History of Du Page County, Illinois (Historical, Biographical), Part 40

Author: Blanchard, Rufus, 1821-1904
Publication date: 1882
Publisher: Chicago, O.L. Baskin & co.
Number of Pages: 544

USA > Illinois > DuPage County > History of Du Page County, Illinois (Historical, Biographical) > Part 40

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is the eldest child of a family of four born to Charles H. and P. Jane (Turner) Goodrich.

FRANK S. GETSCH, of the firm of Strauss & Getsch, manufacturers of the Naperville plows, Naperville, is a native of this county, born in Milton Township in October, 1850, third child of a family of six children born to Anthony and Philisitus (Hilts) Getsch, resi- dents of this county ; subject was raised on the farm, and at twelve years of age hired out by the month, and worked on the farm of L. Meacham a year and three months ; thence to Kankakee County, Ill., where he worked on a farm for a year. He then returned home, where he remained a year ; then in 1865 en- listed in Company HI, Twenty-third Illinois In- fantry, and remained in service till the close of the war ; then came home, and worked on a farm till 1866, when he went to Danby (now Prospect Park). There he apprenticed to the blacksmith trade, at which he served three years and four months, then came to Naper- ville, where he worked in the fork shops; worked a year in plow works in Chicago, also a year in Sonth Elgin Fork Shops, and finally in 1876, became partner in present business. In May, 1876, he married Frances Bapst, a native of Naperville ; they have two children, viz., Will- iam and Edwin.

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was raised on the farm, where he lived until 1861, when he enlisted in the Seventh Illinois Infantry, Company C ; served during the war ; was in the battles of Fort Henry, Fort Donel- son, Pittsburg Landing, Corinth, Alatoona Pass and the Atlanta campaign, and was with Sher- man at the surrender of Johnston. He returned in 1865. and farmed for one year; he then worked as clerk in the grain warehouse at Naperville one year. In 1868, he bought the Du Page County Press, and has published since, having, in 1869, changed the name to the Naperville Clarion. January 24, 1864, he married Miss Abbie Matter, a native of Pennsylvania. (Mr. G. married while home from the army on fur- lough.) They have six children, three sons and three daughters. Mr. G. has served as Justice of the Peace, Police Magistrate, Collector, etc., etc.

WALTER L. GOOD, Naperville, house and carriage painter, is a native of Lehigh County, Penn., born in 1843 ; son of Charles and Mary Ann (Miller) Good. natives of Lehigh County, Penn., and who were the parents of eleven children, subject being the third. Charles Good, subject's father, was raised on a farm ; learned the tailoring trade. In 1846, he came to Naperville, where he learned the painter's trade, which he followed until his death, which occurred in Naperville in the spring of 1867 ; his widow married Mr. Jacob Trumbaner, and now resides in Polo, Ogle County, Ill. Walter L. was raised in Naperville, received a fair ed- ucation, and, when eleven years of age, began working with his father at the painter's trade, remaining till he was seventeen years of age. He then went to Chicago, where he worked for three years ; then enlisted in Company H, Seventeenth Illinois Cavalry ; was chosen Cor- poral ; afterward promoted to a Sergeancy, and mustered out after a two years' service. IIis regiment operated principally in Missouri, and, though in no pitched battles, was constantly employed among the guerrillas ; was ten weeks

on the Price raid, fighting in the battles of Lex- ington, Independence and others. At the end of his service, he returned to Naperville and worked at his trade, with his father, until the death of the latter, since which time he has worked on his own account. In 1867, he mar- ried Sarah Rickert, a native of Geneva, Ill., who has borne him one child-Charles W. Mr. Good has held the office of Village Trustee for some time ; he is a Republican.

MICIIAEL HINES, Naperville, Justice of the Peace, was born in Londonderry, Ireland. April 9, 1803, son of Michael and Jane (Walk- er) Hines, who emigrated to Canada and set- tled on a farm near the Vermont State line. At the age of eighteen years, our subject was apprenticed in Montreal, Canada, to his trade. and served three years. He then worked for a time at Grand Isle, in Lake Champlain, and in Vermont. In 1834, he came West, stopped in Chicago about a year, and, in 1835, came to Naperville, and engaged in business in part- nership with a friend, Samuel Talmadge. He afterward bought out Talmadge's interest, and continued business alone, being very success- ful; he built several stores on water street, which were swept away in the ice gorge during the big flood, his loss being over $10,000. He married Lucetta Stephens daughter of Capt. John Stephens, who was one of the old pioneers of this county, and who served during the Black Hawk war ; they have had five children, of whom three are living-Thomas S., agent of the Chicago, Rock Island & Pacific Railroad at Moline, Ill. ; has been in the employ of that com- pany since his discharge from the army ; he served three years in the Eighth Illinois Cav- alry ; Mrs. Holman, of Creston, Iowa ; and Mrs. Smith, of Naperville. In March, 1850, he started by the overland route for California, in company with Stephen J. Scott, and accomplished the journey in four months and seventeen days. After mining for two years in California, he re- turned home via the Isthmus of Panama and

BIOGRAPHICAL:

New York ; while on the way, he bought a par- rot in the city of Menargo, said to be at that time forty-two years old. This parrot lived with the family in Naperville till it died, in 1882, being, therefore, seventy-two years old ; Mr. Hines has had it stuffed. Mr. Hines has been President of the Board of Village Trustees ; was two years Trustee, and is now serving his third term as Justice of the Peace ; he is a Democrat. While living in Chicago, he bought a block of land on La Salle street, containing one-half acre, for $150, and sold it the follow- ing year for $1,150.

JAMES J. HUNT, hardware and agri- cultural implements, Naperville, is a native of Crawford County, Penn .; was born in the year 1824, and is the fourth child in a family of nine children born to James N. Y. and Sarah (Jewell) Hunt, natives of Vermont. He, a blacksmith, moved, when our subject was six years of age, to Erie, Penn. Our subject received a common- school education ; at eighteen, went into his father's shop, and at nineteen he visited the West, spending one summer in Naperville ; then returned home. He married Miss Naney Converse, a native of Erie County, Penn., in 1843; she died in 1872, in Colorado, where she had gone for her health, After his marriage, he lived in Erie one year, then came, in fall of 1844, with his father, mother and six children to Naperville. Subject worked one year here in plow shop, and, in 1846, opened a blacksmith shop upon the present site of his store, and con- tinued abont twelve years. Soon after coming here, his father and mother moved to De Kalb County, where they died. He was elected Sheriff in 1856, and has served one term since. He engaged in the livery business as early as 1855, and was identified with the business until about 1861. He then sold out his business, en- listed in the Thirteenth Infantry, and was elected Captain of a company. [Ile had pre- viously held the office of Captain of a militia company of Naperville, which he had raised.]

He took his company to Dixon, Il., where he turned his office over to Judge Blanchard. He had held the office of Major in militia of Penn- sylvania, where he raised a company. He re- turned home from Dixon and raised another company, and notified Gov. Gates, who an- swered that he should disband. He bought new stock, having sacrificed his property to go to the army, and continued the livery business about one year. About 1861, he engaged in his present business, buying a small stock of goods from another man. The business was small, and his sons conducted the same, but when the war was over he engaged regularly in the busi- ness, which at first was principally a tin shop, but gradually grew to what it is now. In 1858, he built the present building. where he carries on business. He was formerly a Whig, but is now a Republican. Has had nine children, fonr of whom are living. He was married, Septem- ber 3, 1874, to Miss Lucia A. Davis, a native of New York ; no children from second marriage. The four chiklren living are Frank W., partner with his father ; Charles C., in father's store ; James E., now in Dakota ; Eva E .. at home. Mr. Hunt has been Justice of the Peace and Police Magistrate over twenty years ; during the entire time, never had a verdict changed by Circuit Court, nor lost a prisoner during his term as Sheriff. He has liberally supported the enterprises of this community.

GEORGE H. HUNT, proprietor Naperville Creamery, is a native of Madison County, N. Y .; he was born March 6. 1847 ; his father, Anson Hunt, was a farmer, and George was raised on his father's farm, and received a dis- trict school and academic course of study, ob- taining a good commercial education. In 1864, his father engaged in the creamery business, his being the first creamery in Madison County. Our subject assisted in his father's business. At the age of twenty he married Miss Estella Tuttle, of Madison County, N. Y., and after the marriage he began as foreman in a creamery,

NAPERVILLE TOWNSHIP.

and continued in that employ in Madison and Boone Counties until 1873, when he took a trip West, stopping one year as an officer in the State Reform School of Wisconsin, at Wanke- sha. He then engaged as foreman of C. W. Golds' Creamery at Elgin, Ill., where he re- mained for three years, when in 1874 he came to Naperville and rented a building, and con- ducted a creamery for three years, then built his present factory, 36x60 feet and two stories high, and, being built after his own direc- tions, is a model of convenience. Mr. Anson Hunt died here in Naperville in 1878. Mrs. Hunt, formerly Miss Lydia Wilcox, is living here with her son.

N. B. HOSLER, general store, Naperville, is a native of Lancaster County, Penn., born in 1831, fifth child of a family of six born to Benjamin and Elizabeth (Beamerderfer) Hosler, both na- tives of Lancaster County, Penn. Jacob Hosler, the father of subject, moved to Schuylkill County, Penn., in 1831, where he engaged in farming. In 1844, came to this county, and followed farming till 1870, when he retired from active life. and died in 1879 ; his wife died in 1866. Subject worked on the farm till 1857. when he married Abigail Butts, a native of Lehigh County, Penn., who died in the fall of 1870, leaving seven children, six of whom are living at home. After his marriage he rented a farm, which he worked three years. In 1866, he engaged as clerk with Mr. MI. Brown, of Naperville, with whom he remained until the spring of 1869 ; then engaged in general mer- chandising in Bloomingdale, this county, for two years, and in 1872 became partner in the business in which he is at present engaged. Ile ran a threshing machine sixteen years, was also engaged in buying produce for a number of years.

W. H. HILLEGAS, of ITillegas & Co .. hard- ware, agricultural implements, etc., Naperville, is a native of Pottsville. Schuylkill County, | Penn .; born in 1840. and is the seventh in a

family of eight children born to Joseph and Sarah Willtront Hillegas ; they were natives of Berks and Schuylkill Counties, Penn. He was a gunsmith by trade, which he followed up to about 1840, since which he has been farming. In 1856, the family came to Naperville and bought a farm one mile west of the village, and occupied the same, where our subject lived for two years. He then engaged as a clerk with Mr. A. Friedly, in the hardware business, at Naperville, and continued with him nntil 1867, when, in company with Mr. Louis Reiche, bought the business, and has conducted the same since, firm being W. H. Ilillegas & Co. In 1865, Mr. Hillegas enlisted for one year, or during the war, in the One Hundred and Fifty- sixth Regiment Illinois Infantry, Company D ; was Orderly Sergeant, and served until dis- charged in September following, and returned to Naperville and took his position in the store. In 1862, he married Miss Mary Hartman, a native of Lancaster County, Penn., born 1840. and came to Du Page County, Ill., with her parents when she was two years of age. They have three children, viz., Ida May, Chartes W. and Harvey H. Is a Republican, and a mem- ber of the Evangelical Church sinee 1857, tak- ing an active interest in the Sabbath school, of which he has been Secretary a number of years.

HERMAN HAMMERSCHMIDT, farming, P. O. Naperville, is a native of Westphalia, Prussia ; he was born in the year 1830. He received, in addition to a common school educa- tion, twoyears' attendance at college. When he was eighteen years old, he came with his brother to the United States, and bought a farm in Naperville Township, Du Page Co .. Ill., and some eight years later Herman bought his present place and has lived here since. In 1856, he married Miss Emma Van Oven. a native of Westphalia, Prussia. She came to the United States, with her married sister in 1852. By the marriage there have been ten children. He is a Republican, and has served B

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as Assessor for four years ; he has also served as School Trustee. He is a member of the German Lutheran Church, of which he has been Trustee a number of years, and has taken an active interest. He owns eighty acres locat- ed three miles west of Naperville and six from Aurora.

S. B. HILL, farmer, P. O. Eola, III., is a na- tive of the State of Maine, and was born in the city of Calais in the year 1823. He was raised on the farm, and received a common- school education. When he was eighteen years of age, he came West to Chicago, and traveled transient, stopping at Galena and in the pine- ries of Wisconsin. He then came to Warrens- ville in 1842, and rented a farm. He also ran a thresher, in company with Mr. Daniel Warne, until 1849, when he went to California. He went with a company of twenty-five men, they driving overland by ox teams. He lived about three years in California, during which time he followed mining and kept a butcher's shop in the mountains. He returned, via Panama, to Du Page County, and bought his present place. He married Miss Caroline, daughter of John Warne, of Michigan. She came to Du Page County in 1834 with her parents. By the mar- riage there have been six children, of whom three are living-Annie, now Mrs. Paxton, liv- ing in this county; Howard, at home; Lorin, at home. After his marriage, he lived on his farm, where he has lived since. He is a Re- publican in his politics. He is a member of the M. E. Church. He owns 425 acres, located in Naperville and Winfield Townships, two and one-half miles north of Eola. He first bought about one hundred and sixty acres, and has added the rest since.

CHARLES JENKINS, farmer, P. O. Naper- ville, Ill., is a native of Allegany County, N. Y. He was born in July, 1826 ; was raised on the farm, and received a common-school education. When he was sixteen years of age, he began working by the month for himself, and at the

age of nineteen he came West and stopped about six months in Du Page County, Ill. He then worked about one year in Kane County, when he again came to Du Page County, and worked by the month until the spring of 1849. He then worked on the shares one year, and in 1850 went overland by team to California, and lived there for two years, during which time he worked at mining. Returning by the Nicar- agua route, he rented his present place, and two years later bought it. Mr. Jenkins first voted for Gen. Taylor and has been a Repub- lican since the organization of the party. He has held the offices of Towhship Trustee, Road Commissioner, and has served as Supervisor for a number of years. In May, 1852, he mar- ried Miss Harriet H. Thatcher, a native of Wayne County, N. Y. She came West with her parents in 1839. By the marriage there are three children. He owns 219 acres of land, located three miles west of Naperville.

H. W. KNICKERBACKER, Naperville, is a native of Rensselaer County, N. Y., born No- vember 20, 1813, and was raised on a farm. At the age of eighteen. he began reading law, and in October, 1833, he moved to Chicago, where his brother lived (Abram V., Assistant Superintendent with Capt. Allen in building the harbor); our subject went in the store of P. F. W. Peck, and in May, 1834, he came to Naper- ville and purchased a claim adjoining the town; he then went East and married, returning to his claim in the fall and built a frame house, considered at that time the best in Northern Illinois; though not very pretentious. he lived on his claim until 1843, when, upon the death of his wife, he went East, in the spring of 1844, and, in order not to lose his residence, he re- turned in the fall and voted for Henry Clay. His first wife was Miss Sarah Groesbeck, a na- tive of New York ; they had three children, all living. He engaged in mercantile business in Lansingburg, N. Y., and continued for twenty years. In 1847 or 1848, he married Miss

NAPERVILLE TOWNSHIP.

Clarissa A. Seelye, a native of New York. In 1868, they came to their farm here at Naper- ville, where she died in 1875, after which he went East, and next year, he went to Adrian, Mich., where he engaged in mercantile husi- ness for about one year; he then again returned to Naperville, where, in 1877, he married Miss N. (. Cunningham, a native of Jonesboro. Tenn., daughter of Rev. J. W. Cunningham, and engaged as Preceptress and Professor of En- glish Literature in the Northwestern College of Naperville. Mr. K. was the first Assessor in this county. During the war, he resided in Lansingburg, N. Y .; he took an active part, devoting his time and money to forwarding | military affairs. He used his influence with Governor to establish a hospital at that joint. ITe had been the principal officer of the agri- cultural society. and through his influence they gave the location for the hospital on which the Government erected buildings costing over $100,000, and during the war our subject made daily visits with the surgeons. his object being to cheer the patients, who became greatly at- tached to him. Is a Freemason; was a Whig, and is at present a Republican, and a " no license " advocate, also a member of the Con- gregational Church.

CHARLES H. KAYLER, Naperville Marble Works, Naperville, is a native of Germany, was born in 1837. In 1843, the family emigrated to the United States and settled at Cleveland Ohio, where Charles H. lived till he was twenty- three years of age, his father being engaged in agricultural pursuits, At the age of eighteen -

our subject was apprenticed to the marble-cut- ting trade, at which he served three years. under his brother John, who conducted the business. After completing his apprenticeship, he worked at the trade as journeyman till 1861, when he enlisted in the Sixth Ohio Cavalry, Company C, and served till the close of the war. During his term of service, he participated in the bat- tles of Winchester and Port Republic, and in

all the engagements in the Shenandoah Valley, where his regiment operated under command of Gens, Fremont and Pope. At the close of the war, he returned to Cleveland, Ohio, and worked at his trade till 1866; he then came to Chicago and engaged as baggage-master on the Chicago, Burlington & Quincy Railroad, which position he held for six years. He then removed to Naperville, where he engaged in the marble business. He employs from four to six work- men, and does an annual business of from $16,- 000 to $20,000. His establishment, which is the only one of the kind in the county, turns out well-executed work, which finds ready sale; he has furnished many elegant jobs for the city of Chicago. Mr. Kayler has been twice mar- ried. In 1860, he married Prudence P. Stevens. a native of Ohio, who died in 1865, leaving three children, viz., Clarence, Oscar and Byron. In 1872, he married Emma B. Bolliman, a na- tive of Naperville, who has borne him two chil- dren-Robert and Lulu. .

FREDERICK KAILER, clothing and gents' furnishing, Naperville. a native of this county, born in Naperville in 1841; is the second child of a family of seven. His parents, Jacob and Dorotha (Degen) Kailer, natives of Alsace, Ger- many, came to the United States about the year 1839, and to Naperville in 1840. Jacob Kailer, who was a shoemaker by trade, died in January, 1852; his widow, now Mrs. Louis Wen- delberg, resides in Chicago. Frederick received a fair education, and worked on the farm till 1861, when he enlisted in Company E. Fifty- fifth Illinois Infantry : was elected Sergeant ; was in the battles of Shiloh, siege of Vicks- burg. Arkansas Post, Lookout Mountain, also served in the Atlanta campaign and the march to the sea. The regiment was veteranized in 1864, and he returned to Naperville. Soon afterward. he went to Chicago and engaged in the butcher business for a number of years. In 1868, he opened a clothing store in Naperville. where he has since remained engaged in that

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business. In 1870, he married Melvina Snyder, a native of Pennsylvania, and from this mar- riage five children have been born. Mr. Kailer is a Republican, and a member of the Evan- gelical Church.

WILLIAM KING, farmer, P. O. Naperville, is a native of Germany, born in the year 1829. He received a common-school education, and, at the age of eighteen, came to America. 1848, he arrived in Bloomingdale Township, Du Page County, where he had relatives living, and the following year he engaged by the month on a farm about five miles south of Na- perville, where he remained about three years. In 1852, in company with a party of forty-four, headed by Dr. Barnes and Thaddeus Swift, he started overland with ox teams for California. At Fort Laramie, the party divided, Mr. King joining a company bound for Oregon. The company had considerable trouble with the In- dians, who stole their oxen, requiring them to abandon some of their wagons, and in the "lava beds " (since made historic by the Indians un- der Capt. Jack) their vanguard were massacred by the Indians. Mr. King remained in Oregon and California about five years, during which time he followed mining and butehering-re- turning by water via Nicaragua route. Janu- ary 22, 1857, he married Miss Hypsa Royce ; she was a native of New Hampshire and was raised in New York, daughter of Jonathan Royce, who came to the vicinity of Naperville in 1835, and was largely interested in farming. After marriage, they settled on a farm he had bought, and farmed until 1870 ; he then moved to Naperville, and engaged in the manufacture of brick and tile in company with Mr. George Martin, they making the first tile in the county. After some six years, Mr. King withdrew from the business, and has lived retired since, his farming interests, amounting to some four hundred acres located a few miles from Naper- ville, being managed by tenants. Politically, Mr. King is independent, though generally in

harmony with the Republican party. In 1875, he was elected Supervisor of the town of Lisle, and was re-elected successively for six terms.

ADAM KELLER, farmer, P. O. Naperville, is a native of Bavaria, Germany, and was born in the year 1831. His father was a forrester, and Adam assisted in the business, and on be- coming of age he came to America. He had received a district school education. He came through to Naperville, where he expected to meet his brother, but the latter had gone to Minnesota. Adam worked on the farm in this vicinity by the year until 1860, when he mar- ried Miss Barbara Weigand, a native of Bava- ria, Germany. She came to the United States with her parents when she was a child. Her parents, John and Barbara (Pfister) Weigand, were natives of Bavaria, Germany. They came to the United States in 1848, and settled in York Township, Du Page Co., Ill., where he farmed until his death in 1861. His first wife, Barbara Pfister, died in Germany ; the second wife, Cuigunde Waltz, also died in Germany, and the third wife, Gertrude Fleeman, survives him, and is living in the old home. After the marriage he rented farms (three) for about nine years. He then bought 152 acres where he now resides, and has since added eighty-nine acres, having in all 241 acres, located on the river two miles northwest of Naperville. Mr. Keller came to this vicinity $9 in debt, and has earned all he has by his labor and management. He is Democratic in his politics, though he votes generally independent. He has served three years as Road Commissioner, and is now serving as Supervisor of the township. By the marriage there have been nine children-seven girls and two boys.

WILLIAM J. LAIRD, police, Naperville, was born in Naperville April 12, 1835, and is the youngest of two children born to William and Philinda (Stevens) Laird. William Laird, our subjeet's father, came west to Naperville with his brother George in 1832, opened a store

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History of Du Page County, Illinois (Historical, Biographical), Part 40

Author: Blanchard, Rufus, 1821-1904 Publication date: 1882 Publisher: Chicago, O.L. Baskin & co. Number of Pages: 544

Author: Blanchard, Rufus, 1821-1904
Publication date: 1882
Publisher: Chicago, O.L. Baskin & co.
Number of Pages: 544