USA > Illinois > Kendall County > Genealogical and biographical record of Kendall and Will Counties, Illinois : containing biographies of well known citizens of the past and present > Part 78
USA > Illinois > Will County > Genealogical and biographical record of Kendall and Will Counties, Illinois : containing biographies of well known citizens of the past and present > Part 78
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In New York state Mr. Patterson married Agnes, daughter of Robert Clow, a pioneer of this county. They had seven children, viz .: John, a farmer in Indiana; Robert, a farmer in Dupage Township; William, in the same town- ship; Sarah, who married Robert Wightman and lives on the home place; Agnes, who married, but is now deceased; Adam, who cultivates a farın adjoining the homestead; and Helen, who died in infancy.
A LBERT H. SMITH, who owns and occupies a thirty five-acre farm in the suburbs of Crete, was born October 12, 1845, in the town of Bloom, Cook County, just across the line from Crete Township. His father, John C. Smith, a native of Connecticut, accompanied his parents to Illinois in 1835 and settled in this county, of which the family were pioneers. Several years later he entered a claim to govern-
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ment land in Bloom Township and began the raising of stock and general farm products. In an early day he served as township collector. Although he was only thirty-eight at the time of his death he had accumulated five hundred acres. His father, Timothy Smith, was born and reared on Long Island, where he engaged in tailoring, but after coming west he gave his attention to farming and stock-raising. He took part in the wars with the Indians. Fraternally he was a thirty-second degree mason, and in religion a member of the Methodist Episcopal Church. He died in this county, when eighty-nine years of age.
The mother of our subject was a daughter of John C. Wilson, who was born in England and settled in Bloom Township in an early day, be- coming owner of what was later known as Colum- bia Heights. Mrs. Smith died when twenty- eight years of age, leaving three children. The older son, Wesley, died in 1865, when twenty- three years old, and the only daughter, Louise J., is the wife of J. R. Morris, of Bloom Town- ship. When our subject was three years old his mother died, and three years later his father passed away, leaving him an orphan. He was taken into the home of his grandfather, Smith, with whom he remained until he was sixteen. Afterward he lived with an uncle on a farm and worked out by the month. When he married he bought cighty acres of his grandfather's land in Bloom Township and made his home there for some time, but finally removed to his present farm adjoining the limits of Crete. He still owns one hundred and eighty-eight acres in Bloom Tow11- ship, which, with the exception of five years when the land was rented, he has since conducted.
November 25, 1869, Mr. Smith married Marian, daughter of Squire Willard Wood, founder of Crete, whose sketch is given on another pagc. They are the parents of five children, namely: Anna L .; Willard J., who is engaged in the gro- cery business at Chicago Heights; Florence, wife of Charles A. Noble, recorder of Will County and a resident of Joliet; Wesley A. and Clark C., who are with their parents. Mrs. Smith is identified with the Methodist Episcopal Church, in which
faith the children were reared. Mr. Smith is an active worker in the Republican party. He is the only native of America holding office in Crete Township. He has the position of highway com- missioner, in which he is serving his third term. Besides his general farm work he has given con- siderable time to the stock business, and has met with good results in the breeding of Clydesdale horses and Jersey cattle.
ILLIAM McCOWAN. In choosing the business of a contractor and builder Mr. McCowan selected an occupation for which his mental gifts, disposition to labor, his tastes and his previous opportunities admirably quali- fied him. Since 1882 he has made his home in Joliet, where he is known as a thorough master of his trade. He has had the contracts for the erection of a number of substantial business houses and private residences in this city. Realizing that "a man's house is his castle," it is his aim that this "castle" shall be solidly con- structed so as to withstand the constant wear of wind and weather, and at the same time he en- deavors to construct a building that will be pleas- ing in exterior appearance and convenient in in- terior appointments.
A member of an old Scotch-Presbyterian family, Mr. McCowan was born in Perthshire, Scotland, in May, 1860, a son of Alexander and Elizabeth (Drummond) McCowan, natives of the same shire. His father, who is still living and is now (1899) eighty-five years of age, made weav- ing his trade through all his active life, and the same occupation was followed by his grandfather, Duncan McCowan. The wife and mother dicd at seventy-six years of age. Of her eleven chil- dren all but two are living, three sons being in the United States. William, who was seventh in order of birth, was reared in the parental home and attended the national schools. From seven- teen to twenty years of age he served an appren- ticeship at the stone mason's trade, meantime gaining a thorough knowledge of stone-cutting and brick-laying. Later he worked at his trade
32
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in Glasgow. In the spring of 1882 he came to the United States, landing in New York and from there proceeding to Joliet, where he secured em- ployment at his trade. After some years he be- gan in business for himself as a contractor and builder of stone and brick buildings.
Prior to leaving Scotland, Mr. McCowan mar- ried, in Glasgow, Miss Mary Mackey, a native of Edinburgh, and they have two children, Annie and William. The family attend and are con- nected with Central Presbyterian Church. In his currency views Mr. McCowan is a believer in the free coinage of silver and is strongly opposed to monometallism, which, in his opinion, tends to benefit the few at the expense of the many.
R OBERT B. CLARK, of Joliet, was born in Paisley, Scotland, May 23, 1840, a son of John and Catherine (McNab) Clark. He was one of fourteen children, four of whom survive, namely: Jane B., wife of Hiram Shingler, of Amity, Mo .; Allen, a farmer of Clay County, Tex .; Robert B .; and Catherine, who married James W. Shingler and lives in Joliet. His father was born in Renfrew- shire, in the lowlands of Scotland, in 1804. In boyhood he learned to weave Paisley shawls. Immigrating to America in 1842, he settled in Wellington County, Ontario, where he purchased- land and engaged in farming. He won the esteem of his neighbors and the regard of his associates, and was a leading member of the Presbyterian Church. For several terms he served as school trustee. His wife was a native of Invernesshire, in the highlands of Scotland. She died in 1862.
Educational facilities were meager in the coun- try regions of Canada when our subject was a boy; hence he had little education besides that - which he obtained by self-culture. In the fall of 1865 he came to the States. During the winter he worked in the lumber regions of Wisconsin and Minnesota. In the spring of 1866 he came to Joliet and secured employment in the Illinois state penitentiary, where he remained for ten
years as a guard and for one year was foreman in the cigar factory of Fuller & Fuller, at the prison. His next work was in the transfer and trucking business, which he conducted for seven years, meantime doing much hauling for contract- ors at the penitentiary. In 1890 he purchased four hundred acres of land near Spirit Lake, Iowa. He has also been identified with the prop- erty interests of Joliet. In 1882 he built a resi- dence at No. 118 Second avenue, and seven years later he erected his present home at No. 112 Sherman street, which is one of the handsome residences of the city. Politically he is a stanch Republican, always supporting the men and meas- ures of the party. In religion he is connected with Central Presbyterian Church. The first marriage of Mr. Clark took place in 1872 and united him with Mary J. Baker, who was born in the County of Peel, Ontario, Canada, and died in Joliet in 1884. Three of the four children born of this marriage are living: Robert Ezra, Mary, Agnes and William Garfield. Mrs. Mary Clark was a daughter of William Baker, who was born in Canada, a son of Michael Baker. In early life he engaged at the trades of carpenter and wheelwright, but later turned his attention to farming. He was a skilled mechanic, and always did considerable work in that line.
In 1886 Mr. Clark was united in marriage with Miss Sadie Beardsworth, who was born in Eng -. land, a daughter of William and Elizabeth (Hill) Beardsworth. She was only eighteen months old when her mother died. Leaving the child with the maternal grandparents, George and Ann Hill, the father came to America. Ten years later he returned to England, and this time brought his daughter back with him to America. For a short time he was employed in a rolling- mill in New York City. Next he went to Read- ing, Pa., where he rose to the important position of assistant superintendent of the Reading mills. After twelve years in that city he removed to To- peka, Kans., where he became superintendent of the rolling-mills, continuing in the position until they were destroyed by fire one year later. He then came to Illinois and settled in Joliet, where he was foreman of the B mill for two years.
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When the mills were closed down, although he was importuned to remain by his employers, he left the city and went to Portland, Me., where he was foreman of the Portland rolling-mills. Later he was made superintendent of the mills, which position he held up to the time of his death. He was one of the ill-fated passengers of the steamer "Portland," which sank with all on board, No- vember 28, 1898. In religion he was connected ' with the Church of England.
EV. W. J. McNAMEE, pastor of St. Mary's Catholic Church in Joliet, is considered one of the able men of his diocese and is also active in temperance work, being at this writing first vice-president of the Total Abstinence Union of Illinois and one of the leaders in the organiza- tion. He was born June 20, 1859, in Legga, near Ballinamuck, County Langford, Ireland, a son of John and Mary (Ward) McNamee, also natives of that county. His father, who was born in 1809, grew to manhood on the farm owned by his father, John, Sr., and is still living, at ninety years, on the same homestead, liis twin brother, William, living a mile from his place. His wife is also living and is eighty-five years of age. They are the parents of four sons and five daughters now living, of whom three sons and one daughter are in America, the daugh- ter making her home with her brother, W. J. Of the sons, John J., who was educated in America, is now chaplain at Forest Castle, Mount St. Vin- cent, on the Hudson; another son, Joseph, is as- sistant pastor of St. Patrick's Church in Chicago. A cousin, Joseph, son of William McNamce, is pastor of St. Theresa's Catholic Church in Brook- lyn, N. Y.
Reared on the home farm until fifteen years of age, the subject of this sketch at that time began to study for the priesthood. At first he was a pupil in a diocesan school, after which he com- pleted-the course in philosophy and theology in All Hallow's College in Dublin. In that college he was ordained June 24, 1883, by Bishop Crane, of New Zealand, and at the same time he was as-
signed to the Chicago diocese. Coming imme- diately to America, he was for six months assist- ant pastor of St. Mary's, Evanston, Ill., then was transferred to Holy Angels Church in Chicago, where he remained for nine years as assistant pastor. In 1892 he established a new congrega- tion in Aurora, purchased and remodeled a build- ing and bought property adjoining with a paro- chial residence. This parish bore the name of the one with which he had been identified in Chi- cago. He remained there until February 10, 1897, when he was appointed pastor of St. Mary's Church in Joliet.
The original location of St. Mary's was on the corner of Scott and Van Buren streets, but when the building on that site was burned, a new building was erected on North Ottawa street, where the congregation owns a quarter of a block, with the finest edifice in the city. The membership is large and the various sodalities are in excellent working condition. The church is not only next to the oldest among the Catholic churches of the city, but it is also one of the most harmonious and successful. An academy is car- ried on, under the auspices of the Sisters of Lo- retto, in connection with the church, and St. Mary's parochial school affords excellent cduca- tional opportunities for the younger children. This school was remodeled in 1898, a steam plant being put in and other improvements made. The four hundred and fifty pupils are under the charge of nine teachers from the convent of Loretto. Many of the graduates of the high school receive county teachers' certificates, the course of in- struction being sufficiently thorough to enable graduates to carry on educational work success- fully.
Under the supervision of the pastor the work of St. Mary's moves on harmoniously. He gives his personal attention to all matters connected with the work and looks carefully after the spirit- ual needs of his parishioners. Besides his work as pastor he is serving as chaplain of the Catholic Order of Foresters and the Knights of Columbus, and is also a member of the Catholic Knights and Ladics of America. While he has always been devoted to his work, even to the point of self-
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sacrifice, he has occasionally allowed himself a vacation, and twice has returned to his old home, in 1887 and 1896, at both of which times he toured through the British Isles and visited many points of historic interest.
HARLES P. JOHNSON has been engaged in the building business in Joliet since Novem- ber, 1888. Among the many residences for which he has been given the contracts are those owned by Messrs. Henry Sehring, Goldberg, Bremmond, Elmer Henry and Henry Shreffler. Besides the residence which he occupies, on the corner of Maple and Strong avenues, he has built other houses for himself, including four on Meeker aventte, one on Sheridan street, two on Chase avenue, one on Harris avenue and two on Maple avenue, a number of which he has sold. He is a member of the Joliet Builders' Associa- tion. Among the Swedish-American citizens of Joliet he holds a prominent place. He is con- nected with the Swedish Temperance Union, and has served on the board of trustees and deacons of the Swedish Lutheran Church, also was a member of the building committee at the time of the erection of the Swedish Orphans' Home. The Northwestern Mutual Life Association and the Modern Woodmen of America number him among their members. In politics a Republican, he is a member of the Republican Club and has served on the county central committee of the party.
In Tornea, Skåne, Sweden, Mr. Johnson was born June 5, 1858, a son of John and Benta John- son. His, father, who was a son of Lewis John- son, a farmer, learned the carpenter's trade, which he followed, in addition to wagon-making and contracting, and he was considered an expert mechanic in wood. He died at forty-two years of age and his wife when thirty-eight. They were the parents of one son and six daughters, of whom four are living, all but one being in Amer- ica. When fourteen years of age our subject was apprenticed to the carpenter's trade under an uncle, a builder and farmer, with whom he re-
mained for three years. Later he was employed as a journeyman. He served for two years in the Twenty-fifth Army Corps, Swedish Infantry.
Via the steamer "City of Paris" Mr. Johnson came from Liverpool to New York in 1881 and arrived in Joliet in April of that year. For a year he worked for William Davidson of this city. In 1882 he went to Davenport, Iowa, and during one winter attended the city schools, the next winter being a student in the night schools. He worked on a farm in Rock Island County, Ill., then became a sawyer and millwright in a saw- mill in Davenport. July, 1882, found him har- vesting in Minnesota. In the fall of the same year he secured employment on the Burlington, Cedar Rapids & Northern Railroad. Next, re- turning to Davenport, he resumed work in the mill, where he remained steadily for some time, with the exception of a few months spent in put- ting up a mill in Cloquet, Carlton County, Minn. In 1885 he began contracting and building in Davenport. He continued there until the spring of 1888, when he went to Wausau, Wis. In the fall of the same year he came to Joliet, where he has since resided. While in Davenport he mar- ried Miss Karen Swanson, who was born in Skåne, Sweden. Of the eight children born to their union six are living, namely: Josephine, Elfie, Hedwig, Tissing, Victor and Charles N.
EV.CHRISTOPHER PATRICK FOSTER. In his work as pastor of the Sacred Heart Roman Catholic Church of Joliet, Father Foster has been particularly successful. This congregation was organized in 1886 by Father Gaulet, and was an outgrowth of St. Mary's, comprising families in this part of the city. The founder of the church was succeeded by Father Foster, who was appointed to the pastorate Sep- tember 28, 1888. He found a small building on South Ottawa street, and soon enlarged and re- modeled the building, which now has a frontage of almost five hundred feet. In connection with the church is a parochial school with two hun- dred pupils, in charge of the Ladies of Loretto.
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Besides his work in Joliet he has been in charge of a mission at Manhattan, which he established in 1890; there he erected a handsome edifice, which, owing to the remarkable growth of the congregation, was in 1895 enlarged to double its original capacity. The membership now com- prises fifty families, and in the church there are the various sodalities, including temperance or- ganizations for boys, societies for young men and also for young women, a League of Sacred Heart and others. At this writing he is state chaplain of the Knights of Columbus, with which he is actively connected.
The Fosters are an old Scotch family that set- tled in the west of Ireland. Edward Foster was born in County Galway, Ireland, and in 1849 removed to Manchester, England, where he worked at the merchant tailor's trade. Cross- ing the ocean in 1865, hie settled in Rushville, Ind., where he had a tailoring establishment. In 1877 he removed to Indianapolis, where he has since been similarly employed, He is still living in that city, and is now seventy years of age. His marriage united him with Mary J. Haley; a member of the Scotch family of Wal- laces who migrated to Sligo, Ireland. Her mother, who was a Miss Wallace, was a convert to Catholicism, and reared the children in that faith. Of seven children comprising the family of Edward Foster, four are living, three, Thomas J., William and Edward, being in business with their father in Indianapolis, assisting him in the management of his two places of business in that city.
The subject of this sketch was born in Man- chester, England, August 24, 1855. His pri- mary cducation was secured in Christian Broth- ers' school in Manchester. After coming to America he studied in Rushville. When fifteen years of age he entered St. Joseph's Seminary at Bardstown, Ky., where he studied the clas- sics, and later spent one year in St. Xavier's school in Cincinnati, Ohio, an institution un- der the supervision of the Jesuits. Next he ma- triculated in St. Mary's of the West, where he studied philosophy and theology, completing the course in 1879, after which he spent six months
in Niagara College. Later he accepted a position as instructor in the advanced course of rhetoric and belles lettres at Bourbonnais Grove, Kanka- kee County, Ill., in St. Viateur's College, one of the best institutions in the state. On the 24tli of June, 1881, he was appointed assistant pastor of St. John's Church on Eighteenth and Clark streets, Chicago, where he was under Rev. John Waldron, a venerable and honored priest of the archdiocese. His ordination to the priesthood was in charge of Archbishop Feelian of Chi- cago. On the death of Father Waldron, June 24, 1882, he was succeeded by Dr. Butler, with whom Father Foster remained until he was transferred to the Sacred Heart Church in Joliet. He is a man of scholarly attainments, fitted by natural gifts and a thorough education for suc- cessful pastoral work, and his long pastorate in his present connections speaks volumes for his fidelity and self-sacrificing devotion to the cause,
RANK JACKSON, who is a successful building contractor of Joliet, was born in Ledsham, Yorkshire, England, October 1, 1852. His father, Thomas Jackson, a farmer, was a member of a family that had been promi- nent in the same locality for five hundred years, and, as far back as the record extends, the ances- tors were farmers and bore the name of Thomas. Our subject's father was born at Brotherton, in 1828,and there married Jane Morritt, by whom he had seven children, three now living, viz ..: Thomas, who holds a prominent government position in England; John and Frank, who are business part- ners. The maternal grandfather, Francis Morritt, who was a wealthy farmer, laid the first railroad- tie for the first railroad built in the world, his name being cut in the stone tie. This road was built from Stockton to Darlington. He was a son of Col. Francis Morritt, a giant in stature, seven feet and two inches tall, and an officer both in the Crimean war and the battle of Waterloo.
At Kippiz and Ridsdale academies our subject obtained his education. When thirteen he was apprenticed to the building trade. After five
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years of work he became so proficient that his employer gave him charge of a crew of men, and he superintended the construction of important buildings in various parts of Europe. In this way he traveled extensively during the course of his business life in the old world. For seven years he served in the volunteer force under the Queen of England.
The year 1878 found Mr. Jackson in America. Landing in Philadelphia, he went from there to Houtzdale, Pa. Four months later he arrived in Chicago, where he spent eighteen months, and during that time he drove the first nail ever put in the Pullman plant. From Chicago he went to Meridian, Miss., and for two years he worked in the south. Returning north he settled in Houtz- dale, Pa., where he became a contractor. After two years he came to Braidwood, Ill., and there met W. H. Odell, who started him in business. He erected practically all of the buildings in the town. In 1885 he came to Joliet, where he at once took a high place as a contractor, and was given contracts for many prominent buildings. He had the contract for the building of the Keeley plant at Dwight, Ill., and has in his pos- session the only bust of Dr. Keeley owned by a private individual. In 1892 he retired from con- tracting and did not resume until July, 1899, when he formed a partnership with his brother, and since then the firm of Jackson Brothers has become one of the best-known in the city.
December 24, 1887, Mr. Jackson married Miss Margaret Bale, who was born in England, and in childhood was brought to America by her parents, the family settling in Mahanoy City, Pa., in 1871, when she was two years old. In 1873 they moved to Houtzdale, Pa., and in 1882 came to Braidwood, Ill., remaining there until they set- tled in Joliet, in 1886. Six children were born to the union of Mr. and Mrs. Jackson, but Clara J. is the only one now living.
In politics Mr. Jackson has been an active Democrat. In 1892, 1893 and 1894 he served on the board of aldermen, during which time, in recognition of his faithful service, his constitu- ents presented him with a gold star. He has been repeatedly urged to accept renomination for
alderman, but always declines. Fraternally he is connected with the Sons of St. George; Paul Revere Lodge No. 371, K. of P .; Banner Lodge No. 391, I. O. O. F .; and has held all of the chairs in the local camp, Order of Foresters, which for two years he represented in the grand lodge.
ARRY M. GIAVER, chief clerk of the Great Western works of the American Tin Plate Company at Joliet, was born in Tromsoo, Norway, on the 4th of July, 1869. His father, Hans, who was a native of the same place as himself, and a prominent merchant there, was especially interested in handling the products of the fisheries. Active in local affairs, he held an office similar to that of city councilman, and aided in promoting enterprises for the benefit of his town. He was a member of a family that originated in Denmark, whose representatives were prominent merchants and some of whom held liigh rank in the ministry. He is now living, retired from business pursuits, in his na- tive town. By his marriage to Birgitte, daugh- ter of John R. Scheldrup, a merchant, he had four sons, the eldest of whom is an attorney; the second, our subject, is the only member of the family in America.
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