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 98

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 98
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 98

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who came from Mark Lustenoff, Court of Greil- sheim, Wurtemberg, Germany, in 1856, and lo- cated upon land just west of Oswego, where for many years they carried on farming, and reared a family of children. Of these children, who grew to manhood, Michael is a farmer in Oswego Town- ship; Frederick is deceased; Andrew is a farmer in Oswego township; William lost his life as a soldier in the defense of his country in the War of the Rebellion; Caroline is the wife of Charles Knapp, a respected citizen of Oswego; Leonard is a farmer of Oswego township; J. August, the subject of this sketch; Minnie, wife of William Schwartz, of Chicago; Ferdinand, farmer of Oswego Township, and Henry, of Fayette County, Iowa. January 13, 1885, the mother of this family died. She was an earnest Christian and a member of the Evangelical Church for many years. The aged father still survives, and resides with his son J. August, at Oswego. J. August Shoger married Miss Augusta Figge, an estimable lady.

C W. LA SUER is a native of Erie County, Penn., born May 8, 1837, and is the eldest in the family. His parents removed to Tompkins County, N. Y., when our subject was an infant, Here he grew to manhood, and becoming impressed with some of the advantages of the great West, turned his face toward the promised land, determined to get a fee simple to some portion of it. He stopped in Decatur, Ill., in 1856, and for some time read medicine in the office of Dr. Ira B. Curtis, but, changing his mind, he dropped the study of medicine, and in 1857 came to Plano, where he has since made his home, and for some time was engaged as a professor in teaching dancing, having classes in Sandwich, Shabbona, Bristol, Yorkville and Plano. He soon purchased a farm (which he still owns) of sixty-one acres in Section 26, near Plano. This was once a part of the Eldredge estate. He resides on his farm, but is daily to be found in Plano City, at- tending to official and other business. He has been quite successfully engaged as a dealer in horses, his knowledge and judgment of the animal being excellent, and is now superintendent of the

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speed ring; is also a member of the executive committee of the Kendall County Fair Association. He is now serving as a constable and special po- liceman of Plano City, and is regarded as one of its enterprising citizens.

His present wife is Nellie E., daughter of John M. Taylor. She is a native of Oswego, N. Y. He has one son, Charles Edward, born to his first wife. Mr. La Suer is a fair and consistent Dem- ocrat in his political sympathies.

AMES J. HUME. This gentleman has an un- usual war record. He has three honorable dis- charges from the army, each time mustered out at the end of his service. He was among the first to volunteer in the three-months' service in April, 1861, in Company H., Tenth Illinois Vol- unteers, and served the term. Then, September 23, 1861, he enlisted in Company A., Thirty-sixth Illinois Cavalry, and served a term of two years and a half, reënlisted as a veteran at New Orleans, and in the changes in the command his company was consolidated with the Tenth Illinois Cavalry, was made Company M., and was mustered in at Brownsville, Ark., in November, 1865. He was in the service of his country from the firing on Fort Sumter, until peace followed Appomattox. Some of his experiences are, as given by his statement, that, when guarding in the rear of Grant's army, at the siege of Vicksburg, Miss., he was at one time seventeen days, and another time, twenty-one days, in the saddle, and at no time was off his horse more than four hours in the twenty-four, and often not that long at any one time. He was in the battles of Pea Ridge, Iuka and Corinth, and many smaller skirmishes. During the long serv- ice he was continually at his post of duty; never was in the hospital, and was never so much as wounded by the enemy, even slightly.

James J. Hume was born in Marion County, Ohio, March 20, 1833, the youngest of a family of seven children (five sons and two daughters) of James Hume, who was born about 1790, in Cum- berland County, Pennsylvania. His paternal an- cestors were from England, and on the maternal side from Scotland. James Hume married Mary

Mc Williams, who died when her son James J. was three months old. When the son was thirteen years old, his father moved to Indiana, Marshall County. James J. was but little past thirteen years of age when he went to South Bend, Ind., were he learned the saddler's trade. Completing this, he traveled some years, and worked as a journeyman. During this time he was in several States, both east and west of the Mississippi River, going east as far as Pennsylvania. He returned to Indiana in 1855, in the following year migrated to Kendall County, Ill., and in June opened a harness and saddle shop in Plano, where he was engaged until the War of the Rebellion broke out.

October 20, 1867, he was joined in marriage with Eunice M. Swift. She was born in Cherry Val- ley, Otsego Co., N. Y., May 24, 1835. Soon after marriage, Mr. and Mrs. Hume located on a part of the old Swift homestead, in Section 23, Little Rock Township; there they engaged in farming, and have since made this their home. He added a dairy to his other farm interests, in 1874. They have had born to them two children: Frankie C., the eldest, was thirteen months old when he died; Irena E. was born September 24, 1873. The family are worshipers at the Congregational Church of Plano, of which church he is a deacon.

REDERICK ESCH, of the firm Esch Bros. & Rabe, Oswego Village, whose extensive ice houses and ice interests reach into Northern Wisconsin, is a native of Ger- many. He was born at Stettin, September 19, 1843, son of John and Fredericka (Harger) Esch, who came to America in 1868, and located in Chicago, where three sons and two daughters grew up to them. The father died in that city in 1874. Of the family, Gust and William live in Chicago, and, with Frederick K., form the company of Esch Bros .; Lena is the wife of John Reder, of Chicago, and Fredericka is the wife of Frederick Rabe, of the above firm. In 1881, Mr. Esch came to Kendall County. He married, in Germany, Miss Sophia Flecher, who was born March 18, 1844, by whom he has the following named children: John, born September 29, 1867; Fredericka, born October

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16, 1869; August, born December 14, 1871; Min- nie, born August 23, 1874; Anna, born November 14, 1878; Augusta, born May 11, 1881; Louis, born November 18, 1883; Lizzie, born December 8, 1884, and Charlie, born August 19, 1887.

Mr. Esch, from early youth, has applied him- self closely to business, and his achieved success was won through persistent energy and persever- ance, and through no moneyed inheritance. He is highly respected as a citizen, and takes an active part, by means and influence, in promoting all those interests that are best calculated to ben- efit the community of which he is a resident.

M ATTHEW PATTERSON. The earliest settlers of Bristol Township, Kendall County, are fast passing away. Of the few remaining the subject of this bio- graphical memoir is one of the best known. He was born in Ayrshire, Scotland, October 18, 1812, and is a son of Alexander and Mary (Stuart) Patterson, residents of Ayrshire, where both died several years after Matthew had immigrated to America. The latter learned his father's trade of stone mason, at which he worked there until his marriage, June 20, 1837. Two days later he and his young wife left their birthplace to seek a bet- ter fortune in the New World; they landed in New York in August, and, continuing their journey west by way of Albany, N. Y., came direct to Illi- nois. His objective point was the town of Little Rock, in Kendall County, where he had a friend living. His first stop was at Elgin, and thence he went and worked on a farm three miles below Os- wego, for a brother Scotchman, William Ross. In 1838 he took up the farm which he yet owns on Section 10, in Bristol Township. On this place he lived until March, 1881, when he retired from act- ive labor, and removed to his present home, at Bristol Station.

Mr. Patterson's wife, Jane (Connell), was born in Ayrshire, February 28, 1817, and died on the farm September 16, 1880. Their nnion had been blessed with eight children, one of whom died in infancy, and another, Jane, became the wife of George Ecles, who removed to Iowa, and died

there December 9, 1877. The other six are Janet, who is now the wife of Simon Dixon, and is living at Bristol Station; Alexander, married to Nancy Stockslager, a farmer in Bristol Township; Will- iam, a farmer in same town, married to Mary Ann Cosleman, who is deceased; Mary, the wife of Charles Cosleman, and residing in Nebraska; John, married to Margaret McQuirk, and a res- ident of Bristol Station; and Margaret Ann, with her husband, John Miller, living with her father.

Mr. Patterson is marked with the characteris- tics of the better class of sturdy Scotchmen. His rugged independence and sterling uprightness have made him many friends in the township where he has so long lived, and in which he has held about every office in the gift of its citizens, such as supervisor, road commissioner, assessor for nine years, school director for twenty-five years, etc., and in every position he has given entire satis- faction. He takes a warm interest in the success of the Republican party, of which he has been a member since its organization. He is also a mem- ber of the Congregational Church.

Accustomed to the rather bleak climate of his northern home, and arriving here at the most de- lightful time of the year, Mr. Patterson describes the prospect in his new home as enchanting at that time. The prairie, unbroken for miles, was cov- ered with grasses and bright flowers of every hue, and seemed almost a paradise. But hard work succeeded to romance, and from this same flower- strewn prairie, Mr. Patterson has, by honest toil and thrift, won a comfortable competence.

OHN FINDLAY, a representative farmer of Seward Township, was born in Renfrew- shire, Scotland, December 25, 1822, and is a son of John and Margaret (Stephenson) Findlay. In 1828 or 1829, his parents immigrated with their family to Canada, locating at Leeds, where they owned and carried on a farm, and reared a family of eleven children. At that place the subject of this sketch assisted his father in farm work, until about twenty years of age, when he left the parental roof, and came to Illinois, three years later settling in Seward Township,

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where he has ever since resided and been actively engaged in agricultural pursuits. He was married, June 29, 1853, at Plainfield, Ill., to Miss Mary Broadbent, daughter of Joseph and Ann (Siddall) Broadbent. By this union ten children were born, eight of whom are living, named as follows: Will- iam H., Margaret A., Stephen, Elizabeth, John, Marietta, Joseph and Sarah Jane. Marietta is now Mrs. James Toovey, of Joliet, Ill .; Margaret is the widow of the late Henry C. Howard, of Seward Township; Stephen married Ada Bull, and is now a resident of Seward Township. Mr. Find- lay is one of the best known citizens of this local- ity; is respected and trusted by his neighbors, and on several occasions has served his vicinity in local public offices, and is now school director of his dis- trict. His farm consists of 324 acres of well im- proved land, on which he resides with his family.

P ETER COONEY, farmer and stock raiser, was born in Mayfield, Ohio, the son of Daniel and Rebecca (Foust) Cooney, of Perry County, Penn., whose ancestry dates back to an early settlement of these families in the State of Pennsylvania, fromAlsace and Lorraine. Daniel Cooney lived four years in the State of New York, then four years in Ohio, and in 1837 removed with his family to Kendall County, Ill., where five sons and three daugliters grew up to them: George, a farmer of Na-au-say Township; William, in Colorado; Samuel. near Plano; Eman- uel, in Na-au-say; Sarah, wife of William Ernst, of Kansas; Elizabeth. wife of Charles Austin, of Mich- igan, and Louisa, wife of Joseph Dieter, of Mis- souri. They are all engaged in farming pursuits. The ancestry of this family holds a worthy place in the first settlement of Pennsylvania, and during the war for Independence did active and honora- ble duty as soldiers in that great struggle. Peter Cooney grew to manhood in Oswego Township, and like the rest pursued the vocation of a farmer. He here married Miss Amanda Carpenter, daugh- ter of David W. and Sarah (Davis) Carpenter, natives of Ohio. They have a family of two sons and three daughters: Elnora is wife of Wesley Keck, of Sugar Grove Township, Kane Co., Ill. ;

Alzora is the wife of Henry F. Ware, of Aurora; Mary, Cyrus and Sidney are yet under the paren- tal roof. Mr. and Mrs. Cooney have held mem- bership in the Congregational Church for many years. He is an official in same, and one of the board of trustees for the church at Oswego. He has also served on the board of school directors of his district on several occasions.

A SA MANCHESTER, one of the old settlers of Big Grove Township, was born Septem- ber 15, 1809, in Little Compton Township, R. I., and when three years of age moved with his parents to Madison County, N. Y. He worked on a farm until he was fifteen years of age, receiving the advantages of the common schools. After attaining his sixteenth year he went to Oneida County and learned the tailor's trade, on the completion of which he traveled as journeyman for three years, visiting in the meantime Pennsyl- vania, Virginia, Canada. Ohio, Kentucky and other places, to see the country, as well as to familiarize himself with his trade. About that time he mar- ried Julia Ann Burnham, daughter of Dyer Burn- ham, whose wife's maiden name was Cone. After his marriage Mr. Manchester settled in Colosse, Oswego Co., N. Y., and engaged in business on his own account. In June, 1838, he left Oswego County with his wife and three children and moved to De Witt, Carroll County, Mo., where he purchased a house and lot. There he intended to make his home, but, being an adherent of the Latter Day Saints' doctrine, he was driven off by a mob opposed to that belief. Hc then went to Caldwell County, but, still feeling insecure, returned to De Witt and shortly after moved to Columbia, Boone County, Mo., where he spent the winter. The following spring he set out for Kendall County, Ill., made the entire journey in a wagon, and arrived in July at Newark. Here he purchased a claim in Fox Township, and later purchased one in Big Grove Township, which he afterward entered from the Government and has since owned. He then sold his land in Fox Township to William Pease, and purchased more near his own property at Newark. He carried on his trade in Newark

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for several years, was also engaged in commercial business in the town, conducted a drug store, sold ready-made clothing and ran farm machinery, operated a sawmill, and at the same time attended to his farm, but since 1884 has been retired. His first wife died, leaving one child, Julia A., now wife of Irus McCoy, of Chicago; his second wife was Adaline H., sister of his first wife, who died, the mother of four children: Helen G., wife of James Rood, of Montgomery, Kas .; Eugene A., a merchant in Sandwich; Cora, at home, unmarried, and William, on the home farm. His present wife was Mrs. Charlotte Heavener, daughter of Josepli Casler, of New York State.

Mr. Manchester cast his first vote for Andrew Jackson, and has since been Democratic in his ideas. He has been three times elected justice of the peace, and once was appointed to fill a vacancy. He is a member of the Church of Latter Day Saints. Mr. Manchester has always been temper- ate, never used tobacco nor whisky, has been a tire- less worker, and is truly a self made man.

P ROFESSOR W. C. BELDEN, a prominent and popular educator of Kendall County, is a native of Illinois, and was born April 29, 1860, in Marseilles, La Salle County, the eldest son of Samuel O. and Elizabeth (Nicholson) Belden. The latter was a native of Canada, the daughter of Rev. D. Nicholson. Samuel O. Bel- den was a native of Massachusetts, a cabinet maker by trade, who first immigrated to Dayton, Ohio, and thence to this State, where he engaged in farming, but finally located in Joliet, where he now resides.

Prof. Belden was educated in the common schools of his neighborhood, his elementary educa- tion being supplemented by the best advantages which Joliet afforded, and elaborated at the Normal School conducted by Mrs. Alex. McIntosh, a prominent educator, of Joliet. At the age of eighteen he began teaching in Will County, where he taught five years in succession in one locality.

From Will County he came to Lisbon, in Sep- tember, 1883, and was employed as principal of the school at that place, which position he has

since held. He is a fine penman, a thorough and competent teacher; is abreast with the times in educational work; is conscientious and honest in the exercise of his chosen profession, and wherever his line of work is carefully scrutinized, it bears a rigid test. He has acquired an enviable reputa- tion as a public speaker, and exercises no small influence in local politics. He is an ardent Repub- lican. He is a lover of blooded horses, and is owner of some fine animals, which he keeps both as a source of pleasure and of profit.

March 27, 1884, Prof. Belden married Miss Blanche Thornburg, who was born in Channahon, Will County, daughter of John and Elizabeth (Crumpton) Thornburg. To this union has been born one son-Clinton E.

L EONARD OWEN LATHROP, a native of Kendall County, was born in the town of Bristol, January 8, 1840. His father, Sam- uel S. Lathrop, came from Connecticut to Chicago, Ill., in June, 1832. He was a carpenter and joiner by trade, and being one of the few skilled workmen in the place at that time, commanded good wages for making doors and window sashes, soon accumulating a small capital. This he in- vested in town lots, which in those days soon be- came valuable. He sold them and came to Bristol, Kendall County, where he bought a large farm and commenced improving it. A year or two later he married Nancy McClellan, daughter of James and Fanny Mcclellan. She was born in Jamestown, N. Y., April 8, 1822. Owen (for our subject is generally known by that name) was their first- born. He was reared on the farm and mastered the details of the husbandman's vocation; and, in the meantime, learned, under his father's care, how to well use the tools of the carpenter. He gained a fair English education in the public schools, and when sixteen years old, assumed the responsibili- ties of life and went to Chicago, where he was employed at carpenter work under the direction of one of the best architects in the city-J. M. Van Osdel-who is still living and in active business, and who, in the rebuilding of Chicago after the great fire, superintended the erection of many

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of the finest buildings, much to his credit, among them being the Palmer House, the Tremont House, and others. Owen remained there until the fall of 1857, when he returned to Bristol and worked as a journeyman at his trade until February, 1858, when he went to Hopeville, Conn., eight miles from the city of Norwich, and engaged as a clerk in a general factory village store, owned by his two uncles, Henry and Edwin Lathrop. He continued with them until June, 1861, when, the dark clouds of rebellion having spread over the land, the young man dropped the yard-stick and the tea-scale weights and returned to his home in Bristol, where he enlisted in Company C, Fourth Illinois Cavalry, in whose ranks he served until June, 1863, when he was honorably discharged for dis- ability, having taken part in the capture of Fort Henry, Fort Donelson, and in the great and bloody battle of Shiloh, or Pittsburgh Landing, and nu- merous other lesser engagements, the regiment having led Gen. Grant's advance in his first cam- paign.

When discharged, it was the opinion of the regimental surgeon that Mr. Lathrop could not live; he returned to his home, and, after partially re- covering his health, he, in September, 1864, ac- cepted the position of agent for McNairy, Claflin & Co., of Cleveland, Ohio, military bridge build- ers, with his office and headquarters in St. Louis, Mo., and engaged in the rebuilding of the rail- road bridges on the Missouri Pacific Railroad, burned by the rebel general, Price, in his great raid through that State. After the completion of this work, in April, 1865, he was ordered to Covington, Ky., where he still continued in the military bridge business until peace was declared, the declaration immediately stopping all military works. He then returned to his home, in Kendall County, and turned his attention to his trade with the determination of saving a little capital and getting into some per- manent business, which he accomplished during the following three years. He removed to Plano, Kendall County, in February, 1868, and at first em- barked in the brick-making business, successfully conducting the same for four years, and from his yard quite a number of the brick blocks in Plano were built. The business, not being as profitable

as he desired, was abandoned. He then pur- chased a hardware establishment of W. C. Andrus, and in that business he is still engaged, carrying a large stock of hardware and stoves, and in con- nection with same a tin shop. He is a gentleman respected by all who know him, a Republican in politics, and, although not what is termed an office- seeker, has held most of the offices in the gift of the people of the city and township, among them town clerk, town treasurer, township trustee, town collector, president of town board, alderman, and at present supervisor and member of the county board (his second term). He is what may be styled a self-made man, as he has never had any extra advantages for education (not having attend- ed school since he was fourteen years of age), and has never received a legacy from any rich relative; whatever he has accomplished at all worthy of commendation has been through his native energy and individual efforts. He was married, Decem- ber 8, 1871, to Josie A. Parsons, daughter of Henry and Sarah Engle Parsons, of Plano, Ken- dall Co., Ill. She was born in August, 1851, in the township of Little Rock, Kendall County. To this marriage have been born two daughters: Lena Emma and Sarah Nancy. He is a member of the Masonic fraternity.

P ETER MORRISON, of Lisbon Village, was born May 26, 1839, in Bradford County, Pa., a son of William and Henrietta (Shep- herd) Morrison, the former a native of Scot- land, and the latter of Irish progenitors. William Morrison came from his native country to Canada in 1830, thence to Bradford County, Penn., and when our subject was two years of age his parents removed with their family to Canada, where they engaged in farming; to the latter vocation Peter was reared at his Canadian home. In 1865 he came to Libson Township, and, in the employ of John Ross, learned the butchering business. He remained an employé one year, then became Mr. Ross' part- ner, and a year afterward bought Mr. Ross' inter est, and has since successfully carried on the business alone. He is a self-made man financially; beginning with little or no means, he has, by good

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business management and application, become one of the substantial citizens of his adopted home; has excellent property in Libson Village; valuable building lots in Kansas City, and a good farm located near the B. & M. R. R. in Franklin County, Neb. He is a member of Orient Lodge, No. 323, A. F. & A. M. He was married January 15, 1868, to Mary E. Wilkinson, a native of Can- ada, and daughter of Samuel and Anna (Lindsey) Wilkinson. By this union there were five chil-

dren, named Willie, Blanchard, Edna, Ina and Maud. The mother of this family died October 4, 1879. He was married to his present wife Octo- ber 18, 1887 Her maiden name was Anna Ailey, a daughter of William and Sarah (Fortuner, ) Ailey. of Ohio, who came to Iroquois County about the year 1865.

R OBERT ALEX. MC CLELLAND, M. D. The McClelland family are of Scotch ex- traction, and of that numerous body who emigrated, during the religious troubles in their own country, to the North of Ireland, where Alexander McClelland, father of Robert A., was born in 1830. In 1847, at the age of seventeen, he immigrated to the New World, settling in the city of New York. There he procured employ- ment on the New York & Harlem Railroad, on which he finally became conductor. He stayed on that road until 1854, when, allured by the great possibilities of the " West," he removed to Chicago, and there became connected with the Michigan Southern & Northern Indiana Railroad, now known as the Lake Shore & Michigan Southern. With that corporation he has ever since been identified, being now freight transfer agent at the depot in Chicago. His faithful service is best illustrated by the fact that, during the thirty-three years he has worked for that corporation, he has never forfeited a day's wages; and the appreciation in which he is held is shown by the well-paid position to which he was appointed when he expressed a desire to give up more active duties, the company wishing to retain his services. He is a member of the Reformed Episcopal Church, and a charter member of Home Lodge, No. 508, F. & A. M., Chicago.

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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 98

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