History of La Salle County, Illinois, Part 63

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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W. Wallace Watts, whose name introduces this record, was born in South Ottawa township and has spent his entire life in this county, completing his education in the high school at Ottawa. He was reared to the occupation of farming, early becoming familiar with the duties and labors that fall to the lot of the agriculturist, and he re- mained at home until he had attained his ma- jority. He was married in this county to Miss Mary Refior, a daughter of Henry Refior, a weaver by trade, now deceased. Her father was one of the early residents of La Salle county and for many years followed farming but later retired and removed to Ottawa. Mrs. Watts was born and reared in this county.

Following his marriage Mr. Watts began farming on his own account and is also success- fully engaged in buying and feeding stock. His place is neat and thrifty in appearance, indi- cating the careful supervision of a practical and progressive owner. In his political views Mr. Watts has always been an earnest republican, but without aspiration for office. Socially he is connected with the Modern Woodmen camp at Ottawa and both he and his wife are members of the Congregational church. Both are represen- tatives of old pioneer families here and for this reason and also because of genuine personal worth they well merit representation in this volume.

LEWIS C. WRIGHT.

Lewis C. Wright, who for the past twenty-five years has lived retired, and for twenty-seven years has made his home at Grand Ridge, was formerly engaged in farming on section 15, Farm Ridge township. His residence in La Salle county dates from 1855. He was at that time a young man of about twenty-six years, having been born in Ches- ter county, Pennsylvania, on the 8th day of June, 1829. His parents were John and Ann (Boyer) Wright, both of whom died in Pennsylvania, the father having passed away in 1851, while the mother, long surviving him, departed this life in 1901, at the advanced age of eighty-six years. In the family were two sons and five daughters, who arrived at years of maturity, but Lewis C. Wright of this review is the only one in Illinois. Those still living are Enos, R. W., Mary E. and Sarah, who are residents of Chester county, Pennsylvania. Lewis C. Wright was reared in the Keystone state and after acquiring his literary education in the common schools became a high-school stu- dent. When he put aside his text-books he learned the plasterer's trade, which he followed for several years and in 1855. thinking to im-

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prove his financial condition in the middle west he came to La Salle county and for a year there- after made his home with David Beck, who now lives in California. He followed plastering for three years and then seeing an opportunity for judicious investment he purchased eighty acres of land on section 15, Farm Ridge township, to which place he removed. There he carried on farming and resided continuously until he took up his abode in the village, at which time he sold the farm to John Hunt, who later died in Ottawa.

Mr. Wright was married in Pennsylvania, to Miss Jane Todd, who was born in Chester county, that state, and was a daughter of James and Janetta (Harris) Todd, both of whom were na- tives of Scotland but came to this country in childhood. Mr. Wright, though reared in the faith of the democratic party, is a stalwart repub- lican, inflexible in support of the principles of that organization. He is a member of the Sons of Temperance in Pennsylvania and in religious faith he is a strong Methodist, although not a member of the church. During the years of his residence here he has so lived as to gain the respect and good will of his fellowmen. For more than a half century he has resided within the borders of La Salle county and investigation into his life history displays many sterling traits of character, and the fact that his entire career has been stimulated by principles of honesty and reliability. He is well known in Grand Ridge and throughout other portions of the county, and for a half century he has been enabled to live retired as the result of his business enterprise in former years.

MILTON CRAFT.

Milton Craft, who departed this life June 8, 1890, was for many years a factor in the business circles in La Salle county, where he located at a comparatively early day, having taken up his abode here in 1857. He was then a young man of about thirty years, his birth having occurred in Fayette county, Pennsylvania, August 3, 1827. His father, John Craft, was one of the pioneer residents of Pennsylvania, where he en- gaged in farming. He married Miss Elizabeth Colley, and both died in the Keystone state. In their family were eleven children, of whom Mil- ton was the eldest and the only one who became a resident of La Salle county. Those who still survive are yet living in the vicinity of the old Pennsylvania home, which is owned by a brother of Milton Craft.

The latter was reared and educated in Fayette county, Pennsylvania, where he resided until re-

moving to Illinois in 1857. In early life he learned the plasterer's trade, which he followed from the age of sixteen years until some time after he came to La Salle county. Many houses in Ottawa and in this county which he plastered are still standing. He was noted for his excel- lent workmanship in that line as well as his relia- bility in all business transactions. He continued to reside in Ottawa for a year or more and then removed to Kangley, purchasing a farm near the village in Eagle township. This tract of land he continued to cultivate and improve and through the careful husbanding of his resources he was enabled to add thereto from time to time until at the time of his death he owned four hun- dred acres, while in former years his landed pos- sessions had aggregated seven hundred and twenty acres. He was a prominent stockman and had a finely improved farm. He raised good grades of cattle and horses and found a ready sale on the market for all of his stock. His early political allegiance was given to the democ- racy, but he afterward became a stanch advocate of republican principles and he served for a year as a school director and in other local offices. He was public-spirited in a large degree and was a highly esteemed citizen, who recognized the pos- sibilities for development in the county and la- bored to promote the general improvement and progress.

In 1859 Mr. Craft was united in marriage to Miss Mary Cochran, who was born in Knox county, Ohio, December 19, 1836, a daughter of Jacob and Priscilla (Feazle) Cochran. Her father removed from Baltimore, Maryland, to Ohio, and was there married to Miss Feazle, who was of German descent. They came to Illinois during the pioneer epoch in the development of the northern section of the state and settled near Lacon, in Marshall county. There the death of Jacob Cochran occurred in 1844, while his widow, long surviving him, passed away in 1885, at the age of fifty-six years. She had married again, becoming the wife of John Lahman, by whom she had two children. Mrs. Milton Craft was one of a family of six children : John, who is residing in southern California; Frances, who is a widow and lives in Henry, Illinois ; Jeremiah, a farmer, who makes his home near Traverse City, South Dakota ; Thomas, who died thirty-five years ago; and Julia, the wife of Oliver Reeder, of Eagle township.

The marriage of Mr. and Mrs. Craft was blessed with a family of six children, namely : Martin K., whose sketch is given below, is the eldest. One died in infancy. Louis, who was born April 16, 1864, and is a farmer of Eagle township, married Mary Love and has two chil-

MILTON CRAFT.

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PAST AND PRESENT OF LA SALLE COUNTY.

dren, Rowland and Dorothy. John, born in 1866, died at the age of thirteen months. Lafayette, born in 1872, is a farmer of Eagle township and married Josie Newport, by whom he has three children. George, born in 1875, is engineer at No. 5 shaft of the Star Coal Company. He married Elizabeth McClennan, and has a daugh- ter, Vera.

Mr. and Mrs. Craft were both members of the Congregational church and were interested in its work and took an active part in its growth. Mr. Craft gave his political allegiance to the democ- racy until James G. Blaine became presidential nominee of the republican party. He had formerly been a neighbor of Mr. Craft, who then gave his political support to the Maine statesman and was afterward a supporter of republican principles. He likewise held membership in the Masonic fraternity and exemplified in his life the beneficent spirit of the order, which is based upon mutual helpfulness and brotherly kindness. He started out in life on his own account at a com- paratively early age and without pecuniary assist- ance or the influence of friends to aid him he bravely fought life's battles and came off con- queror in the strife. He knew from practical experience the meaning of the words diligence and perseverance, for those qualities found exem- plification in his business career and contained the secret of his rise from a humble financial po- sition to one of affluence. Moreover he has been found thoroughly reliable in all of his business in- terests and he left to his family the priceless heritage of a good name as well as a valuable farm property. He passed away at the age of about sixty-three years, and is yet remembered by many friends who knew and respected him in La Salle county.

Martin K. Craft was reared and has made his home in Eagle township throughout his entire life. He was born October 10, 1860, upon the old home farm and completed a common-school education when about seventeen years of age. He then went to Wheaton and afterward completed a business and scientific course in the Northern Indiana Normal School, at Valparaiso. He was reared to farm life and continued to assist in the work of the fields until about twenty-one years of age, after which he taught school in this county for seven years, being recognized as a capable educator who imparted readily to others the knowledge that he had acquired through a receptive mind and retentive memory. He then engaged in the fire insurance and grain business, and at present represents the Phoenix Insurance Company, of Brooklyn ; the Niagara, of New York ; and the National and the Aetna, both

of Hartford, Connecticut. He adjusts claims as well as losses and does other insurance work in this vicinity beside writing many policies. He is also manager of the United States Grain Com- pany, at Streator, and of the elevator at Altmar Station near Kangley on the Chicago, Indiana & Southeastern Railroad. He makes his home in the village of Kangley and the extent and im- portance of his business interests class him with the representative young business men of the town. He is alert and energetic, keeping in touch with the trend of modern thought and progress in the business world and fully sustain- ing in his own active career the splendid reputa- tion which was made by his father who long ranked with the representative and honored citi- zens of this county.

EDWARD LARKIN.

Edward Larkin, interested in general farming on section 28, Eagle township, was born in county Galway, Ireland, about 1829, and came to America in 1851, accompanying his father, Edward Lar- kin, who first settled in Virginia. His parents were Edward and Ann ( Madden) Larkin. The mother died in Ireland, and after residing in Virginia and Minnesota the father came to La Salle county with his son, Thomas, in 1862, and here made his home until his death, which oc- curred in 1873. On coming to America, how- ever. the family resided for a time in Virginia, and afterward removed to Minnesota, where Mr. Larkin of this review made his home until com- ing to La Salle county in 1862. In the family were ten children, all of whom came to America. while six are still living, as follows: Edward, the subject of this review; Bridget, the wife of Peter Brown, residing in Noble county, Minne- sota : Ann, who married Morris O'Hern, their home being also in Noble county ; Eliza, the wife of Richard O'Hern, likewise a resident of Noble county ; Margaret, the wife of Thomas Maroney, who is now residing in Rice county. Minnesota ; and Thomas, a farmer of Eagle township. One son of the family, Rev. Father John Larkin, who died in 1890, was the pastor of Holy Innocence church in New York, one of the largest parishes of that section. Mary became the wife of Michael Carey and resided in Jersey City, New Jersey, but both died some years ago. James, another son of the family, departed this life in Chicago.

Edward Larkin became a resident of this county following the Civil war in 1865 and securing

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PAST AND PRESENT OF LA SALLE COUNTY.

his present farm, has made his home thereon con- tinuously since. He has made the improvements here and cultivated the fields until the past few years but is now practically living retired, leaving the care of the farm to his sons.

Mr. Larkin was married in La Salle county to Miss Bridget Fahy, who died twenty years ago, leaving two sons, John and Edward, Jr., who now rent and operate their father's place, comprising one hundred and twenty acres of good land on section 28, Eagle township. After losing his first wife Mr. Larkin wedded Jennie Courtney, of Eagle township, and they have two sons and five daughters, namely: Mollie, Annie, Laura, Katie, Eliza, Robert and Arthur. The family are communicants of the Catholic church of Eagle township. During a residence of more than forty years in this county Mr. Larkin has been an interested witness of the changes which have occurred and of the steady growth which has carried the county forward from pioneer en- vironments to a condition of advanced civilization and his business life has been crowned with a goodly measure of success.

HEMAN H. CARTER.

Heman H. Carter has for ten years lived retired in the village of Earlville. A review of his life shows that for many years he was closely, act- ively and successfully connected with farming and stock-raising and in community affairs he has been a champion of progress and improve- ment. He was born in Brockville, St. Lawrence county, New York, November 14, 1834, and is a son of Samuel Olds and Lurana (Thompson) Carter. The ancestral history of the family can be traced back to 1666 and further mention of the genealogy is made in connection with the sketch of Joel Carter, a brother of Heman H. Carter, on another page of this work. The par- ents were married in the east on the 3d of Feb- ruary, 1830, and in 1835 Mr. Carter with his wife and two children and his brother, Levi Car- ter, started westward for Illinois, taking up his abode in La Salle county. He established his home amid pioneer environments and the follow- ing year his father, Joel Carter, and five sons, also came to La Salle county. They settled in Earl township, where they took up twenty-five hundred acres of land and they were closely as- sociated with the material development and progress of this portion of the state. The grandfather of our subject departed this life October 3, 1854, and the name of another pioneer was added to the list of honored dead when on the 19th of November,

1884, Samuel Olds Carter passed away. His wife survived liim for but a brief period, dying in January, 1885. Samuel Olds Carter was a man who will not be forgotten as long as any who knew him remain upon this earth. He left the impress of his individuality upon the history of his locality, being a man of strong purpose, of marked characteristics and of irreproachable integrity in business affairs as well as in his social relations. He commanded the good will and confidence of all who knew him and left to his family the priceless heritage of an untarnished name. In the family were seven children, of whom three are now living: Adolphus J., who resides in Ashkum, Iroquois county, Illinois ; He- man H., of this review; and Joel, who is retired and makes his home in Earlville.

No event of special importance occurred to vary the routine of farm life for Heman H. Car- ter in his boyhood days. He lived at the home with his parents until twenty-one years of age and attended school at Farm Ridge, being grad- uated there. He afterward assisted his father in the store and postoffice at Earlville for some time and spent one year as assistant to an uncle in a store at Aledo, Illinois. On the expiration of that period he returned to La Salle county and for five or six months was assistant to Samuel Haslett, the teacher of the Earlville schools, who is well remembered by many of the older settlers; but ambitious to have a farm of his own Mr. Carter invested the money which he had gained through professional service in eighty acres of land and turned his attention to the de- velopment of his place. For many years he was one of the leading agriculturists of Earl town- ship. He bought and fed cattle for a number of years and also raised many hogs and sheep. He was very successful and in addition to his stock-raising interests he had large crops of grain, which found a ready sale on the market and which came to him as the reward of the care and labor which he' bestowed upon his fields. He now owns three hundred acres of good land in three well improved farms in Earl township and from these derives an excellent income. In 1867 he purchased twenty-four acres of land which has since been incorporated in the village of Earlville. He has since sold most of that but still owns four acres, on which he has built a fine dwelling and ten years ago he retired from active farm life and took up his abode in Earl- ville, where he is now most pleasantly situated. He gives supervision to his property interests but otherwise enjoys a rest which he has truly earned.

Mr. Carter was married in 1859 to Miss Mel- vira Phillips, who was born in this county April

Herman A Partir

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PAST AND PRESENT OF LA SALLE COUNTY.

30, 1843, and is a daughter of James G. Phillips, one of the early settlers of the county. In 1904 Mr. Carter was called upon to mourn the loss of. his wife, who passed away on the Ioth of January after suffering from cancer for many years. Seven children had been born unto them. Charlotte D., born April 13, 1860, is the wife of William A. Dean, a resident of Earlville. Marian G., born September 20, 1861, died March IO, 1875. John T., born October 12, 1863. died of diphtheria when a year and a half old. Ed, born February 14, 1865, married Miss Pratt and lives upon a farm of his own in Earl township. George, born April 10, 1866, is living in Earl- ville. Alpha A., born June 27, 1873, is de- ceased. Loretta May, born October 10, 1876, is the wife of Dr. A. C. Tilman and they reside with her father.

Mr. Carter since age conferred upon him the right of franchise has given support to the de- mocracy and his labors in behalf of the public welfare have been far-reaching and beneficial, fully attesting his worth as a public-spirited citi- zen. For twenty-seven years he was school director and did much to further the cause of education. For three terms he was township assessor and for twenty years was highway com- missioner, but when he attained the age of sixty years he gave up all official service and since has refused to accept public office. He has al- ways been a great reader and finds delight in his daily paper. In fact he would feel lost without it and he thus keeps well posted on all current events.

He has, too, intimate knowledge of the early history of the county, for he was less than a year old when brought by his parents to Illinois and for seventy-one years has made his home in La Salle county. He has seen almost its entire growth. Pioneer conditions existed everywhere at the time of their arrival. There were no rail- roads and much of the produce was hauled to Chicago and supplies brought from that point, having been conveyed there by way of the lakes. The land was uncultivated, only here and there a settlement having been made showing that the work of improvement had been begun and that the land was being reclaimed from the domain of the savage and converted to uses of civiliza- tion. The Carter family have taken a very act- ive part in the agricultural development of this section of the county and, like the others, Heman Carter has done his full share. He relates many interesting incidents of the early days when a large number of the homes were log cabins, when the farm machinery was very primitive and the manner of living was quite different from what it is today. As the years have gone by he has

kept abreast with the general progress and has always been interested in what has been accom- plished along lines of substantial improvement. He has a very wide acquaintance in the county and it is with pleasure that we present to our readers the history of this honored pioneer set- tler. He has always enjoyed good health, ex- cept at one time he suffered an attack of measles.

WILLIAM H. WATTS.

William H. Watts, well known in La Salle county as a farmer and breeder, raiser and feeder of stock, is devoting his time and energies to a farm of about five hundred acres on sections 27, 29, 33 and 34, South Ottawa township, his home being on section 34. His farm is devoted to general agricultural pursuits and to pasturage and in both branches of his business Mr. Watts is meeting with very gratifying success. He is numbered among the native sons of his township, having been born here in 1855, his parents being Joseph and Mary (Yoe) Watts. The father, who died April 21, 1901, was an enterprising farmer of South Ottawa township and was born in Devonshire, England, April 2, 1821, his par- ents being John and Elizabeth (Challacombe) Watts, who were likewise natives of Devon- shire. The grandfather was born in 1792 and the grandmother's birth occurred at Batter- combe Hall in the parish of West Down in 1790. Both belonged to good families. They became the parents of eight children : William, Joseph, Phillip, Elizabeth, John, James, Henry and Re- becca. The grandparents died in England, the grandfather in 1856 and the grandmother in 1879. Both were members of the Church of England.

Joseph C. Watts, father of William H. Watts, was reared to adult age in his native town and there acquired a common-school education. On the 12th of March, 1850, he wedded Mary Yoe, a daughter of James and Elizabeth (Shapland) Yoe. Unto them were born eight children, namely: John Baker, who was born July 21, 1851, was married July 10, 1877, to Ida Mosher and now resides at Emmington, Illinois, where he is a commission merchant, doing business in that place and in Chicago. James Y., born July 28, 1852, wah married March 27, 1882, to Dolly Van Derlip and is now living in Ellsworth, Iowa. Ellen Y., born April 25. 1854, is the wife of Isaac Hodgson, whom she married January 2, 1872, and they now reside in South Ottawa town- ship, where Mr. Hodgson is engaged in feeding stock. William H. is the next of the family. Joseph A., born July 13, 1857, was married

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PAST AND PRESENT OF LA SALLE COUNTY.

October 8, 1884, to Alice Marvin and is a resi- dent of Lincoln, Nebraska, acting as assistant to Dr. H. O. Everett at the sanitarium there. Georgiana, born March 24, 1859, became the wife of Thomas B. Miller, January 30, 1879, and died March 12, 1889. Phillip C., born August 24, 1860, was married September 17, 1884, to May E. Smith and is a farmer residing near Lamonte, Missouri. George A., born June 28, 1865, married Mattie Van Derlip and is a farmer re- siding in Ellsworth, Iowa.

It was in the year 1850 that Joseph Watts, the father, came to America and took up his abode on the farm on section 33, South Ottawa township, now owned by his son William. He converted the wild prairie into a well cultivated farm, owning there one hundred and eighty-five acres of land, which under his care became very productive. He began life in this country in limited circumstances but was persevering and in- dustrious and therefore successful. For twenty- five years he was also engaged in business as an auctioneer of La Salle county and thus became very widely known and was uniformly respected. He held several local offices in his township, to which he was elected on the democratic ticket. Wherever he went he made friends and in his life record were many exemplary traits of char- acter. His wife, who was born in Swinbridge, Devonshire, England, February 1I, 1823, is still living at the age of eighty-three years. She remained a resident of her native land until she was accompanied her husband to America and since his death she has continued to reside in South Ottawa township. In 1896 she and her husband went to live with their daughter and son-in-law, Mr. and Mrs. Isaac Hodgson, with whom she still makes her home. She has thirty- two living grandchildren and eight great-grand- children.

William H. Watts, whose name forms the caption of this article, was reared upon the old family homestead in South Ottawa town- ship and shared with the other members of the family in the educational advantages afforded by the public schools. In the summer months he aided in the work of the fields and remained at home until twenty-two years of age, when he went to Livingston county, Illinois, where he spent four years. Since that time he has resided upon the farm which is yet his home. In the spring of 1905 he purchased the farm on section 32, on which his father had lived during the long years of his residence in this county, and his property holdings are now extensive, embracing five hundred acres of valuable land. He raises all kinds of stock. keeping thoroughbreds. He raises draft horses, French Percheron, Hereford

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History of La Salle County, Illinois, Part 63

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