USA > Illinois > LaSalle County > Biographical and genealogical record of La Salle County, Illinois. Volume I > Part 30
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Owen W. Huff's birthplace was in Luzerne, now Wyoming, county, ' Pennsylvania, but his first recollections are of Ohio, whither his parents had taken him in his infancy. He went to the district school and to one in Columbus, the state capital, then a mere village. His first regular employ- ment was as a farm hand, his wages being four dollars a month and board, and later he was paid double that amount. Going to Portsmouth, Ohio, he spent some time there and made a reputation for reliability and trustworthi- ness that resulted in his appointment to superintend the construction of fifty- one miles of railroad between Vicksburg and Jackson, Mississippi. He
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received seventy-five dollars a month and board while acting in this respon- sible position, and most of the time for months was on horseback, riding back and forth along the line of the road. When the railroad had been completed he returned to Delaware county, Ohio, and purchased fifty acres of land in the woods. This property he soon disposed of, at the rate of five dollars an acre. Then going to Cincinnati he entered the employ of his brother John, and while there he was offered a position in the state penitentiary at Colum- bus, Ohio. He accepted the place and remained there for twenty years, investing the amount which he saved from his salary in local real estate. Some property which he owned on Main street, near the depot, he sold later at a price three times as great as the purchase price. His next move was to come to Illinois, and, locating upon a farm of two hundred and six- teen acres in the vicinity of Elgin, Kane county, he cultivated the place for about two years. A favorable opportunity then presenting itself, lie sold the farm, for which he had paid seven thousand dollars, and realized just three thousand dollars on the transaction. From 1858 to 1874 he was engaged in the wholesale liquor business in Ottawa, and since selling out in the last named year he has been retired, merely looking after his various investments.
For half a century Mr. Huff was cheered and assisted in all his under- takings by the presence of his devoted wife, who was a woman of rare traits of mind and character, and was respected and loved by all who knew her. Mrs. Huff bore the maiden name of Julia Winders, her father being William Winders, of Columbus, Ohio. She was born in West Virginia, and removed to the Buckeye state with her parents when she was quite young. Four children blessed the marriage of Mr. and Mrs. Huff, namely: Charles E., now of Pollard, Oregon; Minnie H., wife of Henry Aronstine, of Anderson, Indiana; Eliza, who, with her husband, George Sherman, is deceased; and Alice, who died when in her twenty-second year. The loving wife and mother was summoned to her reward on the 16th of January, 1893, mourned by all who had ever known her.
I. N. BEEM.
One of the old and reliable business houses of Ottawa has, as a member of the firm, the subject of this article, I. N. Beem, who is of German descent, though his family has been located in the United States for several generations. His grandfather, Michael Beem, was a hero of the Revolution- ary war, and the same spirit of devotion which he manifested toward his country in that crucial period of its history has animated his descendants. He married and reared to maturity eight sons and three daughters.
One of the sons, Jacob Beem, born in 1799, was the father of our sub-
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ject. He was an early settler in Licking county, Ohio, and lived to attain the age of seventy-six years. His wife, whose maiden name was Phoebe Rose, was a daughter of Philip Rose, and was a native of the Buckeye state. She survived her husband several years, dying likewise at the age of seventy- six years. They were the parents of ten children, of whom, Milton died in Oregon; Orrin, a soldier during the civil war, was accidentally killed at Marion, Ohio; his home was in Richmond, Ohio; Albert died at Macomb, Illinois; Jacob is a farmer of Richwood, Ohio; P. Andrew and Stephen G. were soldiers in the Union army in the war of the Rebellion; both died in the service; Arminta Frances is the wife of Adam Marrow, of Union county, Ohio; and Lewis and Benjamin F. are residents of Richwood, Ohio.
I. N. Beem was born in Licking county, Ohio, August 7, 1832. He received a liberal education for that day in the schools of the neighborhood and Columbus, Ohio; learned the tailor's trade of his uncle, Philip Rose, and came to Illinois in 1850, settling at Magnolia. He engaged in the merchant tailoring business. He entered a quarter section of land from the govern- ment, near Wenona, and moved on and improved it. He remained at that town for three and a half years, then going to Henry, where he gave his time and attention to the grocery business for several years. He went to Columbus, Ohio, and engaged in the merchant tailoring business until 1866, when he went to Arkansas, and raised a crop of cotton. In 1867 he camne to Ottawa, and in 1871 became a member of the firm with which he has continued ever since. This well known business house, which was estab- lished in 1867 under the style of Fiske, Strickland & Wing, has gone by its present title, Fiske & Beem, for the past twenty-eight years. Prosperity has smiled upon the efforts of this firm to give ample satisfaction to their customers, and their straightforward, just methods of transacting business merit the esteem which they enjoy.
On the 3Ist of January, 1856, Mr. Beem married Miss Mary Clarkson, a daughter of William and Sarah (Alexander) Clarkson, of Putnam county, Illinois. Three children bless the marriage of our subject and wife, namely: William Orrin, who is carrying on a fruit farm at West Plains, Howell county, Missouri; Frances, who became the wife of Charles Bradford, and died, leaving one child, Clarkson Beem; and Fred Clarkson, of Kansas City, Missouri. William O., the elder son of Mr. Beem, married Miss Bronson and has three children, Fanny May, Belle and William. Mrs. Mary C. Beem, who was a member of the Episcopal church, died in 1874. Three years later Mr. Beem was united in marriage with Miss Vilda Prescott, whose death occurred in 1880, one child, Vilda, being left to mourn her mother's loss. The lady who now bears the name of our subject, to whom she was married in 1882, was formerly Miss Annie M. Connell, of Columbus, Ohio.
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The handsome residence of the Beem family is located at No. 609 Illinois avenue. Socially Mr. Beem stands high in the Masonic order, being connected with Occidental Lodge. No. 40. In his political views he is an uncompromising Republican, and at present is serving in the capacity of alderman of Ottawa.
F. L. Fiske, the senior member of the firm of Fiske & Beem, has been an honored citizen of Ottawa for the long period of forty-three years, and has been prominently associated with its progress. He was born in Norwich, Connecticut, in 1840, and thus has passed the best years of his life here. He is independent in politics, using his ballot without regard to party, solely with reference to the principal issues and nominees in question. He stands well in various social orders of this place, and is justly accounted one of the most popular of our pioneer citizens.
THOMAS F. NOON.
Thomas F. Noon was born in Peru, Illinois, March 7, 1857, and is a son of Michael and Winifred (Meathe) Noon, who were natives of county Mayo, Ireland. The father was born in 1825. and the mother in 1829, and after their marriage they sailed to the United States, in 1852. Coming to Peru, they made a permanent settlement here, and were thenceforth num- bered among the enterprising citizens of this place. The father died in October, 1886, and the mother is still living in her Peru home. In 1861. during the civil war, Mr. Noon's father enlisted as a private in Company H. Fifty-eighth Illinois Volunteer Infantry, and was promoted to the rank of corporal. His term of enlistment expired February 7, 1865, and on the 21st of the following month he veteranized, becoming a member of Company B. Fifth United States Regulars, which was attached to the Third Army Corps, and was under the command of General. Hancock. He received an honor- able discharge at the end of one year, March 21, 1866, and returned home. Faithful and trustworthy in the performance of his duties, he won the praise and commendation of his superiors and the respect of his comrades in the ranks.
Thomas F. Noon is one of the five children born to his parents, the others being Ann, John E., Eliza and William Harry. Mr. Noon was edu- cated in the schools of Peru, and when fourteen years of age he entered upon his business career. For ten years he was connected with the drug business, and in the meantime also served as assistant postmaster of Peru for nine years, and meanwhile he also served as city and town clerk for five years. In March, 1881, he entered the employ of the Illinois Zinc Company, as a
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clerk, and was gradually promoted from time to time. In May, 1898, upon the death of Archibald Mears, the general manager of the company, Mr. Noon was called to succeed him, and he has since held this position, render- ing most acceptable service in the interests of the company. Prior to becoming general manager, Mr. Noon had served in various capacities, including clerk, pay-master and cashier, and had gained a general knowledge of the business, and thus became well qualified to fill his present responsible position.
The cause of education finds a sincere friend in Mr. Noon, who for twelve years served as a member of the Peru school board, and is now acting as its president. Politically he is a Republican, and fraternally a member of the Knights of Pythias, the Ancient Order of United Workmen and other societies. Following in the faith of his parents, he is a Catholic. In 1882, he married Miss Mary H. Xelowski, and five children bless their union, namely, Mary Henrietta, Genevieve Lucy, Helen Louise, Thomas Henry and Thaddeus Roderick.
A. J. DAUGHERTY.
A. J. Daugherty, of Streator, is the proprietor of the Cloverdale Dairy and a representative business man of this part of the state. He is widely and favorably known throughout the surrounding country, having been born in this county July 22, 1862, and is the eldest son of John and Sarah Ann (Barnhart) Daugherty. His grandparents, Thomas and Mary Daugherty, were both natives of the state of Kentucky and in that state his father also opened his eyes to the light of day. John Daugherty moved to this state and later to Missouri, in 1874. where he still lives. He was a stanch Demo- crat and contributed his influence to the success of the party. He was the father of eight children: A. J., the subject of this sketch: Harlan, a resident of Texas county, Missouri; Amos, of Arkansas; Melvin, of Texas county, Missouri; Wallace, of Streator, this state: Jacob, also of Streator; Thomas and John, of Texas county, Missouri.
Mr. Daugherty lived in this, his native county, until he was eight years old, when his parents removed to the state of Missouri, locating in Texas county, where he remained until he was nineteen and where he received his education. He then returned to the home of his early boyhood and located on the farm now occupied by him, the Cloverdale Dairy. This dairy was established by George W. Graham many years previously and the farm is one of the finest in this part of the state. It would be difficult to find a farm better adapted to the purpose for which it is used than is this one, the broad, rich meadow land being crossed by streams of the purest water,
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furnishing an abundant supply for the large herd of cattle who graze there. The large, roomy barn is kept in scrupulous order, while a silo of three hundred and seventy tons' capacity furnishes the necessary green food which is one of the essential requirements to keep a herd in the best condition through the winter months. Seventy-five head of fine Holstein cattle-cow's that would be a delight to the eyes of a lover of good stock, as they are a source of pride and profit to their owner-furnish the milk that has made this dairy one of the most successful and reputable in the county. Mr. Daugherty takes a pardonable pride in his dairy and the quality of milk placed on the market; and that his efforts in this direction are appreciated by the public is shown by his constantly increasing trade, indeed it has been found impossible to meet the demand made upon him.
February 25, 1896, he was united in the holy bonds of matrimony to Miss Amelia Turner, a daughter of Mark and Rosanna (Robinson) Turner, of Streator, this state. Mrs. Daugherty was born in Broadwood, Grundy county, but moved to Streator with her parents at an early age and was there educated and reared to a lovable womanhood. Two bright children have been added to their home,-Hazel and Byron. Mr. Daugherty is a promi- nent member of the Modern Woodmen of America and the Masonic lodges of Ottawa, and is a strong Republican, taking an active part in the workings of his party, although he has never been an aspirant for political honors.
DR. E. H. KINGERY.
E. H. Kingery, veterinary surgeon. Mendota, Illinois, was born in Center county, Pennsylvania, February 11, 1837, a son of Dr. Daniel and Susanna (Hoover) Kingery, natives of that state, he being one of their twelve children. Of that large family, nine sons and three daughters, nine are still living, namely: John. Daniel. Samuel, Ephraim H., Susanna (widow of David Goode), Mary (wife of Abe Eshelman, of Arkansas), David, Andrew and George. In early life the father was a farmer. Later he took up the medical profession, came west to Illinois in 1847 and located in Ogle county, and there practiced medicine for a period of thirty-five years. He died in Ogle county, at the age of sixty-nine years. His widow died in 1895, at the age of eighty-three years. Both were buried at Polo, this state. They were originally identified with the Evangelical church, but after coming west united with the United Brethren.
The Kingery family is of German origin and the name was formerly Gingerich. John Kingery, the grandfather of the subject of this sketch. was a native of Pennsylvania and a soldier in the Revolutionary war. Both
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he and his wife lived to a ripe old age, he being eighty at the time of death, she ninety-two. They were the parents of six sons and five daughters. The Hoovers likewise were of German origin and were among the early settlers of the Keystone state. Michael Hoover, our subject's maternal grandfather, was a native of Pennsylvania, by occupation was a farmer, and his age at death was the same as that of Grandfather Kingery,-eighty years. In the Hoover family were ten children.
Dr. E. H. Kingery was ten years old when he came with his parents to Illinois, and he was reared in Ogle county, receiving his early education in its district schools. Later he was a student at Mount Morris Academy and still later at the Western Iowa College. For ten or twelve years he fol- lowed the milling business and was thus occupied at the time the civil war broke out. In answer to a call for volunteers he left the mill and entered the Union ranks, becoming a member of Company C, One Hundred and Fifteenth Illinois Volunteer Infantry, the fortunes of which he shared two years, being first lieutenant and a part of the time commanding the com- pany. He was in the battles of Richmond, Kentucky; Franklin, Tennessee; Chickamauga; Franklin, again; Nashville, Tennessee; and Duck River, be- sides many skirmishes.
At the close of the war Mr. Kingery gave his attention to the study of veterinary surgery, under Professor Navin, of Cincinnati, and began prac- ticing in Wabash county, Illinois, in 1867. Since then he has devoted the whole of his time and attention to the practice of his profession. In the fall of 1867 he returned to Ogle county, remained there till 1878, and then located in Paw Paw, Illinois. Afterward he practiced in Arlington and Lamoille, both in this state, and from the latter place moved in 1885 to his present location in Mendota.
March 28, 1858, Dr. Kingery married Miss Mary E. Hammaker, daugh- ter of Abraham and Elizabeth (Longenecker) Hammaker, their marriage being consummated at Mount Carmel, Illinois. The fruits of their union are nine children, five sons and four daughters, whose names in order of birth are as follows: Levi, Elizabeth, Jennie, Samttel, Laura, Minnie, Frank, Le Roy and Charles. Levi married Miss Ella VanLaw and they have one child, VanLaw. They reside in Parker, South Dakota, where he has the position of foreman in the Northwestern Elevator Company. Lizzie died at the age of twenty-five years, the wife of Charles Sturdevant. Jennie mar- ried Fremont Piedlow, of Rochelle, Illinois, and they have four children,- Pearl, Wilbur, Minnie and Mabel. Samuel married Miss C. Pierson, of Creston, Iowa, and they have one child, Hazel. Samuel is a graduate of the Chicago Veterinary College, with the class of 1888, and is now assistant state veterinary of Iowa. Laura married Daniel Cushing, of Prophetstown, Illi-
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nois, and they have three children. The other members of the family are at home with their parents. Mrs. Kingery is a member of the Methodist Episcopal church.
Fraternally Dr. Kingery is identified with Mendota Lodge, No. 76, A. F. & A. M .; Modern Woodmen of America, of which he is venerable counsel; and Hill's Post, G. A. R., of Lamoille. Politically he has always affiliated with the Republican party, and has served in various local official capacities. He was tax collector of Wysox township, Carroll county; deputy sheriff in Wabash county; and school trustee and school director several times. .
ALONZO F. WALBRIDGE.
For more than three-score years the Walbridge family has been repre- sented in LaSalle county by honorable, industrious, patriotic citizens bearing the name. Actively concerned in the founding of the county, true to all the obligations of citizenship, and sincere and upright in all their dealings with their fellow men, none is more worthy of a prominent place in the annals of this region.
In 1685 three brothers-Henry, William and Stephen Walbridge- left their old home in Dorsetshire, England, and came to America, casting in their lot with the hardy pioneers of the New World. Henry Walbridge, the ancestor of our subject, lived in Dedham, Massachusetts, and in Preston and Norwich, Connecticut. On Christmas day, 1688, he married Miss Anna Ames, and one of their descendants was Asa, the grandfather of our subject. The parents of the latter were Alonzo and Mary (Keys) Walbridge, the father born in St. Lawrence county, New York, March 9, 1810, and the mother born September 21, 1802, in Hiram township, Vermont. She was a daughter of Parly Hughs and Esther, nee Ormsby, who were united in marriage November 19, 1778, by the Rev. Mr. Russell.
When he was seventeen years of age our subject's father removed from Bennington, Vermont, to St. Lawrence county, New York, and in 1835 came to Illinois. Two years later he became a permanent resident of LaSalle county, the remainder of his life being spent upon his farm in Rutland town- ship. There he located upon raw prairie land, which he broke and improved, and by arduous labor converted into a fertile, productive homestead, one of the best in that section. His first humble home was a very modest one, but as time passed it was supplanted by a commodious dwelling, and other substantial farm buildings were erected on the place. There being few settlers on the prairie and no fences, cattle ranged at will over the broad expanse, and Mr. Walbridge kept large herds at small expense or trouble.
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His busy and useful life was brought to a close February 26, 1875. His wife, who died several years later, November 9, 1890, was the mother of seven children, four of the number by her marriage to Mr. Keys. The others were named respectively Alonzo F., Ora D., and Edward K., and the last men- tioned is now a resident of Pittsburg, Kansas.
Alonzo F. Walbridge was born on the family homestead in Rutland township, this county, February 26, 1839. He became thoroughly familiar with the routine work of agriculture when a mere boy, and continued to assist his father at home until his marriage in his twentieth year. Even then he did not leave his birthplace, but as long as he was actively engaged in farming he cultivated the same property. After his father's death, it came into his possession by heritage and purchase, and for years it has been considered one of the most desirable farms in the county. It com- prises four hundred and fifty acres of arable, well improved land, and good farm buildings stand on the premises.
In 1890 Mr. Walbridge removed with his family to Marseilles, where he occupies a pleasant residence on West Bluff street. He was married on the 7th of February, 1858, to Miss Delilah Mick, the second daughter of Jesse and Martha (Williams) Mick, and for over forty years they have happily pursued the journey of life together. Mrs. Walbridge was born in Lan- caster county, Pennsylvania, and when quite young removed with her parents to Jefferson county, New York, and subsequently came to this county in 1855. Two daughters bless the union of our subject and wife, namely: Relief E., wife of Elihu Baxter, a farmer; and Adella D., who married William H. Millikin, likewise a tiller of the soil.
Politically Mr. Walbridge is a stanch "sixteen-to-one" Democrat, but has never found time to interfere in public affairs, even had he desired to do so. He has attended strictly to his own concerns and to the welfare of his immediate community, and is deserving of the high esteem in which he is held by all.
GEORGE W. GIBSON.
For three-score years George W. Gibson has made his home in LaSalle county, having come here from Ohio with his parents in 1838, and he is not only familiar with the history of the county, but has also contributed his part toward its growth and development.
Mr. Gibson was born in Marysville, Kentucky, March 22, 1826, and along the agnatic line traces his origin to Scotland. His grandfather, Robert Yates Gibson, was a Scotch army officer, and when a young man emigrated to this country and settled in Pennsylvania. In Cumberland. Pennsylvania,
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John Gibson, the father of George W., was born and reared. He was a soldier in the war of 1812. He married Elizabeth C. Yates, like himself a native of Pennsylvania and a descendant of Scotch ancestry. Some time after their marriage they removed to Marysville, Kentucky, where they remained for two years, going thence to Licking county, Ohio, and in 1838 coming to Illinois and establishing their home in LaSalle county, where the father purchased a farm and where he and his good wife passed the rest of their lives and died, her age at death being seventy-five years, while he attained the venerable age of eighty-six. She was for many years, and up to the time of her death, a devoted member of the Methodist Episcopal church. This worthy couple reared six children, as follows: Martha, wife of C. McKinley, is deceased; Maria is the widow of James Trenary; William, who died in Eldorado, Kansas, was a veteran of both the Mexican and civil wars, being colonel of the Fourth Illinois Infantry; George W., whose name graces this sketch, is also a veteran of the Mexican war; J. M. was likewise a soldier in the Mexican war; and Theodore, also a veteran of the Mexican and civil wars, was major of the Sixty-fourth Illinois Infantry, and has for years been a resident of Ottawa, Illinois.
George W. Gibson was a lad of eleven years when his parents first sought the Illinois prairies, and was reared in the vicinity of Ottawa, attend- ing the Ottawa schools. In 1849, in company with his brother Theodore, he started westward to seek the gold fields of California; they made the trip with ox-team and were six months on the way. En route they passed large herds of buffalo and were often in terror on account of the bands of Indians along the trail. For three years he remained in the west, engaged in mining, returning to Chicago at the end of that time and thence to his home in LaSalle county. The return trip was made by way of the Isthmus of Panama and New York city. Aside from this western mining experience, Mr. Gibson's life has been quietly devoted to agricultural pursuits. Although now seventy-three years of age, he is still active and vigorous, both physically and mentally.
Mr. Gibson was married first in 1856, to Miss Cynthia Robinson, and to them were born two children, Lewis and Clara. Lewis married Miss Flora Ditch, and they have two children, George P. and Mabel. Mrs. Cynthia Gibson died in 1861, and for his second wife Mr. Gibson married Miss Rachel Green. There were born of this marriage two children-John and Alta, who became the wife of William Miller, of Pennsylvania, and who has one child, Gertie. Mrs. Rachel Gibson died in 1883, and in 1889 Mr. Gibson was united in marriage to Mrs. Mary Ann Poole, his present companion. She was the widow of Joseph Poole, who was a native of England, and she is the mother of five children, three sons and two daughters.
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