Historical encyclopedia of Illinois and History of Kane County, Part 176

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

USA > Illinois > Kane County > Historical encyclopedia of Illinois and History of Kane County > Part 176

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).

Dominick Spellman, was pastor of the

Batavia church for seventeen years, and proved himself in every way an exemplary man and pastor. His popularity was unbounded with all the city, and it was a matter of gen- eral regret when he was transferred to Braid- wood in 1893. He is still at work in that im- portant Catholic post. Rev. George Rathz was next assigned to the Batavia church, and, be- ginning his work Nov. 12, 1893, is still in charge (1903). Within that time the parish has erected one of the finest church buildings in Kane County, the cornerstone of which was laid Aug. 2, 1896. Its dedication occurred June 1, 1897. It is a Gothic structure, built of native stone, at a cost of $15,000. One hundred fami- lies make up the membership of the parish at the present time.

THE WEST AURORA FARMERS' CLUB, an association of farmers and their families, formed in 1892, in the town of Aurora, Kane County, its object being to bring together the farmers of that vicinity for social intercourse and mutual improvement, is one of the noted organizations of Kane County. Its founders were Miss Eva Marlett, the Hardy and Angell families and the Misses Clark. Monthly meet- ings are held throughout the year, except in July and August, and at these meetings regu- lar programs, combining instruction, discussion and entertainments, are presented. In 1903 the Club numbered thirty members.

THE YEOMEN OF AMERICA, a mutual benefit fraternal association, organized at Aurora, Ill., by William A. Colledge, Isaac W. Prichard, Charles E. Corlett, Charles D. Judd, Charles M. Coats, William H. Griswold, J. M. Kennedy, Roy S. Kennedy, W. F. Shambo and Earnest S. Judd, under an act of the General Assembly of the State of Illinois entitled: "An act to provide for the organization and man- agement of fraternal beneficiary societies, for the purpose of furnishing life indemnity or pecuniary benefits to beneficiaries of deceased members, of accident or permanent indemnity disability to members thereof, and to control such societies of this State and of other States doing business in this State and providing and fixing the punishment of violation of the pro- visions thereof." The object of the association was to create a corporation empowered to issue mutual benefit life insurance policies to its

923

HISTORY OF KANE COUNTY.

members. On the 28th of June, 1898, the cer- tificate of incorporation was received from James R. B. VanCleave, Insurance Commissioner of the State of Illinois, and the first policy was written August 16 of that year. For a time the work of "The Yeomen of America" was confined to the State of Illinois; but on May 9, 1902, the society extended its business to the State of Wisconsin and, in August of the same year, to the State of Minnesota. Aug. 1, 1903, the association had written 13,365 policies. The plan of this progressive and fast-growing so- ciety is new to the insurance world, inasmuch as each member is compelled to pay the cost price of his insurance, regardless of the date of death. The past five years' work of the society has afforded evidence that, in the com- ing years, "The Yeomen of America" will rank with the foremost insurance institutions of the land.

WILLIAM T. THOMAS, farmer, Big Rock, 111., born in Pembrokeshire, South Wales, in 1833; removed to Canada in 1851, and in the fall of the same year came to Chicago, where he learned the carpenter's trade; located in Big Rock Township in 1858, where he devoted his attention to farming until 1882, when he retired from active business, and in the same year he and Mrs. Thomas visited England and Wales; has long been one of the leaders of the Baptist church in Big Rock; married in 1857 Miss Mary Morris, who died May 31, 1903.

BURT H. THOMPSON, farmer and manufac- turer; born in the town of Sugar Grove, Kane County, Sept. 25, 1858, and grew to years of maturity on his father's farm; educated in the public schools of Sugar Grove; trained to farm- ing in his boyhood, and followed that occupa- tion from the time he engaged in business for himself until 1901, when he retired and has since resided in Aurora, but still owns the old farm in Sugar Grove Township, which has been in the family since 1845. He was married in 1880 to Miss Arville H. Van Arsdale.

EDWIN W. THOMPSON, Aurora, Ill., born at East Dorset, Vt., June 7, 1845; came to Illi- nois with his father's family in infancy, and grew to manhood on the farm in Sugar Grove Township, Kane County, and received his edu- cational training in the public schools and Bryant & Stratton's Business College (Chi-

cago) ; was engaged in farming and stock-rais- ing in Sugar Grove Township until 1885, when he removed to the village of Sugar Grove, where he engaged in the coal and lumber trade for five years; came to Aurora in 1890, and has since been a resident of that city. He was married in 1866 to Miss Mary E. Paull, and they have one child, Clarence S .; another son, J. Paull, died in 1893.

GEORGE R. THOMPSON, Justice of the Peace, Elgin, Ill .; born in Warren County, Ohio, Feb. 24, 1850; came to Elgin in 1890, when he opened the Elgin City electric street car lines, having in charge the electrical con- struction and repairs of the lines and cars. Mr. Thompson now has charge of the construc- tion of the lines of the Inter-State Telephone Company, of Dundee, Ill. He was married in 1875 to Miss Matilda Stoughton, of Cincinnati, Ohio.

JOHN THOMPSON (deceased ), pioneer set- tler; born in the town of Grafton, Vt., Sept. 8, 1814; reared and educated in his native State, where he followed agricultural pursuits until 1845; came to Illinois in 1848, establishing his home in Sugar Grove Township, Kane County, where he passed the remainder of his days, dying in 1892. Mr. Thompson was a success- ful farmer and stock-raiser, and was highly esteemed by his acquaintances for his many good qualities. He was married to Julia A. Colson, who died Sept. 4, 1891. The only liv- ing members of this pioneer family are Edwin W. and Burt H. Thompson, both of Aurora.

JOSEPH WALKER THOMPSON, Sugar Grove, farmer, and veteran of the Civil War, was born Feb. 20, 1846, in Sugar Grove, Kane County, Ill., son of Edward and Sarah ( Far- gue) Thompson. His parents came from New York City into Illinois in 1836 and made their home in Ottawa. Three years later they re- moved to Kane County and settled on a tract of government land near what is now the vil- lage of Sugar Grove. The elder Thompson con- ducted a store in Aurora six years, and spent the remainder of his life in Sugar Grove. When he first passed through Aurora it had but eleven houses, and building lots were then worth a dollar and a half each. His residence in Kane County covered a period of sixty years, his death occurring in Hinckley. Ill., where he

924

HISTORY OF KANE COUNTY.

died in 1890, and his widow in 1892. Walker Thompson, as he was familiarly known, was reared on the farm, and attended the local schools. In 1862 he enlisted in the One Hun- dred and Twenty-fourth Regiment Illinois Volunteer Infantry, and served throughout the Civil War as part of the Army of the Tennes- see, participating in all its historic battles, and being mustered out in August, 1865, after more than three years of active military service. Re- turning to his home in Sugar Grove Township, he resumed his farming career, and has resided there to the present time. He has served two terms as Tax Collector of Sugar Grove Town- ship, and is well regarded in the community where his useful life is passing. He belongs to Aurora Post, No. 20, G. A. R., where his creditable military record gives him a good standing. Mr. Thompson was married in 1883 to Miss Lillian B., daughter of Benjamin Ward, of Aurora. The children born to Mr. and Mrs. Thompson are Glynn F., and Hazel A. The living representatives of the Thompson family at this time (1904) are Joseph W .; Edward, of Sandwich, Ill .; Mrs. Jane ( Thompson) Tay- lor, of Hinckley, Ill .; and Mrs. Eliza (Thomp- son ) Price, of Woodstock, Ill.

CHARLES P. TODD, retired farmer and stock-dealer, Dundee, Ill .; born in Tompkins County, N. Y., Aug. 14, 1848; came west with his parents in 1854, who located on a 100-acre farm east of Dundee, in 1865; purchased his father's farm in 1877, but since 1900 has lived retired in the village. Mr. Todd was married in January, 1869, to Miss Elizabeth Burns, of . New York.

LEVI TODD (deceased ), pioneer, was born in Mt. Holly, Vt., in 1815, where he grew to manhood and was given a common school edu- cation. In 1854 he removed to Illinois, and made his home in Sugar Grove Township, Kane County, where he secured land and was en- gaged in farming until 1868. During that year he retired from farming and settled in the city of Aurora, where he spent his remaining years, being long engaged in the agricultural implement trade. Some years before his death he gave up all active business cares, and en- joyed that rest and peace that should attend the closing of a well-spent and useful life. His death occurred April 10, 1891. In 1836 Mr. Todd married Miss Rachel Walker Gibson, who

was born in Shrewsbury, Vt., in 1818, and died in Aurora, Jan. 13, 1874. Their children were Mrs. Olivia (Todd) White, Lucius Merrill, Eleazer, Laura R., Emma J., George Henry, Mary A., and Elmer E. Lucius M., Eleazer and Laura R. are deceased. The others still reside in Aurora.

LUCIUS M. TODD (deceased), lumber mer- chant, Aurora, Kane County, Ill .; born at East Wallingford, Vt., April 6, 1839, son of Levi and Rachel (Gibson) Todd, and obtained his edu- cation in the public schools of Vermont and Kane County, Ill., his parents having removed to the latter place in 1854. In boyhood he was trained to farming, but later removed to Aurora, where he purchased a half-interest in the lumber business of Loomis & White, the firm then becoming White & Todd, and so con- tinued until Mr. Todd's death, which occurred Feb. 16, 1899. After Mr. Todd's death his in- terest in the business was purchased by Mrs. O. T. White, his sister and the widow of his former partner. Mr. Todd was married in 1860 to Miss Mary Bruce of Ithaca, N. Y., who died in Aurora in 1892.

RENEL TODD (deceased ), farmer, Dundee, Ill .; born in Tompkins County, N. Y., Aug. 6. 1818: came west in 1854, first locating on a farm in Barrington Township, Cook County. Ill .; removed to Kane County in 1865, and set- tled on a farm east of Dundee, where he re- mained until 1877. Retiring from active farm life in the latter year, he removed to the vil- lage of Dundee, where he died Jan. 16, 1885. Mr. Todd was married in 1843 to Miss Ger- trude Brokaw.

ROBERT TODD, pioneer settler, Dundee, Ill .; born near Courtbridge (eight miles from Glasgow ), Scotland, Feb. 1, 1821; came to the United States in 1835, locating first in Chicago, where he was employed on the old Illinois and Michigan Canal; came to Kane County with his father in 1836, and they located on a tract of Government land about four miles north west of Dundee. Here Robert Todd resided until 1903, when he removed to his present home in the village of Dundee. He was married in 1848 to Grace Crichton, born in Glasgow, Scotland, daughter of John Crichton, and is the only sur- vivor of a family of five sons and four dangh- ters, all of whom were early settlers in the

925

HISTORY OF KANE COUNTY.

vicinity of Dundee. Mr. and Mrs. Todd are the parents of eight children, six of whom reside in Kane County.

SYLVESTER H. TODD, farmer, Geneva, Ill .; born in Homer, N. Y., Jan. 11, 1815; came to Illinois in 1840, locating on a farm near Geneva, Kane County, where he resided until 1866, when he retired from business and has since given much of his time to travel. He was married in 1836 to Clarissa D. Stephans, of Geneva, N. Y., and their living children are: Mrs. C. M. Blackman, of Chicago; Mrs. H. D. Whitehead, of Batavia; and Mrs. E. E. West, of St. Joseph, Mo.

THOMAS TODD, retired farmer, Elgin, Ill .; born in Scotland, Jan. 31, 1824, and received his educational training in his native country; came with his parents to American in 1836, locating on a farm near Dundee, Kane County, Ill .; operated a farm for several years, and still owns 340 acres of land near Elgin, but of recent years he has lived retired; married in March, 1854, Anna McNeil, of Dundee.

A. M. C. TODSON, manufacturer, Elgin, Ill .; born in Germany, Oct. 25, 1833; came to America in 1853, locating in Elgin, Ill., where he was first engaged as a farm-hand. He was variously occupied until 1869, when, in part- nership with C. J. Schultz, he established a gen- eral store in Elgin. Mr. Todson has been in- terested in the creamery business since 1881, to which he added the manufacture of novelties in 1900. He was married in 1864 to Miss Ann A. Sedgwick.

MORRIS C. TOWN (deceased ), banker, Elgin, was born in Granville, Washington County, N. Y., Feb. 7, 1818, son of Bester and Betsy ( Martin) Town, the father being a native of New York, and the mother of Vermont. His parents gave him a public school education, and he was taught the hatter's trade in his father's factory. His business career as a mer- chant was begun in North East, Erie County, Penn., but in 1847 he came west and estab- lished himself at Elgin, Ill., where he con- tinued his mercantile life. Shortly after he opened a banking house, which received a State charter in 1851. Seven years later he removed to Chicago, where he remained until 1860. That year he resumed merchandising in Elgin where,

two years later, he became manager of the banking house of Lawrence, Pease & Town, an institution succeeded by the First National Bank of Elgin, of which Mr. Town was Cashier for eighteen years, later becoming its Presi- dent-a position which he held until his death, July 31, 1892. He was one of the founders of Elgin Academy and served on its Board of Trustees for many years. As one of the first stockholders of the National Watch Company, he was a resident director from 1873 until his death. The Town block and other public im- provements evidence his public spirit. Twice married, his first wife was Hannah S. Oviatt. After her death he married Miss Maria Sel- kregg. of North East, Penn. The surviving members of his family are: Mrs. William O. De- Long. of Titusville, Penn .; Mrs. L. B. Hamlin and Mrs. W. W. Sherwin, of Elgin, and Mrs. T. H. Volk, of Chicago, Ill.

CHESTER P. TRASK ( deceased), pioneer citizen, Aurora, Kane County, Ill .; born in 1818, in Toledo, Ohio, where he resided until nine- teen years of age, when he came to Aurora and operated for Charles Hoyt one of the first saw- mills in that city. Later he became a farmer, and his farm, which was on the western border of Aurora village in early days, is now entirely within the limits of that city. Mr. Trask lived on his farm until his death in 1888. His wife, who was Fannie Sheldon before her marriage, was the daughter of Charles Sheldon. Mrs. Trask died in 1856, and the only surviving member of this family living in Aurora in 1903 is Mrs. Nelson Barsley.

WILLIAM H. TUPPER, retired farmer, Elburn, Ill., born at Burford, Canada, March 6, 1830; came to Kane County, Ill., in 1854, and purchased a farm in Kaneville Township, where he has since resided and has been prominently identified with farming interests and church affairs. Mr. Tupper has been twice married, his first wife, whom he married April 9, 1848, was Catherine Edmonds, who died July 31, 1889, and on Feb. 18, 1891, he married Phylura Joslin, who died Jan. 15, 1902.

GILBERT N. TURNBULL, architect, Elgin, Ill .; born in Iowa City, Iowa, April 23, 1856; educated in the schools of his native city and the Iowa State University; came to Elgin in 1874, where he worked at the carpenter's trade

926

HISTORY OF KANE COUNTY.

for several years, when he began contracting, remaining in that line of business until the fall of 1891, since which time he has conducted a successful business as an architectural drafts- man. Mr. Turnbull was married in 1888 to Miss Edith M. Kinney, of Bloomingdale, Ill.

WALTER D. TURNER, manufacturer, Geneva, Ill., was born in Duxbury, Mass., July 27, 1838. In 1862 he came to Chicago, and in 1868 located in Geneva. He was married in 1875 to Miss Maria C. Le Baron, daughter of the late William Le Baron, M. D., State En- tomologist of Illinois. Mr. Turner has been identified with the leading business enterprises of Geneva since 1862, was connected with Wil- liam H. Howell until 1882, and since 1872 has been associated with the United States Wind Engine & Pump Company, of which, for the past two years, he has been the President.

WILLIAM J. TYERS.

WILLIAM J. TYERS, Aurora, State's Attor- ney of Kane County, was born in Aurora, Ill., Feb. 13, 1869, and was educated in the public schools. He read law in the office of Alschuler & Murphy, and was admitted to the Bar in 1894. A Republican, he was elected City Attorney of Aurora in 1897, and re-elected two years later.

In 1900 he was elected State's Attorney, and is still serving in that capacity. Fraternally and socially he is a member of the City Club of Aurora, the Elks, Knights of Pythias, and Mod- ern Woodmen of America.

DANIEL J. TYLER, farmer, St. Charles, Ill .; born on the farm where he now resides, April 9, 1845. In 1893 he bought his father's home- stead. On March 6, 1875, he was married to Martha Bosworth, of St. Charles, and they have one son-Fred J. Tyler, who now resides at Hamilton, Ohio.

WILLIAM B. ULLMANN, manufacturer, St. Charles, Ill .; born in Racine, Wis., Oct. 7, 1850, son of Henry J. Ullmann, of Chicago; received his education in Racine College, and engaged in the iron and hardware business in Chicago in 1877. In 1880 he took up the malleable iron business, and in 1884 established the Malleable Iron Company at Moline. The factory was burned in 1893, when the works were located at St. Charles, and are still in operation there with Mr. Ullmann as President of the Com- pany. He is also President of the DeKalb & Sycamore Electric Company.

LEVI UPDIKE (deceased), pioneer farmer, Geneva, Ill .; born in New Jersey, in 1819; in 1836 came to Illinois with his father, who took up government land about one and a fourth miles east of the present town of Geneva. Here the son attended the old-time common schools, and was engaged in farming during his active life, but spent his last years in the town of Geneva, where he died in 1889. He married Miss Caroline Hotchkiss, and they reared a family of three children, all of whom still reside in Geneva. The family is one of the oldest in Kane County, five generations being represented in it.

WILLIAM URCH, retired farmer, Batavia, Ill .; born in Somersetshire, Eng., in 1850; reared and educated in England and came to the United States in 1871; located on a farm at Mill Creek, Kane County, in 1872, but three years later purchased a farm on the edge of Batavia City, where he carried on dairy farm- ing until 1902. retiring from active business in the latter year. He was married in 1876 to Miss Sophia Quire, of Somersetshire, Eng.

927

HISTORY OF KANE COUNTY.

J. J. VAIL, attorney, Elgin, Ill .; born in the city where he now resides, Nov. 15, 1872; ob- tained his preliminary education in the Elgin schools, graduating from the Elgin Academy in 1892, and afterwards attended the Northwest- ern University, completing the law course in that institution in 1899; admitted to the bar in the fall of 1900, and in the same year began practicing his profession in Elgin, where he is still located as a partner with Fred H. Ray- mond.

WILLIAM HENRY VAN ARSDALE, mining engineer, Aurora, born in New York City, Jan. 18, 1846, graduated from the New York Free Academy and the Columbia School of Mines; in company with E. F. Eurich, John A. Knapp and J. B. Arnold organized the Aurora Smelt- ing & Refining Company in 1882, and was Vice- President of this company, as well as of its successor, the Chicago & Aurora Smelting & Refining Company. He was also instrumental in reviving the Aurora Young Men's Christian Association, and was its President for about fifteen years.

FRANK VANDERHORF, dairy farmer, Campton Township, Kane County, Ill .; born in Washtenaw County, Mich., Jan. 6, 1856; came to Kane County with his parents when an in- fant; remained on his father's farm until the latter's death, when he took charge of the homestead. His father, Levi Vanderhorf, died in 1870; his mother surviving until 1896. Mr. Vanderhorf was married Jan. 3, 1895, to Katie A. Hawley.

AMENZO W. VAN DERVOLGAN (deceased), Batavia, Ill., was born in Schoharie County, N. Y., Jan. 8, 1852, and was brought by his parents into Illinois at an early age. He grew to man- hood in DuPage County, where he secured his education in the public schools. In 1875 he married Miss Belle Frydendale, who was born and rcared near Batavia, and established his home in that city where (with the exception of one year) they lived until his death. His

widow still has her home in Batavia. In early lite Mr. Van Dervolgan was a farmer, but in later years he followed the business of putting down tubular wells, in which he was engaged at the time of his death, which occurred Jan. 6, 1902. He served as a member of the Batavia Board of Aldermen, and had held other local

offices. He belonged to the Odd-Fellows and the Modern Woodmen. Mrs. Van Dervolgan and one son, Arthur J., survive.

JOHN VAN NORTWICK (deceased), civil engineer, manufacturer and Railway President, Batavia, Ill., was born in Washington County N. Y., April 5, 1809, a son of William and Martha (Flack) Van Nortwick. He received an academic education, and was fitted for the pro- fession of civil engineer. In 1828 he became connected with the engineering department in charge of the canals of New York, and gained distinction as a civil engineer while thus em- ployed. He remained in the State service until 1845, when he was employed by the United States Government as a civil engineer on the construction of the dry dock at Brooklyn. In 1846 he removed to Batavia with his family, having already accepted an engagement as Chief Engineer of the Galena & Chicago Union Railroad. Under his management the lines run- ning from Chicago to Freeport, and from West Chicago to Fulton on the Mississippi River, were constructed, as was the line from West Chicago to Aurora. For eight years he was President of the Chicago, Burlington & Quincy Railway. After his retirement from the Chi- cago, Burlington & Quincy Railroad he became largely interested in the manufacture of paper, both at Batavia and in Wisconsin, and also in water power property in the lower Fox River Valley, Wis., also had large investments in rail- roads, banks and in other manufacturing indus- tries. He died in Batavia, April 15, 1890. His wife, who was Patty Maria Mallory before her marriage, was born at Penn Yan, N. Y., and died in Batavia, Aug. 25, 1893.

JOHN VAN NORTWICK, City Treasurer of Batavia; born in Batavia, 111., Nov. 30, 1870; educated at the Michigan University (Ann Arbor) and Princeton College (New Jersey ) , graduating from the latter institution in the class of 1894; joined his father and associates in business the same year, and has since beer identified with those interests; was elected City Treasurer of Batavia in 1901.

JOHN S. VAN NORTWICK, manufacturer, Appleton, Wis .; born in Batavia, Ill., March 26, 1847, son of John and Patty ( Mallory ) Van Nortwick; was educated at Jennings Seminary, Aurora, Fort Edward Institute, New York,

928

HISTORY OF KANE COUNTY.

and Bryant & Stratton's Commercial College in Chicago. He was successively merchant, farmer and stock-raiser, and then became inter- ested in the manufacturing enterprises of which his father was the leader in Batavia. He was officially connected with various cor- porations in Batavia, where he resided until 1891. That year he removed to Appleton, Wis., to take charge of the large paper manufacture and water power interests still owned by the Van Nortwieks at that point. He married Miss Bina Totman, of Batavia, in 1875.

JOSEPH S. VAN PATTEN, druggist, St. Charles, Ill .; born in Cortland County, N. Y .. July 12, 1823; came to Illinois in 1854 and pur- chased an interest in the pioneer drug-store of which he is now the owner. Mr. Van Patten was first married in New York in 1846, his wife dying in 1853, and in 1857 he married his sec- ond wife- Jane A. Clark, of Michigan.

WILLIAM VAN NORTWICK, pioneer manu- facturer, Batavia, Ill. (now deceased ), was born in New Jersey in 1778, and died in Batavia, Ill., Sept. 19, 1854. He removed from his native State to New York in early man- hood, and there aided in the construction of some of the noted public works of the latter State, at one time being State Superintendent of Canals for Northern New York. He came to Kane County, Ill., in 1835, and made his home on the site of the present city of Batavia. Here he built a dam across Fox River, acquired valuable water-power, and engaged actively in milling and manufacturing. He was widely known among the pioneers of this region, and was prominent in the laying of the foundations of Batavia. His wife's maiden name was Martha Flack. She died in Chicago in 1879 at the advanced age of ninety-three years.

Need help finding more records? Try our genealogical records directory which has more than 1 million sources to help you more easily locate the available records.

Historical encyclopedia of Illinois and History of Kane County, Part 176

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