USA > Illinois > Brown County > Biographical review of Cass, Schuyler and Brown Counties, Illinois: Containing biographical sketches of pioneers and leading citizens > Part 10
USA > Illinois > Cass County > Biographical review of Cass, Schuyler and Brown Counties, Illinois: Containing biographical sketches of pioneers and leading citizens > Part 10
USA > Illinois > Schuyler County > Biographical review of Cass, Schuyler and Brown Counties, Illinois: Containing biographical sketches of pioneers and leading citizens > Part 10
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Since his first vote had been cast in 1858 he had been a staunch Democrat, and until he was chosen Governor he always made it his duty, rain or shine, to stand at the polls and give out ballots to Democratic voters. During the first year of his term as assistant district attorney, the Democrats desired especially to carry the Board of Su- pervisors. The old Second Ward in which he lived was Republican ordinarily by 250 majority, but at the urgent request of the
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GROVER CLEVELAND.
party Grover Cleveland consented to be the Democratic candidate for Supervisor, and came within thirteen votes of an elec- tion. The three years spent in the district attorney's office were devoted to assiduous labor and the extension of his professional attainments. He then formed a law part- nership with the late Isaac V. Vanderpoel, ex-State Treasurer, under the firm name of Vanderpoel & Cleveland. Here the bulk of the work devolved on Cleveland's shoul- ders, and he soon won a good standing at the bar of Erie County. In 1869 Mr. Cleveland formed a partnership with ex- Senator A. P. Laning and ex-Assistant United States District Attorney Oscar Fol- som, under the firm name of Laning, Cleve- land & Folsom. During these years he began to earn a moderate professional in- come; but the larger portion of it was sent to his mother and sisters at Holland Patent to whose support he had contributed ever since 1860. He served as sheriff of Erie County, 1870-'4, and then resumed the practice of law, associating himself with the Hon. Lyman K. Bass and Wilson S. Bissell.
The firm was strong and popular, and soon commanded a large and lucrative practice. Ill health forced the retirement of Mr. Bass in 1879, and the firm became Cleveland & Bissell. In 1881 Mr. George J. Sicard was added to the firm.
In the autumn election of 1881 he was elected mayor of Buffalo by a majority of over 3,500-the largest majority ever given a candidate for mayor-and the Democratic city ticket was successful, although the Republicans carried Buffalo by over 1,000 majority for their State ticket. Grover Cleveland's administration as mayor fully justified the confidence reposed in him by the people of Buffalo, evidenced by the great vote he received.
The Democratic State Convention met at Syracuse, September 22, 1882, and nomi- nated Grover Cleveland for Governor on the third ballot and Cleveland was elected by 192,000 majority. In the fall of 1884 he was elected President of the United States by about 1,000 popular majority, in New York State, and he was accordingly inaugurated the 4th of March following.
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PRESIDENTS OF THE UNITED STATES.
BENJAMIN
HARRISON
ENJAMIN HARRISON, the twenty-third Presi- dent of the United States, 1889, was born at North Bend, Hamilton County, Ohio, in the house of his grandfather, William Hen- ry Harrison (who was the ninth President of this country), August 20th, 1833. He is a descendant of one of the historical families of this country, as also of England. The head of the family was a Major-General Harrison who was devoted to the cause of Oliver Cromwell. It became the duty of this Har- rison to participate in the trial of Charles I. and afterward to sign the death warrant of the king, which subsequently cost him his life. His enemies succeeding to power, he was condemned and executed October 13th, 1660. His descendants came to America, and the first inention made in history of the Harrison family as representative in public affairs, is that of Benjamin Harrison, great- grandfather of our present President, who was a member of the Continental Congress, 1774-5-6, and one of the original signers of
the Declaration of Independence, and three times Governor of Virginia. His son, Will- iam Henry Harrison, made a brilliant mili- tary record, was Governor of the Northwest Territory, and the ninth President of the United States.
The subject of this sketch at an early age became a student at Farmers College, where he remained two years, at the end of which time he entered Miami University, at Ox- ford, Ohio. Upon graduation from said seat of learning he entered, as a student, the of- fice of Stover & Gwyne, a notable law firm at Cincinnati, Ohio, where he applied himself closely to the study of his chosen profession, and here laid the foundation for the honora- ble and famous career before him. He spent two years with the firmn in Cincinnati, at the expiration of which time he received the only inheritance of his life, which was a lot left him by an aunt, which he sold for $800. This sum he deemed sufficient to justify him in marrying the lady of his choice, and to whom he was then engaged, a daughter of Dr. Scott, then Principal of a female school at Oxford, Ohio.
After marriage he located at Indianapolis, Indiana, where he began the practice of law. Meeting with slight encouragement he made but little the first year, but applied himself
Bery. Hannisou:
LIBRARY OF THE UNIVERSITY OF ILLINOIS
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BENJAMIN HARRISON.
closely to his business, and by perseverance, honorable dealing and an upright life, suc- ceeded in building up an extensive practice and took a leading position in the legal profession.
In 1860 he was nominated for the position of Supreme Court Reporter for the State of Indiana, and then began his experience as a stump speaker. He canvassed the State thoroughly and was elected.
In 1862 his patriotism caused him to abandon a civil office and to offer his country his services in a military capacity. He or- ganized the Seventieth Indiana Infantry and was chosen its Colonel. Although his regi- ment was composed of raw material, and he practically void of military schooling, he at once mastered military tactics and drilled his men, so that when he with his regiment was assigned to Gen. Sherman's command it was known as one of the best drilled organ- izations of the army. He was especially distinguished for bravery at the battles of Resacca and Peach Tree Creek. For his bravery and efficiency at the last named bat- tlc he was made a Brigadier-General, Gen- eral Hooker speaking of him in the most complimentary terms.
While General Harrison was actively en- gaged in the field the Supreme Court declared the office of Supreme Court Reporter vacant, and another person was elected to fill the position. From the time of leaving Indiana with his regiment for the front, until the fall of 1864, General Harrison had taken no leave of absence. But having been nominated that year for the same office that he vacated in order to serve liis country where he could do the greatest good, lie got a thirty-day leave of absence, and during that time canvassed the State and was elected for another term as Supreme Court Reporter. He then started to rejoin lis command, then with General Sherman in the South, but was stricken down
with fever and after a very trying siege, made his way to the front, and participated in the closing scenes and incidents of the war.
In 1868 General Harrison declined a re- election as Reporter, and applied himself to the practice of his profession. He was a candidate for Governor of Indiana on the Republican ticket in 1876. Although de- feated, the brilliant campaign brought himn to public notice and gave him a National reputation as an able and formidable debater and he was much sought in the Eastern States as a public speaker. He took an act- ive part in the Presidential campaign of 1880, and was elected to the United States Senate, where he served six years, and was known as one of the strongest debaters, as well as one of the ablest inen and best law- yers. When his term expired in the Senate lie resumed liis law practice at Indianapolis, becoming the head of one of the strongest law firms in the State of Indiana.
Sometime prior to the opening of the Presidential campaign of 1888, the two great political parties (Republican and Democratic) drew the line of political battle on the ques- tion of tariff, which became the leading issue and the rallying watchword during the mem- orable campaign. The Republicans appealed to the people for their voice as to a tariff to protect lione industries, while the Democrats wanted a tariff for revenue only. The Re- publican convention assembled in Chicago in June and selected Mr. Harrison as their standard bearer on a platformn of principles, among other important clauses being that of protection, which he cordially indorsed in accepting the nomination. November 6, 1888, after a heated canvass, General Harri- son was elected, defeating Grover Cleveland, who was again the nominee of the Demo- cratic party. He was inaugurated and as- sumed the duties of his office March 4, 1889.
محمد
LIBRARY OF THE UNIVERSITY OF ILLINOIS
Thomas Munroe
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SCHUYLER AND BROWN COUNTIES.
HOMAS MUNROE, M. D., Rushville, Illinois .- There is, in the career of the earnest professional or business man, toiling on through the busy, work a-day years of a long and arduous life, but little to at- tract the attention of an idle reader in search of a sensational chapter. But for the mind fully awake to the real meaning of human existence there are immortal lessons in the life of the man who, without other means than a strong arın, a true heart and determined will, conquers adversity, overcomes obstacles, and closes the evening of a long life with an honorable competence and good name. Such a man is the subject of this biography, Doctor Thomas Munroe.
Doctor Munroe was a son of John and Ann (Wells) Munroe, and was born at Annapolis, Maryland, January 4, 1807. His father and mother were both natives of Maryland; the former was boru August 6, 1763, and the latter Jannary 20, 1771. They were married May 14, 1789. The boyhood of Thomas Munroe did not differ inuch from that of other boys born of aud reared by Christian parents, who held progressive and correct ideas of the higher duties and privileges of American citizenship. He entered school at an early age, and, being an apt scholar, made rapid headway in his studies and graduated from St. John's College with honors, having taken the full classical course.
After finishing at St. John's College, he decided to adopt the profession of medicine as his life-work. He began reading under the direction of Dr. Dennis Claude, and later entered the University of Maryland in Balti- inore, from which he graduated with the de- gree of M. D. in 1829. All through his life, Dr. Munroe took a just pride in having upon his diploma the famous names of Drs. Roger B. Taney and Reverdy Johnson, -the first as 10
Provost, tlie second a member of the execu- tive committee of the University of Mary- land.
After graduating, Dr. Munroe began the practice of his profession in Baltimore, but after twelve mouths concluded it was bet- ter for him to go West. In accordance with this wise conclusion, he closed up his business in Baltimore, and in 1834 re- moved to Illinois and settled in Jacksonville, where he remained until 1843, when he camne to Rushville, and was actively engaged in professional labor until the breaking out of the civil war, when he offered his services to his country, and was commissioned Surgeon of the One Hundred and Nineteenth Illinois Volunteer Infantry. He participated in all the marches of the regiment, and was in all its campaigns and battles for two years; at the end of that period he was obliged to re- sign his commission on account of ill health. He returned to his hoinc and resumed his practice, which he continued, with great ac- tivity aud success, until a short time previous to his deatlı, which occurred April 23, 1891.
Dr. Muuroe was married October 5, 1841, to Annis Hinman, who was born at Utica. New York, December 10, 1815; her father, Benjamin Hinman, was a native of South- bury, Connecticut; he was a son of Dcacon David Hinman, who was a son of Benjamin Hinman, who was a son of Benjamin Hinman, Sr., who was a son of Sergeant Edward Hin- inan, the first settler of that name in this country. (See genealogy published by R. R. Hinman, New York.) Mrs. Munroe's father was a soldier in the war of the Revolution. and had the title of Major; lie was one of the early settlers of Little Falls, New York, and purchased a large tract of land there; he afterward removed to Utica, New York, and died in Pennsylvania in 1821, while making
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a business trip to the State. He married Anna Keyser, who was born at Fort Keyser, New York, a daughter of John Keyser, of Montgomery county, New York. Her father was taken captive by the Indians during the Revolutionary war and was car- ried to Canada, where he was held for three years; his death occurred at Fort Keyser; his wife survived until August 9, 1863; she was living in Illinois at that time, her sons being among the pioneers of Brown county; they emigrated to the State in 1836, and were of a party that laid out the town of La Grange.
Children are indeed blessed who have edu- cated and Christian parents to guide and direct those early impulses which have so much to do with the ultimate direction of ambition and mentality; and no family of children were ever more favored in this than the children of this good father and mother. The breadth of Dr. Munroe's mind, his great wisdom in giving his children splendid edu- cations and permitting them to select their own vocations, is manifest in the marked degree of success which has attended their efforts. The eldest son, Thomas, is one of the progressive and successful men of Mus- kegon, Michigan, being the head of the well- known firm of Thomas Munroe & Co., and the general superintendent of the Thayer Lumber Company, both of Muskegon. In this double capacity he has acquired more than an ordinary fortune, and, with his marked success as a financier, he has won a greater ' meed of victory-that of the love and re- spect of all who know him.
The second son, James E. Munroe, resides in Chicago, and is engaged in the practice of law. He is a lawyer of good ability, fair attainments and great industry. As the re- sult of twenty years of labor at the bar he has
acquiesced a large practice and a handsome competence.
The daughter, Mary A., of Rushville, is deeply interested in all that pertains to the betterment and advancement of mankind. She resides at the family home, the compan- ion and comfort of her aged and gentle mother. Her brothers, Hinman and Charles G., are also residents of Rushville, the former being married and residing in a happy home, a close neiglibor of his mother. Charles G. is a member of the family at the old home- stead, and is engaged with his brother Hin- inan in the lumber business, in which they are eminently successful. The youngest son is a resident of Muskegon, Michigan, where he holds a position of trust under his brother. Dr. Munroe was related to such men as Jonathan Pickney, Nathan Hammond and William Munroe, all of whom occupy honored places in the early history of the United States from their participation in the notable events incident to those times. The fine engraved portrait of Dr. Munroe, which faces this sketch, was executed specially for this history. An examination of the portrait will reveal better than word-painting the character of the man herein recorded.
In the death of Dr. Munroe, the city of Rushville lost one of the men whose great mentality, indefatigable energy and true Christian manhood did so much to make the city what it is. The following appeared in the Schuyler Citizen a short time after Dr. Munroe's death, and was written by his emi- nent co-laborer, Dr. J. N. Speed :
"No man in the community performed more faithfully the duties of a citizen and a Christian, or led a more exemplary life than he did; and this could be as truly said of him during his army as well as his civil life. He was a life-long member of the Methodist
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Episcopal Church, and always held one or more official positions; and, what is a little re- markable, he held the position of Recording Steward and Secretary in the Rushville Meth- odist Episcopal Church continnonsly for thir- ty-eight years, and then resigned by reason only of the infirinities of age. I doubt if in the inemory of any person a like office has been filled for so long a time continuously by the same person, and certainly no more faithfully. He was very regular in his attendance on the means of grace. Even after the first ad- monition of his approaching affliction his seat at church, day and night, at prayer-meeting and class-meeting, was very seldom occupied by any other than himself. As a citizen he always took an active interest in the affairs of the public, and his influence was always on the side of the public welfare. As a phy- sician Dr. Munroc was ever studious and attentive, and his habit of study continued even after his active practice ceased, and in all his intercourse with his brother physicians he was the embodiment of professional recti- tude, and in this respect he had no superiors and but few equals. He was looked upon by all who knew him as a perfect gentleman. He was always kind to the poor, and the re- sources of his skill and watchfulness were as faithfully extended to the pallet of the lowly as to the silken couch of the affluent, thus manifesting in his life the saying of the ven- erable Beerhaave, that ' the poor were his best patrons because God was their payınaster.'"
0
ENRY HANSMEYER was born in Lippe-Detmold, Prussia, Germany, in 1833. He came of pure German an- cestry and of hardy stock. His father, Fred Hansmeyer, married Wilhelmina Hoy of the
sanie province. In 1849 they took passage for America and landed in New Orleans after a seven-weeks voyage. Thence the family came up the Mississippi, to St. Louis, where the inother and one child died of the cholera after being there one week. The father and four children came on to Chicago, where Henry was attacked by the cholera and confined to the house for two weeks, later he joined his father and the other children at Watertown, and it was near there that the father died about one year later, being then in middle life.
Henry Hansmeyer is the second of the four sons yet living. He came to this conn- try in 1849 and lived on a farm in Jefferson county, Wisconsin, until 1851, working for $10 a month. He came to Beardstown in 1851 and still worked by the month, for a time for $10; he saved his money, became a stock dealer and trader and did various things until he accumulated enough to purchase land. In 1865 he found himself on safe ground for business, which he carried on successfully and extensively. He was an active fariner and stock-raiser until 1880. In that year he retired from business and moved into Beardstown. He owns a fine farm of 306 acres, 250 acres of which is under the plow and the rest is pasture, good land and all supplied with first-class farm buildings. He purchased this farm in 1865 and also owns some good residence property in Beardstown, the opera house building at Mount Olive, Illinois, and other residence property there.
He was married in Beardstown, in 1857, to Miss Catharina Schmidt. She was born in Hesse-Darmstadt. She was the danghter of the Rev. George and Kate Schmidt, who came to the United States in 1856, settling in Beardstown, where they died. Mr. Schmidt
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BIOGRAPHICAL REVIEW OF CASS,
was for many years pastor of the Lutheran. He was a fine minister and an anti-slavery advocate, a Republican in politics and a leader in his community. Mrs. Hansmeyer is a great worker in the Lutheran Church and a very fine woman. They have four children: Augusta, wife of Henry Oetgen,
a farmer in Schuyler county; Minna, wife of Henry Stock; Katie, wife of John Duvall, First State Bank of Beardstown; William, a miller by trade. Mr. Hansineyer is a public-spirited citizen, a Republican in politics and a member of the Fourth Street Lutheran Church, of which he has been a Trustee for sixteen years.
OSEPH FRANKLIN BLACK was born in Murray county, Tennessee, February 23, 1828. His father, William Black, was born near Milledgeville, Georgia, Jan- uary 3, 1796, son of Thomas Gillespie Black, who was born in Markingham county, North Carolina, in January, 1772, whose father, William Black, a native of Maryland, re- moved to North Carolina. William Black was captain of a company of militia at the time the Revolutionary war broke out, and was one of the first who refused to take the ,oatlı of allegiance to the British government. He died soon after the war began. The maiden name of his wife was Beard, They were members of the Presbyterian church.
Thomas G. Black was reared and educated in his native State. He taught school several years. Removing from North Carolina to Georgia, lie settled near Milledgeville, where he bought a tract of land and on it passed the residne of his life, dying in 1823. Hc was married February 26, 1795, to Polly Calla- lan, who was born April 7, 1773, daughter
of William and Elizabeth (Shepard) Callahan, her father being of Irish and her mother of German descent. Mrs. Black went to Ten- nessee after the death of her husband, and from there to Illinois in 1825. Her deatlı occurred in Morgan county, this State, in 1853. Grandfather and grandmother Black were inembers of the Presbyterian Church. They reared ten of their eleven children, viz .: William, Susanna, John, Cynthia, James, Thomas, Polly, Jefferson, Eleanor and Eliza- beth. Rebecca died in infancy.
Willliam Black, father of the subject of our sketch, grew up and received his educa- tion in his native State, and went with the family to Tennessee directly after the death of his father. He was a natural mechanic and with his brother Jolin established a a furniture factory in Maury connty, remain- ing in business there till 1834. That year, with his wife and six children, he came to Illinois, their removal being made via the Cumberland, Ohio, Mississippi and Illinois rivers. He located four miles north of Win- chester, in Scott county, where he bought eiglity acres of prairie aud eighty acres of timber land, paying $2.50 per acre for a part of it. He at once built a small frame house, containing two rooms, and commenced in- proving his land. In 1846 he sold this farm for $8 per acrc. He then came to Cass connty and bouglit 200 acres of land, located six miles southeast of Virginia, for which he paid $6 an acre. There was a double log house on this place, which the family occupied one year, at the end of whichi time they moved into the substantial brick house which Mr. Black erected, and which still stands. He also built a work shop. He, however, gave the most of his attention to farming. He lived there till after the death of his wife, when he went to Virginia and spent his last
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days at the home of his son, John, where lie died October 3, 1884. December 4, 1823, he married Miss Mary S. Vaughn, who was born in Tennessee, November 1, 1803, daugh- ter of Dixon and Susan Vaughn. She died on the home farm, January 29, 1881. Of the ten children born to them they reared eight, namely: Thomas G., Joseph F., William L., Richmond V., Green V., James B., Mary J. and John. Both he and his wife were reared in the Presbyterian Church, and after coming to Illinois they united with the Christian Church, of which they remained consistent members till the time of their death.
Joseph Franklin Black, the subject of our sketcli, was six years old when he moved to Illinois with his parents, and remembers dis- tinctly many of the incidents connected with their removal and frontier life. At that time Central Illinois was sparsely settled and it was long before the advent of railroads liere. Naples was the principal market for the sur- rounding country. Mr. Black relates that at one time his father went to St. Louis to mill. Instead of being gone one week, as he had expected, he was gone three weeks, and in the mean time the supply of meal gave out at home. By pounding corn in a mor- tar, the children made meal enough to last till their father's return. In 1836 three cooking stoves were brought to Jacksonville, one of which Mr. Black's father bought, pay- ing $75 for it. Such a curiosity was this stove that the neighbors for milcs around came to sec it.
Joseph F. received his education in the primitive schools of Illinois. He inherited from his father a talent for mechanical work and early began to assist him in the shop. At the age of twenty he began life on his own responsibility, commencing at once as a contractor and builder, and before he was
twenty-one he bought 102 acres of land near the village of Philadelphia, for which he paid $3.50 an acre. He continued contracting and building for a time. Then for three years he was engaged in farming. After that he moved to Philadelphia and devoted his time to the invention of farm inachinery. To him belongs the distinction of having invented and patented the first self-binder ever made. He took three different patents on it, and in partnership with his brother William got two patents on a gang plow. The value of such a man to a community cannot be estimated. Indeed, the worth of his inventive genius extends beyond his own community and State, being felt all over the world.
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