History of La Salle County, Illinois, Part 146

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

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years of his residence here was an active and prominent factor in public affairs relating to the material, political, intellectual and moral prog- ress of the community .. In 1882 he was one of the incorporators of the Plumb Hotel Company and acted as one of its directors for a number of years. He was a Master Mason, his mem- bership being in Streator lodge, No. 607, A. F. & A. M., and both he and his wife belonged to Christ Episcopal church, of Streator, in which he served for a considerable period as senior warden. His life was honorable and upright, his actions manly and sincere and all who knew him entertained for him warm regard, while in his death the community lost a valued citizen and Streator one of its old-time honored mer- chants.

In the public schools of Streator Edward S. Holmes acquired his education and on putting aside his text-books became his father's assist- ant in the store and afterward admitted to a partnership, which relation was maintained up to the time of the father's death, since which time Edward S. Holmes has been managing the business. He has a well equipped store supplied with a large and carefully selected line of dry goods, groceries, shoes and other merchandise and is enjoying a liberal patronage which is justly merited because of the honorable business policy that has always been maintained and the earnest effort that is made to please the patrons.

Mr. Holmes of this review has never cared for public office, preferring to concentrate his energies upon his business interests, in which he is now meeting with signal success. He is well known socially, however, and belongs to Streator lodge, No. 607, A. F. & A. M .; Strea- tor chapter, No. 168, R. A. M .; and Finley lodge, No. 182, K. P. He is likewise a member of the Streator Club and is a communicant of Christ Episcopal church. Having always re- sided in this city he is well known here as a gentleman of excellent business qualities and personal worth, who has a large circle of friends and well merits their kindly regard.

HENRY BROWN EBNER, D. D. S.

Henry Brown Ebner, successfully engaged in the practice of dental surgery in Tonica. was born in Putnam county, Illinois, in 1868. His father, Andrew J. Ebner, was a native of Phila- delphia, Pennsylvania, and came to Illinois in 1860, at which time he took up his abode in Putnam county. He is a carpenter by trade and followed that pursuit in early life, but subse-

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PAST AND PRESENT OF LA SALLE COUNTY.

quently turned his attention to farming and for a considerable period was an enterprsing agricul- turist of this locality. In more recent years, how- ever, he has retired from active business life and is now enjoying well earned rest in Tonica, where he took up his abode in 1900. His resi- dence in La Salle county dates from 1869, when he became a farmer of Eden township. He had previously served his country as a soldier in the Civil war from 1861 until 1863, when he was wounded at the battle of Stone River, being shot through the body and disabled for further ser- vice. He held the rank of sergeant and was afterward promoted to color bearer of Company C of the Forty-fourth Illinois Volunteer In- fantry. He is now a member of the Grand Army of the Republic and in his political views is an advocate of the republican party, which was the champion of the Union in the dark days of the Civil war and has always stood for progress and improvement. He married Miss Martha Mc- Pherson, who died in 1890, at the age of forty years in the faith of the Congregational church, of which she had long been a consistent member.

Dr. Ebner, the eldest in a family of eight chil- dren, acquired his early education in the public schools of Tonica, afterward continued his studies in Bloomington and, preparing for his chosen profession, was graduated from the Chi- cago College of Dental Surgery in the class of 1901. He began practice in Tonica and has con- tinued an active member of the profession with excellent success, having now a liberal patronage.

In 1902, Dr. Ebner was married to Miss Edith M. Smith, of Chicago, and they have one child, a son, Milton Dudley, who was born in 1904. Dr. Ebner is a member of the Masonic fraternity and votes with the republican party.

DANIEL HERLIHY.

Business ability, strength of character and ca- pacity for successful management find recogni- tion everywhere, and thus it is that the sons of La Salle county have won their way to many places of prominence in the western metropolis. Daniel Herlihy, formerly of La Salle county, is now. with a company constructing engines, has been a leading factor in the Catholic Order of Foresters and is equally prominent and influ- ential in democratic circles, serving at the pres- ent writing, in 1906, as alderman from the twen- ty-eighth ward of Chicago. He was born in the city of La Salle, in 1860, his parents being Daniel and Margaret (McCarthy) Herlihy. Both parents were born in Ireland and came to La

Salle county, Illinois, before they were married. They located in Ottawa at an early day, Mr. Herlihy making his home in the embryonic city when Shabbona informed the people of the Black Hawk massacre. He afterward removed to La Salle, subsequently returned to the county seat and still later took up his abode in Mar- seilles, where he died. By trade he was a shoe- maker. His widow still survives and is now living in Chicago, and in the family are two brothers and two sisters of our subject, who are also living in Chicago, while one brother makes his home in Indiana and a sister in Ohio.

Daniel Herlihy was educated in the schools of Ottawa and Marseilles, acquiring, however, a limited education in that way, as necessity forced him to enter upon his business career when he was thirteen years of age. He began work in Chicago as an engineer and subsequently was on the board of examiners of engineers. In early life he was employed in the paper mills and after- ward went to Fort Wayne, Indiana, where he had charge of similar enterprises.

Mr. Herlihy was married to Miss Charlotte Richardson, of New Orleans, a daughter of Elias Richardson, who became a resident of Marseilles, Illinois, and afterward removed to Chicago, where he is now living. Unto Mr. and Mrs. Herlihy have been born six children: Daniel Elias, who is with the Illinois Steel Company; Theodore William, who is in the office of the Illinois Steel Company, being a very bright boy and speaking several languages, for which reasons the com- pany is now giving him a course in chemistry ; Erin, Norman, Charlotte and Jerome, who com- plete the family.

Mr. Herlihy is now connected with a company of constructing engineers. He has been promi- nent in fraternal circles and was for ten years a leading representative of the Catholic Order of Foresters, acting for several years as state trus- tee. He is likewise a member of the Royal Ar- canum, the Maccabees of the World, the Engi- neers Union and the Knights of Columbus. His political allegiance is given to the democracy and he has always taken an active part in politics, In 1903 he was candidate for alderman of the twenty-eighth ward of Chicago, his opponent be- ing Walter Raymer, who defeated him by a vote of only three hundred majority, although the ward usually gives a republican majority of twelve hundred. In 1906 he was again nomi- nated and with Mr. Roth as the republican candi- date he won the election by six hundred and fifty- eight votes. He resides at No. 1528 North Albany avenue, Chicago, where he has a fine home. He is well known in political circles of the city and his rise in the world is due entirely

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PAST AND PRESENT OF LA SALLE COUNTY.

to his own efforts, for, starting out for himself at the early age of thirteen years, he has worked his way steadily upward, improving his varied opportunities for advancement.

THEODORE H. GEBHARDT.

Theodore H. Gebhardt is conducting a pros- perous business as proprietor of a department store in Lostant. He brought to the new world the enterprise and persistency of purpose char- acteristic of his German ancestry and has man- ifested many of those sterling traits which have marked the Teutonic race. His birth occurred in Germany in 1863, his parents being Henry and Johanna (Schunter) Gebhardt, who were likewise natives of that country. The mother was born in the city of Schoening, Brunswick, and in the year 1868 the parents came to the United States, locating in Odell, Illinois, where Mr. Gebhardt purchased a farm and became prosperous. He died February 13, 1880, at the age of sixty-three years and his wife, long sur- viving him, departed this life March 2, 1906, at the age of eighty-two years. They were both members of the Lutheran church and Mr. Geb- hardt was a democrat in his political affiliation. In their family were eight children: Augusta, the wife of John Wright and a resident of Okla- homa, where she owns considerable property and is known as a capable business woman; Fred- erick, who is engaged in merchandising in Odell, Illinois : Charles, a merchant of Cabery, Illi- nois ; William, a carpenter of Odell, Illinois ; Fer- dinand, a ranchman of Greeley county, Ne- braska: August, who is associated with his brother Ferdinand ; Theodore H. ; and Mary, the wife of George Scott, an attorney in Greeley Center, Nebraska.

Theodore H. Gebhardt pursued his education in the schools of Odell and in his youth per- formed such labor as was consistent with his age and strength. In 1887, when twenty-four years of age, he engaged in the clothing busi- ness, in which he continued successfully until March 10, 1902. He then went to Lee county, where he owned and operated two farms, spend- ing a year in their improvement and cultiva- tion. On the expiration of that period he re- turned to Odell and in March, 1903, purchased the department store of E. D. Whipple, of Los- tant, where he has since been conducting an ex- cellent business. He carries a general line of dry goods, groceries, boots and shoes, rubber goods, men's furnishings, carpets, etc. The busi- ness is conducted in a two-story brick block,

fifty by one hundred and thirty-five feet, on'a prominent corner in the village and the trade is annually growing and has already assumed extensive proportions owing to the straightfor- ward business methods of the owner, his earnest effort to please his patrons and the well selected line of general merchandise which he carries. He is moreover a stockholder in the Central Illinois Insurance Company and still owns a farm in Lee county, comprising two hundred and twenty acres of fine land.

Mr. Gebhardt was married to Miss Margaret Bruce, of Ottawa, and they have become the par- ents of seven children: Harry H., who is as- sociated with his father in business; Jennetta ; Sidney, who died July 29, 1904, at the age of twelve years, ten months and sixteen days ; Fred ; Herbert : Theodore; and Bruce.

Mrs. Gebhardt is a member is a member of the Congregational church and Mr. Gebhardt attends the services of the Methodist Episcopal church. He belongs to the Modern Woodmen camp and in politics is a republican. He has held some minor township offices and is now a member of the village board of Lostant. He has made a creditable business record, advancing steadily step by step until he is now occupying a position of prominence and trust. Through his entire business career he has been looked upon as a model of integrity and honor, never making an engagement that he has not fulfilled and standing today an example of what de- termination and force, combined with the high- est degree of business reliability, can accomplish for a man of strength of character and natural business capacity. He is respected by the com- munity at large and honored by his business associates.

GEORGE HENRY PRIDEAUX.

George Henry Prideaux, bookkeeper in the wholesale dry-goods house of Carson, Pirie, Scott Company, of Chicago, is one of the enter- prising young business men that La Salle county has furnished to the western metropolis. He was born in Durham, England, December 29, 1880. a son of Stephen and Jane (Gay) Pri- deaux. The paternal grandparents were Stephen and Jane (Goad) Prideaux, both of whom were natives of Cornwall, England, where they spent their entire lives, the grandfather be- ing engaged in the manufacture of boots and shoes. He died at the age of fifty-six years, while his wife passed away in 1904. They were the parents of three sons and three daughters. of whom four are yet living, the eldest being

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Stephen Prideaux, father of our subject. The others are: Jane, the wife of William H. Clark, a resident of Bristol, England ; Emily ; Elizabeth, who died in England; Henry, who is living in Pittsburg, Pennsylvania ; and James, who died in Africa.

The father of our subject was born in Cornwall, England, on the 29th of June, 1847, a represent- ative of the old substantial Britain stock. He was educated in his native country and came to America with his family in 1889, settling in Streator, Illinois. In England he had been en- gaged in tin mining and when he came to the new world he turned his attention to coal min- ing but lost his health in that business and in November, 1900, removed to Chicago, opening a restaurant at No. 4311 Cottage Grove avenue, where he conducted business for a short time. While in Streator he held membership in the Park Presbyterian church and his political alle- giance is given to the republican party. He was an officer of the law and was a member of the Church of England. On the 29th of July, 1868, he married Miss Elizabeth Jane Gay, who was born in Devonshire, England, October 20, 1849, and died April 24, 1905, in Chicago. They were married in Christ church at the parish of New Seaham, Durham county, England. Mrs. Pri- deaux was the daughter of George and Mary Gay, both natives of Devonshire. Her father was a miner in England, and in 1878 came to America, settling in Streator, where he fol- lowed mining until 1883, when he turned his attention to farming. He was thus engaged until 1888 and he spent his last days in retirement in Streator, enjoying there a well earned rest until his death, which occurred in 1899, when he was seventy-one years of age. His widow still lives in Streator at the age of seventy-eight vears. In their family were thirteen children, six of whom survive: William, a resident of Streator ; Ann Maria; John, living in Iowa; Mary, who is in England ; Fannie, also of Eng- land; and Albert Edward, whose home is in Streator, Illinois.

Unto Mr. and Mrs. Stephen Prideaux were born nine children, seven of who mare living: Stephen, of England; Elizabeth, who was born in England and is the wife of John Locket. a resident of Milwaukee, Wisconsin ; Emily, who was born in England and is the wife of George W. Gilbert, of Chicago; Helen, the wife of Ammon Wesner, of Chicago, by whom she has a daughter, Mildred H .: George H., of this re- view ; and Henrietta and Lambert, who were born in Streator.

George Henry Prideaux was a youth of nine years when the family left England and came to

the United States. He settled with his parents in Streator and was educated in the public and high schools there. With the family he removed to Chicago, in 1899, and entered the employ of the Boston store as bookkeeper. In 1900 he be- came bookkeeper of the wholesale dry-goods house of Carson, Pirie, Scott & Company, with which he has since been connected. He has mu- sical talent of superior order and has acted as organist of the Emanuel Baptist church. He is also a fine singer and belongs to a quartette. His musical talent is indicated by the fact that he" re- ceived from the Chicago Musical College a scholarship free on account of the ability which he has displayed in this direction.

E. B. WILLIAMS.

E. B. Williams, who is now owner of the elec- tric light plant of the village of Grand Ridge and has for many years figured prominently in business circles in this county, still owns a large farm in Farm Ridge township but for seven years has made his home in the town. His birth occurred in Farm Ridge township, in 1858, his parents being Professor Rinaldo and Mary ( Baldwin ) Williams. The father was born in Rhode Island, and was a direct descend- ant of Roger Williams. In the state of his na- tivity he was reared. His father was a cotton manufacturer there, and owing to the destruc- tion by fire of his father's mill, Rinaldo Wil- liams was thrown upon his own resources at the age of sixteen years. He came to La Salle county, Illinois, when about twenty years of age and was engaged in teaching school in Farm Ridge township for two or three years. Fol- lowing his marriage he turned his attention to general agricultural pursuits in this township and in course of time acquired a large acreage, and conducted farming and stock-raising on an ex- tensive scale. He was a man of broad, general culture and served as superintendent of the schools of La Salle county for ten years, while subsequently he became a principal of the Strea- tor high school for eleven or twelve years. He was always a great reader and discriminating stu- lent and through his investigations and re- searches became a man of much more than ordi- nary culture and knowledge. He found much delight in the study of botany and assisted in making a collection of plants for the county. As the years passed by he secured a very broad education and was elected president of the library board of Streator, in which position he contin- ued until his death, which occurred in Novem-

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ber, 1901, when he was almost seventy-one years of age. He was the first secretary of the Farm Ridge and Deer Park Fire Insurance Company, and at one time he taught in Farm Ridge Semi- nary, which was located on his father-in-law's farm. He was a most prominent and highly esteemed citizen and as an educator he ranked with many of the ablest representatives of the profession in this part of the state. He married Miss Mary Baldwin, a daughter of Elmer Bald- win, who was the author of a history of La Salle county. Mrs. Williams was born in Connect- icut, and came to La Salle county with her fa- ther and the family in 1834. Here she remained for more than six decades and died in April, 1906, when more than sixty-five years of age. In the family were three sons. C. H. Williams is now a resident of Streator, while H. B. Wil- liams is located at Portland, Oregon. He is a graduate of the State University, at Champaign, Illinois, having been the first to complete a course in the mining engineering department. He aft- erward went to Pittsburg, Kansas, and was en- gineer for the Vermillion Coal Company of Streator. Later he removed to Castle Gate, Utah, where he was engineer and subsequently superintendent of a large mine there. He is now interested in a mining property in Idaho and also in a manufacturing enterprise at Port- land for making turpentine, pitch, tar, charcoal and other marketable commodities from the fir tree. He now has a plant in course of construc- tion at Portland and is the patentee of a retort to use in connection with this work, being a chemist as well as an engineer. Portland is practically his home, although his business in- terests frequently call him to other sections of the country.

E. B. Williams was reared in Farm Ridge township and attended school taught by his fa- ther and others. He continued his studies in Ottawa, and later at Wheaton, Illinois, where he spent one year, after which he was for two years a student in the State University. Since entering upon his business career he has largely followed farming and stock-raising, operating his farm continuously and successfully until his re- moval to Grand Ridge. In the cultivation of cereals and the raising of stock he met with success but at length took up his abode in the village, where he purchased the creamery and also the electric light plant, conducting both business enterprises for some time. He has since disposed of the creamery, however, and has since given his attention to the improvement of the electric light plant. This business has proved profitable, for he has many subscribers to its service and its patronage is steadily increasing.

Mr. Williams was married to Miss Lida Craw- ford, a sister of George T. Crawford, and they have one son, Roger C., who is now attending the university at Champaign, Illinois, having graduated from the Streator high school. Po- litically Mr. Williams is a republican and for twelve years acceptably and creditably served as supervisor of Farm Ridge township but re- signed the office in the spring of 1905. He had also served continuously as school director while living on the farm and the confidence and trust reposed in him were well placed. He fully merits the good will of his fellowmen, which is so uniformly given him, as in citizenship he is progressive and loyal, in business active and reliable, while in social relations he holds friend- ship inviolable and possesses moreover a genial, cordial manner which renders him popular with many friends.

DAVID W. WESTGATE.

David W. Westgate, numbered among the na- tive sons of La Salle county; was born in Ophir township, August 10, 1839, and is still living on section 18. His parents were Abner D. and Calrina Waterman Westgate, who were mar- ried at Marietta, Ohio, May 20, 1830. The father was born in Vermont, February 16, 1799, and was a brick manufacturer and brick-layer before his removal to the west. In the year 1833 he came to Illinois and on the way met the soldiers returning from the Black Hawk war. He lived for a year at Hennepin, this state, and in 1834 came to La Salle county, taking up government land in Ophir township. He built a log house, in which he lived for years, and there was not another dwelling between his home and Ottawa at the time. He deserved all the credit which the term of a self-made man im- plies. He had but little education and what he did have was gained by study in the evening by candle light or firelight. He possessed a won- derfully retentive memory and was a good talker, yet was a man of few words. He never cared to become rich but lived to make a comfortable home for his brothers and his own family and at the time of his death he owned three hunderd and eighty acres of excellent land, which he

had improved. He had thereon a good resi- dence and was enabled to provide his family with the comforts of life. In the Methodist Episco- pal church he held membership and was one of its active and helpful representatives. Hon- esty was with him a strongly marked character- istic and he at all times endeavored to prac-

D. W. WESTGATE.

MRS. D. W. WESTGATE.

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PAST AND PRESENT OF LA SALLE COUNTY.

tice the golden rule in his daily conduct. His death occurred upon the home farm in Ophir township, September 25, 1885, when he was eighty-six years of age and thus passed away one of the most worthy and valuable pioneer residents of this portion of the state. His wife, who was born in New York, March 10, 1818, died in Ophir township, April 22, 1884.

In the family were eleven children: Emma, who was born February 14, 1831, and died May I, 1833; Walter S., who was born September 23, 1832, and also died on the Ist of May, 1833; Thomas H., who was born March 20, 1834, and died January 10, 1868, in Ophir township; Joseph L., who was born December 17, 1835, in Hennepin, Illinois,and died in Iroquois county, this state, August 28, 1904; Charlotte N., who was born August 19, 1837, and died September 16, 1852; David W., of this review; George W., living in McLean county, Missouri, who was born April 16, 1841, and served for three years in the Seventh Illinois Cavalry, after which he married Janette Cochrane, who is now deceased ; Rhoda E., who was born March 23, 1845, and died on the 12th of April of the same year ; Ada, who was born December 23, 1846, and died July 23, 1849; Emily A., who was born September 10, 1851, and is the wife of John Weddel, a resident of Kewanee, Illinois; and one who died unnamed in infancy.

· David W. Westgate spent his boyhood days on the farm and pursued his education in one of the old-time log school-houses such as were common at that day, where the methods of in- struction were primitive and the curriculum em- braced little beyond the three R's. At the age of twenty-three years he was married on the 22d of June, 1862, to Miss Martha Ann Gibbs, who was born in Quincy, Illinois, May 29, 1842, a daughter of Henry and Abbie Ann (Greene) Gibbs. The father, a native of Maine, born November 18, 1813. died September 28, 1878. The mother, a native of New York, passed away during the early girlhood of her daugh- ter. In the year 1840 Henry Gibbs came to Illinois, locating on a farm near Quincy and in 1849 he went to California, attracted by the discoveries of gold on the Pacific coast. He afterward, however, returned to his farm, where he continued to make his home until his death. In the family were four children, but Mrs. Westgate is the only one now living.

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History of La Salle County, Illinois, Part 146

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