History of La Salle County, Illinois, Part 134

Author: Hoffman, U. J. (Urias John), b. 1855
Publication date: 1906
Publisher: Chicago : S.J. Clarke Pub. Co.
Number of Pages: 1286

USA > Illinois > LaSalle County > History of La Salle County, Illinois > Part 134

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The subject of this review was born November 21, 1831, in Burlington county, New Jersey, his parents being Jacob and Olive (Clark) Burgess. The mother was born on Cape Cod, Massachu- setts, and the father's birth also occurred in the old Bay state, where they were reared and mar- ried. In 1837 the father brought the family to La Salle county, but S. S. Burgess is now the only surviving member. They drove through from the east after the primitive manner of travel of those days, it requiring six weeks to make the journey, and found here a wild fron- tier district. Ottawa was but a small town and many of the now thriving villages and cities were but crossroads villages or had not yet sprung into existence. In all directions stretched the wild unbroken prairie and on hundreds of acres not a furrow had as yet been turned. There

was little money, to be had in pioneer times and there were many hardships and privations to be endured. Postage was paid by the recipient of letters and an uncle of Mr. Burgess at one time had to allow a letter to remain for three weeks in the postoffice before he secured the money to pay the postage-twenty-five cents. It required six weeks to hear report of battles fought during the Mexican war and communi- cation with the outside world was largely cut off because of the crude methods of transporta- tion at that time. Jacob Burgess at once began to develop and improve his farm but was not long permitted to enjoy his new home, which was then situated on section 31, Vermillion town- ship. He had removed to government land which came into market in 1848, but long prior to this, in 1841, he was called from this life. The first home of the family in this county was a log cabin of one room and the cabins of the other early settlers were widely scattered.

S. S. Burgess was reared upon the frontier amid pioneer environments and shared with the family in all of the difficulties and hardships incidents to such a life. He also aided in the arduous task of developing the land and con- verting it into cultivable fields which would in due course of time bring forth rich harvests. His educational privileges were limited but he made the most of his opportunities and through reading and experience in later years added largely to his knowledge. Deer being very plen- tiful he delighted in hunting and at one time he and Joseph Bullock counted seventy-five deer in sight in what is now Osage township. On this hunting trip they crossed but one wagon road and that was what was known as the Ottawa and Bloomington road.

In early manhood Mr. Burgess was married to Miss Eliza J. Keller, who was born in Ohio and came to La Salle county when a young girl. They have but one child, Elwin S. Burgess, re- siding on a farm in Vermillion township. Po- litically Mr. Burgess was a whig in the days of the existence of the party and upon its dissolu- tion he became a republican, stanchly supporting the organization since. He served as supervisor of Vermillion township for several years and was one of the building committee that erected the new courthouse and jail at Ottawa. He was president of the Wenona Union Fair for eight or nine years during its operation and at all times has been interested in those things which tend to advance the welfare and interests of the community and aid in public progress and im- provement. His wife is a member of the Con- gregational church and they are a most highly esteemed couple, both having resided in this coun-

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ty from pioneer days, so that their memory forms a connecting link between the primitive past and the progressive present. Mr. Burgess has very intimate knowledge of the important events which have shaped the history of the county and re- lates in an interesting manner many of the inci- dents of pioneer life.

Elwin S. Burgess was born in Vermillion town- ship, March 7, 1859, upon the farm which he still operates and which he owns in connection with his father-a farm comprising over a section of land, so that they are numbered among the lead- ing and prosperous agriculturists of their com- munity. Elwin Burgess is now a school director and both father and son are interested in matters pertaining to the general improvement and up- building of the county. The son was married to Miss Mary Adelaide Gallup and they have four children : Joseph Garfield, Pansy Belle, Stokes Harrison and Fern.

PARISH OF THE IMMACULATE CON- CEPTION.

The parish of the Immaculate Conception, of Streator, Illinois, may said to be coeval with the city. Just as soon as the coal fields of Strea- tor commenced to be worked Catholic miners from Pennsylvania came here, and later many Catholics from England, Ireland and Scotland gathered around what was then nothing more than a mining camp. Nearly all the Catholic miners at the time were Irish, or of Irish ex- traction. True to their traditions as Catholics when they found themselves settled in their new home they sought the ministrations of a Catholic priest to attend to their spiritual wants. The Catholic church, ever watchful over her children, soon provided for them a spiritual head in the person of the genial and zealous pastor of Wenona, the Rev. Michael Clarke, who attended them from 1870 to the time of his death, January 9, 1873. Up to this time Streator was attended as an out mission of Wenona. After Father Clarke's death, the Rt. Rev. Bishop Foley, bishop of Chicago, which was then the diocesan seat of Streator, sent the Rev. J. B. McDonough as the first permanent pastor of Streator, giving him besides an out mission of Streator, the parish of Lostant, five miles west of the city. Father Mc- Donough remained in Streator up to the time of his death, which occurred in 1878. During his time in Streator he endeared himself to the peo- pie by his mild, affable manner and charitable disposition. At his death the Rev. M. J. Byrne was appointed, remaining here till 1883. During

his time he built the present rectory and intro- duced the Sisters of Mercy from Ottawa, Illinois, as teachers of the parochial school. It was dur- ing the time Father Byrne was in charge that the German Catholics formed a parish of their own, building a small church in the south part of the town under the direction of the Franciscan fathers, who were afterward succeeded in turn by Father Hansen and Father Gosalko, pastor of the Hungarian parish. After Father Gosalko, the Franciscan fathers again took possession of the parish and have retained it to the present time. Under their administration the parish has grown considerably and they have been able to make im- provements in parish property to the amount of thirty-five or forty thousand dollars.

After Father Byrne left Streator the Rev. H. A. O'Kelly was appointed pastor by Bishop J. L. Spaulding, of Peoria, the parish having passed a few years before from the jurisdiction of Chicago to that of Peoria. The people had now to face the building of a new church, as the old one was too small for the growth of the parish. This work was undertaken by Father O'Kelly, and carried to a successful termination just one year from his entry to the parish. The church is built of brick with terra cotta trimmings and of romanesque style, costing in the neigh- borhood of forty-five thousand dollars. He also founded St. Mary's Hospital and about nine years ago built a handsome brick parochial hall, which serves for parochial entertainments and as quarters for the various parochial societies. It may be also mentioned that since the advent of Father O'Kelly some twenty-four years ago the Slovak parish has been formed and is now in thriving condition, having church, rectory, school and convent. At present the Slovak Catholics are preparing to build a large and expensive church. The mustard seed religion planted here in 1871 has grown into a bush and the humble efforts of a handful of people have been crowned with success.

WELLS M. COOK.

Wells M. Cook, a native of La Salle county, practicing law at the Chicago bar with offices in the First National Bank Building, was born in Mendota, June 30, 1872. His father, Dr. E. P. Cook, was a successful practicing physician of Mendota for forty-seven years,-from 1855 until 1902, when death ended his labors. He had no superior and few equals in the ranks of the medical fraternity in La Salle county and is remembered as the loved family physician in many a household. Two of his sons, Dr. Charles

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PAST AND PRESENT OF LA SALLE COUNTY.

E. Cook and Dr. Edgar P. Cook, are graduates of the Chicago Medical College and are prac- ticing in Mendota.

Wells M. Cook, after completing the course of study of the Mendota public schools, matricu- lated in the Northwestern University and on the completion of a thorough law course was grad- uated with the class of 1896. He was admitted to the bar in June, 1897, and entered upon the practice of law in Chicago. For some time he was with the firm of Winston, Payne & Strawn and then entered upon an independent practice with office in the Reaper Block until the fall of 1905, when he removed his office to the First Na- tional Bank Building. He engages in the gen- eral practice of law and to some extent makes a specialty of corporation law. He served as as- sistant corporation counsel of Chicago in 1902-3, and is recognized as a strong and growing mem- ber of the legal fraternity of that city. He has won for himself very favorable criticism for the careful and systematic methods which he has followed. He throws himself easily and nat- urally into the argument, showing a self-posses- sion and deliberation which indicates no strain- ing after effect ; on the contrary there is a pre- cision and clearness in statement, an acuteness and strength in his argument which speaks a mind trained in a severe school of investigation and to which close reasoning is habitual.

Mr. Cook was married, in 1903, to Miss Mar- gery Allen, of Ogle county, Illinois. He votes with the democracy and belongs to the La Salle County Association, the Illinois Athletic Associa- tion, and City Club, while in Masonry he has taken the degrees of the lodge, chapter, council, commandery and shrine.

JAMES T. MAHER.

James T. Maher, real-estate and tax agent of the Rock Island System, is one of the business men of Chicago that La Salle county has fur- nished to the metropolis of the west. He is a native of Ottawa and a son of Daniel A. Maher, who is now living in Chicago and who at one time was circuit court clerk of La Salle county.

James T. Maher, spending his boyhood and youth in his native city, pursued his education in its public schools and after leaving the high school was for some time employed as a stenog- rapher there. He came to Chicago on the 10th of May, 1892, and took employment as stenogra- pher in the office of Winston & Meagher. He was admitted to the bar, after about three years' reading, on the 29th of March, 1895. He prac-

ticed continuously until 1901, when he became connected with the financial department of Ar- mour & Company, where he was employed until October, 1902, when he entered upon his present association with the Rock Island Railroad Com- pany. He has a number of men in his depart- ment and holds a responsible position. He buys all the right of way, pays all taxes and is re- sponsible for all titles. He has the confidence of the corporation which he represents and has proven his worth in the prompt, faithful and capable discharge of the duties which devolve upon him. He is a member of the Chicago Ath- letic Association and the Midlothian Country Club.

RUFUS B. ROOD.

Rufus B. Rood, city salesman for the Chicago Shipping & Receipt Book Company, of Chicago, was the promoter of the La Salle County As- sociation, which was organized through his in- strumentality, in July, 1887. Loyal to his native county and always interested in its development and progress he formulated a plan whereby its native sons now living in Chicago frequently meet in social gatherings, maintaining the spirit of neighborliness and friendship among those who claim La Salle county as their nativity.

Mr. Rood was born at Sheridan, on the 10th of November, 1851. His father, Levi H. Rood, became a resident of La Salle county in pioneer times, removing from Georgia and reaching his destination on the Ist of May. 1835. He landed in Chicago with three thousand dollars in gold but would not have given it for the whole of Cook county as the business outlook was so discour- aging and apparently without business promise. He was born in Massachusetts, and was a farmer by occupation in early life but later became real- estate and loan agent for the New York capital- ists, including Joseph Batell. He had previous to coming to Illinois engaged in teaching school and in merchandising for fourteen years in Georgia. Casting in his lot with the pioneer resi- dents of La Salle county he lived here in early days amid the environments and scenes of front- ier life and shared in the task of reclaiming the district for the purposes of civilization. He was a well educated man and at one time was a can- didate for representative from La Salle county to the state legislature. He was the first col- lector in Mission township and also held other offices in the township, including that of supervis- or. One of his brothers was at that time school examiner and examined all the teachers for La Salle county. He was the man who bought all

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the land for the farmer from the government and all titles ran from the government to L. Rood in the entire northeastern part of the county. The name of Rood has therefore been associated with general progress and upbuilding in the county from pioneer times.

Rufus B. Rood, afforded liberal educational privileges, was at different times a student in the Fowler Institute at Newark, Illinois, and in the high school and Normal University at Normal, Illinois. After putting aside his text-books he went upon the road as a traveling salesman, con- tinuing in that business for twelve years, during which time he had his residence for five years in Joliet, Illinois. He has at various times visited

the coast and as a salesman on the road has seen many parts of the country. On the Ist of June, 1888, he took up his abode in Chicago, and for many years was agent for the Liability Insurance Company. Since 1900 he has been city salesman for the Chicago Shipping & Receipt Book Com- pany. His entire life has been passed as a sales- man and he is one of the most successful as well as most reliable "knights of the grip."

In 1876 Mr. Rood was united in marriage to Miss Henrietta A. Marks, of De Kalb county, Illinois, whose father was the first merchant at Shabbona Grove. Mr. Rood has been somewhat prominent locally in political circles as a single taxer and at one time was candidate for alderman of the ninetenth ward in Chicago and was state senator from the seventeenth district. He was the organizer of the La Salle County Associa- tion and has ever been one of its most interested, active and helpful members. He is a communi- cant in the Episcopal church and is an enterpris- ing man, whose spirit of progress is manifest in his social as well as his business relations. He is pleasantly located at No. 156 Laflin street, Chi- cago, and has his office at No. 145 La Salle street.

WILLIAM HOUGH.

In no department of business activity in re- cent years has more rapid advancement been made than along agricultural lines, and among those who stand foremost in support of progress and improvement in La Salle county is William Hough, who is carrying on general farming on section 3, Meriden township. He has a fine property, equipped with all modern conveniences for the operation of the fields, for the care of his stock and for the comfort of his family-his be- ing one of the attractive homes of this part of the county.

A native of this county, he was born October 12, 1860, a son of Noah Hough, who was born in England and when a young man came to America. After working for two years in Mas- sachusetts, he made his way to La Salle county in 1858 and was employed by the month for a few years or until he had saved enough to purchase a small farm of forty acres in Meriden township. There was a little farm house upon the place in which the family lived for many years while the father worked industriously to improve the farm and to extend its boundaries. In course of time his diligence resulted in the acquirement of two hundred and twenty acres. His widow, who bore the maiden name of Luvena Ridgley, was a daughter of John Ridgley, one of the early set- tlers of the county, and is now living in Bloom- ington, Illinois, with a granddaughter. There were two children in the family, the younger, Ella, being now the wife of Young Engleheart, of Paw Paw, Illinois.

William Hough well remembers, when living in the little home on his father's first purchase, how the wolves were frequently heard howling at night, while prairie chickens and other wild game were plentiful. He attended the country schools and out of about forty pupils he is the only one who has made a financial success. Nearly all of his life he has engaged in farming and for two years he conducted a hotel in Earlville. For thirteen years he has made his home on his father's old farm which he rents, the estate being still un- divided. Two years ago he purchased one hun- dred and eighty acres of land one mile west of his present residence and now farms this in con- nection with the old homestead property. He has erected at a cost of thirty-two hundred dollars a beautiful residence on that portion which he expects to inherit when the estate is settled. It is heated with hot water and lighted by acetylene gas and there is also a gasoline engine. furnish- ing power for washing and churning.

Mr. Hough is a man of much natural mechan- ical ingenuity and skill and when quite young he learned to run an engine and handle all kinds of machinery. He owns a complete steam-thresh- ing outfit and corn sheller and personally con- ducts this branch of the business during the threshing and shelling season. He is a most industrious man, being often up before daylight and working until after dark with his engine. and his mechanical skill has enabled him to in- troduce many useful devices into his home and onto the farm. He has recently purchased an automobile and is an expert chauffeur. In his farming operations he gives his attention mostly to grain, raising little stock. At one time he and

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his father were engaged in the dairy business, but he has found grain to be more profitable and is conducting a prosperous business as a grain producer, his fields annually returning him large harvests.

In 1884 Mr. Hough was married to Miss Ad- die Edgett, a native of this county and a daughter of Henry Edgett, while her brother, F. M. Ed- gett, is a merchant of Earlville. Mr. and Mrs. Hough are the parents of six children : Bessie, the wife of Albert Heaton, a resident of Sterling ; Ross, Belle, Fern, Willie and Forrest, all at home. The hospitality of the Hough household is great- ly enjoyed by the many friends of the family. In politics Mr. Hough is a republican, but has never been an aspirant for office, preferring to concen- trate his energies upon his business affairs, which, well managed, have brought to him a very de- sirable degree of success, making him a repre- sentative and prosperous agriculturist of his na- tive county.

CHARLES KEMBER.

Charles Kember is one of the extensive land- owners of La Salle county and a business man of marked enterprise, whose watchfulness and utili- zation of opportunity combined with unfaltering diligence and judicious investments have made him prominent in agricultural and business cir- cles. He owns and operates a farm of seven hundred acres with five hundred and fifty-six acres in the home place, and his attention is given to the tilling of the soil and to the raising and feeding of stock. He was born in Serena township, this county, August 22, 1846, and is of English lineage. His father, William Kem- ber, was a native of Kent county, England, born at Chelseafield in the year 1813. Reared in his native land he was there married to Miss Sarah Castle, also a native of England, and in the year 1840 they started for America. After spending two or three years in the state of New York they continued their westward journey to Illinois, ar- riving in La Salle county about 1843. Their financial resources were very limited, Mr. Kember having but ten dollars in money when he arrived in La Salle county. He had traveled across the country with an ox team and on reaching his des- tination he purchased a tract of cheap land such as was for sale by the government homeseekers. His careful management, industry and economy enabled him to meet the payments upon his property and as the years passed by he pros- pered in his undertakings. The entire country- side was wild and unimproved, deer were to be seen in great numbers and they frequently ate

up the garden products. Other hardships and difficulties incident to pioneer life were experi- enced by William Kember in his attempt to subdue the wild land and develop a good farm. Eventually he became the owner of an excellent property, comprising two hundred acres. Upon this place he reared his family, spending his last years here. He belonged to that class of worthy pioneer settlers who knew no such word as fail and who through determination, laudable ambi- tion and enterprise won success. His educa- tional privileges were very meager and he was thus handicapped in his efforts in the business world, but through the reading of books and papers he gained a fair knowledge and his prac- tical experience also added largely to his effi- ciency in business affairs. He became a useful and trustworthy citizen and his aid could always be counted upon to further any measure for the public good. He was very deeply interested in politics and was an unfaltering advocate of the republican party but never served in office save as a member of the school board, preferring to concentrate his energies upon his business affairs, in which he met with signal success. In 1861 Mr. Kember was called upon to mourn the loss of his first wife and sometime afterward he wedded Rachel Brewer, who passed away in 1885. His death had occurred in April, 1882. By his first marriage he was the father of the fol- lowing named : William, who married Kate Reed, served four years as a member of the Union army in the Civil war and died in 1889. Alfred, who married Miss C. Middleton, passed away in 1874. Charles is the third of the family. Albert J. wedded Mary McAtee and died at his home in Oklahoma in 1905. The children of the second marriage are Ralph E., who married An- nie Dolder; Ella, the wife of William Dominy ; Mary, the wife of Lincoln Knight, of Adams township ; and Arthur T., of Earl township, who wedded Nellie Hartham.

No event of special importance occurred to vary the routine of farm life for Charles Kem- ber in his boyhood and youth. At an early age he took his place behind the plow and in the course of time the fields produced good harvests as the result of his care and labor. In the win- ter months he attended the public schools and he continued to give his father the benefit of his services until he reached the age of twenty-two years, when he went to Kansas, hoping that he might enjoy better business opportunities in that state. He located at Burlingame, where he en- gaged in the cattle business, spending four years in Osage county. He bought land there upon which he pastured his herds and at length he sold out and returned to the old homestead, which

CHARLES KEMBER.

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he operated for two or three years. In 1874 he bought one hundred acres of timber land, where he now resides. From this he cleared away the trees, stumps and brush and then broke the land, which he fenced, transforming it into good fields. He continued the work of progress until he had opened up an excellent farm and upon the place he built a good house. As the years passed by he added to his property by additional purchase and now owns seven hundred acres, being the largest landowner in the township. He also has over three hundred acres in Oklahoma which is largely improved. He has thus placed his money in the safest of all investments-real es- tate-and the rich farming lands of La Salle county yield him a splendid financial return. As the years have passed by he has prospered and is now one of the most useful citizens of Serena township. He has likewise extended his activi- ties into other fields of business and is now a stockholder in the Serena, Sheridan and Glen Park banks, and of the second named is a di- rector.

On March 2, 1876, in Osage county, Kansas, Mr. Kember was united in marriage to Miss Winnie A. Granteer, a native of Pennsylvania. who went to Kansas when a young lady. She is a daughter of the late William Granteer, and her mother is now the wife of W. P. Warren, of Serena, Illinois. Unto Mr. and Mrs. Kember have been born three children, Orville H., Jesse E., and Elsie. The elder son assists in the op- eration of the home farm. The second son is married and resides upon the old homestead, and the daughter is now the wife of Louis Dol- der, a resident farmer of Freedom township. Mr. and Mrs. Dolder have one child, Winnifred Elizabeth, born July 8, 1906. Mr. Kember has built to and remodeled the house and now has a large two-story residence, built in attractive style of architecture and supplied with many modern conveniences and equipments, including hot water heat, with acetylene gas for lighting purposes. It is a thoroughly up-to-date resi- dence, lacking in none of the modern accessories which add to the comforts of life. He also has three or four good barns upon his place and he uses the latest improved machinery to facili- tate the work of the fields. The farm has been drained by many rods of tiling and Mr. Kember has planted shade and fruit trees, which add to the value and attractive appearance of his place. He owned the first binder in the township. He was also the owner and operator of a Star thresher and corn sheller, carrying on that work for three years but for ten years his sons have had charge of the business. In his political views Mr. Kember is a stalwart republican and served

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History of La Salle County, Illinois, Part 134

Author: Hoffman, U. J. (Urias John), b. 1855 Publication date: 1906 Publisher: Chicago : S.J. Clarke Pub. Co. Number of Pages: 1286

Author: Hoffman, U. J. (Urias John), b. 1855
Publication date: 1906
Publisher: Chicago : S.J. Clarke Pub. Co.
Number of Pages: 1286