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 95

Author:
Publication date: 1888
Publisher: Chicago, Ill. : Beers, Leggett & Co.
Number of Pages: 1040

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 95
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 95

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).

Alfred reside at Square Grove, DeKalb County ; Phœbe married William Coulson; Martha is in Brown County, Minn., and Aaron is in Sandwich, Ill. The two children deceased were Polly, who married John Snyder (they lived south of Plano, where she died without issue), and Enoch, next to Polly in age, settled in DeKalb County, where he died leaving two children, Newton and Willis. The above mentioned Eli Darnell was born in Monroe County, Ind., August 13, 1830. He was but six weeks old when his parents arrived in Marshall County, Ill., and can remember living at the old fort between Wenona and Magnolia. He came to this county with his parents, and now resides on his farm of 205 acres-a beautiful and valuable tract-and has been a resident of the township for a longer time than any other person now living within its confines. When a young man he passed some years in California, and after his return, No- vember 16, 1863, he married Catherine Woods, who was born near Shippensburg, Cumberland Co., Penn., November 16, 1831. She was the daughter of David H. and Catherine Campbell Woods. The parents came with their family to Illinois in 1846, and located in Little Rock Town- ship, where they died. Six of their children are living: Hannah, David, Cynthia, Martha, Cath- erine and Isaac. All live in DeKalb County ex- cept Mrs. Darnell and Hannah; the latter married Alexander Montague, and is in Benton County, Iowa; Cynthia married Enoch Darnell; Martha married Elemuel Lamb. Mr. and Mrs. Eli Dar- nell are members of the Baptist Church.

W ILLIAM H. HILLMAN is a native of County Derry, Ireland, from which he emigrated to America in 1850, and, spend- ing a few months near Glens Falls, N. Y., continued his journey westward, and came to Kendall County. His inducement to reach this place, was that his friends, John, James, Jane, and Mary Barefoot, who were natives of the same place as himself, had preceded him, and settled in Little Rock Township. Between this family and Mr. Hillman existed a warm friendship, that in each case, grew with time and continued through

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life. The young men, Barefoot, had purchased 140 acres of land in Section 31, in 1846-48. They were hard-working, good men, and very respect- able citizens. All had worked on the public im- provements, and had saved and economized their earnings and become independent farmers.

Mr. Hillman hired to Amer Cook, as farm hand, in which capacity he worked three years, and, in time, he was enabled to purchase his land, which lay adjoining that of his friends, the Bare- foots. In 1853 he was married to Jane Barefoot, mentioned above, which happy union continued until she died, March 24, 1878, leaving one child, Mary Ann, born July 4, 1855, who married Angus Stewart, April 8. 1882. Her pleasant married life was brief, for she died December 31, 1883.

December 8, 1880, Mr. Hillman was united in marriage with Katie A. McKowen, a native of Philadelphia, and a daughter of William and Jane (Eckels) McKowen, who were natives also of County Derry, Ireland, and remote relatives of Mr. Hillman.

John Barefoot died February 18, 1886, aged seventy-four years. James died February 22, 1861, he being the eldest of the family. Mary A. Barefoot died January 23, 1876, aged forty-seven years. James and John died bachelors, and they made Mr. Hillman the heir to their property.

Mr. Hillman is now retired from active labor, renting out his farm, and is in the enjoyment of an ample competence. Himself and wife are mem- bers of the Presbyterian Church. He is a Repub- lican in politics, and is one of the highly respected and prominent citizens of the county.

D AVID HARVEY SHONTS, who came to Little Rock Township in 1842, from Her- kimer County, N. Y., was born in Shodock, Rensselaer County, November 23, 1808, and was a son of Andrew and Marion Buck Shonts. Andrew's father was from Holland. He first set- tled in Pennsylvania, and afterward became a prominent citizen of Rensselaer County, N. Y.

David H. learned the miller's trade, and fol- lowed this some time after his married life com- menced. He was married to Elizabeth Walrath,

January 30, 1831. She was born March 25, 1809, and is a daughter of John Walrath. There were twelve children in the family of Andrew Shonts, eleven of whom reached their majority and reared families; their names are as follows: Eber M., Anthony, David H., Ann E., Angeline, John I., Merian, Harriet, Mary, Andrew N., Jeremiah and Joseph E. The last named lost his life while bathing when a young man. All came west ex- cept Jeremiah, Ann E. and Joseph E.

David H., and his brother Eber M. came west together, and arrived in Little Rock Township in June, 1842; they traveled via the lakes and canal. These two brothers purchased a mill claim together, and David made also preëmption claim to other land on Section 1, on which he made his farm and home, and at the same time managed the saw and grist mill for several years. He also opened a stone quarry during this time.

In 1870 he retired from his farm and removed to Plano, where he was elected police magistrate and justice of the peace, and was an acting justice up to the time of his death, April 1, 1883. It is sup- posed his demise was hastened by a severe fall he received the year previous. The universal testimony of all who knew him well in life is that he was a pure and honest man; a man of strong convictions, and who possessed the courage to maintain them everywhere, but warm and gen- erous of heart and liberal in thought and acts. He in the late years of his life acted with the Republican party. He was supervisor and justice of the peace sixteen years. He was a member of the I. O. O. F., and also a Mason of the R. A. C., and a believer in that broad religion that includes the human race.

He left but one son, Byron E., born May 31, 1837, in Herkimer County, N. Y., who was five years old when he came with his parents to Illi- nois. He grew to manhood on his father's farm, and obtained in the schools of the vicinity a good English education.

In February, 1860, Byron E. Shonts and Julia Clark were joined in marriage. She is a daughter of Levi S. and Evaline Morton Clark, who were originally of Rome, N. Y., and came to Kane County in 1855. Mr. and Mrs. Shonts conducted

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the father's homestead for some years after their marriage, in 1870 removed to Plano, and for some years he was engaged in merchant tailoring. In 1883 he was appointed mail route clerk on the Kankakee & Seneca Branch Railroad, and con- tinued in that position until the election of Presi- dent Cleveland. When he left the Government service, he entered the services of the Plano Manufacturing Company, in which he is now em- ployed as traveling salesman. After his removal to town he served as township assessor, city mar- shal, and town collector, and for some time as local editor of the Yorkville News. He is a stock- holder in the steel works of the place, and has other valuable interests. He is a member of Sun- beam Lodge A. F. & A. M., and in politics acts with the Republican party.

L EWIS RICKARD, Bristol Township, Ken- dall County, has many prosperous and well- to-do farmers within its borders, who have carved out their own success, but none on their muster roll stands higher than the subject of this memoir. He and his parents were all natives of Montgomery County, N. Y. Their names are Frederick and Polly (Snell) Rickard, born, respect- ively, on August 5, 1781, and September 5, 1793. The former was all his life a farmer in the county of his birth, at a place called Stone Arabia. He was an excellent man and a consistent Christian, for many years a deacon in the Congregational Church at the place named. His wife, Polly, died July 2, 1825, and Mr. Rickard was married to Nancy Shull, who was born February 27, 1796, and died May 29, 1882. Her husband preceded her by several years, dying December 19, 1868. By his wife, Polly, who was the mother of our subject, Mr. Rickard had seven children, named: Mary, liv- ing in Amsterdam, N. Y., and widow of Dr. Jacob G. Snell; Josiah, on the old homestead; Cath- erine, Alexander, Caroline, Alma Almira (de- ceased) and Lewis. The children of the second wife are Emeline, living in Arizona, widow of George Gilbert. and Irena, wife of James Hessler, living in Watertown, N. Y. The parents of Fred- erick Rickard were Lodowick Rickard, born Sep-

tember 12, 1757, died January 9, 1819, and Cath- erine (Getman), who was born September 27, 1761, died March 15, 1813; they were both born at Stone Arabia, and Lodowick was a farmer all his life. There were in the family of Lodowick Rickard nine children, namely: Annyeve, John, Catharine, Fredrick, George, Lewis, Mary, Delia, Numey. Lewis Rickard was born at Stone Arabia, January 10, 1820. He was brought up to farming. and in 1842 determining to cast in his fortunes with the great growing West, he located himself in Oswe- go, Kendall Co., Ills., where he stayed but a few months, when he bought the farm on Section 22, in Bristol Township, which has since been his home. That part of Kendall County was sparsely settled, houses being far apart. He cheerfully en- countered the toil and privations incident to the life of an early settler, and is now enjoying the fruits of his hard labor, having a fine farm and new and commodious residence. The latter took the place of one totally destroyed by fire in 1885.

October 19, 1840, Mr. Rickard was married to Caty, born in Montgomery County, N. Y., October 9, 1821, a daughter of Peter G. Loucks, born Oc- tober 10,1792, and Nancy (Gray) Loucks, born June 20, 1794. Their union has been blessed with four children, of whom one son, Arnold, died at the age of twenty-four, of disease contracted while in the Union army, as a member of the One Hundred and Twenty-seventh Illinois Volunteers. He had taken part in the siege of Vicksburg, and in sev- eral other engagements. The survivors are Lucin- da, wife of Daniel Welch, of Plano, Ills .; Lewis L., married to Anna Maria White, and living on a part of his father's farm; and Elmer G., who married Jennie Saltsman, an estimable young lady who was born at Palatine Bridge, in New York State, where his ancestors had lived for several generations. Both live with Mr. Rickard's par- ents, assisting and cheering them in their declin- ing days.

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The parents of Peter G. Loucks, were George Loucks, born 1759, died 1835, and Elizabeth Bel- lenger, his wife, born 1760, died 1825. There were in Peter G. Loucks' family twelve children: Lu- cinda, widow of David Snell, Mary, widow of Alexander Snell, Nancy, widow of Dewitt Gros,

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and Charlie Loucks, living in Montgomery County, N. Y .: Walter, deceased; Elizabeth, widow of Josiah Shults, Caty, wife of Lewis Rickard, Alida, wife of Edward Walker, and Nathan Loucks, residing in Kendall County, Ills .; George and Orlando, residing in California; Andrew, in Nevada.

In early times, when the elder Rickard had to draw his produce to Chicago, a trip then requiring three days, his wife proved herself a worthy help- mate. In his absence she attended to all the work, doing all the chores, feeding the stock, and often taking her baby to the field, put him in a grain shock to sleep, while she was binding. With such a wife he could not but succeed.

In politics, Mr. Rickard is a Democrat, but his Republican neighbors have elected him to several township offices. Plain-speaking and straight- forward, he has acquired the reputation of an honest man and a good citizen.

S AMUEL J. HANNAN, a prosperous and go- ahead merchant of Newark, Big Grove Township, Kendall County, is a native of Franklin County, N. Y., born June 7, 1838, son of Samuel and Maria (Waters) Hannan. The family moved West in 1843 and located in Chicago where the father commenced the lumber business, but died the following year (1844), the mother fol- lowing him a few years later. Young Samuel J. was thus thrown on the world at a very early age with the stern realities upon him ere he had lived a single decade; but bravely did he fight his way through the discouraging surroundings, and manfully did he struggle on to success. When about ten years of age he obtained employment in the office of the Gem of the Prairie one of the early newspapers of Chicago, but, being seized with what is known as the "printers' sickness," he at the end of a year was compelled to abandon that trade and seek out door employment. Leav- ing Chicago, in 1848, he moved to La Salle County, where he worked for Robert Lett, on Somonauk Creek, receiving for his services, board, clothing, and, to a certain extent, schooling. Here he re- mained some time and then came to Fox Township,

where he hired to Andrew Brodie at $6 per month, and with him remained nine years, his wages being raised from time to time as his experience and labor might warrant. In 1863 he left the employ of Mr. Brodie and engaged as clerk for J. A. Coy, in Newark, with whom he remained until May 1, 1864, when he enlisted in the one hundred days' service, in Company F, One Hun- dred and Forty-first Regiment, Illinois Infantry. Receiving his discharge in the fall of the same year, Mr. Hannan returned to Newark, reengaged with Mr. Coy and worked faithfully in his store until 1876, in which year he embarked in his present business (general storekeeping) for him- self in Newark, in which he has met with more than ordinary success merited by close attention to business and honorable dealings with his customers.

December 24, 1868, Mr. Hannan formed a mat- rimonial alliance with Miss Sarah Judson Booth, a native of Newark, Ill., a lady of culture, a stu- dent of Wheaton College, and who after leaving that institute taught music for several years. Mr. and Mrs. Hannan have one son named Earl Whit- ney. In religious belief they are Congregational- ists, but, in the absence of a church society of that denomination in their neighborhood, they attend the services of the Methodist Episcopal Church, in which they are useful workers. Mr. Hannan in politics is a Republican.

Mrs. Hannan is the only child of Moses and Sarah Whitney Booth, former of whom came to this part of the country prior to the Sauk War. He was born in Redding, Conn., in 1801, and came to Illinois in 1831, taking up a claim in what is now Big Grove Township, land embraced in Sec- tions 16 and 17, and now owned by the Mason heirs. Here Mr. Booth built him a cabin, but was driven off by the Indians and forced to retreat to Ottawa. After that Indian war he returned to his cabin and commenced the improvement of his land. Finally he sold out to John Mason, and removed to Newark, where he carried on merchandising, and here died. His widow, Mrs. Sarah Whitney Booth, yet survives him. She was born June 17, 1810, in Westminster, Worcester County, Mass., the youngest of eleven children, nine of whom lived to be grown. Her father, Deacon David

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Whitney, was a son of Capt. Nathan Whitney, of Waltham, Mass., who received his commission from George III., it bearing date July 12, 1771. Capt. Whitney married Tabitha Merriam, of Lex- ington, and of the ten children born to them David, Nathan and John grew to manhood. Dea- con David Whitney married Elizabeth Barron, and by her had the following named children: David, Aaron, Reuben, Isaac, Calvin, Tabitha, Elizabeth, Mary and Sarah Whitney. None came west ex- cept Sarah Whitney and Deacon Isaac, who arrived in 1837 and died in 1846, leaving two sons, Lucius and John Howard, and one daughter, Susan B., now of Ottawa, Kas., wife of Webster Oleson. Lucius removed west and is now postmaster at Billings, Mont. John Howard lost his life in the defense of his country in the War of the Rebellion ; he was a member of Company F, Thirty-sixth Regiment, Illinois Volunteer Infantry, and was killed at the battle of Resaca, in April, 1863. Mrs. Bootlı taught school several years prior to coming west, in 1842, and also one term after arrival here. She comes of a long-lived race, her father having died in his one-hundredth year, and her mother when over eighty; her grandmother Merriam died when ninety, and Tabitha, wife of Capt. Jolın C. Miller, is now ninety-four years old.

T HOMAS D. WAYNE, SR. Prominent among the many substantial business men of Kendall County is the gentleman whose name heads this brief biography. He was born in Cricklade, Wiltshire, England, November 16, 1817, son of William and Sarah (Dowdswell) Wayne, both of whom are descendants of worthy people in that part of England. William Wayne was an architect and builder by profession, and was prominently connected with railway building in his native country. He died at a ripe old age, in Brighton, England.

Our subject, when a lad of fourteen, came to America with his mother, who took up her resi- dence in Montreal, Canada, where he grew to man- hood. In 1849 he followed the fortunes of the gold hunters who went to California, and spent about eigliteen months in that State; then went

to the Sandwich Islands, when, after a stay of sev- eral months, he returned to San Francisco, and soon after to Illinois, locating at Oswego, where he subsequently established a grain and produce business, which he has successfully carried on to the present time. While a resident of Canada, he often visited his native land, and at Frome, in Somersetshire, England, he formed a marital union with Miss Jemima, the daughter of Joseph and Maria (Palmer) Dommett. From this union there are two sons: Thomas, an honored member and successful operator of the Board of Trade, Chicago, Ill., and the father of a son and daugh- ter; Joseph, who is associated with his father in business.

Mr. and Mrs. Wayne are members of the Episcopal Church. Mr. Wayne is a member of the Odd Fellows and Masonic Societies.

D ANIEL J. DARNELL, a prominent and substantial farmer of Little Rock Town- ship, was born in Marshall County, Ill., November 7, 1833, and is a son of John and Leah Darnell.

He was reared on the home farm of his father, and in the schools of the vicinity obtained his edu- cation. On the breaking out of the War of the Rebellion he enlisted as a Union soldier, August 19, 1861, in Company E, Thirty-sixth Regiment Illinois Volunteer Infantry; this was under the first call for three years' men; the regiment was soon ordered on active service in Missouri and took part in some of the first engagements and battles of the war. Mr. Darnell was wounded at the Bat- tle of Perryville; was also a participant in the bat- tles of Pea Ridge, Arkansas, Mission Ridge (Tenn.), Stone River, Kenesaw Mountain, and many other engagements with the enemy, in one of which he lost a finger. During much of the time lie acted as color-sergeant and also as color-bearer. His regiment being stationed at the front nearly all the time, he experienced much hard service, during the latter part of which he was stricken with sickness, and spent some time in the hospital. His military record is that of a faithful, efficient and brave sol- dier. At the end of his term of enlistment he was

Daniel & Darnell

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honorably discharged from the service, and returned to his home, in Little Rock Township. October 21, 1879, he was married to Olive Rowley, a native of Cook County. She is a daughter of George W. and Hannah Brown Rowley, natives of Steuben County, N. Y., who came as pioneers to Elgin, Ill., in 1836, settled there before the town existed, and remained three years, when they removed to Ohio; remained three years, and then returned to Illinois, located in Kane County, and afterward re- moved to Little Rock Township, in 1848. George W. Rowley was born February 22, 1806, and died April 6, 1883. His wife was born March 9, 1809, and died January 30, 1874. They reared a fam- ily of nine children, all of whom lived to reach their majority, named as follows: Elizabeth, Thomas, Rachel, Olive, Maria, Martha, Mary, George and John. Of these Elizabeth married V. W. Wells, of Lee County; Thomas resides in the same place; Rachel lives in Whiteside County, the wife of James Brown; Maria is in Genesee County, N. Y., married to Charles Wells; Martha is in Dickey County, Dak., wife of Frank Lynde; Mary is in Whiteside County, wife of John Willett; George emigrated to Southwest Nebraska, Chase County, where he was killed by Indians, in 1878, during the Cheyenne raid (he left two children, Edith and George E., now of Beatrice); John is in Hamilton County, Neb. Mr. and Mrs. Darnell have no children. Mr. Darnell has retired from the close and hard labors of life. He rents out his land, and is resting in comfortable competence, enjoying the fruits of his labors in the past, and receiving the cordial good will of his neighbors.

YMAN LANE. The ancestors of the Lane family came from Scotland and settled in Connecticut. David, grandfather of Ly- man, was a patriot soldier during the Revo- lution, and died in New York City while in the army. His son, also named David, was the father of our subject. He was born in the town of Suf- field, near Hartford. Conn., and removed to Turin, Lewis Co., N. Y., in 1805. He, likewise, was a soldier, serving during the whole War of 1812, and dying at his home in New York, in 1814, of

camp fever contracted in the army. His wife was Elizabeth Ballard, also a native of Connecti- cut. She survived her husband many years, re- married, and died in 1830. David Lane had seven children, of whom but two survive. Lucy, one of those now living, was married to Chauncy Barnes, who was a colonel during the war of 1812, and died of consumption in 1825. His widow subsequently married Wanton Smith, whom she survives, and now lives near Rome, N. Y. The other survivor is Lyman, who was born on the home place, in Connecticut, April 9, 1799. He was six years old when his father removed to New York State, where he learned the trade of cloth- dressing and carding, afterwards building a woolen factory at Turin, N. Y., in which for many years he carried on the business of manufacturing cloth, in partnership with Cadwell Dewey. The business was successful, but Mr. Lane was imbued with the spirit of emigration, and sold his interest. He continued to farm there, however, for a year or two, but in 1837 started with his family for the then far West, driving the entire distance, in com- pany with four other families, making a party of twenty-seven in all. They went through Canada to Detroit, thence via Michigan to Indiana, and across Illinois to the Fox River, near where Bris- tol now stands. Here Mr. Lane made a claim, two miles east of the site of the present village of Bristol, which he owned until 1869, when he sold it to his youngest son, and he and his wife have · since lived in a comfortable house which he built in Bristol. In 1826, Mr. Lane was married to Nancy, daughter of Levi and Esther (Barnes) Hart, both natives of Connecticut, who removed to New York State about 1801, shortly after their marriage. Mr. Hart was a farmer, but later became a mer- chant. He was a prominent and well known citi- zen of Lewis County, N. Y., which he represented in the legislature. He was also county judge for some years. Mrs. Lane was born in 1805. She has seven children, as follows: Menzo, who built the Blackberry Mills, in Bristol Township, and died in 1874; Levi, in Topeka, Kas., who has been a member of the State Legislature; Esther, who died in 1872; George W., who died at the Bristol farm in 1873; Emily, wife of William K. Ball,

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architect, of Creston, Iowa; Mary A., wife of A. D. Perrin, farmer, of Prescott, Kas. ; and El- vira, who remains with her parents. Mr. and Mrs. Lane have witnessed many changes in the place where they cast their Jot. It was then a wild and lonely spot, but is now one of the finest farming regions in the State. After sixty-one years of wedded life, many of which were passed among privations, they are now, in the evening of their days, enjoying the fruits of their early industry and thrift, and have the respect and good will of all who know them. Both are members of the Bristol Congregational Church.

R OBERT LORMOR. The father of the subject of this memoir was Thomas Lor- mor, a native of Ireland, who immigrated to America and settled in Tompkins County, N. Y., where he lived until his death, March 24, 1874, at the age of eighty-two years. He was married, after coming to this country, to Margaret McKee, a native of New York State, of Irish parentage. She died January 12, 1847, leaving twelve children, all of whom are now living, the majority of them in Tompkins County, N. Y. Robert Lormor, the third in order of birth, was born September 8, 1820, in Dryden, N. Y .. and was reared to farming, living at home until he was twenty-two years of age, when, in 1842, he came west and settled in the township of Big Grove, Kendall County. By industry and thrift he had accumulated some means, and bought a farm in Lisbon Township, which for eight years he cultivated successfully and profitably. He then sold it and removed to the village of Plattville, where he made his home six years more, when he bought another farm in Big Grove Township, on which he lived until the spring of 1885, in which year he sold it, and he has since lived a retired life in the village of Yorkville.

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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 95

Author: Publication date: 1888 Publisher: Chicago, Ill. : Beers, Leggett & Co. Number of Pages: 1040

Author:
Publication date: 1888
Publisher: Chicago, Ill. : Beers, Leggett & Co.
Number of Pages: 1040