USA > Illinois > Kane County > Commemorative portrait and biographical record of Kane and Kendall Counties, Ill. : containing full page portraits and biographicalsketches of prominent and representative citizens of Kane and Kendall Counties, together with portraits and biographies of the presidents of the United States > Part 67
USA > Illinois > Kendall County > Commemorative portrait and biographical record of Kane and Kendall Counties, Ill. : containing full page portraits and biographicalsketches of prominent and representative citizens of Kane and Kendall Counties, together with portraits and biographies of the presidents of the United States > Part 67
Note: The text from this book was generated using artificial intelligence so there may be some errors. The full pages can be found on Archive.org (link on the Part 1 page).
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own residence on Galena Street, and others. Mr. Judson is a striking example of what may be ac- complished by energy, industry and pluck, as those were the only inheritance he ever received. Be- ginning life a penniless boy, he had made a fair start in Michigan, having accumulated a little prop- erty, when it was nearly all destroyed by fire. Coming still further west to begin anew, he settled at Oswego. The above qualities, combined with a just economy, have enabled him to overcome all obstacles, and to-day he is financially one of the most substantial men in his adopted city, and is interested as a stockholder in several of its finan- cial and business institutions. He was one of the founders of the village of Oswego, Ill .; a charter member of the Odd Fellows' Lodge of that place, officiating as Noble Grand and Grand Master of the lodge, and while residing there served in the official position of supervisor, as well as chairman of the board, and in other offices, such as coroner, assessor, school director, justice of the peace, etc. Although now in his eighty-first year Mr. Judson is still strong and active, inheriting from his ances- tors a good constitution and athletic. sturdy phys- ique, for which the Judsons were noted. In poli- tics, he is a Republican.
S TEPHEN C. GILLETT, M. D. There are few men in any community as well known as, or more generally trusted than. the thoroughly qualified and successful family physician; and such a one is the subject of this commemorative record. He was born in the town of Neversink, Sullivan Co., N. Y., January 31, 1826, and obtained his preliminary education at the schools in the vicinity of his native place, and at the high school of Monticello, N. Y. He re- mained at the homestead with his father (who was a farmer) until the age of twenty-one, though from the time he was eighteen he taught school, winters, and attended to farm duties, summers
After attaining his majority he taught in New York until 1847; then moved to Beverly, Ohio, where he followed the same occupation one year, and in the spring of 1848 came to Kane County, via boat on the Ohio, Mississippi and Illinois
Rivers to Ottawa, and thence by stage to Sugar Grove Township. Not succeeding in getting a school immediately, Dr. Gillett, by invitation of a wealthy farmer, James Reynolds, remained over the summer of 1848, and in the winter taught the district school, located on the river two and one- half miles north of Aurora. In the summer of 1849 he commenced a select school at Aurora, a little east of the southeast corner of Main and La Salle Streets, and here taught for a few months, it being one of the first select schools taught in Aurora. In the fall of 1849 he began reading medicine in the office of Prof. Nicholas Hard, at that time a prominent physician of Aurora, and a professor of obstetrics at La Porte Medical College. The Doctor attended the above named college one session, and subsequently became student at Rush Medical College, Chicago, where, after an attendance of two terms, he was graduated in February, 1853. Soon after leaving college he repaired to Sandwich, Ill., and began practice as regular physician and surgeon. Here he remained about four years, but owing to feeble health he was obliged to abandon his practice and seek other employment. In 1857 he came to Aurora, where he engaged as clerk in the drug store of Walker & Gillett for one year; then, in company with Drs. Allaire and L. A. Winslow, bought a half interest in the store, which interest, together with the stock, was divided one year later. Drs. Gillett, Allaire and Winslow moved their half to the Dunning Block, where they opened another drug store, Dr. Gillett having charge of the same, with an interest in it, but doing none of the outside business.
He remained in the drug business until 1864, when he sold out, and, since that date, he has devoted his entire time to the practice of medicine and surgery, and, in an eminent degree, holds the con- fidence and esteem of the entire community, hav- ing earned the reputation of being a thoroughly reliable and successful physician and surgeon, ranking second to none of his contemporaries. Whatever Dr. Gillett has accomplished, or position attained, either professionally, financially or so- cially, that is worthy of commendation, has resulted from his individual efforts, native energy and close
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application, having received no financial assist- ance or help from his parents after the age of eighteen, up to which time he had the benefits of only a district school education. The Doctor is at present a member of the Fox River Valley, the City of Aurora and the American Medical Associa- tions, and, financially, is one of the most substan- tial citizens of Aurora. When the Merchant's National Bank of Aurora was organized, in 1887, he was elected one of the directors and vice-presi- dent of the institution.
He is descended from families that settled in New England, on the paternal side, back to the " Mayflower," and on the maternal side somewhat later, but early immigrants in the first colonial days; both were of French extraction. The grand- parents of Dr. Gillett were Ezekiel and Sybil (Bunnell) Gillett, residents of Neversink, Sullivan Co., N. Y., and his parents were Ezekiel and Eliza- beth (Curry) Gillett, who died, the father at Aurora, at the age of sixty-eight years, and the mother at Grahamsville, Sullivan Co., N. Y., the father being buried at Sugar Grove, this county, the mother at Grahainsville, N. Y. Dr. Gillett was married at Aurora in June, 1854, to Miss Elizabeth Mendenhall, and by this union there were six children: Ida, Grace (deceased), May, William, Mattie (deceased) and Blanche.
W ILLIAM THATCHER ELLIOTT. This aged citizen of Aurora was the second to make claim to land in the immediate vicinity of Aurora, Joseph McCarty hav- ing made his in the spring of 1834, while Mr. Elliott made his claim in June of the same year to upward of 300 acres. He was born at what was formerly called Killingsworth, Middlesex Co., Conn., June 11, 1810, and is a son of William and Louisa (Lane) Elliott, the former born July 16, 1779, at Sturbridge, Mass., and the latter born November 29, 1792, at Killingsworth, Conn. They moved to Susquehanna County, Penn., in 1815, where they sojourned only three years, and then removed to New Binghamton. N. Y. At this place and in its vicinity the son lived until 1834, having in the meantime learned the blacksmith's trade, a busi-
ness he carried on for some time at Union, Broome Co., and at Big Flats, now in Chemung County, N. Y.
June 6, 1834, he started for the West, by wagon to the head of Seneca Lake, and thence by boat to Montezuma, where he took passage on a canal boat for Buffalo, and boat on the lake to Detroit, staging it from that point to Niles. Mich., and from there by steamner to Chicago: walked the balance of the journey, arriving at Aurora about June 20, 1834. He at once took up the claim above mentioned, his present farm of 180 acres, just at the south edge of the city limits, on the east bank of Fox River, being a part of it. He followed his trade to some extent after his first arrival, but soon gave his undivided attention to farming and improving his claim; his first house was located some eighty rods west of his present residence on the river bank; it was 16x20 feet in size, and built of round burr oak logs; this he had about completed in the summer of 1835.
August 3, 1835, Mr. Elliott was married to Rebecca Pierce, a daughter of Elijah and Mary (Davis) Pierce, who were from near Urbana. Ohio, and both died at Aurora. He began housekeeping in the pioneer log house, where they lived until the erection of their present frame residence. From this marriage were born ten children, two of whom, dying in infancy, were not named, the others in order of their birth being: Emeline, born August 5, 1836, the first white girl born in Kane County, married to Joseph Denny: Homer T .. born April 8, 1838; Mary E., born March 17, 1840, married Ebenezer Denny, and died July 26. 1862; John, born April 10, 1842; Dr. Francis M., born April 5, 1844; William, born February 20, 1847; Byron B., born April 18. 1850: and Sarah L., born February 18, 1853, married to Walter Keck.
On his first settlement. the Indians being nu- merous, Mr. Elliott became acquainted with their chief. Waubonsee, and. although never having much to do with the tribe. was still on friendly terms with them. He has from young manhood been a member of the Congregational Church. and was an attendant at the first religious meeting held in Aurora: it was a "union " meeting. held at the home of Deacon Morffat, located between La Salle Street and Lincoln Avenue, nearly opposite the
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present Methodist Church. He cut and hewed part of the frame for the first Congregational Church building ever erected in Aurora, and acted as a trustee during its pioneer days; he has always taken a deep interest in church matters, and assisted in erecting many church buildings of all denominations in Aurora and vicinity. He also helped build the first schoolhouse in Aurora, and has always been a patron of education. Mr. Elliott was one of the original abolitionists, and was a con- tributor to keeping up the " underground railroad," and in assisting fugitive slaves on their way to Canada.
Mr. and Mrs. Elliott were the first couple mar- ried in Kane County, and on the fiftieth anniver- sary of their marriage they held a golden wedding at the old homestead, at which were present seven of their children, ranging in years from thirty-two to forty-nine, as follows: Emeline, Homer T., John, Frank M., William, Byron B., and Sarah L. The children, grandchildren and friends numbered some 150 people who gathered there on this pleasant occasion. All the children were residents of Aurora and vicinity except Homer T., who resided in Da- kota. There were presented to the happy couple, by members of the family, two elegant easy chairs, a gold-lined cake basket, a silver fruit dish, a china fruit dish, several baskets of flowers, and a pair of buffalo horns resembling polished ivory. D. Williams Patterson, D.S., also pre- sented a framed genealogy of Mr. Elliott, dating back over 300 years to one Rev. Peter Thatcher, a vicar in the parish of Queen's Chapel, Somer- setshire, England, from 1574 to 1624; a grand- son of his, one Rev. Thomas Thatcher, embarked from his native place April 6, 1635, arriving at. Boston, Mass., May 4, 1635, and was the first pastor of the renowned old South Church of that place; a drawing was also presented repre- senting the couple on August 3, 1835, in the log-house on the east bank of Fox River, near Montgomery Village, standing before the 'squire, while the ceremony was being performed, who with book in hand was making haste, while in the dis- tance was shown the "irate " papa with horsewhip in band, who was averse to the marriage. The aged couple are still (1887) living, happy, genial
and loving as of yore, and while age has somewhat dimmed their eyes and weakened their bodies, their hearts are bright and tender as in youth, and they are to-day still abounding in those affectionate courtesies toward each other, of kindness and con- sideration toward all, that has evidently been their custom through life. They are the best type of the pioneer.
W ILLIAM BEITH. Among the many sons of " Bonnie Scotland " who have made their home in Kane County, few indeed have been more prominently identified with its building interests than this gentleman, who is noted for his genial and whole-souled character- istics of manner. He was born, February 13, 1818, in the town of Largs, Ayrshire, Scotland, fifteen miles from Greenock, and in young manhood learned the trade and business of contracting and building, with his father, Robert Beith, who all his life was identified with and carried on that line both in Scotland and in St. Charles, Kane Co., Ill. Robert Beith and his wife, Margaret (Patton) Beith, with their family of ten children, left their native land in 1844, settling in St. Charles, Ill., the same year, where they passed the remainder of their lives as highly honored and respected citizens. Mrs. Beith died in 1871, and Mr. Beith in 1874, and both were buried in St. Charles Cemetery.
William Beith came to the United States one year previous to the arrival of his father's family, locating at St. Charles, Ill., in 1843, and the fol- lowing spring took his first building contract in America, which was for the erection of the Con- gregational Church at St. Charles. He subse- quently erected many of the prominent structures at that place, including the paper mill, etc., and was largely interested in building at Batavia, inso- much that it may be said that up to twenty years ago, or about 1865, most of the prominent build- ings in that place were constructed by him. His handiwork is also largely seen in Aurora, in the buildings that he erected, among them being the Dunning Block, the basement of Jennings Semi- nary, the Methodist Church, etc. His operations also extended to Chicago, where, with a partner, he was largely interested in contracting and build-
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ing. Until twenty-five years ago he was the most prominent contractor and builder in Kane County, but at that time he partially retired, and has since resided on Section 28, Campton Township, and oc- cupied his time in farming pursuits. One hun- dred and sixty acres of the homestead were pur- chased by him of the United States, in 1845, but the property has been added to, so that now the farm consists of some 400 acres of as fertile land as there is in the county, much of it rendered so by the enterprise of its owner, who thoroughly tiled low or marshy portions, until now they have become the most profitable lands on his large farm. In improving this place the laying of three or four miles of tile yearly, for several years, was a com- mon occurrence. The family residence is a com- modious structure, surrounded by substantial and convenient outbuildings, the whole being environed by well kept grounds, that are shaded by ever- greens, now magnificent trees, set out twenty-four years ago by their present owner, while the build- ings and other improvements are all the result of his labor and plans. A mile away, on another por- tion of the farm, he built, in 1886, another resi- dence, with outbuildings, for the use of a tenant, at a cost of nearly $4,000. Mr. Beith was largely interested in introducing and starting the manu- facture of tile in Aurora, and has been active in all enterprises of a public nature calculated to benefit his vicinity or the county of his adoption.
Mr. Beith is independent in politics, an origi- nal Abolitionist; a firm believer in Christianity, and, though not now a member of any church, he was formerly a Congregationalist. He was mar- ried in the city of Glasgow. Scotland, in 1841, to Mary Allen, born in Dilry, near his native place. They have the following named children: Rachel B., born in Scotland, and brought to the United States in 1844, by her mother, who joined her husband one year after his arrival in St. Charles (Rachel B. is now the wife of Rev. W. F. Day, Con- gregational minister at Ottawa, Ill.); Priscilla, mar: ried to D. W. Wheaton, of the family who founded the town of Wheaton, Ill. ; and George A., mar- ried to Lucinda Richmond, a daughter of A. D. Richmond, of Campton Township. George A. lives at the Beith homestead, and is known and
recognized as one of the most prominent, enter- prising and respected citizens of his vicinity. He and his wife have five children: Robert, Elizabeth, Mary, William and Rachel.
F RANK S. EGLINGTON is a native of Bris- tol, Kendall Co., Ill., born April 19, 1855. His parents, John and Rebecca (Pearson) Eglington, came direct from England to Kendall County, Ill., in 1834, and were married in the United States. Frank S. was reared on his father's farm, and attended the district schools of the neighborhood, until 1875, when he commenced business for himself as an agriculturist. By energy and perseverance he has secured a pleasant home of sixty acres on Section 30, Aurora Township. Of late years Mr. Eglington has turned his atten- tion to the raising of Hereford cattle, his herd of nine, representing such strains as Chancellor, Pirate, Royal Grove and Hotspur (7776), all are descendants of the best Herefords of England. Among his horses are representatives of some of the fleetest horses on record, such as George Wilkes, of Kentucky.
On December 22, 1875, Mr. Eglington mar- ried De Etta D., born at Clinton, De Kalb Co., Ill., March 28, 1857, eldest daughter of Silas and Delana (Calkins) Mighells, who came to Kane County in 1863, settling in Sugar Grove Township. Mr. and Mrs. Eglington are the parents of two children: John M., born December 7, 1876, and Mabel D., born December 9, 1878. Mr. Egling- ton is an active member of the Methodist Episcopal Church; in politics, he is a supporter of the Repub- lican party.
C LARENCE WORTHY PUTNAM, editor and proprietor of the Aurora Weekly Blade, a bright and newsy paper, rendered the more popular by the ready, witty pen and native humor of its owner, was born in Sinclair- ville, Chautauqua Co., N. Y., May 20, 1850, to Worthy and Nancy (Sinclair) Putnam. The father was a man of superior education, an elocutionist. who published a well-received and excellent work on that art. He was for a time superintendent of
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the Chautauqua County (N. Y.) public schools, and in 1859 came west to Valparaiso, Ind., where he studied law, and was admitted to the bar; five years later moving to Berrien, Mich., where he subsequently served one term as circuit judge; he died in April, 1887.
Clarence W. Putnam, who was educated in the public schools and Valparaiso (Ind.) Academy, at the early age of fourteen sprang lightly from the Pierian Spring into the Arcadian fields of a printer's life, his earliest initiation into the mys- teries of Faust's and Guttenberg's craft being received in the office of the Traveler, a newspaper published at St. Joseph, Mich., and of which, after three years, he was made foreman. Having now become the very type of a printer, his case for life was definitely settled, and nothing could chase him from his chosen honorable profession, for to stick to it was his determination.
As a foreman Mr. Putnam proved himself as good as any four men in thorough experience, for we find him following his trade in the above named capacity in various offices, and finally for nine years on the Aurora (Ill.) Herald. Septem- ber 13, 1881, he established the Aurora Blade, an independent eight-page folio, a blade sharp enough to be keenly appreciated by the 2,000 subscribers throughout the country who weekly welcome it as anything but weakly in political, social or any other discussion.
Mr. Putnam was married, July 3, 1870, to Miss De Etta Nash, by whom he has two children: Ralph, born August 11, 1880, and Glenn, born October 3, 1883. He is a solid Republican, affa- ble, courteous and popular, and a great favorite among his many acquaintances.
P ELEG YOUNG. This gentleman bears a family name that is inseparably connected with the pioneer days of this portion of Illinois. His father was Hon. Nathan Young, one of the early settlers in Blackberry Township, and where father and son will long be remembered in connection with the settlement and improvement of that part of Kane County. Mr. Young was born in Strafford, Orange Co., Vt.,
March 25, 1817. His mother was Hannah Smith, who had married Nathan Young, a son of Joab Young, who was the first Universalist preacher in Strafford, Vt. This gentleman was a distinguished preacher and a yet more distinguished soldier in behalf of the independence of his country; he was as warm, impulsive and enthusiastic in the pulpit as he was cold, stern and pitiless in the face of the invading foe, overrunning the country and trying to crush the people. There was no serious inter- ruption in his long course of preaching, save the years of the War of the Revolution, when he took his place in the ranks with his comrades in arms.
Peleg Young was reared in the place of his nativity, where he remained until he was twenty- one years of age, receiving a fair education, and, above all, a sound mind in a sound body. At that time he came to Illinois, and located in what is now Blackberry Township. His fortune was just what nature had given him. In the new country he found employment as a farm hand in the settle- ment where he had stopped. The wages at that time for this kind of labor were but meager, yet such was the common economy of the times that a young man could in a short time lay up enough of his earnings to become an independent land holder even if no better than as a squatter on Government land. He landed here in 1838. The country was new, wild and very sparsely settled at that time. In three years of hard labor and close economy he had saved enough to crown his young ambition by purchasing and paying for a claim. This was in Blackberry Township; he went to work in earnest, and here he made his permanent home for many succeeding years. His patient labors were re- warded. He grew in wealth with the fine country in which he lived, and in the higli esteem and confidence of the people. In 1875 he sold his farm, removed to Aurora, and built his present residence, 109 North Lake Street, where he lives in comparative retirement from business cares. He merely exercises a supervisory control over his farming interests, of which he still retains con- siderable.
In 1851 he revisited the place of his birth, and married Sophronia J., daughter of Adam Boyce. The latter, a native of New Hampshire, came to
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Illinois and settled in Blackberry Township, in 1856. Hon. Nathan Young was by occupation a merchant in early life, but after coming to Illinois followed farming. In the general history of the county and of Blackberry Township an account of the Young family is given.
EORGE ALEXANDER. This resident of Aurora is superintendent of the Chicago division of the Chicago, Burlington & Quincy Railroad. He was born at Irving, Franklin Co., Mass., February 15, 1828, and was reared to industrious habits, assisting, when of sufficient age, in his father's business, which was that of a merchant and lumberman, at Irving. He received but limited advantages in attaining an education, his school days ending at the age of fourteen years, and at the age of twenty he left home and was employed at Lawrence, Mass., in the postoffice and in a hotel. In 1850 he accept- ed a position as foreman in the construction of 100 miles of telegraph line running from Hor- nellsville to Dunkirk, N. Y., and after complet- ing the same he accepted employment as brake- man on the Erie Railroad. He had, however, previous to this, when eighteen or nineteen years of age, been brakeman on the Vermont & Massa- chusetts Railroad for a short time. In 1851 he went to Detroit, Mich., and accepted a position in charge of a Yankee notion wagon, driving the same and trading through the Grand River country in Michigan for eleven months, and his sales aggre- gated $25,000 for that period, which was con- sidered extra good. He did not like the business, resigned. and went to St. Louis, Mo., where he was offered and accepted a position as foreman in the construction of the first thirty miles out of St. Louis of the Missouri Pacific Railroad; was engaged the next three months grading, aud the same time lay- ing track, and subsequently was employed for six months by Stone & Broomer in building a bridge for the Alton & Terre Haute Railroad. In 1853 he returned to Massachusetts, and was employed on the Boston & Albany Railroad, and afterward at the Boston car shops, and also at the Wasson car shops, at Springfield, Mass,
In 1855 he again came west, arriving at Chi- cago August 15, and on the 17th he began work for the Chicago, Burlington & Quincy Railroad, as brakeman, filling this position until October following, when he was promoted to conductor of a freight train, retaining the same until 1861. He was then asked by the superintendent of the road if he would object to taking charge, as conductor, of a construction train running from Chicago to Kewanee, Ill., a much more laborious job, with no better pay, the superintendent explaining that he, Mr. Alexander, was more competent than any conductor they had to take charge of it, and he had more confidence in him for the responsible position. Mr. Alexander promptly agreed to the proposition, saying he was working for the company, and would cheerfully obey orders. He ran the construction train until April, 1863, when he was made con- ductor of a passenger train, running from Chicago to Burlington, and in 1873 was appointed by the company train-master at Chicago; in June, 1874, he was transferred to Aurora, filling the same position there for two years. He was then made master of transportation of the Chicago division, and in 1878 was appointed superintendent of the Chicago Division of the Chicago, Burlington & Quincy Railroad, with headquarters at Aurora, which latter position he still holds.
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