History of La Salle County, Illinois, Part 68

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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HIRAM HILTON.

Hiram Hilton, one of the prominent, influen- tial and wealthy residents of La Salle county, making his home in Marseilles, was born in Ash- burnham, Massachusetts, on the 14th of Decem- ber, 1823. His father, David Hilton, also a native of the Bay state, was there reared and married. He devoted his life to general agricultural pur- suits and reared his family there. Hiram Hilton

spent the days of his boyhood and youth in the state of his nativity and was one of a family of five sons and seven daughters, all of whom reached adult age but he and one sister are the only survivors of the family at this writing.

In his youth Hiram Hilton learned the black- smith's trade and followed that pursuit in early life for a number of years. In 1855 he came westward to Illinois, settling in La Salle county. He purchased land in Brookfield township, com- prising eighty acres, and in the fall of that year built a little house thereon and bought a yoke of oxen in order to carry on the farm work. After- ward, however, he built a blacksmith shop and sold the oxen in order to purchase tools and otherwise equip the smithy. He carried on the shop for twelve years, having a large patronage. When he settled here there were but one or two houses within sight of his home. Later he gave considerable attention to farm labor and became the owner of two hundred and forty acres of land in a body, on which he placed fair build- ings. He gave his attention to general black- smithing, however, until the period of the Civil war, when he took up active work of the farm, there residing until about 1870, when he removed from the farm to Marseilles and built a residence in the town. He worked for a few years for the Marseilles Manufacturing Company but now is largely living retired, save for the supervision which he gives to his property interests. He has built and owns three good brick business houses and four good residences in Marseilles and the rental from these brings him a good income. He has helped to improve and make the town what it is today and ever stands for progress and upbuilding, his labors being of direct benefit to his community.

Mr. Hilton was married first in Massachusetts to Miss Rachel A. Cummins, a native of that state, who was there reared. Her death occurred June 26, 1890, when she was in her sixty-fifth year. There was one daughter, Flora Estella, who died when a young lady, on the 3Ist of December, 1865. On the 28th of October, 1891, Mr. Hilton was again married, this time in Otta- wa, to Miss Mary C. Piester, who was born and reared near Marseilles, a daughter of Marquis Piester, one of the early settlers of Ohio, who came from Dutchess county, New York, in 1849. In her father's family were seven daughters and five sons, and eight of the number are yet living.

In his political views Mr. Hilton is a stalwart republican, having supported the party since cast- ing a ballot for its first presidential candidate. Previous to that time he was a whig, casting his first ballot in 1844. He voted for Fremont in 1856 and for Lincoln in 1860 and 1864, and has-

HIRAM HILTON.

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PAST AND PRESENT OF LA SALLE COUNTY.

never faltered in his allegiance to the party from that time to the present.

Mr. Hilton has served on the town board as commissioner for a number of years. He has been a delegate to numerous county and state conventions and is deeply inter- ested in the success and growth of his party. His wife is a member of the Con- gregational church. For fifty-one years he has been a resident of La Salle county, wit- nessing the transformation as the result of the settlements which have been made and the intro- duction of industrial and commercial enterprises as well as agricultural progress. Through more than a half century he has been a subscriber to the Ottawa Republican. He has now passed the eighty-second milestone on life's journey, and a review of his life shows many splendid traits of character worthy of emulation. He has won the esteem and good will of his fellowmen through his activity and reliability in business and his advocacy of all that promotes good citizenship. Moreover he deserves much credit for the success he has attained, for it is due entirely to his earnest labor, guided by sound judgment. In the evening of his life he receives the respect and veneration which should ever be accorded those who have traveled life's journey for many years, and following the path wherein walk those who stand for reform, im- provement and substantial upbuilding.

LORRIN SWIFT.

Lorrin Swift, who has been a resident of La Salle county since 1868, owns two large farms lying in La Salle, Livingston and Henry counties, aggregating several hundred acres. He also owns land in Texas and Indiana and his acreage is very extensive. He still gives personal super- vision to his large holdings and was for many years actively engaged in farming and stock- raising, being a man of excellent business ability and keen discernment, possessing a large fund of that practical common sense which is too often lacking in the business man and causes many failures in agricultural, industrial and commer- cial circles. He was born in Windsor county, Vermont, in 1828 and has therefore reached the seventy-eighth milestone in life's journey. He represents one of the old New England families. He was a son of Joseph and Mary Ann ( Moss) Swift. The mother died in Vermont and the father, who was a native of that state, departed this life in 1884, at the advanced age of eighty- four years. Lorrin and his brother Joseph were

the only ones of the family who ever came to La Salle county.

Lorrin Swift was reared in a picturesque dis- trict among the Green mountains. Having ac- quired his preliminary education in the common schools he afterward pursued academic and col- lege courses at Randolph and at Springfield, Ver- mont, and when twenty-one years of age he en- gaged in teaching school at a monthly salary of eleven dollars. He followed the profession for several terms in Vermont and afterward for three or four years in Massachusetts. From the small savings to constitute the nucleus of his present extensive possessions he secured a start and has by his economy, frugality, judicious investment and able management accumulated his present large holdings. He visited Illinois prior to the Civil war but was engaged in farming in Ver- mont at the time of the outbreak of hostilities in 1861.

Mr. Swift was at that time married and had a family, which prevented his enlistment. He en- gaged in farming through the summer months and in teaching school in the winter seasons in Vermont for a number of years before coming to La Salle county as a resident in the spring of 1868. Locating on his present home farm with his father he purchased two hundred and twenty acres of land for twelve thousand dollars. This was partially improved but Mr. Swift has since added to the original tract and has made splen- did improvements thereon in accordance with all modern ideas of agricultural development and progress. He has brought his fields up to a high state of cultivation and has also raised and bought stock extensively for many years, being one of the most active, energetic and wide-awake farmers and stock-raisers of this portion of the state. He also taught school for several win- ters in Illinois and was thus closely associated with the early intellectual progress of the county.

Mr. Swift was married in Vermont to Miss Lucy F. Pettengill, also a native of that state and a daughter of a Methodist Episcopal minister, who belonged to an old Vermont family. Mrs. Swift is still living at the age of sixty-eight years and by her marriage she became the mother of nine children, seven of whom are living. The three eldest were born in Vermont and Clayton, the first born died in childhood in the Green Mountain state. Mary is now residing in Mich- igan. Ward, who is married and has a family, is a farmer of Livingston county, Illinois. Elsie is the wife of John Heppler, residing near the old Swift homestead. Arthur died in La Salle county at the age of two years. Fred is at home and carries on the work of the old home farm. Charles is an engineer in the upper peninsula

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PAST AND PRESENT OF LA SALLE COUNTY.

of Michigan and resides near Houghton. Grace is a teacher of music and lives at home. Roy is married and follows farming upon the home place.

Politically Mr. Swift is a republican and has received his party's nomination for various offices. He has served in most of the township offices and has been justice of the peace. He contributes to the support of the Methodist church, which his family attends and during the years of his resi- dence in La Salle county, covering more than a third of a century, he has so lived as to enjoy the unqualified confidence, good will and es- teem of those with whom business or social re- lations have brought him in contact.

WILSON CONARD.

Among the large land owners of La Salle county Wilson Conard is numbered and for many years he was actively associated with agri- cultural interests but is now living retired in Ottawa, giving his supervision to his invested interests. To be satisfactory success in life must have been won worthily and with due regard for the rights of the public. Such an honest and well merited success is that which has crowned the worthy efforts of Wilson Con- ard, who for many years has been closely and prominently connected with the development and prosperity of this portion of Illinois.

He is one of La Salle county's native sons, his birth having occurred in Miller township on the 5th of October, 1863. He represents a pioneer family, his father, David W. Conard, having cated here at an early day. He came originally from Virginia, having been born in Loudoun county, that state, on the 7th of April, 1825. When he was three years of age his parents removed to Licking county, Ohio, where the days of his boyhood and youth were passed, but the oppor- tunities of the Mississippi valley region gained his attention and believing that he might more rapidly acquire success in Illinois than in Ohio, he removed to La Salle county, where he arrived in May, 1844. This was still a frontier dis- trict but gave promise of future development and progress and he cast in his lot with the early settlers who were reclaiming the region for the purposes of civilization and were converting it into a well improved district. For several years Mr. Conard devoted his attention to teaching school in the winter months, while in the sum- mer seasons he followed the carpenter's trade. When his energy. and ability had brought him sufficient capital to justify his purchase of a farm

he invested in one hundred acres of prairie land north of Marseilles and became actively identified with agricultural interests. As the years passed and he prospered in his undertakings he placed his money in the safest of all investments-real estate- and eventually became the owner of hun- dreds of acres of land. He also figured in financial circles in La Salle county and elsewhere by be- coming a stockholder in various banks in Mar- seilles and other cities both east and west. He never believed in useless or extravagant expendi- ture and it was his economy and careful manage- ment that gave him his start in life and enabled him to work his way upward until he became the possessor of interests that made him one of the substantial citizens of La Salle county. He always enjoyed remarkable health and was thus able to give strict attention to his business day after day and year after year. His judgment was seldom, if ever, at fault in matters of busi- ness and his transactions always proved suc- cessful. He was a broad reader and deep thinker and kept well informed on the questions and issues of the day, political and otherwise, and was always able to uphold his views by intelli- gent argument and forceful statement.

David Wilson Conard was married twice. On June 10, 1849, he wedded Barbara DeBolt, who died February 9, 1851, survived by one son, Vir- gil, who grew to manhood but passed away in 1892. On the 17th of March, 1853, Mr. Conard wedded Elizabeth Grove, cousin of his first wife, and they had six children, three of whom are living : Wilson, of this review ; Grant, formerly an able lawyer of the Ottawa bar, who is now in San Diego, California, where he is engaged in the real-estate business; and Mrs. Samuel Montgomery, of Marseilles, Illinois. For three years the father lived retired at his home in Marseilles, but his death occurred in Ottawa on the 24th of April, 1899. Thus passed away one of the well known and honored pioneer settlers of the county. He was the soul of integrity in his business dealings and it was his energy and enterprise that won him his success. Moreover, in citizenship he was patriotic and public spirited and at all times he commanded the respect of those who have regard for honorable manhood and activity in business life. His widow now resides in Marseilles with her daughter, Mrs. Montgomery.

Wilson Conard spent the days of his boyhood and youth upon the old home farm and early became familiar with the work of the fields. The occupation to which he was reared he made his life work when he started out on his own ac- count. He purchased his first farm for twenty- five dollars per acre, and subsequently sold it for

Wilson Gonard

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PAST AND PRESENT OF LA SALLE COUNTY.

sixty-five dollars per acre. He afterward bought of his father a farm of two hundred and forty acres and has added to his property by investment and also through inheritance until he is today the owner of a number of valuable and produc- tive farms in La Salle county, aggregating over twelve hundred acres. He continued the active work of the fields for many years, but in July, 1904, retired from farm life and took up his abode in Ottawa, purchasing a fine home at No. 643 Congress street. In the meantime, however, he had removed to Iroquois county, Illinois, in 1884, and had spent nine years in active farni work there.

When twenty-three years of age Mr. Conard was united in marriage to Miss Mary Batchelor, a daughter of George and Christina (Morrison) Batchelor, who were natives of Scotland, where Mrs. Conrad was born. They came to America during her girlhood days, arriving in La Salle county, Illinois, in the spring of 1862. Here Mr. Batchelor operated a coal batık for some time but eventually sold that property and bought a farm in Iroquois county near Onarga. Mrs. Conard was educated in that county, spending some time as a student in Grand Prairie Sem- inary. Three children have been born of this marriage : David Roy, born December 19, 1887; and Laura E. and Ann C., twins, born October 16, 1889. All are now students in the high school of Ottawa.

The family are members of the Congregational church and Mr. Conard gives his political sup- port to the republican party. He is a member of the Elks lodge, No. 588, of Ottawa, and also belongs to the Ottawa Boat Club. He represents an old and prom- inent pioneer family of the county and has long maintained a prominent position in busi- ness circles. He is recognized as one of the substantial and influential men of Ottawa and the county and is a pleasant, genial gentleman, whom it is a pleasure to meet because of his strong personality, his genial spirit and his friendly regard for others.

W. W. WALKER.

W. W. Walker is a well-to-do farmer living on section 21, Earl township. He has spent the greater part of his life in Illinois and dates his residence in this county from 1868. He was born in Lee county, Illinois, November 13, 1854, and when he was two years of age his parents removed to Ohio, where they lived for four years, returning to Lee county in 1860. With

the exception of that brief period he has con- tinuously been a resident of this state. He is of English descent, however, his father, Richard Walker, having come to America when a young man. Throughout the greater part of his life he engaged in farming. At an early epoch in the history of La Salle county he took up his abode within its borders and was employed in the woolen mills conducted by Green Brothers at Dayton. Subsequently he removed to Lee county and bought a farm. In 1868 he came to La Salle county and purchased the farm upon which he now resides. He made his home there for many years, transforming the land into fields of rich fertility, yielding bounteous harvests. At length he retired to Ottawa and made his home with his daughter, Mrs. Hoffman, the wife of Professor U. J. Hoffman, the historian of this volume. Mr. Walker continued his residence with his daughter until he was called to his final rest at the age of eighty years. His wife, who bore the maiden name of Susan Sears, was born in Pennsylvania and died in Ottawa at the age of sixty years. In their family were six chil- dren : William W .; Mary, the wife of Richard Tolhurst, who is living in Elmwood, Nebraska ; Arthur, who resides at Albuquerque, New Mex- ico; Ellen, the wife of Professor U. J. Hoffman, of Ottawa; Ida, who is with her brother in New Mexico; and Ralph, a farmer residing near Sioux City, Iowa.

W. W. Walker of this review was reared to farm life, early becoming familiar with the duties and labors that fall to the lot of the agriculturist. His education was acquired in the schools of Earlville and on attaining his majority he op- erated his father's farm for a few years by rent- ing the land. Later he bought one hundred acres of the old homestead and has since ex- tended the boundaries of his property until he now owns two hundred and ten acres of good land well improved. His farm presents a splen- did appearance, the well tilled fields being di- vided by fences that are ever in good repair, while the buildings are substantial and well kept. Everything about the place is neat and thrifty in appearance and through the rotation of crops the soil is kept cultivable and productive.

Mr. Walker was married to Miss Julia Phil- lips, a daughter of Albert V. B. Phillips and a granddaughter of James Phillips, one of the first settlers of Earl township. The marriage of Mr. and Mrs. Walker was celebrated about nineteen years ago and has been blessed with one child, Pearly, who is now a student in the Earlville high school.

In recent years Mr. Walker has been quite in- terested in automobiles and owns a good ma-

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PAST AND PRESENT OF LA SALLE COUNTY.

chine, becoming an expert driver. He has re- cently sold his interest in a garage in Earlville. Following in his father's political footsteps, he has always been a stalwart republican. The fa- ther was quite prominent in local politics and held various township offices, acting as super- visor for a number of years, but W. W. Walker of this review has never held nor desired office. Fraternally he is connected with the Modern Woodmen of America. Although he has retired from active farm labor he is still living upon his home place, which is one of the very attractive farm properties of Earl township, former years of activity having brought to him the capital which now enables him to enjoy life's comforts and many of its luxuries.

M. C. HODGSON.

M. C. Hodgson devotes his time and energies to farming and the raising and breeding of stock, making a specialty in recent years of draft horses and Hereford cattle. He owns and operates a half section of land on sections 3 and 4, Farm Ridge township, which is a finely improved property and he resides on the old homestead which was settled by his father in 1853. A na- tive of Illinois, his birth occurred in Tazewell county in 1852, his parents being Eli and Phoebe (Kincade) Hodgson. They came to this state in 1831, settling in Tazewell coun-

had westward from ty. They traveled

Clinton county, Ohio, and were among the pioneer residents of the locality in which they established their home. Joel Hodgson, the grand father of our subject, also arrived in the same year, making his way to Tazewell county. He brought grass seed and soon developed good meadows of hay on the wild prairie. He had visited the state in 1821 and had explored much of the country. He first went to Danville, Illi- nois, to prepare a favorable location for a colony. In 1828 he purchased a farm from the govern- ment in Tazewell county, and in 1831 took up his abode thereon, making it his place of residence until 1836, when he was called to' his final rest, leaving a widow and nine children. As a pioneer resident of the state he did much for the sub- stantial improvement in the northern part of Illi- nois during the years of his residence here.

Eli Hodgson spent many years in Tazewell county amid pioneer conditions and environ- ments, and in 1853 removed to La Salle county, where he purchased a farm which is now a part of the present homestead property of his son, M. C. Hodgson. He continued to live upon that

place until his death, which occurred in 1890, when he was about seventy years of age, for he was born in 1819. His widow, whose birth occurred in 1822, survived him until 1895, For many years Eli Hodgson was en-

and gaged in dealing in horses was 3 prominent representative of this business in the county. His son, M. C. Hodgson, became as- sociated with him as early as 1874. They made importations from France of Percheron horses, being among the first importers in this country and the name of Hodgson has since been associ- ated with the importing and breeding of fine horses, Mr. Hodgson of this review still han- dling this breed. The father was an excellent judge of live stock and in matters of business judgment was seldom at error. He gave his po- litical support to the republican party and was very active in the religious progress of his local- ity, being a most zealous member of the Chris- tian church while in Tazewell county. In the family were ten children, eight of whom reached years of maturity, while three are now living, J. W. being a resident of Lexington, Dawson county, Nebraska, while Sarah, the wife of Frank Farnham, is still living in Grand Ridge.

M. C. Hodgson, the other surviving member of the family, was only about a year old when brought by his parents to this county, where his entire life has been spent. He was reared here, and after obtaining his education in the public schools, devoted two years to study in Eureka College, at Eureka, Illinois, pursuing a literary course. Throughout his business career he has given his attention and energies to general farm- ing and to the raising and breeding of stock, and in 1874 joined his father in this business, in which he has since continued with excellent success. He breeds pure bred hogs and cattle, though de. voting his attention mostly to horses and he has been the owner of some very fine stock. He also owns land outside of the county in addition to his home property in Farm Ridge township.

In 1875, in La Salle county, Mr. Hodgson was married to Miss Elizabeth Wilson, who was born in this county, January 19, 1857, and died in 1886. Her father, James Wilson, was one of the early residents of Fall River township. Losing her mother in early girlhood, Mrs. Hodgson was reared by Mrs. Joel Hodgson, the maternal grandmother of the gentleman whom she after- ward married. There were four children of that union : Edna F., now the wife of Frank Duder, a resident of Farm Ridge township; Ethel M., the wife of Arthur Yocum, of Farm Ridge town- ship, by whom she has one child, Dorothea E .; Everett E., residing at home; and Ernest W., also at home. In 1894 Mr. Hodgson was again

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PAST AND PRESENT OF LA SALLE COUNTY.

married, his second union being with Mrs. Hattie Zibbell, nee Ford, who was born and reared in this county, a daughter of Joseph and Elizabeth (Rowe) Ford, who were early settlers of La Salle county, the former a native of New Hampshire, and the latter of Connecticut. They were mar- ried, however, in Illinois, having come to this state with their respective parents at a very early epoch in the settlement of this section of the country, the Rowe family arriving in 1849, and the Fords came about the same time. The Rowes settled east of Grand Ridge and resided there un- til called to their final rest. Mrs. Hodgson's mother now resides in the village of Grand Ridge, at the age of seventy-two years but Mr. Ford passed away in May, 1896. In their family were four children, the sons being Arthur, of the state of Washington, and Fred and Ralph, of Ceda .: Rapids, Iowa. Mrs. Hodgson has resided mainly in La Salle county. She had one child by her former marriage, Earl Zibbell, who is now assist- ant cashier with the Ottawa Bank and Trust Company.

Both Mr. and Mrs. Hodgson are members of the Presbyterian church and socially he is a Mason, having taken the degrees of the lodge, chapter and commandery. Politically he is a republican, but has always refused office, as his time and energies have been fully occupied with his well directed, extensive and successful busi- ness interests.

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History of La Salle County, Illinois, Part 68

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