USA > Illinois > Grundy County > History of Grundy County, Illinois > Part 42
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L. F. BEACH, dealer in dry goods, boots and shoes, etc., Morris, was born in North Dans- ville, New York July 9, 1841; son of AAaron W. Beach, who was also a native of New York. born in December, 1797, was a farmer by oc- cupation, and now in (1882), lives in Chicago in his eighty-fifth year. His wife, Mary A. (Baker) Beach, was also of New York, born in 1802, and died in Chicago, in June, 1882. The parents raised five children; three sons, of whom the subject is the youngest, and two daughters. Mr. Beach was educated in Steuben County, N. Y., and began life as a farmer in his native State. He came to this State in
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MORRIS CITY AND TOWNSHIP.
1869, having merehandized four years before he came; he settled in Morris when he first came to the State, and began merchandising, which he still follows. Mr. Beach is a member of the Masonic order, and has taken all the de- grees from E. A. to Knight Templar; he was School Treasurer for this township for two years, and is now a member of the City Coun- cil. He was married, in Erie, Penn .. in Feb- ruary, 1870, to Amelia A. Hennessey, who was born July 11, 1846. They have four children -three sons, viz., Layton Fayette, Joseph Al- len Hunter and James Blaney; one daughter, Maud Amelia. Mrs. Beach is a member of the Episcopal Church. Subject has built up a good trade, carries a large stock. and besides runs a store of general merchandise at Council Grove, Kan .; he is a Democrat.
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L. W. CLAYPOOL, whose portrait appears in this work, is a descendant of an old English family.
About 1645, Sir James Claypool, of England, married a daughter of Oliver Cromwell. This is the earliest record of the family obtainable. Some years later, two brothers of the same fam- ily emigrated from England to America, and settled in Virginia. One subsequently left for Philadelphia, and joined his fortunes with Will- iam Penn, and he or his descendant, James C. Claypool, was a signing witness to Penn's char- ter in 1682. The other brother remained in Virginia, where his son, William Claypool, was born about 1690, and lived to the ex- traordinary age of one hundred and two years William Claypool was the father of three sons-George, John and James, the latter born about 1730, who died leaving three sons-Abraham. Isaac and Jacob. The first, born April 21, 1762, died in May, 1845. He had six sons and five daughters. Of these sons, Jacob was born August 23, 1788, in Randolph County, Va., and died August 17. 1876. His son, Abraham C., moved from Virginia in 1799, and took up his abode in
the Northwest Territory, where Chillicothe. Ohio, now is.
The son of Abraham C. and the father of the subject of this sketch, Jacob C., married Nancy Ballard. a lady of Quaker parentage from North Carolina, and had two sons-Perry A., born in Brown County, Ohio, June 5. 1815. and died in Morris. Ill., October 15, 1846: and L. W., born in the same place June 4, 1819.
Mr. L. W. Claypool spent his early years in a new settlement, going with his parents to In- dianapolis, where the ague assailed them with such vigor as to drive them back to Ohio. In March of 1834, he set out with his father to explore the canal lands of Illinois for a new home. He was eager to get an education, and. with the meager facilities afforded in frontier settlements, he managed to master the multi- plication table and the elements of writing, and he still has in his possession a rudely-con- structed diary with the incidents of this jour- ney noted down in his boyish chirography. The story of this trip and the subsequent removal of the family to Wauponsee Township, in Grundy County, Ill., has been told elsewhere in this volume. His life here was one of great ac- tivity, but he managed in the meantime to get quite a knowledge of arithmetic by improving days too wet or cold to work out of doors, and he exhibits with some pride a curious record of the days or hall' days which he devoted to the study of the elements of mathematics. At the first election held in Grundy County, on May 24, 1811. Mr. Claypool was elected County Ro- corder, a position he held until 1847, in the meanwhile being appointed the first Postmaster in Morris. In 1818, he was appointed by the Canal Trustees Assistant Agent of the canal lands, having in charge the lands situated in La Salle and Grundy Counties. His duties called him to assist in laying out that part of Chicago in and around Bridgeport, and continued until the last of the land was closed ont in 1860. Mr. Claypool has always taken a prominent
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place in the community in which he has lived so long. He was for years the Supervisor of Wauponsee Township, and is now acting in this capacity for Morris Village.
November 15, 1849, he contracted marriage with Caroline B., daughter of John Palmer, of Ottawa, a pioneer of La Salle County, who came overland from Warren County, N. Y., in June, 1834. Mrs. Claypool was born March 12, 1831, before the family left New York. Two sons of the family born of this union are living -H. C., born March 31, 1852, and L. W., Jr., born October 13, 1866.
O. N. CARTER, County Superintendent of Schools, Morris.
JAMES CUNNEA, banker, Morris, was born in Ireland January 6, 1810, and is a son of Patrick and Isabella (Brown) Cannea. Patrick Cunnea was born in Ireland in 1783, was a farmer and merchant by occupation, merchan- dized largely, and died in Ireland in 1840, hav- ing been sick but six days; his wife died the same year. The parents had sixteen children born to them, twelve of whom were raised to maturity-six sons, of whom subject is the old- est, and six daughters. Our subject received a limited education in the common schools in Ire- land. He began for himself by keeping store and farming, which he continued about six years, and then, in 1846, times getting a little hard there, he said to his wife, "We will go to America," and at once sold out his effects and emigrated to the United States, stopping about two years in New York; then he came to Il- linois (1848), and, purchasing a large tract of land in Will County, began farming and stock- raising, which he followed in connection with his sons till about 1866; from there he came to Morris, and opened a loan office for a few years, and, in 1872, purchased the First National Bank of Seneca, and removed the same to Morris, changing the name to First National Bank of Morris. From that time to the pres- ent, he and his sons have run a general bank-
ing business here. The officers of the bank are as follows : James Cunnea (subject), President and Director; John Cunnea, Cashier and Di- rector; John McCambridge, Director; George A. Cunnea, Director; James Cunnea, Jr., Di- rector. Subject and sons also own considerable land in this and other States, besides other valu- able property. Subject is a Democrat in politics. He was married in Ireland, March 4, 1834, to Ann Glaekin, a daughter of Dennis and Cath- arine (MeHugh) Glackin; his wife was born in March, 1817. They had twelve children born to them; eight raised to maturity, one of whom, Thomas, died at the age of twenty-three years. Those living are three sons-John, James and George A., and four daughters, viz., Isabella, Maria (now the wife of John McCambridge), Catharine and Anna. Mr. Cunnea and wife and all the family are members of the Catholic Church. James Cunnea, Jr., was married in 1876, to Estella Smith, daughter of Patrick Smith, of Cleveland, Ohio.
JOHN CUNNEA, banker and cashier, Mor- ris, was born in Ireland, July 22, 1840 ; is a son of James Cunnea, whose biography appears elsewhere in this history. Our subject came to the United States in 1846 ; stopped two years in New York City, then came to Illinois, and soon afterward settled in Will County, at what is now called Braidwood. There he attended school, and afterward completed his education at Bryant & Stratton's Business College in Chicago Mr. Cunnea purchased a considerable tract of land at Braidwood, and remained there engaged in farming for seventeen years. He came to Morris in May, 1866, and about a year afterward, in connection with his brothers, opened a loan office, which they continued till August, 1872, when they purchased of D. D. Spencer his banking business at Seneca. All the appurtenances of the bank they removed to Morris, where they still carry on a general banking business. The bank is known as the First National Bank of Morris, the proprietors
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MORRIS CITY AND TOWNSHIP.
being James Cunnea & Sons. September 1, 1875, our subject was married to Jennie A. Hoge, daughter of Samuel and Matilda (Holderman) Hoge. This union has resulted in two children-Samuel James and Charity Isabella. Mr. Cunnea and wife are members of the Catholic Church. Hle is a Democrat.
DAVID M. COOK, grocer, Morris, was born in Perry County, Penn., January 13. 1837. His father, James Cook, died in Pennsylvania when David was nine years of age, and his mother moved with her family to Miami County, Ohio. Here his mother and one brother died. The three remaining brothers came to Warren Coun- ty, Ill., in the spring of 1855. In the fall of 1856, they moved to Morris, Grundy County, where he and his brother, John W., established a restaurant and provision store on Washing- ton street. Our subject was married, November 2, 1860, to Miss Jane Claypool, daughter of Perry A. Claypool ; she was born in Grundy County, March 7, 1842. The family consists of four children, two of whom are living, viz., Nellie M., born March 25, 1864 ; Samuel D., December 4, 1870; William M., born December 23, 1875. died July 23, 1880 ; and John P., born April 5, 1877, died March 18, 1880. Mr. and Mrs. Cook are members of the Presbyterian Church of Morris. Mr. Cook is now proprietor of a grocery and provision store on Liberty street, in a building erected by him in 1861. lle is a Republican.
WILLIAM R. CODY, furniture dealer, Mor- ris, was born in Oneida County, N. Y., Decem- ber 1, 1825, and received his education in his native State. He came to Illinois when eight- cen years old, and settled in Lisbon, Kendall County, where he lived for six years, teaching school in various places in the county. He was first married to Miss Martha Hobson, of Naper- ville, Ill .; October 10, 1854; she died June 28, 1855. and is buried in her native town. Septem- ber 10, 1856, Mr. Cody was again married, this time to Miss Sarah M. Conant, a native of New
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York, born December 17, 1835. They have had six children, two of whom are dead-Caroline, born August 24, 1857, died October 5, 1857 ; Nellie F., born December 21, 1858, married to N. C. Davis, of Morris ; Susan E, May 21 1861, married to E. HI. Quigley, of Morris ; Ed- die, July 24, 1843, died November 5, 1870 : Annie, born May 7, 1867 ; and Grace, Septem- ber 12, 1876. Mr. and Mrs. Cody are members of the M. E. Church of Morris. He is now eu- gaged in the furniture business, in partnership ship with N. C. Davis ; place of business Nos. 94 and 96 Liberty street.
WILLIAM H. CURTIS, retired, Morris. The subject of this sketch is a native of Rutland. Vt., born December 24, 1817, son of Thad- deus and Charlotte (Kimball) Curtis, who came to Grundy County, 1848. His father died in Grundy County, September 3, 1857, in his sixty-sixth year. The mother died in Grundy County, January 9, 1862, in her seventy-fifth year. Subject came to Grundy County in 1846, and bought land in Vienna Township. where he made his home until coming to Mor- ris, January, 1880. Raised and educated in Vermont. Married June 12, 1860, to Mrs. Jane A. Hollenbeck, widow of Abraham Hol- lenbeck. She is a native of Dutchess County. N. Y., February 13, 1817, and came to Grundy County about 1850. Mr. Curtis is now retired and is living in a beautiful residence on corner of Benton and Spruce streets. Besides his large landed interest in Vienna Township, of this county, he owns a farm of 112 aeres in Sec- tion 25, of Brookfield Township, La Salle County. "Wolves!" said Mr. Curtis, "I can tell you a big one, but nobody will believe it." "Let us have the benefit of the story," said the interviewer. "I was aroused one morning to find a wolf with a chicken. I had no dog of my own, but Dr. Antis' dog happened to be under my shanty. He gave chase, and was soon joined by William Hinchman's dog. In order to encourage the dogs, 1 got on a horse,
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not stopping to put on a bridle, and followed after. They overhauled him on a pond which had a considerable thickness of ice, but they were not equal to the wolf, not being used to his method of defense. Thinking to help the dogs, I got off my horse and caught the wolf by the tail. No sooner had I done so than the dogs left me to engage the wolf while they in- dulged in a fight with each other. In this dilemma I conceived the idea of killing my game by swinging it over-handed and bring- ing its head in contact with the ice. This proved a failure, for the first impression broke the ice, letting us into three feet of water. Now my only chance was to drown him, and after several attempts, coupled with the pitchfork in the hands of a boy, the wolf was numbered with the slain."
JOHN B. DAVIDSON, broker, Morris, was born in Beaver County, Penn., January 28, 1815, and spent his boyhood in Eastern Ohio. Ile resided about twenty years in the towns of Middleton, Poland and Lowellville, fifteen years of which time he was engaged successfully in the dry goods trade, and was five years Post- master of Lowellville. In 1845, he married Miss Kate Butler, daughter of Mrs. Julia Al- ford, of the city of Morris ; she died April 13, 1858. Before his arrival here in 1834, Mr. Davidson had invested extensively in city real estate and farming lands of the surrounding country. The first year, he engaged in clerical work until he could arrange to go into business. In 1855, he, in connection with Walker and Alford, established the first boot and shoe house in Morris ; he soon after bought the in- terest of Mr. Walker. This store was located where Goold's drug store now is, and in 1858 Mr. Davidson and his partner sold to Edwards & Galloway. Mr. Davidson was elected Alder- man of the Second Ward in 1857, and in 1860 was elected Circuit Clerk, which othice he held until 1868, declining another term. He was married again, May 28, 1861, to a daughter of
the Rev. Reuben Frame, at the time pastor of the Presbyterian Church of Morris. Our sub- ject is now engaged as a banker and broker, being among the leading capitalists of the county. He is a Director and stockholder in the Morris Bridge Company, the Grundy Coun- ty Bank, and the Morris Gas Company, and is justly regarded as one of the city's leading benefactors. He is a Republican.
PHINEAS DAVIS, retired farmer, P. O. Morris. Mr. Davis was born in Livingston County, N. Y., Jannary 24, 1827. He came to Illinois in 1847, and settled in Kendall County, where he purchased a farm and lived for twen- ty-seven years. In March, 1874, he moved to Morris, Grundy County, and bought a beautiful location on the corner of Liberty and High streets. He was married, January 22, 1848, to Miss Maria L. Phipps, of New Jersey. She was born in 1822, and died January 29, 1879. The family consists of two sons -- James L., born March 28, 1849, married to Elizabeth J. Boyer ; and Uriah C., born November 15, 1851, married to Miss Nellie Cody. Our sub- ject was married the second time, February 24, 1881, to Sallie C. Frasee, widow of Barnard Frasee. Mr. and Mrs. Davis are members of the Methodist Episcopal Church of Morris.
OLE ERICKSON, dry goods, boots and shoes, Morris, is a native of Norway ; was born October 6, 1850, and came to the United States in 1866. He is a son of Erik Erickson. of Norway, born in 1803 ; the latter came to the United States July 20, 1880, and settled in Minnesota as a farmer, that being his occupa- tion ; he still resides there. His wife, Marit (Svarthaugen) Erickson, was born in Norway in 1812, and died there November 29, 1879. They were the parents of three children, one son, who is the subject of this sketch, and two daughters. Subject was elucated at the eom- mon schools in Norway ; was raised on the farm, and worked at that pursuit a short time after starting for himself, but soon went into a
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MORRIS CITY AND TOWNSHIP.
store. When he first came to the Unites States in 1866, he began as clerk at Chicago in a gro- ery store, where he continued some three years ; from there he came to Morris, May 17, 1869, and started a dry goods business with a part- ner. This he continned for three years, when he sold out, and again engaged as clerk, which he followed about eight years. On the 12th of November, 1880, in partnership with W. B. Hull, he opened a full store of dry goods, boots and shoes, and they are now doing a lively business. Mr. Erickson was married in Mor- ris, September 10, 1871, to Mary M., daughter of William Frey. of this place ; she was born November 23, 1851. They have two children, one daughter, Anna M., born November 1, 1872 ; and one son, Albert E., born March 19, 1875. Subject is a Lutheran, and his wife a Methodist. Mr. Erickson has been Town and City Collector · for two years. He is a Republican.
DR. S. T. FERGUSON, Morris, was born in Auburn, N. Y., March 7, 1845, and came to Grundy County in 1854; son of Daniel Ferguson, who was also a native of New York ; of Scotch parentage, born about the year 1800 ; was a blacksmith by occupation, and died of cholera in 1834. Immediately after his death, his wife, Parmelia Fowler, also a native of New York, born in 1802, came to Grundy County with her children, and died in Morris in 1875. The parents raised five children-two sons-of whom our subject is the younger, and three daugh- ters. Mr. Ferguson was educated at the com. mon schools at Morris, afterward taking a medi- cal course at Ann Arbor, Mich., and Chicago, Ill., graduating at the last-named place in the class of 1865. He began business for himself as clerk in a drug store in Morris, which he followed about seven years ; thence to Anu Arbor, where he attended the medical school one term, and then to Seneen, in La Salle County, and practiced medicine about one year ; next he went into the army, where he was Surgeon of the One Hundred and Thirty-eighth Illinois
Infantry for four months. Ile was then ap- pointed United States Surgeon, and sent to To- peka, Kan., where he remained about a year, including what time was spent at Lawrence. From Topeka, he came back to Morris, and en- gaged in the drug business ; next went to Mi- nooka, and entered into partnership with Dr. William P. Pierce in a general practice, where he remained about thirteen years ; from there, subject again returned to Morris, and resumed the practice of his profession. He has had now nearly twenty years practice. While at Mi- nooka, Dr. Ferguson spent two winters at Chi- cago studying gynecology, which he now makes a specialty of. Dr. Ferguson was married at Seneca, August 2, 1863, to Emma, daughter of Joseph R. Obdycke, of Grundy County. She died April 15, 1881. The Doctor is a Mason, and has taken all the degrees, from E. A. to Knight Templar. Heis a Past Master of Minooka Lodge, No. 528, and has filled different offices in the Chapter and Commandery. Subject owns some farm lands in this and Kendall Counties. He is a Republican.
CHARLES D. FERGUSON, Sheriff, Morris, was born near Rochester, N. Y., May 31, 1839, and is a son of Daniel Ferguson, who was also a native of New York, born in 1809, a black- smith by occupation, who came to Grundy County, Ill., in 1854, and purchased a tract of land, but was taken with cholera and returned to New York, and died in 1854, only living about twenty-four hours after reaching home. His wife, Amelia (Fowler) Ferguson, was born in New York in 1804, and came to Illinois in 1854, shortly after her husband's death, bring- ing her family, and settling in Morris, where she died in 1874. The parents raised two sons -subject is the oldest-and three daughters. Subject was educated in New York ; began business as a blacksmith, which he followed about twenty-five years. In the fall of 1880, he was elected Sheriff of Grundy County, an office he now holds. He has had charge of the
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steam fire engine for eleven years-from 1869 to 1880. Mr. Ferguson married first in Geneseo, N. Y., April 9, 1861, to Louisa Hall, daughter of John Hall of that place. She died Novem- ber 24, 1861. His second marriage was in this county, March 25, 1865, to Elizabeth A. Ent, born March 25, 1844, at Stockton, Hunterdon Co., N. J., and is an only daughter of Asa Ent, of New Jersey. The children are as follows : Fred C .. born March 31, 1866 ; Harry M., born September 19, 1870, and Eugene Ray, born January 24, 1874.
JOSEPH FESSLER, saloon, Morris, is a native of Germany, born December 16, 1850. When our subject was two years old, his mother emigrated to the United States, and settled in Chicago, his father having died in Germany in 1851. In 1861, Mr. Fessler went to Minooka, Grundy County, and lived there with his uncle (John Schroeder) until the fall of 1866, when Mr. Schroeder was elected Sheriff of the county, and moved to Morris, where Mr. Fessler has since lived. He was Assistant Warden at the time of the lynching of Alonzo Tibbits in 1868. December 8, 1872, he married Miss Eva Becker, of Morris. She was born in Indiana November 25, 1852. They have three children -Carrie L., born February 14, 1875 ; Bertha M., July 5, 1878, and Ernest J., May 4, 1880. Subject engaged in the saloon business in 1873, with Charles Wagner, which he continued until April, 1875, when he purchased the interest of Mr. Wagner, and has since condueted the busi- ness alone. His saloon is located on Liberty street ; his residence on Jefferson street. He is a member of the I. O. O. F.
HIRAM C. GOOLD, druggist, Morris, Ill., was born in Orleans County, N. Y., October 23, 1821, but moved to Ontario County, N. Y., at · three years of age, where he attended the com- mon schools during his early childhood. His education was completed at the Wesleyan Uni- versity, at Lima, N. Y. When twenty years of age, he began teaching, which occupation he
followed several years. Came to Illinois in 1845, and located in Putnam County, where he taught one year in the Granville Academy. Went to Michigan and taught two years, and then came to Morris, Grundy County, in 1848. Was in a dry goods store two years as clerk. Then went to California by the overland route, being 100 days on the road. Was engaged in Northern California in mining three years. Then returned to !Morris and engaged in the real estate business, and where he eventually went into the drug business. Was elected County Superintendent of Schools in 1852, and filled the office three consecutive terms or ten years, the duties of which office he filled credit- ably to himself and to the full satisfaction of the people. He was married, at Morris, in the fall of 1853, to Clementine L. Baker, born in Genesee County, N. Y., in 1824. They have one son, Hiram B., who is his father's assistant in the drug business. Mr. Goold has been a member of the Congregational Church since seventeen years of age. Has always taken an active part in the temperance movements of the county, and was one of the charter mem- bers of the Sons of Temperance of Morris, or- ganized in 1848. Has been a life-long worker in the Sunday school, and since his residence in Morris has been identified with the Sunday schools of that place, the principal part of the time as Superintendent of the Congregational school.
JACOB M. GRIGGS, farmer, P. O. Morris, is a native of Pennsylvania, born April 12. 1829. He came to the site of Morris in 1837, with his father, who built the second house in the place, in 1838. The father died in Morris in April, 1849. Our subject attended the first school ever organized in Morris. He was mar- ried, January 13, 1862, to Miss Emma Coch- ran, daughter of Samuel Cochran, of Morris. born February 28, 1840. The family consists of seven children, viz., Sigel A., born January 25. 1863 ; Henry B., February 5, 1866 ; Helen
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MORRIS CITY AND TOWNSHIP.
J., March 1, 1868 ; Minnie M., November 14, 1871 ; Birdie W., September 10, 1875 ; Archie R., June 2, 1877 ; Gracie G., November 6, 1879. Mr. Griggs has about seventy-five acres of farm land in Section 9 of Morris Township, and one hundred acres in Section 16 of Sara- toga Township, valued at $60 per acre. He is associated in the brick and tile business with Messrs. Martin and Steep, the firm known as Griggs, Martin & Steep. Mr. Griggs is a per- sistent temperance worker and a Republican.
MILES GORDON, joiner, Morris, was born in Franklin County, Me., January 22, 1820. He came to Morris in 1843, and has been a leading contractor in his line of business dur- ing all the years of his residence here. In August, 1844, our subject was married to Miss Betsey Judkins, of Maine; this union has been blessed with five children.
DR. A. F. HAND, Morris. The subject of this sketch may be classed among the early settlers of Grundy County, having come to Morris in the spring of 1847, and re_ sided here ever since. He was born in 1816 in the town of Shoreham, Vt., on the eastern' shore of Lake Champlain, directly opposite Fort Ticonderoga, and within a stone's throw of where Ethan Allen embarked to cross the lake in that famous surprise of his on the British forces. At the age of eighteen, he left the home of his parents and came West, stop- ping for a short time at Logansport, Ind., at the residence of his half-brother, Rev. Martin Post. He next found his way to Jacksonville, Ill., and two years later, entered the Freshman class as a student in Illinois College, gradu- ating in the scientific course of that institution four years afterward. We next find our sub- ject at Louisville, Mo., where he taught school two years, and returning to Jacksonville again, entered the medical department of Illinois College, and three years later obtained his diploma as Doctor of Medicine. He now be- gan the practice of his profession, and spent
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