USA > Illinois > Livingston County > Historical encyclopedia of Illinois, Volume I Pt 1 > Part 5
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ASAY, Edward G., lawyer, was born in Phila- delphia, Sept. 17, 1825; was educated in private schools and entered the ministry of the Methodist Episcopal Church; later spent some time in the South, but in 1853 retired from the ministry and began thestudy of law, meantime devoting a part of his time to mercantile business in New York City. He was admitted to the bar in 1836, remov- ing the samo year to Chicago, where he built up a lucrative practice. Ile was a brilliant speaker and became eminent, especially as a criminal lawyer. Politically he was a zealous Democrat. and was the chief attorney of Buckner S. Morris and others during their trial for conspiracy in connection with the Camp Douglas affair of No- vember, 1864. During 1871-72 he made an ex- tended trip to Europe, occupying some eighteen months, making a second visit in 1882. Ilis later years were spent chiefly on a farm in Ogle County. Died in Chicago, Nov. 21, 1898.
ASBURY, Henry, lawyer, was born in Harri- son (now Robertson) County, Ky., August 10,
1810; came to Illinois in 1831, making the jour ney on horseback and finally locating in Quincy, where he soon after began the study of law with the llon. O. H. Browning; was admitted to the bar in 1837, being for a time the partner of Col. Edward D. Baker, afterwards United States Senator from Oregon and finally killed at Ball's Bluff in 1862. In 1819 Mr. Asbury was appointed by President Taylor Register of the Quincy Land Office, and, in 1864-65, served by appointment of President Lincoln (who was his close personal friend) as Provost-Marshal of the Quincy dis triet, thereby obtaining the title of "Captain." by which he was widely known among his friends. Later he served for several years as Registrar in Bankruptcy at Quincy, which was his last official position. Originally a Kentucky Whig, Captain Asbury was one of the founders of the Republican party in Illinois, acting in co- operation with Abram Jonas, Archibald Williams. Nehemiah Bushnell, O. H. Browning and others of his immediate neighbors, and with Abraham Lincoln, with whom he was a frequent corre- spondent at that period. Messrs. Nicolay and Hay, in their Life of Lincoln, award him the credit of having suggested one of the famous questions propounded hy Lincoln to Douglas which gave the latter so much trouble during the memorable debates of 1858. In 1886 Captain Asbury removed to Chicago, where he continued to reside until his death, Nov. 19, 1896.
ASHLAND, a town in Cass County, at the intersection of the Chicago & Alton and the Baltimore & Ohio South-Western Railroad, 21 miles west-northwest of Springfield and 200 miles southwest of Chicago. It is in the midst of a rich agricultural region, and is an important shipping point for grain and stock. It has a bank, three churches and a weekly newspaper. Coal is mined in the vicinity. Population (1880), 609; (1990), 1,045; (1900), 1,201.
ASHLEY, a city of Washington County, at intersection of Illinois Central and Louisville & Nashville Railways, 62 miles east by southeast of St. Louis; is in an agricultural and fruit growing region; has some manufactures, electric light plant and excellent granitoid sidewalks. Popu- lation (1890), 1,035; (1900), 953.
ASHMORE, a village of Coles County, on the Cleveland, Cincinnati, Chicago & St. Louis Rail- way, 9 miles east of Charleston ; has a newspaper and considerable local trade. Population (1830), 446, (1900), 487; (1903), 520.
ASHTON, a village of Lee County, on the Chi- cago & North-Western Railroad, 84 miles west of
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HISTORICAL ENCYCLOPEDIA OF ILLINOIS.
Chicago; has one newspaper. Population (1880), 646; (1890), 680; (1900), 776.
ASPINWALL, Homer F., farmer and legisla- tor, was born in Stephenson County, Ill., Nov. 15, 1846, educated in the Freeport high school, and, in early life, spent two years in a wholesale notion store, later resuming the occupation of a farmer. After holding various local offices, in- cluding that of member of the Board of Supervis- ors of Stephenson County, in 1892 Mr. Aspinwall was elected to the State Senate and re-elected in 1896. Soon after the beginning of the Spanish- American War in 1898, he was appointed by President Mckinley Captain and Assistant Quartermaster in the Volunteer Army, but before being assigned to duty accepted the Lieu- tenant-Coloneley of the Twelfth Illinois Pro- visional Regiment. When it became evident that the regiment would not be called into the service, he was assigned to the command of the "Mani- toba," a large transport steamer, which carried some 12,000 soldiers to Cuba and Porto Rico with- out a single accident. In view of the approach- ing session of the Forty-first General Assembly, it being apparent that the war was over, Mr. Aspinwall applied for a discharge, which was refused, a 20-days' leave of absence being granted instead. A discharge was finally granted about the middle of February, when he resumed his seat in the Senate. Mr. Aspinwall owns and operates a large farm near Freoport.
ASSUMPTION, a town in Christian County, on the Illinois Central Railroad, 23 miles south by west from Decatur and 9 miles north of Pana. It is situated in a rich agricultural and coal min- ing district, and has two banks, five churches, a public school, two weekly papers and coal mines. Population (1880), 706; (1890), 1,076; (1900), 1,502.
ASTORIA, town in Fulton County, on Rock Islaud & St. Louis Division C., B. & Q. R. R .; has city waterworks, electric light plant, tele- phone exchange, three large grain elevators, pressed brick works; six churches, two banks, two weekly papers, city hall and park, and good schools; is in a coal region; business portion is built of brick. Pop. (1890), 1,337; (1900), 1,684.
ATCHISON, TOPEKA & SANTA FÉ RAIL- WAY COMPANY. This Company operates three subsidiary lines in Illinois-the Chicago, Santa Fe & California, the Atchison, Topeka and Santa l'é in Chicago, and the Mississippi River Rail- road & Toll Bridge, which are operated as a through line between Chicago and Kansas City, with a branch from Ancona to Pekin, Ill., hav- ing an aggregate operated mileage of 515 miles, of
which 295 are in Illinois. The total earnings and income for the year ending June 30, 1895, were $1,298,600, while the operating expenses and fixed charges amounted to $2,360,706. The accumu- lated deficit on the whole line amounted, June 30, 1894, to more than $4,500,000. The total capitali zation of the whole line in 1895 was $52,775, 251. The parent road was chartered in 1859 under the name of the Atchison & Topeka Mailroad; but in 1863 was changed to the Atchison, Topeka & Santa Fé Railroad. The construction of the main line was begun in 1859 and completed in 1873. The largest number of miles operated was in 1893, being 7,481.65. January 1, 1896, the road was reorganized under the name of The Atchison. Topeka & Santa Fé Railway Company (its present name), which succeeded by purebase under fore- closure (Dec. 10, 1835) to the property and fran chises of the Atchison, Topeka and Santa Fe Railroad Company. Its mileage, in 1895, was 6,481.65 miles. The executive and general officers of the system (1808) are:
Aldace F. Walker, Chairman of the Board, New York; E. P. Ripley, President, Chicago; C. M. Iligginson, Ass't to the President, Chicago; E. D. Kenna, 1st, Vice-President and General Solicitor, Chicago; Paul Morton, 2d Vice-Presi- dont, Chicago; E. Wilder, Secretary and Treas- urer, Topeka; L. C. Deming, Assistant Secretary, New York; H. W. Gardner, Assistant Treasurer, New York; Victor Morawetz, General Counsel, New York; Jno. P. Whitehead, Comptroller, New York; H. C. Whitehead, General Auditor, Chicago; W. B. Biddle, Freight, Traffic Manager, Chicago; J. J. Frey, General Manager, Topeka; B. W. Mudge, General Superintendent, Topeka; W. A. Bissell, Assistant Freight Trafile Manager, Chicago; W. F. White, Passenger Traffic Manager, Chicago; Geo. T. Nicholson, Assistant Passenger Traffic Manager, Chicago; W. E. Ilodges, General Purchasing Agent, Chicago; James A. Davis, Industrial Commissioner, Chi- cago; James Dun, Chief Engineer, Topeka, Kan. ; John Player, Superintendent of Machinery, Topeka, Kan .; C. W. Kouns, Superintendent Car Service, Topeka, Kan .; J. S. IJobson, Signal Engineer, Topeka; C. G. Sholes, Superintendent of Telegraph, Topeka, Kan. ; C. W. Ryus, General Claim Agent, Topeka; F. C. Gay, General Freight Agent, Topeka; C. R. Hudson, Assistant General Freight Agent, Topeka; W. J. Black, General Passenger Agent, Chicago; P. Walsh, General Baggage Agent, Chicago.
ATHENS, an incorporated city and coal mining town in Menard County, on the Chicago, Peoris
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HISTORICAL ENCYCLOPEDIA OF ILLINOIS.
& St. Louis R. R., north by northwest of Spring- field. It is also the center of a prosperous agri- cultural and stock-raising district, and large numbers of cattle are shipped there for the Chi- cago market. The place has an electric lighting plant, brickyards, two machine shops, two grain elevators, five churches, one newspaper, and good schools. Athens is one of the oldest towns in Central Illinois. Pop. (1890), 944; (1900), 1,535.
ATKINS, Smith D., soldier and journalist, was born near Elmira, N. Y., June 9, 1836; came with his father to Illinois in 1846, and lived on a farm till 1850; was educated at Roek River Seminary, Mount Morris, meanwhile learning the printer's trade, and afterwards established "The Savanna Register" in Carroll County. In 1834 he began the study of law, and in 1860, while practicing at Freeport, was elected Prosecuting Attorney, but resigned in 1861, being the first man to enlist as a private soldier in Stephenson County. He served as a Captain of the Eleventh Illinois Volunteers (three-months' men), re-eulisted with the same rank for three years and took part in the capture of Fort Donelson and the battle of Shiloh, serv. ing at the latter on the staff of General Hurlhut. Forced to retire temporarily on account of his health, he next engaged in raising volunteers in Northern Illinois, was finally commissioned Col- onel of the Ninety second Illinois, and, in June, 1863, was assigned to command of a brigade in the Army of Kentucky, later serving in the Army of the Cumberland. On the organization of Sher- man's great "March to the Sea," he efficiently cooperated in it, was brevetted Brigadier-General for gallantry at Savannah, and at the close of the war, by special order of President Lincoln, was brevetted Major-General. Since the war, Gen- eral Atkins' chief occupation has been that of editor of "The Freeport Journal," though, for nearly twenty-four years, he served as Post- master of that city. He took a prominent part in the erection of the Stephenson County Sol- diers' Monument at Freeport, has been President of the Freeport Public Library since its organiza- tion, member of the Board of Education, and since 1895, by appointment of the Governor of Illinois, one of the Illinois Commissioners of the Chicka- mauga and Chattanooga Military Park.
ATKINSON, village of Henry County, on the Chicago, Rock Island & Pacific Railway, 39 miles east of Rock Island; has an electric light plant, a bank and a newspaper. Pop. (1590), 534; (1900), 762.
ATLANTA, a city of Logan County, on the Chicago & Alton Railroad, 20 miles southwest of Bloomington. It stands on a high, fertile prairie
and the surrounding region is rich in coal, as. well as a productive agricultural and stock mais- ing district. It has a water-works system, elee- tric light plant, five churches, a graded school, a weekly paper, two banks, a flouring mill, and is the headquarters of the Union Agricultural So- ciety established in 1860. Population (1900), 1,270.
ATLAS, a hamlet in the southwestern part of Pike County, 10 miles southwest of Pittsfield and three miles from Rockport, the nearest station on the Quincy & Louisiana Division of the Chicago, Burlington & Quincy Railroad. Atlas has an in- teresting history. It was settled by Col. William Ross and four brothers, who came here fromn Pittsfield, Mass., in the latter part of 1819, or early in 1820, making there the first settlement within the present limits of Pike County. The town was laid out by the Rosses in 1823, and the next year the county-seat was removed thither from Coles Grove-now in Calhoun County -- but which had been the first county-seat of like County, when it comprised all the territory lying north and west of tho Ilinois River to the Mis- sissippi River and the Wisconsin State line. Atlas remained the county-seat until 1833, when the seat of justice was removed to Pittsfiebl. During a part of that time it was one of the most important points in the western part of the State, and was, for a time, a rival of Quincy. It now has only a postoffice and general store. The population, according to the census of 1890, was 52.
ATTORNEYS-GENERAL. The following is a list of the Attorneys-General of Illinois under the Territorial and State Governments, down to the present time (1899), with the date and duration of the terin of each incumbent :
TERRITORIAL-Benjamin HI. Doyle, July to De- cember, 1809; John J. Crittenden, Dec. 30 to April, 1810; Thomas T. Crittenden, April to October, 1810; Benj. M. Piatt, October, 1810-13; William Mears, 1813-18.
STATE-Daniel Pope Cook, March 5 to Dec. 14, 1819; William Mears, 1819-21; Samuel D. Lock- wood, 1821-23; James Turney, 1823-29; George Forquer, 1829-33; James Semple, 1833-34; Ninian W. Edwards, 1831-35; Jesse B. Thomas, Jr., 1835-36; Walter B. Scates, 1936-37; Usher }. Linder, 1837-38; George W. Olney, 1838-39; Wick- liffe Kitchell, 1839-40; Josiah Lamborn, 1810-43; James Allen MeDougal, 1813-16; David B. Camp- bell, 1846-48.
The Constitution of 1818 made no provision for the continuance of the office, and for nineteen years il. remained vacant. It was re-create],
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HISTORICAL ENCYCLOPEDIA OF ILLINOIS
however, by legislative enactment in 1867, and on Feb. 28 of that year Governor Oglesby appointed Robert G. Ingersoll, of Peoria, to dis- charge the duties of the position, which he con- tiuued to do until 1869. Subsequent incumbents of the office have been: Washington Bushnell, 1869-73; James K. Edsall, 1873-81; James McCart- ney, 1881-85; George IIuni, 1885-93; M. T. Moloney, 1893-97; Edward C. Akin, 1897 -. Under the first Constitution (1818) the office of Attorney- General was filled by appointment by the Legisla- ture; under the Constitution of 1848, as already stated, it ceased to exist until created by act of the Legislature of 1867, but, in 1870, it was made a constitutional office to be filled by popular election for a term of four years.
ATWOOD, a village lying partly in Piatt and partly in Douglas County, on the Cincinnati, Hamilton & Dayton R. R., 27 miles east of Deca- tur. The region is agricultural and fruit-grow- ing; the town has two banks, an excellent school and a newspaper. Pop. (1890), 530; (1900), 698.
ATWOOD, Charles B., architect, was born at Millbury, Mass., May 18, 1812; at 17 began a full course in architecture at Harvard Scientific School, and, after graduation, received prizes for public buildings at San Francisco, Hartford and a number of other cities, besides furnishing designs for some of the finest private residences in the country. He was associated with D. H. Burnham in preparing plaus for the Columbian Exposition buildings, at Chicago, for the World's Fair of 1893, and distinguished himself by pro- ducing plans for the "Art Building, " the "Peri- style," the "Terminal Station" and other prominent structures. Died, in the midst of his highest successes as an architect, at Chicago, Dec. 19, 1895.
AUBURN, a village of Sangamon County, on the Chicago & Alton Railroad, 15 miles south of Springfield; has some manufactories of flour and farm implements, besides tile and brick works, two coal mines, electric light plant, two banks, several churches, a graded school and a weekly newspaper. Pop. (1890), 874; (1900), 1,281.
AUDITORS OF PUBLIC ACCOUNTS. The Auditors of Public Accounts under the Terri- torial Government were H. H. Maxwell, 1812-16; Daniel P. Cook, 1816-17; Robert Blackwell, (April to August), 1817; Elijah C. Berry, 1817-18. Under the Constitution of 1818 the Auditor of l'ublic Accounts was made appointive by the legislature, without limitation of term; but by the Constitu- tions of 1848 and 1870 the office was made elective by the people for a term of four years.
The following is a list of the State Auditors from the date of the admission of the State into the Union down to the present time (1899), with the date and duration of the term of cach: Elijah C. Berry, 1818-31; James T. B. Stapp. 1831-35; Levi Davis, 1835 11; James Shickls, 1841-43; William Lee D. Ewing, 1843-16; Thomas H. Campbell, 1846-57; Jesse K. Dubois, 1857-64; Orlin H. Miner, 1864-69; Charles E. Lippincott, 1869-77; Thomas B. Needles, 1877-S1; Charles P. Swigert, 1881-89; C. W. Pavey, 1889-93; David Gore, 1893-97; James S. Mccullough, 1897 -.
AUGUSTA, a village in Augusta township, Hancock County, on the Chicago, Burlington & Quincy Railroad, 36 miles northeast of Quincy. Wagons and brick are the principal manufac- tures. The town has one newspaper, two banks, three churches and a graded school. The sur rounding country is a fertile agricultural region and abounds in a good quality of bituminous coal. Fine qualities of potter's clay and mineral paint are obtained here. Population (1890), 1,077; (1900), 1,149.
AUGUSTANA COLLEGE, an educational insti- tution controlled by the Evangelical Lutheran denomination, located at Rock Island and founded in 1863. Besides preparatory and collegiate de- partments, a theological school is connected with the institution. To the two first named, young women are admitted on an equality with men. More than 500 students were reported in attendance in 1896, about one-fourth being women. A majority of the latter were in the preparatory (or academic) department. The col- lege is not endowed, but owns property (real and personal) to the value of $250,000. It has a library of 12,000 volumes.
AURORA, a city and important railroad cen- ter, Kane County, on Fox River, 39 miles south- west of Chicago; is location of principal shops of Chicago, Burlington & Quincy R. R., has fine water-power and many successful manufactories, including extensive boiler works, iron foundries, cotton and woolen mills, flour mills, silver-plat- ing works, corset, sash and door and carriage factories, stove and smelting works, establish- ments for turning out road-scrapers, buggy tops, and wood-working machinery. The city owns water-works and electric light plant; has six banks, four daily and several weekly papers, some twenty-five churches, excellent schools and handsome public library building; is connected by interurban electric lines with the principal towns and villages in the Fox River valley. Population (1890), 19,688; (1900), 24,147.
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HISTORICAL ENCYCLOPEDIA OF ILLINOIS.
AUSTIN, a suburb of Chicago, in Cook County. It is accessible from that city by either the Chi- cago & Northwestern Railway, or by street railway lines. A weekly newspaper is issued, a graded school is supported (including a high school department) and there are numerous churches, representing the various religious denominations. Population (1880), 1,359; (1890). 4,031. Annexed to City of Chicago, 1899.
AUSTIN COLLEGE, a mixed school at Effing- ham, Ill., founded in 1890. It has eleven teachers and reports a total of 812 pupils for 1897-98-162 males and 150 females. It has a library of 2,000 volumes and reports property valued at $37,000.
AUSTRALIAN BALLOT, a form of ballot for popular elections, thus named because it was first brought into use in Australia. It was adopted by act of the Legislature of Illinois in 1891, and is applicable to the election of all public officers except Trustees of Schools, School Direct- ors, inembers of Boards of Education and officers of road districts in counties not under township organization. Under it, all ballots for the elec- tion of officers (except those just enumerated) are required to be printed and distributed to the election officers for use on the day of election, at public cost. These ballots contain the names, on the same sheet, of all candidates to be voted for at such election, such names having been formally certified previously to the Secretary of State (in the case of candidates for offices to be voted for by electors of the entire State or any district greater than a single county) or to the County Clerk (as to all others), by the presiding officer and secretary of the convention or caucus making such nominations, when the party repre- sented cast at least two per cent of the aggregate vote of the State or district at the preceding gen- eral election. Other names may be added to the ballot on the petition of a specified number of the legal voters under certain prescribed conditions named in the act. The duly registered voter, on presenting himself at the poll, is given a copy of the official ticket by one of the judges of election, upon which he proceeds to indicate his prefer- ence in a temporary booth or closet set apart for his use, by making a cross at the head of the col- umn of candidates for whom he wishes to vote, if he desires to vote for all of the candidates of the same party, or by a similar mark before the name of each individual for whom he wishes to vote, in case he desires to distribute his support among the candidates of different parties. The object of the law is to secure for the voter secrecy of the ballot, with independence and freedom from dic-
tation or interference by others in the exercise of his right of suffrage.
AVA, a town in Jackson County (incorporated as a city, 1901), on the Mobile & Ohio Railroad (Cairo & St. Louis Division), 75 miles south- southeast from St. Louis. It has two banks and two newspapers. Pop. (1890), 807; (1900), 984.
AVON, village of Fulton County, on C., B & Q. R. R., 20 miles south of Galesburg; has drain- pipe works, two factories for manufacture of steam- and hot-water heaters, two banks and two newspapers; agricultural fair held here annu ally. Population (1900), 800; (1904, est.), 1.000.
AYER, Benjamin F., lawyer, was born in Kingston, N. II., April 22, 1825, graduated at Dartmouth College in 1816, studied law at Dane Law School (Harvard University), was admitted to the bar and began practice at Manchester, N. H. After serving one terin in the New Hamp- shire Legislature, and as Prosecuting Attorney for Hillsborough County, in 1857 he came to Chica- go, soon advancing to the front rank of lawyers then in practice there ; became Corporation Counsel in 1861, and, two years later, drafted the revised city charter. After the close of his official career, he was a member for eight years of the law firm of Beckwith, Ayer & Kales, and afterwards of the firm of Ayer & Kales, until, retiring from general practice, Mr. Ayer became Solicitor of the Illinois Central Railroad, then a Director of the Company. and is at present its General Counsel and a potent factor in its management.
AYERS, Marshall Paul, banker, Jacksonville, was born in Philadelphia, Pa., July 27, 1823; came to Jacksonville, Ill., with his parents, in 1830, and was educated there, graduating from Illinois College, in 1843, as the classmate of Dr. Newton Bateman, afterwards President of Knox College at Galesburg, and Rev. Thomas K. Beecher, now of Elmira, N. Y. After leaving col- lege he became the partner of his father (David B. Ayers) as agent of Mr. John Grigg, of Philadel- phia, who was the owner of a large body of Illi- nois lands. His father dying in 1850, Mir. Ayers succeeded to the management of the business, about 75,000 acres of Mr. Grigg's unsold lands coming under his charge. In December, 1852, with the assistance of Messrs. Page & Bacon, bank- ers, of St. Louis, he opened the first bank in Jack - sonville, for the sale of exchange, but which finally grew into a bank of deposit and has been continued ever since, being recognized as one of the most solid institutions in Central Illinois. In 1820-71, aided by Philadelphia and New York capitalists, he built the "Illinois Farmers' Rail
HISTORICAL ENCYCLOPEDIA OF ILLINOIS.
road" between Jacksonville and Waverly, after- wards extended to Virden and finally to Centralia and Mount Vernou. This was the nucleus of the Jacksonville Southeastern Railway, though Mr. Ayers has had no connection with it for several years. Other business enterprises with which he has been connected are the Jacksonville Gas Com- pany (now including an electric light and power plant), of which he has been President for forty years; the "Home Woolen Mills" (carly wiped out by fire), sugar and paper-barrel manufacture, coal mining, ete. About 1877 he purchased a body of 23,600 acres of land in Champaign County, known as "Broadlands, " from John T. Alexander, an extensive cattle-dealer, who had become heavily involved during the years of financial revulsion. As a result of this transaction, Mr. Alexander's debts, which aggregated $1,000,000, wore discharged within the next two years. Mr. Ayers has been an earnest Republican since the organization of that party and, during the war, rendered valuable service in assisting to raise funds for the support of the operations of the Christian Commission in the field. llc has also been active in Sunday School, benevolent and educational work, having been, for twenty years, a Trustee of Illinois College, of which he has been an ardent friend. In 1846 he was married to Miss Laura Allen, daughter of Rev. John Allen, D. D., of Huntsville, Ala., and is the father of four sons and four daughters, all living.
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