History of Bureau County, Illinois, Part 85

Author: Bradsby, Henry C., [from old catalog] ed
Publication date: 1885
Publisher: Chicago, World publishing company
Number of Pages: 776

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of Dr. Mercer, but in the midst of his use- fulness he was struck down by a heavy calam-

ity in 1874. After a struggle of four years

with the terrible disease which had assailed

29, 1880, to Joshua D. Mercer, a brother of A. Mercer was married a second time January universal confidence and respect. Mrs. Mary and unbounded love, and in the possession of May 30, 1878, administered to by unwearied him, he sank under the shock and died,

her first husband. He was a law student in early life, and in later life a druggist. He

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BIOGRAPHICAL SKETCHES.

was born July 17, 1837, and died March 1, 1881. Since the death of her second hus- band, Mrs. Mercer has nobly devoted her life to such canses as will benefit the human race.

L. L. MERCER, Selby, was born Novem- ber 29, 1829, in Belmont County, Ohio. His father, William Mercer, was of Irish descent, and his mother, Elizabetlı (Long) Mercer, was of Welsh descent. Both were natives of Virginia. They came to Bureau County by water from Bellaire, Ohio, down the Ohio River, up the Mississippi and Illinois Rivers and landed at Hennepin, forwarding their goods to Bureau Junction. They settled at Princeton, where the fair grounds now are. The father died in July, 1845, at the age of forty-nine years, and his wife died in 1860, aged sixty years. She was the mother of ten children, viz .: Mrs. Sarah Garvin, Mrs. Nancy Sturdevin, Mrs. Hannah Richards, Mrs. Mary Wright, Mrs. Elizabeth Mitchell, Levi L. (our subject), Mrs. Rebecca J. Kelly, William L. (of California), Mrs. Eliza Nedos and Lucretia Gill. The father was a Whig, and at the time of his death an Abolitionist. He and his wife were members of the Meth- odist Protestant Church. Levi L. Mercer was reared in this county, and worked on his father's farm until he was of age; he then bought 160 acres at $5 per acre, in Selby Township; he has since added to his farm till he now owns 400 acres of well-improved land. Mr. Mercer was married in Princeton, December 31, 1851, to Saburey Ann Sidwell, who was born in August, 1830, in Morgan County, Ohio, a daughter of Jesse Sidwell. Mr. and Mrs. Mercer have four children, viz .: Mrs. Ida E. Debust; William S., of this county; Adelaide, deceased, and Mrs. Iona Bell Piper, of this county. Mr. Mercer is a member of the A. F. & A. M. fraternity. He has been Republican in politics, and has held various township offices.

W. H. MESENKOP, Princeton, was born November 13, 1834, in Lancaster City, Penn. The family is of German descent, and in its genealogy we find that five brothers come to America in colonial times. Four of them settled in the Southern States; the fifth, who was the great-grandfather of our subject, settled in New York State, but subsequently removed to Lancaster City, Penn. He was a

soldier in the Revolutionary War. His son Lewis P. Mesenkop was married twice. He reared a family of twenty-two children in Lancaster City. One of these, John L. Mes- enkop, was born April 23, 1798. He was a harness-maker by occupation for twenty-five years. In 1835 he removed to Ohio, and lived ten years in Wayne County, and nine years in Cuyahoga County. He was married in Ohio, to Anna Brenneman, born April 12, 1812. She was the mother of four children, viz .: William H., our subject; John L., deceased; Mary M., and Mrs. Sarah A. Pen- field, of Minneapolis, Minn. John L. Mesen- kop came to Princeton in April, 1854, and died here in March, 1875. Those inti- mately acquainted with him have often remarked his implicit belief in two things: First, the vital principles of the Christian religion; second, the doctrine of the Demo- cratic forefathers. Our subject was reared on a farm in Ohio, where he also taught school at the age of seventeen. He came to Bureau County with his parents, and here taught school in the winter. In 1856 he clerked in a dry-goods store; the following year he farmed. In May, 1858, he went to Hennepin, Ill., and established the Putnam County Democrat, which he edited till November of the same year, when he sold ont and taught school that winter. In April, 1849, he bought the Bureau County Demo- crat, and published that paper till 1863, when he sold out and engaged in the insurance business. In the spring of 1972 he estab- lished the Bureau County Tribune, and edited it till the beginning of 1873, when he again embarked in the insurance business. In 1875 he purchased a half interest in the Gas Works, and was elected President of the company, which position he yet fills. Dur- ing the last ten years he has been a member of the City Council five years and City Treas- urer three years, and at present is Alderman of the Fourth Ward. He is also special agent of the western department for several Philadelphia fire insurance companies. He speaks the German and Swede languages fluently; the latter he has acquired himself. Mr. Mesenkop was married August 11, 1858, to Kate E. Pelton, born October 4, 1841, in Brecksville, Cuyahoga Co., Ohio. Her par-

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HISTORY OF BUREAU COUNTY.

ents, Josiah and Kate E. (Hunt) Pelton, were natives of Massachusetts. Six children are the result of this union, viz .: Mrs. Jennie V. Bowlby, Katie M., Luna E., Minnie M., Alta M. and William L. Mesenkop. Our subject is a member of the A F. & A. M. fraternity.

F. C. METCALF, Lamoille, was born November 14, 1821, in Wilmington, Wind- ham Co., Vt. His father, Benjamin Metcalf, was a native of Vermont. He participated in the battle of Bunker Hill, and drew a pen- sion till his death, which occurred April 13, 1846, aged eighty-four years. He married Mrs. Catharine Phillips, who was also a na- tive of Vermont. She died here April 8, 1872, aged eighty-four years. She was the mother of two children by her first husband, viz .: Adaline and Caroline Phillips, and five children by her second marriage, viz .: Isaac; Frederick C., our subject; Maria (de- ceased) former wife of Col. E A. Bowen, a banker of Mendota; Moses M., of Washing- ton Territory, and A. B. Metcalf, of Welling- ton, Kan. The Metcalf family is of English extraction. Our subject farmed in his native State till June, 1843, when he came to Bu- reau County, Ill., where he entered 160 acres of land in Section 1, in Lamoille Township, at $1.25 per acre. In 1849, when the gold fever, like a mighty flood with its waves of hope and expectation, flowed over this conti- nent from ocean to ocean, our subject joined a party of fifteen who were in search of gold, and starting March 28, they arrived in Dia- mond Springs, Cal., August 26. In Califor- nia Mr. Metcalf mined, and in April, 1853, returned to this State, where he has been a farmer and stockman. The following year he went to Pennsylvania, where he was married in November, 1854, to Sarah O. Aubbard, a native of Luzerne County, Penn. She is the mother of the following children: Rodolpho, Nevada, Buena Vista and Mabel. Mrs. Met- calf is a member of the Baptist Church. Mr. Metcalf is identified politically with the Democratic party.

WILLIAM MILES, Princeton, was born in Steuben County, N. Y., July 26, 1822. In 1866 he came from Steuben County to Princeton, Ill. From 1866 till 1882 he was engaged in the lumber business but has now retired from active life. In

May, 1844, in New York, he was united in marriage to Miss Nancy A. Parker. They have reared a family of seven children, viz. : Harriet M., wife of S. D. Beach, of Steuben County, N. Y .; Lucius P. and George, resi- dents of Pottawatomie County, Iowa; Will- iam, Edward, Louisa and James, of Princeton.

HENRY F. MILLER, Princeton. Henry Miller and his wife, whose name was Cathe- rine Bigler, were born in Frederick County, Md. Ten children were born to them, viz. : Phoebe, born February 11, 1762; Joseph, born December 27, 1764; David, born Au- gust 24, 1766; John, born October 7, 1768; Catherine, born June 26. 1770; Michael, April 29, 1772; Jonathan, born February 10, 1774; Solomon, born August 14, 1776; Jacob, born December 17, 1781; Salome, born Feb- ruary 23, 1783. Jonathan Miller was mar- ried August 8, 1799, to Susanna Tombs, who was born January 7, 1773. They came from Frederick County, Md., in 1802, and settled in Greene County, Penn., where they spent their lives in activity and usefulness. They were the parents of eight children, five sons and three daughters, viz .: Jacob, born May 30, 1800; Elizabeth, born December 19, 1803; Catharine, born April 18, 1805; Barbara, born April 19, 1805; Henry F., born March 30, 1807; Daniel. born July 3, 1810; Asa, born May 24, 1812; Lewis, born March 30, 1814. For longevity it will be hard to find a parallel; the eight children are all living at this time. There are 296 living descend- ants: 8 children, 72 grandchildren, and 178 great-grandchildren and 38 great-great- grandchildren. Jonathan Miller died De- cember 26, 1840; his wife. Susanna, died August 23, 1852. Henry F. Miller, son of Jonathan and Susanna, was born in Greene County, Penn., March 30, 1807. In April, 1835, he was married to Jane Waldon. She was the mother of five children, two of whom are now living, viz .: Mrs. R. W. Brower and Miss Celeste Miller, both living in Ot- tawa, Ill. Mrs. Jane Miller died July 26, 1846. October, 1847, Mr. Miller married Mrs. Elizabeth Winslow; to them three chil- dren were born, only one of whom is living -A. F. Miller, of Iowa. Mrs. Elizabeth Miller died in June, 1856. January 5, 1871, Mr. Miller was again married to Mrs. Martha

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BIOGRAPHICAL SKETCHES.

Bryan, daughter of Skillman and Susan (Van Nostrand) Brush, both natives of Queens County, L. I. Mrs. Miller had two children by her first husband: Amanda and Charles, both deceased. Amanda was mar- ried to C. K. Howard, and had three daugh- ters, viz. : Mattie B., Gertrude A. and Emma M. Howard. Charles Bryan married Eliza- beth Armor, and had one daughter-Fannie. (For further sketch of Henry F. Miller. see chapter XI of General History.)

HENRY J. MILLER, Hall, whose portrait and that of his wife appear in this work, is one of the oldest and best known pioneers in the southeast part of Bureau County. He is closely related to the Hall and Williams fam- ilies, and therefore a part of their history and genealogy will appear under his name. Mr. Miller is thoroughly imbued with the true spirit of the pioneers of Bureau County, among whose many good traits and virtues hospitality, humanity and straightforward- ness take a prominent place. In this biogra- phy we shall speak mainly of the "elover leaf, Williams, Hall and Miller." The pro- genitor of the Miller family was Henry Mil- ler, who was born in North Carolina, where his father died. His mother, Elizabeth Miller (nee Detheridge), died in Warren County, Ky., to which place she had removed with her son. Henry Miller was married in the latter place to Sally Hall, born in Georgia, daughter of Edward and Rachel (Barnes) Hall, both natives of Georgia; the former of English and the latter of Welsh extraction. In 1818 Henry Miller, accom- panied by his father-in-law and family, re- moved from Warren County, Ky., to Dubois County, Ind., where they farmed fourteen years. From some members of the Hall fam- ily, they heard of the beanties of the Illinois prairies, and in 1830 Henry Miller, Edward Hall and the latter's son-in-law, Gilbert Kel- lum, made claims in Bureau County. They came here alone and returned the same year to Indiana. On the 21st day of May. 1832, on the very day of the Indian Creek massacre. they started for Bureau County, little dream- ing that on that very day some members of their family would be cruelly butchered by the inhuman savages, whom some still call the "noble red men of the woods." This

little colony numbered fourteen souls, all told. They were compelled to stop several weeks on Ox Bow Prairie, on account of the Black Hawk war, their teams having been pressed into the Government service to haul provisions for the troops. The three families arrived in Bureau County in August. Ed- ward Hall, the father-in-law of Henry Miller, settled in Selby Township in August, 1832, but in the fall of 1835 he removed to Hall Township and lived on his son-in-law's farm in Section 33, where he died June 28, 1838, aged eighty years. He was interred on the farm and was the first to be buried in the spot that he had selected for his resting place, where also his wife and quite a num- ber of the pioneers of Hall Township repose. " He was a Revolutionary soldier," is written on the tomb of Edward Hall, and no grander and better eulogy could have been written than is contained in those few words, which were suggested by his grandson and admirer, Henry J. Miller. Edward Hall was prob- ably the only Revolutionary soldier buried in Bureau County; he participated in most of the hard fought battles, and was under the command of Gen. George Washington. He was also one of our old-fashioned pioneer Methodist Episcopal ministers, whose words of admonition are still remembered by a few of our old settlers. His wife, Rachel Barnes, died September 10, 1838, aged seventy nine years. She was the mother of eight children viz .: Ransom, Reason B., William, Mrs. Pol- ly Scott, John, Mrs. Sally Miller, Mrs. Betsey Kellum and Edward Hall. Of the above Ransom Hall came here from White County, Ill., in about 1834, and died here August 26, 1839, aged fifty-four years, five months, twenty days. He married Elizabeth Slocumb. who died December 25, 1842. aged fifty-sev- en years, nine months and nineteen days. Of her seven children none reside here at present. Her son, E. C. Hall, improved the State premium farm in Section 21, in Hall Township, now owned by John Weber. He is now a resident of Texas. Reason B. Hall made a claim in Hall Township on Section 34, in the spring of 1828. The next year he removed south of the Illinois River and then to Galena, but returned here about 1834. In 1849 he went to Oregon, where he died.

596

HISTORY OF BUREAU COUNTY.

William Hall settled where Lamoille now stands in 1830. He sold his claim to Aaron Gunn and removed to Indian Creek, where he was killed by the Indians. He was mar- ried in Warren County, Ky., to Jennie Will- iams. a sister of Curtis Williams. She was the mother of seven children, viz .: Mrs. Tempa Curtwright, John W., Edward H., Greenberry, Mrs. Sylvia Horn, Mrs. Rachel Munson and Elizabeth Hall. Of the above only John W., Mrs. Sylvia Horn, Edward H., Greenberry and Mrs. Rachel Munson sur- vived the Indian Creek massacre. Mrs. Polly Scott was the wife of Robert Scott, who came here from Morgan County, Ill., in 1834. They are both deceased. Of their seven children only Mrs. Rachel Sweet is yet living in this township (see Mr. Wixom's biography). John Hall came here in 1830. He married Betsey Kellum, who was the mother of six boys and three girls, of whom none live here. They settled in Selby Town- ship and were at one time the largest land owners in the county (see General History).

Mrs. Sally Miller was the wife of Henry Miller. Mrs. Betsey Kellum, wife of Gil-

bert Kellum, was the mother of two children deceased. They came here with Grandfather Hall in 1832, and settled in Selby Township, where they lived many years, but finally moved away. Edward Hall, like his brother

Reason B., was regarded by the new settlers of this Indian wild waste as that strange being, an Indian fighting, daring pioneer, who took an active part in that prolonged tragedy that gave this great valley to civiliz- ation. He was a single man; he came here in 1829 and settled on Section 34, in Hall Township.

He built a cabin where Jacob Wassom afterward resided, but the next year left for the wilds of Texas. Henry Miller settled on Section 33, in Hall Township, on the 24th day of August, 1832. He made a claim and afterward entered 380 acres of land. He is the only man in the township who entered his original claim and lived on it till his death, which occurred December 6, 1852, aged sixty-six years. His wife, Sal-

ly Hall, died July 26, 1847, aged fifty-three years. She was a true helpmeet and be-

longed to that noble type of women which we generally find on the frontier. She was

the mother of seven children, viz. : William, George W., Eliza, Henry J. (our subject), Edward H., Smith and Elizabeth. Of the above the last four are yet living: Edward H., near Princeton; Smith, in Hall Town- ship; Elizabeth, wife of Wiley H. Horn, is a resident of Nebraska; the oldest child, William Miller, died here. He made a claim on Section 34, and married Rachel H. Hall (deceased), daughter of Ransom Hall, and was the father of the following children: Charles F., Mrs. Sarah Dustin (Missouri), Mrs. Mary E. Messmore and Mrs. C. Frances Messmore, both of Henry County, Ill. Eliza Miller married Edward H. Hall, who escaped the Indian Creek massacre. Mrs. Eliza Hall was the mother of four boys and one girl. Henry J. Miller, the subject proper of this biography, was born November 30, 1823, in Dubois County, Ind. He came here with his parents and has made this county his home nearly all his life. His career in life has been a checkered one. He started on a small scale, but by dint of perseverance, industry and good business principles has acquired a handsome fortune. His early life was spent on the farm with his parents; here he also attended the pioneer schools, conducted on the subscription plan. He was fond of the chase, and at one of their many hunts killed the largest wolf ever seen in the county, by riding his famous horse Vic, which was soon after stolen by the "Birch gang," over the animal. Mr. Miller was married here April

5, 1849, to Jane Williams, born February 19, 1831, in Sangamon County, Ill. She is the mother of four children, viz. : Icedora, John H., Carmi A. and Jennie M. Miller. Of these Icedora, wife of J. E. Porterfield, is the mother of Edna and Lois Porterfield. John H., a merchant in LaSalle, married Mary Wilhite, a daughter of Hampton Wil- hite; she is the mother of Henry J., Ethel and Roy Miller. Carmi A., who is quite a genius, married Isabel Winser, daughter of James Winser, and is the father of Claude Miller. Jennie M. Miller is at home. Two other children, William C. and George W., died while young; the former aged eight years, had an unusually bright mind. The parents of Mrs. Jane Miller were Curtis and Mary (Peter) Williams, natives of Kentucky.

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BIOGRAPHICAL SKETCHES.

After living many years in Indiana, they re- moved to Sangamon County, Ill., and then came to Burean County, settling in Arispe Township. They finally entered what is known as the William C. Buswell farm in Barren Grove, in the Hall neighborhood north of Neponset, where they were known for their hospitality. Curtis Williams was born March 16, 1797, in Warren County, Ky. He died September 3, 1858, in Neponset. His wife was born March 15, 1804, in Wash- ington, Ky., and is yet living in Annawan, Henry County, Ill. She is the mother of ten children, viz. : Volly, deceased; Mrs. Sylvia Beaver and William died in California; Mrs. Elizabeth Potter, of California; Mrs. Mary Stevens, of Kansas; John, of Missouri; Mrs. M. A. Jane R. Miller; Mrs. Talitha Way, of California; David, and Mrs. Margaret Mavi- ty, deceased. In the summer of 1857 Mr. Miller drove across the plains to California, where he farmed, but he returned the next year, via Panama and New York City, be- cause he wanted to look after his interest in Bureau County, where, in his absence, he had lost quite a fortune, principally by going security. He soon rallied, and to-day his farms located in Hall Township aggregate 1,307 acres. He took an active part in the transactions which led to the organization of the Spring Valley Coal Company. and in partnership with Hon. A. Campbell, deeded to the company about 5,000 acres of coal land, which is now being operated. To our subject partially belongs the credit of open- ing this new field of labor, which will prove a source of wealth to old Burean. Political- ly Mr. Miller is a Democrat. He and his wife are members of the Methodist Protestant Church.

JACOB MILLER, Princeton, was born June 15, 1835,in Annville. Lebanon Co., Penn. His parents, Isaac and Mollie (Farnsler) Miller, were natives of Pennsylvania, as were also the great-grandparents. The Miller family is of German extraction. Isaac and Mollie Miller died in Pennsylvania. They were the parents of the following children: Henry, Mrs. Christiana Bachman. Mrs. Sarah Farnsler, Mrs. Mattie Wolfenberger (deceased), Mrs. Lizzie Wolfenberger, Frank, and Jacob Miller, the subject of this biogra-

phy, who was educated at the Annville Academy, now Lebanon Valley College, and afterward at Mount Pleasant College, West- moreland County, Penn. His early years were devoted to teaching school in his native State. Eventually he came to Bureau County, where he taught school in Buda, after which he took charge of the books in the large book and printing establishment of the United Brethren Church Society, located in Dayton, Ohio. After his return to Princeton be built and kept the Empire House, which he afterward sold. He then established the Bureau County Academy in Princeton, where he taught till after the building of the High School, when the academy was abandoned. He then became a member of the firm of Miller, Strock & Co., of the Princeton plan- ing-mill, with which he was connected sev- eral years. In 1873 he was elected County Superintendent of Schools of Bureau County, filling that office till 1877, after which he engaged in the real estate and insurance business till 1882, when he was again elected County Superintendent. his term of office expiring in 1886. Mr. Miller has done a great deal for the schools of Bureau County, and awakened that interest in educational matters which is necessary to insure the greatest benefits. It is his great object in life to grade every district school and make old "Bureau" the banner county in the State. Mr. Miller was married, in Dayton, Ohio, to Miss Mary A. Dow, a native of Can- terbury. N. H., daughter of Tristram C. and Susan (Lyford) Dow, also natives of New Hampshire, the former of English and the latter of Scotch extraction. They died in Annawan, Ill. They settled in Concord Township. Bureau County, June 21, 1846, and were accompanied by the following chil- dren: Almira, Joseph L., Tristram T., Josiah, John L., Mary A. and Lyman Dow. Of the above, Tristram T. was a Major in the war of the Rebellion, and was afterward a prominent citizen of Davenport. Mrs. Mary Miller is the mother of four children now living, viz. : Byron G., Victor, Viola and Mertie Miller. In religious matters Mr. and Mrs. Miller are members of the United Brethren Church.

SILAS MILLER, Arispe, who is the sub- ject of the following biography, was born

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HISTORY OF BUREAU COUNTY.

June 6, 1831, in Washington County, Penn. His parents, John and Mary (Simmons) Miller, were natives of Pennsylvania. John Miller was born in December, 1800. He was a farmer, and died 1872 in Tiskilwa, Bureau Co., Ill. The grandfather of our sub- ject, John Miller, Sr., was of German descent, but was born and died in Pennsylvania. The mother of our subject was born in 1806; she is yet living. The following of her children reached maturity: Elisha, Silas (our sub- ject), Jonathan, Isaac, Mary, Amos and Mar- garet. Mr. Miller was educated in Penn- sylvania. He came to this county with his parents in 1851, and settled on Lone Tree Prairie. In 1875 he removed to his present residence near Tiskilwa. As a farmer he has been successful, and at present owns 420 acres of land. Mr. Miller was joined in mar- riage July 4, 1859, in Henry, Ill., to Miss Christine Brown, born 1828 in West Vir- ginia. Her parents were Abraham and Eliza- beth (Core) Brown. Four children now liv- ing blessed this union, viz. : Abraham L., Catharine, Cora and Ida M. Mrs. Miller is religiously connected with the Methodist Episcopal Church. Politically Mr. Miller is identified with the Republican party, and has filled township and school offices.

JOSEPH H. MILNER (deceased), was born June 12, 1858, in Westfield Township, Bureau Co., Ill., where he died April 10, 1884. He was a son of Rezin Milner, who was born January 16, 1818, in Belmont County, Ohio. He came to this country about twenty-eight years ago, and bought land in Section 4. He was an industrious and very economical man, and at the time of his death, which occurred August 12, 1884, owned over 320 acres of choice land. He was mar- ried twice. His first wife, Athanisa Pancoast, died in Ohio. His second wife, Mary J. Harvey, a daughter of Daniel and Eliza Har- vey, was born April 18, 1826, in Ohio; she died here May 22, 1863. She was the mother of two children, viz .: Susan I., and Joseph H. Milner, whose name heads this biography. Susan I. Milner was born July 30, 1855, in Ohio; she died here June 14, 1876. Joseph H. Milner was reared and educated in this county. He was also a farmer by occupa- tion, and bid fair to become one of Bureau

County's most enterprising and useful citi- zens. He was married here November 18, 1880, to Miss Ada D. Black, a daughter of Isaac C. Black. She was born February 27, 1861, in Arlington. This union was blessed with one son, Joseph H. Milner, Jr., who was born January 12, 1882, and who is the image of his father. He was a man who quickly gained and retained the confidence and good will of all who came in contact with him, so that at the time of his death it was said that he had not au enemy in the wide world. His memory will ever be cher- ished for his many good qualities of head and heart. His widow, whose young life has been blighted by four deaths in the family since her marriage, has borne her trials hero- ically, and has the sincerest sympathy of all.

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History of Bureau County, Illinois, Part 85

Author: Bradsby, Henry C., [from old catalog] ed Publication date: 1885 Publisher: Chicago, World publishing company Number of Pages: 776

Author: Bradsby, Henry C., [from old catalog] ed
Publication date: 1885
Publisher: Chicago, World publishing company
Number of Pages: 776