USA > Illinois > DuPage County > History of Du Page County, Illinois (Historical, Biographical) > Part 52
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THOMAS LAMB, retired farmer, l'. O. Downer's Grove, was born in Hancock, Berk- shire Co., Mass., May 12, 1814; only son of Phineas and Eunice (Howe) Lamb, he born
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in Canada, she in Massachusetts. Phineas Lamb was a shoemaker by trade, and died in 1816; his widow married Dennis Eggleston, whom she bore four children. By a marriage prior to that with subject's father, she had one child-Lothrop Smith. Thomas received a fair education in the country schools, and, at the age of eleven years, went to live with Mr. Samuel W. Wilson, with whom he re- mained till he was twenty-three years old. In 1844, he came to Kendall County, Ill., bought 100 acres of land, which he farmed for seven years; thence moved to De Kalb County, Ill., bought land and remained on it three years; thence to Iowa, where he in- vested in land, which he farmed eleven years. From Iowa, he moved, in 1865, to Lisle Township, this county, where he bought a well-improved farm of 160 acres, where he remained till 1877, when he retired from farm life and came to Downer's Grove, where he has since resided. He married, in 1835, Ellis Jenks (sister of Mrs. Austin), born in Massachusetts December 24, 1816; they had six children, of whom only one is living- Milton, married Luella Roe, living on his farm; Palmer W. (deceased), Thomas P. (deceased), Benjamin F., died in Company K, Thirteenth Illinois Volunteer Infantry; William H., died in Company H, Seventh Illinois Volun- teer Infantry, and Charles A., died in 1881. Mr. Lamb is a Republican; his wife is a member of the M. E. Church.
GEORGE LITTLEFORD, farmer, P. O. Gower, was born in England March 1, 1825; is a son of Reuben and Maria (Hoar) Little- ford, natives of England, and parents of seven children: his father was a hotel-keeper and farmer; he and his wife were both Epis- copalians. Our subject attended school in those days when each pupil was obliged to carry fourpence every Monday morning, with which to pay for the week's schooling. In
1845, he, with his brother William, came to America; worked at farming in several States until 1859, when they bought eighty acres of land, a part of our subject's present farm of 240 acres. Here he began labor with ox teams. In 1851, Mr. Littleford was married to Ann Jones, daughter of George and Ann (Leonard) Jones, born May 17, 1830, and is one of a family of eight children. Mr. and Mrs. Littleford have had ten children-Eliza and Sydney, deceased; George E., teacher at La Grange, Ill .; Reuben H., a butcher; Frank, Jackson, Ann. James, Effie and Lottie, still living. Our subject and wife and their sons George and Frank are members of the Meth- odist Church at Cass.
JACOB LEHMANN, farmer, P. O. Gower, was born in 1839 in Germany, and is a son of Henry and Eva Lehmann, who came to York Township, Du Page County, in 1858, after residing in the State of New York one year. The father is dead, and the mother lives with her son Henry. Our subject attended school a very little, and worked at farming while in Germany. In 1862, he married Sallie Kline, by whom he has six children, viz., Jacob, Sallie, George, Fred, Louis and Valentine. Mr. Lchmann has eighty-seven acres of well- improved land as a result of his labors; he raises some fine cattle. He and his wife are active members of the Lutheran Church; he has been Pathmaster, and is now School Di- rector. Subject's eldest son, Jacob, is in partnership with John Liston in blacksmith- ing, and they are doing a fine business in Downer's Grove Township, at the junction of the Plainfield and Naperville roads.
J. C. MERRICK, physician and surgeon, Hinsdale, was born April 21, 1842, in Wal- worth County, Wis .; son of A. L. and C. P. (Cook) Merrick, natives of New York and Massachusetts respectively; ho living in Wis- consin; she died in 1855; they were the par-
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.ents of seven children. The Doctor attended the district schools in the winters, until he was about eighteen years old, when he en- tered the public schools of Burlington, Wis., attending two terms; then attended Todd's Seminary, at Woodstock, McHenry Co., Ill., two terms, and afterward entered the Beloit College, where be completed his studies in the scientific course and Latin; he then read medicine with Dr. G. F. Newell, of Water- ford, Racine County, for three years, attend- ing in the meantime the Rush Medical Col- lege, Chicago, from which he graduated with high honors, in January, 1869; he at once began to practice his profession, near Mil- waukee, and at the end of a year entered the celebrated Bellevue Hospital College for five months, locating afterward at Burlington, Wis., where he remained three years, meeting with success. In December, 1871, he located in Hinsdale, where he has a lucrative prac- tice; he kept a drug store here for several years, which he lately sold to William Ever- enden; he was married, in 1868, to Louise Weage, of Wisconsin, who has borne him three children-Harry A., Fred A. and one dead. He is a member, and also medical ex- aminer, of the A. O. U. W., and is now serv- ing as Village Trustee.
JOHN MACKINDER, retired farmer, P. O. Hinsdale, is a native of England, born July 26, 1813; son of John and Ann (Black- burn) Mackinder, who were the parents of seven children-Mary (Mrs. William Banks), John, Elizabeth (Mrs. George Taylor), Rich- ard, Ann (2), Joseph and Edward. His par- ents were members of the Episcopal Church. Mr. Mackinder received a limited education, and began life working on a farm; he came to Chicago, Ill., in 1851, thence to Fullers- burg, this county, where he bought eighty acres of land, which, after five years, he sold out and bought 100 acres in Cass, where he
remained several years, and then invested in property in Fullersburg, where he has since resided. In 1833, he married Lydia, daugh- ter of John and Lydia Cross, natives of En- gland; from this union eight children have been born-Mary A. (Mrs. John Fuller), Elizabeth (deceased), Ellen (Mrs. Morrell Fuller), Jane (Mrs. Cyrus Fetterman), John, Edward (deceased), Emma (deceased) and Susan (Mrs. Robert Chilvers). Mrs. Mack- inder died September 7, 187-, since which time Mr. Mackinder has resided with Mr. Morrell Fuller; he is a Republican and is connected with the Universalist Church. Mr. Fuller, with whom he resides, is a plas- terer in Chicago, and served three years in Company B, One Hundred and Fifth Illinois Volunteer Infantry as Drum Major; he was married in 1865, and has one child-Nellie.
H. C. MIDDAUGH, farmer, P. O. Hins- dale, was born February 19, 1833, in Scio, Allegany Co., N. Y .; is a son of Elijah and Louisa (Noble) Middangh, he born in Dry- den, N. Y., April 6, 1805, died October 17, 1872; she, born in Whitehall, N. Y., October 28, 1811, is living with her son, John E., in Scio, N. Y., and is a member of the Methodist Church. Our subject had the educational advantages usual among pioneers, but in ad- dition, he, for a few years, attended Friend- ship Academy and Genesee College, taught for a short time, and, in 1854, came West to seek his fortune. In 1855, he commenced work in a lumber and sash factory in Chi- cago, where he remained three years. After teaching school a short time at Jefferson, Ill., he served the Merchants' Loan and Trust Company in the capacity of book-keeper for three years; then, for four years, as Teller: severing his connection with this firm, he em- barked in business for himself, first, in the furniture business, which he continued but a short time, then in the lumber trade, and
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afterward, in the real estate business, which he continued many years. In 1878, he in- vested $25,000 in land where he now lives, at Clarendon Hills, Du Page Co., Ill. He has since invested $25,000 more, so that he now has 180 acres of beautiful land, mostly laid out in lots, and dotted with ornamental and fruit trees. Near this, he also has another plat of eighty acres; all of this land is at a fine elevation, and upon it Mr. Middaugh has erected buildings valued at over $13,000; he raises good horses, Berkshire pigs and thor- oughbred Jersey cattle; has barn room for 500 tons of hay, and 150 horses. He was married, in Chicago, February 7, 1878, to Miss Susan Price, born in Lakeville, Living- ston Co., N. Y., in March, 1828, daughter of Arthur and Agnes (Sinclair) Price, he a na- tive of England, born in 1783; she, born in Pennsylvania in 1793, died in September, 1875. Mr. and Mrs. Middaugh attend the Methodist Church of Hinsdale.
CHARLES MIHM, farmer, P. O. Gower, was born March 6, 1848, at Willow Springs, Cook Co., Ill., and is a son of Christian and Catharine (Fisher) Mihm, natives of Bavaria, Germany; his father was born December 6. 1811; emigrated to America in 1839. and his mother, who was born October 23, 1817, em- igrated in 1845. They were married in Chica- go and settled at Willow Springs, where he worked on the Illinois & Michigan Canal. In 1849, they settled on the 280 acres, where the mother now lives with our subject, his father having died May 19, 1874; they were both life-long members of the German Lutheran Church. Charles attended school in a cabin which stood on his father's farm, it being the first schoolhouse in this part of the country ; he also attended a business college in Chi- cago for two terms. The greater part of his life has been spent on the old farm, to which he has added twenty acres, making in all 300
acres of finely improved land. The original homestead of 280 acres was purchased by John Fisher, a brother of Mr. M.'s mother; he came here with the family in 1842, and, in 1850, commenced work in the Singer stone quarry, of Lemont, of which he became fore- man. September 13, 1864, he was killed at the quarry by an iron derrick. In Lyonsville, Cook Co., Ill., June 1, 1876, Mr. Mihm mar- ried Mary Pantko, born in Downer's Grove, this county, October 9, 1858, a daughter of August and Rosa (Steindel) Pantke, natives of Prussia, he born August S, 1823, she born July 25, 1828. Mr. and Mrs. Mihm are par- ents of four children, three of whom- Charles, Lydia and Rufus-are living Mr. Mihm raises some Short-Horn cattle. He is School Director and member of the Lutheran Church, as is also his wife.
J. B. MACKIE, farmer, P. O. Cass, is a native of Scotland, born in Glasgow October 20, 1833; his parents, Thomas and Margaret (Boag) Mackie, were also natives of Scotland, where the former died; the latter came to Ohio, where she was married to R. Simms; she died in Michigan in 1872; she was a Presbyterian; by her first marriage, she had six children. Subject attended school in Toledo, Ohio, when it was about the size of what Downer's Grove now is, and also in Brooklyn, N. Y., obtaining a fair education; at the age of eighteen, he began learning the machinist's trade, at Mt. Vernon, Ohio, where he remained over three years, when his health failing, from confinement to the shops, he came to Illinois to recruit for one year, stop- ping with his uncle John, who, at an early day. had settled the farm on which subject now lives. Here subject engaged in farming and now has a fine farm of 188 acres, the greater part of which is the fruit of his own labors. He married, in 1864, Elizabeth Dunn, daughter of William P. and Hannah
G
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(Antill) Dunn, both natives of England, who came to Kendall County, Ill., in 1840, and who had two children-Hannah and Eliza- beth. Mr. and Mrs. Mackie have one child -Laura M., an efficient teacher, educated at Fort Wayne, Ind., and Naperville, this county. Mr. and Mrs. Mackie are active members of the M. E. Church at Cass. He is a stanch Republican.
LEVI MERTZ, hardware, Downer's Grove, was born February 17, 1848, in Downer's Grove, this county; son of Edward and Sarah (Setzer) Mertz, both of Allentown, Penn., and both still living, he born March 6, 1817, she born September 22, 1822; they were the par- ents of eleven children, six of whom are liv- ing-Mary, Wellington, Levi, Allen, Lydia and Lewis. Edward and wife came to Illi- nois in 1841, and bought 207 acres of land at $5 per acre. Our subject engaged with J. W. Rogers & Co. in 1870, and continued with that firm till July, 1881. November 11, 1881, he bought one-half interest in the hard- ware establishment of George Mochel & Bro., where he has remained and is doing a fine business. In Chicago, January 1, 1878, he married Lydia A. Faul, who has borne one child-Fred R., born February 19, 1882. Mrs. Mertz was born in Downer's Grove, this county, March 14, 1853, and is a daughter of Henry and Eva M. (Wolff) Faul, both of whom are living, he born in Bavaria March 19, 1818, she born in Strasburg October 26, 1819. Mr. Mertz enlisted during the war, but was pronounced too young. Is a Repub- lican, having cast his first vote for Grant.
JOHN OLDFIELD, farmer, P. O. Lemont. The gentleman whose name heads this brief biography is a native of England, being born there June 15, 1824; his parents, Joseph and Ann Edgoose, were natives of England and possessed a family of five children, viz., one deceased when young, Mary A. (Mrs. J. Bat-
terham, a farmer in England), John, Jesse, The parents are both within the silent grave, in the bosom of the sunny land of En- gland. The mother was an active Methodist. John spent his younger days in attending school and the rural pursuits of life. On the 7th day of April, 1854, he was united in marriage with Hannah, a daughter of Will- iam and Ann (Tufts) Reader, natives of En- gland. Her parents were blessed with thir- teen children, seven of whom survive, viz., Elizabeth (Mrs. Standish), Hannah, Sarah (Mrs. Joseph Gregory), Mary (Mrs. Laywood), John (married Jane Winkley), Ann (Mrs. Herring) and William, who married twice, the first wife being Sarah Wallace, and the second Emily Siplaw; her parents were primi -. tive Methodists, and meetings were held in their house when churches were yet to be con- structed. In a few days after marriage, Mr. and Mrs. Oldfield gathered their small amount of worldly treasure, and, in company with his brother Jesse, John James Reader and six others, they boarded the "Queen Victoria," and, in a few weeks, were landed safely at New York; Jnne 12, they landed at Chicago, where Mrs. O. remained while her husband prospected for a location. After making a long and wearisome trip through the Fox River region, Mr. O. returned to Chicago, and soon after rented a farm of George Smith, a banker of Chicago, lying a few miles from that city, which he managed with suc- cess for four years; he then bought forty acres of John Riddler, in the Cass neighbor- hood, Du Page County; he and his brother Jesse, who had remained with him since their arrival in this country, brought a load of household articles, and lodged on the night of their reaching this forty acres in a small log cabin, now in use on the farm of Jesse. They used their boots for pillows, making their beds only plauks. This seemed to be no
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discouragement to them, and in this locality they have remained, accumulating, by industry and frugality, a vast fortuno, consisting of several hundred acres of finely improved land and large herds of cattle and sheep. Mrs. O. bas long been an active member of the Meth- odist Church, being now associated with the church at Cass, to which organization her hus- band has donated a large amount of money. Mr. and Mrs. O. have been blessed with one daughter-Elizabeth A., born December 10, 1845, and married May 11, 1869, George B. Heartt, who was in the late war; her marriage has blessed her with some happy children. It is the purpose of this personal sketch to note the prominent characteristics of the individ- uals to which they refer, and to hand down to the future those who now stand prominent as citizens of our country and representative men. Comment on the useful lives of this biography would be useless verbiage, super- fluous and unmeaning. Enough to say they have obtained their large fortune by their own efforts.
R. OLDFIELD, farmer, P. O. Downer's Grove, was born in England September 2, 1836; his parents, John and Anna (Fields) Oldfield, were natives of England and the parents of six children, all now living. John Oldfield, subject's father, came to Illi- nois in 1847, and, in 1848, settled on eighty aeres in Section 16, this township, and after- ward added forty acres; he is now deceased; his wife is still living. Our subject attended school in the country and worked on a farm in his younger days; he carried on an exten- sivo butcher business for about two years at Downer's Grove, with a man by the name of Briggs. He was married, in 1861, to Kate E. Dixon, who died in 1865, having borne him two children-Harry and Alice; he was again married, to Emma R., daughter of Rev. Samuel and Henrietta (Greeley) Ambrose; by
this marriage, two children have been born, viz., Roy and Gracy; he met with a severe loss, that of his left arm, by the discharge of a gun in the hands of an awkward boy, who was quarreling with another boy. Mr. Old- field has taken delight in driving fast horses at fairs; he makes a specialty of horses; he has forty acres of well-improved land in Sec- tion 17; he is now in his fifth term as Tax Collector of this township. Himself and wife are members of the M. E. Church.
A. L. PEARSALL, Postmaster, Hinsdale, was born in Chenango County, N. Y., Octo- ber 28, 1828; son of John and Clarinda (Walker) Pearsall, also natives of that county. John Pearsall came with his family, in 1839, to Belvidere, Boone Co., Ill., where he died March 2, 1865; his wife died in Iowa, Janu- ary, 1879; they were active members of the Methodist Church, and were the parents of six children. Mr. Pearsall attended school from one to four months during the winter seasons, and also used his own endeavors while at home to obtain an education. At the age of eighteen, he began teaching in Knox County, Ill. While in Bolvidere. he engaged for a time in the grocery and also in the hardware trade. In April, 1855, he mar- ried Harriet Rockwell, of Kalamazoo, Mich., who has borne him two children-Jennie E., wife of A. R. Robinson, Principal of the Chicago Schools, and Henry, correspondent of the American Iron Works, Chicago. Mr. Pearsall settled in Hinsdale in 1870, and here engaged in selling school furniture for A. S. Barnes & Co., Chicago, for a year; then worked for a prominent nurseryman of Michi- gan for some time; he was chosen Justice of the Peace, and, in 1875, was commissioned Postmaster at Hinsdale by President Grant, both of which positions he now holds; he is also a Notary Public. He has been Assessor of Downer's Grove Township two terms, and
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filled that position in Boone County tive years. He is a member of Hinsdale Lodge, No. 649, A., F. & A. M., of which he is S. W .; he and his wife are members of the Cou- gregational Church, of which he is Trustee; he is a Republican. He served four months in the One Hundred and Twenty seventh Il- linois Volunteer Infantry as superintendent of a ponton bridge at Nashville, Tenn., across the Cumberland River.
GARDNER PAIGE, retired farmer, P. O. Downer's Grove, was born July 17, 1826, in Royalton, Vt .; son of David and Anna (Par- ker) Paige, who came from their native State to this section in 1837; bought land and built the first frame house in this section of Downer's Grove. David died June 26, 1864; the mother June S, 1879. The grandfather Parker was in the Revolutionary war. The mother of Mr. Paige being a school teacher, taught him mostly at home. June 17, 1852, he married Annis W., daughter of M. P. and Hanuah (Hill) Gilbert, of Vermont, who came to Illinois in 1848. Mrs. Paige's father was a soldier in the war of 1812, and her grand- father Gilbert was an officer in the Revolu- tionary war; her father died June 30, 1878; her mother is living with her. Our subject has had five children-Martha, married, Sep- tember 3, 1879, to S. W. Miller, station agent at Lockport; Rosa A. and Gertrude; those dead are Hannah and Alzina. Mr. Paige is now filling the position of Assessor; he has been a Justice of the Peace and Col- lector, each three terms; also Road Commis- sioner. He (subject), Judge Blanchard and John Marion voted the last three Whig tick- ets in this township; he is a Republican at present: wife is a member of the Baptist Church; she taught school many terms in this section.
JOHN PARKER, retired auctioneer, Hins- dale, was born June 18, 1810, in Boston,
Mass .; is a son of Luther and Elizabeth (Lewis) Parker, who reared a family of eight children, viz., William, John, Mary E., Al- bert, Charles, Adaline, Francis and Ann; his father was a merchant in Boston, where John attended school, obtaining a fair education. When fifteen years old, he began learning the carpenter's trade, at which he worked three years, and then engaged in a book bindery. He next worked in a grocery for two years as clerk, after which he had an in- terest in the business. In 1836, he came to Chicago and engaged in the general merchan- dising business, under the firm name of Par- ker & Gray. In 1844, he withdrew from mercantile pursuits, and auctioneered for twelve years; was engaged in the brewery business in Chicago for some time, and then had an interest in the Corrugated Iron Com - pany, in which he sustained considerable loss. In 1869, he settled in Hinsdale, where he has a good property and runs a vegetable garden. In 1835, Mr. Parker married Nancy T. Otis, by whom he had three children-Frank, Mary and Charles. His wife died from cholerà in I863. He next married Caroline M. Beal, by whom he has had two children -Samuel B. and Grace C.
DANIEL PETERS, farmer, P. O. Down- er's Grove, was born August 3, 1851, in Downer's Grove Township; is the son of Jacob and Barbara (Graff) Peters, natives of Germany, and the parents of six children, viz., Barbara, Jacob, Fred, Sarah, Daniel and Samuel. The parents came to Downer's Grove in 1844, and settled where the subject now lives. The mother died August 21, 1876, and the father is still living, at the age of sixty- six, with the subject. Mr. Peters attended the common country school, and now con- ducts the farm, which consists of 112 acres of finely cultivated land, and twenty-seven acres of timber. In 1877, Mr. Peters mar-
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ried Lena Atzel, a daughter of F. Atzel, of Downer's Grove; he was born March 6, 1813, in Germany; came to America in 1833, en- gaged in different employments in New York City until 1840, when he returned to Ger- many. The following year, he again came to America, locating in Chicago, where he learned the carpenter's trade. In 1851, he bought a farm of 120 acres in Downer's Grove Township, living on the same till 1874, when he rented his farm and settled in the village of Downer's Grove. The Atzel family are members of the German M. E. Church, as are also Mr. and Mrs. Peters. The latter have three children-Clara, Edwin and Hen- ry. Mr. Peters is a Republican.
F. G. PRESCOTT, farmer, P. O. Gower, was born January 5, 1833, in Prussia, and is the son of G. Prescott, who came to this country in 1839; his father, who died in 1860, was married three times, and our sub- ject was one of three children by his first wife. Mr. Prescott received but little edu- cation; came to Cook County in 1839, and worked on the canal with his father. His first work for himself was trapping. in part- nership with his brother G. They were thus employed for six years, on the Desplaines River. In 1858, they went to Iowa and trapped along the rivers during the wintors until 1865, when they abandoned this kind of work. They had been quite successful, making as high as $40 each per day. In 1860, Mr. Prescott hunted with Little Crow, chief of the Crow Indians. In 1861, our subject married Rosa Pantke, whose parents are residents of this county. By this union, there are twelve children, all living, viz., Rosa, now Mrs. Huffman; Amelia, Julia, Lena, Edward, Matilda, Willie, Charlie, Otto, Caroline, Richard and Maude. Mr. Prescott now owns 144 acres of well-improved land, the result of his own hard labor. He and
his father were two of the first passengers on the Illinois & Michigan Canal. Our subject and his family are members of the Lutheran Church, of which he is treasurer and trustee.
G. H. PAPENHAUSEN, tailor, Hinsdale, was born in Germany September 28, 1837; his parents, Richard and Mary (Stopenhau- sen) Papenhauson, were also natives of Ger- many, and had four children, two living- Fred, a tailor in Chicago, and G. H .; his father was a tailor and with whom G. H. learned his trade. Mr. Papenhausen attended school nine years, and then began to work at tailoring. He came to Brush Hills, this connty, in 1870, and began working at his trade there, having scarcely any money. In 1875, he came to Hinsdale, where he has | since done a good business; he has been fort- unate in securing property here worth $2,- 500; he was married, in Germany, to Mary Bachrans, who has borne him six children- Mary, Sophia, Ann, Willie, Lena and Charlie; they attend the Lutheran Church. He votes the Republican ticket, and is a member of the A. O. U. W. at Hinsdale.
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