stationed over the Department of the South-
west. This field embraced Louisiana, Mississippi,
Alabama and Georgia. Establishing his headquarters
at Fort Jessup, in Louisiana, he removed his family
to a plantation which he purchased, near Baton Rogue.
Here he remained for five years, buried, as it were,
from the world, but faithfully discharging every duty
imposed upon him.

In 1846, Gen. Taylor was sent to guard the land
between the Nueces and Rio Grande, the latter river
being the boundary of Texas, which was then claimed
by the United States. Soon the war with Mexico
was brought on, and at Palo Alto and Resaca de la
Palma, Gen. Taylor won brilliant victories over the
Mexicans. The rank of major-general by brevet
was then conferred upon Gen. Taylor, and his name
was received with enthusiasm almost everywhere in
the Nation. Then came the battles of Monterey and
Buena Vista in which he won signal victories over
forces much larger than he commanded.

His careless habits of dress and his unaffected
simplicity, secured for Gen. Taylor among his troops,
the sobriquet of "Old Rough and Ready."

The tidings of the brilliant victory of Buena Vista
spread the wildest enthusiasm over the country. The
name of Gen. Taylor was on every one's lips. The
Whig party decided to take advantage of this wonder-
ful popularity in bringing forward the unpolished, un-
lettered, honest soldier as their candidate for the
Presidency. Gen. Taylor was astonished at the an-
nouncement, and for a time would not listen to it; de-
claring that he was not at all qualified for such an
office. So little interest had he taken in politics that,
for forty years, he had not cast a vote. It was not
without chagrin that several distinguished statesmen
who had been long years in the public service found
their claims set aside in behalf of one whose name

Gen. Scott, who was thoroughly acquainted with
Gen. Taylor, gave the following graphic and truthful
description of his character: " With a good store of
common sense, Gen. Taylor's mind had not been en-
larged and refreshed by reading, or much converse
with the world. Rigidity of ideas was the conse-
quence. The frontiers and small military posts had
been his home. Hence he was quite ignorant for his
rank, and quite bigoted in his ignorance. His sim-
plicity was child-like, and with innumerable preju-
dices, amusing and incorrigible, well suited to the
tender age. Thus, if a man, however respectable,
chanced to wear a coat of an unusual color, or his hat
a little on one side of his head; or an officer to leave
a corner of his handkerchief dangling from an out-
side pocket, in any such case, this critic held the
offender to be a coxcomb (perhaps something worse),
whom he would not, to use his oft repeated phrase,
' touch with a pair of tongs.'

"Any allusion to literature beyond good old Dil-
worth's spelling-book, on the part of one wearing a
sword, was evidence, with the same judge, of utter
unfitness for heavy marchings and combats. In short,
few men have ever had a more comfortable, labor-
saving contempt for learning of every kind."

had never been heard of, s-ave in connection with Palo ^
Alto, Resaca de la Palma, Monterey and Buena /$
Vista. It Is said that Daniel Webster, in his haste re- 2 *_
marked, " It is a nomination not fit to be made."

Gen. Taylor was not an eloquent speaker nor a fine
writer His friends took possession of him, and pre-
pared such few communications as it was needful
should be presented to the public. The popularity of
the successful warrior swept the land. He was tri-
umphantly elected over two opposing candidates,
Gen. Cass and Ex-President Martin Van Buren.
Though he selected an excellent cabinet, the good
old man found himself in a very uncongenial position,
and was, at times, sorely perplexed and harassed.
His mental sufferings were very severe, and probably
tended to hasten his death. The pro-slavery party
was pushing its claims with tireless energy , expedi-
tions were fitting out to capture Cuba ; California was
pleading for admission to the Union, while slavery
stood at the door to bar her out. Gen. Taylor found
the political conflicts in Washington to be far more
trying to the nerves than battles with Mexicans or
Indians.

In the midst of all these troubles, Gen. Taylor,
after he had occupied the Presidential chair but little
over a year, took cold, and after a brief sickness of
but little over five days, died on the gth of July, 1850.
His last words were, " I am not afraid to die. I am
ready. I have endeavored to do my duty." He died
universally respected and beloved. An honest, un-
pretending man, he had been steadily growing in the
affections of the people ; and the Nation bitterly la-
mented his death.

LIBI
UNIVthi>!!> -< ,L

'i ><>

THIRTEENTH PRESIDENT.

FILLMDRE.^

NIMHN**5IIM^

ILLARD FILLMORE, thir-
teenth President of the United
States, was born at Summer
Hill, Cayuga Co., N. Y ., on
the yth of January, 1800. His
father was a farmer, and ow-
ing to misfortune, in humble cir-
cumstances. Of his mother, the
daughter of Dr. AbiatharMillard,
of Pittsfield, Mass., it has been
said that she possessed an intellect
of very high order, united with much
personal loveliness, sweetness of dis-
position, graceful manners and ex-
quisite sensibilities. She died in
1831 ; having lived to see her son a
young man of distinguished prom-
ise, though she was not permitted to witness the high
dignity which he finally attained.

In consequence of the secluded home and limited
means of his father, Millard enjoyed but slender ad-
vantages for education in his early years. The com-
mon schools, which he occasionally attended were
very imperfect institutions; and books were scarce
and expensive. There was nothing then in his char-
acter to indicate the brilliant career upon which he
was about to enter. He was a plain farmer's boy ;
intelligent, good-looking, kind-hearted. The sacred
influences of home had taught him to revere the Bible,
and had laid the foundations of an upright character.
When fourteen years of age, his father sent him
some hundred miles from home, to the then wilds of
Livingston County, to learn the trade of a clothier.
Near the mill there was a small villiage, where some

enterprising man had commenced the collection of a
village library. This proved an inestimable blessing
to young Fillmore. His evenings were spent in read-
ing. Soon every leisure moment was occupied with
books. His thirst for knowledge became insatiate;
and the selections which he made were continually
more elevating and instructive. He read history,
biography, oratory, and thus gradually there was en-
kindled in his heart a desire to be something more
than a mere worker with his hands; and he was be-
coming, almost unknown to himself, a well-informed,
educated man.

The young clothier had now attained the age of
nineteen years, and was of fine personal appearance
and of gentlemanly demeanor. It so happened that
there was a gentleman in the neighborhood of ample
pecuniary means and of benevolence, Judge Walter
Wood, who was struck with the prepossessing ap-
pearance of young Fillmore. He made his acquaint-
ance, and was so much impressed with his ability and
attainments that he advised him to abandon his
trade and devote himself to the study of the law. The
young man replied, that he had no means of his own,
r.o friends to help him and that his previous educa-
tion had been very imperfect. But Judge Wood had
so much confidence in him that he kindly offered to
take him into his own office, and to loan him such
money as he needed. Most gratefully the generous
offer was accepted.

There is in many minds a strange delusion about
a collegiate education. A young man is supposed to
be liberally educated if he has graduated at some col-
lege. But many a boy loiters through university halls
and then enters a law office, who is by no means as

*. *.

well prepared to prosecute his legal studies as was
Millard Fillmore when he graduated at the clothing-
mill at the end of four years of manual labor, during
which every leisure moment had been devoted to in-
tense mental culture.

In 1823, when twenty-three years of age, he was
admitted to the Court of Common Pleas. He then
went to the village of Aurora, and commenced the
practice of law. In this secluded, peaceful region,
his practice of course was limited, and there was no
opportunity for a sudden rise in fortune or in fame.
Here, in the year 1826, he married a lady of great
moral worth, and one capable of adorning any station
she might be called to fill, Miss Abigail Powers.

His elevation of character, his untiring industry,
his legal acquirements, and his skill as an advocate,
gradually attracted attention ; and he was invited to
enter into partnership under highly advantageous
circumstances, with an elder member of the bar in
Buffalo. Just before removing to Buffalo, in 1829,
he took his seat in the House of Assembly, of the
State of New York, as a representative from Erie
County. Though he had never taken a very active
part in politics, his vote and his sympathies were with
the Whig party. The State was then Democratic,
and he found himself in a helpless minority in the
Legislature , still the testimony comes from all parties,
that his courtesy, ability and integrity, won, to a very
unusual degn e the respect of his associates.

In the autumn of 1832, he was elected to a seat in
the United States Congress He entered that troubled
arena in some of the most tumultuous hours of our
national history. The great conflict respecting the
national bank and the removal of the deposits, was
then raging.

His term of two years closed ; and he returned to
his profession, which he pursued with increasing rep-
utation and success. After a lapse of two years
he again became a candidate for Congress ; was re-
elected, and took his seat in 1837. His past expe-
rience as a representative gave him strength and
confidence. The first term of service in Congress to
any man can be but little more than an introduction.
He was now prepared for active duty. All his ener-
gies were brought to bear upon the public good. Every
measure received his impress.

Mr. Fillmore was now a man of wide repute, and
his popularity filled the State, and in the year 1847,
he was elected Comptroller of the State.

Mr. Fillmore had attained the age of forty-seven
years. His labors at the bar, in the Legislature, in
Congress and as Comptroller, had given him very con-
siderable fame. The Whigs were casting about to
find suitable candidates for President and Vice-Presi-
dent at the approaching election. Far away, on the
waters of the Rio Grande, there was a rough old
soldier, who had fought one or two successful battles
with the Mexicans, which had caused his name to be
proclaimed in trumpet-tones all over the land. But
it was necessary to associate with him on the same
ticket some man of reputation as a statesman.

Under the influence of these considerations, the
namesof Zachary Taylor.and Millard Fillmore became
the rallying-cry of the Whigs, as their candidates for
President and Vice-Peesident. The Whig ticket was
signally triumphant. On the 4th of March, 1849,
Gen. Taylor was inaugurated President, and Millard
Fillmore Vice-President, of the United States.

On the gth of July, 1850, President Taylor, but
about one year and four months after his inaugura-
tion, was suddenly taken sick and died. By the Con-
stitution, Vice-President Fillmore thus became Presi-
dent. He appointed a very able cabinet, of which
the illustrious Daniel Webster was Secretary of State.

Mr. Fillniore had very serious difficulties to contend
with, since the opposition had a majority in both
Houses. He did everything in his power to conciliate
the South ; but the pro-slavery party in the South felt
the inadequacy of all measuresof transient conciliation.
The population of the free States was so rapidly in-
creasing over that of the slave States that it was in-
evitable that the power of the Government should
soon pass into the hands of the free States. The
famous com promise measures were adopted under Mr.
Fillmcre's adminstration, and the Japan Expedition
was sent out. On the 4th of March, 1853, Mr. Fill-
more, having served one term, retired.

In 1856, Mr. Fillmore was nominated for the Pres-
idency by the ' Know Nothing " party, but was beaten
by Mr. Buchanan. After that Mr. Fillmore lived in
retirement. During the terrible conflict of civil war,
he was mostly silent. It was generally supposed that
his sympathies were rather with those who were en-
deavoring to overthrow our institutions. President
Fillmore kept aloof from the conflict, without any
cordial words of cheer to the one party or the other.
He was thus forgotten by both. He lived to a ripe
old age, and died in Buffalo. N. Y., March 8, 1874.

UNIVERSITY ft ii.Liw.iiii
l/Kr

&X&&g/G\\ J'i^l
f*^ YVtSfctf .1

FOURTEENTH PRESIDENT.

RANKLIN PIERCE, the
fourteenth President of the
United States, was born in
Hillsborough, N. H., Nov.
23, 1864. His father was a
Revolutionary soldier, who,
with his own strong arm,
hewed out a home in the
wilderness. He was a man
of inflexible integrity; of
strong, though uncultivated
mind, and an uncompromis-
ing Democrat. The mother of
Franklin Pierce was all that a son
could desire, an intelligent, pru-
dent, affectionate, Christian wom-
an. Franklin was the sixth of eight children.

Franklin was a very bright and handsome boy, gen-
erous, warm-hearted and brave. He won alike the
love of old and young. The boys on the play ground
loved him. His teachers loved him. The neighbors
looked upon him with pride and affection. He was
by instinct a gentleman; always speaking kind words,
doing kind deeds, with a peculiar unstudied tact
which taught him what was agreeable. Without de-
veloping any precocity of genius, or any unnatural
devotion to books, he was a good scholar; in body,
in mind, in affections, a finely-developed boy.

When sixteen years of age, in the year 1820, he
entered Bowdoin College, at Brunswick, Me He was
one of the most popular young men in the college.
The purity of his moral character, the unvarying
courtesy of his demeanor, his rank as a scholar, and

^^^ ^A^O n

genial nature, rendered him a universal favorite.
There was something very peculiarly winning in his
address, and it was evidently not in the slightest de-
gree studied : it was the simple outgushing of his
own magnanimous and loving nature.

Upon graduating, in the year 1824, Franklin Pierce
commenced the study of law in the office of Judge
Woodbury, one of the most distinguished lawyers of
the State, and a man of great private worth. The
eminent social qualities of the young lawyer, his
father's prominence as a public man, and the brilliant
political career into which Judge Woodbury was en-
tering, all tended to entice Mr. Pierce into the faci-
nating yet perilous path of political life. With all
the ardor of his nature he espoused the cause of Gen.
Jackson for the Presidency. He commenced the
practice of law in Hillsborough, and was soon elected
to represent the town in the State Legislature. Here
he served for four yeais. The last two years he was
chosen speaker of the house by a very large vote.

In 1833, at the age of twenty-nine, he was elected
a member of Congress. Without taking an active
part in debates, he was faithful and laborious in duty,
and ever rising in the estimation of those with whom
he was associatad.

In 1837, being then but thirty-three years of age,
he was elected to the Senate of the United States;
taking his seat just as Mr. Van Buren commenced
his administration. He was the youngest member in
the Senate. In the year 1834, he married Miss Jane
Means Appleton, a lady of rare beauty and accom-
plishments, and one admirably fitted to adorn every
station with which her husband was honoied. Of the

' _

FRANKLIN PIERCE.

three sons who were bom to them, all now sleep with
their parents in the grave.

In the year 1838, Mr. Pierce, with growing fame
and increasing business as a lawyer, took up his
residence in Concord, the capital of New Hampshire.
President Polk, upon his accession to office, appointed
Mr. Pierce attorney-general of the United States; but
the offer was declined, in consequence of numerous
professional engagements at home, and the precariuos
state of Mrs. Pierce 's health. He also, about the
same time declined the nomination for governor by the
Democratic party. The war with Mexico called Mr.
Pierce in the army. Receiving the appointment of
brigadier-general, he embarked, with a portion of his
troops, at Newport, R. I., on the 27th of May, 1847.
He took an important part in this war, proving him-
self a brave and true soldier.

When Gen. Pierce reached his home in his native
State, he was received enthusiastically by the advo-
cates of the Mexican war, and coldly by his oppo-
nents. He resumed the practice of his profession,
very frequently taking an active part in political ques-
tions, giving his cordial support to the pro-slavery
wing of the Democratic party. The compromise
measures met cordially with his approval ; and he
strenuously advocated the enforcement of the infa-
mous fugitive-slave law, which so shocked the religious
sensibilities of the North. He thus became distin-
guished as a " Northern man with Southern principles.''
The strong partisans of slavery in the South conse-
quently regarded him as a man whom they could
safely trust in office to carry out their plans.

On the 1 2th of June, 1852, the Democratic conven-
tion met in Baltimore to nominate a candidate for the
Presidency. For four days they continued in session,
and in thirty-five ballotings no one had obtained a
two-thirds vote. Not a vote thus far had been thrown
for Gen. Pierce. Then the Virginia delegation
brought forward his name. There were fourteen
more ballotings, during which Gen. Pierce constantly
gained strength, until, at the forty-ninth ballot, he
received two hundred and eighty-two votes, and all
other candidates eleven. Gen. Winfield Scott was
the Whig candidate. Gen. Pierce was chosen with
great unanimity. Only four States Vermont, Mas-
sachusetts, Kentucky and Tennessee cast their
electoral votes against him Gen. Franklin Pierce
was therefore inaugurated President of the United
States on the 4th of March, 1853.

His administration proved one of the most stormy our
country had ever experienced. The controversy be-
tween slavery and freedom was then approaching its
culminating point. It became evident that there was
an " irrepressible conflict " between them, and that
this Nation could not long exist " half slave and half
free." President Pierce, during the whole of his ad-
ministration, did every thing he could to conciliate
the South ; but it was all in vain. The conflict every
year grew more violent, and threats of the dissolution
of the Union were borne to the North on every South-
ern breeze.

Such was the condition of affairs when President
Pierce approached the close of his four-years' term
of office. The North had become thoroughly alien-
ated from him. The anti-slavery sentiment, goaded
by great outrages, had been rapidly increasing; all
the intellectual ability and social worth of President
Pierce were forgotten in deep reprehension of his ad-
ministrative acts. The slaveholders of the South, also,
unmindful of the fidelity with which he had advo-
cated those measures of Government which they ap-
proved, and perhaps, also, feeling that he had
rendered himself so unpopular as no longer to be
able acceptably to serve them, ungratefully dropped
him, and nominated James Buchanan to succeed him.

On the 4th of March, 1857, President Pierce re-
tired to his home in Concord. Of three children, two
had died, and his only surviving child had been
killed before his eyes by a railroad accident ; and his
wife, one of the most estimable and accomplished of
ladies, was rapidly sinking in consumption. The
hour of dreadful gloom soon came, and he was left
alone in the world, without wife or child.

When the terrible Rebellion burst forth, which di-
vided our country into two parties, and two only, Mr.
Pierce remained steadfast in the principles which he
had always cherished, and gave his sympathies to
that pro-slavery party with which he had ever been
allied. He declined to do anything, either by voice
or pen, to strengthen the hand of the National Gov-
ernment. He continued to reside in Concord until
the time of his death, which occurred in October,
1869. He was one of the most genial and social of
men, an honored communicant of the Episcopal
Church, and one of the kindest of neighbors. Gen-
erous to a fault, he contributed liberally for the al-
leviation of suffering and want, and many of his towns-
people were often gladened by his material bounty.

< tvy

; v ; i 1 ; i' . ,' .--,' ; ,' ; i 1 ; v ; v ; .' ; ><:,<: i'.;j:-:. . v..v.,v..v.,'i . ...'. -..'. .. | i--.. 1 .". v.-vvv..,'

AMES BUCHANAN, the fif-
teenth President of the United
States, was born in a small
frontier town, at the foot of the
eastern ridge of the Allegha-
nies, in Franklin Co., Penn., on
the 23d of April, 1791. The place
where the humble cabin of his
father stood was called Stony
Batter. It was a wild and ro-
mantic spot in a gorge of the moun-
tains, with towering summits rising
grandly all around. His father
was a native of the north of Ireland ;
a poor man, who had emigrated in
1783, with little property save his
Five years afterwards he married
Elizabeth Spear, the daughter of a respectable farmer,
and, with his young bride, plunged into the wilder-
ness, staked his claim, reared his log-hut, opened a
clearing with his axe, and settled down there to per-
form his obscure part in the drama of life. In this se-
cluded home, where James was born, he remained
for eight years, enjoying but few social or intellectual
advantages. When James was eight years of age, his
father removed to the village of Mercersburg, where
his son was placed at school, and commenced a
course of study in English, Latin and Greek. His
progress was rapid, and at the age of fourteen, he
entered Dickinson College, at Carlisle. Here he de-
veloped remarkable talent, and took his stand among
the first scholars in the institution. His application
to study was intense, and yet his native powers en-

V2cSsi8 ^nJMkar'

I
own strong arms.

abled him to master the most abstruse subjects with
facility.

In the year 1809, he graduated with the highest
honors of his class. He was then eighteen years of
age; tall and graceful, vigorous in health, fond of
athletic sport, an unerring shot, and enlivened with
an exuberant flow of animal spirits. He immediately
commenced the study of law in the city of Lancaster,
and was admitted to the bar in 1812, when he was
but twenty-one years of age. Very rapidly he rose
in his profession, and at once took undisputed stand
with the ablest lawyers of the State. When but
twenty-six years of age, unaided by counsel, he suc-
cessfully defended before the State Senate ore of the
judges of the State, who was tried upon articles of
impeachment. At the age of thirty it was generally
admitted that he stood at the head of the bar; and
there was no lawyer in the State who had a more lu-
crative practice.

In 1820, he reluctantly consented to run as a
candidate for Congress. He was elected, and for
ten years he remained a member of the Lower House.
Daring the vacations of Congress, he occasionally
tried some important case. In 1831, he retired
altogether from the toils of his profession, having ac-
quired an ample fortune.

Gen. Jackson, upon his elevation to the Presidency,
ap]x>inted Mr. Buchanan minister to Russia. The
duties of his mission he performed with ability, which
gave satisfaction to all parties. Upon his return, in
1833, he was elected to a seat in the United States
Senate. He there met, as his associates, Webster,
Clay, Wright and Calhoun. He advocated the meas-
ures proposed by President Jackson, of making repri.

"V ^^

JAMES BUCHANAN.

sals against France, to enforce the payment of our
claims against that country ; and defended the course
of the President in his unprecedented and wholesale
removal from office of those who were not the sup-
porters of his administration. Upon this question he
was brought into direct collision with Henry Clay.
He also, with voice and vote, advocated expunging
from the journal of the Senate the vote of censure
against Gen. Jackson for removing the deposits.
Earnestly he opposed the abolition of slavery in the
District of Columbia, and urged the prohibition of the
circulation of anti-slavery documents by the United
States mails.

As to petitions on the subject of slavery, he advo-
cated that they should be respectfully received ; and
that the reply should be returned, that Congress had
no power to legislate upon the subject. " Congress,"
said he, " might as well undertake to interfere with
slavery under a foreign government as in any of the
States where it now exists."

Upon Mr. Folk's accession to the Presidency, Mr.
Buchanan became Secretary of State, and 'as such,
took his share of the responsibility in the conduct of
the Mexican War. Mr. Polk assumed that crossing
the Nueces by the American troops into the disputed
territory was not wrong, but for the Mexicans to cross
the Rio Grande into that territory was a declaration
of war. No candid man cap read with pleasure the
account of the course our Government pursued in that
movement.

Mr. Buchanan identified himself thoroughly with
the party devoted to the perpetuation and extension
of slavery, and brought all the energies of his mind
to bear against the Wilmot Proviso. He gave his
cordial approval to the compromise measures of 1050,
which included the fugitive-slave law. Mr. Pierce,
upon his election to the Presidency, honored Mr.
Buchanan with the mission to England.

In the year 1856, a national Democratic conven-
tion nominated Mr. Buchanan forthe Presidency. The-
political conflict was one of the most severe in which
our country has ever engaged. All the friends of
slavery were on one side; all the advocates of its re-
striction and final abolition, on the other. Mr. Fre-
mont, the candidate of the enemies of slavery, re-
ceived 1 14 electoral votes. Mr. Buchanan received
174, and was elected. The popular vote stood
1,340,618, for Fremont, 1,224,750 for Buchanan. On
March 4th, 1857, Mr. Buchanan was inaugurated.
Mr. Buuhanan was far advanced in life. Only four
years were wanting to fill up his threescore years and
ten. His own friends, those with whom he had been
allied in political principles and action for years, were
seeking the destruction of the Government, that they
might rear upon the ruins of our free institutions a
nation whose corner-stone should be human slavery.
In this emergency, Mr. Buchanan was hopelessly be-
wildered. He could not, with his long-avowed prin-

ciples, consistently oppose the State-rights party in
their assumptions. As President of the United States,
bound by his oath faithfully to administer the laws,
he could not, without perjury of the grossest kind,
unite with those endeavoring to overthrow the repub-
lic. He therefore did nothing.

The opponents of Mr. Buchanan's administration
nominated Abraham Lincoln as their standard bearer
in the next Presidential canvass. The pro-slavery
party declared, that if he were elected, and (he con-
trol of the Government were thus taken from their
hands, they would secede from the Union, taking
with them, as they retired, the National Capitol at
Washington, and the lion's share of the territory of
the United States.

Mr. Buchanan's sympathy with the pro-slavery
party was such, that he had been willing to offer them
far more than they had ventured to claim. All the
South had professed to ask of the North was non-
intervention upon the subject of slavery. Mr. Bu-
chanan had been ready to offer them the active co-
operation of the Government to defend and extend
the institution.

As the storm increased in violence, the slaveholders
claiming the right to secede, and Mr. Buchanan avow-
ing that Congress had no power to prevent it, one of
the most pitiable exhibitions of governmental im-
becility was exhibited the world has ever seen. He
declared that Congress had no power to enforce its
laws in any State which had withdrawn, or which
was attempting to withdraw from the Union. This
was not the doctrine of Andrew Jackson, when, with
his hand upon his sword hilt, he exclaimed, "The
Union must and shall be preserved!"

South Carolina seceded in December, 1860; nearly
three months before the inauguration of President
Lincoln. Mr. Buchanan looked on in listless despair.
The rebel flag was raised in Charleston: Fort Sumpter
was besieged ; our forts, navy-yards and arsenals
were seized; our depots of military stores were plun-
dered ; and our custom-houses and post-offices were
appropriated by the rebels.

The energy of the rebels, and the imbecility of our
Executive, were alike marvelous. The Nation looked
on in agony, waiting for the slow weeks to glide away,
and close the administration, so terrible in its weak-
ness At length the long-looked-for hour of deliver-
ance came, when Abraham Lincoln was to receive the
scepter.

The administration of President Buchanan was
certainly the most calamitous our country has ex-
perienced. His best friends cannot recall it with
pleasure. And still more deplorable it is for his fame,
that in that dreadful conflict which rolled its billows
of flame and blood over our whole land, no word came
from his lips to indicate his wish that our country's
banner should triumph over the flag of the rebellion.
He died at his Wheatland retreat, June i, 1868.

L." :;.-.?';
yf , LUIWj(S

SIXTEENTH PRESIDENT.

& < LINCOLN. >

BRAHAM LINCOLN, the
sixteenth President of the
United States, was born in
Hardin Co., Ky., Feb. 12,
1809. About the year 1780, a
man by the name of Abraham
Lincoln left Virginia with his
family and moved into the then
wilds of Kentucky. Only two years
after this emigration, still a young
man, while working one day in a
field, was stealthily approached by
an Indian and shot dead. His widow
was left in extreme poverty with five
little children, three boys and two
girls. Thomas, the youngest of the
boys, was four years of age at his
father's death. This Thomas was
the father of Abraham Lincoln, the
President of the United States
whose name must henceforth forever be enrolled
with the most prominent in the annals of our world.
Of course no record has been kept of the life
of one so lowly as Thomas Lincoln. He was among
the poorest of the poor. His home was a wretched
log-cabin ; his food the coarsest and the meanest.
Education he had none; he could never either read
or write. As soon as he was able to do anything for
himself, he was compelled to leave the cabin of his
starving mother, and push out into the world, a friend-
less, wandering boy, seeking work. He hired him-
self out, and thus spent the whole of his youth as a
laborer in the fields of others.

' When twenty-eight years of age he built a log-
cabin of his own, and married Nancy Hanks, the
daughter of another family of poor Kentucky emi-
grants, who had also come from Virginia. Their
second child was Abraham Lincoln, the subject of
this sketch. The mother of Abraham was a noble
woman, gentle, loving, pensive, created to adorn
a palace, doomed to toil and pine, and die in a hovel.
"All that I am, or hope to be," exclaims the grate-
ful son " I owe to my angel-mother.

When he was eight years of age, his father sold his

cabin and small farm, and moved to Indiana. Where
two years later his mother died.

Abraham soon became the scribe of the uneducated
community around him. He could not have had a
better school than this to teach him to put thoughts
into words. He also became an eager reader. The
books he could obtain were few ; but these he read
and re-read until they were almost committed to
memory.

As the years rolled on, the lot of this lowly family
was the usual lot of humanity. There were joys and
griefs, weddings and funerals. Abraham's sister
Sarah, to whom he was tenderly attached, was mar-
ried when a child of but fourteen years of age, and
soon died. The family was gradually scattered. Mr.
Thomas Lincoln sold out his squatter's claim in 1830,
and emigrated to Macon Co., 111.

Abraham Lincoln was then twenty-one years of age.
With vigorous hands he aided his father in rearing
another log-cabin. Abraham worked diligently at this
until he saw the family comfortably settled, and their
small lot of enclosed prairie planted with corn, when
he announced to his father his intention to leave
home, and to go out into the world and seek his for-
tune. Little did he or his friends imagine how bril-
liant that fortune was to be. He saw the value of
education and was intensely earnest to improve his
mind to the utmost of his power. He saw the ruin
which ardent spirits were causing, and became
strictly temperate; refusing to allow a drop of intoxi-
cating liquor to pass his lips. And he had read in
God's word, " Thou shall not take the name of the
Lord thy God in vain ;" and a profane expression he
was never heard to utter. Religion he revered. His
morals were pure, and he was uncontaminated by a
single vice.

Young Abraham worked for a time as a hired laborer
among the farmers. Then he went to Springfield,
where he was employed in building a large flat-boat.
In this he took a herd of swine, floated them down
the Sangamon to the Illinois, and thence by the Mis-
sissippi to New Orleans. Whatever Abraham Lin-
coln undertook, he performed so faithfully as to give
great satisfaction to his employers. In this adven-

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ture his employers were so well pleased, that upon
his return they placed a store and mill under his care.

In 1832, at the outbreak of the Black Hawk war, he
enlisted and was chosen captain of a company. He
returned to Sangamon County, and although only 23
years of age, was a candidate for the Legislature, but
was defeated. He soon after received from Andrew
Jackson the appointment of Postmaster of New Salem,
His only post-office was his hat. All the letters he
received he carried there ready to deliver to those
he chanced to meet. He studied surveying, and soon
made this his business. In 1834 he again became a
candidate for the Legislature, and was elected Mr.
Stuart, of Springfield, advised him to study law. He
walked from New Salem to Springfield, borrowed of
Mr. Stuart a load of books, carried them back and
began his legal studies. When the Legislature as-
sembled he trudged on foot with his pack on his back
one hundred miles to Vandalia, then the capital. In
1836 he was re-elected to the Legislature. Here it
was he first met Stephen A. Douglas. In 1839 he re-
moved to Springfield and began the practice of law.
His success with the jury was so great that he was
soon engaged in almost every noted case in the circuit.

In 1854 the great discussion began between Mr.
Lincoln and Mr. Douglas, on the slavery question.
In the organization of the Republican party in Illinois,
in 1856, he took an active part, and at once became
one of the leaders in that party. Mr. Lincoln's
speeches in opposition to Senator Douglas in the con-
test in 1858 for a seat in the Senate, form a most
notable part of his history. The issue was on the
slavery question, and he took the broad ground of
the Declaration of Independence, that all men are
created equal. Mr. Lincoln was defeated in this con-
test, but won a far higher prize.

The great Republican Convention met at Chicago
on the i6th of June, 1860. The delegates and
strangers who crowded the city amounted to twenty-
five thousand. An immense building called " The
Wigwam," was reared to accommodate the Conven-
tion. There were eleven candidates for whom votes
were thrown. William H. Seward, a man whose fame
as a statesman had long filled the land, was the most
prominent. It was generally supposed he would be
the nominee. Abraham Lincoln, however, received
the nomination on the third ballot. Little did he then
dream of the weary years of toil and care, and the
bloody death, to which that nomination doomed him :
and as little did he dream that he was to render services
to his country, which would fix upon him the eyes of
the whole civilized world, and which would give him
a place in the affections of his countrymen, second
only, if second, to that of Washington.

Election day came and Mr. Lincoln received 180
electoral votes out of 203 cast, and was, therefore,
constitutionally elected President of the United States.
The tirade of abuse that was poured upon this good

and merciful man, especially by the slaveholders, was
greater than upon any other man ever elected to this
high position. In February, 1861, Mr. Lincoln started
for Washington, stopping in all the large cities on his
way making speeches. The whole journey was fraught
with much danger. Many of the Southern States had
already seceded, and several attempts at assassination
were afterwards brought to light. A gang in Balti-
more had arranged, upon his arrival to "get up a row,"
and in the confusion to make sure of his death with
revolvers and hand-grenades. A detective unravelled
the plot. A secret and special train was provided to
take him from Harrisburg, through Baltimore, at an
unexpected hour of the night. The train started at
half-past ten ; and to prevent any possible communi-
cation on the part ol the Secessionists with their Con-
federate gang in Baltimore, as soon as the train had
started the telegraph-wires were cut. Mr. Lincoln
reached Washington in safety and was inaugurated,
although great anxiety was felt by all loyal people.

In the selection of his cabinet Mr. Lincoln gave
to Mr. Seward the Department of State, and to other
prominent opponents before the convention he gave
important positions.

During no other administration have the duties
devolving upon the President been so manifold, and
the responsibilities so great, as those which fell to
the lot of President Lincoln. Knowing this, and
feeling his own weakness and inability to meet, and in
his own strength to cope with, the difficulties, he
learned early to seek Divine wisdom and guidance in
determining his plans, and Divine comfort in all his
trials, both personal and national. Contrary to his
own estimate of himself, Mr. Lincoln was one of the
most courageous of men. He went directly into the
rebel capital just as the retreating foe was leaving,
with no guard but a few sailors. From the time he
had left Springfield, in 1861, however, plans had been
made for his assassination, and he at last fell a victim
to one of them. April 14, 1865, he, with Gen. Grant,
was urgently invited to attend Fords' Theater. It
was announced that they would Le present. Gen.
Grant, however, left the city. President Lincoln, feel-
ing, with his characteristic kindliness of heart, that
it would be a disappointment if he should fail them,
very reluctantly consented to go. While listening to
the play an actor by the name of John Wilkes Booth
entered the box where the President and family were
seated, and fired a. bullet into his brains. He died the
next morning at seven o'clock.

Never before, in the history of the world was a nation
plunged into such deep grief by the death of its ruler.
Strong men met in the streets and wept in speechless
anguish. It is not too much to say that a nation was
in tears. His was a life which will fitly become a
model. His name as the savior of his country will
live with that of Washington's, its father; his country-
men being unable to decide which is the greater.

[ ',...

(/ILLINOIS

^ V

SEVENTEENTH PRESIDENT.

NDREW JOHNSON, seven-
teenth President of the United
States. The early life of
Andrew Johnson contains but
,_^ the record of poverty, destitu-
|fy tion and friendlessness. He
v was born December 29, 1808,
in Raleigh, N. C. His parents,
belonging to the class of the
"poor whites " of the South, were
in such circumstances, that they
could not confer even the slight-
est advantages of education upon
their child. When Andrew was five
years of age, his father accidentally
lost his life while herorically endeavoring to save a
friend from drowning. Until ten years of age, Andrew
was a ragged boy about the streets, supported by the
labor of his mother, who obtained her living with
her own hands.

He then, having never attended a school one day,
and being unable either to read or write, was ap-
prenticed to a tailor in his native town. A gentleman
was in the habit of going to the tailor's shop occasion-
ally, and reading to the boys at work there. He often
read from the speeches of distinguished British states-
men. Andrew, who was endowed with a mind of more
than ordinary native ability, became much interested
in these speeches ; his ambition was roused, and he
was inspired with a strong desire to learn to read.

He accordingly applied himself to the alphabet, and
with the assistance of some of his fellow- workmen,
learned his letters. He then called upon the gentle-
man to borrow the book of speeches. The owner,

pleased with his zeal, not only gave him the book,
but assisted him in learning to combine the letters
into words. Under such difficulties he pressed on-
ward laboriously, spending usually ten or twelve hours
at work in the shop, and then robbing himself of rest
and recreation to devote such time as he could to
reading.

He went to Tennessee in 1826, and located at
Greenville, where he married a young lady who pos-
sessed some education. Under her instructions he
learned to write and cipher. He became prominent
in the village debating society, and a favorite with
the students of Greenville College. In 1828, he or-
ganized a working man's party, which elected him
alderman, and in 1830 elected him mayor, which
position he held three years.

He now began to take a lively interest in political
affairs ; identifying himself with the working-classes,
to which he belonged. In" 1835, ne was elected a
member of the House of Representatives of Tennes-
see. He was then just twenty-seven years of age.
He became a very active member of the legislature,
gave his adhesion to the Democratic party, and in
1840 " stumped the State," advocating Martin Van
Buren's claims to the Presidency, in opposition to those
of Gen. Harrison. In this campaign he acquired much
readiness as a speaker, and extended and increased
his reputation.

In 1841, he was elected State Senator; in 1843, he
was elected a member of Congress, and by successive
elections, held that important post for ten years. In
1853, he was elected Governor of Tennessee, and
was re-elected in 1855. In all these responsible posi-
tions, he discharged his duties with distinguished abil-

ANDREW JOHNSON.

ity, and proved himself the warm friend of the work-
ing classes. In 1857, Mr. Johnson was elected
United States Senator.

Years before, in 1845, he had warmly advocated
the annexation of Texas, stating however, as his
reason, that he thought this annexation would prob-
ably prove " to be the gateway out of which the sable
sons of Africa are to pass from bondage to freedom,
and become merged in a population congenial to
themselves." In 1850, he also supported the. com-
promise measures, the two essential features of which
were, that the white people of the Territories should
be permitted to decide for themselves whether they
would enslave the colored people or not, and that
the free States of the North should return to the
South persons who attempted to escape from slavery.

Mr. Johnson was never ashamed of his lowly origin:
on the contrary, he often took pride in avowing that
he owed his distinction to his own exertions. "Sir,"
said he on the floor of the Senate, " I do not forget
that I am a mechanic ; neither do I forget that Adam
was a tailor and sewed fig-leaves, and that our Sav-
ior was the son of a carpenter."

In the Charleston-Baltimore convention of 1860, he
was the choice of the Tennessee Democrats for the
Presidency. In 1861, when the purpose of the South-
ern Democracy became apparent, he took a decided
stand in favor of the Union, and held that " slavery
must be held subordinate to the Union at whatever
cost." He returned to Tennessee, and repeatedly
imperiled his own life to protect the Unionists of
Tennesee. Tennessee having seceded from the
Union, President Lincoln, on March 4th, 1862, ap-
pointed him Military Governor of the State, and he
established the most stringent military rule. His
numerous proclamations attracted wide attention. In

1864, he was elected Vice-President of the United
States, and upon the death of Mr. Lincoln, April 15,

1865, became President. In a speech two days later
he said, " The American people must be taught, if
they do not already feel, that treason is a crime and
must be punished ; that the Government will not
always bear with its enemies ; that it is strong not
only to protect, but to punish. * * The people
must understand that it (treason) is the blackest of
crimes, and will surely be punished." Yet his whole
administration, the history of which is so well known,
was in utter inconsistency with, and the most violent

opposition to, the principles laid down in that speech.

In his loose policy of reconstruction and general
amnesty, he was opposed by Congress ; and he char-
acterized Congress as a new rebellion, and lawlessly
defied it, in everything possible, to the utmost. In
the beginning of 1868, on account of "high crimes
and misdemeanors," the principal of which was the
removal of Secretary Stanton, in violation of the Ten-
ure of Office Act, articles of impeachment were pre-
ferred against him, and the trial began March 23.

It was very tedious, continuing for nearly three
months. A test article of the impeachment was at
length submitted to the court for its action. It was
certain that as the court voted upon that article so
would it vote upon all. Thirty-four voices pronounced
the President guilty. As a two-thirds vote was neces-
sary to his condemnation, he was pronounced ac-
quitted, notwithstanding the great majority against
him. The change of one vote from the not guilty
side would have sustained the impeachment.

The President, for the remainder of his term, was
but little regarded. He continued, though im potently,
his conflict with Congress. His own party did not
think it expedient to renominate him for the Presi-
dency. The Nation rallied, with enthusiasm unpar-
alleled since the days of Washington, around the name
of Gen. Grant. Andrew Johnson was forgotten.
The bullet of the assassin introduced him to the
President's chair. Notwithstanding this, never was
there presented to a man a better opportunity to im-
mortalize his name, and to win the gratitude of a
nation. He failed utterly. He retired to his home
in Greenville, Tenn., taking no very active part in
politics until 1875. On Jan. 26, after an exciting
struggle, he was chosen by the Legislature of Ten-
nessee, United States Senator in the forty-fourth Con-
gress, and took his seat in that body, at the special
session convened by President Grant, on the 5th of
March. On the 27th of July, 1875, the ex-President
made a visit to his daughter's home, near Carter
Station, Tenn. When he started on his journey, he was
apparently in his usual vigorous health, but on reach-
ing the residence of his child the following day, was
stricken with paralysis, rendering him unconscious.
He rallied occasionally, but finally passed away at
2 A.M., July 31, aged sixty-seven years. His fun-
eral was attended at Geenville, on the 3d of August,
with every demonstration of respect.

"**,

EIGHTEENTH PRESIDENT.

LYSSES S. GRANT, the
eighteenth President of the
United States, was born on
the 29111 of April, 1822, of
Christian parents, in a humble
home, at Point Pleasant, on the
banks of the Ohio. Shortly after
his father moved to George-
town, Brown Co., O. In this re-
mote frontier hamlet, Ulysses
received a common-school edu-
cation. At the age of seven-
teen, in the year 1839, he entered
the Military Academy at West
Point. Here he was regarded as a
solid, sensible young man of fair abilities, and of
sturdy, honest character. He took respectable rank
as a scholar. In June, 1843, he graduated, about the
middle in his class, and was sent as lieutenant of in-
fantry to one of the distant military posts in the Mis-
souri Territory. Two years he past in these dreary
solitudes, watching the vagabond and exasperating
Indians.

The war with Mexico came. Lieut. 'Grant was
sent with his regiment to Corpus Christi. His first
battle was at Palo Alto. There was no chance here
for the exhibition of either skill or heroism, nor at
Resaca de la Palma, his second battle. At the battle
of Monterey, his third engagement, it is said that
he performed a signal service of daring and .skillful
horsemanship. His brigade had exhausted its am-
munition. A messenger must be sent for more, along
a route exposed to the bullets of the foe. Lieut.
Grant, adopting an expedient learned of the Indians,
grasped the mane of his horse, and hanging upon one
side of the animal, ran the gauntlet in entire safety.

From Monterey he was sent, with the fourth infantry,
to aid Gen. Scott, at the siege of Vera Cruz. In
preparation for the march to the city of Mexico, he
was appointed quartermaster of his regiment. At the
battle of Molino del Rey, he was promoted to a
first lieutenancy, and was brevetted captain at Cha-
pultepec.

At the close of the Mexican War, Capt. Grant re-
turned with his regiment to New York, and was again
sent to one of the military posts on the frontier. The
discovery of gold in California causing an immense
tide of emigration to flow to the Pacific shores, Capt.
Grant was sent with a battalion to Fort Dallas, in
Oregon, for the protection of the interests of the im-
migrants. Life was wearisome in those wilds. Capt.
Grant resigned his commission and returned to the
States; and having married, entered upon the cultiva-
tion of a small farm near St. Louis, Mo. He had but
little skill as a farmer. Finding his toil not re-
munerative, he turned to mercantile life, entering into
the leather business, with a younger brother, at Ga-
lena, 111. This was in the year 1860. As the tidings
of the rebels firing on Fort Sumpter reached the ears
of Capt. Grant in his counting-room, he said,
"Uncle Sam has educated me for the army; though
I have served him through one war, I do not feel that
I have yet repaid the debt. I am still ready to discharge
my obligations. I shall therefore buckle on my sword
and see Uncle Sam through this war too."

He went into the streets, raised a company of vol-
unteers, and led them as their captain to Springfield,
the capital of the State, where their services were
offered to Gov. Yates. The Governor, impressed by
the zeal and straightforward executive ability of Capt.
Grant, gave him a desk in his office, to assist in the
volunteer organization that was being formed in the
State in behalf of the Government. On the 1 5th of

- -

"".

ULYSSES S. GRANT.

June, 1 86 1, Capt. Grant received a commission as
Colonel of the Twenty-first Regiment of Illinois Vol-
unteers. His merits as a West Point graduate, who
had served for 15 years in the regular army, were such
that he was soon promoted to the rank of Brigadier-
General and was placed in command at Cairo. The
rebels raised their banner at Paducah, near the mouth
of the Tennessee River. Scarcely had its folds ap-
peared in the breeze ere Gen. Grant was there. The
rebels fled. Their banner fell, and the star and
stripes were unfurled in its stead.

He entered the service with great determination
and immediately began active duty. This was the be-
ginning, and until the surrender of Lee at Richmond
he was ever pushing the enemy with great vigor and
effectiveness. At Belmont, a few days later, he sur-
prised and routed the rebels, then at Fort Henry
won another victory. Then came the brilliant fight
at Fort Donelson. The nation was electrified by the
victory, and the brave leader of the boys in blue was
immediately made a Major-General, and the military
district of Tennessee was assigned to him.

Like all great captains, Gen. Grant knew well how
to secure the results of victory. He immediately
pushed on to the enemies' lines. Then came the
terrible battles of Pittsburg Landing, Corinth, and the
siege of Vicksburg, where Gen. Pemberton made an
unconditional surrender of the city with over thirty
thousand men and one-hundred and seventy-two can-
non. The fall of Vicksburg was by far the most
severe blow which the rebels had thus far encountered,
and opened up the Mississippi from Cairo to the Gulf.

Gen. Grant was next ordered to co-operate with
Gen. Banks in a movement upon Texas, and pro-
ceeded to .New Orleans, where he was thrown from
his horse, and received severe injuries, from which he
was laid up for months. He then rushed to the aid
of Gens. Rosecrans and Thomas at Chattanooga, and
by a wonderful series of strategic and tactical meas-
ures put the Union army in fighting condition. Then
followed the bloody battles at Chattanooga, Lookout
Mountain and Missionary Ridge, in which the rebels
were routed with great loss. This won for him un-
bounded praise in the North. On the 4th of Febru-
ary, 1864, Congress revived the grade of lieutenant-
general, and the rank was conferred on Gen. Grant.
He repaired to Washington to receive his credentials
and enter upon the duties of his new office.

Gen. Grant decided as soon as he took charge of
the army to concentrate the widely-dispersed National
troops for an attack upon Richmond, the nominal
capital of the Rebellion, and endeavor there to de-
stroy the rebel armies which would be promptly as-
sembled from all quarters for its defence. The whole
continent seemed to tremble under the tramp of these
majestic armies, rushing to the decisive battle field.
Steamers were crowded with troops. Railway trains
were burdened with closely packed thousands. His
plans were comprehensive and involved a series of
campaigns, which were executed with remarkable en-
ergy and ability, and were consummated at the sur-
render of Lee, April 9, 1865.

The war was ended. The Union was saved. The
almost unanimous voice of the Nation declared Gen.
Grant to be the most prominent instrument in its sal-
vation. The eminent services he had thus rendered
the country brought him conspicuously forward as the
Republican candidate for the Presidential chair.

At the Republican Convention held at Chicago,
May 21, 1868, he was unanimously nominated for the
Presidency, and at the autumn election received a
majority of the popular vote, and 214 out of 294
electoral votes.

The National Convention of the Republican party
which met at Philadelphia on the 5th of June, 1872,
placed Gen. Grant in nomination for a second term
by a unanimous vote. The selection was emphati-
cally indorsed by the people five months later, 292
electoral votes being cast for him.

Soon after the close of his second term, Gen. Grant
started upon his famous trip around the world. He
visited almost every country of the civilized world,
and was everywhere received with such ovations
and demonstrations of respect and honor, private
as well as public and official, as were never before
bestowed upon any citizen of the United States. It
is not too much to say that his modest, courteous, and
dignified demeanor in the presence of the most dis-
tinguished men in the different nations in the world,
reflected honor upon the Republic which he so long
and so faithfully served. The country felt a great
pride in his reception. Upon his arrival in San Fran-
cisco, Sept. 20, 1879, the city authorities gave him a
fine reception. After lingering in the Golden State
for a while, he began his tour through the States,
which extended North and South, everywhere mark-
ed by great acclamation and splendid ovations.

>^9 : *^

Lias

UNlVERSlfr yjf ILLINOIS

VVr. H H 2> H H ' S\^^'

NINETEENTH PRESIDENT.

UTHERFORD B. HAYES,
the nineteenth President of
the United States, was born in
Delaware, O., Oct. 4, 1822, al-
most three months after the
death of his father, Rutherford
Hayes. His ancestry on both
the paternal and maternal sides,
was of the most honorable char-
acter. It can be traced, it is said,
as farbackas 1280, when Hayes and
Rutherford were two Scottish chief-
tains, righting side by side with
Baliol, William Wallace and Robert
Bruce. Both families belonged to the
nobility, owned extensive estates,
and had a. large following. Misfor-
tune overtaking the family, George Hayes left Scot-
land in 1680, and settled in Windsor, Conn. His son
George was born in Windsor, and remained there
during his life. Daniel Hayes, son of the latter, mar-
ried Sarah Lee, and lived from the time of his mar-
riage until his death in Simsbury, Conn. Ezekiel,
son of Daniel, was born in 1724, and was a manufac-
turer of scythes at Bradford, Conn. Rutherford Hayes,
son of Ezekiel and grandfather of President Hayes, was
born in New Haven, in August, 1756. He was a farmer,
blacksmith and tavern-keeper. He emigrated to
Vermont at an unknown date, settling in Brattleboro,
where he established a hotel. Here his son Ruth-
erford Hayes, the father of President Hayes, was

born. He was married, in September, 1813, to Sophia
Birchard, of Wilmington, Vt., whose ancestors emi-
grated thither from Connecticut, they having been
among the wealthiest and best famlies of Norwich.
Her ancestry on the male side are traced back to
1635, to John Birchard, one of the principal founders
of Norwich. Both of her grandfathers were soldiers
in the Revolutionary War.

The father of President Hayes was an industrious,
frugal and opened-hearted man. He was of a me-
chanical turn, and could mend a plow, knit a stock-
ing, or do almost anything else that he choose to
undertake. He was a member of the Church, active
in all the benevolent enterprises of the town, and con-
ducted his business on Christian principles. After
the close of the war of 1812, for reasons inexplicable
to his neighbors, he resolved to emigrate to Ohio.

The journey from Vermont to Ohio in that day,
when there were no canals, steamers, nor railways,
was a very serious affair. A tour of inspection was
first made, occupying four months. Mr. Hayes deter-
mined to move to Delaware, where the family arrived
in 1817. He died July 22, 1822, a victim of malarial
fever, less than three months before the birth of the
son, of whom we now write. Mrs. Hayes, in her sore be-
reavement, found the support she so much needed in
her brother Sardis, who had been a member of the
household from the day of its departure from Ver-
mont, and in an orphan girl whom she had adopted
some time before as an act of charity.

Mrs. .Hayes at this period was very weak, and the

6g|A@>$6

^5/xC-<3'\

subject of this sketch was so feeble at birth that he
was not expected to live beyond a month or two at
most. As the months went by he grew weaker and
weaker, so that the neighbors were in the habit of in-
quiring from time to time " if Mrs. Hayes' baby died
last night." On one occasion a neighbor, who was on
familiar terms with the family, after alluding to the
boy's big head, and the mother's assiduous care of
him, said in a bantering way, " That's right ! Stick to
him. You have got him along so far, and I shouldn't
wonder if he would really come to something yet."

" You need not laugh," said Mrs. Hayes. " You
wait and see. You can't tell but I shall make him
President of the United States yet." The boy lived,
in spite of the universal predictions of his speedy
death; and when, in 1825, his older brother was
drowned, he became, if possible, still dearer to his
mother.

The boy was seven years old before he went to
school. His education, however, was not neglected.
He probably learned as much from his mother and
sister as he would have done at school. His sports
were almost wholly within doors, his playmates being
his sister and her associates. These circumstances
tended, no doubt, to foster that gentleness of dispo-
sition, and that delicate consideration for the feelings
of others, which are marked traits of his character.

His uncle Sardis Birchard took the deepest interest
in his education ; and as the boy's health had im-
proved, and he was making good progress in his
studies, he proposed to send him to college. His pre-
paration commenced with a tutor at home; but he
was afterwards sent for one year to a professor in the
Wesleyan University, in Middletown, Conn. He en-
tered Kenyon College in 1838,31 the age of sixteen,
and was graduated at the head of his class in 1842.

Immediately after his graduation he began the
study of law in the office of Thomas Sparrow, Esq.,
in Columbus. Finding his opportunities for study in
Columbus somewhat limited, he determined to enter
the Law School at Cambridge, Mass., where he re-
mained two years.

In 1845, after graduating at the Law School, he was
admitted to the bar at Marietta, Ohio, and shortly
afterward went into practice as an attorney-at-law
with Ralph P. Buckland, of Fremont. Here he re-
mained three years, acquiring but a limited practice,
and apparently unambitious of distinction in his pro-
fession.

In 1849 he moved to Cincinnati, where his ambi-
tion found a new stimulus. For several years, how-
ever, his progress was slow. Two events, occurring at
this period, had a powerful influence upon his subse-
quent life. One of these was his marrage with Miss
Lucy Ware Webb, daughter of Dr. James Webb, of
Chilicothe; the other was his introduction to the Cin-
cinnati Literary Club, a body embracing among its
members such men as Chief Justice Salmon P. Chase,

Gen. John Pope, Gov. Edward F. Noyes, and many
others hardly less distinguished in after life. The
marriage was a fortunate one in every respect, as
everybody knows. Not one of all the wives of our
Presidents was more universally admired, reverenced
and beloved than was Mrs. Hayes, and no one did
more than she to reflect honor upon American woman-
hood. The Literary Club brought Mr. Hayes into
constant association with young men of high char-
acter and noble aims, and lured him to display the
qualities so long hidden by his bashfulness and
modesty.

In 1856 he was nominated to the office of Judge of
the Court of Common Pleas ; but he declined to ac-
cept the nomination. Two years later, the office of
city solicitor becoming vacant, the City Council
elected him for the unexpired term.

In 1861, when the Rebellion broke out, he was at
the zenith of his professional life. His rank at the
bar was among the the first. But the news of the
attack on Fort Sumpter found him eager to take up
arms for the defense of his country.

His military record was bright and illustrious. In
October, 1861, he was made Lieutenant-Colonel, and
in August, 1862, promoted Colonel of the ygth Ohio
regiment, but he refused to leave his old comrades
and go among strangers. Subsequently, however, he
was made Colonel of his old regiment. At the battle
of South Mountain he received a wound, and while
faint and bleeding displayed courage and fortitude
that won admiration from all.

Col. Hayes was detached from his regiment, after
his recovery, to act as Brigadier-General, and placed
in command of the celebrated Kanawha division,
and for gallant and meritorious services in the battles
of Winchester, Fisher's Hill and Cedar Creek, he was
promoted Brigadier-General. He was also brevetted
Major-General, "for gallant and distinguished services
during the campaigns of 1864, in West Virginia." In
the course of his arduous services, four horses were
shot from under him, and he was wounded four times.

In 1864, Gen. Hayes was elected to Congress, from
the Second Ohio District, which had long been 1 >em-
ocratic. He was not present during the campaign,
and after his election was importuned to resign his
commission in the army ; but he finally declared, " I
shall never come to Washington until I can come by
the way of Richmond." He was re-elected in 1866.

In 1867, Gen Hayes was elected Governor of Ohio,
over Hon. Allen G. Thurman, a popular Democrat.
In 1869 was re-elected over George H. Pendleton.
He was elected Governor for the third term in 1875.

In 1876 he was the standard bearer of the Repub-
lican Party in the Presidential contest, and after a
hard long contest was chosen President, and was in
auguratcd Monday, March 5, 1875. He served his
full term, not, however, with satisfaction to his party,
but his administration was an average one

s-\ <v.

UNIVERS/IY * .
URBMM

TWENTIETH PRESIDENT.

i A. (JAR FIELD.

AMES A. GARFIELD, twen-
tieth President of the United
States, was born Nov. 19,
1831, in the woods of Orange,
Cuyahoga Co., O His par-
ents were Abram and Eliza
(Ballou) Garfield, both of New
England ancestry and from fami-
lies well known in the early his-
tory of that section of our coun-
try, but had moved to the Western
Reserve, in Ohio, early in its settle-
ment.

The house in which James A. was
born was not unlike the houses of
\ poor Ohio farmers of that day. It
was about 20x30 feet, built of logs, with the spaces be-
tween the logs filled with clay. His father was a
hard working farmer, and he soon had his fields
cleared, an orchard planted, and a log barn built.
The household comprised the father and mother and
their four children Mehetabel, Thomas, Mary and
James. In May, 1823, the father, from a cold con-
tracted in helping to put out a forest fire, died. At
this time James was about eighteen months old, and
Thomas about ten years old. No one, perhaps, can
tell how much James was indebted to his biother's
toil and self-sacrifice during the twenty years suc-
ceeding his father's death, but undoubtedly very
much. He now lives in Michigan, and the two sis-
ters live in Solon, O., near their birthplace.

The early educational advantages young Garfield
enjoyed were very limited, yet he made the most of
them. He labored at farm work for others, did car-
penter work, chopped wood, or did anything that
would bring in a few dollars to aid his widowed
mother in her struggles to keep the little family to-

gether. Nor was Gen. Garfield ever ashamed of his
origin, and he never forgot the friends of his strug-
gling childhood, youth and manhood, neither did they
ever forget him. When in the highest seats of honor,
the humblest fiiend of his boyhood was as kindly
greeted as ever. The poorest laborer was sureof the
sympathy of one who had known all the bitterness
of want and the sweetness of bread earned by the
sweat of the brow. He was ever the simple, plain,
modest gentleman.

The highest ambition of young Garfield until he
was about sixteen years old was to be a captain of
a vessel on Lake Erie. He was anxious to go aboard
a vessel, which his mother strongly opposed. She
finally consented to his going to Cleveland, with the
understanding, however,'that he should try to obtain
some other kind of employment. He walked all the
way to Cleveland. This was his first visit to the city.
After making many applications for work, and trying
to get aboard a lake vessel, and not meeting with
success, he engaged as a driver for his cousin, Amos
Letcher, on the Ohio & Pennsylvania Canal. He re-
mained at this work but a short time when he went
home, and attended the seminary at Chester for
about three years, when he entered Hiram and the
Eclectic Institute, teaching a few terms of school in
the meantime, and doing other work. This school
was started by the Disciples of Christ in 1850, of
which church he was then a member. He became
janitor and bell-ringer in order to help pay his way.
He then became both teacher and pupil. He soon
" exhausted Hiram " and needed more ; hence, in the
fall of 1854, he entered Williams College, from which
he graduated in 1856, taking one of the highest hon-
ors of his class. He afterwards returned to Hiram
College as its President. As above stated, he early
united with the Christian or Diciples Church at
Hiram, and was ever after a devoted, zealous mem-
ber, often preaching in its pulpit and places where
he happened to be. Dr. Noah Porter, President of
Yale College, says of him in reference to his religion :

crt

JAMES A. GARFIELD.

" President Garfield was more than a man of
strong moral and religious convictions. His whole
history, from boyhood to the last, shows that duty to
man and to God, and devotion to Christ and life and
faith and spiritual commission were controlling springs
of his being, and to a m6re than usual degree. In
my judgment there is no more interesting feature of
his character than his loyal allegiance to the body of
Christians in which he was trained, and the fervent
sympathy which he ever showed in their Christian
communion. Not many of the few 'wise and mighty
and noble who are called" show a similar loyalty to
the less stately and cultured Christian communions
in which they have been reared. Too often it is true
that as they step upward in social and political sig-
nificance they step upward from one degree to
another in some of the many types of fashionable
Christianity. President Garfield adhered to the
church of his mother, the church in which he was
trained, and in which he served as a pillar and an
evangelist, and yet with the largest and most unsec-
tarian charity for all 'who loveour Lord in sincerity.'"

Mr. Garfield was united in marriage with Miss
Lucretia Rudolph, Nov. 1 1, 1858, who proved herself
worthy as the wife of one whom all the world loved and
mourned. To them were born seven children, five of
whom are still living, four boys and one girl.

Mr. Garfield made his first political speeches in 1 85 6 ,
in Hiram and the neighboring villages, and three
years later he began to speak at county mass-meet-
ings, and became the favorite speaker wherever he
was. During this year he was elected to the Ohio
Senate. He also began to study law at Cleveland,
and in 1861 was admitted to the bar. The great
Rebellion broke out in the early part of this year,
and Mr. Garfield at once resolved to fight as he had
talked, and enlisted to defend the old flag. He re-
ceived his commission as Lieut. -Colonel of the Forty-
second Regiment of Ohio Volunteer Infantry, Aug.
14, i86r. He was immediately put into active ser-
vice, and before he had ever seen a gun fired in action,
was placed in command of four regiments of infantry
and eight companies of cavalry, charged with the
work of driving out of his native State the officer
(Humphrey Marshall) reputed to be the ablest of
those, not educated to war whom Kentucky had given
to the Rebellion. This work was bravely and speed-
ily accomplished, although against great odds. Pres-
ident Ligcoln, on his success commissioned him
Brigadier-General, Jan. ro, 1862; and as "he had
been the youngest man in the Ohio Senate two years
before, so now he was the youngest General in the
army." He was with Gen. Buell's army at Shiloh,
in its operations around Corinth and its march through
Alabama. He was then detailed as a member of the
General Court-Martial for the trial ef Gen. Fitz-John
Porter. He was then ordered to report to Gen. Rose-
crans, and was assigned to the "Chief of Staff."

The military history of Gen. Garfield closed with

rvV-Pra^Aft

his brilliant services at Chickamauga, where he won
the stars of the Major-General.

Without an effort on his part Gen. Garfield was
elected to Congress in the fall of 1862 from the
Nineteenth District of Ohio. This section of Ohio
had been represented in Congress for sixty years
mainly by two men Elisha Whittlesey and Joshua
R. Giddings. It was not without a struggle that he
resigned his place in the army. At the time he en-
tered Congress he was the youngest member in that
body. There he remained by successive re-
elections until he was elected President in 1880.
Of his labors in Congress Senator Hoar says : " Since
the year 1864 you cannot think of a question which
has been debated in Congress, or discussed before a
tribunel of the American people, in regard to which
you will not find, if you wish instruction, the argu-
ment on one side stated, in almost every instance
better than by anybody else, in some speech made in
the House of Representatives or on the hustings by
Mr. Garfield."

Upon Jan. 14, r88o, Gen. Garfield was elected to
the U. S. Senate, and on the eighth of June, of the
same year, was nominated as the candidate of his
party for President at the great Chicago Convention.
He was elected in the following November, and on
March 4, 1881, was inaugurated. Probably no ad-
ministration ever opened its existence under brighter
auspices than that of President Garfield, and every
day it grew in favor with the people, and by the first
of July he had completed all the initiatory and pre-
liminary work of his administration and was prepar-
ing to leave the city to meet his friends at Williams
College. While on his way and at the depot, in com-
pany with Secretary Elaine, a man stepped behind
him, drew a revolver, and fired directly at his back.
The President tottered and fell, and as he did so the
assassin fired a second shot, the bullet cutting the
left coat sleeve of his victim, but in.1i< '.ing no further
injury. It has been very truthfully said that this was
" the shot that was heard round the world " Never
before in the history of the Nation had anything oc-
curred which so nearly froze the blood of the people
for the moment, as this awful deed. He was smit-
ten on the brightest, gladdest day of all his life, and
was at the summit of his power and hope. For eighty
days, all during the hot months of July and August,
he lingered and suffered. He, however, remained
master of himself till the last, and by his magnificent
bearing was teaching the country and the world the
noblest of human lessons how to live grandly in the
very clutch of death. Great in life, he was surpass-
ingly great in death. He passed serenely away Sept.
19, 1883, at Elberon, N. J., on the very bank of the
ocean, where he had been taken shortly previous. The
world wept at his death, as it never had done on the
death of any other man who had ever lived upon it.
The murderer was duly tried, found guilty and exe-
cuted, in one year after he committed the foul deed.

<* lum

TWEAITY-FIRST PRESIDENT.

HESTER A. ARTHUR,
twenty-first President of the
United States, was born in
F ranklin County, Vermont, on
the fifthof October, 1830, and is
the oldest of a family of two
sons and five daughters. His
father was the Rev. Dr. William
Arthur, a Baptist clergyman, who
emigrated to this country' from
the county Antrim, Ireland, in
his 1 8th year, and died in 1875, in
Newton ville, near Albany, after a
long and successful ministry.

Young Arthur was educated at
Union College, Schenectady, where
he excelled in all his studies. Af-
ter his graduation he taught school
h in Vermont for two years, and at
J the expiration of that time came to
New York, with $500 in his pocket,
and entered the office of ex-Judge
E. D. Culver as student. After
being admitted to the bar he formed
a partnership with his intimate friend and room-mate,
Henry D. Gardiner, with the intention of practicing
in the West, and for three months they roamed about
in the Western States in search of an eligible site,
but in the end returned to New York, where they
hung out their shingle, and entered upon a success-
ful career almost from the start. General Arthur
soon afterward married the daughter of Lieutenant

Herndon, of the United States Navy, who was lost at
sea. Congress voted a gold medal to his widow in
recognition of the bravery he displayed on that occa-
sion. Mrs. Arthur died shortly before Mr. Arthur's
nomination to the Vice Presidency, leaving two
children.

Gen. Arthur obtained considerable legal celebrity
jn his first great case, the famous Lemmon suit,
brought to recover possession of eight slaves who had
been declared free by Judge Paine, of the Superior
Court of New York City. It was in 1852 that Jon-
athan Lemmon, of Virginia, went to New York with
his slaves, intending to ship them to Texas, when
they were discovered and freed. The Judge decided
that they could not be held by the owner under the
Fugitive Slave Law. A howl of rage went up from
the South, and the Virginia Legislature authorized the
Attorney General of that State to assist in an appeal.
Wm. M. Evarts and Chester A. Arthur were employed
to represent the People, and they won their case,
which then went to the Supreme Court of the United
States. Charles O'Conor here espoused the cause
of the slave-holders, but he too was beaten by Messrs
Evarts and Arthur, and a long step was taken toward
the emancipation of the black race.

Another great service was rendered by General
Arthur in the same cause in 1856. Lizzie Jennings,
a respectable colored woman, was put off a Fourth
Avenue car with violence after she had paid her fare.
General Arthur sued on her behalf, and secured a
verdict of $500 damages. The next day the compa-
ny issued an order to admit colored persons to ride
on their cars, and the other car companies quickK

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100

CHESTER A. ARTHUR.

followed their example. Before that the Sixth Ave-
nue Company ran a few special cars for colored per-
sons and the other lines refused to let them ride at all.

General Arthur was a delegate to the Convention
at Saratoga that founded the Republican party.
Previous to the war he was Judge-Advocate of the
Second Brigade of the State of New York, and Gov-
ernor Morgan, of that State, appointed him Engineer-
in-Chief of his staff. In 1861, he was made Inspec-
tor General, and soon afterward became Quartermas-
ter-General. In each of these offices he rendered
great service to the Government during the war. At
the end of Governor Morgan's term he resumed the
practice of the law, forming a partnership with Mr.
Ransom, and then Mr. Phelps, the District Attorney
of New York, was added to the firm. The legal prac-
tice of this well-known firm was very large and lucra-
tive, each of the gentlemen composing it were able
lawyers, and possessed a splendid local reputation, if
not indeed one of national extent.

He always took a leading part in State and city
politics. He was appointed Collector of the Port of
New York by President Grant, Nov. 21 1872, to suc-
ceed Thomas Murphy, and held the office until July,
20, 1 878, when he was succeeded by Collector Merritt.

Mr. Arthur was nominated on the Presidential
ticket, with Gen. James A. Garfield, at the famous
National Republican Convention held at Chicago in
June, 1 880. This was perhaps the greatest political
convention that ever assembled on thecontinent. It
was composed of the leading politicians of the Re-
publican party, all able men, and each stood firm and
fought vigorously and with signal tenacity for their
respective candidates that were before the conven-
tion for the Domination. Finally Gen. Garfield re-
ceived the nomination for President and Gen. Arthur
for Vice-President. The campaign which followed
was one of the most animated known in the history of
our country. Gen. Hancock, the standard-bearer of
the Democratic party, was a popular man, and his
party made a valiant fight for his election.

Finally the election came and the country's choice
was Garfield and Arthur. They were inaugurated
March 4, 1881, as President and Vice-President.
A few months only had passed ere the newly chosen
President was the victim of the assassin's bullet. Then
came terrible weeks of suffering, those moments of
anxious suspense, when the hearts of all civilized na-

^^^ ^XMim:

tions were throbbing in unison, longing for the re-
covery of the noble, the good President. The remark-
able patience that he manifested during those hours <R
and weeks, and even months, of the most terrible suf-
fering man has often been called upon to endure, was iSf
seemingly more than human. It was certainly God-
like. During all this period of deepest anxiety Mr.
Arthur's every move was watched, and be it said to his
credit that his every action displayed only an earnest
desire that the suffering Garfield might recover, to
serve the remainder of the term he had so auspi-
ciously begun. Not a selfish feeling was manifested
in deed or look of this man, even though the most
honored ]X>sition in the world was at any moment
likely to fall to him.

At last God in his mercy relieved President Gar-
field from further suffering, and the world, as never
before in its history over the death of any other
man, wept at his bier. Then it became the duty of (
the Vice President to assume the responsibilities of
the high office, and he took the oath in New York,
Sept. 20, 1881. The position was an embarrassing
one to him, made doubly so from the facts that all
eyes were on him, anxious to know what he would do,
what policy he would pursue, and who he would se-
lect as advisers. The duties of the office had been
greatly neglected during the President's long illness,
and many important measures were to be immediately
decided by him ; and still farther to embarrass him he
did not fail to realize under what circumstances he
became President, and knew the feelings of many on
this point. Under these trying circumstances President
Arthur took the reins of the Government in his own
hands ; and, as embarrassing as were the condition of V
affairs, he happily surprised the nation, acting so
wisely that but few criticised his administration, f
He served the nation well and faithfully, until the
close of his administration, March 4, 1885, and was
a popular candidate before his party for a second
term. His name was ably presented before the con-
vention at Chicago, and was received with great
favor, and doubtless but for the personal popularity f
of one of the opposing candidates, he would have
been selected as the standard-bearer of his party ,A, \
for another campaign. He retired to private life car- (
rying with him the best wishes of the American peo- <
pie, whom he had served in a manner satisfactory (
to them and with credit to himself. */

LIBRARY

OF ILLINOIS

UKfcftNA

TWENTY-SECOND PRESIDENT.

TEPHEN GROVER CLEVE-
LAND, the twenty- second Pres-
ident of the United States, was
born in 1837, in the obscure
town of Caldwell, Essex Co.,
N. ]., and in a little two-and-a-
half-story white house which is still
standing, characteristically to mark
the humble birth-place of one of
America's great men in striking con-
trast with the Old World, where all
men high in office must be high in
origin and born in the cradle of
wealth. When the subject of this
sketch was three years of age, his
father, who was a Presbyterian min-
ister, with a large family and a small salary, moved,
by way of the Hudson River and Erie Canal, to
Fayetteville, in search of an increased income and a
larger field of work. Fayetteville was then the most
straggling of country villages, about five miles from
Pompey Hill, where Governor Seymour was born.

At the last mentioned place young Grover com-
menced going to school in the "good, old-fashioned
way," and presumably distinguished himself after the
manner of all village boys, in doing the things he
ought not to do. Such is the distinguishing trait of
all geniuses and independent thinkers. When he
arrived at the age of 14 years, he had outgrown the
capacity of the village school and expressed a most

emphatic desire to be sent to an academy. To this
his father decidedly objected. Academies in those
days cost money; besides, his father wanted him to
become self-supporting by the quickest possible
means, and this at that time in Fayetteville seemed
to be a position in a country store, where his father
and the large family on his hands had considerable
influence. Grover was to be paid $50 for his services
the first year, and if he proved trustworthy he was to
receive $100 the second year. Here the lad com-
menced his career as salesman, and in two years he
had earned so good a reputation for trustworthiness
that his employers desired to retain him for an in-
definite length of time. Otherwise he did not ex-
hibit as yet any particular " flashes of genius " or
eccentricities of talent. He was simply a good boy.
But instead of remaining with this firm in Fayette-
ville, he went with the family in their removal to
Clinton, where he had an opportunity of attending a
high school. Here he industriously pursued his
studies until the family removed with him to a point
on Black River known as the " Holland Patent," a
village of 500 or 600 people, 15 miles north of Utica,
N. Y. At this place his father died, after preaching
but three Sundays. This event broke up the family,
and Grover set out for New York City to accept, at a
small salary, the position of " under-teacher " in an
asylum for the blind. He taught faithfully for two
years, and although he obtained a good reputation in
this capacity, he concluded that teaching was not his

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104

GROVER CLEVELAND.

calling for life, and, reversing the traditional order,
he left the city to seek his fortune, instead of going
to a city. He first thought of Cleveland, Ohio, as
there was some charm in that name for him; but
before proceeding to that place he went to Buffalo to
ask the advice of his uncle, Lewis F. Allan, a noted
stock-breeder of that place. The latter did not
speak enthusiastically. " What is it you want to do,
my boy?" he asked. "Well, sir, I want to study
law," was the reply. " Good gracious ! " remarked
the old gentleman; "do you, indeed ? What ever put
that into your head? How much money have you
got?" "Well, sir, to tell the truth, I haven't got
any."

After a long consultation, his uncle offered him a
place temporarily as assistant herd-keeper, at $50 a
year, while he could "look around." One day soon
afterward he boldly walked into the office of Rogers,
Bowen & Rogers, of Buffalo, and told them what he
wanted. A number of young men were already en-
gaged in the office, but Graver's persistency won, and
he was finally permitted to come as an office boy and
have the use of the law library, for the nominal sum
of $3 or $4 a week. Out of this he had to pay for
his board and washing. The walk to and from his
uncle's was a long and rugged one; and, although
the first winter was a memorably severe one, his
shoes were out of repair and his overcoat he had
none yet he was nevertheless prompt and regular.
On the first day of his service here, his senior erii-
ployer threw down a copy of Blackstone before him
with a bang that made the dust fly, saying "That's
where they all begin." A titter ran around the little
circle of clerks and students, as they thought that
was enough to scare young Grover out of his plans ;
but in due time he mastered that cumbersome volume.
Then, as ever afterward, however, Mr. Cleveland
exhibited a talent for executiveness rather than for
chasing principles through all their metaphysical
possibilities. " Let us quit talking and go and do
it," was practically his motto.

The first public office to which Mr. Cleveland was
elected was that of Sheriff of Erie Co., N. Y., in
which Buffalo is situated; and in such capacity it fell
to his duty to inflict capital punishment upon two
criminals. In 1881 he was elected Mayor of the
City of Buffalo, on the Democratic ticket, with es-
pecial reference to the bringing about certain reforms

in the administration of the municipal affairs of that
city. In this office, as well as that of Sheriff, his
performance of duty has generally been considered
fair, with possibly a few exceptions which were fer-
reted out and magnified during the last Presidential
campaign. As a specimen of his plain language in
a veto message, we quote from one vetoing an iniqui-
tous street-cleaning contract : " This is a time for
plain speech, and my objection to your action shall
be plainly stated. I regard it as the culmination of
a most bare-faced, impudent and shameless scheme
to betray the interests of the people and to worse
than squander the people's money." The New York
Sun afterward very highly commended Mr. Cleve-
land's administration as Mayor of Buffalo, and there-
upon recommended him for Governor of the Empire
State. To the latter office he was elected in 1882,
and his administration of the affairs of State was
generally satisfactory. The mistakes he made, if
any, were made very public throughout the nation
after he was nominated for President of the United
States. For this high office he was nominated July
n, 1884, by the National Democratic Convention at
Chicago, when other competitors were Thomas F.
Bayard, Roswell P. Flower, Thomas A. Hendricks,
Benjamin F. Butler, Allen G. Thurman, etc.; and he
was elected by the people, by a majority of about a
thousand, over the brilliant and long-tried Repub-
lican statesman, James G. Elaine. President Cleve-
land resigned his office as Governor of New York in
January, 1885, in order to prepare for his duties as
the Chief Executive of the United States, in which
capacity his term commenced at noon on the 4th of
March, 1885. For his Cabinet officers he selected
the following gentlemen: For Secretary of State,
Thomas F. Bayard, of Delaware ; Secretary of the
Treasury, Daniel Manning, of New York ; Secretary
of War, William C. Endicott, of Massachusetts ;
Secretary of the Navy, William C. Whitney, of New
York; Secretary of the Interior, L. Q. C. Lamar, of
Mississippi; Postmaster-General, William F. Vilas,
of Wisconsin ; Attorney-General, A. H. Garland, of
Arkansas.

The silver question precipitated a controversy be-
tween those who were in favor of the continuance of
silver coinage and those who were opposed, Mr.
Cleveland answering for the latter, even before his
inauguration.

/ v" *

k.' "-*

^n D $ n K>B

(3;

(i)

.:- .

GO VERNORS OF ILLINOIS.

'''

HADRACH BOND, the first
Governor of Illinois after its
organization ns a State, serving
from 1818 to 1822, was born in
Frederick County, Maryland,
in the year 1773, and was
raised a farmer on his father's
plantation, receiving only a plain
English education. He emigrated
to this State in 1794, when it was a
part of the. "Northwest Territory,"
continuing in the vocation in which
he had been brought up in his native
State, in the " New Design," near
Eagle Creek, in what is now Monroe
County. He served several terms as
a member of the General Assembly
of Indiana Territory, after it was organized as such,
and in 1812-14 ne was a Delegate to the Twelfth
and Thirteenth Congresses, taking his seat Dec. 3,
1812, and serving until Oct. 3, 1814. These were
the times, the reader will recollect, when this Gov-
ernment had its last struggle with Great Britain.
The year 1812 is also noted in the history of this
State as that in which the first Territorial Legislature
was held. It convened at Kaskaskia, Nov. 25, and
adjourned Dec. 26, following.

While serving as Delegate to Congress, Mr. Bond
was instrumental in procuring the right of pre-emp-
tion on the public domain. On the expiration of his
term at Washington he was appointed Receiver of
Public Moneys at Kaskaskia, then the capital of the
Territory. In company with John G. Comyges,

Thomas H. Harris, Charles Slade, Michael Jones,
Warren Brown, Edward Humphries and Charles W.
Hunter, he became a proprietor of the site of the
initial city of Cairo, which they hoped, from its favor-
able location at the junction of the two great
rivers near the center of the Great West, would
rapidly develop into a metropolis. To aid the enter-
prise, they obtained a special charter from the Legis-
lature, incorporating both the City and the Bank of
Cairo.

In 1818 Mr. Bond was elected the first Governor
of the State of Illinois, being inaugurated Oct. 6,
that year, which was several weeks before Illinois
was actually admitted. The facts are these: In
January, 1818, the Territorial Legislature sent a peti-
tion to Congress for the admission of Illinois as a
State, Nathaniel Pope being then Delegate. The
petition was granted, fixing the northern line of the
State on the latitude of the southern extremity of
Lake Michigan; but the bill was afterward so amend-
ed as to extend this line to its present latitude. In
July a convention was called at Kaskaskia to draft a
constitution, which, however, was not submitted to
the people. By its provisions, supreme judges, pros-
ecuting attorneys, county and circuit judges, record-
ers and justices of the peace were all to be appointed
by the Governor or elected by the Legislature. This
constitution was accepted by Congress Dec. 30. At
that time Illinois comprised but eleven counties,
namely, Randolph, Madison, Gallatin, Johnson,
Pope, Jackson, Crawford, Bond, Union, Washington
and Franklin, the northern )x>rtion of the State be-
ing mainly in Madison County. Thus it appears
that Mr. Bond was honored by the naming of a

$
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112

SHADRACH BOND.

county before he was elected Governor. The present
county of Bond is of small limitations, about 60 to 80
miles south of Springfield. For Lieutenant Governor
the people chose Pierre Menard, a prominent and
worthy Frenchman, after whom a county in this State
is named. In this election there were no opposition
candidates, as the popularity of these men had made
their promotion to the chief offices of the State, even
before the constitution was drafted, a foregone con-
clusion.

The principal points that excited the people in
reference to political issues at this period were local
or.." internal improvements," as they were called,
State banks, location of the capital, slavery and the
personal characteristics of the proposed candidates.
Mr. Bond represented the " Convention party," for
introducing slavery into the State, supported by Elias
Ke.it Kane, his Secretary of State, and John Mc-
Lean, while Nathaniel Pope and John P. Cook led
the anti-slavery element. The people, however, did
not become very much excited over this issue until
1820, when the f.im:>us Missouri Compromise was
adopted by Congress, limiting slavery to the south
of the parallel of 36 30' except in Missouri. While
this measure settled the great slavery controversy,
so far as the average public sentiment was tempor-
arily concerned, until 1854, when it was repealed
under the leadership of Stephen A. Douglas, the issue
as considered locally in this State was not decided
until 1824, after a most furious campaign. (See
sketch of Gov. Coles.) The ticket of 1818 was a
compromise one, Bond representing (moderately) the
pro-slavery sentiment and Menard the anti-slavery.

An awkward element in the State government
under Gov. Bond's administration, was the imperfec-
tion of the State constitution. The Convention
wished to have Elijah C. Berry for the first Auditor
of Public Accounts, but, as it was believed that the
new Governor would not appoint him to the office,
the Convention declared in a schedule that " an
auditor of public accounts, an attorney general and
such other officers of the State as may be necessary,
may be appointed by the General Assembly." The
Constitution, as it stood, vested a very large appoint-
ing power in the Governor ; but for the purpose of
getting one man into office, a total change was made,
and the power vested in the Legislature. Of this
provision the Legislature took advantage, and de-

clared that State's attorneys, canal commissioners,
bank directors, etc., were all " officers of the State "
and must therefore be appointed by itself independ-
ently of the Governor.

During Gov. Bond's administration a general law
was passed for the incorporation of academies and
towns, and one authorizing lotteries. The session of
1822 authorized the Governor to appoint commis-
sioners, to act in conjunction with like commissioners
appointed by the State of Indiana, to report on the
practicability and expediency of improving the navi-
gation of the Wabash River; also inland navigation
generally. Many improvements were recommended,
some of which have been feebly worked at even till
the present day, those along the Wubash being of no
value. Also, during Gov. Bond's term of office, the
capital of the State was removed from Kaskaskia to
Vandalia. In 1820 a law was passed by Congress
authorizing this State to open a canal through the
public lands. The State appointed commissioners
to explore the route and prepare the necessary sur-
veys and estimates, preparatory to its execution ;
but, being unable out of its own resources to defray
the expenses of the undertaking, it was abandoned
until some time after Congress made the grant of
land for the purpose of its construction.

On the whole, Gov. Bond's administration was
fairly good, not being open to severe criticism from
any party. In 1824, two years after the expiration
of his term of office, he was brought out as a candi-
date for Congress against the formidable John P.
Cook, but received only 4,374 votes to 7,460 for the
latter. Gov. Bond was no orator, but had 'made
many fast friends by a judicious bestowment of his
gubernatorial patronage, and these worked zealously
for him in the campaign.

In 1827 ex-Gov. Bond was appointed by the Leg-
islature, with Wm. P. McKee and Dr. Gershom
Jayne, as Commissioners to locate a site for a peni-
tentiary on the Mississippi at or near Alton.

Mr. Bond was of a benevolent and convivial dis-
position, a man of shrewd observation and clear ap-
preciation of events. His person was erect, stand-
ing six feet in height, and after middle life became
portly, weighing 200 pounds. His features were
strongly masculine, complexion dark, hair jet and
eyes hazel ; was a favorite with the ladies. He died
April 1 1, 1830, in peace and contentment.

/VT^

^xS

UNIVERSITY Oi- iLL(NOfi>

GO VERNORS OF ILLINOIS.

DWARD COLES, second
Governor of Illinois, 1823-
6, was born Dec. 15, 1786,
in Albemarle Co., Va., on
the old family estate called
"Enniscorthy," on the
Green Mountain. His fath-
er, John Coles, was a Colonel in the
Revolutionary War. Having been fit-
ted for college by private tutors, he
was sent to Hampden Sidney, where
he remained until the autumn of 1805,
when he was removed to William and
Mary College, at Williamsburg, Va.
This college he left in the summer of
1807, a short time before the final and graduating
examination. Among his classmates were Lieut.
Gen. Scott, President John Tyler, Wm. S. Archer,
United States Senator from Virginia, and Justice
Baldwin, of the United States Supreme Court. The
President of the latter college, Bishop Madison, was
a cousin of President James Madison, and that cir-
cumstance was the occasion of Mr. Coles becoming
personally acquainted with the President and re-
ceiving a position as his private secretary, 1809-15.
The family of Coles was a prominent one in Vir-
ginia, and their mansion was the seat of the old-
fashioned Virginian hospitality. It was visited by
such notables as Patrick Henry, Jefferson, Madison,
Monroe, the Randolphs, Tazewell, Wirt, etc. At the
age of 23, young Coles found himself heir to a plant-
ation and a considerable number of slaves. Ever
since his earlier college days his attention had been
drawn to the question of slavery. He read every-

thing on the subject that came in his way, and
listened to lectures on the rights of man. The more
he reflected upon the subject, the more impossible
was it for hi;n to reconcile the immortal declaration
"that all men are bom free and equal" with the
practice of slave-holding. He resolved, therefore, to
free his slaves the first opportunity, and even remove
his residence to a free State. One reason which de-
termined him to accept the appointment as private
secretary to Mr. M idison was because he believed
that through the acquaintances he could make at
Washington he could better determine in what part
of the non-slaveho'ding portion of the Union he would
prefer to settle.

The relations between Mr. Coles and President
Madison, as well as Jefferson and other distinguished
men, were of a very friendly character, arising from
the similarity of their views on the question of slavery
and their sympathy for each other in holding doc-
trines so much at variance with the prevailing senti-
ment in their own State.

In 1857, he resigned his secretaryship and spent a
portion of the following autumn in exploring the
Northwest Territory, for the purpose of finding a lo-
cation and purchasing lands on which to settle his
negroes. He traveled with a horse and buggy, with
an extra man and horse for emergencies, through
many parts of Ohio, Indiana, Illinois and Missouri,
determining finally to settle in Illinois. At this time,
however, a misunderstanding arose between our
Government and Russia, and Mr. Coles was selected
to repair to St. Petersburg on a special mission, bear-
ing important papers concerning the matter at issue.
The result was a conviction of the Emperor (Alex-

' -^V!>l

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116

EDWARD COLES.

ander) of the error committed by his min-ister at
Washington, and the consequent withdrawal of the
the latter from the post. On his return, Mr. Coles
visited other parts of Europe, especially Paris, where
he was introduced to Gen. Lafayette.

In the spring of 1819, he removed with all his
negroes from Virginia to Edwardsville, 111., with the
intention of giving them their liberty. He did not
make known to them his intention until one beautiful
morning in April, as they were descending the Ohio
River. He lashed all the boats together and called
all the negroes on deck and made them a short ad-
dress, concluding his remarks by so expressing him-
self that by a turn of a sentence he proclaimed in
the shortest and fullest manner that they were no
longer slaves, but free as he was and were at liberty
to proceed with him or go ashore at their pleas-
ure. A description of the effect upon the negroes is
best described in his own language :

" The effect upon them was electrical. They stared
at me and then at each other, as if doubting the ac-
curacy or reality of what they heard. In breathless
silence they stood before me, unable to utter a word,
but with countenances beaming with expression which
no words could convey, and which no language
can describe. As they began to see the truth of
what they had heard, and realize their situation, there
came on a kind of hysterical, giggling laugh. After
a pause of intense and unutterable emotion, bathed
in tears, and with tremulous voices, they gave vent to
their gratitude and implored the blessing of God
on me."

Before landing he gave them a general certificate
of freedom, and afterward conformed more particu-
larly with the law of this State requiring that each
individual should have a certificate. This act of
Mr. Coles, all the more noble and heroic considering
the overwhelming pro-slavery influences surrounding
him, has challenged the admiration df every philan-
thropist of modern times.

March 5, 1819, President Monroe appointed Mr.
Coles Registrar of the Land Office at Edwardsville,
at that time one of the principal land offices in the
State. While acting in this capacity and gaining
many friends by his politeness and general intelli-
gence, the greatest struggle that ever occurred in
Illinois on the slavery question culminated in the
furious contest characterizing the campaigns and
elections of 1822-4. In the summer of 1823, when a
new Governor was to be elected to succeed Mr.
Bond, the pro-slavery element divided into factions,
putting forward for the executive office Joseph
Phillips, Chief Justice of the State, Thomas C.
Browne and Gen. James B. Moore, of the State Mil-
itia. The anti-slavery element united upon Mr.
Coles, and, after one of the most bitter campaigns,
succeeded in electing him as Governor. His plural-
ity over Judge Phillips was only 59 in a total vote of

over 8,000. The Lieutenant Governor was elected
by the slavery men. Mr. Coles' inauguration speech
was marked by calmness, deliberation and such a
wise expression of appropriate suggestions as to
elicit the sanction of all judicious politicians. But
he compromised not with evil. In his message to
the Legislature, the seat of Government being then
at Vandalia, he strongly urged the abrogation of the
modified form of slavery which then existed in this
State, contrary to the Ordinance of 1787. His posi-
tion on this subject seems the more remarkable, when
it is considered that he was a minority Governor, the
population of Illinois being at that time almost ex-
clusively from slave-holding States and by a large
majority in favor of the perpetuation of that old relic
of barbarism. The Legislature itself was, of course,
a reflex of the popular sentiment, and a majority of
them were led on by fiery men in denunciations of
the conscientious Governor, and in curses loud and
deep upon him and all his friends. Some of the
public men, indeed, went so far as to head a sort of
mob, or " shiveree " party, who visited the residence
of the Governor and others at Vandalia and yelled
and groaned and spat fire.

The Constitution, not establishing or permitting
slavery in this State, was thought therefore to be
defective by the slavery politicians, and they desired
a State Convention to be elected, to devise and sub-
mit a new Constitution; and the dominant politics
of the day was "Convention" and "anti-Conven-
tion." Both parties issued addresses to the people,
Gov. Coles himself being the author of the address
published by the latter party. This address revealed
the schemes of the conspirators in a masterly man-
ner. It is difficult for us at this distant day to esti-
mate the critical and extremely delicate situation in
which the Governor was placed at that time.

Our hero maintained himself honorably and with
supreme dignity throughout his administration, and
in his honor a county in this State is named. He
was truly a great man, and those who lived in
this State during his sojourn here, like those who
live at the base of the mountain, were too near to see
and recognize the greatness that overshadowed them.

Mr. Coles was married Nov. 28, 1833, by Bishop
De Lancey, to Miss Sally Logan Roberts, a daughter
of Hugh Roberts, a descendant of Welsh ancestry,
who cama to this country with Wm. Penn in 1682.

After the expiration of his term of service, Gov.
Coles continued his residence in Edwardsville, sup-
erintending his farm in the vicinity. He was fond
of agriculture, and was the founder of the first agft-
cultural society in the State. On account of ill
health, however, and having no family to tie him
down, he spent much of his time in Eastern cities.
About 1832 he changed his residence to Philadel-
phia, where he died July 7, 1868, and is buried at
Woodland, near that city.

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DIVERSITY Of ILLINOIS
URBAM

' ' 1 'V. H H *JJ> H H ^ V

GO VERNORS OF ILLINOIS

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INIAN EDWARDS, Governor
from 1827 to 1830, was a son
of Benjamin Edwards, and
was born in Montgomery
^ County, Maryland, in March,
1775. "His domestic train-
ing was well fitted to give
his mind strength, firmness and
honorable principles, an3 a good
foundation was laid for the elevated
character to which he afterwards
attained. His parents were Bap-
tists, and very strict in their moral
principles. His education in early
youth was in company with and
partly under the tuition of Hon. Wm.
Wirt, whom his father patronized
and who was more than two years
older. An intimacy was thus
formed between them which was lasting for life. He
was further educated at Dickinson College, at Car-
lisle, Pa. He next commenced the study of law, but
before completing his course he moved to Nelson
County, Ky., to open a farm for his father and to
purchase homes and locate lands for his brothers and
sisters. Here he fell in the company of dissolute
companions, and for several years led the life of a
spendthrift. He was, however, elected to the Legis-
lature of Kentucky as the Representative of Nelson
County before he was 2 r years of age, and was re-
elected by an almost unanimous vote.

In 1798 he was licensed to practice law, and the
following year was admitted to the Courts of Tennes-
see. About this time he left Nelson County for
Russellville, in Logan County, broke away from his
dissolute companions, commenced a reformation and
devoted himself to severe and laborious study. He
then began to rise rapidly in his profession, and soon
became an eminent lawyer, and inside of four years
he filled in succession the offices of Presiding Judge
of the General Court, Circuit Judge, fourth Judge of
the Court of Appeals and Chief Justice of the State,
all before he was 32 years of age! In addition, in
1802, he received a commission as Major of a battal-
ion of Kentucky militia, and in 1804 was chosen a
Presidential Elector, on the Jefferson and Clinton
ticket. In 1806 -he was a candidate for Congress,
but withdrew on being promoted to the Court of
Appeals.

Illinois was organized as a separate Territory in
the spring of 1809, when Mr. Edwards, then Chief
Justice of the Court of Appeals in Kentucky, received
from President Madison the appointment as Gover-
nor of the new Territory, his commission bearing date
April 24, 1809. Edwards arrived at Kaskaskia in
June, and on the i tth of that month took the oath of
office. At the same time he was appointed Superin-
tendent of the United States Saline, this Government
interest then developing into considerable proportions
in Southern Illinois. Although during the first three
years of his administration he had the power to make
new counties and appoint all the officers, yet he always
allowed the people of each county, by an informal

E3
&

120

NINIAN EDWARDS.

vote, to select their own officers, both civil and mili-
tary. The noted John J. Crittenden, afterward
United States Senator from Kentucky, was appointed
by Gev. Edwards to the office of Attorney General of
the Territory, which office was accepted for a short
time only.

The Indians in t8io committing sundry depreda-
tions in the Territory, crossing the Mississippi from
the Territory of Louisiana, a long correspondence fol-
lowed between the respective Governors concerning
the remedies, which ended in a council with the sav-
ages at Peoria in 1812, and a fresh interpretation of
the treaties. Peoria was depopulated by these de-
predations, and was not re-settled for many .years
afterward.

As Gov. Edwards' term of office expired by law in
1812, he was re-appointed for another term of three
years, and again in 1815 for a third term, serving
until the organization of the State in the fall of 1818
and the inauguration of Gov. Bond. At this time
ex-Gov. Edwards was sent to the United States
Senate, his colleague being Jesse B. Thomas. As
Senator, Mr. Edwards took a conspicuous part, and
acquitted himself honorably in all the measures that
came up in that body, being well posted, an able de-
bater and a conscientious statesman. He thought
seriously of resigning this situation in 1821, but was
persuaded by his old friend, Wm. VVirt, and others to
continue in office, which he did to the end of the
term.

He was then appointed Minister to Mexico by
President Monroe. About this time, it appears that
Mr. Edwards saw suspicious signs in the conduct of.
Wm. H. Crawford, Secretary of the United States
Treasury, and an ambitious candidate for the Presi-
dency, and being implicated by the latter in some of
his statements, he resigned his Mexican mission in
order fully to investigate the charges. The result
was the exculpation of Mr. Edwards.

Pro-slavery regulations, often termed "Black Laws,"
disgraced the statute books of both the Territory and
the State of Illinois during the whole of his career in
this commonwealth, and Mr. Edwards always main-
tained the doctrines of freedom, and was an important
actor in the great struggle which ended in a victory
for his party in 1824.

In 1826-7 the Winnebago and other Indians com-
mitted soire depredations in the northern part of the

State, and the white settlers, who desired the lands
and wished to exasperate the savages into an evacu-
ation of the country, magnified the misdemeanors of
the aborigines and thereby produced a hostility be-
tween the races so great as to precipitate a little war,
known in history as the "Winnebago War." A few
chases and skirmishes were had, when Gen. Atkinson
succeeded in capturing Red Bird, the Indian chief,
arid putting him to death, thus ending the contest, at
least until the troubles commenced which ended in
the " Black Hawk War " of 1832. In the interpre-
tation of treaties and execution of their provisions
Gov. Edwards had much vexatious work to do. The
Indians kept themselves generally within the juris-
diction of Michigan Territory, and its Governor,
Lewis Cass' was at a point so remote that ready cor-
respondence with him was difficult or impossible.
Gov. Edwards' administration, however, in regard to
the protection of the Illinois frontier, seems to have
been very efficient and satisfactory.

For a considerable portion of his time after his re-
moval to Illinois, Gov. Edwards resided upon his
farm near Kaskaskia, which he had well stocked with
horses, cattle and sheep from Kentucky, also with
fruit-trees, grape-vines and shrubbery. He estab-
lished saw and grist-mills, and engaged extensively
in mercantile business, having no less than eightorten
stores in this State and Missouri. Notwithstanding
the arduous duties of his office, he nearly always pur-
chased the goods himself with which to supply the
stores. Although not a regular practitioner of medi-
cine, he studied the healing art to a considerable ex-
tent, and took great pleasure in prescribing for, and
taking care of, the sick, generally without charge.
He was also liberal to the poor, several widows and
ministers of the gospel becoming indebted to him
even for their homes.

He married Miss Elvira Lane, of Maryland, in
1803, and they became the affectionate parents of
several children, one of whom, especially, is well
known to the people of the " Prairie State," namely,
Ninian Wirt Edwards, once the Superintendent of
Public Instruction and still a resident of Springfield.
Gov. Edwards resided at and in the vicinity of Kas-
kaskia from 1809 to 1818; in Edwardsville (named
after him) from that time to 1824; and from the lat-
ter date at Belleville, St. Clair County, until his
death, July 20, 1833, of Asiatic cholera. Edwards
County is also named in his honor.

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- ILLINOIS

GO VERNORS OF ILLINOIS.

123

|OHN REYNOLDS, Governor 1831-
4, was born in Montgomery Coun-
ty, Pennsylvania, Feb. 26, 1788.
His father, Robert Reynolds and
his mother, nee Margaret Moore,
were both natives of Ireland, from
which country they emigrated to
the United States in 1785, land-
ing at Philadelphia. The senior
Reynolds entertained an undying
hostility to the British Govern-
ment. When the subject of this
sketch was about six months old,
his parents emigrated with him to
Tennessee, where many of their
relatives had already located, at the base of the
Copper Ridge Mountain, about 14 miles northeast of
the present city of Knoxville. There they were ex-
posed to Indian depredations, and were much molest-
ed by them. In 1794 they moved into the interior
of the State. They were poor, and brought up their
children to habits of manual industry.

In 1800 the family removed to Kaskaskia, 111., with
eight horses and two wagons, encountering many
hardships on the way. Here young Reynolds passed
the most of his childhood, while his character began
to develop, the most prominent traits of which were
ambition and energy. He also adopted the principle
and practice of total abstinence from intoxicating
liquors. In 1807 the family made another removal,

this time to the " Goshen Settlement," at the foot of
the Mississippi bluffs three or four miles southwest
of Edwardsville.

On arriving at his 2oth year, Mr. Reynolds, seeing
that he must look about for his own livelihood and
not yet having determined what calling to pursue,
concluded first to attend college, and he accordingly
went to such an institution of learning, near Knox-
ville, Tenn., where he had relatives. Imagine his
diffidence, when, after passing the first 20 years of
his life without ever having seen a carpet, a papered
wall or a Windsor chair, and never having lived in a
shingle-roofed house, he suddenly ushered himself
into the society of the wealthy in the vicinity of
Knoxville! He attended college nearly two years,
going through the principal Latin authors; but it
seems that he, like the rest of the world in modern
times, had but very little use for his Latin in after
life. He always failed, indeed, to exhibit any good
degree of literary discipline. He commenced the
study of law in Knoxville, but a pulmonary trouble
came on and compelled him to change his mode
of life. Accordingly he returned home and re-
cuperated, and in 1812 resumed his college and
law studies at Knoxville. In the fall of 1812 he was
admitted to the Bar at Kaskaskia. About this time
he also learned the French language, which he
practiced with pleasure in conversation with his
family for many years. He regarded this language
as being superior to all others for social intercourse.

124

TaC

REYNOLDS.

From his services in the West, in the war of 1812,
he obtained the sobriquet of the " Old Ranger." He
was Orderly Sergeant, then Judge Advocate.

Mr. Reynolds opened his first law office in the
winter and spring of 1814, in the French village of
Cahokia, then the capital of St. Glair County.

In the fall of 1818 he was elected an Associate
Justice upon the Supreme Bench by the General
Assembly. In 1825 he entered more earnestly than
ever into the practice of law, and the very next year
was elected a member of the Legislature, where he
acted independently of all cliques and private inter-
ests. In 1828 the Whigs and Democrats were for
the first time distinctively organized as such in Illi-
nois, and the usual party bitterness grew up and
raged on all sides, while Mr. Reynolds preserved a
judicial calmness and moderation. The real animus
of the campaign was " Jackson " and " anti-Jackson,"
the former party carrying the State.

In August, 1830, Mr. Reynolds was elected Gov-
ernor, amid great excitement. Installed in office, he
did all within his power to advance the cause of edu-
cation, internal improvements, the Illinois & Mich-
igan Canal, the harbor at Chicago, settling the coun-
try, etc.; also recommended the winding up of the
State Bank, as its affairs had become dangerously
complicated. In his national politics, he was a
moderate supporter of General Jackson. But the
most celebrated event of his gubernatorial admin-
istration was the Black Hawk War, which occurred
in 1832. He called out the militia and prosecuted
the contest with commendable diligence, appearing
in person on the battle-grounds during the most
critical periods. He was recognized by the President
as Major-General, and authorized by him to make
treaties with the Indians. By the assistance of the
general Government the war was terminated without
much bloodshed, but after many serious fights. This
war, as well as everything else, was materially re-
tarded by the occurrence of Asiatic cholera in the
West. This was its first appearance here, and was
the next event in prominence during Gov. Reynolds'
term.

South Carolina nullification coming up at this time,
it was heartily condemned by both President Jackson
and Gov. Reynolds, who took precisely the same
grounds as the Unionists in the last war.

On the termination of his gubernatorial term in
1834, Gov. Reynolds was elected a Member of Con-
gress, still considering himself a backwoodsman, as
he had scarcely been outside of the State since he
became of age, and had spent nearly all his youthful
days in the wildest region of the frontier. His first
move in Congress was to adopt a resolution that in
all elections made by the House for officers the votes
should be given viva voce, each member in his place
naming aloud the person for whom he votes. This
created considerable heated discussion, but was es-

sentially adopted, and remained the controlling prin-
ciple for many years. The ex-Governor was scarcely
absent from his seat a single day, during e^ht ses-
sions of Congress, covering a period of seven years,
and he never vacillated in a party vote; but he failed
to get the Democratic party to foster his " National
Road" scheme. He says, in " My Own Times " (a
large autobiography he published), that it was only
by rigid economy that he avoided insolvency while in
YVashington. During his sojourn in that city he was
married, to a lady of the place.

In 1837, while out of Congress, and in company
with a few others, he built the first railroad in the
Mississippi Valley, namely, one about six miles long,
leading from his coal mine in the Mississippi bluff to
the bank of the river opposite St. Louis. Having not
the means to purchase a locomotive, they operated it
by horse-power. The next spring, however, the com-
pany sold out, at great sacrifice.

In 1839 the ex-Governor was appointed one of the
Canal Commissioners, and authorized to borrow
money to prosecute the enterprise. Accord 1 ' ugly, he
repaired to Philadelphia and succeeding in obtaining
a million dollars, which, however, was only a fourth
of what was wanted. The same year he and his
wife made at our of Europe. This year, also, Mr.
Reynolds had the rather awkward little responsibility
of introducing to President Van Buren the noted
Mormon Prophet, Joseph Smith, as a " Latter-Day
Saint!"

In 1846 Gov. Reynolds was elected a member of
the Legislature from St. Clair County, more particu-
larly for the purpose of obtaining a feasible charter
for a macadamized road from Belleville to St. Louis,
a distance of nearly 14 miles. This was immediately
built, and was the first road of the kind in the State.
He was again elected to the Legislature in 1852, when
he was chosen Speaker of the House. In 1860, aged
and infirm, he attended the National Democratic
Convention at Charleston, S. C.,--as an anti-Douglas
Delegate, where he received more attention from the
Southern Delegates than any other member. He
supported Breckenridge for the Presidency. After
the October elections foreshadowed the success of
Lincoln, he published an address urging the Demo-
crats to rally to the support of Douglas. Immedi-
ately preceding and during the late war, his corre-
spondence evinced a clear sympathy for the Southern
secession, and about the first of March, 1861, he
urged upon the Buchanan officials the seizure of the
treasure and arms in the custom-house and arsenal
at St. Louis. Mr. Reynolds was a rather talkative
man, and apt in all the Western phrases and catch-
words that ever gained currency, besides many cun-
ning and odd ones of his own manufacture.

He was married twice, but had no children. He
died in Belleville, in May, 1865, just after the close
of the war.

- -

. ..

UNIVERSITY OF
URBAM

GOVERNORS OF ILLINOIS.

ILLIAM LEE D. EWING,
Governor of Illinois Nov. 3
to 17, 1834, was a native
of Kentucky, and probably
of Scotch ancestry. He had
a fine education, was a gentle-
man of polished manners and
refined sentiment. In 1830 John Rey-
nolds was elected Governor of the State,
and Zadok Casey Lieutenant Governor,
and for the principal events that followed,
and the characteristics of the times, see
sketch of Gov. Reynolds. The first we
see in history concerning Mr. Ewing, in-
forms us that he was a Receiver of Public
Moneys at Vandalia soon after the organization of
this State, and that the public moneys in his hands
were deposited in various banks, as they are usually
at the present day. In 1823 the State Bank was
robbed, by which disaster Mr. Ewing lost a thousand-
dollar deposit.

The subject of this sketch had a commission as
Colonel in the Black Hawk War, and in emergencies
he acted also as Major. In the summer of 1832,
when it was rumored among the whites that Black
Hawk and his men had encamped somewhere on
Rock River, Gen. Henry was sent on a tour of
reconnoisance, and with orders to drive the Indians
from the State. After some opposition from his
subordinate officers, Henry resolved to proceed up
Rock River in search of the enemy. On the igth of
July, early in the morning, five baggage wagons.

camp equipage and all heavy and cumbersome arti-
cles were piled up and left, so that the army might
make speedy and forced marches. For some miles
the travel was exceedingly bad, crossing swamps
and the worst thickets ; but the large, fresh trail
gave life and animation to the Americans. Gen.
Dodge and Col. Ewing were both acting as Majors,
and composed the " spy corps " or vanguard of the
army. It is supposed the army inarched nearly 50
miles this day, and the Indian trail they followed
became fresher, and was strewed with much property
and trinkets of the red-skins that they had lost or
thrown away to hasten their inarch. During the
following night there was a terrific thunder-storm, and
the soldiery, with all- their appurtenances, were thor-
oughly drenched.

On approaching nearer the Indians the next day.
Gen. Dodge and Major Ewing, each commanding a
battalion of men, were placed in front to bring on the
battle, but the savages were not overtaken this day
Forced marches were continued until they reached.
Wisconsin River, where a veritable battle ensued,
resulting in the death of about 68 of Black Hawk's
men. The next day they continued the chase, and
as soon as he discovered the trail of the Indians
leading toward the Mississippi, Maj. Ewing formed
his battalion in order of battle and awaited the order
of Gen. Henry. The latter soon appeared on the
ground and ordered a charge, which directly resulted
in chasing the red warriors across the great river.
Maj. Ewing and his command proved particularly
efficient in war, as it seems they were the chief actors
in driving the main body of the Sacs and Foxes, in-

* '

. ptsr

WILLIAM L. D. EWING.

eluding Black Hawk himself, across the Mississippi,
while Gen. Atkinson, commander-in-chief of the ex-
pedition, with a body of the army, was hunting for
them in another direction.

In the above affair Maj. Ewing is often referred to
as a " General," which title he had derived from his
connection with the militia.

It was in the latter part of the same year (1832)
that Lieutenant Governor Casey was elected to Con-
gress and Gen. Ewing, who had been elected to the
Senate, was chosen to preside over that body. At
the August election of 1834, Gov. Reynolds was also
elected to Congress, more than a year ahead of the
time at which he could actually take his seat, as was
then the law. His predecessor, Charles Slade, had
just died of Asiatic cholera, soon after the elec-
tion, and Gov. Reynolds was chosen to serve out his
unexpired term. Accordingly he set out for Wash-
ington in November of that year to take his seat in
Congress, and Gen. Ewing, by virtue of his office as
President of the Senate, became Governor of the
State of Illinois, his term covering only a period of
\$ days, namely, from the 3d to the xyth days, in-
clusive, of November. On the i;th the Legislature
met, and Gov. Ewing transmitted to that body his
message, giving a statement of the condition of the
affairs of the State at that time, and urging a contin-
uance of the policy adopted by his predecessor ; and
on the same day Governor elect Joseph Duncan
was sworn into office, thus relieving Mr. Ewing from

the responsible situation. This is the only time that
such a juncture has happened in the history of Illi-
nois.

On the 29111 of December, 1835, Gen. Ewing was
elected a United States Senator to serve out the
unexpired term of Elias Kent Kane, deceased. The
latter gentleman was a very prominent figure in the
early politics of Illinois, and a county in this State is
named in his honor. The election of Gen. Ewing to
the Senate was a protracted struggle. His competi-
tors were James Semple, who afterwards held several
important offices in this State, and Richard M.
Young, afterward a United States Senator and a
Supreme Judge and a man of vast influence. On
the first ballot Mr. Semple had 25 votes, Young 19
and Ewing 18. On the eighth ballot Young was
dropped ; the ninth and tenth stood a tie ; but on
the 1 2th Ewing received 40, to Semple 37, and was
accordingly declared elected. In 1837 Mr. Ewing
received some votes for a continuance of his term in
Congress, when Mr. Young, just referred to, was
elected. In 1842 Mr. Ewing was elected State
Audit?r on the ticket with Gov. Ford.

Gen. Ewing was a gentleman of culture, a lawyer
by profession, and was much in public life. In person
he was above medium height and of heavy build,
with auburn hair, blue eyes, large-sized head and
short face. He was genial, social, friendly and
affable, with fair talent, though of no high degree of
originality. He died March 25, 1846.

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CO VERNORS OF ILLINOIS.

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OSEPH DUNCAN, Governor
1834-8, was born at Paris,
Ky., Feb. 23, 1794. At the
tender age of 19 years he en-
listed in the war against Great
Britain, and as a soldier he
acquitted himself with credit. He
was an Ensign under the daunt-
less Croghan at Lower Sandusky,
or Fort Stephenson. In Illinois
lie first appeared in a public capa-
city as Major-General of the Militia,
a position which his military fame
had procured him. Subsequently
he became a State Senator from
Jackson County, and is honorably
mentioned for introducing the first bill providing for
a free-school system. In 1826, when the redoubt-
able John P. Cook, who had previously beaten such
men as John McLean, Elias Kent Kane and ex-
Gov. Bond, came up for the fourth time for Congress,
Mr. Duncan was brought forward against him by his
friends, greatly to the surprise of all the politicians.
As yet lie was but little known in the State. He was
an original Jackson man at that time, being attached
to his political fortune in admiration of the glory of
his militaiy achievements. His chances of success
against Cook were generally regarded as hopeless,
but he entered upon the campaign undaunted. His
speeches, though short and devoid of ornament, were
full of good sense. He made a diligent canvass of
the State, Mr. Cook being hindered by the condition of
his health. The most that was expected of Mr.
Duncan, under the circumstances, was that he would

obtain a respectable vote, but without defeating Mr.
Cook. The result of the campaign, however, was a
source of surprise and amazement to both friends
and foes, as Mr. Duncan came out 641 votes ahead!
He received 6,321 votes, and Mr. Cook 5,680. Un-
til this denouement, the violence of party feeling
smoldering in the breasts of the people on account
of the defeat of Jackson, was not duly appreciated.
Aside from the great convention struggle of 1824, no
other than mere local and penonal considerations
had ever before controlled an election in Illinois.

From the above date Mr. Duncan retained his
seat in Congress until his election as Governor in
August, 1834. The first and bloodless year of the
Black Hawk War he was appointed by Gov. Rey-
nolds to the position of Brigadier-General of the
volunteers, and he conducted his brigade to Rock
Island. But he was absent from the State, in Wash-
ington, during the gubernatorial campaign, and did
not personally participate in it, but addressed circu-
lars to his constituents. His election was, indeed,
attributed to the circumstance of his absence, be-
cause his estrangement from Jackson, formerly his
political idol, and also from the Democracy, largely
in ascendency in the State, was complete ; but while
his defection was well known to his Whig friends,
and even to the leading Jackson men of this State,
the latter were unable to carry conviction of that fact
to the masses, as mail and newspaper facilities at
that day were far inferior to those of the present
time. Of course the Governor was much abused
afterward by the fossilized Jackson men who re-
garded party ties and affiliations as above all
other issues that could arise ; but he was doubtless

JOSEPH DUNCAN.

sincere in his opposition to the old hero, as the latter
had vetoed several important western measures
which were dear to Mr. Duncan. In his inaugural
message he threw off the mask and took a bold stand
against the course of the President. The measures
he recommended in his message, however, were so
desirable that the Legislature, although by a large
majority consisting of Jackson men, could not refrain
from endorsing them. These measures related
mainly to banks and internal improvements.

It was while Mr. Duncan was Governor that the
people of Illinois went whirling on with bank and in-
ternal improvement schemes that well nigh bank-
rupted the State. The hard times of 1837 came on,
and the disasters that attended the inauguration of
these plans and the operation of the banks were mu-
tually charged upon the two political parties. Had
any one man autocratic power to introduce and
carry on any one of these measures, he would proba-
bly have succeeded to the satisfaction of the public ;
but as many jealous men had hold of the same plow
handle, no success followed and each blamed the other
for the failure. In this great vortex Gov. Duncan
was carried along, suffering the ^like derogation of
character with his fellow citizens.

At the height of the excitement the Legislature
" provided for " railroads from Galena to Cairo, Alton
to Shawneetown, Alton to Mount Carmel, Alton to the
eastern boundary of the State in the direction of
Terre Haute, Quincy via Springfield to the Wabash,
Bloomington to Pekin, and Peoria to Warsaw, in all
about 1,300 miles of road. It also provided for the
improvement of the navigation of the Kaskaskia,
Illinois, Great and Little-Wabash and Rock Rivers ;
also as a placebo, $200,000 in money were to be dis-
tributed to the various counties wherein no improve-
ments were ordered to be made as above. The
estimate for the expenses for all these projects was
placed at a little over $10,000,000, which was not
more than half enough ! That would now be equal to
saddling upon the State a debt of $225,000,000 ! It
was sufficient to bankrupt the State several times
over, even counting all the possible benefits.

One of the most exciting events that ever occurred
in this fair State was the murder of Elijah P. Love-
joy in the fall of 1837, at Alton, during Mr. Duncan's
term as Governor. Lovejoy was an " Abolitionist,"
editing the Observer at that place, and the pro-
slavery slums there formed themselves into a mob,

and after destroying successively three presses be-
longing to Mr. Lovejoy, surrounded the warehouse
where the fourth press was stored away, endeavoring
to destroy it, and where Lovejoy and his friends
were entrenching themselves, and shot and killed the
brave reformer!

About this time, also, the question of removing the
State capital again came up, as the 20 years' limit for
its existence at Vandalia was drawing to a close.
There was, of course, considerable excitement over
the matter, the two main points competing for it be-
ing Springfield and Peoria. The jealousy of the lat-
ter place is not even yet, 45 years afterward, fully
allayed.

Gov. Duncan's term expired in 1838. In 1842
he was again proposed as a candidate for the Execu-
tive chair, this time by the Whig party, against Adam
W. Snyder, of St. Clair County, the nominee of the
Democrats. Charles W. Hunter was a third candi-
date for the same position. Mr. Snyder, however, died
before the campaign had advanced very far, and his
party substituted Thomas Ford, who was elected,
receiving 46,901 votes, to 38,584 for Duncan, and
909 for Hunter. The cause of Democratic success
at this time is mainly attributed to the temporary
support of the Mormons which they enjoyed, and the
want of any knowledge, on the part of the masses,
that Mr. Ford was opposed to any given policy en-
tertained in the respective localities.

Gov. Duncan was a man of rather limited educa-
tion, but with naturally fine abilities he profited
greatly by his various public services, and gathered
a store of knowledge regarding public affairs which
served him a ready purpose. He possessed a clear
judgment, decision, confidence in himself and moral
courage to carry out his convictions of right. In his
deportment he was well adapted to gain the admira-
tion of the people. His intercourse with them was
both affable and dignified. His portrait at the Gov-
ernor's mansion, from which the accompanying was
made, represents him as having a swarthy complex-
ion, high cheek bones, broad forehead, piercing black
eyes and straight black hair.

He was a liberal patron of the Illinois College at
Jacksonville, a member of its Board of Trustees, and
died, after a short illness, Jan. 15, 1844, a devoted
member of the Presbyterian Church, leaving a wife
but no children. Two children, born to them, had
died in infancy.

GO VERNORS OF ILLINOIS.

[HOMAS CARLIN, the sixth
Governor of the State of
Illinois, serving from 1838
to 1842, was also a Ken-
tuckian, being born near
Frankfort, that State, July
18, 1789, of Irish paternity.
The opportunities for an education
being very meager in his native
place, he, on approaching years of
judgment and maturity, applied
himself to those branches of learn-
ing that seemed most important,
and thus became a self-made man ;
and his taste for reading and
study remained with him through
life. In 1803 his father removed
to Missouri, then a part of " New Spain," where he
died in 1810.

In 1812 young Carlin came to Illinois and partici-
pated in all the "ranging" service incident to the
war of that period, proving himself a soldier of un-
daunted bravery. In 1814 he married Rebecca
Huitt, and lived for four years on the bank of the
Mississippi River, opposite the mouth of the Mis-
souri, where he followed farming, and then removed
to Greene County. He located the town site of Car-
rollton, in that county, and in 1825 made a liberal
donation of land for county building purposes. He
was the first Sheriff of that county after its separate
organization, and afterward was twice elected, as a
Jackson Democrat, to the Illinois Senate. In the
Black Hawk War he commanded a spy battalion, a
post of considerable danger. In 1834 he was ap-
pointed by President Jackson to the position of
Receiver of Public Moneys, and to fulfill the office

more conveniently he removed to the city of Quincy.

While, in i838j the unwieldy internal improvement
system of the State was in full operation, with all its
expensive machinery, amidst bank suspensions
throughout the United States, a great stringency in
the money market everywhere, and Illinois bonds
forced to sale at a heavy discount, and the " hardest
times " existing that the people of the Prairie State
ever saw, the general election of State officers was
approaching. Discreet men who had cherished the
hope of a speedy subsidence of the public infatua-
tion, met with disappointment. A Governor and
Legislature were to be elected, and these were now
looked forward to for a repeal of the ruinous State
policy. But the grand scheme had not yet lost its
dazzling influence upon the minds of the people.
Time and experience had not yet fully demonstrated
its utter absurdity. Hence the question of arresting
its career of profligate expenditures did not become
a leading one with the dominant party during the
campaign, and most of the old members of the Leg-
islature were returned at this election.

Under these circumstances the Democrats, in State
Convention assembled, nominated Mr. Carlin for the
office of Governor, and S. H. Anderson for Lieuten-
ant Governor, while the Whigs nominated Cyrus Ed-
wards, brother of Ninian Edwards, formerly Governor,
and W. H. Davidson. Edwards came out strongly
for a continuance of the State policy, while Carlin
remained non-committal. This was the first time
that the two main political parties in this State were
unembarrassed by any third party in the field. The
result of the ele-tion was: Carlin, 35,573 ; Ander-
son, 30,335; Edwards, 29,629; and Davidson, 28,-

Upon the meeting of the subsequent Legislature
(1839), the retiring Governor (Duncan) in his rnes-

j( J

r. .-<
^

sage spoke in emphatic terms of the impolicy of the
internal improvement system, presaging the evils
threatened, and uiged that body to do their utmost
to correct the great error ; yet, on the contrary, the
Legislature not only decided to continue the policy
but also added to its burden by voting more appro-
priations and ordering more improvements. Although
the money market was still stringent, a further loan
of $4,000,000 was ordered for the Illinois & Mich-
igan Canal alone. Chicago at that time began to
loom up and promise to be an important city, even
the great emporium of the West, as it has since in-
deed came to be. Ex-Gov. Reynolds, an incompe-
tent financier, was commissioned to effect the loan,
and accordingly hastened to the East on this respons-
ible errand, and negotiated the loans, at considera-
ble sacrifice to the State. Besides this embarrassment
to Carlin's administration, the Legislature also de-
clared that he had no authority to appoint a Secretary
of State until a vacancy existed, and A. P. Field, a
Whig, who had already held the post by appointment
through three administrations, was determined to
keep the place a while longer, in spite of Gov. Car-
lin's preferences. The course of the Legislature in
this regard, however, was finally sustained by the
Supreme Court, in a quo warranty case brought up
before it by John A. McClernand, whom the Gov-
ernor had nominated for the office. Thereupon that
dignified body was denounced as a "Whig Court!"
endeavoring to establish the principle of life-tenure
of office.

A new law was adopted re-organizing the Judicu,
ary, and under it five additional Supreme Judges
were elected by the Legislature, namely, Thomas
Ford (afterward Governor), Sidney Breese, Walter B.
Scates, Samuel H. Treat and Stephen A. Douglas
all Democrats.

It was during Cov. Carlin's administration that the
noisy campaign of "Tippecanoe and Tyler too " oc-
curred, resulting in a Whig victory. This, however,
did not affect Illinois politics very seriously.

Another prominent event in the West during Gov.
Carlin's term of office was the excitement caused by
the Mormons and their removal from Independence,
Mo., to Nauvoo, 111., in 1840. At the same time
they began to figure somewhat in State politics. On
account of their believing as they thought, accord-
ing to the New Testament that they should have

" all things common," and that consequently " all
the earth " and all that is upon it were the" Lord's "
and therefore the property of his " saints," they
were suspected, and correctly, too, of committing
many of the deeds of larceny, robbery, etc., that
were so rife throughout this country in those days.
Hence a feeling of violence grew up between the
Mormons and "anti-Mormons." In the State of
Missouri the Mormons always supported the Dem-
ocracy until they were driven out by the Democratic
government, when they turned their support to the
Whigs. They were becoming numerous, and in the
Legislature of 1840-1, therefore, it became a matter
of great interest with both parties to conciliate these
people. Through the agency of one John C. Ben-
nett, a scamp, the Mormons succeeded in rushing
through the Legislature (both parties not daring to
oppose) a charter for the city of Nauvoo which vir-
tually erected a hierarchy co-ordinate with the Fed-
eral Government itself. In the fall of 1841 the
Governor of Missouri made a demand upon Gov.
Carlin for the body of Joe Smith, the Mormon leader,
as a fugitive from justice. Gov. Carlin issued the
writ, but for some reason it was returned unserved.
It was again issued in 1842, and Smith was arrested,
but was either rescued by his followers or discharged
by the municipal court on a writ of habeas corpus.

In December, r84i, the Democratic Convention
nominated Adam W. Snyder, of Belleville, for Gov-
ernor. As he had been, as a member of the Legisla-
ture, rather friendly to the Mormons, the latter
naturally turned their support to the Democratic
party. The next spring the Whigs nominated Ex-
Gov. Duncan for the same office. In the meantime
the Mormons began to grow more odious to the
masses of the people, and the comparative prospects
of the respective parties for success became very
problematical. Mr. Snyder died in May, and
Thomas Ford, a Supreme Judge, was substituted as
a candidate, and was elected.

At the close of his gubernatorial term, Mr. Carlin
removed back to his old home at Carrollton, where
he spent the remainder of his life, as before his ele-
vation to office, in agricultural pursuits. In 1849
he served out the unexpired term of J. D. Fry in the
Illinois House of Representatives, and died Feb. 4,
1 85 2, at his residence at Carrollton, leaving a wife
and seven children.

UNIVERSITY Of JUJNOIJ,

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GO VERNORS OF ILLINOIS.

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JHOMAS FORD, Governor
from 1842 to 1846, and au-
thor of a very interesting
history of Illinois, was born
at Uniontown, Pa., in the
year 1 800. His mother, after
the death of her first hus-
band (Mr. Forquer), married Rob-
ert Ford, who was killed in 1802,
by the Indians in the mountains
of Pennsylvania. She was conse-
quently left in indigent circum-
stances, with a large family, mostly
girls. With a view to better her
condition, she, in 1804, removed to
Missouri, where it had been cus-
tomary by the Spanish Govern-
ment to give land to actual settlers ; but upon her
arrival at St. Louis she found the country ceded to
the United States, and the liberal policy toward set-
tlers changed by the new ownership. After some
sickness to herself and family, she finally removed to
Illinois, and settled some three miles south of Water-
loo, but the following year moved nearer the Missis-
sippi bluffs. Here young Ford received his first

schooling, under the instructions of a Mr. Humphrey,
for which he had to walk three miles. His mother,
though lacking a thorough education, was a woman
of superior mental endowments, joined to energy
and determination of character. She inculcated in
her children those high-toned principles which dis-
tinguished her sons in public life. She exercised a
rigid economy to provide her children an education ;
but George Forquer, her oldest son (six years older
than Thomas Ford), at an early age had to quit
school to aid by his labor in the support of the family.
He afterward became an eminent man in Illinois
affairs, and but for his early death would probably
have been elected to the United States Senate.

Young Ford, with somewhat better opportunities,
received a better education, though limited to the
curriculum of the common school of those pioneer
times. His mind gave early promise of superior en-
dowments, with an inclination for mathematics. His
proficiency attracted the attention of Hon. Daniel P.
Cook, who became his efficient patron and friend.
The latter gentleman was an eminent Illinois states-
man who, as a Member of Congress, obtained a grant
of 300,000 acres of land to aid in completing the
Illinois & Michigan Canal, and after whom the
county of Cook was named. Through the advice of

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this gentleman, Mr. Ford turned his attention to the
study of law; but Forquer, then merchandising, re-
garding his education defective, sent him to Transyl-
vania University, where, however, he remained but
one term, owing. to Forquer's failure in business. On
his return he alternated his law reading with teach-
ing school for support.

In 1829 Gov. Edwards appointed him Prosecuting
Attorney, and in 1831 he was re-appointed by Gov.
Reynolds, and after that he was four times elected a
Judge by the Legislature, without opposition, twice a
Circuit Judge, once a Judge of Chicago, and as As-
sociate Judge of the Supreme Court, when, in 1841,
the latter tribunal was re-organized by the addition
of five Judges, all Democrats. Ford was assigned to
the Ninth Judicial Circuit, and while in this capacity
he was holding Court in Ogle County he received a
notice of his nomination by the Democratic Conven-
tion for the office of Governor. He immediately re-
signed his place and entered upon the canvass. In
August, 1842, he was elected, and on the 8th of De-
cember following he was inaugurated.

All the offices which he had held were unsolicited
by him. He received them upon the true Jefferson-
ian principle, Never to ask and never to refuse
office. Both as a lawyer and as a Judge he stood
deservedly high, but his cast of intellect fitted him
rather for a writer upon law than a practicing advo-
cate in the courts. In the latter capacity he was void
of the moving power of eloquence, so necessary to
success with juries. As a Judge his opinions were
sound, lucid and able expositions of the law. In
practice, he was a stranger to the tact, skill and in-
sinuating address of the politician, but he saw through
the arts of demagogues as well as any man. He was
plain in his demeanor, so much so, indeed, that at
one time after the expiration of his term of office,
during a session of the Legislature, he was taken by
a stranger to be a seeker for the position of door-
keeper, and was waited upon at his hotel near mid-
night by a knot of small office-seekers with the view
of effecting a " combination ! "

Mr. Ford had not the " brass " of the ordinary
politician, nor that impetuosity which characterizes a
political leader. He cared little for money, and
hardly enough for a decent support. In person he
was of small stature, slender, of dark complexion,
with black hair, sharp features, deep-set eyes, a
pointed, aquiline nose having a decided twist to one
side, and a small mouth.

The three most important events in Gov. Ford's
administration were the establishment of the high
financial credit of the State, the " Mormon War " and
the Mexican War.

In the first of these the Governor proved himself
to be eminently wise. On coming into office he found
the State badly paralyzed by the ruinous effects of
the notorious " internal improvement " schemes of

the preceding decade, with scarcely anything to
show by way of "improvement." The enterprise
that seemed to be getting ahead more than all the
rest was the Illinois & Michigan Canal. As this
promised to be the most important thoroughfare,
feasible to the people, it was well under headway in
its construction. Therefore the State policy was
almost concentrated upon it, in order to rush it on to
completion. The bonded indebtedness of the State
was growing so large as to frighten the people, and
they were about ready to entertain a proposition for
repudiation. But the Governor had the foresight to
recommend such measures as would maintain the
public credit, for which every citizen to-day feels
thankful.

But perhaps the Governor is remembered more for
his connection with the Mormon troubles than for
anything else; for it was during his term of office
that the " Latter-Day Saints " became so strong at
Nauvoo, built their temple there, increased their num-
bers throughout the country, committed misdemean-
ors, taught dangerous doctrines, suffered the loss of
their leader, Jo Smith, by a violent death, were driven
out of Nauvoo to the far West, etc. Having been a
Judge for so many years previously, Mr. Ford of
course was non-committal concerning Mormon affairs,
and was therefore claimed by both parties and also
accused by each of sympathizing too greatly with the
other side. Mormonism claiming to be a system of
religion, the Governor no doubt was " between two
fires," and felt compelled to touch the matter rather
" gingerly," and doubtless felt greatly relieved when
that pestilential people left the State. Such compli-
cated matters, especially when religion is mixed up
with them, expose every person participating in
them to criticism from all parties.

The Mexican War was begun in the spring of
1845, and was continued into the gubernatorial term
of Mr. Ford's successor. The Governor's connection
with this war, however, was not conspicuous, as it
was only administrative, commissioning officers, etc.

Ford's " History of Illinois " is a very readable and
entertaining work, of 450 small octavo pages, and is
destined to increase in value with the lapse of time.
It exhibits a natural flow of compact and forcible
thought, never failing to convey the nicest sense. In
tracing with his trenchant pen the devious operations
of the professional politician, in which he is inimit-
able, his account is open, perhaps, to the objection
that all his contemporaries are treated as mere place-
seekers, while many of them have since been judged
by the people to be worthy statesmen. His writings
seem slightly open to the criticism that they exhibit
a little splenetic partiality against those of his con-
temporaries who were prominent during his term of
office as Governor.

The death of Gov. Ford took place at Peoria, 111.,
Nov. 2, 1850.

'" miTY OF iLUNOIS
URBANA

1 '*&*iK

GO VERNORS OF ILLINOIS.

Augustus C, French

AUGUSTUS C. FRENCH,
Governor of Illinois from
1846 to 1852, was born in
the town of Hill, in the
State of New Hampshire,
Aug. 2, 1808. He was a
descendant in the fourth
generation ot Nathaniel
French, who emigrated from England
in 1687 and settled in Saybury, Mass.
In early life young French lost his
father, but continued to receive in-
struction from an exemplary and
Christian mother until he was 19 years
old, when she also died, confiding to
his care and trust four younger broth-
ers and one sister. He discharged his trust with
parental devotion. His education in early life was
such mainly as a common school afforded. For a
brief period he attended Dartmouth College, but
from pecuniary causes and the care of his brothers
and sister, he did not graduate. He subsequently
read law, and was admitted to the Bar in 1831, and
shortly afterward removed to Illinois, settling first at
Albion, Edwards County, where he established him-
self in the practice of law. The following year he
removed to Paris, Edgar County. Here he attained
eminence in his profession, and entered public life
by representing that county in the Legislature. A
strong attachment sprang up between him and Ste-
phen A. Douglas.

In 1839, Mr. French was appointed Receiver of
the United States Land Office at Palestine, Craw-
ford County, at which place he was a resident when

elevated to the gubernatorial chair. In 1844 he was
a Presidential Elector, and as such he voted for
James K. Polk.

The Democratic State Convention of 1846, meet-
ing at Springfield Feb. 10, nominated Mr. French
for Governor. Other Democratic candidates were
Lyman Trumbull, John Calhoun (subsequently of
Lecompton Constitution notoriety), Walter B. Scales,
Richard M. Young and A. W. Cavarly, an array of
very able and prominent names. Trumbull was per-
haps defeated in the Convention by the rumor that
he was opposed to the Illinois and Michigan Canal,
as he had been a year previously. For Lieutenant
Governor J. B. Wells was chosen, while other candi-
dates were Lewis Ross, Win. McMurtry, Newton
Cloud, J. B. Hamilton and W. W. Thompson. The
resolutions declared strongly against the resuscita-
tion of the old State Banks.

The Whigs, who were in a hopeless minority, held
their convention June 8, at Peoria, and selected
Thomas M. Kilpatrick, of Scott County, for Governor,
and Gen.' Nathaniel G. Wilcox, of Schuyler, for
Lieutenant Governor.

In the campaign the latter exposed Mr. French's
record and connection with the passage of the in-
ternal improvement system, urging it against his
election ; but in the meantime the war with Mexico
broke out, regarding which the Whig record was un-
popular in this State. The war was the absorbing
and dominating question of the period, sweeping
every other political issue in its course. The elec-
tion in August gave Mr. French 58,700 votes, and
Kilpatrick only 36,775. Richard Eells, Abolitionist
candidate for the same office, received 5,152 votes,

* '

O M H " ^ >T

AUGUSTUS C. FRENCH.

By the new Constitution of 1848, a new election for
State officers was ordered in November of that year,
before Gov. French's term was half out, and he was
re-elected for the term of four years. He was there-
fore the incumbent for six consecutive years, the
only Governor of this State who has ever served in
that capacity so long at one time. As there was no
organized opposition to his election, he received 67,-
453 votes, to 5,639 for Pierre Menard (son of the
first Lieutenant Governor), 4,748 for Charles V.
Dyer, 3,834 for W. L. D. Morrison, and 1,361 for
James L. D. Morrison. But Wm. McMurtry, of
Knox County, was elected Lieutenant Governor, in
place of Joseph B. Wells, who was before elected
and did not run again.

Governor French was inaugurated into office dur-
ing the progress of the Mexican War, which closed
during the summer of 1847, although the treaty of
Guadalupe Hidalgo was not made until Feb. 2,
1848. The policy of Gov. French's party was com-
mitted to that war, but in connection with that affair
he was, of course, only an administrative officer.
During his term of office, Feb. 19, 1847, tne Legisla-
ture, by special permission of Congress, declared that
all Government lands sold to settlers should be im-
mediately subject to State taxation; before this they
were exempt for five years after sale. . By this ar-
rangement the revenue was materially increased.
About the same time, the distribution of Government
land warrants among the Mexican soldiers as bounty
threw upon the market a great quantity of good
lands, and this enhanced the settlement of the State.
The same Legislature authorized, with the recom-
mendation of the Governor, the sale of the Northern
Cross Railroad (from Springfield to Meredosia, the
first in the State and now a section of the Wabash,
St. Louis & Pacific). It sold for $100,000 in bonds,
although it had cost the State not less than a million.
The salt wells and canal lands in the Saline reserve
in Gallatin County, granted by the general Govern-
ment to the State, were also authorized by the
Governor to be sold, to apply on the State debt. In
1850, for the first time since 1839, the accruing State
revenue, exclusive of specific appropriations, was
sufficient to meet the current demands upon the
treasury. The aggregate taxable property of the
State at this time was over $100,000,000, and the
population 851,470.

In 1849 the Legislature adopted the township or- __
ganization law, which, however, proved defective, \
and was properly amended in 1851. At its session
in the latter year, the General Assembly also passed
a law to exempt homesteads from sale on executions.
This beneficent measure had been repeatedly urged
upon that body by Gov. French.

In 1850 some business men in St. Louis com-
menced to build a dike opposite the lower part of
their city on the Illinois side, to keep the Mississippi
in its channel near St. Louis, instead of breaking
away from them as it sometimes threatened to do.
This they undertook without permission from the
Legislature or Executive authority of this State ; and
as many of the inhabitants there complained that
the scheme would inundate and ruin much valuable
land, there was a slight conflict of jurisdictions, re-
sulting in favor of the St. Louis project ; and since
then a good site has existed there for a city (East St.
Louis), and now a score of railroads center there.

It was in September, 1850, that Congress granted
to this State nearly 3,000,000 acres of land in aid of
the completion of the Illinois Central Railroad,
which constituted the most important epoch in the
railroad we might say internal improvement his-
tory of the State. The road was rushed on to com-
pletion, which accelerated the settlement of the in-
terior of the State by a good class of industrious citi-
zens, and by the charter a good income to the State
Treasury is paid in from the earnings of the road.

In 1851 the Legislature passed a law authorizing
free stock banks, which was the source of much leg-
islative discussion for a number of years.

But we have not space further to particularize
concerning legislation. Gov. French's administra-
tion was not marked by any feature to .be criticised,
while the country was settling up as never before.

In stature, Gov. French was of medium height,
squarely built, light complexioned, with ruddy face
and pleasant countenance. In manners he was
plain and agreeable. By nature he was somewhat
diffident, but he was often very outspoken in his con- (Q)
victions of duty. In public speech he was not an
orator, but was chaste, earnest and persuasive. In
business he was accurate and methodical, and in his
administration he kept up the credit of the State.

He died in 1865, at his home in Lebanon, St.
Clair Co., 111.

Or ,LUNO

GO VERNORS OF ILLINOIS.

|:OEL A. MATTESON, Governor
1 85 3-6, was bora Aug. 8, 1808,
in Jefferson County, New York,
to which place his father had re-
moved from Vermont three years
before. His father was a farmer
in fair circumstances, but a com-
mon English education was all
that his only son received. Young
Joel first tempted fortune as a
small tradesman in Prescott,
Canada, before he was of age.
He returned from that place to
his home, entered an academy,
taught school, visited the prin-
cipal Eastern cities, improved a farm his father had
given him, made a tour in the South, worked there
in building railroads, experienced a storm on the
Gulf of Mexico, visited the gold diggings of Northern
Georgia, and returned via Nashville to St. Louis and
through Illinois to his father's home, when he mar-
ried. In 1833, having sold his farm, he removed,
with his wife and one child, to Illinois, and entered
a claim on Government land near the head of Au
Sable River, in what is now Kendall County. At
that time there were not more than two neighbors
within a range of ten miles of his place, and only
three or four houses between him and Chicago. He
opened a large farm. His family was boarded 12

miles away while he erected a house on his claim,
sleeping, during this time, under a rude pole shed.
Here his life was once placed in imminent peril by
a huge prairie rattlesnake sharing his bed.

In 1835 he bought largely at the Government land
sales. During the speculative real-estate mania which
broke out in Chicago in 1836 and spread over the State,
he sold his lands under the inflation of that period
and removed to Joliet. In 1838 he became a heavy
contractor on the Illinois & Michigan Canal. Upon
the completion of his job in 1841, when hard times
prevailed, business at a stand, contracts paid in State
scrip; when all the public works except the canal
were abandoned, the State offered for sale 700 tons
of railroad iron, which was purchased by Mr. Mat-
teson at a bargain. This he accepted, shipped and
sold at Detroit, realizing a very handsome profit,
enough to pay off all his canal debts and leave him a
surplus of several thousand dollars. His enterprise
next prompted him to start a woolen mill at Joliet,
in which he prospered, and which, after successive
enlargements, became an enormous establishment.

In 1842 he was first elected a State Senator, but,
by a bungling apportionment, John Pearson, a Senator
holding over, was found to be in the same district,
and decided to be entitled to represent it. Mat-
teson's seat was declared vacant. Pearson, however,
with a nobleness difficult to appreciate in this day of

A<*

JOEL A. MATTESON.

greed for office, unwilling to represent his district
under the circumstances, immediately resigned his
unexpired term of two years. A bill was passed in a
few hours ordering a new election, and in ten days'
time Mr. Matteson was returned re-elected and took
his seat as Senator. From his well-known capacity
as a business man, he was made Chairman of the
Committee on Finance, a position he held during
this half and two full succeeding Senatorial terms,
discharging its important duties with ability and faith-
fulness. Besides his extensive woolen-mill interest,
when work was resumed on the canal under the new
loan of $1,600,000 he again became a heavy con-
tractor, and also subsequently operated largely in
building railroads. Thus he showed himself a most
energetic and thorough business man.

He was nominated for Governor by the Demo-
cratic State Convention which met at Springfield
April 20, 1852. Other candidates before the Con-
vention were D. L. Gregg and F. C. Sherman, of
Cook ; John Dement, of Lee ; Thomas L. Harris, of
Menard; Lewis W. Ross, of Fulton ; and D. P. Bush,
of Pike. Gustavus Koerner, of St. Clair, was nom-
inated for Lieutenant Governor. For the same offices
the Whigs nominated Edwin B. Webb and Dexter A.
Knowlton. Mr. Matteson received 80,645 v tes at
the election, while Mr. Webb received 64,408. Mat-
teson's forte was not on the stump; he had not cul-
tivated the art of oily flattery, or the faculty of being
all things to all men. His intellectual qualities took
rather the direction of efficient executive ability. His
turn consisted not so much in the adroit manage-
ment of party, or the powerful advocacy of great gov-
ernmental principles, as in those more solid and
enduring operations which cause the physical devel-
opment and advancement of a State, of commerce
and business enterprise, into which he labored with
success to lead the people. As a politician he was
just and liberal in his views, and both in official and
private life he then stood untainted and free from
blemish. As a man, in active benevolence, social
virtues and all the amiable qualities of neighbor or
citizen, he had few superiors. His messages present
a perspicuous array of facts as to the condition of the
State, and are often couched in forcible and elegant
diction.

The greatest excitement during his term of office
was the repeal of the Missouri Compromise, by Con-

/-> .Vv

gress, under the leadership of Stephen A. Douglas in
1854, when the bill was passed organizing the Terri-
tory of Kansas and Nebraska. A large portion of
the Whig parry of the North, through their bitter op-
position to the Democratic party, naturally drifted
into the doctrine of anti-slavery, and thus led to what
was temporarily called the " Anti-Nebraska " party,
while the followers of Douglas were known as " Ne-
braska or Douglas Democrats." It was during this
embryo stage of the Republican party that Abraham
Lincoln was brought forward as the "Anti-Nebraska"
candidate for the United States Senatorship, while
Gen. James Shields, the incumbent, was re-nom-
inated by the Democrats. But after a few ballotings
in the Legislature (1855), these men were dropped,
and Lyman Trumbull, an Anti-Nebraska Democrat,
was brought up by the former, and Mr. Matteson,
then Governor, by the latter. On the nth ballot
Mr. Trumbull obtained one majority, and was ac-
cordingly declared elected. Before Gov. Matteson's
term expired, the Republicans were fully organized
as a national party, and in 1856 put into the field a
full national and State ticket, carrying the State, but
not the nation.

The Legislature of 1855 passed two very import-
ant measures, the present free-school system and a
submission of the Maine liquor law to a vote of the
people. The latter was defeated by a small majority
of the popular vote.

During the four years of Gov. Matteson's admin-
istration the taxable wealth of the State was about
trebled, from $137,818,07910 $349,951,272; the pub-
lic debt was reduced from $17,398,985 to $12,843,-
144; taxation was at the same time reduced, and the
State resumed paying interest on its debt in New
York as fast as it fell due ; railroads were increased
in their mileage from something less than 400 to
about 3,000 ; and the population of Chicago was
nearly doubled, and its commerce more than quad-
rupled.

Before closing this account, we regret that we have
to say that Mr. Matteson, in all other respects an
upright man and a good Governor, was implicated
in a false re-issue of redeemed canal scrip, amount-
ing to $224^82.66. By a suit in the Sangamon Cir-
cuit Court the State recovered the principal and all
the interest excepting $27,500.

He died in the winter of 1872-3, at Chicago.

. ,"

,!'V.i-'.,v..v..v.>v..v. v. '. ', '. . v.."v..~'i '.'<'. ':-:' :v :>>:;' .i'.. > v : <' : .' .' >' : >' : >' .' i 1 '.' >' :.>'^''>^ f

. liiB 11.

ILLIAM H. BISSELL, Gov-
ernor 1857-60, was born
April 25, 1811, in the
State of New York, near
Painted Post, Yates County.
His parents were obscure,
honest, God-fearing people,
who reared their children under the daily
example of industry and frugality, accord-
ing to the custom of that class of Eastern
society. Mr. Bissell received a respecta-
ble but not thorough academical education.
By assiduous application he acquired a
knowledge of medicine, and in his early
manhood came West and located in Mon-
roe County, this State, where he engaged in the
practice of that profession. But he was not enam-
ored of his calling: he was swayed by a broader
ambition, to such an extent that the mysteries of the
healing art and its arduous duties failed to yield him
further any charms. In a few years he discovered
his choice of a profession to be a mistake, and when
lie approached the age of 30 he sought to begin
anew. Dr. Bissell, no doubt unexpectedly to him-
self, discovered a singular facility and charm of
speech, the exercise of which acquired for him a
ready local notoriety. It soon came to be under-

stood that he desired to abandon his profession and
take up that of the law. During terms of Court he
would spend his time at the county seat among the
members of the Bar, who extended to him a ready
welcome.

It was not strange, therefore, that he should drift
into public life. In 1840 he was elected as a Dem-
ocrat to the Legislature from Monroe County, and
was an efficient member of that body. On his re-
turn home he qualified himself for admission to the
Bar and speedily rose to the front rank as an advo-
cate. His powers of oratory were captivating. With a
pure diction, charming and inimitable gestures,
clearness of statement, and a remarkable vein of sly
humor, his efforts before a jury told with irresistible
effect. He was chosen by the Legislature Prosecut-
ing Attorney for the Circuit in which he lived, and
in that position he fully discharged his duty to the
State, gained the esteem of the Bar, and . seldom
failed to convict the offender of the law.

In stature he was somewhat tall and slender, and
with a straight, military bearing, he presented a dis-
tinguished appearance. His complexion was dark,
his head well poised, though not large, his address
pleasant and manner winning. He was exemplary
in his habits, a devoted husband and kind parent.
He was twice married, the first time to Miss James,

WILLIAM H BfSSELL.

X f

of Monroe County, by whom he had two children,
both daughters. She died soon after the year 1840,
and Mr. B. married for his second wife a daughter
of Elias K. Kane, previously a United States Senator
from this State. She survived him but a short time,
and died without issue.

When the war with Mexico was declared in 1846,
Mr. Bissell enlisted and was elected Colonel of his
regiment, over Hon. Don Morrison, by an almost
unanimous vote, 807 to 6. Considering the limited
opportunities he had had, he evinced a high order of
military talent. On the bloody field of Buena Vista
he acquitted himself with intrepid and distinguished
ability, contributing with his regiment, the Second
Illinois, in no small degree toward saving the waver-
ing fortunes of our arms during that long and fiercely
contested battle.

After his return home, at the close of the war, he
was elected to Congress, his opponents being the
Hons. P. B. Fouke and Joseph Gillespie. He served
two terms in Congress. He was an ardent politician.
During the great contest of 1850 he voted in favor
of the adjustment measures; but in 1854 he opposed
the repeal of the Missouri Compromise act and
therefore the Kansas-Nebraska bill of Douglas, and
thus became identified with the nascent Republican
party.

During his first Congressional term, while the
Southern members were following their old practice
of intimidating the North by bullying language,
and claiming most of the credit for victories in the
Mexican War, and Jefferson Davis claiming for the 1
Mississippi troops all the credit for success at Buena.
Vista, Mr. Bissell bravely defended the Northern
troops ; whereupon Davis challenged Bissell to a duel,
which was accepted. This matter was brought up
against Bissell when he was candidate for Governor
and during his term of office, as the Constitution of
this State forbade any duelist from holding a State
office.

In 1856, when the Republican party first put forth
a candidate, John C. Fremont, for President of the
United States, the same party nominated Mr. Bissell
for Governor of Illinois, and John Wood, of Quincy,
for Lieutenant Governor, while the Democrats nomi-
nated Hon. W. A. Richardson, of Adams County,
for Governor, and Col. R. J. Hamilton, of Cook
County, for Lieutenant Governor. The result of the

h ^^^ ^<

election was a plurality of 4,729 votes over Richard-
son. The American, or Know-Nothing, party had a
ticket in the field. The Legislature was nearly bal-
anced, but was politically opposed to the Governor.
His message to the Legislature was short and rather
ordinary, and was criticised for expressing the sup-
posed obligations of the people to the incorporators
of the Illinois Genual Railroad Company and for re-
opening the slavery question by allusions to the
Kansas troubles. Late in the session an apportion-
ment bill, based upon the State census of 1855, was
passed, amid much partisan strife. The Governor
at first signed the bill and then vetoed it. A furious
debate followed, and the question whether the Gov-
ernor had the authority to recall a signature was
referred to the Courts, that of last resort deciding in
favor of the Governor. Two years afterward another
outrageous attempt was made for a re-apportionment
and to gerrymander the State, but the Legislature
failed to pass the bill over the veto of the Governor.

It was during Gov. Bissell's administration that
the notorious canal scrip fraud was brought to light,
implicating ex-Gov. Matteson and other prominent
State officials. The principal and interest, aggregat-
ing $255,500, was all recovered by the State except-
ing $27,500. (See sketch of Gov. Matteson.)

In 1859 an attempt was discovered to fraudu-
lently refund the Macalister and Stebbins bonds and
thus rob the State Treasury of nearly a quarter of a
million dollars. The State Government was impli-
cated in this affair, and to this day remains unex-
plained or unatoned for. For the above, and other
matters previously mentioned, Gov. Bissell has been
severely criticised, and he has also been most shame-
fully libelled and slandered.

On account of exposure in the army, the remote
cause of a nervous form of disease gained entrance
into his system and eventually developed paraplegia,
affecting his lower extremities, which, while it left
his body in comparative health, deprived him of loco-
motion except by the aid of crutches. While he was
generally hopeful of ultimate recovery, this myste-
rious disease pursued him, without once relaxing its
stealthy hold, to the close of his life, March 18,
1860, over nine months before the expiration of his
gubernatorial term, at the early age of 48 years. He
died in the faith of the Roman Catholic Church, of
which he had been a member since 1854.

WWVERsmr (# IUJ(IUIS

GO VERNORS OF ILLINOIS.

n||:OHN WOOD, Governor 1 86o-r , and
fife** the first settler of Quincy, 111.,
was born in the town of Serapro-
nius (now Moravia), Cayuga Co.,
N. Y., Dec. 20, 1798. He was
the second child and only son of
Dr. Daniel Wood. His mother,
nee Catherine Crause, wag of
German parentage, and died
while he was an infant. Dr.
Wood was a learned and skillful
physician, of classical attain-
ments and proficient in several
modern languages, who, after
serving throughout the Revolu-
tionary War as a Surgeon, settled on the land granted
him by the Government, and resided there a re-
spected and leading influence in his section until his
death, at the ripe age of 92 years.

The subject of this sketch, impelled by the spirit
of Western adventure then pervading everywhere,
left his home, Nov. 2, 1818, and'passed the succeed-
ing winter in Cincinnati, Ohio. The following sum-
mer he pushed on to Illinois, landing at Shawneetown,
and spent the fall and following winter in Calhoun
County. In 1820, in company with Willard Keyes,
he settled in Pike County, about 30 miles southeast
of Quincy, where for the next two years he pursued
farming. In 1821 he visited "the Bluffs" (as the
present site of Quincy was called, then uninhabited)
and, pleased with its prospects, soon after purchased
a quarter-section of land near by, and in the follow-
ing fall (1822) erected near the river a small cabin,

1 8 x 20 feet, the first building in Quincy, of which
he then became the first and for some months the
only occupant.

About this time he visited his old friends in Pike
County, chief of whom was William Ross, the lead-
ing man in building up the village of Atlas, of that
county, which was thought then to be the possible
commencement of a city. One day they and others
were traveling together over the country between the
two points named, making observations on the com-
parative merits of the respective localities. On ap-
proaching the Mississippi near Mr. Wood's place,
the latter told his companions to follow him and he
would show them where he was going to build a city.
They went about a mile off the main trail, to a high
point, from which the view in every direction was
most magnificent, as it had been for ages and as yet
untouched by the hand of man. Before them swept
by the majestic Father of Waters, yet unburdened by
navigation. After Mr. Wood had expatiated at
length on the advantages of the situation, Mr. Ross
replied, " But it's too near Atlas ever to amount to
anything!"

Atlas is still a cultivated farm, and Quincy is a
city of over 30,000 population.

In 1824 Mr. Wood gave a newspaper notice,
as the law then prescribed, of his intention to apply
to the General Assembly for the formation of a new
county. This was done the following winter, result-
ing in the establishment of the present Adams
County. During the next summer Quincy was se-
lected as the county seat, it and the vicinity then
containing but four adult male residents and half

JOHN WOOD.

that number of females. Since that period Mr.
Wood resided at the place of his early adoption un-
til his death, and far more than any other man was
he identified with every measure of its progress and
history, and almost continuously kept in public posi-
tions.

He was one of the early town Trustees, and after
the place became a city he was often a member of
the City Council, many times elected Mayor, in the
face of a constant large opposition political majority.
In 1850 he was elected to the State Senate. In 1856,
on the organization of the Republican party, he was
chosen Lieutenant Governor of the State, on the
ticket with Wm. H. Bissell for Governor, and on the
death of the latter, March 18, 1860, he succeeded to
the Chief Executive chair, which he occupied until
Gov. Yates was inaugurated nearly ten months after-
ward.

Nothing very marked characterized the adminis-
tration of Gov. Wood. The great anti-slavery cam-
paign of 1860, resulting in the election of the honest
Illinoisan, Abraham Lincoln, to the Presidency of the
United States, occurred during the short period
while Mr. Wood was Governor, and tiie excitement
and issues of that struggle dominated over every
other consideration, indeed, supplanted them in a
great measure. The people of Illinois, during all
that time, were passing the comparatively petty strifes
under Bissell's administration to the overwhelming
issue of preserving the whole nation from destruction.

In 1861 ex-Gov. Wood was one of the five Dele-
gates from Illinois to the " Peace Convention " at
Washington, and in April of the same year, on the
breaking out of the Rebellion, he was appointed

Quartermaster-General of the State, which position
he held throughout the war. In 1864 he took com-
mand as Colonel of the I37th 111. Vol. Inf., with
whom he served until the period of enlistment ex-
pired.

Politically, Gov. Wood was always actively identi-
fied with the Whig and Republican parties. Few
men have in personal experience comprehended so
many surprising and advancing local changes as
vested in the more than half century recollections of
Gov. Wood. Sixty-four years ago a solitary settler
on the "Bluffs," with no family, and no neighbor
within a score of miles, the world of civilization away
behind him, and the strolling red-man almost his
only visitant, he lived to see growing around him,
and under his auspices and aid, overspreading the
wild hills and scraggy forest a teaming city, second
only in size in the State, and surpassed nowhere in
beauty, prosperity and promise; whose people recog-
nize as with a single voice the proverbial honor and
liberality that attach to the name and lengthened
life of their pioneer settler, "the old Governor."

Gov. Wood was twice married, first in January,
1826, to Ann M. Streeter, daughter of Joshua Streeter,
formerly of Salem, Washington Co., N. Y. They had
eight children. Mrs. W. died Oct. 8, 1863, and in
June, 1865, Gov. Wood married Mrs. Mary A., widow
of Rev. Joseph T. Holmes. Gov. Wood died June 4,
1880, at his residence in Quincy. Four of his eight
children are now living, namely: Ann E., wife of
Gen. John Tillson; Daniel C., who married Mary J.
Abernethy; John, Jr., who married Josephine Skinner,
and Joshua S., who married Annie Bradley. The
last mentioned now resides at Atchison, Kansas, and
all the rest are still at Quincy.

UCRARY

ONIVtRSlTY Of ILLINOIS
UKttUlft

;>*-

T2^sr

64@>a

*-gKj^Kf<\

GOVERNORS OF ILLINOIS.

ICHARD YATES, the "War
Governor," 1861-4, was born
Jan. 18, 1818, on the banks of
the Ohio River, at Warsaw,
Gallatin Co., Ky. His father
moved in 1831 to Illinois, and )
after stopping for a time in
Springfield, settled at Island
Grove, Sangamon County. Here,
after attending school, Richard joined
the family. Subsequently he entered
Illinois College at Jacksonville,
where, in 1837, he graduated with
first honors. He chose for his pro-
fession the law, the Hon. J. J. Har-
din being his instructor. After ad-
mission to the Bar he soon rose to distinction as an
advocate.

Gifted with a fluent and ready oratory, he soon
appeared in the political hustings, and, being a
passionate admirer of the great Whig leader of the
West, Henry Clay, he joined his political fortunes to
the party of his idol. In 1840 he engaged with great
ardor in the exciting " hard cider " campaign for
Harrison. Two years later he was elected to the
Legislature from Morgan County, a Democratic
stronghold. He served three or four terms in the
Legislature, and such was the fascination of his ora-
tory that by 1850 his large Congressional District,
extending from Morgan and Sangamon Counties
north to include LaSalle, unanimously tendered him
the Whig nomination for Congress. His Democratic
opponent was Maj. Thomas L. Harris, a very pop-
ular man who had won distinction at the battle of
Cerro Gordo, in the Mexican* War, and who had
beaten Hon. Stephen T. Logan for the same position,

two years before, by a large majority. Yates was
elected. Two years later he was re-elected, over
John Calhoun.

It was during Yates' second term in Congress that
the great question of the repeal of the Missouri Com-
promise was agitated, and the bars laid down for re-
opening the dreaded anti-slavery question. He took
strong grounds against the repeal, and thus became
identified with the rising Republican party. Conse-
quently he fell into the minority in his district, which
was pro-slavery. Even then, in a third contest, he
fell behind Major Harris only 200 votes, after the
district had two years before given Pierce 2,000
majority for President.

The Republican State Convention of 1860 met at
Decatur May 9, and nominated for the office of Gov-
ernor Mr. Yates, in preference to- Hon. Norman B.
Judd, of Chicago, and Leonard Swett, of Blooming-
ton, two of the ablest men of the State, who were
also candidates before the Convention. Francis A.
Hoffman, of DuPage County, was nominated for
Lieutenant Governor. This was the year when Mr.
Lincoln was a candidate for President, a period re-
membered as characterized by the great whirlpool
which precipitated the bloody War of the Rebellion.
The Douglas Democrats nominated J. C. Allen of
Crawford County, for Governor, and Lewis W. Ro?s,
of Fulton County, for Lieutenant Governor. .The
Breckenridge Democrats and the Bell-Everett party
had also full tickets in the field. After a most fear-
ful campaign, the result of the election gave Mr.
Yates 172,196 votes, and Mr. Allen 159,253. Mr.
Yates received over a thousand more votes than did
Mr. Lincoln himself.

Gpv. Yates occupied the chair of State during tht;

RICHARD YATES.

)

most critical period of our country's history. In the
fate of the nation was involved that of each State.
The life struggle of the former derived its sustenance
from the loyalty of the latter; and Gov. Yates
seemed to realize the situation, and proved himself
both loyal and wise in upholding the Government.
He had a deep hold upon the affections of the
people, won by his moving eloquence and genial
manners. Erect and symmetrical in person, of pre-
possessing appearance, with a winning address and a
magnetic power, few men possessed more of the ele-
ments of popularity. His oratory was scholarly and
captivating, his hearers hardly knowing why they
were transported. He was social and convivial. In
the latter respect he was ultimately carried too far.

The very creditable military efforts of this State
during the War of the Rebellion, in putting into the
field the enormous number of about 200,000 soldiers,
were ever promptly and ably seconded by his excel-
lency ; and the was ambitious to deserve the title of
"the soldier's friend." Immediately after the battle of
Shiloh he repaired to the field of carnage to look
after the wounded, and his appeals for aid were
promptly responded to by the people. His procla-
mations calling for volunteers were impassionate
appeals, urging upon the people the duties and re-
quirements of patriotism ; and his special message
in 1863 to the Democratic Legislature of this State
pleading for material aid for the sick and wounded
soldiers of Illinois regiments, breathes a deep fervor
of noble sentiment and feeling rarely equaled in
beauty or felicity of expression. Generally his mes-
sages on political and civil affairs were able and com-
prehensive. During his administration, however,
there were no civil events of an engrossing character,
although two years of his time were replete with
partisan quarrels of great bitterness. Military ar-
rests, Knights of the Golden Circle, riot in Fulton
County, attempted suppression of the Chicago Times
and the usurping State Constitutional Convention of
1862, were the chief local topics that were exciting
during the Governor's term. This Convention assem-
bled Jan. 7, and at once took the high position that
the law calling it was no longer binding, and that it
had supreme power; that it represented a virtual
assemblage of the whole people of the State, and was
sovereign in the exercise of all power necessary to
effect a peaceable revolution of the State Government

and to the re-establishment of one for the " happiness,
prosperity and freedom of the citizens," limited only
by the Federal Constitution. Notwithstanding the
law calling the Convention required its members to
take an oath to support the Constitution of the State
as well as that of the general Government, they
utterly refused to take such oath. They also as-
sumed legislative powers and passed several import-
ant "laws!" Interfering with the (then) present
executive duties, Gov. Yates was provoked to tell
them plainly that " he did not acknowledge the right
of the Convention to instruct him in the performance
of his duty."

In 1863 the Governor astonished the Democrats
by " proroguing " their Legislature. This body, after
a recess, met June 2, that year, and soon began to
waste time upon various partisan resolutions ; and,
while the two houses were disagreeing upon the
question of adjourning sine die, the Governor, having
the authority in such cases, surprised them all by
adjourning them " to the Saturday next preceding the
first Monday in January, 1865 ! " This led to great
excitement and confusion, and to a reference of the
Governor's act to the Supreme Court, who decided in
his favor. Then it was the Court's turn to receive
abuse for weeks and months afterward.

During the autumn of 1864 a conspiracy was de-
tected at Chicago which had for its object the liber-
ation of the prisoners of war at Camp Douglas, the
burning of the city and the inauguration of rebellion
in the North. Gen. Sweet, who had charge of the
camp at the time, first had his suspicions of danger
aroused by a number of enigmatically worded letters
which passed through the Camp postoffice. A de-
tective afterward discovered that the rebel Gen.
Marmaduke was in the city, under an assumed
name, and he, with other rebel officers Grenfell,
Morgan, Cantrell, Buckner Morris, and Charles
Walsh was arrested, most of whom were convicted
by a court-martial at Cincinnati and sentenced to
imprisonment, Grenfell to be hung. The sentence
of the latter was afterward commuted to imprison-
ment for life, and all the others, after nine months'
imprisonment, were pardoned.

In March, 1873, Gov. Yates was appointed a Gov-
ernment Director of the Union Pacific Railroad, in
which office he continued until his decease, at St.
Louis, Mo., on the 2-jth of November following.

L.----.P 1 ,'

, LUN01S

GOVERNORS OF ILLINOIS.

Richard JT* Ogl

-s

UCHARD J. OGLESBY, Gov-
ernor 1865-8, and re-elected
in 1872 and 1884, was born
July 25, 1824, in Oldham Co.,
Ky., the State which might
be considered the " mother of
Illinois Governors." Bereft of
his parents at the tender age
of eight years, his early education
was neglected. When 12 years of
age, and after he had worked a year
and a half at the carpenter's trade,
he removed with an uncle, Willis
Oglesby, into whose care he had
been committed, to Decatur, this
State, where he continued his ap-
prenticeship as a mechanic, working six months for
Hon. E. O. Smith.

In 1844 he commenced studying law at Spring-
field, with Judge Silas Robbins, and read with him
one year. He was admitted to the Bar in 1845, and
commenced the practice of his chosen profession at
Sullivan, the county seat of Moultrie County.

The next year the war with Mexico was com-
menced, and in June, 1846, Mr. Oglesby volunteered,
was elected First Lieutenant of Co. C, Fourth Illinois
Regiment of Volunteers, and participated in the bat-
tles of Vera Cruz and Cerro Gordo.

On his return he sought to perfect his law studies
by attending a course of lectures at Louisville, but
on the breaking out of the California "gold fever " in
1849, h e crossed the plains and mountains to the
new Eldorado, driving a six-mule team, with a com-

pany of eight men, Henry Prather being the leader.

In 1852 he returned home to Macon County, and
was placed that year by the Whig party on the ticket
of Presidential Electors. In 1856 he visited Europe,
Asia and Africa, being absent 20 months. On his
return home he resumed the practice of law, as a
member of the firm of Gallagher, Wait & Oglesby.
In 1858 he was the Republican nominee for the
Lower House of Congress, but was defeated by the
Hon. James C. Robinson, Democrat. In 1860 he
was elected to the Illinois State Senate ; and on the
evening the returns of this election were coming in,
Mr. Oglesby had a fisticuff encounter with " Cerro
Gordo Williams," in which he came out victorious,
and which was regarded as " the first fight of the
Rebellion." The following spring, when the war
had commenced in earnest, his ardent nature
quickly responded to the demands of patriotism and
he enlisted. The extra session of the Legislature
elected him Colonel of the Eighth Illinois Infantry,
the second one in the State raised to suppress the
great Rebellion.

He was shortly entrusted with important com-
mands. For a time he was stationed at Bird's Point
and Cairo; in April he was promoted Brigadier Gen-
eral ; at Fort Donelson his brigade was in the van,
being stationed on the right of General Grant's army
and the first brigade to be attacked. He lost 500
men before re-inforcements arrived. Many of these
men were from Macon County. He was engaged in
the battle of Corinth, and, in a brave charge at this
place, was shot in the left lung with an ounce ball,
and was carried from the field in expectation of im-

tf
@j

\zs

mediate death. That rebel ball he carries to this
day. On his partial recovery he was promoted as
Major General, for gallantry, his commission to rank
from November, 1862. In the spring of 1863 he
was assigned to the command of the i6th Army
Corps, but, owing to inability fro.n the effects of his
wound, he relinquished this command in July, that
year. Gen. Grant, however, refused to accept his
resignation, and he was detailed, in December follow-
ing, to court-martial and try the Surgeon General of
the Army at Washington, where he remained until
May, 1864, whin he returned home.
The Republican, or Union, -State Convention of

1864 was held at Springfield, May 25, when Mr.
Oglesby was nominated for the office of Governor,
while other candidates before the Convention were
Allen C. Fuller, of Boone, Jesse K. Dubois,of Sanga-
mon, and John M. Palmer, of Macoupin. Wm.
Bross, of Chicago, was nominated for Lieutenant
Governor. On the Democratic State ticket were
James C. Robinson, of Clark, for Governor, and S.
Corning Judd, of Fulton, for Lieutenant Governor.
The general election gave Gen. Oglesby a majority
of about 31,000 votes. The Republicans had also a
majority in both the Legislature and in the repre-
sentation in Congress.

Gov. Oglesby was duly inaugurated Jan. 17, 1865.
The day before the first time set for his installation
death visited his home at Decatur, and took from it
his only son, an intelligent and sprightly lad of six
years, a great favorite of the bereaved parents. This
caused the inauguration to be postponed a week.

The political events of the Legislative session of

1865 were the election of ex-Gov. Yates to the
United States Senate, and the ratification of the I3th
amend.nent to the Constitution of the United States,
abolishing slavery. This session also signalized
itself by repealing the notorious " black laws," part
of which, although a dead letter, had held their place
upon the statute books since 1819. Also, laws re-
quiring the registration of voters, and establishing a
State Board of Equalization, were, passed by this Leg-
islature. But the same body evinced that it was cor-
ruptly influenced by a mercenary lobby, as it adopted
some bad legislation, over the Governor's veto, nota-
bly an amendment to a charter for a Chicago horse
railway, granted in 1859 for 25 years, and now
sought to be extended 99 years. As this measure
was promptly passed over his veto by both branches
of the Legislature, he deemed it useless further to
attempt to check their headlong career. At this
session no law of a general useful character or public
interest was perfected, unless we count such the
turning over of the canal to Chicago to be deepened.
The session of 1867 was still more productive of
private and special acts. Many omnibus bills were
proposed, and some passed. The contests over the
location of the Industrial College, the Capital, the

Southern Penitentiary, and the canal enlargement
and Illinois River improvement, dominated every-
thing else.

During the year 1872, it became evident that if
the Republicans could re-elect Mr. Oglesby to the
office of Governor, they could also elect him to the
United States Senate, which they desired to do.
Accordingly they re-nominated him for the Execu-
tive chair, and placed upon the ticket with him for
Lieutenant Governor, John L. Beveridge, of Cook
County. On the other side the Democrats put into
the field Gustavus Koerner for Governor and John
C. Black for Lieutenant Governor. The election
gave the Republican ticket majorities ranging from
35,334 to 56,174, the Democratic defection being
caused mainly by tbeir having an old-time Whig and
Abolitionist, Horace Greeley, on the national ticket
for President. According to the general understand-
ing had beforehand, as soon as the Legislature met
it elected Gov. Oglesby to the United States Senate,
whereupon Mr. Beveridge became Governor. Sena-
tor Oglesby's term expired March 4, 1879, having
served his party faithfully and exhibited an order of
statesmanship beyond criticism.

During the campaign of 1884 Mr. Oglesby was
.nominated for a "third term" as Executive of the
State of Illinois, against Carter H. Harrison, Mayor
of Chicago, nominated by the Democrats. Both
gentlemen "stumped " the State, and while the peo-
ple elected a Legislature which was a tie on a jaint
ballot, as between the two parties, they gave the
jovial " Dick" Oglesby a majority of 15,018 for Gov-
ernor, and he was inaugurated Jan. 30, 1885. The
Legislature did not fully organize until this date, on
account of its equal division between the two main
parties and the consequent desperate tactics of each
party to checkmate the latter in the organization of
the House.

Gov. Og'esby is a fine-appearing, affable man, with
regular, well defined features and rotund face. In
stature he is a little above medium height, of a large
frame and somewhat fleshy. His physical appear-
ance is striking and prepossessing, while his straight-
out, not to say bluff, manner and speech are well
calculated favorably to impress the average masses.
Ardent in feeling and strongly committed to the pol-
icies of his party, he intensifies Republicanism
among Republicans, while at the same time his iovial
and liberal manner prevents those of the opposite
party from hating him.

He is quite an effective stump orator. With vehe-
ment, passionate and scornful tone and gestures,
tremendous physical power, which in speaking he
exercises to the utmost ; with frequent descents to
the grotesque; and with abundant homely compari-
sons or frontier figures, expressed in the broadest
vernacular and enforced with stentorian emphasis,
he delights a promiscuous audience beyond measure.

GO VERNORS OF ILLINOIS.

JOHN M. PALMES

--*

* f<

j:OHN Me AULEY PALMER, Gov-
ernor 1869-72, was born on
Eagle Creek, Scott Co., Ky.,
Sept. "13, 1817. During his in-
fancy, his father, who had been
a soldier in the war of 1812, re-
moved to Christian Co., Ky.,
where lands were cheap. Here
the future Governor of the great
Prairie State spent his childhood
and received such meager school-
ing as the new and sparsely set-
tled country afforded. To this
he added materially by diligent
reading, for which he evinced an
early aptitude. His father, an ardent Jackson man,
was also noted for his anti-slavery sentiments, which
he thoroughly impressed upon his children. In 1831
he emigrated to Illinois, settling in Madison County.
Here the labor of improving a farm was pursued for
about two years, when the death of Mr. Palmer's
mother broke up the family. About this time Alton
College was opened, on the "manual labor " system,
and in the spring of 1834 young Palmer, with his
elder brother, Elihu, entered this school and remained .
1 8 months. Next, for over three years, he tried
variously coopering, peddling and school-teaching.

During the summer of 1838 he formed the ac-
quaintance of Stephen A. Douglas, then making his

first canvass for Congress. Young, eloquent and in
political accord with Mr. Palmer, he won his confi-
dence, Sred his ambition and fixed his purpose. The
following winter, while teaching near Canton, he be-
gan to devote his spare time to a desultory reading
of law, and in the spring entered a law office at Car-
linville, making his home with his elder brother,
Elihu. (The latter was a learned clergyman, of con-
siderable orginality of thought and doctrine.) On
the next^ meeting of the Supreme Court he was ad-
mitted to the Bar, Douglas being one of his examiners.
He was not immediately successful in his profession,
and would have located elsewhere than Carlinville
had he the requisite means. Thus his early poverty
was a blessing in disguise, for to it he now attributes
the success of his life.

From 1839 on, while he diligently pursued his
profession, he participated more or less in local
politics. In 1843 he became Probate Judge. In
1847 he was elected to the State Constitutional Con-
vention, where he took a leading part. In 1852 he
was elected to the State Senate, and at the special
session of February, 1854, true to the anti-slavery
sentiments bred in him, he took a firm stand in op-
position to the repeal of the Missouri Compromise;
and when the Nebraska question became a party
issue he refused to receive a re-nomination for the
Senatorship at the hands of the Democracy, issuing
a circular to that effect. A few weeks afterward,

-' . '

JOHN MC AULEY PALMER.

*! *

(

however, hesitating to break with his party, he par-
ticipated in a Congressional Convention which nomi-
T. L. Harris against Richard Yates, and which
unqualifiedly approved the principles of the Kansas-
Nebraska act. But later in the campaign he made
the plunge, ran for the Senate as an Anti-Nebraska
Democrat, and was elected. The following winter
he put in nomination for the .United States Senate
Mr. Trumbull, and was one of the five steadfast men
who voted for him until all the Whigs came to their
support and elected their man.

In 1856 he was Chairman of the Republican State
Convention at Bloomington. He ran for Congress in
1859, but was defeated. In 1860 he was Republican
Presidential Elector for the State at large. In 1861
he was appointed one of the five Delegates (all Re-
publicans) sent by Illinois to the peace congress at
Washington.

When the civil conflict broke out, he offered his
services to his country, and was elected Colonel of the
I4th III. Vol. Inf., and participated in the engagements
at Island No. 10; at Farmington, where he skillfully
extricated his command from a dangerous position ;
at Stone River, where his division for several hours,
Dec. 31, 1862, held the advance and stood like a
rock, and for his gallantry there he was made Major
General; at Chickamauga, where his and Van Cleve's
divisions for two hours maintained their position
when they were cut off by overpowering numbers.
Under Gen. Sherman, he was assigned to the 14th
Army Corps and participated in the Atlanta campaign.
At Peach-Tree Creek his prudence did much to avert
disaster. In February, 1865, Gen. Palmer was as-
signed to the military administration of Kentucky,
which was a delicate post. That State was about
half rebel and half Union, and those of the latter
element were daily fretted by the loss of their slaves.
He, who had been bred to the rules of common law,
trembled at the contemplation of his extraordinary
power over the persons and property of his fellow
men, with which he was vested in his capacity -as
military Governor ; and he exhibited great caution in
the execution of the duties of his post.

Gen. Palmer was nominated for Governor of Illi-
nois by the Republican State Convention which met
at Peoria May 6, 1868, and his nomination would
probably have been made by acclamation had he not
persistently declared that he could not accept a can-

didature for the office. The result of the ensuing
election gave Mr. Palmer a majority of 44,707 over
John R. Eden, the Democratic nominee.

On the meeting of the Legislature in January,
1869, the first thing to arrest public attention was
that portion of the Governor's message which took
broad State's rights ground. This and some minor
points, which were more in keeping with the Demo-
cratic sentiment, constituted the entering wedge fjr
the criticisms and reproofs he afterward received
from the Republican party, and ultimately resulted
in his entire aleniation from the latter element. The
Legislature just referred to was noted for the intro-
duction of numerous bills in the interest of private
parties, which were embarrassing to the Governor.
Among the public acts passed was that which limited
railroad charges for passenger travel to a maximum
of three cents per mile ; and it was passed over the
Governor's veto. Also, they passed, over his veto,
the " tax-grabbing law " to pay railroad subscriptions,
the Chicago Lake Front bill, etc. The new State
Constitution of 1870, far superior to the old, was a
peaceful " revolution" which took place during Gov.
Palmer's term of office. The suffering caused by the
great Chicago Fire of October, 1871, was greatly
alleviated by the prompt responses of his excellency.

Since the expiration of Gov. Palmers 's term, he has
been somewhat prominent in Illinois politics, and
has been talked of by many, especially in the Dem-
ocratic party, as the best man in the State for a
United States Senator. His business during life has
been that of the law. Few excel him in an accurate
appreciation of the depth and scope of its principles-
The great number of his able veto messages abun-
dantly testify not only this but also a rare capacity to
point them out. He is a logical and cogent reasoner
and an interesting, forcible and convincing speaker,
though not fluent or ornate. Without brilliancy, his
dealings are rather with facts and ideas than with
appeals to passions and prejudices. He is a patriot
and a statesman of very high order. Physically he is
.above the medium height, of robust frame, ruddy
complexion and sanguine-nervous temperament. He
has a large cranial development, is vivacious, social
in disposition, easy of approach, unostentatious in his
habits of life, democratic in his habits and manners
and is a true American in his fundamental principles
of statesmanship.

I "rv

UNlVERSinr <*

GO VERNORS OF ILLINOIS.

Xi'^^^V-,.'^.'!.^ '..'>. 'i '. 'i .;'..'. '. . V. V '. '

OHN LOWRIE BEVER-
IDGE, Governor 1873-6, was
born in the town of Green-
wich, Washington Co., N. Y.,
July 6, 1824. His parents
were George and Ann Bever-
idge. His father's parents, An-
drew and Isabel Beveridge, be-
fore their marriage emigrated
from Scotland just before the
Revolutionary War, settling in
Washington County. His father
was the eldest of eight brothers, the
youngest of whom was 60 years of
age when the first one of the num-
ber died. His mother's parents,
James and Agnes Hoy, emigrated
from Scotland at the close of the
Revolutionary War, settling also in
Washington Co., N. Y., with their
first-born, whose " native land "was
the wild ocean. His parents and
grandparents lived beyond the time
allotted to man, their average age
being over 80 years. They belonged to the " Asso-
ciate Church," a seceding Presbyterian body of

America from the old Scotch school ; and so rigid
was the training of young Beveridge that he never
heard a sermon from any other minister except that
of his own denomination until he was in his igth
year. Later in life he became a member of the
Methodist Episcopal Church, which relation he still
holds.

Mr. Beveridge received a good common-school ed-
ucation, but his parents, who could obtain a livelihood
only by rigid economy and industry, could not send
him away to college. He was raised upon a farm,
and was in his i8th year when the family removed
to De Kalb County, this State, when that section was
very sparsely settled. Chicago had less than 7,000
inhabitants. In this wild West he continued as a
farm laborer, teaching school during the winter
months to supply the means of an education. In the
fall of 1842 he attended one term at the academy at
Granville, Putnam Co., 111., and subsequently several
terms at the Rock River Seminary at Mount Morris,
Ogle Co., 111., completing the academic course. At
this time, the fall of 1845, his parents and brothers
were anxious to have him go to college, even though
he had not money sufficient; but, n_>t willing to bur-
den the family, he packed his trunk and with only
$40 in money started South to seek his fortune,

V"V.MHCDHH-y V v ~'

JOHN L. BEYERIUGE.

|$@JX<s)

Poor, alone, without friends and influence, he thus
entered upon the battle of life.

First, he taught school in Wilson, Overton and
Jackson Cos., Tenn., in which experience he under-
went considerable mental drill, both in book studies
and in the ways of the world. He read law and was
admitted to the Bar, in the South, but did not learn
to love the institution of slavery, although he ad-
mired many features of Southern character. In De-
cember, i$47, he returned North, and Jan. 20, 1848,
he. married Miss Helen M. Judson, in the old Clark-
Street M. E. church in Chicago, her father at that
time being Pastor of the society there. In the spring
of 1848 he returned with his wife to Tennessee,
where his two children, Alia May and Philo Judson,
were born.

In the fall of 1849, through the mismanagement
of an associate, he lost what little he had accumu-
lated and was left in debt. He soon managed to
earn means to pay his debts, returned to De Kalb
Co., 111., and entered upon the practice of his pro-
fession at Sycamore, the county seat. On arrival
from the South he had but one-quarter of a dollar in
money, and scanty clothing and bedding for himself
and family. He borrowed a little money, practiced
law, worked in public offices, kept books for some of
the business men of the town, and some railroad en-
gineering, till the spring of 1854, when he removed
to Evanston, 12 miles north of Chicago, a place then
but recently laid out, under the supervision of the
Northwestern University, a Methodist institution.
Of the latter his father-in-law was then financial
agent and business manager. Here Mr. Beveridge
prospered, and the next year (1855) opened a law
office in Chicago, where he found the battle some-
what hard; but he persevered with encouragement
and increasing success.

Aug. 12, 1861, his law partner, Gen. John F.
Farnsworth, secured authority to raise a regiment of
cavalry, and authorized Mr. Beveridge to raise a
company for it. He succeeded in a few days in rais-
ing the company, of course enlisting himself along
with it. The regiment rendezvoused at St. Charles,
HI., was mustered in Sept. 18, and on its organiza-
tion Mr. B. was elected Second Major. It was at-
tached, Oct. n, to the Eighth Cavalry and to the
Army of the Potomac. He served with the regiment
until November, 1863, participating in some 40 bat-

tles and skirmishes : was at Fair Oaks, the seven days'
fight around Richmond, Fredericksburg, Chancellors-
ville and Gettysburg. He commanded the regiment
the greater part of the summer of 1863, and it was while
lying in camp this year that he originated the policy
of encouraging recruits as well as the fighting capac-
ity of the soldiery, by the wholesale furlough system.
It worked so well that many other officers adopted
it. In the fall of this year he recruited another com-
pany, against heavy odds, in January, 1864, was
commissioned Colonel of the lyth 111. Cav., and
skirmished around in Missouri, concluding with the
reception of the surrender of Gen. Kirby Smith's
army in Arkansas. In 1865 he commanded various
sub-districts in the Southwest. He was mustered
out Feb. 6, 1866, safe from the casualties of war and
a stouter man than when he first enlisted. His men
idolized him.

He then returned to Chicago, to practice law, with
no library and no clientage, and no political experi-
ence except to help others into office. In the fall of
1866 he was elected Sheriff of Cook County, serving
one term; next, until November, 1870, he practiced
law and closed up the unfinished business of his
office. He was then elected State Senator; in No-
vember, 1871, he was elected Congressman at large;
in November, 1872, he was elected Lieutenant Gov-
ernor on the ticket with Gov. Oglesby ; the latter be-
ing elected to the U. S. Senate, Mr. Beveridge became
Governor, Jan. 21, 1873. Thus, inside of a few
weeks, he was Congressman at large, Lieutenant
Governor and Governor. The principal events oc-
curring during Gov. Beveridge 's administration were:
The completion of the revision of the statutes, begun
in 1869; the partial success of the "farmers' move-
ment;" "Haines" Legislature " and Illinois' exhibit at
the Centennial.

Since the close of his gubernatorial term ex-Gov.
Beveridge has been a member of the firm of Bever-
idge & Dewey, bankers and dealers in commercial
paper at 7 1 Dearborn Street (McCormick Block),
Chicago, and since November, 1881, he has also been
Assistant United States Treasurer : office in the
Government Building. His residence is still at Ev-
anston.

He has a brother and two sisters yet residing in
De Kalb County James H. Beveridge, Mrs. Jennet
Henry and Mrs. Isabel French.

vg)

GO VERNORS OF ILLINOIS.

M. CULLOM.

HELBY M. CULLOM, Gover-
nor 1877-83,13 the sixth child
of the late Richard N. Cullom,
and was born Nov. 22, 1829,111
Wayne Co., Ky., where his fa-
ther then resided, and whence
both the Illinois and Tennessee
branches of the family originated. In
the following year the family emi-
grated to the vicinity of Washington,
Tazewell Co., 111., when that section
was very sparsely settled. They lo-
cated on Deer Creek, in a grove at
the time occupied by a party of In-
dians, attracted there by the superior
hunting and fishing afforded in that
vicinity. The following winter was
known as the " hard winter," the snow 'being very
deep and lasting and the weather severely cold; and
the family had to subsist mainly on boiled corn or
hominy, and some wild game, for several weeks. In
the course of time Mr. R. N. Cullom became a prom-
inent citizen and was several times elected to the
Legislature, both before and after the removal of the
capital from Vandalia to Springfield. He died about
i873-

Until about 19 years of age young Cullom grew up
to agricultural pursuits, attending school as he had
opportunity during the winter. Within this time,
however, he spent several mpnths. teaching school,

and in the following summer he "broke prairie "with
an ox team for the neighbors. With the money ob-
tained by these various ventures, he undertook a
course of study at the Rock River Seminary, a
Methodist institution at Mt. Morris, Ogle County;
but the sudden change to the in-door life of a stu-
dent told severely upon his health, and he was taken
home, being considered in a hopeless condition. While
at Mt. Morris he heard Hon. E. B. Washburne make
his first speech.

On recovering health, Mr. Cullom concluded to
study law, under the instruction of Abraham Lincoln,
at Springfield, who had by this time attained some
notoriety as an able lawyer; but the latter, being ab-
sent from his office most of the time, advised Mr.
Cullom to enter the office of Stuart & Edwards.
After about a year of study there, however, his health
failed again, and he was obliged to return once more
to out-door life. Accordingly he bought hogs for
packing, for A. G. Tyng, in Peoria, and while he re-
gained his health he gained in purse, netting $400 in
a few weeks. Having been admitted to the Bar, he
went to Springfield, where he was soon elected City
Attorney, on the Anti-Nebraska ticket.

In 1856 he ran on the Fillmore ticket as a Presi-
dential Elector, and, although failing to be elected as
such, he was at the same time elected a Representa-
tive in the Legislature from Sangamon County, by a
local coalition of the American and Republican par-
ties. On the organization of the House, he received
the vote of the Fillmore men for Speaker. Practicing

/-> /VX:,

I? 6

SHELB Y M. CULLOM.

law until 1 860, he was again elected to the Legisla-
ture, as a Republican, while the county went Demo-
cratic on the Presidential ticket. In January follow-
ing he was elected Speaker, probably the youngest
man who had ever presided over an Illinois Legis-
lature. After the session of 1861, he was a candidate
for the State Constitutional Convention called for
that year, but was defeated, and thus escaped the
disgrace of being connected with that abortive parly
scheme to revolutionize the State Government. In
1862 he was a candidate for the State Senate, but
was defeated. The same year, however, he was ap-
pointed by President Lincoln on a Government
Commission, in company with Gov. Boutwell of
Massachusetts and Charles A. Dana, since of the
New York Sun, to investigate the affairs of the
Quartermaster's and Commissary Departments at
Cairo. He devoted several months to this duty.

In 1864 he entered upon a larger political field,
being nominated as the Republican candidate for
Congress from the Eighth (Springfield) District, in
opposition to the incumbent, JohnT. Stuart, who had
been elected in 1862 by about 1,500 majority over
Leonard Swett, then of Bloomington, now of Chicago.
The result was the election of Mr. Cullom in Novem-
ber following by a majority of 1,785. In 1866 he
was re-elected to Congress, over Dr. E. S. Fowler, by
the magnificent majority of 4,103! In 1868 he was
again a candidate, defeating the Hon. B. S. Edwards,
another of his old preceptors, by 2,884 votes.

During his first term in Congress he served on the
Committee on Foreign Affairs and Expenditures in
the Treasury Department; in his second term, on
the Committees on Foreign Affairs and on Territories ;
and in his third term he succeeded Mr. Ashley, of
Ohio, to the Chairmanship of the latter. He intro-
duced a bill in the House, to aid in the execution of
law in Utah, which caused more consternation among
the Mormons than any measure had previously, but
which, though it passed the House, failed to pass the
Senate.

The Republican Convention which met May 25,
1876, nominated Mr. Cullom for Governor, while the
other contestant was Gov. Beveridge. For Lieuten-
ant-Governor they nominated Andrew Shuman, editor
of the Chicago Journal. For the same offices the
Democrats, combining with the Anti-Monopolists,
placed in nomination Lewis Steward, a wealthy

farmer and manufacturer, and A. A. Glenn. The
result of the election was rather close, Mr. Cullom
obtaining only 6,800 majority. He was inaugurated
Jan. 8, 1877.

Great depression prevailed in financial circles at
this time, as a consequence of the heavy failures of
1873 and afterward, the effect of which had seemed
to gather force from that time to the end of Gov.
Cullom's first administration. This unspeculative
period was not calculated to call forth any new
'issues, but the Governor's energies were at one time
put to task to quell a spirit of insubordination that
had been begun in Pittsburg, Pa., among the laboring
classes, and transferred to Illinois at Chicago, East
St. Louis and Braidwood, at which places laboring
men for a short time refused to work or allow others
to work. These disturbances were soon quelled and
the wheels of industry again set in motion.

In May, 1880, Gov. Cullom was re-nominated by
the Republicans, against Lyman Trumbull, by the
Democrats; and although the former party was some-
what handicapped in the campaign by a zealous
faction opposed to Grant for President and to Grant
men for office generally, Mr. Cullom was re-elected
by about 314,565, to 277,532 for the Democratic State
ticket. The Greenback vote at the same time was
about 27,000. Both Houses of the Legislature again
became Republican, and no representative of the
Greenback or Socialist parties were elected. Gov.
Cullom was inaugurated Jan. 10, iS8i. In his mes-
sage he announced that the last dollar of the State
debt had been provided for.

March 4, 1883, the term of David Davis as United
States Senator from Illinois expired, and Gov. Cul-
lom was chosen to succeed him. This promoted
Lieutenant-Governor John M. Hamilton to the Gov-
ernorship. Senator Cullom's term in the United
States Senate will expire March 4, 1889.

As a practitioner of law Mr. C. has been a member
of the firm of Cullom, Scholes & Mather, at Spring-
field ; and he has also been President of the State
National Bank.

He has been married twice, the first time Dec.
12, 1855, to Miss Hannah Fisher, by whom he had
two daughters ; and the second time May 5, 1863,
to Julia Fisher. Mrs. C is a member of the Method-
ist Episcopal Church, with which religious body Mr,
C. is also in sympathy.

1 s

* '"

UNIVERSITY OF

_*A/S>K>l/ r

^(VXiJcj

GO VERNORS OF ILLINOIS.

OHN MARSH ALL HAMIL-
TON, Governor 1883-5, was
born May 28, 1847, in a log
house upon a farm about two
miles from Richwood, Union
County, Ohio. His father was
Samuel Hamilton, the eldest son
of Rev. Wm. Hamilton, who, to-
gether with his brother, the Rev.
Samuel Hamilton, was among the
early pioneer Methodist preachers in
Ohio. The mother of the subject of
this sketch was, before her marriage,
Mrs. Nancy McMorris, who was
born and raised in Fauquier or Lou-
doun County, Va., and related to the
two large families of Youngs and Marshalls, well
known in that commonwealth ; and from the latter
family name was derived the middle name of Gov.
Hamilton.

In March, 1854, Mr. Hamilton's father sold out
his little pioneer forest home in Union County, O.,
and, loading his few household effects and family
(of six children) into two emigrant covered wagons,
moved to Roberts Township, Marshall Co., 111., being
2 1 days on the route. Swamps, unbridged streams
and innumerable hardships and privations met them
on their way. Their new home had been previously
selected by the father. Here, after many long years
of toil, they succeeded in paying for the land and
making a comfortable home. John was, of course,

brought up to hard manual labor, with no schooling
except three or four months in the year at a common
country school. However, he evinced a capacity
and taste for a high order of self-education, by
studying or reading what books he could borrow, as
the family had but very few in the house. Much of
his study he prosecuted by the light of a log fire in
the old-fashioned chimney place. The financial
panic of 1857 caused the family to come near losing
their home, to pay debts ; but the father and two
sons, William and John, "buckled to" and perse-
vered in hard labor and economy until they redeemed
their place from the mortgage.

When the tremendous excitement of the political
campaign of 1860 reached the neighborhood of Rob-
erts Township, young Hamilton, who had been
brought up in the doctrine of anti-slavery, took a zeal-
ous part in favor of Lincoln's election. Making special
efforts to procure a little money to buy a uniform, he
joined a company of Lincoln Wide-Awakes at Mag-
nolia, a village not far away. Directly after the
ensuing election it became evident that trouble
would ensue with the South, and this Wide-Awake
company, like many others throughout the country,
kept up its organization and transformed itself into a
military company. During the ensuing summer they
met often for drill and became proficient ; but when
they offered themselves for the war, young Hamilton
was rejected on account of his youth, he being then
but 14 years of age. During the winter 0^1863-4 he
attended an academy at Henry, Marshall County,

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JOHN MARSHALL HAMILTON.

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and in the following May he again enlisted, for the
fourth time, when he was placed in the 14151 111.
Vol. Inf., a regiment then being raised at Elgin, 111.,
for the too-day service. He took with him 13 other
lads from his neighborhood, for enlistment in the
service. This regiment operated in Southwestern
Kentucky, for about five months, under Gen. Paine.
The following winter, 1864-5, -Mr. Hamilton taught
school, and during the two college years 1865-7, ne
went through three years of the curriculum of the
Ohio Wesleyan University at Delaware, Ohio. The
third year he graduated, the fourth in a class of 46,
in the classical department. In due time he received
the degree of M. A. For a few months he was the
Principal of Marshall " College " at Henry, an acad-
emy under the auspices of the M. E. Church. By
this time he had commenced the study of law, and
after earning some money as a temporary Professor
of Latin at the Illinois Wesleyan University at
Bloomington, he entered the law office of Weldon,
Tipton & Benjamin, of that city. Each member of
this firm has since been distinguished as a Judge.
Admitted to the Bar in May, 1870, Mr. Hamilton
was given an interest in the same firm, Tipton hav-
ing been elected Judge. In October following he
formed a partnership with J. H. Rowell, at that time
Prosecuting Attorney. Their business was then
small, but they increased it to very large proportions,
practicing in all grades of courts, including even the
U. S. Supreme Court, and this partnership continued
unbroken until Feb. 6, 1883, when Mr. Hamilton
was sworn in as Executive of Illinois. On the 4th
of March following Mr. Rowell took his seat in Con-
gress.

In July, 1871, Mr. Hamilton married Miss Helen
M. Williams, the daughter of Prof. Wm. G. Williams,
Professor of Greek in the Ohio Wesleyan University.
Mr. and Mrs. H. have two daughters and one son.
' In 1876 Mr. Hamilton was nominated by the Re-
publicans for the State Senate, over other and older
competitors. He took an active part " on the stump "
in the campaign, for the success of his party, and was
elected by a majority of 1,640 over his Democratic-
.Greenback opponent. In the Senate he served on
the Committees on Judiciary, Revenue, State Insti-
tutions, Appropriations, Education, and on Miscel-
lany ; and during the contest for the election of a
U. S. Senator, the Republicans endeavoring to re-

elect John A. Logan, he voted for the war chief on
every ballot, even alone when all the other Republi-
cans had gone over to the Hon. E. B. Lawrence and
the Democrats and Independents elected Judge
David Davis. At this session, also, was passed the
first Board of Health and Medical Practice act, of
which Mr. Hamilton was a champion, against so
much opposition that the bill was several times
" laid on the table." Also, this session authorized
the location and establishment of a southern peni-
tentiary, which was fixed at Chester. In the session
of 1879 Mr. Hamilton was elected President pro tern,
of the Senate, and was a zealous supporter of John
A. Logan for the U. S. Senate, who was this time
elected without any trouble.

In May, 1880, Mr. Hamilton was nominated on
the Republican ticket for Lieutenant Governor, his
principal competitors before the Convention being
Hon. Wm. A. James, ex-Speaker of the House of
Representatives, Judge Robert Bell, of Wabash
County, Hon. T. T. Fountain, of Perry County, and
Hon. M. M. Saddler, of Marion County. He engaged
actively in the campaign, and his ticket was elected
by a majority of 41,200. As Lieutenant Governor,
he presided almost continuously over the Senate in
the 32d General Assembly and during the early days
of the 33d, until he succeeded to the Governorship.
When the Legislature of 1883 elected Gov. Cullom
to the United States Senate, Lieut. Gov. Hamilton
succeeded him, under the Constitution, taking the
oath of office Feb. 6, 1883. He bravely met all the
annoyances and embarrassments incidental upon
taking up another's administration. The principal
events with which Gov. Hamilton was connected as
the Chief Executive of the State were, the mine dis-
aster at Braidwood, the riots in St. Clairand Madison
Counties in May, 1883, the appropriations for the
State militia, the adoption of the Harper high-license
liquor law, the veto of a dangerous railroad bill, etc.

The Governor was a Delegate at large to the
National Republican Convention at Chicago in June,

1884, where his first choice for President was John
A. Logan, and second choice Chester A. Arthur; but
he afterward zealously worked for the election of Mr.
Blaine, true to his party.

Mr. Hamilton's term as Governor expired Jan. 30,

1885, when the great favorite " Dick " Oglesby was
inaugurated.

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INTRODUCTORY.

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SHE comparative value of bi-
ography in the field of lit-
erature is daily becoming
more apparent. At no
period lias it ranked as at
present, and each success-
ive day adds to its promi-
nence. Sixty years ago its su-
premacy was acknowledged by the
most graceful pen of the age, and
the concession had all the more
strength coming as it did from a
man whose ultima thule was found
in a direction considered diametri-
cally its reverse. Tourgee consid-
ers biography as hardly worthy
respect, and the opinion seems
conspicuously singular, coming
from one who expounds his principles through the
lips of fictitious characters, constructed for the pur-
pose. It strikes one as paradoxical. But when a
historian so masterly as Lord Macaulay pays tribute
to the value and power of biography, its place is as-
sured beyond danger from assault.

Carlyle's statement that the world's history is the
history of its leaders, is the truest thing that has
been said of the comparative merits of biography,
and it brings us to the quest for the world's leaders.
Finding them, we are startled to discover that the
real and true leaders are, for the most part, compara-
tively unknown. Modern progress, with its hurried
sweep, has engulfed them, and bewildered the com-
mon understanding with its exhibit of marvels. But
when the lapse of time has cooled enthusiasm, when

results stand forth in matchless proportions and the
spontaneous meed of praise awaits its rightful
owner, agencies appear in their legitimate attitude.

The time is here when biography is no longer con-
fined to those who have done great things. The
day of small things has come, and the grand array
of those who have created the proud position and
splendid supremacy of American institutions, is re-
ceiving just recognition.

No wonder that Illinois is supreme among States!
When her pioneer sons first trod her fair acres, and
the hope of ultimate ownership arose in their souls,
did they not know, though unwittingly, what is the
true significance of the " divine right of kings ? "

Who more a king than he who stood in the primal
days of Whiteside County, his gaze fixed on the
broad acres of his " claim," and feeling in his veins
the leaping tide and in his muscles the latent
strength, through whose intelligent application the
fruition of his hopes should come ?

The " annals " that follow these words of introduc-
tion have been retouched with reverence, and a full
realization of the responsibility attending the work.
Every man who has added by his life's efforts to the
productiveness of the soil, improved the quality or
swelled the number of the herds, has a right to a
representation to the generations of the future from
his own standpoint of motive and achievement.

And when they that follow contemplate the re-
sults of the toil of those who led, question as to per-
sonality and purpose, these pages will exist to answer
their eager solicitude, and to urge them, in the light
of example, to fill worthily the steps that first trod
where theirs must come after.

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1 XT' H H *1* H H y V v '

WHITESIDE COUNTY.

OL. EBENEZER SEELY,
the oldest living resident of
Whiteside County, living up-
on his farm in Portland
Tp., was bom in Ononda-
ga Co., N. Y., Nov. 6, 1802.
He is a son of Jeduthan and Sally
(Gibhs) Seely. His father was a na-
tive of Washington Co., N. Y., a farmer
by occupation, and died near where
Col. Seely now resides, Sept. 4, 1836,
and was the first man buried in the
county. His mother was a native of
Utica, N. Y., and died in Olin, Iowa,
in 1841. They were united in mar-
riage in Onondaga Co., N. Y., and afterwards moved
to Genesee County, that State. They were the par-
ents of six children, five sons and one daughter, three
of whom yet survive, and one of whom, Col. Seely,
subject of this notice, is the eldest. Horace is now
residing at Oxford Mills, Jones Co., Iowa. Mary is
the wife of Rev. Lowry, a Congregational minister in
Olin, Jones Co., Iowa.

In 1806, the parents of Col. Seely moved from
Onondaga to Genesee Co., N. Y., and in the latter
county Mr. Seely was reared on a farm, receiving
the advantages afforded by the common schools, and
developed into manhood. On attaining adult age he
continued to follow the vocation of farming and
lumbering, and soon after entered into a copartner-
ship with Marvin Frary in the saw-mill business.
They erected a saw-mill in the latter county, which
they continued to operate for five years, when Col.

Seely sold out and, taking his share of the lumber
that was on hand, constructed a raft on which he
placed his family, consisting of wife and five children
and father and mother, and rafted down the Ohio
River to Louisville, Ky. He sold his lumber at that
place and took a boat to St. Louis, accompanied by
his family, and went from the latter city to Rock Isl-
and. At the latter place he hired a team and
brought his family to what is now Prophelstown
Township. He had nevertheless been to this county
before. In September, 1834, he came here and lo-
cated 320 acres of land on sections 6, of Prophets-
town Township, and i of Portland Township. He
broke some land and made some other improvements
on his place, and in March, 1835, returned to New
York, and in April, 1836, brought his family as stated.
He at first moved into a little house his brother Nor-
man B., now deceased, owned at that time, and soon
erected a log house of his own, 22x22 feet. The
following year he erected another building, 22x22
feet in dimensions, twelve feet from the building
which he first erected, and placed them both
under one roof. In 1839 he erected a frame house,
22x30 in dimensions, and one and a half stories,
in which he kept " hotel " for the accommodation of
pioneer travelers, having brought with him a good
supply of bedding, provisions, etc. He continued to
act as " mine host " on his farm for 32 years, the
same being known as a farmers' home. He had at one
time 220 acres under the plow, and a fine farm.

Col. Seely also erected a steam saw-mill on his
farm, in company with several other pioneers, and
they ran it for about ten years, when he bought them

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A f

WHITESIDE COUNTY.

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all out, which he did one at a time, and became sole
owner. The mill was finally run for two years as a
grist-mill. Afterward Col. Seely sold the machinery,
which was shipped away.

Mr. Seely tells many interesting stories of his early
settlement in this county. The first grist that he had
ground he took to Aurora, 100 miles distant, and was
some eight days making the trip. He has drawn a
great deal of wheat to Chicago, and has had at a time
two and three teams on the road at once. He has
seen a string of teams three miles long loaded with
wheat, and on their way to the now great metropolis.
At one time he went to Chicago with three loads of
wheat, and was spokesman for the wheat " drawers "
that day and controlled the price of that article there,
and bulled the market from 75 cents to $1.10. At
present he could hardly accomplish the wonderful
feat he performed at that time. The Colonel also
saw the first two-story building erected in Chicago,
which was in September, 1834. This was the Tre-
mont House, which afterward burned, and was
replaced with another fine stone building. Mr. Seely
receives his title of Colonel from having been the
Colonel of the militia of New York, and also in this
State.

Col. Seely was united in marriage, in Alexander
Township, Genesee Co., N. Y., Jan. 25, 1824, to
Miss Dolly Maynard, who was born in the State of
Connecticut, Feb. 27, 1803, and died Jan. 6, 1875.
They raised seven children, six of whom survive.
Solomon, a resident of Sterling: Sarah, the wife of
Alexander Hatfield, a resident of Sterling. Andrew
J., a farmer in Portland Township. Martin V., a
resident of Prophetstown. Caroline, wife of Stephen
H. Beardslee, a resident of Cadillac, Mich.; and Jen-
nie, a widow, residing in Brooklyn, N. Y. David is
deceased.

Col. Seely has been a member of the I. O. O. F.
30 years. He was the first President of the Pioneer
Society of this county, and has held the position ever
since. The first meeting was held in January, 1853,
in the Wallace House, Sterling, and Col. Seely has
never failed to attend the meetings of the society
since, with but a single exception. The meetings
are held at Hamilton's Bluffs, in Lyndon Township,
this county. He has a remarkable memory for a
man of his age. His mind is as clear and strong as
men usually are at 60.

Mr. Seely is a gentleman worthy the distinction of

having his portrait placed in the honorary position in
this ALBUM, and especially so when he has been
living in this county longer than any other man.

ason W. Blaisdell, farmer, residing on
section 16, Portland Township, and the
owner of 210 acres in the township, is a
son of Daniel and Clarissa (Gardner), Blais-
dell, and was born in Cortland Co., N. Y. , July
27, 1820. His father was a millwright, in connec-
tion with farming and lumbering, in the State of Ver-
mont, and his mother was a native of the same
State. The issue of their union was three children!
two of whom are living. Mary is deceased. Caro-
line is the wife of Daniel F. Cole, a farmer residing
in Portland Township, this county.

Mr. Blaisdell is the youngest of his father's
family. He and his father came by river to Rock
Island, and walked to Portland Township, this
county, arriving at the residence of Horace Burk
June 15, 1836. His father made a claim of 160
acres on section 21, of Portland Township. Com-
ing at that date in company with his father, Mr. B.,
as well as the latter, may be considered one of the
pioneer settlers of this county. His father made
improvements on his claim, and in the fall of 1837
the remainder of the family followed. In the tornado
which occurred in 1 844, his father was considerably
bruised, and never fully recovered. He died on his
farm, Dec. 23, 1855, where the mother also died>
April 15, 1870. He was a man of energetic dispo-
sition, with a determination to establish a home for
himself and family, and faithfully labored for the
fulfillment of his desire. He held numerous offices
in the township.

Mr. Blaisdell purchased 40 acres of prairie land
and 33 of timber land in 1843, and subsequently
added to his landed interests until at one time he
had about 500 acres. He has given 80 acres to his
son, Herbert P., 120 acres to his daughter, Anulet,
and 80 acres to Almeda, and now has 210 acres, lo-
cated on sections 21, 16, 25 and 27. He has a fine
residence, good orchard, barns, fine running spring,
etc. He also runs a threshing-machine in seasons,
and has sawed wood for a number of years.

Mr. Blaisdell was united in marriage in Portland

Township, Dec. 5, 1844, to Miss Alzina Rowe. She
was a daughter of James and Mary A. Rowe, and
was born in Steuben Co., N. Y. The issue of their
union was three children, all born in Portland
Township, this county. Their record is as follows :
Anulet was born April 14, 1847, and is the wife of
Ralph Smedley, a farmer of Portland Township;
Aimeda was born July 31, 1855, and is the wife of
William C. Bryant, a farmer and dealer in stock at
Erie; Herbert P., born Sept. 13, 1852, is now a resi-
dent of La Vergne, Minn.

illiam Pearson, general farmer, section 29,
Ustick Township, is the proprietor of one
of the finest farms in Whiteside County,
comprising 340 acres. His first purchase,
in 1856, included 60 acres, which has been
and still is the site of his home. He has been
prospered in his business relations, and is a very
successful farmer.

He was born Feb. 14, 1832, in Chedelhume,
Chestershire, England, and is the son of James and
Mary (Fisher) Pearson. His parents were natives
of England, and the mother died in her native
country, in 1852. Their children were born in the
following order : John, Samuel, Thomas, Jane, Will-
iam, James, Henry and Isaac. Thomas was drowned
in Clinton, De Witt Co., 111. Isaac died at 22. The
surviving brothers and sisters of Mr. Pearson live in
England. His father came to America and lived
about five years, when he died at the residence of
his son. He was successively a butcher, farmer
and silk-weaver.

Mr. Pearson came to the United States in 1854,
and settled at Blackberry, Kane Co., 111., operating as
a section foreman on the Chicago & North Western
Railroad. In 1856 he came to Whiteside County,
and has since been engaged in farming. He operated
in the same capacity in the interests of the same
railroad corporation after his removal hither, one ter-
mination of his route being Unionville. He has
since resided in Ustick Township, with the excep-
tion of six months spent in Wisconsin.

In 1860 he returned to his native country to ful-
fill a long cherished purpose, the result of which
was his marriage to Ann Shotwell. Their union was

celebrated Jan. 25, and soon after they sailed for
their home in the New World. They have had 12
children, nine of whom still survive. They were
born in the following order, in Ustick Township :
George, Dec. 25, 1861 ; James, Jan. 27, 1863; Mary
J., Jan. 4, 1865 ; Frances E., March 9, 1866 ; Fred-
eric W., Feb. 28, 1868; Emma C, April 7, 1870;
Eliza, June 10, 1872; Levi, March 4, r874; Allan.
Three children died in infancy. Mrs. Pearson was
born Nov. 14, 1836, and is the daughter of George
and Frances Shotwell. Her father was born in 1806,
in Woodford, Chestershire, and died Jan. 9, 1879.
Her mother was born in 1808 in the same place, and
died June 24, 1883. Their children were named
Sarah, Frederick, Levi, Ann, Samuel, William and
Eliza. Two sisters died in England. Samuel and
William came to America.

ILornelius Trowbridge, a farmer owning
land on sections 33 and 34, Mt. Pleasant
Township, is a son of Willard and Amy

(Sprague) Trowbridge, natives of Connecticut.

They were married and settled in Lewis Co.^

N. Y., where the wife and mother died. The
father afterward removed to Fulton Co., Ohio, where
he is at present residing. Their family comprised
six children, namely: John S., Jordon, Emily. An-
son, Allen and Cornelius.

Cornelius, the subject of this biographical notice,
was born in York, Lewis Co., N. Y., Feb. 20, 1828.
He received a common-school education in Ohio,
and as the country in which his father resided was
new, and he being the first settler in the township of
the county, the school privileges were very limited.
Cornelius lived at home assisting on the farm until
he attained the age of majority. He then bought a
tract of timbered land, which he cleared and after-
ward sold, and then cleared another farm in the
same locality ; he also assisted in clearing his father's
farm in Fulton County, Ohio.

Nov. 8, 1863, Mr. Trowbridge enlisted in the 38th
Ohio Vol. Inf., and served till the close of the war.
He participated in the battle of Jonesboro and at the
siege of Atlanta, and was wounded by a minie ball
in the right leg, and in consequence thereof he wa?
incapacitated from active duty in the field. He is a

192

WHITESIDE COUNTY.

member of Alpheus Clark Post, G. A. R., at Morri-
son, and is also a pensioner of the Government.
After the war closed Mr. Trowbridge returned to his
farm in Ohio, and resumed the cultivation of his
land, which he continued until June, 1878, when he
came to this county and settled on the farm on
which he at present resides, in Mt. Pleasant Town-
ship, which he had purchased the spring previous to
his removal hither. He is the owner of 187^ acres,
the principal portion of which lies in Mt. Pleasant
Township, and of the whole tract, 180 acres is in a
good tillable condition.

Mr. Trowbridge was united in marriage in Fulton
Co., Ohio, Dec. 30, 1849, to Celina M., daughter of
Alanson and Mary (Hubbard) Bradley, natives of
Connecticut. Her patents were married and settled
in York State, from whence they removed to Fulton
Co., Ohio, in 1844, and where her father died Aug.
8, 1877. The mother resides in Dakota. Their
family comprised ten children, namely : Edwin,
Celina, Almon, Jane, Enos, Cyrus, James, Martha,
Frederick and Mary. Mrs. Trowbridge was born in
Oswego Co., N. Y., Aug. 21, 1830. She and her
husband are the parents of three children, Julius O.,
born Dec. 26, 1850; Alfred E., born Jan. 16, 1854;
Martha A., born May 7, 1867, and died when 16
months old.

Mr. Trowbridge has held the office of School Di-
rector, and he and his wife are members of the Pres-
byterian Church. Politically he is identified with
the Republican party.

I UUam H. Harrison, a merchant at Tam-
pico, was born Dec. 20, 1856, in Fenton
Township, Whiteside Co., 111. His par-
ents, Samuel and Betsey (Pope) Harrison,
were born in England, where they were
farmers. They came to Whiteside County,
and the father died in Fenton Township, in 1866.
In 1874 the mother and children went to Vancouver's
Island, B. C.

Mr. Harrison returned to Whiteside County in
1876. He obtained a position as clerk in the em-
ployment of Isaac Kahn, in whose interests he oper-
ated 18 months. In 1878 he came to Tampico and
formed a partnership with R. Davis in the sale of

general merchandise. At the end of 18 months their
connection terminated, Mr. Harrison becoming sole
proprietor. His business is in a prosperous condi-
tion. In political opinion and relations, Mr. Har-
rison is a Republican. He is at present a member
of the Village Board.

Dec. 25, 1883, he was married to Sadie, daughter
of Thomas A. and Mary (Varien) Glassburn. Her
parents were born, reared and married in Ohio, and
came to Illinois in 1856, since which time they have
resided in Whiteside County. They now live in
Tampico Township, where Mrs. Harrison was born,
and acquired a good education. At 16 she com-
menced teaching in the primary department of the
village school at Tampico, where she was employed
six years.

artin V. Seely, " mine host " of the " Seely
House," is a son of Col. Ebenezer and
Dolly (Maynard) Seely (see sketch of *
Col. Ebenezer Seely in another part of this
work), and was born in Cattaraugus Co., N. i
Y., Jan. 30, 1834. The father of Mr. Seely ^
was a native of Genesee Co., N. Y., and now resides
in Portland Township, this county, at the advanced
age of 82 years ; his portrait appears in this work,
and in connection therewith a biographical sketch of
his life. The mother of Mr. Seely died on the old
homestead, aged 72 years.

When two years of age, 1836, Mr. Seely accom-
panied his parents to this county, where they located
-on a farm. He was reared on the farm, assisting in J \
the labors of the same and alternating his work
thereon by attendance at the common schools until
he attained the age of majority.

Mr. Seely was united in marriage in Portland
Township, this county, March 20, 1855, to Miss
Armina Maynard, a daughter of William and Emily
Maynard. She was born in Erie Co., N. Y., Jan. 30,
1834, the same day and year which witnessed the
birth of her husband. The issue of their union was
two children, both of whom are deceased, Sadie and
Willie.

Mrs. Seely died in Portland Township,. March 7,
1859, and Mr. Seely was ngain married in the same
township, Dec. 19, 1861, to Miss Amelia Keeler,

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WHITESIDE COUNTY.

daughter of Ralph O. and Orlantha J. Keeler. Slie
was born in Wood Co., Ohio, Aug. 15, 1835. They
had one son, Ralph M., born July 19, 1867, and at
present attending the Business College at Sterling,
111. Mrs. Seely died in Prophetstown, Dec. 15, 1884.
In 1861, Mr. Seely bought the old homestead, which
comprised 260 acres. He subsequently sold 160
acres of the same and at the present time is the pro-
prietor of 100 acres of the old homestead, also 160
acres on sections i and 35 in Portland Township.
He made a speciality of stock-raising, buying and
feeding his stock and shipping annually about $50,-
ooo worth. Mr. Seely was President of the White-
side Agricultural Society of Sterling, for two years.
Socially, he is a member of the I. O. O. F.

In 1873 Mr. Seely went to Prophetstown and built
the Seely House, which he rented for six years, and
during that time was interested in the stock business.
When the First National Bank was organized, he was
a stock-holder and director of the same. In 1879,
he took charge of his hotel and has conducted it ever
since. It is the only hotel in Prophetstown, has 28
rooms for the accommodation of guests, and is con-
ducted in a manner every way suited to the wants of
the traveling public. Mr. Seely is strictly temperate,
never having tasted a drop of ardent spirits in his
life ; nor does he use tobacco in any way.

avid B. Arrell is one of the most prosper-
ous ano< enterprising fanners in Garden
Plain Township. He was born in the
township of Veale in Daviess Co., Ind., Sept.
20, 1821. His parents, James and Sarah (Crab)
Arrell, were natives of the township of Fallow-
field, Washington Co., Pa., and emigrated thence to
Indiana alxnit 1817, traveling on flat-boats on the
Monongahela and Ohio Rivers to Evansville on the
latter, whence they went to Daviess County with
teams. They located in Daviess County and were
pioneers, building a log house in the depths of the
timber. The structure was built without nails, cov-
ered with clapboards and had a puncheon floor. The
door was furnished with a wooden latch, and the
trite saying that " its string was always out," may
be accepted in all its significations. The family left
Indiana in 1823, returning to Pennsylvania.

So far as can be ascertained the firsi representa-
tives of the name of Arrell in America were two
brothers, Edward and William Arrell, who came
from County Derry, Ireland, to America in 1774.
They were descendants of the Scotch who went to
the north of the Green Isle to escape the persecutions
of the "kirk" in 1619, and who experienced per-
plexities scarcely less oppressive from the taxation of
the Established Church, which presented their as-
similation in any degree with the people of the coun-
try where they first sought refuge, for a long period
of time. Hence the first Scotch-Irish who settled in
America had no mixture of Irish blood in their veins.
They were Scotch who were born in Ireland. Ed-
ward Arrell, paternal grandfather of Mr. Arrell of
this sketch, espoused the cause of the Colonists in
their rebellion against British oppression. He was
employed in the commissary department at Bunker
Hill, and while driving^ his team on the retreat his
wagon tipped over. He restored its equilibrium,
filled it with wounded soldiers and the procession
made good its escape. He located after the war was
done in Fayette Co., Pa. After his marriage he se-
cured a claim of land on Maple Creek, in Fallowfield
Township. He improved a farm on which he lived
until his life's journey closed.. His children num-
bered seven four sons and three daughters.

James and Sarah Arrell became the parents of
seven children. Following is the record of those of
the number who survive : Matilda is the wife of Wil-
liam Wood, and they reside on a part of the home-
stead in Daviess Co., Ind. David B. is the oldest
surviving son. Alice married Hon. John B. Scud-
der, of Daviess Co., Ind. Nancy is the widow of
Fenwick Alexander. Rachel is the wife of G. Mc-
Ilvaine, of Washington Co., Pa.

William Arrell, the brother of Edward, settled in
Chambersburg, Pa. He had three sons and one
daughter. Only one of his sons was married. The
son John located near Poland, Ohio, where some of
his descendants yet reside.

Mr. Arrell of this sketch was two years of age when
his parents went to Pennsylvania. After a residence
there of seven years, the family returned to Daviess
Co., Ind., where the son remained until he was 18.
He returned to Pennsylvania in 1839 to live with his
aunts. In 1846 he was married to Margaret J.,
daughter of Baptiste and Nancy (Arrell) Hopper.

\ 0r
*\

M* The year following they went to Monongahela City,
where they resided until 1853. In that year they
came to Illinois and fixed their first place of abode
near Albany. Mr. Arrell bought a tract of unim-
proved land on section 32, of Garden Plain Town-
ship, of which he took possession in 1857. On tak-
ing up his residence thereon, he at once proceeded
to put the place in the best condition for occupation
and successful management. The entire property is
in advanced cultivation and fitted with the best type
of modern farm fixtures,

Eight children have been born to Mr. and Mrs.
Arrell. Those now living are as follows: fiffie is the
wife of Dr. J. B. Ewing, of Uniontown, Fayette Co.,
Pa. Hopper is married and lives in Newton Town-
ship. Gertrude married B. H. Quick, of Moline.
David B., Jr., resides at home.

abez Lathe, a farmer in Lyndon Township,
is the third son of Reuel and Sally (Rob-
ins) Lathe, of whom a sketch may be
found elsewhere in this volume. He was born
Dec. i, 1822, in Steuben Co., N. Y., where he
was brought up on a farm, and was well edu-
cated. He began teaching when 20 years old, and
alternated that pursuit with farming until he came
to Whiteside County with his parents, the removal
of the family hither being effected in 1845. In 1846
he bought 80 acres of land on section 12, Lyndon
Township, on which he made the first improve-
ments, in 1848. He broke a few acres and set out
an orchard, as a beginning of the work of putting
his property under thorough cultivation.

Mr. Lathe was united in marriage April 4, 1849,
to Pamelia, daughter of John P. and Candace Sands.
In the spring of 1850 he located on his place, where
he had built a house. His wife died Sept. i, 1854.
He was again married Dec. i, 1855, to Martha M.
Hickcox. She was born in Chittenden Co., Vt., and
is the daughter of Thomas N. and Mary (Foster)
$ Hickcox.

The agricultural affairs of Mr. Lathe were pro-
ceeding prosperously, when his buildings, fences
and orchard were swept away by the tornado of June
3, 1860. His wife was so severely injured that she

GN/A. :

never fully recovered. He built the house he now
occupies in 1862, and the farm is again supplied
with convenient buildings, and is fenced in good
condition.

ichard Storer, deceased, formerly a farmer
on section n, Garden Plain Township, was
born Feb. 23, 1816, in Washington Co.,
Pa. He was the son of John and Elizabeth
(Holecraft) Storer, and was brought up on his
father's farm. He married Margaret Curry,
a native of Pennsylvania, born Dec. 29, 1818. They
resided in Allegheny Co , Pa., after their marriage,
until their removal in 1853 to Whiteside County,
where they settled on the southeast quarter of section
n, in Garden Plain Township. Mr. Storer was a
skillful and industrious farmer, and pushed his agri-
cultural operations with success. He died in June,
1881.

Mrs. Storer lives on the homestead. She is the
mother of two daughters, Elizabeth, wife of J. B.
Kearns ; and Adeline, who married A. J. Stowell, of
whom a sketch appears elsewhere.

Austin, a farmer on section 6, Lyn-
don Township, owns a valuable farm of
220 acres, pleasantly and desirably located
about three miles south of Morrison. The
place is increased in appearance and value
by shade and ornamental trees and shrubs.
Mr. Austin was born Dec. 30, 1825, in Allenville,
Switzerland Co., Ind. William Austin, his father,
was born in Oneida Co., N. Y., in 1794, and was
descended from the early emigrants to New England.
During the war of 1812 he raised a company of vol-
unteer soldiers and started for Plattsburg, where a
battle was in progress, but arrived too late to take
active share in it.

He married Margaret Livings, a native of New
Jersey, of mixed English and German parentage.
After their marriage they resided a brief period in the
State of New York, and went thence to Hamilton

WHITES1DE COUNTY.

Co., Ohio. They lived two years in the vicinity of
Cincinnati, and then pushed on to what was in that
day the western frontier, locating in Cotton Town-
ship, Switzerland Co.,Ind. The senior Austin bought
a tract of land covered with the first forest, where he
cleared a farm, removing from it after it was well im-
proved to a second farm in the wilderness, where he
repeated the experience and moved to a third tract
of forest. He placed the latter in improved condi-
tion, and in 1854 made a final remove to Whiteside
County, where he had previously bought 400 acres
from the United States Government, which was lo-
cated in Mt. Pleasant Township. He bought a
house which he removed to section 27, and which
constituted his residence until his death, in 1859.
His wife died in 1877. Their children numbered
ten, and seven are still living (1885)., Miranda, the
widow of Henry Murphy, lives in Jewell Co., Kan.
Daniel, Silas R. and Dennis live in Lyndon Town-
ship. Martin B. is a resident of Morrison. Georgi-
anna, wife of Homer Olmstead, lives in Cloud Co.,
Kan. William Steward is a resident at (Jnionville.

Mr. Austin was the assistant of his father on the
pioneer farms from the time he had sufficient strength
to operate with an ax. He improved the enforced
leisure of the winters by attendance at the district
schools, and he made his home with his father's
family until he was 23.

In September, 1848, he was joined in marriage to
Harriet Gary. She was born in Rushford, Allegany
Co., N. Y., and is the daughter of Charles and
Eunice (Spaulding) Gary. Her parents were natives
respectively of Connecticnt and Vermont. Previous
to his marriage Mr. Austin had purchased 50 acres
of land under partial improvements in Cotton Town-
ship, on which he settled with his bride and began
the world on his own responsibility. He operated as
a fanner on his property, clearing and extending the
improvements and increasing its value until 1854.
In the autumn of that year he came to Whiteside
County to engage in agricultural pursuits under more
favorable circumstances. He purchased land in
Lyndon Township, then known as township 20,
range 5 east. His land was located on section 6,
and was wholly guiltless of the arts of the husband-
man. Mr. Austin rented a farm during the first year,
and in 1856 began the work of improvement of his
own property. He built a frame house of unpreten-

tious character, which his family occupied 20 years,
when he erected the dwelling in which they now
reside.

The children of Mr. and Mrs. Austin number
eight: Millard married Alice Moss, and lives in
Cloud Co., Kan.; Frank married Sophia Follinsby
and resides in Clark Co., D. T.; Esther is the wife of
S. A. Maxwell, of Unionville (see sketch); Olive
married Frank Wenner, a farmer in Clark Co., D. T.;
Lincoln is a farmer in Clark Co., D. T.; Hattie, Clara
E. and Clark were born next in order; Harrison,
fourth child, married Ellen Follinsby, and died in
Exeter, Neb., aged 24 years. He left a child, who re-
sides with the widowed mother in Clark Co., D. T.

. enjamin Belt is one of the early settlers of
Lyndon Township, whither Tie came in
November, 1845. He settled in 1846 on
section 7. He was born Dec. 7, 1802, in
Huntington Co., Pa., whence he went with
his parents eight years later to Ohio. They
were pioneers in the valley of the Licking. Mr.
Belt passed his minority in Licking County and was
a resident there until his rernoval to Illinois.

He was married April 30, 1823, to Deborah Calli-
han, a native of Ohio. Seven of their ten children
are living: Samantha is the widow of David Ray;
Hannah is the wife of G. H. Hamilton, a leading
farmer of Lyndon Township, of whom a full account
is given elsewhere in this ALBUM; Elizabeth married
John Belt; Salathiel lives in California; Celona is
the wife of H. Daily and they litfe in Dakota; Sa-
brina is the widow of George A. Coleman ; Frank
lives on the homestead. Augustus is the name of
an adopted son. Mrs. Belt died Feb. 17, 1878.

#3v -tec -

lion. James McCoy, the pioneer lawyer and
one of the founders of Fulton City, 111.,
has been an attorney in Northwestern Illi-
j nois for nearly 50 years, and the record of his
career is such as to reflect most honorably upon
his character as a man. He was born in
Greenbrier Co., Va., Sept. 22, i8i/. William Mc-
Coy, his grandfather in the paternal line, was of

*,v3^sr\ J^l

' v V ?f:

f Scotch origin and was born in Virginia. He mar-
') ried a Miss Hamilton, who was of mixed Welsh and
Irish parentage. They settled in Greenbrier County
during the stirring times that preceded the Revolu-
tion, when the Indians of the Atlantic seaboard
were at the height of their atrocities, which con-
dition was, to a great extent, attributable to the
fluence of the Tory element. Forts were con-
structed by the frontiersmen, and in one of these in
Greenbrier County, William McCoy, father of Judge
McCoy, was born, while his parents were seeking
protection from Indian hostilities. William McCoy
,, (ad) attained to man's estate in his native county,
and married Agnes, daughter of James and Eliza-
beth (Gillian) Hanna. The former was born in Ire-
land, and when a boy came to America and settled
in Greenbrier County. His wife was of Scotch ori-
gin and was born in the same county, in 1784, and
was of Scotch and Irish descent. There were 12
children in Win. McCoy's family, all of whom grew
to maturity, and eight of whom are still living. Of
these, our subject is fourth in order of birth. James
received an academic education in Monroe Co., Va.,
and was graduated in 1836. He read law till near
his majority, when he came to Illinois with a view, of
establishing himself in his profession in some of the
new towns of the West. He reached the Missis-
sippi River at the point now embraced by the city of
Fulton, May 9, 1837. Here he found John Baker,
on whose claim a rude attempt had been made to
plat a town site.

This survey was abandoned, and a new one made
under the management of Mr. McCoy, assisted by
Henry C. Fellows, John B. Jenkins and George
Kellogg. These four kept bachelor's hall in a little
shanty on the river bank near the present steamboat
landing. For several months they led an isolated
and dreary life, fighting musquitoes and shaking with
ague. Occasionally a curious passenger would land
from some passing boat and, after looking the situa-
tion over, would go on. To the eastward of them
was an almost unbroken stretch of wild and unsettled
country extending to Dixon. Not even a trail led to
the young city. Finally a few venturesome spirits
joined them. The owners of the lots at that time
were mainly Messrs. McCoy, Henry C. Fellows, John
B. Jenkins, George W. Kellogg, Alvin Humphries, R.
J. Jenks, John Baker, Lyman Blake and Jeremiah
Humphries.

In the fall of the same year he went to Cham-
paign Co., Ohio, where he was joined by his brother,
and they returned to Fulton. He sold his land,
consisting of one-sixteenth of the platted tract,
chiefly on credit, and, on the completion of his
arrangements, he returned to Virginia, reaching
home after an absence of 1 1 months, in the spring
of 1838. He remained in Virginia until July of the
the same year, when he leturned to Fulton to make
collections. The financial crisis, which had con-
vulsed the business world, had reached Fulton, and
he was not able to adjust the business which had
brought him there a second time, and he was
obliged to re -purchase his property to secure himself
from loss. He stayed in Fulton until winter, and
made further purchases of land. He went to Ohio,
where he passed the winter, and was there married,
April 23, 1839, to Miss Elizabeth Russell, daughter
of James and Jane Russell. Mrs. McCoy was born
in Champaign Co., Ohio, Nov. 19, 1819.

In October, 1839, Mr. McCoy returned a third
time to Fulton, to be present at the land sales. He
soon determined to make this his future home. One
year later, the village having acquired a population of
three or four hundred, he entered upon the practice
of his profession. His marked ability and untiring
energy soon placed him among the foremost of his
profession in the West, and his practice extended to
the neighboring Courts, throughout Illinois and Iowa.
He was admitted to practice in the Supreme Courts
of both these States, where he conducted success-
fully many important suits.

From the outset of his career as an attorney, Judge
McCoy has controlled an extensive practice ; and,
although he has a wide repute as a chancery lawyer,
he is a master of every branch of the profession.
Throughout his entire practice Judge McCoy has
pursued one undeviating course of strict adherence
to the letter of the law under the direction of author-
itative and acknowledged interpreters. He is an
acknowledged leader in the legal ranks of Whiteside
County, has no superior as a counselor, and but few
peers. He has conducted his business singly with
the exception of the period in which he was asso-
ciated with his two oldest sons. William J., a prac-
ticing attorney at Morrison and Judge of the County
Court, is a man of peerless ability and is rapidly
attaining a foremost position as a chancery lawyer. ())
His character, formed under the direction of his

V"ViHHX!>HH-'X V

WHITES1DE COUNTY.

father, is one of the best evidences of the influence
by which it was involved. Albert R., an attorney at
Clinton, Iowa, is one of the most brilliant advocates
of the Northwest, and is a man of spotless record.

In 1851, while a project was under consideration
before the Illinois Legislature to construct a railroad
north and south through the State, Judge McCoy
originated the idea of an east and west line from the
Lakes to Council Bluffs on the Missouri River, to
cross the Mississippi at Fulton and Lyons. He at
once called a railroad meeting at Lyons, Iowa, just
opposite Fulton City. His plan was to get the Iowa
Legislature, which was then in session, to pass an act
to incorporate a railway between Lyons and Council
Bluffs. The meeting was well attended, and Judge
McCoy was appointed Chairman of a committee of
four, whose duty it was to present the matter to the
Legislature and urge the passage of such an act.
His associates upon the committee were John B.
Bope, Benjamin Lake and D. P. McDonald. The
petition was presented on Monday morning, and on
the following morning an act of incorporation was
passed by the House. It was sent to the Senate
by a special messenger, where it was introduced.
Senator Leffingwell procured a suspension of the
rules and it passed to its third reading in 20 minutes,
after which it received the Governor's signature and
immediately became a law, in January, 1851.

In order to procure the passage of this act, Judge
McCoy had pledged himself to secure the passage of
an act by the Illinois Legislature to grant a charter
for a railroad from Fulton to intersect the proposed
Illinois Central Road at or near Dixon. He im-
mediately called a railroad meeting at Fulton, and
secured a well signed petition for a charter for a rail-
road from Fulton City eastward. Although the Illi-
nois Legislature was almost at the close of its session,
by prompt and energetic action he secured before its
adjournment a passage of the bill he desired, which
provided for the construction of the Mississippi &
Rock River Junction Railroad, now the Chicago &
Northwestern.

No sooner were these preliminaries successfully
accomplished than a serious obstacle arose in the
form of another line of road just chartered to run
from Beloit, Wis., to Rock Island, 111. The inter-
ests of the two roads were in conflict. A desperate
effort was made by the managers of the latter road

to defeat the project of building the Mississippi &
Rock River Junction Railroad. Mr. McCoy took up
the gauntlet, and with his characteristic energy called
railroad meetings, made as many as three speeches
a week in the interest of the road, until the total
amout of capital stock was subscribed. He spent
three years in soliciting an aggregate of $750,000.
He secured a topographical map of the v. estern slope
from the Pacific to the top of the Sierras, which he
used in his address, and prophesied that within 25
years the achievements would take place which he
actually did witness within 17 years!

May i, 1852, at a meeting of stockholders held
at Union Grove, the following named gentlemen
were elected officers of the road : James McCoy,
President; Directors J. T. Atkinson, Royal Jacobs,
Charles Dement, Benjamin Lake, Elijah Buel, John
Phelps and A. W. Benton.

Judge McCoy was still the leading spirit in this en-
terprise, and by wise and close procedure the con-
struction of the road was assured. He issued the
first $^00,000 in bonds, and let the contract to build
the road. Ground was first broken in February, 1853,
and in April following the Michigan Central and
Galena & Chicago Union Railroad Companies came
forward and took stock to the amount of $405,000
in that portion of the road lying between Dixon and
Fulton. From that date its success was assured.

Mr. McCoy was elected its first President and
served as director of the road several years, and
as the attorney of the company under its different
managements till about 1879, when he resigned, to
devote himself to his local practice.

He was elected -Judge of the County Court of \
Whiteside County, in 1857, with common-law juris-
diction, but resigned in his third year of service, as
he preferred his regular practice. He was elected a
Delegate to the Constitutional Convention in 1869-
70, to form a new State Constitution, and was made
Chairman of one of the most important committees,
that of State, County and Municipal Indebtedness.
He also served on the Judiciary Committee and on
three others of great importance.

Judge McCoy was led through his warm interest
in educational matters to accept a place on the Board
of Trustees of the Illinois Soldiers' College, located
at Fulton City, now known as the " Northern College
of Illinois," and held that position several years.

(s;

In politics Mr. McCoy was originally a Whig and
cast his first Presidential vote for Harrison. On
the adjustment of political matters and the conse-
quent re-organization of parties, he became a Repub-
lican, and has voted with that party since. He was
a Delegate to the National Convention of 1864, which
renominated Abraham Lincoln for the Presidency,
and was a Presidential Elector of 1868.

Mr. and Mrs. McCoy have had a family of seven
children, of whom six are living : Melvina is the
widow of Hon. Robert E. Logan, of Union Grove;
William J. married Marie Aylesworth. Addison W.
married Georgiana Freeman, and is practicing medi-
cine at Wichita, Kan.; Augustine is a lumber mer-
chant of Iowa; Edward, the youngest, is a lumber
dealer of Sioux Rapids, Iowa.

iram Austin, a farmer of Lyndon Town-
ship, resident on section 4, is the oldest son
of Stewart and Eliza (Reynolds) Austin.
He was born Sept. 4, 1828, in Rutland Town-
ship, Tioga Co., Pa., where his parents were
early settlers. As soon as he obtained a suit-
able growth he aided his father in the pioneer labors
of the farm, helping to clear the timber away, and in
the tillage of the soil. He obtained his education,
attending school in the winter seasons.

His father came to Illinois in 1847, leaving him
to arrange the incomplete affairs relating to the
estate. He set out to rejoin the family in Septem-
ber, 1848, leaving Elmira, and traveling to Buffalo
on the canal. He came from there on a steamboat
to Chicago, and walked from that city to Lyndon in
three days. His first labor in Whiteside County was
with a threshing-machine, and the next year he
worked on his father's farm. <

In January, 1855, he was united in marriage to
Laura, daughter of William C. and Emmeline (Mon-
roe) Morse. She was born Nov. 21, 1836, in Luzerne
Co., Pa. Mr. Austin and his brother had purchased
the homestead, and on the event of his marriage he
took up his residence thereon. He still occupies
the place, of which he is sole owner, having bought
the interest of his brother. The farm comprises 180
acres, in the best condition for agricultural purposes,

all in tillage, and fenced, with substantial buildings,
fruit and shade trees.

The children of Mr. and Mrs. Austin, eight in
number, were named Celestia E., Lyman R., Em-
ma, Cora Belle, Lester M., Clara May, Phebe I.
and Raymond H. ; Emma died in infancy.

| obert M. Carr, merchant at Fenton Cen-
ter, who was born Feb. 13, 1854, in the
township of Fenton. Merrill P. Carr, his
.- father, came with his father, Timothy Carr, to
Fenton Township in 1838, when he was but
eight years of age. Merrill P. Carr was born
in Vermont, in September, 1830. He married Phebe
A. Hoffman, a native of Virginia. He settled about
the time of his marriage on section 20, Fenton
Township, and at the time of his death, in Septem-
ber, 1862, he owned 258 acres of land. His widow
afterwards became the wife of Paschal Davis, and
they reside in Shelby Co., Mo.

Robert M. is the second son and second child.
James, his eldest brother, is a practicing attorney at
Maysville, Nodaway Co, Mo. Charles W., next
younger, lives in Lyndon. Clara married Dyer
Booth, and lives in Barton Co., Mo. Lawren D. is
County Superintendent of Schools, in Sully Co., Dak.

Mr. Carr was reared on his father's homestead
and educated in the common schools.

He was married Feb. 25, 1875, to Cynthia L.,
daughter of L. J. and Sarah Robinson. He located
on a part of his father's estate, of which he is now
the owner. In 1881 he went to live at Fenton Cen-
ter, and in February, 1882, in company with his
brother, he established a mercantile enterprise. They
conducted their joint business two years, when R. M.
Carr became by purchase sole proprietor, and has
since managed his affairs singly. In 1884 he leased
the elevator at Fenton Center and has since been
engaged in traffic in grain and stock. In the spring
of 1885 he began the sale of agricultural implements.
He is Postmaster of Fenton, to which he was ap-
pointed in 1882.

They are the parents of five children, namely :
Minnie A., Clara E., Sarah A., Linneus M. and
Mary L.

f, ,-s

UNIVERSITY ut- IUJNORj

OC"X> ^

A. West, of the firm of Hollinshead &
!? West, dealers in clothing and gentlemen's
furnishing goods at Morrison, was born
April 8, 1856, in Clyde Township, Whiteside
County. He is a son of Benjamin and Mary
(Whitley) West, and was reared on a farm, re-
ceiving a good common-school education.

He came to Morrison when 2 1 years of age and
entered the employ of Knox & Brown, grocers, as a
salesman, operating in their interests two years. He
officiated in the same capacity for Brown Bros, and
John Snyder & Co., respectively, one year. In 1881
he formed a partnership with R. P. Hollinshead and
embarked in the business enterprise in which they
are still jointly interested. Their stock includes a
full line of well assorted goods common to their busi-
ness. They own the building they are occupying.

Mr. West is one of the Councilmen of Morrison,
and he belongs to the Order of Odd Fellows.

^.enry Rollins Sampson, Mayor of Morrison,
is a descendant of one of the company
of devoted pilgrims who came to Mas-
sachusetts in the Mayflower, in 1620. He is
descended from a later generation, which in-
cluded the children of Miles Standish and
John Alden and Priscilla Mullins, who intermarried.
Henry Sampson, his first recorded ancestor, was a
child when he came to Plymouth, and was a member
of the family of his uncle, Edward Tilley. This fact
became known through' the record made by Governor
Bradford himself, and which was not discovered un-
til 236 years afterward. Governor Bradford speaks
of "the youth, Henery Samson," which accounts for
the absence of his name from the compact which
was made hi the cabin of* the Mayflower, and also
shows that its original orthography omitted the letter
" p," which was incorporated therein by subsequent
generations. The lines of descent are remarkably well
defined, and in but one single instance are clouded
by lack of direct evidence. This, however, is obviated
by accumulation of negative testimony to an extent
.that substantiates the unbroken lineage. Henry

Sampson married Ann Plummer, and they became
the parents of 10 children. His youngest son, Caleb,
married Mercy Standish, the grand-daughter of Cap-
tain Miles Standish, and the daughter of Alexander
Standish, who married Sarah Alden, daughter of v /
John Alden and Priscilla Mullens, whose courtship is
the subject of one of the sweetest poems in the
English language. David, eldest son of Caleb and
Mercy Sampson, was born in Duxbury, and married
Mary Chaffin. Chapin, their youngest son, was
born in Marshfield, Sept. 21, 1735, and married
Elizabeth Clift. He was a shipmaster, and is the
first of the family on record as following a seafaring
life. Job Sampson, his son, was born in Duxbury,
Sept. 19, 1766, and married Betsey Winsor. They
had four children, three sons and a daughter. Henry
Briggs, the eldest child, was born July 14, 1787, and
married Nancy Turner, who was born in Scituate,
Mass., May 8, 1787. They had eight children.
Francis E. is the wife of W. S. Wilkinson, one of the
most prominent citizens of Morrison, and now living
there in retirement. Ann B. is deceased. Henry Rol-
lins was born Sept. 6, 1819, in Duxbury, Mass. John
T. is deceased. Julia T. is the wife of Charles N.
Russell, a retired merchant at Sterling. Georgiana
married Charles P. Mallett, son of Colonel Mallett,
of New York, and grandson of James Fenner, Gov-
ernor of Rhode Island. They are living at Joplin,
Mo. Florence H. married E. H. Whitman, a farmer
near Como, Whiteside County. Albert S. is a mer-
chant at Sterling. Henry Briggs Sampson also be-
came a shipmaster, and after following a seafaring
life some years, was associated with his brother in a
mercantile enterprise for a few years, after which he
removed with his family to Gardner, Maine, and re-
sumed his former position as a captain in the mer- >
chant service. Two years later, in 1836, he came
West to Tremont, 111., whence he came, about 1839,
to Hopkins Township, and was one of the earliest
settlers on the present site of Como. His mother
was the oldest of the colony who located there, and
died at Como, Oct, 5, 1854. The senior Sampson
located on a farm, where he kept a hotel for the ac-
commodation of the many travelers and prospectors
in the county. He died at Como Dec. 31, 1865.

Mr. Sampson is the third child of his parents, and
remained under their authority until he was 15
years of age. He obtained a good practical educa-
tion at the academies at Duxbury, Mass., and Gard-
MS *^ '

- ... -

202

WHITESIDE COUNTY.

E=Z

r=z

/,.

ner, Maine, and, possessing a reflective temperament,
was at an early age the master of the limited cur-
riculum of the schools of the period. In 1835 he
obtained a clerkship in Boston, 'and later entered a
large shipping establishment in the same city, as
general assistant, where he was employed several
years.

He came to Morrison in 1858 and entered upon
the duties of the position of deputy-clerk, under his
brother-in-law, W. S. Wilkinson. He was re -ap-
pointed and served an aggregate of eight years.

In 1865, in partnership with Col. D. R. Clendenen,
he embarked in a mercantile enterprise, which rela-
tion was in existence about one year. In 1872,
associated with A. W. Warren, he opened an ab-
stract office at Morrison, and they operated in part-
nership until July, 1882. Soon after the termination
of their relations, Mr. Sampson formed his present
business association with his nephew, Henry B. Wil-
kinson, and they are the owners of the only set of
abstracts of Whiteside County. They are also trans-
acting a popular and profitable business in real
estate and loans.

Mr. Sampson has been an active and useful citizen
of Whiteside County since the beginning of his resi-
dence therein. In 1861 he was elected Town Clerk
and served three successive terms. In 1861 he was
elected to his first term as Supervisor of Mt. Pleasant
Township, and has since been re-elected until the
aggregate period of his official terms in that capacity
is eight years. He was a member of the State Board
of Equalization about two years, and has officiated
six years as Councilman of Morrison. Among other
important services which he has rendered was that of
Chairman of the Water Works Committee, in which
he accomplished a permanent benefit to the city of
Morrison. At the point where the water works are now
located there was a seemingly exhaustless natural
spring, and it was in his opinion a desirable location
for the purpose. He proved the value of his judg-
ment by experiment, sinking a well of sufficient
dimensions to thoroughly test its capacity. The
necessary excavation led through the soil to bed-
rock, on which the foundation of the masonry is
placed ; and in this a basin has been blasted, into
which the water flows through interstices in the rock,
and of remarkable purity. He superintended the
construction of the works until their completion, and

they form one of the attractions of Morrison, as well
as one of the most valuable acquisitions of the place.
Mr. Sampson was elected Mayor of Morrison, April
21, 1885, receiving an unanimous vote.

His marriage to Emma L. Dickinson took place at
Boston, Sept. 27, 1858. Kate Power Sampson, their
only child, was born in July, 1859. She died sud-
denly of heart disease March 27, 1878, going from
life before a taint of worldliness had touched her
glad young spirit and while existence was in its sil-
very bloom of hope and joy. She is

Safe from all sin and all sorrow.

And safe from the world's luring strife.

Mr. and Mrs. Sampson are members of the Univers-
alist Church.

The portrait of Mr. Sampson appears on a preced-
ing page. His character is plainly apparent from
the data given of his course of life since he became
a citizen of Morrison. His entire record is one of
probity, integrity and ability, the quality of his judg-
ment and mental balance rendering him an efficient
factor in all public enterprises.

_amuel M. Ladd, jeweler and optician at
Morrison, was born Nov. 15, 1857, in Cin-
cinnati, Ohio, and is the son of John A.
and Mary E. (Molt) Ladd. His father was
one of the pioneer telegraphers in Chicago and
the West, and for many years conductor and
superintendent of railroad, and in charge of United
States transportation during the War : he is now a
resident of Sterling. He is one of the most promin-
ent Masons in Illinois, being Grand High Priest of
the State.

Mr. Ladd is the oldest of the six children belong-
ing to the family, of whom two are deceased. Marian
E. lives at Morrison. Mabel E. and Fannie K. are
the youngest children. The son completed his edu-
cational course at the High School of Sterling, and in
the spring of 1879 he entered the jewelry store of
Clark & Giddings to learn the business, and passed
two years in his apprenticeship. At the end of that
time the firm of Sackett & Ladd was formed and they
opened business at Sterling, continuing their relations
and operations there three years.
In June, 1884, Mr. Ladd came to Morrison and

WHITESIDE COUNTY.

established his business alone. He has a judiciously
assorted stock and is doing a good business. He is
one of the leaders in his line of traffic in the western
part of Whiteside County, and is the only exclusive
dealer in jewelry at Morrison. He makes a specialty
of Johnson's optical goods, and uses Dr. Johnson's
dioptic meter, to perfectly adjust glasses to the eye
and determine the lens suited to the case. His
stock includes a full line of fine goods, solid and
plated ware, jewelry, watches and all other articles
common to similar establishments.

Mr. Ladd is an earnest member of the Presbyterian
Church. He takes a deep interest in Sunday-school
matters and is the Secretary of the Central District
Sunday-school organization.

s6v "& rae-

.dwin Old, farmer, upon section seven,
Clyde Township, is a citizen of this coun-
try by adoption, having been born Feb. 26,
1815, in Wakefield, Yorkshire, Eng. _His father
and mother, Thomas and Elizabeth (Brooks)
Old, were both natives of the same shire where
the son was born, and were able to trace their line of
ancestral descent to a very early period in the history
of Great Britain. -The father was a cloth manufac-
turer by profession and both he and his wife spent
their entire lives where they were born.

Mr. Old was 12 years of age when he began to ac-
quire a knowledge of the calling of his father. He
served a regular apprenticeship and followed the
business until he was 25 years old in the place of his
nativity, In 1840 he emigrated to the United States
and first located in the State of New Jersey. He went
thence to Cairo, Greene Co., N. Y., where he ob-
tained employment in the cloth manufacturing es-
tablishment of Horace Austin & Co., and operated in
the interests of the firm five years.

He was married June 17, 1841, in Cairo, to Ann
Platt, and they have been the parents of seven chil-
dren, of whom four survive : William, who married
Georgiana Rhodes and resides at Clinton, Iowa;
Adaline married Robert Davis, who is a gardener at
Morrison; Frances married Thomas Gulliland, a
farmer in Usttck Township. Ellen lives with her
parents. The father and mother of Mrs. Old, John
and Betty (Beens) Platt, were natives of Yorkshire.

Her father was a weaver. They came with their
family of three children to America. Mrs. Old was
born Jan. 12, 1822, in Yorkshire, and is the oldest
child and at the time of the removal of the family to
the United States she was six years of age. They
located in Cairo, Greene Co., N. Y., and there her
father died in 1849. The mother died about 1831.

After they had been married five years, Mr. and
Mrs. Old went to Hobart, Delaware Co., N. Y., and
in the year following returned to Greene Co., N. Y.,
locating in Windham for a time, whence they went
to Haverstraw, in Rockland County, in the same
State. After a residence there of three years they
went to New Jersey. One year later they made a
final change in their affairs and set out westward,
coming to Clyde Township, where a number of
English families from Yorkshire had located together
with others from the eastern portion of the State of
New York.

Mr. Old purchased 40 acres of land on his arrival
and set diligently about the work of improving his
property and developing the general welfare of the
community so far as lay within the reach of his indi-
vidual influence. The entire section was almost
wholly unimproved, and houses were few. There
were literally no fences. The family encountered
the novel experiences of pioneer life, but instead of
being disheartened pressed eagerly forward in the
work of making a home. The homestead estate now
comprises 200 acres, with 160 acres under improve-
ment. Mr. and Mrs. Old are members of the Meth-
odist Episcopal Church, of England.

If ease Johnson (deceased) was born in Troy,
fa N. Y., April 2, 1798, and was the son of
John and Sarah (Conkle) Johnson. His
father was a graduate of Yale College, a
soldier of the Revolution and a prominent at-
torney of New York. Jesse went to Loweville,
Lewis Co., N. Y., while a young man, where he was
married Feb. 8, 1822, to Miss Mary Webb. They
had four boys and eight girls : Mary, wife of Carlos
Ware, of Fulton Township. Sarah, wife of William
Knight, died in December, 1863. Charles J. mar-
ried Mary Exley, and is an attorney of Sterling, 111.
Harriet, wife of William C. Green, the present May

;

_/;

WHITESIDE COUNTY.

t*V

of Fulton. John was an attorney of LeClaire, Iowa;
he married Olive Abbott, and died in July, 1884,
leaving a wife and seven children. Edmoud L.
married Mahala Wright, was a soldier of the late war
and died in 1862, leaving a wife and son. Cornelia
died in infancy. Cornelia P. is the wife of Richard
Green, a merchant of Fulton, 111. Henrietta, wife of
Charles Davidson, a locomotive engineer of Bloom-
ington, 111. Anna M., widow of William Reed and a
resident of Clinton,' Iowa. Eliza, wife of Samuel
Denison, of Port Byron, 111. Caleb C., the youngest,
is an attorney of Sterling and a Representative to
the State Legislature from Whiteside County. He
married Josephine Worthington.

Mr. Johnson moved from New York to Indiana in
1832, and in June, 1838, came to Fulton, 111. He
spent the summer at the village and in the fall moved
to a farm about five miles distant, and was one of
the very first to begin farming in the- county. He
remained on his farm till 1853, when he returned to
the city and in company with his son-in-law, William
Knight, purchased and put in operation the first steam
ferry between Fulton and Lyons. He subsequently
formed a partnership with Daniel Oliver in the
grocery business at Fulton, but retired from business
several years prior to his death, which occurred Oct.
12, 1876, at his residence in Fulton. His wife sur-
vived him till April, 1879. She was an estimable
lady and highly respected. Mr. and Mrs. Johnson
were members of the Baptist Church for many years.

Mr. Johnson was a Whig in early life and on the
organization of the Republican party, became an
earnest supporter of its policy. He never sought
public office and only once served in a. public
capacity at Fulton, that of Road_Commissioner.

ichard Beswick, deceased, was formerly
a resident on section 31, Clyde Township,
where he settled in 18 . He was born
Sept. 12, 1810, in Scarborough, Yorkshire,
England, and died at his home July 7, 1884.
His demise was very sudden and was the re-
sult of blood clot obstructing the action of the heart.
Richard Beswick, senior, and Elizabeth (Naggs)
Beswick, his wife, father and mother of the subject
of this biographical sketch, were natives of England
and belonged to the old class of yeomanry. The

*- *rz ^<

son was 19 years of age when the family came to the
New World and located in the vicinity of the city of
Toronto. Richard Beswick, junior, was there mar-
ried and resided in the Dominion about three years
after that event, when with his family he removed to
Clyde Township. Both township and county were
in the earliest period of their development and the
former was still unnamed. Mr. Beswick at once
purchased a tract of land and began the tedious
though pleasant work of making a home. The first
grain he raised was marketed at Chicago and Galena,
and drawn thither by horse teams. His wife, Sally
(Patrick) Beswick, died about 1844, leaving a son
and a daughter. George died of measles while serv-
ing as a soldier for the Union. Belinda is the wife
of Richard Tyre, an extensive farmer of Dakota
Territory, owning 400 acres of land in Union
County.

After the decease of his wife Mr. Beswick returned
to Canada and removed his parents to Clyde Town-
ship, where they remained during the rest of their
lives. They died at the residence of their son, but
had chiefly made their home with a married daugh-
ter in Clyde Township. They were aged, respec-
tively, about 75 and 60 years.

March 24, 1849, Mr. Beswick was married to Mrs.
Hannah E. Humphrey. She was born March 16,
1821, in Northport Township, Waldo Co., Maine,
and is the daughter of George W. and Lydia (Dun-
can) Knight. Her parents were natives of the Pine-
Tree State, born of New England ancestry, and of
English extraction, save a slight admixture of Irish
blood in the predecessors of the father. The mother
died in 1831, leaving n children, eight of whom yet
survive.

Mrs. Beswick was sixth in order of birth and was
but ten years of age when her mother was removed
by death. Her father was again married, in Maine,
and of the second union one son (nw de-
ceased) was born. Later the father took six of the
younger children and went to Ohio and settled on a
farm near Grandville, Licking County. He was
again married while living there, and later came to
Fulton, Whiteside County. The father died there
Feb. 12, 1866. His wife died at her brother's home,
in the southern part of Illinois, shortly after coming
to the State. Both were in advanced life.

The first marriage of Mrs. Beswick, to Alvaro
Humphrey, occurred June 22, 1838, in Licking Co.

Ohio. He was a native of the county and was the
son of a farmer who was born in New England and
who had .become a pioneer of the Buckeye State in
its earliest development. His father died in Cincin-
nati, the mother in Licking County. The death of
Mr. Humphrey took place in the county of his na-
tivity April 22, 1847, and he left two sons, George
and Lorenzo. The former married Lucy Van Damark
and is a farmer in Brown Co., Kan. The younger child,
died in Fulton soon after the removal of his mother
to Illinois. After the death of her husband Mrs.
Beswick came to Whiteside County and was an in-
mate of the family of hei brother, William Knight, un-
til she became the wife of Mr. Beswick. Of this
union five children have been born, William A.,
Thomas L., Lizzie, Carrie and Sarah. The latter
died when five years of age.

Mr. Beswick was a useful and influential citizen of
his township and served 14 years as Supervisor, act-
ing continuously during that period. He held var-
ious other offices and was actively interested in
educational matters. He was a member of the
Methodist Episcopal Church.

Frederick J. Beuzeville, dealer in boots,
shoes, harnesses, etc., at Morrison, was
born April 17, 1849, in Vienna, Ontario
Co., N. Y., and is the son of George and
Miriam (Prescott) Beuzeville. His parents
were born in England, and in 1842 emigrated
to the United States, and located in Ontario Co., N.
Y. In 1854 the family came to Morrison, and nine
years later went to Lyons, low.a. They went thence
in 1882 to Plankington, Aurora Co., Dak., where
they are still resident.

Mr. Beuzeville learned his trade of his father, who
has followed the business of a harness-maker in the
various places where he has been located. The son
began to acquire a knowledge of its various details
at Lyons, Iowa, when he was 17 years of age, and
after working under his father's supervision until
1869, he came to Morrison and established the busi-
ness enterprise in which he has since been engaged.
In 1872 he bought the building which he first oper-
ated, and the site therewith, and on the latter in
1875 he erected the brick building which he now oc-

cupies, situated on the principal business street at
Morrison. Mr. Beuzeville owns also his residence
and two valuable city lots in the vicinity of the fair-
ground.

Jan. 5, 1874, he formed a matrimonial alliance
with Maria Evans, and they have three children :
Eva, born Jan. 20, 1875 ; Lela, April, 17, 1877 ; and
Mabel, May 7, 1879. Mrs. Beuzeville was born
March 2, 1855, at Auburn, Steuben Co., Ind., and is
the daughter of Erastus and Caroline (Frink) Evans.
Her mother was born May i, 1827, in Eaton, Madi-
son Co., N. Y. Her father was born in 1824, in
Hastings, N. Y., and died when he was 31 years of
age, before the birth of his daughter.

.imon Stapleton, farmer in Clyde Town-
ship, located on section 18, was born Dec.
25, 1827, in Earleaten, Yorkshire, England.
William Stapleton, his father, was a dresser
of woolen goods and married Susan Tong.
Both were of English parentage and ancestry,
and they had nine children.

Simon is the sixth child, and when he was 14
years of age the father, mother and seven youngest
children came to America. The children whom they
left behind had become the heads of families. The
family landed at the port of New York in April, 1841.
They went thence to Jersey City, where the father
found remunerative employment in a pottery and
continued to labor in the same establishment two
years. In 1843 they removed to Little Falls, in
the same State, where the senior Stapleton obtained
a situation in the same business in which he was en-
gaged in his native country, in 1845 another trans-
fer was made to. Bloomfield, N. J., where the
father worked three years as a cloth dresser. At the
expiration of that time they removed to West Hobo-
ken, N. J., in the vicinity of the city of New York.

Prior to this period, Mr. Stapleton had remained
an inmate of the household of his father, but on their
locating at Hoboken he determined to fit himself for
the calling of a carpet weaver, and after spending
five years in the accomplishment of his purpose he
went with his father and family from Holwken to
Haverstraw, on the Hudson River. There he and
his father obtained employment in the mills and were

5F
fa

WHITESIDE COUNTY.

occupied some time in the pursuit of their respective
callings. Meanwhile he was married and later came
West, his father going to Yonkers, in the State of
New York, in r85i, where he remained about
two years, and while he maintained his residence
there visited his native home in England. After his
return to the United States, he removed to Astoria,
L. I. A year later he went to Franklin, where he
died Dec. 25, 1858, aged 67 years. The widowed
mother returned to Yonkers and died there in 1860.

The marriage of Mr. Stapleton to Mary Wood took
place April 21, at Poughkeepsie. She was born Oct.
17, 1829, in Saddleworth, Yorkshire, England, and is
the daughter of Joseph and Mary (Browbent) Wood.
They belonged to the class who worked in the
factories of that country, and when the daughter was
12 years of age, in 1841, the family emigrated to
America, locating in Haverstraw. Later on they
went to Webster, Mass., where they resided two
years.

In 1850 Mr. and Mrs. Stapleton and the parents
of the latter came to Whiteside County, and were
among the very earliest of its permanent pioneer ele-
ment. Mr. Wood died May 9, 1884, ten years lack-
ing one month subsequent to the death of his wife,
which occurred April 9, 1874. They had four chil-
dren, the two eldest being twins, of whom Mrs.
Stapleton is one. She has, herself, been the mother
of 12 children, nine of whom are living. Susan mar-
ried Frank Mills, a farmer of Clyde Township.
Joseph married Nellie Leech and removed to a farm
in Clark County, D. T. James married Phebe
Fletcher and is a resident of the county last named.
Simon is also living in Dakota. Lucy married Pierce
Smith, of Union Grove Township, and he'is em-
ployed by the Chicago & Northwestern Railroad
corporation as a telegraph operator. Jane is the wife,
of Morris Weaver, a farmer of Mt. Pleasant Town-
ship. Charles, Frederick and Edward are the names
of the youngest children who survive. Mary A. died
when she was 21 years old. William died in infancy.

On coming to Clyde Township, Mr. and Mrs.
Stapleton located on 40 acres of land given them by
the parents of the fotmer. On this they have main-
tained their homestead without intermission, with the
exception of two years, when they lived at Port By-
ron, Rock Island Co., 111. They have added materially
to their original acreage and now own 260 acres of

(gVV^g^CT ,

well improved land, including 20 acres in- timber.
Mr. Stapleton has made all the improvements on his
place, which is one of the best in Clyde Township.
He is an earnest Republican and influential in
politics in the locality where he is a citizen. He has
devoted his interest and energies to the educational
development of the township and has served in the
several official positions of the school district in
which he resides.

"ohn H. Snyder, senior member of the firm
of Snyder & Co., merchants "at Morrison,
was born Aug. 16, 1840, in Argusville,
Schoharie Co., N. Y. His father, James Sny-
der, was born in the State of New York, where
he was for some years engaged in the mercan-
tile business. He is a resident of Morrison and is
about 77 years of age. The mother, Nancy (Runkle)
Snyder, was a native of New York, and has been
some years deceased. The four children of whom
they became the parents still survive. Mary is the
wife of L. H. Robinson, of Chicago, who is operating
in that city as a loan and real-estate broker. Har-
riet N. lives in Chicago. James A. is engaged in
conducting a branch store in Clarence, Iowa.

Until he was 20 years of age, Mr. Snyder was
chiefly engaged in obtaining his education, and in
1855 he accompanied the family of his father to
Morrison. His first employ was as a clerk in the
dry-goods house of Spears & Bro., in which capacity
he officiated about four years, when he was admitted
to a partnership and the firm style became Spears &
Co. Its relations were in existence four years, and
in 1868 he went to Clarence, Iowa, where, in com-
pany with his brother, he established the mercantile
enterprise which is now under the management of
his brother. He instituted the business which he
has since prosecuted in 1876, and is operating with
satisfactory results. His stock includes fine and well
assorted lines of dry goods.

He is a member of the Masonic fraternity and be-
longs to Lodge No. 357, at Morrison. He owns
considerable property in the city, and is a stock-
holder and director in the First National Bank at
Morrison.

Mr. Snyder was married July 20, 1867, in Morri-
son, to Mary Furlong, and they have two children,

WHITESIDE COUNTY.

Jessie H. and Alliene. Mrs. Snyder is the daughter
,j of John and Sarah Furlong and was born Jan 25,
1847, in New York.

homas L. Beswick, farmer, section 30,
Clyde Township, was born Nov. 15, 1852,
on section 3 of the township of which he
has been a life-long resident. He is the son of
Richard and Hannah E. (Knight) Beswick, of
whom a biographical narration appears on
other pages of this work. They were among the first
settlers of the county and the son is one of the first
white children born in Clyde Township.

Mr. Beswick was educated in the common schools
and brought up with a complete practical knowledge
of fanning. He was married Dec. 30, 1875, to Sarah,
daughter of Chester W. and Ann (Milnes) Millard.
The father was born in Pennsylvania and was of
English descent. The mother was born in England
and when but four years of age came to America
with her parents, who located in Whiteside County
in the very earliest period of its history. The par-
ents were married in Clyde Township, where they
resided during the entire period of their married life,
which was terminated by the death of the father in
August, 1 88 1. Mr. Millard was a miller by vocation
and erected the first mill in Clyde Township, which
was located on Rock Creek, in the east part of the
town. He sold that property later on and con-
structed a second mill on a branch of the creek, sit-
uated about the center of the town, of which he
retained the ownership during the remainder of his
life. He died of cancer on the hand, at 63 years of
age. Mrs. Beswick is their only child and was born
April 9, 1855, in Clyde Township. She was educated
at the common schools of her native township and at
Morrison, obtaining a more extended course of study
at Lowell, Mass. She devoted some time to teach-
ing previous to her marriage. Four children have
been born to Mr. and Mrs. Beswick in the order
named: George C., Nov. 19, 1876; Florence A.,
Aug. 2, 1878; Clarence W., June 23, 1880; Carrie
E., Aug. 15, 1882.

After marriage Mr. Beswick rented farms situated
at different points in Clyde Township, and operated
in that method until 1885, when he purchased 210

acres of the homestead of his father. He is an ex-
perienced and skillful farmer and is making a spe-
ciality of raising Poland China swine and Short-Horn
cattle. He is a Democrat and has served his town-
ship for some time in the capacity of .Collector. Mrs.
Beswick is a member of the Episcopal Church.

ames Stapleton, farmer, section 5, Clyde
Township, is the owner of 199 acres of
land, on which he has been a resident since
1858, and which became his property by pur-
chase four years earlier. He was born Feb.
28, 1830, at Earl's Eaton, Yorkshire, England:
is the son of William and Susan Stapleton, of whom
a biographical sketch appears on other pages. He
was 1 1 years of age when his parents came from
their native country with their family to America, lo-
cating first at Paterson, N. J. Soon afterwards they
went to Jersey City. When he was 16 years old he
entered the carpet factory of Shepherd, Sines & Co.,
of Jersey City, to learn the method of weaving in-
grain carpet, and spent two years in the accom-
plishment of his purpose. He went from Jersey City
to Haverstraw on the Hudson River, located near
Sing Sing, where he obtained a situation in- the ex-
tensive establishment of Higgins & Co. He was
employed by that firm five years. He went next to
Franklin, N. J., and was there five years. In 1858
he came to Clyde Township and took possession of
the farm on which he has since resided, and which
his brother secured for him in 1854. He was un-
married and made his home as convenience or op-
portunity served, and June 29, 1861, he was married
to Sarah J. Simpson. Two children have been born to
them, George B., born July 24, 1864, and John V.,
Sept. 25, 1867. Mrs. Stapleton is the daughter of
Israel and Jane (Huston) Simpson. Her parents
were natives of New Jersey and were of New Eng-
land origin, in nationality representing the English,
Dutch and Scotch from whom they were descended.
They were farmers in their native county, where they
spent their entire lives. The death of the father
took place in 1865, at the age of 75 years. The
mother died in 1870, when she was 74 years old.
Mrs. Stapleton was born May 4, 1835, in Frankl'n,
Essex Co., N. J., and she is the seventh of nine chil-

WHITESIDE COUNTY.

dren born to her parents. She was educated in the
public schools and lived in the place of her nativity
until she came West after marriage.

The farm on which Mr. and Mrs. Stapleton began
their wedded lifejiad been somewhat improved and
is now in excellent agricultural condition with good
residence and farm buildings and a large and valua-
ble orchard.

Politically, Mr. Stapleton is a Republican.

mil Westphal, liquor dealer at Morrison,
was born June 24, 1828, in Holstein, Ger-
many. At an early age he was sent to
the University of Kiel, where he remained until
he graduated, March 28, 1848. At the break-
ing out of war between Denmark and Schles-
wig-Holstein, he served on the staff of General
Baudissin until the close of the contest. He also
took part in the French and Italian revolution. At
the insurrection of Milan, Italy, he was again en-
gaged in the cause of liberty, under General Mazini.
He came to the United States in 1858, first loca-
ting in Fulton, 111. He found it necessary to engage
in active labor and obtained a situation in the employ
of the Chicago & Northwestern Railroad, by which
he was placed in charge of a corps of wood-choppers.
In 1863 he inaugurated his present business at
Morrison, which he has prosecuted for more than a
score of years with .satisfactory results. He is a
member of the Knights of Pythias.

Sept. 22, 1867, he was married to Paulina Nomm-
sen, a native of Schleswig. Their four children were
born in the following order : Carl, Paula, Fritz and
Julia. Paula died in 1881.

aniel P. Spears, of the firm of D. P. Spears
& Son, dealers in dry goods, hats, notions,
gentlemen's and ladies' furnishing goods,
at Morrison, 111., was born Dec. 29, 1822, in
Milan, Erie Co., Ohio. His father, William W.
Spears, was born in Pennsylvania and went
thence to the State of New York, whence, after a
residence of some years there, he went to Ohio
where he remained until the termination of his life.

.ivc of

The mother, Love (Watkins) Spears, was a native of
Massachusetts. Of their ten children five are liv-
ing : Nathan W. is a farmer and merchant in Fay-
ette Co., Iowa ; Nancy is the widow of Samuel Harper
and lives in Lawton, Mich.; Betsey is the wife of
Russell Munger, a retired farmer at Lawton, Mich. ;
Mary A. married Crowell Eddy, a farmer in the
township of Clinton, Lenawee Co., Mich., and died
there March 10, 1885.

Mr. Spears is the youngest of the children born to
his parents, and until he was 24 years of age re-
mained on the farm of his father. Meanwhile his
brothers, William and Charles, both now deceased,
had established themselves in business at Pittsburg,
and at the age named he went there and engaged in
their employ, where he continued four years. About
1840 he went to Tecumseh, Lenawee Co., Mich., and
entered in partnership with his brother, Nathan,
where they were interested in the manufacture of
woolen goods. .On the termination of this venture
he went to White Co., Ind., where, associated with
W. R. Davis, he embarked in a mercantile enterprise
in which he was occupied seven years. In 1858 he
came to Morrison to enter upon the duties of the
position of salesman in the dry-goods house of
Spears & Bro. Four years later he purchased a part
of the building where he is now engaged in the
transaction of his business and put in a stqck of
merchandise. He embarked in the enterprise in
company with Joseph Shafer. This relation existed
until the death of the latter, when Mr. Spears pur-
chased the claims of the heirs of his late partner,
and became associated with James Shafer, nephew
of the deceased. Two years later he became by pur-
chase sole proprietor of the establishment and until
September, 1884, conducted the business alone. At
that date he purchased the store and stock of Chas.
Spears & Son, situated adjoining, opened communi-
cation between the sales-rooms and is now transact-
ing business in the double store. At the date of
enlargement he admitted his son, Frank W., to
a partnership. Their establishment includes two
large sales-rooms, 51 by 44 feet in size, and they
employ four assistants. Their stock is estimated at
a value of $17,000, and includes a full line of goods
suited to the local patronage. In the spring of 1885
Messrs. Spears & Son added a carpet department to
their business.

Mr. Spears belongs to the Order of Odd Fellows.

I ' '

r .,|OIS

f '

WHITESIDE COUNTY.

213

He is a member of the Board of Aldermen of Mor-
rison. He owns a farm of 70 acres lying three miles
south of the city, also 12 acres connected with his
residence in this place. He is also the owner of
a half interest in 160 acres of land in White Co., Ind.
Mr. Spears has been married three times. He
was first joined in marriage in Milan, Ohio, to Eliz-
abeth Walbridge, who died two years later, after
becoming the mother of one child, who died in in-
fancy. Mr. Spears was again married, in White Co.,
Ind., to Sarah J. Burns, who survived between two
and three years. Dec. 6, 1858, Mr. Spears con-
tracted a third marriage at Monticello, Ind., with
Mary Shafer. Their five children were born at
Morrison. Frank W. is the oldest and is in business
with his father. Fred is the next in order of birth.
Burt C. is a clerk in the store. Maggie J. and James
are the two youngest.

jtarlan ]j. Brewer, proprietor of the "Brewer
House " at Rock Falls, was born at Black
Rock, N. Y., Feb. 7, 1845. His parents,
Addison and Maria (Adams) Brewer, farmers,
came West in 1846 and settled at Bingham
ton, Lee Co., 111., on land which they bought of
the Government. After a residence there of five
years they removed to Dixon, 111., where Mr. B.
started a wagon shop and pursued his business there
a year. He then sold out and returned to Bing-
hamton, purchasing a hotel, whiph he conducted
until his death, which was caused by his team run-
ning away and throwing him out upon the ground.

When 1 6 years old, young Harlan enlisted in Co.
B, i2th 111. Vol. Inf., Sept. T3, 1861, under Col.
John McArthur, and participated in many im-
portant engagements, among which were the battles
of Fort Donaldson, Shiloh, Corinth, in front of At-
lanta, etc., and in Sherman's march to the sea. He
veteranized Dec. 31, 1863, and took part in the Grand
Review at Washington. He was mustered out at
Louisville, Ky.,July 10, 1865.

Returning from the war, he for two years was a
brakeman on the Illinois Central Railroad, and then
promoted as conductor. He followed railroading
for 13 years. He next took charge of the "Baltic
House " as proprietor, changing its name to " Brewer

House," which he is now successfully conducting.
He is a member of the A. O. TJ. W. and of the G.
A. R. In politics he is a Republican, and he has
held the offices of Village Trustee and Constable at
Rock Falls.

He was married Dec. 31, 1866, to Miss Amelia
Doolittle, a native of Binghamton, Broome Co., N.
Y. They have had two children : Stella May, born
Nov. 10, 1869; and Villette D., June 25, 1878, who
died June 28, 1883.

li Upton, retired farmer, residing at Mor-
rison, has lived in Whiteside County since
1844. He was born Sept. 28, i8ir, in
Peterboro, N. H. His parents, Eli and Abi-
gail (Snow) Upton, resided in the farming com-
munity in the Granite State, and consequently
their son was brought up on a farm. Before he
reached his majority he had acquired a thorough
knowledge of the trade of machinist and passed 14
years in its pursuit. He operated ten years in Mas-
sachusetts and in Dover, N. H., with satisfactory
results. In 1840 he went to Sonora, -Mexico, where
he passed four years in the construction of a cotton
factory, which he put in complete running order. In
1844 he determined on an entire change in his mode
of life. He therefore came to Whiteside County and
bought a farm in Lyndon Township, on which he re-
sided and was occupied in its improvement ten years.
In 1854 he transferred his residence to a farm on
section 32, in the town of Mt. Pleasant. His original
purchase there is still in his possession and he is the
owner of 800 acres of land in the township, which
constitutes one of the most valuable homesteads in
Whiteside County and is all improved and perfectly
equipped. Among its attractions is a valuable and
elegant farm residence, built at an expense of $7,000.
In the spring of 1882 Mr. Upton entered upon a life
of retirement at Morrison. Associated with his son,
he is the owner of three imported French Norman
horses, each of which cost $2,000. They own, besides,
one valuable animal of half Norman blood and a
trotting stallion. Mr. Upton and his son take great
satisfaction in their valuable and beautiful horses,
and are justifiable in so doing, as they have added

5 s

214

WHITESIDE COUNTY.

materially to the value of that variety of property in
Whiteside County.

The marriage of Mr. Upton to Elizabeth A. New-
comb took place in Enfield, Conn., June 15, 1844.
They have had four children, all sons, three of
whom are living. They were born in the following
order: George Y., John E., Joseph S. and Franklin
A. The oldest is a farmer and is associated with
his father in the ownership and management of their
valuable horses. The second son is not living. The
younger sons are farmers in the township of Mt.
Pleasant.

The portraits of Mr. and Mrs. Upton appear on
preceding pages.

yron Stowe, resident on section 2, Union
Grove Township, has been a farmer of
Whiteside County since 1855, when he
came with a company and bought a tract of
land containing 456 acres lying in the town-
ships of Union Grove and Mt. Pleasant.

He was born March 20, 1831, in Weybridge, Ad-
dison Co., Vt., and is the son of Clarke and Abigail
(Marsh) Stowe. They were both born in Vermont,
and the former died there April 18, 1847. The
mother came after that event to Whiteside County,
and died in Albany, Nov. 26, 1875. Their children
six in number lived to mature age. They were
named Caroline, Mary A., Byron, Milo, Beulah and
Edgar.

Mr. Stowe remained in his native State until he
came to Whiteside County, and was engaged in
farming, after reaching suitable age. In 1855 he
came to Whiteside County, as stated. He settled
on the same section on which he is now resident and
where he owns 112^ acres of land, and has placed
most of his acreage under cultivation. He is a Re-
publican in political affiliation, and has held several
local official positions.

He was married Aug. 31, 1862, to Mrs. Elvira
Ellison, daughter of Samuel and Amelia (Keith)
Bannister, and widow of Gilbert Ellison. The lat-
ter died in January, 1860, in Cincinnati, Ohio. By
her earlier marriage she became the mother of one
child Willard S. Mrs. Stowe was born in Pots-
dam, St. Lawrence Co., N. Y., Jan. 8, 1834. Her

Mf. ^^ @^

parents removed to Whiteside County about 1850,
and were residents of Union Grove Township about
1 8 years, removing thence to Clinton, Iowa. Her
father died Dec. 20, 1881. Her mother's demise oc-
curred Feb. 12, 1884. They had five children El-
len, Elvira, Mary, Prentice and Martin.

Mr. and Mrs. Stowe have one child Merntt M.
They are members of the Presbyterian Church.

am.es Pettigrew, Postmaster at Rock
Falls, was born July 8, 1827, at Paisley,
Renfrewshire, Scotland. When he was
seven years of age his father, John Pettigrew,
died ; and his mother, nee Jane Allison, emi-
grated to this country and died in 1882.
The subject of this sketch remained with his
mother and took care of her while she lived, re-
ceiving in his younger days a common-school educa-
tion ; came to this country with his mother in the
fall of 1843, spending the first winter at Sterling,
111., and lived in Ogle County until 1875, when he
purchased a farm of 125 acres. After working upon
the place for a season he sold it, and in 1876 pur-
chased his present residence.

He has been elected Justice of the Peace four
times. He was a Justice for ten years in Ogle
County, and was elected to the office at Rock Falls
in the spring of 1876, and held it until he resigned
"to accept his present position as Postmaster. He was
Village Trustee for one term, Village Treasurer four
years, and has held minor offices. He is a zeal-
ous Republican, a Trustee of the Congregational
Church, but not a member. By his native talent
and public services he has become a prominent
man in his community. He owns several lots in
Rock Falls, besides the postoffice building on Main
Street.

amuel Currie, retired farmer, resident at
Morrison, has been a citizen of Whiteside
County since 1838, when he became a
member of its pioneer agricultural element,
and has since been a factor in the develop-
ment of Northwestern Illinois. He was born
Aug. 15, 1810, in Roxburgshire, Scotland, on the

*&*

river Tweed. His father, John Carrie, was a native
of Yetholra, in the same shire, and was born Oct. 25,
1776. His mother, Hannah (Lockey) Currie was
born in Ilderton, Northumberlandshire, England,
Nov. n, 1784. The marriage of his parents took
place at Jedburgh, May 27, 1805, and in May, 1818,
the family emigrated to America. They settled at
first in the State of New York, where they remained
until November, 1819, when they went to York,
in Canada (now Toronto). In March, 1820, they
took possession of a farm in Scarborough, in the
Dominion, where the father died, Sept. 17, 1830.
The mother died Dec. 18, 1861, in East Whitby,
Canada. There are (in 1885), but four survivors of
their ten children, who were born in the following
order: Sarah (deceased) was the wife of Joseph
Lundy. James is living in retirement in the town-
ship of Whitby, Canada; has been for many years a
minister of the Methodist Episcopal Church. John
was a farmer; Andrew was a merchant tailor, and
Robert, formerly a farmer in Kansas, are all deceased.
George is engaged in the business of sheep-raising in
Montana. Mark was during his lifetime a carriage
builder and blacksmith in Canada. Margaret is de-
ceased. William resides in Lloyd, Wis., and was a
millwright before his retirement from active business
life.

Mr. Currie attained to adult age in the Dominion,
and when about 24 years of age rented a saw-mill
and engaged in manufacture of lumber, in which he
was interested about five years. During that period
Mackenzie's Rebellion, known also to the history as
the Patriot War, startled the representatives of the
British government in the Dominion, and Mr. Currie
joined the insurgents in the ill-fated struggle. He
was shot through his right arm in one of the en-
counters of the conflict, and has suffered from the
consequences all his life. He found Canadian rule
no more palatable after the rebellion had been
crushed than before, and, in June, 1838, he bid a
final farewell to monarchical government and came
to Illinois, locating primarily in Carroll County, where
he remained one year. In 1839 he came to White-
side County and entered a claim of 240 acres of land
on section 30, Clyde Township, which comprised 160
acres of prairie and 80 acres of timber one of the
finest and most promising tracts of land in the town-
ship and which he converted into a model farm. He

resided on his estate 25 years, pursuing his agricul-
tural projects and engaged during the latter part of that
period in loaning money. He has operated to some
extent in the business last named since his removal
to Morrison, in October, 1864, when he retired from
active participation in a laborious life. He is the
owner of considerable property, variously situated in
the county.

Mr. Currie has been married twice. He first
formed a matrimonial alliance, in Scarborough, Can-
ada, June 15, 1833, with Jane Patrick, who died May
27, 1840, after becoming the mother of two sons
Asa and John who followed their young mother to
the silent land beyond while they were still in youth.
She was bom June 4, 1812. Mr. Currie was united
in marriage to Julia Thomas, Sept. 17, 1840, in the
township of Mt. Pleasant. Mrs. Currie was born
Dec. 10, 1817, in St. Clair, 111. Her parents, An-
thony M. and Jane (Jordan) Thomas, were born in
South Carolina, and were married in 1805, in St.
Clair County, whither the former had come in 1804.
Anthony Thomas was a soldier of 1812. He came
to Mt. Pleasant in 1837, where he died Sept. 8, 1850.
His wife died Sept. 12, 1858.

eonard Hiner, farmer, resident on section
19, Clyde Township, has been a citizen of
Whiteside County since 1855. He was
born Aug. 30, 1813, in Lancaster Co., Ta.
Leonard Hiner, senior, his father, was a farmer
and was also a native of the Keystone State.
Late in life he became a resident of Wabash Co.,
Ind., where he died in August, 1854. He married
Catherine Bitterman, who was born in Lancaster
County, and was of German parentage and descent.
She died about 1860, in Wabash Co., Ind. Their
children were 12 in number.

Mr. Hiner was third in order of birth. He was
reared on the farm of his father, and operated as a
farm assistant until he was of age, with the exception
of two years, when he was employed in a woolen
mill.

He was married in February, 1833, in Chester Co.,
Pa., to Mary Sparr, who was born in that county.
Her parents, Frederick and Elizabeth (Criley) Sparr,
were fanners and were born of German parentage, in

Chester County. They lived in the same place
throughout their lives. The record of the children
of Mr. and Mrs. Hiner is as follows : Martin L. mar-
ried Lizzie McFadden and is superintending the
homestead of his parents. They have three chil-
dren, Delia M., Anna M. and Albertus B. Catherine
M. married Eugene Griffith, and resides in Iowa.
Elizabeth is the wife of Jacob Wengert, a farmer in
Benton County, Iowa. Julia A. married William
Alldritt, a farmer in Clyde Township. Rachel J.
married Lewis Griffith, and they live in Knox Coun-
ty, Ohio. Harriet is the wife of Mr. Little, and they
are residents of California.

After they had been married two years, during
which time they had resided in Chester Co., Mr. and
Mrs. Hiner went to Lancaster Co., Pa., and, a year
later, went to Wayne County, and thence to Mercer
County, Ohio. They passed seven years in the
county last named on a farm of which they became
the owners by purchase. The place was sold in
1854, and a year later the family canje to Whiteside
County. They made their first location on Elkhorn
Creek, where their stay was brief, Mr. Hiner soon
after deciding to fix his permanent residence in Clyde
Township, where he purchased 80 acres of unim-
proved prairie. The place is now in an attractive and
valuable condition. Mr. Hiner is a Democrat in
political faith and has held several offices. Mrs.
Hiner died in the fall of 1878,3! the age of 71 years.

foh.ii H. Becker, blacksmith and wagon
manufacturer at Coleta, was born Oct. 3,
1853, in Prussia, Germany. His parents,
Peter and Margaret Becker, were natives of the
same country as their ancestors had been for
generations before. The former died in Prus-
sia about 1857, when his son was a small lad. He
was an only child, and when his mother chose an-
other husband he went to live wilh his grandfather,
where he remained two years ; and at the expiration
of that time he accompanied some relatives to the
United States, and was taken by them to Ohio. His
mother had, meanwhile, emigrated to the New World,
and had become settled in St. Joseph Co., Ind.,
whither he went soon after and was again under
maternal care until he was T5 years of age. Al>out
1868 he came to Genesee Township, in Whiteside

County, and he became a farm laborer, in which oc-
cupation he passed two years. At the end of that
time, he came to Coleta to learn his trade under the
instructions of L. H. Porter. After a service of four
years he bought the shop and business relations of
his employer and began to operate on his own re-
sponsibility. During the four years he learned the
details of wagon-making at Sterling, and he has
since pursued both callings. He has two forges and
in wagon-making he has acquired an excellent repu-
tation through successful competition at the fairs at
Morrison and Sterling. His work is accomplished
with skill, and is ranked as first-class in reliability.
He owns his business buildings and residence.
Politically he is a Republican.

He was united in marriage in Genesee Township,
April 30, 1874, to Esabinda Nance, and they have
three children, William, Mary and Arthur. Mrs.
Becker was born July 8, 1856. She is a member of
the Christian Church.

arren P. Hall (deceased), late of the
Langford & Hall Lumber Company, and
a prominent citizen of Fulton, was born
in the town of Bristol, Ontario Co., N.
Y., Sept. 5, 1826, and was the son of
Perez and Ruth (Hicks) Hall. When he was
only a year old his parents moved to West Bloom-
field, of the same county, where his boyhood was
passed. When he was 13 years of age, he removed
with his parents to Burton, Cattaraugus Co., N. Y.;
and six years later he left home to work with a Mr.
Lemuel Smith, a manufacturer of lumber at Port-
ville. He spent ten years with Mr. Smith, during
which time he learned the lumber business thor-
oughly, especially the mechanical part, for which
Mr. Hall had a peculiar fitness. His natural love
of machinery and of mechanical construction found
a fair field for expansion in his chosen employment.
Soon after leaving Mr. Smith, he engaged in the
lumber business for himself, at Portville, Cattaraugus
County, but continued it only two years, when he
was burned out.

He then went to Berlin, Wis., where he was em-
ployed as foreman by Mr. Ruddock, an extensive
lumber manufacturer on the Fox River. He was

' -

. . ' .

- .. -

WHITESIDE COUNTY.

)

married in that city Dec. 30, 1858, to Miss Catha-
rine Swarts, daughter of George and Margaret
(Barry) Swarts. Mrs. Hall was born in Hamilton,
Monroe Co., Penn. One year after their marriage,
Mr. Hall and wife moved to Janesville, Wis., where
he was employed in the lumber business. In 1861
he removed to Dixon, 111., where he set up a mill
and operated it for Mr. A. K. Norris till the spring
of 1865. He came to Fu.ton April 6 of that year,
and engaged as foreman with Mr. C. E. Langford, a
lumber manufacturer of that place. In January,
1866, he entered into partnership with Mr. Langford,
under the firm name of "Langford & Hall." Mr.
Hall took charge of the mill and manufacturing de-
partment, and under his superior management the
present extensive and complete mills of the Lang-
ford &Hall Lumber Company were built in 1876-7.
It was largely due to Mr. Hall's successful man-
agement of the operating department that the com-
pany made such rapid progress in increasing and
extending their business.

In Jan., 1878, the Langford & Hall Lumber Com-
pany was incorporated, in which Mr. Hall held shares
to the amount of $35,000. He was elected pres-
ident and also superintendent of the company in
1880, which po silions he held till the happening of
the terrible accident that cut short his valuable life
in the noon-day of his success and prosperity. Mr.
Hall lost his life on the 7th of July, 1881, by a blow
from a falling timber, while assisting his men in re-
moving the hoisting poles after having raised a
smoke-stack at the mill.

The sudden death of such a man as Warren P.
Hall was a sad blow, not only to his wife and chil-
dren, to whom he had been a devoted husband and
father, but also to his business associates, employes
and fellow-citizens.

Mr. Hall experienced religion at the early age of
1 1 years, and became a member of the Presbyterian
Church of West Bloomfield, N. Y. He continued
a consistent member of that Church till 19 years of
age, when he severed his connection and united with
the Methodist Episcopal Church at Portville, N. Y.
He continued during the remainder of his life an
earnest, zealous worker in that denomination. He
filled the offices of Steward, Class-leader and 1 Trustee
for many years, and by his good example, sincere
and liberal support, was veritably a pillar of

the Church. He was punctual in attendance at ser-
vices, prayer-meetings and class-meetings, while his
purse was always open in support of the Church, its
missions and its charities.

The funeral services were conducted by the Ma-
sonic fraternity, of which he had long been an hon-
ored member. The attendance was remarkably
large, both from city and country, and showed the
high esteem in which the deceased was held. The
Revs. R. M. Smith, Carr and David delivered ap-
propriate discourses.

Mr. Hall left a wife and two daughters to mourn
his loss. The family had been bereaved only a few
years before by the death of an only son, George,
who was drowned while skating on the so-called
Cat-tail, Jan. 15, 1876. He was a bright, promising
lad in his i6th year. He had experienced religion
three years before, and was a worthy member of the
Methodist Episcopal Church. He was the eldest of
the children, and was born at Janesville, Wis. Es-
tella, the second child and eldest daughter, was born
at Dixon, 111., and is the wife of Silas E. Morris, of
Darlington, Wis. Grace E., the youngest, was born
at Fulton.

Mr. Hall was a Republican with strong prohibi-
tion sympathies. His temperance views were well
known, and it may truthfully be said of him that in
all the walks of life he aimed to be right and his in-
fluence was always in favor of that which was cal-
culated to make the world better and purer.

: iram C. McCray, farmer, section 6, Genesee
Township, was born Aug. 30, 1850, and is
the son of Martin D. and Margaret Ann
^ (Crum) McCray. His father was a settler of
1838 in Genesee Township. He was born May
31, 1806, in Kentucky. His father dying when
he was ten years of age, he went to Indiana, where
he grew to manhood in the care of his uncle. Jan.
i, 1836, he married the sister of John Thompson
Crum, who came to Genesee Township in the same
year. The wife was born in Ohio, and their mar-,
riage occurred in Henry Co., Ind. They had five
children and Mr. McCray is the youngest. His
father died in 1863, and he remained in his mother's
care a year longer. She married John Yager, Nov.

2l8

WHITESIDE COUNTY.

16, 1863, and lives in Sterling. When her son, who
is the subject of this sketch, was 14 years of age,
he went to Coleta for the purpose of acquiring a
knowledge of the trade of a blacksmith, under the
direction of J. H. Gulp. After working a year he
engaged in farming until 1870; then worked ten
years for T. T. Daniels at Morrison, and in 1883 he
again commenced farming.

His marriage to Susanna Hurless took place Sept.
19, 1869. Mrs. McCray was born Aug. 20, 1852, in
Wood Co., Ohio, and she is the daughter of Rev.
Cephas and Elizabeth (Overholser) Hurless, of whom
a sketch may be found on other pages. She was
hardly two years of age when her parents located in
Genesee Township. She is the mother of two chil-
dren, Edwin M., born May 8, 1870, and Perry A.,
born June 21, 1872.

Mr. McCray is a Democrat. His wife is a mem-
ber of the United Brethren Church.

ouis B. Peters, undertaker and dealer in
furniture opposite the depot of the Chicago,
Burlington & Quincy Railroad, at Fulton
City, is a successor to his father,_ Clement
Peters, who established the business in 1872.
The subject of this sketch was ,born in Lyons,
Iowa, Aug. 9, 1857, and is the son of Clement and
Doretha (Langenberg) Peters. His parents were
both natives of Europe. His father was born in
Loraine,on the Franco German border: his mother, in
Saxony. His father came to America in 1855, and
his mother in 1856. Louis learned the cabinet-
makers' trade at Cedar Rapids, Iowa, and subse-
quently worked at it in Vinton, la., Denver, Col.,
and Le Mars, la. He was also employed by the
Chicago & Northwestern Railroad one and a half
years, in 1881-2. On the death of his father he
succeeded to his present business in November,
1882. Mr. Peters has a well stocked store in his
line, and attends promptly to all orders in the under-
taking line. His stock averages in value about
$2,500.

He was married at Fulton, III, Feb. n, 1885, to
Miss Susan Monohan, daughter of William Monohan.
Mrs. Peters was born in Whiteside Co., 111. They

are members of the Catholic Church of Fulton. Mr.
Peters is a member of good standing of Abou Ben
Adhem Lodge, No. t48, I. O. O. F., and in politics
is a Democrat. He is an enterprising young busi-
ness man, possessing a thorough knowledge of under-
taking and furniture business, and is rapidly building
up a substantial trade.

braham L. Grater, general farmer on sec-
tion 35, Clyde Township, was born Sept.
12, 1845, in Limerick Township, Mont-
gomery Co., Pa. Henry and Elizabeth (Lan-
dis) Grater, his father and mother, were natives
of the same county and were both descendants
of German ancestors. The father was married twice
and by the first marriage there were three children.
Ten children were born to the parents of Mr. Grater,
and he is the fourth in order of birth. His father
and mother now reside with him, and are aged re-
spectively 76 and 72 years.

When he was 18 years of age he left his father's
household to learn the business of a carpenter, and
entered upon an apprenticeship with his brother-in-
law, Samuel E. Horning. After working under in-
structions three years, he operated as a journeyman,
remaining some time in his native State, and in the
city of Philadelphia

He was united in marriage Sept. 12, 1867, in his
native county, to Hannah Spare. She was born in
Limerick, Montgomery Co., Pa., Sept. 8, 1845, and
is the daughter of William and Delana (Poley)
Spare. She is four days older than her husband,
and is the mother of seven children, William H.,
Lizzie, Jacob W., John, Mary E., Benjamin F. and
Abraham E.

After marriage, Mr. and Mrs. Grater resided eight
years in their native county, where the former en-
gaged in farming. In April, r875, they came to Illi-
nois and located on a farm in Clyde Township,
situated near the -projected village of Malvern, and
during one year after locating there, Mr. Grater op-
erated as a carpenter. He then engaged in farming,
and he now owns 75 acres of first-class land under
excellent improvements. He is the owner of a herd
of 33 cows of good grades and has for some time

*&*:

WHITES1DE COUNTY.

been engaged in the dairy business, in which he has
met with satisfactory results.

Mr. Grater is a Republican in political principles.
He is a member of the Dunkard or Brethren Church,
and in 1879 was made a Deacon. In 1883 he was
elected minister and has since filled that position.
Mrs. Grater is a member of the same religious de-
nomination.

^.achariah Dent is the earliest pioneer set-
tler in Clyde Township. He moved into
the township June i, 1839, previous to the
organization of Whiteside County, and at a

> date when its original state of nature was al-
most uninvaded. Mr. Dent was born July 26,
1805, in Buckingham, Norfolkshire, England. He
was named for his father, who was an English yeo-
man. Elizabeth Dent, his mother, was a native of
the same country. The elder Dent died about 1811,
and his son was brought up chiefly by strangers.
The mother survived some years, dying after the re-
moval of her son to America.

Mr. Dent learned the trade of a cloth-\veaver, and
followed that vocation until 1832, the year in which
he emigrated to America. He first located in On-
tario, Can , where he obtained a clerkship near New-
market. He passed several years in one employ,
and for some time subsequently he was similarly en-
gaged in the interests of a second employer. Mean-
while he came to Illinois and located his claim,
which he purchased of an Englishman, and was
careful to settle in the " timber,"' as it was then gen-
erally the opinion that the prairie was comparatively
useless for agricultural purposes. While in Canada
he took part in the contest known to history as Me
Kenzie's Rebellion, or the Patriot War, espousing
the cause of the rebels. He was on the losing side,
and shared the consequences, which in his case was
a term of imprisonment at Toronto. During the
short-lived struggle he was involved in its several
conflicts, but escaped without receiving injury, and
on being released from prison he was again admitted
to his former social position. Useless as were the
efforts to shake off the bonds of the British Govern-
ment, the underlying principles were in accordance

with strict justice and in the natural order of things
must in the course of time prevail.

On removal to Clyde Township for a permanent
residence, he constructed a home in the woods where
he located for reasons stated. He lived alone for
some years, engaged in a struggle with the adversi-
ties and trials of an early settler in a new country.
The condition of things may be inferred from the
fact that the value of a bushel of wheat was less than
a pound of coffee.

Mr. Dent was married about the year 1848 to
Eunice Montgomery. She was born in August,
1810, in Roxbury, Delaware Co., N. Y., and was the
daughter of Martin and Louisa (Waite) Montgomery.
Her parents were born in New York and were of
New England ancestry. They were a branch of the
family who were prominent in New England and in
the State of New York in the period of the Revolu-
tion. The family of Mrs. Dent removed to Illinois
in July, 1839, and have all been dead some years.
No children came to add to the home happiness of
Mr. and Mrs. Dent. She died in the winter of 1869,
and since that event Mr. Dent has lived in quiet re-
tirement, on section 15 of Clyde Township. He is
the owner of 250 acres of land, finely situated and
comparing favorably with the farms in the vicinity.
He is a Democrat of the Jackson school, and has al-
ways adhered to his first political principles. He
has officiated some years in township offices but
finally withdrew from active duty as a citizen on ac-
count of old age. He is 80 years of age at the date
of this writing (1885).

Collins, successor to A. Critchfield & Co.,
wholesale and retail dealer in marble and
granite monuments, cemetery enclosures,
etc., at Fulton. This business was established
in June, 1882, by A. Critchfield & Co., who con-
ducted it till March, 1884, when Mr. Collins
bought them out, Mr. A. Critchfield being retained
as foreman and general manager of the mechanical
and designing department.

Mr. Collins employs from six to ten men, and turns
out from eighteen to twenty thousand dollars' worth
of work annually. The bulk of his custom comes
from Whiteside and neighboring counties, although

SEf sales extend into Iowa and neighboring States. He
uses in his work only the best grades of Italian and
American marble, and of Scotch and American
granite. He has facilities for turning out work on
short notice, of beautiful designs and of the finest
workmanship.

The subject of this sketch was born in Cumber-
berland Co., N. J., near the historic ground known
as " Vineland," on the igth of September, 1824, and
is the son of John and Mary (Pettet) Collins. In
1838 he removed with his parents to Dayton, Ohio,
where he was reared on a farm. He was married at
Dayton, June 24, 1847,10 Miss Mary J. Irvin, daugh-
ter of William and Martha (Brooks) Irvin. Mrs.
Collins was born in Montgomery Co., Ohio. In 1855
he came West and settled on a farm in Muscatine
Co., Iowa. He was elected and served 14 years as
Township Assessor, several years as Town Clerk,
and held other minor offices. He continued farming
in Muscatine County till March, 1882, when, having
sold out, he removed to Fulton and engaged in the
marble business.

Mr. and Mrs. Collins have had eight children, two
sons and six daughters. Anna B. is the wife of T.
S. Meeker, of Muscatine, Iowa. Mary E. is the wife
of Asa Critchfield, of Fulton, 111. Laura died aged
21 years. Martha L. is the wife of Morris N. Rippey,
of Muscatine, Iowa. Ida C., William I., Harry E.
and Eva A. are unmarried. William is engaged with
his father in the marble works. Harry is at Darling-
ton, Wis , employed as merchant clerk.

Mr. and Mrs. Collins are members of the Metho-
dist Episcopal Church. Mr. C. is Prohibitionist in
politics, but was a Republican till 1884.

"Wgs&wf eorge w R ema g e) M. D., physician and
surgeon at Coleta, was born Jan. 29, 1837,
in Holmes Co., Ohio. Abner Remage, his
? father, was born in Pennsylvania, and was of
Scotch and French extraction. The -ancestral
stock located in America prior to the Revolu-
tionary War, in which the paternal great-grandfather
of Dr. Remage was a participant and was captain of
a company. His grandfather and two uncles were
soldiers in the War of 1812. Their business relations
were in the vocations of farmers and mechanics.

Abner Remage settled in Holmes Co., Ohio, in 1826,
where he was a pioneer, and located in the woods on
a farm which was in its primeval condition. He
made it his home until his death, which occurred in
November, 1861. He had lived a life of usefulness
and honor and had proved a valuable citizen in the
progress of the county from its primal condition to
the advanced state to which it attained with great
rapidity. The mother of Dr. Remage, Susan Custer,
before her. marriage, was a member of one of the old
Dutch families who were identified with the pioneer
history of the State. She died in Holmes Co., Ohio,
in 1855, aged 47 years. They had ten children, five
sons and five daughters.

Dr. Remage is the third son and seventh child.
He remained at home until he was 17 years of age
and obtained a rudimentary education at the district
school, which at that age he began to turn to account
in teaching, in Berlin, in the county where he was
born, and he passed alternate seasons in attendance
at school. He had cherished a project to fit himself
for a professional life, and he commenced to read
medicine in the office of Dr. W. N. King, in Millers-
burg, Holmes County. In the winter of 1858-9, he
entered the Medical Department of the University of
Michigan, at Ann Arbor, where he pursued the pre-
scribed course of study until the following spring,
when he went to Middletown, in his native county,
and commenced practice in company with Dr. Joel
Poerene. Two years later, the nation was convulsed
by civil war, and Dr. Remage, then in the full vigor
of young hopes and ambitions, resolved to risk the
fate of war, and he enlisted as a private soldier in
Co. H, 23d Regt. Ohio Vol., under Capt. J. L. Drake.
The regiment was assigned to the Department of
West Virginia. He was under fire Sept. 10, i86r, at
Carnifex Ferry, which was the only occasion in which
he was in active service. His health became seri-
ously impaired and he received honorable discharge
in November, r86r. He resumed his practice,
which he prosecuted until the fall of 1862, when he
went again to the University at Ann Arbor and com-
pleted his course of medical study and was graduated
March 25, 1863. He received from Gov. Tod, of
Ohio, a commission as Assistant Surgeon of the g6th
Regt. Ohio Vol., and thus officiated until Feb. 13,
1865, when he was promoted Surgeon and assigned
to the Fifth Tenn. Reg. in the Dept. of the Cum-
berland. At the close of the war, July T7, 1865, he

i 1' - f -., r

UNIVERSITY OF
URBANA

WHITES IDE COUNTY.

was mustered out of service, when he resumed the
practice of his profession at Somerville, Union Co.,
Ohio. He operated as a physician at that point five
years, and, in 1870, transferred his interests to Paul-
ding, the county seat of the county of the same name,
where he established his business and operated with
marked success until December, 1877. He became
worn with constant attention to his professional
duties and sold out for the purpose of travel and
recuperation, in which he was occupied some months.
In September, 1878, he located at Coleta, where he
has since resided and prosecuted his business as a
physician with satisfactory results.

Dr. Remage was married at Wooster, Wayne Co.,
Ohio, Sept. 20, 1859, to Louisa C. Schwartfager, and
they have had three children. Laura is deceased.
Lola married Archie McAdow and lives at Paulding,
Ohio. Herman is a student at Paulding. Mrs.
Remage was born in Coshocton Co.. Ohio.

eril Mead, Justice of the Peace and in-
surance agent at Morrison, was born Dec.
18, 1820, in Springfield, Clarke Co., Ohio.
Allen Mead, his father, was born Feb. 20,
1793, in Saratoga Co., N. Y., and was but a
youth when the second war with Great Britain
occurred. He entered the United States army and
was in the command of Gen. Van Rensselaer. At
the battle of Queenstown, his regiment was attached
to the forces under Winfield Scott, then a Lieutenant
in the regular army of the United States. Daring
the last 28 years of his life he was a minister of the
Free-Will Baptist Church and resided at various
places in the pursuit of his calling. He died at
Wolf Lake, Noble Co., Ind., Jan. 20, 1849. Sally
(Scarlett) Mead, his mother, was born Feb. 25, 1797,
in Addison Co., Vt., and died at Wolf Lake, Sept. i r,
1864. They had ten children, five of whom are yet
living. The eldest, Alfred, resides at Tremont,
Clarke Co., Ohio. Mr. Mead is the next in order of
birth. Ephraim is a farmer in Indiana. Sophronia
married Washington Scott, and resides in Michigan.
Sarah, wife of Jefferson Scott, lives in Warsaw, Ind.
Mr. Mead received a good education in his native
State, completing his studies at Springfield, where he
took a thorough course of instruction in advanced

English branches. On leaving school he engaged in
teaching, of which he made a business for 15 years.
In 1855 he came to Whiteside County and interested
himself in the purchase, improvement and sale of
lands in the township of Ustick. While there he
officiated seven years as Justice of the Peace. After
a business career of nine years in Ustick Township
he removed, in 1865, to Morrison, and purchased 80
acres of land, of which sixteen acres lay within the
corporation, upon which he built his residence. The
remainder of the 80 acres is situated east of the city.
Mr. Mead is also the owner of a business building in
the city. He is the owner of 160 acres of land in
Sioux and Hancock Counties, Iowa, and 60 acres in
Du Page Co., 111., lying 14 miles southwest of Chi-
cago, on the line of the Chicago, Burlington & Quincy
Railroad. He owns, besides the estate enumerated,
153 acres in Union Grove Township. He is a
stockholder and director of the First National Bank
at Morrison, and is a stockholder in the First Na-
tional Bank at Kearney, Neb. In his relations as an
insurance agent he represents the Orient of Hartford
and the Royal of Liverpool (fire insurance). In life
insurance he operates in the interests of the North-
western Mutual, of Milwaukee, Wis. He is also
dealing in real estate and acting in the capacity of
Pension Agent.

On coming to manhood, Mr. Mead accepted the
political issues of the Whig party, and became a
partisan of the Henry Clay school. He continued to
act with that party until 1856, when he became a
Republican, uniting himself with the party which
then came into existence. He was prominent in
public life in his native county, and in 1844 was
elected Assessor of Harmony Township, and was re-
elected ten consecutive years. In 1850 he was ap-
pointed Deputy United States Marshal for Clarke
Co, Ohio, under the administration of President
Taylor. In 1872 he supported Horace Greeley for
President In 1884 he was an ardent supporter of
James G. Blaine. In 1873 he was elected Coroner
of Whiteside County and served out the term. In
the spring of 1881, he was elected Justice of the
Peace and still holds the incumbency. He is a mem-
ber of the Odd Fellows fraternity and belongs to
Lodge No. 257, at Morrison.

Mr. Mead was united in marriage at Harmony,
Clarke Co., Ohio, Sept. 30, 1847, to Harriet Newlove.
She was born April 3, 1830, in Harmony, and is the

c
r

WHITKSIDE COUNTY,

*$ daughter of Laybourn and Elizabeth Newlove. Fol-

'A lowing is the record of the children of Mr. and Mrs.

. ', -i Mead: Elizabeth was born Sept. 2, 1848, and died
Aug. 12, 1862. Rilla S., born Nov. 12, 1851, died

S*) Dec. 25, 1879. M. Inman, born Feb. 25, 1856, is
the manager of his father's farm in Union Grove
Township. Ellen, born May 17, 1860, died Feb. 14,
1882. Harriet and Eliza, twins, were born April 5,
1863.

Mr. Mead's portrait is given on another page. Its
claims to a place in the records of Whiteside County
are clearly manifest from the foregoing account of his
relations to the community in whose interests he has
so faithfully labored.

'homas Milnes, general farmer, resident on
section 21, Clyde Township, was born on
the same section, March 25, 1861. His
parents were Joseph and Jennie (Mason)
Milnes. The later was born in the North of
Ireland. She was but six years of age when
her parents emigrated from the Green Isle to the
United States and settled in Lowell, Mass. The
father was of English descent and their marriage
took place in 1860, in Chicago. The senior Milnes
was a farmer and had come, in 1842, to Clyde Town-
ship, where his father located a farm on the bank of
Little Rock Creek. He was then about ten years
old. The family was one of the first to make a per-
manent settlement in Whiteside County. Joseph
Milnes and his wife located immediately after their
marriage on the homestead estate, where they reared
their family and conducted their affairs until their
removal in 1882 to Morrison, where they still reside.
The place is in the possession of the son, who is the
subject of this biographical narration.

Mr. Milnes was brought up on his grandfather's
farm and has all his life been interested in its prog-
ressive improvements, interspersed by attendance at
school. He obtained a more entensive education by
going to school at Oshkosh, Wis., where he passed
two years, and there entered upon a course of com-
mercial study, which he completed at Fulton, in
Whiteside County. After leaving school he returned
to agricultural pursuits on the home farm. Two
years later he formed a matrimonial alliance with

Carrie E., daughter of Richard and Hannah E.
(Knight) Beswick. Their marriage took place Dec.
28, 1882. Mrs. Milnes was born Aug. 24, r86i, on
section 30, Clyde Township, and was brought up and
educated in her native county. The family now in-
cludes two children born as follows : Earl B., Nov.
26, 1883, and Paul E., Feb. 26, 1885. Mr. and Mrs.
Milnes settled after their marriage on the old home
place and have diligently prosecuted the interests of
general farming. Mr. Milnes is a Democrat and is
present Township Treasurer.

f^ohn E. Durstine, farmer, residing on sec-
tion 34, Coloma Township, is the sixth
child born to Martin and Mary A. (Har-
vey) Durstine, natives of Pennsylvania and
devoted to agricultural life. They sold their
old home and moved to Round Grove, this
county, in 1853. The latter place they also sold and
in 1870 purchased property at Morrison, which they
occupied until 1874, when they rented it and changed
their residence to Coleta, a small town northwest of
Sterling, where the father died, in September, i877 )
and the mother in September, 1884.

The subiect of this sketch was born Dec. 5, 1842,
received a common-school education, and when 17
years of age enlisted for the Union. At Stone River
he was wounded through the thigh ; was taken pris-
oner a short time and was paroled, and finally ex-
changed. Before he was wounded he was Orderly
to Gen. E. N. Kirk; afterward, Orderly at the Medi-
cal Director's Office of the i4th Army Corps, the Army
of the Cumberland. At the expiration of his three
years' enlistment he was honorably discharged.

He then came to Round Grove and worked at
farming for a time, and next he attended the Illinois
Soldiers' College at Fulton, this county, for two terms,
He went then to Benton Co., Iowa, and, in company
with his brother, purchased a farm of 193 acres. Re-
turning to Round Grove, he married Miss Emma
Stone, a native of Ohio. Their two children are
Warren E. and Ethel S. Mr. Durstine, after mar-
riage, moved to his farm in Iowa, and after residing
there two years he moved to Story County, same
State, and occupied a farm there for three years;
then five years at Round Grove again ; then six years
on a farm he purchased about two miles north of the

,.--

WHITESIDE COUNTY.

"si

station ; and finally sold that property and moved to
the place he now occupies.

Politically, Mr. Durstine is a Republican, and
religiously he belongs to the Congregational Church,
as does also Mrs. D. He is a Deacon and a Trus-
tee in his Church. He is also Treasurer and Com-
missioner of High ways of his township. By the many
removals and changes in life Mr. Durstine has made,
he has generally ameliorated his condition and cir-
cumstances, and is now one of the leading men of
Coloina.

eorge W. Holcomb, liveryman at Morri-
son, was born Aug. 18, 1848, in the town-
ship of Woodbine, Jo Daviess Co., 111.
Newell Holcomb, his father, was born Aug.
15, 1819, on an island in Lake Champlain,
which belongs to the State of Vermont and
which constitutes Grand Isle County. Louisa (Kel-
logg) Holcomb, the mother, was born April 4, 1823,
in Chautauqua Co., N. Y. The former was one of
the earliest settlers in the State of Illinois, and he
went in 1839 to Jo Daviess County, walking the en-
tire distance from Springfield to Galena. The mother
died in Woodbine Township, Sept. 7, (849, leaving
two children, the eldest of whom, Maria L., married
Sidney Willison, of Jo Daviess Co., 111.

Mr. Holcomb was little more than a year old
when his mother died. He was brought up on the
farm of his father, and bred to the business of an
agriculturist. On reaching an age suitable to set-
tling in life, he bought 40 acres of land in the same
township in which he was born, and where he oper-
ated until the spring of 1882, when he opened a
restaurant at Savanna, Carroll Co., 111. After pass-
ing a year there in that business, he transferred his
interests to Sterling. He maintained a restaurant
there but a short time, however, removing in 1883 to
Morrison. He opened a grocery, in which he was
engaged six months, when he sold out and interested
himself in the business in which he is now occupied.
He keeps about eight horses and livery equipments
in proportion.

Mr. Holcomb was married May 13, 1878, at
Lyons, Iowa, to Mary S., daughter of William and
Mary Tyson. She was born in Clyde Township,

, : *

Whiteside County. Mr. and Mrs. Holcomb have
one daughter, Lillie M., born in Woodbine Township,
Dec. 28, 1879.

iilliam B. Brown, liveryman and deale r
in horses at Rock Falls, was born at North
Stonington, New London Co., Conn., June
24, 1838. His parents, Thatcher and Eu-
nice (Spalding) Brown, were also natives of
the same State.
Receiving a liberal education, he commenced
teaching at the age of 16 years, and followed that
vocation for five years ; thenceforward he made ag-
riculture his principal business, and dealt in live
stock. In 1868 he left his parental home and emi-
grated to this State; after stopping at Grand de
Tour six months, lie came to Rock Falls and en-
gaged in the livery business, following it ever since,
with satisfactory success. Purchasing a lot on Main
Street, he built a store upon it, aud has since rented
the same. He also bought two lots on Bridge Street,
where he at present keeps his livery barn and outfit.
In his political principles Mr. Brown is a Republi-
can. He has been Trustee of the village corpora-
tion for six years, Assessor four years and School
Director two years.

He was married Sept. 3, 1863, to Phebe E. Col-
lins, a native of Connecticut and a daughter of
Amos and Phebe (Brown) Collins, who were also na-
tives of Connecticut and members of the agricultural
community. By this marriage there have been six
children John B., Charles R., George I., William J.,
Sarah L. and Nellie F.

ustin Morse, dealer in leather, shoemakers'
supplies, etc., established his business at
Fulton, Nov. i, 1884. He was born in
Worcester, Mass., Aug. 21, 1824, and is the
son of Joseph and Sally (Bigelow) Morse. His
parents were of Puritan descent. He served
a regular apprenticeship to the tanner and currier's
trade in his native town, and in early manhood went
to Boston, where he was employed as foreman in a
large currying establishment.

He was married in Boston, Jan. 9, 1845, to Miss

ft '

)

(S>

Susan J. Walker, of Lincoln Co., Maine. In 1847
he removed to New Hartford, Oneida Co., N. Y., and
was foreman of the tannery of Stephen Childs of
that place, one of the largest concerns of the kind
in the State. He held that position nine years, and
then removed to Dixon, 111. (1856). He engaged in
business at Dixon as dealer in leather and saddlers'
hardware, which he carried on successfully for 28
years.

Mr. and Mrs. Morse had four children, three boys
and one girl. Georgiana I. is the wife of W. W. Knox,
of Pittsburg, Pa. ; Willie died in childhood ; Charles
died aged six years ; Edward is an attorney in prac-
tice at Huron, D. T. Mrs. Morse died Jan. 20,
1883.

Mr. Morse was married again March 20, 1884, at
Fulton, 111., to Mrs. Catharine Hall, widow of Warren
P. Hall, late of the Langford & Hall Lumber Com-
pany, and daughter of George and Margaret Barry
Swarts.

Mr. Morse moved to Fulton in the fall of 1884
and established his present business Nov. i, of that
year. Politics, Republican.

euben P. Hollinshead, of the firm of Hol-
linshead & West, dealers in clothing and
furnishing goods at Morrison, is a native
citizen of Whiteside County, 111., having been
born May 3, 1857, at Fulton. Joshua Hol-
linshead, his father, is a native of Canada,
and is a farmer in Ustick Township. The mother,
Nancy (Ingham) Hollinshead, was born in the State
of New York, and died at Fulton, this county, leav-
ing two children, both sons. John D. is a pilot on
the Mississippi River.

Mr. Hollinshead left home when he was 19 years
of age to learn the jewelry business, and bought out
an establishment at Fulton, where he acquired a
practical knowledge of its details. In September,
1879, he came to Morrison, where he entered the
clothing house of H. Worthington as a salesman. In
January, 1881, associated with J. A. West, he became
one of the proprietors of the stock and business inter-
ests of his former employer, to which they succeeded
by purchase. They are doing a successful and

popular business. Mr. Hollinshead is a member of

S&\ ^g^g-nr

HEP V^AV^TV

the Masonic fraternity and of the Order of Odd
Fellows.

His marriage to Mary S. Brumagrin took place at
Morrison, Oct. 25, 1882; they have one son, Frank
Glenmore, born Jan. 10, 1884. Mrs. Hollinshead
was born March 26, 1863, in Spolswood, N. J., and
is the daughter of Dr. R. J. and Jane D. (Van Cleef)
Brumagrin.

eorge E. Goodenough, farmer, section
10, Union Grove Township, was born
April IT, 1843, in Jefferson Co., N. Y. He
is the son of Willard A. and Jane (Hull)
Goodenough, whose biographical notice is to
be found on other pages of this work. He
was 22 years of age when he came with his parents
to Whiteside County.

He is one of the prominent agriculturists of Union
Grove Township, and is the owner of 230 acres of
land, the principal part of which is under cultiva-
tion. In political faith he is a Republican.

He formed a matrimonial alliance with Mary De
Groodt, and they have four children Minnie J.,
John W., Arthur L. and Bertie E. John W. died
when he was five months old. Mrs. Goodenough is
the daughterof John and Mary De Groodt, and they
were natives of the State of New York. She was
born Feb. 15, 1849, in Rockford, 111. She is a mem-
ber of the Baptist Church, to which her husband also
belongs.

ohn Dickson, watchman for the Keystone
Manufacturing Company, of Rock Falls,
was born Dec. 31, 1830, in Scotland. He
was the second child of William and Ellen
(Tunna) Dickson, natives, also, of that coun-
try and members of the agricultural class, who
died in their native land.

Mr. Dickson remained at his parental home until
he was 26 years of age, receiving a common-school
education and assisting upon the farm. In 1855 he
emigrated to America, landing at New York, taking
a steamer up the Hudson to Albany and going
out to Sharon Springs, where he worked nine months

WHITESIDE COUNTY.

-
)

in a hotel. He then came to Sterling and worked a
year in a hotel ; next he was employed a mile west
of that place until the spring of 1859, when he went
to Pike's Peak, where he was successful in gold-min-
ing. In 1861 he returned to Sterling, and went on
to England, where he visited from August to No-
vember and married Miss Anna Campbell, a native of
Scotland. Coming again to this country, he com-
menced keeping house a mile west of Sterling, and
lived in that neighborhood five and a half years.
The last six months of this time he was engaged at
work on the second bridge at that point, below the
dam. Since 1863 he has been in the employment
of the Keystone Manufacturing Company.

His first purchase in this county was a lot in Ster-
ling, and the second was a lot of A. P. Smith at Rock
Falls, for which he paid $[oo, and on which he built
a residence. After residing there a short time he
made a trade with Mr. Smith for another lot and
moved his house upon it. Since then he has bought
another lot, adjoining, for which he paid $350. In
1884 he purchased a house and lot joining north of
him, paying for it $900.

Politically, Mr. Dickson is a Democrat, casting his
first vote for Stephen A. Douglas, after taking out
his naturalization papers. He is a member of the
Board of Aldermen of Rock Falls, is a member and
treasurer of the Keystone Fire Company, treasurer
of the Keystone Aid and Relief Society, a member
of the Masonic fraternity, and of the Presbyterian
Society of Sterling, to which latter body his wife also
belongs. They have four children E. Ella, Anna
L., William G. and John A. Dickson.

86V

net -

S illiam A. Kennedy, farmer, located on
section 27, Clyde Township, was born
*p " Oct. 10, 1828, in Washington Co., N. Y.
jy His parents, Alexander and Sarah A. (Tice)
Kennedy, were natives of New York, and'
descended from ancestors of New England birth
and Scotch origin. They were farmers and came
West when their son was 20 years old in 1848
They located at first in Whiteside County, but later
the father went to Buffalo County, Neb., where he
died in Kearney City, in the fall of 1883. The
mother is living in Clyde Township, and is 78 years

of age. She is still in unbroken health and strength.

Mr. Kennedy, in company with his brother, be-
came the proprietor of 320 acres of land in Clyde
Township, all of it being unimproved. He was then
not 23 years of age. He was married April 10, 1856,
in the township of Mt. Pleasant, to Emmeline, daugh-
ter of Aaron and Amy (Havens) Bailey. Her father
was born in Vermont, and her mother was a native
of Essex Co., N. Y. Mrs. Kennedy was born Aug.
14, 1840, in Jefferson Co., N. Y. Her parents came
to Mt. Pleasant Township, in 1855, where they were
fanners. Her father died of a cancer, Oct. 20, 1874,
in the township of Delhi, when he was 77 years of
age. The mother is 84 years old and is vigorous,
mentally and physically.

At the time of their marriage Mr. and Mrs. Ken-
nedy settled on the property he owned, on which he
made rapid improvements. The farm is now (1885)
in the best of conditions and fenced and stocked.
Mr. Kennedy is a Democrat, and both himself and
wife are members of the Methodist Episcopal Church.

j^olomon Farwell, resident at Unionville,
has been a citizen of Whiteside County
since ^53. His parents, Solomon and
Sabina (Burlingame) Farwell, were natives re-
spectively of Massachusetts and Vermont.
The former was born in Groton, Mass., March
2 3> J 773- The birth of the latter occurred in
Wethersfield, Vt., Dec. 29, 1780. After their mar-
riage they settled for a fime in Vermont, afterward
going to Lewis Co., N. Y., where they were pioneers
and residents for many years. Late in life they went
to Loraine, Jefferson Co., N. Y., where the father
died June 17, 1850. The mother died Feb. 5, 1856.
Their nine children were born in the following order:
Submit, Leonard M., Selah, Eunice, Sabina, Eliza,
Lemuel, Phila A., Hannah E. and Solomon.

Mr. Farwell was born Jan. n, 1827, in Denmark,
Lewis Co., N. Y., and is the youngest child of his
parents. He attended the common schools and be-
came a carpenter and joiner, following that business
until his removal to Whiteside County, and since that
time has continued to work at his trade in connection
with his farming. In September, 1853, he bought 60
acres of land in the township of Ustick, where he was

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engaged in the pursuit of agricultural projects about
1 6 years, and then sold and purchased a farm in the
township of Union Grove. He remained there but a
short time, selling his farm and returning again to
Ustick Township, where he bought another farm, on
which he resided and operated until he determined
to retire from active business life. In the fall of
1882, he sold his landed interests and removed to
Unionville.

He was married in Denmark, Lewis Co., N. Y.,
Feb. 4, 1848, to Margaret Plank, and they' are the
parents of nine children, Celia H., Emma E., Car-
rie A., J. D., Nellie F., Minnie P., Fred B., Lulu G.
and Gertie L. The child last named died when four
months old. Mrs. Farwell was born Sept. 21, 1829,
in Denmark, and is the daughter of John and Eleanor
(Ostrander) Plank. Her parents were born in the
State of New York, and four of their children reached
mature life, Margaret, Hannah, Nancy and John H.

Politically, Mr. Farwell is a Republican. He held
the positions of Township Clerk and Assessor while
a resident in Ustick. He and his wife are members
of the Universalist Church.

jfiorace L. Abbott, proprietor of a livery,
sale and feed stable at Fulton, established
his business there in March, 1874. He is
a native of New York, was born in Chautauqua
County, Feb. 12, 1840, and is the son of Clark
and Betsy (Crouch) Abbott. His parents were
natives of Vermont.

Horace came to Illinois with his parents in 1842
and lived in DeKalb County till 1853, when the
family removed to the township of Ustick, this
county. He was brought up on a farm in Ustick,
and continued his residence there till the second
year of the war. He enlisted Aug. 9, 1862, in Co.
F, 93d 111. Vol. Inf., and served till the close of that
great conflict, being mustered out July 2, 1865. His
regiment was in the isth Army Corps or the Army
of the Tennessee, and he participated in the battles
of Jackson, Miss., Champion Hill, siege of Vicks-
burg, Miss., battles of Missionary Ridge, Lookout
Mountain, Altoona Pass and Savannah, Ga., besides
various minor engagements.

On his return from the war he located at Fulton

X-s .V

and engaged in teaming and threshing till 1871,
when he engaged in farming. In 1874 he quit
farming and entered the livery business.

Mr. Abbott was married in Ustick, this county,
July 3, 1866, to Miss Martha Barber, daughter of
Millard and Margaret (Glen) Barber, her father a
native of Litchfield Co., Conn. She was born in
Montour Co., Pa. They have three children, all
boys : Charles, Lester and Willard.

Mr. Abbott has served six years as City Marshal
of Fulton and four years as Constable. He is a
member of the Order of Modern Woodmen, and in
politics an earnest Democrat.

illiam Taylor, farmer, section 32,Genesee
Township, was born May 16, 1814, in the
city of New York. Stephen Taylor, his
grandfather, was born in the State of New
York, and descended from ancestors of New
England origin. He died about 1840 in Onon-
daga Co., N. Y. His wife, who was born Rebecca
Emmett, was of Irish parentage and died in El-
bridge, Onondaga County. Tunis, the second son
of the latter, and father of Mr. Taylor of this sketch,
was born in the State of New York, where he spent
his life, and died in 1864, in Wayne County, aged
about 63 years. He married Catherine Clelland,
who was also born in the State of New York, and
descended from ancestors who came to America from
Holland. She died Aug. 26, 1864, in Wayne County,
aged 50 years.

Mr. Taylor is the third child of his parents, and
he was a very small boy when they moved into the
woods of Onondaga. He obtained his education in
the pioneer school-houses of that county, which were
built of scantling cut from logs, the structures being
built in the same method or plan on which log houses
were built. He attained to man's estate on his fa-
ther's farm, and was married March 2, 1834, in
Wayne County, to Eunice M. Olmstead. Follow-
ing is the record of their children : Calista A., born
Aug. 23, 1835, married J. H. Hewitt, a farmer in
Chickasaw Co., Iowa. James C. was born May 13,
1837, and married Louise Edson for his first wife.
She died, leaving two children : James E. and Sylvia.
He was a second time married, to Mary l.ucinda

WHITESIDE COUNTY.

Bruner, and they reside on a farm in Genesee Town-
ship. Jerusha, now Mrs. Dowd, is the wife of a
farmer in Genesee Township. Eunice married Ran-
som B. Johnson and lives in Ottawa Co., Kan.
Lucy is the wife of Scott Sortor, of Chickasaw Co.,
Iowa. Rosalia, now the wife of Jacob Buzzard, is a
resident of Brown Co., D. T. S. W. is deceased.
Tunis became a soldier in the Union Army and was
killed by a minie ball at the battle of Perryville,
Ky. Mary died in infancy. John H. is deceased.
On settling in life, Mr. Taylor established his fam-
ily on a farm in his native State, and they were there
resident until 1852. In that year he came West and
purchased 80 acres of land on section 32, Genesee
Township, which had not then known the plow or
any other element or influence to develop its fruit-
fulness. The entire tract is under cultivation, and
he has deeded 40 acres to his son. In October,
1867, he was appointed Postmaster at the place
where he lives, and has since officiated in that posi-
tion. He was a Democrat at the outset of his polit-
ical career, but some years since became a Republi-
can. He is holding the position of Justice of the
Peace. He and his wife were reared in the tenets
of the Presbyterian Church.

"jilliam F. Twining, retired farmer, resi-
dent on section 12, Union Grove Town-
ship, came to Whiteside County in 1863.
He is the son of William and Ovonda (Fow-
ler) Twining. They were natives of Mas-
sachusetts, and located after their marriage in
the State of New York, and were there resident dur-
ing the remainder of their lives. Their children
were named Susan, John, Lucinda, William F., Al-
fred W., Milo S. and Mariette.

Mr. Twining was born Aug. 17, 1820, in Jefferson
Co., N. Y. He was a farmer in his native State un-
til his removal to Illinois. He decided to locate in
Union Grove, and he purchased 65 acres on sections
12 and 13. He continued to live on and operate
his farm until the spring of 1884, when he sold his
property and retired from participation in active
life. He affiliates with the Republican party in po-
litical sentiment, and has officiated as Township

Treasurer and School Trustee, besides having held
several minor official positions.

Mr. Twining was united in marriage in Champion,
Jefferson Co., N. Y., Feb. 19, 1846, to Martha M.
Taylor, a native of the State of New York. They
became the parents of five children Mary F., Will-
iam E., Mary F. (2d), Fred A. and Florence A. The
eldest child is deceased, as is the fourth Fred A.
The mother died in Union Grove Township, July 26,
1879. Mr. Twining was again married March 16,
1882, to Nellie, daughter of William and Nellie
(Wilson) Rook. Mrs. Twining was born July 28,
1845, in England. She is one of six children born
to her parents, as follows: John, Martha, Elizabeth,
Nellie, Mary and Fanny. Mr. and Mrs. Twining
have one child Gracie B.

ames C. Taylor, farmer, section 31, Gen-
esee Township, was born May 13, 1837, in
'Wayne Co., N. Y. He is the son of William
Taylor, of whom an account is given elsewhere
in this volume. He lived in the county of his
nativity until he was 15 years of age, and in
1852 he came to Illinois with his parents and has
since been a resident of Genesee Township. Every-
thing was in a primeval condition and it was neces-
sary that all should give their earnest attention to
the work of improving a home. He was the oldest
son, and he devoted himself with vigorous energy to
the cultivation of the prairie farm. He continued
to live at home until he was 30 years of age.

He was first married Sept. 18, 1870, in Genesee
Township, to Louise Edson, the daughter of Jacob
Edson. She was born Jan. 27, 1840, in Otsego Co.,
N. Y. Her parents were natives of New England,
She grew up and was educated in the county where
she was born, and, at .the age of 15 years, began to
teach in the public schools of New York, and was
similarly engaged until she was past 20 years of age.
In 1 868 she came to Whiteside County, where she
taught school until she was married. She died
April rg, 1883, and left two children. James E.
was born Feb. 12, 1876, and Sylvia L.,,Feb. 22,
1879. She was a person of estimable character, and
her loss to her family and friends was deeply de-
plored by her family and neighbors, who still pre-

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f*^j

WHITESIDE COUNTY.

serve her memory. Mr. Taylor formed a second
matrimonial alliance with LucindaBruner. She was
born Jan. 12, 1848, in Somerset Co., Pa., and is the
daughter of Joseph and Mary A. (Mull) Bruner.
Her father was formerly a miller in Pennsylvania
and in 1865, after coming West, he settled in Lee
Co., 111., and became a farmer, operating in that
capacity in the townships of Franklin Grove and
South Dixon. He and his wife are residents in the
township last named, and they are aged respectively
67 and 65 years (1885).

In 1870 Mr. Taylor located his residence on 40
acres of land, constituting one-half of the original
claim of his father, and situated on section 31. With
the exception of a year spent in Nebraska, this has
since been his place of abode.

He is a Republican in political belief. Mrs. Tay-
lor is a member of the Lutheran Church.

illiam Parker, editor and proprietor of the
Rock Falls News, is a native of Maysville,
Ky., born in 1835, and is a descendant of
<^ the pioneers of that State. Commenced the
printing business at the age of 15 and served
three years in the office of the Ripley Bee, at
Ripley, Ohio, afterwards served two years in the job
office of the Cincinnati Enquirer. He came to Illi-
nois in 1855 and commenced the publication of a
paper at Salem, in Marion County, in the same year,
and has been steadily engaged in the newspaper and
printing business ever since.

Mr. Parker entered the volunteer service of the
United States army as Lieutenant of Co. A, 75th
111. Vol. Inf., at Dixon, in 1862, and served till the
close of the war, being promoted as Captain soon after
going to the front. After the war closed he was com-
missioned Brevet Lieutenant Colonel for meritorious
services on the field. He came from old Kentucky
" emancipation " Whig stock, joined the Republican
party at its organization and has never voted any
other ticket.

Mr. Parker was married in Salem, Marion Co., 111.,
to Miss Ella Bond, in 1856. Miss Anna F. Parker,
their only living child, is interested with her father in
the publication of the Rock Falls News.

Both self and wife are of Presbyterian and Con-
gregational stock. He is Senior Vice-Commander of
Will Robinson Post, No. 274, G. A. R., and has been
twice elected representative to the State Encamp-
ment of that order.

ainos Holleran, proprietor of the " Robin-
son House," the only first-class hotel in
Fulton, was born in County Clare, Ireland,
Dec. 26, 1843, and is the son of P. M. and
Catharine Holleran. He emigrated with his
parents to Canada West in 1848, and in 1855
came to Fulton, 111.

He engaged in steamboating as cabin boy %nd
worked his way up to the position of Captain,
followed steamboating some 12 years and was known
as an expert pilot and trustworthy officer. During
the late war he was employed in the United States
Naval service on the lower river. He built and op-
erated a ferry between Fulton and Lyons for some
years. He also conducted a "bus line at Fulton. He
was elected and served as City Marshal. In 1865
he engaged in the hardware business with John
Downs, which connection continued till 1878, when
he sold out and went to Orleans, Harlan Co., Neb.
He built the " Central House " at Orleans and kept,
it two years, when he sold out and went to Red
Cloud, where he kept the "Valley House " till r88o.
He then removed to Cascade, Iowa, and kept tr
" Holleran House " till the fall of 1884, when he
moved to Fulton and purchased the " Robinson
House." Mr. Holleran has made many important
improvements in the house and premises, and now
has a comfortable and tasteful establishment, com-
plete and first-class in all its appointments. He
also has a good livery in connection with the house.
He was married at Fulton, May 28, 1865, to Miss
Adelia Connor, daughter of P. H. and Ellen Connor.
Mrs. H. was born at Dundas, Canada. They have
four children, one son and three daughters : Minnie
E., Frank L., Eva and Maudie I. Mr. and Mr
Holleran are members of the Catholic Church. In
politics Mr. H. is Democrat.

Mr. Holleran still owns his fine farm of r6o acres
in Harlan Co., Neb., valuable city property in Red
Cloud, a fine residence and five acres of land at

5 ^^

t"*~r

. J:

Ti i> ILLlNOlb

WHITES1DE COUNTY.

233

Cascade, besides 20 lots. He is an enterprising
business man, and, being ably assisted by his intelli-
gent and energetic wife, is bound to make the " Rob-
inson House " a favorite stopping place with the

traveling public.

illiam D. Hayes, merchant and Postmaster
at Malvern, was born in West Brandywine
Township, Chester Co., Pa., Oct. 25, 1830.
Thomas and Ann (Davis) Hayes, his par-
ents, were also born in that State and were
of English ancestry. Henry Hayes, his earliest
traceable ancestor, came to America as a refugee
(ram British law, in 1690, or thereabouts. He was in
humble circumstances in his native country and was
employed as a teamster. An unguarded motion with
his whip resulted in a run-away, by which the grand-
ees were well shaken up and the horses cleared
themselves from the clumsy state carriage, and he
was obliged to flee for his life. He secreted himself
in the heath until opportunity served to get away and
he sailed for the New World, landing where is now
Chester, on the Delaware River. He sought the
headwaters of White Clay Creek and spent seven
years in a small cabin, living the life of a hermit, the
wilderness being then unbroken. Samuel Hayes, his
great-grandfather, located in East Malborough Town-
ship, Chester County, and was surrounded by Tories
during the Revolutionary War, who made him much
trouble on account of his Whig principles. His
grandfather on his mother's side, William Davis, died
in Chester Co., Pa ., Jan. 9, 1863, aged 82 years He
was a " smith " (or blacksmith) nearly all his life,
engaged in the manufacture of edged tools, with the
hand hammer on a common anvil.

Thomas Hayes was a mechanic in early life and
later became a farmer. He died in the township of
Newlin, Chester Co., Pa., in March, 1867, aged
60 years. His widow died March 6, 1878, aged 73
years.

Mr. Hayes was reared by his parents, with whom
he remained until the death of his father. He had
obtained a good education and when he was 2 1 years
of age he began teaching and followed that calling
12 years. During that period (April 29, 1857) he
was married, in the city of Philadelphia, to Martha E.,

daughter of Thomas and Martha (O'Niel) Johnson,
who was born in Chester County. Her parents were
farmers and were of German and Irish extraction.
Both are now deceased. Mrs. Hayes was born in
Willistown Tp,. Chester Co., Pa., Sept. 27, 1833.
Five children born to Mr. and Mrs. Hayes are all
living. They were born in the following order:
Anna M., born Feb. 9, 1860; Ira T., June 8, r867;
May E., Aug. 5, 1868; Elsie T., Nov. 23, 1873;
Clarence J., Sept. 30, 1875.

Mr. and Mrs. Hayes located after their marriage
in Newlin, where they purchased a small property,
and Mr. Hayes was there engaged some time in
teaching. Ten years later they went to the township
of West Pikeland, in the same county, where they
operated as farmers two years,- and went thence to
Chester Valley, where they resided a year. They
removed thence to Delaware County, in the same
State. Later they made another transfer, to Mont-
gomery Co., Pa. After a stay there of three years,
they came to Clyde Township, reaching their desti-
nation Feb. T2, 1876. Mr. Hayes at once established
his mercantile relations and has since continued in
trade. In December, 1877, he was appointed Post-
master at Malvern, of which he is the founder and
was the chief means of procuring the establishment
of the mail route. He is the first Postmaster. He
is a Republican and has acted eight years as Justice
of the Peace; has also held various other offices.

illiam A. Van Osdol, one of the most
extensive farmers in Whiteside County,
residing upon section 7, Hopkins Town-
ship, is a son of John and Nancy (Gibson)
Van Osdol, natives of Pennsylvania. They
married in Ohio Co., Ind., but finally settled in
Dearborn County. Mr. Van Osdol died in February,
1870, in Ohio Co., Ind., where all of William's grand-
parents settled about 1820, coming from Penn-
sylvania. His wife, and the mother of William A.,
still survives and resides in that county. They
had a family of 1 1 children, of whom William A. was
the eldest. He was born in Ohio Co., Ind., Aug.
17, 1827. He passed his boyhood days and grew
to manhood in that county and continued to reside
there till 1856. He received a good common-school

234

WHITESWE COUNTY.

education, and for a time was engaged in mercantile
pursuits at Aberdeen, Ind.

In May, 1856, Mr. Van Osdol came to Whiteside
County and located in Hopkins Township, where he
has since lived, closely and largely identified with the
interests and welfare of the community. He is the
owner of 520 acres of land in this township, 500
acres of which is in a tillable condition. He also
owns 440 acres of land in Ida Co., Iowa, all under
cultivation and managed by his eldest son. This vast
estate has been accumulated by Mr. Van Osdol in a
very brief time, be it said to his credit. When 22
years of age he possessed only $37.50 of prop-
erty, which was in a note given to him by his father.
The secret of his splendid success, besides possess-
ing good business ability, is industry and frugality.
Young men about to enter upon an active business
career might read the record of his life with no little
profit.

Mr. Van Osdol was united in marriage in Dear-
born Co., Ind., Nov. 20, 1850, with Rebecca Turner.
She was a native of Pennsylvania, born of Irish
parentage, and the seventh of a family of nine chil-
dren. Her parents were Robert and Martha (Woods)
Turner. To Mr. and Mrs. Van Osdol have been
born six children , John M., Sarah E., William S.,
Ida M., Robert R. and Frank A. John M. and
Sarah E. are deceased. While never aspiring to
public position, Mr. Van. Osdol has held many of
the minor offices of his township. He is a member
of the Methodist Episcopil Church, and in political
views is identified with the Democratic party.

As a truly representative agriculturist and a worthy
citizen of Whiteside County, we place Mr. Van
Osdol's portrait in this volume in connection with
this sketch. It is engraved from a photograph taken
about 1878.

illiam H. Knox, of Union Grove Town-
ship, is a native citizen of Whiteside
County, and was born Oct. 8, 1856, in
Mt. Pleasant Township. His parents, Will-
iam and Mary J. (Emery) Knox, came to
Whiteside County in 1835, and after residing
some time in Prophetstown, removed to the township
of Mt. Pleasant and there the father died, Dec. 20,

l %gi*&

1884. The mother is still living. The names of
their eight children were Sarah J., Harriet, Walter
E., Martin W., William H., Andrew J., Clarence D.
and Clara M.

Mr. Knox spent the years of his minority in ob-
taining his education. In 1878 he detached himself
from home associations and rented a farm in Mount
Pleasant Township, on which he operated two years.
In 1881 he made a permanent settlement on a farm
of 150 acres on section 25, of which he is the owner,
in Union Grove Township. Of this 115 acres are
under excellent cultivation.

The marriage of Mr. Knox to Cora M. Harrison
took place Jan. i, 1879, in the township of Mt.
Pleasant. Two children have been added to the
household circle, Olive L. and Ruby H. Mrs.
Knox was born Oct. 12, 1859,511 Ohio, and she is
the daughter of Thomas and Electa A.'(Hoag) Har-
rison. Her father was a native of England and her
mother was born in the State of New York. After a
residence of some years in the State last named and
in Ohio, they came, in the spring of 1868, to White-
side County and fixed their residence in the township
of Mt. Pleasant. Mrs. Knox has one brother younger
than herself George F. Harrison.

Mr. Knox is identified with the Republican parly
in political sentiment.

.in,

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lam R. Grubb, farmer and blacksmith,
resident on section 33, Genesee Township,
was born April i, 1842, in Lancaster Co.,
Pa. The- sketch of his parents, Samuel and
Mary (Rowe) Grubb, may be found on oth
pages.

Of two sons, which comprise the entire number of
children, Mr. Grubb is the younger. He attended
school in his native county from a suitable age until
he was 14, when his parents removed to Sterling.
There he was engaged in study one year. Mean-
while, his father purchased a farm in Genesee Town-
ship, to which the family removed, and father and g
sons entered into the work of establishing a home, /
such as was possible on the prairie, that only needed
the application of the commonest methods of agri- '
culture to respond generously.

Mr. Grubb worked on the farm summers and

- ..

WHITESIDE COUNTY.

to school winters for some years. He remained un-
married until he was 28 years old. Feb. 27, 1870,
he formed a matrimonial alliance with Eliza A.,
daughter of C. B. and Jane (Loudon) Peugh, of
whom a personal account is inserted in this work.
Mrs. Grubb was born Oct. n, 1848, in Washington
Co., Ind. She was a child of four years when her
parents came to Illinois and settled, in Genesee
Township in its days of first things, a condition of
things fully realized by Mrs. Grubb, as she was one
of the oldest children. She is the mother of two
children: Charles L., born Aug. n, 1871, and Fanny
A., Oct. 7, 1876.

Mr. and Mrs. Grubb settled on 40 acres of land,
which had been purchased by the former previous to
his marriage, and was then totally unimproved. He
had made it ready for a home, and on removing
thither pressed the work of improvement. He has
purchased an additional tract of 80 acres, and has
improved the entire quantity. Mr. Grubb is a Re-
publican. Mrs. Grubb has been a member of the
Christian Church since she was 16 years of age.

|jenry E. Horning, carpenter and joiner,
resident at Malvern, in Clyde Township, is
the son of Henry and Hannah (Isenberg)
yy Horning, both of whom were of German ances-
try, with a slight admixture of English blood on
the side of the mother. Mr. Horning was born
Oct. 23, 1838, in Trappe, Montgomery Co., Pa. He
set out independently in life when he was 14 years
old, his parents then both living. His father died Nov.
12, 1 87 2, aged 74 years. His mother is still living in
firm health, in Maryland, Ogle Co., 111., aged 87 years.
On making his first venture in life, Mr. Horning
engaged in farm labor, in which he continued four
years. Oct. 26, 1856, he apprenticed himself to John
' Poley, a cousin who resided in the place of his
nativity, and he served with him three years, obtain-
ing a thorough and practical knowledge of the busi-
ness of a carpenter. Passing another year working
as a journeyman, he afterwards established a shop in
his own interests in his native village. In August,
1862, he went to Philadelphia and remained there
engaged in work at his trade 13 years. He returned
at the end of that time to- his native county and

MXar- f-N l^f:

worked as a carpenter two years, at Worcester. In
February, 1876, in company with W. D. Hayes, he
came to Whiteside County and settled at Malvern,
and is the owner of the property where he resides.
Since May 6, 1885, he has been traveling agent for
the sale of medicines.

He was married Nov. 24, 1859, at Bethel, Berks
Co., Pa., to Lydia, daughter of Jacob and Elizabeth
(Hammaker) Pfeifer. Her parents were natives of
Berks County, and were of German descent. They
were farmers and lived and died in their native State.
Mrs. H. is a member of the Dunkard Church. Mr.
H. is a Democrat and a member of the K. of P.

l^-,apt. Alfred M. Carpenter, Master of the
steamer " Helen Mar," and a pioneer of
Whiteside County, was born in Lake Co.,
Ohio, May 19, 1836, and is the son of John
B. and Mary (Fisk) Carpenter. When four
years of age he removed with his parents to
Adams Co., 111., and a few years later to Missouri.
In 1846 the family returned to Illinois and settled
in Albany, this county.

When 15 years of age Alfred began running the
Mississippi River, floating rafts, and in 1867 began
sleamboating. In 1873, after 22 years on the river,
12 of which were spent on the rafts, he had by hard
labor and economy accumulated a snug sum of
money. This he invested in the purchase of the
steamer " Hudson, " and began business for himself,
as Captain of his own vessel. He had secured a
large contract for moving lumber at a figure that
promised him a very flattering return for his labor ;
but misfortune overtook him near the close of the
third season. While towing a raft, a log was carried
under his boat which " hung her up " in such a man-
ner that she could not be relieved. He left her
with the expectation of raising her when the ice
should be strong enough to work on. The mildness
of the winter frustrated his plans, and in the break-
up the following spring his vessel was swept away.
By this disaster he not only lost his earnings for so
many years of hard work and exposure, but he also
lost the benefit of his contract, which was worth at
least $10,000, for the reason that he was to move
the lumber with the steamer " Hudson."
The following season (1874) he began steamboat-

v_x

ing again, on a salary, since which time he has com-
manded the following named boats : " Louisville
Despatch," "Andy Riley," "White," "Eclipse,"
"Stillwater" and the "Helen Mar." He is the
present Captain of the latter named boat, which is
owned by Knapp, Stout & Co., of St. Louis, and en-
gaged in the lumber trade.

Captain Carpenter was married in Albany, White-
side Co., 111., Dec. 31, 1857, to Miss Sarah J. Zent,
a daughter of John and Myra Zent. Mrs. Carpenter
was born in Morrow Co., Ohio,. They had five chil-
dren^ three sons and two daughters: Florence C.,
the -wife of Henry Rodman, of Davenport, Iowa ; Al-
fred M. died in childhood ; Charles O. is a steamboat
mate on the Mississippi ; Theodore A. died aged
eight years ; and Eva J., the youngest, is four years
of age. Mrs. Carpenter died May 13, 1882, and
Capt. Carpenter was married again Dec. 5, 1883. in
Dakota, Minn., to Miss Laura Fox, daughter of Al-
vin K. and Sophia (Tompkins) Fox. Mrs. Carpenter
was born in Minnesota.

With the exception of five years spent in Hancock
Co., 111., Captain Carpenter has made his home at
Fulton since his first marriage.

He has now had 34 years' experience in the lumber
and log business on the river, and 13 years' as steam-
boat Captain. With the exception of the loss of his
own boat, he has met with no accident of conse-
quence, and enjoys the reputation of being one of the
most experienced and successful captains on the
river.

Clifton Snyder, Postmaster of Fulton, 111.
was born in this city, Nov. 14, 1857, and is
the son of the Hon. William C. and
Isyphene C. (Pearce) Snyder. He was educated
in the city schools of Fulton and at the North-
ern Illinois College. At 14 years of age he
entered the office of the Fulton Journal as an ap-
prentice, learned the printer's trade, and in Decem-
ber, 1877, formed a partnership with his brother-in-
law, T. J. Pickett, Jr. and leased the Journal office,
Mr. Pickett being succeeded by Mr. W. R. Cobb in
March, 1879. This connection lasted till March i,
1880, when he sold out, but continued in the office
some time longer. In May, 1881, he engaged in the

fS- ^3^ ^ ^i

warehouse business, in company with W. C. Snyder,
and they do a general forwarding and commission
business, and deal in grain, feed, coal, lime, brick and
cement. Mr. Snyder was appointed Postmaster at
Fulton by President Arthur, Dec. 22, 1882, and
entered upon the duties of the office Jan. i, 1883.

Mr. Snyder was married at Peoria, 111., March 29,
1885, to Miss Hattie L. Noble, daughter of Hiram
and Sophia E. (Summers) Noble. Mrs. Snyder was
born on Staten Island, N. Y.

- 6 (d /y^PitO^'*^ ^) A

v ts> >3SXi>r e;

phraim M. Bechtel, a farmer on section
10, Clyde Township, was born March 23,
1833, in Columbiana Co., Ohio. Benja-
min R. Bechtel, his father, was a native of
Berks Co., Pa., and was a stone mason by
trade. He learned his business in the State
where he was born, and was there married to Re-
becca Myers. Both parents were of German ances-
try and descent. After the birth of their eldest child
they removed to Ohio, where they located in Colum-
biana County. Mr. Bechtel of this sketch was born
soon after, and is the second child born in that
county, being the third child of his parents. When
he was five years of age the family removed to Ches-
ter Township, Wayne Co., in the same State. He
was there brought up and educated and was an in-
mate of the paternal home until he was 20 years of
age, when he learned the trade of a cooper, and was
was engaged in that business two years. Subse-
quently he engaged as a mechanic in the employ of
the Chicago, Fort Wayne & Pittsburg Railroad
corporation, and, after two years in their service, he
came to Illinois. He was first employed by the
Chicago & Rock Island corporation, in whose inter-
ests he operated one year. He then came to White-
side County, whither his parents had removed in
1855. He purchased 40 acres of land in Clyde
Township, which was his second purchase of real
estate, he having previously become the owner of 40
acres of land in Benton Co., Iowa. This he after-
wards sold and devoted his entire time to the im-
provement of his property in Illinois. His parents
were residents on a farm in the eastern part of Clyde
Township, where they passed the remainder of their
lives. The father died about a year after removing

' '

COUNTY.

to Illinois. The death of the mother occurred about
1872. Both were in advanced years.

Mr. Bechtel devoted his time and strength to the
improvement of his farm in Clyde Township until
March, 1859, when, in company with James Wood,
Thomas Aldritt and Richard Frye, he started for the
promised land of Pike's Peak. They drove across
the plains, encountering hardship, privation and
fatigue, and finally arrived at Denver. They went
thence up the Platte River, prospecting for gold but
with success far below the hopes which had induced
them to leave the certainties of a life of effort on the
beautiful and fruitful prairies of Illinois, to chase the
will-o-the-wisp promises of speedy wealth in the
Rocky Mountains, and they learned that the gold
that came through the medium of their toil was just
as swift recompense as the placer yields of the
Platte, and a deal more certain. Their tarry in the
mountains was brief, and selling their equipments
they purchased provisions with the proceeds and set
out on their return homeward. They made the
route in hungry weariness, encountering throngs of
starving and distressed emigrants pressing on to re-
peat the experiment which had proved to them
anything but a success.

Mr. Bechtel resumed farming in Whiteside County,
and added further purchases to his acreage. A few
years later he made a change in location and pur-
chased 80 acres on section 10, which he bought with
the purpose of making it a permanent location. It
was wholly unimproved, and he entered vigorously
into the work of converting it into a farm. Later,
he purchased 80 acres on section 9, and still later
bought 80 acres additional on section 10, on which
some improvements had been made. He is now the
owner of 240 acres, all of which is under cultivation,
and constitutes one of the splendid estates which
gives Whiteside County its value. Its buildings are
valuable and serve to increase the attractions of the
place. The proprietor is heavily interested in stock
and sends to market annually upwards of 100 head.
Mr. Bechtel inclines to the principles of the Re-
publican party, but is in no sense aggressive in his
political affiliations. He is a Deacon in the Dunkard
Church.

His marriage to Sarah Wilson took place Feb. 22,
1861, in Clyde Township. She is the daughter of
John and Jane (Blue) Wilson, and is a native of

Clyde Township, where she was born March 29, -j
1841. (See sketches of David and William Gsell.)
To Mr. and Mrs. Bechtel four children have been
born as follows: John, Feb. 17, 1862; Ella, July i,
1866; Lana, Nov. i, 1876; and Rebecca, who died \&)
when nearly 15 years of age.

enjamin Bonebrake, resident at Union-
ville, has passed his life as a mechanic.
He is a son of Frederick and Catherine
(La Rose) Bonebrake, the former a native of
Pennsylvania, and the latter of North Caro-
lina. After their marriage they located in
Ohio, where they were subsequently resident until
their death. Their children were named Anna, Levi,
Benjamin and Sarah.

Mr. Bonebrake was born May 22, 1817, in Preble
Co., Ohio. He passed his youth in the acquisition
of his education and as a farm assistant, at home.
At the age of 20 years he obtained the control of his
own time, and he fulfilled a predetermined resolution
to learn the trade of carpenter and joiner, in which
he passed 44 years. On becoming master of his
trade, he located in Butler Co., Ohio, where he
operated eight years. In the spring of 1856 he came
to Whiteside County and rented a farm in Mt. Pleas-
ant Township. After a short trial of agricultural life
he went to Morrison, and in the spring of 1861 set-
tled permanently at Unionville. He is the owner of
40 acres of land in Union Grove Township.

In political preference Mr. Bonebrake is a Repub-
lican, and he has been active in several local official
positions. He has served 12 years as School Trus-
tee, and as Collector six years. He is a member of
Union Grove Lodge, No. 257, 1. O. O. F. He be-
longs to the Protestant Methodist Church, of which
his wife is also a member.

" His marriage to Susan White occurred in Preble
Co., Ohio, in September, 1841. She was born in
Vermont and died Feb. 28, 1858, in Mt. Pleasant
Township, leaving two children, Carrie and La
Rose. Feb. 28, 1861, he was again married to Mrs.
Harriet A. (Trye) Baker. She was born Aug. 13,
1825, in Sheffield, England, and is the daughter of
William and Sarah (Carter) Trye, and widow of Wil-
liam R. Baker, by whom she had four children,

named Charles W., Olive, Warren and Ida M. Mr.
Baker died June 14, 1859. He was the oldest son of
Jacob Baker, a prominent pioneer citizen of White-
side County, of whom a personal record appears on
another page.

ohn Stuart, carriage manufacturer at Ful-
ton, established his factory in 1865. He
is a native of the North of Ireland, of
Scotch descent, and was born May 8, 1844.
His parents were Alexander and Margaret
(Ellis) Stuart. He emigrated with his family
to Canada, in childhood, where he learned the black-
smith and carriage trade, at Mitchell, Canada West,
at which he served a regular apprenticeship of three
years. His compensation was limited, and increased
slowly. For the first year he received the princely
sum of $25, the second $35, and the last year $45.
But, strange as it may sound to modern apprentices,
he had every dollar of his three years' wages at the
close of his apprenticeship. He continued with his
employer a half year longer, and in March, 1859,
came to the United States. He first tried his fortunes
in Missouri, but was obliged to abandon that field on
account of the climate; he then came to Fulton, 111.,
July 8, 1859, and engaged as journeyman black-
smith with Mr. James Broadhead, at 50 cents a day.
He continued to work as journeyman till March,
1862, when, having accumulated a cash capital of $65,
he opened a blacksmith shop of his own. 'Three
years later he began the carriage business in a small
way at his present stand. The superior quality of
his work, together with a reputation for fair dealing,
soon increased his trade till he was obliged to erect
additional buildings and to increase his force. This
he has been doing from time to time, till he now has
commodious quarters, and employs a force of from 12
to 16 men. His works turn out from 75 to 100 single
and double carriages yearly, of various styles and of
the finest workmanship. Mr. Stuart uses Ohio tim-
ber, and builds his work up from the rough to the
last touch of the painter's brush, or the final stitch of
the upholsterer. His market is principally in Iowa,
although his trade, to a considerable extent, extends
to California and the Territories.

In 1873 William Stuart, a younger brother, pur-

chased an interest in the business, and the firm be-
came J. & W. Stuart. This connection continued till
Feb. 29, 1884, when John bought him out and now
operates his factory alone.

Mr. Stuart was married at Fulton, 111., Nov. 12,
1863, to Miss Mary A. Stevenson, daughter of Simon
and Mary (Irwin) Stevenson. They have had six
children, four sons and two daughters, John A.,
Simon, William, Mary, Fanny and Arthur, all of
whom are living except Fanny, who died aged seven
years.

Mr. Stuart is a member of the present City Council
from the First Ward, and has been Alderman once
before from the same. He has been a member of
Fulton City Lodge, No. 189, A. F. & A. M., since
1872, and is also a member of Fulton Chapter, No.
108, R. A. M., of which he is Treasurer. In politics
he is a Republican.

Jilliam Annan, miller, located in Union-
ville, was born Nov. 2, 1848, in Scotland,
and is the oldest son of William and Eliz-
abeth (Murray) Annan, who were natives of
the same country and of Scotch descent,
through a long line of ancestors. They came-
directly from the " land of heather " to Whiteside
County, and fixed their residence soon after in
Unionville, where the former died, Jan. n, 1882.
The mother is still living, as are three of the four
children, Barbara, William, Catherine and James.
The last named is deceased.

Mr. Annan was scarcely a year old when his par-
ents came, with two children, to the United States.
He obtained a good common-school education at
Unionville, and afterwards attended the commercial
college at Davenport, Iowa. His father, associated
with John A. Robertson, built a grist-mill on Rock
Creek in 1859-60, and in the intervals of school he
assisted in its management, continuing to act in some
capacity connected therewith until the decease of
his father, when he assumed charge of the estab-
lishment and has since conducted its business. Its
producing capacity is 75 barrels of flour daily, and
the trade is chiefly custom work.

In political affiliation Mr. Annan is a Republican.
He was united in marriage with Marian Ely, at

WHITESIDE COUNTY.

239

Cortland, De Kalb Co., 111., May 16, 1878, and to
them three children have been born, who are named
Frank W., George and Floyd J. Mrs. Annan was
born in the State of New York, and is the daughter
of C. F. and Lydia M. Ely.

eorge B. Adams, editor and proprietor of
the Herald, at Morrison, was born in
Lyndon, Whiteside Co., 111., Oct. 7, 1855,
being the eldest of a family of eight children
of A. D. and Mary E. (Snyder) Adams, and
has always been a resident of the county.
From Lyndon the family moved to Portland,
where they lived several years, afterward removing
again to Spring Hill, and in 1865 locating in
Prophetstown, the present home. In each of these
locations the father pursued his vocation of black-
sm'th, a trade in which he was a superior workman.
He also purchased a farm in Prophetstown Town-
ship, on which the family lived a few years, finally
returning to the village and subsequently disposing
of the farm.

Mr. Adams' education was acquired by studious
attendance at the public school until 18 years of age,

when he engaged as a teacher in one of tjie rural
districts of the county. Not finding the calling a
congenial one, however, he abandoned the teacher's
profession, and in 1875 entered the general store of
D. K. Smith, Prophetstown, as clerk, remaining un-
til 1877. In March of that year he went to Mor-
rison and became a law student in the office of F.
D. Ramsay, varying the monotony of constant read-
ing by writing an occasional contribution for the
county press, as well as for more remote publications.

In April, 1878, A. D. Hill founded 7 he Wiiteside
Herald in Morrison, and, being aware of Mr.
Adams' newspaper inclinations, secured his services
as local editor. He continued his legal studies, in
connection with reportorial work, until the fall of
1878, when he finally abandoned the former and de-
voted himself exclusively to the latter, soon becom-
ing a partner in the publication of the Herald, the
firm being Hill & Adams. Three years later the
junior partner withdrew from the enterprise, and on
the first of July, 1882, leased the Herald of Mr.
Hill, and the following April purchased the office

and business where he is still engaged. The Herald
is an independent paper, devoted to the local news
of the city and county. Mr. Adams is also man-
ager of the Telephone Exchange at Morrison.

Nov. 19, 1879, Mr. Adams was united in marriage
with Miss Lucy Euphemia, youngest daughter of
Luther B. and Caroline M. (Smith) Ramsay, of
Prophetstown. They have one child, Frank Ram-
say, born July 7, 1883.

j^phraim Summers, of Fulton, and a pioneer

of Whiteside County of 1838, was born in
the town of Barnet, Caledonia Co., Vt.,
Sept. 4, 1812, and is the son of William and
Y Emma (Pierce) Summers. He worked at the
carpenter and joiner's trade, and was also en-
gaged in farming. He was married in February,
1833, in Vermont, to Mary L. Dickson, daughter of
John and Jane (Lindsey) Dickson.

He came to Illinois in 1838 and made his home
at Portland, this county, for awhile, but soon located
at Sterling, to which place he removed his family
from the East in 1840. He learned the blacksmith's
trade in the West, and opened a shop at Sterling,
which he continued till 1847. He then removed to
Fulton, where he worked at blacksmithing till 1850,
when he joined a party bound for the gold fields of
California. He left Fulton April 9, crossed the
plains and arrived at Hangtown, Cal., early in
August following. He spent two years in the Golden
State, and returned to his home via the Panama
and New York route. In 1853 he engaged in the
hardware business at Fulton, which he continued till
1857. He was elected Justice of the Peace several
times, and served in all 20 years. In 1873 he was
appointed United States Ganger and served as such
two years, or until by a change in the law the office
was abolished. He also held various local offices.

Mr. and Mrs. Summers had seven children, font
sons and three daughters : Cloys, the eldest son,
was a soldier of the late war, and is now a merchant
of Fulton. He married Margaret Joyce. Morris
died in infancy. Oscar married Lizzie Exley and is
in partnership with his elder brother. Cyrus is
single and lives in Indianapolis, Ind. Sophia is the

(i)

WHITESIDE COUNTY.

wife of Hiram Noble, of Fulton. Orilla is the wife
of George Hartford, of Boone, Iowa; Mary is the
wife of Herman Jordan, of Newton Township, this
county.

. Mr. Summers gave up active business several
years since, and is living in comfortable retirement
with several of his children near by, and in the en-
joyment of the highest respect and esteem of neigh-
bors and friends. He is now with his eldest son.
Mrs. Summers died July 23, 1879.

ehemiah Grubb, farmer, section 33, Gen-
esee Township, was born Dec. 4, 1840, in
Lancaster Co., Pa. He is the oldest of
two sons born to Samuel and Mary (Row)
Grubb, of whom a sketch appears on other
pages of this work, and that of Elam R., the
younger son, appearing elsewhere, gives a complete
record of the Grubb family in Genesee Township.

Mr. Grubb was about 14 years of age when the
family abandoned their native State and came to
Illinois. They came at once to Whiteside County
and settled for the first year in Sterling. In the
second year (1855) the parents bought a farm on
section 33, Genesee Township. The sons had ob-
tained a fair education, and on taking possession of
their homestead the father and sons gave their un-
divided attention to the conversion of the hitherto
unfilled prairie into a valuable and fertile farm.

Mr. Grubb became the possessor of 40 acres of
land previous to his marriage, which was situated on
the same section as that purchased by his father,
and on which he began to make improvements. He
was married July 7, 1870, in Hopkins Township, to
Amanda, daughter of Peter and Charlotte (Mellen-
gar) Gara. The family of the wife were natives of
Lancaster County, and were of German ancestry and
descent. They were farmers and came to Illinois in
1865. Mrs. Grubb is the oldest child and was born
in Lancaster County, Nov. 7, 1850, and she was 15
years of age when she came with her father's family
to Illinois. Mr. and Mrs. Grubb have one child,
Frank R., who was born Jan. 2, 1871. After their
marriage they took possession of the small farm
where Mr. Grubb had prepared a home for his fam-
,ily. It has been enlarged and now contains 80

acres, all of which is under improvements, with '
buildings and equipments suited to a farmer who is '
making a substantial start in the world.

Mr. Grubb is a Republican of decided type.

( r. Daniel Reed, deceased, the pioneer phy-
sician of Fulton of 1838, was born in
Camillus, Onondaga Co., N. Y., Sept. 4,
1803. His parents were William and Eliza-
beth (Mix) Reed. His mother was a relative of
ex-President Hayes. He was educated at Fair-
field College, New York, and studied medicine with
Dr. Daniel T. Jones, then a popular physician of
Central Nsw York. Having taken his degree, he be-
gan practice at Auburn, N. Y.

He was married at Sandy Creek, Oswego Co., N.
Y., May r, 1828, to Miss Cinda T. Meigs, daughter
of Dr. Jesse and Hannah (Pritchard) Meigs. Mrs.
Reed was born in Bethlehem, Litchfield Co., Conn.,
May T3, 1801. Dr. Reed pursued the practice of
his profession in New York till the fall of 1836, when
he removed to Joliet, 111. Two years later he came
to Fulton (in the fall of 1838), and engaged in prac-
tice at this place. A great deal of sickness pre-
vailed here the following year, and the Doctor,
assisted by his wife, who was also a doctor, had their
hands full.

The Doctor had an extensive practice for a few
years, when he removed to Galesburg, 111., in order
to afford his children better advantages of education.
Five years later he removed to Chicago, where he
spent one year. He next went to Belvidere, and af-
ter three years spent at that place they returned to
Fulton. On his return to Fulton he retired from
practice, but made this his home till his death, which
occurred Feb. 16, 1882.

Dr. Reed was chosen to fill various public offices.
He served as Assessor in 1863, Justice of the Peace
in 1866, Coroner of Whiteside County from 1856 to
1858, and held other minor offices. He was a mem-
ber of the Presbyterian Church and took an active
and prominent part in the building of the church at
Fulton.

In politics he was a Republican.

Dr. and Mrs. Reed had a family of six children,
four girls and two boys: William died April 17
1872 ; Helen M. was the wife of Wm. P. Culbertson

WHITESIDE COUNTY.

and died Nov. 6, 1857; Athalia, wife of J. B. Hall,
of Columbus, Ohio; James H. married Annie Pome-
roy and is a photographer at Clinton ; Cynthia J. is
the widow of Wm. E. Baldwin and lives at Lyons;
Harriet died Sept. 6, 1841, in childhood.

illiam Wahl, farmer, section 35, Genesee
Township, was born Feb. 26, 1843, in
, Wurternberg, Germany. His parents, Mat-
!> thew and Rosena (Schwartz) Wahl, were
also natives of the " father-land," and were
weavers and flax-hatchelers in Germany. The
family emigrated to the United States in 1854, ar-
riving in April. They located in Warren, Trumbull
Co., Ohio, where they were engaged in farming until
the fall of 1856, when they proceeded farther West
and located on a farm four miles north of Sterling.
The family included six children, who are all living,
surviving the mother, who died in Genesee Town-
ship, about 1862. Since 1882, the senior vVahl has
resided in Sterling.

Mr. Wahl is the fourth child, and he spent his
youth and early manhood at home, obtaining his ed-
ucation in the public schools of the township of
Sterling. March n, 1866, he was married in the
city of that name to Dora, daughter of Michael
Smith. Mrs. Wahl was born in Germany about
1845, and came with her parents when she was two
years of age to the United States, locating in the city
of New York, whence they subsequently came to
Tecumseh, Lenawee Co., Mich., settling there about
1860. Her parents are still resident there. She
came to Sterling to spend a short lime with relatives,
and was married there. She died at her home in
Genesee Township, Dec. 10, 1876. Her six chil-
dren were born as follows : C. Henry, Nov. r, 1866;
Carrie L., Jan. 28, 1868; Emma, July 13, 1871 ; Al-
bert A., Aug. 27, 1872; Nettie M., June 23, 1874;
William M., March n, 1876. Mr. Wahl was again
married March i, 188.1, in the village of Empire,
Hopkins Township, to Mary C., daughter of Lewis
and Susannah ( Etter ) Diehl, descendants from
the sturdy class known as " Pennsylvania Dutch."
They were farmers and were residents of St. Thomas,
Franklin Co., Pa. Mrs. Wahl was born Aug. 31,

1857, near Chambersburg. She was nearly 18 years
of age when she accompanied her parents to Illinois,
who fixed their residence at Empire, in Whiteside
County. They have since moved to Clark Co., D.
T., where her father is engaged in the livery busi-
ness. Mrs. Wahl is the oldest child of her parents
and is the mother of one daughter, Lydia A., born
March 20, 1882.

Mr. Wahl made his first purchase of land in Gen-
esee Township in April, 1867. The tract at first
comprised 80 acres, and he has since added 80
acres more, which he purchased in 1876. The home-
stead exhibits the best quality of agricultural effort.
Mrs. Wahl is a member of the Lutheran Church.
In political affiliation Mr. Wahl is a Republican.

ooster Y. Ives, of Fulton, one of the ear-
liest pioneers of Whiteside County and
a noted hunter of the Mississippi River
its tributaries, was born in Meriden,
Conn., July 8, i8ro, and is the son of Wat-
rous and Polly (Yale) Ives.

He was brought up in his native State and began
business as a peddler of Yankee clocks and notions.
In the spring of r836 he made an unsuccessful at-
tempt to come West via the Great Lakes. He was
shipwrecked on Lake Erie and returned to the
East. In the spring of 1837 he came to Whiteside
Co., 111., and made a claim in the western part of
the town of Ustick, where he built the first house in
the township. He finally had 600 acres of land.

Mr. Ives sold his farm and since 1868 has made
his permanent residence in the city of Fulton.

Mr. Ives, from early boyhood, was passionately
fond of the chase, and when 15 years old was an ex-
pert with the rifle. He killed the first deer and bear
he saw running wild. This occurred before leaving
New England. After reaching the Mississippi he
found a field worthy of his ambition. Wild deer
abounded in this region in those early days, while
small game was* to be found in abundance. Choice
furred animals, such as the otter, beaver and mink,
were to be found in considerable numbers along the
great river and its tributaries. Mr. Ives could not
content himself with the dull routine of the farm
while such tempting game was so near at hand. Ac-

WHITESIDK COUNTY.

cordingly, help was hired to cultivate the farm, and
during the hunting and trapping season Mr. Ives
was killing deer or trapping otter. He ranged the
Mississippi and its tributaries, between St. Louis
and St. Paul, with marked success. He performed
the unusual feat of killing eight deer in four shots
in one season. The number of deer killed by him
east of the Rocky Mountains aggregated between
900 and 1,000. Wild turkeys and small game were
taken in proportion. He fell in with a great South-
western trapper in an early day, from whom he
learned some valuable secrets in relation to trapping,
and soon became so proficient in the art that the
otter and beaver were almost taken at will. There
was one occasion when he took nine otter in one
morning from a setting of eleven traps. He has
caught upwards of 500 otter, between St. Louis and
and St. Paul. Mink and the smaller furred animals
seldom occupied his attention. While he enjoyed
the sport hugely, he made it a source of profit far
greater than his labor on the farm would have been.
So sure was he of his skill that he would contract
loads of deer for delivery on certain days, just as a
man now would contract a car load of hogs or cattle
from his pens; and he was never known to fail to fill
his orders.

In April, 1850, he joined a party of his friends
from Fulton and went overland to California. They
left Fulton April 9 and reached Hangtown, Cal.,
Aug. i, following. On the very day that he reached
his destination, his wife died at Fulton, although it
was some weeks before he learned the sad news!
He undertook working in the mines in California, but
the plentiful supply of game about and the good
prices paid in that section, soon tempted him to the
mountains with his trusty rifle. As his game was
principally marketed, he kept a pretty good record
of it. During the three years spent in that region
he bagged about $400 worth of game a month. The
list included about 300 antelope, r25 elk, 5 grizzly
bears, 9 black and brown bears and a large number
of deer of a smaller species. He returned to his
hpme in the spring of 1853, via Panama and New
York.

Mr. Ives resumed farming and hunting, in this
county, which he continued till the spring of 1862,
when, having leased his farm, he accompanied a
friend on a trip through Oregon and California.
While on their way over the mountains their wagon
. *

train was attacked by the Indians, his friend was
shot through the arm with an arrow and nearly lost
his life from loss of blood. Mr. Ives succeeded in
shooting two of the Indians, one of whom he killed :
the others retreated. He spent two and a half years
traveling in Oregon and California, and returned to
his home via Panama and New York.

During his hunting and trapping excursions Mr.
Ives has had many exciting adventures and endured
many hardships, and several times has barely escaped
with his life. The history of his life, properly told,
would afford material for an interesting book of itself :
our space will only admit of this brief mention. His
fame as a most successful hunter is known from the
Mississippi to the Pacific. He made his last hunt-
ing excursion in 1882, to Northern Wisconsin, when
72 years old, and in the 5ist year of his active life
as a hunter.

Mr. Ives was first married in Connecticut, Jan. i,
1837, to Elizabeth Blake, a native of New York City.
His second marriage took place, in the same State.
Aug. 2r, 1853, to Miss Elizabeth Parrish, daughter
of John and Polly (Gun) Parrish. Mrs. Ives was
born in Litchfield Co., Conn.

In politics he is a Democrat.

(
'i:

ohn Kent, who has been for many years a
prominent agriculturist of Whiteside Coun-
ty, is living in retirement from active busi-
ness life at Morrison. He has been associated
with the development and general progress of
the county since 1839, when he became a
land-holder in the township of Union Grove.

He was born in Morris Co., N. J., June 18, 1816
and is the son of Jacob and Nancy (Blackford) Kent,
both being natives of the same State where the son
was born. His father was a tanner and currier
and also a shoemaker, as the custom prevailed in
those days of combining the three callings. The
family removed from New Jersey, in 1827, to Knox
Co., Ohio. Late in life, the parents came to Illinois
to pass the remainder of their lives with their chil-
dren. The father died in Carroll County, Dec. 16,
1859, aged 74 years and 26 days. The demise of
the mother occurred June 26, 1869, when she had

- ,. .-

WHITESIDE COUNTY.

readied the age of 73 years, i month and 12 days.
They had 1 1 children, and only five survive to the
present. Mrs. Elizabeth Chamberlain, of Morrison,
is the oldest. Mr. Kent is the second who is living.
Levi is a fanner in Douglas Co., Oregon; James L.
is a farmer in Kansas; William is pursuing the same
business in Nebraska, and is by trade a carpenter.

Mr. Kent was thoroughly trained in the theory and
practice of farming, which he has made his life -long
pursuit. He came to Union Grove, Whiteside Coun-
ty, in the full flush of the strength and ambition of
his young manhood, and took a claim of 80 acres,
which he secured when the land came into market
and to which he added by further purchase until his
property on section 3 aggregated 1 60 acres, of which
he made a valuable farm. He attended diligently to
his interests, and as he prospered he made further
purchases, and now owns 1 60 acres of land on section
9, in the township where he first located, 114 acres
on section 3, 20 acres of timber on section i, 10 acres
of timber in Mt. Pleasant Township, and 20 acres of
the same valuable variety of real estate in Carroll
Co., 111., situated in the township of York. He is
also the owner of his residence, the lot therewith con-
nected and two vacant lots in Morrison.

At the date of Mr. Kent's arrival in Whiteside
County, a condition of almost primeval nature reigned.
Claims were held by right of possession, households
were like angels' visits, few and far between, and
glimpses of humanity were more welcome than the
glow of the summer sun or the kiss of the prairie
breeze on the cheek of the laborer who turned the
soil with his plow, and dreamed wild dreams of the
plentiful harvest, promised by the rich mold which
had lain fallow since the continent rose from the
depths of the sea. There were privations, toil and
hardships, but the season of prosperity was too near
at hand and too certain for the admission of discour-
agement, and the lovely prairie acres of to-day fully
attest the quality of the energies brought to bear on
their reclamation and conversion into fruitful fields.

Mr. Kent was married Oct. 7, 1841, in Union
Grove Township, to Mary Jeflers. Eight children
were Iwrn to them in that township, of whom five are
yet living. Following is the record : Sarah was born
June 10, 1844, and died Sept. 17, 1875; Mary M.
was born April 9, 1848, and married Volney Twitchr:!,
a tanner in the township where she was born ; Ella

A., born May 25, 1850, is the wife of John Blue, a
farmer in Nebraska. Omar was born Jan. 18, 1852,
and is engaged in farn.ing in Nebraska. Lewis H.,
born June n, 1854, is a practicing attorney in Ne-
braska. John W., a farmer in Union Grove Town-
ship, was born April 27, 1859. Their mother, a na-
tive of the State of New York, died July 13, 1876.

The second marriage of Mr. Kent, to Mrs. Diana
Green, occurred March 14, 1878, near Tomson, Car-
roll Co., 111. Her first husband, John Green, was a
native of Johnstown, Licking Co., Ohio, and died
March 18, 1870, in Tomson. Their children were
three in number. Sarah, wife of Jasper Whitney, a
farmer of Tomson, was born in Licking Co., Ohio.
Horton, also a native of Ohio, is a traveling salesman
in the employment of the Union Knife Company of
Chicago. Francis M. was born in Carroll County,
and is a farmer in Dakota.

,apt. Havilah Pease, weighmaster of the
Chicago & Northwestern Railway elevator
at Fulton, 111. The elevator was built in
1866, and has a storing capacity of 65,000
bushels of grain. It is operated by an en-
gine of loo-horse power. Mr. Pease has
held his present position since the completion of the
elevator in 1867.

He was born at Albion, Kennebec Co., Me , April
1 8, 1825, and is the son of Seba and Mary C.
(Ripley) Pease. He was brought up on a farm and
removed with his parents to Rockland, Knox Co., Me.
When 2 1 years old he went to sea engaging in the New
York, West India, European and coast trade. He
was made master and sailed as such in the Amer-
ican coasting trade till the breaking out of the
late war, when he enlisted, in April, 1861, as a
private of Co. B, 4th Maine Vol. Inf., and served
in the Army of the Potomac. He participated in the
following named battles ^nd skirmishes : First Bull
Run, siege of Yorktown, Williamsburg, Fair Oaks,
Peach Orchard, White Oak Swamp, Glendale, Mal-
vern Hill, Mouth of the Monocacy, Fredericksburg,
battle of Chancellorville, Gettysburg, Wapping
Heights, Kelly's Ford, Orange Grove, Mine Run, bat-
tles of the Wilderness, Spottsylvania Conrt-House,
Taylor's Bridge, Hanover Junction, Cold Harbor and

(5)

.: _

- ..

244

WHITESIDE COUNTY.

other minor engagements, till the expiration of his
term of enlistment. He was commissioned Second
Lieutenant and was mustered out of the service
July 1 8, 1864.

On his return from the war Capt. Pease resumed
sailing, and continued to follow the sea till the
spring of 1867, when he came to Fulton, III., to ac-
cept the position he now occupies with the Chicago
& Northwestern Railway Company.

Captain Pease voted with the Republican party
from the time of its organization till 1884, when he
identified himself with the Prohibition party. He
is a member of Fulton City Lodge, No. 189 A. F. &
A. M., and of the G. W. Baker Post, G. A. R., of
Clinton, la. He is actively interested in the cause
of temperance, and is a member of Leota Lodge,
No. 428, I. O. G. T. He has served two years as
Alderman in the Fulton Common Council, and was
once elected Mayor, on the Prohibition ticket, but
resigned.

He was married Dec. 28, 1869, in Rockland,
Maine, to Miss Hannah I. Gould, daughter of Ed-
ward Gould. Mrs. Pease was born in Ellsworth,
Maine.

ewis Wetzel, farmer, section 17, Hopkins
Township, is a son of John and Margaret
(Reese) Wetzel, who were natives of Frank-
lin Co., Pa., of German and English descent.
They first settled in Ohio and lived there till
1855, when they came to Whiteside County and
settled in the township of Genesee, where they lived
till their death. He died Sept. 18, 1860, and she
Feb. 2, 1882. They had a family of 12 children,
namely : Catherine, Daniel, Jacob, John, George,
Elizabeth, David, Andrew, Hannah, Joseph, Margaret
and Lewis.

Mr. Wetzel was born in Stark Co., Ohio, June 3,
1837. He received a common-school education and
came to Whiteside County with his father when he
was 18 years old. He lived in Genesee Township
till the fall of 1861, when he purchased a farm of
160 acres on section 17, Hopkins Township, where
he settled and has since lived. He is now the owner
of 206 acres, most of which is tillable. He has
erected some very fine buildings on his farm.

Mr. Wetzel was married in Sterling, 111., March
25, 1858,10 Mary, daughter of Frederick and Cath-
arine Lawyer, natives of Germany, who had four
children, Jacob, Mary, William and Frank. Mary
(Mrs. W.) was born in Stark Co., Ohio, March i,
1836. Mr. and Mrs. W. are the parents of four
children Rebecca E., Delilah J., John G. and Rol-
lin E.

Mr. Wetzel has been Overseer of Highways and
School Director. In politics he is identified with the
Republican party.

ev. George W. Perry, editor and pub-
lisher of the Fulton Star. The Star was
established in January, 1883, and the first
number issued on the 4th of that month. It
is an eight- page, five-column quarto. Mrs.
E. M. Perry is associate editor. The Star
was established as a Republican paper but took no
active part in politics till March 25, 1885, when it
was adopted as the official organ of the Prohibition
party of Whiteside County.

Mr. Perry was born in Onondaga Co., N. Y., April
15, 1830, and is the son of George and Catharine
(Shultz) Perry. When seven years of age he re-
moved with his parents to Kane Co., 111. He pre-
pared for college by taking a course at Greenfield
Academy, Ohio, and entered the Ohio University at
Athens. He left the University before completing
the course and went to Charlottesville, N. Y. After
a short time spent there he went to Madison, Wis.,
and attended the Wisconsin University and was
matriculated into the Senior class of that institution.
One year later he entered the Lane Theological
Seminary of Cincinnati, Ohio, a Presbyterian insti-
tution, at which he graduated in the class of 1858,
after a three years' course, and was licensed to preach
by the Cincinnati Presbytery. He began his career
as a clergyman by preaching as a Congregationalist
at Harrington, Cook Co., '111., in 1860. He continued
at that place till April, 1861, when he went to
Campion, 111. He was married at the latter place
Oct. 20, 1860, to Miss Emma M. Atwood, daughter
of Luke and Emily (Duucklee) Atwood. Mrs. Perry
wa,s born in Sullivan Co., N. H., town of Newport.
They have four children, all sons : Marcus L.,
George T., Warren F. and Jesse G.

WHITESIDE COUNTY.

Mr. Perry continued at Campion till 1865. In
1866 he transferred his ecclesiastical relations to the
Methodist Episcopal Church, and was assigned to
Wyanet, Bureau Co., 111. He was ordained a Dea-
con at Freeport, 111., Oct. 10, 1869, by Bishop D.
W. Clark, and was ordained an Elder at Aurora, 111.,
Oct. 15, 1871, by Bishop Edward R. Ames. He
labored within the limits of the Rock River Con-
ference till October, i879,when he was superannuated
on account of failing health. He came to Fulton in
September, 1880, and in January, 1883, established
the Star, as before mentioned. His second son,
George T., is the local editor and business manager
of the Star.

P. S. On May. 19, 1885, since the above was in
type, the Star was transferred to the sons George T.
and Warren F. Perry.

t avid G. Proctor, farmer, section 6, Gene-
see Township, was born July 23, 1840, in
Shawswick Township, Lawrence Co., Ind.
George R. Proctor, his father, was born in
Kentucky, near Lexington, and was the son
of Ezekiel Proctor. The latter removed from
Kentucky with his family to Southern Indiana and
located near the line of Jackson County, a part of the
State that was still in heavy timber. George R.
Proctor married Mary W. Green. She was born in
Lawrence Co., Ind., where she was brought up and
where her marriage took place. Later on, after three
children had been added to the family, they removed
to Martin, where the father was made Sheriff, and
was one of the first officials of the county after its
organization. He was a man of good judgment and
fair education, and in early manhood he had spent
some years in teaching in the public schools. He
officiated as Sheriff two years. In 1850 he returned
to Lawrence County and left his wife and children
on the Green homestead, the estate of her father.
He engaged one season in running a flat-boat on. the
Mississippi Ri/er to New Orleans. He set out from
St. Joseph, Mo., with the Beck brothers (his brothers-
in-law by a former marriage), for California. They
drove across the plains with oxen and mules, the
journey consuming six months. Mr. Proctor spent
three years in the land of gold, with satisfactory re-

suits; but, returning in the same manner in which he
went out, he was taken sick while making the transit,
and his accumulations disappeared. He reached his
family in Lawrence County, whence* he came to Illi-
nois two years later, locating in Whiteside County in
October, 1855. This portion of Illinois was then
comparatively unorganized and unsettled, and in the
year following Mr. Proctor, senior, went to Carroll
County, where he died. The mother is 69 years old
(1885). The first wife lived but two years after mar-
riage and had no children.

Mr. Proctor of this sketch is the oldest living child
of his parents, and is the second in order of birth of
the family, which included seven children. He is
the only son, and his father's death left the family,
consisting of his mother and six young daughters,
dependent on him for support ; and by effort and
economy he was enabled to fulfill the trust. His
oldest sister married William Moxley, one of the first
white children born in Genesee Township. He died
and left his wife his property, which consisted chiefly
of a farm on section 6, and which she gave to her
mother when she died, two years later. This prop-
erty is still held by the mother and that owned by
the son lies adjoining. The combined acreage con-
stitutes a fine and well located farm. That owned
by Mr. Proctor includes 66 acres and lies in Carroll
County.

His marriage to Sarah A. Hurless took place in
Genesee Township, Dec. 17, 1865. She was l>orn
April 11, 1849, in Holmes Co., Ohio, and is the
daughter of Rev. Cephas Hurless, deceased, of whom
a full account is presented elsewhere in this work.
Her parents removed to Illinois when she was five
years of age. She was reared to womanhood in
Genesee Township, receiving a good education, and
when she reached suitable age and degree of quali-
fication, she engaged in teaching. The six children
now included in the family circle were born as fol-
lows : Cephas E., April 29, 1867; George R., May
25, 1869; R. Ira, March i, 1872. (This child is a
dwarf. His height is three feet and four inches, or
40 inches, and his weight is 39 pounds. He is per-
fectly and symmetrically formed.) Minnie J. was
born Dec. 10, 1876; Richard, Sept. 13, 1881 ; Lizzie,
Aug. 19, 1883. Mr. Proctor is a Democrat in politi-
cal persuasion. He has been prominent in local
official positions, and has served in the capacities of

fa)

'$ Tax Collector and those of the several school offices.
j Mrs. Proctor is a member of the United Brethren

Church.

-iet-

ra. Dr. Cinda T. Reed, cf Fulton, and
widow of Dr. Daniel Reed, is deserving
of appropriate mention in the biographi-
cal department of this work. She was born
in the town of Bethlehem, Litchfield Co.,
Conn., May 13, 1801, is the daughter of Dr.
Jesse and Hannah Pritchard Meigs, and a cousin of
ex-Governor John R. Meigs, of Ohio, and of Dr.
Charles D. Meigs, President of the Philadelphia
Medical College.

Her father was a popular physician of Litchfield
Co., Conn., and she, while a child, accompanied him
in his professional visits, and soon evinced a marked
interest in the nature of medicines and the method
of treatment of the cases under his care, so much
so that her father, in answer to her numerous ques-
tions, incidentally imparted to her much valuable
information. She married a physician, Dr. Daniel
Reed, at Sandy Creek, Oswego Co., N. Y., May i,
1828. She often accompanied her husband, as she
had her father, in his professional rounds, and, hav-
ing access to his books, she availed herself of them
to perfect her knowledge of medicine.

On coming to Fulton with her husband in 1838,
she rendered valuable assistance to Dr. Reed in the
care of his patients, especially during the sickly
seasons so common in the early settlement of this
region. At one time, during the absence of the
Doctor from the city, the care of a large number of
sick fell to her charge. She turned her house into
a hospital, and several of the leading business men
of Fulton were thankful to be under her skillful
treatment. Her husband retired from practice about
1860, and she became the doctor in earnest. She
went to every call, at all times of day or night, in
storm or sunshine. Many a cold wintry night she
was called out of her bed to traverse snow-drifted
streets to attend some patient. She was successful
to a remarkable degree, and continued to practice
upward of 20 years.

An adventure that befell Mrs. Reed many years
ago is deserving of mention. She had been visit-

ing Dr. Bassett's family at Lyons with her husband
in early spring, before the break-up began, and was
returning in the evening on the ice on foot to Fulton.
Her husband carried a pole with which to test the
ice, but in spite of his caution, when about two-
thirds of the distance had been traversed, the ice
gave way and they found themselves in the river and
in imminent danger of being carried under the ice
by the strong current. Mrs. Reed worked herself
around to the strongest part of the ice where by a
desperate effort she succeeded in raising herself upon
it ; then, by the aid of the pole which her husband
had carried, she pulled him out! He was in favor
of returning to the Iowa side, but Mrs. Reed had
left a family of children at home and was determined
to make the crossing, which they did, in safety, al-
though with clothes frozen stiff. This incident goes
to prove the heroic energy of the lady, who by her
cool courage and nerve saved her own life as well
as that of her husband.

During the late war Mrs. Reed' was President of
the Soldiers' Aid Society, and did noble service in
the sanitary cause.

She united with the Methodist Episcopal Church
when 1 6 years of age, and has been a consistent
member of that denomination continuously since.
She is now 84 years of age, but with eyes as bright
and faculties as perfect as many a lady of half her
years. She is a remarkably bright and intelligent
lady, possessed of many estimable qualities of mind
and heart. Her life has been rich in acts of useful-
ness and kindness, and now, as the shadows lengthen
she is happy in the assurance of a safe place in the
love and esteem of a large circle of acquaintances
and friends. She reared a family of six children, of
whom mention is made in the sketch of her hus
band.

rancis M. Harrison, farmer, section 36,
Union Grove Township, was born Jan. i,
1839, in Fayette Co., Ohio. He accom-
panied his parents, Michael and Rachel (Ru-
pert) Harrison, to White-side County when he
was 12 years of age. His father was born in
Tennessee, and his mother was a native of Kentucky.
They were respectively of German and English an-
cestry. They settled in Union Grove Township in

WHITESIDh COUNTY.

1852, and the father died Dec. i, 1863. The de-
mise of the mother occurred Jan. 28, 1878. Follow-
ing are the names of their 1 1 children, George,
Lucy L., William, John, Andrew J., Rachel, Michael,
Jr., Louisa J., Francis M., Henry and Isabella.

Mr. Harrison received his educational training in
the common schools of Ohio and Illinois, and he has
been a continuous resident of the township of Union
Grove, and he is one of its prominent agriculturists.
His farm on section 36 contains 187 acres of land,
which is under good cultivation. Politically he is a
Republican, and he has held various local official
positions.

The marriage of Mr. Harrison to Amanda M. Bell
was celebrated Nov. 8, 1861, in the township of
Union Grove, and they have become the parents of
five children, whose names are Eli S., Augusta A.,
Leona S., Clara B. and Cora M. Mrs. Harrison was
born Feb. 13, 1846, in Logan Co., Ohio, and she is
the only child of her parents, Joseph and Harriet
(Wells) Bell.

evi Houghton, retired farmer of Fulton, and
an early settler of Whiteside County, was
born in the State of New York, March 26,
1805, and is the son of Elijah and Martha
(Oaks) Houghton. He removed with his fam-
ily to Otsego Co., N. Y., in childhood, and
from there to Herkimer County when he was 13
years of age, where he was married Sept. 30, 1830,10
Clarissa Jackson, daughter of Samuel Jackson, whose
father was a cousin of Gen. Jackson. They had
live sons and two daughters : Harrison mar-
ried Clarissa Blodgett and lives in Ustick ; George
died in childhood ; Amelia C. is the wife of Mr.
Conkey, of Grand Rapids, Mich. ; Samuel N. mar-
ried May McDaniels and lives in Nebraska ; Clar-
ence B. married Mary French and lives in Ustick;
Sedate W. is the wife of James F. Ward, of Fulton ;
and Daniel S. is single and lives in Dakota.

Mr. Houghton moved from Herkimer to Lewis Co.,
N. Y., soon after his marriage, and from there to
Ustick, Whiteside Co., 111., in 1845. He had a fine
farm of 400 acres in that township, which he has
deeded to his two youngest sons, reserving the in-
come while he lives. Mrs. Houghton died Oct. 25,

1861. Mr. Houghton was married again April 15,

1862, and in the town of Ustick, to Miss Elizabeth
Todd, daughter of Moses Todd, of Newburyport,
Mass. Mrs. Houghton was born in Philadelphia, Pa.

Mr. Houghton retired from farming in 1872 and
came to Fulton, since which time he has resided in
this city. He was a Democrat -up to 1860, when he
joined the Republican party. Mrs. Houghton is a
member of the Presbyterian Church of Fulton.

ev. Oliver Beach, of Union vi lie, has been
a resident of Whiteside County since 1853.
His. parents, David and Mary (Peck)
Beach, were natives of Connecticut, and re-
moved thence to Portage Co., Ohio, in 1825.
In 1839 they made another removal to Iowa,
where they resided as long as they lived. They had
six children: Oliver, Eliada, David, Bernice, Calvin
and Elizor.

Mr. Beach is the eldest child of his parents, and
was born Jan. 26, 1827, in Portage Co., Ohio, where
he began the acquisition of his education in the
common schools. He was 12 years of age when his
parents went to Iowa, where he continued to attend
school and also engaged in farm labor at home un-
til he was 20 years of age. He then engaged as a
farm laborer and operated in his own interests about
three years. About 1850 he purchased a limited
number of acres of land in Iowa, which he ex-
changed in 1853 for land in Whiteside County. In
the spring of that year he came hither and located
on his property in the township of Newton, where he
was a resident until his removal to Garden Plain
Township, where he owns 129 acres of land, which
is all under tillage.

Mr. Beach is an adherent of the political element
known as Prohibitionists.

He was united in marriage Oct. 26, 1854, to Mar-
garet McNeil, and they had three children : James
O., David E. and William. Their mother was lx>rn
in Ireland and was brought in infancy by her par-
ents to the United States. She died Aug. 7, 1873,
in the township of Garden Plain. Mr. Beach formed
a second matrimonial alliance, with Mrs. Mary (Nev-
itt) Gibler. Their marriage took place July 15,
1876, in the township of Garden Plain. Mrs. Beach

-; v :<-

- .. -

WHITESIDE COUNTY.

(2;

* r

^!S

is the daughter of Isaac and Rhoda (Johnson) Nev-
itt, and was the widow of Jeremiah Gibler. Her
parents were born in Ohio. Her first husband died
in November, 1872, and by him she became the
mother of n children : Amanda J., Isaac M., Chris-
tine, Amos, James, Rhoda, Joseph, Elizabeth, Car-
rie, Disbury and John. Mrs. Beach was born May
13, 1825, in Harrison Co., Ohio. She is a member
of the religious body known as the United Brethren.
Mr. Beach is a member of the Methodist Episco-
pal Church. In 1860 he received a license as an
exhorter, and since 1876 he has been a local preacher.
Feeling that he is called to preach, he has tried as
well as he could to preach, the gospel in school-
houses as opportunity presented itself. He has also
taken great interest in Sabbath-schools, organizing
and superintending schools in school-houses in the
country in the afternoon, after taking part in one in
forenoon in the church where he holds his member-
ship. Often he has been a member of two schools
at once, laboring earnestly for the religious instruc-
tion of children.

t" "Wscar Summers, of the firm of O. & C.
f : f. Summers, grocers at Fulton, was born in

Sterling, 111., June 5, 1842, and is the son
of Ephraim and Mary L. (Dickson) Sum-
mers. He came to Fulton with his parents
in 1846, and was educated in the city schools
of this place.

He enlisted Oct. 8, 1861, as a private of Co. F,
52d Regt. 111. Vol. Inf., was promoted Corporal, Ser-
geant and finally commissioned Captain. He re-en-
listed as a veteran Jan. i, 1864, and served till the
close of the war, being in the 151)1 and i6th Army
Corps and participating in all battles and engage-
ments in which his regiment was represented. He
took part in the battles of Shiloh, siege of Corinth,
battle of Corinth, Atlanta campaign, Sherman's
march to the sea, battle of Bentonville and other
minor engagements.

In 1869 he formed a partnership, in the grocery
business, with Mr. John L. Knight, at Fulton,
which connection continued till the spring of 1871,
when his brother Cloys bought out Mr. Knight and
the present firm was established. The Summers

Bros, carry a well assorted stock of general groceries,
provisions and crockery, of an average value of

$2,000.

Mr. Summers was married at Des Moines, Iowa,
April 2, 1877,10 Miss Elizabeth Exley, daughter of
Thomas and B. M. Exley. Mrs. Summers was born
in Clyde Township, this county. They have two
children (daughters), Ruby E. and Margery A.

illiam Lovett, farmer, section 8, Union
Grove Township, has been a land-holder
in Whiteside County since 1858. He was
born Nov. 3, 1829, in New Jersey, of which
State his parents, John and Beulah (Harvey)
Lovett, were natives, and where they passed
their entire lives. Their five children were named
Isaac, John, Samuel, William and Elizabeth.

Mr. Lovett was sent to the public schools until he
was 14 years of age, when he was apprenticed to a
blacksmith, and served six years, acquiring a thor-
oughly practical knowledge of the business in all its
details, and he made it the vocation of his life in his
native State until 1858, the year in which he re-
moved to Unionville, where he was similarly occu-
pied for a year. Meanwhile he determined to
become a farmer, and, in the following year, he pur-
chased a small farm in the township of Union Grove.
He continued its proprietor seven years, when he
sold it and bought 80 acres of land on section 8,
where he has since lived. His farm is in creditable
agricultural condition, and the owner has'materially
added to its value by erecting substantial farm
buildings. Mr. Lovett is a Republican in political
faith and connections.

He was united in marriage to Emmeline Russell,
March 23, 1859, in Mt. Holly, N. J., and they have
had four children. Anna E., Emma A. and William
A. still survive. Mary died in infancy. Mrs. Lovett
is the daughter of William and Harriet (Lovett) Rus-
sell. Her parents were natives of New Jersey and
had four children, all girls, Rachel, Emmeline,
Louisa and Jane. Mrs. Lovett was born Sept. 18,
1827, in Springfield, N. J. She is a member of the
Methodist Church.

Lit"

UNIVERSITY of
Ui&ANA

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VV-; H H XI> M H " yv

WHITESIDE COUNTY.

jj^enry D. Pond, general farmer, section 31,
Genesee Township, was born Oct. r2, 1840,
in Portage Co., Ohio. He is the son of
Stephen and Abiah (Bristol) Pond, whose rec-
ord, together with a statement of the genealogy
of the family in America, is presented elsewhere
in this volume. He was an infant of a few months
when his parents changed their residence to Huron
Co., Ohio, and when he was 1 1 years of age they
made a final transfer of their interests to Illinois, lo-
cating in Genesee Township.

Mr. Pond grew to manhood in Whiteside County,
passing the successive years in working on the home
estate and obtaining such education as the common
schools of the place and period afforded. The same
blood that flowed in the veins of his ancestors, in
both lines of descent, and impelled them to unite in
the common cause and struggle for the independ-
ence of the Colonies, furnished the impetus under
whose influence he identified himself with the cause
of' the Union, when the echoes from the rebel guns
of April 14, i86r, sounded the knell of peace. He
determined to enroll himself among the defenders of
the principles which had protected him, and he en-
listed at Chicago, Aug. 28, i86r, in the 391)1 Regt.
111. Vol. Inf., becoming a member of Company G,
under Captain Slaughter. The regiment was under
the command of Col. Light and was assigned to the
Department of the South. During the first portion
of its period of service it was attached to the com-
mand of General Grant and afterwards to that of
General Butler. Among the more important actions
in which Mr. Pond was a participant, were the siege
of Charleston, Deep Bottoms and the action before
Petersburg. He was in numerous smaller engage-
ments and skirmishes, and was the only one out of
1 6 that enlisted from his vicinity who went through
three years of military service without dying or suf-
fering from wounds or sickness. He received hon-
forable discharge Sept. 10, 1864, at Petersburg. He
served all the time in the ranks and was never cap-
tured by the rebels. He was nearly 2 1 years of age
when he became a soldier, and on his return to
Genesee Township he engaged in farming.

He was united in marriage to Margaret Fleming,

March 15, 1866, at Mt. Carroll, 111. Mrs. Pond is
the daughter of Robert L. and Jane (Wilson) Flem-
ing. Her parents were natives respectively of Phil-
adelphia and of the State of New York. The families
to which they belonged removed to Indiana, where
they met and were married in Lawrence County-
The daughter was born there Jan. 13, r842, and she
came with her parents to Carroll County in 1848,
and grew to womanhood in that county. Her father
died Feb. 27, 1878 ; the death of her mother occurred
Nov. 9, 1880. They had ten children and Mrs.
Pond is fourth in order of birth. She is the mother
of one child, Abiah D., born Dec. 24, 1873.

Mr. Pond settled in his new capacity of the head
of a family, on a farm containing 80 acres of land,
of which 40 acres lay in Genesee Township and the
other half in the township of Hopkins. It was
partly improved but had no buildings. These have
since been supplied and are of a creditable character.
The horses and cattle on the place are of excellent
grade.

Mr. Pond is such a Republican as his war record
evinces, and takes an active interest in local politics.
Mrs. Pond accepts the views of Spiritualism.

enry L. Birdsall, farmer, section 4, Hop-
kins Township, is a son of James and Lydia
(De Germo) Birdsall, natives of New York
State, who came to Whiteside County in the
spring of 1845, settling in Sterling Township,
where they lived until their death. They had
five children, named Edmund N., Elias D., Henry
L., George A. and Harriet.

The subject of this sketch was born in Mendon,
Monroe Co., N. Y., Sept. n, 1834. He received a
common-school education and came when he was
ten years old, with his father, to this county, where
he has since lived, engaged in farming. He first
bought a farm on section 8, Hopkins Township,
where he settled and lived about eight years, when
he sold and bought r47 acres on section 4, where he
at present resides. He has erected fine buildings on
his farm, and most of his land is in a state of good
cultivation.

He was married first in Carroll Co., 111., Nov. 19,
1857, to Mary A. Flemming, a native of Indiana.

/* ^ ^TH.

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254

WHITESIDE COUNTY.

They have had one child, C.lara J., who is now the
wife of Henry Stevens, and resides in Stephenson
Co., 111. Mrs. B. died in Hopkins Township, Jan.
28, 1863, and Mr. Birdsall was again married March
15, 1864, in Monroe Co., N. Y. to Joanna Wood,
daughter of Robert and Ann (Moran) Wood, natives
of Ireland, who married and settled in Rochester, N.
Y. Mr. Wood was a member of the r4oth N. Y.
Vol. Inf., and died in the army, in the fall of 1863 ;
Mrs. Wood died Dec. 18, 1883, in Mendon, Monroe
Co., N. Y. They had a family of eight children,
namely, John, Mary A., Joanna, Thomas, Frank,
Margaret and! Anna; one died in infancy. Mrs. B.
was born in Monroe Co , N. Y., Nov. 3, 1843. Mr.
and Mrs. B. are the parents of four children : Alonzo
G., Loren E., Estella and Harry L.

Mr. Birdsall has been School Director and Over-
seer of Highways. In politics he is identified with
the National party.

As a prominent citizen of Whiteside County, and one
who has been intimately identified with the best
interests and growth of the county, we take pleas-
ure in placing the portrait of Mr. Birdsall in this
ALBUM. Coming to the county when a mere boy, he
has grown and developed in all that goes to make a
representative citizen of this splendid portion of the
great Prairie State. As a fitting 'companion picture
we place beside his that of his estimable wife. These
pictures were made from photographs taken in 1885.

A. Hardin, of the banking house of T.
A. Hardin & Co., Fulton, was born in
McDonough Co., 111., Feb. 14, 1845, and is
the son of Victor M. and Nancy A. (Purdy)
Hardin. His parents were born in Kentucky
and settled in Illinois in 1831, being among
the earliest pioneers of this State.

T. A. received a common-school education, and
began his business life as Deputy Clerk of Mc-
Donough Co., 111. He remained in that position
only a short time when he went to Quincy, where he
was employed in the money department of the
Farmers & Merchants' Insurance Company. He
was made cashier and served the company five years.
In 1871 he established the banking house of T. A.
Hardin & Co., at Blandinsville, 111., which?he con-

ducted till January, 1876, when he sold for profit.
He then came to Fulton and established the present
banking house of T. A. Hardin & Co., Aug. i, 1876.
He had associated with him at that time Messrs.
Quinton C. Ward, John H. Hungate and N. W.
MeGee. The last named gentleman sold his inter-
est to Mr. Hardin Aug. i, 1882. This bank does a
general banking business, and represents a capital of
$100,000. Mr. Hardin's partners, Ward & Hungate,
reside at La Harpe, 111., while Mr. Hardin is the
resident partner and manager of the bank at Fulton.

Mr. Hardin was married at Rock Island, 111.,
Feb. 7, 1878, to Miss Ida C. Eckert, daughter of
George and Caroline (Dennis) Eckert. Mrs. Hardin
was born in Fulton, 111. Her parents were natives
of Pennsylvania. Mr. and Mrs. Hardin have one
child, Mary Alice, born at Fulton, April 2, 1879.

Mr. Hardin is a thoroughgoing business man,
whose ability as a financier and unquestioned in-
tegrity commands the confidence and respect of his
customers and the business public. He was made a
Mason in Bodley Lodge, No. i, of Quincy, 111., in
1866. He is now a member of Fulton City Lodge,
No. 189, and of the Fulton Chapter, No. 108, R. A.
M., and of Sterling Commandery, K. T.

dmund Bowman, jeweler on the corner of
Third and Mulberry Streets, Sterling, was
born in Strasburg, Pa., Oct. 14, 1824, and
is a son of Joseph and Ann Bowman, who
were also natives of the Keystone State. He
remained at his parental home until the age of
20, receiving a common-school education and learn-
ing of his father the jewelry business.

After leaving home, he worked at his trade as
journeyman in Kennett Square, Chester Co., Pa. He
opened business for himself the first time in 1853,
but subsequently he closed business there, brought
his stock of goods to Sterling, opened a jewelry house
and has since prosecuted his business here. His
success in this line, as might be expected, has been
marked. He has a farm of 204 acres three miles
from Sterling, besides the corner he occupies in busi-
ness and two dwelling-houses in Sterling. In politics
he is a Republican, and in the community he enjoys
a high and honorable standing.

WHITES1DE COUNTY.

2 55

May 13, 1857, is the date of his marriage lo Maria
P. Adams, and they have five children living,
namely, Frank J., Grant J., Edward, Jennie and
Louise.

t'ames Lynch, a farmer of Genesee Town-
^ ship, located on section 34, was born Dec.-
10, 1837, in County Kilkenny, Province of
Leinster, Ireland. His parents, James and
Honora (Sullivan) Lynch, were Irish by birth
and long descent, their ancestors having lived
in Ireland as far back as the generations can be
traced. Mr. Lynch's father died some months be-
fore the son's birth, and before the latter was five
years of age he was in possession of a step-father.
He had two step-sisters, one of whom died young,
and the other is living in Clinton, Iowa. An elder
sister of Mr. Lynch is still living in Ireland.

He remained in his native country until he was
nearly of age, and came to the United States in
1857, landing in Boston on the ist day of June.
He came direct to Chicago, where he obtained em-
ploy in a shingle factory, working for a Mr. Oliver.
He came thence to Lee Co., 111., in the fall of the
same year, and worked at Franklin Grove for the
Chicago & Northwestern Railroad corporation. In
the spring following, he entered the employ of the
Chicago & Rock Island Company, going to Minne-
sota in their interests. In 1859 he returned to. the
employ of the former corporation. A few months
later he went to Arkansas, where he worked on the
levees.

He came back to Whiteside County in the spring
of 1860, and July 8, 1863, he was married, in that
city, to Sarah A., daughter of Mark and M.ary (Tay-
lor) Harrison, pioneers of Whiteside County and
represented in the personal account of James H.
Harrison, the brother of Mrs. Lynch. She was
born March 3, 1844, on the homestead of her father
in Genesee Township. She was educated and
grew to womanhood in the same township in which
she was born, and where she has passed her entire
life. She had the advantage of two years' instruc-
tion by a private teacher in her father's house. To
Mr. and Mrs. Lynch six children have been born,
all of whom are living but one. James M. was

born Aug. 18, 1864; Joseph T., June 15, 1869;
Olive A., born Sept. 19, 1870, died in 1873 ; Edward
M., Aug. 6, 1872 ; Mary E., Ju^y 24, 1874 ; William
H., April 8, 1877. After their marriage Mr. and
Mrs. Lynch resided for a time at Sterling, and the
husband was there employed on the line of railroad
then being built. A year later he entered the em-
ploy of S. T. Hosmer, a brewer, with whom he re-
mained until 1866. In July of that year Mr.
Lynch became a farmer in the township of Genesee
and operated some years as a renter. They finally
settled on 40 acres of land which became the prop-
erty of Mrs. Lynch by inheritance from her father's
estate. It is in excellent condition with fine barn
and residence, which have been erected by Mr.
Lynch. He is a believer in the Catholic faith ; his
wife is a member of the Christian Church. Mr.
Lynch is an active and earnest Republican.

t r. N. W. Hubbard, deceased, formerly a
resident of Fulton, possessed a national
reputation with the medical profession as
the inventor of the world-renowned " Hubbard
Truss " and the originator of the successful
system of hernia treatment which bears his
name. The use of the ingenious appliances invent-
ed by Dr. Hubbard and the application of his sys-
tem of treatment in cases of hernia, has resulted in
saving many lives and in affording relief to thousands
of sufferers.

Dr. Hubbard was the eldest son in a family of ten
children, and was born in the town of Randolph,
Portage Co., Ohio, April 10, 1810. His parents,
Bela F. and Clarissa (Ward) Hubbard, were natives
of Connecticut and were among the pioneer settlers
of the Western Reserve of Ohio. Dr. Hubbard took
a regular course at the Medical College of Columbus,
Ohio, and graduated with honor in the class of 1840.
He entered upon the practice of his profession at
Newark, Licking Co., Ohio. Being a sufferer from
hernia, he was led to an investigation of the current
methods of treatment and the mechanical appliances
in use in such cases. He made a thorough study of
the subject, that resulted in valuable discoveries,
which were presented to the profession through a
paper read by him before the State Medical Associa-

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WHITESIDE COUNTY.

tion of Ohio, and which was printed and circulated
extensively by order of the Association. During his
long and useful career as a physician, his services
and advice were often sought, in consultation, by
such teachers of surgery as Girdon Buck and Wil-
lard Parker, of New York, and R. L. Howard, of
Ohio.

Dr. Hubbard was married at Rootstown, Portage
Co., Ohio, July 6, 1837, to Miss Mary A. Coe, daugh-
ter of Samuel and Lucy (Lester) Coe. Mrs. Hub-
bard is a native of Portage Co., Ohio. Her parents
were born and brought up in Massachusetts, and
were among the early pioneers of Western Ohio. The
Doctor removed to Elyria, Ohio, in 1 85 1 , and from
that time out he devoted his efforts entirely to his
specialty, the treatment of hernia in its various
phases. He came to Fulton, 111., in 1855, and made
this his home till the time of his death, which oc-
curred May 14, 1883. While Fulton was his place
of residence, his professional services were in demand
throughout the States and Territories, and for some
years he maintained an office in New York city.

He was an earnest supporter of a free and liberal
educational system, and for several years was a mem-
ber of the Board of Trustees of the Northern Illinois
College. He was enterprising and public-spirited,
taking an active part in matters of local improve-
ment. He was active in organizing the Agricultural
Society of Whiteside County, and was chosen its first
President. In politics he was an ardent Republican,
of strong anti-slavery sympathies in the early history
of the party and of as strong Prohibition sympathies
in later years. Withal, he was conservative and ad-
vocated only legitimate, legal measures of redress,
always opposing extreme or radical views.

Dr. and Mrs. Hubbard had four children, two sons
and two daughters, Frances, Lester C., Frederick
H. and Grace. Frances, the eldest, is the widow of
Harry Bellard, and resides at Hannibal, Mo. Lester
C. was a Captain in the volunteer service in the late
war, and is now employed as editor on a Boston
paper. Frederick H. studied medicine and graduated
at Bellevue Hospital Medical College of New York,
and is engaged in the practice of his profession at
Brooklyn. He married Miss Emma Owen, of Han-
nibal, Mo. Grace, the youngest child, resides with
her mother at the old homestead in Fulton, 111.

Dr. Hubbard was a true and affectionate husband

and father, a worthy brother of the Masonic Order,
being a member of Fulton City Lodge, No. 189, A.
F. & A. M. As a neighbor and citizen, he was held
in high esteem, while in the medical profession,
where his great services were best appreciated, he
won a place of which his friends may well be proud.

-5-

Solomon Eshleman, a farmer of Clyde
Township, established on section 24, was
one of the first mechanics to locate at
Morrison, where he started a blacksmith shop
in 1855. He was born March i, 1827, in
Bucks Co., Pa., and is almost wholly without
knowledge of his parents. His father died before
his birth, and all the inheritance left was his name,
which was bestowed upon his son. The mother was
unable to give her child proper care and rearing, and
she confided him, when only a few weeks old, to
strangers, who did not desire to have him retain any
knowledge of his origin, and he has never known her
name. He became a laborer on arriving at a suit-
able age, and remained in his native State until he
was 22 years of age. In 1850 he came to Freeport,
111., and worked as a blacksmith, having acquired a
knowledge of that business at Goodstown, Berks Co.,
Pa., under the training of Daniel Grooninger. He
went from Freeport to Sabula, Jackson Co., Iowa,
where he worked at his trade 18 months. He came
thence to Savanna, Carroll Co., 111., and was simi-
larly occupied about one year at that place. In
1855, associated with Thomas McClelland, he es-
tablished a shop at Morrison for general work. Their
business relations existed four years, terminating in
1860.

Mr. Eshleman was married in December, 1860, to
Louisa Siddles. She was born June 27, 1837, in
New Jersey. Her parents were of New England
origin and came to Illinois in the '40*5, locating in
Whiteside County, north of the city of Sterling. Her
father and mother have both been dead some years.
Mr. Eshleman continued to prosecute the busi-
ness of a blacksmith at Morrison about ten years af-
ter his marriage. In 1870 he purchased 82 acres of
land in Clyde Township, of which he took possession
the same year. The place had been improved to
some extent, and it has since been placed by its

...

-2$&KT

^X^.HHX^HH-'v^V

WHITESIDE COUNTY.

proprietor in complete agricultural condition, and has
constituted the family homestead. The acreage has
been increased until it includes 151 acres. Mr.
Eshleman is a Democrat and was brought up in the
German Lutheran faith.

Five children have been born to him and his wife.
William F. died in infancy. Emma E., Joseph H.,
Benjamin and Cora M. are the names of the four
who are now living.

r. J. Frank Keefer, practicing physician at
Sterling, was born May 10, 1856, in Hop-
kins Township, this county. His parents,
Henry and Elizabeth (Strickler) Keefer, were
natives of Pennsylvania, and in 1854-5 came
West, settling in Empire, Hopkins Township,
where Mr. Keefer purchased a farm of 80 acres and
followed farming until 1875, when he sold and
moved into Sterling. In the spring of 1878 he pur-
chased Dr. Gait's drug-store on the corner of Locust
and Third Streets, and has since been engaged in
business there.

Mr. Keefer, the subject of this sketch, was reared
as a farmer's son until 17 years of age, when he en-
tered the Carthage (111.) College and continued there
until the spring of 1878, graduating ; then, attending
Rush Medical College at Chicago two winter terms
and one spring, he received his medical diploma,
Feb. 22, 1 88 1 ; and finally located in Sterling, in the
practice of his profession, in which he has a rising
popularity. He is also a partner of his father in the
drug-store, which also is a leading business estab-
lishment of the place.

ddison S. Melvin, merchant on Third Street,
Sterling, was born Sept. 22, 1828, in
Geauga Co., Ohio. His parents, Alonzo
and Roenna (Lyman) Melvin, were natives of
Massachusetts and descendants of the old
Puritan stock. They came to Ohio when
young, married in 1819, and had nine sons and four
daughters, all of whom excepting one son lived to
be grown ; the son died when four years and six
months old.

Addison remained with his parents until 22 years

Kfri ^^ ^M

of age, passing his youth on the farm, at the district
school and two years (17 to 19 years old) at the
Western Reserve Teachers' Seminary at Kirkland,
Ohio. He then taught school one season, but, his
health failing, he returned to farm labor in New York
State. Two years afterward he went to Southern
Indiana, where he followed carpentering for nine
years. He came from there to Sterling and engaged
in coopering, employing r 2 men, and continued in
the same line for 16 years; then, in 1882, he started
in the grocery business, under the firm name of
Melvin & Son, and is now prosecuting a successful
trade in that line.

Mr. Melvin was married Sept. 7, 1856, to Miss
Cordelia McKinney, a native of New York, and they
have had five children, three of whom are still living :
Arthur N., Addison S., Jr., and Alonzo D. Arthur
married Gussie Roberts, of Lyndon, 111., March 16,
1882.

In political matters Mr. Melvin is a Republican,
and in religious he is connected with the Congrega-
tional Church, as is also Mrs. M.

bram D. Mitchell, dealer in groceries,
provisions and crockery, at Fulton, estab-
lished his present business in January,
1866. Average value of stock about $3,500.
The subject of this sketch was born in Adams
Co., Ohio, Jan. 10, 1835, and is the son of
David and Harriet (Murphy) Mitchell. His parents
are natives of Ohio. The family removed to Mar-
shall Co., 111., in 1836, making their home on a farm
near Lacon. He remained in Illinois about four or
five years and returned to Ohio. In 1843 he came
to Whiteside County and located in Albany.

Abram D. was reared on a farm in the township
of Garden Plain, Whiteside County, till 2 1 years of
age. He then went to Northern Iowa and in 1858
to Colorado with a wagon train. In 185 9 he went
to Pike's Peak and spent three years as a miner in
the gold regions. In 1862 he went to Montana Ter-
ritory and participated in the pioneer gold-mining of
that region. He returned to Illinois in the fall of
1865, and located at Fulton. In January, 1866, he
established his present business in company with
John Hudson. Two years later he purchased his

WHITESIDE COUNTY.

(3;

partner's interest and has carried on the business
alone since.

Mr. Mitchell was married in Garden Plain, White-
side Co., 111., Dec. n, 1867, to Miss Mary E.
Murphy, daughter of Jacob and Diana (Jewett)
Murphy. Mrs. Mitchell was born in Adams Co.,
Ohio. They have had four children, two boys and
two girls, all born at Fulton : Charles J., born Sept.
21, 1868; William H., born Oct. 16, 1873; Mary A.,
born July 9, 1875; Irene H., born Jan. i, 1879. The
last named died Oct. 5, 1882. Mr. Mitchell is a
member of Fulton City Lodge, No. 189, A. F. &. A.
M., and has been connected with that lodge since
1866. He is also a member of Fulton Chapter No.
1 08.

Mr. Mitchell is a Republican in politics. As a
business man he is widely and favorably known as a
man of strict integrity, who by fair dealing and earn-
est attention to business has succeeded in building
up an extensive trade from Fulton and surrounding
country.

acob Bailey, farmer and carpenter, sec-
tion 5, Hopkins Township, is a son of Elias
and Elizabeth (Trueax) Bailey, natives re-
spectively of New Jersey and Pennsylvania,
who settled in Fulton Co., Pa., where they re-
sided until their death. They had a family of
eight children, viz. : Sarah, Levi, Ellen, John, Jacob,
Elizabeth, Job and Jessee.

Mr. Bailey, the subject of this sketch, was born in
Fulton Co., Pa., Oct. 28, 1828, and lived in his na-
tive county till 28 years of age. At the age of 20 he
was apprenticed for two years to learn the trade of
carpenter and joiner, which he followed till he came
West. He came to Whiteside County in 1857 and
remained for two years, engaged at his trade, and
then went to Central City, Col., where he remained
for nine years working at his trade and in mill-
wright business. He then returned to Whiteside
County, and purchased 60 acres of land in section
5, Hopkins Township, where he settled and has
since lived. He is now the owner of 140 acres,
most of which is in a good tillable condition. Since
his return from Colorado he has engaged extensively
in farming. He keeps about 20 head of short-horn

cattle, four head of horses, and fattens annually
from 30 to 40 head of hogs.

In politics Mr. Bailey is a Republican.

..0*0..-

mos A. Hulett, fanner on section 26,
Union Grove Township, was born April 7,
1812, in Chester, Vt. He is the son of
Benjamin G. and Lydia (Pollard) Hulett, and
his father was also born in Chester, March 31,
1787. The latter died in Union Grove
Township, April 10, 1877, a few days after he be-
came 90 years old. The father of B. G. Hulett was
born in Rhode Island, Nov. 2, 1751, and died Oct.
i, 1850, lacking one month of being 99 years of age.
Lydia Hulett was born April 9, 1795, in Massa-
chusetts, and died April 12, 1879, in Union Grove
Township, two years after the decease of her hus-
band and in her 8sth year.

The parents of Mr. Hulett located after marriage
in Chester, whence they came in 1865 to Whiteside
County, fixing their residence in the township where
they died, as stated. Their children were Amos A.,
Lucius A., William L., Elias H., Louisa H., John
P., Lydia A. and Sarah J. Mr. Hulett was a resi-
dent in his native State until he was 23 years of age.
He obtained a good education and learned the trade
of a carpenter before he reached the age of man-
hood. He followed that as a business until June,
1853, when he removed with his family, consisting
of his wife and three children, to Whiteside County.
He located on section 26, where he made a claim of
120 acres of land. To this he has added by later
purchase, and now owns 160 acres. The first tract is
all under an excellent order of cultivation. Mr.
Hulett is a prominent Republican, and is holding
the office of Justice of the Peace, to which he has
been successively re-elected several terms. He has
also been elected School Director, Collector and
Assessor.

He was married May 20, 1838, in Preble Co.,
Ohio, to Sarah W. White, and they have five chil-
dren : Ansel S., James H., William, Robert G. and
John W. The oldest child is deceased. Mrs. Hu-
lett was born Sept. 6, 18(8, in Reading, Vt., and she
is the daughter of Robert and Mary (Johnson)
White. Her parents were born in New England.

-. .. -

JSLvsCXsX/^

$t3\<)

WHITESIDE COUNTY.

In 1856 they came to Whiteside County, where they
remained through the last years of their lives. The
mother died at Morrison, Sept. 27, 1866. The death
of the father took place Aug. 28, 1870. He was a
soldier in the second war with Great Britain. In
the battle at Fort Erie, both his arms were shot away
by the same ball, one arm being carried some dis-
tance from him before he realized his situation.
His children were 1 3 in number, and all lived to
mature age. They were born in the following order :
Priscilla, Joseph, Sarah, Mary, Susan, James G.,
Elizabeth, John W., Lorenzo J., David, Jonathan,
Caroline and Thomas.

enjamin Burgess, Jr., retired fanner, liv-
ing on section 30, Genesee Township, was
born July 3, 1809, in the town of Fort
Ann, Washington Co., N. Y. He is the only
son of Benjamin and Jerusha (Chase) Bur-
gess, and, in the paternal line of descent, is
of mixed Irish and English blood, while the mother's
ancestors were English. They were farmers; and
the mother died about 1844, in Cayuga Co., N. Y.,
when she had passed the age of 60 years. Benja-
min Burgess, senior, came to Genesee Township and
died at the house of his son. He has been dead
some years, and was about 80 years of age at the
time of his decease.

The family settled in Cayuga County about 1819.
That section of the Empire State was in a dense
wilderness of original forest. Mr. Burgess was there
reared, and before he separated from the parental
household he formed a matrimonial alliance with
Sarah A. Annable. She was born Jan. 23, 1809, in
Saratoga Co., N. Y., and her parents, Prince and
Ruth (Hovvland) Annable, were also natives of that
State and were respectively of French and English
descent. They were farmers and the families from
which they came were for a long period of years
identified with the history of the United States, hav-
ing come here prior to the Revolution. Mrs. Bur-
gess was eight years old when her father became a
citizen of Cayuga County. There she grew to ma-
turity and was married Dec. 17, 1831. Later, her
parents came to Illinois and located in Jo Daviess
County, where their lives terminated. Mr. and Mrs.

Burgess located on 50 acres of land in the township
of Fort Edward in Washington Co., N. Y., to which
they afterward added 25 acres, and, after making im-
portant improvements, sold out to buy another farm
containing 100 acres, which was all cultivated. This
constituted the homestead until their removal to
Illinois in 1841. They located on a claim on which
a settlement had been made and which they pur-
chased of its original claimant previous to the land's
coining into market. Three years later Mr. Burgess
sold his title and bought 80 acres on the section
which has since been his field of operation. He has
put his son in possession of 40 acres of the original
purchase, and has bought 40 acres of timber, three-
fourths of which still belongs to the estate.

Mr. and Mrs. Burgess are the parents of three sons
and two daughters : Caleb married Rosanna Col-
cord and they reside at Sterling, where the former is
a mechanic ; James married Lavina Switzer, and is
a farmer in Jones Co., Iowa. Lucy married John
Cutting, a farmer in Gage Co., Neb. William mar-
ried Margaret Vest, and is engaged in farming in
Tama Co., Iowa. Ruth was born in the State of
New York, which was the native State of her broth-
ers and sister, and married James Siddles. His
parents were Joseph and Jane (Courtright) Siddles,
and he was born Sept. 25, 1827, in Sussex Co.. N. J.
When he was six years of age his parents removed
to Susquehanna Co., Pa., where he was brought up
and educated. In 1854 they came to Whiteside
County and settled at Sterling. The mother died
within the year of their arrival there. Mr. and Mrs.
Siddles have had three children, Milan, who died
Feb. n, 1872; Charles C., and Dora V.

Mr. Burgess is a Republican and he and his wife
are members of the Methodist Episcopal Church.

since.

,loys Summers, of the firm of O. & C.
Summers, dealers in groceries, provisions
3 *' and crockery at Fulton, was born in Bar-
net, Caledonia Co., Vt, Dec. 9, 1833, came to
Sterling, 111 , with his parents in 1840, and
has made Whiteside County his home ever
He has spent several years away, but never
established a residence elsewhere. He took part in
the so-called " Kansas War " of 1854. From there

=3
S

he went with a Government train to Albuquerque,
New Mexico, in 1855. He next entered the service
of the Hockaday Stage Company, and ran a pony
express from South Pass to Salt Lake Cily. He was
in Utah at the time of the Mormon War, and par-
ticipated in some wild border scenes. He returned
to Fulton after spending about four years on the
plains and in the mountains.

He enlisted in the late war, in September, 1861,
in Co. A, 34th 111. Vol. Inf., and was promoted Cor-
poral and Sergeant. He served three years, and re-
enlisted in September, 1864. He was appointed
Commissary Sergeant immediately and served till
the close of the war. He was in the i4th Army
Corps, and with his company and regiment in every
battle in which they participated, among them the
battles of Shiloh, Stone River, Chickamauga, siege
of Atlanta and Jonesborough, siege of Savannah and
other minor engagements.

Mr. Summers was married at Fulton, 111., Dec. 9,
1866, to Miss Margaret Joyce, daughter of Clayton
and Margaret E. Joyce. Mrs. Summers was born
in Burlington Co., N. J. They have had four chil-
dren, three daughters and a son, as follows: Belle,
born Dec. 4, 1868, died Sept. 14, 1879; Myron D.,
born Feb. 12, 1870, died Aug. 7, 1870; Aetna E.,
born Aug. n, 1873, died Aug. 7, 1875; and Mary
Alice, born Oct. 7, 1875.

Soon after his return from the war Mr. Summers
engaged as clerk and salesman for the lumber firm
of Langford & Hall, and continued with them till
the spring of 1871, when he formed the existing
partnership with his brother Oscar.

In his political views, Mr. S. is a Republican.

'
("$

rank H. Robinson, of the firm of S. W.
Robinson & Brother, dealers in hardware
and agricultural implements at Morrison,
was born March 5, 1837, in Zanesville, Ohio,
and is the youngest surviving child of his par-
ents, Robert P. and Mary J. (Culbertson) Rob-
inson. His father, whose business career is outlined
in the sketch of S. W. Robinson on other pages of
this work, put him when 14 years of age in the posi-
tion of an assistant in the hardware store, of which

the former was proprietor at Zanesville for more than
20 years.

In the spring of 1856 he came to Sterling in this
county, and continued in the capacity of salesman
there until the subsequent autumn, when he came to
Morrison and opened a branch hardware store in the
interest of his father. He conducted its relations
singly until the spring of 1857, when he was joined
by his brother, Samuel W. In the fall of the same
year the latter became the owner of the stock and
business interests by purchase, Mr. F. H. Robinson
continuing to operate as a clerk until he became in-
terested in the progress and issues of the Civil War.

The awakening of his zeal and enthusiasm re-
sulted in his enrollment as a soldier of the Union
Army. In July, 1861, he enlisted at Lyons, Iowa,
as private in Co. B., First Iowa Cav., under Capt.
Wm. E. Leffingwell. The regiment was assigned to
the Army of the Frontier in Missouri. Mr. Robin-
son remained a member of the " First Iowa " two
years. He was mustered out July 14, 1863, to ac-
cept a commission as First Lieutenant of Co. H.
nth Mo. Cav. He entered upon the work of re-
cruiting, and after enlisting 57 men at Rolla, Mo.,
he was made Captain, his commission dating Dec.
27, 1864. He continued to hold his command until
his discharge. He was mustered out of the mili-
tary service of the United States in August, 1865,
at St. Louis, Mo., and returned to Morrison. He
purchased a half interest in the business of his
brother, and the firm of S. W. Robinson & Brother
have since continued their operations as dealers in
hardware and agricultural implements without inter-
ruption. They carry a stock of extensive value and
well assorted, making a speciality of agricultural
machinery. Their business requires three regular
assistants, and at times necessitates the employment
of a force of double that number. In addition to
the avenues of business named they do all varieties of
work as tinners, a^ roofing, spouting, the manufacture
of creamery goods, etc.

Mr. Robinson is connected with the Order of the
Grand Army of the Republic.

His marriage to Carrie E. Clark took place Dec.
23, 1873, at Morrison, and their three children were
born as follows : Frank C., Jan. 5, 1877 ; Minnie B.,
April i, 1880; Edith A., born April 7, 1882, died
Sept. 5, 1883. Mrs. Robinson was bprn in Lyndon

I!. RAKY
UNIVERSITY Of

WHITESIDE COUNTY.

Township. She is the daughter of Alpheus and
Augusta Clark, and her parents were among the
earliest of the permanent white settlers of Whiteside
County. Her father was a Major in the Eighth 111.
Vol. Cav., and died from the effects of a wound re-
ceived at Beverly Ford. Post Alpheus Clark, No.
1 1 6, G. A. R., at Morrison, is named in honor of his
devotion to the Union cause and gallant services in
its defense.

Hlliam Tyson, resident on section 18, Clyde
Township, has been a farmer where he is

g^/;""' now located for more than 30 years, hav-
[> ing entered his claim in 1854. He was born
April 15, r824, in Lancastershire, England.
John Tyson, his father, was a native of York-
shire and was a cutler by trade, having learned that
business in Sheffield, where he was born. He mar-
ried Martha Wilby, who was born in the same city,
and a few years later they went to Lancastershire,
where he was employed in the mills. In 1845' the
father, mother and four younger children came to
the United States, landing at the port of New York.
They left two children in England. The father died
1 8 days after reaching New York, and the family
were supported some time by the efforts of the sons.

Mr. Tyson was occupied in various ways until he
went to New Jersey, where he was employed in farm
labor, and he went thence to Columbia, Lancaster
Co., Pa. From there he returned to the city of New
York, whence, after a brief stay, he proceeded to
Connecticut. In his native country he had acquired
and followed the business of a cotton-twister in the
factories of the place where he was born, in which
he was occupied from 12 to 20 years of age. When
he left his native land he brought away with him a
determination never to work in a factory, to which
resolution he faithfully adhered.

On coining to Illinois he fixed on Whiteside County
as a suitable place to locate, and he bought 74 acres
of land situated near the farm of John Sykes, his
brother-in-law. (See sketch.) The place was un-
improved, and the entire acreage is still in his pos-
session, all of which is under cultivation and sup-
plied with necessary and suitable buildings.

X r *x '> "

Mr. Tyson was married May 19, 1851, in Brook-
lyn, N. Y., to Mary Sykes. She was born Oct. 28,
1822, in Yorkshire, England, and lived in her native
country until after the death of her mother. She
came to America in 1847, and from that time until
her marriage she maintained herself. She has been
the mother of nine children, two of whom are de-
ceased. Josephine W. is married and has one child,
Mary L. Mary S. married George W. Holcomb, a
liveryman at Morrison, Whiteside Co., 111. Alice S.
is the wife of Paul Remkes, a farmer in Colorado.
Hattie E. married Frank W. White, and resides at
Idaho Springs, Col. Charles W. is the next in order
of birth and lives at Miller, Hand Co., D. T. George
H. lives in Colorado. Olive P. is a teacher in the
public schools of Whiteside County. Sarah and Ira
J. died in infancy.

Mr. Tyson is a Republican in political fath.

avid R. Wetzel is a retired farmer of
Hopkins Township, and resides on section
27. His parents, John and Margaret
(Reese) Wetzel, were born in Pennsylvania
and were of German lineage. They went
thence in 1814 to Ohio, whence they came in
1855 to Whiteside County. The father, a direct
descendant of Lewis Wetzel, the Indian hunter, died
in Genesee Township, Sept. 18, 1860. The death of
the mother occurred Feb. 2, 1882. Their children
were born in the order named : Catherine, Daniel,
Jacob, John, George, Elizabeth, David R., Andrew,
Joseph, Hannah, Margaret and Louis.

Mri Wetzel was born April 7, 1823, in Summit
Co., Ohio. He attended the public schools of his
native State, and afterwards was interested in farm-
ing there until his removal in the fall of 1855 to
Whiteside County. He was a farmer in Genesee
Township until the spring of 1883, when he changed
his residence to Hopkins Township, where he had
bought a farm during the previous fall. The com-
bined area of his land in the townships of Genesee
and Hopkins is 640 acres, and the entire extent is
under tillage. He has rented his estate and is living
in quiet retirement. He has built up his possessions
by industry and economy, having begun in the world

by small means, and has made his way unaided. He
is one of the heaviest land-holders in Whiteside
County, and in politics is identified with the Republi-
can party.

The publishers of this ALBUM take pleasure in
presenting a fine lithographic portrait of Mr. Wetzel
in connection with this sketch.

radford C. Church, Jr., one of the pro-
prietors of the Sterling Roller Flouring
Mill, was born June 20, 1860, atKankakee,
111. He came to Sterling with his father in
1868, where he received a practical education,
and in the year 1 88 1 accepted a position as
book-keeper in Church & Patterson's mills. After
his father's death he purchased his half interest in
the mill from the other heirs, and has since been
engaged in conducting that establishment. He is
one of the young and leading men of Sterling, is a
Republican in his political action, and is a member
of the A. O. U. W. and of the Order of Modern
Woodmen of America.

Mr. Church's marriage to Mary Patterson occurred
Oct. 17, 1883. Her parents were William L. and
Isabel (Wallace) Patterson. Mr. and Mrs. Church
have one child, John L., born Aug. 6, 1884.

|f ohn Downs, dealer in hardware, stoves and
tinware, manufacturer and repairer of tin-
ware, at Fulton, established his present
business in February, 1875, and carries an
average stock of $2,500 value. Mr, Downs
was born in Cleveland, Ohio, Sept. 23, 1839,
and is the son of John and Ann (Gilmore) Downs.
His parents were natives of Ireland and emigrated to
the United States in 1835. John served a regular
apprenticeship to the tinner's trade, in Cleveland,
and came to Fulton, 111., in the fall of 1858. He
was employed as a journeyman in this city till Feb-
ruary, 1875, when he engaged in his present business
and has carried it on continuously since.

He was married in September, 1862, at Dixon, 111.,
to Miss Annie Mahony. Mrs. Downs was born
in Limerick, Ireland, in 1842, and is a daughter of

Daniel and Margaret (Ring) Mahony. They have
four children, three boys and a girl : Edward, l>orn
Aug. 28, 1864; William, June 25, 1867 ; Nellie, Sept.
26, 1872, and John, Dec. 16, 1874.

Mr. Downs has been a member of the Fulton City
Council eight years. He is a Democrat and a mem-
ber of the temperance organization entitled the " R.
C. B. & T. Society." Mr. Downs, his wife and
family are members of the Catholic Church of Fulton.

Mr. Downs has now been in business for himself a
little over ten years, and has built up a very satis-
factory trade. He aims to do good work, keep good
goods, and give his customers the value of their
money.

=ezekiah Brink, farmer on the northeast
quarter of section 22, Sterling Township,
was born May 21, 1809, in Vermont. His
father, Isaiah Brink, a native of Germany,
adopted this as his country in an early period
of his life and became a soldier in our war with
Great Britain in 1812-4, losing his life. His widow,
nee Anna Murdock, a native of New York State, after-
ward married Samuel S. Geere, in Erie Co., N. Y.

Having received a common-school education, Mr.
Brink, at the age of 16 years, left home and went to
Madison, Ind., to learn the hatter's trade, extending
his period of apprenticeship until he was 20 years
old. He then opened a shop in Ripley Co., Ind.,
and carried on business there and in Coventry until
1834. Selling out, he came to what is now the city
of Sterling, entering, in June, 1834, the quarter-section
which he still owns and occupies. During the sum-
mer and fall he broke a piece of ground and built a
log house 18x20 feet in dimensions, and with a
puncheon floor. The one room it comprised was
parlor, kitchen and bed-room. This was his resi-
dence until 1841. The following December (1834)
he returned to Indiana and brought out his family to
their new home, arriving May i, 1835.

In 1836 he built a saw-mill in Milledgeville, and
the next year he erected a frame for a grist-mill, and
purchased the buhrs and machinery, but sold out be-
fore completing the mill. In May, 1836, he sold an
interest in his farm to Capt. Harris & Bros, for a part
of a cargo of provisions, which they brought up Rock

River by steamer from Galena. Their complete
cargo comprised about $600 or $700 worth of pro-
visions. After this exchange, Mr. Brink erected a
building 18 x 20 feet for a store. Being of hewn logs,
it was considered in those days a very fine structure.
It was built on what is now Block 41, in the city of
Sterling, where it still remains, occupied as a dwell-
ing. After conducting the store here for four years,
Mr. Brink disposed of it by sale. In the meantime
he had built saw, grist and carding mills at Empire.
connected with one power, which he ran until 1847,
when he sold them.

Returning then to Sterling, he put up a saw-mill
at Elkhorn, three miles above Empire, and after run-
ning it about one year he sold it ; and, renting a
mill at Coe's Grove, he operated that-a year. Then
he followed farming until 1854. About this time he
went to Canada and purchased from Theodore Wynn
his undivided interest in Sterling. Returning home,
he built a stone house and rented it to the School
District for a public school. In 1855 he engaged in
general building, contracting for and erecting most of
the brick houses in Sterling up to 1870, and often
having as many as 65 men in his employ at one time.
He manufactured all his brick and stone. During
this time he also conducted a store for five years. In
1870 he returned to his farm.

Mr. Brink did the first " breaking " in Como and
in the county, in 1834, with three yoke of oxen. He
also did " breaking " for the neighbors for miles
around, at $5 a day. In 1835 he broke 40 acres of
land where the village of Sterling now stands, and
raised crops upon it for several years. At present he
is devoting his attention principally to the culture of
small fruits, having in all four acres, three acres of
which consist of black and red .raspberries. This
fruit is put up chiefly by the canning factories of
Sterling. He also raises, apples, pears, plums, etc.

In his political views, Mr. B. is a Republican, and
in his religious relations he has belonged to the
Methodist Episcopal Church ever since he was 15
years old.

He was first married Sept. 25, 1829, to Miss
Martha Buchanan, a native of Indiana, who died
Oct. 16, 1839, after having become the mother of four
children, Thomas, Samuel, Margery and David.
Oct. i, 1840, Mr. Brink was again married, to
Sophronia L. Griffin, a native .of Ohio. She died

Dec. 23, 1866. By this marriage there were n chil-
dren, namely, Harvey, Charles, Caroline, Albert,
Julia, Newton, Alona, Ada, Ella, Martha B. and '
Allen.

radford C. Church, Sr., deceased, in his
life-time a highly respected business man
of Sterling, was born in Portageville, Wy-
oming Co., N. Y., April 28, 1834. In 1854
he came to Chicago, where he was employed
in a store for five years; then, until 1862, he
was engaged in the hardware business in Kankakee,
111. ; then, for five years, in the same business at
Morris, Grundy Co., 111. ; and finally, in the spring
of 1868, he came to Sterling and engaged in the
milling business. In 1871 he entered into partner-
ship with Samuel Patterson, the firm name being
Church & Patterson. In 1875 he was elected Mayor
of the city of Sterling, and in 1876 was re-elected.
In his political action he was a Republican.

Mr. Church died of apoplexy on the cars, on his
way home from St. Louis, Sept. 20, 1883. He was
one of Sterling's most respected citizens.

illiam Topping, retired farmer, Union
Grove Tp., was born in Lowville, Lewis
Co., N. Y., April 6, 1802. His parents,
Jared and Judith (Prentiss) Topping, were
born in Connecticut. William was brought
up on a farm, and was married in his native
town Jan. i, 1823, to Miss Sarah Weaver. They
had eight children, four of whom lived to be men
and women ; the others died in childhood. Of the
former, the eldest was Harriet, wife of W. G. Hitch-
cock, of Morrison. The second is Edwin G., who
married Rose Chapman and resides in Harvey Co.,
Kan. The third, Oscar F., married Ellen Powell,
and lives in Oregon. The fourth, George, died aged
41 years, leaving a wife and five children, residents
of Morrison.

Mr. Topping removed to Cuyahoga Co., Ohio, in
1834, where he was engaged in milling and farming
till 1855, when he came to Illinois and located on
section 16, Union Grove Township, this county, where

he had a finely improved farm of 100 acres. Mrs.
Topping died Aug. 7, 1882, and Mr. Topping was
married again Nov. 26, 1882, at Morrison, to Mrs.
Rosina Burwell, widow of Abram Burwell, and only
daughter of Reynolds and Lucy (Powers) Vaughn.
She was born in the town of Ferrisburg, Addison
Co., Vt. She had three children by her former
marriage : Martha E. Burwell, of Morrison, the eld-
est ; Charles H. died aged aged five years ; and Silas
A. married Anna Bull, and resides in Polo, 111.

Mr. Topping served as Assessor of Union Grove
Township two years. In early life he was a staunch
Democrat, but of strong anti-slavery sympathies.
He joined the Republican party on its organization,
and has been an earnest advocate of Republican
principles continuously since. Mr. Topping and
wife are members of the Universalist Church. Mr.
T. is a remarkably well preserved man at 83 years of
age, in full possession of his faculties ; and active
and energetic as many a man at 50. He sold his
farm, and since Christmas, 1883, has made his home
at Morrison.

Lf mar E. Fanning, farmer, section 14, Hop-
^kins Township, is a son of Asa and Phebe
A. (Cole) Fanning, natives of New England,
who first settled in Cheuango Co., N. Y., and
afterwards removed to Broome County, that
State, where he died in the summer of 1863 ;
she came to Whiteside County in 1883 and now re-
sides in Sterling. They had a family of three chil-
dren, Omar E., Franklin and Wallace.

Mr. Fanning, the subject of this biographical out-
line, was born in Oxford, Chenango Co., N. Y., Feb.
2, 1829, received a common-school education, in
Broome Co., N. Y., and lived there till he was 22
years of age. He then came to Whiteside County,
in August, 1851, and engaged as a clerk for Joel
Harvey at Empire. He was in his employment
about three years at that time. He then engaged
in carriage and wagon making at Empire, having
learned that trade in Broome Co., N. Y., where he
served an apprenticeship of about one and a half
years. He continued in that vocation at Empire,
about two and a half years, when he sold that business
and bought a half interest in the mercantile establish-

ment at Empire, with Joel Harvey, and the company
was known as Harvey & Fanning. They continued
together about three years, when Mr. Fanning sold
out his interest to Mr. Harvey. In the spring of 1860
he rented a farm in Hopkins Township, which he
carried on one season, and in the meantime he pur-
chased 40 acres on section r4, which he afterwards
sold. He has been engaged in farming since 1860,
with the exception of four years, during which time
he has bought and sold various tracts of land. He
is now the owner of 160 acres in Hopkins Township
all of which is tillable.

Mr. Fanning was first married in Round Grove,
Hopkins Township, in March, 1855, to Miss Louisa
Simonson, daughter of Frederick and Sabrina (Har-
vey) Simonson^ who were natives of the State of
New York. Mrs. F. was born in Tioga Co., N.
Y., and died in Hopkins Township, Nov. 8, 1868.
Mr. F. was again married Nov. 22, 1870, to Mary J.,
daughter of John and Mary A. (Stackhouse) Lefferts,
natives of Pennsylvania, who came to Whiteside
County in the spring of 1855 and settled in Hopkins
Township, where they lived till their death. He
died March 8, 1871, and she April 29, 1884. They
had a family of six children, Mary J., Carrie E.,
Anna J., Sarah E., Charles H. and Susanna. Mary J,
(Mrs. F.) was born in Newtown, Pa., Aug. 20, 1840,
and came to Whiteside County when about 15 years
old, with her parents. She taught school a number
of years, commencing in 1859, in Hopkins Township.
Mr. and Mrs. F. are the parents of four children,
Phebe, Frank C., Jessie and Omar A.

Mr. Fanning was an active member of the Patrons
of Husbandry, having been Secretary of the State
organization four years. He has held many of the
township offices, as Commissioner of Highways one
term, Collector two years, Township Assessor 12
years, Township Trustee, etc. In politics he is
identified with the Republican party and its inter-
ests.

heodore S. Barrett, a retired farmer liv-
ing on section 25, Hopkins Township, was
born April 17, 1808, in Madison Co., N. Y.
He was educated in the public schools, which
he attended until he was about 18 years old,
and at that age entered the academy at Caze-
N. Y., where he was a student two years.

nova,

WHITESIDE COUNTY.

After becoming his own master, he engaged in dairy
farming and operated in his native State until 1856,
when he came to Whiteside County. After a stay of
two years at Sterling he bought 100 acres of land on
sections 25 and 26 in Hopkins Township. On this
he fixed his place of residence, and it has since been
his home. His estate includes 125 acres of land,
which is chiefly under tillage.

Mr. Barrett is an adherent of the Republican
party. He has officiated as Township Clerk and in
other minor offices.

The first marriage of Mr. Barrett, to Caroline Da-
mon, took place Nov. 14; 1830, in Madison Co., N.
Y. Frances G., Theodore H., Lorenzo M. and
Lucia C. are the names of the children of whom
they became the parents. The mother died July
8, 1860, in Hopkins Township. Mr. Barrett formed
a second matrimonial alliance Oct. 10, 1864, at Ster-
ling, with Jerusha B. (McCune) Eggleston. She is the
daughter of Stephen and Polly (Davenport) McCune,
and was the widow of Daniel Eggleston, who died in
Indiana in 1858, leaving two children, Adella and
George W. Mrs. Barrett was born May 16, 1822,
in Oswegp Co., N. Y. She is a member of the Meth-
odist Episcopal Church.

illiam P. Palmer, grain, coal and lumber
merchant, at Sterling, was born in Frank-
lin Co., Pa., Oct. 9, 1846. His parents,
Jonas C. and Catharine (Fleck) Palmer,
were also natives of that State ; his" father
was a farmer by vocation.
After obtaining a district-school education, the
subject of this notice, at the age of 19 years, attend-
ed the Iron City College at Pittsburg for a period of
six months. At the age of 20 he left home and for
a year was clerk in a grain house at Chambersburg,
then until 1877 he was a member of the firm of
Keefer, Palmer & Co., dealing in grain, coal and ag-
ricultural implements. Then selling out his inter-
est in the latter business, he came to Sterling and
assumed charge of the interests of the Langford &
Hall Lumber Company. Two years afterward he
bought them out, and since then he has managed
the business alone. He is a successful and enter-
prising business man, shrewd and well qualified for

public trusts. Politically, he is a Republican, and
religiously a member of the Presbyterian Church of
Sterling, as is also his wife : both were members of
the First Reformed Church in Chambersburg, Pa.
He is a member of the Orders of Masonry, Legion
of Honor and Knights of Pythias. He is also a mem-
ber of the Wallace School Board, and in the muni-
cipality he is at present the Chairman of the Com-
mittee on Streets and Alleys.

In the spring of 1865 he married Maggie B., a
daughter of Michael and Mary (Bear) Rutt, and of
Pennsylvania!! nativity, born in 1866. Mr. and Mrs.
Palmer have four children : Bertie, Minnie, John G.
and Bessie. The last named died at three years of
age.

|'|:urrell V. Daniels, farmer, section 5, Union
Grove Township, has been a resident of
Whiteside County since 1849. He was
born in Canada, Feb. 14, 1833. His father
and mother, Asa and Almira (Vance) Daniels,
were natives of Vermont. They were resi-
dents of Canada after they were married, and re-
turned to Vermont, whence the father came, in 1846,
to the township of Ustick and located on section 32.
In 1850 his family joined him. The senior Daniels
met his death April 15, 1874, by a fall from aloadof
hay. The mother is living in Ustick Township.
Their family included seven children, David, War-
ner, Amos and Asahel (twins), Sylvia, Burrell V. and
Martha.

Mr. Daniels came to Whiteside County in June,
1849, and has since been engaged in farming. He
is now the owner of 310 acres of land in the town-
ship of Union Grove and has placed 250 acres under
tillage. His stock includes 18 horses, 20 head of
cattle and he fattens an average of 40 hogs annually.
He is identified with the Republican party in polit-
ical sentiment and action.

The marriage of Mr. Daniels to Mary E. Cass
took place Feb. 14, 1855, in Ustick Township, and
they have had three sons, Wallace M., Wyman F.
and Adelbert W. The second child died when one
year and eight months old. Mrs. Daniels is the
daughter of Jehiel and Sally (Scott) Cass. Her par-
ents were natives of Vermont and had nine children,
Cynthia, Rosina, Maria, Mary E., Sarah, George,

-f*i^

3=1

) f

cat

(

Alonzo, Emily and Estella. Mrs. Daniels was born
June 4, 1836, in Canada ; at the age of 3 years, her
parents moved to Irasburg-, Orleans Co., Vt., where
they lived until they came to Whiteside County in
1854. Her mother died July 26, 1869, in Union
Grove Township. Her father is a farmer in Dakota,
where he went in the fall of 1883. He is in his
79th year.

Mr. Daniels, and also his children, are zealous and
able Republicans, advocates of temperance and op-
ponents of secret societies.

-t-

-5-

,,enry C. Donaldson, M. D., of Morrison, one
of the pioneer physicians of Whiteside
County of 1847, was born in Guilford, Che-
"l^ nango Co., N. Y., April 19, 1825, and is the son
of the Rev. Asa and Delia (Allen) Donaldson.
His father was born at Munson, Hampshire
Co., Mass., Sept. 4, 1788, was a Presbyterian clergy-
man and died at Chariton, Iowa, Feb. 3, 1876, aged
88 years. His mother died at Maiden, 111., July 4,

1862, aged 61 years.

Henry C. went to Tioga Co., Pa., in 1831, with his
parents, and from there to Bureau Co., 111., in 1839.
He was educated at Princeton Academy, and entered
Rush Medical College in 1846, took a regular course
and graduated in the class of 1849-50. He began
practice in Whiteside County in 1847, and has pur-
sued it continuously to this date, covering a period of
38 years, and has made his home at Morrison since

1863. He is a member of the State Medical Asso-
ciation, and also of the County Medical Society, of
which he has been President several years. During
the existence of the Rock River Medical Association
he was a member of that society and for some time
its Secretary. He was elected Coroner of Whiteside
County in i88i,and has held that office continuously
since.

Dr. Donaldson was married in Prophetstown, 111.,
Jan. 14, 1849, to Miss Bethiah Ellithorp, daughter of
Sampson and Eliza (Wight) Ellithorp. Mrs. Donald-
son was born in Saratoga Co., N. Y. They have had
four children : Ira B. married Ella Smith and lives in
Exeter,. Neb.; Evelyn E. was the wife of Dr. W. L.
Duffin, and died aged 25 years; Lizzie married Dr.
W. L. Duffin, the husband of her deceased sister,

and resides in Guttenburg, Iowa; Earl S. is a physi- i
cian in practice at Hudson, Iowa. Dr. Donaldson, <;
wife and children are members of the Congregational *
Church. The Doctor has served as Deacon of the
Church since 1864. He is a member of Dunlap V.
Lodge, A. F. & A. M., No. 321, and votes the Re-
publican ticket.

ohn H. filey, farmer, section 18, Hopkins
Township, is a son of John H. and Maria
Bley, who were natives of Germany, where
they died. They had a family of three chil-
dren, John H., Elizabeth and Frederick. Mr.
Bley, of this sketch, was born in Germany, July
3, 1835, lived in his native land till 1860, when he
came to America and direct to Whiteside County,
locating in Hopkins Township. Soon afterward he
purchased 160 acres of land, where he settled and
has since lived. He is now the owner of 215 acres
in the township, most of which is cultivated.

Mr. Bley was married in Hopkins Township,
March 15, 1869, to Margaret Staassen, who was born
in Germany, July 9, 1843. They have had eight
children, six of whom are surviving, viz.: Johanna
E., Emily M,, Frederick G., William M., Anna H.
and John H., Jr.; two died in infancy.

Mr. and Mrs. B. are members of the German
Lutheran Church. In politics he is identified with
the Democratic party.

'ohn Fieldsend, farmer, resident on section
15, Clyde Township, was born April 30,
1828, in the town of Thurston, Yorkshire,
England. Benjamin Fieldsend, his father,
was a tailor by profession and instructed his
son in the details of that business, which he
followed from the age of 14 years to that of 21. He
also worked as a "jour" one year.

He was married Aug. 5, 1850, in Yorkshire, to
Ann, daughter of William and Lucy A. (Askam)
Greaves. The parents of Mrs. Fieldsend were born
in Yorkshire and were residents there throughout
their entire lives. Her father died Oct. 23, 1881

WHITES1DE COUNTY.

when he was 77 years old. The demise of the
mother occurred in June, 1851. Mrs. Fieldsend
was born in Snowdenhill, Yorkshire, June 24, 1826.
To her and her husband eight children have been
born, two of whom are deceased. William M., born
in England, March ii, 1852, married Agnes Platt
and is a farmer in Dakota; Ben, born Nov. 19, 1853,
in England, is deceased; Sarah, born Aug. 12, 1855.
in Wisconsin, is the wife of James Davis, a farmer in
Plymouth Co., Iowa; Lucy A., born Sept. 6, 1857, in
Wisconsin, is the wife of Win. West, a farmer in Clyde
Tp. ; Martha, born Dec. 30, 18*0, also in Wiscon-
sin, married William Comady, a farmer of Clyde ;
Isabella was born Aug. 19, 1863, in Wisconsin;
Mary, March 27, 1866, in Illinois; and Caroline,
born July n, 1868, also in this State, is deceased.

Mr. Fieldsend followed his business as a tailor
four years subsequent to his marriage. In the sum-
mer of 1854 he removed his family to the United
States and remained one season in Poughkeepsie, in
the State of New York. From there they went to
Dodgeville, Iowa Co., Wis. He passed some time
working as a tailor and later purchased Government
land, on which he "farmed" until 1864. In that
year he settled in Illinois on the tract of land which
has since constituted his homestead. His farm in-
cluded 80 acres at the date of purchase, but he has
made additional purchases until it now comprises
231 acres of well improved land, under the best kind
of cultivation. He owns some fine stock and is in-
terested in its improvement.

Mr. Fieldsend and his wife were reared in the
English Church. Politically, he is a decided Dem-
ocrat.

( artin Ryerson, carpenter and farmer, sec-
tion 14, Hopkins Township, is a son of
David and Esther (Burr) Ryerson, who
were natives respectively of New Jersey
and New York State. They married and set-
tled in that State and lived there, where he was
engaged in farming, till their death. They had a
family of seven children, namely : Martin, Harriet,
Lilah, John, Mary, George and Sarah.

The subject of this sketch was born in New Jersey,
Sept. 28, 1824. He received a common-school edu-

cation, and at the age of 16 was apprenticed for four
years, at ten cents per day, to learn the carpenter's
trade, which vocation he has followed mostly up to
the present time. In the spring of 1850 he came to
Whiteside County and engaged in carpentering, and
soon afterward bought 80 acres of land on section
14, on which he has erected fine buildings. He owns
125 acres of land in Hopkins Township, 120. acres
of which is tillable.

He was married in Sterling to Margaret Johnson,
daughter of Robert and Rebecca (Truax) John-
son, who were natives respectively of Maryland and
Pennsylvania. Mrs. R..was born in Pennsylvania.
Mr. and Mrs. R. are the parents of four children,
Sarah, Esther, Martin J. and John. John is deceased
and Esther is now the wife of Pardon Angel and
resides in Como.

Mr. Ryerson has been Overseer of Highways. He
and his wife are members of the Methodist Episco-
pal Church. In politics he is identified with the
Republican party.

F enry M. Grinnold, deceased, a pioneer of
Whiteside County, and in his life-time a
resident of Fulton, was born in the State of
New York, Jan. i, 1813, and removed in his
youth with his parents to Berkshire Co., Mass.
He learned the shoemaker's trade in the toivn
of Egremont, of that county, and in 1838 came to
Whiteside Co., 111., settling near Thompson.

He was married July 18, 1839, in the township of
Garden Plain, to Miss Eliza T. Parker, daughter of
Abel and Eleanor (Howe) Parker. Mrs. Grinnold
was born in Wells Township, Rutland Co., Vt,
March 10, 1823. Her people were from Connecti-
cut, and had moved to Wells about the time of the
war of 1812-14. Her father carried on milling ex-
tensively at Wells, and emigrated to Garden Plain,
this county, in 1836. Mr. G. had a fine farm of 160
acres at Garden Plain Corners, but he worked at his
trade more or less, and in 1854 opened a general
store at Fulton. In 1855 he moved his family to
the city, where they have continued to reside. He
continued in business till October, 1858, when he
was burned out, sustaining a heavy loss. In. the
spring of 1859, when the Pike's Peak gold fever was

c!)

^_ /-\ l*^*.

WHITESIDE COUNTY.

beginning to rage, Mr. Grinnotd became infected
with it and made a trip to the mountains, hoping
also to improve his health, which was greatly im-
paired. He returned in the fall of that year some-
what encouraged, spent the winter at home, and the
following spring set out for Pike's Peak again. Dur-
ing the summer his health failed rapidly, and he
started- for the home which he was never destined to
reach, his death occurring on the road Aug. n,
1860.

Mr. and Mrs. Grinnold had eight children :
Henry, the eldest, was accidentally shot on the cars,
while traveling in the West, and killed; John died
aged 1 6 years; Jones and Lydia E. died in infancy;
Mellie A. is residing with her mother at Fulton ;
William S. died aged five years; Mary E. died aged
21 years; and Hattie M., the youngest, resides with
her mother.

Mr. Grinnold was a Republican, and while a resi-
dent of Garden Plain held the offices of Justice of
the Peace and Town Clerk.

Mrs. G. and daughters are members of the Meth-
odist Episcopal Church.

P. Royer, farmer, section 7, Hopkins
Township, is a son of Christian and Mary
(Whitmer) Royer, natives of Pennsylvania,
who still reside in their native State. They
had a family of 13 children, whose names are
Jacob W., George A., David and Christian
(twins), Cyrus E., C. F., Washington, Ellie C., Mary
E., Alice G., Elam and Ezra (twins) and Ida F.

The subject of this sketch was born in Franklin
Co., Pa., June 24, 1856, received his education mostly
in the common schools and remained at home till the
spring of 1877, when he came to Whiteside County,
and for three years worked out by the month, farm-
ing, and then went to Kansas, where he remained
one year and then resided alsj a year in Iowa, most
of the time dealing in stock. He finally returned to
this county, where he rented a farm of 200 acres on
section 7, where he now resides.

He was married in Coleta, Jan. 5, 1882, to Clara,
daughter of James S. and Hester (Hanawalt) Mc-
Cauley, who were natives of Virginia and Ohio.
They came to Whiteside County in the year 1853,

settling in Hopkins Township, where they have
since lived. They had a family of eight children,
namely: Marcellus, Mary C., John W., Alice A., Ida
R., Clara and Willie ; one died in infancy. Mrs. R.
was born in Hopkins Township, April 6, 1861. She
and her husband are the parents of two children,
Bertha M., born Jan. 22, 1883, and James Chris-
tian, born April 20, 1885. They are members of
the Methodist Episcopal Church. In political mat-
ters, Mr. Royer is identified with the Republican
party.

^*VJ^^

homas Mathew has been a resident in the
township of Hopkins since 1836. In this
year he is recorded among the pioneer
settlers of the township to which he came one
year after the first permanent resident took up
his abode here. He owns 525 acres of land
in the township, and 500 acres are under good im-
provements, and well furnished with excellent and
necessary buildings. He first purchased 80 acres of
land, on which he operated two years, and sold it in
1838, buying 80 acres on the section where he has
resided since, and which forms the nucleus of his
present large estate.

He was born in Scotland, where his parents,
Thomas and Margaret (Thompson) Mathew, were
born, lived and died. Their children, seven in num-
ber, were born in the following order: Andrew,
Robert, Thomas, Margaret, Euphemia, Elizabeth, Ag-
nes and Jane. Mr. Mathew's birth occurred July
15, 1808. He came from Scotland to the United
States in 1835, and passed his first year on the soil
of the New World in the State of Vermont, whence
he came to Illinois.

He was married Nov. 28, 1862, in Hopkins Town-
ship, to Margaret, daughter of William and Jeannette
Mathew, and widow of Reuben Dumire. By her
first husband she became the mother of four chil-
dren, Jeannette, Mary C., William T. and Reuben.
The children born of the second marriage are named
Thomas and Robert. The mother died Sept. 25,
1865. Mr. Mathew was a second time married July
9, 1868, in Hopkins Township, to Anna B. Thomp-
son. She was born Feb. 28, 1849, ' n Scotland. Jean-
nie B., William A., Robert A. and Elizabeth G. arc

WHITESIDE COUNTY.

the names of the children of which she became the
mother. Mr. Mat hew is again a widower, his wife
having died July 7, 1876.

In his political connection Mr. M. is a Republican,
and he has held various official positions ; and, be-
ing a prominent and representative citizen, as well
?s one of the oldest pioneers of the county, his por-
trait, on a preceding page, will naturally be expected
in this connection by the reading public.

R. Cobb, Secretary and Treasurer of the
(ASK Sterling Gazette Company and its manag-
ing editor, was born in Elizabeth City, N.
C., Oct. 4, 1846. The greater part of his
life since reaching manhood has been given
to his newspaper profession. He was for four
years an officer in the United States Navy. He
came West in the fall of 1876; taught a country
school for a year and a half; assumed editorial
charge of the Fulton (Whiteside Co.) Journal in
1879; became editor and secretary of the Sterling
Gazette in 1880; and upon the reorganization of that
institution in 1882 was made its general business
manager and editor.

Although a Southern man and a slave-holder by
birth, Mr. Cobb's sympathies and "material aid"
were with and for the Union during the late war. In
polities he has always been a Republican: His peo-
ple are among the oldest of the settlers of the " Old
North State," the old homestead having been in the
possession of his family for over 200 years. His
mother and brother yet live in the ancestral home.
Mr. Cobb married Laura E. John, of Elizabeth City,
N. C., in 1869. There have been seven children by
this marriage, three of whom, two daughters and a
son, are living.

!=*=

ames A. Wessel, farmer, section 8, Union
ji- Grove Tp., bought 40 acres of land on
^ the same section on which he is now re-
siding, where he pursued the vocation of farm-
ing, to which he had been bred in his native
State. In February, 1876, he sold the land of
his original purchase, and bought 120 acres on the

same section (8), where he has since prosecuted his
agricultural projects.

Mr. Wessel was born Jan. 31, 1835, in Oswego
Co., N. Y. His parents, Luke and Nancy (Allen)
Wessel, were natives of the Empire State and lived
for some time after their marriage in Oswego County,
removing thence, in 1842, to Jefferson County in the
same State, where they both died. They had eight
children, John, Maria, Belinda, Jane, Mary, Char-
lotte, James A. and Henry.

Mr. Wessel was seven years of age when he ac-
companied his parents to Jefferson Co., N. Y. He
there received his education and was brought up a
farmer by his father, removing when he was 30 years
of age to Whiteside County. His entire farm is un-
der the plow and compares favorably as to value
with the farms by which it is surrounded.

Mr. Wessel is a Republican in political views and
connections.

He was united in marriage to Esther J. Gooden-
ough, Jan. 8, 1863, in Oswego Co., N. Y. He was
married the same day of the month, and in the same
town, county, house and room in which his wife's
father and mother were married. She was born in
Jefferson Co., N. Y., Sept. 9, 1845, and is the daugh-
ter of Willard A. and Nancy J. Goodenough, who
are now residents of Union Grove Township and
whose sketch may be found on another page of this
work.

Mr. and Mrs. Wessel have four children, Frank
E., Gertie J.. Bessie E. and Myrtle L.

ichard Alldritt, general farmer, resident
on section 20, Clyde Township, was born
Jan. 4, 1819, in Staffordshire, England,
and is the son of Thomas and Ann Alldritt >
an account of whose lives may be found in
the sketch of W. Alldritt in another portion of
this work.

He is the fifth son and fifth child of his parents,
who had 12 children, and he was six years of age
when they came with their family to America, land-
ing at the port of Boston. Two years later they
went to Lowell, Mass., where the father died about

\ ^fcjiBia.jp^ M&itffi>

WHITESIDE COUNTY.

four years later. He was a manufacturer of earthen-
ware in his native country. Mr. Alldritt lived in
Massachusetts until 1844, when he came West and
settled in Clyde Township, where he entered a claim
of 200 acres of land on which he interested himself
vigorously in establishing a home. The entire town-
ship was chiefly in an unsettled condition. He is
still a resident on the place of which he holds 163
acres, and chiefly under the plow..

He was married Dec. 31, 1848, in Union ville, in
Whiteside County, to Orrilla, daughter of Elisha and
Clarissa (VVilber) Bosley. Her parents were born
respectively in Pennsylvania and Vermont, and after
their marriage they settled in Trumbull Co., Ohio,
where her father followed the profession of a mill-
wright for many years, and where Mrs. Alldritt was
born in Farmington, April 9, 1828. She was in early
womanhood when her parents settled in Whiteside
Co., 111. She became the mother of nine children,
three of whom are deceased. Emma is the wife of
Julius Elftman, and resides in Canton, Minnesota.
Her husband is a preacher in the M. E. Church.
Albert married Anna Heacock, and is a stock-buyer
at Friendville, Neb. Alonzo E. is a butcher by
calling. Henry and Orrilla, and Frank also, live at
home. The mother died March 21, 1875. Lucy
died aged six years. Edward died at the age of 18
months. Mr. Alldritt is a member of the Wesleyan
Church, his wife belonged to the Methodist Episcopal
Church. He is a Republican in political connection,
and has been Poor Master and Road Commissioner.

Imer Perault, farmer, section 28, Union
Grove Township, was born June 17, 1843,
in Canada, and his parents, Peter and Betsey
(Conkling) Perault, were also born in the Do-
minion. They are still living there. When
Mr. Perault was 18 years of age, he left Can-
ada, where he had hitherto passed his life, and went
to Vermont. He was employed one year in a tan-
nery and went thence to Massachusetts, where he
continued until 1866, engaged in the same occupa-
tion. In the winter of that year he transferred his
esidence to Whiteside County and bought 141 acres

of land where he has since been occupied in farming.
He has added several acres by later purchase, and
owns 185 acres, constituting a farm which in pro-
ductive value ranks fairly with surrounding estates.
In political connections and opinions Mr. Perault
adopts the principles and issues of the Republican
party, and he has held the offices of Highway Over-
seer and School Director. He belongs to the Ma-
sonic fraternity.

The marriage of Mr. Perault to Martha R. J. Coe
occurred Dec. 4, 1867, in Union Grove Township.
John I. and Rebecca (Moon) Coe, her parents, were
natives of Ohio. They came to Whiteside County in
1841 and settled in the township of Union Grove,
where they both died. Mrs. Perault was born in
October, 1847, in Erie Co., Ohio. She has been the
mother of four children, one dying in infancy. Jen-
nie E., Charles O. and Eva A. are still living.

i Ilium Mensch, farmer, section 18, Hopkins
Township, is a son of John and Chribtiun-
, na (Heinbach) Mensch, who were natives
(' of Pennsylvania and of German descent, and
passed their entire lives in that State. They
had a family of nine children who lived to grow
up, namely : Sarah, Michael, Eliza, Jesse, Christian,
Maria, William, Catherine and Abby.

William, the subject of this sketch, was born in
Columbia Co., Pa., April 3, 1826. He lived in his
native State till 1860, where he followed farming, and
in the spring of that year came to Whiteside County
and bought 165 acres of land in Hopkins Township,
on section 18, where he settled and has since lived.
He is now the owner of 337 acres, most of which is
well cultivated. He has erected fine buildings on
his farm, and in many ways enhanced its value. He
was married in Columbia Co., Pa., about Dec. 26,
1847, to Anna C. Leiby, who was born in Columbia
Co., Pa., Jan. 9, 1826. She was a daughter of Jacob
and Mary (Harmon) Leiby, who were also natives of
the Keystone State. They had a family of 12 chil-
dren, namely: Reuben, Mary, David, Rebecca,
Jacob, Isaac, Samuel, Anna C., John, Emeline, Har-
riet and Ira Jackson. Mr. and Mrs. M. have had 16
>tiH-^v>, ^

">rv-;4HXDMM.'y"v w
WHITESIDE COUNTY.

children, ten surviving: Martin L., William A., Eva,
John H., Alice, Harriet, Jacob M., Clarence H.,
Laura J. and Ida are living, and Maria, Emeline,
Lovina, Mary M., Sarah C. and Ellen M. are
deceased.

Mr. Mensch has been Overseer of Highways, School
Director and Highway Commissioner. Mr. and Mrs.
M. are members of the German Lutheran Church.
In politics, Mr. Mensch is identified with the Demo-
cratic party.

teiram P. Smith, a farmer of Clyde Township j
resident on section 7, was born in Black
Creek Township, Luzerne Co., Pa., May
20, 1834. His parents, Abraham and Cath-
erine (McMurtrie) Smith, were born in New
Jersey. Their parents were natives of New
England and were of Irish extraction. His paternal
ancestors emigrated to New England previous to the
days of the Revolution. His father and mother
were married in Black Creek Township, and they
lived there all the years of their united lives, attain-
ing a respected and useful position in society. The
father was prominent in military affairs and held the
rank of Major in the militia alxnit 17 years. He
died Sept. 30, 1876,' aged 79 years. The mother is
84 years of age and is still resident on the home-
stead. Five of their nine children are living.

Mr. Smith is the fifth child in order of birth and
until he reached his majority lived at home, mean-
while obtaining such education as was possible at
that period, and also acquiring a complete knowledge
of agricultural arts. On obtaining the control and
direction of his own time he attended Wyoming
Seminary for some time, and completed an entire
course of study. He afterwards engaged in teach-
ing in his native county, passing the alternate sum-
mer seasons in agricultural labors. He passed six
years in this manner and meanwhile came West, ar-
riving in Lee Co., 111., in October, 1858. Nov. 19,
1861, he was married to Catherine, daughter of John
and Jane (Flick) Smith. Mrs. Smith is of German
descent, her grandparents having emigrated from
Germany to Pennsylvania. Her parents were mar-
. ried in Columbia Co., Pa., and afterwards located in

Lycoming County, in that State, whence they came,
some years later, to Clyde Township and are now
living on a farm on section 18. Mrs. Smith was born
in Briar Creek Township, Columbia Co., Pa., Nov.
19, 1841. She was about two years old when her
parents went to Lycoming County, where she was
principally educated. She was 1 7 years of age when
her father removed to Illinois. The family first lo-
cated in Ogle County, removing later to Lee County,
fixing their residence near Dixon. She became a
teacher and taught school two terms in Lee County
and was married there. The family circle now in-
cludes six children, Wellington L., Emma J., Mary
A., Clement R., Eva M. and Hiram P., Jr.

Soon after their marriage, Mr. and Mrs. Smith set-
tled in Fair Haven Township, Carroll County, this
State, whence they removed, two years afterward,
to Clyde Township. They managed a farm two
years in the interests of John F. Demmon, after
which they purchased 80 acres of land on section 7,
Clyde Township. The property is finely located
and the homestead no rV contains 1 60 acres of land,
all under good improvement and well stocked. At
the time it came into the possession of Mr. Smith it
was all unbroken prairie. The cattle or. the place
are valuable grades of Short-Horns.

Mr. Smith affiliates with the Democratic party and
has held the minor offices of the township. With
his wife, he is a member of the Methodist Episcopal
Church.

Joseph W. Bump, farmer, Clyde Township,
resident on section 27, was born June 16,
1831, in De Ruyter Township, Madison
Co., N. Y. His father and mother, Marcus
and Mary A. (Winegar) Bump, were natives
respectively of New England and the State of
New York, and were both of New England origin.
They were farmers and resided after their marriage
in Madison County until their death. They were
both members of the Friends, a society of Quakers.
The father was about 70 years of age when he died,
in 1871. The mother died in 1858 and was nearly
60 years of age.

Mr. Bump remained at home until he was 18 years
of age, engaged principally in obtaining his educa-

VJ>
\\

tion. In 1849 he went to Cayuga County, in his
native State, where he entered into an apprenticeship
with his uncle, Edward Mitchell, to learn the busi-
ness of a blacksmith. He remained under his
instructions three years, removing meanwhile to
Onondaga County in the same State. He pursued
his trade in his native State until he was 23 years of
age.

In March, 1855, he came, unaccompanied, to Illi-
nois and at once purchased 160 acres of land in
Clyde Township. The broad acres of the prairie
were still unbroken by the plow and stretched away
under the summer sun and the wintry snows in
glorious promise, which the energetic, industrious and
judicious farmer has brought to realization. He gave
little attention to his farm for a few years, but began
to prepare for his future success by working at various
points at his trade and as a farm laborer.

He was married Dec. 27, 1865, in Fairview, Mer-
cer Co., Pa., whither he went to accomplish that
purpose, to Alvira L. Converse. She was born Aug.
4, 1836, in Medina Co., Ohio, and is the daughter of
Winthrop and Laura (Wentworth) Converse. Her
father was a farmer and was a native of Massachu-
setts. Her mother was born in Canada. Both par-
ents were of English descent and of New England
origin. The former died in Mercer Co., Pa., in
August, 1868, and was 66 years of age. After that
event the mother went to liv x e with her son in Iowa,
and died in September, 1882. She was 81 years of
age. "Mrs. Bump was five years old when her parents
went to Mercer Co., Pa., where she was educated.

The children belonging to the household of Mr.
and Mrs. Bump were born as follows: Myron C.,
Sept. 2, 1866; Winthrop M., March 26, 1869; Mar-
cus S., Nov. 1 6, 1873.

After their marriage Mr. and Mrs. Bump settled
on the farm in Clyde Township, which has since
been the field of their labors and where they have
reared their children. The improvements include a
fine residence and good farm buildings, and the
place is well stocked with a good grade of Durham
cattle. Mrs. Bump is a member of the Baptist
Church, of which her father was at one time a minis-
ter. Mr. Bump is a believer in the tenets of the
Friends, in which he was brought up. He is a Re-
publican of vigorous views.

In August, 1862, he entered the Union army, lay-

ing aside his peace principles in the cause of his
country. He enlisted in the 751)1 Regiment of Illi-
nois Volunteers, enrolling in Company C, under
Captain Altman, of Morrison. He was with his reg-
iment in the battle of Perrysville, Ky., Sept. 8, 1862,
and, six days later, was engagad in a lively skirmish
with the rebels at a point between Lancaster and
Danville, Ky. Soon after he contracted camp diar-
rhea which was attended with typhoid fever, and
was placed on the sick list at Danville, where he was
sent to the hospital. He was removed to the hos-
pital at Lexington, Ky., and received honorable dis-
charge from thence in the spring of 1863. He
escaped the risks of the battlefields to encounter
those of the army hospitals.

Bwsro W. Terpenning, general farmer, resi-
itM : f dent at Coleta, Genesee Township, was
born May 22, 1842, in Cayuga Co., N. Y.
Peter Terpenning, his father, was born in the
same State, and was of New England parent-
age and German descent. He was a farmer
and married Lydia Anable, also a native of New
York and of mixed English and French extraction.
They removed after some years to Lenawee Co.,
Mich., settling in the township of Addison. The
father died there March 16, 1857, at the age of 46
years. The mother died in April, 1884, aged 78.
They were prosperous and became prominent in the
community where they resided. They had ten chil-
dren.

Mr. Terpenning is the eighth child, and he was
tow years of age when his parents came to Michigan.
When he was ten years old he came to Genesee
Township, and lived with relatives. He obtained a
good fundamental education and was sent to Mt.
Carroll Seminary, where he completed a more thor-
ough course of study.

He was married Nov. 22, 1865, to Angelina.
daughter of Ivory and Alzina (White) Colcord. (See
sketch of W. H. Colcord.) She was born Nov. 22,
1847, in Genesee Township. Mr. and Mrs. Terpen-
ning have three children : Frank I. was born Jan.
i, 1868; Harry E. was born Jan. 24, 1869; Aeolia
V., Sept. 3, 1871.

After their marriage Mr. and Mrs. Terpenning re-

-
,

_:.7^VTv

j -.

- .. -

WHITESIDE COUNTY.

sided five years on a farm, which at that time con-
tained 40 acres, and in 1876 they settled on the
Colcord estate, where they were residents until 1883,
the date of their removal to the village of Coleta,
where they own 24 acres of land on the south bound-
ary. Mr. Terpenning is also the owner of 260 acres
of land in Genesee Township, nearly all under im-
provement.

Mr. Terpenning is Steward in the Methodist Epis-
copal Church, of which his wife is also a member.
He is a Republican of consistent and honorable
record.

B. Shirk, of the mercantile firm of
Shirk Bros., at Morrison, dealers in cloth-
ing and furnishing goods for gentlemen,
was born May 23d, 1840, in Clarion Co^
Pa. He is a son of Charles and Sarah (Gal-
braith) Shirk, residents of Morrison, of whom
an extended sketch, with a record of their several
children, may be found on another page of this work.
The father of Mr. Shirk has been and is still an
extensive land proprietor of Whiteside County, and
the son was reared on a farm. He lived on a farm
until the fall of 1878, when, in company with his
brother William, he came to Morrison and embarked
in the business in which they have since been en-
gaged, and have operated with success.

Mr. Shirk formed a matrimonial Alliance with
Jennie G. Gates Dec. 20, 1864, at Cooperstown,
Venango Co., Pa., and they have had three children,
namely : Elizabeth, George and Mary.

Mrs. Shirk was born in Clarion Co., Pa., and is the
daughter of George and Elizabeth Gates.

i illiam Alldritt is a farmer of prominence
on section 29, Clyde Township, and was
born Oct. 6, 1823, in Bradley, Stafford-
shire, England. His parents, Thomas and
Ann (Jackson) Alldritt, were natives of the
/same country and of unmixed English descent,
and his father was engaged in active business life in
his own country until 1824, when he left England to
found a home in the New World.

Mr. Alldritt is the seventh son and was less than a
year old when the family emigrated to America. He
was too young to walk alone, but he learned while
on ship-board, and made his first trip on fool across
the cabin of the captain. They made port in Bos-
ton harbor, and went from that city, after a short
residence, to Lowell, in the same State. In that
place Mr. Alldritt grew to a suitable size and age to
attend school. His father died there in February,
1831, and when he was 12 years of age his mother
removed to a farm in the country. The family re-
mained there until 1845. I' 1 May f tnat y ear the
mother, with four children, came to Whiteside
County, whither Richard, an elder son, had come pre-
vious. They located on a farm which included 180
acres situated on sections 20, 29 and 33, and bought
by the mother and her son Richard.

William Alldritt was an inmate of his mother's
home until his first marriage, which occurred Jan.
24, 1855, to Mary C. Griffin. She was .born in 1827
in Methuen, Mass., and her parents were of New
England origin. They have been dead some years.
After their decease she came to the township of
Clyde with an elder brother, and she was there mar-
ried to Mr. Alldritt. She died Dec. 25, 1855, sur-
viving her marriage but about one year. She was a
lady of prominent Christian character, and was
highly respected. Mr. Alldritt was a second time
married March 4, 1860, in Clyde Township, to Julia
A., daughter of Leonard and Mary (Sparr) Hiner.
Her parents were born in Pennsylvania of German
ancestors, and were among the earliest settlers of the
Keystone State. The daughter was born Jan. 2,
1841, in Wayne Co., Ohio, whither her parents had
removed several years before her birth. When she
was seven years of age her parents went to Mercer
Co., Ohio, remaining there seven years. The fam-
ily came to Illinois in 1855 and located in the east
part of Whiteside County. Later they settled in
Clyde Township, where the mother died in the fall
of 1878, aged nearly 71 years. The father is yet
living. Mr. and Mrs. Alldritt have had six children :
Charles J., lx>rn May u, 1864; William R., June 4,
1866; Benjamin F., Aug. 10, 1868; Nathan G.,
July 31, 1870; William was born Feb. 2, 1861, and
died July 19, 1863; Minnie M. was born Aug. 15,
1862, and died July 13, 1863. But six days inter-
vened between their deaths.

At the date of his second marriage, Mr. Alldritt

_-.-,

WHITESIDE COUNTY.

became a resident on the homestead in Clyde-Town-
ship, which he has since occupied. It contains 145
acres, all under cultivation, except ten acres, which
is in timber. The buildings on the place are credit-
able to its proprietor and a great addition to the
general appearance. His stock is valuable, and in-
cludes excellent grades. He is a practical apicul-
turist, and has about 30 stands of bees in his yard
on an average. He is a Republican of liberal views,
and has officiated in various town offices.

fohn S. Green, dealer in drugs, books and
stationery, at Morrison, and senior member
of the firm of J. S. Green & Co., grain,
lumber and coal merchants at the same place,
was born Dec. 13, 1831,111 Walton, Delaware
Co., N. Y., and is the son of Thomas J. and
Delilah N. (Fitch) Green. His father was a native of
Vermont, where he was born Feb. 10, 1810. He
went in early life to Walton, where he was married,
his wife being a native of that place (born in July,
1812). In 1842 the family removed to Deposit, in
the same State, where the demise of both parents
occurred, that of the mother being in 1870, and
that of the father in May, 1877. They had eight
children, of whom six survive. Mr. Green of this
sketch is the oldest. Sherman K. is a. boot and
shoe dealer at Kansas City, Mo. Charles H. is a
salesman with the latter. Elizabeth N. is the wife
of Lyman M. Fitch, a farmer of Walton, N. Y.
Emma M. is the wife of Charles H. Bradshaw, of
Galesburg, 111. Eliza J. is unmarried.

Mr. Green was about ten years of age when his par-
ents removed from his native place to Deposit.
His education was conducted with the judgment
which characterizes the better classes in the mental
training of their children, and he was sent for sev-
eral years to an academy. After completing his
course of study,' he obtained a position as clerk and
later as a station agent on the line of the Erie Rail-
road, in which capacity he operated until he was
about 25 years of age.'

In 1857 he went to Kansas City, Mo., where he
was occupied as a book-keeper, and also became in-
terested in speculations in real estate, in which he
was occupied until the war between the North and
South destroyed all business relations in the latter
section. In April, 1862, Mr. Green closed his affairs

in Missouri and came to Morrison. He formed a
business opening in the drug trade, in which he has
since been interested, purchasing the stock of Dr.
VV. L. Coe. His business has been uniformly pros-
perous and the average value of the stock he carries
is about $10,000. He employs three assistants and
occupies the two lower stories and cellar of the
building of which he is the proprietor. It is con-
structed of brick and is 21 by 52 feet in size.

In December, 1883, the business firm of J. S.
Green & Co. was formed, comprising Mr. Green,
W. F. Johnson, a commission merchant of Chicago,
and M. H. Potter, of Morrison. The business trans-
actions of the house are extensive and include traffic
in grain, coal, lumber, lime, salt, cement and all
other building materials.. In the last named com-
modities (builders' supplies) they hold a monopoly
at Morrison, no other establishment in the city being
similarly engaged. Their facilities for the transac-
tion of their business are complete and consist of an
elevator, lumber and coal-yard with sheds, lime-
house and a dry-lumber room 50 by 98 feet in extent,
the whole occupying an area of about two acres.
Mr. Green has been actively interested in municipal
affairs since his location at Morrison and has served
1 2 years as City Treasurer. He has been Alderman
two terms and officiated in other minor positions.

Jan. 5, 1864, Mr. Green formed a matrimonial
alliance with Nellie A., daughter of Harvey E. and
Wealthy A. Williams. Their marriage took place at
Dixon, 111. Mrs. Green was born Oct 31, 1844, in
Genesee Co , N. Y. Four children have been born
to Mr. and Mrs. Green as follows: Harvey S., April
9, 1866; Ivy, July 6, 1869; Olive, June 28, 1877;
and Florence M., Feb. 18, 1881.

form Gsell, deceased, was formerly a resi-
? dent upon section 30, Clyde Township, and
was born Feb. 21, 1842, in Franklin Co.,
Pa. The full biographical sketch of his par-
ents may be found in the account of William
Gsell, which appears elsewhere in this work.
Mr. Gsell was brought up on his father's farm,
and was carefully trained in a knowledge of the de-
tails of agriculture, in which he was engaged all his
life. He lived at home until he was 21 years of age,
and, a. few months after reaching that period, he be-
came a householder.

WHITBSIDE COUNTY.

His marriage to Elizabeth Elter took place in
Franklin Co., Pa., Oct. 25, 1863. She is the daugh-
ter of John and Mary (Huber) Elter. Her father
was a German by birth and was educated in his na-
tive laud. He came in young manhood to the
United States, and his passage across the ocean was
memorable for its length and hardships. The scarcity
f food necessitated the use of bread which had be-
come so moldy from age that clouds of dust would
fly from it when the pieces were bitten. Mr. Elter
located in Pennsylvania and married his wife at
Rocky Springs in the same State. He was a farmer,
and, after their marriage, the parents of Mrs. Gsell
always lived in the same place. The mother died
in 1841, when her daughter was but five years of
age. The father was a second time married, and
died of paralysis about 1 86 1, after he had attained
to a great age. Their family included four daugh-
ters and two sons.

The surviving children of Mr. and Mrs. Gsell
were born as follows: Aaron, May 25, 1865;
Maria, Jan. 20, 1867; Barbara, July 23, 1868; Sarah,
June 13, .1870; William John, Oct. 8, 1873. They
have all been educated with care in the public
schools. Two children died in infancy.

After their marriage, Mr. and Mrs. Gsell lived on
a farm in Franklin Co., Pa., about two years, when
they removed to Illinois. They settled on one of the
best located farms in Clyde Township, which they
improved in the best possible way until it was greatly
increased in value by the character of the buildings,
stock and fixtures.

Mr. Gsell died Sept. 8, 1880. He was a Republi-
can and a member of the Mennonite Church.

Mrs. Gsell retains in her own right 133 acres of the
original homestead estate, and is its manager. She
belongs to the Dunkard Church.

likamuel W. Robinson, senior member of the
firm of S. W. Robinson & Bro., hardware
merchants and dealers in agricultural im-
plements at Morrison, was born Jan. 5, 1835,
in Zanesville, Ohio. Robert P. Robinson, his
father, was born in Pennsylvania in 1809, and
acquired a knowledge of the business of a foundry-
man and hardware merchant. He married Mary J.
^Culbertson, who was born in 1812 near the city of

Zanesville, Ohio, and was raised in Pittsburg, Penn-
sylvania, and a few years after transferred his fam-
ily and business interests to Zanesville, where he
engaged in the sale of hardware, and operated there
more than 20 years. In 1857 he came to Dixon, 111.,
and passed about four years in the foundry business.
About 1 86 1 he went to Sterling and established a
trade in agricultural implements, in which he was
interested to the time of his death. The mother died
at Zanesville. Of their seven children only the
brothers who are conducting a joint business at Mor-
rison are living.

Mr. Robinson was placed at school as soon as he
reached a suitable age, and his education was con-
ducted with care in the best schools at Zanes-
ville until he was 1 6 years of age, when he became
an assistant in his father's hardware business. This
he has made the vocation of his life, and he has
pursued it without intermission for 34 years (1885).
It is probably safe to venture the statement that he
is the senior hardware merchant in the county of
Whiteside. Entering his father's store in 1851, he
continued in the position of salesman and assistant
six years, and in 1857 came to Morrison and began
business independently on the site now occupied by
the Revere House. Almost simultaneously he be-
gan to make arrangements to establish himself per-
manently, and in the same year he built the store he
now occupies. It is constructed of brick, is three
stories in height above the cellar, and is connected
with a large warehouse, of brick, located on the rail-
road. In 1859 he admitted his brother, Frank H.,
to a partnership. (A biographical sketch of the
latter may be found elsewhere in this volume.) The
business of the Robinson brothers is extensive, and
includes all the branches common to establishments
of similar scope and purpose. Their stcck comprises
full and complete lines of hardware and agricultural
implements and machinery. They make a specialty
of farm machinery of every description. Their busi-
ness requires the aid of three assistants.

Mr. Robinson was united in marriage, Dec. 6,
1859, to Anna Gibbs, and they have had six chil-
children : William G. was born Sept. 6, 1860, and
is a clerk in his father's store; Paul, born Jan. 29,
1862, is engaged in the same capacity ; Mary C. was
born May 2, 1864; Maud was born May 6, 1870.
Two children died in infancy. Mrs. Robinson was

&
*

born in 1841, in Steuben Co., N. Y., and is the
daughter of Alanson and Sophronia Gibbs. She was
v ? brought up at Lyndon, this county, to which place
her parents moved from New York when she was
about six years of age. Her education was com-
pleted at the seminaries of Mt. Carroll and Rock-
ford, 111.

aniel Long, retired farmer, residing at
Morrison, was born in Somersetshire, Eng-
land, Sept. 26, 1821. His father was Wil-
liam Long, a miller and baker by trade ; his
mother's maiden name was Susanna Follett.
His father died in June, 1870. The subject
of this sketch was brought up in his father's busi-
ness, and was Married in 1848 to Miss Susan Chap-
man. They had but one child, Frederick D., now
a resident of England. Mrs. Long died in 185 r, and
the following spring Mr. Long emigrated to America.
He spent a few months in Rochester, N. Y., and
then went to Lyons, Iowa, where he resided one year.
He next removed to Clinton, where he engaged in the
butchering business. He was an early settler of
Clinton and continued in business there six years,
and then engaged in farming, in Spring Valley, this
county.

He was married in Mt. Pleasant Township, Dec.
8, 1854, to Mrs. Elizabeth Church, widow of Edward
Church and daughter of John and Ann Link.
Mrs. Long's paternal grandfather was John Link,
and her paternal grandmother was Penelope Link,
who was a daughter of Edward Beeks. Her maternal
grandfather was Joseph Tyler, and her maternal
grandmother was Mary Kollett. Mrs. Elizabeth
Long was born in Tarrington, Herefordshire, Eng-
land, and emigrated to America in 1852. She had
one child by her former marriage, Alfred A., who
married Mary Lourcher and resides in Spring Valley,
Ustick Township, Whiteside County. They have
three children, Arthur A., Elizabeth A. and Lizzie
M. Mrs. Long lost her former husband in 1848.
Mrs. Ann Link died in November, 1870.

Mr. Long and wife continued to reside on their
fine farm in Spring Valley till 1883, when they
moved to Morrison, their present home. Mr. Long
till owns a well improved farm in Ustick, of 160

acres, situated on sections 3 and 4. He also has two
dwelling-houses and five and a half city lots in Mor-
rison, besides city property in Clinton, Iowa, and a
quarter-section of farming land in Northern Dakota.
Mr. and Mrs. Long have had one child, Alice A.,
who died in infancy. Mr. Long is a Democrat, and
he and his wife are members of the Episcopal Church.
He has made two visits to his native country since
coming to America, on one of which his wife accom-
panied him. During his last visit, his father died, at
the advanced age of 89 years.

illiam C. Page, of Sterling, is a hatter by
trade, but is now retired from active busi-
ness. He was born in York Co., Maine,
July 31, 1810, his parents being Samuel
and Sophia ( Goddard ) Page. He re-
ceived a common-school education, and at the
age of 17 years left home and served a four-years
apprenticeship in learning the hatter's trade. Shortly
after the expiration of this term, he opened a shop at
New Market, N. H., where he followed his trade six
years ; selling out, he removed to Exeter, that State,
and followed the business four years; went next to
Kennebec, Maine, purchased a farm and managed
that for ii years, in connection with following his
trade; selling out, he went to Haverhill, Mass.,
where he was employed in the manufacture of flannel
three years ; then he went to North Berwick and in
company with two others purchased a factory, which
they ran for three years, manufacturing woolen
blankets for calico printers ; selling out his interest in
the latter, in 1857, he came to Sterling and opened a
lumber-yard, since which time he has been engaged
in milling and farming. He is succeeding well in his
business, and is a prominent citizen of the county.

Politically, he indorses Republican politics, and
religiously he is a member of the Congregational
Church.

Mr. Page was married in January, 1833, to Miss
Dorcas Felker, a native of New Hampshire, and they
have had six children, two only of whom are now liv-
ing, Harriet N. and Soviah. Mrs. Page died Dec.
20, 1872, and in 1874 Mr. Page married again, this
time wedding Jane Stackpole, also a native of the
old Granite State. She died in August, 1884.
O

UNIVERSITY of ILUN01S
UKKANA

,rank D. Ramsay, attorney at Morrison, is
one of the leading lawyers of Whiteside
County, of which he is a native. Luther
B. Ramsay, his father, is a pioneer of the
county, and came here from his native State
when he was at the threshold of manhood. He
was born Sept. 19, 1818, and in 1839 came to the
township of Coloma, as an assistant of Leonard H.
Woodworth, chief engineer in the construction of the
canal around the rapids in the river above Rock
Falls. He spent six months in the work, meanwhile
securing a claim in territory that is now included in
the township of Hume.

In the fall of 1839 he went back to his native
State, returning in the autumn of the succeeding
year to take possession of his property in Hume
Township. He removed thence in 1843 to Prophets-
town, and has since been a resident of that township.
He has been prominent in its agricultural develop-
ment, and is the proprietor of one of the magnificent
fanns which gives Whiteside County its prestige
among the agricultural districts of Illinois. The
farm contains 320 acres and is contiguous to the vil-
lage of Prophetstown, where Mr. Ramsay is now liv-
ing in retirement, after a life of unusual activity. He
spent some years in mercantile business at Prophets-
town.

Caroline M. (Smith) Ramsay, his wife, was born in
May, 1827, in Poultney, Rutland Co., Vt. Her par-
ents, Stephen D. and Tilly (Manly) Smith, settled
at Prophetstown in 1840, where they are still living.
Mr. Smith was born in 1798, and is 87 years of age.
In 1855 he purchased a farm adjoining the village of
Prophetstown, in which he then resided ; and in
1871 it was platted and a portion of the village is
now located thereon. The families of Smith and
Ramsay are inseparably connected with the history
of the early days of progress and improvement in
Whiteside County.

Mr. Ra nsay is the oldest child of his parents, arid
he has one sister, Lucy E., who is the wife of George
B. A lams, editor of the Morrison Herald. Christine
is the adopted daughter of the senior Ramsay and
his wife, and lives with them at Prophetstown.

Mr. Ramsay was born in Prophetstown, Whiteside
Co., IU. f 'Sept/7, 1846. He obtained his elementary

education^in his native county and completed his
course of study at Dixon University. After leaving
school he engaged as a clerk and also became inter-
ested in various other avenues of employment until
1867, when he entered the law office of Frederick
Sackett at Sterling, to fulfill a long cherished pur-
pose and obtain a comprehensive knowledge of law
and familiarity with office routine under competent
instruction. He had, by previous study and reading
at odd intervals, obtained a general knowledge of the
profession he purposed to enter ; and, after a course
of diligent application under the preceptorship of Mr.
Sackett, he was admitted, in the spring of 1868, to
practice in all the State Courts of Illinois. He has
since been admitted to the privileges of the Federal
Courts.

On obtaining his credentials, he came to Morrison
and opened an office in company with O. F. Wood-
ruff. After a partnership of a year's duration, they
severed their business relations. During the con--
struction of the branch of the Chicago, Burlington &
Quincy Railroad through Whiteside County, Mr.
Ramsay officiated as attorney for the corporation
and acted in the same capacity for some years sub-
sequent. His practice has gradually extended and
is one of the largest in White.side County.

The rank of Mr. Ramsay in his profession is sucli
as might be expected of a man of his caliber, pos-
sessing a disciplined mind, combined with persever-
ance, energy and unimpeachable integrity. He
inherits the directness, clear foresight and sturdy
adherence to purpose which distinctively characterize
the \ ancestral stock to which he traces his origin.
The Scotch-Irish, who came from Londonderry to
escape interference with what they considered their
religious liberty, have given to this country an ele-
ment which manifests as little deterioration through
descending generations as any other which enters
into our composite nationality. It is noted for inde-
pendence of character and freedom from ostentation;
and while its representatives possess a laudable and
normal ambition to rank fairly with others in the
world's contest, they covet no place or position which
involves sacrifice of others. They are champions of
common rights and arrogate to themselves no privi-
leges save those which secure their right to lead pure
and honorable lives of effort and usefulness. Of this
class Mr. Ramsay is a representative. In his pro-

284

WHITESIDE COUNTY.

fessional relations he holds a degree of confidence
which is in itself the best possible evidence of the
quality of his efforts in behalf of his clients.
He is fitted by nature and training for an effect-
ive advocate; he is direct in method, imbued with
an earnest belief in his work, and formulates his
comprehension of points at issue in language that is
chiefly noticeable for its pertinence to the case, and
its entire freedom from effort to produce oratorical
effect. He is a clear logician and is able to present
the course of an argument with a perspicuity that is
far more effective than rhetorical display. Mr. Ram-
say is still a young man, but has achieved through
hard work and a persistent determination, a position
in his profession and in his relations generally, which
is a safeguard to his future. A determination to do
well that which is to be done, leaves little possibility
of retrogression.

He was united in marriage, Feb. i, 1872, at
Prophetstown, to Lovisa McKenzie. Their two chil-
dren were born as follows: Luther R., May i8 (
1876; Robert M., Feb. 14, 1879. Mrs. Ramsay
was born Aug. 7, 1848, in Prophetstown. Her par-
ents, William R. and Harriet (Martin) McKenzie,
came to that township in 1837.

The portrait of Mr. Ramsay appears on a previous
page. It is copied from a likeness taken in 1885.

oyal C. Twitchell, farmer, section i, Union
Grove Township, was born Dec. 8, 1812,
in New Haven, Addison Co., Vt. His
parents, Daniel and Lura (Clark) Twitchell,
were also natives of the Green Mountain State,
where they remained all their lives. Mr.
Twitchell is the oldest of their children, ten in
number. Following are the names of his brothers
and sisters in the order of their birth : Edith, Lucius,
Clark, Almeda, Ira, Urial, Francis and Damon. One
child died in infancy.

Mr. Twitchell received a common-school educa-
tion, and at the age of 17 years he began to acquire
a practical knowledge of the trade of his father, who
was a mason and also a farmer. He pursued the
former line of business in hie native State until 1854.
In December of that year he came to Whiteside

County, where he joined the army of Western agri-
culturists, purchasing 86 acres in the township of
which he has since been a resident, and has labored
successfully as a farmer. He has made a later pur-
chase of 40 acres additional, and his homestead now
contains 126 acres of valuable land, nearly all of
which is in good agricultural condition.

He is a Republican in political sentiment and
sustains the general and local issues of the party.
He has held the several minor offices of the town-
ship.

The marriage of Mr. Twitchell to Mary Harring-
ton took place Nov. 2, 1834, at Weybridge, Vt., and
they have three children, Alzina L., Alice A. and
Volney M. Mrs. Twitchell was born in New Haven,
Addison Co., Vt., Feb. 21, 1814. She is the daugh-
ter of Silas and Betsey (Dickinson) Harrington, and
had seven brothers and sisters. The children of her
parents were born as follows: Earl, Sophia, Nelson,
Noble, Mary, Lovisa, Lewis and Amelia.

ev. Adelford J. Brown, Pastor of the
First Baptist Church of Sterling, was born
in Madison Co., N. Y., Oct. i, 1850. His
parents were William (a mason by trade) and
Elizabeth (Belknap) Brown. At the age of
13 years he was " bound out " to Amos Hera-
street, a farmer, until of age, with the understanding
that he should then receive $150 and two suits of
clothes ; but his behavior was so good that he was
set free at 18 with this bonus. The reason that he
was "bound out" was his father's entering the United
States Army in 1862, when the family was too large
and dependent to remain together at home. Two of
the children were accordingly indentured.

When Mr. Brown left Mr. Hemstreet, he attended
the Cazenovia (N. Y.) Seminary three years and
graduated, and then attended the Syracuse (N. Y.)
University two years. Making a profession of religion
at the age of 17, he continued his Christian career
with zeal and began to preach the gospel while a
student at Syracuse, having his appointment at Col-
mar, six miles distant. He was Pastor of the Baptist
Church at the latter place, and while sustaining this
relation he was blest with a revival, resulting in 104
conversions. After leaving Colmar he taught scl

WHITES1DE COUNTY.

285

at Upper Lisle, Broome Co., N. Y., and next, by the
advice of his father-in-law, he purchased a farm in
Chenango County, and followed agriculture three
years: then, receiving a call from West Danby,
Tompkins Co., N. Y., he sold his farm and engaged
in the ministry as a " supply " at that place. He was
ordained May 7, 1879, at Scott's Corners, Seneca^Co.,
N. Y., and accepted a call from the Baptist Church
at that place and was in their service three years.
Next, he accepted a call from the Baptist Church at
Sennett, Cayuga Co., N. Y., where he served two
years; then he served the Church at Dansville, N.
Y., about two years; and finally, in January, 1885,
he received and accepted a call from the Sterling
(111.) Baptist Church, and he removed here and com-
nienced his pastoral labors on the i5th day of Feb-
ruary following. His flock numbers 240. An account
of the Church is given on a subsequent page, under
the heading of " Sterling."

Oct. 28, 1873, Mr. Brown married Miss Hattie R.
Eaton, a native of Willett, Cortland Co., N. Y., and a
daughter of Peter Eaton, a Methodist clergyman.
Mr. and Mrs. Brown hive two children, Earl O.
and Hattie E.

; ames McCue, general farmer on section
[^ 32, Hopkins Township, was born Sept. 24,
1834, in the parish of Balanakiln, County
Galway, Ireland. He emigrated thence in
1854, arriving in the United States in Novem-
ber after he was 20 years old. He worked
by the month until the spring of 1859, when he
rented a farm. He continued its management three
years, after which he bought a farm in Hopkins
Township, containing 80 acres, where he fixed his
homestead. He is now the owner of 460 acres in
the townships of Hopkins and Lyndon, which in-
cludes about 300 acres under the plow. His place
is well stocked with an average number of 90 head
of cattle and 18 horses, and he fattens an annual
average of 60 hogs.

His parents, Thomas and Honora (Ternon) Mc-
Cue, lived and died in Ireland. They had four
children : William, James, Mary and Ann.

Mr. McCuc was married at Dixon, Lee Co., 111., by
Rev. Father Kinady, C. P., March i, 1859, to Mar-

garet, daughter of James and Ellen (Kirk) Doyle.
She is one of their nine children : Michael, James,
Mary, Margaret, John, Patrick, Catherine, Sarah and
Ellen. Mrs. McCue was born in Ireland, and is the
mother of six children, named William, James, Mary,
Thomas, John and Edward.

Politically, Mr. McCue is a Democrat. He has
held several official positions in local affairs. The
family are Catholics.

ouis Oltmanns, editor of the Sterling Be-
obachter, was born in Jever, Oldenburg,
Germany, April 30, 1836, his parents being
(j Gerhard W. and Anna M. (Luemmen) Olt-
manns, natives of Germany, who emigrated to
this country in 1867 and settled in Sterling.
The subject of this sketch attended private school,
and college a short time, left his parental home at
the age of 15 years and engaged in mercantile busi-
ness for 14 years; then, in 1865, he came to America
and first was employed by R. B. Witmer at Sterling,
until Feb. i, 1883, when he assumed his present
position. In his political views he is a Democrat.
He is a member of the I. O. O. F., and of the Luth-
eran Church, to which latter body his wife also belongs.
Mr. Oltmanns was married in 1868 to Miss Annie
Lederer, a native of Germany, and they have had
four children, William, Anna, Louisa and Mary.

-* H| *-

ichard S. W. Ely, dealer in real estate at
Morrison, is a native of Connecticut and
was born in Mansfield, Oct. 27, 1834, the
son of the Rev. William and Harriet (Whiting)
Ely. His parents were born in Connecticut.
His father was a well known Congregational
minister of that State.

Richard was left an orphan in his boyhood, and in
such limited circumstances that he was obliged to
depend entirely upon his own efforts for his advance-
ment in life. His education was received in the
public schools, and when 21 years of age he sought
his fortune in the West. He came to Illinois in
1851, and spent one year at Waukegan as a sales-
man in a mercantile house. From there he went to

^M^%ce: K&^s^f/$>

WHITESIDE COUNTY.

De Kalb, where he engaged in real-estate business.
A few years later he went to Columbus, Wis., pursu-
ing the same business. Thence he went to Cedar
Falls, Iowa, and thence to Geneva, 111. In 1864 tie
came to Morrison, where he engaged in the grain
business. ~ He also bought and sold real estate, and
by the exercise of good judgment made many good
investments, and acquired property rapidly. About
1867 he formed a partnership in real-estate business
with G. A. Whitcomb, which continued about two
years. In 1873 he bought out the Morrison Carriage
Works, and two years later took Mr. Whitcomb in as
an equal partner. The business was conducted
under the firm name of Ely & Whitcomb till Novem-
ber, 1882, when they sold out. The Carriage Works
employed an average force of 22 men and turned out
from 250 to 300 carriages annually. Mr. Ely is still
connected with Mr. Whitcomb in real-estate business,
their transactions extending through Illinois, Wiscon-
sin, Minnesota, Iowa, Kansas and Nebraska, besides
heavy interests in city property in Minneapolis and
other cities. Their agricultural lands aggregate up-
ward of 7,000 acres, and are valuable.

Mr. Ely continues to make his home at Morrison,
where he has a handsome property. He formerly
owned and remodeled the magnificent residence now
the property of O. W. Woodruff.

He was married at Sycamore, 111., Oct. 5, 1858, to
Miss Mary E. Crawford, daughter of Charles and
Frances (Billmeyer) Crawford. Mrs. Ely was born
in Pennsylvania. They have three children, two
sons and a daughter: William R., Spencer C. and
Hattie G. Mr. Ely is a stanch Democrat, while he
and his estimable wife are consistent members of the
Presbyterian Church.

Mr. Ely began the race of life an orphan boy with-
out means or influential friends, but possessed of
shrewd business instincts, sound judgment and good
executive ability, backed by pluck, enterprise and
unquestioned integrity. With these qualifications,
success was only a question of time. At this writ-
ing, having been a resident of Illinois 24 years, he
has acquired the large property interests previously
alluded to, and is reckoned among the most successful
business men of Morrison. The wide range of his
field of operations and the magnitude of some of his
successful transactions have demonstrated his ac-
curate judgment, cool nerve and keen business

sagacity. Mr. Ely is possessed of many estimable
qualities, both of heart and mind, while he is no more
free from faults than many other good citizens. He
is a frank, candid man, who says what he means and
stands by what he says, his word being as good as
his bond. Generous and free-hearted, his frequent
and liberal aid to those in distress has often led to
the abuse of his kindness. Notwithstanding such
experience, his purse opens just as quickly to the
next seemingly worthy applicant for his bounty.
Friendship with him is sacred. Once having won his
regard and confidence, his friends have always found
him true as steel. Trouble or misfortune on the part
of a friend, with him only strengthens the tie. It is
often the case where one is so firm a friend, he will,
where the occasion justifies it, prove as bitter an
enemy ; but with the subject of our sketch such is
not the case. Once having had his quarrel out, he
harbors no animosity, but seems to forget the entire
matter.

In matters of public interest he has always been
found liberal and enterprising. There are but few
citizens of Morrison entitled to more credit for a free
and generous support of worthy public enterprises
than Mr. Ely. In his domestic relations he is known
at his best. His unselfish devotion to his wife and
children is but another consistent characteristic of
the man.

avid B. Denison, one of the proprietors of
the Economy Mill at Sterling, was born in
Westmoreland Co., Pa., Jan. 6, 1840. His
parents, David and Elizabeth (Rhodes) Den-
ison, were also natives of that State. His father
$ was a millwright and miller, and followed his
trade in his native State until 1857, when he moved
to Princeton, Bureau Co., Ill, and for a short time
he was employed at farming : since then he has pur-
sued his chosen vocation as a mechanic and miller.
The subject of this sketch is the third of a family
of eight children, in order of birth, received in his
youth a common-school education and assisted his
father at farming and also at his trade. At the age
of 20 he left home and took a farm on shares near
Princeton. Next he resided in Nelson, Lee Co., 111.,
for a time, following agriculture there for five years ;

WHITESIDE COUNTY.

then was a millwright at Dixon, 111., until 1871 ; fol-
lowed his trade three years in Neosho Co., Kan.,
and in 1874 he came to Sterling, where he continued
his vocation as a millwright until July, 1884, since
which time he has had his present position. In
1882 he purchased a residence on the corner of
Fifth and Spruce Streets.

In 1862 Mr. Denison enlisted in the cause of his
country, joining Co. A, 691)1 Regt. 111. Vol. Inf. (100
days). His regiment was sent to Vicksburg, Miss.,
where he was mostly on guard duty in charge of
prisoners. After being in the service six months, he
was mustered out with his regiment at Chicago, re-
ceiving an honorable discharge. Politically, Mr. D.
is a Democrat. He is a member of the Masonic
Order, of the A. O. U. W. and of the Methodist
Episcopal Church. To the latter, his wife also be-
longs.

His marriage to Miss Clara S. Richardson took
place July 29, 1873. She was the daughter of
Joseph T. and Annie (Dorman) Richardson, natives
respectively of England and New Jersey. Mr. and
Mrs. D. have had three children ; Roy O., born May
8, 1874; Grace E., Feb. 5, 1879; and Myrtle C.,
Jan. 5, 1884.

I infield W. Woodruff, deceased, was for-
merly a resident of Lyndon Township,
whither he removed in 1852 from his na-
tive State, New York. He "was born in
Livonia, Livingston County, in3the Empire
State, in 1817. His father, Landon J. Wood-
ruff, M. D., was a prominent physician and surgeon
of Western New York, and was desirous that his son
should fit himself for the same profession, giving him
a substantial education as preparatory to that pur-
pose ; but the young man's proclivities led him in
another direction, and on his marriage he settled
himself to the pursuit of agriculture in his native
State.

He was married Jan. i, 1839, to Solemma F.
Terry, and they became the parents of three sons :
Orr F., of whom an extended sketch appears else-
where in this work, is a distinguished lawyer at Mor-
rison ; William M. is a farmer and stock dealer at
Kearney, Neb. ; and John J. is an attorney by pro-
fession and possesses uncommon talent, but is en-

gaged almost exclusively in the sheep industry at
Kearney, Neb. They are all worthy citizens, in
whom their parents felt a just pride.

The condition of public affairs in the State of New
York, which existed when Mr. Woodruff found him-
self qualified to enter upon the duties and privileges
of citizenship, was such as to develop all the abilities
with which he was endowed by nature. His boyish
enthusiasm had been quickened and kept alive by
the public training days, and he became an active
member of the State militia. His commission as
Ensign in the 2151)1 Regt. N. Y. Vol. Inf., is dated
May 2, 1840, and bears the autograph signature of
William H. Seward, Governor 'of New York. He
was a Whig of intense partisan sentiment, and in af-
ter years was fond of rehearsing the incidents of the
"good old log-cabin times of 1840." He was stren-
uously opposed to the slave element.

He resided in Lyndon Township nine years pre-
vious to the culmination of the discontent and dis-
loyalty of the southern portion of the United States,
watching the succession of ominous events with all
the interest of a patriotic citizen. He manifested
the stuff of which he was made and the quality of
his loyalty, by enlisting when he was 44 years of
age as a private in the Eighth 111. Vol. Cav., at the
time of the organization of the regiment in 1861.
His military career was in conformity with his char-
acter, and he made an honorable record. After the
war he resided in Whiteside County until October,
1875, when he went to Kearney, Nebraska, to re-
side. He died in November, 1884, from the re-*
suit of injuries received while attempting to manage
a powerful sheep. He had nearly accomplished the
allotted period of three-score and ten years and
passed to his reward in the enjoyment of the honors
of a pure, worthy life of uprightness and usefulness.
His wife survives him.

\: ev. N. H. G. Fife, for the past 12 years
Pastor of the Presbyterian Church of Ster-
ling, was born in the village of Elizabeth,
Allegheny Co., Pa., Feb. 19, 1840: both his
parents were natives of the same State. His
father, Andrew Fife, was a farmer and attained
the age of 89 years. His mother, nee Sarah Robin-
son, died at the age of 84 years.

\
f

288

WHITEST DE COUNTY.

Rev. Fife received his academic training at El-
der's Ridge, Indiana Co., Pa., and entered the Junior
class in Jefferson College in September, 1857, grad-
uating when 19 years of age. After teaching one
year at Middletown, Ky., he entered the Western
Theological Seminary in Allegheny City, Pa., at
which he graduated in April, 1863. Immediately af-
terward he was ordained to the work of the ministry
by the Redstone Presbytery, and installed Pastor of
the Presbyterian Church of Connellsville, Pa., which
position he sustained five years. He then took charge
of the Church at Long Run, in the same Presbytery,
where he remained until November, 1873, when he
came to Illinois and entered upon his present pastor-
ate. (See the latter part of this volume for a sketch
of the Church.)

June 9, 1869, Mr. F. married Miss Maty E. Paull,
of Connellsville, Pa. Three children have been
born to them, Eliza P., Charles A. and J. Paull.

Mr. Fife is a Republican in his political views,
and his long service in such an intelligent com-
munity as that of Sterling, with the continued ap-
proval of his Church, is sufficient evidence of his
ability and faithfulness in the gospel ministry.

| esley Robinson, a prominent farmer on

section 12, Clyde Township, was born
March 20, 1820, in the village of Man-
chester, Dearborn Co., Ind. Stephen Rob-
inson, his father, was a native of Maine, and
was of mixed English and Scotch lineage. He
was married in the State of his nativity to Mahitabel
Plumer, also born in the Pine-Tree State. She was
of English extraction. Some years after their mar-
liage they removed to Indiana, where the mother
died, at the place already recorded as the birthplace
of the son, in the spring of 1842. In 1850 the father
removed to Illinois and was a member of his son's
household until his death, about 1857, when he was
nearly 87 years of age. They had six children, five
sons and a daughter.

Mr. Robinson is the second oldest child, and re-
mained under the authority of his parents until 1843,
when he removed to Lee Co., Iowa, where he spent
some years as a general laborer. He then yielded
to a fancy to try life on the river, and he engaged in

boating. His route terminated at New Orleans,
where he has passed several winters after having
been occupied as a boatman through the summers.

In the spring of 1844, he came to Whiteside
County and located near Sterling, where he fixed his
residence. In April, 1847, he was married to Maria,
daughter of Martin and Lois (Waite) Montgomery.
Her father was of Irish extraction and was born in
Vermont. Her mother was of mixed Welsh and
French origin and was born in Rhode Island. After
their marriage they settled in Roxbury, Delaware
Co., N. Y., and at that place Mrs. Robinson was
born, Nov. 6, 1818. In 1839 her father moved his
worldly belongings to Illinois, his family accompany-
ing him, with the exception of two children. The
family located near Sterling.

Three years after their marriage, Mr. and Mrs.
Robinson removed to Clyde Township, where they
took up their abode on 241 acres of unbroken prairie,
situated on sections n, 12, 13 and 14. Nearly all
the place is under cultivation and it is fairly stocked.

Frank C. Robinson is the only child of his parents,
and he was born Sept. 4, 1855. He was married
March 20, 1878, to Millie E. Barrett. They located
on his father's farm in Whiteside, where she became
the mother of a child, who is also deceased. She
died in Wheaton, 111., in 1881, where she went for
medical treatment. The son resides on the home-
stead. Father and son are Republicans in political
principle.

braham Zook, a retired farmer of Clyde
Township, resides on section 3. He was
born Dec. 2, 1820, in Lancaster Co., Pa.,
and is the son of Joseph Zook, who was born
in Chester Co., Pa. In national descent Mr.
Zook is of Swiss extraction, and records him-
self as third in generation from three brothers in the
paternal line who came to America just previous to
the Revolutionary War. Joseph Zook was a woolen
manufacturer in Pennsylvania until he was 43 years
of age, when he turned his attention to farming. He
died in his native State in July, 1852, aged 65 years.
Anna (Shuck) Zook, the mother, was born in Lan-
caster County, and was of mixed Swiss and Ger-
man origin. Her progenitors were early settlers in
the United States. She died in 1826, in the county

where she was born, when her son was but six years
of age. She had been the mother of six children.
The father married again after the death of his'wife,
and the children were'reared at home.

Mr. Zook was educated in the common schools
and instructed in the duties of farm labor. Feb. 18,
1840, he was married in JFranklin Co. Pa., to Ann,
daughter of John and Susanna (Raiher) Gsell." Both
the latter were born in Pennsylvania, of German
descent. They were farmers and died in Franklin
County. The death of the father transpired May
10, 1873, when he was 94 years of age. The mother
died in 1832. They were the parents of 1 1 children.
The children of Mr. and Mrs. Zook, 10 in number,
are all yet living, and are all heads of families :
Catherine is the wife of Jacob Swisher, a farmer in
Adair Co., Iowa ; Sarah married Jacob Garwick, of
whom a full sketch appears on another page ; Anna
is Mrs. Henry Garwick, and lives In the township of
Clyde ; Mary is the wife of Isaac Trump, a bishop
in what is designated the River Brethren Church,
and resides at Polo in Ogle County ; Joseph S. mar-
ried" Adaline Law, and is a farmer in Adair Co.,
Iowa; Amanda is Mrs. George Hiller and is a resi-
dent on a farm in Clyde Township : Elizabeth mar-
ried Jacob Ditch, who is a farmer in Ogle Co., 111. ;
Abraham married Rosa Bowers and is a resident of
Clyde Township.

John R. Zook was born Nov. 27, r857, in the
township of Newton. When he was 20 years of age
he began teaching in the public schools of the town-
ship where he was born, and after spending two
years in that vocation he went to the college at Val-
paraiso, Ind., where he passed some time in study.
Subsequently he engaged in teaching in Ogle County,
but passed only one term in that avenue of business,
returning at its expiration to the family homestead,
of which he has since been the superintendent. He
has been engaged for some years as a teacher of
vocal music.

Dec. 18, 1884, he was united in marriage to Sarah
A., daughter of Jacob and Priscilla (Holley) George.
She was born Feb. 22, 1865, in Carroll Co., 111. She
was -only two years 'of age" when her father and
mother came to the township of Clyde, where she
grew to womanhood, was educated in the common
schools and was married at her father's house.

Melissa the youngest child of Abraham and Ann

Zook, married John H. Gayman, a farmer in Fair-
haven Township, Carroll Co., 111. Mr. and Mrs.
Zook remained in Franklin Co., Pa., after their mar-
riage, until 1857. In that year they removed to Illinois
and resided between two and three years in the
townships of Garden Plain and Newton. In 1860
they removed to Clyde Township, where they pur-
chased 1 60 acres of unbroken prairie. They pro-
ceeded .with vigorous energy to make the usual
improvements. Their efforts' resulted in a fine and
valuable farm, all under cultivation, well stocked
and supplied with commodious and necessary farm
buildings. The present manager of the place is
interested in the improvement of stock and is the
owner of fine grades of Short-Horn cattle. All the
members of the family, with one exception, belong to
the River Brethren Church. The father and sons
are Republicans of pronounced type.

Ifred Bayliss, of the firm of Newcomer &
Bayliss, publishers of the Sterling Standard,
was born in Bledington, Gloucestershire,
England, March 22, 1847. He came with his
parents, John and Frances (Blake) Bayliss, to
this country in March, 1854. The family re-
sided two years in Cleveland, Ohio, then moved to
Hillsdale, Mich. He was educated in public schools
of Cleveland and Hillsdale and at Hillsdale College ;
was graduated at the latter institution in 1870. He
served from October, 1863, to August, 1865, in Co.
H of the nth Mich. Cav. Was Superintendent of
Schools at La Grange, Ind., in 1871-3, and in 1872
was appointed School Examiner for the County. He
was afterwards chosen County Superintendent of
Schools, which office he resigned to take charge of
the Second Ward School in Sterling in 1874, and re-
mained in charge of that school for ten years. Since
June, 1884, he has been associated with James W.
Newcomer in the publication of the Sterling Stand-
ard, a weekly newspaper, straight Republican.

Mr. Bayliss was married June 28, 1871, to Clara
M., daughter of Manasseh and Caroline Kern, of
Porter, Van Buren Co., Mich. They have two chil-
dren, Clara Kern, born Nov. 10, 1872, and Zoe,
born Aug. 14, 1879.

> ^fl

cy.

1=3

Y"V. M H XD* H H V'V^^

IVHITESIDE COUNTY.

(fames W. Newcomer, of the firm of New-
Kf- comer & Bayliss, publishers of the Sterling
Standard, was born in Centre Co., Pa.,
Nov. 23, 1841 ; came to Illinois {^1846 with
his parents, and settled near Freeport; learned
the printer's trade in the Freeport Journal
office; enlisted in Co. D, 93d 111. Vol. Inf., in 1862,
and served three years; was wounded at Altoona
Pass in October, 1864; was commissioned ist Lieu-
tenant in 1865.

He published the Lena Star from 1869 to 1878 ;
was United States Storekeeper at Sterling from 1878
to 1883. Subsequently he entered the firm of Mack
& Newcomer, which in June, 1884, became New-
comer & Bayliss, publishers of the Standard, a
straight Republican newspaper.

Mr. Newcomer was married in 1870 to Miss Lola,
daughter of Z. Stover, then of Lena, now of Repub-
lic, Kan. They have one daughter, Lulu, born Jan.
10, 1872.

Tacob Garwick, a farmer on section 2, Clyde
Township, is a citizen 'of the United States
by adoption, and was born Dec. 13, 1834,
in the province of Alsace, France. (This ter-
ritory has since been recovered by its original
owner, Germany, by whom it is still held.)
Jacob Garwick, senior, his father, was a native of the
same province and was of German parentage. He
was a miller by vocation and married Magdalene
Wolff. She was of mixed French and Swiss ancestry.
Both her grandsires came to America during the
progress of the Revolutionary War, under the com-
mand of General Lafayette, and were among his
corps of officers. Several other male relatives were
among the French soldiery who came to assist in the
Colonial struggle.

The senior Garwick removed to the United States
with his wife and children, the family locating on a
farm in Butler Co., Pa. Mr. Garwick, of this sketch,
is the oldest of his parents' children, and he left his
native province in November, 1852," arriving ;in
Pennsylvania a year before his parents. He made

a'home for them, and after seeing them comfort-
ably settled he set out for Illinois, locating, in 1854,
in Clyde Township, this county. Three years later
his father's family followed and fixed their residence
in Fair Haven, Carroll County, locating on a farm.
The father died in June, 1878, and in May, 1884,
the mother followed him to the world of the here-
after.

Mr. Garwick operated as a general laborer after
coming to Illinois, but while in Pennsylvania had
followed the calling of a miller, in which he had been
trained by his father in his native country. He had
not sufficient money to pay for his breakfast on the
morning of his arrival in Chicago, but he made his
way to friends in Du Page County, where he ob-
tained aid and employment. His life, to the age of
27 years, was one of continued experience of toil and
hardship. He spent three months on board the
ship on his way to America, not knowing a soul on
the vessel. The entire period was one of storm and
peril by sea. Food was exhausted and distress sig-
nals were flown from the masthead three successive
days before their condition was discovered. They
anchored near an island belonging to Portugal, in
the South Sea, and secured supplies sufficient to en-
able them to proceed on their voyage. After his
arrival in Whiteside Co., 111., he became a farm
laborer.

He was married Feb. 27, 1 86 1, in Clyde Township,
to Sarah, daughter of Abraham and Anna (Gsell)
Zook. Her parents were of Swiss and German
orgin, and were natives of Lancaster Co., Pa. Their
ancestors settled in America about the date of the
Colonial struggle for independence. They were farm-
ers and were married in Franklin Co., Pa., where the
daughter was born Jan. 19, 1843. She is one of a
family of eight children and accompanied her par-
ents when she was 13 years of age to Illinois. They
located at first in Newton Township. Two years
later they came to the township of Clyde and located
on the section which has since been their home.
Three of nine children born to Mr. and Mrs. Gar-
wick are deceased. Those who survive are named
George E., Anna, Sarah, Lizzie, Dora and Katie.
The son was a student at college and all have received
careful educational instruction. William H. died at
the age of 17 years. Abraham and Lena were aged
respectively five and two years at the time of their
decease. The parents at first fixed their residence

WHITESIDE COUNTY.

on 70 acres of land, and Mr. Garwick expended his
last dollar to secure his place. (He had but $25.)
In a few years he was free from debt and is now the
owner of 300 acres of land, which is all in the best
agricultural condition. Mr. Garwick is also inter-
ested in improved cattle, and makes a specialty of
the Short- Horn breed. His farm is as well stocked as
any other of similar grade in Clyde Township and
the farm buildings are of an excellent and creditable
type. His entire acreage was wholly unbroken at
the date of purchase.

He has been for many years a minister in the
River Brethren Church. In his native country
he was educated in German and French and acted
for some time as an assistant teacher in the schools
where he had been a student.

euben Davis, physician and farmer, resid-
ing on section 3, Hahnaman Township, is
" one of the extensive land-holders and truly
practical and representative men of Whiteside
County. The parents of Dr. Davis, William
and Hannah (Appleton) Davis, were natives
of Maine, from which State they moved to Ohio,
where they resided the remainder of their lives.
They were the parents of 13 children, namely :
Eliphalet, John A., Mary A., Rhoda, Hannah, Reu-
ben, Sarah, Francis A., Isaac, William, JanTes E. and
Joshua C. One died in infancy.

Reuben Davis, subject of this biographical notice,
is a native of Ohio, where, in Morgan County, he was
born Ott. 17, 1819. The country was new in the
locality of his birth at that date, and his early educa-
tion was consequently limited. His early years
were passed on the farm and in working on the
Ohio and Mississippi Rivers .which vocation he fol-
lowed, more or less, until the date of his emigrating
to this State.

In 1845 Dr. Davis matriculated at the Medical
College at Cincinnati, Ohio, and followed the entire
curriculum of that institution, graduating with hon-
ors in March, 1849.

Soon after leaving the college, he engaged in the
practice of his profession in Perry Co., Ohio, and
followed the same with a flattering degree of success
until February, 1853. He then came to this county

and settled in Como, Hopkins Township, where he
continued to practice medicine over two years,
when he purchased land in Montmorency Township.
He moved upon his land and began to cultivate it
extensively, alternating his labors thereon by the
practice of his profession.

In the fall of 1858 Dr. Davis moved into Hahna-
man Township and settled on section 3, his present
residence. He determined to make this his perma-
nent home, and at once entered on the improvement
of the land, erected good buildings and otherwise
ornamented and improved his homestead, and at the
present time he has a home for himself and family
in which they all take pride, realizing it was procured
through arduous toil and untiring energy and deter-
mination. The Doctor has been a very extensive
land-holder in the county, owning at one time some
1,400 acres. His landed possessions in the county
at present comprise some 645 acres, all improved,
and for his success in life he has none to thank ex-
cept his own good judgment and energy, coupled
with the hearty co-operation of his good helpmeets.

Dr. Davis was united in marriage to Miss Mary
Ann Geddes in Morgan Co., Ohio, Dec. 17, 1839. She
was a native of Pennsylvania, in which State she
was born in March, 1819. The issue of their union
was five children. Two died in infancy and those
surviving are Naomi W., Martha J. and Thomas
H. B.

The wife and mother died in Morgan Co., Ohio,
March 28, r848. In the same county Dr. Davis was
again married. This wedding occurred Oct. 2, 1849,
and Miss Elizabeth H. Work was the bride. She is
the daughter of David and Sarah (Ross) Work, na-
tives of Ohio, and in which State she was born
May 6, i83r. By the latter union 12 children
have been born, namely : Francis C., Sarah X.,
Robert L., Thaddeus C., Hannah A., Mary G., W.
Alice, T. McClellan, Dora S., Reuben H., Jessie L.
and J. Darwin : ten of these are living.

Dr. Davis, although not seeking office, has almost
constantly been honored by the citizens of his town-
ship with some office. He was Supervisor six years,
Justice of the Peace 12 years and Assessor and Col-
lector several years. In fact, he has held almost
every office in the township, and at this writing is
performing the functions of the office of Township
Clerk and School Trustee. Politically, Dr. Davis

WHITES IDE COUNTY.

- a supporter of and believer in the principles of the
) Democratic party and cast his first vote for Martin
. Van Buren in 1840.

As a truly representative man of Whiteside County,
and as one the citizens can but feel pleased to see
represented among the portraits we give in this work,
we give that of the subject of this biography. It is
engraved from a photograph taken in 1884.

, nines Houseman . is a farmer on section
14, Ml. Pleasant Township, where he has
prosecuted his agricultural projects since
his removal to Whiteside County, in 1856. He
was born April 7, 1825, in Montgomery Co.,
N. Y. He was reared to the vocation in which
he is now engaged, and which he pursued in his
native State. His farm of 160 acres is all under
tillage.

His parents, John and Ann (Scribner) Houseman,
were lx>rn in the State of New York, where they
reared a family of five children, named George,
James, William, John and Emmett. The marriage
of Mr. Houseman to Elizabeth Van Wagner took
place June 10, 1856, in the township where they
have since lived. She was born July 19, 1830, in
Erie Co., N. Y. Gilbert and Lydia (Knox) Van
Wagner, her parents^ were bom in that state, and
their children are Edgar, Mary and Elizabeth. Fol-
lowing are the names of the children of Mr. and Mrs.
Houseman : Emmett P., Nora, Edgar M., Arthur and
Emma A.

Mr. Houseman is an adherent of the Democratic
party in politics.

eorge Pittman, farmer, section 3, Hopkins
Township, is a son of Abraham and Mary
(Alexander) Pittman, who were natives
respectively of Virginia and Pennsylvania, and
came to Whiteside County in the spring of
I 1864 and settled in Hopkins Township, where
they lived the remainder of their days. They had a
family of seven children, viz.: George, James, Esther,
Catherine, David, Rebecca and Caroline.

The subject of this sketch was born in Fulton Co.,

*&* &

Pa., Dec. 14, 1835. He lived in that State till 1864,
when he came to Whiteside County, where he has
since lived. He is the owner of 70 acres of land, in
Hopkins Township, all of which is in a good tillable
condition, and he has a valuable stone quarry on his
farm.

He was married in Fulton Co., Pa, Feb. 5, 1859,
to Elizabeth Clevenger, daughter of John and Julia
A. (Carbol) Clevenger, natives of the Keystone State.
They had a family of four children, as follows :
Elizabeth, Ann, John and Catherine. Mrs. Pittman
was born in Fulton Co., Pa., Aug. 12, 1841. Mr.
and Mrs. P. are the parents of seven living children,
namely: Martha E., Sophia J., James H., John H.,
Charles M., Mary M. and Homer. Sophia J. died
when five years, five months and eleven days old.

In politics Mr. Pittman is identified with the
Democratic party.

illiam H. Maxfleld, farmer, section 24,
Mount Pleasant Township, was born Oct.
21, 1841, in Bristol, R. I. Nathaniel and
Susan (Sherman) Maxfield, his father and
mother, were born in New England. After
their marriage they located at Bristol, whence
they came in 1855 to Whiteside County, settling at
Como. The mother died in February, 1870, in Hop-
kins Township. The father lives in the township of
Mount Pleasant. Their ten children were named
William H., Frank S., Mary A., Maria W., Georgi-
anna, Nathaniel, Eva H , Elizabeth, Harriet and
Winnifred L.

Mr. Maxfield was 13 years of age when he came
to Whiteside County, where he has since lived. He
is now one of the heavy land-holders of Mount
Pleasant Township, owning 240 acres, which lie
partly in section 24 of the township, on which his resi-
dence is located, and on section 1 9 of Hopkins Town-
ship. The entire area is practically all under tillage.
Mr. Maxfield deals quite extensively in stock, his
herds containing 60 head of cattle and nine horses,
and he raises an annual average of 100 hogs.

His marriage to Jennie McElrath took place in
Como, July 4, 1864. Their children were named
Minnie E., William H., Jr., and Walter I. Mrs.
Maxfield is of Irish and Scotch origin, her parents,

WHITESIDE COUNTY.

John and Jane (Jackson) McElrath, having been
natives respectively of Ireland and Scotland. They
became residents of Whiteside County about 1856,
locating in Mt. Pleasant Township, where they spent
the remainder of their days. The demise of the
mother occurred June i, 1872, and that of the fa-
ther in the month of October following. Margaret,
Thomas, John, Eliza, Jennie and William W. are
the names of their children. Mrs. Maxfield was
bom in Ireland, April 20, 1843, and was about five
years old when her parents emigrated to the United
States.

Mr. Maxfield is a Republican in political connec-
tion and views. He has officiated in several local
offices.

rohn Harpham, dealer in harness and sad-
fc dlery hardware, Third Street, Sterling, was
rborn in Madison Co., N. Y., Oct. 27, 1828,
being the seventh in a family of ten children,
four sons and six daughters. His parents were
Septibah and Jane (McAlpine) Harpham, na-
tives respectively of England and Scotland. The
senior Harpham \vas a farmer by occupation, and
died |an. 11, 1840: the widow survived until 1863.
John was reared on the farm and in the common
school until 19 years of age, when he left home and
went to Chenango Forks to learn the harness trade,
remaining a year and a half. He then engaged in
the same business for himself at Bridgport, N. Y., for
one and a half years. Then he sold out and for
about three years attended the Fulton and Cazenovia
Seminaries, a portion of this time teaching school.
Then he married and settled in Fayetteville, Onon-
daga Co., N. Y., where he followed his trade a year
and a half. Selling out, he came to Sterling, since
which time he has been successfully engaged in the
business stated at the beginning of this sketch, both
wholesale and retail. In this line he is the leading
man in Sterling.

Mr. Harpham is a Republican and a Christian

gentleman, belonging to the Congregational Church

at Sterling. He was married May 22, 1853, to

Nancy Terwilliger, a native of Onondaga Co , N. Y.,

and they have three children, Bertha A., Fanny E.
and John L. Mrs. H. is also a member of the Con-
gregational Church.

ihauncey W. Reynolds, farmer, section 2,
Mt. Pleasant Township, was born Nov. 12,
1821, in Sudbury, Vt., and is the son of Allen
and Lydia (Raymond) Reynolds. They were
natives of Vermont, were married there, and
there the mother died. The father died in
'the State of New York. Their children, three in
number, were named Raymond A., Oliver L. and
Chauncey W.

The youngest child was brought up by his maternal
grandfather, with whom he lived until he was 22
years of age. For about five years after, he was oc-
cupied as a farm assistant, and about 1848 he became
foreman of a saw-mill and filled 'the position seven
years. In 1855 he came West to secure a broader
and more hopeful field of operation, and spent one
season in a saw-mill at Davenport, Iowa, after which
he prospected in Iowa, Kansas and Missouri. He
decided that Whiteside County offered as much in-
ducement as any other locality, and in October, 1857,
he made a purchase of a claim which included 1 20
acres of unbroken prairie, situated in the townships
of Mt. Pleasant and Clyde. His homestead build-
ings are in the township first named, and his entire
amount of land includes 700 acres, which is situated
in the two townships and is practically all under
tillage. Mr. Reynolds is identified with and supports
the principles of the Democratic party.

He formed a matrimonial union with Althea Dean
Dec. 24, 1856, in Kane Co., Ill , and they have five
children, Mary A., Walter D., Raymond A., Lydia
L. and Chauncey W., Jr. The oldest daughter is the
wife of Samuel McCune, and lives in Clyde Town-
ship. Mrs. Reynolds was born July 10, 1833, in
Putnam Co., N. Y., and is the daughter of S. A. and
Delilah (Wright) Dean. The parents were natives
of the same county where the daughter was born.
They removed thence in 1846 to Kane Co., 111.,
where the father died, in April. 1849. Late in life
the mother came to Whiteside County and became a
member of ;he family of her daughter, and died at her

296

WHITBSIDE COUNTY.

home Dec. 2, 1882. She had been the mother of
fp> eight children, Erastus, Altliea, John, Ada, Robert
R., Lewis, Marion and Smith A.

eter A. Quackenbush, section 10, Mt.
Pleasant Township, has been a farmer in
Whiteside County since 1856. He was
born June 25, 1828, in Montgomery Co., N.
Y. His parents, Peter P. and Magdalene
(Speaker) Quackenbush, were also born in the
Empire State. Mr. Quackenbush of this sketch had
one sister, Margaret A., who was his senior in birth.
In his native State he was principally interested in
mercantile pursuits, and in February of the year
named as that in which he removed to Whiteside
County, he located in the township of Mt. Pleasant.
His first farm consisted of 75 acres of land, which he
purchased, and on which he located, putting into
effective operation the purposes of his change of lo-
cation and calling.' He has added by subsequent
purchase, and is now the proprietor of a valuable
farm of 160 acres of land, which is all under tillage.
Mr. Quackenbush is identified politically with the
Republican party.

He was first married Dec. 12, 1850, in Montgomery
Co., N. Y., to Harriet Becker. She was born in the
Empire State and accompanied her husband to Illi-
nois. She died Aug. 11, 1861, in the township of
Mt. Pleasant. Mr. Quackenbush was united in
marriage Jan. g, 1862, to Harriet Drum, at Sterling.
To them four children have been born, who are
named Maggif M., Ainsley, Estella and Edward D.
The mother was born Aug. 21, 1841, in Schoharie
Co., N. Y. Her parents, John and Margaret (Becker)
Drum, were born in New York, and they had 1 1 chil-
dren, named Mary, Julia, Martha, Delevan, George,
Melissa, Harriet, Lucy, Clarissa, Ellen and Nancy.

acob Kauffmann, retired farmer and a resi-
~ dent of Sterling, was born in Lancaster Co.,
Pa., Jan. 26, 1820, and his parents were
Rudolph and Elizabeth (Summy) Kauffman.
Leaving home at the age of 15 years, he was a
farm laborer for 18 months, at $4.50 per month
for 10 months, and $8 a month the remainder of that

period. Next, he devoted two and a half years of
his time to learning the shoemaker's trade, then one
year as a journeyman, and then opened a shop for
himself and followed the business for eight years.
Next, he was engaged in the furnace business for 18
months, and then he came to Sterling Township,
where he was a farm laborer for three years. He
then bought 80 acres in Jordan Township, moved
upon the place, and in 1855 purchased 40 acres ad-
joining, and in 1 864 a quarter-section more : this last
he afterward sold. At one time he owned as much
as 440 acres. In 1871 he bought a lot in Sterling
and built a residence upon it, where he now lives.

Mr. Kauffman is a Republican in his political
views, and has held local offices of trust. He was
School Director in Jordan Township for 15 years.
He is a substantial and worthy citizen.

His marriage to Miss Anna E. Snyder, a native of
Pennsylvania, took place Feb. 2, 1840, and they have
five children living, namely: Tobias, who married
Hattie Capp and has six children, Minnie, Lincoln,
Frank, George, .Clarrie and Jessie ; Leander, who
married Beckie Spivey and has four children, Carrie
Fred, Florence and Grace ; Jacob, who married Flor-
ence Robertson and has two children, Benjamin
and Jesse; and the two other children of the sub-
ject of this sketch are Adam and Cora.

Tobias Kauffman, of the above family, enlisted in
the last war, in 1864, in the cause of the Union, and
was a member of the 34th Regt. 111. Vol. Inf., under
Gen. Sherman. He was wounded at the battle of
Bentonville, was engaged in many skirmishes, and
served faithfully to the end of that great contest,
when he was honorably discharged.

ft liver S. Oakley is a farmer of Mt. Pleasant
SJfe Township, located on 463 acres of land on

section 29, which is all under advanced
cultivation excepting about too acres. Mr.
Oakley is a native of Sweden, where he was
born Feb. 7, 1836. His father and mother,
Swan and Christiana (Jenson) Oakley, lived and
died in that country. Mr. Oakley was brought up
by his parents at home, and when he was 18 years
of age he came to this country. The track of the
Chicago & Northwestern Railroad was being laid,

. . *

; -v^ /, '.

'\ ^

WHITESIDE COUNTY.

and he was employed as a laborer in the vicinity of
Round Grove for some time. He next engaged by
the month at farm labor, in which capacity he oper-
ated until 1862. He then began to rent farms, and
devoted his attention to agriculture for about seven
years, pursuing that method of operation. He went
to Iowa in 1869, and bought 160 acres of land, which
he continued to own and operate six years. In the
spring of 1875, having sold his property in Iowa,
he returned to Whiteside County, where he obtained
possession, by purchase, of the fine estate he now
owns. Since obtaining the privileges of citizenship,
Mr. Oakley has supported the issues of the Repub-
lican party.

Mr. Oakley was united in marriage Jan. 3, 1865,
to Jennie L. Maxwell. Alice M., Cora A., Ida S.,
Lottie C. and Freddie S. are the names of their
children. Mrs. Oakley is the oldest of a large
family of children, and is the daughter of David and
Barbara (Cassels) Maxwell. Her parents lived and
died in Scotland, their native land. She was about
12 years of age when she came to the United States.
She is a member of the Presbyterian Church.

j illiam H. Reed is a farmer on section 13,
Hopkins Township. He was born Dec. 8,
1831, in Franklin Co., Pa., son of Isaac
and Ann (Commerer) Reed, and his par-
ents were also born in the same State, where
they were residents until 1852. In that year
they settled in Hopkins Township. In August, 1881,
they went to Sterling, where they are now resident.
Their children were born and named as follows :
Elizabeth C., William H., Mary, Anna M., John C.,
Martin L., George T. and Emma R.

Mr. Reed is the oldest son, and he received only
a common-school education. He accompanied his
parents and their family to Hopkins Township, lo-
cating near Empire, where he has since resided. He
owns 41 acres of land, which is under partial im-
provements.

His marriage to Mary J. Hacker took place Oct.
26, 1856, at Sterling. Her parents, William and
Elizabeth (Jasper) Hacker, were born in England
and came to the United States in 1834, settling in
Ulster Co., N. Y. In 1845 they came to Whiteside

County, settling in Elkhorn Grove, where they passed
the remainder of their lives. They had nine chil-
dren, born in the following order: Richard J., Na-
thaniel S., Elizabeth G., Annabella V., Eliza B., Jane
H., Mary J., Edward W. and John T.

Mrs. Reed was born June 19, 1834, on Prince Ed-
ward's Island. She is the mother of seven children,
as follows: Nathaniel J., Charles H., Nettie B.,
Daniel E , Mary E., Ida L. and Lovie D.

Mr. Reed is a Democrat. He has been somewhat
active in local official matters. He belongs to the
I. O. O. F., Lodge No. 174, at Sterling.

.dward Scotchbrook is a farmer of Mt.
Pleasant Township, resident on section
31. He is a citizen of the United States
by adoption, having been born Dec. 8, 1827, in
Lincolnshire, England, where he grew to man-
hood and was engaged in farming until 1851,
when he emigrated to the United States. He first
located in Tompkins Co., N. Y. In July, 1852, he
came to Whiteside County, and in the autumn fol-
lowing he bought 40 acres of land in Fenton Town-
ship. He obtained employment as a farm assistant
in Lyndon Township, where he worked by the
month until the spring of 1854, when he rented the
farm known as the Gibbs place, which he managed
a year. He then bought 100 acres of land in the
township of Prophetstown, where he was engaged in
agriculture two years. In 1856 he exchanged his
property for another farm in the same township, on
which he was the resident proprietor eight years. In
1864 he sold the place and bought the Patterson
farm near the village of Lyndon, which he held eight
years. In 1872 he sold it and bought 294 acres in
Mt. Pleasant Township, which is situated on sections
31 and 32. On this place he established his home-
stead. The entire acreage is practically under till-
age, and the proprietor stocks his place on an average
with 75 head of cattle and eight horses, and he fat-
lens about 50 hogs annually.

Politically, Mr. Scotchbrook has been an adherent
of the Republican party since he became in fact a
citizen of the United States until the spring of 1884,
when he joined the ranks of the independents.

The parents of Mr. Scotchbrook, John and Char-

WHITESIDE COUNTY.

* *

> *

lotte (Taylor) Scotchbrook, came from Lincolnshire,
England, to the United States in 1853. They lo-
cated in Whiteside County, where they both died.
The date of the decease of the former was in July,
1872. The latter died May 6, 1882. They had
three children, Mary A., Edward and Elizabeth.

Mr. Scotchbrook was married in Lyndon Township,
March 27, 1854, to Mary A. Pope. Of their union
five children have been born, Mary E., George P.,
Willard A., John T. and Sadie E. The mother was
born Dec. 25, 1830, in Lincolnshire, England. Her
parents, Abraham and Sarah Crampton Pope, were
natives of the English shire where their daughter
was born, and whence they emigrated to the United
States in 1853. They came to Whiteside County
and located in the township of Lyndon. In 1874
they made another removal, to the western borders
of the continent, to Vancouver's Island. The mother
died there, Dec. n, 1878. Their children were
named Mary A., Betsey, Thomas, Sarah, Louisa,
Eliza, Emma and Aaron.

harles N. Russell, a retired merchant of
Sterling, was born Feb. 3, 1826, in Green-
field, Mass. His parents, Charles and Ade-
line (Nash) Russell, were natives respectively
of Massachusetts and Vermont and of Eng-
lish ancestry.

From the age of 15 to 20 Mr. Russell lived with
the Rev. A. Harding, of New Salem, Mass.; then
coming to Como, this county, he worked a year
on the farm belonging to S. B. Harding; then for
two winters he taught school in Princeton, Bureau
Co., 111.; next, he was employed at farm labor until
the following August, when he went with a survey-
ing party north of La Crosse, Wis. The next four
years he was employed as clerk in Holmes & Hap-
good's store at Como, and four years more he was
engaged in the grocery business with A. C. Hap-
good at Como ; then he bought out Mr. Hapgood
and conducted the business alone for four years, .and
sold out. Two years subsequently he removed to
Sterling and purchased a house and lot on Spruce
St.; subsequently built on the corner of Seventh and
Spruce streets, which he now occupies as a resi-

dence. He also owns a farm of 190 acres at Big
Bend, which he rents.

Mr. Russell is a Republican in his political prin-
ciples. He takes special interest in public im-
provements and institutions for the public welfare.

He was married Dec. 25, 1851, to Miss Julia T.
Sampson, a native of Duxbury, Mass. She came
West in 1836 with her parents, Capt. Henry and
Nancy (Turner) Sampson, who settled in Como, kept
a hotel for a time and finally died there. Mr. and
Mrs. Russell have two children, Annie F. and
Charles T.

armon E. Burr, farmer, section 12, Union
Grove Township, was born Nov. 18, 1818,
in Winsted, Connecticut. He is the son of
Solomon and Mary (Ensign) Burr, and they
were both natives and life-long residents of
that State. The mother died Oct. 29, 1846 ;
the death of the father occurred Dec. 19, 1851.
Following are the names of their ten children : Maria,
Rufus, Samuel, Mary, Rhoda, Sarah, Willard, Hul-
dah, Harmon and Charlotte.

Mr. Burr attended the common schools until he
was 15 years of age, when he commenced teaching.
After following that business seven years without
intermission, he entered Oberlin College (Ohio),
where he pursued a full course of study and was
graduated in 1849. He taught during the'vacation
seasons to obtain means to defray the expense of his
collegiate course. He resumed teaching for a liveli-
hood, and resided in Lorain Co., Ohio. In 1850 he
was elected Sheriff and served a full term of tour
years. On the expiration of his official life in 1865,
he came to Illinois and located in Whiteside County.
Since his removal to Union Grove Township he has
been engaged in farming and in teaching. In the
latter calling he is the senior in the county, having
taught 50 years. He owns 200 acres of land on
the section where he resides, which is principally in
a good agricultural condition, and is largely devoted
to stock purposes. Mr. Burr has 48 head of cattle
and six horses, and sends to market about 60 swine
annually.

He was married in Columbia, Lorain Co., Ohio,
May i, 1849, to Ann Squire, and they have

V"ViHHXrXHH- - y^V ^>

WHITESIDE COUNTY.

three children : Harmon E. was bom Jan. 12, 1851 ;
Charlotte A., born March 13, 1856, died Feb. 27,
1883: John W., born Aug. 27, 1862, died July 23,
1870. Mrs. Burr was born March 2, 1825, in Devon-
shire, England, and is the 'daughter of Thomas and
Susannah Squire. Her parents were born in Devon-
shire, England, and in 1834 emigrated with their
family to the United States. They located in Lorain
Co., Ohio. The father died there Dec. 14, 1856;
the mother died in October, 1861. Their children,
of whom they had ten, lived to maturity. Their
names were Thomas, John, Jonas, Hannah, William,
Susan, Elizabeth, Ann,Tamsen and Margaret.

Mr. Burr is identified politically with the Repub-
lican party. In the fall of 1884 he was elected
Supervisor of his township, and is still engaged in the
discharge of the duties of the position. He and his
wife are communicants in the Episcopal Church.

William Bassett, deceased, formerly a
resident of Fulton, and one of the pioneer
physicians of Whiteside County, was born
in Hinsdale, Berkshire Co., Mass., Sept. 20,
1808, and was a son of Isaac and Mary (Knight)
Bassett. He received his medical education at
the Berkshire Medical Institute, of Pittsfield, Mass.,
and graduated in the class of 1834.

He was married at Granby, Hampshire Co.,
Mass., April 16, 1835, to Miss Louisa A. Ayres,
daughter of Chester and Lois (Preston) Ayres. Mrs.
Bassett's people for many generations were natives of
Massachusetts. Dr. Bassett removed to Bertrand,
Mich., and began practice in 1836. The following
year he removed to Sycamore, De Kalb Co., 111.,
where he was in practice till 1842. He then went
to Iowa, and from Iowa he came to Fulton in 1849.
He entered upon the duties of his profession at this
place, where he had an extensive and successful
practice. He was afflicted with lung trouble and
was often obliged to decline answering calls on ac^
count of failing health. He made his home at Ful-
ton i ontinuously from 1849 to the time of his death,
which occurred June 23, 1867, except a few months
at a time spent in Colorado and in Mt. Morris and
Union Grove, 111., for his health.

Dr. and Mrs. Bassett's family consisted of two

sons and a daughter: William E. married Geneva
Estabrook and resides in Alabama; Helen S. is the
wife of B. F. Woodward, of Denver, Col. ; and Lang-
don, the youngest son, died aged four and a half
years.

Dr. Bassett was a Republican and one of Fulton's
most respected citizens. As a physician he was
skillful in his profession, especially in the diseases
incident to the early settlement of this country. His
wife, an estimable lady, survives him and continues
to reside at Fulton. She is a respected member of
the Presbyterian Church.

eander S. Kauffman is a farmer on sec-
tion 25, Hopkins Township. He is the
son of Jacob and Ann E. (Snyder) Kauff-
man, who were born in Pennsylvania, of Ger-
man descent. In 1850 they removed from the
Keystone State to Whiteside County, locating
primarily at Sterling and removing thence to Jordan
Township. Later on they again settled at Sterling,
their present place of abode, where they are living
in retirement. Their seven children were born in
the order in which they are named: Tobias, Ben-
jamin F., Leander S., Jacob S., Adam E., Walter N.
and Cora M.

Mr. Kauffman was born May 20, 1847, in Lan-
caster Co., Pa. He was three years of age when his
parents removed with their family to Whiteside
County. He secured a common-school education
and lived at home under the care and authority of
his parents until he reached his majority. He then
began teaching and pursued that business five years
in Whiteside County. At the end of that time he
entered upon the prosecution of a plan he had pre-
viously formed and engaged in farming. He bought
80 acres of land in Jordan Township, which he
managed five years. He sold his property at the ex-
piration of that period of time and bought his
present estate in Hopkins Township. At the date
of purchase it included no acres, and it now em-
braces 213 acres, which is practically all under culti-
vation. Mr. Kauffman is a Republican in political
preference and relations, and has held several school
and local township offices.

He was united in marriage Nov. 9, 1871, in Lee

WHITESIDE COUNTY.

(S,

Co., 111., with Rebecca, daughter of John and Sarah
(Robinson) Spivey. The parents were born in Eng-
land, and the mother died there in 1850. In 1853
the father emigrated with his family to the United
States, settling in Ogle Co., 111. The father died
there April 6, 1863. Mrs. Kauffman had two sisters,
Hannah and Sarah, both older than herself. She
was born April 20, 1849, in England. She has been
the mother of four children, Carrie M., Fred W.,
Hattie F. and Grace L. Mr. and Mrs. Kauffman
are members of the Christian Church. He belongs
to the A. O. U. W.

ohn Phelps, deceased, an early pioneer
merchant of Fulton and one of her most
enterprising and respected citizens, was
born in Greenfield, Franklin Co., Mass., April
8, 1819. His parents were John and Almeda
(Newton) Phelps, of English descent.
When 1 6 years of age John went to Hartford,
Conn., where he was employed as a clerk in a dry-
goods store nine years. In 1844 he came to Fulton,
111., where he formed a partnership with an elder
brother, Augustine Phelps, under the firm name of
A. and J. Phelps, dealers in general merchandise.
The firm continued to do business until the death of
Mr. Augustine Phelps, after which Mr. John Phelps
carried on the business alone till 1855, when he sold
out to Patrick & Hollinshead. He then built the
stone warehouse on the. levee, and was engaged in
warehouse business for some years.

He was married at Fulton, in June, 1848, to Miss
Ellen Humphries, daughter of C. and Almira Hum-
phries, and step-daughter of John Baker, the first
white settler at Fulton. Mrs. Phelps was born at
Collinsviile, Conn. Mr. and Mrs. Phelps had two
children, a daughter and son: Hattie N. ,is the
widow of Robert Robinson; the son, Dwight, mar-
ried Louise C. Stetler, and is a resident of Iowa.

In the fall of 1853 Mr. Phelps and Judge James
McCoy purchased a printing-press and office outfit
in St. Louis; but as the steamer having the press on
board was caught in the ice at Rock Island, it was
not until the following spring that it reached its des-
nation. The first paper was issued in May, 1854,

' '

and was called the Whiteside Investigator. This
was the first paper published at Fulton.

Mr. Phelps took an active part in the early rail-
road projects, and was chosen a member of the first
Board of Directors of the Mississippi & Rock River
Junction Railroad, and aided materially in securing
the construction of the first railroad to Fulton. He
was frequently chosen to fill public positions, and
served as School Director, Assessor, Township
School Treasurer, Supervisor of the town, Alderman
of the city and Township Clerk. He was a promi-
nent Freemason, having taken the highest degree in
that order, being a member of Fulton City Lodge,
No. 189, A. F. & A. M., of which he was an officer
many years. He was also a member and officer of
Fulton Chapter, No. 108, R. A. M., and of the Dixon
Commandery and Freeport Consistory. In politics
he was Republican.

Mr. Phelps was a man of many noble qualities,
and remarkable for a keen sense of honor and the
strictest integrity. His word was considered as
good as his bond. While among his fellow citizens
he was known as " Honest John Phelps."

He lost his wife, an estimable lady, Oct. 10, 1877,
and for several years prior to his death he was not
in business, but lived quietly at his old homestead in
the company of his only daughter, Mrs. Robinson.
His death occurred Feb. 5, 1884.

.amuel H. Greenawalt, dealer in grain,
coal and lumber at Gait and Round Grove,
was born Jan. 18, 1841, in Franklin Co.,
Pa. His father, Jacob Greenawalt, was born
in Pennsylvania and there married Mary Diehl,
I also a native of the same State. Their 12
children were born in Franklin County, where the
father died, in 1865. The mother survives.

Mr. Greenawalt is the seventh child of his parents.
He received the advantages of the common schools
of his native county, where he remained during his
minority, serving meanwhile two years in the shop of
his father, who was a tailor. On arriving at the age
of 21 years he came to Illinois. After passing a
year in Lee County, where tie worked on a farm, he
came in 1863 to Whiteside County and passed the
first season as a farm laborer. In the winter of

UnrtMfi

UNIVERSITY W

WHITESIDE COUNTY.

1864-5 he engaged as a clerk in a general mercan-
tile establishment, and afterwards entered the ma-
chine shop of Gait & Tracy. He continued in their
employment until the fall of 1866, when he formed
a partnership with J. K. Caro'lus, the firm style be-
coming Carolus & Greenawalt. They transacled a
business in general merchandise at Empire until the
spring of 1885, when they disposed of their stock,
in order to devote themselves exclusively to the
management of the trade in which they are now
operating, and which they inaugurated in 1881 at
Gait, their firm style being transposed, and their
business has since been managed under that of
Greenawalt & Carolus. They have a branch estab-
lishment at Round Grove. Mr. Greenawalt is a
Democrat in political sentiment, and he has been
Clerk of Hopkins Township four years. He is a
member of the I. O. O. F., and belongs to the
English Lutheran Church, with which his wife is also
connected.

He was united in marriage in 1866 at Sterling,
111., to Melinda, daughter of George and Elizabeth
(Kuhn) Carolus, and is the sister of the business as-
sociate of her husband. She was born in April,
1842, in Franklin Co., Pa., and came in April, 1862,
to Whiteside County. Ollie M. and Frank H. are
the names of the two children of Mr. and Mrs.
Greenawalt.

i eander Smith, banker at Morrison, is one

fof the most prominent business men in
Northern Illinois. He is senior member
of the banking firm of Smith & Mackay, and
has been president of the First National Bank at
Morrison since its organization in 1865. The
ancestors of Mr. Smith belonged to the old Puritan
stock that settled in Massachusetts, and his imme-
diate progenitors located at and near Ipswich, in that
State. From there, Nathan Smith, his father, traced
direct lineal descent. The grandparents of Mr.
Smith settled in Mount Vernon, N. H., where Na-
than was born in 1777. Nancy Lamson, who became
his wife, was born in Mount Vernon, in 1^82, and
they became the parents of two sons .Nathan, Jr.,

and Leander. The former died in Athol, Mass., in
January, 1879, and left a wife and three children.

Nathan Smith, senior, was by vocation a manu-
facturer of woolen cloth, and, after marriage went to
Templeton, Mass. In 1838 he removed to Royals-
ton, in the same State, and died there in 1849. His
wife died at the same place, in 1854.

Mr. Smith was born Feb. 10, 1819, in Templeton,
Mass. In addition to the business of a manufacturer
his father owned and conducted a farm, where his
family lived and where his sons were brought up.
Mr. Smith lived on the farm until he was 16 years
of age, when he was sent to an academy at New
Ipswich, N. H., where he obtained a substantial ele-
mentary education. At the age of 17 years he began
teaching and spent six successive winters in the pur-
suit of that vocation. Meanwhile he was engaged
in studious preparation for a professional life, and, as
opportunity offered, he began to read medicine. He
matriculated in the Medical Department of Dart-
mouth College, in Hanover, N. H., from which he
was graduated with the degree of M. D. in 1842,
when he was 23 years of age. He entered upon his
initiatory career as a physician and surgeon at Rich-
mond, N. H., where he practiced with success for
about three years. He was not content with the
scope and acquisitions of his life as a professional
man, and in order to extend his business relations he
left Richmond and went to Tioga Co., Pa., when the
rich lumber resources of that section was being
opened and which afforded a promising field for trie
exercise of the abilities and ambitions of Mr. Smith.
His professional skill was as valuable a resource as
the energies and financial ability he brought to bear
upon the situation, and he conducted his business as
a physician with all the interest and ardor demanded
by the exigencies of the location. He entered
heavily into the manufacture and sale of lumber and
combined therewith a mercantile enterprise of con-
siderable proportions. His location was at Elkland,
and he was engaged in the pursuit of his several
business interests in Tioga County from 1845 to l8 53-

Meanwhile, the glowing and exciting accounts of
the golden harvest on the Pacific coast, ripe for the
reapers, aroused all sections of the New World and
Mr. Smith joined the "Argonauts," as the earliest im-
migrants to California were designated. He went in
March, 1849, to the sunset slope of the Western

v Continent, to avail himself of the mining resources.

; At that time the city of Sacramento was a hamlet of
" tents, and a few unpretentious houses occupied the
site of the present magnificent city of the Golden
Gate. The local government was in a state of chaos
from existing circumstances ; the rapid influx of
population of a most miscellaneous character, setting
aside all regulations of law and order; and, in the ab-
sence of authority, every man was a power unto him-
self and exercised his assumed prerogatives according
to his own interpretations of the rights and privileges

- to himself accruing, by virtue of his, understanding,
his interests, or his pejudices, or whatever his stand-
point might be. Mr. Smith engaged in prospecting
on the North Fork of the American River, and he
remained in California about a year. He was an
efficient auxiliary in the administration of measures
to secure the tranquillity and protection of the people,
the government being in a formative condition and
largely dependent on the efficiency of the authorities
constituted irregularly in the absence of systematized
municipal regulations.

He returned to Pennsylvania in 1850, after a year
of successful operation in the Golden State, and re-
sumed the duties of his former business connections.
In 1853 he went to Vinton, Benton Co., Iowa, under
the same impetus which had led him to Pennsyl-
vania. He established his practice there and be-
came speedily and extensively identified with the
general interests of the place. He acquired the pro-
prietorship of large tracts of Government land, and
he platted an addition to the village of Vinton, which
is still designated by his name. After operating at
that point a year, he went to Lyons, in Iowa, and
prosecuted his professional business and other inter-
ests two years.

In 1856 he came to Fulton, Whiteside Co., 111.,
where he devoted his attention to the prosecution of
financial projects and enterprises, and also engaged
extensively in the manufacture and sale of lumber.
He prosecuted his interests in that direction at Ful-
ton ten years, and during that time he secured large
tracts of Government land in Wisconsin and Min-
nesota, covered with pine timber, the latter being re-
moved and the land afterwards sold to settlers for
farms.

Mr. Smith inaugurated the private banking enter-
prise of Smith, Root & Co., at Fulton, in 1856, in

*S*ft-

which he retained a controlling interest until 1864,
in which year the financial enterprise under the style
of L. Smith & Co. was established at Morrison. In
1865 the latter was converted into the First National
Bank, with Mr. Smith as President and A. J. Jack-
son, Cashier. In January, 1885, the bank com-
menced business under its first extension of franchise,
its original charter having expired at the end of 20
years.

In the fall of 1862, while a resident of Fulton, Mr-
Smith was elected to represent his district in the
Legislature of Illinois, and in the fall of 1864, he was
re-elected to the same position. He served on
Committees on Banks, Corporations and State Insti-
tutions, and on several others of minor importance.
Hi performed his duties in the interests of his con-
stituency in an able and characteristic manner. He
introduced several important bills, among which was
that providing for the building of the Rockford, Rock
Island & St. Louis Railroad, now the property of the
Chicago, Burlington & Quincy corporation.

In 1868, Mr. Smith visited California in the pur-
suit of health and relaxation from business cares, to
find a wealthy and prosperous commonwealth, fair
cities thronged with the most cosmopolitan popula-
tion to be found on the earth, and a general con-
dition which seemed the result of the operations of
some superhuman instrumentality.

In 1876 Mr. Smith became a resident of Morrison,
ai d in 1878 he founded the private banking house of
Smith & Mackay, of which he is the senior member,
and which has been from the outset engaged in the
transaction of extensive and satisfactory financial
operations. He has continued his traffic in real
estate and has devoted much attention to the general
improvement of land in Whiteside County, where he
is the proprietor of 2,000 acres of land under excel-
lent cultivation. He is also the owner of several
thousand acres of land in Iowa, Nebraska, Wisconsin
and Minnesota.

Since becoming a citizen of Whiteside County, he
has been continuously identified with the local inter-
ests of Fulton and Morrison. He officiated several
years as member of the Council in the former place,
and also served that municipality some years as City
Treasurer. On the organization of the College of
Northern' Illinois, at Fulton, he was constituted a
member of the Board of Trustees, and, with the ex-
^ r^ ^JJVSL.ir'

!
i

;

. WHITESIDE COUNTY.

ception of an interim of one year, he has acted as its
Treasurer continuously. He has had entire charge
of its endowment fund. Mr. Smith has been one of
the Board of Aldermen at Morrison six years. He
belongs to the Masonic fraternity at Fulton.

Whatever political faith Mr. Smith possessed on
arriving at the era of his legal freedom he had im-
bibed from association chiefly, his ancestors having
been Democrats of the Jacksonian school, and he
acted in accordance with his transmitted principles
until 1848. The crowning and significant events
that characterized the presidential campaign of that
year had a weighty influence with Mr. Smith, and he
had, as by intuition, a comprehensive understanding
of all that was implied by the term "Free Soil," and
understood the responsibilities which, coming exi-
gencies laid upon his manhood. He voted for Martin
Van Buren as the exponent of his new faith in its
embryo state. On the organization of the Republican
party he enlisted earnestly in its ranks, and has ever
since accorded to its issues his zealous support.

He is equally sincere in religious sentiment, and
although he favors the tenets of the Baptist creed, he
is liberal and tolerant of all denominational bodies
who base their organization upon the principles of
Christianity. He gives to all generously without dis-
tinction of sect, and since the outset of his career of
prosperity he has been known as the helpful assist-
ant of all evangelical projects. He was one of the
largest contributors to the new church edifice built by
the Presbyterian society at Morrison, in 1884.

It is conceded that Mr. Smith is at the head of the
long catalogue of financiers in Whiteside County,
which presents an array of names of uncommon
ability and success. Men are born with the Midas
touch, and every community comprises one or more
in its category of types of business pre-eminence.

Mr. Smith was united in marriage Aug. 18, 1843,
in Richmond, N. H., to Elizabeth Parkhurst. She
was born in Richmond and was the daughter of Dr.
John Parkhurst, of that place. She died Jan. 31,
1851, at Elkland, Pa. Mr. Smith entered into a
second matrimonial alliance May 2, 1855, with Dolly
Ann Allen. She was born in Cortland Co., N. Y.
Mr. and Mrs. Smith have been the parents of six
children. Elizabeth, second child, is deceased.
Alice is the oldest. Frank L. is cashier in the bank-
ing house of Smith & Mackay. Louis W. is his suc-
-SM&-. - ^-axa.^ ,-s v^

cessor in the order of birth. Edward A. is a book- '
keeper in the bank. Harry W. is the youngest child.

The portrait of Mr. Smith is presented on another *
page. It will be welcomed by his own generation
through personal motives of appreciation, and those i!
of the future will cherish it as the likeness of one who
brought his abilities and resources to bear upon the
permanent foundation of Whiteside County.

r'ohn Yager, retired farmer, resident at Ster-
'* ling, was born in Union Co., Pa., Jan. 30,
1808, his parents being John and Mary E.
(Phillip) Yager, farmers, of German ancestry.
In their family of six children, the subject
whose name heads this paragraph was the
second in order of birth. His parents moved to
Ohio in 1812 and lived there eight years, clearing
and improving a small farm. This they sold and
removed to Jackson County, that State, where they
purchased a farm of 160 acres and then retired, in
1837. Mr. Y. died Feb. 13, 1856.

John remained at home until 2 1 years of age, as-
sisting on the farm and receiving a limited education.
After leaving home he purchased 80 acres of the
Government, which he improved and occupied for
seven years. He then sold out, and in 1836 came
to Ogle County, this State, and took up a claim that
had no bounds, as " Uncle Sam " owned all the land
that was "joining him! " Residing there until 1843,
he sold out his interest and removed to Genesee
Township, this county, buying 600 acres, which he
occupied till 1880, when he moved to his present
residence in Sterling. He still owns 540 acres of
land.

In his political views Mr. Yager is a Democrat,
and both himself and wife are members of the
Christian Church, of which he has also been a min-
ister. He was ordained in 1836, and followed
preaching the gospel, as well as farming, up to 1880.
At Coleta he built a house of worship, at his own
expense. He has, accordingly, exhibited a high de-
gree of philanthropy ; and, being a consistent Chris-
tian, he has won the respect and maintained the
highest esteem of the community.

April 19, 1829, Mr. Yager married Miss Elizabeth
Ayers, and they had nine children, only two of whom

v <

WHITESIDE COUNTY.

I
(>

are living, Mary and Harriet. The first named
married Henry Miller, and they have six children, '
William, Oran, John, Bell, Hattie and Samuel. Har-
riet Yager married Ephraim Brookfield, and has three
children living, Edwin, Nellie and Helen. Mr.
Brookfield died in Florida, and his widow afterward
married Henry Green, and by this marriage had one
child, Charles by name. For his second wife Mr.
Yager married Catharine Nance, Dec. 12, 1853, and
lived with her nine years.

Nov. 1 6, 1863, Mr. Yager married for his present
wife, Mrs. M. A. McCray.

W. Bastian, of the firm of F. K. & A. W.
Bastian, publishers and proprietors of the
Fulton Journal, a semi-weekly independent
paper, was born ' in Geauga Co., Ohio, June
26, 1846, and is the son of Van S. and Ann E.
Bastian. He removed to Rochester, N. Y.,
with his parents in 1850, and received his primary
education in the schools of that city. In 1861 he
came to Prophetstown, this county, where he was
engaged in farming and teaching school. He sub-
sequently removed to Bureau County, this State.
Being ambitious to acquire a thorough education,
while his circumstances did not justify the necessary
expense, he was obliged to earn the money with
which to pay his way through college. This he did
in teaching school and working on a farm till he
succeeded in obtaining three terms at Dover College
and two at Wheaton, finally receiving a State certifi-
cate. His attendance at Wheaton occurred after he
was married. He taught the Yorktown school, or-
ganized the Tampico school, graded it and served as
Principal seven years.

He came to Fulton in August, 1881, and pur-
chased a half interest in the Journal office, and has
since devoted his entire attention to conducting that
business. The history of the paper under the man-
agement of the Bastian Brothers proves that it is
ably edited and that the office is conducted on sound
business principles.

Mr. A. W. Bastian was married in Yorktown, 111.,
March 4, 1872, to Miss Eva A. Patterson, daughter
of Orrin and Lucy M. (Chubbuck) Patterson. Mrs.

Bastian was born in Bureau Co., 111. They have
one child, Sidney A., born Dec. 13, 1875.

Mr. Bastian is a Democrat in his political views.

_dward J. Hempstead, liveryman, Sterling,
was born in Oswego Co., N. Y., April 28,
1816, his parents being Col. William and
Miriam (Hyatt) Hempstead, natives of the Em-
pire State. His father dying in 1834, he as-
sisted in support of the family until he was 25
years of age, when he bought a small farm and cul-
tivated it six years. He then sold out and entered
the livery business at Oswego City, which he fol-
lowed for 14 years. Then he came to Sterling and
engaged in the same business, in which he is enjoy-
ing fair success. He is the oldest liveryman in the
city.

Politically, he is a Democrat in his principles, and
religiously he is in sympathy with the Protestant
Episcopal Church.

He was married Oct. 8, 1846, to Miss Julia King,
and they have one son, Frederick, born May 21,
1848.

red K. Bastian, senior partner of Bastian
Bros., publishers and proprietors of the
Fulton Journal (see history of the paper
elsewhere in this work), was born in Roches-
ter, N. Y., Sept. 23, 1856, and is the son of
Van S. and Ann E. Bastian. He came to
Illinois with his parents in 1861, and was brought
up on a farm near Prophetstown, this county. He
received his primary education in the district school,
became a student of Princeton (111.) High School
and of Wheaton (111.) College, and subsequently at-
tended the Whiteside County Normal School three
terms. He received a first-grade certificate and
taught school three years. He was engaged in vari-
ous employments till October, 1879, when he was
employed as reporter on the Sterling Gazette. That
connection continued till April, 1881, when he pur-
chased the Journal office of the Sterling Gazette
Company. He changed its politics from Republican
to Independent-Democratic. Aug. 21, 1881, his

-N X.

^^^V-MMxrXMM-:/^ W

WHITESIDE COUNTY.

- -

elder brother, A. W., purchased a half interest in
the office, and the business has since been conducted
under the firm name of Bastian Brothers. In Sep-
tember of that year they changed the paper from an
eight-column folio to a nine-column folio, weekly,
patent inside ; and in November following the patent
business was discontinued and the paper wholly
printed at home. The paper was issued in that
form till October 30, 1882, when it was made a
seven-column semi-weekly, all home print, and pub-
lished Tuesdays and Fridays. The Journal was
the official paper of the county during the years
1883-4-5. The office is supplied with a power press
and good outfit of material for all sorts of job work.
Without severing his connection with the Journal,
Mr. Bastian went to Grand Forks, Dak., in July,
1882, and engaged as a reporter on the Grand Forks
Daily and Weekly News. He continued on the
News staff until November of that year, when he re-
turned to Fulton and the Journal office.

Mr. Bastian has served one year as City Marshal
of Fulton. In politics he is a Democrat.

He was married at Mendota, 111., Aug. 21, 1884,
to Miss Nellie J. Barton, daughter of William and
Maria L. Barton. Mrs. Bastian was born in fcsr

salience., 111.

i ashington Loomis, deceased, was formerly
a farmer on section 34, Hopkins Town-
ship. He was born Feb. 9, 1827, in the
State of New York. He settled at Como, in
Hopkins Township, in 1854, where he was
resident a little more than two years. He then
bought 1 60 acres of land on section 34, Hopkins
Township, and later made a further purchase of 103
acres. He continued the management of his farm-
ing interests until the fall of 1867, when he removed
to Sterling. In the spring of 1868 he went to
Waverly, Iowa, and engaged in the sale of agricul-
tural implements, and was occupied in that business
until his death, which occurred July 30, 1870.

While a resident of Hopkins Township he was
prominent in local township official matters and
acted in the capacity of Supervisor nine years, be-
sides filling the position of Treasurer and other
minor offices.

He was married Nov. 9, 1854, to Marcia G. Bur-

dick, by whom he had six children, named William
H., Carlton W., Frank W., Carrie A., Blanche A. and
Henry E. The three last named are deceased. Mrs.
Loomis was born Aug. 7, 1831, in the State of New
York, and is the daughter of Joel C. and Mary
(Baker) Burdick. The former was a native of Mas-
sachusetts and the latter was born in New York.
Their children were Marcia G., William R., Joel C.,
Alexis C. and Clarence A.

enry May, farmer, section 35, Hopkins
j Township, has lived in Whiteside County
since the autumn of 1854, when he came
hither with his wife and two children ; and, as-
sociated with his brother, bought 167 acres on
the section on which his homestead has since
been established. He is the owner of 70 acres of
land, chiefly under tillage. He is a Democrat in
political choice and relations.

Mr. May was born Oct. 19, 1815, in Massachu-
setts. He spent his youthful years in obtaining a
common-school education, and passed the time in-
tervening between that age and his majority in ac-
quiring a knowledge of carriage-making and the
trade of wheelwright. He followed these occupa-
tions until 1840, when he began running an omnibus
line between Roxbury and Boston, in which he was
interested four years. In January, 185 r, he went to
California, making the route there by way of the isth-
mus of Panama. He engaged in mining in the
Golden State, and was occupied in that business
three years, meeting partial success. He returned
to Massachusetts in the spring of 1854; and in the
fall came to Illinois.

He formed a matrimonial alliance with Martha
Jane Currier Nov. 27, 1846, in Methuen, Mass. She
was born Feb. 20, 1822, in that place, and is the
daughter of John and Harriet (Burr) Currier. Her
parents lived and died in the State of Massachusetts.
She is the oldest of their six children, and her broth-
ers and sisters were named Eunice B., John M.,
Jonathan G., Ada B. and Cynthia E.

The children of Mr. and Mrs. May have been four
in number, and they were born in the following order :
Mary H., Esther E., William A. and Henry C. Es-

WHITESIDE COUNTY.

ther died Oct. 14, 1853, when about three years of
age. Mary married Delos Olds and lives at Como.
Mr. and Mrs. May are members of the Congrega-
tional Church.

Christian Kurkholder, proprietor of the
general agricultural depot on Spruce
Street, Sterling, was born Sept. 29, 1848,
his parents being Elias and Maria (Blair) Burk
holder, natives of Pennsylvania, who moved
to Clinton Co., Ohio, in 1857, and to Sterling
in the fall of 1859. Mr. Burkholder, the senior, fol-
lowed farming until 1882, since which time he has
been engaged in the live-stock business.

Christian, the subject of this notice, attended
the Rock River Seminary at Mount Morris, 111.,
four terms. Then he started out in business by
entering the employment of H. S. Street, in the ag-
ricultural warehouse, and was with him until 1877,
when he purchased his interest and has since then
managed the business alone.

In his political views, Mr. B. is a Republican, is a
member of the Methodist Episcopal Church, and is
a consistent Christian gentleman, being liberal and
public-spirited.

Mr. Burkholder married Miss Mary P. Irvine, the
daughter of Joseph and Electa S. (Parsons) Irvine,
of Rockford, Oct. 7, 1869. By this marriage there
have been six children, Nellie M., Charles J., Lotta
A., Harry E., Homer S. and Alice M.

Naniga & Co., dealers in dry goods, gro-
ceries, boots and shoes, etc. This is a
new mercantile firm, established at Fulton
April r, 1885, with a fine general stock valued
at $3,000. The members comprising the firm
are Garrett Naniga and Herman Sikkema.
The senior partner, Garrett Naniga, was born in Ful-
ton Township, this county, Feb. 18, 1861, and is the
son of George and Dereke (Felt) Naniga. He was
reared on a farm, and in 1882 engaged as clerk for
George DeBey, a general merchant of Fulton, and
continued with him till April i, 1885, when he formed
the existing partnership with Mr. Sikkema. He was

married in Ustick Township, this county, Oct. 15,
1884, to Miss Helen Sikkema, daughter of Jacob
Sikkema. Mrs. Naniga was born in Holland and
came to the United States in 1865. Mr. Naniga's
parents are also natives of Holland and came to the
United States in 1855. He is a Republican ; he and
his wife attend the Presbyterian Church.

Herman Sikkema, junior partner of the above men-
tioned firm, is a native of Holland and was born
June 21, 1858. He is the son of William and Annie
(Housenga) Sikkema. He emigrated to the United
States in 1872 and arrived in Fulton, 111., the same
year. He has been engaged in farming, mill work
and teaming till April, 1885, when he formed the ex-
isting partnership with Mr. Naniga. He is Repub-
lican in politics and attends the Presbyterian Church.

Messrs. Naniga and Sikkema are energetic young
business men, who have hosts of friends who will re-
joice to see them prosper in their newly established
business.

eremiah K. Carolus, member of the firm ot
' Greenawalt & Carolus, dealers in grain, coal
and lumber, at Gait and Round Grove,
was born in Franklin Co., Pa., July 23, 1844.
and he is the son of George and Elizabeth
(Kuhn) Carolus. His father was born in
Pennsylvania and died there July 15, 1856. In
1860 the mother came to Whiteside County and has
since resided at Sterling. Their ten children were
born in the order in which their names are given, as
follows : John F., Isaac, Joanna, Margaret, Elizabeth,
William, Josiah, Melinda, Jeremiah K. and Emanuel.
In 1860 Mr. Carolus came to Whiteside County,
where he arrived in April. He engaged as a farm
laborer at various points and spent three years work-
ing by the month, after which he operated as a car-
penter at Sterling about the same length of time. He
then came to Empire in Hopkins Township, and in
December, 1866, entered into a business association
with Samuel H. Greeanwalt, his brother-in law, for the
purpose of prosecuting mercantile transactions. They
maintained their establishment at Empire until the
spring of 1885, when they sold their stock.

In 1 88 1 they began their operations in coal, grain
and lumber at Gait, under the firm name of Green-

^nna^

WHITESIDE COUNTY.

' await & Carolus, and in the spring of 1885 they
started a branch establishment, at Round Grove.
They are managing their business relations with
profit to themselves and satisfaction to the public
generally.

Mr. Carolus is a Republican in political connec-
tion, has been actively interested in school matters
in his locality, and was elected Town Clerkin the
spring of 1885.

His marriage to Mary A., daughter of Joseph and
and Louisa Lytle, occurred Nov. 28, 1872, in Hop-
kins Township. Her parents were born in Pennsyl-
vania and settled about 1857 in Whiteside County.
Her father died in 1884. Mrs. Carolus is one of six
children, who were born as follows : Joseph, Lucy,
Mary A., Harry, Maggie and Lizzie. She was born
Sept. 23, 1844, in Lancaster Co., Pa., and she is the
mother of four children George L., Bertie, Herbert
J. and Edith M. Mr. and Mrs. Carolus are mem-
bers of the English Lutheran Church, and he is a
member of the I. O. O. F.

i ufus E. Dade, dealer in boots and shoes,
and sewing-machines, Fulton City, estab-
lished his business Jan. i, 1880. He was
born in Ogdensburg, St. Lawrence Co., N. Y.,
June 12, 1844. When three years of age he
went -with his parents to Fulton, N. Y.; six
years later the family removed to Spring Wells,
Mich., where Rufus learned the shoemaker's trade.

On the breaking out of the late war he enlisted,
Sept. 10, 1861, in Co. F, 5th Mich. Vol. Inf. He
participated in the siege of Yorktown, Va., from some
time in April to Mays, 1862; battles of Williams-
burg, May 5; Fair Oaks, May 31, and June i;
Chickahominy, June 26 ; Malvern Hill, July i ;
second Bull Run, Aug. 30; Chantilly, Sept. i; South
Mountain, Md., Sept. 14; Antietam, Md., Sept. 17;
Fredericksburg, Va., Dec. 13 ; Chancellorsville, May
2, 1863; Gettysburg, Pa., July 2 and 3; Locust
Grove, Va., Dec. 27 and 30; and the Wilderness,
May 5, and 6, 1864, where he was wounded. He
was then in the hospitals at Washington, D. C., and
York, Pa., and was sent from the last named place to
Detroit, Mich., where he was mustered out of the ser-
Oct. 27, 1864, receiving an honorable discharge.

He re-enlisted June 6, 1866, in the 43d Veteran Re-
serve Corps, and performed duty as an artificer, with
the rank of a non-commissioned officer. He was
stationed at Fort Mackinaw and served till May 26,
1868.

He then came to Fulton, 111., where he was em-
ployed as foreman by S. B. Boyer, boot and shoe
manufacturer, until he closed business in 1877. He
then formed a partnership with Fred Fell in the boot
and shoe trade, which connection continued two
years. Jan. i, 1880, he entered upon his present
business.

He was married at Fulton, 111., Jan. 26, 1871, to
Miss Elizabeth R. Webb, daughter of E. K. and
Anna M. Webb. Mrs. Dade was born in Fulton, 111.
They have four children, two boys and two girls:
Myrtie E., Laura A., Edwin R. and Bertie A.

Mr. Dade has usually voted with the Republican
party, but at present is inclined to be an independent.

ames Drew, one of the proprietors of the
(f- Economy Mill, Sterling, was born in the
Dominion of Canada, Dec. 3, 1832, his par-
ents being Elisha and Anna (Dart) Drew. His
father was by trade a carpenter, and in 1852
came ^to Stephenson County, this State, en-
gaging in agriculture; but he is at present a resident
of Lena, having retired from active business.

James, the eldest in his father's family of nine
children, remained at home until 21 years of age,
assisting his father at his trade and on the farm and
receiving a common-school education. He left Can-
ada in 1851, came to Stephenson Co., 111., worked at
the carpenter's trade and assisted his father on his
farm until of age. Then he went to Lena and
worked at the carpenter's trade till the fall of 1855,
when he came to Sterling and followed his vocation
until, in 1861, he commenced as a miller for a man
named Ross ; the mill changed proprietors at the
end of a year, and Mr. Drew continued in his
capacity as miller several years longer, for the new
firm. He next entered the employment of J. McKen-
ney in the Sterling Mills, working for him several
years, then four years for Church & Patterson. In
1880 he purchased a third interest in the Economy
Mill, in company with Dillon & Harris; in 1881, in
company with Harris, he purchased Mr. Dillon's

E7t

X v-

310

^TX-'.HHXDfHH-'X'V ^

WHITESIDE COUNTY.

^ f interest ; and he bought out Mr. Harris in 1883. In

\ 1884 he sold a half interest to D. R. Denison. They
bought the building lot and water power, and have
since conducted the establishment as a merchant
(&j and custom mill, with acceptability to their patrons.
Mr. D. owns his fine residence on Pine and Sixth
Streets.

In his political views, Mr. Drew is a Republican,
and in his religious connections a member of the
Presbyterian Church at Sterling, of which body Mrs.
Drew is also a member. He is also a member of the
v Masonic Order.

June 4, 1856, Mr. Drew was married to Melinda
Olinghouse, a native of Ohio, and they have had
three children, namely, Florence E., Laura F. and
Charles E.

.arius Gould, furniture dealer in the Far-
well Block, on Locust Street, Sterling, was
born March 9, 1824, in Saratoga Co., N.
Y., and was one year old when his parents,
Tobias and Dinah (Degroff) Gould (also natives
of the Empire State), moved to Bradford Co.,
where his father, a farmer, died, in 1831 : his
mother died in Georgia, in 1875.

On the death of his father, Mr. Gould went with
his grandparents to Cayuga Co., N. Y., and remained
with them until 17 years of age, attending school
winters. He then went to Tioga County, same State,
and served a three years' apprenticeship at shoe-
making. His health failing, he returned to Cayuga
County and worked at carpentry three years, when
he came to Genesee, this county, purchased a farm
of 40 acres, cultivated it and also worked at his
trade. This farm he sold in 1860, and purchased
another in the same town, comprising 120 acres.
Two years afterward he sold this farm also, went to
Hickory Grove, bought 80 acres and followed farm-
ing there until 1870, when he sold out and moved to
Sterling, where for 14 years he followed building by
contracts, being very successful. Sometimes he had
as many as ten men in his employ. Jan. i, 1884, he
purchased the interest of Joshua McKenny in the
furniture and undertaking business. He has one
partner, and now the firm of Stakemiller .& Gould
enjoying a prosperous trade. Mr. Gould owns a

house and lot on Sixth Street, between Locust and
B, where he resides.

Politically, Mr. Gould is a Republican ; religiously,
a consistent Christian gentlemen, being a member of
the Baptist Church at Sterling, to which body Mrs.
G. also belongs. He is also a Freemason.

Mr. Gould was married to Miss Lucy Ann South-
ard, of Cayuga Co., N. Y., March 17, 1848. She
died in 1876, leaving four children, Francis A.>
William L., Sarah A. and Ida A. Mr. Gould was
married a second time, Sept. 5, 1877, to Mrs. E.
S. Phillips, of Sterling, and by this marriage there is
one daughter, Jessie by name.

jarlton W. Loomis is a farmer on section
34, Hopkins Township. He is the son of
Washington and Marcia G. (Burdick) Loomis,
of whom a succinct personal narration is given
on another page. He was born March 24,
1 86 1, in Hopkins Township. He obtained as
good a common-school education as the public
schools afforded, which he attended until he was 16
years of age. He then went to Valparaiso, Ind.,
where he attended the Normal School six months.
Later he entered the Iowa Business College at Cedar
Rapids, where he was graduated in February, 1878.
He is engaged in farming on the homestead of his
father, of which he is the owner. In political prefer-
ence he is a Republican.

Mr. Loomis was married Feb. 22, i88i,in Sterling,
to Lydia, daughter of Henry S. and Elizabeth (Eshle-
man) Williams. Her parents are natives of Lancas-
ter Co., Pa,, and she is one of seven children, born in
the following order: Benjamin F., Albert A., Jacob
E., Lydia, Henry E., Ulysses G. and Minnie E.
Mrs. Loomis was born March 3, 1864, in Sterling.
She is the mother of two children, William W. and
Charles E.

!' F. Eastman, now connected with the
Sterling Gazette, was born in Ellisburg, N.
i/""' Y., Nov. u, 1844, his parents being
P Charles W. and Cynthia (Fiske) Eastman, ijf
'^ natives of New England. He graduated at
Schenectady, and taught school at Maquoketa,
Iowa, and at different points in this county until

,....

LI
Utt!VtR,S"> of if

WHITESIDE COUNTY.

1872, when he assumed the editorship of the Red
Oak (Iowa) Express. In a few months, however, he
returned to Sterling, and was connected with the
Gazette, as editor and proprietor, for ten years ; then
was engaged in banking and farming in Dakota for
two and a half years, and finally, in 1885, he came
to Sterling again and engaged in the Gazette office.

In his political views Mr. Eastman is a zealous
Republican and a prohibitionist. He belongs to
the Christian Church of Sterling, of which he was
one of the founders in 1875, and one of the Elders
and Sunday-school Superintendent before he went
to Dakota. He is a member also of the Legion of
Honor, and is an influential citizen of Whiteside
County.

Mr. Eastman was married July 23, 1872, to Miss
Frances Adams, of Sterling, who died in 1877. For
his second wife Mr. E. married Myra Christopher, a
native of Byron, Ogle Co., 111. They have one child,
born in the month of October, 1881.

["ohn Wolfersperger, retired farmer, resid-
^ ing at Sterling, was born in Lebanon Co.,
Pa., Oct. 14, 1820, his parents being John
and Margaret E. (Trautman) Wolfersperger,
natives of the same State. Remaining at home
until 31 years of age, he came to Jordan Town-
ship, this county, and bought a saw-mill and 100
acres of land, where he remained three and a half
years. In the fall of 1853 he entered 240 acres, in
the same township; in the following spring he en-
tered 80 acres more ; and in the fall of 1854 he
moved upon this tract, aggregating at the time 320
acres. He resided upon that place until 1883, when
he went to Kansas and spent a winter there to attend
the tract of 960 acres of land which he had bought
in 1873. In 1884 he returned to Sterling and pur-
chased a residence, which he now occupies. He
has, since his first purchases of land, bought and
sold real estate, so that he is now the proprietor of a
total amount of 720 acres in Jordan Township, and
i, 600 acres in Prairie Co., Ark.

In his political principles, Mr. W. is a Democrat.
He and his family attend the Lutheran Church.

He was married Oct. 20, 1844, to Lydia A. Kapp,
a native of the Keystone State, and they now have

four children living, Henry F., Aaron, Cassie and
Margaret. Henry F. married Tillie Duefflinger, and
they live in Kansas, with a family of six children,
John, Dan, Lydia, Maggie, Maud and Bent. Aaron
married Anna Hendricks, and they have two chil-
dren, Lelia and John J. Cassie married William
Seidel and they reside in Kansas. Margaret mar-
ried W. W. Davis, and they have one son, John
Davis.

.dmund N. Birdsall, farmer, section 8,
Hopkins Township, is a son of James and
Lydia (De Garmo) Birdsall, natives of
New York State, who married and resided
there till 1845, when they came to Whiteside
County and settled in Sterling Township. They
died in fhe city of Sterling, he July n, 1866, and
she June 27, 1868. They had a family of five chil-
dren, as follows : Edmund N., Elias D., Henry L.,
Harriet W. and George A.

The subject of this sketch was born in Dutchess
Co., N. Y., Feb. 16, 1830, and was 15 years old
when he came to Whiteside County. He received a
common-school education and lived at home till he
was 30 years of age, although he was married some
years previously. He has been engaged in agricul-
tural pursuits. He is the owner of 154 acres of land
in Hopkins and Genesee Townships, besides prop-
erty in the village of Sterling; 140 acres of his land
is tillable. In 1876 he erected a fine frame house,
and in 1881 built a fine barn, and his buildings are
second to none in the county.

He was first married in Genesee Township, Feb.
16, 1854, to Clarissa Danes, a native of this State,
who bore him one child, George D., but he died at
the age of five months. Mrs. Birdsall died Aug.
9. t8 55> a d Mr. B. was again married, in Carroll
Co., 111., Oct. 20, 1860, to Sarah J., daughter of Rob-
ert L. and Jane (Wilson) Fleming: her parents are
natives respectively of New York State and Pennsyl-
vania, and came to Carroll County in 1848, where
they lived till their deaths. He died January 27,
1879, and she Sept. 9, 1881. They had a family of
eight children who lived to grow up, namely : Jas-
per, Sarah J., Hugh M., Angeline, Margaret, Nancy,

WHITESIDE COUNTY.

Bruce and Eveline. Mrs. B. was born in Washing-
ton Co., Ind., Feb. 22, 1836. Mr. and Mrs. B. are
the parents of two children, Charles and Pinkie.
Charles was married Sept 6, 1883, to Ida Baker,
daughter of George and Mary Baker. They have
one child, Edmund G.

In politics Mr. Birdsall is an Anti-monopolist.

As a gentleman worthy to be classed among the
representative men of Whiteside County, we place a
likeness of Mr. Birdsall in the gallery of portraits
given in this ALBUM. Accompanying his we also
give that of Mrs. Birdsall. Both these portraits are
made from photographs recently taken.

ohn Dyer, retired merchant, Fulton, was
g born in Jefferson Co., N. Y., March 6, 1824,
the son of John and Eunice (Hurd) Dyer.
He was educated in the public schools of his
native county and learned the shoemaker's
trade in the city of Watertown. In May, 1842,
he went to Lockport, Niagara County, where he was
first employed as journeyman and subsequently as
foreman in a large boot and shoe making establish-
ment.

He was married in Lockport, March 12, 1843, to
Miss Sarah A. Webb. The ceremony was performed
by the Rev. Elon Galusha, son of ex-Gov. Galusha,
of Vermont. Mrs. Dyer was born in the town of
Perry, Geauga Co., Ohio, and is the daughter of Lea-
mon and Eunice (Anderson) Webb, and is a cousin
of the well-known Baptist minister and college presi-
dent, Galusha Anderson, of Chicago.

In April, 1856, Mr. Dyer went to Wisconsin, and
a few months later to Clinton, Iowa. He spent one
year in Clinton and came to Fulton, Oct. 7, 1857,
opening at once in the boot and shoe trade, which
he continued till 1861, when he closed.

On the breaking out of the late war he enlisted, in
September, 1861 ; was commissioned Second Lieu-
tenant of Co. F, 52d 111. Vol. Inf., and was mustered
into the service in November following. He con-
tinued in active service till March, 1862, when he
was compelled to resign on account of physical dis-
ability caused by exposure in the field. In August,
following the President's call of July, 1862, for addi-
tional troops, he assisted in recruiting Co. F of the

93d 111. Vol. Inf., of which he was commissioned
First Lieutenant. The regiment went into active
service early that fall, under Sherman's command.
The following spring Lieutenant Dyer was again
prostrated by a serious illness, and was obliged to
resign, in April, 1863, on account of physical dis-
ability brought on in the service. His health im-
proved slowly, and he was unable to resume business
till the beginning of 1864, when he again engaged in
his former business at Fulton. He continued in trade
till 1873, when he sold out and retired from business.

Mr. Dyer has held various public positions of
honor and trust since a resident of Fulton. He has
served as Alderman one term, Collector of the town-
ship in 1860, Supervisor five years, three of which
were in succession. He was elected Police Justice
and Justice of the Peace. He has held the latter
office 12 years, and has just been re-elected this
spring (1885). He has also been Township School
Trustee six years.

Mr. and Mrs. Dyer are members of the Baptist
Church of Fulton. Mr. Dyer was a Free-Soil Demo-
crat in Van Buren's time, and on the organization of
the Republicans he joined that party, and has voted
that ticket continuously since, excepting the cam-
paign of 1872, when he voted for Greeley.

Mr. Dyer's family was represented in Illinois in a
very early day, his brother, the Rev. Sidney Dyer,
Ph. D., a popular Baptist minister, now of Philadel-
phia, having explored the territory as early as 1832.

|j oswell Champion, Justice of the Peace,
Sterling, was born in Lyme, New London
Co , Conn., May 26, 1827, his parents be-
ing John and Sophia (Lay) Champion, natives
of Connecticut and of the old Puritan stock.
When he was nine years old his mother moved
with the family to Herkimer Co., N. Y., where they
lived until their death, that of his mother occurring
in 1875, and that of his father in October, 1884.

He lived at the parental home until 2 1 years of
age, having the usual experiences of farm and school
life (of the common district school, with the excep-
tion of one term at the Institute in Clinton, Oneida
County, being a teacher the last two years of the above
period.) Next he was employed four years in a mer-

WHITESIDE COUNTY.

cantile house at Albion, Mich. In 1855 he came to
Sterling, continuing in the mercantile business, and
soon purchased a grocery house, which he conducted
a short time. Selling out the latter, he then engaged
as book-keeper for the firm of Gait & Brother, then
in the same capacity for the firm of Patterson, Witmer
& Co., and continued for some time with Mr. Wit-
mer after the old firm was dissolved. His health
failing, he accepted an agency for the ^Etna Fire
Insurance Company of Hartford, Conn., and subse-
quently for other fire insurance companies, in which
business he still continues. In 1869 he was elected
Justice of the Peace, and has held the office ever since.
In 1873 he accepted a position as cashier in one of
the banks at Sterling, which he fulfilled for three
years. In the same year he was appointed School
Treasurer, and he still holds the office. He is a Re-
publican in his political views, and as to religious
views he favors the Swedenborgian explanation of
the Word, believing it to be the most reasonable.
He is a member of the Presbyterian Church, as is
also his wife.

In December, 1869, Mr. Champion married Agnes
Wallace, a native of Pennsylvania, who came to
Sterling with her parents, Hugh and Mary (Gait)
Wallace. Mr. Wallace was a lawyer here for many
years, retired from the profession and devoted his
attention to his real estate until his death, in August,
1864. Since the spring of 1879 the interests of his
estate have been in the charge of Mr. Champion.

Y. Jackson, farmer, section 25, Union
Grove Township, is a prominent citizen of
Whiteside County, where he has been a
land-holder since 1856. His parents, Aaron
C. and Charity A. (Young) Jackson, were na-
tives of New Jersey, and were married and
settled in Ohio. They came thence about 1837, and
purchased a claim in the township of Mt. Pleasant,
which had been located in the year previous. The.
senior Jackson was an able and influential man, and
was active in promoting the general welfare of the
community. The township of Mt. Pleasant, which
was organized in 1852, received its name from him.
The farm on which he settled was situated near the
city of Morrison, and included 160 acres of land,

with 40 acres of timber. His local public life com-
prised his operations as president of a society of
settlers to prevent claim-jumping, as Justice of the
Peace, and as Supervisor. In 1842 he was elected
Representative on the Whig ticket, and served two
years in the Legislature of Illinois. In 1847 he was
chosen a member of the Constitutional Convention.
He officiated as Postmaster at Morrison during the
administration of President Lincoln. His wife died
Sept. 5, 1855. His demise occurred June 10, 1879.
Their children were n in number, and were born as
follows: Daniel B., Flavius J., Susan L., John Y.,
Tryphena, Elizabeth, Silas, Phebe, Amanda and
Lafayette ; one child died in infancy.

Mr. Jackson was born September 14, 1829, in
Knox Co., Ohio, where his father was a pioneer. He
was about eight years of age when he accompanied
his parents to Illinois, and he passed the years of
his minority in attendance at the district school and
in farm labor. On reaching his majority he engaged
in efforts in his own interest, working out by the
month one year on a farm. In 1852 he went to
California, making his way there overland, with the
purpose of operating as a miner. He spent four
years in that vocation, with reasonable success,
although he was unable to work during the first
; winter.

He returned to Whiteside County in 1856, and
purchased 120 acres of land on section 25, Union
Grove Township. The prairie sod was still lying
under the skies as it had lain through the centuries
of the past, and was first broken by Mr. Jackson, by
whom the farm has been put in first-class agricul-
tural condition. It is now all under the plow, and
five acres of timber belong to the estate. It has
been supplied with an excellent class of buildings.

He was united in marriage to Cordelia Huntley,
Dec. 17, 1857, at Morrison. She was born in Ogden,
Monroe Co., N. Y., Feb. it, 1830, and is the daugh-
ter of Erastus L. and Phebe (Eldridge) Huntley.
Her parents were natives of New England, were
married and settled in the State of New York,
whence they removed to Michigan, where her father
died. Her motherwas born Jan. 15, 1803, in Sharon,
N. Y. After the death of her husband she returned
to the home and associations of her earlier years in
the Empire State, where her life terminated, at War-
saw, Aug. 29, 1849. Her father, Seth Eldridge, was

(3)

'IT V-. M H Z> M M ;j/V^

WHJTESIDE COUNTY.

- .. -

born Oct. 2, 1773, and died May 20, 1865, in Yates,
Monroe Co., N. Y. March u, 1826, she married
Erastus Little Huntley, who was born Dec. 21, 1797,
and died Nov. 14, 1848, in Hartland, Livingston Co.,
Mich. They had nine children. Following are their
names in the order of their birth : Rebecca E., Hen-
rietta S., Cordelia, Phebe A., John E., Erastus L.,
Edwin, Seth E. and Robert A.

Mr. and Mrs. Jackson have no children. In 1869
they adopted Lillie M. Weaver, who was born May
28, 1864, in Mt. Pleasant Township.

Mr. Jackson is identified with the Republican
party in political relations, and he has officiated
through a long series of years in local positions of
trust. He acted in the capacity of Magistrate nine
years, as Commissioner eight years, and seven years
as Assessor. He and his wife are members of the
Methodist Episcopal Church.

eslie Williams, druggist, established his
present business at Fulton in August, 1872.
He is a native of Boston, Mass., was born
Feb. 17, 1848, and is the son of George and

Catharine (Ravis) Williams, of Welsh descent.

He was adopted by John L. Thompson, with
whom he went to Burlington, Iowa, in April, 1856.
He came to Fulton the following June, and was ed-
ucated in the public schools of this city. When 15
years of age he began business as a clerk with his
half-brother, H. J. Ravis, dealer in general merchan-
dise, and remained with him till 1867. He spent
the next two years as a salesman in a hardware store
at Fulton. In 1869 he bought out a stock of fancy
goods, books and stationery, and started in business
for himself. He was doing well until a fire occurred,
Jan. 2, 1872, that swept away his entire stock, by
which he suffered a loss of $1,500, and on which he
only realized by insurance $500. In 1872 he opened
in the drug business. He has conducted this es-
tablishment about 13 years with marked success,
and now has a large, tasteful and well stocked store
in his line. His stock averages in value about
$5,000, and includes everything usually found in a
first-class drug store.

He was married at Fulton, Nov. 22, 1872, to Miss

Anna Gerrish, daughter of B. S. Gerrish. Mrs.
Williams was born in Portsmouth, N. H.

Mr. Williams has held various offices of local im-
portance, and is the present Township Clerk and
Township School Treasurer. He has held the for-
mer office six years and the latter eight. He has
always taken a warm interest in politics, is an earn-
est Democrat, and in 1880 was a Delegate to the
Illinois State Democratic Convention.

He was made a Freemason immediately after be-
coming of age, and is a member of Fulton City
Lodge, No. 189. He is also a member of Fulton
Chapter, No. 108, R. A. M.

With his characteristic earnestness, Mr. Williams
applied himself to acquiring a knowledge of Masonry,
and is recognized as one of the most efficient mem-
bers of the order. He is a man of good executive
ability, quick perception and sound judgment, sup-
ported by a habit of earnest application to the mat-
ter in hand, which assures a prompt and correct
discharge of public and private duties that may de-
volve upon him.

ra Heath, farmer, section 30, Hopkins
Township, has been identified with the ag-
ricultural development of Whiteside County
since 1846. He passed the first year of his
residence within its limits in the township of
Mt. Pleasant, and in 1847 bought 53 acres,
which is now a part of his homestead estate, which
includes 100 acres, nine-tenths being in tillage. In
political conviction and connections he is a Repub-
lican ; has officiated as School Director in his dis-
trict about 30 years, and has held other offices.

Mr. Heath was born May 22, 1818, in Berkshire
Co., Mass. His father, William Heath, was also a
native of the Bay State, and married Olive Brown.
After their marriage they located in Berkshire
County, where they became the parents of 12 chil-
dren, Alvin, Samantha, Caroline, Laura, Ransom,
Thetis, Lucian R., William, Ira, Russell B., Philena
and Heman. Their father died March i, 1853, and
their mother survived until Dec. 14, 1859.

Mr. Heath spent the years of his childhood and
earlier youth in obtaining a common-school educa-
tion, and at 19 years of age began to work as a farm

- .. -

WH1TESIDE COUNTY.

laborer, which vocation he pursued until he was 22
years old, when he built a saw-mill. He conducted
its affairs three years, after which he sold it and
again engaged in farming in his native State until
the year in which lie moved to Whiteside County as
stated (1846).

He formed a matrimonial alliance in Berkshire
Co., Mass., May 21, 1840, with Mary A. Harmon.
She was born in that county Feb. 22, 1822, and is
the daughter of Walter and Azubah (Hyde) Har-
mon. Both her parents were born in Massachusetts
and were residents there until 1848, when they set-
tled in Hopkins Township, and there passed the re-
maining years of their lives. The father died Aug.
30, 1865; the mother survived until Nov. 27, 1875.
Their children were five in number, Porter J., Mary
A., George W., Truman. W. and William M. Mr.
and Mrs. Heath have had five children, but only
one survives, Henry D. George W., Samantha C.,
Rosella A. and Frank W. are deceased.

i; obert B. Johnson, farmer, section 9, Hop-
kins Township, is a son of Aaron and Sally
* (Law) Johnson, natives of Pennsylvania,
who removed to Ohio, where they lived till
their death. They had a family of nine chil-
dren, as follows : Rachel, Mary A., Robert R.,
Margaret, Ephraim, Rebecca, Thomas, Aaron and
Samuel.

The subject of this sketch was born in Washington
Co., Pa., June 16, 1819, and was 17 years old when
his father removed to Ohio ; he continued to live at
home till 24 years of age. He engaged in farming in
Ohio till the fall of 1854, when he came to Whiteside
County and lived in Jordan Township about nine
months, and since then has lived in Hopkins Town-
ship. In 1856 he settled on section 9, where he
had bought 400 acres previous to his coming to the
county to reside. He has disposed of all but 165
acres, and all this except five acres is in a state of
good cultivation.

Mr. Johnson was married in Perry Co., Ohio, May
12, 1852, to Susan, daughter of Isaac and Nellie
(Chenoweth) Brown. The former was born in Ire-
land, and at the age of three years moved to Virginia;
he was an Elder in the Presbyterian Church for a

$. S^ n *<

number of years. Mrs. Johnson's mother was a
native of Virginia. They settled in the State of Ohio,
where they finally died. They had a family of nine
children, viz.: Ellen, Margaret, Susan, Eliza, Isa-
bella, Absalom, Matilda, Martha and Harriet. Mrs.
J. was born in Perry Co., Ohio, Feb. 15, 1827, and
has become the mother of eight children, as follows :
Alice C., Sarah E., Monroe, Julius A., Herbert H.,
Hattie E., Effie E. and Ida B. Monroe died Dec.
13, 1872, when 14 years old.

Mr. Johnson in his political views is a Democrat.
Mrs. J. is a member of the Lutheran Church.

h avid Mathew is one of the leading agri-
culturists of Mt. Pleasant Township, and
a resident on section r. He was born in
Fifeshire, Scotland, June 3, 1824, and was a
resident of his native country until he was
24 years of age. He emigrated thence in
1848 and landed at New York. He spent six
months in the State of Maryland, going thence to
West Virginia, where he continued his stay 12 years.
He came from that State to Illinois in 1860, and lo-
cated in Whiteside County. His estate includes 572
acres, lying in the townships of Mt. Pleasant and
Hopkins. It is chiefly under cultivation.

The parents of Mr. Mathew, William and Jean-
nette (Wylie) Mathews, were natives of Scotland,
who about 1851 came to the United States, first lo-
cating in Tucker Co., W. Va. ; and six years later
they made a change of their residence to Whiteside
County, settling in Hopkins Township. The death
of the mother took place in that township and the
father died in Mt. Pleasant Township. Their chil-
dren were named Thomas, David, William, Jeannette,
Andrew, Margaret, Ann, Jane, Robert and Alex-
ander.

The marriage of Mr. Mathew to Ann Wolf took
place in November, 1857, in West Virginia. Mrs.
Mathew is the daughter of George and Catharine
(Barb) Wolf, and they were natives of Virginia.
Their seven children were. named: Isaac, George
A., Elizabeth, Mary, Ann, Catharine and Israel.
Mrs. Mathew was born July 4, 1830, in West Vir-
ginia. To her and her husband have been born 13
children, named as follows : William B., Jeannette

and George (twins), Catharine, Robert, Mary, Anna,
David W. and George W. (twins), James A., Ezra,
Simon and Samuel (twins.) One child is deceased,
George, twin brother of Jeannette. Mrs. Mathew
belongs to the family from which the celebrated hero
of Quebec descended. Mr. M. is an adherent
of the Republican party and belongs to the Pres-
byterian Church. He has held several offices.

ohn Phinney, a citizen of Union Grove
Township, located on a farm on section 13,
is engaged in the twofold calling of agri-
culturist and teacher. He was born April
29, 1825, in Monkton, Addison Co., Vt, where
he obtained a common-school education, and
he extended the scope of his intellectual attainments
at the academy at Bakersfield, Vt. His parents,
Martin and Sally (Mallory) Phinney, were natives of
Vermont and were of Scotch and English lineage.
They remained in the State of their nativity through-
out their lives. They had three children. John,
Harris and Sally. The mother died in 1830 and
the father contracted a second marriage, with Mercy
Brown. To them two children were born, Dan A.
and Ellen M. The former died near Iowa City, of ty-
phoid fever, in 1856, and is buried in the Quaker
burying-ground near that city.

On completing his education Mr. Phinney applied
himself to the occupation of teaching, which he fol-
lowed in Vermont between two and three years. In
April, 1854, he came to Whiteside County and first
located in the township of Union Grove, where he
pursued the vocation of teacher two years. In 1856
he went to Como, and was there occupied in the
same capacity four years. In 1860 he bought a
farm in the township of Montmorency, where he en-
gaged in farming two years, spending the winters in
teaching. In 1862 he sold his farm and went to
Sterling, where he taught one year. At the expira-
tion of that time he made an engagement to take
charge of the school at Unionville, where he was
employed three years. He then returned to Sterling
to enter upon an engagement as teacher, which ex-
isted five years, after which he taught two years in
Unionville. From there he went to Hopkins Town-
ship, and after teaching there two years he engaged

in the same capacity at Como, where he continued
to operate four years. In the fall of 1883 he began
to teach in Mt. Pleasant township, where he was en-
gaged seven months. The aggregate of his teach-
ing in Whiteside County covers a period of 31 years.
He bought his farm in Union Grove Township in
the fall of 1872, consisting of 88 acres, and where
he has maintained his residence since the property
came into his possession. It is nearly all under cul-
tivation. In political relations Mr. Phinney is inde-
pendent.

He formed a matrimonial alliance with Alzina L.
Twitchell, April 18, 1855, and they have had three
children, Burritt E., Martin Loyal and Effie B.
The oldest son died Oct. 20, 1883, in Union Grove
Township, at the age of 25 years. He fixed upon
the calling of a jeweler, and spent four years in
preparation for making that the business of his life,
serving his apprenticeship at Morrison. He con-
tracted consumption and went to California in the
vain hope of recovery. He returned home and died
at the home of his parents in Union Grove. He
lies buried in the cemetery at Morrison. The second
son is a student at Oberlin, Ohio. Mrs. Phinney
was born in New Haven, Vt., May i, 1836. She is
the daughter of L. C. Twitchell, of whom a sketcli
appears on another page.

eter Kitchen, manufacturer of and dealer
in harness and saddlery at Fulton, began
business here in June, 1858, and has the
oldest established house in his line in the city.
He was born in Ithaca, Tompkins Co., N. Y.,
Dec. 15, 1837, and is the son of William and Mar-
tha (Van Buskirk) Kitchen. He learned his trade
in his native town, and in 1856 went to Pennsyl-
vania. Two years later he came to Fulton, 111., and
established his present business. He has carried it
on continuously, since, at this place, covering a
period of 27 years. Starting in a moderate way,
he has increased his stock and facilities for manu-
facturing till he now has an extensive establishment,
well stocked with everything in his line and most
complete in its appointments.

Mr. Kitchen has been twice married, first at Ful-
ton, 111., March 24, 1860, to Miss Letitia Fitzpatrick

(

WHITESIDE COUNTY.

by the Rev. Ben. Close. Two children were born of
this union, namely : Frank, the eldest, is employed
on the Mississippi River ; the younger died in in-
fancy. Mrs. K. died Dec. 13, 1862, and Mr. Kitchen
was married again, at Fulton, Nov. ir, 1863, to Miss
Sarah E. Price, by the Rev. J. B. McClure. Mrs.
K. is the daughter of William Price, and was born
in Monroeville, Ohio.

Mr. Kitchen is a member of Fulton City Lodge,
No. 189, A. F. & A. M. In politics he is a Demo-
crat.

L amuel S. Keefer, liveryman, Sterling, was
born in Franklin Co., Pa., Sept. 2, 1845,
his parents being John (a farmer) and
Ann M. (Grove) Keefer. Receiving a com-
mon-school education and being brought up
at farm labor, he emigrated West in 1865, and
in 1866 he left home, worked at the occupation of
carpenter two years, then was engaged in the grocery
trade in Sterling the same length of time; next he
resided on a farm of 160 acres in Genesee Township
12 years, and returned to Sterling in 1882. In
March, 1883, he bought out the stock of F. M. May-
nard in the livery business, and has since been en-
gaged in that line, now having about 12 horses. His
livery equipment is the largest in Sterling.

In his political views, Mr. Keefer is a Republican,
and in his social relations he is a member of the
Order of Modern Woodmen of America.

He was married Sept. n, 1866, to Miss Anna M.
Kurtz, a native of Pennsylvania. They have two
children, Emma F. and Ida May.

y illard A. Goodenough, farmer, section
10, Union Grove Township, has been a
resident on the same farm which he now
occupies since he first took possession of it
at the time of his settling in the county in
J 1865.

He is the third child of John and Betsey (Cob-
leigh) Goodenough. His parents were natives of
Vermont, and removed from there to Jefferson Co.,
N. Y., where they were farmers and reared their
children, 1 1 in number.

Mr. Goodenough was born March 24, 1822, in

Jefferson Co., N. Y., where he grew to manhood and
there obtained a good common-school education.
About the time he arrived at the period of his legal
freedom, he bought a farm in his native county, on
which he labored until his removal to Illinois in the
year named. He made a purchase of 120 acres of
land on the section where he has since maintained
his homestead. He is now the owner of 230 acres
of the valuable land which is the source of the
wealth and prosperity of Whiteside County. It is
chiefly under cultivation. He is a Prohibitionist in
his political views.

His marriage to Nancy J. Hull took place Jan.
13, 1842, in Oswego Co., N. Y., and they have been
the parents of five children : George E., Esther J.,
Lewis E., Emma L. and Ella L. (twins). Lewis died
at the age of 16 months. Mrs. Goodenough was
born Aug. 22, 1820, in Morristown, St. Lawrence
Co., N. Y., and is the daughter of Nathaniel and
Prudence (Fish) Hull. Her mother was born in
Massachusetts, and her father in Connecticut. They
had four children. Mr. and Mrs. Goodenough are
members of the Baptist Church.

aron A. Wolfersperger, attorney at law,
Sterling, was born in Jordan Township.
Whiteside, Co., 111., March 22, 1856. His
parents, John and Lydia (Kapp) Wolfersperger,
natives of Lebanon Co., Pa., came from the
Keystone State in 1851 to Jordan Township,
Mr. W. purchased land at different times, so that he
is now the proprietor of 640 acres.

Aaron, the subject of this notice, remained at his
parental home until 15 years of age, laboring upon
the farm and attending the district school ; then,
leaving home, he attended a college at Naperville,
111., one year, an institution under the auspices of
the Evangelical Church ; then four years at the col-
lege at Carthage, 111., where he graduated ; next, a
term of six months at Eastman's Business College at
Poughkeepsie, N. Y., receiving a diploma; followed
farming the next summer; and the ensuing fall he
went to Chicago and attended the Union College of
Law for two years, receiving a diploma : finally, in
the spring of 1879, he came to Sterling and com-
menced the practice of law. In 1881 he was elected
Justice of the Peace and has held the office since.

WHITESIDE COUNTY.

*f In 1884 he was elected City Attorney, and re-
& elected in the spring of 1885. He is one of the
**, leading and rising lawyers of Sterling. Politically
he is a Democrat, and in his social relations he is a
member of the Orders of Odd Fellows, Knights of
Pythias, and of the A. O. U. W.

Mr. Wolfenperger was married Nov. 4, 1880, to
Miss Anna Hendrick, a native of this State. They
have had two children; Lelia S., born Aug. 4, 1882 ;
and John J., Aug. 26, 1884.

>rs. Phebe Worthington, a resident of
Coloma, and a widow of Artemas W.
Worthington, deceased, was born in Col-
chester, Conn., in 1813, and was married
Oct. 9, 1837. She came West and settled in
Harrisburg, this county, July 3, 1839, and
afterward moved across the river and located on
what is now called Coloma, where Mr. Worthington
died in 1855.

She has had six children, four of whom are still
living. Isabella was born in 1839; Robert, 1845;
Alfred, 1847 ; Alice, 1849; and Robert E., 1853. She
has a farm of 160 acres, on which she resides, and
which is managed by her son Alfred. The latter
married Martha Wright, a native of Pennsylvania,
where she was born March 3, 1873. They have
five children, namely Mabel, Ollie M., Artemas W.,
Edgar S. and one not yet named.

Mrs. W.'s parents were Richard and Phebe
(Ketchum) Sammis, natives of Long Island and
members of the agricultural community.

obert S. Norrish, an extensive farmer of
Mt. Pleasant Township, located on sec-
tion 2, is a representative of a large class
- N in Whiteside County, who have been in-
strumental in its development, though he
was born under another government. His
farming interests also demonstrate the results of a
life of honorable, judicious effort under the protec-
tion of a republican form of government. He is
the owner of 680 acres of land, which is all under

cultivation with the exception of about one-sixth.
His farm is stocked with about 100 head of cattle
and 1 6 horses, and he fattens for market an annual
average of 75 hogs.

Mr. Norrish was born Oct. i, 1826, in Devon-
shire, England, and he is the son of Samuel and
Frances (Snow) Norrish. His parents lived and
died in their native shire. Their children were
named Samuel, Elizabeth, Mary, Francis, Edward,
Robert S., John, Jane and Ann. Mr. Norrish was
educated in his native country and lived there until
1850, when he came to the United States. He went
at first to Ohio, where he was married, July 6, 1852,
in Lorain County, to Tamzin Squire. They remained
in Ohio until 1853, when they removed thence to
Mt. Pleasant Township. The wife died there in
October, 1863, having borne two children, who were
named Samuel and Margaret A. The plder child
died in infancy. March 2, 1865, Mr. Norrish was
again married, in Cuyahoga Co., Ohio, to Ann Adams.
Their three children were named Robert A., Mary
and John W. The daughter died in infancy. Mrs.
Norrish was born Feb. 17, 1827, in Yorkshire, Eng-
land, and is the daughter of George and Martha
(Hargate) Adams. Her parents came to the United
States in July, 1846, and located in Ohio. They
had four children, named James, Ann, William
and Maiy.

Mr. Norrish is in sympathy with the principles of
the Republican party. He is. active in township lo-
cal interests. Mrs. Norrish is a communicant in the
Episcopal Church.

eorge W. Clendenen, M. D., Fulton, is a
native of Boone Co., Va. (now West Vir-
ginia), and was born Dec. 4, 1844. His
parents were Robert A. and Amanda (Hinch-
man) Clendenen. George W. came to Cass Co.,
Mich., with his parents in childhood, and when
six years of age his father died, leaving his family in
indigent circumstances.

The subject of our sketch was left to shift for him-
self at an early age. He began by working out sum-
mers to earn money to pay his way through school in
the winters. He attended the union school of Niles,
Mich., till he fitted himself to enter the State Normal

.
UNIVERSITY or

WHITES 'IDE COUNTY.

School at Ypsilanti, which he did, and passed exam-
ination in the literary department and entered upon
the classic course. He then became a school-teach-
er, to provide means of support while he should
be engaged in the study of medicine, he having de-
termined to adopt that profession as his calling. He
began to read medicine in 1872, with his brother, Dr.
Floyd Clendenen, of Dowagiac, Mich., now of La-
Salle, 111. He soon afterward became a traveling
salesman for a wooden-ware establishment. Carry-
ing medical books on the various branches with him
in his travels, he read and studied them as he could
find opportunity. He came to Fulton in 1874, and has
since made this his home. He continued on the road
till 1876, since which time he has devoted himself to
the study and practice of medicine. He took a
regular course of lectures at the Bennett College of
Eclectic Medicine and Surgery, of Chicago, from
which he received his degree of M. D., March 25,
1884; and since that time he has been engaged in the
practice of his profession at Fulton, with the very
best of success.

He was married in Tuscumbia, Ala., Jan. 15, 1869,
to Miss Ellen A. Ferriss, daughter of E. W. Ferriss.
Mrs. Clendenen was born in St. Joseph Co., Mich-
They had four children : Blanch, who died aged two
years; Gracie, who died aged one year; Eddie W.
and Kittie G., who are living.

Dr. and Mrs. Clendenen are members of the Pres-
byterian Church, and he is also a member of Lodge
No. 189, A. F. & A. M., and in politics is a Democrat.

Although young in the profession, Dr. Clendenen is
securing a rapidly increasing practice as a reward for
a zealous and faithful discharge of his professional
duties.

|rr F. Woodruff, attorney at law at Mor-
li rison, was born June 30, 1840, in the town-
s' ship of Clarendon, Orleans Co., N. Y.

Winfield Woodruff, his father, was a native of
the State of New York and was a farmer by
vocation. He married Sole m ma Terry, who
was also born in New York. Of their three chil-
dren, Mr. Woodruff of this sketch is the oldest.
William M. is an agriculturist and dealer in stock
near Kearney, Neb. John J., resident at Kearney,

was formerly an attorney and is now interested in
sheep industry. In 1875 the parents went to Kear-
ney, where the father died in November, 1884. The
mother survives.

Until he was 19 years of age, Mr. Woodruff con-
tinued under the direction of his parents on the
homestead farm and acquired a high-school educa-
tion. He came to Morrison in November, 1859,
where he became a student of law in the office of
Hon. Henry M. Teller, Secretary of the Interior
under President Arthur. Mr. Teller was then en-
gaged in legal practice at Morrison, and under his
preceptorship Mr. Woodruff enjoyed unusual ad-
vantages and derived much practical benefit from
the associations of the office. In May, 1861, he
was admitted to practice in all the courts of Illinois,
and on receiving his credentials he established his
business in the former office of Mr. Teller, who
went to Colorado. Mr. Woodruff has since con-
ducted the relations of an extensive and popular
law practice with success, and chieflly unaided. He
has risen through ability, industry and undeviating
devotion to his business interests, as well as through
high-minded integrity, to distinction in his profes-
sion. He is still engaged in the management of a
large and lucrative practice in the County, Appellate
and Supreme Courts of Illinois and in the Federal
Courts at Chicago.

Mr. Woodruff has won an honorable and enviable
position at the Bar as a criminal lawyer ; and has
been connected with a number of prominent cases
involving the liberty and sometimes the lives of in-
dividuals. He is a logical and effective advocate,
and possesses an exhaustive comprehension of legal
principles. He is noted for keenness of perception
and discrimination in presenting his argument, and
when fully aroused to his work, exercises a magnetic
influence which proves a controlling element in the
courts where he pleads. He possesses the rare-quality
of sinking his own personality in the merits of his
case, and fully imbuing himself with its justice and
equity, a trait which rarely fails to achieve a purpose.
He is a thorough student of human nature and re-
cognizes above all other considerations that penal-
ties are designed for reformation rather than punish-
ment. Standing firmly on the fact that the results
of crime are irretrievable in most instances, he is
just as inflexible in taking the humanitarian view,

< *^ '

- . - , . ,

WHITESIDE COUNTY.

f i\

*.
(S;

s-a.

and in his advocacy presents his views and appeals,
to the tribunals before which his clients are arraigned,
in the strength of the unwritten code of mercy and
forbearance. He frames his argument with sagacity,
and clothes it in simple, effective language calcu-
lated to reach the better part of the human heart,
and wields a masterly power over the sympathies
and emotions of both court and jury. The late
Judge Heaton once said of him: "When Woodruff
is thoroughly convinced that his cause is just, or
that his client should win, he is often a dangerous
adversary to meet, either before court or jury. "
Before the court in argument, he never fails to sup-
port his position with a long array of authorities, and
to that extent that victories have in some instances
been won that even the judge had doubts about
sustaining upon more mature deliberation.

Mr. Woodruff finds opportunity for the exercise of
his peculiar abilities in the cross-examination of wit-
nesses, and it is the opinion of those who observe his
methods and admire his achievements, that his
splendid repute as an attorney is due to the tact and
shrewdness with which he manipulates an adverse
witness, rather than to any other qualification he
may possess. His ability and skill are universally
conceded, and he is regarded as a safe counselor and
a jurist of more than ordinary claims. He will al-
ways be a leader in his profession.

In connection with his legal business he has ex-
tensive agricultural interests in Whueside County,
and is the owner of 1,000 acres of land at Alpena,
Jerauld Co., D. T. On the latter he is making a
specialty of fine stock. His herds there comprise
150 head of short-horn cattle and 20 horses of Per-
cheron grades. He owns two farms in Whiteside
County, comprising 280 acres, located five miles
southwest of Morrison, in Fenton Township, and
240 acres situated 14 miles distant from Morrison in
the same direction, in Newton Township; and they
are stocked with about 40 head of thoroughbred
Durham cattle and 30 horses.

He has obeyed the obligations of his citizenship
at Morrison and responded to the demands of the
general public by serving two terms as Mayor of the
city, the aggregated period of his official career as
the chief executive of the municipality including the
years 1879 to 1882.

He is a member of the Masonic fraternity, be-
longing to Dunlap Lodge, No. 327, at Morrison.

Mr. Woodruff has been married twice. He first ^
formed a matrimonial alliance with Victoria O'Hara,
Nov. it, 1862, and they became the parents of two *
children, Maitland J. and Maud, both now deceased. '
The death of the wife and mother took place at Mor- ,
rison in October, 1867. She was a native of the
Dominion of Canada. Mr. Woodruff was a second
time married Feb. 22, 1869, at Morrison, to Mary
Lathrop. She was born in August, 1843, in Canada.

The portrait of Mr. Woodruff presented on a pre-
ceding page is a copy of a likeness taken in 1882.

.Isworth Dill, furniture dealer and uphol-
sterer, Sterling, was born at Hamden, Vin-
ton Co., Ohio, June 22, 1847, and is a son
.Iji. of Benjamin and Armada (Catlin) Dill, natives
> of Ohio. The senior Mr. Dill, who was en-
gaged in a stove manufactory and in a tannery,
sold out in 1864 and came to Coleta, this county,
engaging in farming and stock-raising.

Three months afterward Elsworth came West,
stopping with his father six or eight months, when,
arriving at the age of legal freedom, he struck out in
the world for himself. He commenced to work for
Gait & Tracy before the fire, continuing only two
months ; then for six months he followed the butcher-
ing business with his father; next, he was an em-
ployee in the Boyington Hotel at Sterling for ten
months ; then a clerk in the Wallace Hotel three
months; after three months out of employment, was
clerk at the Boyington again, four months ; followed
farming one season in Nebraska, but a hail-storm
nearly ruined his crop; returning to Sterling, he
engaged again as clerk at the Boyington Hotel for a
year; put in and attended another crop in Nebraska,
this time with success; returned to Sterling and for
three months was engaged in the coal business ; sold
out and for a time worked for Mr. Seely in his res-
taurant, and then went with him into the Wallace
Hotel and clerked for two years; employed for six
months, most of the time as superintendent, by the
Sterling Gas Company; clerked again at the Wallace
Hotel until the Gait House was opened, where he
was chief clerk a year, then in the same capacity at
the Wallace one year; ran a meat market for six
months; sold out and engaged in a restaurant a

WHITES1DE COUNTY.

month; sold again, and from 1878 to 1883 he was
employed as traveling agent by the Rock Falls Man-
ufacturing Company ; then was manager of the Gait
House one year; and finally, June i, 1884, he rented
the Sterling' Mercantile Block and opened out with a
large stock of furniture, where he is at present carry-
ing on a prosperous trade. Ralph Waldo Emerson
remarks that he is not the greatest man who succeeds
by sticking to one business, but he who, in trying
many kinds, falls every time like a cat, lighting
upon his feet. E. Dill & Co. now carry a stock of
$5,000 worth of goods and have a large aiid increas-
ing trade. They do much in the line of upholstering.

Mr. Dill is a member of the A. O. U. W., of the
Select Knights and of the Modern Woodmen of
America.

He was married Feb. 12, 1872, to Miss Addie E.
Bowen, of Rock Falls, and they have two sons,
Edwin E. and E. Leroy T.

eorge Terwilliger, attorney at law, Justice
of the Peace, Notary Public and insurance
agent, at Fulton, was born in the town of
New Scotland, Albany Co., N. Y., and is the
son of John and Margaret (Reid) Terwilliger,
his father being of Holland descent and his
mother of Scotch.

At the age of nine years he moved with his par-
ents to De Witt, Onondaga Co., N. Y., and remained
with his father on the farm, receiving the ordinary
common-school education, until he entered the Onon-
daga Academy, located at Onondaga Hollow, where
he took a four years' course and graduated in the
class of 1850. He then commenced the study of the
law with Forbes & Sheldon, in the city of Syracuse,
and was admitted to practice in all the Courts of New
York State on the 5th of July, 1852. During the
time he was studying law he frequently assisted in
editing the Syracuse Daily Journal, one of the lead-
ing newspapers in the interior of New York State,
and after his admission to the Bar became editor-in-
chief of that paper. He remained in this position for
about two years, when he resigned on account of a
change in the proprietorship, he being Free-Soil in
his proclivities, while the new proprietors were pro-
slavery in their views. Shortly after his resigning he
was elected City Attorney of the city of Syracuse, re-

ceiving the highest vote cast for any one on his ticket
except the candidate for City Treasurer. In 1857
he removed to New York city, where he practiced
law, and was also honored with positions in the Cus-
tom House, and in the Tax Commissioner's office.
While a resident of New York he was admitted to
practice in the United States District and Circuit
Courts.

In the summer of 1870 he came West in accord-
ance with a long considered intention, and purchased
the Sterling Gazette, which paper he conducted with
ability and success until March, 1872, when he sold
out and moved to Fulton, purchasing the Fulton
Journal. In the fall of 1872 he sold a one-half in-
terest in the Journal to Dr. W. C. Snyder, now State
Senator, he taking the editorial department, and Dr.
Snyder the business department. In 1876 he sold
his interest in the Journal, and virtually laid aside
the editorial quill. When the Legislature of 1877
convened, his reputation was such that he easily se-
cured a clerkship in the House of Representatives,
and served during the session. In the spring of that
year he was elected Justice of the Peace of Fulton (
and on his return from Springfield entered upon the
duties of his office. In June, 1877, he was employed
in editing and compiling Bent's History of Whiteside
County, and completed the work in the following
January. At the session of the Legislature in 1879
he was elected First Assistant Secretary of the
Senate, and was re-elected at the session of 1881, the
Senators being so well pleased with his services that
at this session they presented him with an elegant
gold watch. At the special session of 1881 he was
elected Secretary of the Senate. During the years
1874, 1875 and 1876, he was City Clerk of the city of
Fulton. He has been Justice of the Peace of the
town of Fulton for eight years, and at the late spring
election was again elected, without opposition, for
four years more.

Mr. Terwilliger has been a member of the Masonic
Order since 1862, having been made a Mason in
New York city. He was married while editing the
Syracuse Daily Journal, to Miss Matilda B. Fowler,
daughter of John and Eliza Fowler, Mrs. Terwilliger
being a native of New York city. They have two
children, both girls : Lillian, wife of Henry H. Den-
ton, of Newtown, Queens Co., N. Y., and Georgiana,
unmarried.

Mr. T. is Republican in politics, and has been an

A r* ?m*&a^. ^Sig^sA

W'^ <i'X

* '

WHITESIDE COUNTY.

active member of the party since its organization.
He is a popular Justice, his thorough knowledge of
law and judicial turn of mind enabling him to make
his rulings and decisions in accordance with law and
evidence, so that his judgments are seldom reversed.
As a writer Mr. Terwilliger is favorably known
throughout Northern and Western Illinois by his con-
nection with the press, and his able compilation of
tha History of Whiteside County in 1877.

f doniram Judson Booth, publisher of the
Sterling Blade, is a son of Gifford John
and Mary A. Booth, and was born in Dun-
dee, Yates Co., N. Y., Feb. 3, 1846. When
three years old he removed with his parents
to Elmira, N. Y., and resided there till 1855,
when his farther 's family removed to Illinois, resid-
ing for one year in Rock Island, and then in Fulton,
Whiteside County. Here he completed his studies
at the Fulton High School. In 1859 his father
leased (and subsequently bought) the material of the
Fulton Advertiser and commenced the publication
of the Fulton Courier; he entered the office to
learn the printing trade, and remained therein till
1866, when he took a joint interest in the paper,
which had in 1863 been changed in name to " Ful-
ton Journal." Mr. Booth and his father continued
the business till March, 1872, when the establish-
ment was purchased by George Terwilliger, of Ster-
ling. For one year prior to the above sale Mr.
Booth had been pursuing a special course of medical
instruction, under the supervision of Dr. John Eddy,
a thoroughly educated regular physician of Fulton;
he subsequently gave his entire attention to his med-
ical studies till the summer of 1873, when he went
to Chicago and attended a regular course of med-
ical lectures at the Hahnemann Medical College in
1873-4.

While home from college in 1874 he joined his
father in purchasing the Investigator printing-office-
at Morrison, this county; the name of the paper was
changed to Morrison Times, and conducted as a
Greenback organ. In 1876 this office was removed
to Rock Falls, and the name of the paper changed
to Whiteside Times ; it was Democratic-Greenback in

ix)litics, and had a very extensive circulation in ev-
ery township in Whiteside County. In the fall of

1877, Mr. Booth successfully issued a creditable his-
tory and directory of the two cities, Sterling and
Rock Falls, bound in cloth and gold leaf. In May,

1878, A. J. Booth & Co. leased the Whiteside Times
to Messrs. Hyde & Seade.

In June, i88r, Mr. Booth decided to commence
the publication of the Daily Blade, a morning daily
paper, in the city of Sterling, notwithstanding four
failures in that line by former parties. This enter-
prise was a success, and was continued for nearly
three years, until Dec. i, 1883, when impaired
health necessitated a change of business. In Novem-
ber, 1884, having recovered health, Mr. Booth re-
turned to Sterling and resumed the publication of
the Blade as a weekly paper, Democratic in politics,
six-column quarto in size.

Feb. 3, 1869, Mr. Booth married Miss Alma C.
Sperry, of Lee Center, 111., to whom were born five
children, to wit: Gifford M., Harry Judson, Ida
May, Charles Edwin and Anna Maude. Mr. and
Mrs. Booth are both members of the Sterling Bap-
tist Church.

J-

'ames S. McCauley, farmer on section 5,
Hopkins Township, has been a resident of
Whiteside County since 185 3, and has been
identified with its agricultural development
and progress for more than 30 years. He was
born Nov. n, 1821, in West Virginia. Corne-
lius McCauley, his father, was born in Scotland,
whence he emigrated and came to Maryland, where
he was married to Mary Butler, after which they set-
tled in Virginia. James was an infant when his
parents went to Ross Co., Ohio, after which they
moved to Pickaway County in the same State. The
father died there March 13, 1837. The death of the
mother occurred in Ross County, July 7, 1851. Their
children were n in number and were naii'ed as fol-
lows : William, Anna, Sarah, Susan, Elizabeth, Mary,
John, Rebecca, Margaret, Catherine and James S.

Mr. McCauley was 16 years of age when his father
died ; and until that event he remained at home en-
gaged in obtaining his education at the common
schools. Until the age of 23 years he operated as a

WHITESIDE COUNTY.

farm assistant, and in 1848 rented a farm, which he
continued to manage five successive years. In the
fall of 1853 he came to Whiteside County, and pur-
chased 80 acres on section 8, in Hopkins Township.
It was wholly unimproved, and he rented a farm in
the same township, which he conducted four years.
He then purchased 1 20 acres where he has since lived,
and the buildings he has since erected are located on
the home place on that section. He is now the
owner of 408 acres of land, most of which is in Hop-
kins Township, and which is practically all under
cultivation. He supports the principles of the Re-
publican party, and has officiated in several local
offices.

Mr. McCauley was married Jan. 7, 1847, in Ross
Co., Ohio, to Hester A., daughter of Henry and Mary
(Caug'hey) Hanawalt. They were born in Pennsyl-
vania and located in Ohio after their marriage. The
father died July 28, 1831, and the mother survived
him until July 17, 1846. The brothers and sisters of
Mrs. McCauley were named Christopher, Samuel,
Jane, George and John. She is the youngest of all,
and was born Jan. 10, 1822, in Ross Co., Ohio. Only
two of eight children of which she has been the
mother are living. Mary C. and Clara still survive.
Marcellus, John W., Ida R., Alice A , Willie and an
infant child unnamed are deceased.

F. Strock, member of the firm of Dillon,
'< Bowers & Strock, proprietors of the Rock
Falls Roller Mills, Sterling, was born
in Franklin Co., Pa., May 4, 1844, his parents
being Daniel and Mary (Over) Strock, natives
also of that State. Mr. Strock, senior, a man-
ufacturer of agricultural implements, came to Sterling
in 1864.

The subject of this biographical sketch remained
at his parental home until he was 25 years of age,
receiving a common-school education. At the age
of 20 he entered a hardware store at Chambersburg,
Pa., as clerk, remaining one year. He then came to
Sterling and engaged as clerk for Patterson, Witmer
& Co., continuing for three years, and then accepted
a position in the interests of the Sterling School
Furniture Company, continuing for eight years. He

is an active and influential business man, a Repub-
lican, a member of the A. O. U. W., Select Knights
and the Lutheran Church, to which latter organiza-
tion his wife also belongs.

Mr. Strock was married Sept. r4, 1869, to Miss
Martha, daughter of Joel and Rachel (Cole) Harvey,
natives of New York and early immigrants to Sterl-
ing. By this marriage there have been three chil-
dren, two of whom are still living, Willoughby C.
and John F. After the death of Mr. Harvey, Mr.
Strock took charge of his estate and business affairs,
and did not engage in any other business until 1882,
when he bought a third interest in the Rock Falls
Roller Mills, where he has since been interested.

illiam Pratt, general farmer in the Town-
ship of Hopkins, has been a resident of
Whiteside County since 1854, and a citizen
of the State of Illinois since 1842, when he
removed from New York to Kane County.
After a stay of about one year's duration at
Elgin, he went to McHenry County, where he was
engaged in farming, and building the Fox River Val-
ley Railroad. On coming to Wbiteside Co., he took
a contract to grade the railroad from Sterling to Ful-
ton. While fulfilling his obligations with the build-
ing corporation, he bought, in 1856, a farm in
Hopkins Township. On this he settled on the ter-
mination of the business mentioned, and has since
pushed his agricultural operations with profit.

He was born May 16, 1817, in Chenango Co., N.
Y., and is the son of William and Cynthia (Case)
Pratt, who were born in the State of Connecticut.
He is one of a family of four children named Har-
riet, Jerome, William and Ralph.

Mr. Pratt was married Oct. 8, 1855, in Prophets-
town, Whiteside County, to Euphemia J., daughter
of David and Lydia (Butler) Ramsay. Her parents
were natives of New England and were of Scotch
lineage. William, Hannah M., Luther B., Euphemia
J. and Lydia A. were the names of their children.
Mrs. Pratt was born Sept. 9, 1822, in Rome, Oneida
Co., N. Y. Le Roi W. Pratt, her only child, was
born Jan 25, 1857, and graduated in 1882, at the
Union College of Law, Chicago.

Mr. Pratt is a Democrat in political preference

WHITESWE COUNTY.

^f and acts in local and general issues in consonance
with the principles of that party. Mrs. Pratt is a
! ''j communicant of the Episcopal Church.

L rederick B. Hubbard, of the firm of Dill
& Co., furniture dealers of Sterling, was
born Oct. 26, 1859, in Dover, Bureau Co.,
111., and remained at home until 18 years of
age, receiving a fine education. He then went
to Yankton, Dak., arriving there June 19, 1878,
and spending a year and a half in the jeweler's busi-
ness. Next, he engaged in the same business for
himself in Hiawatha, Brown Co., Kan. A year and
a half after, he sold out, came to Sterling and made
a commencement in the same line of business ; but,
his health failing, he sold out, and engaged with his
present partner in the furniture trade, which they
have to the present carried on with success to them-
selves and satisfaction to their patrons.

Mr. Hubbard was married to Miss Louisa H.
Brown, of St. Joseph, Mo., March 27, 1881. They
have one daughter, Ada L , who was born May 24,
1883. He belongs to the Knights of Honor, the
Modern Woodmen of America and the Knights of
Pythias.

Mr. Hubbard is a liberal and public-spirited citi-
zen of Sterling, worthy of official trusts.

: enry M. Kennedy, physician and surgeon,
Head Clerk of the Order of Modern Wood-

f"~~ men of America, and residing at Fulton,
. was born in Mishawaka, St. Joseph Co., Ind.,
Jan. 4, 1851, and is the son of Henry D. and
Charlotte (Steere) Kennedy. He came to Elgin,
111., with his parents in infancy, and was educated
at Wheaton (111.) College. After some experience
as a clerk in Chicago he spent several seasons in the
the fruit business at Benton Harbor, Mich., teach-
ing school winters.

He took a regular 'three years' course at the Hahn-
emann Medical College, of Chicago, at which he re-
ceived the degree of M. D. He began practice in

Jackson Co., Iowa, which he continued till 1880,

when he removed to Fulton, 111., and has pursued
his profession in this city continuously since. On <
the organization of the " Modern Woodmen," a ben-
eficiary fraternity, he was chosen Head Physician,
and in May, 1884, he was elected Head Clerk, or
Grand Secretary, of the order. He is also Ihe edi-
tor of the Woodman's Echo.

He was married Nov. 10, 1874, at St. Joseph,
Mich., to Miss Lillie Overacker. Mrs. Kennedy
was born in Otsego Co., N. Y., June 14, 1854. They
have three children, all boys, Harry, Fred and
Clarence.

The Doctor is a Prohibitionist in politics, and
served as City Clerk of Fulton in 1883-4. He is an
earnest temperance advocate, and a member of
Leota Lodge, No. 428, I. O. G. T. The Dr. and
Mrs. K. are members of tlie Baptist Church.

Although a resident of Fulton but a few years, Dr.
Kennedy has made many warm friends, and has de-
veloped a very satisfactory practice.

Cornelius Bachellor, farmer, residing on
section 12, Montmorency Township, is a
son of Ebenezer and Hannah (Ellis)
Bachellor. They were married and settled
in Vermont, where the mother died.

Cornelius was the only child born of his
parents' union, and was born in Essex, Chittenden
Co., Vt., Aug. 30, 1829. Four years after that
event, in 1833, his father moved to Ohio, his mother
having previously died. In the latter State he
passed his years of minority, working on his fathers
farm and attending the common schools.

In 1856, Mr. Bachellor purchased 80 acres of
land in Montmorency Township, this county. From
1857 to 1861 he resided at Rock Falls, and during
the latter year moved on his land in Montmor-
ency Township. He erected good substantial farm
buildings on his land, and entered vigorously and
actively upon its cultivation. By energetic effort
and good management Mr. Bachellor has increased
his landed possessions in the county to 240 acres,
one-half of which is in a good tillable condition.

Mr. Bachellor was united in marriage, in Licking
Co., Ohio, April 8, 1852, to Tabitha MacClintic,

-, . -

WHITESIDE COUNTY.

daughter of James and Elizabeth (Frank) MacClintic,
natives of Ireland and Virginia. The parents set-
tled in Ohio, where the father died. The mother
afterward came to this county and died in Rock
Falls, Aug. 30, 1877. The issue of their union was
one child, Mrs. Bachellor. She was born in Colum-
biana Co., Ohio, Jan. 29, 1831. Mr. and Mrs.
Bachellor are the parents of eight children, namely:
Mary E., William A., Cordelia, Martin R., Ida M.,
Clarence, Charles and Lewis. The two latter are
deceased.

Mr. Bachellor has been Highway Commissioner,
School Trustee and Overseer of Highways in his
township. Politically, he is identified with tenets of
the Democratic party.

>,harles Foster, one of the solid business
men of Whiteside County, resident at
Morrison, has been for 30 years connected
with its leading business enterprises. In
1855 he came to Sterling, and obtained em-
ployment as a clerk ; but, his abilities in cer-
tain lines soon becoming apparent, he was intrusted
with important duties, and in the course of a year he
began to operate in his own interests, beginning on a
moderate scale, and regulating his efforts as oppor-
tunity served to make profitable ventures, until he
received the reward of his energy, thrift and exercise
of judgment and good sense, and has for years
ranked as one of the most deservedly successful
men of his generation.

He was born Sept. 2, 1831, near Ithaca, Tompkins
Co., N. Y. His father, William Foster, was born
in England, Oct. iq, 1807, and married Catherine
Chandler, also of English nativity, having been born
in that country, Oct. i, 1805. On coming to Amer-
ica they settled in Tompkins Co., N. Y., where the
father still resides, on the homestead, and where his
children were born and reared, and where, also, his
wifa and mother died. Their children were born in
the following order: Henrietta was born Jan. 8,
1828, and married John Supplee, of Yates Co.,N. Y.;
Mr. Foster is the next in order of birth ; James E.
was bom March 16, 1833, and is a farmer in Iowa;
John Chandler was born June 6, 1835, and is a sea-
man and ship-owner; Harriet E., born June 13;
1839, is the wife of Oscar Saunders, a farmer in the

vicinity of Robinson, Mich.; George W. was born
March 3, 1850, and is engaged in farming in Wells
Co., Dak.

Mr. Foster was brought up on the homestead of
his father, and when he was 23 years of age he be-
came the owner of a small farm in his native county,
which comprised 53 acres of land. On this he
operated one year, and in 1854 he determined to
seek the broader scope of the West, and test the
virtues of its promises, which were so glowing as to
tax credulity and tempt an ambitious man to risk his
time, if not his resources, in the trial of their merits.
Accordingly he came to DeKalb Co., and for a time
was employed on a farm in the Township of Syca-
more. In the spring of 1855 he came to Sterling,
and spent three months as a clerk in a dry-goods
store. At the end of that time he was sent by his
employers to Morrison to buy grain and live stock,
and he operated in their interests about a year. In
1856 he engaged in similar transactions on his own
account, and from a small but profitable beginning
he gradually increased his operations until the aggre-
gate of his business amounted to $150,000 yearly,
and his relations were quite as extensive in Iowa as
in his own State. In addition to grain and stock, for
a long term of years, he dealt largely in butter, eggs
and poultry. As a representative of his operations
some generation in the future may be interested in
knowing that his purchases of butter reached 310,000
pounds in a single year; and at the time he was,
without doubt, the heaviest dealer in butter in Illi-
nois outside of Chicago.

In 1882 he relinquished this business, and turned
his attention to financial enterprise, and organized
the First National Bank of Norfolk, Neb., with a cap-
ital of $50,000, his own investment therein being
$26,000. A year later he disposed of his interest in
the banking house, with the design of withdrawing
from active business life, which he has practically
done, only occasionally yielding to force of habit and
circumstances when he traffics in real estate and
engages in lending money.

Mr. Foster has never parted ownership with his
original landed property in Tompkins Co., N. Y., of
which he is still the proprietor. He is also the
owner of 60 acres of land in Whiteside County, a
portion of which lies within the corporate limits of
the city of Morrison. His other claims of real

- .

WHITESIDE COUNTY.

(;

estate include liis residence and two other dwell-
ings at Morrison, 320 acres of land in Clark Co.,
Dak., 480 acres in Stanton Co., Neb., city property
in Benton, Iowa, and in Oneida, Knox Co., 111.

The first wife of Mr. Foster was formerly Miss
Lydia A. Drake, and their marriage took place Nov.
i, 1860. She was born March 19, 1839, and was
the daughter of Charles L. and Roxana (Bruce)
Drake. From this union five children were born:
William C. completed the prescribed course of study
in the High School at Morrison, afterward becoming
a student at Beloit College, Wisconsin, where he
studied two years. He is now Deputy Treasurer of
Brown Co., Dak., and is the owner of a half interest
in the abstracts of that county ; Gertrude M. is a
graduate of the school at Morrison, and of the New
England Conservatory of Music at Boston ; she is a
thoroughly accomplished musician ; Josephine and
Anna B. are the names of the younger children who
survive; Charles E. is deceased. The death of the
mother occurred at Morrison June 6, 1875. Mr.
Foster contracted a second matrimonial alliance, with
Lottie L. Corey, Oct. 3, 1876, at Sturbridge, Mass.
She was born in that place April 9, 1844, and is the
daughter of George V. and Martha Corey, both of
whom are living.

Barren Bond, resident at Morrison, was
born April 13, 1823, in Denmark, Lewis
Co., N. Y., and is the son of Henry and
Betsey (Graves) Bond. He was reared to
man's estate in the State of his nativity, and
in 1842 came to Illinois. On the i6th of April
in that year he located in Fulton Townsh p, and
while a resident of that township he became promi-
nent in the management of local affairs, holding sev-
eral official positions. In 1852 he purchased 240
acres of land situated on section 32 and lying on the
Morrison and Fulton road, in the township of Ustick.
He has given much attention to raising stock, and is
entitled to much credit for his 'efficiency in improv-
ing the grades of Whiteside County cattle. He has
been for many years identified with the energetic,
intelligent and prosperous farming element of the
township where he has resided. The contrast in his
earlier and later circumstances is to be inferred from

the facts that, in his native State he used to labor
from sunrise to sunset, threshing with a flail and
cleaning grain, and receiving compensation at the
rate of five cents a bushel. On coming to Whiteside
County he worked for John Hollinshead in the town-
ship of Ustick, at $12 a month. In less than 20
years his gross receipts from his stock and farm
averaged about $2,000 annually. Mr. Bond is the
owner of 160 acres of land in Kearney Co., Neb.
He sold his land in Ustick Township, and in the
spring of of 1883 retired from active agricultural life,
removing to Morrison, where he built a residence
and is living in the enjoyment of the accumula-
tions of the efforts of his years of prime.

He is a Republican in political bias, and has de-
voted reasonable attention and effort to the interests
of his party in view of his understanding of the obli-
gations of his citizenship. He was always active in
local politics in Fulton and Ustick Townships, and
has served as a member of the County Committee.
He served the town of Ustick as its Supervisor for
ten years, also served as Census Enumerator for
Ustick Township in 1880. Has taken a lively inter-
est in school affairs, having held the office of School
Director, Trustee and Treasurer. He is a member
of the Masonic fraternity and belongs to the Royal
Arch Chapter.

Since his retirement to Morrison, Mr. Bond has
engaged to some extent in financial operations.

The marriage of Mr. Bond to Harriet N. Camfield
occurred July 13, 1844. Following is the record of
their children: Edna E., born Nov. 5, 1847, mar-
ried Delos P. Martin, Oct. 18, 1865, and lives in
Nebraska; Loretta H., born Feb. 15, 1850, was
married Dec. 31,. 1868, to William J. Reed, and
lives in Ustick Township; Viola E. was born Dec.
21, 1851, and was married March 18, 1872, to Aus-
tin Goff, and died Dec. 3, 1872; George E. was
born June 5, 1854, married Sarah Bulkley Dec. 20,
1876, and died July 15, 1881 ; Vesta M. was born
July 10, 1856. She was married Jan. i, 1874, to
\Yilson Springer, and now resides in Kearney Co.,
Neb.; Olive J. was born Aug. 28, 1858, and was
married Aug. 15, 1876, to Alonzo Springer, a farmer
in Union Grove Township; Ada A. and Ida A.,
twins, were born March 2, 1861 ; they died respect-
ively Sept. 14 and Sept. 21, of the same year; Isa-
bel I. was born Aug. 29, 1863, and was married in

-pv

August, 1881, to Walter Webber, a farmer in
Kearney Co., Neb.; Alva W. was born Sept. 26,
7865, and is still with his parents.

M. Martin, merchant at Sterling, was born
in Franklin Co., Pa., Nov. 13, 1841. His
father, Joseph R. Martin, died in January,
1877; and his mother, whose maiden name
was Martha Meshy, is still living. Both his
parents were natives of the Keystone State,
and had seven sons and four daughters.

At the age of seven years, the subject of this no-
tice left home and lived until 15 years old with
Michael Ebersole, a farmer. He continued in agri-
cultural pursuits until the summer of 1862, when he
enlisted for the Government in the i26th Regt. Pa.
Vol. Inf., Co. A. He went from Chambersburg to
Harrisburg, where he was mustered into service.
After remaining in camp three weeks at Arlington
Heights, he went to Leesburg, Va., where he par-
ticipated in the second battle of Bull Run. He was
then ordered back to Washington and to Antietam,
where he was held in reserve in camp on the battle-
field, until October, when he went up the Loudoun
Valley and thence to Fredericksburg. Engaging in
action at the latter place, he received a wound and
was confined six weeks in the hospital. He returned
to his regiment in time to engage in the battle of
Chancellorsville, soon after which his term of enlist-
ment (nine months) expired and he was mustered
out at Harrisburg. In the summer of 1864 he came
to Freeport, 111., and in February, 1865, re-enlisted,
in the 147111 Regt. 111. Vol. Inf., went to Nashville,
Tenn., and Dalton, Ga., where he received a com-
mission HS Second Lieutenant of Co. E, of the i47th.
After a delay of two months at Dalton and a month
at Resaca, he went with a detachment to Albany,
Ga., and with the remainder of the regiment to
Americus, same State, where he was appointed
Adjutant for the battalion; and after serving a
month in this capacity he was appointed As-
sistant Provost Marshal for Starkville, Lee Co., Ga.
Three months afterward he returned to his regiment,
which soon was moved to Savannah, Ga., where Mr.
Martin did Provost duty in the city uutil 1866,
when the regiment was mustered out.

Returning to Freeport for a month, he came to
Sterling and acted as clerk in a grocery store during
the summer (1866); next, in the same capacity for
Carpenter & Edison until 1874 ; then he went to Cali-
fornia and was employed for two months in the freight
office of the Central Pacific Railroad; and then served
as station agent at Modesto, Cal., until the fall of 1875,
when he came to Sterling and engaged again as
clerk for E. W. Edison. In the spring of 1877 he
was employed as salesman for M. B. Rutt & Co., of
Sterling, for a year, and then he formed a partner-
ship with D. B. Strickler in the dry-goods business.
Two years afterward C. A. Sheeting purchased
Stickler's interest, who in turn sold to Mr. Kintzle,
and the firm name became Martin & Kintzle, the
present style. Their store, 40 x 90 feet, is at Nos.
118 and 120, Locust Street, and they are carrying on
a prosperous business on honorable principles.

Mr. Martin is a Republican and a member of the
Masonic Order.

April 17, 1878, he married Miss Emma Sheeting,
of Freeport, and they have one daughter, born Dec.
10, 1881.

amcs G. Gridley, one of the prominent
land-holders in Union Grove Township,
resident on section 12, became a citizen of
Whiteside County in 1855. He located at
Morrison, then in its first year of existence, and
his genius as a mechanic was in immediate
requisition to meet the demands of the throng of
new comers to the incipient city. He was active in
the work of incorporation, and was elected one of
the first Trustees. He was a member of the Board
for several successive years, and he was a resident
there until 1861. He was the builder of the main
part of the school building at Morrison, and the
church edifice of the First Presbyterian Society. He
built the second warehouse in Morrison, which is
now occupied as a livery stable by M. G. Preston,
and, in partnership with L. H. Robinson and J. V.
Giles successively, engaged in the business of ship-
ping grain and stock, and in the sale of lumber. On
relinquishing his business at Morrison, he purchased
a farm in the township of Ustick. He is now a res-
dent of Union Grove Township, and is the owner of

- .

WHITESIDE COUNTY.

500 acres of land in the county, which is all prac-
tically under excellent cultivation.

Mr. Gridley was born Oct. i, 1811, at Middle-
burgh, Schoharie Co., N. Y., and is the son of John
and Margaret (Stopplebeen) Gridley. His parents
were born in the State of New York and had nine
children. Mr. Gridley is the third in successive
order, and he grew to man's estate in the place
where he was born. Previous to his removal to
Whiteside County,- he lived some years in the coun-
ties of Columbia and Otsego respectively.

He has been thrice married. His first matrimonial
alliance was formed with Jane E. Miller, in Colum-
bia Co., N. Y., June u, 1837, and thsy had three
children, Margaret, Stephen and Rachel. The
oldest child is the wife of Joseph Sholes,of Nebraska.
Rachel died at Moline, 111., Oct. 15, 1877. Mrs.
G. died Jan. 4, 1849, and Mr. Gridley was again
married Oct. 15, 1850, to Sarah J. Duffin, in Otsego
Co., N. Y., where she died, Nov. 8, 1854. He was
a third time married, June 2, 1857, in Columbia Co.,
N. Y., to Sarah J. Hornfager, and they have three
children, namely, John,' Charles E. and Mary.
The youngest daughter died Feb. 24, 1883, in Union
Grove Township, when 17 years of age. Mrs. Grid-
ley was born Oct. 3, 1822, in Columbia Co., N. Y.

Mr. Gridley is a Democrat and he has held var-
ious local official positions. His portrait is presented
on a page in proximity, with more than ordinary sat-
isfaction, from the relations he has borne to the
progress of Whiteside County. It is a copy of a like-
ness taken in 1885.

had

arm T. Meins, farmer, section 16, Hop-
kins Township, is a son of Henry W. and
Mary Meins, natives of Germany, who
came to America in 1859 and settled in Hop-
kins Township, this county. She died Janu-
ary 1 6, 1870, and he March 13, 1885. They
a family of four children : Teite M., Mein,
Harm and Mary.

The subject of this sketch was born in Germany,
Dec. 21, 1830, and learned the trade of shoemaker,
which he followed in the old country and in Ameri-
ca about 16 years. He came to this country in
1854 and lived four years in Connecticut, where he

**" S ^^

followed his trade, and in the summer of 1858 came
to Whiteside County and worked at his trade two
years in Sterling, and then purchased 40 acres on
section 16, Hopkins Township, where he settled and
has since lived. He is now the owner of 210 acres,
200 of which is in good cultivation. He has erected
fine buildings on his farm.

He was married in Dixon, in August, 1858, to
Anna C. Janssen, who was born in Germany, Aug.
26, 1830. Mr. and Mrs. Meins are the parents of
two children : Anna, now the wife of John Fulfs and
residing- in Genesee Township; and Hannah H.,
now the wife of Henry W. Stern, and a resident of
Hopkins Township.

Mr. Meins has been Overseer of Highways, Road
Commissioner and School Trustee. Mr. and Mrs.
Meins are members of the German Lutheran
Church. In politics Mr. M. is identified with the
Democratic party.

/,enry Pott, farmer, residing on section 27,
Hahnaman Township, is a native of Ger-
many, and was born in that country July
14, 1844. His parents, Jacob and Catharine
(Stroh) Pott, were also natives of Germany and
emigrated to the United States and settled in
Sterling, this county, in 1853. His father died in the
latter place Feb. 17, 1881. The issue of this union
was eight children, namely : John, who died in Ger-
many; Christian, Henry, Joseph, Barbara, Mathias,
Peter and Mary.

Henry Pott came with parents to this country in
1853 and direct to this county, arriving here when in
his ninth year, and consequently has been a resident
of the county for 25 years, and during which time he
has been closely identified with its agricultural ad-
vancement.

Aug. n, 1862, Mr. Pott enlisted in Co. D. 75th
111. Vol. Inf., and served until Feb. 15, 1865, at
which date he received a discharge on account of a
gunshot wound which deprived him of his left eye.
He received the wound at Lovejoy Station, Ga. At
the battle of Perry ville, Ky., Oct. 8, 1862, he re-
ceived a wound in the hip which, nevertheless, did
not incapacitate him from duty.

On receiving his discharge Mr. Pott returned to

1*^ .

-f*tK<

WH1TESIDE COUNTY.

this county, .where he has since lived. He settled
in Hahnaman Township in 1861, and is now the
owner of 154 acres on section 27, 1 10 of which is till-
able. He is a deserving pensioner of the Govern-
ment, and receives a pension for the loss of an eye
as stated.

Mr. Pott was united in marriage at Sterling, this
county, Oct. 10, 1868, with Miss Mary, daughter of
George and Elizabeth (Kauffman) Spangler, natives
of Pennsylvania. They came to this county in 1863
and settled in Sterling Township, where her father
died. His death was caused by drowning in Rock
River, and occurred in August, 1863. Her mother
died in Hahnaman Township, March 26, 1873. The
issue of their union was seven children, Mary, Sarah
Abraham, Elizabeth, George, Jonas and Ida.

Mrs. Pott was born in Cumberland Co., Pa. Aug.
11, 1853. She and her husband are the parents of
seven children, namely : Henry C., Elizabeth, Jacob,
R., George A., Emma M., Albert B. and Catharine.

Mr. Pott has held the office of Overseer of High-
ways four years and School Director for ten years,
and Clerk of the Board for five years, and politically
is an independent. He and his wife are members
of the German Catholic Church.

eorge A. Whitcomb, retired manufacturer,
formerly of the firm of Ely & Whitcomb,
carriage manufacturers at Morrison, was
born in Granville, Washington Co., N. Y.,
Oct. 23, 1837, and is the youngest son of
Benjamin B. and Sabrina B. (Dual) Whitcomb.
His father was a native of New Hampshire, and his
mother of New York.

In 1856 he came to Unionville, this county, and
engaged as a clerk for James A. Fisher, a general
merchant. In 1857 he came to Morrison and was
employed as a clerk in a drug-store for Dr. Coe. He
bought out Dr. Coe in 1858 and carried on the drug
business three years, when he sold out and engaged
in the grain trade. In 1865 he bought an interest
in the drug-store of John S. Green and maintained
that connection till 1867, when he sold out. He
then formed a partnership with Mr. Ely in the real-
estate business. In 1875 he bought a half interest
in the Morrison Carriage Works, the property of R.

S. W. Ely, and the business was conducted under
the firm name of Ely & Whitcomb. The factory did
an extensive business, furnishing employment for an
average force of 22 men, and turning out from'25o
to 300 carriages annually. He was still interested
with Mr. Ely in extensive real-estate transactions.
In November, 1882, he sold out his interest in the
factory, but still retains his connection with Mr. Ely
in the real-estate business. Their operations extend
over several States, including Illinois, Wisconsin,
Minnesota, Iowa, Kansas and Nebraska, wherein they
own upwards of 5,000 acres of valuable farming
land, besides city and town property, including
dwelling-houses and business buildings.

During the past year they have operated quite ex-
tensively in real estate in Minneapolis, where they
have much valuable property.

Mr. Whitcomb was married at Mt. Carroll, 111.,
June 22, 1861, to Miss Sarah A. Town, daughter of
Salem and Mary A. Town, pioneer settlers of White-
side County. Mrs. Whitcomb was born in Union
Grove, of this county, Jan. 14, 1841. Mr. and Mrs.
Whitcomb have three children, all born in Morrison :
Nettie, born Aug. 22, 1863, now taking a collegiate
course at Oberlin, Ohio; Annie, born Oct. 22, 1865,
is now taking a musical course ; and George G.,
bora April n, 1876.

Mr. Whitcomb in early life was a Republican of
abolition sympathies, and continued an earnest sup-
porter of that party during the war and up to Grant's
administration, since which time he has been an in-
dependent, strongly opposed to so-called " protective
tariff." He has been a thorough student in political
economy and American politics. He supported the
Democratic national nominees in 1880 and 1884,
and has won a reputation as a candid and fair
speaker, whose campaign arguments were logical
and well supported by unimpeachable authority. He
has been twice chosen Mayor of Morrison and has
held minor offices. As shown by our sketch, Mr.
Whitcomb is one of the pioneers of Morrison, he
having been a resident of this city upwards of 28
years, during which time he has been identified with
its leading business interests, and foremost in sup-
port of every public enterprise calculated to benefit
the city or to improve its advantages..

Mr. Whitcomb is a thorough business man, cool
and clear-headed, of quick perceptive faculties and

16)

-'.yg-XM^^,

igTS^AS'vVi'

WHITESIDE COUNTY.

**-s

sound judgment, scrupulously exact in all his deal-
ings and rigid in his notions of justice, honor and
veracity. Naturally quick and impulsive, he has
won that greatest of victories, self-control. These
few remarks are offered in no spirit of laudation, but
simply as the briefest possible mention of some of
the characteristics of an old settler who is held in
high esteem as an upright man, true friend, and kind
neighbor by many who will read these pages.

Captain John MacKenzie, a resident of
Fulton, and Master of the steamer" Silver
Wave," of the Van Sant & Musser line,
plying between Stillwater, Minn., and Mus-
catine, Iowa, is a native of Whiteside Co., 111.,
being born in the town of Ustick, July 3,
1850. His parents, John and Margaret (Ritchie)
MacKenzie, were born in the Highlands of Scotland
and came to this county in 1843.

John was reared on his father's farm, and when
18 years of age, or in 1868, he engaged as a deck
hand on a Mississippi River steamer. Before the
expiration of two years he had qualified himself for
the position of pilot, and sailed as such. In 18
he purchased a third interest in the steamer " Wm.
White " and became her Captain. He afterwards
built and commanded the steamer " Eclipse." He
sold out his steamboat interests in the spring of
1883, since which time he has sailed the "Sam
Atlee " and the " Silver Wave."

Capt. MacKenzie was married near Creston, Iowa,
Dec. 14, 1880, to Miss Abbie E. Devore, daughter of
John and Josephine (Smith) Devore. Mrs. Mac-
Kenzie was born near Mt. Carroll, Carroll Co , 111.

The Captain is a staunch Prohibitionist, of Repub-
lican antecedents. He is Chairman of the Prohibi-
tion County Committee, and was the Prohibition
candidate for Representative in the late campaign.
He is a member of Fulton City Lodge, No. 189, A.
F. & A. M. Mrs. MacKenzie is a member of the
Methodist Episcopal Church.

Captain MacKenzie has worked up through all
grades of a boatman's duties from the lowest to the
highest, and has long been classed among the most
popular and skillful of the Mississippi steamboat
Captains. He has made his home at Fulton, 111.,
since 1881.

.avid G. Harrison, farmer on section 23
Union Grove Township, is a native citizen
of Illinois, having been born June 21,
1842, in Beardstown. He is of English de-
scent, his parents, Thomas and Nancy (Ger-
{ lick) Harrison, having been born in England,
where they were married. They came to the United
States about 1841, and at once located in Beards-
town, whence they removed after a residence of two
years to Union Grove Township. They both died
there. Their children were named John S., Eliza
A., Charles W., Maria, David G., Mary H., Emma
J., Sarah L. and Charlotte E. Mr. Harrison is the
youngest son, and he was an inmate of the parental
home until its relations were dissolved by the death
of the father. He succeeded to the heritage of the
homestead and has continued to make it the scene of
his efforts. His estate includes 238 acres, and he has
placed 200 acres under creditable tillage. In polit-
ical inclinations, Mr. Harrison affiliates with the
party of Prohibition.

His marriage to Elizabeth W. Thompson took
place in Ustick Township, Oct. 6, 1875. Their
children have been four in number, and were named
Otto W., Jeanie B., Bessie and Feemie G. Bessie
died in infancy. The parents of Mrs. Harrison,
William and Jane (Burns) Thompson, were natives
of Scotland, and they had eight children, named
Elizabeth W., Anna B., William G., Archibald T.,
Robert B., Maggie J., Hugh D. and Mary J. Mrs.
Harrison was born in the city of Glasgow, Scotland,
Jan. 19, 1848. .She and her husband are members
of the Baptist Church.

en. William M. Kilgour, late attorney
at law at Sterling, was born June 12,
1828, in Cumberland Co., Pa., and is
a son of Col. Ezekiel Kilgour, manufacturer,
and Colonel of the militia regiment in that
county. His mother, nee Eliza Graham, was a
daughter of Judge Graham, of the same county. In
1837 the family came West, settling near Sterling.
Gen. Kilgour received a common-school education

L: rv

UNIVLsi <ir
UftMNA

jjSLj/s

WHITESIDE COUNTY.

in his youth, studied law, and was admitted to prac-
tice in the State Courts by the Supreme Court at
Ottawa, 111., in 1856. The next year he was ad-
mitted to the Bar of the Federal Circuit and District
Courts, and subsequently in the Supreme Court at
Washington. The General was a prominent politician.
Under the old regime he was a Whig, and was a
representative from his county to the mass conven-
tion held at Bloomington, which organized the Re-
publican party in Illinois, and nominated Col. Bissell
for Governor.

It was as a soldier, however, that the General
made his mark. In 1861 he was among the first to
volunteer, enlisting as a private in the i3th Regt.
111. Vol. Inf. Upon its organization he was elected
Second Lieutenant, and served with the regiment one
year in Missouri, taking part in the skirmish at Wet
Glaze, Lynn Creek, Springfield and Salem. During
the time he also served as Judge Advocate. The
next year, 1862, he was taken sick with fever and
resigned. He had scarcely recovered from his ill-
ness when more troops were called for and he volun-
teered again, receiving a commission as Captain in
the 75th Regt. 111. Vol. Inf. When the regiment was
fully organized he was promoted to the rank of Major.
Shortly afterward, in an engagement at Perryville,
Ky., he was wounded by a ball passing through his
body. It was thought at the time that the wound
would prove fatal ; but he recovered, and in August,
1863, regained his command just in time to partici-
pate in the bloody battle of Chickamauga. He con-
tinued to serve with the regiment until it was mus-
tered out, in July, 1865, having been in every battle
in which it participated from the time he rejoined it
excepting that at Gulp's Farm, making in all 27 regu-
lar engagements. He was in nearly every battle
fought in the Department of the Cumberland. Dur-
ing a great part of the Atlanta campaign he was in
command of the 8oth 111. Vol. Inf., and at Pumpkin-
Vine Creek, in Georgia, was under fire for nine con-
secutive days. The 75th Regt. 111. Vol. Inf., under
Gen. Kilgour, was the first under Gen. Joseph Hook-
er's command to charge the rebel works at Lookout
Mountain, driving the rebels first up the mountain
and then off of it. He was wounded three times,
and was three times promoted for meritorious ser-
vices in the field. His commission as Second Lieu-
tenant of the 1 3th 111. Inf., he received from Gov.
Yates, April 20, 1861. For gallant and meritorious

services at Mission Ridge, Tenn., he was commis-
sioned Major by brevet, Oct. 31, 1867, by U. S.
Grant, then President of the United States. Also,
the same date, he received, for similar valor at
Atlanta, Ga., a commission as Lieutenant Colonel by
brevet; and again, for bravery at Nashville, Tenn.,
he was brevetted Colonel. At the close of the war
he was commissioned Colonel in the regular army,
and subsequently brevetted Brigadier General.

The foregoing testimonials to Gen. Kilgour's effi-
ciency in the field of war in defense of his country
were never sought by him either directly or indi-
rectly. They are simply proofs of his merit. On
his retirement from the army, in 1867, Gen. Kilgour
resumed the practice of his profession at Sterling, in
which he was successfully engaged until his death,
which occurred May 29, 1885, at Los Gatos, Cal.,
from the effects of the principal wound he received
from the rebels in defense of his country. He was a
member of the Knights of Pythias, I. O. O. F., A. F.
and A. M., K. T., and G. A. R.

The General was married in 1865, to Mary Isa-
bella Junkin, of Perry Co., Pa. They had five chil-
dren : Eliza G., Susan J., James Albee, Cassius M.
and William S.

'ohn MacKengie, deceased, was an early
settler of Whiteside County. He was born
'in the Highlands of Scotland, in midsum-
mer, 1800, and was the son of Alexander and
Margaret (Thompson) MacKenzie. He learned
the trade of mason and builder, and was mar-
ried in Aberdeenshire, Oct. n, 1833, to Miss Mar-
garet S. Ritchie, daughter of George and Margaret
(Read) Ritchie. He emigrated to America in 1838,
and settled in Virginia, where he continued to reside
till June, 1843, when he came to Whiteside County
and located on a farm in the township of Ustick.
He worked at his trade of mason and contractor in
Fulton, while his energetic and thrifty wife conducted
the farm. Mr. MacKenzie built in 1848 and oper-
ated the first saw-mill at Fulton, which was a small
water-power mill, and continued to conduct it to the
time of his death, which occurred Sept. 29, 1854.
He also worked at his trade, and among his contracts
was one for the erection of the stone building now
used as a planing-mill by the Langford & Hall Lum-

bet Company, which he built for Judge McCoy &
Co. He was also employed by the Government
in the construction of Fort Gaines, some 200 miles
above St. Paul, and spent two seasons on Govern-
ment work.

While a resident of Ustick he was the first Super-
visor of that township, and held other minor offices.
In politics he was a Whig. Mr. and Mrs. MacKen-
zie had four sons and six daughters. The eldest
child was Margaret, wife of James Savage, now of
Oregon; Helen is the wife of William Savage, of
Morrison, 111.; Alexander died in childhood; Vir-
ginia so named from her native State is the wife
of Augustus Johnson, of Morrison ; George married
Ella Houghton, and died in 1877, leaving a wife and
four children ; Alexander, the second of that name,
married Lovina Devore, and lives in Iowa; Mary
married William Trye, and lives at Morrison ; John
and Josephene are twins ; John is a Captain on the
Mississippi ; he married Miss Abbie E. Devore, and
resides at Fulton ; Josephene married John Kyner,
and lives in Nebraska; Clarissa A. is the wife of
Thomas Janvrin, of Morrison ; George and Alex-
ander were soldiers of the late war. Mrs. Mac-
Kenzie survives her husband, and resides at Fulton,
with her son, Captain John MacKenzie. She has
been a member of the Presbyterian Church since
her girlhood.

Andrew Mathew, farmer, section 6, Hop-
kins Township, is a son of William and
Jennette (Wiley) Mathew, natives of Scot-
land, who came to America in 1851 (see sketch
of David Mathew), and settled in West Virginia,
and came to Whiteside County in 1856 and
passed the remainder of their life here. They had
ten children, named Thomas, David, William, Jean-
nette, Andrew, Ann, Margaret, Robert, Jane and
Alexander.

The subject of this sketch was born in Scotland,
Aug. 6, 1830. He received a common-school edu-
cation and remained in his native land till about
1847, when he came to West Virginia, where he lived
seven years, engaged in farming and at work on the
Baltimore & Ohio Railroad, grading. In the fall
of 1856 he came to Whiteside County and worked

out for three years. He then rented a farm in Hop-
kins and Mt. Pleasant Townships for eight years.
He then purchased 74 acres on section 6, Hopkins
Township, where he settled and has since lived. He
was married first in Virginia, to Mary A. Dumire,
who was a native of Virginia. They h.xd one child,
Sarah C., who is now the wife of John S. Lingel and
resides in Morrison. Mrs. Mathew died in Hopkins
Township, in April, 1858, and Mr. M. was again
married, in Carroll Co., 111., Jan. 29, 1860, to Rachel
Hunter, who was a native of Scotland, being a
daughter of Robert and Jennette (Cassells) Hunter.
By this marriage there have been seven children,
Jennette E., Margaret J., William A., Eliza M., Rob-
ert, Ella R. and Andrew T.

In his political views Mr. Mathew is independent.

ruman Culver, a retired merchant, of Rock
Falls, is a native of the Empire State. He
is the first son that survived in the family
of Truman H. and Catherine A. (Campbell)
Culver, and was born in Booneville, Oneida

1 Co., N. Y., Sept. 9, 1835. His parents, na-
tives also of that State, emigrated to Lee County,
this State, in 1860, where his father died : his mother
is still living, with one of her sons, at Cambridge,
Neb.

Truman, the subject of this biography, remained
at his parental home until he was 17 years of age.
At 14 he began to attend school ; being subject to
asthma, he could not begin earlier. Although his
schooling comprised so short a term, only three
years, he made such progress that he then began
to teach; and, as was the practice in those days, he
"bought his time " and started out in the world for
himself, promising to give his father $200 any time
before he was 21. He paid this debt within 18
months. He taught eight terms of district school,
alternating with attendance as a pupil at higher
schools. From the age of 22 to 24 he attended col-
lege during the winters and followed manual labor
the rest of the year.

He next went to Pike's Peak to dig gold, and was
not successful. After remaining there a month, in
company with three others, he made two canoes
(" dug-outs ") from cottonwood, lashed them together

WHITESIDE COUNTY.

to keep them from rocking while on the water, and
started from Denver (that place then comprising
only seven sod houses) down the Platte River to
Omaha; but after going about 150 miles they came
to grief by the upsetting of their craft in a whirlpool
caused by a beaver dam. They lost everything ex-
cept a part of a sack of flour. They made a fire
on the bank, rolled their rescued flour, which had
become wet by the accident, into balls and roasted
them on the coals, for their bread, which they stored
in a small sack made out of the flour sack just re-
ferred to. They started on foot and subsisted on
these bread balls two days, when they met an old
trapper, from whom they purchased an old coffee-
pot, without spout, handle or bail, at the price of
14.50! In this they made gruel out of the dry por-
tion of their flour, which lasted them about a week.

At this time they learned from inscriptions on
buffalo bones that the coming trains had received
word that the gold diggings had proved a failure and
that they had turned back, and those coming back
had taken a shorter route. On learning these facts,
they knew they would not be overtaken by any one,
nor met by those coming, while they were hun-
dreds of miles from civilization, without anything to
eat. They resolved, however, to push ahead, hoping
to meat friendly Indians. After their little store
gave out the first thing they ate was cactus, which
proved nauseous and could not be retained in the
stomach. They then tried several kinds of weeds,
but with no better effect. Finally they succeeded in
capturing five frogs, which they ate entire! and with
good results! They pushed on until again ex-
hausted, when they found some herd's grass, the
roots of which they ate. On the strength of this
they trudged along two days more! But by this time
their stomachs became so weak they could bear
nothing, yet they dragged their weary way along for
a few days more, without endeavoring to -eat any-
thing! At this juncture Mr. Culver noticed that the
other boys avoided him, and were consulting each
other privately! He pretended to go to sleep, so he
might overhear what they said ; and, sure enough ! he
learned that two of the three were in favor of killing
him to eat! He roused up and asked them wheth-
er they heard "those frogs." They answered No. He
said, " Remain here, and I will go and look for them."
Accordingly he went down to the bank, and forever
disappeared from those fellows. He soon fell in

with a band of Indians, who gave him "jerked"
antelope, refusing money but accepting a bright-
colored neck-tie as a remuneration. With this sus-
tenance Mr. Culver pushed on, walking, for many
days, and at last sank down on the bank of the
Platte, utterly exhausted. He wrote on an envelope
his address and a statement that he had starved to
death; and there he lay insensible, he knows not
how long, when he was discovered by four men, in
the first boat that ever succeeded in getting down
the river. He could not talk above a whisper. Af-
ter informing them of the emergency, they took him
aboard their boat, saying that if he were to die he
should die with them. They gave him broth, and
after a few days of careful management they so re-
vived him that he became able to steer the boat.
Their provisions being exhausted, they searched
about for something to eat, and the best they could
find was the carcass of a buffalo, which had lain so
long as to become tainted ; but they made a portion
of it palatable by scorching it. A day or two after
that gave out, they arrived at Fort Kearney, where
they were cared for by the Government army sur-
geons. Regaining sufficient strength, they were
sent to Omaha, where the subject of this sketch
found he weighed a little over 100 pounds, having
lost about 70 pounds!

Mr. Culver then came to Whiteside County, lo-
cating at Morrison. After working, as he was able,
on a farm for three months, he returned to the State
of New York and taught a term of school. Then he
came West with his parents, who settled near Lee
Center, while he came on to Morrison and worked
on the same farm in 1861, owned by Erastus Pollard.

Next, Mr. Culver enlisted for the cause of the
Union in the great War of the Rebellion, joining Co.
C, Eighth 111. Vol. Cav., as a private, and during
his service in the army he was under fire more than
a hundred times. At the battle of Gettysburg he
was wounded in the right ankle, on the second day
of the engagement, but he remained on duty to the
close of that bloody contest. At the expiration of his
term of service in 1865, he was honorably discharged,
as First Lieutenant.

Reluming to Morrison, he engaged in the grocery
trade, which he followed for about 13 years, erecting
at Ihe end of three years the first new store build
ing in Rock Falls, on the corner of Main and May
Streets. For the next three years he was engaged

in the boot and shoe trade, and then retired from
active business.

Sept. 5, 1865, Mr. Culver was married to Clarinda
Allen, of Morrison. Their only child, named Glen,
died when five years of age.

In his political views, Mr. C. is a Republican.
Was the first Postmaster of Rock Falls, holding that
position three years. He is a member of the G. A. R.

"ohn Devore,, deceased, and early pioneer
of Illinois and a resident of Ustick Tp.,
was born in Kentucky Oct. 18, 1819. He
was brought up on a farm in Indiana, where
he was married to Miss Josephine Smith, a
native of Vermont.
Mr. Devore came to Illinois in 1842 and settled
near Mt. Carroll, Carroll County, where he was en-
gaged in farming till 1852, when he removed to
the township of Ustick, this county. He pursued
the business of farming in Ustick till 1870, when he
removed to Iowa near Creston, where he purchased
a farm and made that place his home till the time of
his death, which occurred Oct. 15, 1884. Mr. and
Mrs. Devore had two sons and four daughters, viz. :
Ellen, the eldest, died in infancy ; Noah died aged
38 years ; Harry S. married Miss Jane Brady and
resides in Iowa ; Lucinda is the wife of James Brady,
also of Iowa ; Lovina is the wife of Alexander Mac-
Kenzie, of Iowa ; and Abbie E. married Capt. John
MacKenzie and resides in Fulton.

Mr. Devore was a Republican and a member of
the United Brethren Church. His wife survives
him and resides at the homestead in Iowa. She is
also a member of the Church of the United Brethren.

B. Seger, M. D., of the firm of Tay-
lor & Seger, physicians and surgeons; of-
fice corner of Main & Genesee Streets ;
residence on Grove, Morrison ; was born in
Oxford Co., Maine, Jan. 4, 1842, and is the
son of Allen & Achsa (Howard) Seger. His
father was a native of Maine and his mother of
Vermont. He came to Wethersfield, Henry Co., 111.,
his parents in 1852. He began reading medi-

cine with Doctors Taylor & Person, of Erie, 111.,
prior to the breaking out of the late war.

In November, 1861, he enlisted in Co. I, 45th III.
Vol. Inf., and served six months, when he was dis-
charged for physical disability contracted in the
field. He then resumed the study of medicine with
his former preceptors, and pursued his studies till
the fall of 1863, when he re-enlisted in the 74th 111.
Vol. Inf., and was detailed as hospital steward in the
4th Army Corps. He was in constant service in
hospital duty till the close of the war, and was dis-
charged Oct. 8, 1865. On his return from the war
he attended Rush Medical College, of Chicago, tak-
ing a regular course of lectures and graduated in the
class of 1867-8, with the degree of M. D. He be-
gan practice at Erie, this county, which he continued
till 1882, when he came to Morrison and formed the
existing partnership with his old preceptor, Dr. Tay-
lor. He has a rapidly increasing practice, and is
working into the front ranks of the profession.

Dr. Seger was married at Erie, III., Feb. 14, 1873, to
Miss Kate L. Reynolds, daughter of William and
Ann (Binan) Reynolds. Mrs. Seger was born in
Fenton, Whiteside Co., 111. They have two children.
Inez and Ivy. Mrs. Seger's parents were early pio-
neers of Fenton Township, of this county.

S. Street, Mayor of Sterling, was born in
Hinsdale, Mass., Jan. 29, 1836, third in
order of birth in a family of five children;
j- parents of Massachusetts nativity. His father,
Horace Street, was a farmer, moved to Orleans
Co., N. Y., in 1837, and resided there until his
death, in June, 1875. His mother, whose maiden
name was Althea Stowell, died in the same county,
in January, 1844.

He remained at his parental home until 1860, at-
tending the Albion Academy and receiving a prac-
tical education. From 1853 to 1860 he taught
school, and then he came to Sterling and engaged
in selling farm machinery for 18 years, then selling
out. In 1883 he purchased the coal yard of Taylor
Williams, of which he is now the proprietor. He
is a successful, honorable business man, and a prom-
inent citizen. His residence is on the corner of
Fifth and Locust Streets.

In 1865 he was elected Alderman and held

A f-\ **jaeL~' JiaJ//

"^psSj'v^.

- .. r

WHITESIDE COUNTY.

office (or two years ; was Deputy Collector of Inter-
nal Revenue from 1870 to 1873. In 1881 he was
elected Mayor, and re-elected in 1884, and again re-
elected in 1885. At present he is a member of
the Board of Education of the Wallace School. In
politics he is a Republican, and in respect to reli-
gion he attends the Methodist Episccpal Church.
He is a member of the I. O. O. F. and A. F. &
A. M.

Dec. 12, 1861, Mr. Street married Julia A. Smith,
a native of New York, and they have three children,
named Emily J., Walter S.. and Albert L.

I'ames M. Burr is a. resident of Como, Hop-
|r kins Township, and was formerly a sea
Captain. He was born in Boston, Mass.,
Dec. 2, 1808, and lived at home until he was
1 1 years of age, when, after the fashion of a
large number of youngsters who are born near
the sea, he yielded to a temptation to try the ex-
periences of the salt water himself, and ran away on
a mackerel boat. The trip lasted two months, and
he was sufficiently well pleased with the experiment
to continue in the same business three years. He
next tried the novelties and excitement of cod-fishing
on the Newfoundland Banks for a season or two, after
which he went to the Falkland Isles and spent five
years in seal-fishing. On his return to Boston, he
obtained a position as first mate on an ocean steamer
belonging to the Liverpool Packet Line, and operated
in that capacity about four years. He sptnt a brief
time at his home in Boston, after which he shipped as
a common sailor for a voyage around the world, and
was absent three years. He continued his seafaring
about 20 years, operating as a sailor before the mast
as mate and finally as Captain. He passed a year
or two in the Lake service and afterwards engaged in
steam-boating on the Mississippi and Illinois Rivers.
While thus engaged he made a visit to a brother in
Tazewell Co., 111., and while there he decided to
abandon his seafaring life and accompany his rela-
tives to Northern Illinois. He came to Whiteside
County about 1838 and purchased 50 acres of land
in Hopkins Township, which is now included in the
platting of Como, and on which he has since resided.
He has since made a trip to California for the pur-

pose of mining for gold, in which he spent three
years, with reasonable success. He has disposed of
the major portion of his property in the township of
Hopkins. Captain Burr is a stanch Republican.

He is the son of Martin and Eunice (Turner) Burr,
who were natives of Massachusetts and lived there
until their death. That of the father took place
Nov. 19, 1846; that of the mother occurred in Au-
gust, 1853. They had nine children, George T.,
Harriet, Adaline, James M., Eunice, Sarah A., Wil-
liam T., Theo. M. and Stephen M.

Captain Burr was married Aug. 22, 1840, at Ports-
mouth, N. H., to Caroline, daughter of Jeremiah and
Lucy (Furber) Neal. Her parents were born in that
city and lived there until their deaths, which oc-
curred respectively in 1827 and 1869. Their chil-
dren, five in number, were named Clarinda, Sarah A.
Caroline H., John W. and Charles K. Mrs. Burr
was born Dec. 5, 1820, in Portsmouth. To her and her
husband seven children have been born, James M.,
Adaline E., Eunice T., Hattie, Netty, Charles M., J.
S. Ellery and William T. The oldest son and the sec-
ond daughter are deceased. Adaline E., oldest
daughter, is the wife of Judge David Davis, formerly
United States Senator from Illinois, and resides at
Bloomington. Hattie is the wife of Charles Heitshu
and resides at Marshalltown, Iowa. Eunice T. mar-
ried Charles N. Munson, formerly of Sterling, now a
resident of Kansas City, Mo.

The portrait of Capt. Burr, on the opposite page,
will naturally be expected on this connection.

:enry Flock, farmer, residing on section 22,
Hahnaman Township, is a son of John and
Anna (Fanenstihs) Flock, natives of Ger-
many, in which country they both died. They
were the parents of six children, Henry, Will-
iam, Joseph, Kathrina and Margaret.
Henry Flock, subject of this biographical notice,
was born May 22, 1833, in Germany. He lived in
his native country until 24 years of age (1857), when
he came to the United States and soon afterward to
this county. On his arrival here, he settled in Ster-
ling Township and " worked out " by the month for
about four years.

Mr. Flock enlisted, Aug. n, 1862, in the 75th 111.
Vol. Inf., and served until the close of the war. He

WHITESIDE COUNTY.

foS

served in the infantry for about seven months and
was then detached and placed on the pioneer corps,
where he remained for about 14 months. He was
then transferred to the First United States Engineer
Corps, where he continued to remain until his dis-
charge.

On receiving his discharge, Mr. Flock returned to
Whiteside County and settled in Hahnaman Town-
ship, where he has since resided. He is at present
(1885) the owner of 276 acres in the township, 210
of which is tillable.

Mr. Flock was united in marriage at Polo, 111.,
June 15, 1862, to Miss Barbara, daughter of Jacob
and Catharine (Stroh) Pott, natives of Germany.
They came to this country in 1853, and soon there-
after settled in Sterling, this county, where her
father died Feb. 17, 1881. He and his wife were
the parents of five children, Christian, Henry, Bar-
bara, Mathias and Mary.

Mrs. Flock was born in Germany, Oct. 18, 1846.
She accompanied her parents to this country and
county in 1853 and remained mostly at home until
the date of her marriage. She is the mother of n
children by Mr. Flock, namely : Catherine, John,
Jacob R. W., Mary T., Anna E., Henry, Mathias,
Elizabeth B., William, Maggie and Nellie T.

Mr. Flock has held the office of Overseer of High-
ways and School Trustee, and in politics is a Demo-
crat. He and his wife are members of the German
Catholic Church.

ullivan Jackson, farmer, section 4, Mt.
Pleasant Township, is the son of Thomas
L. and Freedom (Heaton) Jackson. The
former was born Oct. 23, 1787,111 New Lisbon,
New London Co., Conn. He went to the
State of New York, and in December, 1824,
was married to the daughter of William and Martha
(Bailey) Heaton, who settled in the township of Mt.
Pleasant in 1837. She was born in 1805. They
had three children. The family removed in 1835 to
Portage Co., Ohio, and in April, 1841, he set out with
his family for Illinois and arrived in May following,
in Whiteside County. The father died Jan. 12,
1882, aged nearly 95 years. The mother died Jan.

23, 1879. Their children are still living, Floyd
H., Mary and Sullivan.

The latter was born Dec. 3, 1830, in Jefferson Co.,
N. Y. He has resided on the same section since he
came in 1841 to Mt. Pleasant Township, and he is
the owner of 265 acres of land, of which about 160
acres are under tillage. Politically, Mr. Jackson is
a Democrat, and has held several township offices.

He was united in marriage ,Dec. 31, 1862, in Mt.
Pleasant, to Almira C. Baxter, and they have two
children, Andrew and Ralph B. H. Mrs. Jackson
was born March 10, 1843, in Schoharie Co., N. Y.,
and is the daughter of Stephen and Emeline (Dillen-
beck) Baxter. Her parents were natives of the State
of New York and settled in Mt. Pleasant Township
in 1856. They removed to the township of Lyndon,
where the mother died Nov. 18, 1877. Their chil-
dren were named Almira C., Jennie L., Lizzie S.
and Clara T.

.olomon Hubbard, lumber merchant at
Rock Falls, was born in Thetford, Orange
Co., Vt., Oct. 28', 1817, being the sixth in
a family of 12 children. His parents were
Josiah and Cynthia (Cummings) Hubbard,
of Connecticut, and followers of farming pur-
suits. He received a fine education in the academies
of his native town, and assisted his father on the
farm until 18 years of age, when for three years he
was a clerk in a store. He then opened a general
stock of goods in Strafford, Vt., continuing in mer- |
candle business there about two years ; likewise in
Thetford two years. Selling out, he came to Dover,
Bureau Co., 111., in 1848, where he was a merchant
15 years. He sold his stock there and followed the
same business in Rockford, 111., for eight months.
Next, he \vas a resident of Dover again, four years,
dealing in real estate; and finally, in 1869, he moved
to Sterling, where for the first five years he was en-
gaged in the sale of dry goods. He sold out, and for
four years afterward he purchased a stock of groceries
and was a dealer in that line one year ; then dealt in
real estate until 1882, when he purchased the lum-
ber yard and stock of Wheeler & Brown, of Rock
Falls, in the management of which he and his two
sons, Harry F. and Arthur G., are now engaged.

^De-

WHITES1DE COUNTY.

two other men as assistants. Their sales
aggregate $50,000 or more per year. His first resi-
dence, consisting of a house and two lots on Second
Street, he sold, and in 1883 bought another house
and two lots, on the same street, for $6,000, where
he now resides.

Mr. Hubbard was married Sept. 23, 1845, at Ran-
dolph, Mass., to Miss Amanda N. Belcher, a native
of Vermont. They have had seven children, four of
whom are living, Harry F., Frederick B., Arthur
G. and Emma A. Frederick B. married Lulu Brown,
of St. Joseph, Mo., and they reside in Sterling, where
Mr. H. is engaged in the furniture business of Dill
&Co.

In his political views, Mr. Hubbard, the subject of
the foregoing sketch, is a Republican.

rs. Isabella Sides, a resident of Sterling,
was the daughter of John M. and Amelia
H. (Eicholtz) Werntz, and was born Jan.
1 8, 1843. Her father, a merchant of Stras-
burg, Pa., sold out there in 1862, and came to
Sterling, where he was a merchant tailor, un-
til the time of his decease, which took place Jan. 3,
1882. Mrs. Werntz died in Strasburg, Pa., Aug. 22,

1857-

Their daughter, the subject of this sketch, mar-
ried Jacob R. Sides, a native of Strasburg, Dec.
31, 1863. Mr. S. was born Sept. 2, 1844, and was
the son of John H. and Maria (Rohrer) Sides. He
received a fine education. He made his home
with his parents until he was of age. He taught
school, and also followed agricultural pursuits in
Pennsylvania, until 1865, when he sold out and
came West, locating in Sterling, and entering the
lumber and grain business. This he followed ten
years Eight years of this time he bought
grain and took charge of the books of the firm of
John S. Miller & Co., distillers, who ran the Sterling
distillery. During his lifetime he established a nice
home for his wife and children, and built three other
houses, two of which he sold. He died Aug. 25,
1882, leaving a life insurance policy of $20,000,
whch was paid his family. He had four children,

namely: Minnie H., Ora K., Edwin R. and Grace
B. Minnie H. married John Annas, of Sterling,
May 6, 1885.

'bomas McClelland, Marshal of the City ot
Morrison and Constable, was born March
20, 1824, in Cumberland Co., Pa. His
father and mother, William and Margaret
(Shannon) McClelland, were natives of the
Keystone State. The former died in Franklin
Co., Pa., in 1842, when about 60 years of age. The
demise of the latter took place in Cumberland, Alle-
ghany Co., Md., about 1848. Seven of their nine
children are now living, namely : Mrs. Lydia Heaggy
is a widow and resides at Mt. Carroll, 111. ; William
is a carpenter in Clinton Co., Mo.; Jane, widow of
William Paxton, lives at Morrison ; John is a Meth-
odist clergyman in Virginia; Joseph is a mechanic
in Washington, D. C.

Thomas McClelland is next to the youngest of his
parents' children in order of birth, and was brought
up on his father's farm until he was 17 years of age,
when he entered a shop in Loudon, Franklin Co.,
Pa., to learn the business of a blacksmith, in which
vocation he was engaged 35 years, and has passed
21 years of his life at Morrison in that pursuit. He
opened his shop there in October, 1855, and oper-
ated about five years in company with Solomon
Eshleman. After that, until he abandoned the
business in 1876, he conducted his affairs alone.
In the spring of 1877 he was elected Constable, and
has been successively re-elected to the same posU
tion to the date of this writing in 1885. In 1879 he
was elected City Marshal, and, with the exception
of about one year, he has since occupied the same
position. Mr. McClelland has been active in other
official positions in the municipal affairs of Morrison,
and was a member of the second Board of Trustees.
He has also acted in the capacity of School Di-
rector.

He was married in Mercersburg, Franklin Co.,
Pa., March 5, 1845, to Jane Ottenberger. Their
seven children were named Martha J., Margaret I.,
Maria K., Thomas J., Susan C., Lydia A. and Ida
May. Two of the daughters and the only son
are deceased; Maria K. is the wife of William I.

x .

-J^VSvV^/^

sv y

IVHITESTDE COUNTY.

Lane, of Morrison; Lydia A. married Lewis M.
Brown, of the same place. Mrs. McClelland was
born Oct. 19, 1823, in Franklin Co., Pa., and is the
daughter of Jacob Ottenberger.

iiimiel Taylor, M. D., physician and sur-
geon, member of the medical firm of Tay-
lor & Seger, at Morrison, was born March
13, 1829, in Sharon Township, Richland Co.,
Ohio, and is the son of Henry and Evelina
(Ayres) Taylor. His father and mother were
born in Connecticut, and removed from that State to
Ohio, where they completed the period of their lives
in Richland County. The father died in April, 1874.
The demise of the mother occurred Sept. 4, 1866.
Three of their children are living, and the record of
) seven, of whom they became the parents, is as fol-
lows : Walter, the eldest, is deceased ; Esther mar-
ried Dr. William Bricker, of Shelby, Ohio; Burton A.
is not living; he married Catherine Sipe, of Shelby ;
Dr. Taylor is the fourth in order of birth ; Alva B.
and Mary A., who were his successors, are both
dead; the former married Margaret Anderson, and
the latter was the wife of A. D. Anderson, and died
at Kansas City, in December, 1881 ; they re-
moved to Whiteside County, where she died about
seven years later ; Angelina is the wife of David
Cummins, of Shelby, Ohio; Walter died a single man
in California, to which place he had gone during the
gold-mining enthusiasm.

Dr. Taylor was reared on his father's farm, and re-
ceived the anvantages of the common school. Later
he attended Oberlin College several years, where he
formed his purpose to devote himself to a profes-
sional career; and later he read medicine under the
direction of his brother-in-law, Dr. Bricker.

After having read under his direction at intervals
about four years, he went to Ann Arbor and attend-
ed the Medical Department of the University of
Michigan six months. The next year he went to
the Western Reserve Medical College at Cleveland,
Ohio, where he was graduated in the spring of 1854.
began his independent initiatory practice at

Salem, Ohio, where he continued nearly two years.
He came thence to Erie, Whiteside Co., 111., in the
fall of 1855, where he established and maintained

his practice seven years. In 1862 he removed to
Morrison, and has continued his business at that
place for more than 20 years. In 1879 he associ-
ated S. S. Hall, M. D., with himself in his business,
and their connection existed until May, 1882, when
Dr. Hall gave place to Dana B. Seger, M. D.

Dr. Taylor has earned a substantial repute as a
medical practitioner, and has built up a profitable
and extensive practice. He has officiated eight
years as County Coroner. He belongs by member-
ship to the American Medical Association, and is
also a member of the Order of Odd Fellows.

He was united in marriage to Stella Hannum,
Dec. 26, 1854, at Brecksville, Cuyahoga Co , Ohio.
She was born in that county Sept. 9, 1835, and is
the daughter of Julius and Martha Hannum. Her
father was born Oct. 16, 1780, in Masschusetts, and
died Dec. 9, 1853. Her mother was born in the same
place Aug. 13, 1789, and died March 28, 1864.
Five children have been born to Dr. and Mrs.
Taylor: Eva M. was born Dec. i, 1858, in Erie,
Whiteside County, and was married Oct. 30, 1879
to Frank Fitzgerald; Walter, bom Sept. it, 1861
died May 13, 1882; Burton was born July 19, 1864,
and died Dec. n, 1876; Mary A. was born Oct. 27,
1867 ; William B. was born Dec. 23, 1872.

rederick Wahl, farmer, residing on section
22, Hahnaman Township, is a son of Ma-
thias and Rosa (Schwartz) Wahl, natives
of Germany. They came to the United States
in 1854, and first settled in Ohio. In 1857 they
came to this county and located in Sterling
Township, afterward removing to Genesee Town-
ship, where, in 1862, the mother died. The father
still survives. The issue of their union was six
children, namely: Frederick, Frederika, Louisa, Wil-
liam, Caroline and Lucinda.

Frederick Wahl, subject of this biographical no-
tice, was born in Germany, Feb. 8, 1834. He lived
in his native country until 1853, attending the com-
mon schools until 14 years of age. In the spring of
1853 he came unaccompanied to this country,
and for three years "worked out" in Ohio. In the
spring of 1857 he came to this county, and "worked
out" until 1861, when he went to Iowa and pur-

'.-

WHITESIDE COUNTY.

chased a farm. He lived on the latter place four
years; then sold, and returned to this county and
rented a farm, which he cultivated for two years.

In 1868 Mr. Wahl purchased 160 acres of land,
situated on section 22, Hahnaman Township, on
which he has since resided. He has erected fine
farm buildings on his home place, and by subsequent
purchase has increased his landed possessions in
Hahnaman Township to 560 acres, 440 of which is
tillable.

Mr. Wahl was united in marriage in Sterling
Township, Feb. 22, 1858, to Miss Anna, daughter of
George and Catharine (Buhler) Kirges, natives of
Germany. They came to America in the fall of 1855,
and settled in Jordan Township, this county, where
the father was drowned, in July, 1858. The issue of
their union was five children: Mary, Barbara, Cathe-
rine, Anna, Christiana.

Mrs. Wahl was born in Germany, March 8, 1838.
She and her husband are the parents of 12 children,
namely, Catherine, Caroline, William W., Frederick,
Edward, Charles M., Frank, Nellie H., Henry,
George, Ethel A. and Glenn F.

Mr. Wahl has held the office of Road Commis-
sioner, School Trustee, School Director and School
Treasurer, and politically is an adherent to the prin-
ciples of the Republican party. He and his wife are
both members of the Lutheran Church.

|;apt. Christopher C. Carpenter, of Fulton,
S^3 Captain of the steamer "Brother Jona-
than," of the Jenks, Mathews & Jordan Line,
of Stillwater, Minn., is a native of Whiteside
Co., 111., and was born in Albany, Feb. 20,
1849. His parents, John B. and Mary(Fisk)
Carpenter, were among the pioneers of Illinois, of
1840, and of Whiteside County, of 1846, and were
originally from New York.

The subject of this sketch was brought up on a
farm, and in 1864 began work on the river, floating
rafts. In 1868 he began steam-boating, and was
made Captain of his first boat, the steamer "G. B.
Knapp," in 1870, since which time he has been
Master of the steamers " Jim Watson," " Lumber-
man," <; Dexter," " Nellie," " La Fayette," " Lamb "
and finally " Brother Jonathan." At this writing he

is about starting out on his fourth season as Captain
of the last named boat. He has had 20 years' ex-
perience on the river in the lumber and log business,
and 15 years' as steam-boat Captain. During this
time he has never lost a boat or met with any acci-
dent of consequence, but has been very successful,
and is held in high esteem as an experienced and
trustworthy officer.

He was married in Albany, 111., Nov. 24, 1870, to
Miss Mary J. LaRue, daughter of George and Ger-
trude A. LaRue. Mrs. Carpenter was born in Lee
Co., 111. They have two children, Effiie M. and
Gertrude A.

Capt. Carpenter is a member of Abou Ben Adhem
Lodge, No. 148, I. O. O. F., of Fulton, 111., and has
been through the chairs. In politics he is a Demo-
crat. He has made his home in Fulton since 1870,
except two years, from 1878 to 1880, which he spent
in Cordova, 111.

Daniel L. Burroughs, of Tampico, has been
a prominent factor in the various business
interests of Whiteside County since his re-
moval here in 1867. He is at present ex-
tensively interested in traffic in poultry, eggs
and butter. He was born Oct. 14, 1841, in
Napoli, Cattaraugus Co., N. Y., where his father,
Loren Burroughs, was a prominent farmer. Meribah
(Boardmari) Burroughs, the mother, was also a na-
tive of the State of New York. Daniel is the tenth
in order of birth of 13 children included in the
family of his parents. He spent the years of his
youth in alternate attendance at school and in farm
labor on his father's homestead, and when 20 years
old enlisted in the military service of the United
States. Aug. 9, 1862, he enrolled in Co. B, i54th
N. Y. Vol. Inf. His chiefs in company, regiment
and brigade were Capt. Allen, Col. Jones and Gens.
Hooker and Howard, and his command was assigned
to the Army of the Potomac. He was in the various
engagements in which the regiment participated,
among which was the battle of Chancellorsville,
where his brother, George W. Burroughs, was killed.
He was taken ill with pneumonia, and on recovery
was transferred to the Veteran Reserve Corps. He
was sent to Washington, D. C., where he was hon-

ifc

WHITESIDE COUNTY.

orably discharged July 19, 1865, at the termination
of the war, after a period of military service extend-
ing over nearly three years. Previous to his enlist-
ment his parents had removed to Chautauqua
County, where he returned on being once more at
liberty to resume the duties of a civilian. He was
for some time engaged in teaching in that county,
and was married Nov. 22, 1866, in Jamestown, to
Mattie, the only daughter of W. C. and Mary E.
(Abbott) Hassett. She was born in Chautauqua
County, N. Y., in 1848, and was reared to woman-
hood in her native county. Her father was a farmer,
and was largely interested in the dairy business.
Mr. and Mrs. Burroughs have one child, A. De Ette,
born May 16, 1868.

In March, 1867, they came to Whiteside County,
locating at Prophetstown, where Mr. Burroughs was
a farmer and also a teacher for some time. He
went thence to Geneseo, Henry Co., 111., and became
a dealer in butter and eggs, establishing his business
in 1872 and operating extensively until 1876, when
he sold out and came to Tampico. He has since
been more extensively engaged in trade in poultry
than any other single dealer in the State. In the
winter of 1884-5 he shipped 200 tons of poultry, and
he has also been interested in the management of two
creameries. He has six poultry buildings in dif-
ferent localities, and is the owner of considerable
village property.

Mr. Burroughs is a Republican of a decided type,
and has served on the Board of Village Trustees.

euben F. Shirley, retired farmer, and a
resident of Rock Falls, was born Aug. 21,
> " 1820, in Connersville, Fayette Co., Ind.,
and was the youngest son of eight children in
the family of John and Elizabeth (Danner)
Shirley, his father a native of Virginia and his
mother of Pennsylvania. Receiving a limited school
education, and remaining with his parents until 22
years of age, he bought a farm in Marshall Co., Ind.,
containing 170 acres, and occupied it from 1843 to
1864 ; he then sold it, and came to Lee County, this
State, buying 240 acres of land, which he cultivated
three years; selling this, he purchased an 8o-acre
farm in this county, on the Dixon road, and resided

there from 1867 to 1876. He then sold this place to
his son, Samuel, and came to Rock Falls, and pur-
chased a half block in Arey's Addition, erecting a
residence thereon, which he now occupies.

Politically, Mr. Shirley is Democratic. He is a
self-made man, ready at all times to lend a helping
hand for the good of society.

He was married June 2, r842, to Jane Thompson,
also a native of Indiana. They have had six chil-
dren, four of whom are now living and married,
namely: Samuel T., who married Alice V. Worth-
ington; Meredith A., who married Sarah L. Dens-
more; Sarah E., who married Charles E. Pay son,
and Nancy A., who married J. H. Meckling.

-J-

. Edward V. H. Alexander, dentist at
Sterling (office on Locust Street), and the
oldest operator in that line in the city, was
born in Hartford, Conn., April 29, 1830, and
was the fourth child in a family of six. His
father, William Alexander, died in 1832, and his
mother, nee Maria Wilber, survived until April 14,
1885, the very day that this sketch was written.

The subject of this biographical outline attended
the common schools until he arrived at the age of
1 6 years, and after he became of age he attended
Macedon Academy, Wayne Co., N. Y., for two years,
and then for eight years he taught school during the'
winter seasons, alternating with farm work the re-
mainder of the year.

April 10, 1856, he married Miss Mary Ada Hale,
a native of Wayne Co., N. Y. There are now two
children living: Edward H. and Jessie. After mar-
riage the Doctor moved to Beloit, Wis., where a
daughter, Mary Hellen, was born. At this place he
was engaged in farming and teaching for two years;
then he returned to Clyde, Wayne Co., N. Y., where
the daughter died, and was buried at Lyons, that
county. There he purchased a farm of 80 acres,
cultivated it one year, sold it, and moved West
again, this time locating in Sterling. Here for the
first two years he conducted a grocery and drug-
store; this he sold, and in April, 1864, he visited
the gold regions of Montana, being in the vicinity
of Virginia City, Helena, the Yellowstone and Deer
Lodge Valley, for three and a half years ; next, he

WHITESIDE COUNTY.

351

went to Portland, Oregon, for a. few weeks, and
thence to Salem, the capital of the State, where he
remained two and a half years. At the latter place
he finished his studies in medicine and surgery,
which he had pursued years before, and graduated
at the Willamette University in 1870. Having ac-
quired the art of dentistry, and previously practiced
it, upon returning home to Sterling in 1870 he en-
tered the dental profession, in which he has re-
mained to the present time, a successful operator
and a leading man in the profession.

In his political views, Dr. Alexander is a stanch
Republican. He is a member of the I. O. O. F.,
and a representative and worthy gentleman. Mrs.
A. died May 16, 1882, while on a visit at Lyons,
Wayne Co., N. Y., and was buried there beside her
daughter.

;"ohn Mason, farmer, section 27, Coloma
Township, was born Dec. 25, 1803, in
Paisley, Scotland, and was the fifth child in
his father's family of u children, eight sons
and three daughters. His parents were George
and Elizabeth (Nelson) Mason, natives also of
Scotland. His father was a manufacturer of silk and
shawls, and died March 7, 1849, and his mother
Feb. 29, 1832. When 17 years of age he emigrated
to America, landing at Quebec. Going to Caledonia
Co., Vt., he worked out by the month on a farm,
remaining there until 1830. He then traveled for
a while, in the meantime learning the mason's trade.
In September, 1836, he came to Chicago, and went
thence to Joliet, where he worked on a farm. The
next year he came to Sterling, this county, when it
was wild prairie, there being there but one house a
log structure. Here he worked at odd jobs, until he
took a claim of a quarter-section of land three miles
north of Sterling. After living there for four years
he sold the place, and then for two years drove a
team, hauling to Chicago and return, and doing other
jobs in the line of teaming. About this time he
suffered considerably from inflammation of the eyes,
trying many remedies, but without avail. Returning
to Scotland, his eyes were cured, and he came again
to Sterling, where he resumed his trade for two
years. He then came to Coloma, and purchased 80

_?*jpG)*tr'. /-^.- \.

acres of land, where he has since made his home.
He has never been married, but has always had
some of his friends living with him.

In politics Mr. Mason is a Jackson Democrat, and
votes steadfastly with his party. In religion he was
brought up a Presbyterian. He is a public-spirited
man, as is evinced by the material and moral aid he
has given public institutions of beneficence.

Robert McNeil, a nephew of Mr. Mason, who has
lived with him ever since his immigration to this
country, in 1849, superintends the work of the farm.
He was married July 4, 1856, to Miss Jean Tyle, of
Ogle Co., 111., but formerly from Scotland. They
have been the parents of eight children : Alexander
J., Agnes J., Willie E., John M., Jennie L., Geor-
giana M., Robert B. and Mary I. Mr. McNeil is a
Democrat, and a member of the County Democratic
Committee; also Chairman of the Town Central
Committee. He holds the Presbyterian faith, and
his wife and daughter belong to the Presbyterian
Church at Sterling.

Mr. McNeil was the first organizer of the White-
side County Caledonian Club, consisting of 40 mem-
bers, all of Scotch descent. They received a charter
in 1878, and are still in existence. They have a
library of 250 volumes, mostly of Scotch and Eng-
lish literature.

illiam A. Early, farmer, section ir, Mont-
morency Township, is a son of Charles H.
and Elicia (McKinney) Early, natives of
New York and Canada respectively. Tliey
were residents of York State at the date of
their death, that of the father occurring in the
spring of r863, and that of the mother in December,
1860. The issue of their union comprised seven
children : Jane, William A., Margaret,~Mary, Margie,
Elicia and Charles H.

William A. Early, subject of this biographical
notice, was born in Columbia Co., N. Y., Nov. 18,
1832. He lived on the home farm, alternating his
labors thereon by attendance at the common schools,
until he attained the age of 21 years. On reaching
that age he came to Kane County, this State, and
resided one winter in Elgin.

In the spring of 1854 Mr. Early came to this
,--, ' ^jsxgflp" ^xa

WHITES1DE COUNTY.

r.ounty, and for four years he was engaged in the
livery business and teaming at Sterling. He then
purchased 40 acres of land situated on section n,
Montmorency Township, upon which he erected
good buildings, and entered actively and vigorously
upon the cultivation of his land. He now owns 160
acres, 120 of which is tillable. He keeps about 40
head of cattle, 6 head of horses, and fattens some 50
head of hogs annually.

Mr. Early was united in marriage, in Geneva,
Kane County, this State, Jan. 10, 1861, to Miss
Susan A., daughter of Abraham and Susan (Dolph)
Dunham, natives of Connecticut and New York, re-
spectively. They settled in Kane County, this State,
where they both died, inside of one week, in March,
1861. Their family comprised nine children,
Edward, Harriet, Elizabeth, Sophia, Susan A,
Fletcher D., Edward E., Charles and Martha.

Susan A. (Mrs. Early) was born in Steuben Co.,
N. Y., Nov. 18, 1835, and has borne to Mr. Early
eight children, Albert W., Emma ]., Eva M., Hat-
tie A., George W., Frank A., Mary E. and Charles F.

Mr. Early has held many offices of trust, and in
politics is a Republican. Socially, he has been a
member of the I. O. O. F. ever since he attained
his majority.

ames K. Chester, dry-goods merchant at
Sterling, was born at Henrietta, Lorain Co.,
Ohio, March 6, 1843, the fifth in a family
of seven children. His father, Edwin Chester >
a fanner, was born in Connecticut, came West
first to Ohio, then to Michigan and Kansas,
where he lived five years with a son, and finally,
in 1880, to Sterling, where he died, March 29, 1885.
His wife, nee Mary E. Porter, was a native of Mas-
sachusetts, and died in Ohio, in 1857.

When 18 years of age, Mr. Chester, the subject of
this sketch, entered the college at Oberlin, Ohio, at
which place he afterward engaged as a clerk in a store
for six years ; then for the two succeeding years he was
a member of the firm of Reamer, Hubburd & Co , as
proprietors of the same establishment. In 1869 he
came to Sterling and, continuing in the same busi-
ness, first was a member of the firm of Mills & Ches-
ter, then Ingersoll & Chester, until 1875, tnen of tne
terling Mercantile Company for five years, when he

sold his interest in the latter and opened a dry -goods
house on Third Street, under the firm name of J. K. i
Chester & Co., where he has since been prosecuting '
his business interests, with that marked degree of
success which characterizes a solid man of business. >
He is a consistent member of the Congregational
Church, a member of society in high standing and an
influential citizen. He is a member of the A. O. U.
W., of the I. O. M. A., and of the American Legion
of Honor. He has a fine residence on Third Street.
Oct. n, 1866, is the date 'of his marriage to Miss
Cynthia L. Ingersoll, and they have one daughter,
Sophie I., born Jan. 19, 1876.

enry M. Zendt, a farmer of Jordan Town-
ship, resident on section 17, was born Feb.
21, 1825, in Baden, Germany. Jacob Zendti
his father, was born also in Baden, and was
a millwright by vocation. Elizabeth (Down)
Zendt, his mother, was born in Baden. In
1830, the family, consisting of the parents and six
children, emigrated from Germany to the United
States. After a residence of three years in the city
of Philadelphia, where one child was born, they re-
moved to Montgomery Co., Pa. In 1851 another
transfer, to Lancaster County, in the same State, was
made.

While living in Montgomery County, Mr. Zendt
served three years as an apprentice in learning the
trade of carriage-maker from a man named Abraham
Kolb. He worked at that business as a journeyman
six years in Montgomery County, where he was fore-
man four years in a carriage shop. After removing
to Lancaster County, he established a shop with
business relations under his own control, managing
his affairs at that point 12 years with success.

His marriage to Catherine Groff took place Feb.
28, 1860. Mrs. Zendt is the daughter of B. M. and
Lydia(Tombo) GrofF, and was born in East Lampster
Township, Lancaster Co., Pa., Sept. 24, 1841. When
she was ten years of age she was removed from the
care of her parents and was reared to womanhood by
strangers. Her mother died in Lancaster County, in
the summer of 1884. Her father is yet living. The
children of Mr. and Mrs. Zendt have been born as
follows: Lydia A., Oct. 18, 1863; Mary M., June 16,
A' s-\

' -

UNIVERSITY OF <LUNUK>
UKfrttlA

WHITESIDE COUNTY.

1866; John G., Oct. 23, 1871. Two children died
young: Franklin G., born Jan. 5, 1861, died June i,
1864 ; Naomi T., born April 2t, 1859, died May 17,

i873-
They came to Sterling in the spring of 1864. Mr.

Zendt followed the business of carriage-maker there
20 years with success. In 1873 he formed a part-
nership with A. B. Spies, and their business relations
continued until the senior partner became a farmer.
In May, 1867, he purchased 80 acres of land on sec-
tion 1 8, Jordan Township, which was improved. In
February, 1884, he made another purchase of 60
acres on section 17, which was also improved. He
is also the owner of five acres of timber in Gen-
esee Township. He has made considerable addi-
tional improvement on his property. He and his
wife are members of the Meaponite Church, and
Mr. Zendt is one of the Deacons of the society.

1'ames M. Winters, a retired farmer, resi-
Jl?- dent in the village of Coleta, in Genesee
Township, was bcrn March 22, 1809, in
Leicester Township, Genesee Co., N. Y. His
father, Timothy Winters, was a farmer by call-
ing and was born in Pennsylvania. He was
of Irish origin and was married in his native State,
to Margaret Lemon. He fixed his family residence
in Genesee County and lived there some years, re-
moving thence to Washington Co., Ind. He engaged
in farming there until his death in 1841, when he
was 56 years of age. The maternal grandparents of
Mr. Winters came from Germany to the United
States, and from them descended the families of
their name in this country, who are of German origin.
The mother of Mr. Winters was born in the eastern
part of Pennsylvania, near the line of the State of
Xew York, where she was brought up to womanhood
and married. She went with her husband to Indiana
in 1817, and died in Washington County, in 1822,
aged 38 years. She was the mother of six children,
three sons and three daughters.

Mr. Winter's birth was preceded by that of one
sister, and he was a little less than nine years of age
when his father removed his family .to Indiana.
Washington County was in its infancy, having been
organized only one year previous to their settlement
within its borders. He was an inmate of his father's

household until the years of his minority were
passed, which were spant in obtaining a common-
school education and in acquiring a complete un-
derstanding of agriculture. His education was lim-
ited according to the meagre advantages afforded by
the pioneer schools, but his temperament led him to
observe and reflect to an extent that sufficed as well
for mental training as instruction would have done.
He had also good judgment and discrimination in
the choice of books, of which he was fond.

He was married Aug. 17, 1831 (the year follow-
ing th it in which he became his " own man "), to
Susan, daughter of George and Tabitha (Hendricks)
Gyger. She was born in East Tennessee, and her
parents were natives of Scotland. They removed
from Tennessee to Indiana in the year in which the
State was organized. Her father died in Washing-
ton County in 1831; the mother's death occurred
about four years later.

Mrs. Winters died in Coleta. She was a woman
of decided Christian character and passed the later
years of her life in earnest, devoted labor in the
cause which was nearer her heart than any other.
She died June 10, 1882. In religious connection
she belonged to the United Brethren Church. She
is sincerely mourned by her numerous acquaintances,
and seven children are left motherless by her death.
Two children had gone before to the other world.
George Clinton Winters, one of the deceased sons,
became a soldier of the Union Army, enlisting in
Co. A, 34th Regt. 111. Vol. Inf., commanded by Col.
E. N. Kirk, of Sterling. He was seized with typhoid
fever, from which he died in the hospital at Louis-
ville, Ky., soon after his regiment was assigned
to its position. John M. died in 1856, aged three
years. Following is the record of the seven chil-
dren who survive : Catherine, who married Newlon
Dodd, a farmer of Clay Co., Kan. ; William J., who
married Elizabeth Fowler and now resides in the
vicinity of Traer, in Tama Co., Iowa; Tabitha H.,
who married Cephas Hurless, late Supervisor of
Genesee Township. He died at Coleta in the fall of
1884. James P. married Olive Baxter and lives at
Marshall, Iowa; Matilda C., who married E. M.
Olmstead and lives at Coleta ; E. C. Winters, who
married Paulina Scoville and lives at Sterling, 111.;
Melissa is the wife of Charles Wallace, a farmer of
Riley Co., Kan.

Mr. Winters was a second time married, at Coleta,

(21

r '

Dec. 9, 1884,. to Anna Skill, daughter of Timothy
and Margaret (Carr) Skill. Her parents were na-
tives of Ireland, where their entire lives were passed.
Her father died at 50 years of age, in 1883. Mrs.
Winters was born in the north of Ireland, Dec. 25,
1858, and emigrated to the United States in 1880,
and had been in America four years when mar-
ried.

Mr. Winters came from Washington Co., Ind., to
Illinois in r847, and located at first in the township
of Wysox, Carroll County, where he continued to
reside until the fall of 1876, the date of his retire-
ment from the life of a farmer, when he fixed his
residence at Coleta. He is the owner of four dwell-
ings at that place, and has 1 1 acres of land laid out
in village lots. Mr. Winters is an active member
of the United Brethren Church, in which he has
been a Class-leader and Trustee. While a resident
of Carroll County, he was active in the administra-
tion of local affairs. He was elected Assessor of the
township of Genesee in 1884, and is now the incum-
bent of that position, which he has held since the
date of his first election. He is an earnest and zeal-
ous Republican.

Mr. Winters is of that type of man and citizen as
demands, in the estimation of the community, a rep-
resentation among the portraits of this volume; and
it is accordingly given, on a page opposite the be-
ginning of the foregoing sketch.

ugust Stern, farmer, section 8, Hopkins
Township, is a son of Christian and Louisa
Stern, natives of Germany, who emigrated
to America about 1862, and settled in Ogle
Co., 111., and afterwards removed into this
county, settling in Genesee Township, where
they resided until their death. They had five chil-
dren, Fritz, Christoph, August, Fredericka and
Wilhmena.

Mr. Stern, the subject of this sketch, was born in
Germany, Aug. 24, 1835. He lived in his native
country till 1858, where he was employed in farming.
In the summer of 1858 he came to America and
lived about a year in Ogle County, and came to
Whiteside County in 1861, purchasing 80 acres of
land on section 8, Hopkins Township, where he set-

tied and has since lived. He is the owner of 203
acres, 200 of which is in good cultivation. He has
erected fine buildings u]>on his farm.

Mr. Stern was married in Sugar Grove Township,
Ogle County, Feb. 21, 1861, to Dorothea Shultz,
daughter of Frederick and Dorothea Shultz, who
were natives of Germany. They had a family of two
children who lived to years of maturity, namely :
Dorothea and Ernestina. Mrs. S. was born in Ger-
many, Sept. i, 1839. Mr. and Mrs. Stern are the
parents of 12 children, 11 of whom are living, viz.,
Henry W., Edgar F., Emma J., Isabella, John F.,
William C., Ernest T., Hannah J., GustavA., Helena
A. and Herman A Christian died when an infant.

The parents are members of the German Lutheran
Church. In politics Mr. Stern is identified with the
Democratic party. .

"oseph C. Eeeves, farmer, section 20, Hahn-
aman Township, is a son of Howell and
Phebe (Howell) Reeves, his father a na-
tive ; of New York and his mother of New Jer-
sey. They passed their entire lives in the
Empire State. They had eight children, as
follows : Stephen, Hila, David, Amos, Fanny E.,
Joseph C., Harlan P. and Charles E.

The subject of this sketch was born in Wayne Co.,
N. Y., April 26, 1840, and obtained his education at
the common school until 17 years of age and then
for two years at the Marion Collegiate Institute in
Wayne Co., N. Y. In the fall of 1860 he came to
Whiteside County; taught school in Hahnaman
Township the following winter, and the next autumn
returned to Wayne Co., N. Y., for the purpose of
enlisting in the army. He enrolled Sept. 19, 1861,
in the Eighth N. Y. Cav., and served nearly four
years, being in about 60 general engagements, be-
sides numerous skirmishes. At the battle of Five
Forks, Va., in April, 1864, he was wounded in the
neck by a minie ball, which incapacitated him for
further service, and he remained in the hospital at
Washington until the close of the war.

After receiving his discharge he came directly to
Whiteside County and, in company with his brother
Amos, purchased 200 acres of land in Hahnaman
Township, since which time he has resided there,

WHITESIDE COUNTY.

with the exception of nearly six years, when he lived
in the township of Tampico. He is now the owner
of 1 60 acres on section 20, all of which is in cultiva-
tion.

Mr. Reeves is a member of Samuel G. Steadman
Post, No. 491, G. A. R., has held the office of Town-
ship Assessor one year, is a Republican in his po-
litical views, and both himself and wife are members
of the Baptist Church.

He was married in Washington, D. C., Nov. 30,
1869, to Fanny R. Brewer, daughter of Hiram and
Clarrissa (Hollister) Brewer, natives of Massachusetts
and now residing in Washington, D. C. Their children
were six in number, and named Mason H., Auren S.,
Hiram H., Maria C., Fanny R. and Daniel E. Mrs.
Reeves was born in Berkshire Co., Mass., Nov. 26,
1843. Mr. and Mrs. Reeves are the parents of four
children, viz. : Auren C., J. Mason, H. Edson and
Walter E.

j ^ <:> _.

r. John L. Morrill, practicing physician
at Rock Falls, was born Oct. 19, 1823, at
Olean, Cattaraugus Co., N. Y., and was
reared in Napoli. He was the fourth in the
family of Mastin and Sally (Osborn) Morrill,
natives of Vermont. The senior Morrill was
the first male child born in Danville, Vt., and was a
farmer by vocation. The subject of this biograph-
ical notice remained at his parental home until of
age, obtaining a liberal education. He taught
school for a time, and then attended high school in
Springfield, Erie Co., about three years. Then he
taught eight years in graded and district schools, in
the meantime taking up the study of medicine.
Commencing to attend lectures in the fall of 1855,
he was admitted to practice the next year. He
taught school and practiced medicine until 1860,
when he made a trip to the Rocky Mountains. He
visited Boulder City, when there was but one house
m the place supplied with a floor ; and Golden City,
where men were engaged in digging for gold ; and
also Denver. He was on this tour from April to
September. He then located in Yorktown, Bureau
> Co., 111., where he followed his profession eight
years, coming then, in 1867,10 Rock Falls, since
- which date he has pursued his calling here. In the

fall of that year he erected a residence, and the next
year a store building, wherein he opened a stock of
drugs ; but this he afterward sold to O. A. Oliver &
Co., who continued business in the same building
for about eight years. Being signally successful, he
has had a large practice. He has built one of the
finest residences in the village, and three miles east
he owns a valuable farm of 2 1 2 acres.

Dr. Morrill was married Oct. 28, 1863, to Louisa
Smith, a native of Allegany Co., N. Y., and they
have two children, viz. : Ella Francina, born Aug.
13, 1866, and Arthur Burdett, May 7, 1872.

In his political views the Doctor is a Republican,
and both himself and wife are members of the Meth-
odist Episcopal Church.

'ohn R. Renner, farmer, section 18, Hahn-
aman Township, is a son of William and
Elmina (Rheinhart) Renner, natives of
Pennsylvania, who married and lived in that
State until Dec., 1842, when they emigrated
West, and, after spending the ensuing winter
at Deer Grove, Hahnaman Township,, this county,
removed to Bureau County, this State. There they
resided until 1859, when they returned to Hahnaman
Township, settling upon section 17, where they re-
sided until Mr. Renner's death, which occurred Nov.
20, 1859. They had a family of n children, whose
names were William D., Emanuel, Uriah, John R.,
Thomas, James, Margaret J., Susan E., Ruth, Frank
and Freddie. Mrs. Renner was again married, in
Tampico Township, to William K. Harvey, who
afterward died in Hahnaman Township, Feb. 28,
1862. Mrs. H. was again married in February,
1867, in Hahnaman Township, to William Beal, who
died in Iowa about 1871. Mrs. Beal is the owner
of 80 acres of land in Hahnaman Township, all of
which is in a state of cultivation.

Mr. John R. Renner, the fourth in order of birth
in his parents' family of children, was born in Greene
Co., Pa., Feb. 17, 1842, and was a young child when
his parents moved with him to this county, since
which time he has lived in this and Bureau Counties.
His education was such as was common to farmers'
sons. Aug. 15, 1862, he enlisted in the ii2th Regt.
111. Inf., and served nearly three years in the cause
of the Union, participating in numerous battles and

( (

WHITESIDE COUNTY.

skirmishes. While on picket duty at Columbia,
Term., in November, 1864, he was taken prisoner, in
company with thirty comrades of his regiment, and
was confined' in the awful prison at Andersonville
most of the time for five months, when the war
closed and he was consequently liberated, barely
escaping with his life. He received his discharge at
Springfield, III., and returned to this county, where
he has since made his residence and followed agri-
cultural pursuits. He now owns 228 acres of land,
130 of which is in a good state of cultivation.

He is a member of Samuel G. Steadman Post,
G. A. R. In his political views he is a Repub-
lican, and he has held the offices of Road Commis-
sioner, School Director and Overseer of Highways.

uman Wakeman, farmer on section 18,
Montmorency Township, is a son of David
and Helen (Waltermire) Wakeman, who
were natives respectively of Connecticut and
New York State. Mr. David Wakeman died
at his home in Dutchess Co., N. Y., April 28,
1833, and his widow afterward married Hiram
Witherwax, and they came to Whiteside County in
1866, settling in Hume Township, where she died
April 4, 1 88 1. They had five children, George,
Clarissa, David, Sarah and Luman.

Mr. Wakeman, the subject of this sketch, was born
in Red Hook, Dutchess Co., N. Y., Feb. 27, 1831,
and was about two years of age when his father died ;
consequently he was very young when he started out
in the perilous voyage of life for himself. At the age
of 14 years he was apprenticed to learn the saddlery
trade, to which he applied himself for something over
two years. Up to this time his school education was
very limited, owing mainly to feeble health. From
the same cause, and partly from choice, he abandoned
the trade that had been chosen for him, and sought
out-door employment on the farm. After being thus
engaged about 14 years, he purchased the farm which
he now occupies, and upon which he permanently
located in 1858; he had previously spent a short
time in this county, and also in Winnebago County
and Iowa. In Winnebago County he followed farm-
ing about three years and was married. From the

age of 20 to 24 he was engaged in the lumber woods
and in a saw-mill, and also for a time had charge of
the engine. In 1858 he purchased 80 acres where
he lives, erected good farm buildings and subse-
quently added other land by purchase, so that he is
now the proprietor of 225 acres, all of which is in
cultivation.

In his political action, Mr. Wakeman is indepen-
dent; in religion he is a member of the Congrega-
tional Church, and in the community he enjoys a high
social standing. Officially, he has held many posi-
tions of trust.

Mr. Wakeman was first married in Yates Co., N.
Y., March 16, 1852, to Sarah A. Bradbury, a native
of that State, and they had one child, David L.
His second marriage occurred in Guilford, Winne-
bago Co, 111., Sept. 19, 1859, to Mrs. Emily A.,
daughter of Hiram and Nancy (Boss) Cunningham,
and widow of Peter Christie, who died in Oakland,
Jefferson Co., Wis., Nov. 15, 1856. By her first mar-
riage there we. - e three children, Orson, Katie and
Henry. The first named died Jan. 8, 1885, when 32
years of age, and Katie died March 21, 1856. Mr.
and Mrs. Cunningham were natives of Oneida Co.,
N. Y., moved to Jefferson Co., Wis., thence to Win-
nebago Co., 111., and finally to Delaware Co., Iowa,
where Mr. C. died, Nov. 18, 1868. Mrs. C. survives.
They had a family of nine children, Edwin, Emily
A., Benjamin, Horace, Henry, Freeman, Marshall,
Guy and Putnam. Mrs. Wakeman was born in Os-
wego Co., N. Y., Jan. 20, 1831, and by her present
marriage there are three children, Emma A., Aetna
D. and Edwin M.

j: obert Emmet Logan, deceased, late Rep-
resentative in the Legislature, was born in
Bath.Steuben Co., N. Y., Feb. 13, 1828,
and died of heart disease in the Illinois State
Capitol, while in the performance of his du-
ties as a Legislator, on Thursday, Feb. 26,
He was educated at Bath Academy, N. Y.
He learned the trade of cabinet-making, working at
it for several years in the East, and in 1853 turned
his steps westward, coming to Davenport, Iowa,

1885.

WHITESIDE COUNTY.

where for some time he was foreman in a furniture
factory.

In December, 1854, being attracted by the influ-
ence of family relations, he took up his residence in
Portland Township, Whiteside Co, 111., where he
taught school, and afterward pursued the business
of cabinet-making. In 1860 he became Deputy
Sheriff of the County, and served in that capacity
until lie was elected Sheriff in 1862, holding the lat-
ter position for one term. General Oglesby was first
elected Governor in November, 1864, and early in
1865 he appointed Mr. Logan a Penitentiary Com-
missioner. Mr. Logan was re- appointed at the end
of two years, and in 1868 was elected to the same
position by the people, the office having become
elective. He is one of the proprietors of the present
Revere House at Morrison at its opening, Dec. 26,
1865, and maintained his connection with it for about
a year. In the meantime, he had, in 1864, entered
largely into the business of farming in Union Grove
Township, about four miles west of Morrison, and
moved upon his farm in 1867. He was President
of the Whiteside County Central Agricultural Soci-
ety from 1875 to his death, and by his energy made
it one of the most successful in the State. His ex-
excutive ability gave him great prominence among
his fellow men, and as a presiding officer he had few
equals in his party.

For the past 20 years he has been actively inter-
ested in politics. He was a Delegate to the National
Republican Convention at Chicago, in 1880, and was
Presidential Elector from the old Fifth District that
year. He was very popular at home, and .on all
occasions where the interest of the community was
to be subserved, Robert E. Logan was the modest,
liberal and efficient man, and to him the meed of
praise was cheerfully accorded. He served as Su-
pervisor of his town continuously from 1875 until
November, 1884, when he resigned upon his election
to the Legislature ; he was Chairman of the Board
for several terms. In the fall of 1884 he was the
unanimous choice of the Republican Convention of
Whiteside County for the Legislature, and was nomi-
nated shortly after by the Republican Convention
of the Nineteenth Senatorial District, comprising
Whiteside and Lee Counties. Upon the convening
of the Legislature he took a very active and influ-
ential part, and gave promise of a useful career. He
was a member of the Masonic Lodge at Morrison.

Seldom is it that a community is called to mourn
the loss of a person so generally and warmly appre-
ciated as was Mr. Logan a man who willingly
aided every good work. No one could manage any-
thing of a public nature better than he. His friends
loved him because he was true to them; his enemies
respected him because he was just to them.

Mrs. Malvina (McCoy) Logan, who survives him,
is the daughter of Hon. James McCoy, of Fulton, of
whom a sketch is given elsewhere. Their marriage
took place Feb. 23, 1864, and their children are
three sons and a daughter.

iharles H. Smith, farmer, residing on sec-
lion 21, Hahnaman Township, is a son
of Christian and Anna M. Smith, natives of
Germany. His mother died in her native
country, and in the spring of 185 i his father
emigrated to this country, and settled in Mont-
gomery Co , Pa. He resided there for six years, and
in 1857 came to this county and settled in Sterling.
The issue of their union was four children, namely:
Christian, Charles H., Emma and William.

Charles H. was born in Germany, Feb. i, 1846, and
was five years old when he came with his father to
the United States. He lived at home, in Pennsyl-
vania, assisting on the farm and attending the
common schools, until 1861, when he came to this
county, and "worked out " on a farm for three years.
He then, in partnership with his father, rented a
farm in Coloma Township, which they jointly culti-
vated for five years, after which he was variously
occupied for a while, and then rented a farm, and
cultivated it himself for several years.

In 1880 he went to Hahnaman Township, and
purchased 160 acres of land, located on section 21.
He erected a fine house and barn on the land, and
entered vigorously upon the task of its improve-
ment. In April, 1884, the destroying element, fire,
swept away his barn and outbuildings, together with
a large quantity of grain, 16 head of hogs, and all
his farming implements. Misfortune did not dis-
hearten or overcome him, and he rebuilt the same
year. About 80 acres of his land is in a good tilla-
ble condition.

Mr. Smith was united in marriage Feb. 18, 1868,

WH1TESIDE COUNTY.

at Sterling, III, to Miss Mary, daughter of Phillip
and Margaret Obendorf, natives of Germany. They
emigrated to the United States about 1850, and
settled in Philadelphia, Pa., from whence they came
to this county in the spring of 1860, settling in Jor-
dan Township, where, three years later, in 1863, the
father died. They were the parents of five chil-
dren: John, Mary, William, Charles and Sarah.

Mrs. Smith was born in Philadelphia, Pa., Aug. 29,
1850. She and her husband are the parents of four
children : Nellie M., Nettie M., Charles E. and Lilly
M.

Mr. Smith has held the office of School Director,
and politically is identified with the Republican
party. Religiously, he is a member of the German
Evangelical Church, and his wife is a member of the
English Lutheran Church, of which she has been a
member since 16 years of age.

v
&

> -

| ufus H. Sheldon, dealer in agricultural
implements, grain and live stock, at Rock
Falls, was born in Cayuga Co., N. Y., Aug.
27, 1815. His father, Ira Sheldon, a farmer,
was a native of Connecticut, of New England
ancestry and English descent. His grand-
father, Rufus Sheldon, was also a native of Con-
necticut and of similar ancestry. The family, so far
as concerns its history in America, originally sprang
from three brothers who emigrated to this country
previous to the Revolution, settling in New England.
Most of the Sheldons have been farmers by vocation.
Ira Sheldon was a soldier in the War of 1812, and
died in Cayuga Co., N. Y., June 2, 1827, at the age
of 42. His wife, Mary, was a native of Vermont, of
New England ancestry and English descent, and
died in Barry Co., Mich. The subject of this sketch
is a relative of Henry O. Sheldon, editor of Sheldons
Magazine. He is the second in a family of six chil-
dren, his brothers being Isaac N., De WittC., Harvey
N., Orson B. and Sylvester W.

Mr. S. was 12 years old when his father died, but
continued to live with his mother (who was again
married) until he was of age, receiving a high-school
education. At the age of 19 he commenced teach-
ing during the winter seasons, while he pursued farm-
ing during the intervals. He afterward purchased

the interest of the other heirs and became sole pro-
prietor of the old homestead, where he resided until
1847, when he came to Illinois, settling on an unim-
proved tract of 340 acres in Bureau County. After
improving that place a number of years, he sold and
came, in 1869, to Sterling, where, in partnership with
C. M. Jaques, of Rock Falls, he entered the trade in
agricultural implements and coal. They now have
two elevators (having built one in 1877), with a
capacity of about 60,000 bushels. They also deal
extensively in live stock, and are driving a prosperous
business. Mr. S. attends the Methodist Episcopal
Church, and in politics is a stanch Republican.

Mr. Sheldon was married in his native county,
Dec. i, 1836, to Miss Mercy E. Edmonds, who was
born in the township of Brutus, same county, in 1817,
the daughter of Joseph Edmonds, a farmer. Mr.
and Mrs. S. became the parents of eight children,
three of whom are deceased. The record now
stands : Irving W. married Eleanor Cortwright, and
now resides on a farm in Dakota; Clarence L. mar-
ried Letitia Crawford and resides in Sterling, where
he is practicing as an attorney at law; R. H.,
Jr., married Miss May Stitzel,and is interested in the
agricultural implement trade with his father; William
C. married Anna Banes, and is now a resident of
Winnipeg, Manitoba; IdaM. married Newton Petrie,
a county officer in Pittsburg, Pa.; and the deceased
are Mary, Edward S. and Joseph C.

evi Courtright, farmer, section 28, Genesee
Township, was born Jan. 27, 1840, in Sus-
sex Co., N. J., and is a son of Reuben and
Elizabeth (Vernanten) Courtright. (See sketch
of John Courtright). His parents came to Illi-
nois when he was 15 years of age. His father
was the parent of 2 r children, born of two marriages.
Mr. Courtright is the sixth in order of birth of ten
children born of the second marriage. He was
brought up on his father's farm and lived at home
until he was 22 years old.

He was married Dec. 24, 1861, in Genesee Town-
ship, to Sarah Franklin. She was born Feb. 12, 1841,
in Muskingum Co., Ohio. Her parents, Simeon and
Catherine (Funk) Franklin, went when she was ten
years old to Fulton County, in the same State. Six

>f^^_____ _e^LiSv^SA

l ^7*^L**o '\

WHITESIDE COUNTY.

years later they made another removal to Genesee
Township, in Whiteside County. Her father died in
May, 1871, aged 70 years. Her mother lives in
Jones Co., Iowa, with her eldest daughter, and is
aged 78 years (1885).

Mrs. Courtright is one of a family of eight children,
and is herself the mother of five sons and daughters.
Emma V. is the wife of Henry Finzel, a farmer and
teacher in Genesee Township. Martha C., Charles,
Frank and Fred (twins) are the names of those who
are yet unmarried.

Mr. Courtright passed some years in the business
of farming "on shares," and in February, 1873,
bought 103 acres on sections 28 and 19, which has
since been his field of operation. The family belong
to the Methodist Episcopal Church. Mr. Courtright
is a Republican in political affiliation.

dward Horner, senior member of the firm
of E. Horner & Son, dealers in pianos,
organs and musical merchandise, was born
April 2, 1823, in Wakefield, Yorkshire, Eng-
land. His father, Frank Horner, was a native
of Yorkshire and was a professional musician,
playing the "cello and singing in concert. He died
in August, 1853, in Thornhill, Yorkshire, and was 68
years old. The mother, Ellen (Rowley) Horner, was
about 63 years old when she died (in 1854), in her
native county of Yorkshire. Five of their eight chil-
dren are living. George is a farmer in Greene Co.,
Iowa, and has acquired some reputation as a violin-
ist. Jesse enlisted in the War for the Union, in the
38th 111. Vol. Inf. He was taken prisoner at the
battle of Murfreesboro, and died of the concentrated
miseries and sufferings at Andersonville! John is a
dry-goods merchant at Queensbury, Yorkshire, and
he is also a musician. Bessie is the wife of Charles
Baxendale, a game-keeper on Breton Hall's estate in
Yorkshire, England.

When he was 15 years of age, Mr. Horner engaged
in the business of a wool-sorter, in which he was oc-
cupied until he was 24 years old. At that date he
obtained an appointment as receiving clerk in the
Wakefield prison and officiated in that capacity four
years. After the expiration of his engagement he re-
sumed his former employment,

In July, 1854, he came to the United States. He
at first located at Lincoln, 111., where he spent a few
months. He went thence to the lead mines of Jo
Daviess County, where he spent seven years in pros-
pecting. He went next to Mt. Carroll, and he em-
barked in the sale of Mason & Hamlin organs and
the Vose & Co. pianos. After operating there seven
years, he went to Depere, Wis., where he conducted
a music store between two and three years.

In 1870 he came to Morrison and opened his
present business, which he has since continued to
pursue. He is a musician of more than ordinary
ability, and has engaged in teaching to a consider-
able extent, as have his sons. His whole family are
educated in music.

Mr. Horner was married Sept. i, 1847, in the
Halifax Cathedral, Yorkshire, England, to Anna
Ellis, and they have had seven children, of whom
but two are living. Sarah A. was born June 4, 1848,
and died Nov. 4, 1864; Matilda was born Aug. 19,
1849, an d died Oct. 9, 1852 ; Frank was born April
27, 1851, and died April 2, 1852 ; Henry is a dealer
in music and sewing-machines at Marengo, 111. He
was born Oct. 26, 1852. Alice was born April 3,
1854, and died Oct. 31, 1864; Mary, born Oct. 16,
1860, died July 10, 1863; Samuel, born Oct. 19,
1857 is in business with his father. He is the
leader of the Morrison Band and is a fine pianist.

The members of the firm of E. Horner & Co. deal
in American, English and German musical publica-
tions, and make a specialty of Peek & Sons (N. Y.)
pianos. They handle the organs of George Wood- &
Co. and those of Hillstrom & Co., which are man-
ufactured at Chesterton, Ind.

.nines P. Hopkins, farmer, section 36, Hop-
jfp kins Township, is the youngest son of
Jason Hopkins, whose memory is per-
petuated by the name of that division of the
county in which he resides. His father was
born Jan. 27, 1789, and he married Eleanor
Johnson, who was born in Kentucky. They lived in
Tennessee until their removal, in 1835, to Hopkins
Township, where they were the first white settlers.
The senior Hopkins built the first log house on Rock
River, in Whiteside County, of which he took posses-

"> v7

WHITESIDE COUNTY.

sion and which he occupied some years. He re-
moved thence to another part of the same section,
known as the " Como Purchase." He died there
Aug. 19, 1853. The date of the death of the mother
is May, 13, 1858. Their children were four in number,
and were named William T., Helen, Frances and
James P. The oldest child was born Feb. 22, 1837,
and was the first white male child born in Whiteside
County. He died about 1862.

Mr. Hopkins of this sketch was born Oct. 4, 1843,
in Hopkins Township. He was but 10 years of age
when his father died, and he has lived all his life at
Como, with the exception of the time which he spent
in the military service of the United States. He en-
listed Sept. 2, 1862, in the 75th Regt. 111. Vol. Inf.,
and was in active service until the close of the war,
receiving his honorable discharge in July, 1865. He
was under rebel fire at Atlanta, Murfreesboro, Chick-
amauga and Lookout Mountain, besides seeing other
service of a miscellaneous character. He passed
through the varied experiences of war entirely with-
out injury. On. his return to his home he resumed
his former occupation of farming. He is an adherent
of the Republican party in his political principles.
He has been active in school and other local interests.

Mr. Hopkins was married Nov. 30, 1869, at Atkin-
son, Henry Co., 111., to Asenath H., daughter of
Donald and Mary (Lloyd) Lamont. Her father was
born in Scotland and her mother was a native of
Canada. 1 hey were married in the Dominion, where
they resided some years, and afterward came to Illi-
nois, settling in Hopkins Township, this county, in
1865: they are still living. Mrs. Hopkins is their
oldest child, and her brothers and sisters are named
Flora A., John, Jesse L., Susanna, Elizabeth J,
Charity, Washington M., Emily I. and Mary I. Mrs.
Hopkins was bora Nov. 2, 1842, in Canada. She
has become the mother of five children, Eleanor
M., Jessie L., Anna F., Eunice B. and James P., Jr.

harles L. Hubbard, farmer, residing on
_^ section 5, Montmorency Township, is a
* son of Chas. C. and Lucia A. (Reed) Hubbard,
natives of New England. Soon after their
marriage they came to Illinois and settled in
Bureau County, where they resided most of
time until the spring of 1880, when they came to

this county. On arrival here they located in Ster-
ling and continued to reside there until the father's
death, which occurred April 6, 1883. The mother
still survives. Their family consisted of two chil-
dren, May C. and Charles L.

Charles L. was born in Maiden, Bureau County,
this State, Oct. n, 1860. He attended the com-
mon schools of his native county until he was 16
years of age, and then for three years attended the
Dover Academy in Bureau County. He lived at
home until 1880, when he came to this county and
settled on a farm of 240 acres his father purchased
in Montmorency Township, this county, of which he
has had the entire management, giving his attention
largely to the breeding of thcroughbred cattle and
horses, and taking a prominent position among the
advanced farmers of the county.

Politically Mr. Hubbard is identified with the Re-
publicans. Religiously he is a member of the Con-
gregational Church of Sterling.

iharles F. GifFord, editor and proprietor of
the Tampico Tornado, was born in Elgin,
111., June 25, 1847. His father, Edmond F.
Gifford, died of apoplexy at the residence of
his daughter, Mrs. L. S. Norris, of Grinnell,
Iowa, Thursday, July 19, 1883, aged 72 years,
10 months and 15 days. He was born in Duxbury,
Mass., Sept. 4, 1810, was early in life thrown upon
his own resources, and he worked for others at farm
labor during the summer, and attended school during
the winters. He learned the cabinet trade, at which
he worked and also taught school, and thereby earned
money sufficient to enable him to complete a classical
course, graduating at Harvard University, Cam-
bridge, Mass. For a year or two following he prac-
ticed law in Boston, Mass. May 25, 1840, he married
Miss Lucy W. Sampson, of Duxbury, Mass., and
shortly afterward emigrated West, locating in Elgin,
111., where he practiced law and for a number of
years held the office of County Superintendent of
Schools.

At the breaking out of the War of the Rebellion he
enlisted, and served as Adjutant of the Second Bat-

-ftem

LIBRARY

of ILLINOIi

LWfMtfV
V 'it ii

talion of the Eighth 111. Vol. Cav. After the seven
days' battle before Richmond, Va., he was appointed
Paymaster and stationed at New Orleans, which
position lie held to the close of the war. During the
Red River Expedition he was wounded in the right
arm, the scar resulting from which he carried ever
afterward.

After the close of the war he returned to Elgin, but
soon moved to Louisiana, where, under the Kellogg
government, he was appointed a District Judge. In
February, 1882, he returned North, and after making
his home several months with his son, Charles F., at
Tampico, he went to Grinnell, where he died, as
stated. Charles' mother is now residing in Boston,
Mass., with her daughter, Mrs. Ada Sampson, and is
aged 64 years. She was the only daughter of a New
England ship-builder, and came of a family of con-
siderable prominence.

Mr. Gifford, the subject of this biographical out-
line, is the third in order of birth of a family of nine
children, five of whom are now deceased. At the
age of 13 years he went with his father into the army
as clerk for him. In 1862 he quit the field of war
and entered the military school at Fulton, this
county, and after a year's drill there he enlisted as
Corporal in the 1415! Regt. 111. Vol. Inf., which was
attached to the Army of the Cumberland. At the
expiration of the roo days, for which he had enlisted,
he was honorably discharged. He then went to
Louisiana and served as Clerk in the Paymaster's
Department of the Division of the Gulf, remaining
there with his father until the close of the war.

In April, 1866, he became an employee of the
Elgin Gazette, under the management of Kincaid &
Post, where he remained for two years, when he ac-
cepted a position as foreman of the Elgin Watchman,
E. C. Kincaid then being the proprietor. One year
later, the Gazette and Watchman consolidated, and
he was elected, by the hands of both offices, as fore-
man of the new office. He held that position until
the fall of 1870, when sickness compelled him to re-
sign. In the spring of 1870 he went to Missouri
and acted in the capacity of clerk, for his father-in-
law, John Murdock, who was a contractor in grad-
ing a railroad running from Hannibal to Edina. In
October he returned home, and in November, 1871,
he, in company with Mr. C. F. Larkins, established
the Dundee (111.) Weekly. They soon after sus-

)5(2^^ >*JB^*' ^ f^^

_r-

pended for an indefinite time, and shortly afterward
Mr. Gifford went to Chicago and for a time served
on the Post and then the Inter Ocean, during the
Greeley campaign. Next he was engaged with Mr.
Bent on the Sentinel at Morrison, this county, and
then was employed at Fulton. In 1876 he went to
Tampico and established the Tornado, an historical
sketch of which paper will be given in the last
division of this work.

In politics, Mr. Gifford is a Republican.

May 4, 1868, is the date of Mr. Gifford's marriage,
at Elgin, 111., to Miss Mary J., daughter of John and
Jane Murdock, who was born in Ulster Co., N. Y.,
Sept. 25 1848, and came West with her parents when
a child. Her father was born in Delaware Co., N.
Y., in 1826, a mason by occupation, is now a farmer,
residing at Tolona, Mo.; her mother died when she
(the daughter) was very young. Mr. and Mrs. Gifford
are the parents of six children, namely : Harry L.,
Agnes L.,Ella L., Mabel L., Arthur L. and Julius L.

aron Fluck, a farmer on section 14, Hume
Township, is one of the enterprising agri-
culturists of Whiteside County of which he
has been a resident principally since 1857.
He first located at Sterling, where he passed
several years working at his trade of carpenter
and also as a general laborer. He went to Arkansas
just previous to the outbreak of the Southern Rebel-
lion, where he found himself pressed into drill pre-
paratory to the organization of the rebel army. He
spent a month in the distasteful occupation, and es-
caped on the last steamer that passed up the Miss-
issippi River before it was closed by the rebel
authorities, thereby forfeiting his wages. He re-
turned to Sterling, where he resumed his occupation
as a mechanic. He was a resident of Sterling until
1866, working at his trade and engaging also, as
opportunity offered, in the improvement of his farm,
which he had purchased in 1864. It comprised 160
acres, and at the time of his purchase it was un-
broken prairie. He took possession o( the place in
1866, and was its occupant until 1872, when he went
to a small tract of land containing T4 acres situated
near the city of Sterling, and which was the location
of a valuable stone quarry. He operated there

A ^ -^J&SLir ^IfrgsVj^g)

SIX

WHITESIDE COUNTY.

years, and in 1878 again removed to his farm, where
he is engaged in the management of his agricultural
interests. He also owns 40 acres on section 15 and
80 acres adjoining the land of his first purchase.
The dwelling Mr. Fluck has erected on his place is
the largest and most valuable in the township, and
his barns are of the same comparative size and merit.
He deals in high grades of stock. In political faith
and connections he is a Democrat, and has held
several local offices.

He was born Sept. 22, 1833, in Bucks Co., Pa.
His family descent is from a German ancestor who
settled many years ago in Bucks County, where the
descending generations maintained a residence
through the succeeding years until 1857, when Mr.
Fluck of this sketch broadened the field of occupa-
tion by removal to Illinois. John Fluck, his father,
was born in Bucks County in 1797, and married
Elizabeth Leight. She was born in Northampton
Co., Pa., and was of mixed Scotch and German an-
cestry. Her birth took place in 1807, and she died
in 1844. Her husband was a carpenter and was a
prominent official in the German Reformed Church,
to which she also belonged. He died in Lehigh Co.,
Pa., in i88r. Their family included seven children.
The grandfather of Mr. Fluck was named John, and
he was a stone mason.

Aaron Fluck is the third child of his parents, and
he was n years of age when he lost his mother by
death. He continued under the care of his father
until he came to his majority; but at the age of 17
he began to work at his trade of carpenter with
Daniel Shafer, his cousin by marriage, who lived in
Lehigh County. On reaching the age of 2 i years he
entered the employment of his master as a journey-
man, with whom he served one year, and with the
exception of $5 gave his earnings to his father. He
passed the three years subsequent in his native
county, working at his trade.

Mr. Fluck was married Nov. 15, 1864, in Sterling >
to Lydia A. Tombow, and they have had eight chil-
dren. Six of them are still living, and following are
their names: McClelland, John, Ida M., Aaron,
Katie and Matilda. Benjamin and William are de-
ceased. Mrs. Fluck was born Aug. 26, 1846, in
Lampeter Township in Lancaster Co., Pa., and is
the daughter of William and Elizabeth (Borer) Tom-
bow. Her parents were of Dutch descent, and her
j>r^-ft

father was a stone mason by trade. Her mother died
when she was seven years old, and she was placed
in the charge of Mr. Landis, now of Sterling Town-
ship, by whom she was brought up and with whose
family she came to Whiteside County. Her father'
meanwhile had married again and had removed to
Sterling a year previous to her coming to this county.
She continued a member of Mr. Landis' family until
her marriage.

The portraits of Mr. Fluck and his wife are given
on previous pages, and represent the typical class
whose thrift and energy have so rapidly developed
Whiteside County. They are copies of likenesses
recently taken.

lames N. Ward, druggist, at Fulton, was
born in Essex Co., N. J., June 19, 1822,
and is the son of Reuben and Electa
(Condit) Ward. He spent his early life in his
native county, and in 1836 removed with his
parents to Delaware Co., Ohio. He learned
the trade of carpenter and joiner, at which he worked
in Ohio till April, 1856; in August of that year he
came to Fulton and engaged in business as con-
tractor and builder, which he continued till Decem-
ber, 1870. He then went to Maquoketa, Iowa, and
engaged in the lumber trade. He carried on the
lumber business in Iowa about three and a half
years, still maintaining his residence at Fulton. In
October, r875, he purchased the stock of Mr. John
Hudson, druggist at Fulton, and succeeded to the
business. Mr. Ward has had ten years' experience
as a druggist, and has a tasteful, well stocked store
in his line, that of drugs, medicines, paints, oils,
toilet articles, wall paper, etc. The average value
of his stock is $3,000. His course as a business
man has won him a reputation for fair dealing and
conscientious and careful attention in serving his
customers.

He was married in Delaware Co., Ohio, April 3,
1849, to Miss Sarah J. Thatcher, daughter of Elisha
and Sarah J. (Dana) Thatcher. Mrs. Ward was
born in Delaware Co., Ohio. They have three chil-
dren, all sons. The eldest, George A., was born at
Columbus, Ohio, Oct. 17, 1851, and is a resident of
Fulton ; James F. was born in Columbus, Ohio, Jan.

WHITES1DE COUNTY.

4, 1853, married Miss Sedate Houghton, and is also
a resident of Fulton; the youngest, William W., was
born in Fulton, Sept. 23, 1856, and is living in Chi-
cago.

In politics, Mr. Ward is a Democrat, " tried and

true."

aeob Hein, farmer, section 19, Hahnaman
- Township, came to this county in 1858,
sf *^" purchasing 200 acres of good land, which
he still occupies as a home, and where he has
erected fine farm buildings. He now owns 360
acres of land, 200 of which is in cultivation.
He was first married in Kendall Co., 111., in 1851,
to Christiana Krum, and they have five children,
Matilda, Gustavus A., William A., Jacob H. and
Christian. Mrs. H. died May r, 1860, and Mr.
Hein was again married, Dec. 24, 1860, in Hahnaman
Township, to Mary A. Hamblock, and by this mar-
riage there have been two children, namely, Mary K.
and Matilda Elizabeth. Mr. Hein's parents were
natives of Germany.

j illiam Butman, farmer, residing on sec-
tion 26, Fulton Township, is a son of
James and Esther (Moulthrop) Butman,
natives of Massachusetts and Vermont,
whose family consisted of five children,
namely: Betsey, Melissa, Laura, James and
William. William Butman was born in Rutland,
Rutland Co., Vt., Feb. 10, 182 r. He received a
good common-school and academical education, and
remained in his native State alternating his attend-
ance at school by working on the farm until 19 years
of age. On reaching this age he -went to Elmira,
N. Y., where he was engaged in the occupation of a
carpenter and builder for a year. He was next em-
ployed as a passenger conductor on the New York
Central R. R., and followed that position for about 17
years. In 1865 he went to New York City, and was
there employed in the Custom House as Examiner
and Verifier for upward of three years. He then
went to Michigan, and entered the employ of the
Detroit, Lansing & Northern Railroad, as conduc-

tor. He was the first conductor of a passenger train
on that road, and remained with the company for 14
years.

His health failing, he came to this county, and
settled in Fulton Township.

Mr. Butman was married in Dundee, Yates Co.,
N. Y., in 1843, to Miss Clarissa Booth, a native of
York State. She bore him five children : Theo. F.,
William E. and Emily E. Emily E. is the wife of
John W. Boyer, and resides in Detroit. Sarah and
Henry died in infancy. William is employed as
postal clerk on the D., L. & N. R. R., and resides
at Detroit. Theo. died in 1878, aged 36 years.

The wife and mother died in 1871, and Mr. But-
man was again married Sept. 17, 1873, to Miss Abbie
A. Goodrich, at Ionia, Mich. She was a daughter of
Leonard and Juliet Goodrich, and was a descendant
from Miles Standish. Her parents were natives of
Vermont, and emigrated to Michigan in 1850, and
settled in Pontiac, Oakland County. Her mother
died there, and her father moved to Ionia, Mich.,
where he still resides, living a retired life. Mrs.
Butman's parents had five children : Melancton S.,
Norman S., Ellen J., Louisa A. and Abbie A.

Mrs. Butman was born in Trumbull Co., Ohio,
Dec. 13, 1848, and has borne to her husband five
children, of whom two are living, Frank S. and an
unnamed infant. Three died in childhood, Harry,
James L. and Etta M.

Mr. Butman has held the office of School Director,
and politically endorses the principles of the Repub-
lican party. Mrs. B., religiously, is a member of the
Baptist Church.

v ;*

ason Hopkins, for whom Hopkins Town-
ship was named, was a native of Nashville,
Tenn., and was born Jan. 27, 1789. He
remained at Nashville till about the middle
age of life, when he came to Illinois on account
of his anti-slavery principles, and settled at
Belleville. From there he went to Peoria. When
the Black Hawk War broke out, he volunteered in a
cavalry regiment, was appointed Quartermaster, and
served in that capacity during the war. In the
autumn of 1832, as the troops were returning to their
homes, Mr. Hopkins, with a party, came to Rock

WHITESIDE COUNTY.

River, and in coasting along its banks came to
the site of the present village of Como. Being im-
pressed with the beauty of the place, he made a
claim covering the whole tract known in pioneer
parlance as a "jack-knife claim," by cutting his
name in the bark of trees. Mr. Hopkins often spoke
of this location as being as beautiful as the Garden
of Eden.

He was married at Peoria, 111., to Eleanor John-
son, who was born Dec. 29, 1801, near Bowling
Green, Ky., and with her Mr. H. returned in 1835
and surveyed the claim, establishing the boundaries
by marking trees in the timber and running furrows
through the prairie with an ox team and a prairie
plow. He afterwards purchased the claim, com-
prising sections 25, 26, 35 and 36, and as much ad-
joining as made 3,200 acres. He built the first log
cabin in the township that bears his name.

He died Aug. 19, 1853. He possessed many
traits of character peculiar to the citizens of ancient
Rome in its republican days, firmness, unswerv-
ing integrity and patriotism. He was in intimate
acquaintance with, and a great admirer of, General
Jackson. He was altogether a remarkable man and
admirably fitted for a pioneer. Mrs. H., his wife,
died May 13, 1858.

Their children were four in number and were
named William T., Helen, Frances and James P.
(A sketch of the latter is given in this work.) The
first mentioned, William T. Hopkins, was the first
white male child born in Whiteside County. He
died about 1862.

(jenry Diehl, formerly a farmer on section
13, Hopkins Township, now residing in re-
tirement at Empire in the same township,
was born Oct. 12, 1805, in Lancaster Co., Pa.
His parents, Samuel and Barbara (Bitner) Diehl,
were also natives of the same State and had
12 children.

Mr. Diehl of this sketch remained in his native
State, pursuing the vocation of a farmer, until 1865,
when he came to Illinois. He first made a location
in Carroll County, spending but one year there. In
1866 he came to Whiteside County and bought a
farm on sections 19 and 30 in Hopkins Township.

He fixed his residence on the section last named,
where he continued to live until 187 i. In that year
he purchased a house at Empire and has since been
retired from active business life. His property in
Hopkins Township includes 137 acres of land.

Mr. Diehl was married in Franklin Co., Pa.,
Jan. 13, 1829, to Margaret, daughter of John and
Barbara (Leep) Myers, and she is the oldest of a
family of three children. She was born Aug. 27,
1808. To her and her husband ten children have
been born, in the following order ; Catherine, Eliza-
beth, Daniel, Lewis, Malachi, Adam, Mary, Jacob,
Peter S. and Margaret C.

The parents are members of the English Lutheran
Church.

jharles G. Seidel is a farmer of Hopkins
Township, being located in the northeast
quarter of section 10. He is the owner
of 100 acres of land, which is his original
purchase in the township and county, and
which came into his possession in 1867. He
has since added to his real estate, increasing the ag-
gregate to 160. It is all under good cultivation, and
the proprietor has erected fine farm buildings. In
political sentiment and connections Mr. Seidel is a
Republican.

He was born in Germany, Oct. 4, 1839. Gotleib
and Barbara (Zaiser) Seidel, his parents, were inhab-
itants of their native land until 1853, when they
emigrated to the United States. They made their
first location at Columbus, Ohio, whence they came
to Whiteside Co., 111., and fixed their residence at
Sterling. The mother died there May 3, 1883.
Their children were born in the following order:
Caroline, Louis, Fred, Charles G., Wilhelmine, Wil- (
liam, Joshua, Dorothea, Caleb, Sophia, Mary, George
Emma. One child died in infancy.

Mr. Seidel came to this country with his parents
in 1853. He came with them to Sterling in 1857,
where he engaged in farm labor and worked by the
month for six years, after which he rented a farm for
four years. At the expiration of that time he be-
came a land-holder in Hopkins Township.

Mr. Seidel was married April 9, 1863, to Anna,
daughter of Solomon and Margaret A. (Wagner)

- -

WHITESIDE COUNTY.

Freighner. She was born Sept. 30, 1845, ln Penn-
sylvania, where her mother died when she was 10
years of age. The father lives with his daughter,
who is one of six children. Anna M., Samuel, Mar-
garet, John and David lived to reach maturity. One
child died in infancy. To Mr. and Mrs. Seidel 12
children have been born, six of whom are still living :
Charles F., Margaret E., Georgietta, Charles W.,
Chester L. and Mary C. Those who are deceased were
named Clara A., George W., Ida M., Aaron H. and
Edward L. One child died unnamed. The parents
are members of the English Lutheran Church.

84 illiam H. Cadwell, Justice of the Peace,
(kifli? Notary Public and Clerk of the Village of
Rock Falls, was born Dec. 28, 1826, at
^ Hartford, Conn., of which place his parents
Charles and Annie T. (Benton) CadweU
were also natives. Mr. Cadwell received a
very limited common-school education. Being at
the age of 12 years thrown upon his own resources,
having to look out for himself, he entered a printing-
office, where he remained nearly three years, at the
expiration of which time he found employment-in a
map-publishing house for another year. At the age
of 1 6 years he apprenticed himself to his uncle,
Daniel Fish, and completed his trade as a pastry-
baker and confectioner.

In 1848 Mr. Cadwell married Miss Catharine
Fish, of Boston, Mass., by whom he has one daugh-
ter, Nellie Frances; she married Mr. W. H. Tuttle in
1871, with whom Mr. Cadwell is now residing, hav-
lost his wife by death on the 5th of March, 1884.
Soon afterward he assumed control of the manufac-
turing department of his uncle's business. Having
a desire to better his condition in life, he took Hor-
ace Greeley's advice, packed up, and, with his wife
and child, his sister and her family, started West,
arriving in Belvidere, Boone County, this State, in
the spring of 1856, where he again conducted his
business, in connection with ice-cream parlors and a
news room.

Soon after the breaking out of the war he was ap-
pointed agent of the American Express Company,
at about which time the printing establishment then
known as the Belvidere Union came into his posses-
sion, and the name changed to the Boone County

Advertiser, In 1868 he disposed of the office to a
syndicate of Democrats, to boom the nomination of
Horatio Seymour for President. After the election
of Grant the establishment again came into the
hands of Mr. Cadwell, who discontinued the paper.
In 1870 he formed a partnership with Mr. W. H.
Tuttle, and moved the establishment with his family
to Rock Falls, and started the first newspaper pub-
lished on the south side of Rock River, naming it
the Rock Falls Progress. After conducting the
paper for six years and six months, it was discon-
tinued and the partnership dissolved, Mr. Cadwell
continuing in the job-printing business.

In 1882 Mr. Cadwell was elected Justice of the
Peace to fill a vacancy. At the spring election of
the present year (1885), Mr. Cadwell was elected
his own successor. He also is appointed by Gov-
ernor Oglesby a Notary Public, also for four years,
and again re-elected Village Clerk.

Politically, he is a Republican and takes an active
interest in matters pertaining to the growth and
prosperity of the Republican party, and the village
and town in which he resides. Socially, he is a
member of the Order of Odd Fellows : was an active
worker for the organization of Advance Lodge, No.
590, of which he was the first presiding officer; is
also a member of the Grand Lodge of Illinois. He
is also the first Master Workman of Union Lodge,
No. 3, A. O. U. W., of Sterling, the organization of
which is due to his labor. He was sent from No. 3
as a delegate for the organization of the Grand
Lodge of Illinois, of which organization he was made
the first Past Grand Master of the State; also the
first Representative from the Grand Lodge to the
Supreme Lodge of the United States, meeting at
Cincinnati in 1875, which position he filled for three
successive terms.

Jenry S. Powell is a farmer on section 12,
in Sterling Township. His parents, Joseph
and Hannah (Benerman) Powell, lived after
their marriage in Saratoga Co., N. Y., and
afterwards in Monroe Co., N. Y., where they
died. They had nine children, all of whom
lived to maturity with one exception.

Mr. Powell was born Dec. 7, 1823, in Saratoga

& ^PZ fJ@JX@

-: .. -

WHITESIDE COUNTY.

Co., N. Y., and he was nine years of age when his
parents removed thence to Monroe County. He is
the fifth child, and he remained in Monroe County
throughout the remaining years of his minority, com-
ing, in 1844, to Whiteside -Co., 111. About three
years subsequent to his removal hither, he bought
150 acres of land in Sterling Township, and he has
since purchased 75 acres additional. The place is
in valuable agricultural condition, with an orchard
containing 400 trees and excellent buildings. In
political affinity Mr. Powell is identified with the
Republican party.

He was married in Genesee Township, Feb. 16,
1853, to Elizabeth Batchelder, a native of Vermont.
She died May 10, 1883, having been the mother of
nine children, four of whom lived to grow up, John,
George, Lucia M. and Jessie B. The oldest son was
drowned when he was 16 years of age.

avid G. Ely is a general farmer and stock-
grower on section i, Hume Township. He
was born Sept. 20, 1811, in Oneida Co.,
N. Y. John Ely, his father, was a native
of New Jersey, and became a prominent farmer
of Oneida County. He owned about 700 acres of
land in the valley of the Mohawk. He built two
large jails in Oneida Co., N. Y., in an early day, one,
in the town of Whitestown, four miles west of Utica,
which is still standing, the other, in Rome, N. Y.
which was burned probably about 30 years ago. His
death occurred April 14, 1842. Beulah A. (Gould)
Ely, the mother, was born in Williamstown, Mass.,
and descended from the earliest settlers of New
England. She died in February, 1845.

Mr. Ely is the fifth of his parents' ten children.
When he was 15 years of age he learned the shoe-
maker's trade, and made for himself the first pair of
boots he ever wore. Later, he learned the trade of
carpenter and joiner, and worked with his father at
that business and as a farmer until he was 26 years
of age. Feb. 17, 1836, he was married, in Floyd
Township, Oneida County, to-Alvira Wallace, who
was born in that township May n, 1817, and died
Nov. 26, 1873, in Hume Township. She was the
mother of six children, three of whom are deceased.
Beulah, George and Nancy, who are the survivors,

*&* ^

are married. Lydia M., Eliza and Lovisa are dead.

Mr. Ely was a resident of his native State until
1855, when he went to Oshkosh, Wis., and worked
there three years as a jnechanic. In 1858 he lo-
cated in Hume Township, purchasing 184 acres on
section 10. He occupied this property five years,
when, in 1863, he went to the township of Coloma,
where he resided three years on 80 acres of land.
He went back in 1866 to Hume Township, and, af-
ter operating three years a little east of the central
portion of the township, he came to section i, where
he had become the owner of 92 acres of land by ex-
change. His estate is under good improvements,
and he is engaged in successful farming.

Mr. Ely was a second time married, Nov. 17,
1876, in Adair Co., Mo., to Mrs. Mary (Paddock)
Miner. She was born July 18, 1826, in Oneida Co.,
N. Y., where she was brought up and educated.
John Paddock, her father, was an enterprising agri-
culturist of her native county. She was first mar-
ried to Michael Gushing, who was born in Vermont
and died in Pennsylvania. Two children were
of that earlier marriage, Jane, now Mrs. Buck, and
Michael, both of whom are living in Shelby Co.,
Iowa. She married Curtis Miner in Prophetstown,
Whiteside County. He was a native of Vermont,
and died in the military service of the United States,
from a gunshot wound. Frank, Curtis and Ella are
the names of the children born of the second mar-
riage. The oldest and youngest are married.

Mr. Ely is a Republican in his political opinions.

||.enry S. Landis, farmer, section 23, Sterling
Township, was born March 27, 1820, in
Lancaster Co., Pa. David and Margaret
(Shaffer) Landis, his parents, were born in
Pennsylvania, where they also died. They had
five children, named Eliza, Emanuel, Maria,
Henry S. and Anna.

Mr. Landis has been a resident of Whiteside
County since 185 r, when he removed hither from
his native State. He still lives on the property he
first bought, which comprised 144 acres of land.
The 'estate is all under improved cultivation. Mr.
Landis is a Republican, and is interested in school
matters.

He was married Nov. 18, 1841, in Lancaster Co.,

VN '

WHITESIDE COUNTY.

Pa., to Fanny Stauffer, and they have 13 children, as
follows : Anna, Barbara, Margaret, Susanna, Amos,
Maria, John, Henry F. and Emma F. (twins),
Emanuel, Benjamin F., Jonas R. and Daniel. Mrs.
Landis is the daughter of John and Barbara (Eby)
Stauffer, and is one of nine children born to her par-
ents : Benjamin, Fanny, Peter, Christian, John,
Margaret, Anna, Bertram and Henry. Mrs. Landis
belongs to the Mennonite Church.

,oses Dillon, lumber, grain and coal mer-
chant, at Sterling, was born in Ohio, Sept.
19, 1845. His father, Lloyd Dillon a
native of Maryland was employed in the
furnace business at Zanesville, Ohio, where he
died, in 1845. His mother, nee MargarefA.
Culbertson, was a native of Pennsylvania. Mr.
Dillon was an inmate of his parental home until he
was of age, receiving a common-school education.
From 1857 to 1860 he was a resident of Dixon, 111.
In 1859-60 he herded cattle for William Butler at
Nelson Station. In 1861 he engaged as clerk in the
mercantile establishment of D. M. Crawford in Ster-
ling the first boy employed in such capacity in that
store remaining there two and a-half years, and
thereby receiving a good business education. Then,
at the age of 18, he enlisted in Co. A, T4oth Regr. 111.
Vol. Inf , was mustered into the military service at
Dixon, went with his regiment to Memphis, Tenn.,
and did guard duty.

In 1865 he returned home and formed a partner-
ship with Charles Smith in the grocery business,
under the name of Smith & Dillon, and thus con-
tinued in the trade for ten years. He sold out his
interest in 1875, and bought the interest of Joseph
Golder, in the grain, coal and lumber business,
forming a partnership with Mr. Golder's son, under
the firm name of Golder & Dillon. In this relation
they continued until 1880, when Mr. Dillon pur-
chased the interest of his partner, since which time
he has conducted the business alone, with success.
His office is on the corner of Third and Spruce
Streets, and in the rear of his office he has an eleva-
tor with a capacity of 60,000 bushels, which he runs
with a gas engine a curiosity to all the people of

the county. His lumber and coal yard occupies all
of block 43, and his salt and drying sheds and barns
all of block 42. He has the only planing-mill in
Sterling, where he does all kinds of wood work.

Mr. Dillon is a " Sterling " man. Coming when
young to the place, he has by diligence and strict
integrity won a high business and social position.
He'is the President of the Northwestern Fair Asso-
ciation, and is a member of the I. O. O. F., and of
the A. O. U. W. He is a Republican in his
political views, and, with his wife, is a member of the
Presbyterian Church of Sterling.

May 8, 1867, Mr. Dillon married Miss Emma J.
Golder, daughter of Judge Golder, of Sterling, and
they have five children, namely: Mary P., Maggie
A., Alice E., Joseph G. and Moses L.

c * ? i? JifX^^i ^ " o
1 fe ^KSXs-J-r^ @) v .

D. Hill, editor of the Prophetstown Spike,
office in Baldwin's Block, is a son of Ben-
jamin F. and Rebecca (McElroy) Hill, and
was born in Lancaster Co., Pa., June 19, 1842.
Growing up, he was engaged as clerk in a
store, taught school, and dealt in coal, lumber, grain,
etc., and in July, 1866, came to Morrison, this
county, where he was employed in buying grain,
stock, etc., first by himself, and afterward in com-
pany with others; taught school; was local editor of
the Whiteside Sentinel, and finally, in company with
Charles Bent, established the Prophetstown Spike,
issuing the first number of the paper Sept. r, 1871.
In October, 1872, he bought out Mr. Bent, and con-
ducted the paper alone until 1876, when he formed
a partnership with Charles F. Gifford in the publica-
tion of the Spike and the Tornado, of Tampico, the
latter paper being established in May of that year.
In January, 1878, he sold the Spike to John W. Olm-
stead. In the meantime, in April, 1878, he founded
the Whiteside Herald, and conducted it for five
years. In the fall of 1882 he dislocated his ankle,
which laid him up for the ensuing winter. The fol-
lowing spring, 1883, he returned to Prophetstown
and bought the Spike, since which time he has
conducted it with success, employing usually two
assistants. The paper is an eight-column folio,
four pages, 26x40 inches, Republican in politics
and devoted to local news. It is ably edited. A

<
rt

***:

-, .. -

WHITESIDE COUNTY.

good job office is in connection with the establish-

ment.

Mr. Hill has been a member of the Town Council
one year; April 21, 1885, he was elected Village
Clerk; has taken an active part in local politics,
having been a Delegate to a number of District,
County and State Conventions ; was a member of the
Illinois National Guard five years, holding the com-
mission of Lieutenant of the 141)1 Battalion, with
headquarters at Moline, III, during a portion of that
time. Mr. H. is also a member of the I. O. O. F.

He was married in Morrison, 111., June i, 1872, to
Miss Jane, daughter of John and Martha Beck, and
born in Newton Township, this county. Mr. and
Mrs. Hill have three children, the two eldest born in
Prophetstown, and the youngest in Morrison. Their
names are John B., Martha R. and Vio C.

janiel Young, farmer, section 30, Portland
Township, is a son of Adam and Elizabeth
'Young, and was born in Blair Co., Pa.,
Jan. 6, 1851. In November, 1853, the family
came West, when the senior Young Iccated a
part of the land on which he now resides, and
which lies adjoining the premises of Mr. Daniel
Young, on the northwest ; it is a nice farm of 200
acres.

After remaining an inmate of his paternal home
until he was 19 years of age, the subject of this
sketch commenced working out as a common
laborer, and thus continued until 1876, when he
purchased 87 acres of his present farm, and resided
there until the spring of 1883 ; he then bought his
present residence and 160 acres of land, and having
purchased 40 acres in 1881, he has now an aggre-
gate of 287 acres. He is beginning to make a spe-
cialty of Holstein cattle, of which he expects to keep
about 75 head ; also 15 head of graded Clydesdale
(Norman) horses. Mr. Y. has also run threshing-
machines for 1 6 years. His brother Adam, Jr., now
owns a third interest in a steam threshing-machine,
in partnership with him. They have threshed as
high as 2,000 bushels of grain in a day.

Dec. 25, 1869, at Morrison, Mr. Young was mar-
ried to Miss Esther Camerer, a daughter of Samuel

and Catherine Camerer. She was born near Mar-
tinsburg, Pa., May 14, 1851. Mr. and Mrs. Young
have five children, namely : Albert, who was born
May 14, 1871 ; Maud, March 9, 1876; Elmer, Jan.
26,1878; Hattie, Sept. 10, 1881; and Edith, Nov. ^
10, 1884. Mrs. Young's father died when she was a
little girl, and her mother resides in Pennsylvania.

homas A. Gait, a pioneer manufacturer of
Sterling and a member of the banking firm
of Gait & Tracy, was born in Lancaster
Co., Pa., Jan. 13, r828; was reared on a farm
and received only a common-school education.

1 Being only 14 years of age when his father
died, he was early thrown upon his own resources,
and for the first year he worked only for his board
and lodging, but thenceforward until he became of
age he received over $100 annually.

He was first employed as a clerk in Concord, Pa.,
and afterward at Strasburg, same State, and at Phil-
adelphia, until 1849, when he entered into business
for himself at Strasburg, in which he was very suc-
cessful. Being of an enterprising nature, he sold his
business there in 1855, and emigrated West, first
engaging in the hardware business with D. M. Craw-
ford at Sterling. The firm of Gait & Crawford con-
tinued until 1858, when the latter withdrew and Mr.
Gait admitted his brother, John M., the firm name
becoming Gait & Bro. In 1863 two more partners
were admitted, and under their joint management
their business grew to significant proportions. Dur-
ing the same year Mr. Gait, in addition to his hard-
ware store, commenced the manufacture of farm
implements, and soon after he became associated
with George S. Tracy, who was then carrying on a
planing-mill in Sterling. The mill and the manu-
factory were merged into one establishment, under
the firm name of Gait & Tracy. The title of " Key-
stone Works " was soon after adopted.

In 1864 the manufacturing business had grown to
such an extent as to demand Mr. Gait's whole at-
tention, and he sold his interest in the hardware
business and retired from the retail trade. The
wholesale manufacturing business, as he continued
in it, became highly successful. In July, 1867, the
whole premises and stock of the factory were de-

) t

UKfcMNA

WHITESIDE COUNTY.

stroyed by fire, causing a loss to the firm of about
$30,000, the property being uninsured. The activity
and vim which were characteristic of Mr. Gait's na-
ture were not crushed by this blow, and measures
were soon taken for the restoration of the firm's busi-
ness. The factory in Sterling was rebuilt, and so
vigorously was the work pushed forward that in
three weeks from the time of the fire the new struc-
ture was not only finished but furnished with ma-
chinery, including engine and boiler. The factory
was appropriated to sash and door manufacturing
and planing-mill.

In the meantime the firm purchased a water priv-
ilege and some land at Rock Falls, opposite Sterling,
and commenced a new factory, including foundry,
machine shops and implement works, which were
pushed on so vigorously that within three months
from the burning of the old works the new were all
in working order. This manufactory was the first
of any kind erected in Rock Falls. Within six
months after commencing business, the firm turned
out about 1,500 agricultural machines of all kinds,
besides a large amount of wood-work from the plan-
ing-mill.

In 1870 the trade had increased so much that a
joint-stock company was incorporated, under the
name of the "Keystone Manufacturing Company,"
with a capital of $[50,000, which has since been in-
creased to nearly half a million. Mr/ Gait was
elected President, and George S. Tracy Vice Presi-
dent and Superintendent. This company is now
among the largest manufacturers of farm implements
in the world, and their trade extends throughout the
United States and Mexico, and Central and South.
America. They employ usually about 200 to 250
hands. Mr. Gait is also interested in several other
manufacturing firms in Rock Falls and Sterling.

Messrs. Gait & Tracy have also engaged in the
banking business in the Gait House Block, where
they do a general banking business, dealing in foreign
and domestic exchange, stocks and bonds. They
also own the Academy of Music building.

Mr. G. lias large real-estate interests in Sterling,
among which is a fine residence of brick, with stone
trimmings, on Third Street.

In addition to his other enterprises, Mr. Gait com-
menced the erection of the Gait House in 1876, and
completed it in 1877, at a cost of $65,000. He also

owns the Gait House, Wallace House and Waverly
House, which are all the hotels in town, and several
large store buildings on Third Street. He is a Di-
rector and Trustee of the Presbyterian Theological
Seminary of the Northwest, located in Chicago. He
and his wife are members of the Presbyterian Church.
He has also been Mayor of the city one term.

Mr. Gait has been twice married, first in 1850, to
Miss Julia Jones, of New Hartford, Conn., who
died in 1853; and he was married again in 1856, to
Miss Catherine Anthony, of Onondaga Co., N. Y.,
daughter of Isaac and Permelia Anthony, and a sis-
ter of Dr. J. P. Anthony, of Sterling, and also of
Judge Anthony of the Chicago Superior Court. Mr.
Gait had two children by his first wife, which died
in infancy; and by his second wife eight children,
three of whom died in infancy. The living are : E.
Leroy, Treasurer of the Keystone Manufacturing
Company; one daughter is the wife of E. L. Brook-
field, President of the Rock Falls Manufacturing
Company; the others, daughters, are at home.

^avid Parker, deceased, formerly a resident
K of Garden Plain Township, came to White-
side County in 1836. His father, Abel
Parker, was the pioneer of the territory now
designated Garden Plain Township, whither he
came in August of that year and built a cabin on
a claim in the timber, situated on section 25, and
afterwards known as " Parker's Grove," and whither
he removed his six sons and three daughters soon
after.

David Parker was born in Wells, Rutland Co., Vt.,
Dec. 12, 1811, and was the oldest son of Abel and
Eleanor (Howe) Parker. His father was a miller,
and he was early inducted into an understanding of
all the art and science embraced in the calling, being
so young that he was compelled to stand on an in-
verted half-bushel measure in order to- reach the
hopper. After coming to Garden Plain Township he
lived with his father until the death of the latter. In
1838 he secured a claim of 160 acres of land on sec-
tion 15 in the same township, which he began to im-
prove the next year. In 1840 he built a half-frame
structure, which a little latter supplied a much
needed want in the unsettled region where it was

^-' IrV. M H "0> H H arv
WHITESIDE COUNTY.

located, serving as a haven of rest and comfort for
the hungry and weary travelers who sought this por-
tion of Northwestern Illinois. The place bore no dis-
tinctive mark as a hostelry, but a post in its vicinity,
bearing the painted inscription "Parker's," was the
guaranty to a wearied traveler that food to appease
his hunger, and a bed whereon to rest his tired
frame, were close at hand. It served the same pur-
pose until 1865, a period of 25 years.

David Parker died Feb. 10, 1876. His life of
nearly 40 years' duration in Garden Plain Township
was one of honorable, useful effort, and he reaped
substantial reward in his accumulations and a per-
manent place in the memory of the people whose in-
terests and well-being he never forgot. His relations
with the public were based on the principle that
whatever substantiates the general interest is the
best possible safeguard of individual prosperity. At
the time of his death he owned 480 acres of land in
the township of Garden Plain, which was all in fine
agricultural condition. He was also the owner of 74
acres of valuable timber in the same town and a con-
siderable acreage in Iowa and Minnesota. The thrift
and industry, which are the leading traits of the
agricultural element of his native State, character-
ized his noble life, and he had the peculiar aversion
to holding office which is a marked characteristic of
the class to which he belonged by birth and descent.
When the school matters of Garden Plain Township
were adjusted, he was made one of the first three
Directors in the township, and that was the only
official position he could ever be induced to hold.

He was always what was called " forehanded,"
and operated in a private way as a banker, making
loans and dealing in financial paper. He was no
usurer, and never in all his transactions took advan-
tage of another's pressing need to secure his own in-
terest. It was common with him to say, "I only
want my 10 per cent." He was careful concerning
security, but he never pressed a debtor to extremity.
He never foreclosed a mortgage, or refused time to
enable a delinquent to meet his obligations. After
his death, outlawed notes were found among his
papers, which were made by perfectly good and re-
sponsible parties, and could have been collected with-
out difficulty, but which, for reasons known only to
himself, he had suffered to become null. In political
sentiment he was an earnest Republican from the
organization of that party to the day of his death.

Mr. Parker was married in Garden Plain Town-
ship, June i, 1852,10 Elizabeth, daughter of Ichabod
and Mehitabel (Kempton) Shurtleff. Mrs. Parker
was born May i, 1822, in Orleans Co., Vt. Three
sons and a daughter were born to David Parker and
his wife. Charles D. married Amanda Sutherland,
and has lately become a citizen and business man at
Fulton. Henry L. died when six years old. Lizzie
and Herbert live at Fulton with their mother. In
January, 1881, they started with her on a European
trip, which consumed two and a half years, and dur-
ing that time they visited England, France, Switzer-
land, Italy and Germany.

Mrs. Parker fixed her residence at Fulton in 1876,
soon after the death of her husband. She is one of
the pioneer women of Whiteside County, where she
is widely and favorably known. She participated in
the hardships incident to the early settlement of this
Western country, cheerfully aiding her husband in
his undertakings and contributing largely to his suc-
cess. She is a member of the Presbyterian Church
of Garden Plain.

A portrait of Mr. Parker accompanies this sketch.

'ohn Huntington, a farmer on section 31,
^ Portland Township, is a son of Nathan
B. and Matilda (Whiting) Huntington,
and was born in Westford, Conn., Oct. 6,
1834. His father was a farmer, teacher, mer-
chant, etc., and is now a resident of Geneseo,
His mother was a native of Connecticut, and
died when Mr. H. of this sketch was but seven
years old, in Tazewell Co., 111. They had three
children, all of whom are living, John being the
eldest ; Maria is the wife of Cornelius Van Vetchen,
a farmer in the State of New York, in Elbridge,
Onondaga County; and Andrew, a farmer in Cham-
paign Co., 111. In 1838 the family settled near
Groveland, Tazewell Co., 111., where the father
bought a farm. They came to Geneseo, Henry i
County, in 1852, and in 1856 Mr. H. went upon his 3
father's farm in Phenix Township, that county, pur- t\i
chasing 60 acres of the same. Subsequently he %
exchanged his interests there for his present farm of y
103 acres in 1859. On this he has made a number

- . v

WHITESIDE COUNTY.

of improvements, and is succeeding well as a general
farmer.

Mr. Huntington was married at Spring Hill, this
county, May 17, 1857, to Miss Harriet E. Schmied,
daughter of Jacob and Rachel Schmied. She was
born in Norristown, Montgomery Co., Pa., Aug.
21, 1826. Mr. and Mrs. H. have seven children,
one born in Phenix Township and six at the
present residence, viz.: Rachel M., Oct. 22, 1858,
now the wife of David Uric, a farmer in this town-
ship; Emma M.,born March 22, 1860, now teaching
school; Charlotte E., born Jan. 25, 1862; John F.,
Dec. 7, r863 ; Henry A., Aug. 30, 1865 ; Estella R .
Dec. 7, 1867 ; Daisy B., Feb. 25, 1879.

Mr. Schmied located here July 3, 1844, entering a
large tract of land in Portland Township. He died
on his farm April i, 1858. His widow resides in
Geneseo, 111.

W. Broadhead, dealer in general mer-
chandise, successor to Herrold, Broadhead
& Co., Fulton. The business was founded

by Herrold & Church in 18 . In 1873 Mr.

Broadhead and a younger brother of Mr.

Church purchased the elder Church's interest
and the firm became Herrold, Broadhead & Co. The
business was conducted under this head till 1878,
when Mr. Broadhead bought out Mr. Church, and
in the spring of 1883 purchased his remaining part-
ner's interest and became sole proprietor. He car-
ries an extensive stock of general merchandise, ex-
ceeding anything in that line in Fulton. His stock
is selected with great care, with a view to suiting his
customers. Six salesmen are employed in the busi-
ness.

Mr. Broadhead was born near Jamestown, Chau-
tauqua Co., N. Y., May 20, 1850, and is the son of
James and Caroline (Van Ness) Broadhead. He
came to Fulton with his parents in 1857, and was
educated in the public schools of this city. His
father was a blacksmith by trade, and J. W. was
employed a part of his time as an assistant in the
shop. In 1867 he engaged with Herrold & Church,
general merchants at Fulton, as salesman. After
having had six years' experience in the business, he

purchased an interest in the house, and in the spring
of 1883 became sole proprietor, as before stated. Mr.
B. has demonstrated his capacity to conduct an ex-
tensive business successfully. He has a good re-
liable trade and is considered one of the leading
merchants of Whiteside County.

He was married at Fulton, 111., in February, 1877,
to Miss Alice Robinson, daughter of Bradstreet Rob-
inson, one of Fulton's oldest and n.ost respected cit-
izens. Mrs. Broadhead was born at Fulton. They
have three children, all girls, Elsie, Helen and
Sylvia.

Mr. Broadhead is a member of Fulton City Lodge,
No. 189, A. F. & A. M., and is Republican in pol-
itics.

f ohn E. Eipley, farmer, section 30, Mont-
fr- morency Township, is a son of Pomeroy
and Sarah (Merricks) Ripley, natives re-
spectively of New York State and Virginia, who
settled in Ohio, afterward removed to the Em-
pire State, and in 1852 located in Jordan Town-
ship, this county, where Mr. R. died, Jan. i, 1864,
and Mrs. R. slill survives. During his life, Mr. R.
served in many places of trust in local affairs, being
Supervisor, Justice of the Peace, Tax Collector, etc.,
a number of years. They had seven children,
Eliza A., Frances C., John E., Ezra P., Henry C.,
Sarah D. and Charles P. Four of this number are
now living: Eliza A. Christie, of Hume Township,
this County ; Henry E., who now resides at Owego,
N. Y., is the proprietor of a large boot and shoe
store and is a gaduate of the Sterling Business Col-
lege; and Charles P., who is yet living at his
mother's home in Hume Township ; and John E.
Mr. Ripley, of this sketch, was born in Jordan
Township, this county, July 31, 1855, and has all his
life been a farmer. He received a common-school
education, and at the age of 22 left his paternal home,
bought 82 acres of land in Montmorency Township,
on section 30, where he settled and has since re-
sided. He now owns 122 acres, nearly all of which
is in cultivation.

He was married in Nelson, Lee Co., 111., Feb. 28,
1878, to Flora E., daughter of Lewis F. and Sevilla
(Hasse) Long, natives of Pennsylvania, who came to

WHITESIDE COUNTY.

Lee County in 1876, where they still reside; they
had seven children, viz.: Sophia A., Flora E., Nor-
man H., Ida C., Nettie 'A., Samuel T. and Grace.
Mrs. Ripley was born in Somerset Co., Pa., March
12, 1856. She and her husband have two children,
Bessie G. and Blanch E.

Mr. Ripley's politics are Republican, his religion
that of the Baptist Church. Mrs. R. is a member of
the English Lutheran Church.

illiam A. Beswick, a prominent agricul-
turist of Clyde Township, and a resident
,., on section 30, was born where he now
i> lives, Jan. i, 1850. Richard Beswick, his
father, was a native of Yorkshire, England,
and was of unmixed English lineage. When
he was r8 years old he emigrated to the New World
and settled in the province of Ontario. He was
there married to Sarah Patrick, a native of the
province, and born of Scotch parents. After that
event they removed to Illinois and settled in Clyde
Township, then in its pioneer days. The father se-
cured a claim, where he began the labors and efforts
of a pioneer settler on the unbroken prairie, building
at the outset a home suited to the necessities of a
family. A few years later the wife died, leaving two
children. Of these a daughter survives. A son
died not long after the mother. The second wife of
Mr. Beswick was Mrs. Hannah (Knight) Humphrey.
She is a native of Maine and was married to her first
husband in Ohio, where he died and left her with
two children, both boys, one of whom is deceased.
After she became a widow she came to Illinois and
married Mr. Beswick. They had five children, and
the mother is still living on the homestead estate,
aged 64 years. The father died on the farm July 7,
1884, aged 74 years.

Mr. Beswick of this sketch lived at home until he
was 25 years of age, and his first important step was
his matrimonial alliance with Mary, daughter of
Frederick and Sarah (Milnes) Wood, which occurred
Jan. i, 1875. T1)e father of Mrs. Beswick was a
native of England and came in childhood to the
United States. When he was 20 years of age he
came to Illinois and located in the then new county
of Whiteside. His wife was born in Massachusetts

and came to Whiteside County when she and it were
in the early periods of their existences. After their
marriage they became the owners of unbroken prairie,
which they improved, and which they made their
homestead. They now own 200 acres on which they
are living in retirement.

Mrs. Beswick was born April 22, 1854, on section
29, Clyde Township, and was reared at home and
educated in the public schools. Her children by
Mr. Beswick are all living and were born as follows:
Elmer M., Nov. 24, 1876; Lorenzo, Feb. 14, 1878;
Sarah, Aug. 26, 1879; Richard F., Oct. 10, 1881 ;
and Hannah, June 21, 1883.

On settling in life Mr. and Mrs. Beswick rented a
farm which they managed for some time. In 1876
they bought 80 acres of land on section 30, which
was partly improved, and included 20 acres of tim-
ber, whose value in a prairie country needs no dem-
onstration. The estate of Mr. Beswick now includes

(1885) 189 acres, and of this 160 acres are under
cultivation. He has a well earned repute as a
grower of stock, and has a fine herd of thoroughbred
Durham cattle and a valuable lot of Poland-China
swine. The buildings on the homestead place are
first-class farm edifices and greatly enhance the
value and appearance of the place. In addition to
his own farm, Mr. Beswick has been conducting the
agricultural affairs of 400 acres of land situated 01
sections 30 and 31.

He is a Democrat in political views and conne(
tions. He has been active in local township affairs
and has served in several official positions. He is a
Director in the Mt. Pleasant Mutual Fire Insurance
Company.

(

J. Talcott, M. D., a practicing physician
at Spring Hill, Portland Township, is a
native of the Empiie State. His father,
Asel Talcott, was a mechanic, and later in his
life a farmer and stock -raiser, in Hanna Town-
ship, Henry Co., 111., at which place he located
in 1845. He died in February, 1876. The Doctor's
mother, Jane Talcott, died in May, 1841. They had
four children, three of whom are living, the Doctor
being the eldest. Dexter, the second-born, is a
farmer and stock-raiser in Sharon, Portland Town-

r( '

- -

WHITESIDE COUNTY.

''* 5

ship, this county ; Catherine is a widow, residing in
Guthrie Co., Iowa.

Doctor Talcott was born in Oneida Co., N. Y.,
Nov. 30, 1826, first learned house-painting of his
father, and then entered the office of Dr. T. S. Smith,
of Hampton, Rock Island County. After reading
medicine there for a time he attended the Eclectic
Medical College of Cincinnati during the years 1849
to 1852 inclusive, graduating. He then engaged in
the practice of his profession in Rock Island and
Henry Counties. The war came on, and Aug. r,
i86r, at Geneseo, he enlisted in the 8th Kansas
Regt. Vol. Inf. as Assistant Surgeon, the Illinois
representation in the army being then full. He
accordingly went to Leavenworth, and served with
the regiment nearly through the war, namely, until
March, 1865, when the regiment was ordered to
Texas, and he came home.

The same year, 1865, he moved to Spring Hill,
where he has ever since followed his chosen profes-
sion, with gratifying success. He is the only physi-
cian at that point. The Doctor has been Supervisor
of his township one year, and he was Postmaster at
Spring Hill from 1871 to 1881.

He was married in Sharon, May 17, 1855, to Miss
Harriet, daughter of Jerry and Harriet Johnson.
She was born in New York, August, 1835. The
Doctor has three children living, viz.: George, now a
clerk and school-teacher in Spring Hill ; Roy, also a
clerk at Spring Hill ; and Agnes ; the deceased were
named Vivia and Jessie, who died in infancy.

>rs. Aura T. Brown, a resident on sec-
tion 1 6, Portland Township, occupies a
farm of 2*0 acres. She is a daughter of
Jeremiah and Abigail Lindley, and was
born in Tinmouth, Rutland Co., Vt., Oct. 8,
1807. She was married in Middletown, that
county, Jan. 2, 1832, to Vivalda Brown, who was
a son of Jonathan Brown. The latter was born in
Wells, same county, May 5, 1807. They had nine
children, namely : Jeremiah D., a farmer in Lan-
caster Co. Neb. ; Charlotte S., deceased ; Albert O.,
also deceased ; Jonathan, who died in the late war ;
Alanson L., residing in Idaho; Cordelia M., James
V., Martha M., all of whom are deceased, and Mary

J.,the wife of Pliny Brown, a farmer and blacksmith
in Kansas.

Mr. Brown was a shoe and harness maker. He,
with his family, moved from Vermont to Pennsyl-
vania, and, after a residence of three years there, to
Aurora, Erie Co., N. Y., where he followed his trade.
In October, 1850, they came to Prophetstown, this
county, and in 1852 moved upon their farm, which
Mr. Brown bought in July, 1849. Upon this place
he made a number of improvements, as house, barn,
fences, etc. He died at his home, July 4, r87i.
Mrs. B. now rents the farm.

ife

la .harles D. Parker, farmer and breeder of
|SJ! Short-Horn cattle and Jersey Red swine,
-- ^ at Fulton, is a native of this county. He
was born in Garden Plain Township, July 12,
1853. His parents were David and Eliza-

{ beth (Shurtleff) Parker, and were -among the
very earliest pioneers of this county. A full personal
account of David Parker may be found elsewhere in
this volume.

Charles D. was educated in the public schools
and brought up on his father's farm. He was mar-
ried in Fulton, Jan. 6, 1876, to Miss Amanda Suth-
erland, daughter of Peter M. and Mary Sutherland.
Mrs. Parker was born in Poughkeepsie, N. Y. They
have one child, a son, named Carl S., who was born
in Garden Plain, Feb. 12, 1877.

Mr. Parker has had charge of the estate since his
father's death, which included 554 acres. Of this
the major portion is in tillage, and the place is well
stocked witn herds of cattle, comprising 40 thor-
oughbreds and about 150 grades of a valuable type.
The demands of the estate require 20 horses, and
there is a dairy of 20 cows. The hogs on the place
average about 150 yearly, and Mr. Parker exhibits
20 thoroughbred JerseyReds. The estate has five
dwellings, with three tenants. The farm buildings
are of excellent character. He has added 240 acres
to its extent, making the total area of the estate
lying in Garden Plain Township 794 acres. He
moved to Fulton City in April, 1885.

Mr. Parker has been chosen to fill various public
positions, the duties of which he has discharged with
marked fidelity. He served three terms in the
County Board as Supervisor from Garden Plain, for

\T\^- H HXT H H -S Y^

WHITESIDE COUNTY.

jfo the years 1882-3-4. He has also served as Com-
missioner of Highways, School Director and in other
minor offices. He is an enthusiastic Republican,
and has taken an active part in local politics. He
has been a member of the County Central Commit-
tee eight years, and has also served several times on
the Executive Committee. He was a delegate to
the State Republican Conventions of t88o and 1882.
He was one of the charter members of Invincible
Lodge, No. 220, of the United Workmen, and served
as its first Master. Mr. Parker has been Vice-Presi-
dent of the Whiteside Central Agricultural Society
two years, and on the death of Hon. R. E. Logan,
in 1885, was his successor.

L amuel L. Wheelock, a farmer, on section
36, Hume Township, has been a resident
'of Whiteside County since 1855. He was
born Jan. 26, 1825, in Berkshire Co., Mass.
Luther Wheelock, his father, was a native of
the same county, and passed many years
there in agricultural pursuits. He was of Irish lin-
eage. Clarissa (Marcy) Wheelock, the mother, was
born in Massachusetts, of similar ancestry, and her
marriage occurred in Berkshire County. The father
died there at a greatly advanced age ; the mother
resides in Tampico village, and is 81 years old.

Mr. Wheelock grew up and was educated in his
native county, living at home until he was 20 years
of age. His first venture of importance was his mar-
riage to Almena R. Langdon, Nov. 27, 1842. She
was born June 7, 1822, in Hampshire Co., Mass.,
and descended from parents who were born and
reared in the same State, where the father died ; the
mother died in Hume Township. Mrs. Wheelock
was reared to mature age in her native county, and
was there educated. To her and her husband four
children have been born : Amanda married William
Dennison, who was born in the State of Massachu-
setts. He died at the age of 35 years, in May, 1873,
at Prophetstown, leaving two children, Hubert and
William ; Elbert married Edla Linkletter, and they
reside in Tampico Township; they have four chil-
dren : Cora, Bertie, Brace and Jay ; Ozro died be-
.fore he was ayear old; Luther married Katie

,X^J?,. -^PSU^- /-s Jl

Freeby, and they live with his parents ; they have
two children, Charles and Cecil.

After marriage Mr. Wheelock was interested in
farming in his native county about ten years, when
he removed with his wife and children to the village
of Prophetstown, where he lived six years. He be-
came a farmer in that township, and was interested
in agriculture in the capacity of a renter four years,
during the last of which he purchased 190 acres on
section 33 Hume Township, of which he took per-
sonal possession in March, 1866. The place con-
sisted of unbroken prairie, and settlers were few in
that immediate vicinity. The proprietor has pressed
his agricultural projects with success, and has in-
creased his possessions until he owns 400 acres un-
der excellent improvements and supplied with good
farm buildings, including a fine residence.

Mr. Wheelock is a Republican, of decided type,
and has been a useful citizen of his township. He
was made Supervisor in 1880, and officiated during
the years 1883-4 as Assessor. He is now serving
as Township Trustee.

*.-

j^ugh Wallace, deceased, was born Aug. 10,
1812, in Cumberland Co., Pa. He was a
TJjKf'' graduate of Washington College, Pa., and
W read law with George Porter in Lancaster, Pa.
On being admitted to the Bar he opened an office
in Lancaster, where he continued to practice
for a time, and then returned to his native county.
In 1837 he came to Whiteside County, and located
at Chatham, now the city of Sterling. The country
being new and the county not yet organized, the law
business could not be very profitable; and so he
followed the business of farming for a few years, or
until the country became more densely populated,
when he devoted himself to his profession. As a
lawyer he took high rank at the Bar, and when he
undertook a case de determined to win at all haz-
ards. Hugh Wallace was a man of energy, and in
every enterprise calculated to build up his adopted
city he was very active. To him, more than to any
other man, is due the construction of the dam at
Sterling. He served the county as a member of the
General Assembly of the State, both in the House
and Senate. He also served four years as a Regis-

^ gA^v>A^g)

WHITESIDE COUNTY.

i- %

ter of the Land Office in Dixon. A leading trait of
his character is said to have been his great hospi-
tality. The latch-string of his door was always out,
and his hospitality was tested by hundreds. Mr.
Wallace was united in marriage with Miss Mary
Gait, March 16, 1830. The following are the names
of their children : James G., Agnes, Mary, Isabella,
Elizabeth C., Kate, James M., Jesse., Hamilton and
Ann Eliza. Mr. Wallace died Aug. 18, 1864. His
widow yet resides in Sterling.

Andrew J. Seely, a farmer on section i,
Portland Township, is a son of Col. Ebene-
zer and Dolly Seely, and was born in Catta-
raugus Co., N. Y., Jan. 26, 1832. In June,
1836, the family emigrated to this county,
locating in Portland, where Andrew J. has
since resided. When 23 years of age he left the
homestead and went to Sterling, forming a partner-
ship with Romanzo Ramsay ^ a brother-in-law, and
starting the first furniture store and lumber-yard in
that place; but a few months afterward his partner
died, in July, 1855. Then, in company with his
brother Martin, Mr. Seely opened a hardware, gro-
cery and tin shop in .Portland village, under the firm
name of A. J. & M. V. Seely. After continuing this
about 1 8 months they closed the business and rented
the homestead, consisting of 250 acres, for two years,
when the subject of this sketch removed to Prophets-
town, opened the first livery stable in that place, and
conducted it two years. He then returned to the
homestead for a year, and next went to Pike's Peak,
Col., and followed mining for seven months, and was
also barber, blacksmith and road-grader, assisting in
grading the road to Gold Hill; he returned in the
fall.

In January, 1861, he opened the first livery stable
in the village of Erie; remained there five months;
thence went to Portland Township again, purchasing
40 acres of the homestead and 10 acres adjoining, to
which he has since added until he now has an aggre-
gate of 200 acres, where he is now settled, making a
specialty of Hambletonian horses, raises some cattle
and fattens 40 to 50 hogs annually. During the last
12 or 14 years he has also been engaged to some
extent in removing buildings. He has raised and
worked on very many buildings in Portland and

Prophetstown ; is now doing an active business as
auctioneer. In 1871-2 he was employed grading on
the railroad. Thus he has demonstrated himself to
be a handy man at almost anything in the mechan-
ical and live-stock line.

Mr. Seely has been Assessor of Portland Town-
ship eight years ; is a member of the I. O. O. F.,
being a Representative in the Grand Lodge ; is also
Worthy Councilor, in the Lodge of Modern Wood-
men at Prophetstown, and is also a member of the
Order of the Daughters of Rebecca, as are also his
wife and daughter.

He was married Feb. 21, 1856, in Portland Town-
ship, to Miss Almina, daughter of Calvin and Sally
Williams, who was born in Lodi, Cattaraugus Co.,
N. Y., Nov. 7, 1833. Mr. and Mrs. Seely have three
children : Alexander J., born Nov. 15, 1857, who left
here in 1880, and engaged in the smelting works at
Rico, Col., and was married at Prophetstown, Feb.
20, 1884, to Miss Florence Bartlett, then a teacher
in Prophetstown; Jennie L,., born July 29, 1862, still
at home; and Charles E., born Dec. 4, 1867.

Mrs. Seely 's parents came to Detroit, Mich., where
they resided three years; then, in 1838, came to
Prophetstown Township. They are both now de-
ceased, the mother dying July 14, 1840, and the
father Oct. 7, 1884, aged 84 years, four months and
seven days. Her father was a mechanic, a carpenter
and joiner by trade, and erected a number of build-
ings in Prophetstown Township. He received an
injury at Rochelle in 1883, by a railroad train, that
was the cause of his death at the time stated. Mrs.
S. has three sisters and one brother in this county,
and a sister in Rochelle, 111. Her oldest sister is
Mrs. Emily Gage; 2d, Mrs. Harriet Myres; 3d, Mrs.
Eliza Barber; 4th, Mrs. Lovina Thanks; and her
brother is Enos Williams.

eorge S. Tracy, of the firm of Gait &
Tracy, manufacturers of farm machinery,
Sterling, was born in Norwich, Mass., June
28, 1829. His father, John Tracy, was a
mechanic, of whom he learned the trade of
carpenter and joiner. His mother's maiden name
was Betsey Dimock. Mr. Tracy came to Sterling in
1857, and became a member of the firm of Cook &

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WHITESIDE COUNTY.

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Co., in the manufacture of sash and doors, which re-
lation was sustained until 1863. Having bought
out his partners, he at this date merged his business
with that of 1 homas A. Gait, since which time they
have carried on a good trade, employing usually 200
to 250 hands. Mr. T. is also a stockholder in the
Sterling Manufacturing Company, which was the
old establishment he took of Cook & Co.

Mr. Tracy was married in Camden, Me., Sept. 7,
1863, to Miss Helen M., daughter of Nathaniel and
Eliza Hosmer, and a native of Camden. They have
had three children, all born in Sterling, viz.: Susan,
Frank and Edith. Frank is attending the scientific
department of an institution of learning at East
Hampton, Mass.

ilbert Finkle, general farmer, resident on
section i, Jordan Township, was born
July 5, 1834, in Delaware Co., N. Y. At
the age of 20 years he found himself pos-
sessed of the privilege of making a hand-to-
hand struggle with the world on his own
account. In March, 1845, a few months before he
reached the age of 21 years, he came to Illinois, and
located at Buffalo Grove, Ogle County. He found
ready employment as a farm laborer, and spent
three years in the service of N. N. Shaver. Mean-
while he was married to Nancy Sanford. An ac-
count of her parents is to be found elsewhere in this
work, her father, Vernon Sanford, being one of the
pioneers of Whiteside County. Her marriage to Mr.
Finkle took place Oct. 22, 1857. She is one of the
first white children born in Whiteside County, where
her birth occurred April 15, 1839. She has been the
mother of eight children, all of whom are living with
two exceptions. Irving is a farmer in Jordan Town-
ship; Mary J. married Fletcher Schryver, a farmer
in Eagle Point Township, Ogle Co., 111. David E.,
Arthur, Vernon and Sarah C. are at home ; Adam V.
died March 23, 1865; Cyrenus died March 3, 1879.
After becoming the son-in-law of Mr. Sanford, Mr.
Finkle acceded to the management of his home-
stead, and spent some years in the prosecution of its
interests. He is now the owner of nine acres in Jor-
dan Township, and 230 acres in Ogle County. Mr.
Finkle is a Democrat in his political principles.

Sgfgdf* :

.dward Somers, farmer, section 27, Port-
land Township, cultivating the Youngs
farm, which comprises 197 acres, is a son
of Frank and Mary (Baker) Somers, and was
born July 25, 1846, in Portland Township, this
county. His father, a farmer, was a native of
Pennsylvania. His parents came to this western
country in 1836, and were therefore among the earli-
est settlers here. His mother died when he was
very young, and his father again married, and now
resides in Kansas. Of the four children of his
mother three are living, namely : Sarah, who is the
wife of Edward Ott, a farmer in Kansas ; Peter, a
farmer.

The subject of this sketch is the oldest of the
children, and remained at his parental home until
he was 18 years of age, when he was employed by
the month, and then took a rented farm, which he
cultivated for a time. . In 1882 he bought a farm of
120 acres in Portland Township, kept it a year, and
then sold and rented his present farm of 197 acres.

He was married in Loraine Township, Henry Co.,
111., May 5, 1867, to Miss Nancy Bollen, daughter
of Thomas and Lydia Bollen. She was born in that
township in August, 1850. They have seven chil-
dren : Cora, Frederick, Frank, John, Bernard, Lutitia
and Hattie.

'onas H. Baer, farmer, section 26, Jordan
Township, is the son of Martin Baer,
whom an extended personal sketch ap
pears on other pages. He was born Jan. i(
1853, in the township of Manor, in Lancaster
Co., Pa. He is the second of seven children
born to his parents, and the entire family are living:
the household circle is still unbroken by death.
Baer was four years of age when his father remove
to Illinois. The family located in Jordan Township,
on the section on which they have since resided
without intermission. The farm purchased by the
senior Baer was almost wholly unimproved, and the
sons gave their attention and efforts to the work of
converting the place into a homestead of value and

Mr.

Photograph taken on her ioo th birthday

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beauty, with all possible speed. Mr. Baer continued
at home until he was 22 years of age, attending the
public schools during the winter seasons.

His marriage took place at Sterling, Sept. 12, 1876,
when Anna H. Rutt became his wife. Mrs. Baer is
the daughter of Jacob and Fannie (Harnley) Rutl,
who were born in Lancaster Co., Pa., of German
ancestors. They were married in that county, and
became farmers in Franklin County, in the same
State, locating near Chambersburg, whence they re-
moved in 1865, on account of the unpleasant condi-
tion arising from the rebellion of the South, which
the loyal people found so distasteful, and from which
many fled to relieve themselves of the horrors of
war. The family located in Palmyra Township, Lee
Co., 111., where they lived 20 years. Mr. and Mrs.
Rutt are quite aged. Their eight children are all
living, and are all married. Mrs! Baer is the young-
est. She is the mother of two children: Roy R.,
born July 7, 1877, and Bert R., born March i, 1883.

After his marriage Mr. Baer managed 160 acres
belonging to his father, on section 26, working it on
shares until 1885 (current year), when he became
the proprietor of the property by purchase. It is all
under tillage, and is stocked with graded Short-horn
cattle.

Politically Mr. Baer is a Republican, and he has
officiated six years as School Director. He is now
serving a term as School Trustee.

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^dward Vennum, a leading agriculturist of
Whiteside County and a highly esteemed
citizen of Union Grove Township, has been
a resident of the county since 1842. He was
one of the officials chosen at the first township
meeting of Union Grove, which was held April
6, 1852.

He was born Sept. 16, 1818, in Morris Township,
Knox Co., Ohio. He was a quiet boy, of reflective
and naturally studious nature, but his proclivities
found little encouragement in the public schools,
which, like everything else in the place where he
passed from childhood to youth, were in the imper-
fect condition of a pioneer period. He gathered such
education as was possible, and formed a determina-
tion to avail himself of the first opportunities to add

to his store of knowledge sufficiently to become a
teacher, for which vocation he had an ambition. A
little before he was 18 years of age, he went to New-
ark, N. J., and engaged as salesman in a provision
store, where he was employed three years. He had
studied as he could, but ill health impelled him to
abandon his cherished plans, and he came in 1842 to
Whiteside Co., 111., where he spent two years, opera-
ting alternately as a teacher in the seasons of winter,
and pursuing farming on his own account on a rented
farm.

In 1851, having concluded that his health de-
pended on a line of activity in the open air, he
bought 172 acres of land on section 2, and began
farming in earnest, as the vocat