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 99

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 99
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 99

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).

While in New York City Mr. Alexander Mc-

Clelland was married to Isabel Hardgrove, also a native of Ireland, who came to this country the year following her future husband's emigration. She died March 31, 1880. They had three sons and one daughter. Two of the sons, William Henry and John, died in infancy, and the daugh- ter, Martha, at the age of sixteen, leaving Robert A. the only survivor of the family. He was born in New York City, May 13, 1854, and was but a few months old when his parents removed to Chi- cago. In that city he attended school until the age of fifteen, when lie entered a drug store as a clerk, continuing in that business seven years, and reading medicine during that time. In 1875 he attended Rush Medical College, Chicago, graduat- ing from that institution in 1878. On May 1, of that year, he removed to Yorkville, Kendall Co., Ill., where he has since been actively engaged in the practice of his profession. In 1881 he was elected on the Republican ticket coroner of the county ; was re-elected in 1883, and is still filling that position with credit to himself and satisfaction of the people. The Doctor has built up a lucrative practice, and is regarded as the leading physician of the place where he resides. September 29, 1881, he was married to Maggie, daughter of James and Elizabeth (Cochran) Stevenson, of Specie Grove, Kendall County, both of whom are deceased. In their lifetime they owned and lived upon the farm taken up by Peter Minkle, in 1833. The Stevensons were also among the early settlers of the county. Mrs. McClelland died June 20, 1887. Their union had been blessed with two sons, one of whom, Hugh, died in infancy. The sur- vivor is Robert Alex., Jr., born May 27, 1882. The Doctor takes an active interest in public affairs, and for four years was secretary of the Republi- can Central County Committee; for six years he has been a member of the board of education, two years of that time being its president. He is a member of the Bristol Congregational Church, as was also his wife. He is an active member of Kendall Lodge, No. 471, F. & A. M., of Yorkville; Sandwich Chapter, R. A. M., and Aurora Com- mandery, No. 22, K. T. He is also connected with the Aurora, Fox River and American Medical Asso- ciations, and has the respect of all who know him.

Pohl. a. M. Clelland M. W

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KENDALL COUNTY.

S ETH C. SLEEZER was born in Providence, Saratoga Co., N. Y., December 31, 1820, and came to Newark, this State, in May, 1846. He first rented land on the edge of La Salle County for about two years, and in 1849 pur- chased 240 "acres in Fox Township from Griffin Smith, and also some timber land in Big Grove. About six acres of the land were broken, and a small unfinished house was the only improvement on it. After nearly a year's residence he sold 160 acres of this land to the former owner, and, in the spring of 1851, went to California by the overland route; but, being dissatisfied there, he returned the following year, reaching home in February, 1852. Upon his return he resumed farming, working his own land and renting some adjoining, and continued three years. He then sold out and located on Section 4, where he bought land, added to his original purchase at different times, and now has 335 acres. There he resided from 1855 to 1886, since which time he has lived retired in Newark. He spent the year 1873 in Arkansas, whither he went with the intention of making it his home, but soon learned that this State suited him better, though he purchased several hundred acres of land in Arkansas. His father was George Sleezer, a native of Providence, N. Y., and a son of Martin Sleezer, of Hesse Cassel, Germany. Martin was taken by a press-gang, put on board ship and brought to America. He left the British army on Long Island, joined the army under Wash- ington, and was sent into the country until the close of the war; was then honorably discharged, and located in what is now Providence, N. Y., where he died. He never applied for a pension, and destroyed his papers that no others might. His wife, before her marriage, had been captured by the Indians, who killed her mother, the hired man and an infant sister, but this girl (our sub- ject's grandmother), at the appearance of the Indians, was angry, which pleased them, and her life was spared. After four years spent in cap- tivity she was redeemed by the United States Government, eventually married Martin Sleezer, and bore her husband three sons and two daugh- ters: Phebe, Anna, George, Martin and Abram. Of these, George, the father of our subject, was

the only one who came to this State. His wife was Clarissa Covell, the daughter of Seth and Han- nah (Finch) Covell. The Covells were of Welsh, the Finches of English stock, and were among the patriots of the Revolution.

Seth C. Sleezer, the subject of this sketch, when very young moved with his parents to Sara- toga Springs, where his mother died, and he then went to live with his grandfather Covell. At the age of fourteen he began for himself as a clerk in a store at Albany, where he remained one sum- mer. Finding the confinement of the store not agreeable, he abandoned the situation. He then went to Onondaga County, and shortly after to . Jefferson County, where he remained over three years, working on a farm. He then returned to Saratoga County, and, September 24, 1842, mar- ried Eliza A. Kellogg, who was born April 24, 1823, in Amsterdam, N. Y., the youngest daugh- ter in a family of nine children born to Asa and Polly (Marvin) Kellogg. Asa was a son of Martin Kellogg, who descended from Pilgrim stock. The children born to Asa and Polly Kellogg were Lydia, Martin, Lucy, Susan, Fannie, Nathaniel, Eliza Ann and Charles. Of these Susan (Mrs. Calvin Davis) and Mrs. Sleezer came to this State; the others reside in New York. To Mr. and Mrs. Sleezer were born twelve children: Flavius, George M., Eliza A., Martha A., Charles E., Ezra B., Seth C., Jr., William C., Frederick, Flavius J. (2), Mary J. and Lucy J., all of whom lived to be grown except Lucy J. Two of the above, Fla- vius and George, lost their lives in the defense of their country. Flavius was a member of the Ninety-first Regiment Illinois Volunteer Infantry, and was killed December 27, 1862, at Elizabeth- town, by Morgan's men, on their last raid. George was a member of the Twentieth Regiment Illinois Volunteer Infantry, and died of typhoid pneu- monia, at Camp Butler, November 13, 1864, at the general hospital. Eliza A. resides at Colfax, Mc- Lean County, the wife of Matthias Carter; Martha A. resides at State Center, Iowa, the wife of Charles W. Brinhall; Charles E. is a farmer in Big Grove; Ezra B. is a farmer in Fox Township; Seth C., Jr., is on the homestead, farming; William C. is a farmer in Fox Township; Frederick is a harness-

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maker in Newark; Flavius J. is a farmer in this township, and Mary J. is a teacher. Mr. Sleezer has been identified with the Baptist Church for forty-eight years, and has served as deacon for thirty years.

SRAEL LUM KELSEY. Among thie repre- sentative men of Kendall County, who have been identified with its farming and commer- cial interests for many years, is Israel Lum Kelsey, who was born in Chester Township, Mor- ris Co., N. J., January 27, 1828. His father, . James V. Kelsey, was born near Elizabethtown in about 1800, and married Margaret Graham, whose father, a native of Scotland, settled in New Jersey, and raised a family. At the age of six- teen our subject came west with his parents, who first located in Genoa Township, De Kalb County, where they pre-empted and improved a claim. Is- rael L. came to Big Grove Township in the spring of 1847, and worked for a time at $10 per month. December 24, 1848, he married Mercy Melvina Burgess, who was born in Sullivan, N. Y., April 3, 1831, the only living daughter of Esaae Burgess. After marriage Mr. Kelsey bought eighty acres of land for $1,000, for which he went in debt; kept it two years, and then paid $500 for eighty acres, unimproved. There he re- mained five years, and after improving the prop- erty, sold it and bought 276 acres on Root Ridge, Sections 19 and 20, Lisbon Township, for which he paid $20 per acre. There he resided from 1856 to 1884, and during that time also traveled for McCormick & Co., of Chicago. He then rent- ed the farm, came to Lisbon, and engaged in busi- ness with H. M. Liscom, under the firm name of Liscom & Kelsey. The partnership continued nine months, when Mr. Kelsey bought out his partner's interest, and subsequently associated with his son- in-law, C. H. Newman, under the firm name of Kelsey & Newman; they are engaged in general merchandising, in connection with which they have a drug store, presided over by a practical druggist. Mr. and Mrs. Kelsey have three chil- dren living: Amanda M., Silas E., and Nellie E. Amanda M. is the wife of Levi O. Munger (son of

Rev. Obediah Munger), and resides on the home farm; Silas E. is in Kankakee County, and Nellie E. is the wife of Charles H. Newman, in business with our subject; James died April 19, 1871, aged nineteen years. Mr. Kelsey's parents were mem- bers of the Methodist Episcopal Church; were married November 2, 1820, and died, the father May 17, 1879, and the mother April 28, 1873, aged seventy-three years; the father was a man of firm convictions, generous impulses, and an ardent admirer of Henry Clay. Politically, Mr. Kelsey is a Greenbacker, and thinks Gen. James Weaver would make a good President. In addition to his other enterprises he raises and breeds fine horses and thoroughbreds on his farm.

W ILLIAM STANLEY WEESE. This well- known horseman and horse breeder of Northern Illinois, was born in Belleville, Upper Canada, May 12, 1838, and is the son of John and Lora Ann (Howell) Weese, both natives of Canada. Subject's paternal grandfather was William, who was of German ancestry, and who served in the American Revolution. The maternal grandfather of our subject was James Howell, who was a Yankee by birth. William Weese, the subject of this sketch, was reared to farming, but this not being congenial to his tastes, he left home at the age of fourteen years, and com- menced learning the blacksmith's trade. Horses were his delight, and he aspired to train them. He learned his trade in Shannonville, Canada, but left that town in March, 1858, and came to Ken- dall County, Ill., locating at Plattville, and at first worked for a time with an uncle. In 1859 he started in business for himself, carrying on a gen- eral blacksmith shop, and a few years later he added wagons, buggies, sleighs, etc., and for years did a

large business. Since his arrival here he has been trading in horses, but within the last few years he has given especial attention to breeding and train- ing, and established an extensive business. He has a track, trains his own horses and does his own shoeing, and is well known throughout the State. He keeps about thirty horses on hand, the best in the State, and breeds and sells, his breeding farm

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containing 133 acres. He married, February 4, 1860, Rosina Edmonds, born in this county, daughter of George and Martha Rickertson Ed- monds. To this union have been born five chil- dren: Lora, Anna, Walter, Carrie and Mamie. Lora resides in Seward Township, wife of Albert Hamson; Anna resides in Monona County, Iowa, wife of Fred. McCloud, who is engaged in farm- ing and is a native of Kendall County; Walter is a regular graduate of the Ontario Veterinary College, at Toronto, and is now located at Ottawa, Ill., en- gaged in the practice of his profession.

R OBERT WILKINSON, a representative and prosperous retired farmer of Lisbon Township, was born July 29, 1824, in Yorkshire, England, and is a son of Robert and Ann (Calem) Wilkinson, to whom the follow- ing named children were born: William, James and Ann, who remain in England, and John and Robert, who came to America. Robert was reared in an agricultural district, and, when a young man, was for some time overseer on a farm in his native county. He was married in Yorkshire, April 6, 1850, to Miss Ann Stamper, born in Yorkshire, December 27, 1831, and the youngest daughter of Thomas and Mary (Sanders) Stamper. Just one year from the date of their marriage the young couple set sail for America, and arrived at Sturges, Mich., May 22,1851, following. At that place they remained until 1853, when they removed to Lis- bon Township, arriving there in February, where his wife's brother, Thomas Stamper, and himself bought eiglity acres of unimproved land on Sec- tion 21, in partnership, at $6 per acre, and on this land they built a small house. The partner- ship continued for three years, when Mr. Wilkin- son purchased his brother-in-law's interest, since when the number of acres has been increased by a purchase, in 1861, of eighty acres, at $25 per acre, and subsequently eighty acres, on Section 16, to which he removed, and where he has resided since 1883. He now rents his land and lives retired. To our subject and wife have been born nine child- ren, named William A., who died April 6, 1858; John T .; Edward J .; Fred M .; Frank W .; Alvin

M .; George H .; Minnie A .; Bertha L., who died March 24, 1882.

Edward J., Fred M. and Alvin M. reside in Ring- gold County, Iowa, engaged in farming. John T. Wilkinson was born October 31, 1853, and is the eldest son now living. He was married December 20, 1877, to Ellen A. Langdon; a daughter of H. S. and Jane E. (Kendall) Langdon. Mrs. Ellen A. Wilkinson died January 31, 1882, leaving three children, named Bernice M., Earl C. and Howard H .; and December 17, 1885, John T. Wilkinson was married to his present wife, whose maiden name was Ellen I. Tallmadge, a native of Kendall Town- ship, and a daughter of James and Sarah (Litsey) Tallmadge. John T. Wilkinson is a prominent and highly respected citizen; is now carrying on the old homestead of his father; has been town- ship clerk since the spring of 1883; has served his neighbors as school director, and takes an active interest in affairs affecting the public weal; he is a member of the Methodist Episcopal Church at Lisbon Center.

W ILLIAM H. SHUFELT was born in Taghkanick, Columbia Co., N. Y., April 15, 1821, and is the only son of his par- ents. His father, Peter Shufelt, was also a native of Columbia County, and was a son of Jeremiah Shufelt, who was raised in Dutchess County, N. Y., where his father, John, had settled with his father, George Adam Shufelt, who emi- grated from Germany to America, and settled in Dutchess County, N. Y., near Rhinebeck, several years prior to the Revolution. This George Adam was the great-great-grandsire of our subject. Dur- ing the Revolutionary War he did not take a part, having conscientious scruples concerning his oatlı of allegiance to the mother country; yet he was friendly to the colonists and favored them in every possible way, but declined to take up arms. It is related of him that as Gen. Putnam's army was passing his place one day, and water being inquired for, George Adam remarked he had plenty of cider in the cellar, which was at their service, and they very readily rolled out the casks and supplied themselves. Jeremiah Shufelt married Hannah

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Harder, whose grandfather purchased a large tract of land of the Indians, and was among the pio- neers of Columbia County, N. Y. Ten children were reared to Jeremiah and Hannah, whose names were Peter, John, Thomas, Jeremiah, Jacob, George A., Nicholas, Margaret, Ann M. and Eliza. All of these settled in Columbia County, except Jeremiah, who removed west at an early day and died in Tennessee, and John, who died in Western New York. Peter Shufelt, the father of our sub- ject, married Christina Coon, daughter of Peter S. and Catherine (Decker) Coon. Eleven children were raised to maturity of the offspring of Peter Coon and wife, whose names, according to their birth, are Samuel P., Christiana, Mary, Abram, Charity, Peter P., Ann, John P., Levi, Cornelius and Henry P., alk of whom settled in Columbia County, except Henry P., who removed to Cal- ifornia in 1852, and there died in 1885. Jere- miah Shufelt, the grandfather of W. H., was born in 1767, and moved with his father, John, to Columbia County, N. Y., about 1790, and settled where his family was born, among whom was Peter, father of W. H., who was born April 13, 1796, and was raised a farmer. He married Chris- tina Coon, by whom one child was born, viz .: William Henry; Catherine and Margaret were by a subsequent marriage with Hannah Prosens. Cath- erine married Robert E. Trafford, and resides in Columbia County; Margaret married Richard Van Vranken, and resides in Saratoga County. W. H. Shufelt was brought up on his father's farm and lived with him until he was twenty-eight years of age, when he married, November 29, 1849, Sarah M. Lockwood, who was born in Hillsdale, Columbia Co., N. Y., March 31, 1823, daughter of John and Sallie (Sturges) Lockwood, from Connecticut, and who settled in Columbia County, N. Y. After W. H. was married he purchased his grandfather's farm and carried on this until 1859, when he sold out, removed to Kendall County, Ill., and located on the farm he now owns, where he has since resided. He purchased 160 acres at a cost of $20 per acre, of Stephen Keyt, the land being situated on the northeast quarter of Section 35, Samuel Olmstead being the first settler. Mr. Shufelt has since resided here, and has been engaged in farm-

ing. He has two sons, John L. and Norman S., both of whom reside in this township and carry on farming. Mr. Shufelt is one of the stanch and respected citizens of the county, and was born in the cradle of Democracy; but since the birth of the Republican party he has been a stanch Republican, and has been postmaster at White Willow postoffice for over twenty years. He is a member of the Baptist Church, and has been identi- fied with that body for nearly fifty years. John L. Shufelt married Anna M. Kent, by whom he has three children: De Witt L., John Kent and Clara. Norman S. Shufelt married Mary E. Sherril, daughter of Lewis Sheril, and has one son, Will- iam H., Jr. Mr. Shufelt and sons own several hundred acres of land in Lisbon Township, are energetic and successful farmers, and rank among the best citizens of Kendall County.

W ILLIAM F. ELLIOTT, farmer and stock- raiser, Oswego township, was born in Hillsborough, Highland Co., Ohio, De- cember 17, 1830, a son of John S. and Nancy (Hogsett) Elliott, natives of Augusta County, Va., and whose progenitors were among the first settlers of the Old Dominion. They married in Virginia and spent their early married life in High- land County, Ohio, whither they had removed when that locality was an early settlement. Here John S. Elliott passed to his last rest, and his re- mains lie buried in Hillsboro Cemetery. In 1854, the mother, with her family of four sons and two daughters, turned her face westward, and, after spending a year and a half in Indianapolis, Ind., came to and located in Kendall County, where the family grew to maturity. Of her children John M. is a farmer of Kendall County; Virginia is the wife of a Mr. Van Winkle, of Kendall County; M. Lavinia is the wife of a Mr. Tollman, of Mar- seilles, Ill .; J. Thomas is a resident of Hills- borough, Ill .; Samuel died from disabilities in- curred while serving as a Union soldier in the War of the Rebellion. William F. Elliott has always followed the occupation of farming, and is now the owner of 240 acres of well-improved land, where he resides. He is recognized as one of the most

/f. F. Elliott.

PHOTO BY D. C . PRATT.

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KENDALL COUNTY.

progressive and enterprising citizens of his locality, is a patron of education, and has been a member for many years of the Presbyterian Church, as has also his wife. Mr. Elliott has served his church as deacon, trustee and in other, capacities. All affairs and projects tending to the public weal he is ever ready by influence and means to pro- mote, and has occasionally served his township and vicinity in local offices of trust, as on tlie school board, etc. He was married to Sarah K. Andrews October 6, 1859, and to this union there have been born one son and three daughters, as follows: Belle, the wife of Frederick W. Bloss, of Aurora; Chastina, a graduate of Jennings Semi- nary, a lady of exceptional literary attainments, and now the principal of the high school at Mur- ray, Iowa; Arthur and Sadie, still at home.

N ELS S. NELSON is one of the representa- tive and progressive citizens of Big Grove Township. He was born September 3, 1840, in Skonevig Sönhordlands amt Ber- gen Stift, in the Kingdom of Norway. He is the eldest son of Severt and Jane (Hangen) Nelson, to whom eight children were born who attained their majority, and whose names in order of birth are Nels S., Andrew, Alice, Helen, Lewis, Joseph, Ber- tha and Severt. Of this number four were born in Norway, and came with their parents to Amer- ica, arriving in Grundy County, Ill., in the sum- mer of 1849. Nels S., our subject, was nine years of age at that time. His father purchased forty acres in Saratoga Township, lived there six years, then sold out and removed to Kendall Township, where he made a purchase of ninety acres, and re- sided until his death, in November, 1864. Three of the family died of typhoid fever within the space of three weeks, Ronda dying when aged nine years, then the mother, and then the father; each death occurring within one week of the other.

One of the adult children, Alice, married An- fine Ersland, and removed to Story County, Iowa; Helen is located in Clay County, Kas., the wife of Lars Anderson; Lewis removed to Noble County, Minn. ; Joseph removed to Story County, Iowa; An- drew located in Polk County, Iowa; Bertha is the

wife of John O. Barke, and resides in Fergus Falls, Minn. ; Severt is a teacher. Nels S. was reared to farming, and, there being quite a family at home, he left the parental roof at the age of ten years and commenced working out by the month. In August, 1862, he enlisted in Company E, Ninety- first Regiment Illinois Volunteer Infantry, and served until the close of the war. December 27, 1862, near Elizabethtown, Ky., his command was attacked by Gen. Morgan's forces, and all taken prisoners. He participated in many battles. He was wounded through the thigh at Elizabethtown, laid up for three months, and paroled. While on parole he married, March 17, 1863, Emma Lewis, who was born in Big Grove Township, July 31, 1843, daughter of Eric Lewis, who came from Norway, and settled in this township as early as 1838. She had two brothers, Lars and John. Lars died young. John resides in Lee County, this State. Mrs. Nelson's father died in December, 1882, aged seventy-five years; her mother died in June, 1883, aged seventy-nine.

After his return from the army, Mr. Nelson worked four years by the month, and later farmed his present place, which he has owned since 1879. He has 160 acres in the northeast quarter of Sec- tion 1. Mr. Nelson had twelve children, of whom one is deceased. The living are Eric, Janie, Randa. Caroline, Annie, Sarah, Lewis, Severt, Alice, Nel- lie and Isabel. The deceased was Lewis, the eld- est, who died, aged five years. Mr. Nelson served as collector three years, and road commissioner three years.

OHN H. SMITH, a representative citizen and business man of Plano City, was born at Providence, N. Y., August 2, 1839, and is a son of Henry T. and Mary (Fritz) Smith; the former born in Saratoga County, N. Y., June 19, 1817, a son of Harmon Smith. The father of Mary (Fritz) Smith was John Fritz. The grand- . mother of H. T. Smith was a Van Housen, a daughter of a Hollander, and a member of a family who left a large estate in Holland that remains undivided to the present day.

Henry T. Smith, with his family, including our

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subject, came to Little Rock Township, September 15, 1853, in the northwestern part of which he located on a farm, where he remained until 1860, when he removed to Plano and began trading as a dairyman; afterward he was a merchant, and subse- quently he carried on a tannery for some time; then he sold out and purchased a farm of 160 acres near Shabbona Grove, which he operated, and at the same time conducted an insurance agency, with great success. He sold the farm and removed with his family to Earlville, where, after a residence of two years, his health became greatly impaired, and he removed to Plano City, where he died of paralysis and dropsy, April 16, 1880. His widow still survives him.

John H. remained with his parents until twenty-two years of age, in the meantime acquiring a good education and a thorough business training. He then accepted a position as clerk for Mr. A. Steward, remaining with him one year; then filled a clerkship of eighteen months in his father's drug store, which completed his labors as an employe; he then embarked in the merchant tailoring and ready-made clothing business on his own account, and continued in the same until 1870, when he disposed of his stock, and for the next two years sought quiet and retirement, in the hopes of regaining lost health and strength. In 1868, through inflammation, he lost, for an entire year, the use of his eyes, and, although sight was restored, his general health was poor, which in- duced him to close out his business as above stated. In 1873 he again established himself in business at Plano, this time opening a real estate and in- surance office. He makes farm and dwelling insur- ance a specialty, placing his risks principally in the Home and Continental Insurance Companies. Mr. Smith's business has steadily grown, and by fair dealing he has won the esteem and confi- dence of a wide circle of acquaintances, until now his agency is one of the most important in its line , in his section. His wife, Mrs. Clara E. (Steward) Smith, is also actively engaged in the insurance line, representing the "Recording Agency;" she does an extensive commercial insurance business in Plano, Sandwich, and other neighboring towns.

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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 99

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