Album of genealogy and biography, Cook County, Illinois, 2nd ed., Part 16

Author:
Publication date: 1895
Publisher: Chicago : Calumet Book & Engr. Co.
Number of Pages: 808

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In 1856, Mr. Tobey purchased his present farm near Worth Station. It was then a tract of wild land, but he at once began to clear and cultivate it, and now has a finely improved farm, supplied with all modern accessories and conveniences. He has bought and sold considerable real estate, and this branch of his business has also proved to him a good source of income. For ten years after locating on his farm, his nearest postoffice was Blue Island, a distance of nine miles, but through his efforts offices were established at Worth, South Mount Forest and Grosskopf. For a year after this result was attained the mail

was brought from Blue Island by private enter- prise, for the Government had not then estab- lished a mail route. Mr. Tobey, in connection with two other men, supported the mail route by subscription.

On the 8th of January, 1858, Mr. Tobey was united in marriage with Elizabeth Van Horn, daughter of A. C. Van Horn, of Homer, Ill. They had three children: John Dillon, a dealer in hay, grain and ice, in Chicago; Emma, wife of F. Hepperley, of Norfolk, Neb .; and Marion, wife of John Elliott, of Winside, Neb. The mother of this family passed away February 14, 1870, at the age of thirty years. She was a member of the Methodist Church.

Mr. Tobey was married to his second wife, Elizabeth M. Burt, daughter of Alvin Burt, of Westport, N. Y., January 8, 1874. She was the mother of one child, Charles Clifford Tobey. She passed away June 14, 1892, at the age of forty-seven years.

Mr. Tobey attends the services of the Meth- odist Church at Worth, which was built upon land contributed by him. In earlier years he was a Republican, but since the formation of the Prohibition party has been identified with that movement. He has never sought, nor would he accept, public office. He has witnessed the mar- velous development of Chicago and Cook County for more than forty years, and has borne no small part therein, ever striving to promote the moral and intellectual growth of the community as well as its material prosperity.

HIRAM PRATT CRAWFORD

IRAM PRATT CRAWFORD, a real-estate dealer of Crawford's Station, Chicago, is a native of the Empire State, his birth having occurred in Buffalo on the 3d of January, 1831.

He is a son of Peter Crawford, whose biography will be found elsewhere in this work. He at- tended the public schools of Buffalo and Chicago. At the age of nineteen, he was established by his

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FRANK H. NOVAK.

father in a lumber-yard in Marengo; and when the railroad was extended to Belvidere, he removed to that place, whence he afterward went to Rock- ford, Ill. In 1855, he became a resident of Gales- burg, where he carried on business for two years. Since 1857, he has resided at the old homestead, where he is engaged in looking after his exten- sive real-estate interests. The original farm pur- chased by his father has constantly increased in value, and now includes some of the most valuable suburban property adjacent to the city.

In 1870, Mr. Crawford married Miss Sarah A. Launt, daughter of Lewis Launt, of Hamden, Delaware County, N. Y., the birthplace of Mrs.

Crawford. Three children graced this union, namely: Sadie B., wife of M. D. Broadway, of Chicago; Nettie S., and Jessie L., deceased. The parents and their children hold membership with the Baptist Church. In his political views, Mr. Crawford is a Republican, and stanchly advocates the principles of that party. He has filled vari- ous positions of trust, having been Assessor, Tax Collector and Superintendent of Public Works in Cicero Township. Mr. Crawford is a gentleman of rare physical strength for one of his years. He is kindly in manner, hospitable, and deeply in- terested in the growth and progress of Chicago.

FRANK H. NOVAK.

- RANK H. NOVAK, a leading attorney of West Pullman, was born near Iowa City, Johnson County, Iowa, on the 16th of No- vember, 1862, and is a son of Frank and Barbara Novak, who are still living on a farm near Iowa City. The former is a native of Vienna, Austria. He crossed the Atlantic to America in 1858, and became one of the pioneer settlers of Johnson County, Iowa. He is now one of its most ex- tensive farmers and representative citizens. His wife, who was born near Praug, Austria, is a daughter of Frank and Mary Hiek, early settlers of Lynn County, Iowa, who emigrated to America from Praug, Austria, in 1855.

In taking up the personal history of our sub- ject, we present to our readers the life record of one who is both widely and favorably known in this section of Cook County. After attending the common schools, he entered the Iowa City Commercial College, from which he was graduated in the Class of '85. He then engaged in teach-

ing for several terms, and met with good success in that line of work. He afterward became a student in the Iowa State University, of Iowa City, and, on the completion of the collegiate course, entered the law department, having de- termined to become a member of the legal pro- fession. He received his diploma in 1889, and was thereby entitled to admission to the Bar and to practice in the federal courts.

Immediately after completing his law studies, Mr. Novak opened an office in Iowa City, and was there engaged in business until August, 1893, when he crossed the Mississippi into Illi- nois and located at West Pullman, where he has since made his home, becoming the leading at- torney of that growing suburb, and doing business as a lawyer and loan and collection agent. He is also interested in real-estate and in live-stock investments near Iowa City, where the breeding of English Shire horses and Red Polled cattle is made a specialty.

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JOHN J. LEAHY.

On the 28th of March, 1890, Mr. Novak was united in marriage with Miss Nellie M. Burke, daughter of Thomas Burke, a resident of Oxford, Iowa. The lady is a native of Ottawa, Illinois. Their union has been blessed with one child, Marie Barbara.

The parents both attend the Catholic Church. Mr. Novak is a member of the Knights of Pythias fraternity, the Knights of the Maccabees and the Order of Red Men. In politics, he is a Democrat,

and warmly advocates the principles of that party. He has held a number of public offices, was Town- ship Clerk both in Lucas and Monroe Townships of Johnson County, Iowa, was Assessor of Mon- roe Township, and filled other positions of public trust. Mr. Novak is a gentleman of pleasing address, good business judgment and marked pro- fessional ability, making friends of all with whom he comes in contact in either business or social relations.

JOHN J. LEAHY, M. D.

OHN J. LEAHY, M. D., who is successfully engaged in the practice of medicine in Le- mont, was born in April, 1863, and is a na- tive of County Limerick, Ireland. His father, Thomas Leahy, was a native of Tipperary, and his mother, Margaret Leahy, of Kitteely. The Doctor acquired his primary education in the na- tional schools of the Emerald Isle, and then began the study of medicine in the College of Surgeons in Dublin, where he remained for three years. In 1883, he emigrated from Ireland, and in Sep- tember of that year reached Chicago, where he be- came a student in Rush Medical College. He there spent two years, and still another year in the Cook County Hospital. 1

In April, 1885, Dr. Leahy acted upon the ad- vice given to the young men of America by the sage of Chappaqua and went West, settling at Delmar Junction, Clinton County, Iowa. At- tracted by the inducements offered at Lemont, however, he, in the autumn of the year 1885 settled in this place, where he has enjoyed a large and constantly increasing practice. Much of the

time Dr. Leahy has been employed by corpora- tions working large forces of men. From 1886 to 1891, he was surgeon for the Santa Fe Railroad Company, and during the year 1892 he was physician and surgeon for the firm of Frazier & Chalmers, manufacturers of mining machinery at Chicago, where he was busily engaged, having in charge a thousand men and their families. Since the beginning of 1894, he has been physician and surgeon to the Illinois Stone Company, and also to Section 5 of the Drainage Canal at Lemont, in addition to his general practice.

In 1887, Dr. Leahy married Miss Margaret Reardon, of Lemont, daughter of Thomas and Helen Reardon, whose sketch appears elsewhere in this volume. Three bright and beautiful chil- dren, two girls and a boy, have blessed this un- ion. They are Clara Louise, John J. and Mar- ion. Dr. Leahy's cheerful disposition makes him many friends, professionally and otherwise, and he enjoys a large and lucrative practice. He has one brother in this country, Rev. Patrick Leahy, of Lyons, Iowa.

C. N. In Cormick

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CYRUS H. McCORMICK.

CYRUS HALL McCORMICK.

YRUS HALL McCORMICK, measured by his achievements and their influence upon mankind, must rank as one of the greatest benefactors of modern times. This statement is, perhaps, a comprehensive one, but it is not un- warranted by facts, and indeed was given an au- thoritative stamp when, in the latter years of Mr. McCormick's life, he was chosen a corresponding member of the French Academy of Sciences, on the ground of his having done more for the cause of agriculture than any other living man. Why this broad and generous tribute? Why is the name of Cyrus Hall McCormick remembered and honored, and why will his memory hold a sacred niche in Fame's enduring temple throughout all coming time? To answer queries of this nature we must give a brief sketch of the life, the influ- ences, and the labors of him concerning whom they are asked.

The McCormick family lived in Rockbridge County, Virginia. They were descendants of an early settler in that portion of the State, who had been invited thither by the fertile fields lying in the broad valley between the Shenandoah and Blue Ridge mountain ranges. It was here that Cyrus Hall McCormick was born on the 15th of February, 1809. His parents were Robert and Mary Ann (Hall) McCormick, and their circun1- stances, while perhaps not warranting luxurious living, were, nevertheless, conducive to comfort and the peaceful enjoyments common to that pe- riod. It was an era when modern frivolities and diversions were comparatively unknown, and when the hearts of men and women found their sweetest solace in the regularly recurring services held in the little church. Light literature was there unknown, and books of travel, history and biog-

raphy were almost equally scarce. As a conse- quence, the Bible was much read in the homes of the people, and its precepts were more carefully instilled into the minds of its students than is com- mon in this push-and-hurry age of ours. The parents of young McCormick were recognized by their neighbors as the possessors of marked abil- ity and integrity of character, and their lives and actions were shaped in conformity with the best ideals of Christianity.

It was amid surroundings such as these that the subject of this sketch acquired those traits which mark the career of the successful inan, and to which men of all times and of all nations have paid the tribute of their admiration and their praise. This schooling of his character at home was supplemented by young McCor- mick's attendance upon the "Old Field " school, where the rudiments of book knowledge were acquired, and this was further enhanced by an evident desire for knowledge not found in books, a knowledge of the practical, of the common things about him. Genius is rarely an accidental trait, and it will be seen that the natural environments in which young Cyrus lived were shaping his destiny. His father was a man of more than or- dinary ability, himself a student throughout all the years of his life, with an inclination toward in- vention, and indeed an inventor in fact, as sever- al useful devices are accredited to his ingenuity in this line. He was extensively engaged in farming, and had upon his premises both black- smith and wood-working shops for the prompt re- pairing of the various farm implements, as occa- sion demanded. He appears to have been fond of the workshop, and it was but natural that he should give considerable time and attention to the

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CYRUS H. McCORMICK.

construction of experimental devices as they sug- gested themselves to him. Among some of the improvements resulting from his experiments were a hemp-breaking machine, a threshing-machine, and a blacksmith's bellows. As early as 1809, he conceived the idea of a grain-cutting mechan- ism, and in the summer of 1810 his conception had assumed a tangible form and was taken into the field for practical test. The cutting device consisted of a system of rotary saws, revolving past the edges of stationary knives, so as to cut like shears. A witness who saw its performance in tlie grain field described it as " a somewhat fright- fuí looking piece of machinery when moving." It failed to meet the expectations of its inventor and was laid aside, though the idea of the reaper kept possession of him for several years thereafter, and he in fact made one or two subsequent at- tempts to perfect the machine, but without success.

To his father's experiments and failures young Cyrus paid much attention, and it is not un- likely that at an early age he brought himself to believe that he would some time bring order out of the chaos which had marked the elder's reap- er-inventing career. He had a natural liking for mechanical inventions, and spent a goodly portion of his time in his father's workshops, becoming quite an adept in the use of the various tools. At the age of fifteen he made a grain cradle, by the use of which he was enabled to go into the har- vest field and keep pace with the older laborers. A little later he constructed a hill-side plow, a practical and useful invention, which threw alter- nate furrows either right or left. This was pat- ented, but was in turn superseded by his horizon- tal self-sharpening plow. It was at the age of twenty-two that he determined to devote his en- ergies to the reaper; and with his father's fail- ures before him plainly showing what was im- practicable, and perhaps offering vague suggest- ions as to what the practicable machine must be, he dreamed, he thought, and he worked. He first convinced himself that the principle adopted by his father was fundamentally wrong, he believing tilat the cutting device should give way to a hori- zontal reciprocating blade, which should operate upon the grain in mass. Deciding upon the de-

tails of such a machine, he set to work with his own hands to combine them in wood and iron. He became so deeply absorbed in his work that his father, remembering his own futile attempts in the same line, sought to discourage the boy, telling him that he was wasting both his time and talents. Happily, however, Cyrus saw deeper, and with that persistence which was an inborn trait of his character, continued on in his work, and in the summer of 1831 went into a field of grain with the first successful reaper that was ever built. The distinguishing features of that machine were the reciprocating blade, operating in fixed fingers; the platform for receiving the falling grain; the reel to draw the grain back to the knives; and the divider, to separate the grain to be cut from that left standing. These features and their combina- tion must be credited to the genius and skill of Cyrus Hall McCormick. They are found in all grain-cutting machines now extant, of whatso- ever name or nature, and to dispense with them " would be to wipe every reaper out of existence."

The words quoted are from "Knight's New Me- chanical Dictionary," compiled and edited by Ed- ward H. Knight, A. M., LL. D., in charge of the classifications and publications of the United States Patent Office.

When the field experiment had demonstrated the practical utility of his invention, it was tem- porarily relegated to a secondary place in the mind of its inventor. To enter at once upon the work of building machines for general use would involve an expenditure and obligation which, at that time, it was felt, could not be assumed; and therefor, more perhaps as a stepping-stone than otherwise, Mr. McCormick entered into a partner- ship for the smelting of iron ore, a business which appears to have moved along smoothly and with some degree of success until the panic of 1837, when it went down in the general crash which carried with it so many older and more preten- tious enterprises. Looking out upon the wreck, Cyrus McCormick saw all material interests reced- ing from him; looking within, he saw a sturdy young manhood, and felt the red blood of ambi- tion coursing through his veins. Little time was spent in repining. The first thing to be done --

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or at least to be provided for-was the payment of every obligation which the firm had assumed, and to this end Mr. McCormick sacrificed all his possessions, including the farm which his father had given him. Then, with his face turned toward the light, with faith in himself and the reaper, he cast about him for ways and means for the further improvement of his machine, its manu- facture and sale. Like most stories of great suc- cesses, this is the story of small beginnings, many vicissitudes and perplexities, and some anxiety ; but over all the rainbow of hope. The shops of the old Virginia farm were utilized as " factories " during the first few years, and, as may be imag- ined, the annual output of machines was insig- nificant until the year 1845, when it was decided to start a plant at Cincinnati, Ohio. Arrange- ments were also made at this time with a firm at Brockport, New York, for building the reaper on a royalty. It was thought that from these two points the East and West could be supplied, but the popularity of the grain cutter outran the ex- pectations of its inventor, and, to accelerate the de- velopment of the regions farther west, a demand for it sprang up and became so general that it was decided to again enlarge the plant, increase the facilities, and locate near the great and grow- ing market of the West. Accordingly, in 1847, the McCormick Reaper Works became one of the great industries of the young city of Chicago. In 1848 seven hundred machines were built and sold, and from that time to this the business has shown a steady growth, until its proportions are well nigh amazing. The present capacity of the Mc- Cormick Reaper Works exceeds 150,000 machines every year; and, with the possible exception of India, there is no grain and grass growing coun- try beneath the sun where the McCormick ma- chines are not employed in garnering the crop.

After the assured success of the reaper at home, Mr. McCormick took measures to bring it to the attention of the agriculturists of the Old World. As an initial step in this direction, the machine was placed on exhibition at the first World's Fair, held in London in 1851. It was at a time when English eyes were given to the casting of unfriend- ly glances toward whatever emanated from Yan-

keedom, and the McCormick reaper was not al- lowed to escape the ridicule of the press, the London Times characterizing it as "a cross between an Astley chariot and a wheelbarrow." Before the Exposition season closed, however, the reaper completely conquered prejudice and the Times made the amende honorable by stating editorially that it was " alone worth the entire ex- pense of the Exhibition," and the Great Council Medal was awarded to Mr. McCormick on the ground of the originality and value of his inven- tion. From this moment fame and fortune were assured, and there were no fields either at home or abroad in which McCormick was not conquer- or. At the UniversalExposition at Paris, in 1855, he was awarded the Grand Prize. Again at Paris in 1867 he gained the Grand Prize and decoration by the Emperor with the Cross of the Legion of Hon- or. It was at this time that M. Eugene Tisseraud, Director-General of the Imperial Domains, said: " The man who has labored most in the general distribution, perfection and discovery of the first practical reaper is assuredly Mr. McCormick, of Illinois. Equally as a benefactor of humanity and as a skillful mechanician, Mr. McCormick has been adjudged worthy of the highest distinc- tion of the Exposition." A third triumph was secured at Paris in 1878, when the Grand Prize was once more bestowed upon Mr. McCormick, and he was also honored by the French Academy of Sciences, as was referred to in the opening paragraph of this sketch. Many personal trib- utes might be given illustrating the high regard in which Mr. McCormick was held, and showing the recognition of the value of his invention. During his life-time honors came to him thick and fast, and it is not untimely to add here that since his death the business which he founded, and the harvesting machines which still bear his name, stand first and foremost in the business and agri- cultural world. Honors have continued to come to the McCormick, not the least of which were those secured at the World's Columbian Exposi- tion of 1893.

Cyrus Hall McCormick encountered obstacles which only a matchless energy and ability could have overcome. At the beginning of his career,

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JOHN B. TURNER.

and for a long time afterwards, he was inconveni- enced by a lack of capital and by his isolation from centres of communication and trade. He was forced to overcome the opposition originally brought to bear against all labor-saving machines. Congress refused to give him just patent protec- tion, for tlie reason that his invention was so val- uable that all should be allowed to make it ! But against all these odds he came out conqueror. Steadily he overcame every obstacle and estab- lished his claim to be a benefactor of the indus- trial world.

Man's better nature, his human side, his kind- lier, gentler self, cannot be always seen to advan- tage in the hurly-burly of an active business ca- reer, and it is pleasant to recall the memory of Cyrus Hall McCormick as he appeared to those who knew him in social life, in his home, in his church relations, and in all those varied walks that lead away from business and touch the strings of human hearts. Mr. McCormick had this gen- tler nature, and, while it is not our purpose here to rehearse the many ways in which this charac- teristic evinced itself, still a sketch of his life should contain a brief mention of those more con- spicuous acts wherein are shown the trend of his benevolence and the munificence of his philanthro- py. In 1859, at the General Assembly of the Presbyterian Church held at Indianapolis, he made a proposition to endow the professorships of the Presbyterian Theological Seminary of the Northwest, on condition that it be located at Chi-

cago. The conditions were accepted, and the seminary, which, in addition to the original en- dowment, received from Mr. McCormick numer- ous other magnificent donations, is to-day a proud monument to his liberality and nobility of heart. On the educational and religious lines of his work was also his purchase of the Interior, a news- paper established in Chicago to represent the Pres- byterian Church. In the hour of its financial struggles he purchased it, placed it upon a sound financial basis, and it is to-day one of the most able and influential religious journals published. He was also a liberal contributor to various schools and colleges in different parts of the country, those of his native Virginia coming in for gener- ous recognition at his hands.

In 1858 Mr. McCormick married Miss Nettie Fowler, daughter of Melzar Fowler, Esq., of Jeff- erson County, New York. Four sons and three daughters were born to them, two of whom, a son and a daughter, died in infancy. The surviving children are: Cyrus Hall McCormick, now Presi- dent of the McCormick Harvesting Machine Com- pany; Mary Virginia; Anita, widow of the late Emmons Blaine; Harold and Stanley.

Mr. Mc Cormick died on the 13th of May, 1884. His life was rounded out by something more than the three-score and ten years of scriptural allot- ment; but we live in deeds, not years, and, mneas- ured by this standard, the life of Cyrus Hall Mc- Cormick was long, and ever longer groweth.

JOHN BICE TURNER.

OHN BICE TURNER, founder of the great railway system now known as the Chicago & Northwestern, will ever deserve the grat- itude of Cliicago for liis public spirit and perse- verance in carrying out his enterprises in the face

of great financial and other difficulties. The pio- neers of Chicago, whose number is rapidly grow- ing small, speak of him in the most kindly and ap- proving terms. Probably but a very small percent- age of the thousands who daily ride to and from

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JOHN B. TURNER.

the city on the "Northwestern" suburban trains ever consider the hardships endured by those who first undertook to construct a railway to the West from the struggling young city by the lake. It had 110 double track at first, and no "parlor" or "palace sleeping" cars followed its strap rails. The generation which found a modern-equipped line ready for its accommodation can little under- stand the conditions that obtained when John B. Turner laid the first "T" rails in Illinois.

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Album of genealogy and biography, Cook County, Illinois, 2nd ed., Part 16

Author: Publication date: 1895 Publisher: Chicago : Calumet Book & Engr. Co. Number of Pages: 808

Author:
Publication date: 1895
Publisher: Chicago : Calumet Book & Engr. Co.
Number of Pages: 808