USA > Illinois > Biographical and memorial edition of the Historical encyclopedia of Illinois > Part 82
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PRESTON W. BENTLEY.
Preston W. Bentley arrived in Bloomington in the year preceding the outbreak of the Civil war. and from then until his death, December 12, 1900, was identified with the gunsmith and brok- erage business, and earned a reputation for honesty and fair dealing. He was very success- ful but was credited with obliterating from his
brokerage transactions many of the current objectionable and extortionate features.
Born on a farm in Madison County, Ky., March 12, 1833. Preston W. Bentley was a son of William F. and Mahala (Bentley) Bentley, first cousins, and natives of Kentucky. The father died in the Old Bourbon State, and subsequently the mother
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came to MeLean County, Ill., and made her home with her son, Preston W., for thirty-five years. She reached the age of one hundred years and ten months. He was educated in the public schools and until coming to MeLean County, in 1860, engaged in farming in his native State and also for a time was a gunsmith. He was married in Kentucky, January 31, 1854, to Mary J. Hooton, a native of Clark County, Ky., born December 21, 1528. Nicholas and Shytha (Lyle; Hooton, parents of Mrs. Bentley, were born in Kentucky, and were long-lived people, the father
attaining the age of ninety-one years, and the mother living until seventy-seven years old. Mr. and Mrs. Bentley had one son, Edwin, who died at the age of five years. They lavished upon each other the affection which might otherwise have been divided with children. They led a beautiful and harmonious life, and aside from his business Mr. Bentley bad no outside Inter- ests, was little concerned in polities, and de- lighted in the welcome warmth and cheer that he always found at his own fireside.
FREDERICK ADOLPH BACIL.
Displaying an early predilection for one of the learned professions, for one of the varied and diversified fields open in the marts of com- merce and trade, or for the hazardous activities of the public arena, the ordinary individual may be given the opportunity to develop his talents in his chosen calling, and his success or failure will rest upon the manner in which he makes use of his training and directs his natural abil- ities. It is not, however, the average man who generally attains the highest position. The man who achieves distinction, who grasps the great things of life, the man to whom other men look for leadership, is more often the extraordi- nary man, one, perhaps who has had his start in obscurity, for the mere necessity of self support and self protection-which really meaus self-reliance-often develops an indwelling pow- er that under other circumstances would have been unsuspected. It requires more than the ordinary ability for a person to take upon him- self the responsibilities of manhood when still a youth, to fight his way over obstacles, aud to finally arrive in a position where he may taste the sweet fruits of victory.
The late Frederick Adolph Bach could not be called an ordinary man. Ile was still a lad when he left his studies, journeyed across the waters to America with his parents, and in the new country, of whose language and customs he had but little idea, engaged in a business which later under his wise direction developed into one of the leading enterprises of its kind in the middle west.
- Frederick Adolph Bach was born at Blochin- gen, Germany, February 13, 1564, a son of Wil- liam and Katherine Bach. His father, who was the owner of pottery works in Germany, emi- grated to the United States with his family in 1880, and, settling in Chicago, established a
drain tile business at Diversey and Clyborne avenues. Later, iu partnership with his son, be foundled brick works at Roscoe boulevard aud Western avenue, this being the first plant of its Kind in which the bricks were manufac- tured by machinery, the other factories up to that time making them by hand. This business developed into the great Bach Brick Company, the plant of which was located on Montrose bouievara, near the Chicago River, and with this business the father continued to be con- nected until the time of his death.
Frederick Adolph Bach was a direct descend- ant of the famed German musician, Johann Sebastian Bach. He was educated in the pub- lie schools of Germany, and in the meantime learned the trade of coppersmith, which, how- ever, he used at no time as a means of sub- sistence. He was sixteen years of age at the time of the family's emigration to the United States, aud as he never had any more schooling from that time forward, he may be said to have been a self-educated and self-made man; cer- tainly, the success which he gained in life came as a result of his own efforts. During his presi- dency of the Bach Brick Works, Mr. Bach de- veloped this into one of the leading concerns of the kind in the country. Among bis business associates he was looked to for advice, counsel and leadership, and they depended absolutely upon his judgment and foresight. Ile was a very active member of numerous German or- ganizations, in which he held positions of prominence, and was also a member of the Knights of Pythias and high in its councils. As a member of the German Lutheran church he identified himself with many religious and charitable movements. In political matters Mr. Bach was a Republican, but he was primarily a man of business, and the duties of good citizen-
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ship covered his activities in public matters. In 1914, while on a visit to some cousins at his old home, accompanied by his wife and children, Mr. Bach was suddenly stricken with heart dis- ease, and passed away in September of that year.
Mr. Bach was married at Chicago, July 20. 1893, to Miss Emma A. Ilage, who, like her hus- band, belonged to an old and interesting Ger- man family, and which, also like his, had its family crest. Mrs. Bach is a daughter of Henry
and Dorothy Hage, who were born in the north- ern part of Germany, and the former of whom was one of the earliest settlers of the North Side of Chicago. He came to this country dur- ing his early 'teens, experiencing all the dangers and hardships that attended such a journey in the days when sailing vessels were the only means of transportation across the ocean. Two children, Alice and Herbert, survive Mr. Bach, and with their mother reside at the family home, No. 4020 Beacon street.
THEODORE KEMP.
Theodore Kemp, president of the Illinois Wes- leyan University, was born at Rising Sun, Ind., on the Ohio River, April 16, 1SOS. He is a prominent Methodist Episcopal theologian and educator, and has been at the head of this insti- tution since 1890, at which time he settled permanently in Bloomington. Under bis admin-
istration, the college has made great progress. both in advanced methods of scholarship and in financial endowments. It now possesses twenty- eight professors and about 400 students in dif- ferent departments. Its law school has steadily increased in number of graduates, and also in the legal qualifications of its students.
LOUIS FITZHENRY.
Louis FitzHenry was born at Blooming- ton, Ill., June 13, 1870. His ancestors were Pennsylvanians, and among them were several active Revolutionary patriots. He graduated at the Illinois Wesleyan University. IIe has managed very difficult law cases, some of them while city attorney for Bloomington, and he occupies a leading position at a bar which has
always been noted for the ability and high char- acter of its members. In 1914, although a Democrat, he was elected to Congress from the Seventeenth Congressional District, which is strongly Republican, and he has already become one of his party's trusted and honored congress- men. He has a most promising future.
OLIVER HARVEY HORTON.
It would be difficult to pay more appropriate tribute to the late Judge Oliver Harvey Horton, than to give, in practically his own words, an outline of his life as prepared by him for his wife, under date of April 13, 1910. According to this resume, Judge Horton was born at Machias, Cattaraugus County, N. Y., October 20, 1835, but, as his people moved from there when he was only a year old, he knew nothing about the place of his birth. On May 16, 1855, he arrived at Chicago, and made that city his home until his death. On June 1. 1860. he en- tered the office of Hoyne. Miller & Lewis, at No. SS La Salle Street, Chicago, as a law stu- dent, and on January 1, 1864. this firm was dissolved and the new one of Hoyne. Ayer & Horton was organized. From the time he en- tered the office as student, unlocking the door in the morning, he remained there until the latter part of June, 1SST. when he commenced
his service as judge of the Circuit court, a period of over twenty-seven years. When he was elected to the bench, he was the senior member of the firm of Horton & Hoyne. This was the only case in his knowledge where a man entered an office for the study of law and remained in that same office, on the same lot, for the period indicated. Just prior to his entering this office, on May 16, 1860, the Republican convention at Chicago, nominated Abraham Lincoln for the presidency, and it was always his pride that he was at that convention and wildly enthusiastic at the nomination, and, at the ensuing election, voted for the nominee of his party. In addi- tion to his studies in the office above referred to. Judge Horton entered the Chicago Law School, then the Law Department of the Uni- versity of Chicago, afterwards the Union Col- lege of Law, and now the Northwestern Univer- sity Law School, and was graduated therefrom
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July 1, 1863, with the degree of LL. B. Judge Horton was admitted to the bar in 1863, he haying passed a separate examination under the law examining committee of which Judge Van Buren was chairman, although his diploma was enough to admit him. On December 10, 1853, he was admitted, at Washington, D. C., to prac- tice in and by the Supreme Court of the United States, and prior to that date had been admitted to practice in the Circuit Court of the United States for the Northern District of Illi- nois.
On April 26, 1887, he was appointed by Mayor John A. Roche corporation counsel for the city of Chicago, and was elected from that position to be judge of the Circuit court of Cook County. Judge Horton was further honored on June 16, 1SS7, when he was elected to the above judicial office, which was for a term of four years, the period having been increased by the act of legislature. On June 19, 1891, he was re- elected to the circuit court bench, for a period of six years, and was again re-elected June 18, 1897, for another six year term, making the period of service sixteen years in all. In 1SOS, Judge Horton was designated judge of the Appellate court of the First District (Cook County), and continued as such until he retired in 1901. On June 20, 1889, he was honored by receiving the degree of Doctor of Laws from the Northwestern University. For over forty- five years he was a member of the Chicago Law Institute, was elected president of it January 12, 1884, having been its treasurer for the years 1870. 1871 and 1872. He was a founder member of the Chicago Bar Association, having become a member in May, 1874, and from 18$7 he was a member of the State Bar Association. al- though never active in its management.
In 1865, Judge Horton became a member of Grace M. E. Church of Chicago, and continued in such membership until he moved to the south-side in 1881, when he united with Trinity M. E. Church. While connected with Grace Church, he was one of the trustees of that body; for about two years he was assistant superintendent of the Sunday School, which covered the period of the fire of 1871. At that time the school had become the largest Metho- dist home Sunday school west of the Allegheny mountains, there being about 1,200 members. Of these, there were only sixteen whose homes were not destroyed by fire. After this calamity, the building of a temporary structure for use by Grace church at once commenced and was
very soon completed. The location of the per- manent structure for the church was changed and therefore the temporary building was moved from the old to the new location. Dur- ing that removal the temporary church struc- ture was, one Sunday, standing in the middle of the street and the Sunday school was convened in it while it was thus situated. Hon. James B. Hobbs, whose eightieth anniversary was celebrated in 1910, was one of the teachers and active in the conduct of the Sunday school of that time. In the fall of 1877 and early winter of 1878, the Moody and Sankey meetings were held in Chicago. These meetings continued for more than three months, and during that period Judge Horton had entire charge of the hall, including the ushers, seating of the audiences, ete., and was never absent from but one session. Not only was he active in church work, but he was chairman of the lecture committee of the Young Men's Christian Association, and as such had charge of all the lectures given under the auspices of this organization of Chicago for a number of years, commencing prior to the Great Fire. Ile also had charge of the hall, ushers and seating of the audiences during the entire session of the Sam Jones and Sam Small meet- ings at Chicago. For some years he was presi- dent of the Methodist Social Union, and was many times a delegate to and member of every session of the Rock River Lay Electoral Con- ference. He was elected a delegate to the Methodist General Conference held at Cincin- nati, commencing May 1, 1880, and attended that conference during its entire session. He was one of four or five laymen upon the special committee ordered by the conference to con- sider and report upon what has been termed the Criminal Code of Methodist Discipline, as well as of other committees. The first Ecumen- ical Conference of the general Methodist church was held at London, England, in 1SS1, and he was designated by the Board of Bishops as a delegate to that conference and attended it. In 1881, he with his wife, transferred to Trin- ity M. E. Church at Twenty-fourth street and Indiana avenue, and Judge Horton was made a trustee of it. Judge Horton secured the incorporation of the Superannuated Relief Association of Rock River Conference of the Methodist Episcopal Church, and continued at its head as president until 1910, when he re- signed. Wesley Hospital of Chicago was incor- porated in 18SS, Judge Horton being one of the incorporators, and an officer of the organization
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from the beginning to his death. He prepared and secured the issnance of the charter of the Chicago Home Missionary and Church Exten- sion Society of Chicago, and was an officer from its organization. He was one of the conditional delegates elected to the General Conference which convened at Chicago in May, 1900, and one of the conditional delegates admitted to a seat in that body. As chairman of the Chicago Committee having charge of the entertainment of this conference, Judge Horton devoted five weeks covering the time of that session, without a single day's interruption of the duties of that position. As such chairman it became his duty to take charge of the care and protection of the conference during its entire session through the month of May. The conference convened in the Auditorium. The officials of the city, and especially those of the police department, were exceedingly kind, and it is worthy of note ac. cording to Judge Horton's own statement, that so far as ever came to his knowledge, not a member of the conference or a visitor, numbering many thousands, ever lost an article of any kind through pickpockets or larceny during the entire time of the session of the conference.
The First Methodist Episcopal Church of Chi- cago was incorporated under a special charter. Its affairs are managed by a board of nine trustees, three of them being members of the First church, three members of Trinity church, and three from other churches in the city. From 1903 to July, 1912, Judge Horton was one of the three trustees from Trinity church. This board has charge of the First church property at the corner of Clark and Washington streets. Chicago, and the net income derived from that property is expended in the purchase of land and construction of Methodist Episcopal churches in the city of Chicago, such income thus expended being considerably over $500,000. The Board of Conference Claimants was created by act of the general conference of the Metho- dist Episcopal Church in 1908, which anthor- ized the Board of Bishops to designate one bishop, seven ministers and seven laymen who should constitute such board. Bishop Henry Spellmeyer, recently deceased, was designated as the bishop who should be a member of this board. and was made president of it. while Judge Horton was made vice president and chairman of the executive committee, and he was re-elected to these offices in 1912.
In 1808, the question of lay representation in equal numbers with the clerical in the general
conference of the Methodist Episcopal church was receiving consideration. A meeting of lay men was called to convene at Chicago and Judge Horton was made chairman of that meeting. At that time the Layinen's Association of Rock River Conference was organized and he was made president of thar association and re- mained as such until 1906, when he declined re-election. and was chep made permanent hon- orary president. A vigorous campaign was prosecuted in favor of such equal representa- tion, and at the session of the general confer- ence of 1890 this question had been handed down to the annual conference for adoption or rejection. The result of the vote of the annual conference was a defeat of the proposition by a large majority. Following the campaign of 1808 by the new organization, the resolution faverjus such equal representation which was sent out by the Rock River Conference Lay- men's Association was adopted by a much larger vote in favor of it than had recently been the result in voting against it. One of the features of the campaign in favor of this equal repre- sentation was the recommendation by the Rock River Laymen's Association that the Lay Elec- toral Conference of each annual conference, in addition to the number of lay representatives to which the conference was then entitled should elect as many conditional delegates as such con- ference would be entitled to on the basis of such equal representation. All of the annual confer- ences elected such conditional delegates, and at the session of the general conference at Chicago in 1900, such conditional delegates were, with the others, admitted as members, and lay rep- resentation in equal numbers became an estab- lished law of the church.
On June 20, 1877. Judge Horton was made a trustee of the Northwestern University, and continued as such until his death. He was elected second vice president of the board of trustees on June 7. 1894, and on June 15, 1897, was elected first vice president of said board, and so continued until the close of his life. In 1889, he was elected a trustee of the Garrett Biblical Institute and continued in that position until October 1, 1909, and was president of the board of trustees from May 25. 1899, to Octo- bor 1, 1909. From the time of the organization of the board of trustees of Lewis Institute, con- sisting of five members (the organization being completed June 18. 1896) until his death, Judge Horton was one of these five trustees.
Judge Horton was one of the founder mem-
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bers of the Union League Club of Chicago, which club was organized in 1879. He was chairman of the political action committee of that club, and chairman of the joint committee of members from all of the Chicago clubs which secured the passage of the law by the legisla- ture of this state touching what was known as the Australian ballot. For some years he was an active member of the Marquette Club, which was merged with the Hamilton Club in 1912. Judge Horton having been a member of . the latter for some years. In addition he belonged to the following other clubs for many years, but had voluntarily resigned from all of them prior to 1910: The Chicago, Chicago Literary, Chicago Athletic, Forty, Quebec Golf, Glen View Golf, Auburn Park Golf and Mid Day.
On December 28, 1357, Judge Horton married Miss Frances B. Gouki, and they had two chil- dren, but losing them by death, they devoted themselves to their ateces and an orphan child. Ifis death occurred February 6. 1915, at the Lexington hotel, where he and his wife were residing. The funeral services were held at Grace M. E. Church, and leaders of the church spoke feelingly of the great services Judge Hor- ton had rendered Christianity and humanity during his iong connection with religious bodies. His passing was made the topic for newspaper reviews and editorials, perhaps the most effective and eulogistic being that published in the Northwestern Christian Advocate under date of February 17, 1015.
CHARLES SAMUEL DENEEN.
Charles S. Deneen, the first Governor of Illi- nois who, in many years, was elected for a second term, was born in Edwardsville, this state, May 4, 18G3, his parents being Samuel H. and Mary F. (Ashley) Deneen. He repre- sents one of the oldest Illinois families. Ifis great-grandfather, Risdon Moore, was a native of Delaware, and from Delaware came to St. Clair county, this state, in 1512. He had pre- viously served as a soldier of the Revolutionary War. On coming to Illinois he brought with him all of his slaves, but after reaching his destination at once gave them their freedom, He figured prominently in the public life of the territory, became one of the political leaders and was Speaker of the Ilinois House of Rep- resentatives in the Territorial Legislature in 1814. Following the admission of the state into the Union he served as a Member of the First General Assembly and again in the Third and Fourth Assemblies. In the legislature of 1823 he was one of the most active in opposing the calling of a constitutional convention for the purpose of changing the constitution and mak- ing this a slave state. Ile was one of the two men who signed a minority report in opposi- tion to that movement and also demanding the total abolition of slavery, this occurring forty years before Abraham Lincoln wrote the Eman- cipation Proclamation. Because of this, on his return from the legislature, he was burned in effigy by his opponents at Troy, Madison County, but at the following election was again chosen as a free state member of the Illinois House of Representatives.
The Rev. William L. Deneen, grandfather of the Governor, was born at Bedford, Pa., Octo- ber 30, 1798, came to Illinois in 1828, and was for nineteen years a Methodist minister in the southern part of the state. On account of ill- ness, in 1847, he was obliged to discontinue pub- lie speaking and took up the profession of sur- veying, serving as county surveyor of St. Clair County from 1849 until 1855. His death oc- curred in 1879. His son, Samuel H. Deneen, father of Charles S. Deneen, was born near Belleville, St. Clair County, Ill., in 1835, but was reared in Lebanon and was graduated from MeKendree College. He afterwards served for thirty years as a professor in that college, holding the chair of Latin and ancient history. During the Civil War he served as Adjutant in the One Hundred and Seventeenth Illinois Volunteer Infantry, and filled the office of United States Consul at Belleville, Ontario, un- der President Harrison. Ile wedded Mary Frances Ashley, a representative of one of the oldest families of Lebanon, Ill., where she was born December 18, 1836, her father being Hiram K. Ashley, of that place.
Mr. Deneen spent his youthful days under the parental roof, his early education being acquired in the public schools of Lebanon, and supplemented by a course in MeKendree College, from which he graduated in 18$2. When a boy he had to work upon his father's farm and parental authority attempted to develop in him habits of industry and diligence. It is told that on one occasion he emulated the example of the renowned Tom Sawyer when his father
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arranged that he should cut and cord a cer- tain amount of wood for a stipulated sum. IIe gathered together all of his boy friends who needed money and hired them to do the work at so much per day. A few weeks later the father found the work had been done, and the son was several dollars the richer because of the money he had cleared from the labors of the other boys. This ability to manage others has characterized his entire life. When still young man he determined upon the practice of law as a life work and studied at night in an interior Illinois county, providing for his own support in the meantime by school teaching, which profession he followed for three ternis in the country schools near Newton. Jasper County, and for two terms near Godfrey, Madi- son County. He came to Chicago in 1885 and started to complete his law studies in the Union College of Law, now the Northwestern Law School. But ere he had mastered the full course his money gave out and he attempted to obtain a position as clerk in a law office. For days he sought employment of this character, but no one needed his services. Finally he was offered a position in St. Paul at a meager sal- ary and he spent a short time there, after which he returned to Chicago and became a teacher in the public night schools, while the day was devoted to the pursuit of his law course. Ilis first law office was a most unpre- tentious one, containing only a few much worn books, a desk and two chairs. Clients, too, were slow in coming, and to keep busy be haunted the county jail and defended the prisoners who were without counsel. Months passed thus and the experiences there gained stood him in ex- cellent stead when he became state's attorney. Slowly but surely he worked his way upward, manifesting ability that at length won wide recognition. In the early days he would not always contend that his client was not guilty but he would at times contend that sufficient evidence had not been brought out to prove him guilty. This line of reasoning brought to Mr. Deneen no little success and eventually led to his retention as counsel in cases of greater im- portance. At length his ability brought him to the position of prosecuting attorney and this office proved the stepping-stone to the higher positions which he has since filled. When he took the oath of office it had almost become a proverb that the criminal with any influence could escape. Mr. Deneen, however, announced that he would administer the duties of his of-
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