History of Grundy County, Illinois, Part 52

Author:
Publication date: 1882
Publisher: Chicago, O. L. Baskin
Number of Pages: 506

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PETER A. JOHNSON, farmer, P. O. Morris, was born in Sweden March 24, 1843, son of John and Hannah Johnson, both na- tives of Sweden. In the spring of 1853, John Johnson started with his family for the United States. On his voyage, ho and two of his sons died of cholera. Peter and the rest of the family reached New York City safely and came immediately to Morris, where the subject received his odueation, principally in the Morris Normal and Seientitie Institute. At the age of eighteen, he enlisted in Com- pany D, Thirty-sixth Illinois Volunteer In- fantry, Capt. W. P. Pierce; term of service,

BIOGRAPHICAL:

three and one-fourth years. He participated in the battles of Pea Ridge, Shiloh, Perry- ville, Stone River and Chickamauga. At the last-named battle, he received a wound, re- sulting in permanent injury. May 7, 1864, he married Miss Elizabeth Claypool, daugh- ter of Perry A. Claypool. She was born Au- gust 18, 1845. They have a family of four children-Perry A., Frederick S., Frank A. and Nellie. Mr. Johnson's farm is situated three miles south of Morris, and consists of 240 acres of well-improved land, upon which he has erected a handsome residence. He is one of the prominent inen of Wauponsee Township, being a first-class farmer and an active Republican. Mr. and Mrs. Johnson are both members of the M. E. Church at Morris.

WILLIAM JACKSON. farmer, P. O. Mor- ris, was born in Norfolk, England, November 17, 1829, where he was raised and educated. He came to Grundy County, Ill., while quite a young man, and located in Morris. The year following, he bought a farm of 120 acres, in Section 1, of Mazen Township, which he still owns. He has since purchased 240 acres in Section 36 of Wauponsee Town- ship, where he now lives. His entire farm of 360 acres is valued at $50 an acre. Sub- ject was married, November 14, 1864. to Ame- lia, daughter of George Lane, of Canada; she was born in 1817, and is the mother of three children-John W., born in 1869; Walter, 1873; Freddie, 1875. Mrs. Jackson is a Methodist.

MOSES PANGBURN, farmer, P. O. Mor- ris, was born in New York State November 30, 1802, and lived there until 1855, when he moved into Wauponsee Township, Grundy County, where he bought eighty acres of land in Section 14, which he has since traded for 120 acres in Sections 15 and 27. In 1856, he bought the forty acres on which he now

lives. He was married, September 25, 182S, to Miss Kate Sitterley, of New York State, born March 3, 1805. She died in Wauponsee Township March 19, 1865. They raised a family of eight children, viz., Martin, Ste- phen, James M., Clarissa A., Charlotte, Eli- za M., John H. and Caroline A. Mr. Pang- burn is now living with his daughter, Care- line A., now Mrs. Spencer, who was married August 30, 1871, to David E. Spencer, of Grundy County; he was born October 25, 1842. They have five children -- Charles O., Edna M., Walter W., Clarence E. and Kate M. David E. Spencer was a soldier in the late war, serving two years and ten months. He enlisted April 1, 1862, in Company M, First Illinois Artillery, and was transferred, after ten months, to another battery; he served six months on vidette duty for Brig. Gen. A. W. Elliott, and participated in the siege of Vicksburg and battle of Port Gibson; he was discharged February 1, 1865.

JOHN A. SUMMERS, farmer, P. O. Morris, was born in Freetown, Cortland Co., N. Y., March 11, 1824, son of Nicholas and Mary Summers. When our subject was four years old, his parents moved to Onondaga County, N. Y., where they remained nine years; they then came to Illinois and settled in Wau- ponsee Grove, where the father died in Oc- tober of 1839. Mr. Summers came to this county some years before it was organized as such, and attended the first school taught here. It was held in the house of the teacher, Mrs. Dewey. In 1838, subject's father built the first house of the county; it was situated south of the river, and was roofed with joint shingles. John Summers began the trade of carpenter aud joiner, un- der the instruction of his father, at which trade he worked for several years, in and around Morris. He has a vivid recollection of having to grind the breadstuffs for the

WAUPONSEE TOWNSHIP.

family in a common coffee mill, the severo freezing weather rendering the grist-mill nso- less for weeks at a time. In 1852, he bought eighty acres of farm land in Section 21, of Wauponsee Township, which he sold in the spring of 1882; has recently bought 320 acres in Douglas County, Dakota Territory, where he will soon move his family. Mr. Summers was married, May 25, 1854, to Miss Matilda R. Summers, of Ohio, born in March, 1535. They have a family of eight children -Clara C., born in 1855; Fred E., 1857; Hortense J., 1858: Edgar D., 1860: Emily M., 1862: Harry M., 1866; Helen M., 1869; John G., 1872.

OWEN SWEENEY, farmer, P. O. Morris, was born in County Cork, Ireland, in 1817, and was raised a farmer. In 1846, ho came to the United States, and settled in Boston. where he was engaged in day labor for four years. In 1851, he came to Kendall County, Ill., Lisbon Township, where he bought eighty acres of land. Here ho remained about four years, when he rented his farm and moved to Morris, Grundy County, where he remained eleven years; while living here, he sold his farm in Kendall County. He next bought a farm of 103 aeres in Waupon- see Township, on which he lived three years; selling this, he bought a farm of 120 aeres in Section 33, of the samo township. This land, upon which he now livos, is valued at $50 an acro. Mr. Sweeney was married in Boston, in 1550, to Miss Mary Carey, a native of Ireland, born June 25, 1525. This union has resulted in six children, viz., Ellen, born August 26, 1856: Alice, born September 23, 1551. and married, April 11, 1882, to Edward Higgins, of Mazon Township; Mary Jane, born Decomber 17, 1859; John W., born June 27, 1861; Dennis J., born July 12. 1864, and Annie S., born May S. 1867. The entire family are members of the Catholic

Church of Morris. Mr. Sweoney is a Demo- erat.

HENRY THUM. farmer, P. O. Morris, was born July 9, 18IS, in Chautauqua County, N. Y., and was the son of Melchart and Oret (Clark) Thum; he was born in Herkimer County, N. Y., December 31, 1501, and died in Wauponsee Township August 29, 1872. The subject's mother, Oret Thum, was born in Ellery, Chautauqua Co., N. Y., August 16, 1817, and is now living with her son Henry. The parents of Henry Thum settled in Grun- dy County, Saratoga Township, when he was nine years old: here they remained four years, when they moved into Wauponsee Township, and, in 1864, purchased a farm of eighty aeres, which the subject now owns and lives upon. He was married, December 27, 1876, to Mrs. Jennie Wagner, of Pennsylvania. She was born July 6. 1849, and is the dangh- ter of Samuel and Nancy Miller, the former born December 10, 1820, died June 11, 1878; the latter was born in 1823, and died April 17, 1856. Miss Ella C. Thum, sister of Henry Thum, and a member of his family, was born in Chautauqua County, N. Y , May 26, 1854. Mr. and Mrs. Thum are the par- ents of two children -- Laura A., born Oeto- ber 21, 1877, and George H., born January 3, 1870.

JOHN THOMPSON, farmer, P. O. Mor- ris, was born in Canada July 4, 1535, son of James and Hannah Thompson. About 1838, his parents moved to Dresden, Grundy Co., Ill., where they lived for some years, and where the mother of our subject died the first year after their arrival. John's father next bought a farm in Wauponseo Township, to which they removed, and where the father died April 12, 18SO. Mr. John Thompson was married, March 10, 1856, to Miss Mary Jane Thompson, daughter of David Thomp- son, of Ireland. She was born in 1835. and

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died at their residence, in Wauponsee Town- ship, May 12, 1882. The family consists of three children, viz., James, born August 29, 1857; Susan, born October 12, 1859, and Samuel, born August 2, 1865. Mr. Thomp- son owns 120 acres of good farm land, in Sections 17 and 30, of Wauponsee Township. This land is valued at $50 an acre, 100 acres of which are under cultivation. He is a member of the Episcopal Church, and a Re- publican in politics.

SAMUEL WOOD, farmer, P. O. Morris, was born in England January 4, 1824, and lived there until 1850, when he came to the United States, and settled in Pennsylvania, near the Ohio line. Here he worked one year in a brick-yard and in a coal-bank. He next went to Canada and worked in the cop- per mines for some months. From Canada he came to Peoria, where he worked for two years at mining, at the end of which time, the spring of 1854, he settled in Morris, where he and Daniel Williams opened the

first coal bank ever started in the vicinity of Morris. For the next ten years, he worked at farming in the summer and mining in the winter. April 24, 1855, Mr. Wood married Miss Maria Claypool, born February 2, 1840, daughter of Perry A. and Miss (Foster) Claypool, who were among the first families to settle in Grundy County. Mr. Claypool was born in Ohio, June 5, 1815, and died October 15, 1846. Mrs. Claypool was born April 24, 1819, and is still living. Soon after his marriage, Mr. Wood bought eighty acres of land in Section 17, Wauponsee Town- ship, which he has added to until he now has 495 acres, valued at $50 per acre, and all un- der cultivation. Mr. and Mrs. Wood have a family of five children-David, born Novem- ber 26, 1862; Charles, born December 9, 1865; Sarah, born October 25, 1868; James, born December 13, 1872, and Mary, born May 17, 1875. They have also buried four children. Mr. and Mrs. Wood are members of the Methodist Episcopal Church.

GREENFIELD TOWNSHIP.

ZELOTES J. ANDREWS, farmer, P. O. Gardner, was born in Oneida County, N. Y., July 7, 1840, son of William S. and Amanda (Convis) Andrews, natives of New York State; the father was a farmer by occu- pation, and died in 1878, aged seventy-eight years; the mother, who is still living, was born in 1814, and had four children, of whom our subject was the youngest child; he received a common-school education and fol- lowed the occupation of farming; came to Il- linois in 1857, and located in Kendall County; came to Grundy County in 1874, and now carries on a general farming business. De- cember 22, 1870, he married Miss Alice Con-

vis, who was born in Oneida County, N. Y., in 1851; she is the daughter of Andrew and Rachel Convis, natives of New York State, he living, she dead. Mr. and Mrs. Andrews have four children, viz., Ralph, Arthur, May and Mate, the two last being twins. Our subject has been Street Commissioner several terms, and also School Director; he is a Re- publican.

H. C. ATKINSON, blacksmith, Gardner. Mr. Atkinson ranks among the leading blacksmiths of this county. He began learning his trade with H. Hart, of this village (Gardner), with whom he remained for two years. October 19. 1877. he opened a shop on his own resources, and is

GREENFIELD TOWNSHIP.

now making a specialty of horse-shoeing. It is only justice to say that but few are his equal in this branch of smithing. Hle is a son of R. Atkins, a popular coal dealer of this vil- lage, who started life in this country with only $15. The father is a native of Ireland, and came to America May 3, 1839.

O. J. BOOTH, retired farmer, P. O. Gardner. The subject of this sketch, whose portrait appears in this history, was born in Trumbull County, Ohio, April 8, 1824; his father and mother were natives of Conneeti- ent, the former born in 1794; followed farm- ing for a livelihood: died in June, 1842. The latter was born March 16, 1794; is still living, but feeble with age. Their names were Truman and Rebecca (Percey) Booth; to them were born nine children, eight of whom grew to maturity. O. J. received sueb education as the common school of his native town afforded. In the spring of 1840, when in his sixteenth year, he visited Illinois; then railroads were not built, and young Booth took stage from Warren to Wellsville, and then a boat down the Ohio and up the Missis- sippi to St. Louis, where he arrived in eight days; his finances were now reduced to $1 good money, and a $2 bill that he had re- ecived unsuspectingly on a broken bank; he invested his $1 in crackers and cheese and reshipped for Peru, offering all he had left, the poor note, to the Captain in payment of fare; his note was refused, and he was threatened with being " put ashore " but was finally allowed to stay aboard, nibbling spar- ingly the while, about five days, on his crackers and cheese; ho helped a man carry his baggage from Peru to Ottawa, and for his service received dinner, supper and lodg- ing. He started front Ottawa at 3 o'clock the following morning, and walked to his unele's, at Georgetown, now Newark, twenty- five miles, before breakfast. This line from

life's record shows something of the push and courage that have ever characterized the man, and given him in business more than ordinary suecoss. Returning to Ohio upon the death of his father, he took charge of the farm and looked after the interests of the family. Mr. Booth was married, January 4, 1844, to Miss Sarah Hulse, native of the same county, born May 5, 1824, dying An- gust, 1876. He came with his family to Il- linois in the spring of 1846, and located in Mazon Township, buying forty acres of Gov. ernment land. By industry and economy, he added to this from time to time, until he owned over 500 acres. His fields were well cultivated, and his thoroughbred stoek of eat- tle and hogs were admired by all who saw them. In the spring of the present year. he sold his farm and moved to Gardner, where he now resides. Mr. and Mrs. Booth had nine children, three of whom, viz., Rocolia, Wesley and Amelia, are dead: the latter grew into womanhood, and was engaged in teaeh- ing when she contracted her fatal disease. Permelia, Judson and Frank are in Kansas, the two former being married. Emma, Adora and Minnie are at home. Mr. Booth, while he has looked carefully to his finances, has been given to hospitality, not turning the worthy poor empty away. Mrs. Booth was a careful, devoted wife and mother, and to her the family are indebted largely for its sue- eess. Mr. Booth has been a Republican sinee the organization of the party, and was do- lighted with the overthrow of American slav- cry: he has watched over his children with zealous care, in every way guarding them from temptation and wrong, and has the sat- isfaction of seeing them grown up, esteemed for their virtues by all, and to him a solace in his declining years.

BENJAMIN BOOKWALTER, farmer, P. O. Gardner, was born July 31, 1831, in

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Pennsylvania, is the son of Abraham and Elizabeth (Witmer) Bookwalter, also natives of Pennsylvania, and the parents of ten chil - dren, nine of whom grew up-Mary, John, Daniel, David, Samuel, Anna, Benjamin, Elizabeth and Michael. The family came to Greenfield Township in 1854, where they bought a large tract of land at $9 per acre, a portion of which had been entered by Dr. Ab- bott, an early settler. The father died on this farm, in June, 1872, and the mother in July, 1882. They were Mennonites. Mr. B. attended the country schools, obtaining but a slight education; he has always devoted his time to rural labors. He was married, in 1859, to Susan Barkey, a daughter of Enos and Eve (Sigler) Barkey, early settlers of Mazon Township; she was one of five chil- dren-Susan, Sigler, John, Enos and Jude. Mr. B. now has 660 acres of well-improved land. well adapted to stock-raising, to which he is applying his personal attention; he has raised some of the fastest horses in this coun- try, among which is Troubadour and Chicago Maid; he is also raising Durham cattle. He has served the township as Trustee and Road Commissioner, and votes the Republican ticket. He is the father of four children, two of whom are living-Emma and Abraham, each of whom has received a good education, hav- ing attended the Normal, McLean County. Miss Bookwalter ranks among the best mu- sicians in this county, and is giving instruc- tion to many.

MICHAEL BOOKWALTER, farmer, P. O. Gardner, was born in Pennsylvania April 7, 1835; is a brother of Benjamin, whose sketch appears elsewhere; his life has also been spent on the farm. He was married, in 1861, to Sarah, a daughter of George B. and Rebecca (Somers) Kulp, natives of Pennsyl- vania; her parents came to this county about 1854; their children were four - Joseph,

Sarah, Jacob and Alvin; the mother survives, living in Iowa. Our subject has five children as a result of his marriage, three of whom are living-Rebecca, wife of John Robert- son; Minerva E. and Alice C. Mr. B. set- tled for awhile after his marriage on his father's farm. In 1874, he located on his present farm of eighty-four acres; he has in all 240 acres of fine land, on which he is raising fine stock; his first wife died, and, in 1873, he was again married, to Mary Ken- line; he took an interest in educating his children. He votes the Republican ticket.

ELIZABETH BAUMGARDNER, teacher, Gardner. The father of our subject, John Baumgardner, was born in the Canton of Glarus, Switzerland, May 1, 1825. He started for. America April 15, 1849, landing at New Orleans. The mother, Magdalena (Bahr Baumgardner, was born near Wurzburg, King- dom of Bavaria, Germany, July 30, 1832, leav- ing her native land for this September 20, 1848, landing at Baltimore. They were married in Galena, Ill., Jnly, 1853 ; are the parents of ten children, eight of whom are now living-Eliza- beth, next to the oldest, was born in Thomp- son Township, Jo Daviess County, January 14, 1856 ; arriving at sufficient age, was sent, for a time, to the public schools of Galena, and in the fall of 1875, entered the Illinois State Normal University, from which she graduated in May, 1880. Two of the five years were spent carning the means with which to com- plete her course. She received her " degree ' with nineteen others, and was chosen "valedic- torian." Upon the completion of ber studies, she accepted the position of teacher of the Gardner Primary School, for the school year commencing September 1, at $45 per month. Her services in this department were so ac- ceptable to the patrons, that she was gladly re- tained for another year, at an advance of $10 per month. She is now Principal of the Gard- ner Public Schools, at a salary of $75 per

GREENFIELD TOWNSHIP.

month. She is offered the position, as "teacher of the primary training department" of the State Normal School at Carbondale. As a teacher, she is eminently successful, gaining al- ready a reputation as wide as the State, and for her the future appears rich with promise.

CHARLES BLANEY, farmer, P. O. Gard. ner, was born in Pennsylvania August 17, 1804; is a son of John and Mary Blaney, nativos of Pennsylvania and carly residents of Licking County, Ohio; they were the par- ents of four children that grew up-George, Maria, Charles and Benjamin. Our subject received schooling in a pioneer cabin; he has always been a farmer. He was married, in 1833, to Rebecca Kimpton, the result being three children that attained their majority -- Vincent, Benjamin and Mary; his wife died in 1873, and he has since kept house with his niece, Mrs. Mary Latta, a daughter of Joseph and Elizabeth Cox; she was born in 1823, and had a like chanco with Mr. B in the pioneer schoolroom; she was married, in 1842, to John Latta, and has one child- Anna-living, of a large number. Mr. B. came to Illinois in 1865, and settled on the farm where ho now resides, consisting of 160 acres, which he has under good cultivation; his two sons, Benjamin and Vincent, were in the lato war. He votes the Republican ticket.

BARTON W. BARBER, farmer, P. O. Gardner, was born in Rutland County, Vt., August 31, 1828, son of James W. and Le- rain (Parker) Barber, natives of Vermont, ho born in 1797, died in July, 1875; was a farm- er by occupation; sho was born in 1802, and died in 1874; sho was the mother of five children, of whom our subject was the second child; he received a common -school education and worked upon the farm; he camo to Grun- dy County in 1869, and located on his present farm of 160 acres. In connection with gen-

eral farming, he handles somo stock and ear- ries on a dairy. January 8, 1861, Mr. Bar- ber married Marietta E. Farwell, born at Castleton, Rutland Co., Vt., March 23, 1833; she is the daughter of Salomon and Louise (Pond) Farwell, natives of Vermont, both dead. This marriage has been blessed with four children, viz., Carrie L., Adelbert F., Frederick D. and Edith L .; the latter died in infancy. Mr. Barber is a member of the A .. F. & A. M. Although he commenced as a poor man, he is now in comfortable circum- stances, as a result of his own labors.

CLOVER BROTHERS. lawyers, Gard. ner. Edward Clover, the junior member of this firm, was born in Hardin County, Iowa, January 25, 1861; he eamo to Illinois with his parents in 1864, they locating in Mazon Township, where they remained fourteen years; they lived in Kansas three years, after which they settled in Gardner. The parents of our subjects are Gerettus and Susan (Maddox) Clover, natives of Indiana, he born February 22, 1836; is a retired farm- er; sho was born February 7, 1840, and is the mother of three children-Bartlette, de- ceased; Thomas F. and Edward, who com- pose the firm of Clover Bros. Edward re- ceived a good education, and, after reading law with N. M. Purviance, of Kansas, was admitted to the bar, November 26, 1881, when he was but twenty years of age. Thomas, the senior member of the firm, was born in Leavenworth County, Kan., January 23, 1859; he received a good edneation, and, after studying law with Webb & Glass, of Oswego, Kan., was admitted to the bar June 10, 1880. He served as City Attorney of Oswego, Kan., one year, and then entered into partnership with his brother, at Gard- nor, Ill., April 22, 1882. In connection with their law practice, the Clover Bros, are extensively engaged in the insurance busi-

BIOGRAPHICAL:

ness. They are men of ability, and have thus far been successful; they are identified with the Democratic party.

AMOS CLOVER, stock-dealer, Gardner, was born November 25, 1822, in Hamilton County, Ohio; is a son of John M. and Mary (Williams) Clover, natives of Pennsylvania. The mother was of German and Welsh de- scent, and died about 1840; she was the mother of eleven children. When our sub- ject was an infant, his parents removed to Vermillion County, Ind., where he attended school and worked on the farm until twenty- one years of age. In 1843, he came to Grundy County, where he now owns about 600 acres of farm land. Subject was mar- ried, in 1848, in Grundy County, to Martha J. Fayler, who was born in 1832, in McLean County, Ill., and died August 15, 1878; she was the daughter of John and Cynthia (Smith) Fayler, and left four children-Em- ma J., John L., Flora C. and Mary B. Mr. Clover has retired from active labor ; he rep. resented Grundy County in the Thirtieth General Assembly of Illinois; has held the offices of Justices of the Peace and Supervis- or; he is a member of the A., F. & A. M., and of the National Greenback party.

THADDEUS P. CRANE, farmer, P. O. Gardner, was born in Middlebury, Vt., Sep- tember 9, 1829, son of Mahlon and Abigail (Reed) Crane, he a native of New York, born January 3, 1794; is a farmer, living in Grundy County; she a native of Vermont, died in November, 1873, aged about seventy years. They were the parents of nine chil- dren, of whom our subject was the fifth child. When two years of age, he, with his parents, removed to New York State, where he was educated in the common schools. In 1862, he came West, locating in Grundy County, where he engaged in farming. In the fall of 1864, he removed to his present place of has four children, viz., Jessie M., Elwood

residence; his first purchase consisted of forty acres of unimproved land, to which he has added until now he has 200 acres, all under a state of cultivation that stamps Mr. Crane as a first-class, practical farmer; his build- ings and general surroundings betoken neat- ness and thrift. He makes no specialties in farming, but grows the usual crops and handles some stock. June 12, 1855, in Steu- ben County, N. Y., he married Phebe Thomp- son, born in New York State November 16, 1831, a daughter of Robert and Dolly (Skin- ner) Thompson, natives of Connecticut, both deceased. This union resulted in five chil- dren, viz., Fred, Nellie, Harry, Frank and Charles, the last two deceased. Mr. Crane is something of a traveler, having spent three years in that pleasant recreation in South America. During one term of three years, he held the office of County Commissioner of Grundy County. He is a member of the A., F. & A. M. at Gardner.

JOHN H. COLES, shoemaker, Gardner, was born in Delaware County, Penu., Febru- ary 5, 1822; son of Enoch and Margaret (Henderson) Coles. The father, a native of New York State, was a shoemaker, born in 1792, and died in 1854. The mother, a na- tive of the State of Delaware, was born in 1802, and died March 17, 1879. Our sub- ject received a common-school education, and at the age of twenty-one learned the trade of a shoemaker. In September, 1857, he came to Gardner, and continued at his trade. In September, 1848, he was married, in Ponu- sylvania, to Miss Mary E. Hart, born in that State January 23, 1823; she died January 22, 1861, and was the mother of five children -George, Henry A. (both deceased), Mary E., John A. and William F. Mr. Coles was again married, April 10, 1862, to Mrs. Mar- tha J. Dunmore, born March 1, 1826; she

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History of Grundy County, Illinois, Part 52

Author: Publication date: 1882 Publisher: Chicago, O. L. Baskin Number of Pages: 506

Author:
Publication date: 1882
Publisher: Chicago, O. L. Baskin
Number of Pages: 506