History of La Salle County, Illinois, Part 90

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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FREDERICK M. PLAGENS.

Frederick M. Plagens, a shoe merchant of La Salle, who is filling the position of township as- sessor, has gained a creditable place in the public regard by reason of his capable and efficient pub- lic service and his activity and reliability in com- mercial circles. He is a worthy representative of the German-American element in our citizen- ship and has found in the business conditions of the new world the opportunities which he sought for continuous and honorable advancement. He was born in Germany in 1861, a son of August and Louisa (Braun) Plagens, who spent their entire lives in the fatherland. In their family were four children, of whom three came to Amer- ica, but the subject of this review is the only one in La Salle county. His sister Emma is now liv- ing in Germany and his brothers, August and John, are residents of the United States.

Frederick M. Plagens spent the first twenty- one years of his life in his native land and then

came alone to America in 1882, settling in La Salle county. He had learned the trade of shoe- making in his native country and followed that trade in this county until 1890, when he opened a retail shoe store on Eighth street in La Salle. . He has since conducted the business and is an active, enterprising merchant, whose prudence, economy and energy constitute the basis of his success. He has never become a wealthy man but is in comfortable circumstances and his busi- ness integrity and trustworthiness stand as un- questioned facts in his career, so that he has the highest esteem of his neighbors, friends and busi- ness associates.

His position in public regard is indicated by the fact that he was elected to the office of town- ship assessor in 1905 and again in 1906 and he was previously, by appointment of Mayor W. A. Panneck, assistant assessor of the city, which of- fice he held for two years. In his social rela- tions he is a Mason and has served as junior deacon and senior warden of the lodge. He also has membership with the Modern Woodmen of America and for seven years has been secretary of the camp. He likewise belongs to the Royal Neighbors and is a member and president of the Home Fraternal League.

Mr. Plagens was married in La Salle, in 1894, to Miss Mary Daehn, who was born in America and is a daughter of Louis Daehn, of La Salle. They have two children, Louis and Frederick, both born in this city.

When Mr. Plagens was re-elected assessor by a large majority he said, "I am more than pleased at the work of my friends. . I will serve the peo- ple well and faithfully during my term of office," and this promise he has kept in letter and spirit. He has the safe, substantial qualities of an hon- orable business man and capable public officer and there are in his life record lessons worthy of emulation, for with no capital save his spirit of enterprise and a pair of willing hands he came to the new world to find in its business condi- tions the opportunities he sought and by progres- sive stages he has worked his way upward to a prominent place in business, social and political circles and in the regard of his fellowmen.

JAMES C. REYNOLDS.

James C. Reynolds, living on section 28, Deer Park township, was one of the first white chil- dren born in La Salle county and his family and that of his wife have been very prominent in the history of this section of the state for many years. Mr. Reynolds first opened his eyes to the light

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of day in the old fort on Cedar creek in La Salle township, June 27, 1832. His parents, Martin and Elizabeth (Hitt) Reynolds had settled on a farm on section 30, Deer Park township, in 1829, and were among the earliest settlers of this part of the state, living here when the forests were un- cut, when the prairies were covered with their native grasses and when the Indians still used this district as a hunting ground. Martin Rey- nolds won the friendship of the Indian chief, Shab- bona, who warned him of each of the intended up- risings of the Indians.' On one occasion the fam- ily hurried to the fort in La Salle township, which was commanded by General Brady and it was during the temporary residence of his parents at the fort that James C. Reynolds was born. The ancestral history of the family in America can be traced back to about 1685. Martin Reynolds, father of our subject, was born in Maryland and came of English lineage. He accompanied his fa- ther on the removal of the family from Maryland to Champaign county, Ohio, where he was reared to manhood and married Miss Elizabeth Hitt. They removed from Ohio to Illinois, in 1827, making the journey by wagon, their destination being Jacksonville. There Martin Reynolds pur- chased a farm, which is now a part of the site of the city. Eventually he sold out there and went to Galena, Illinois, engaging in mining for a year in the lead mines. In 1829 he came to what is now Deer Park township, La Salle county. His father, Joseph, however, never left Ohio, and died there, as did his wife.

Martin Reynolds continued to make his home upon the old farm in Deer Park township until 1838. In that year Samuel Hitt, a brother-in- law, came from Maryland, together with Thomas Hitt, another brother-in-law, and with John Wal- lace and Martin Reynolds they removed to Ogle county, Illinois. They were men of marked progress and enterprise and the four of them built Rock River Seminary, at Mount Morris, in which institution many distinguished men have since been educated. Martin Reynolds continued to reside in Ogle county for six years, or until 1844, when he returned to his farm in Deer Park township, making his home there until his death in 1870, when he was seventy-six years of age. His early political allegiance was given to the whig party and he afterward became a republican. His wife, who was born near Lexington, Ken- tucky, was a daughter of a Methodist minister, who afterward removed to Urbana, Ohio, and it was while living in the latter state that she be- came acquainted with Martin Reynolds, to whom she gave her hand in marriage. It was her brother, Caleb Hitt, who named Deer Park. Mrs. Reynolds died during pioneer times, pass-

ing away in this county in 1849. In the family were eleven children, of whom six reached years of maturity. Those still surviving are: Mar- garet A., who was born in 1820, and married B. T. Phelps, of Independence, Missouri; Caroline, who was born in 1824, and married Joseph S. Gumm, a resident of Kelso, Washington; Eliza- beth B., who was born in 1828, and has been mar- ried twice but is now a widow residing in Cali- fornia, being there at the time of the earthquake in 1906; James C., of this review; and Robert, who was born in Ogle county, in 1838, and has resided with his brother James for the past twenty years. He has lived in La Salle county since the Ist of January, 1844. Having enlisted as a member of Company C, First Illinois Light Ar- tillery, in 1864, he served until mustered out on the 14th of June of that year.

James C. Reynolds was reared in La Salle county amid pioneer environments and has a defi- nite and correct mental picture of the conditions which existed during his boyhood days, when much of the land was uncultivated and when the work of improvement and progress lay largely in the future. He assisted in the arduous task of developing a new farm and acquired his edu- cation in the public schools. In 1858, he was married to Miss Caroline C. Clayton, who was born in what is now West Virginia, January I, 1833, a daughter of William and Elizabeth (Puntney) Clayton. The father was a native of Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, while his parents were natives of England. Mrs. Elizabeth Clay- ton was born near Baltimore, Maryland, and was married in that state, after which they removed to Virginia. By steamer they proceeded down the Ohio and up the Mississippi and Illinois rivers to Hennepin, Illinois, in April, 1834. Leaving the boat there they made their way across the country to what is now Deer Park township and settled on section 32, their home farm including what is now the site of the village of Deer Park. Here they spent their remaining days, Mr. Clay- ton, who was born in 1806, having passed away in 1885, while his wife, whose birth occurred in 1804, died in 1871. He had served his township as supervisor, probably being the first one elected to that office in Deer Park township. He was appointed the first justice of the peace of the county but he did not serve. Like the Reynolds family, the Claytons have been .very prominent in the pioneer development and later progress of the county and the two family names are insep- arably associated with the history. development and upbuilding here.

Unto Mr. and Mrs. Reynolds have been born four children, one of whom, Willis C., died in San Francisco, California, in 1902, at the age of forty-

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three years. He had been engaged as a mining expert in the state of Guerrero, Mexico. Those living are: E. J., an expert mining engineer now in old Mexico; George M., a farmer of Deer Park township, who owns and occupies the farm upon which his grandfather lived and who married Miss Althea Miller, of Bloomington, Illinois, by whom he has two children, Louise C. and Helen R .; and Samuel W., of Ottawa, a twin brother of George, who married Miss Letitia Wil- son, a native of England, by whom he had four children, all now deceased. George is now serv- ing as supervisor of Deer Park township.

Mr. Reynolds of this review has devoted his entire life to agricultural pursuits and has thus provided a comfortable living for his family. He has worked earnestly and untiringly in car- rying on the farm, bringing his fields under a high state of cultivation and gathering there- from rich and abundant harvests. He is the owner of over four hundred acres of land. He has al- ways been a stalwart republican and he served as supervisor of Deer Park township during the period of the Civil war. Few men have more intimate knowledge of the county and its up- building than Mr. Reynolds, who was one of the first white children born here and whose mind as the years have gone by has borne the im- press of the early historic annals and of latter- day progress and development. The work which was undertaken by his father has been continued by him and is now being carried on by his sons, so that the name of Reynolds is closely asso- ciated with agricultural development, which has been one of the chief sources of income of the county.

JOHN M. AITKEN.

John M. Aitken, residing upon a farm on sec- tion I, Dimmick township, is a representative agri- culturist of his community, carrying on agricul- tural pursuits along modern lines. He is of Scotch lineage although born near Bristol, Eng- land, his father, Nicholas Aitken, being at that time in England with his family, being called there to manage a large glass plant. Nicholas Aitken was born in Dunbarton, Scotland, in 1812, and in early manhood wedded Miss Jane Red- path. He did not come to this country until 1871, since which time he has made his home with his son, John M. Aitken, and is now ninety-four years of age. The Commoner and Glassworker some years ago spoke of him as one of the oldest glass workers in the United States. He was also the first man to build a tank in England. Just before 1840 he was general manager of the Crown

glass factory in Southwick, Durham county, Eng- land, and it was there that he built the first tank. His ideas were gained from observing the melting of glaze in the potteries. The idea impressed him strongly and the outcome was that he built the first furnace. Jim King, a blower in the West house, was a snapper at the tank. Just before the introduction of the tank from which other inventors took their cue, Mr. Aitken received a good offer from the McCullys, of Pittsburg, Pennsylvania, to come to America and take charge of their works. He has still in his possession a letter which he received from that firm in 1840 and which he prizes very highly. He did not come to America, however, until 1871. Here he continued his connection with his trade, and in 1891 he was in Fostoria, Ohio, having been called there to mix the batch and watch the furnaces of Secretary of the Treasury Foster's window glass factory. In his family were eight children, all of whom came to America, namely: William, Jane, Nicholas, John, Thomas, Isabelle, George and Margaret.

John M. Aitken acquired his education in the schools of his native country and there learned the glassworker's trade. He was in very limited financial circumstances, when, in 1872, he came to the United States and worked as a glass cutter in Ottawa, La Salle county, and Ravenna, Ohio. From his earnings he saved money, living frugal- ly and economically, and when his financial re- sources permitted he invested in eighty acres of land in La Salle county. He now owns a large and valuable tract of three hundred and sixty acres in Dimmick township of finely improved land. He has drained the tract by laying many rods of tiling and has placed all of the improve- ments now seen upon the place. Mr. Aitken is very thorough in all that he does, believing that what is worth doing at all is worth doing well and his farm and home bear evidence of his business ability and enterprise. While working at the glass cutter's trade he was acknowledged an expert and in his farming operations he has been equally successful.

In 1877 Mr. Aitken was married to Miss Jes- sie Cuthbertson, a daughter of John and Mar- garet Cuthbertson, representatives of a Scotch family, who located in La Salle county at an early day. Mrs. Aitken departed this life in 1905. Unto this union were born four children. Arthur G. displays marked ability as a machinist and has invented a number of important improvements to various farm implements and machines, in- cluding corn cutivators and gasoline engines. He married Miss Ollie Fahler, and now lives in Dim- mick township. They have two children, Mar- garet and John. Daisy Belle is at home. Leonora

JOHN M. AITKEN.

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is the wife of John Greenshields, a son of Rev. Greenshields. Walter S. is also under the parental roof.

Mr. Aitken is a republican in politics and for twenty years has served as school director, the cause of education finding in him a warm and stal- wart friend. He is a Presbyterian in religious faith and for thirty years has been a member of the Masonic fraternity, his affiliation being with Troy Grove lodge, No. 384. His many good traits of character which he has displayed during his residence in this county well entitle him to the good will and friendship which he so uniformly enjoys.

JOHN HOSSACK.

John Hossack was born of Scotch parentage, at Elgin, among the grand old hills of Scotland, December 6, 1806. He spent his early boyhood days among the sturdy people of his native land, obtaining a very limited education. At the early age of twelve years he crossed the Atlantic ocean and entered the confectionery store of his uncle in Quebec, Canada, where he remained until near his majority, when he started business on his own account. He was married in 1833 to Miss Mar- tha Lens. Leaving the confectionery business, which he found unsuited to the development of his ambitions, he engaged in the public works of the Dominion, and for several years was a contractor on the "Long Soo" canal on the St. Lawrence river.

In 1838 he crossed the lakes to Chicago, at- tracted thither by the proposed building of the Illinois and Michigan canal. Securing contracts upon the canal he continued in that work until the canal funds became exhausted and all work stopped, when, out of necessity, having nearly all his capital tied up in the canal contracts, he opened up a prairie farm in Cook county, near a fine grove, afterwards known as Hossack's grove. He was fearless and outspoken in his love of liberty and sympathy for the oppressed, and the poor fugitive learned that Hossack's grove was an asylum for the down-trodden slave, who was cared for and assisted on his road to freedom.

In 1849 Hossack came to Ottawa and engaged in the lumber trade, shortly afterwards adding the business of buying and shipping grain to Chicago, in a few years becoming one of the heaviest dealers in grain and lumber in the west. The old ferry which was established during the Black Hawk war becoming inadequate to accom- modate the increasing trade from the south, he was largely instrumental in securing the build-

ing of a substantial bridge across the Illinois river. Being attracted by the beautiful view from the south bluff, in 1854 he erected thereon a stately residence. He was prominent in every enterprise for the good of the public. The period of his life, however, to which, during the re- mainder of his days, he referred with the greatest pride was that which marked his connection with the "underground railway." As many as thir- teen fugitives from bondage were quartered in the Hossack mansion at one time. It was quite a common occurrence for from one to five poor slaves to find a shelter there, notwithstanding the heavy penalty imposed for such violation of the fugitive slave law, which he on all occasions de- nounced as infamous and contrary to the laws of God. During this period he became the close friend and associate of William Lloyd Garrison, Owen Lovejoy, Gerritt Smith, John Wentworth, and other men of prominence. More than two hundred negroes are said to have made their way from Missouri and Kentucky to Canada from station to station of the "underground."

On September 4, 1859, Jim Grey, one of three slaves who had escaped from Richard Phillips, a planter living near Madrid, Missouri, was cap- tured in Union county and imprisoned under the state law. As this law had been declared uncon- stitutional by the supreme court and a man named Root came to Ottawa and took out a writ of habeas corpus before Judge J. D. Caton of the supreme court. The negro was brought to Otta- wa on the night of October 19th, and next morn- ing was taken before Judge Caton. The judge discharged him from the custody of the state officials, declaring his arrest to have been illegal, but held him under a writ issued by a United States commissioner, under the United States "fu- gitive slave law," remanding him to the custody of the United States marshal, to be taken before Commissioner Conreau. Just as Judge Caton had entered the order James Stout arose and moved that the meeting resolve itself into a com- mittee to carry out the law, the Abolitionists un- derstanding it to mean a higher than human law. During this moment of excitement Hossack said : "If you want your liberty, come." And, urging the negro through the passage-way made by other abolitionists to the door and into a carriage in waiting, driven by Charles C. Campbell, the others blocked the doorway, keeping the officer and his posse in the courtroom until the fugitive was safely off. A man willing to aid in slave- power grabbed the lines to stop the horses, but, on Hossack advancing on him with upraised hand, he quickly let loose his hold, and the horses dashed away with "Jim Grey" on his road to freedom.

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For his violation of law John Hossack, Dr. Stout, James Stout and five others were indicted by the federal grand jury, and all but two were indicted by the Federal grand jury, and all but two were placed in jail at Chicago. They at first refused to give bail, but most of them were re- leased a few days later on their own recognizance. John Hossack and Dr. Stout were convicted and sentenced to pay one hundred dollars fine and to serve ten days' imprisonment. When asked what he had to say why sentence should not be passed upon him, John Hossack, whose trial took place first, delivered an address to the court, Judge Drummond, which is still remarkable as a great effort and a production of rare power and elo- quence. What is also remarkable, is that he pos- sessed the boldness to deliver such an address before a judge of the United States or any other court. During the ten days spent in jail Mr. Hossack was taken out driving by Hon. John Wentworth, mayor of Chicago, and other lead- ing citizens, guarded by Mrs. Foltz, the jailor's wife, and feasted and banqueted by the people of Chicago, who paid the costs in the cases and lion- ized him and Dr. Stout. Indeed, so much promi- nence did this address give Mr. Hossack that he was nominated for governor upon the abolition ticket.

In the great struggle to put down the slave- holders' rebellion Mr. Hossack was foremost in assisting the Soldiers' Aid Society in the collec- tion of commissary stores and supplies for the re- lief of sick and wounded soldiers. He continued in the grain and lumber business in Ottawa until 1873, when he became totally blind and retired from active life. He died November 8, 1891.

His family relations were always of the most enviable character, he idolizing his wife and chil- dren, being, in turn, idolized by them. He was the father of eleven children, and lived to see all of them grown to man and womanhood, married and settled in homes of their own. For fifty- four years-from 1833 to 1887-there was not a death in this large family. In 1883 Mr. and Mrs. Hossack celebrated their golden wedding, all of their eleven children, coming from five states, being present.

JOHN O'CONNELL.

John O'Connell, who follows farming on sec- tion 34, Dimmick township, was born upon this place forty-eight years ago, his parents being John and Sarah O'Connell, both of whom were natives of Ireland and spent their early lives near Limerick in Limerick county. There they grew to adult age, were married and two sons were

born to them ere their emigration to the new world. In the year 1853, hoping to better his financial condition in the new world, John O'Con- nell, Sr., came with his family to the United States, landing at New York, where he worked for four months. He then came to La Salle and was employed at railroad labor for eight months. He lived frugally and economically and saved from his earnings a sufficient sum to enable him to engage in farming upon rented land. He bought a farm in 1863 of forty acres in Dimmick township and afterward removed to Putnam county, Illinois, where he purchased one hun- dred and sixty acres of land. He returned to Dimmick township, however, in 1869 and to his farm he added from time to time as his financial resources increased until at his death, which occurred in 1887, he was one of the large land- owners of his community, having five hundred acres of very rich and productive land. Thus year by year he prospered and his life illustrated what may be accomplished through determined and persistent effort. He passed away February 9. 1887. In his family were eight children : Michael, who is living in Arkansas; Dennis, a prosperous farmer of Dimmick township; Han- nah, who died leaving a daughter; Cora, the wife of Bernard McGlinn; David, deceased; John, of this review; James, who has also passed away; Sarah, who died in Denver, Colo- rado; and Timothy, a farmer living in Dimmick township.

John O'Connell, whose name introduces this record, was born and reared upon the farm, which is yet his home, and after attending the country schools became a student in the La Salle high school, while later he pursued a course in the Northern Indiana Normal School, at Valpa- raiso. Thus he was well equipped by liberal education for the practical duties of life and in his business career has made good use of the knowledge which he acquired. He has always followed farming and is thoroughly progressive, yet practical, in his work and has his farm under a high state of cultivation. He owns two hun- dred and eighty acres of fine farm land, his residence being on section 34, Dimmick township. This is devoted to general farming and stock- raising and he also has a nursery of sixteen acres upon his place. All branches of his busi- ness are proving profitable and he is regarded as one of the successful stock-feeders of this part of the state.

Mr. O'Connell was united in marriage to Miss Mary Welch, a daughter of John and Anne Welsh, representatives of an Irish family, which located in La Salle county about 1853. Their children are six in number : Sarah, Teresa, Celia,

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John, James and William. Mr. O'Connell fully appreciates the advantages of education and en- courages his children in their school work. He intends that they shall have good opportunities in that direction. In politics he is a democrat and for a number of years served as school di- rector but otherwise has held no public office. In his religious faith he is a Catholic and is now a communicant of St. Patrick's church at La Salle. He represents one of the old, prominent and honored Irish families of his section of the county and is a man whose business reliability is above question.

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History of La Salle County, Illinois, Part 90

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