USA > Illinois > Cook County > History of Cook County, Illinois : being a general survey of Cook County history, including a condensed history of Chicago and special account of districts outside the city limits : from the earliest settlement to the present time, volume II > Part 76
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Fred W. Bishop is a son of Harry A. and Emma (Dower) Bishop and was born May 22, 1879. The father came to Burlington, Iowa, in 1857 with his parents, but soon was taken to Memphis, Tenn., and there later Harry's father engaged in contracting and built many notable local structures among which was the famous Peabody hotel. In 1863 he was killed by guerrillas. His son, Harry A., went on a prospecting tour to Colorado and Wyoming in the early seventies and met with unexpected success. He disposed of his claims and came to Chicago in 1878, and for about ten years was Chicago rep- resentative and salesman of a St. Louis house. In 1888, after a period in Arkansas, where he held land interests, he engaged in con-
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tracting in Chicago, setting boilers and furnaces and was first located in the Rookery, then in the Continental National Bank building, but is now in the Commercial National Bank building. He is promi- nent and successful and is fifty-three years of age.
His son, Fred W., was educated in the public and high schools and finished in 1897 with a course in the Armour Institute. For two years he clerked for N. K. Fairbank & Co., but in 1899 joined his father and later had the management of estimates and engineer- ing and while thus engaged was called to all parts of the United States. The company are specialists in boiler construction and instal- lation and have done ninety per cent of the high-class work in this line in this section of the country. They installed the power house, car barns and masonry work of the Havana Electric Railway, Havana, Cuba. For a time they had an office in Birmingham, Ala. They did contract work for the government on the postoffices at Jackson, Miss., and Versailles, Ky. They also installed all the boil- ers for the Edison company, the Cosmopolitan Electric company, and many others. Mr. Bishop is a member of the Masonic and Odd Fellow orders and of the Hinsdale and Hinsdale Golf club. On June 1, 1901, he married Elizabeth A. Hoskin, of Chicago, and they have Grace Charlotte and Ruth Emily. They reside at Hinsdale.
Patrick Henry Rice, president of the Rice Malting & Grain Co., was born September 9, 1849, in County Wexford, Ireland, the son of William and Mary (Furlong) Rice. He came to America with his parents in 1850, settling first in Belvidere, Ill., and later at Elgin, where his father was a distiller. He attended the public schools of Elgin, graduating therefrom at the age of fourteen years, and sub- sequently took a course at Notre Dame, South Bend., Ind., from which institution he was graduated with the class of 1866. That year Mr. Rice came to Chicago and entered the employ of F. E. Rigby, retailer of paints, wall paper, etc., where he remained until 1871, then buying a small malt house at Elgin and operating it in connection with his father. After the great fire of 1871 he estab- lished a malt house in Chicago and in 1875 bought and enlarged a distillery at the corner of Kinzie and Seymour streets. He subse- quently purchased and built other malting plants, and is now presi- dent of his company and a director of the United Breweries company. He was director of the Fort Dearborn National Bank and was one of the organizers and the first president of the Lake Street Elevated rail- way. Previous to 1896 he had been a Democrat, but, with many others, changed his political faith at that time. In 1878 he married Mary J. Walsh, of Chicago, and they have William P., Walter J., Conway L., Paul H. and Vera C. Mr. Rice is a Roman Catholic in religion, being identified with St. James church. He belongs to the Sheridan club and the Knights of Columbus, and with his family resides at 415 Sheridan Road. His offices are located at 255 La Salle street, Chicago. In conjunction with his son, William P., he
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invented the Rice system of malting, which they recently sold to a syndicate of eastern capitalists for $2,000,000. Their patents virtu- ally control the manufacture of malt in this country and Canada, and the Rice Malting Co., with headquarters in Chicago, will be the greatest concern in its line. The subject of this sketch is justly proud of this fact.
William A. Tilden has occupied for the last decade a prominent position in banking and financial circles. He was born June 17, 1858, at Delavan, Wis., and there grew to manhood and was educated. While yet in his teens he went to Toronto, Canada, where his business career began as office assistant. In the early eighties he came to Chicago and secured employment in the army.of com- mercial travelers, representing what even then was one of the great business centers of America. In 1888 he quit the road in order to take charge of the office of the manufacturing firm of Heywood & Morrill, now the firm of Heywood Brothers & Wakefield company ; but in 1897 resigned his position in order to become assistant cashier of the Drovers' National bank, located at the Union Stock Yards. This bank has become one of the most widely known banking insti- tutions of the country by reason of its extensive relations with the great stock interests of the west. In 1899 Mr. Tilden became cashier of this bank and in 1906 was elected its president. In June, 1908, he was elected president of the Fort Dearborn National bank, a posi- tion he has since occupied with conspicuous ability and fidelity. At the same time he has been vice-president of the Drovers' Deposit National bank. Such in brief is the career of a man typical of this great throbbing, industrial city. Mr. Tilden is a member of the Union League, Midday, Chicago Athletic and South Shore Country clubs. He is married and resides at 4747 Woodlawn avenue.
Lewis B. Scharringhausen is a son of Henry and Adelaide (Land- meier ) Scharringhausen, and was born in Elk Grove township Janu- ary 1, 1856. The father was a native of Hanover and the mother of West Phalen. They left the old country and came by sailing ves- sel to the United States, the father arriving in Cook county in 1833. They were married in 1853 and had a family of ten children, all of whom except one are still living. Lewis B. was educated in the pub- lic schools near his home. also at Des Plaines after his thirteenth year and still later at the Horton school in Chicago. He was then apprenticed in the harness business to Christian Scharringhausen, of Des Plaines and during this service attended night schools for about three years. Then for two years he worked for Charles Wicke, of Des Plaines, and Ortmeyer & Company, of Chicago. In 1876 he returned to Elk Grove, his birthplace, and established a shoe and harness shop of his own, continuing the same for three years. In 1879 he opened a store in Elgin, but in 1881 returned to Des Plaines and reopened his harness store, but continued his real estate business and was appointed bailiff by H. C. Senne and held the office for six-
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teen years. In 1904 he was elected president of the village board and has served as such to the present with credit and distinction. In 1881 he was elected justice of the peace and has served as such ever since. A number of years ago he was admitted to the bar, his sixteen years as bailiff giving him superior knowledge of court prac- tices. He is a Republican, a member of the German Evangelical church, and has a family of four sons and four daughters, all of whom are living. In 1877 he married Sophia Biermann, daughter of William and Sophia ( Helfers) Biermann, of Germany. The Des Plaines auditorium is composed wholly of material from the old Cook county courthouse brought to the village by Mr. Scharring- hausen. He well recollects when as a boy of thirteen years he herded two hundred head of cattle in Elk Grove and found shelter from storms in one of the early prairie dug-outs.
Elwin D. Scott was born August 2, 1849, his parents being Enos and Elizabeth A. (Upton) Scott, natives of Vermont and Massa- chusetts, respectively, and a grandson of Alpheus Scott and Jedediah Upton, who were both natives of Connecticut. He was born in Somerset, Vt., and came with his parents to Des Plaines village in 1852. His early life was similar to that of the average boy of that period. He attended the public schools of Des Plaines until he was sixteen years old and secured in the meantime a good common school education. In 1865, having finished his education, he began work on his father's farm three miles south of Des Plaines and continued thus actively employed until 1882, during which period after attain- ing his majority, he served his township with credit in various of- ficial capacities. In 1882 Mr. Scott moved to his present residence in Des Plaines and since that date has been one of the prominent, substantial and successful business men of that place. He has served with distinction as trustee of Des Plaines and is identified with many public movements that have made this one of the most desirable suburbs in which to reside. He is a Mason, a Republican and a member of the Congregational church. He is one of the most active, reliable and successful real estate men in this portion of the country, and also conducts an insurance agency. On June 28, 1876, he mar- ried Ella A. Webster, and to them were born the following children : Mary S., born March 15, 1877, and Cornelia A., born October 13, 1885. The former is now the wife of Richard C. Huston and re- sides in Indiana.
George Runge is the son of August and the grandson of Henry Runge, one of the pioneers of Leyden township, who bought his farm as school land. Henry was a native of Lansberger, Hanover, Germany, was a teamster, and married there Dorothea Bonholtz; they came to America about 1840 in a sailing vessel and were six weeks in making the passage. On the way the food gave out and the passengers were put on short rations. They came direct to Leyden township, where Henry's brother-in-law, Franzen, known as the
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" cap-maker," had settled a short distance west of George's present place. Henry bought 160 acres of school land where George now lives, much of which was then under water, but now is the best farm land in the township. His first cabin was of logs and contained but one room. Three of their children were born in Germany and three here. Henry was one of the founders of the first Evangelical church in this section. He was one of the first "Lincoln Republicans," and lived to the great age of 95 years. His son, August, was born on this farm and was here reared and educated in the early schools. He married Amelia Volberding, daughter of Fred, a pioneer of DuPage county. August, brother of George, received eighty acres from his father and also bought out the other heirs and thus became the owner of the old homestead. August and wife were members of the St. John Evangelical Lutheran church. He was a stanch Republican and is now retired from business.
George, his son, was born on the old home farm November 21, 1871, and was reared as a farmer. He attended the public schools and finished at Bryant & Stratton's Business college. In 1893 he married Clara, daughter of Barney and Mary ( Schoppe) Landmeier. He is one of the prominent and substantial citizens of the county. He has greatly improved the old home farm and has drained it with five cars loads of tile, making it one of the best in the vicinity. He now owns about 156 acres. He was collector for two years and is a Republican. He is the father of the following children: Harry and Laura. The family are members of the St. John Lutheran Evangelical church, of which Mr. Runge has been deacon.
John M. Dunphy, who knows everybody and whom everybody knows and respects, was born in Utica, N. Y., October 2, 1834. As a lad he attended the common schools. During early manhood he served an apprenticeship as a bricklayer and plasterer, his employer being James Benton, one time mayor of Utica, and a man for wliom Mr. Dunphy has always entertained the highest regard. Our sub- ject came first to Chicago in 1855, but after a short residence, re- moved to Beloit, Wis., where he remained until April, 1858, when he returned to Chicago and has ever since made this place his home. In 1863 he began taking contracts on his own account, and in the following year erected the first Jewish synagogue built of stone and brick, which stood at the corner of Fourth avenue and Harrison street. During the years immediately following he built the Cathe- dral of the Holy Name, the diocese church of this Catholic parish : the St. Columbkill's church, at Paulina and Grand avenue: St. Jar- lath's church, Jackson boulevard, near Ogden avenue, and the Italian Catholic church on Illinois street. These well-known structures rep- resent but a small percentage of the buildings erected under the supervision of Mr. Dunphy. He built the whole block on Washing- ton street, between State and Dearborn streets, the magnificent resi- dence of George M. Pullman at Prairie avenue and Eighteenth
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street, and scores of other business blocks and residences throughout the city. Mr. Dunphy, because of his personal worth and unblem- ished character, was elected West Town collector in 1879. He served in this position with great credit, and was in 1883 elected city treasurer. To this position he gave the best that was in him, and consequently in 1899 was appointed building commissioner by Mayor Dewitt C. Cregier. It can be said of him that during the whole of his public career he never was accused of anything of a shady or underhand character; that he served the people honestly and with the same careful regard to the highest principles of right that have been the measure of his conduct both in public and private life. His wife was Miss Mary Doyle, of Chicago, who died Janu- ary 28, 1907. Mr. Dunphy, who has passed the allotted age by sev- eral years, is still actively engaged in business.
James Cooper was reared as a farmer and has always pursued that occupation. He is a son of Thomas and Eleanor (Hewson) Cooper, members of the most prominent families in this part of the county. He was born in this township, August 5, 1851, and was educated in the common schools of his district. He remained with his parents until he was about twenty-five years old, when he bought forty acres of land in Orland township and began farming on his own account. On October 6, 1875, he married Mary A. Daniel, who is also a na- tive of this township, her birth occurring July 17, 1856, being the daughter of Thomas and Martha (Stone) Daniel. Her parents were early and respected citizens of Cook county. Mary A. died April 2, 1890, having borne her husband the following children :. Thomas D., born August 18, 1877 ; Elmer L., born July 14, 1879; Celia M., born July 13, 1884. On January 2, 1895, Mr. Cooper married Katherine Wiler, who was born in this township May 29, 1874, and is a daughter of Martin and Mary (Hustard) Wiler. Her parents were natives of Germany and among the early and prominent citizens of this county. To Mr. Cooper's second marriage the following chil- dren were born: Cora H., born October 16, 1897, and Everett J., born May 20, 1906. He is a Republican, takes much interest in the success of his party, but does not aspire to office. He has served his township as collector and for over twenty years has been school di- rector.
Wladislaus Dyniewicz, publisher of the Gazeta Polska, the oldest Polish paper in America, located on Noble street, is of Lithuanian stock and was born at Chwalkowo, Prussian Poland, June 13, 1843, a son of Karol and Julianna (Szutczynski) Dyniewicz. The paternal grandfather, Adam Dyniewicz, left Lithuania in 1815 on account of a revolution in which he was a participant, and fled to Prussian Poland, and while there added the middle syllable to his name, which has since been retained by his descendants. Wladislaus Dyniewicz was reared in his native country, educated in the principal schools of Wrzesnia, and there learned the trade of a machinist. In Febru-
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ary, 1866, he started for the United States and was three months making the passage on a sailing vessel. He located first in Chats- worth, Ill., and there secured employment in a sugar-beet factory as a machinist. In 1867 he located in Chicago and entered the employ of the McCormick Harvester company. He later was employed in the lumber yards and subsequently for about six years was an em- ploye of the Northwestern Railway company. During the last three years of this period he was gang boss on locomotive work. The first safety valve used on locomotives was the invention of Wladislaus Dyniewicz, but unfortunately was never patented by him. In 1873 he established the Gazeta Polska, a weekly publication, and this he has since conducted. It probably was the first Polish paper established in America and at the present time has a circulation of about 12,000. January 17, 1863, Mr. Dyniewicz married Albertina, daughter of John Nepumocen Krygier, of Roznowo, Province of Posen, Prussian Poland, and to them eight children have been born : Casimir W ; An- gela, wife of Paul A. Leischner; Wanda, wife of Joseph Kwasieswski; Edwin M., editor of Gazeta Polska; Leon W., mana- ger of Gazeta Polska; Mary P., wife of Stanislaus Kuflewski; Yad- wiga, wife of Leon J. Nowak, and Matthew J. Mr. Dyniewicz has nineteen grandchildren of whom he is justly proud. He is a mem- ber of the Holy Trinity Polish Roman Catholic church, the Polish National Alliance and the Art Institute of Chicago. He is a Republi- can in politics but his paper is Independent Republican. The first present Mr. Dyniewicz gave his wife before their marriage was the reproduction of a pin, the emblem of Poland, with the name of Boze Zbaw Polska thereon.
Casimir W. Dyniewicz, dealer in real estate, loans, insurance, rent- ing and a notary public at 1151 Milwaukee avenue, was born in Posen, Prussian Poland, February 6, 1865, the oldest son of Wladis- laus Dyniewicz, a prominent citizen and publisher of Chicago, appro- priate mention of whom immediately precedes this. When two years old he came with his parents to the United States and has practically lived his entire life in Chicago. He received his education in the public schools of the city and at St. Ignatius college, and then began learning the trade of printer, as printer's "devil," in his father's es- tablishment. After serving in all departments of the printing busi- ness up to that of editor, he embarked in the real estate business in 1899, and this he has since successfully continued. He began his real estate operations in a small way, but close application to business and a practical knowledge of real estate values has enabled him to en- large his field of operations until he is now considered one of the large dealers of Chicago. One of the more recent bargains closed by him was the purchase during the spring of 1909, of forty acres at Higgins and North Sixtieth avenues in Jefferson Park, which he has subdivided under the name of Angeline Dyniewicz Park, it being a subdivision of the northeast quarter of the southwest
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quarter of section 8, township 40 north, range 13 east of the third principal meridian. This property is divided into half acre pieces and business lots. Mr. Dyniewicz is one of the prominent Polish-Ameri- can citizens of Chicago. In politics he is a Republican on national issues. He is also president of the W. Dyniewicz Publishing com- pany, a corporation doing a general publishing, printing and binding business in the Polish language, besides publishing the oldest Polish newspaper in the United States, the Gazeta Polska. He belongs to the Holy Trinity Polish Roman Catholic church, the National Po- lish Alliance, the Royal League and the Royal Arcanum. On August 4, 1887, he married Angeline, daughter of Joseph and Joan ( Marsch- ank) Wysocki, of Chicago, and to them six children have been born: Adela, Jadwiga, Bronislawa, Washington, Jeanette and Casimira.
Arcangelo Mercola is one of the representative Chicago Italian business men who has achieved success in the land of his adoption. His parents, Thomas and Mary R. (Rossi) Mercola, were of the Province of Caserta, Baia-Latina, Italy, where the father for more than a score of years followed his trade of ladies' tailor. He later engaged as general steamship agent, real estate dealer and attorney. He died in 1898 leaving an honored name for his descendants to cherish ; his widow survives him and lives on the old homestead. They were the parents of the following four children, the first three named residing in Chicago: Arcangelo, Michael, Arcangelina and Joseph. Arcangelo Mercola was born February 27, 1883, and was reared to man's estate in his lative land, securing his education in the public schools and two years and a half in the private schools of Caserta. Under the careful training of his father he learned the ladies' tailor- ing trade and when sixteen years old embarked in this line of busi- ness for himself .. Believing that better opportunities existed in America for his advancement he came to the United States in 1900, and for a short time worked at his trade in New York and in Mead- ville, Penn., and for eighteen months in St. Louis. In 1903 he came to Chicago and entered the employ of Lincoln Bartlett for whom, in a short time, he became head tailor. Wiscly concluding that it was to his best interests to be in business for himself, he opened an estab- lishment in the ladies' tailoring business at 33 Auditorium building and here he continued until 1909. Possessed of a pleasing person- ality and being a complete master of his trade, it was not long until he acquired a large patronage which has grown to such an extent that he is known as one of the foremost in his line of business in the city. On May 1, 1909, in order to procure more suitable quarters to accom- modate his growing business, he moved to his present location, 189-91 Wabash avenue. Mr. Mercola, while of foreign birth, is in all essen- tials an enterprising American, thoroughly loyal to Chicago and a be- liever in its present and future greatness, and a willing contributor in all that presages good for the city and country. February 2, 1907, he was united in marriage with Miss Elizabeth Halloran, and to them
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two sons, Thomas and Arcangelo, have been born. The family home is at 5318 Drexel avenue.
Everett Austin Thornton, president of the E. A. Thornton Lumber company. 1103 Chamber of Commerce building, was born in De Peyster, N. Y., July 2, 1869, and is a son of Alonzo and Mary Eliza- beth (Austin) Thornton. He was educated in the schools of Heuvelton, N. Y., and at the St. Lawrence University, Canton, N. Y., graduating from the latter in 1891 with the degree of Bachelor of Science. He then taught school, and in 1892 came to Chicago and entered the employ of the Central Lumber company, later engaging his services to C. H. Mears & Company and remaining thus occupied until 1901. He then entered into partnership with C. M. Smalley in the lumber trade and did an independent business under partnership- agreement, with headquarters at Chicago. While thus engaged Mr. Thornton established a lumber brokerage business, handled northern woods and operated in the name of E. A. Thornton. In 1907 the E. A. Thornton Lumber company was organized and Mr. Thornton was elected its president and still occupies this position. The firm has since added a box department which is doing a large and increasing busi- ness. He is president of the Marquette Box & Lumber company, of Marquette, Mich. He is a member of the University, Chicago, Auto- mobile and Edgewater clubs, the Masonic and Knights of Pythias fraternities and of the Alpha Tau Omega college brotherhood.
Mr. Thornton's father was a native of De Peyster, N. Y., and was engaged in the lumber business. He owned large tracts of lumber lands and several lumber mills. He was of English descent and his wife of Dutch descent. Everett A. owns considerable land in Ches- terton and Porter, Ind. He was married December 21, 1898, to Edith Frances Grosse and resides at 4143 Sheridan Road.
George F. Thompson, M. D., was born March 17, 1875, and is a son of Moses C. and Margaret ( Bellew) Thompson, the father being a native of Bangor, Maine, and the mother of Chicago. The latter was of Irish descent and a daughter of John Bellew, who located here in the fifties. Moses C. Thompson came to Oconto, Wis., in 1856, and began work as a laborer in the lumber camps, but was soon advanced to foreman and finally to superintendent. He and his wife are now living retired and both are active and well. Their children were as follows: George F., Leola, now the wife of Dr. A. B. Sturm, of Elgin, and May.
Dr. George F., their son, was educated in the public and high schools of Oconto and finished his literary education by attending the University of Wisconsin at Madison, being duly graduated there- from in 1896 with the degree of Bachelor of Science. He then came to Chicago, entered Rush Medical college from which he was also graduated in the class of 1899. After serving a year and a half in- terneship in the Cook County hospital, he began the general practice of his profession with offices at the corner of Blue Island avenue and
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