USA > Illinois > St Clair County > Historical encyclopedia of Illinois and history of St. Clair County, Volume I > Part 117
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WEBSTER, Fletcher, lawyer and soldier, was born at Portsmouth, N. H., July 23, 1813; gradu- ated at Harvard in 1833, and studied law with his father (Daniel Webster); in 1837, located at Peru, Ill., where he practiced three years. His father having been appointed Secretary of State
in 1841, the son became his private secretary, was also Secretary of Legation to Caleb Cushing (Minister to China) in 1843, a member of the Massachusetts Legislature in 1847, and Surveyor of the Port of Boston, 1850-61; the latter year became Colonel of the Twelfthi Massachusetts Volunteers, and was killed in the second battle of Bull Run, August 30, 1862.
WEBSTER, Joseph Dana, civil engineer and soldier, was born at Old Hampton, N. H., August 25, 1811. He graduated from Dart- mouth College in 1832, and afterwards read law at Newburyport, Mass. His natural incli- nation was for engineering, and, after serv- ing for a time in the Engineer and War offices, at Washington, was made a United States civil engineer (1835) and, on July 7, 1838, entered the army as Second Lieutenant of Topographical Engineers. He served through the Mexican War, was made First Lieutenant in 1849, and promoted to a captaincy, in March, 1853. Thir- teen months later lie resigned, removing to Chi- cago, where he made his permanent home, and soon after was identified, for a time, with the proprietorship of "The Chicago Tribune." He was President of the commission that perfected the Chicago sewerage system, and designed and executed the raising of the grade of a large por- tion of the city from two to eight feet, whole blocks of buildings being raised by jack screws, while new foundations were inserted. At the outbreak of the Civil War he tendered his serv- ices to the Government and superintended the erection of the fortifications at Cairo, Ill., and Paducah, Ky. On April 7, 1861, he was com- missioned Paymaster of Volunteers, with the rank of Major, and, in February, 1862, Colonel of the First Illinois Artillery. For several months he was chief of General Grant's staff, participat- ing in the capture of Forts Donelson and Henry, and in the battle of Shiloh, in the latter as Chief of Artillery. In October, 1862, the War Depart- ment detailed him to make a survey of the Illi- nois & Michigan Canal, and, the following month, lie was commissioned Brigadier-General of Volunteers, serving as Military Governor of Mem- phis and Superintendent of military railroads. He was again chief of staff to General Grant during the Vicksburg campaign, and, from 1864 until the close of the war, occupied the. same relation to General Sherman. He was brevetted Major-General of Volunteers, March 13, 1865, but, resigning Nov. 6, following, returned to Chicago, where he spent the remainder of his life. From 1869 to 1872 he was Assessor of Internal Revenue
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there, and, later, Assistant United States Treas- urer, and, in July, 1872, was appointed Collector of Internal Revenue. Died, at Chicago, March 12, 1876.
WELCH, William R., lawyer and jurist, was born in Jessamine County, Ky., Jan. 22, 1828, educated at Transylvania University, Lexington, graduating from the academic department in 1847, and, from the law school, in 1851. In 1864 he removed to Carlinville, Macoupin County, Ill., which place he made his permanent home. In 1877 he was elected to the bench of the Fifth Circuit, and re-elected in 1879 and '85. In 1884 he was assigned to the bench of the Appellate Court for the Second District. Died, Sept. 1, 1888.
WELDON, Lawrence, one of the Judges of the United States Court of Claims, Washington, D. C., was born in Muskingum County, Ohio, in 1829; while a child, removed with his parents to Madison County, and was educated in the com- mon schools, the local academy and at Wittenberg College, Springfield, in the same State; read law with Hon. R. A. Harrison, a prominent member of the Ohio bar, and was admitted to practice in 1854, meanwhile, in 1852-53, having served as a clerk in the office of the Secretary of State at Columbus. In 1854 he removed to Illinois, locat- ing at Clinton, DeWitt County, where he engaged in practice; in 1860 was elected a Representative in the Twenty-second General Assembly, was also chosen a Presidential Elector the same year, and assisted in the first election of Abraham Lincoln to the Presidency. Early in 1861 he resigned his seat in the Legislature to accept the position of United States District Attorney for the Southern District of Illinois, tendered him by President Lincoln, but resigned the latter office in 1866 and, the following year, removed to Bloomington, where he continued the practice of his profession until 1883, when he was appointed, by President Arthur, an Associate Justice of the United States Court of Claims at Washington- a position which he still (1899) continues to fill. Judge Weldon is among the remaining few who rode the circuit and practiced law with Mr. Lin- coln. From the time of coming to the State in 1854 to 1860, he was one of Mr. Lincoln's most intimate traveling companions in the old Eighth Circuit, which extended from Sangamon County on the west to Vermilion on the east, and of which Judge David Davis, afterwards of the Supreme Court of the United States and United States Senator, was the presiding Justice. The Judge holds in his memory many pleasant remi-
niscences of that day, especially of the eastern portion of the District, where he was accustomed to meet the late Senator Voorhees, Senator Mc- Donald and other leading lawyers of Indiana, as well as the historic men whom he met at the State capital.
WELLS, Albert W., lawyer and legislator, was born at Woodstock, Conn., May 9, 1839, and enjoyed only such educational and other advan- tages as belonged to the average New England boy of that period. During his boyhood his family removed to New Jersey, where he attended an academy, later, graduating from Columbia College and Law School in New York City, and began practice with State Senator Robert Allen at Red Bank, N. J. During the Civil War he enlisted in a New Jersey regiment and took part in the battle of Gettysburg, resuming his profes- sion at the close of the war. Coming west in 1870, he settled in Quincy, Ill., where he con- tinued practice. In 1886 he was elected to the House of Representatives from Adams County, as a Democrat, and re-elected two years later. In 1890 he was advanced to the Senate, where, by re-election in 1894, he served continuously until his death in office, March 5, 1897. His abilities and long service-covering the sessions of the Thirty-fifth to the Fortieth General Assem- blies-placed him at the head of the Democratic side of the Senate during the latter part of his legislative career.
WELLS, William, soldier and victim of the Fort Dearborn massacre, was born in Kentucky, about 1770. When a boy of 12, he was captured by the Miami Indians, whose chief, Little Turtle, adopted him, giving him his daughter in mar- riage when he grew to manhood. He was highly esteemed by the tribe as a warrior, and, in 1790, was present at the battle where Gen. Arthur St. Clair was defeated. He then realized that he was fighting against his own race, and informed his father-in-law that he intended to ally himself with the whites. Leaving the Miamis, he made his way to General Wayne, who made him Cap- tain of a company of scouts. After the treaty of Greenville (1795) he settled on a farm near Fort Wayne, where he was joined by his Indian wife. Here he acted as Indian Agent and Justice of the Peace. In 1812 he learned of the contemplated evacuation of Fort Dearborn, and, at the head of thirty Miamis, he set out for the post, his inten- tion being to furnish a body-guard to the non- combatants on their proposed march to Fort Wayne. On August 13, he marched out of the fort with fifteen of his dusky warriors behind
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him, the remainder bringing up the rear. Before a mile and a half had been traveled, the party fell into an Indian ambuscade, and an indiscrimi- nate massacre followed. (See Fort Dearborn.) The Miamis fled, and Captain Wells' body was riddled with bullets, his head cut off and liis heart taken out. He was an uncle of Mrs. Heald, wife of the commander of Fort Dearborn.
WELLS, William Harvey, educator, was born in Tolland, Conn., Feb. 27, 1812; lived on a farm until 17 years old, attending school irregularly, but made such progress that he became succes- sively a teacher in the Teachers' Seminary at Andover and Newburyport, and, finally, Principal of the State Normal School at Westfield, Mass. In 1856 he accepted the position of Superintend- ent of Public Schools for the city of Chicago, serving till 1864, when he resigned. He was an organizer of the Massachusetts State Teachers' Association, one of the first editors of "The Massachusetts Teacher" and prominently con- nected with various benevolent, educational and learned societies; was also author of several text- books, and assisted in the revision of "Webster's Unabridged Dictionary." Died, Jan. 21, 1885.
WENONA, city on the eastern border of Mar- shall County, 20 miles south of La Salle, has zinc works, public and parochial schools, a weekly paper, two banks, and five churches. A good quality of soft coal is mined here. Popu- lation (1880), 911; (1890), 1,053; (1900), 1,486.
WENTWORTH, John, early journalist and Congressman, was born at Sandwich, N. H., March 5, 1815, graduated from Dartmouth Col- lege in 1836, and came to Chicago the same year, where he became editor of "The Chicago Demo- crat," which had been established by John Cal- houn three years previous. He soon after became proprietor of "The Democrat," of which he con- tinued to be the publisher until it was merged into "The Chicago Tribune," July 24, 1864. He also studied law, and was admitted to the Illinois bar in 1841. He served in Congress as a Demo- crat from 1843 to 1851, and again from 1853 to 1855, but left the Democratic party on the repeal of the Missouri Compromise. He was elected Mayor of Chicago in 1857, and again in 1860, during his incumbency introducing a number of important municipal reforms; was a member of the Constitutional Convention of 1862, and twice served on the Board of Education. He again represented Illinois in Congress as a Republican from 1865 to 1867-making fourteen years of service in that body. In 1872 he joined in the Greeley movement, but later renewed his alle-
giance to the Republican party. In 187% fr. Went- worth published an elaborate genealogical work in three volumes, entitled "History of the Went- worth Family." A volume of "Congressional Reminiscences" and two by him on "Early Chi- cago," published in connection with the Fergus Historical Series, contain some valuable informa- tion on early local and national history. On account of his extraordinary height he received the sobriquet of "Long John," by which he was familiarly known throughout the State. Died, in Chicago, Oct. 16, 1888.
WEST, Edward M., merchant and banker, was born in Virginia, May 2, 1814; came with his father to Illinois in 1818; in 1829 became a clerk in the Recorder's office at Edwardsville, also served as deputy postmaster, and, in 1833, took a position in the United States Land Office there. Two years later he engaged in mercantile busi- ness, which he prosecuted over thirty years --- meanwhile filling the office of County Treasurer, ex-officio Superintendent of Schools, and Delegate to the Constitutional Convention of 1847. In 1867, in conjunction with W. R. Prickett, he established a bank at Edwardsville, with which he was con- nected until his death, Oct. 31, 1887. Mr. West officiated frequently as a "local preacher" of the Methodist Church, in which capacity he showed much ability as a public speaker.
WEST, Mary Allen, educator and philanthro- pist, was born at Galesburg, Ill., July 31, 1837; graduated at Knox Seminary in 1854 and taught until 1873, when she was elected County Super- intendent of Schools, serving nine years. She took an active and influential interest in educa- tional and reformatory movements, was for two years editor of "Our Home Monthly," in Phila- delphia, and also a contributor to other journals, besides being editor-in-chief of "The Union Sig- nal," Chicago, the organ of the Woman's Chris- tian Temperance Union-in which she held the position of President; was also President, in the latter days of her life, of the Illinois Woman's Press Association of Chicago, that city having become her home in 1885. In 1892, Miss West started on a tour of the world for the benefit of her health, but died at Tokio, Japan, Dec. 1, 1892.
WESTERN HOSPITAL FOR THE INSANE, an institution for the treatment of the insane, located at Watertown, Rock Island County, in accordance with an act of the General Assembly, approved, May 22, 1895. The Thirty-ninth Gen- eral Assembly made an appropriation of $100,000 for the erection of fire-proof buildings, while Rock Island County donated a tract of 400 acres
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of land valued at $40,000. The site selected by the Commissioners, is a commanding one overlooking the Mississippi River, eight miles abcve Rock Island, and five and a half miles from Moline, and the buildings are of the most modern style of con- struction. Watertown is reached by two lines of railroad-the Chicago, Milwaukee & St. Paul and the Chicago, Burlington & Quincy -- besides the Mississippi River. The erection of buildings was begun in 1896, and they were opened for the reception of patients in 1898. They have a ca- pacity for 800 patients.
WESTERN MILITARY ACADEMY, an insti- tution located at Upper Alton, Madison County, incorporated in 1892; has a faculty of eight mem- bers and reports eighty pupils for 1897-98, with property valued at $70,000. The institution gives instruction in literary and scientific branches, besides preparatory and business courses.
WESTERN NORMAL COLLEGE, located at Bushnell, McDonough County; incorporated in 1888. It is co-educational, has a corps of twelve instructors and reported 500 pupils for 1897-98, 300 males and 200 females.
WESTERN SPRINGS, a village of Cook County, and residence suburb of the city of Chi- cago, on the Chicago, Burlington & Quincy Rail- road, 15 miles west of the initial station. Population (1890), 451; (1900), 662.
WESTERN THEOLOGICAL SEMINARY, located in Chicago and controlled by the Protes- tant Episcopal Church. It was founded in 1883 through the munificence of Dr. Tolman Wheeler, and was opened for students two years later. It has two buildings, of a superior order of archi- tecture-one including the school and lecture rooms and the other a dormitory. A hospital and gymnasium are attached to the latter, and a school for boys is conducted on the first floor of the main building, which is known as Wheeler Hall. The institution is under the general super- vision of Rt. Rev. William E. McLaren, Protes- tant Episcopal Bishop of the Diocese of Illinois.
WESTFIELD, village of Clark County, on Cin., Ham. & Dayton R. R., 10 m. s .- e. of Charleston ; seat of Westfield College; has a bank, five churches and two newspapers. Pop. (1900), 820.
WEST SALEM, a town of Edwards County, on the Peoria-Evansville Div. Ill. Cent. R. R., 12 miles northeast of Albion; has a bank and a weekly paper. Pop. (1890), 476; (1900), 700.
WETHERELL, Emma Abbott, vocalist, was born in Chicago, Des. 9, 1849; in her childhood attracted attention while singing with her father (a poor musician) in hotels and on the streets in
Chicago, Peoria and elsewhere; at 18 years of age, went to New York to study, earning her way by giving concerts en route, and receiving aid and encouragement from Clara Louisa Kellogg; in New York was patronized by Henry Ward Beecher and others, and aided in securing the training of European masters. Compelled to sur- mount many obstacles from poverty and other causes, her after success in her profession was phenomenal. Died, during a professional tour, at Salt Lake City, Jan. 5, 1891. Miss Abbott married her manager, Eugene Wetherell, who died before her.
WHEATON, a city and the county-seat of Du Page County, situated on the Chicago & North- western Railway, 25 miles west of Chicago. Agri- culture and stock-raising are the chief industries in the surrounding region. The city owns a new water-works plant (costing $60,000) and has a public library valued at $75,000, the gift of a resident, Mr. John Quincy Adams; has a court house, electric light plant, sewerage and drainage system, seven churches, three graded schools, four weekly newspapers and a State bank. Wheaton is the seat of Wheaton College (which see) Population (1880), 1,160; (1890), 1,622; (1900), 2,345.
WHEATON COLLEGE, an educational insti- tution located at Wheaton, Du Page County, and under Congregational control. It was founded in 1853, as the Illinois Institute, and was char- tered under its present name in 1860. Its early existence was one of struggle, but of late years it has been established on a better foundation, in 1898 having $54,000 invested in productive funds, and property aggregating $136,000. The faculty comprises fifteen professors, and, in 1898, there were 321 students in attendance. It is co-edu- cational and instruction is given in business and preparatory studies, as well as the fine arts, music and classical literature.
WHEELER, David Hilton, D.D., LL.D., clergy- man, was born at Ithaca, N. Y., Nov. 19, 1829; graduated at Rock River Seminary, Mount Morris, in 1851; edited "The Carroll County Republican" and held a professorship in Cornell College, Iowa, (1857-61); was United States Con- sul at Geneva, Switzerland, (1861-66) ; Professor of English Literature in Northwestern University (1867-75) ; edited "The Methodist" in New York, seven years, and was President of Allegheny College (1883-87) ; received the degree of D.D. from Cornell College in 1867, and that of LL.D. from the Northwestern University in 1881. He is the author of "Brigandage in South Italy"
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(two volumes, 1864) and "By-Ways of Literature" (1883), besides some translations.
WHEELER, Hamilton K., ex-Congressman, was born at Ballston, N. Y., August 5, 1848, but emigrated with his parents to Illinois in 1852; remained on a farm until 19 years of age, his educational advantages being limited to three months' attendance upon a district school each year. In 1871, he was admitted to the bar at Kankakee, where he has since continued to prac- tice. In 1884 he was elected to represent the Six- teenth District in the State Senate, where he served on many important committees, being Chairman of that on the Judicial Department. In 1892 he was elected Representative in Con- gress from the Ninth Illinois District, on the Republican ticket.
WHEELING, a town on the northern border of Cook County, on the Wisconsin Central Railway. Population (1890), 811; (1900), 331.
WHISTLER, (Maj.) John, soldier and builder of the first Fort Dearborn, was born in Ulster, Ire- land, about 1756; served under Burgoyne in the Revolution, and was with the force surrendered by that officer at Saratoga, in 1777. After the peace he returned to the United States, settled at Hagerstown, Md., and entered the United States Army, serving at first in the ranks and being severely wounded in the disastrous Indian cam- paigns of 1791. Later, he was promoted to a captaincy and, in the summer of 1803, sent with his company, to the head of Lake Michigan, where he constructed the first Fort Dearborn within the limits of the present city of Chicago, remaining in command until 1811, when he was succeeded by Captain Heald. He received the brevet rank of Major, in 1815 was appointed military store-keeper at Newport, Ky., and after- wards at Jefferson Barracks, near St. Louis, where he died, Sept. 3, 1829. Lieut. William Whistler, his son, who was with his father, for a time, in old Fort Dearborn-but transferred, in 1809, to Fort Wayne-was of the force included in Hull's surrender at Detroit in 1812. After his exchange he was promoted to a captaincy, to the rank of Major in 1826 and to a Lieutenant-Colo- nelcy in 1845, dying at Newport, Ky., in 1863. James Abbott McNiel Whistler, the celebrated, but eccentric artist of that name, is a grandson of the first Major Whistler.
WHITE, George E., ex-Congressman, was born in Massachusetts in 1848; after graduating, at the age of 16, he enlisted as a private in the Fifty- seventh Massachusetts Veteran Volunteers, serv- ing under General Grant in the campaign
against Richmond from the battle of the Wilder- ness until the surrender of Lee. Having taken a course in a commercial college at Worcester, Mass., in 1867 he came to Chicago, securing em- ployment in a lumber yard, but a year later began business on his own account, which he has successfully conducted. In 1878 he was elected to the State Senate, as a Republican, from one of the Chicago Districts, and re-elected four years later, serving in that body eight years. He declined a nomination for Congress in 1884, but accepted in 1894, and was elected for the Fifth District, as he was again in 1896, but was defeated, in 1898, by Edward T. Noonan, Demo- crat.
WHITE, Horace, journalist, was born at Cole- brook, N. H., August 10, 1834; in 1853 graduated at Beloit College, Wis., whither his father had removed in 1837; engaged in journalism as city editor of "The Chicago Evening Journal," later becoming agent of the Associated Press, and, in 1857, an editorial writer on "The Chicago Trib- une," during a part of the war acting as its Washington correspondent. He also served, in 1856, as Assistant Secretary of the Kansas National Committee, and, later, as Secretary of the Republican State Central Committee. In 1864 he purchased an interest in "The Tribune," a year or so later becoming editor-in-chief, but retired in October, 1874. After a protracted European tour, he united with Carl Schurz and E. L. Godkin of "The Nation," in the purchase and reorganization of "The New York Evening Post," of which he is now editor-in-chief.
WHITE, Julius, soldier, was born in Cazen- ovia, N. Y., Sept. 29, 1816; removed to Illinois in 1836, residing there and in Wisconsin, where he was a member of the Legislature of 1849; in 1861 was made Collector of Customs at Chicago, but resigned to assume the colonelcy of the Thirty-seventh Illinois Volunteers, which he commanded on the Fremont expedition to South- west Missouri. He afterwards served with Gen- eral Curtiss in Arkansas, participated in the battle of Pea Ridge and was promoted to the rank of Brigadier-General. He was subsequently assigned to the Department of the Shenandoah, but finding his position at Martinsburg, W. Va., untenable, retired to Harper's Ferry, voluntarily serving under Colonel Miles, his inferior in com- mand. When this post was surrendered (Sept. 15, 1862), he was made a prisoner, but released under parole; was tried by a court of inquiry at his own request, and acquitted, the court finding that he had acted with courage and capability.
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He resigned in 1864, and, in March, 1865, was brevetted Major-General of Volunteers. Died, at Evanston, May 12, 1890.
WHITE COUNTY, situated in the southeastern quarter of the State, and bounded on the east by the Wabash River; was organized in 1816, being the tenth county organized during the Territorial period: area, 500 square miles. The county is crossed by three railroads and drained by the Wabash and Little Wabash Rivers. The surface consists of prairie and woodland, and the soil is, for the most part, highly productive. The princi- pal agricultural products are corn, wheat, oats, potatoes, tobacco, fruit, butter, sorghum and wool. The principal industrial establishments are carriage factories, saw mills and flour mills. Carmi is the county-seat. Other towns are En- field, Grayville and Norris City. Population (1880), 23,087; (1890), 25,005; (1900), 25,386.
WHITEHALL, a city in Greene County, at the intersection of the Chicago & Alton and the Chicago, Burlington & Quincy Railroads, 65 miles north of St. Louis and 24 miles south-southwest of Jacksonville; in rich farming region; has stoneware and sewer-pipe factories, foundry and machine shop, flour mill, elevators, wagon shops, creamery, water system, sanitarium, heating, electric light and power system, nurseries and fruit-supply houses, and two poultry packing houses; also has five churches, a graded school, two banks and three newspapers-one daily. Pop- ulation (1890), 1,961; (1900), 2,030.
WHITEHOUSE, Henry John, Protestant Epis- copal Bishop, was born in New York City, August 19, 1803; graduated from Columbia College in 1821, and from the (New York) General Theolog- ical Seminary in 1824. After ordination he was rector of various parishes in Pennsylvania and New York until 1851, when he was chosen Assist- ant Bishop of Illinois, succeeding Bishop Chase in 1852. In 1867, by invitation of the Archbishop of Canterbury, he delivered the opening sermon before the Pan-Anglican Conference held in England. During this visit he received the degree of D.D. from Oxford University, and that of LL.D. from Cambridge. His rigid views as a churchman and a disciplinarian, were illustrated in his prosecution of Rev. Charles Edward Cheney, which resulted in the formation of the Reformed Episcopal Church. He was a brilliant orator and a trenchant and unyielding controver- sialist. Died, in Chicago, August 10, 1874.
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