USA > Illinois > Kane County > History of Kane County, Ill. Volume II > Part 19
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Dr. Susan K. Whitford then returned to her home in Elgin and soon confronted the situation that those who were willing to enjoy her services and ministrations as a nurse and medical attention gratuitously were not
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willing to accede her right to a place in the medical fraternity as a physician or to employ her in that capacity. It was some time before she could over- come the general prejudice but in the course of years she proved herself qualified as well as any of her brethren of the medical fraternity and in fact showed qualities in practice which many a male member of the profession does not possess. She has the intuition which is one of woman's strongest points and added to this was a womanly tenderness and skill which, combined with her broad scientific and technical training, rendered her most ably quali- fied for practice. She has state certificates to practice in Iowa and Florida, having practiced in those states at different times.
As the years passed several children were added to the household of Henry K. and Susan K. Whitford, namely: Jessie E., who was born Sep- tember 20, 1856, and in August, 1876, became the wife of Henry Lea, of Woodstock, by whom she has three children; Henry Edgar, who was born November 20, 1859, and following his graduation from the Chicago Eclectic Medical College has been two years a student in the University of Edinburgh, Scotland, while at present he is successfully practicing at Englewood, Illi- nois : Susie, born October 16, 1862; and Nell Newell, who was born October 16, 1872, and died when three years of age.
Dr. Susan K. Whitford has not only demonstrated her right to a place in professional ranks because of her skill and ability, but has also proven the fact that while a woman may be eminent in the line of professions she can at the same time be a model mother and home maker. Her home has long been one of the most attractive of Elgin in its cordial hospitality and good cheer as well as in its many evidences of refined and cultured taste as seen in its beautiful and artistic furnishings. Mrs. Whitford has, moreover, been very active in temperance work and in charity, giving freely to the poor and needy and working at all times for those interests which uplift and benefit humanity.
LYSANDER PERRY.
Lysander Perry, deceased, was born in New Hampshire July 9. 1819, his parents being Elijah and Diana Perry, the former also a native of the Granite state, where his birth occurred in 1791. He was a farmer by occupation, and passed away at Dundee, Kane county, Illinois, in 1869.
Lysander Perry acquired his education in the public schools of his native state and on starting out in life for himself he followed the occupation of farming in the summer months, while in the winter season he was engaged in teaching school in the east. In 1855 he removed westward, taking up his abode on a farm at Dundee, Kane county, but still continued the profession of teaching in the winter seasons. About 1863 he purchased a farm of one hundred and sixty acres and was successfully engaged in its cultivation until 1871, when he removed to Elgin, here living a retired life until the time of his death, on the 5th of April, 1885.
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Mr. Perry was twice married. He first wedded Miss Almina Sprague, who passed away in 1858. The record of their children is as follows : Parker, who married Miss Julia Perry, had one child. Arthur. Elliott D. makes his home in California. Almina became the wife of George Tuck, by whom she has two children: Bertha, and Myrtle, who married Frank Bauman. and has two children, Roy and Fred. Melvin Walker has one child, Helen. On the 14th of April, 1869. Mr. Perry was again married. his second union being with Mrs. Almira Jones, the widow of Elias S. Jones, and a daughter of Hiram and Olive ( Brown) McAlister. By her first husband Mrs. Perry had one child, Elias H. Jones, who wedded Katherine Halpin, by whom he has five children. Roy, Maud, Harry, Olive and Elmer.
In his political views Mr. Perry was a stanch republican, while his religious faith was indicated by his membership in the Baptist church, in the work of which he took an active and helpful part. His death was the occasion of deep and widespread regret, for he was widely recognized as an upright and honorable citizen and had an extensive circle of friends in the community.
FRANK E. ANDERSON.
Frank E. Anderson, proprietor of a garage in Aurora, was born in Sweden, near Ljungby, November 25, 1874. His parents were Andrew and Christine (Trofast) Anderson, both of whom were natives of Sweden. They became parents of thirteen children, six sons and seven daughters, of whom nine are now living: Tillie, the wife of Nels Ekstrand, of Aurora; Gust, also of this city; Frank, who makes his home in Aurora; Hilma, a resident of Sweden; Carl and Fred, of Aurora; Emma, who makes her home in Sweden; Ida, also of that country; and Aaron, of Sweden. The father of this family has always been a carpenter and cabinet maker and now lives at Horda, Sweden. Both he and his wife are members of the Lutheran church. He was a son of Carl Anderson and his wife a daughter of Soloman Trofast. both natives of Sweden.
Frank E. Anderson was reared in the land of his nativity to the age of eighteen years, spending his boyhood days upon a farm, while the country schools afforded him his educational opportunities. In the school of exper- ience, however, he has since learned many valuable lessons. In 1892, attracted by the opportunities of the new world, he came to America, settling first at Geneva, Illinois, where he worked for six months in a foundry. He also spent a similar period in a coopering establishment, and in 1893 came to Aurora, where for one year he was employed by the Aurora Cooperage Company. On the expiration of that period he began learning the machinst's trade, which he followed for about seven years. He then went into the bicycle busi- ness as a dealer and manufacturer and made wheels to order. In 1906 he opened a garage which he is still conducting and in this he has met with a liberal patronage as the years have passed. The automobile is continually
FRANK E. ANDERSON
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increasing in number, becoming almost as frequent a sight on the street as the horse and carriage. He handles the Rambler and White Steamer, both new and second-hand.
Mr. Anderson was married to Miss Anna Nelson, a daughter of N. P. and Nellie Nelson. Their home, at No. 357 Palace street, has been blessed with three children, Arnold. Arthur and Agnes. Mr. Anderson belongs to the Swedish Methodist Episcopal church, and is chairman of the board of trustees. He also holds membership with the Elks lodge, No. 705, and the Sons of the North, a fraternal organization. He has never yet found occasion to regret his determination to come to the new world, for in this land of opportunity he has made steady advancement in the business world and is now in control of a good business.
AUGUST SCHEELE.
The people of Elgin are to be congratulated upon a character of such excellent development, such purity of purpose and such devotion to the high- est ethics of commercial life as are exhibited in the history of August Scheele, who by his own unaided efforts has arisen to a position of distinction in connection with the commercial interests of the city. Denied many of the advantages which many men enjoy in boyhood and youth, he has never- theless, by the inherent force of his character and his strong determination, gained prominence and prosperity that many might well envy.
He was born near Hanover, Germany, August 22, 1859, a son of Frederick and Charlotte (Eberhardt) Scheele, also natives of the same locality. The father was a laboring man, who died in Germany. In that country August Scheele pursued his education to the age of thirteen years, or early in 1873, when he came to America with a friend, August Abel- mann, who at that time was visiting in the old country, whence he returned to America. They landed at New York city and Mr. Scheele made his way direct to Elgin, where he arrived on the Ist of March, 1873. His financial condition rendered it imperative that he gain immediate employment and he began working on a farm near the city, continuing his labors in the fields all through the summer months, while in the winter seasons he was afforded the opportunity of attending the district schools. He was thus laying the foundation in energy, industry and education for his future success.
In 1878 Mr. Scheele became a resident of Elgin and entered the employ of the firm of Grote & Ettner, general merchants, with whom he remained for about seven years. During this time he gained comprehensive familiarity with business methods, for he had gradually worked his way upward to posi- tions involving greater and greater responsibility. He had become imbued, too, with the ambition to establish a business of his own, and in 1885 formed a partnership with Ed J. Kiest and purchased the grocery department of the firm of Grote & Ettner. They continued the business in the basement of the Fosgate Hotel block, where they remained until 1893, when they removed
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to the quarters on the first floor of the same block. Three years later their trade had so increased that they secured enlarged space by taking in the adjoining store, which they occupied until October, 1903. In the previous year Mr. Scheele had purchased his present site, which was then a vacant lot and upon this he erected the fine business block which he now occupies.
In 1889 he had purchased Mr. Kiest's interest, and conducted the trade under his own name until he incorporated, forming a stock company known as the August Scheele Company. The present officers are August Scheele. president : Harold A. Scheele, secretary ; and E. E. Redeker, treasurer ; while D. W. Scheele and Albert Engdahl are also stockholders. On the 21st of October, 1902, the new store was opened and here they have since carried an extensive line of fancy and staple groceries and bakery goods. It is the largest concern of the kind in this section of the state outside of Chicago. The business is carried on in first-class style, and the trade has reached mam- moth proportions, owing, not alone to the excellence of the goods handled, but also by reason of the straightforward, honorable business principles which have ever been followed in the conduct of the enterprise. Mr. Scheele started with very limited capital, but he was soon recognized as one thoroughly reliable in all his dealings, who gave to his customers the best goods for the money, and today his word among his many patrons is regarded as sufficient guarantee for any article.
On the 27th of September. 1881, occurred the marriage of Mr. Scheele and Miss Martha Krueger, a native of Niagara county, New York. born in 1863. They have four sons : Harold A., Arthur R., Donald C. and Leslie F. The family are members of the German Evangelical church. Mr. Scheele has never sought political honors, yet manifests a public-spirited interest in matters of citizenship and the consensus of public opinion regarding him in every relation of life is altogether favorable. Throughout Elgin and wherever he is known in business circles he is spoken of in terms of admiration and respect. His life has been one of unfaltering activity and of honorable pur- pose, and his mercantile career has ever been such as would bear the closest investigation and scrutiny.
JANE C. TRULL, M.D.
Dr. Jane C. Trull, who has won for herself a place among the capable and successful physicians of Elgin, was born in Decatur, Illinois, in 1870. Her early education was pursued as a public-school student of Dupage county, Illinois, and also in Elgin Academy. Her father, Albert D. Trull, was station agent at Wayne, this state, and having a natural instinct for telegraphy, she took up the study at Elgin and continued for several years as an operator at different stations. Later she was also ticket seller for the Chicago & Northwestern Railroad at Kinzie street in Chicago for a few years and in the meantime she devoted her evening hours to the study of law in the Chicago College of Law, from which she was graduated and in 1900 was admitted to
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practice. She then entered the law office of Benjamin Staunton of Chicago, where she did clerical work and took such cases as she could secure. A year, however, convinced her that the profession was not to her liking and she took up the study of medicine, completing a course in the Bennett Medical College of Chicago by graduation in 1905. She was for one year interne at the Bennett Hospital and thus added to her theoretical training the broad practical experience of hospital work.
In September, 1906, Dr. Trull located for practice in Elgin, where she has since remained and has built up a very lucrative business in the two years which have since passed. In the handling of many difficult cases she has displayed her skill and ability and, added to her comprehensive knowledge of the science of medicine, she possesses the true womanly tenderness and sym- pathy which are so essential as factors in the care and treatment of the sick. In professional lines she is connected with the Elgin's Physicians' Club, the Fox River Valley Medical Association, the American Medical Association and the State Eclectic Society.
Dr. Trull deserves great credit for what she has accomplished in that she provided the funds necessary to pay her expenses both through the law col- lege and the Bennett Medical College. She is a valued member of the Women's Club, of the Eastern Star, the Rebekah Lodge, the Woman's Relief Corps and the Royal Neighbors of America, and of the last named is one of the examining physicians.
DAVID H. BUTLER.
The greatness of a city does not depend upon its machinery of govern- ment or even upon the men who control its municipal affairs, but upon the character of its citizens as a whole, and the real upbuilders of a community are they who establish and control successful legitimate enterprises, in which connection David H. Butler is well known in Elgin, where he represents one of the important industrial interests as the president of the National Soap Company.
He was born in Cayuga, New York, January 18, 1832, a son of Liberty W. and Permelia (Polhamas) Butler, who were natives of Vermont and New Jersey respectively. The father was a blacksmith, as was also the grandfather. Realizing the benefit of education, the father offered to his children good opportunities in that direction and David H. Butler attended the Alfred and Rogersville Seminaries, New York. In 1855 he engaged in teaching in a rural school, but the following year sought a home in the west, believing that better opportunities were afforded in this new, but rapidly growing section of the country. He first made his way to Hastings, Minne- sota, where he worked at the carpenter's trade, and in 1858 he removed to Dundee, Illinois, where he taught school for two and a half years. The succeeding two years were devoted to general agricultural pursuits, after which he purchased a store at Dundee, where he remained for some time. On
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selling out he went to Huntley, where for ten years he engaged in merchan- dising, and in 1874 he located in Elgin, where he engaged in the flour and feed business for about sixteen years. In 1893 he established the Elgin National Soap Company, of which he has since been the president. He began operations on a small scale, but the business has constantly grown and developed until it has now assumed large and profitable proportions. In 1906 it was incorporated with David H. Butler as president ; J. M. Manley. secretary : E. H. Butler, treasurer ; and H. S. Butler, assistant. They manu- facture common bar soap, including the Drummer brand, and toilet soaps, Klondike washing powder and National washing soda. Other brands include the Blue Jacket and Gilt Edge chip soaps, and their output is marketed all over the country, there being a large sale in Chicago. The manufactured product is of excellent grade for the price at which it is put upon the market. and this, combined with the reliability of the house, lias secured an extensive trade.
In 1856 Mr. Butler was married to Miss Mary E. Sharp, of Hornellsville, New York, and they have six children : Charles H., of Frankfort, Kansas; Frank E., who resides in Chicago; Herbert S., of Elgin; Mrs. F. B. Cornell, Ernest J. and Bertha M., all living in Elgin.
Mr. Butler is numbered among the representative residents of Elgin. There is no rule for achieving success. The man who can rise from the ranks to a position of eminence is he who can see and utilize the oppor- tunities that surround his path. This Mr. Butler has done, and as the years have gone by he has so ably utilized his advantages that he stands today among the successful and respected men of his adopted city.
E. A. BELL.
E. A. Bell occupies the responsible position of superintendent of the power house of the Aurora, Elgin & Chicago Railway. His technical train- ing and practical knowledge well equip him for this position, and his ability is recognized by those whom he represents. Numbered among the native sons of New York, he was born at Sandy Creek in Oswego county, July 8, 1876. and was educated in the Sandy Creek Academy. After leaving school he took up the study of electrical engineering through the Scranton Corre- spondence School and later finished the course. In 1901 he came to the west and settled at St. Charles. Kane county, Illinois, where he was employed in the city electrical plant. There he remained for two years, and on the 5th of March. 1903, he came to Elgin as engineer at the plant of the Aurora, Elgin & Chicago Railway. In 1905 he was promoted to the superintendency of the plant, which position he has since filled, having charge of the power controlling all of the Elgin city street cars, the city lighting, the motor power. and, in fact, all of the electrical power for the city. In 1905 the company consolidated with what was known as the city lighting plant, and took over their system, which gave them control of all of the electric power in Elgin.
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On the 10th of April, 1902, Mr. Bell was united in marriage to Miss Edna E. Pierce, of Elgin. He is well known socially as a member of the Masonic fraternity, the Benevolent & Protective Order of Elks, the Independ- ent Order of Odd Fellows and the Riverside Club. Pleasant and genial in manner, he has made many friends and is widely and favorably known in Elgin. When he left school and looked over the field of business he determined to devote his life to electrical work and to this end made thorough preparation. Gradually he has worked his way upward through his ability, and now fills one of the most important positions of the electric railway system. It is a well known fact that the essential conditions of life are ever the same; the surroundings of individuals differ but slightly, and when one man passes another on the highway of life it is because he has the power to use advantages which probably encompass the whole human race. Mr. Bell had no assistance, as he started out in life for himself, and yet he stands today as one of the prominent business men of Elgin.
O. B. RYSTROM.
O. B. Rystrom is manager and one of the stockholders in the Bauer Jewelry Company of Elgin. Throughout his business career he has been connected with this line of trade and his thorough familiarity therewith, combined with keen discernment in bringing to a successful issue whatever he undertakes, has made him most capable in his present position of administration and executive control.
Mr. Rystrom is a native of Geneva, this county, his birth having there occurred on the 26th of January, 1884. His parents are Andrew and Mary (Lundgren) Rystrom, both of whom are natives of Sweden but at an early day came to America and established their home in Geneva. They are now residents of Elgin.
O. B. Rystrom pursued his education in the public schools of this city and in his boyhood days entered the employ of L. H. Bauer, so that his first experience in the jewelry line was in connection with the house which he now manages. He remained there for three years, after which he engaged with Otto Young & Company, wholesale jewelers of Chicago, with whom he continued for two years. He then returned to Elgin and became manager of the Bauer Jewelry Company, of which he is also a stockholder. This business was established about 1888 by L. H. Bauer, who remained at its head until his death in 1904, when Mr. Rystrom assumed control. In this position he has shown great aptitude in conducting so extensive and profitable a business. The stock carried by the house consists of diamonds and other precious stones, both set and unset, watches, clocks, gold and suver jewelry of artistic designs and great value and in fact everything usually carried by such a house. They also do all manner of expert watch and jewelry repairing, employing most skilled workmen. The interests of the house are most ably conducted and the business has prospered under the management of Mr. Rystrom. They
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occupy a fine store in the Sherwin block and Mr. Rystrom keeps thoroughly in touch with the trade, knowing of the latest designs that are placed upon the market in jewelry. precious stones, silverware and cut glass.
The religious faith of Mr. Rystrom is indicated by his membership in the English Lutheran church. He is a young man but has already attained a creditable place in the business world and, judging from the past, his friends readily prophesy a still more prosperous and progressive future.
GEORGE M. PECK.
To those familiar with the history of George M. Peck it will seem trite to say that he has worked his way upward from a humble position in the commercial world. yet it is only justice to say in a history that will descend to future generations that his has been a record which any man might be proud to possess. Throughout his entire career he has never incurred obliga- tions that he has not met nor made engagements that he has not filled and he commands the respect of his colleagues and the admiration of his contem- poraries. He stands today at the head of the leading department store of Elgin and he is not only known as a most successful and progressive merchant but also as a considerate employer and business man, many of his associates testifying in strong terms to his kindness of heart. finding in him not only a safe adviser but also one whose counsel is not that of words alone.
Mr. Peck was born in Dundee. Kane county, on the 14th of August, 1843. his parents being George J. and Marietta ( Mansfield ) Peck. of Schenec- tady. New York. Both were of English descent and represented old New York families. They became residents of Illinois in pioneer times. estab- lishing their home at Dundee, where the father devoted his energies to general agricultural pursuits.
George M. Peck spent his early youth on his father's farm but when only twelve years of age came to Elgin, where he sought and found employ- ment as a clerk in a dry-goods store. He attended the common schools and also pursued a course in a Chicago business college. He was but seventeen years of age when in the fall of 1861 he enlisted in the Union army for service in the Civil war, remaining at the front for three years. Such were the hardships and rigors of war. however, that when mustered out in : 864 he left the army with impaired health and two years passed ere he was able to again resume the active duties of life. When sufficiently recovered he completed his commercial education and again secured a clerkship in a store. He has been identified with business interests on his own account since 1867 and gradually has worked his way upward until he stands today as one of the most prominent and prosperous merchants of Elgin.
The establishment of George M. Peck is known to all who know aught of this city. It is the largest mercantile enterprise of the county and his stock is most extensive. He utilizes a four-story building known as the Peck block at Nos. 38 and 40 Grove avenue. The building is forty-four by
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one hundred and eighty-three and a half feet and this gives him extensive floor space. The store is handsomely appointed and well arranged and every convenience and comfort for patrons is at hand. The stock embraces a com- prehensive assortment of the most fashionable and seasonable goods of for- eign and American looms, including dress goods, silks, ready made ladies' garments, cloaks, fancy goods, underwear and hosiery specially made to order. They also carry a fine line of millinery, furnishing goods, trunks, bags, car- pets, rugs, curtains, table linens, notions and trimmings, and a fine shoe department, containing ladies' and children's shoes, is one of the attractive features of their establishment. The house has an extensive trade and the business is constantly growing. It has been located at the present site for the past thirteen years and the volume of trade is indicated somewhat by the fact that forty salesmen are employed. The goods are selected with great care, are attractively displayed and with the business Mr. Peck is familiar in every department, giving it his personal attention and management.
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