Historical encyclopedia of Illinois and History of Kane County, Part 172

Author:
Publication date: 1904
Publisher: Chicago: Munsell Publishing Co.
Number of Pages: 950

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RAYMOND G. SCOTT, M. D., physician and surgeon, Geneva, Ill .; born in Little Rock, Ill., May 30, 1875; spent his boyhood and youth mainly at Sandwich, Ill., where he attended the local schools and later graduated from the East Aurora High School. He entered Rush Medical College in 1894, receiving his degree in medi- cine and surgery in 1897. For a time he was an assistant in the Chicago Lying-in Hospital. after which he succeeded to the practice of Dr. George B. Lester, at Oswego, Ill. In 1899 he removed to Geneva, to enter into association with Dr. Francis H. Blakeman, long the lead- ing practitioner of the community. He is a member of the Fox River Valley, Illinois State, and American Medical Societies, and a con- tributor to their medical publications. He has given much attention to surgery, and is sur- geon tor the Chicago & Northwestern Railway, and the Cannon Box Company, and consulting surgeon of the State Home for Female Juvenile Offenders at Geneva; is also examiner for the Northwestern Mutual Life Insurance Company of Milwaukee; The Pennsylvania Mutual Lite; The Phoenix Mutual; The Union Central of Cincinnati; The Provident Savings Life As-

surance Society ; Home Life of New York; New York Life; Security Trust and Life; National Lite of Vermont; Aetna Life, and the Metropol- itan of New York. Dr. Scott was married in 1898 to Miss Mabel G. Wagner, of Chicago.

GEORGE C. SCOTT.

GEORGE C. SCOTT, farmer and auctioneer, LaFox, Kane County, Ill., born Feb. 13, 1868, in Campton Township, Kane County, and edu- cated in the district school, spending one term in the Sugar Grove High School. He conducts an extensive business as farmer and stock- raiser, and is an auctioneer of high standing. Fraternally he belongs to the M. W. A. He was married Dec. 23, 1890, to Miss Della, daugh- ter of John C. and Mary (Nash) Johnson. L. B. Scott, father of George C., died Dec. 2, 1889, at the age of fifty-six years. His mother, Eliza ( Blackman) Scott, is still living, and has her home with her daughter, Mrs. C. L. White, at Wasco, Ill.

WALTER SCOTT (deceased ), merchant, Hampshire, Ill .; born in Ramsjet, Eng., Feb. 10, 1836; came to America in 1850 and was employed at different times in various ca- pacities until 1862, when he engaged in the mercantile business at Burlington, Ill., later removing to Hampshire, where he remained in

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HISTORY OF KANE COUNTY.

business until his death, Jan. 12, 1897. Mr. Scott was married on July 11, 1859, to Charlotte A. Scott, and of this union there are three sons now living-Lincoln, Henry and Webster.

WILLIAM SCOTT, retired farmer, St. Charles, Kane County, Ill .; born in Virgil Town- ship, Kane County, Feb. 1, 1844, son of John and Mary (Atkinson) Scott. The father, John Scott, was born in North of Ireland in 1809, came to the United States with his parents in 1820, and passed the early years of his man- hood in New York State. Coming to Illinois in 1836, he spent a few months in Chicago, then came to St. Charles, Kane County, afterwards bought a settler's claim in Virgil Township, and still later located on land which he pur- chased from the Government. He was one of the earliest settlers of Kane County, and, as farmer and merchant, was identified with the history of the county until his death on Oct. 17, 1877, his wife surviving until Sept. 11, 1882. William Scott was trained to the business of farming and stock-raising, and obtained his education in the public schools at Elburn and Sycamore, Ill. For several years he was en- gaged in buying and shipping cattle and horses to western markets, and in this connection traded extensively throughout the Western States. He was the owner of the old family homestead in Virgil Township from 1865 until 1874, but in later years has devoted his time mainly to the improvement of his property in St. Charles. Mr. Scott has been identified with the Methodist church since early manhood, and is one of the oldest members of the church at St. Charles. In 1874 he was married to Miss Hattie E. Pike, daughter of Cornelius Pike, who came to Illinois from New York State, the old home of the Pike family having previously been at Fort Edward in that State. Mr. and Mrs. Scott have one daughter, Jennie M., born Sept. 22, 1879, and married to J. George Ains- worth Aug. 14, 1901. .

ROBERT SCOVILLE, former Assistant Gen- eral Agent of the Chicago, Burlington & Quincy Railroad, Batavia, Ill .; born in Fort Edward, N. Y., May 1, 1813, was early left an orphan and obtained a fair school education. His first work was on a packet on the Champlain Canal, where he was employed for several years. He became prominent and was elected to the Legis- lature for three terms. In 1851 he removed to

Chicago, and ten years later to Batavia, where he served three terms as Village Trustee, in association with Major Wolcott and others. For twenty years he was Assistant General Agent for the Chicago, Burlington & Quincy Railroad. He died in 1888, at the age of seventy-five years.

LOUIS N. SEAMAN, banker, Elgin, Ill .; born at Castile, Wyoming County, N. Y., Sept. 30, 1853; educated at the State Normal School (Al- bany, N. Y.) and Williams College ( Williams- town, Mass.); came west in 1878, locating first at Belvidere, Ill., where he engaged in the mer- cantile business; established the Mitchell Na- tional Bank, of Mitchell, South Dakota, in 1886; came to Elgin in 1892 and with others organized the Elgin National Bank, of which he has since been cashier.

ALONZO E. SEARLES (deceased ), lawyer, Aurora, Ill .; born in the town of Broom, Canada East, Nov. 30, 1820; admitted to the bar in Vermont in 1842; came to Aurora, Ill., in 1858, where he practiced his profession continuously with the exception of one year spent in Chi- cago. He was married in 1850 to Miss Caroline A. Rice, of Swanton Falls, Vt., and the sur- viving members of the family are Mrs. Searles and her son, Albert E., who reside in Aurora. Mr. Searles died Oct. 9, 1891.

JOHN S. SEARS, lawyer, Aurora, Ill .; born in Niagara County, N. Y., March 21, 1867, was brought up in his native State, and graduated from the High School at Lockport, N. Y .; at- tended the law department of the University of Michigan (Ann Arbor), and afterward finished his law studies at Worcester, Mass., where he was admitted to the bar in 1892. In 1894 he came to Aurora, Ill., and formed a partnership with the late Newell F. Nichols, then one of the oldest and most prominent members of the Kane County bar. The firm of Nichols & Sears existed until January, 1900, when Mr. Nichols died, and since that time Mr. Sears has been head of the firm of Sears & Smith. He was mar- ried in 1900 to Miss Edith M. Crane, daughter of E. G. Crane, of Aurora, Ill.

ALBERT T. SEAVEY, farmer, Sugar Grove Township, Kane County, born in Sugar Grove Township, May 30, 1856, son of Mark and Ruth H. (Thompson) Seavey, acquired his educa- tion in the local district school and in the High

HISTORY OF KANE COUNTY.

899

School of Aurora. He helped his father on the farm until eighteen years of age, when lie went to Wyoming, where he was engaged in the cattle business for about a year., At the ex- piration of this time he came back to Illinois, and has since managed the old homestead farm. He is one of the founders of the creamery at Sugar Grove, and is President of the Sugar Grove Supply Company, in which he holds stock. Fraternally he belongs to the Order of the Yeomen of America. Mr. Seavey was mar- ried Jan. 12, 1881, to Miss Millie Crego, daugh- ter of George M. and Jane (Reynolds) Crego. Mrs. Seavey died April 29, 1895, at the age of thirty-one years, leaving a daughter and a son.

FRANK W. SEAVEY, farmer, Bald Mound, Ill .; born at Sugar Grove, Ill., Sept. 20, 1862; educated in the public schools and the Sugar Grove Industrial Institute; began his business career as a farmer in 1882, and has since fol- lowed that occupation; married on Dec. 2, 1886, to Mattie Snook.

JAMES SELKIRK, physician and surgeon, Aurora, Ill., born in Albany, N. Y., Dec. 20, 1859, was educated in the local schools and in Union College, Schenectady, N. Y., from which he graduated in 1880. Reading medicine under the preceptorship of Dr. Albert Vandever and Dr. J. Reid Davidson, of Albany, he completed his medical studies in the medical department of Union College, from which he graduated in 1884. In 1888 he took the first graduate course that was offered at the Roosevelt Hospital in New York, He came west in June, 1884, and began the practice of his profession at Aurora, Ill., where he has given special attention to surgery, winning a prominent place among the practitioners of the day. Dr. Selkirk is a Trus- tee of the Aurora Hospital and a member of its medical staff, as well as a lecturer to its corps of trained nurses. He belongs to the Chicago Medical Society and the Fox River Medical So- ciety. In 1885 he married Miss Mary C. Ter- williger, whose home was at Voorheesville, N. Y.

SAMUEL S. SENCENBAUGH, merchant, Au- rora, Ill., was born near Akron, Ohio, and when ten years of age came to Illinois with his par- ents, who located in Tazewell County; educated in the public schools and Northwestern College at Naperville, Ill .; came to Aurora in 1864 and

was connected as a salesman with the old-time merchandising establishments of John S. Haw- ley, Brady & Perry and L. D. Brady & Co. In 1870 he became a partner in the firm of L. D. Brady & Co. and two years later became junior partner in the firm of Hattery & Sencenbaugh, parent of the present dry-goods house of S. S. Sencenbaugh & Co. Since 1891 he has been President of the Richards-Sencenbaugh Mig. Co .; is also identified with the banking inter- ests of Aurora as a stock-holder in the First National Bank.

JOHN W. SEYMOUR, retired farmer and banker, Elgin, Ill .; born in Yates County, N. Y., March 3, 1833; came west with his parents in the spring of 1842, locating in Barrington Township, Cook County, where his father pur- chased 120 acres of land; came to Elgin in 1873, where he has since resided, but still owns 350 acres of land in Cook County, which is devoted to dairy farming. Mr. Seymour was first married in 1856 to Emily L. Wood, who died in 1897. October 26, 1898, he married his second wife, Mrs. Eliza Corron, widow of Wes- ley Corron, of Elgin.

CHARLES F. SHARPE, retired farmer, El- gin, Ill .; born at Ripley, N. Y., May 1, 1839; educated in the public schools of the Empire State, and came with his parents to Illinois in 1858; purchased a farm in Campton Town- ship, Kane County, in 1889, and has since been interested in agriculture in that vicinity; mar- ried, Feb. 21, 1866, Mary Hickock.

EBEN B. SHEARMAN, Elgin, was born in Oneida, N. Y., Oct. 13, 1843, the son of Willett H. Shearman, who was prominent at one time in the politics of that State, and who served as Speaker of the National House of Repre- sentatives. He was educated in the schools of Oneida, and trained to an agricultural life. In 1870 he came to Elgin and established his home there. Since then he has been connected with the National Watch Company, and is now serv- ing his third term as Alderman of the City of Elgin. He belongs to the A. O. U. W., and has been Trustee of the local lodge for several years. In 1872 he married Miss Mary Mann, daughter of Major Adin and Lydia (Wright) Mann, of Elgin, and their only child is Willette H. Shear- man, of Belvidere.

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HISTORY OF KANE COUNTY.

CHARLES SHELDON (deceased ), early set- tler of Aurora, was born in Steuben County, N. Y., where he passed the early years of his life; later removed to New Hampshire, where for several years he was engaged in the manu- facture of lumber on Lake Champlain. He mar- ried in Brattleboro, Vt., Sallie Sawyer, and removed to Canada after his children-one son and six daughters-were born. In 1836 he came with his family from Canada to Aurora, where he devoted his attention to farming and be- came the owner of a large tract of land on the western border of Aurora, much of his farm now being within the city limits. Mr. Sheldon died in the early '60s, his wife surviving until 1871. There are no members of this pioneer family living at the present writing (1903).

SAMUEL SHEDDEN, County Treasurer, El- gin, Ill .; born in Plato Township, Kane County, 111., May 8, 1865, son of John B. and Margaret ( Rosborough ) Shedden, who were of Scotch an- cestry. Samuel Shedden obtained his educa- tion in the public schools and a seminary at Pingree Grove, Kane County. He remained on his father's farm until 1882, when he accepted a position as clerk with M. W. Dubois. one of the leading merchants of Elgin. During 1890 and 1891 he was in charge of a banking and general merchandising business in Texas, but with the exception of those two years his entire business life has been spent in Elgin. Mr. Shed- den is a Republican in political sentiment, and was appointed Deputy County Treasurer in 1894. serving in that capacity until 1902, when he was elected County Treasurer. In religious faith he is a Congregationalist, and is a member of the First Congregational church of Elgin. He was married in 1892 to Miss Mattie I. Norton, of St. Charles, Ill.

FRANK W. SHEPHERD, lawyer. Elgin, Ill., born in Dundee Township, Kane County, Feb. 28, 1876; graduated from the law department of the University of Michigan in the class of 1899; admitted to the bar in the latter year and began practice in Chicago, where he re- mained until 1900, when he removed to Elgin; has since practiced his profession in the latter city. He was married in 1903 to Miss Louise Strobridge, daughter of Rev. T. R. Strobridge, formerly of Elgin, Ill., but now of Harvard, Ill.

HENRY SHERMAN (deceased), Elgin, Ill., was born at Amenia, Dutchess County, N. Y., Nov. 28, 1805, son of Hugh and Cornelia (Suth- erland) Sherman, who had long been residents of that locality. His father dying during the youth of the son, the responsibility of caring for the family fell largely upon the latter, and by

HENRY SHERMAN.

farming on shares, he discharged his duty in an effective manner. On account of impaired health, he removed to Schenectady, where he was employed in an auction store for a time, and still later successively conducted a temperance restaurant, a store at Cold Spring and spent three years at the mouth of Monoracy Creek near Washington, D. C. He was then engaged for two years in the grocery trade in New York City, and still later in the dry-goods and gro- cery trade with a Baptist minister named Mar- shall, at Milo. N. Y. The firm having been broken up by the panic of 1837, he brought a $500-stock of goods by wagon to Elgin, Ill .. which he sold out in the fall of 1838 at Mineral Point, Wis., and entered a tract of land which was later developed into a valuable farm. He also engaged in general trading to some extent, and finally bringing out his family from New York. he lived for some time on his farm of

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HISTORY OF KANE COUNTY.

300 acres, upon which he made substantial im- provements. In 1851 he removed to Elgin, Ill., where he engaged in the drug business and made investments in real-estate. He also erected here the first important butter factory in the State, and was an influential factor in securing the location of the National Watch Factory at Elgin, being one of four men who purchased the farm upon which the factory was erected and contributing thirty-five acres to the enter- prise. Another enterprise to the success of which he materially contributed was the Elgin Packing Factory. Mr. Sherman was a liberal , contributor to charitable purposes, and his name was usually among the first on subscription lists of this character. One of his benevolent enterprises was the erection of a Home for Superannuated Ministers of the Methodist church, which he presented to the Conference. For several years he was Supervisor of Elgin Township, and was the first Assessor after the organization of the township; was also a Trus- tee of the Northern Illinois Hospital for the Insane and one of the members of the Board entrusted with superintending the erection of buildings, in this capacity and as resident Trus- tee, having charge of the awarding of contracts, the auditing of accounts, etc. A shrewd and capable business man, he possessed a dry humor and ready wit which made him a delightful companion. Scrupulously honest, he despised deceit, trickery and shallow pretense. Mr. Sherman was married in Starkey, Yates County, N. Y., April 15, 1836, to Jeannette S. Hurd, daughter of Timothy and Mabel Hurd, born in Yates County, N. Y., Sept. 6, 1819, and they became parents of the following named chil- dren: George De Forrest, Cornelia Mabel ( now Mrs. R. M. Martin), and Henrietta Julia. Mr. Sherman's last years were spent in Elgin, where he died Sept. 18, 1892; his wife dying Feb. 21, 1894.

MARSHALL SHERMAN ( deceased), farmer Dundee Township, Kane County, born in New Berlin, N. Y., June 7, 1841, son of Buel and Nancy (Brown) Sherman, and in 1848, came to Illinois with his parents, who settled on a farm four miles northwest of Elgin, where they spent their lives in the cultivation of the soil. Mrs. Nancy Sherman died March 20. 1873, and her husband only seven days later. Buel Sherman had a family of seven children: Arnold, Julia A., Ruth A., William H., Edward L., Oscar and

Marshall. Marshall grew up on this farm, and was educated in the district school near his home. He began farming on the old homestead, and was one of the leading dairymen of this locality prior to his death, July 10, 1893. He was a progressive farmer and a man much esteemed in all the relations of life. In 1871 he married Miss Eleanor Mason, daughter of John and Diantha ( Kelsey) Mason. Her father came from Massachusetts, and her mother from New York to Illinois. Marshall Mason Sherman is the only living child of Marshall and Eleanor Sherman. Ruth Mary, their only daughter, was born and died in 1879.

WILLIAM P. SHERMAN. physician and sur- geon, Aurora, Ill., born at Newark, Wis., July 22, 1862; graduated from Rush Medical College in the class of 1889; began practice at Leland, l11., remaining there until 1893; located in Aurora in 1897, where he has since taken a prominent place among the practitioners of the city; married in 1892 Miss Belle V. Misner. who died in 1896. In 1898 he married his second wife. Miss Addie B. Solfisberg, ot Aurora.

W. W. SHERWIN, manufacturer, Elgin, Ill., born in Milwaukee, Wis., March 2, 1855; came to Elgin in 1868 where he received his elemen- tary education and graduated from the Univer- sity of Michigan in 1876; has been interested in the creamery business in Elgin since 1877. and was one of the organizers of the Creamery Package Manufacturing Company, of Chicago, being for several years general manager of the enterprise. He was married in 1880 to Miss Carrie M. Town, of Elgin.

A. P. SHERWOOD, retired farmer, Elgin, Ill., born in Erie County, N. Y., July 5, 1827; came west with his parents in 1846, locating in Plato Township, Kane County; began his busi- ness career in 1850, when he rented a farm which he conducted for three years. In 1853 Mr. Sherwood purchased forty acres of land to which he has made subsequent additions until his estate now embraces about 800 acres, which has been conducted by his four sons since 1891, at which time the father retired from active farm life and has since resided in Elgin. He was married Dec. 13, 1852, to Miss Phoebe Wright, and they have four living children: G. W., L. H., John B., and B. A.,-all of Plato Township. One daughter, Mrs. A. M. Chapman, died in 1901

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HISTORY OF KANE COUNTY.

DAVID B. SHERWOOD, lawyer, Elgin, Ill., born in Algonquin, McHenry County, Ill., March 14, 1849, acquired his education in the public schools and in Elgin Academy, and removed to Galveston, Texas, in 1869, where he studied law, and was admitted to the bar in 1870. Mr. Sher-

DAVID H. SHERWOOD.

Wood practiced law for the ensuing six years in Galveston, but returned to the north in 1876. and engaged in his professional labors at Elgin, where he has met with a large measure of suc- cess. In politics he is a Democrat, and was elected County Judge in 1890, serving four years on the bench. He is attorney for the Illinois Central Railway Company, and served as direc- tor of Elgin City Railway Company from 1890 to 1901: is also a director of the Home National Bank.

MARTIN O. SHOOP, Sugar Grove, Ill., born at Kaneville, Kane County, April 15, 1870; began his business career at Kaneville. later at Sugar Grove, but since 1901 has been connected with the Plano Manufacturing Company. Mr. Shoop was married in 1889 to Miss Rachel May Gillett, and their children are Vernie May and Irene Bessie. Mr. and Mrs. Shoop live at the old Gillett homestead where Mrs. Shoop was born and brought up.

PHILIP SHULZ (deceased), farmer, Hamp- shire, Ill., born in Baden, Germany, May 25, 1838; came with his parents to America in 1846; located on a farm in Kane County in 1866; re- tired from active business life in 1882; polit- ically a Democrat. In 1896 Mr. Shulz, with his wife, made a visit to California, where he was suddenly taken sick and died July 1, 1896. On Sept. 15, 1862, he was married to Miss Caroline Delles of Chicago. Mrs. Shulz and their nine children are still living (1903).

CHARLES W. SHUMWAY, merchant and manufacturer, Batavia, Ill., was born in West Granville, Washington County, N. Y., Sept. 9, 1827, son of Duty and Eunice (Kinney) Shum- way; was educated in the district school and the academy at West Granville, and learned the tinner's trade at Plattsburgh, N. Y. In 1849 he came west, locating in Batavia, Kane County, Ill., and there opened the first hardware store in the village. This business he carried on for twenty-three years, during which time he be- came associated with a number of Batavia's most prominent industrial and business enter- prises. In 1872 Mr. Shumway disposed of his hardware store and built the iron foundry, of which he is still the head. He was one of the first subscribers to the stock of the First Na- tional Bank of Batavia and its President for eight years. On January 25, 1865, he was mar- ried to Mrs. Mary D. Brown, also a native of Washington County. N. Y., born March 12, 1839, the daughter of John W. and Desire ( Millard) Wood. and to them were born seven children, four of whom are living-two sons ( Horatio G. and Robert M.), associated with their father in business, and two daughters, Lizzie M. and Helen O.

NATHAN C. SIMMONS, merchant and banker, Aurora, Ill., a native of Bridgewater, Penn., where he was born Jan. 31, 1838, son of Solomon and Ann ( Patterson) Simmons, his father a native of Pennsylvania, and his mother of New York. Reared at Montrose, Penn., by his aunt, Mrs. George Keeler, he obtained his education while learning the shoemaker's trade. In 1857 he removed to Aurora, Ill .. where he worked at his trade, the most of the time as shop foreman, until 1864, when he became junior member of the old-time firm of Reising & Simmons, Leonard Reising being his partner. Two years later he formed a partnership with

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HISTORY OF KANE COUNTY.

Joseph Reising in the same line, and this firm became one of the leading mercantile houses of the city. In February, 1890, he bought the interest of Mr. Reising, and for two years car- ried on the business alone, but in 1892 admitted Joseph Reising, Jr., and George W. Swanson to the firm, and put the burden of management on younger shoulders. In 1900 he sold out his mercantile interests to his partners. In the Aurora Cotton Mills Company he holds the office of director and Vice-President and is Sec- retary of Aurora Bleaching and Dye-works Com- pany, and is a director in the Aurora Automatic Machinery Company. For eighteen years he has been a member of the Aurora West Side School Board, and for fifteen years President of the Board. Mr. Simmons was married in 1874 to Miss Hortense Mix, daughter of Russell C. Mix, for many years one of the leading citizens of Aurora.

DEWITT SIMPSON, manufacturer, was born Jan. 8, 1845, in Jackson County, N. Y., and grew up and received his education in the schools of that State. He came to Illinois in 1869 and established his home in Aurora, where he was employed for a few years as a salesman by the pioneer merchant, Daniel Volentine. Later he was for a time junior member of the boot and shoe firm of Brown & Simpson in Aurora, and still later traveled for ten years as the Western representative of Eastern boot and shoe manu- facturers. About 1882 he became interested in manufacturing in Aurora in connection with the - Wilcox Manufacturing Company, in which he has held successively the positions of salesman, Vice-President, Manager, and President. When he first became interested in this institution, which is one of the pioneer manufactories of Aurora, it employed five men. Its growth and the business capacity of its management is evi- denced by the fact that it now employs two hundred men. Mr. Simpson has also been in- terested in other enterprises, and is now (1903) one of the Directors of the Old Second National Bank. During a residence of a third of a cen- tury in Aurora he has been brought into inti- mate relations with many of the men who have been most prominent in building up the city, and he himself has taken a deep interest in pro- moting its welfare. He has also taken a prom- inent part in church work as a member of the Baptist denomination, and has been generous in his aid of charitable and benevolent enterprises.

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Historical encyclopedia of Illinois and History of Kane County, Part 172

Author: Publication date: 1904 Publisher: Chicago: Munsell Publishing Co. Number of Pages: 950

Author:
Publication date: 1904
Publisher: Chicago: Munsell Publishing Co.
Number of Pages: 950