Historical encyclopedia of Illinois and history of St. Clair County, Volume I, Part 119

Author: Bateman, Newton, 1822-1897. ed. cn; Selby, Paul, 1825-1913. jt. ed. cn; Wilderman, Alonzo St. Clair, 1839-1904, ed; Wilderman, Augusta A., jt. ed
Publication date: 1907
Publisher: Chicago : Munsell Publishing Co.
Number of Pages: 698

USA > Illinois > St Clair County > Historical encyclopedia of Illinois and history of St. Clair County, Volume I > Part 119

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what is now the Springfield Division of the Illi- nois Central Railroad, and the Springfield and Peoria line; a Director of the Springfield Iron Company; one of the Commissioners who con- structed the Springfield water-works, and an officer of the Lincoln Monument Association, from 1865 to his death, May 29, 1890.

WILLIAMS, Norman, lawyer, was born at Woodstock, Vt., Feb. 1, 1833, being related, on both the paternal and maternal sides, to some of the most prominent families of New England. He fitted for college at Union Academy, Meriden, and graduated from the University of Vermont in the class of 1855. After taking a course in the Albany Law School and with a law firm in his native town, he was admitted to practice in both New York and Vermont, removed to Chi- cago in 1858, and, in 1860, became a member of the firm of King, Kales & Williams, still later forming a partnership with Gen. John L. Thomp- son, which ended with the death of the latter in 1888. In a professional capacity he assisted in the organization of the Pullman Palace Car Com- pany, and was a member of its Board of Directors; also assisted in organizing the Western Electric Company, and was prominently identified with the Chicago Telephone Company and the Western Union Telegraph Company. In 1881 he served as the United States Commissioner to the Electrical Exposition at Paris. In conjunction with his brother (Edward H. Williams) he assisted in founding the public library at Woodstock, Vt., which, in honor of his father, received the name of "The Norman Williams Public Library." With Col. Huntington W. Jackson and J. Mc- Gregor Adams, Mr. Williams was named, in the will of the late John Crerar, as an executor of the Crerar estate and one of the Trustees of the Crerar Public Library, and became its first Presi- dent; was also a Director of the Chicago Pub- lic Library, and trustee of a number of large estates. Mr. Williams was a son-in-law of the late Judge John D. Caton, and his oldest daughter became the wife of Major-General Wesley Mer- ritt, a few months before his death, which oc- curred at Hampton Beach, N. H., June 19, 1899 -his remains being interred in his native town of Woodstock, Vt.

WILLIAMS, Robert Ebenezer, lawyer, born Dec. 3, 1825, at Clarksville, Pa., his grandfathers on both sides being soldiers of the Revolutionary War. In 1830 his parents removed to Washing- ton in the same State, where in boyhood he worked as a mechanic in his father's shop, attending a common school in the winter until

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he reached the age of 17 years, when he entered Washington College, remaining for more than a year. He then began teaching, and, in 1845 went to Kentucky, where he pursued the business of a teacher for four years. Then he entered Bethany College in West Virginia, at the same time prosecuting his law studies, but left at the close of his junior year, when, having been licensed to practice, he removed to Clinton, Texas. Here he accepted, from a retired lawyer, the loan of a law library, which he afterwards purchased; served for two years as State's Attor- ney, and, in 1856, came to Bloomington, Ill., where he spent the remainder of his life in the practice of his profession. Much of his time was devoted to practice as a railroad attorney, espe- cially in connection with the Chicago & Alton and the Illinois Central Railroads, in which he acquired prominence and wealth. He was a life- long Democrat and, in 1868, was the unsuccessful candidate of his party for Attorney-General of the State. The last three years of his life he had been in bad health, dying at Bloomington, Feb. 15, 1899.

WILLIAMS, Samuel, Bank President, was born in Adams County, Ohio, July 11, 1820; came to Winnebago County, Ill., in 1835, and, in 1842, removed to Iroquois County, where he held vari- ous local offices, including that of County Judge, to which he was elected in 1861. During his later years he had been President of the Watseka Citizens' Bank. Died, June 16, 1896.

WILLIAMSON, Rollin Samuel, legislator and jurist, was born at Cornwall, Vt., May 23, 1839. At the age of 14 he went to Boston, where he began life as a telegraph messenger boy. In two years he had become a skillful operator, and, as such, was employed in various offices in New England and New York. In 1857 he came to Chicago seeking employment and, through the fortunate correction of an error on the part of the receiver of a message, secured the position of operator and station agent at Palatine, Cook County. Here he read law during his leisure time without a preceptor, and, in 1870, was admitted to the bar. The same year he was elected to the lower House of the General Assembly and, in 1872, to the Senate. In 1880 he was elected to the bench of the Superior Court of Cook County, and, in 1887, was chosen a Judge of the Cook County Circuit Court. Died, Au- gust 10, 1889.

WILLIAMSON COUNTY, in the southern part of the State, originally set off from Franklin and organized in 1839. The county is well watered,

the principal streams being the Big Muddy and the South Fork of the Saline. The surface is undulating and the soil fertile. The region was originally well covered with forests. All the cereals (as well as potatoes) are cultivated, and rich meadows encourage stock-raising. Coal and sandstone underlie the entire county. Area, 440 square miles; population (1880), 19,324: (1890) 22,226; (1900), 27,796.

WILLIAMSVILLE, village of Sangamon Coun - ty, on Chicago & Alton Railroad, 12 miles north of Springfield; has a bank, elevator, 3 churches, a newspaper and coal-mines. Pop. (1900), 573.

WILLIS, Jonathan Clay, soldier and former Railroad and Warehouse Commissioner, was born in Sumner County, Tenn., June 27, 1826; brought to Gallatin County, Ill., in 1834, and settled at Golconda in 1843; was elected Sheriff of Pope County in 1856, removed to Metropolis in 1859, and engaged in the wharf-boat and commission business. He entered the service as Quarter- master of the Forty-eighth Illinois Volunteers in 1861, but was compelled to resign on account of injuries, in 1863; was elected Representative in the Twenty-sixth General Assembly (1868), appointed Collector of Internal Revenue in 1869, and Railway and Warehouse Commissioner in 1892, as the successor of John R. Tanner, serving until 1893.

WILMETTE, a village in Cook County, 14 miles north of Chicago, on the Chicago & North western Railroad, a handsome suburb of Chicago on the shore of Lake Michigan; principal streets paved and shaded with fine forest trees; has public library and good schools. Pop. (1900), 2,300.

WILMINGTON, a city of Will County, on the Kankakee River and the Chicago & Alton Rail- road, 53 miles from Chicago and 15 south-south- west of Joliet; has considerable manufactures, two National banks, a graded school, churches and one newspaper. Wilmington is the location of the Illinois Soldiers' Widows' Home. Popu- lation (1890), 1,576; (1900), 1,420.

WILSON, Charles Lush, journalist, was born in Fairfield County, Conn., Oct. 10, 1818, edu- cated in the common schools and at an academy in his native State, and, in 1835, removed to Chi- cago, entering the employment of his older brothers, who were connected with the construc- tion of the Illinois & Michigan Canal at Joliet. His brother, Richard L., having assumed charge of "The Chicago Daily Journal" (the successor of "The Chicago American"), in'1844, Charles L. took a position in the office, ultimately securing a partnership, which continued until the death

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of his brother in 1856, when he succeeded to the ownership of the paper. Mr. Wilson was an ardent friend and supporter of Abraham Lincoln for the United States Senate in 1858, but, in 1860, favored the nomination of Mr. Seward for the Presidency, though earnestly supporting Mr. Lin- coln after his nomination. In 1861 he was appointed Secretary of the American Legation at London, serving with the late Minister Charles Francis Adams, until 1864, when he resigned and resumed his connection with "The Journal." In 1875 his health began to fail, and three years later, having gone to San Antonio, Tex., in the hope of receiving benefit from a change of cli- mate, he died in that city, March 9, 1878 .- Richard Lush (Wilson), an older brother of the preceding, the first editor and publisher of "The Chicago Evening Journal," the oldest paper of consecutive publication in Chicago, was a native of New York. Coming to Chicago with his brother John L., in 1834, they soon after estab- lished themselves in business on the Illinois & Michigan Canal, then in course of construction. In 1844 he took charge of "The Chicago Daily Journal" for a publishing committee which had purchased the material of "The Chicago Ameri- can," but soon after became principal proprietor. In April, 1847, while firing a salute in honor of the victory of Buena Vista, he lost an arm and was otherwise injured by the explosion of the can- non. Early in 1849, he was appointed, by Presi- dent Taylor, Postmaster of the city of Chicago, but, having failed of confirmation, was compelled to retire in favor of a successor appointed by Millard Fillmore, eleven months later. Mr. Wilson published a little volume in 1842 entitled "A Trip to Santa Fe," and, a few years later, a story of travel under the title, "Short Ravel- lings from a Long Yarn." Died, December, 1856. -John Lush (Wilson), another brother, also a native of New York, came to Illinois in 1834, was afterwards associated with his brothers in busi- ness, being for a time business manager of "The Chicago Journal;" also served one term as Sher- iff of Cook County. Died, in Chicago, April 13, 1888.

WILSON, Isaac Grant, jurist, was born at Middlebury, N. Y., April 26, 1817, graduated from Brown University in 1838, and the same year came to Chicago, whither his father's family had preceded him in 1835. After reading law for two years, he entered the senior class at Cambridge (Mass.) Law School, graduating in 1841. In August of that year he opened an office at Elgin, and, for ten years "rode the cir-

cuit." In 1851 he was elected to the bench of the Thirteenth Judicial Circuit to fill a vacancy, and re-elected for a full term in 1855, and again in '61. In November of the latter year he was commissioned the first Colonel of the Fifty- second Illinois Volunteer Infantry, but resigned, a few weeks later, and resumed his place upon the bench. From 1867 to 1879 he devoted him- self to private practice, which was largely in the Federal Courts. In 1879 he resumed his seat upon the bench (this time for the Twelfth Cir- cuit), and was at once designated as one of the Judges of the Appellate Court at Chicago, of which tribunal he became Chief Justice in 1881. In 1885 he was re-elected Circuit Judge, but died, about the close of his term, at Geneva, June 8, 1891.

WILSON, James Grant, soldier and author, was born at Edinburgh, Scotland, April 28, 1832, and, when only a year old, was brought by his father, William Wilson, to America. The family settled at Poughkeepsie, N. Y., where James Grant was educated at College Hill and under private teachers. After finishing his studies he became his father's partner in business, but, in 1855, went abroad, and, shortly after his return, removed to Chicago, where he founded the first literary paper established in the Northwest. At the outbreak of the Civil War, he disposed of his journal to enlist in the Fifteenth Illinois Cavalry, of which he was commissioned Major and after- wards promoted to the colonelcy. In August, 1863, while at New Orleans, by advice of General Grant, he accepted a commission as Colonel of the Fourth Regiment United States Colored Cavalry, and was assigned, as Aid-de-camp, to the staff of the Commander of the Department of the Gulf, filling this post until April, 1865. When General Banks was relieved, Colonel Wil- son was brevetted Brigadier-General and placed in command at Port Hudson, resigning in July, 1865, since which time his home has been in New York. He is best known as an author, having published numerous addresses, and being a fre- quent contributor to American and European magazines. Among larger works which he has written or edited are "Biographical Sketches of Illinois Officers"; "Love in Letters"; "Life of General U. S. Grant"; "Life and Letters of Fitz Greene Halleck"; "Poets and Poetry of Scotland"; "Bryant and His Friends", and "Appleton's Cyclopedia of American Biography."

WILSON, James Harrison, soldier and mili- tary engineer, was born near Shawneetown, Ill., Sept. 2, 1837. His grandfather, Alexander Wil-

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son, was one of the pioneers of Illinois, and his father (Harrison Wilson) was an ensign dur- ing the War of 1812 and a Captain in the Black Hawk War. His brother (Bluford Wilson) served as Assistant Adjutant-General of Volun- teers during the Civil War, and as Solicitor of the United States Treasury during the "whisky ring" prosecutions. James H. was educated in the coinmon schools, at McKendree College, and the United States Military Academy at West Point, graduating from the latter in 1860, and being assigned to the Topographical Engineer Corps. In September, 1861, he was promoted to a First Lieutenancy, then served as Chief Topo- graphical Engineer of the Port Royal expedition until March, 1862; was afterwards attached to the Department of the South, being present at the bombardment of Fort Pulaski; was Aid-de- camp to McClellan, and participated in the bat- tles of South Mountain and Antietam; was made Lieutenant-Colonel of Volunteers in November, 1862; was Chief Topographical Engineer and Inspector-General of the Army of the Tennessee until October, 1863, being actively engaged in the operations around Vicksburg; was made Captain of Engineers in May, 1863, and Brigadier- General of Volunteers, Oct. 31, following. He also conducted operations preliminary to the battle of Chattanooga and Missionary Ridge, and for the relief of Knoxville. Later, he was placed in command of the Third Division of the cavalry corps of the Army of the Potomac, serving from May to August, 1864, under General Sheridan. Subsequently he was transferred to the Depart- ment of the Mississippi, where he so distinguished himself that, on April 20, 1865, he was made Major-General of Volunteers. In twenty-eight days he captured five fortified cities, twenty- three stands of colors, 288 guns and 6,820 prison- ers-among the latter being Jefferson Davis. He was mustered out of the volunteer service in January, 1866, and, on July 28, following, was commissioned Lieutenant-Colonel of the Thirty- fifth United States Infantry, being also brevetted Major-General in the regular army. On Dec. 31, 1870, he returned to civil life, and was afterwards largely engaged in railroad and engineering oper- ations, especially in West Virginia. Promptly after the declaration of war with Spain (1898) General Wilson was appointed, by the President, Major-General of Volunteers, serving until its close. He is the author of "China: Travels and Investigations in the Middle Kingdom"; "Life of Andrew J. Alexander"; and the "Life of Gen. U. S. Grant," in conjunction with Charles A.

Dana. His home, in recent years, has been in New York.

WILSON, John M., lawyer and jurist, was born in New Hampshire in 1802, graduated at Bowdoin College in 1824-the classmate of Frank- lin Pierce and Nathaniel Hawthorne; studied law in New Hampshire and came to Illinois in 1835, locating at Joliet; removed to Chicago in 1841, where he was the partner of Norman B. Judd, serving, at different periods, as attorney of the Chicago & Rock Island, the Lake Shore & Michi- gan Southern and the Chicago & Northwestern Railways; was Judge of the Court of Common Pleas of Cook County, 1853-59, when he became Presiding Judge of the Superior Court of Chicago, serving until 1868. Died, Dec. 7, 1883.

WILSON, John P., lawyer, was born in White- side County, Ill., July 3, 1844; educated in the common schools and at Knox College, Galesburg, graduating from the latter in 1865; two years later was admitted to the bar in Chicago, and speedily attained prominence in his profession. During the World's Fair period he was retained as counsel by the Committee on Grounds and Buildings, and was prominently connected, as counsel for the city, with the Lake Front litiga- tion.

WILSON, Robert L., early legislator, was born in Washington County, Pa., Sept. 11, 1805, taken to Zanesville, Ohio, in 1810, graduated at Frank- lin College in 1831, studied law and, in 1833, removed to Athens (now in Menard County), Ill .; · was elected Representative in 1836, and was one of the members from Sangamon County, known as the "Long Nine," who assisted in securing the removal of the State Capital to Springfield. Mr. Wilson removed to Sterling, Whiteside County, in 1840, was elected five times Circuit Clerk and served eight years as Probate Judge. Immedi- ately after the fall of Fort Sumter, he enlisted as private in a battalion in Washington City under command of Cassius M. Clay, for guard duty until the arrival of the Seventh New York Regi- ment. He subsequently assisted in raising troops in Illinois, was appointed Paymaster by Lincoln, serving at Washington, St. Louis, and, after the fall of Vicksburg, at Springfield-being mustered out in November, 1865. Died, in White- side County, 1880.

WILSON, Robert S., lawyer and jurist, was born at Montrose, Susquehanna County, Pa., Nov. 6, 1812; learned the printer's art, then studied law and was admitted to the bar in Allegheny County, about 1833; in 1836 removed to Ann Arbor, Mich., where he served as Probate Judge

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and State Senator; in 1850 came to Chicago, was elected Judge of the Recorder's Court in 1853, and re-elected in 1858, serving ten years, and proving "a terror to evil-doers." Died, at Law- rence, Mich., Dec. 23, 1882.

WILSON, William, early jurist, was born in Loudoun County, Va., April 27, 1794; studied law with Hon. Jolin Cook, a distinguished lawyer, and minister to France in the early part of the century ; in 1817 removed to Kentucky, soon after came to Illinois, two years later locating in White County, near Carmi, which continued to be his home during the remainder of his life. In 1819 he was appointed Associate Justice of the Supreme Court as successor to William P. Foster, who is described by Governor Ford as "a great rascal and no lawyer," and who held office only about nine months. Judge Wilson was re-elected to the Supreme bench, as Chief- Justice, in 1825, being then only a little over 30 years old, and held office until the reorganization of the Supreme Court under the Constitution of 1848-a period of over twenty-nine years, and, with the exception of Judge Browne's, the long- est term of service in the history of the court. He died at his home in White County, April 29, 1857. A Whig in early life, he allied himself with the Democratic party on the dissolution of the former. Hon. James C. Conkling, of Spring- field, says of him, "as a writer, his style was clear and distinct; as a lawyer, his judgment was sound and discriminating."

WINCHESTER, a city and county-seat of Scott County, founded in 1839, situated on Big Sandy Creek and on the line of the Chicago, Burlington & Quincy Railroad, 29 miles south of Beardstown and 84 miles north by west of St. Louis. While the surrounding region is agricultural and largely devoted to wheat growing, there is some coal mining. Winchester is an important shipping- point, having three grain elevators, two flouring mills, and a coal mine employing fifty miners. There are four Protestant and one Catholic church, a court house, a high school, a graded school building, two banks and two weekly news- papers. Population (1880), 1,626; (1890), 1,542; (1900), 1,711.

WINDSOR, a city of Shelby County at the cross- ing of the Cleveland, Cincinnati, Chicago & St. Louis and the Wabash Railways, 11 miles northi- east of Shelbyville. Population (1880), 768; (1890), 888; (1900), 866.

WINES, Frederick Howard, clergyman and sociologist, was born in Philadelphia, Pa., April 9, 1838, graduated at Washington (Pa.) College

in 1857, and, after serving as tutor there for a short time, entered Princeton Theological Semi- nary, but was compelled temporarily to discon- tinue his studies on account of a weakness of the eyes. The Presbytery of St. Louis licensed him to preach in 1860, and, in 1862, he was com- missioned Hospital Chaplain in the Union army. During 1862-64 he was stationed at Springfield, Mo., participating in the battle of Springfield on Jan. 8, 1863, and being personally mentioned for bravery on the field in the official report. Re- entering the seminary at Princeton in 1864, he graduated in 1865, and at once accepted a call to the pulpit of the First Presbyterian Church of Springfield, Ill., which he filled for four years. In 1869 he was appointed Secretary of the newly created Board of Commissioners of Public Chari- ties of Illinois, in which capacity he continued until 1893, when he resigned. For the next four years he was chiefly engaged in literary work, in lecturing before universities on topics connected with social science, in aiding in the organization of charitable work, and in the conduct of a thorough investigation into the relations between liquor legislation and crime. At an early period he took a prominent part in organizing the various Boards of Public Charities of the United States into an organization known as the National Conference of Charities and Corrections, and, at the Louisville meeting (1883), was elected its President. At the International Penitentiary Congress at Stockholm (1878) he was the official delegate from Illinois. On his return, as a result of his observations while abroad, he submitted to the Legislature a report strongly advocating the construction of the Kankakee Hospital for the Insane, then about to be built, upon the "detached ward" or "village" plan, a departure from then existing methods, which marks an era in the treatment of insane in the United States. Mr. Wines conducted the investigation into the condition and number of the defective, depend- ent and delinquent classes throughout the coun- try, his report constituting a separate volume under the "Tenth Census," and rendered a simi- lar service in connection with the eleventh census (1890). In 1887 he was elected Secretary of the National Prison Association, succeeding to the post formerly held by his father, Enoch Cobb Wines, D.D., LL.D. After the inauguration of Governor Tanner in 1897, he resumed his former position of Secretary of the Board of Public Charities, remaining until 1899, when he again tendered his resignation, having received the appointment to the position of Assistant Director

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of the Twelfth Census, which he now holds. He is the author of "Crime and Reformation" (1895) ; of a voluminous series of reports; also of numer- ous pamphlets and brochures, among which may be mentioned "The County Jail System; An Argument for its Abolition" (1878) ; "The Kanka- kee Hospital" (1882); "Provision for the Insane in the United States" (1885); "Conditional Liberation, or the Paroling of Prisoners" (1886), and "American Prisons in the Tenth Census" (1888).

WINES, Walter B., lawyer (brother of Freder- ick H. Wines), was born in Boston, Mass., Oct. 10, 1848, received his primary education at Willis- ton Academy, East Hampton, Mass., after which he entered Middlebury College, Vt., taking a classical course and graduating there. He after- wards became a student in the law department of Columbia College, N. Y., graduating in 1871, being admitted to the bar the same year and commencing practice in New York City. In 1879 he came to Springfield, Ill., and was, for a time, identified with the bar of that city. Later, he removed to Chicago, where he has been engaged in literary and journalistic work.

WINNEBAGO COUNTY, situated in the "northern tier," bordering on the Wisconsin State line; was organized, under an act passed in 1836, from La Salle and Jo Daviess Counties, and has an area of 552 square miles. The county is drained by the Rock and Pecatonica Rivers. The surface is rolling prairie and the soil fertile. The geology is simple, the quaternary deposits being underlaid by the Galena blue and buff limestone, adapted for building purposes. All the cereals are raised in abundance, the chief product being corn. The Winnebago Indians (who gave name to the county) formerly lived on the west side of the Rock River, and the Potta- watomies on the east, but both tribes removed westward in 1835. (As to manufacturing inter- ests, see Rockford.) Population (1880), 30,505; (1890), 39,938; (1900), 47,845

WINNEBAGO WAR. The name given to an Indian disturbance which had its origin in 1827, during the administration of Gov. Ninian Edwards. The Indians had been quiet since the conclusion of the War of 1812, but a few isolated outrages were sufficient to start terrified "run- ners" in all directions. In the northern portion of the State, from Galena to Chicago (then Fort Dearborn) the alarm was intense. The meagre militia force of the State was summoned and volunteers were called for. Meanwhile, 600 United States Regular Infantry, under command

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Historical encyclopedia of Illinois and history of St. Clair County, Volume I, Part 119

Author: Bateman, Newton, 1822-1897. ed. cn; Selby, Paul, 1825-1913. jt. ed. cn; Wilderman, Alonzo St. Clair, 1839-1904, ed; Wilderman, Augusta A., jt. ed Publication date: 1907 Publisher: Chicago : Munsell Publishing Co. Number of Pages: 698

Author: Bateman, Newton, 1822-1897. ed. cn; Selby, Paul, 1825-1913. jt. ed. cn; Wilderman, Alonzo St. Clair, 1839-1904, ed; Wilderman, Augusta A., jt. ed
Publication date: 1907
Publisher: Chicago : Munsell Publishing Co.
Number of Pages: 698