History of La Salle County, Illinois, Part 150

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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the university at Champaign, Illinois, and was graduated with the class of 1887. He taught school in La Salle and Bureau counties for three years and was superintendent of the schools of the latter county for two years, but regarded this merely as an initial step to other professional labor and in 1888 took up the study of law under the direction of the firm of Duncan, O'Conor & Gilbert, attorneys of Ottawa. Following thorough preliminary reading he was admitted to the bar in January, 1890, and has since continuously practiced in Chicago. For a year and a half he was associated with Hon. James Duncan, but has since practiced alone in all of the courts. He established a reputation here by deciding a question of law which was of great interest to attorneys and occupies a prominent place in legal circles in the metropolis. In the trial of a cause he displays a mind trained in the severest school of reasoning and one to which close investigation has become habitual. He is strong and logical in the presentation of a cause and his thorough understanding of the case gives him an advan- tageous position in his work in the courtroom.

Mr. Walsh was married to Miss Julia O'Neil, of Chicago, and they have two children, Joseph and Marie. In politics he is a stalwart democrat, active in the local ranks of the party, and in 1904 was a candidate for the state senate. He and his family reside at No. 780 Jackson boulevard, Chicago, and he is identified with various chari- table, benevolent and social interests of the city. He is an active member of the Visitation & Aid Society and also a member of the Catholic Benevolent Legion, while his religious faith is in- dicated by his membership in the Catholic church. He is likewise a member of the La Salle County Association of Chicago and thus maintains an interest in those who were his associates in early life and who, like himself, have become residents of the western metropolis, many, like him, win- ning enviable positions in their chosen fields of labor in the greater city.

JAMES E. PHILLIPS.

James E. Phillips, who is engaged in general farming in Hope township, was born on the old family homestead in that township, October 1, 1863, and is a son of Thomas and Catherine Phillips. His early youth was passed as a stu- dent in the district school and subsequently he attended the New Castle (Indiana) Business College and afterward the Geneseo ( Illinois) Normal School. He was thus qualified to secure a teacher's certificate, but never followed the

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profession of teaching. He was reared to farm labor and has always made that occupation his life work. He is now living on section 29, Hope township, where he owns one hundred and forty acres of land, and he also has forty acres of timber in Putnam county. His farming interests are well controlled and return to him rich har- vests, so that his success is gratifying.

In July, 1887, Mr. Phillips was united in mar- riage to Miss Eva Peters, who was born in Bal- timore, Maryland, in 1858 and is a daughter of Andrew and Cathrina ( Bonacher) Peters, who came to Illinois in 1877 and settled near Lostant. The father was a farmer by occupation. Unto Mr. and Mrs. Phillips have been born five chil- dren: Ermie Rhea, who was born August 5, 1889, and died September 28, 1903; Percy H., born January 28, 1892; Cecil D., born June 10, 1893; Elsie L., born April 21, 1896; and T. Irwin, who was born April 5, 1898, and died July 25, 1898.

Mrs. Phillips is a member of the Methodist Episcopal church at Hope and Mr. Phillips be- longs to the Masonic fraternity, the Knights of Pythias lodge and the Modern Woodmen camp. He has studied closely the questions and issues of the day and gives his support to the repub- lican party. He served as supervisor of Hope township for seven years and was the youngest man on the board. Interested in all that per- tains to the county and its progress, he proved a capable officer, discharging his duties with due regard to the best interests of the commu- nity at large. That many of his warm friends are those who have known him from his boy- hood is an indication that his has been an up- right and straightforward career.

A. L. TRAGER.

A. L. Trager, one of the prosperous business men of La Salle county, has for twenty years been a factor in commercial circles in Marseilles, and as he has a wide acquaintance his life record cannot fail to prove of interest to many of our readers. He was born in Meriden township, April 22, 1866, a son of John Trager, a native of Germany, who came to the new world when a young man of twenty years. He located in La Salle county and was married in Ottawa to Miss Louisa Saltzman, a native of Germany, who, however, in her girlhood days was brought to America. Mr. Trager was a glass-maker by trade, but after living in Ottawa for a time set- tled on a farm in Bureau county, Illinois, and later removed to Iowa, taking up his abode in

Butler county, where he resided up to the time of his death, which occurred in the spring of 1901. His wife still survives him and now re- sides at her home in Allison, the county seat of Butler county.

A. L. Trager, spending his boyhood days with his parents, removed with them to Bureau county and afterward to Iowa. He attended the common schools, but his education has been largely self-acquired since he attained his major- ity, for he has learned many valuable lessons in the school of experience and through reading and observation. In 1883 he returned to Ottawa, where he spent the winter, working in a meat market. In the fall of 1885 he came to Mar- seilles and engaged in the conduct of a meat mar- ket, carrying on the business for several years and at the same time dealing in ice. Later he sold out and established a dry-goods store, open- ing a new stock of goods. He carries a large and complete line and has built up an excellent trade, being one of the active and enterprising merchants of Marseilles. He has studied the needs and wishes of the general public and his earnest endeavor to please his patrons combined with his moderate prices and honorable dealing has secured to him a measure of success which is very gratifying and desirable.

Pleasantly situated in his home life, Mr. Trager was married in Marseilles, on the 19th of October, 1887, to Miss Flora H. Montgomery, who was born at Coalville, near Peoria, Illinois, a daughter of Dr. Montgomery, who removed to Marseilles, becoming one of the pioneer physi- cians of this part of the county. He was for years a prominent, influential and honored citi- zen of the community beside being the loved family physician in many a household. Five children were born unto Mr. and Mrs. Trager, but they lost one child, James Harold, who died in infancy. The others are Elsie R., Mabel L., Howard M., and Lawrence Albert.

Mr. Trager and his wife are members of the Universalist church and he belongs to Marseilles lodge, No. 417, A. F. & A. M., to Shabbona chapter, R. A. M., and Ottawa commandery, K. T. He votes with the republican party and was elected and served four years as alderman. He has also been a member of the school board for six years and was nominated and elected super- visor and by re-election filled that position for four consecutive terms. He served on a number of important committees and was chairman of the road and bridges committee, fees and salaries and mines and mining. He also acted on other committees and has frequently been a delegate to the conventions of his party. His is a cred- itable business record, which will bear close in-

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vestigation and he has been equally honorable in citizenship and in fraternal relations, standing for those qualities which work for the welfare of the community and for individual honor.

WILLIAM AUSTIN.

William Austin is a prosperous farmer pleas- antly situated on section 10, Ophir township. He was born in Canada, just across the river from New York and just below Niagara Falls, on the 5th of June, 1825. His father, Phineas Austin, was a native of the Empire state, born in 1800 and his death occurred in Nebraska when he had reached the age of eighty years. His wife, who bore the maiden name of Elizabeth Chrisler, was born in Steuben county, New York, and died in Ophir township, La Salle county, Illinois, when sixty years of age. When their son William was a small boy they returned to New York, after hav- ing lived for a time in Canada and resided in the Empire state until William was nineteen years of age. In 1844 they started with the family for what was then the far west, driving all the way across the country with teams to Illinois, being five weeks upon the road. They located at Milford, now called Millington, just over the line in Grundy county, but soon afterward the father engaged in farming in Serena township, La Salle county. He was a very poor man and did not become the owner of land until in his later life, when he bought eighty acres of land from his son Wil- liam. After holding it for a few years he gave it up. Following the death of his wife he went to Nebraska and spent his last days in that state. He was one of a family of seven brothers, two of whom became ministers of the gospel. Their father, Freeman Austin, came to Illinois with the family.

Soon after arriving in Illinois, William Austin of this review made a trip to Chicago for his uncle, driving a one-horse wagon and taking with him a load of wheat, receiving twenty-five cents per bushel for hauling. The wheat brought forty cents per bushel in Chicago. Mr. Austin's educational privileges were meager, for on account of his father's limited financial re- sources he was obliged to go to work when quite young. When a boy of fifteen, while driving a team along the canal in New York, he suffered the loss of one of his limbs, which was caught in a rope and so mangled that it had to be am- putated. He was still living in New York at the time he learned to split and shave shingles and after residing in Illinois for a time he went to Chicago, where he engaged in the manufact-

ure of shingles. In those days the work was paid for at the rate of one dollar per thousand and one could make about a thousand in an average day's work. Mr. Austin, however, was unusually strong and was an expert at the work and could easily make nine thousand per week. He thought he was making money rapidly in this way. About the time of the close of the Mexican war he returned to La Salle county and pur- chased one hundred and sixty acres of govern- ment land, or rather, a soldier's claim, for which he gave one hundred and fifteen dollars. He afterward went to Peoria, where he engaged in the manufacture of shingles in order to gain the funds necessary to carry on his farm work.

While in that city Mr. Austin was married to Miss Lydia Ann Norton, who was born in Penn- sylvania, July 30, 1830, and died upon the old home farm in Ophir township in April, 1902. Following their marriage the young couple re- moved to a place about fifteen miles from Chi- cago, where Mr. Austin again engaged in shav- ing shingles. He remained there until he had money enough to buy a yoke of oxen and wagon, after which he located upon his farm in La Salle county. There was not a tree nor shrub upon the place and he gave his watch to a carpenter for building a house fourteen by twenty feet. He himself made the shingles out of timber he brought from Chicago and he lived in his pioneer home until after his children had attained adult age. He then built another and larger frame residence and he now has a comfortable home. Unto Mr. and Mrs. Austin were born seven chil- dren : Charles, who resides in Minnesota ; George, deceased ; Minnie, who was married and had a family and died at her home in Nebraska ; Cyrus P., who owns a good farm in Ophir town- ship and one in Mendota township and makes his home in the latter; Alta, the wife of Emil Al- bright, who is living upon her father's farm; Carrie, the wife of George Davis, of Ophir town- ship: Alice M., who married Guy Worsley and is now a telephone operator in the village of Triumph.

William Austin has always been engaged in farming, raising grain and stock. At one time he sold hogs to the amount of fifteen hundred dollars. He has added eighty acres to his origi- nal farm and now owns two hundred and forty acres, all in one body. This is excellent land. well drained, with fair improvements upon it. He has never had a desire to become wealthy but has always tried to provide a comfortable living for his children and enough to carry him through old age. A man of strong constitution, in his younger days few men were a match for him in wrestling or in work, though he was handicapped by having only one leg. He is

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a man of remarkable memory and of good con- versational ability and he recalls and relates many interesting experiences of pioneer days. All the grain was planted by hand in those early times and hay and grain were mowed with a scythe and threshed with a cradle. There was no kerosene to be had and they used home-made candles, made by dipping the wicks into grease, letting them cool again and dipping again until they became the proper size. The nearest market for years was Ottawa, twenty miles away, and Mr. Austin sold his first load of oats there, arriving in the town just at sunrise. Grain in those days was hauled in sacks. The roads were very poor and the farmers would often get stuck in the mud with their loads and be obliged to unload, pull the wagon out and then carry the grain on their backs to a place where they could load again. It was thus necessary that grain should be put into sacks that it might be easily handled. Mr. Austin was once stuck in the mud in the streets of Ottawa where the Catholic church now stands. The shingles upon the old Catholic church in that city, which was burned a few years ago, were made by him. He has lived a life of industry and whatever he possesses has been secured through his own labors, so that he is truly a self-made man.

In politics Mr. Austin has always been a re- publican since the organization of the party. His father had given his political allegiance to the whig party. Mr. Austin has served his town- ship as highway commissioner, was collector three years and school director for several years. In his younger days he was a Wesleyan Metho- dist but is not identified with any church at the present time. He has always lived an honest and upright life, never wronging any man to the ex- tent of a nickle, and his genuine personal worth entitles him to the regard and consideration of those with whom he has come in contact. He has now passed the eighty-first mile-stone on life's journey and in the evening of his days receives the veneration and kindly regard of all with whom he has come in contact.

THEODORE STRAWN.

Theodore Strawn, attorney at law with of- fices in Ottawa, was born in Utica township, this county, in 1870. His father, Robert C. Strawn, was a farmer by occupation and died about six- teen or seventeen years ago. His wife survived until August, 1905. She bore the maiden name of Elizabeth A. Rhoads and by her marriage be-

came the mother of four children : Lydia, Zetta, Nettie and Theodore.

The last named was reared and educated at Ottawa and supplemented his public-school train- ing by a course of study in Northwestern Uni- versity at Chicago. With a good literary edu- cation to serve as the foundation upon which to build the superstructure of professional learn- ing he took up the study of law with Lester Strawn at Ottawa and was admitted to practice before the court in December, 1896. He has de- voted his attention to the law and has also dealt extensively in farm lands, owning several farms in La Salle county, these being in Utica, Wal- tham, Wallace, Freedom and Ottawa townships. He makes his home in Highland place at Ottawa and has a very wide and favorable acquaintance in the city.

Mr. Strawn was married to Miss Ritchie, a daughter of John Ritchie, a pioneer of this county, and they have four sons : Robert, Ches- ter, Theodore and Gordon. In his political views Mr. Strawn is a republican. He and his wife are members of the Methodist Episcopal church and he belongs to the Ottawa Boat Club. . He is popular in social circles as well as in business life and has a wide and favorable acquaintance in the county where he has always resided.

ALBERT F. HORNUNG.

The family name of Hornung has long figured in connection with agricultural interests in this county and Albert F. Hornung, fully sustain- ing the family record for good citizenship, busi- ness ability, and integrity, is now engaged in farming and breeds and feeds stock and is buy- ing and selling horses. He is located on section I, Deer Park township, where he operates the home farm of the family, comprising one hun- dred acres which was formerly the old home- stead of his father, John G. Hornung. Mention is made of his parents in connection with the sketch of J. J. Hornung on another page of this work.

The natal day of Albert F. Hornung was March 10, 1871, and he was reared under the parental roof, acquiring his education in the com- mon schools. He early became familiar with the work of tilling the soil and developing the fields and has always engaged in farming and stock-raising, success attending his efforts be- cause he is most energetic and industrious.

Mr. Hornung was married to Miss Bertha Peck, a daughter of Henry Peck, of South Otta- wa township. Her father lives on section 23.

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where he has one hundred and twenty acres con- stituting a good farm, whereon he has made his home since 1881 and many of the improvements to be found thereon are the work of his hands or have been placed there as the result of his enterprising spirit. He was engaged in dairy- ing for twelve years and since that time has de- voted his attention to feeding stock and breed- ing Norman horses. He was born in Ottawa in August, 1845, a son of David and Jane (Grif- fith) Peck, who died in 1856 and 1894 respective- ly. They came to Illinois from Ohio about 1842, settling in Ottawa, where David Peck acted as toll-keeper at the Fox river bridge. He was a tailor by trade and also a brick-mason and he followed the latter pursuit in Ottawa, con- tracting for and building a number of brick buildings in this city. His last work was on Columbus street east of the square and he made his home in Ottawa until his death.

Henry Peck, his son and the father of Mrs. Hornung, had three sisters but all are deceased. Only one of these was married and she made her home in Ohio until her death. Henry Peck therefore is the only surviving member of the family and was reared in Ottawa. He has farmed from the age of fourteen years to the present time. In 1869 he removed to Benton county, Indiana, where he bought a farm where- on he resided until the spring of 1882, when he returned to La Salle county and bought his pres- ent fine farm on section 23, South Ottawa town- ship. He married Miss Farnsworth, a sister ent fine farm on section 23, South Ottawa town- ship and a native of Canada. Seven children were born of this marriage, three of whom are natives of Indiana, namely: Fred, a farmer who is married and resides in Farm Ridge town- ship ; Nellie, of East Ottawa, who is the widow of Cyrus Bradish, who was formerly engaged in the lumber business at Ottawa; Mrs. Bertha Hornung; Edward F., who is with the John Cable Piano Company of Chicago; Jennie, Belle and Joseph, all at home.

In his political views Henry Peck is a Cleve- land democrat and in the spring of 1906 was. elected assessor of South Ottawa township, in which position he is now serving. He has also acted as school officer in his district for sev- eral years. He belongs to Occidental lodge, No. 40, A. F. & A. M., and is highly respected wher- ever known. In addition to his general farming interests he raises considerable fruit and Mrs. Peck raises a large amount of poultry, now using an incubator for hatching chickens. In this work she is very successful.

The marriage of Mr. and Mrs. Hornung has been blessed with one daughter, Edith, who is

now a year old. The parents attend the Baptist church. In his political views Mr. Hornung is a republican, having given unfaltering support to the party since age conferred upon him the right of franchise. He belongs to Mercer camp, M. W. A., of Deer Park township, and is a young man of good business ability, who has already made a creditable record as a farmer and live- stock-dealer. He is now in comfortable finan- cial circumstances and his business ability argues well for a successful future.

U. J. HOFFMAN.

U. J. Hoffman was born May 12, 1855, in Noble county, Indiana, the son of John and Mar- garet Eva Hoffman. His parents came from Weimar, Germany, in 1854, and in 1857 the father died, the widow and two sons surviving. Mrs. Hoffman and her brother began clearing a small farm in the heavy timber of northern In- diana. When they were getting nicely started the brother was drafted into the army in 1864. In 1865 the mother married and the boy worked in a tannery for the next four years. The step- father gave him his time and he began life for himself at the age of fourteen. He worked for a farmer for $6.00 per month and for his board he did chores during the winter while attending school. The next summer he received $10 per month and again did chores and went to school in the winter.

His school advantages had been most meager, but enough to arouse in him an intense desire to learn. While working by the month he always had a book by him and during the noon hour he read while the other farm help rested. As soon as the day's work was done he was at his books until ten and eleven o'clock at night. Sunday afternoons were also spent with his books.

When seventeen years of age he had saved money enough to attend school a year. He chose the Baldwin University and the German Wallace College at Berea, Ohio. His money being ex- hausted he went to work again on the farm. When he had saved one hundred dollars he again started to school. By teaching German and other subjects in the schools which he attended he was able to go several years and make his way.

He taught a country school in Putnam county, Indiana, in 1878. In 1879 and 1880 he was principal of the village school in Cloverdale. While instructing in the county teachers' insti- tute he so impressed a visitor that he received a call as associate principal of Jennings Seminary at Aurora, Illinois. Here he remained five years,

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helping build up that school from fifty students in attendance to three hundred and fifty.

He was then made president of Hayward Col- legiate Institute, Fairfield, Illinois, a school that was just opening its doors. Here he remained for three years and built up a school of two hun- dred and fifty students.

The health of a member of his family made it necessary for him to give up his work and re- move to Florida. There he remained three years. One year in the public schools and two as teacher of sciences in a normal school. Returning to Illinois in 1893, he took up teaching in Mar- seilles.

In 1894 he was elected county superintendent. His experience in all kinds of educational work, country schools, grades, high school and normal school and his intense enthusiasm in furthering the welfare of children fitted him well for this position. Having worked up from the most humble position in life he felt that every child should be made to see that for him there was open a career of usefulness in the world.

In all of Mr. Hoffman's school work he never lost sight of the fact that the school is for the child and that the school is the child's way of · salvation from ignorance, weakness and wrong living-the open door to usefulness and power. In entering upon what he deemed the opportu- nity of his life he meant to help every child in the public school by directing the teachers of the county to do the right things for the children.

His first step was to grade the country schools so that the children could do regular and sys- tematic work. This was thought to be impos- sible, but a few years made it an accomplished fact. Children do the regular school work and graduate from the common schools and are ad- mitted into the high schools.

A great drawback to systematic work on the part of pupils and teachers was the great va- riety of text-books in the schools. He set about to secure a uniform set of books for the whole county. After a most bitter "book fight" he se- cured it.

He remembered the great benefit that the read- ing of good books had been to him in his early struggle for a higher life and set about to secure good reading for all the children. His heart was so much in the cause that he inspired all the teachers with his enthusiasm. The school offi- cers would not buy libraries with the school money which they had a legal right to do. The teachers and pupils gave school entertainments and charged an admission fee. In a few years every school in the county had a library of good children's books. The average now is one hun- dred and ten books for each country school.

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History of La Salle County, Illinois, Part 150

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