USA > Illinois > Warren County > Historical encyclopedia of Illinois and history of Warren County, Volume II > Part 54
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MERRIFIELD, GREEN H., retired grocer and business man, Monmouth, has been iden- tified with that flourishing city since it was a village. When he first saw Monmouth, only four houses had been erected between it and Macomb. He was born in Bond County, Ill., November 29, 1834, a son of John and Pollie ( Burroughs) Merrifield, natives respectively of Virginia and South Carolina, who settled in
Kentucky and, in 1833, removed to Ilinois .. They both died in Bond County, Mr. Merrifield in 1837, Mrs. Merrifield in 1845. Susan, who is Mrs. Watson, of Omaha, Neb., and the sub- ject of this sketch are the only ones of their nine children who are living. As a child and as a boy, Green H. Merrifield lived on his fath- er's farm in Bond County, Ill., until he was twelve years old. He then entered school at Monmouth, where he was under the tuition of Professor Jenks. The opening of the civil war found him fairly well started on the journey of life with good prospects of success. In April, 1861, he enlisted in Company G, First Illinois Cavalry, for three years or during the war. His regiment was mustered into the United States service at Quincy, Ill., July, 1861, and took part in operations in Missouri and in the Arkansas campaign. Mr. Merrifield, who fought at Lex- ington, Mo., was taken prisoner there and was paroled and ordered back to St. Louis, where he was honorably discharged in 1862. Return- ing to Monmouth, he has witnessed the remark- able development of that city and in a public- spirited way has done all within his power to- ward its promotion. He was for some years in the grocery trade.
MILNE, J. J., a prominent business man of Monmouth, was born in Jones County, Iowa, in 1858, the son of James and Helen Hunter Milne, who were natives of Scotland, where they were reared and, in 1847, emigrated to Canada, and thence located in Jones County, Iowa, in 1854. Here James Milne entered land upon which he lived until 1894, when he re- moved to Monmouth, Ill., where he has since re- sided, and is a member of the Milne Manufac- turing Company. J. J. Milne was reared and re- ceived his primary education in Jones County, Iowa, entered Monmouth College in the fall of 1877. graduating in the class of 1882 with the degree of A. B., and began business with his father and brother under the firm name of James Milne & Sons, in 1884, at Scotch Grove, Iowa. In 1885 he bought the interest of his brother, H. A. Milne, and the firm name was changed to James Milne & Son. Their business was transferred thence to Monmouth in 1894, and, in 1895, was incorporated under the pres- ent name, Milne Manufacturing Company. Its principal products are stump-pullers and machinery for clearing timber land. The first building was erected in 1893, a good brick,
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40x160 feet, to which a second building was added in 1894, 48x160 feet, a large blacksmith shop being erected the same year. The com- pany does an extensive business, shipping its products to Sweden, Germany, Australia, New Zealand, Japan and Canada, besides numerous points in the United States. It is the largest plant of its kind in the world and, in connec- tion with this. J. J. Milne owns the half inter- est in the Sunnyside Shetland Pony Farm (see sketch of H. A. Milne). J. J. Milne is Secre- tary and Treasurer of both concerns. In poli- tics he is a Prohibitionist; is also President of the Monmouth Y. M. C. A., and an active mem- ber of the Second United Presbyterian Church of that city. He was married in Monmouth, in 1886, to Margaret McQuiston, and of this union five children have been born: Miriam, Halma, Hunter, Hugh McQuiston, Helen Margaret and James Walker. Miriam, the eldest, died at Scotch Grove, Ia., in 1891.
MITCHELL, WILLIAM A., a pioneer of War- ren County, and ex-County Treasurer, was born in Greene County, Ohio, July 13, 1838, son of Robert K. and Rachel E. (Townsley) Mitchell, natives of Ohio, where they were reared and married, and coming to Warren County in 1843, located in Hale Township. Robert Mitch- ell was a farmer and died in Hale Township January 5, 1865; his wife dying of cholera in the same township July 14, 1851. To them were born four children: William A., the sub- ject of this sketch; Margaret J., now Mrs. J. M. Wilson, of Chicago; Minerva T., now Mrs. Joseph S. Young, of Sumner Township; and John P., of Grand Junction, Colo. William A. Mitchell was reared and educated in Hale Township, where he engaged in farming and now owns the old homestead. In August, 1861, he enlisted, in Hale Township, in Company C, Thirty-sixth Illinois Volunteer Infantry, for three years, and served in the Army of the Southwest through Missouri, afterwards in the Army of the Cumberland, and took part in the battles of Pea Ridge, Perryville, Stone River, Chickamauga, Missionary Ridge, and was with Sherman in the advance on Atlanta. He veter- anized in the same company and regiment in 1864, and was promoted to Second Lieutenant. From Atlanta he returned to Franklin, then to Nashville, and was honorably discharged at New Orleans and paid off at Springfield, Ill., October, 1865, and returned to Hale Township.
Mr. Mitchell was elected County Treasurer in 1894 and served for. four years. He is an active Republican. He was married in Sumner Township in 1866, to Sarah E. Caldwell, who was born in Sumner Township, a daughter of Thomas Jackson and Mary ( Allen) Caldwell, the former a native of Ohio and the latter of Illinois. They were early pioneers of Warren County. Mr. Caldwell died in Sumner Town- ship in 1899, and his wife died in 1870. Wil- liam A. Mitchell and wife are the parents of five children: Robert J., of Eleanor, Warren County; Mary E., now Mrs. Sykes, of Peoria; Effie D .; Fred I .; and Minerva J. Mr. Mitchell is a member of the George Crook Post, G. A. R., at Kirkwood. He came to Monmouth in 1894. He and his wife are members of the First United Presbyterian Church of Monmouth, and he is one of the well-known citizens of the county.
MOFFET, HUGH ROBB, editor of The Re- view, and author of this work, was born at Free- land, DeKalb County, Ill., March 27, 1863, a son of Rev. William Turner and Jennie (Robb) Moffet. His father, a graduate of the Indiana State University at Bloomington, Ind., and the Theological Seminary at Monmouth, Ill., has served as a minister in the United Presbyterian Church for forty-two years. His pastoral la- bors were begun in De Kalb County in 1860, where he remained until 1877. Since that time he has had charges at Morning Sun, Iowa, in South Dakota, at College Springs, Iowa, and Arkansas City, Kansas, where he has resided since 1895.
Hugh R. Moffet was educated in the public schools of De Kalb County and Morning Sun, Iowa, and in Monmouth College. Upon leaving the latter institution in 1883, he became a re- porter on The Review, and in 1886 bought an interest in the paper, since which time he has been its editor, publishing daily and semi- weekly editions. He is a director in and secre- tary of the United Presbyterian Mutual Benefit Association which has headquarters in Mon- mouth; and is a member of the Second United Presbyterian Church of Monmouth in which he has served as elder since 1888. For thirteen years he acted continuously as Superintendent of the Sunday School associated with that church. For three years he was a member of the General Committee of the Young People's Christian Union of the United Presbyterian
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HISTORY OF WARREN COUNTY.
church at large, serving under appointment of the General Assembly. For one year he was chairman, and in this capacity had charge of the arrangements for the annual convention of the Union which was held at East Liver- pool, Ohio, in 1892. Mr. Moffet is a Republi- can, but has never sought public office. He is a member of Illinois Society of Sons of the American the Revolution. He
was married, May 26, 1886, to Irene, daughter of Lamson M. and Nancy (Black) Gates. (See sketch of Lamson M. Gates). They have two children, Lee Gates and Victor Logue.
MOORE. JOSEPH P., Superintendent of the Pattee Plow Company, Monmouth; has repre- sented the Fourth Ward in the City Council for five years, and has done as much effective work for public improvements as any man in the city. He was born in Monmouth February 10, 1865, a son of Stewart R. and Isabelle (Dun- bar) Moore. His parents, natives of Cumber- land County, Penn., came to Monmouth more than a half a century ago, journeying down the Ohio and up the Mississippi to Keithsburg, and thence overland to Warren County. His father, who was a cabinet-maker, worked at his trade at Monmouth until his death, which occurred April, 1901. Mrs. Isabelle (Dunbar) Moore, who is living in Monmouth, bore her husband nine children : Ida, Minnie, Anna, Kate, Robert (who lives in Colorado), Boyd and Albert ( who are twins), Joseph P., and Wil- liam, who died in Monmouth. Joseph P. Moore was educated in the public schools of Monmouth and then entered the service of the Pattee Plow Company, in all departments of whose establishment he has been employed, resulting in his advancement to his present position in 1895. In politics he is an ardent Democrat. For more than five years he has been a member of the Board of Aldermen of Monmouth, is chairman of the Finance Commit- tee and the Fire Committee, and has been, for three years, Chairman of the Water Committee -in which capacity he has been active in such efforts as have been made to give the city an adequate water supply. About $20,000 has been expended in sinking a shaft and wells from which it is supplied. The shaft is one hundred and seventy feet deep with a diameter of twelve feet. Three wells have been put down to a depth of 1,200 feet-one of them thirty feet and another two hundred and nine feet from
the shaft with which the three are connected by waterways under the streets. Mr. Moore is a member of the order of Foresters and is prominent in business and social circles. He married at Monmouth, in 1893, Elsie Powell, who was born in Knox County, a daughter of George and Martha Powell, who settled and died at Monmouth. Mrs. Moore has borne her husband a daughter named Verne Marie.
MORRIS, LOT L .; fruit grower; Monmouth Township; is a living witness of the develop- ment of Warren and Henderson Counties, and can remember when there were only two houses between Monmouth and Oquawka. He is a Veteran of the Civil War and a member of the Grand Army Post at Oquawka, and was for four years Road Commissioner in Henderson County, and has long been helpfully identified with the good work of the Baptist Church. He was born in Dearborn County, Ind., December 25, 1832, a son of Amos and Johanna (Launce) Morris, natives of Greene County, Penn., who settled early in Indiana, whence, in 1840, his father removed near to Oquawka, Henderson County, where he improved a farm, on which he died in 1878, his wife dying in 1883. When they located there Indians frequently visited their cabin. Of their sixteen children, eight are living. Mrs. Rebecca Roberts lives at Oquawka; Mrs. Lucinda Mills at Alexis; Isaac and Mrs. Susan Hollingsworth in Kansas; James in Nebraska and Huston in Florida. Lot L. Morris was reared and educated in Hen- derson County and, in 1850, drove an ox team to California, walking through the whole jour- ney, which consumed six months' time. He remained there until 1855, and returned by way of the Isthmus of Panama to New York, and thence to Henderson County, where he farmed until 1891, when he came to Monmouth, except during the period of his service in the Civil war. He enlisted in Henderson County, in 1862, in the Eighty-fourth Regiment Illinois Volunteer Infantry, which was included in the Army of the Cumberland, and fought at Stone River, Chickamauga, Belmont and in the siege of Vicksburg; marched with Sherman to the sea; participated in the battles of Atlanta and Sav- annah, and in the Carolina campaign, and had a place in the grand review at Washington. He received an honorable discharge from the ser- vice at Springfield, Ill., June, 1865. He mar- ried, in Henderson County, in 1858, Mary Fry-
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HISTORY OF WARRENN COUNTY.
rear, who was born in Kentucky, a daughter of Benjamin and Susan Fryrear, who settled in Henderson County in 1854, and died there. Mrs. Morris has borne her husband two child- ren-George, who has married and lives at Galesburg, and Mrs. Ethel Lofftus, of Chicago. In 1891, Mr. Morris bought six acres of land adjoining the city of Monmouth, five acres of which is devoted to the cultivation of plums, pears, cherries, peaches, apples, blackberries and raspberries.
OWENS, REV. PETER PAUL, pastor of the Church of the Immaculate Conception (Roman Catholic), Monmouth, Warren County, was born in Brooklyn, N. Y., January 21, 1860, a son of Edward and Margaret (Farrell) Owens, both natives of Ireland. His literary course was pursued in St. John's College, Brooklyn, from which he graduated in 1877. The same year he entered the Grand Seminary at Mon- treal, Canada, where he devoted four years to the study of philosophy and theology. In the spring of 1881 he entered St. Joseph's Provin- cial Seminary at Troy, N. Y., where he was ordained to the priesthood December 23, 1882. His first appointment was to the assistant pas- torate of St. Patrick's Church at Chatsworth, Livingston County, Ill., where he labored until January, 1884, when he was appointed pastor of St. John's Church at Fairbury, in the same county. In January, 1892, he was made pastor of the Church of the Immaculate Conception of Monmouth, which has been the scene of his labors for the past eleven years. The parish over which Father Owens presides includes all of the city of Monmouth, and his church now (1902) has a membership of 500. During the term of his pastorate he has endeared him- self not only to his own parishioners but also to those citizens of Monmouth outside of his church with whom he has come in contact. During his residence in Monmouth he has taken a hearty interest in those movements tending toward the promotion of the best inter- ests of the community, and has come to be regarded as a broad-minded and progressive man, as well as a faithful and devoted pastor.
PATTEE, HENRY HUBBARD, retired man- ufacturer, Monmouth, was born at Canaan, N. H., April 17, 1840, and is a son of Daniel and Judith (Burleigh) Pattee. His father was a native of Canaan, N. H., and a son of Daniel
and Dorcas Pattee. His mother was a native of Dorchester, N. H., where her mother was also born. Mr. Pattee was reared and edu- cated in his native town. In 1862 he went to Montreal, Canada, and became manager of the Vermont and Boston Telegraph Company. In 1866 he located at Galesburg, where he associ- ated himself with his brother, James Howard Pattee, in the milling business. Three years later he removed to Monmouth and engaged in the grain trade until 1872, when he and his brother began the manufacture of the Pattee New Departure Cultivators in a small way. A factory was built in 1875 and the business was conducted under the style of Pattee Brothers & Company until 1881, when the concern was in- corporated as the Pattee Plow Company, with J H. Pattee as President, I. P. Pillsbury as Vice-President, and H. H. Pattee as Secretary and Treasurer. The output of this factory consisted principally of the "New Departure" tongueless cultivator, later on the combined walking and riding cultivator, and the cotton planter. Mr. Pattee has been a Director in the Second National Bank since 1879, and for thirteen years has been President of the Edison Illuminating Company of Monmouth. In 1886 he organized the Monmouth Artesian Well Company, which completed drilling its first well in the spring of 1887. The company was afterwards dissolved and the well sold to the city. In political faith Mr. Pattee is a Gold Democrat. He married Anna E. Willits in Monmouth, August 25, 1881, and they have a son, Allan W. Pattee, born August 29, 1885.
PATTEE, JAMES HOWARD-To have wit- nessed the great developments in the field of manufacture which has taken place within the last half century is in a way to have ac- quired a broad knowledge of many things and to have participated in it must be accounted a still greater privilege. One of the few man- ufacturers of Warren County, Ill., whose ex- perience embraces those of the day of small things and the larger ones of the present time is James Howard Pattee, of Monmouth, Presi- dent of the Pattee Plow Company, which makes the New Departure Cultivators exclusively and sells about 16,000 of them annually. James Howard Pattee was born at Canaan, N. H., April 30, 1835, and was educated at Canaan Academy. He is a son of Daniel Pattee, Jr., and a grandson of Daniel and his wife Dorcas.
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HISTORY OF WARREN COUNTY.
His father was born in Canaan, New Hamp- shire, and married Judith Burleigh, of Dor- chester, N. H., whose mother was born at that place. Mr. Pattee came to Monmouth in March, 1857, and lived there continuously to the pres- ent time. He was engaged in milling and in the grain trade until 1875. Meantime in 1872, he patented the New Departure Culti- vator. In 1875 he disposed of his milling inter- ests, and associated himself with his brother, H. H. Pattee, in the manufacture of the now celebrated cultivators. In 1877 the Pattee Plow Company was organized, with James Howard Pattee as President, an office which he has filled to the present time. He early developed not only mechanical but splendid business abil- ity, and under his management the Pattee Plow Company, which was incorporated in 1881, has become one of the leading concerns of its kind in the country. Mr. Pattee is an active and influential Democrat, and was Chairman of the Democratic Committee of Warren County from 1886 to 1894. He married Mary E. Nye at Galesburg, Ill., in 1857, and has one son, Fred B. Pattee.
PEACOCK, HON. THEOPHILUS G., was born at Mount Vernon, Ohio, July 5, 1846, a son of Rev. James H. and Matilda (Irvine) Peacock. James H. Peacock was of Irish blood in both lines of descent, and his parents were James H. and Elizabeth ( Ellison) Peacock. Matilda Irvine was born at Wooster, Ohio, the daughter of Rev. Samuel Irvine, a native of Ireland, and his wife, Maria (Glasgow) Irvine, who was a native of Pennsylvania. Judge Pea- cock was educated at Westminster College, Penn. He came to Warren County, Ill., in August, 1875, with seven years' experience as a school teacher and with a good knowledge of law gained by reading during his vacation. He was admitted to practice at the Bar of War- ren County, in September, 1875, and has since practiced his profession with success. He has filled the office of Secretary of Monmouth Homestead and Loan Association, to which he was elected in 1884, served as Justice of the Peace, 1876-77, and as City Attorney, 1879-80. was elected County Judge in 1894, and re- elected for a third term, which he is now fill- ing to the entire satisfaction of all classes of his fellow-citizens. Judge Peacock has been a life-long Republican, and his influence in local affairs is for the best interest of the city
and county. He is a member of the United Presbyterian Church, and has always been a liberal supporter of churches of different de- nominations. He was married, August 23, 1891, at West Alexander, Penn., to Miss Emma Shel- ler, and has two sons, James H. and C. Sheller.
PORTER, ROBERT, now living a retired life in the city of Monmouth, has been a lead- ing farmer and representative citizen of War- ren County for more than forty-five years. He is a native of Guernsey County, Ohio, having been born February 27, 1836, a son of David and Sarah (Kimball) Porter, natives of Penn- sylvania and Ohio respectively. Very early in the life of Robert. Porter, he was deprived of his father's care, by death; at the age of five years was placed in the family of a neighbor, and at the age of six years was bound out to a shoemaker, but a year later was returned to his mother, who subsequently placed him in the family of James Beggs. Here he remained until he reached the age of twenty years, re- ceiving during that time about one year's schooling. At the above mentioned age he came to Illinois, locating first in Vermillion County, and after a stay of about eight months, he came to Warren County, arriving November, 1856. He located in Sumner Township, and, after working by the month for six years, he bought his first eighty acres of land, which is now included in his home farm of 280 acres. In addition to this he owns about 800 acres elsewhere. February 13, 1862, Mr. Porter was married to Miss Margaret Gibson, of Warren County. To them were born six children, three of whom are living, viz .: John E., a farmer of Sumner Township; George G., living in Lit- tle York; and Sarah I., wife of W. T. McBride, a farmer of Sumner Township. Those de- ceased are William, Charles and Anna. Politi- cally Mr. Porter is a Republican and religious- ly he and his wife are members of the Second United Presbyterian Church of Monmouth. Coming to Warren County a poor boy, Mr. Porter has by his own efforts and through his industry and perseverance succeeded in accum- ulating a handsome competency, and is justly numbered among its most substantial citizens.
PORTER, JOHN A., teacher and Union sold- ier during the war of the Rebellion, was born in Preble County, Ohio, October 8, 1838, the son of James C. and Mary P. (McGaw) Porter. The
1
Robert Porter
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HISTORY OF WARREN COUNTY.
father was a native of South Carolina, and a minister of "Associate Reformed" (now United Presbyterian) Church, and came to Warren County, Ill., in 1840, locating in Sumner Town- ship, and was pastor of Cedar Creek church in Sumner Township for many years. His wife died in 1848 and, in 1849, he was married to Sarah E. Patterson, who still lives in Mon- mouth. He died in Warren County in 1863. One daughter, Mary A., now of Iowa, and John A., the subject of this sketch, were the children of the first marriage. Of the second union were born : James R., of St. Paul, Neb .; David A., of Creston, Iowa, now an attorney at Cripple Creek, Colo .; Eliza Jane, now Mrs. Saville, of Joliet, Ill .; Clara B., now Mrs. Porter, of West- chester, Iowa; and Emma D., of Monmouth. John A. Porter received his primary education in Sumner Township, and in 1856 entered Mon- mouth College as one of that institution's first students, but withdrew to enter the Union army on the completion of his junior year. He has since devoted over thirty years to teaching, serving as Principal of the Harding and Gar- field schools in Monmouth from 1871 to 1880. He also taught at various other places in War- ren, Henderson and Mercer Counties. August 1, 1861, Mr. Porter enlisted in the Young Amer- ica Guards, and on September 23 was mus- tered in for the three years' service, as a mem- ber of Company C, Thirty-sixth Illinois Vol- unteer Infantry, known as the "Fox River Reg- iment," which was organized at Camp Ham- mond, near Aurora. The regiment was first attached to the Department of the Missouri, but afterwards saw service in Arkansas, Ten- nessee, Mississippi, Alabama, Kentucky, Louisi- ana and Georgia. During its period of enlist- ment it took part in some of the most impor- tant battles of the war, including those of Pea Ridge, Perryville, Stone River, Chickamauga, the siege of Chattanooga, Mission Ridge, Res- aca, Kenesaw Mountain, Peach Tree Creek, Jonesboro, Franklin and Nashville. It also took part in the movement to head off Kirby Smith's intended raid across the Ohio, for that purpose going to Cincinnati, after which it went to Louisiana to meet Gen. Bragg. In one of the battles between Nashville and Atlanta Mr. Porter had his skull fractured by the ex- plosion of a shell. After some time spent in a field hospital and on furlough, he rejoined his regiment near Huntsville, Ala., and, in the last battle at Nashville, received a shell wound in
the thigh. From Orderly Sergeant he was suc- cessively promoted, reaching the rank of First Lieutenant, April 3, 1865. The regiment was mustered out at New Orleans, October 8, 1865, and was paid off and received its final dis- charge at Springfield, Ill., some three weeks later, having marched or been transported dur- ing its term of service over 10,000 miles. Mr. Porter was married near Keithsburg, Mercer County, April 30, 1868, to Miss Fannie E. Mc- Clure, daughter of John and Sarah (Miller) Mc- Clure, early settlers in that vicinity, and they have two children: James McClure, City Editor of Monmouth Daily Review and John Charles, of Monmouth, who is in the railway mail ser- vice. The latter married Fannie B. Gowdy, and they have two children: James Gowdy and Fred. John A. Porter is a member of the G. A. R. Post at Little York, and belongs to and is an elder in the Second United Presbyterian Church, Monmouth. Mrs. Porter's father, John McClure, served as First Lieuten- ant of Company G, Thirtieth Illinois Vol- unteers in the War of the Rebellion, and died while on a visit to Dakota and was buried near his home in Mercer County.
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