Album of genealogy and biography, Cook County, Illinois, 19th ed., Part 77

Author:
Publication date: 1900
Publisher: Chicago : La Salle Book Co.
Number of Pages: 908

USA > Illinois > Cook County > Album of genealogy and biography, Cook County, Illinois, 19th ed. > Part 77

Note: The text from this book was generated using artificial intelligence so there may be some errors. The full pages can be found on Archive.org (link on the Part 1 page).

Mrs. Keller is also an authoress, having pub- has met with wide success. In religious faith the family is divided, Mr. Keller being a Luther- an and his wife a communicant of the Church of England.

WILLIAM H. DRECHSLER. 1

ILLIAM HENRY DRECHSLER, who is living in retirement in the village of Harlem, was born November 20, 1836, in the village of Lodeman, Hanover, Germany. His parents, Henry and Wilhelmina (Koch) Drechsler, left Germany in 1847, and landing in Baltimore, in the spring of that year, pro- ceeded at once to Du Page County, Illinois, where they had acquaintances. They remained there until the fall of 1849, when Mr. Drechsler purchased eighty acres in section 33, Leyden Township, the price being two hundred dollars. He erected a story and one-half house the same fall. In 1851 he purchased forty acres more in the same section and later ten acres in section 26. On this farm he carried on agricultural pursuits until the time of his death. In his native land he was a cooper and conducted a shop of his own

besides attending to his small farm. He was a Republican in politics and a member of the Evangelical Lutheran Church.

Mrs. Wilhelmina Drechsler was born in the village of Asaback, Hanover, and was the daughter of Christ Koch, a shepherd. The latter came to America with his daughter and her family and died about 1850, being buried at Addison, Illinois. Beside the daughter he had a son, Henry, who came to America at the same time. He enlisted as a private in the Civil War, and after its close joined the regular army. He was stationed in the west for some time, but later secured his discharge and made his home in Indiana, where he died. The children of Henry and Wilhelmina Drechsler were Ernst, deceased, whose widow resides at the corner of Wood Street and Carroll Avenue, Chicago; William H.,

525

F. E. NIELSEN.

whose name heads this article; Henrietta, Mrs. Frederick Kuhlman, of whom mention is made elsewhere in this work; Henry, born in. 1842, married Elizabeth Biermann, and resides at Fort Dodge, Iowa; and Charles, who died at the age of twenty-one years.

An uncle of Henry Drechsler, August Drechs- ler, died in Germany. His widow, with her two children, came to Indiana, where she married a Mr. Honsinger. Her children were named Will- iam and Henrietta. The latter married a carpen- ter, Henry Stosen, and lives at Green Garden, Illinois.

William H. Drechsler, of whom this sketch is written, came to America with his parents at the age of eleven years. Thus his education was completed in this country. He grew up under the toils and hardships such as were common to pio- neer life everywhere in the west, doing his share in the improvement of his father's farm. At the age of twenty-four years he took charge of the same and carried on farming there until 1873, when he concluded he had borne his full share of hard work and responsibility and resolved to take life more easily. He removed to No. 132 North Elgin Street, Harlem, where he remained until 1889, when he erected his present modern resi- dence at No. 129 in the same street. He re- tained the ownership of his farm until 1891, when he sold it to Henry Weiss. For some time after coming to Harlem he carried on a teaming busi- ness, and for thirteen years drove the hearse for William Senne, then a prominent undertaker of Oak Park. Since then he has retired entirely

from active work. In politics Mr. Drechsler has ever been a staunch Republican, but has never been desirous of holding office.

In 1857 the subject of this sketch was married to Louisa, daughter of Henry Pflug, who died in October, 1864. Her children were: Henrietta, born February 13, 1861, who married Fred Mes- enbink, mentioned elsewhere in this work; Minnie, born September 7, 1862, married August Hillmer, a carpenter of Harlem; Henry, born February 5, 1864, a carpenter in Marengo Street, Oak Park; and Ernst, born October 11, 1857, died at the age of twenty-one years.

Mr. Drechsler was married a second time Jan- uary 5, 1866, to Miss Annie Margarita Adelaide Heitmann, daughter of Herman Heitmann, who resides in section 4, Proviso Township, Illinois. Mrs. Drechsler was born in Germany. Her children are: Ida Dorothea Henrietta Adelaide, born January 19, 1868; Annie Elizabeth Margaret Henrietta (Mrs. August Lehmkuhl), born Feb- ruary 26, 1870; Carl Frederick, born April 9, 1872, is an undertaker in Oak Park; Martin Henry Herman, clerk in Carson & Pirie's, born February 24, 1874; William Heinrich, born February 13, 1876, a jeweler in Oak Park, Illinois; Herman Frederick, music teacher in Oak Park, born March 1, 1878; Martha Herminie Emma Doro- thea, born July 26, 1880; Adolph August George, born August 21, 1882; Matilda Albertina Eliza- beth, born February 24, 1885; Clara Louisa Amelia, born August 17, 1888, passed away on the 17th of February, 1889, and is buried at Con- cordia Cemetery.

FRITZ E. NIELSEN. !

RITZ EMIL NIELSEN has been a valued resident of Chicago since 1887, when he em- igrated from Denmark, in which country lie was born July 25, 1853, at Slugelse Sjelland.

His father, Anders Nielsen, who died in 1868, at the extraordinary age of seventy-nine years, was a stone mason and contractor. For three years he served his king as a soldier, being

526

H. F. J. P. HANN.

engaged in the war of 1848 with Germany, and returning home with the rank of sergeant. He was the husband of Maria Phillipsen, who sur- vives him, a hale old lady of eighty-three years, who has never left her native land. Of their six children, one died in infancy, and one after reaching the age of thirty-five years. Fritz E. is the third son and third child, and the only one of the family residing in America.

He enjoyed the usual advantages extended to Danish boys, of a rudimentary education in the public schools. He served an apprenticeship at the mason's trade, and subsequently was a con- tractor at Copenhagen for ten years. As has been already said, he came to the United States in 1887, and at once settled in Chicago. For a few years he worked at his trade as a journey- man, in various American cities. He spent six years in Utalı, where he took some large con- tracts. He constructed at Logan City, Utah, the Agricultural College, established jointly by the United States Government and the Territory. This building contains one and one-half millions of brick.

Returning to Chicago in 1894, he began doing

business as a contractor. Since then his shrewd business sense, sound judgment, unwearying industry and unquestionable honesty have all contributed to his success. Among both busi- ness men and contractors he is well known and regarded as both intelligent and upright. He has erected many large buildings in the city, among them being one at No. 5815 Jackson Avenue, and another at the corner of Powell Avenne and Placer Place, and others the recount- ing of which would prove tiresome.

He was married, in 1893, to Marie Hansen, who was born in Aaborg, Denmark, and came to Chicago five years before her marriage. Three children have been born to them-Victor, Rosa, and Clara. Their home is at No. 3510. Went- worth Avenue.

Mr. Nielsen is prominently identified with the Walhalla Society, and an active worker in pro- moting its interests. He was for several years a member of the Independent Order of Odd Fel- lows. In religious faith he adheres to thie teachings of his fathers, as promulgated by the Lutheran Church. His political principles are those of the Republican party.

HENRY F. J. P. HANN.

ENRY FREDERICK JOHN PHILIP HANN was born April 7, 1866, on the old homestead, in the township of Leyden. He is one of the sons of Ludwig D. Hann, whose biographical sketch appears on another page, and to which the reader is referred for a fuller account of the family genealogy and history. Such edu- cational training as he received was obtained at the public school of Oak Park, and the first thirty-two years of his life were spent upon the farm, he having rented the old homestead from his father during the last five years of his resi- dence there. December 16, 1898, he removed to Harlem, where he opened a flour and feed store, March 1, 1899.

He was married January 12, 1893, to Miss

Sophia Wille, a daughter of Frederick S. Wille. Mrs. Hann was born at Crete, Will County, Illinois, February 20, 1869. The issue of the marriage has been three children: Herbert Dietrich Frederick, born December 24, 1894; Henry Edmund, April 9, 1897; and Frederick John, born March 12, 1899. Mr. and Mrs. Hann are members of the German Lutheran Church. He is a Republican.

Mr. Hann is one of the solid and respected citizens of Harlem. He owns the property where his store is located, and his business prospects are bright. Throughout life he has been industrious, progressive and upright, and he enjoys the full confidence and respect of the community in which he resides.

527

O. D. RANNEY.

ORRIN D. RANNEY.

RRIN DATUS RANNEY was born at East Granville (on Holden Hill), Massachusetts, March 6, 1812, unto Orrin and Betsy Ran- ney, (nee Gibbons. ) He had one brother and three sisters, all of good attainments. The brother, Timothy Pickering Ranney (now deceased), was long a prominent laywer at Newark, New Jersey. His sisters, Nancy Deborah and Sarah Sheppard Ranney, were both graduates of Mount Holyoke Seminary, Massachusetts. The former (now de- parted) for many years had a private ladies' seminary at Elizabeth, New Jersey. Sarah mar- ried Mr. J. Austin Scott, a capitalist, of Toledo, Ohio. Sarah Sheppard Ranney Scott and hus- band are now botlı dead.

The subject of this sketch, on account of ill health was obliged to forego youthful aspirations for becoming a clergyman. After finishing his common school education, at the age of fourteen years, he began clerking in Westfield, Massaclıu- setts. Upon his marriage, at the age of twenty- one, he began to conduct his own store at Lee, Massachusetts, whence he removed to Adrian, Michigan. Thence he went to Maumee City, Ohio, where he remained for a period of about ten years; thence to Toledo, Ohio. In all of these places he continued, with varying fortunes, in the mercantile business.

Removing from Toledo, Ohio, he came to the final destination of his earthly life, arriving in Chicago in 1856. He went directly into the pro- vision commission business, on South Water Street, where he was long associated with the still surviving veteran Sherman Hall. Later lie was for some years a member of the Board of Trade, in which we need not add he was deeply interested, and at whose marvelous growth he was, with his compeers of earlier days, obliged to mar- vel greatly.

In May, 1872, he became attached to the force

of the First National Bank, serving that corpora- tion most faithfully in the capacity of Manager of the Safety Deposit Vaults, for upwards of a score of years, unto the very time of his death, March 4, 1894.

By political faith, he was a staunch Republi- can, following the progressive career of that su- premely American party in every election with his unvarying support at the ballot box. The uplifting force of his long and good life is found in the Presbyterian dogma, to which he sub- scribed by actions which "speak louder than words." At the time of his coming to our city, lie identified himself with the First Presbyterian Church, in which he was ever honorably promi- nent, acting as an Elder for long years, up to within about two years of the time of his decease. He was also warmly interested in the welfare of the Foster Mission, a time-honored school of that denomination. The Rev. Herrick Johnson offici- ated at his funeral, and he was laid at rest in Albion, Michigan.

Our departed friend belonged to no clubs, he was no society man; he belonged to his home; he was a inan for the fireside and his tried, true friends. Said one of those high in position, with whom business associations for a lengthy period had brought the subject of this sketch into close relations of importance," I would as soon have thought of our bank suddenly becoming bankrupt for some inexplicable reason, as to know that anything had gone wrong with our Deposit De- partment while it was under Mr. Ranney's super- vision." Another, standing under the shadow of lıis tomb, said, "He was an honest man in every way, church, business, social and domestic life; none could come nearer perfection than Orrin Datus Ranney. All knew him only to respect and love, as one of God's noblemen."

As the Creator does not finish the lives of any,

528

M. N. KIMBELL.

no matter how saintly, upon this lower earth, so we cannot record in worthy fulness what is most deserving of historic remembrance and emulation on the part of succeeding generations of business men, about to enter upon important duties in our vast and rapidly growing metropolis. Surely, we may trustfully believe, as he was without fear, he passed to fields of Paradise without punish- ment; as he submissively wore the cross, the crown of eternal bliss is already encircling his be- loved brow.

of Minneapolis, Minnesota, where he is engaged in the insurance business. John Ranney Hilton, born September 5, 1873, educated in the Chicago High School, unmarried.

On the 19th of January, 1881, Mr. Ranney was married to Mrs. Adeline S. Peabody, (nee Grosve- ner) a prominent family of Albion, Michigan, by the Rev. Daniel M. Cooper, of Detroit, Michigan. Their more than half a score of happy years of wedded life were not blessed by offspring. She still survives him, living at Albion, and visiting ing honored in being the associate of one in every way so worthy of the best of womankind.

Mr. Ranney was twice married, having and . his last resting place on frequent occasions, feel- leaving children only by the former marriage. The first union was with Miss Phoebe Eldredge, the ceremony being performed by the Rev. Isaac It will be seen that Mr. Ranney leaves no male child to bear his name throughout the coming years; therefore, although the good traits of fe- male descendants will loudly voice themselves in his behalf, it is especially appropriate that at this time and in this place and manner, in dignified setting, surrounded by the best of his contempo- raries, a lasting memorial be created, befitting in some degree the superlative characteristics of manhood possessed by him of whom this is written. Knapp, at Westfield, Massachusetts, April 15, 1833. Three children came to them, as follows: Charles Luce Ranney, born January 14, 1834 in Westfield, Massachusetts; went through the Civil War, and died in a hospital in Portland, Oregon, in 1890, unmarried. Ellen Maria Ranney, born July 5, 1839, in Lee, Berkshire County, Massa- chusetts, died in childhood at Maumee City; Alice Maria Ranney, born July 5, 1849 at Maumee City, Ohio; educated at Miss Ranney's Private It is to be regretted that some fuller record of Mr. Ranney's lineal ancestry is not available; for the present it is known that his maternal grand- parents were Timothy and Elizabeth Gibbons, and that the preceding in the male line was Peter Gibbons. It is unnecessary to call attention to those prominent in this family, a Cardinal being in the mouths of us all, at first mention. The pa- ternal grandfather was Jonathan Ranney. School in Elizabeth, New Jersey, and later a graduate of the Chicago Dearborn Seminary. She married December 10, 1868, Walter Weeks Hilton, a banker of early Chicago, by whon she las two children: Myra Fisk Hilton, born Sep- tember 27 1869, educated at the Chicago Dear- born Seminary; and married June 26, 1889, to Mr. William Z. Mead, formerly of Virginia, now

MARTIN N. KIMBELL.

M ARTIN NELSON KIMBELL, one of the most public-spirited of Cook County's pio- neers, who ably bore his part in promoting its moral and intellectual progress, as well as aid-

ing in its material prosperity, was born in Still- water Township, Saratoga County, New York, January 24, 1812. He was the eldest child of Abel Kimbell and Maria Powell. The former

529

M. N. KIMBELL.

was born at Pownal, Bennington, County, Ver- mont, and was a son of Noah Kimbell, a native of Rhode Island, who removed to Vermont while a young man. The last-named was of Scotch- Irish descent, and a farmer and miller by occu- pation. He joined the Continental forces and took part in the battle of Bennington. Abel Kimbell, in early life, removed to Saratoga County, New York, where his death occurred in 1833 at the age of forty-two years. He was a veteran of the War of 1812.

Mrs. Maria Kimbell died in Saratoga County, New York, in 1830. Her mother, whose maiden name was Nelson, was of Dutch descent, and her father's name was Frost Powell. He was of English-Welsh extraction, son of Obadiah Powell, a Quaker, who died in Saratoga County at the age of nearly one hundred years. Some time previous to the Revolutionary War he removed thither from Dutchess County, New York, with his wife Betsy, bringing all their belongings on a pack pony. They became the parents of three sons and eight daughters, all of whom lived to extreme old age. During the Revolutionary struggle, Obadiah Powell was much censured by his neighbors on account of his non-combatant principles. and most of his personal property was confiscated. He was steadfast in his convictions, however, and lived to become one of the leading farmers of the county. At the age of ninety-eight years he husked several baskets of corn and car- ried them to the loft of his carriage house. His house was a favorite gathering-place of his nu- merous descendants, including the subject of this sketch, who was the recipient of considerable at- tention from the old gentleman on account of his being the first great-grandchild. , About 1840 Frost Powell moved to Wisconsin, settling near Waterford, in Racine County, where he died a few years later.

Martin N. Kimbell was but six years old when the family moved to Windham, Bradford County, Pennsylvania, and a few years later another remov- al was made to Tioga County, New York. Though his parents were able to equip him with little other education, they implanted in his mind those upright and honorable principles which, with the

habits of industry, frugality and sobriety acquired in early youth, admirably fitted him for the battle of life. At the age of twelve years he began working out among the neighboring farmers, his first wages being $4 per month. The money earned in this way was spent for schooling-most of his education being obtained after he had passed the age of eighteen years. At the age of twenty he returned to Saratoga County, New York, where he was employed as foreman upon a large farm at the extraordinary salary of $11 per month, the other help receiving from $6 to $8. So satisfactory were his services that he was offered still farther advance in salary, but after a few years he again went to Tioga County and taught school for several terms at a salary of $15 per month, "boarding around." Having heard wonderful tales of the great West, in 1836 he came to Chicago. His first employment here was at farm work and teaming. In the fall of the same year he made a claim to a quarter-section of land in Jefferson Township, now inside of the city limits, and in the spring of 1837 built a shanty of hay on his claim. In 1838 he purchased this land, paying to the middle man who secured the title from the Government, the sum of $2.50 per acre in annual installments of $100. The same year he built a frame house near the location of his late residence, and engaged in active farming operations. Four years later he rented a hotel on Milwaukee Avenue, at the corner of the thor- oughfare now known as Warner Avenue. This house was at that time known as "The Prairie Grocery," but he changed its name to " Live and Let Live." Although this enterprise was quite successful, he resolved to abandon it because it did not provide satisfactory environment for his growing family, and two years later he returned to his farm, which was his home during the rest of his life. At one time his farm comprised two hundred and seventeen acres, most of which has been subdivided in city lots. In addition to his farmning operations he engaged for some years in jobbing and general contracting. In 1849 he began to grade and plank the highway known as Milwaukee Avenue, and built about three miles thereof, and was afterward employed for five

530

M. N. KIMBELL.

years as superintendent of the Northwestern Plank Road Company. His winters were spent in getting out oak plank for this purpose in the Desplaines woods, and some of the timber is still found in the grade of that thoroughfare. Mr. Kimbell was also interested in several other en- terprises, and was for eleven years a director of the National Bank of Illinois. He was always a firm friend of the cause of education. Two terms of school were kept in his house, during which time he boarded the teacher gratuitously, and he often contributed money in excess of his school tax for the purpose of securing capable teachers. The first schoolhouse in his district was built by himself and two neighbors at their own expense. He was a school officer for thirty years, giving of his time and labor for the benefit of the public schools without hope of reward.

In early life he was a Democrat, but upon the passage of the fugitive slave law he renounced that party, and during the agitation which fol- lowed that act, he several times sheltered runaway negroes in his house, and rendered them other assistance in escaping from their pursuers. He made no secret of these acts, but such was the respect with which lie was held in the community that no one interfered with this practical demon- stration of his principles. Upon the organization of the Republican party, he became one of its strongest supporters, and consistently held to that course ever after. He was a member of the first Board of Supervisors of Cook County, and served as Deputy Sheriff at one time. Three of his sons served in the Union Army during the Civil War, in Battery A, First Illinois Light Artillery, and Mr. Kimbell spent most of his time for three years in sanitary and benevolent work for the soldiers. The first contribution of $300 which he raised, was the proceeds of a ball at the Jefferson Town Hall. In this and other ways he subse- quently contributed largely to the funds of the Sanitary Commission.

Mr. Kimbell was married on the 31st of Au- gust, 1837, to Sarah Ann Smalley. Her father, Nehemiah Smalley, died in 1836, soon after com- ing to Chicago with his family. Mrs. Kimbell was born in Madison County, New York, April 16,

1816, and has been an able helpmeet of her hus- band during their long and laborious career. Of their children, Charles B. is now living retired at Hinsdale, Illinois; Julius W. is their second son; Spencer S. is the third; Anne Maria (now deceased) was the wife of Jacob Stryker; Frank A. is a resident of Missouri; Angeline, Mrs. E. H. Smalley, resides at Caledonia, Minnesota; Martin N., the fifth son, resides on part of the old homestead; and Edward C. is a resident of Los Angeles, California. Three of the sons still reside near the old homestead. All are well- known business men, and the firms with which they are connected and manage, have furnished more stone and brick for Chicago buildings than any other firm in existence. Mr. and Mrs. Kimbell had twenty-eight grandchildren and nine great-grandchildren, beside seventeen children and grandchildren by marriage, at the time of his demise. When congregated at the old home- stead, this family exceeds in number the gather- ings which took place at the house of Obadiah Powell in Mr. Kimbell's childhood.

Mr. Kimbell was a Universalist for fifty-seven years. He contributed toward the building of five churches in the city of Chicago, and was a member of the Church of the Redeemer. All the members of the family cherish the same faith.

Endowed by nature with a strong and vigorous constitution, he always enjoyed good health until about the year 1890, when he began to have trouble with his feet, which gradually developed into gangrene. This continued to increase stead- ily until, in January, 1895, it was decided by a council of physicians that in order to save, or even prolong his life and relieve the intense suf- fering he was enduring, it would be necessary to amputate his left leg above the knee. This was accordingly done, with his full consent, and with the hope on the part of the family that his other- wise robust constitution would enable him to rally from the operation. But his advanced age of eighty-three years was against him, and lie sank gradually until the end, which came Febru- ary 13, 1895. The last years of his life were spent in quiet retirement, surrounded by his numerous family, enjoying the fruits of a life of

531

A. J. GALLOWAY.

hard and honest labor, combined with temperance, benevolence and frugality, a useful and exem-

plary life well worthy of emulation by rising generations.

ANDREW J. GALLOWAY.

NDREW JACKSON GALLOWAY, one of back, as there were then no roads over the moun. the pioneer railroad builders of Illinois, has tains. The Pierce family was very early identi- fied with the colony of New Jersey. witnessed the growth of the State from a few scattered hamlets to one of the most populous and Of Andrew Galloway's ten children, two died in infancy; the subject of this sketch is the fourth, and beside him, but three are living, namely: Julia, widow of Francis S. Galloway, Sarah J., widow of William Bedford, both residing in Chi- cago; and George, now of Jackson County, Ore- gon. wealthy commonwealths of the Union, and is still vigorous of mind and hale in body. He inherits from his Scotch ancestry those subtle qualities of mind which make the successful business man1 and the vigorous constitution which enables men to carry on continuous and fatiguing enterprises. His father, Andrew Galloway, was born in Done- Andrew J. Galloway was born near Butler, the seat of Butler County, Pennsylvania, December 21, 1814. Before he was six years old, his father moved to the vicinity of Corydon, then the capi- tal of Indiana, and in 1823 settled on a farm in Clark County, same State, where he remained ten years. He died in Marseilles, La Salle Coun- ty, Illinois, in October, 1843, of congestive fever contracted while making preliminary improve- ments on a farm which he had just located. His age was sixty-six years. gal, Ireland, and emigrated to Fayette County, Pennsylvania, during the first year of the present century. His ancestors were among those who fled from the persecution of the Protestants in Scotland to the North of Ireland, and their descendants are now numerous in America, in- cluding many enterprising and successful business men. Several brothers of Andrew Galloway set- tled in America. Robert G. also located in Fay- ette County, Pennsylvania. John settled at Bal- timore, Maryland, and Samuel went to New · York, whence he removed, in 1836, to La Salle County, Illinois.

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Album of genealogy and biography, Cook County, Illinois, 19th ed., Part 77

Author: Publication date: 1900 Publisher: Chicago : La Salle Book Co. Number of Pages: 908

Author:
Publication date: 1900
Publisher: Chicago : La Salle Book Co.
Number of Pages: 908