History of Lee County, together with biographical matter, statistics, etc., Part 85

Author: Hill, H.H. (Chicago) pbl
Publication date: 1881
Publisher: Chicago, H.H. Hill
Number of Pages: 910

USA > Illinois > Lee County > History of Lee County, together with biographical matter, statistics, etc. > Part 85

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FLETCHER SEAVEY, farmer, Palmyra, is a native of Sandwich, New Hampshire, where he was born September 2, 1839, and is the son of Asa and Ruth (Ricker) Seavey. His father was also born in New Hampshire, and for many years was a farmer in that state, but in 1853 he came west and settled in Lee county, bringing his family from the east in the spring of 1854. He was carrying on a farm in Palmyra until 1877, when he purchased a farm in Ogle county, to which he re-

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moved and where he still resides. Fletcher Seavey has been farming on his own account for the past thirteen years, and has recently pur- chased and removed to the farm of the late David A. Holly. He en- listed in the summer of 1864, in Co. D, 140th Ill. Vols., and was hon- orably discharged after six months' service. Mr. Seavey was married November 9, 1862, to Miss Eveline C. Eastwood, a native of Palmyra, and they have six children : Harry C., born January 17, 1864; Fred A., born February 19, 1866; Eda B., born December 30, 1867 ; Allen E., born March 24, 1870; Clyde L., born August 10, 1874, and Ruth M., born June 6, 1877. In his political sentiments Mr. Seavey is strongly republican.

WILLIAM W. TILTON, farmer, Palmyra, was born in New Hamp- shire on July 15, 1817, and is the son of Jesse and Mary (Fifield) Til- ton. His father was of English descent, but was a native of New Hampshire, and in his youth was engaged in tanning and shoemaking, but afterward became a farmer and died about 1845. W. W. Tilton acquired his education in his native state, and when grown up en- gaged in farming, but came west in 1838, arriving in Dixon July 13, just two days prior to his twenty-first birthday. He located in Pal- myra township, and having learned the trade of shoemaking in the east, he engaged in that business. At the election in the fall for state officials he acted as clerk, and his recollection is that fourteen votes were polled. After working at his trade for about four years he turned his attention to farming, which he has followed since. He was also for a number of years engaged in buying and selling stock, and was connected for some time with the late E. B. Stiles, in this business. He was married on November 3, 1843, to Mrs. Eliza (Martin) Hubbard, a native of Sandwich, New Hampshire, who came to Lee county with her brother, Jacob Martin (lately deceased), in 1836. They came all the way in a buggy, the trip taking a period of five weeks. She was married in 1833, to Oliver A. Hubbard, also a resident of New Hamp- shire, who had come to Lee county in the spring of 1836, where she rejoined him a few months later. Mr. Hubbard died September 16, 1840. M. D. Hubbard, still residing in Palmyra, is the only living issue of this marriage. Two children resulted from her union to Mr. Tilton : Francis J., born August 15, 1846, who resides with his parents ; and Hortense L., born on January 30, 1851, and married to Horace M. Gilbert, a resident of Palmyra. Mr. Tilton is a life-long democrat, and though contending against odds in the political struggles in which he has taken part, he has never faltered in his devotion to what he con- siders the true principles of government.

One of the most striking features of American institutions is the certainty with which any young man of integrity, energy and intelli-

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gence can achieve wealth and influence by his own efforts, unaided by any accidents of birth or position. Lincoln, Garfield, and many other brilliant and able.men in various walks of life, have afforded notable examples of what can be done by untiring industry, sterling honesty and well-directed ability to overcome all adverse circumstances, and every · county and every town all over our broad land will show instances of a similar character, differing only in kind and degree, and one of these is found in the career of the HON. ABIJAH POWERS, of Palmyra township. He was born in Hampshire county, Massachusetts, December 16, 1814, and is the son of Joseph and Sarah (Powers) Powers. His father was a farmer, and was descended from a long line of New England ancestry. He had four children, of whom three are still living, one son, Joseph Warren Powers, being still a resident of Massachusetts ; Abijah Powers and a daughter, Mrs. Allen, have lived for many years in Palmyra town- ship; the other child, a daughter, died in infancy. In 1838 Mr. Joseph Powers and his son Abijah determined to leave the old Bay State and seek for more abundant returns for their labor on the western prairies. After the usual privations and trials of such a journey in those days they arrived at Dixon's ferry, where they remained several months, but in the fall of 1838 they located in Palmyra township and engaged in farming, and here Mr. Joseph Powers died, April 28, 1853. His son has been a continuous resident of the township since his first settlement, in 1838, and for many years has been one of the largest and most successful farmers in the Rock river valley. He has also been exten- sively engaged in the breeding and sale of thoroughbred cattle, with gratifying results. He now owns about 900 acres of land, a portion of which lies in Whitesides county. Mr. Powers has always been a popular man and was elected justice of the peace at an early day ; was also commissioner of public highways for a number of years ; has served four terms as supervisor for his town; was elected a member of the state legislature in the fall of 1876, and has been president of the Farm- ers' Mutual Fire Insurance Company, of Palmyra, for the past fifteen years. In 1839 he returned to Massachusetts, ;where he was married, September 8 of that year, to Miss Amanda Sprout, a native of Wor- cester, Massachusetts, who is still living. They have had six children, five of whom survive : Elvira A., born November 30, 1842, was married to Charles Eckles in 1868, and is a resident of Marshalltown, Iowa; Helen C., born August 21, 1845, married to Anson E. Thummel in 1868, and lives in Palmyra ; Mary A., born October 30, 1848, married to James Nickerson in 1870, and resides in Chicago; Franklin W., born September 13, 1851, was married to Miss Mary Miller in 1872, and lives in Whitesides county; Anstin A., born October 18, 1857, was married to Miss Adela Tallman January 6, 1881. He resides with his

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father. Mr. Powers has been a republican from the formation of the party, and is a member of the Congregational church.

CHARLES H. HUGHES, farmer, Palmyra, was born in Columbia county, Pennsylvania, April 13, 1846, and is the son of Ellwood and Elizabeth (Hill) Hughes. He was brought up and educated in his native county principally, but also attended for a time the Missionary Institute at Selin's Grove, Pennsylvania. He removed to Lee county in 1868 and engaged in farming, which he still carries on ; he has also dealt considerably in cattle and horses, and his especial pride at present is a fine bay stallion, a cousin of the celebrated queen of the turf, Maud S, and Mr. Hughes feels certain that at some not distant day his horse, or at least some descendant of his, will win a name not entirely unworthy of their distinguished relative. In July 1881, in company with O. T. Melick, he embarked in the coal and salt trade at Dixon, under the firm name of Hughes & Melick, and is making preparations at present to engage in the real-estate, loan and banking business at Peterson, Kansas, in company with his brother, Ellwood C. Hughes. He was married November 17, 1868, to Miss Hannah E. Williams, daughter of Mark Williams, Esq., of Palmyra township, and they have but one child living, Adessa, aged twelve years. In his political views Mr. Hughes is a republican.

Having organized and drilled the Chicago Light Guards, the first company in Chicago that acquired any reputation, his services were sought by the authorities at Springfield at the breaking out of the war. There was a great lack of knowledge of military matters at this time, but what Col. WYMAN possessed, combined with a mind of wonderful activity and business experience, made his services of great value, and caused the 13th Ill. Inf. to select him as their colonel, and Gov. Yates to commission him on April 20, 1861. The 13th was a magnificent regiment, filled to the maximum, and composed almost wholly of young men who knew and appreciated the issues of the struggle before them. Wyman realized the great charge that was intrusted to him in the com- mand of this regiment, and stated to a member of the same as he looked over the body of 1,000 on drill, " I never felt before so much the need of being a christian as I do now. I am responsible for the lives and wel- fare of these men, and I do not believe that any man in his own strength is equal to so great a responsibility." His experience as a rail- way superintendent fitted him for the very important duty of forward- ing supplies to an army campaigning a long way from its base of sup- plies, which he did from Rolla for the armies doing service in south- west Missouri under the command of Gens. Lyon, Fremont and Hunter respectively. This duty he did so well that his reputation spread through the western army, and when some months after Gen. Steele

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desired to embark his division on steamboats at Helena, Arkansas, to join Gen. Sherman's campaign against Vicksburg, he sent for Col. Wy- man to assist him. The general and the colonel disagreed as to the number of steamboats required, but the latter in his positive, decided way said he could have all the transportation, artillery and horses loaded on his number of boats by five o'clock that day, and he did, to the surprise of the general and his regular army staff.

It was during the campaign referred to above that Col. Wyman lost his life. It was the campaign under Gen. Sherman against the outside defenses of Vicksburg at Chickasaw Bayon. He here had the first op- portunity to show his capacity for active service. It was here that he and his regiment were under fire for the first time. He had shown marked abilities in the marching and care of men ; had no superior as a drill-master, and no man had more perfect control of a regiment than he had of his. The 13th was the old regiment placed in Gen. F. P. Blair's brigade, composed of new recruits, to act as a safety-valve. The 13th always had the post of honor, which is the advance, which gave Col. Wyman the lead that he never relinquished, and really commanded and maneuvered the brigade in the engagements referred to above un- til he was killed.

In the preliminary skirmishing Wyman's bravery was put to the test, but it was pure gold, like that of an old veteran. He placed the battery, told the men how and where to shoot, and encouraged the men by his own fearlessness and utter disregard of danger. The elear, bell- like tones of their colonel's voice to the regiment, now under fire for the first time, had the effect of magic upon their spirits, somewhat dis- concerted by the shriek of rebel shells bursting in close proximity to their position. His commands were obeyed with alacrity, and his smiling face as he was quietly seated on old Jerry's back imparted courage to his men, and they would have charged upon any rebel posi- tion if he but commanded.

The second day found Blair's brigade in position to fire upon a confederate fort, while Morgan L. Smith charged it from another direction. Col. Wyman walked up to the edge of the fallen timber lying between the two positions, took out his field-glass and coolly surveyed the enemy's position ; during all of which time the rebel sharpshooters were popping away at him, and often shooting very near his person, as we could see by the falling of leaves and cutting of vines. Not until he had finished his survey did he lower his glass, and as he walked back to his regiment he said, " The bullet is not moulded that will kill me," and ordered the company commander nearest to him to send six of the best shots in his company and kill a certain sharpshooter, with a globe-sighted rifle, that had been firing at him.

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Lieut .- Col. Gorgas was ordered down to the center of the regiment to give the order to rise and fire, and then to order that they lie down while another regiment immediately in the rear should do the same thing. Col. Gorgas was slow about executing the order for some reason, and Wyman becoming impatient of the delay stepped a few paces down the line and in front, and gave the order himself, retiring as he did so, so that he should not be in front of the men when they fired. Immediately after he passed the right of the regiment he was shot. He was stooping down that the regiment in the rear might fire over our heads, when he was hit under the right arm, the bullet passing entirely through his body and lodging in his clothing on his left side. Sergt. Pinkham, of Co. A, was the first to reach his side and unbutton his coat, and the writer was the next. The bullet hole through his shirt was in front of his shoulder, and led me to believe that that was the wounded part and not necessarily fatal, and I was on the point of saying, " Colonel, this will make a brigadier of you ; " but he looked so. pale and death-like it was not uttered, but instead, "Colonel, I do not think this wound is dangerous, it is through your shoulder." "Yon are mistaken, Harry," he replied. "This whole side is paralyzed already ; it is all over." We laid him down behind a stump, to protect him from the bullets that were now coming in thick and fast, and in a. few seconds he was in a stupor. He was taken from the field and revived by stimulants for a few minutes, during which time he con- versed about his family and private affairs. He uttered no word of complaint nor gave expression to any signs of regret at his lot, but on. the contrary, met his fate with a smile. The only question of Col .. Wyman's making a brilliant record as a soldier was the one whether- he would live through an engagement. His fault was rashness. What he did, he did it with all his might. Every soldier in his regiment admired and loved him. From him they eould borrow a dollar when all other resources failed. His name had been sent to the senate for- confirmation as a brigadier by the president, and in a few weeks more,. but for his untimely end, he would have been in command of a brigade ..

P. H. SCHOCK, farmer, Palmyra, was born on February 4, 1814, in Northampton county, Pennsylvania, and is the son of Henry and Mag- dalena (Beck) Schock. His father was a miller, and also carried on a. farm, and died in Pennsylvania about 1835. Mr. Schock was educated in his native county, and when old enough assisted his father in the. mill. In 1840 he engaged in mercantile business, which he followed for about six years, after which he became a farmer, and continued in that occupation until 1850, when he removed to Illinois, and settled at

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Como, Whitesides county. The following year he came to Prairieville, Lee county, and purchased a farm, on which he has since resided. He was married in Northampton county, Pennsylvania, on November 27, 1841, to Miss Louisa Eyer. She died December 30, 1872, leaving four children surviving: Josephine, born November 11, 1843, who is the wife of Charles W. Marston, and resides at Lawrence, Kansas ; William, born January 21, 1846, and a resident of Salt Lake City, Utah ; How- ard E., born March 31, 1859, and married in 1879, to Miss Ina Kelsey, of Sterling, Whitesides county. They reside on the old homestead. Florence L., born October 19, 1862, also resides at home. Mr. Schock has been twice elected supervisor of his town on the republican ticket, and has filled almost every other town office.

DANIEL REICHART, farmer, Palmyra, was born in Northampton county, Pennsylvania, on April 9, 1829, and is the son of Samuel and Catharine (Weidman) Reichart. His father died in Pennsylvania in 1852, but his mother is still living in that state. After leaving school Mr. Reichart learned the carpenter's trade, and also farmed consider- ably, and in 1853 came to the west, but returned home during the fol- lowing winter. In 1854 he came to Palmyra township and settled permanently, and still owns the original eighty acres of land on which he commenced to farm, but which has since increased to over two hun- dred acres. He was married January 1, 1853, to Miss Elizabeth J. Kressler, also a native of Northampton county, Pennsylvania, and they have eight children living : Susan F., born May 13, 1854, married to Albertus Miller, and resides in Cherokee, Iowa; Job, born June 21, 1855, also a resident of Cherokee; Elizabeth, born May 28, 1857, and married to William F. Seavey, who resides in Palmyra ; Samuel, born January 25, 1859 ; Sara, born May 8, 1860; Minnie, born October 30, 1865 ; Edith J., born November 3, 1866, and Carrie C., born September 10, 1868, all reside with their parents. In his political affiliations Mr. Reichart is a member of the democratic party.

HIRAM P. PARKS, farmer, Palmyra, is one of the earliest settlers of the town. He was born in Franklin county, New York, on August 29, 1808, and is the son of Aaron and Rebecca (Prescott) Parks. His father was a farmer, and died some twenty years ago. Mr. Parks was reared as a farmer in his native county, and removed to Illinois in 1836, locating in Dixon, where he remained two years, after which he bought a farm in Palmyra township, where he has ever since resided. He and his sons own some six hundred acres of the finest land in the county, and he has seen his township progress from an almost unbroken prairie, inhabited by some half dozen families, to its present state of develop- ment as one of the best cultivated and most fertile sections in the west, and settled by as enterprising and intelligent a class of citizens as can be

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found within the borders of our own or any other country. Mr. Parks was married in the State of New York, in December 1829, to Miss Martha Moon, a native of Otsego county, New York, whose parents were natives of Vermont. They have been married more than half a century, and are still in the enjoyment of good health, and active and vigorous both mentally and physically. They have eight children, the eldest of whom is Mary, born July 24, 1833, and the wife of John Lawrence, of Palmyra ; Eunice H., born February 25, 1836, is married to William Ayres, and resides in Iowa; Rebecca D., born April 13, 1838, is the wife of Thomas Ayres, a resident of Palmyra ; Wayne H., born August 24, 1840, is a farmer and resides in Palmyra ; Robert B., born December 13, 1843, is a resident of Pennsylvania; Henry A., born January 15, 1846, resides in Ogle county, Illinois; Frederick N., born September 22, 1849, is a farmer and resides in Palmyra; Abner H. was born in Palmyra township on February 19, 1853, and has always resided in his native town. He was married May 5, 1875, to Miss Mary Drew, of Ogle county, Illinois, who died February 21, 1881. He resides at the old homestead. Mr. Parks has always been an earnest republican, and he and his wife are members of the Baptist church of Dixon, the latter being the only survivor of the original founders of that church.

JAMES L. MCGINNIS, farmer, Palmyra, was born in New York city on August 22, 1831, and is the son of Stewart and Mary (Law) Mc- Ginnis. His father was a very skillful machinist, and died, while James was a lad, in Louisiana, whither he had gone to superintend the erection of machinery upon a large sugar plantation. His widow. being left in reduced circumstances, and with four young children to support, decided to accompany her father, David Law, and his family, to Illinois, and they arrived in Dixon in September 1839. During the following winter they suffered greatly from sickness and privation. In connection with Capt. Hugh Graham they purchased the claim to some 700 acres of land lying along Rock river, their portion of which is still owned by the family. James L. McGinnis was educated in the primitive schools of the neighborhood and at Dixon, and when grown engaged in farming. Soon after the discovery of gold in Cali- fornia he went to that state, and after remaining there several years he returned to Palmyra township, and resumed his agricultural pur- suits, which he has since followed. He was married on March 12, 1861, to Miss Mary B. Becker, a native of Reading, Pennsylvania, but whose parents were old settlers of Palmyra. They have nine children living : William C., born June 22, 1862; Ella, born March 12, 1864; Mabel, born August 15, 1865; James F., born May 3, 1867, Keziah, born March 11, 1869; Mark E., born November 12, 1870; Harry,

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born June 20, 1872; Oliver, born August 17, 1874, and Paul, born June 15, 1878, all of whom reside with their parents. Mr. McGinnis is a republican in politics, and a member of the Presbyterian church.

WILLIAM G. MCGINNIS, the brother of James L., is also a native of the city of New York, where he was born on September 19, 1833. The history of his earlier days is like that of his brother, and with the exception of three years' service in Co. A, 13th Ill. Vols., into which he enlisted on the outbreak of the rebellion, his entire life since he was six years of age has been passed in Palmyra township, where he is engaged in farming. He has never married, but his mother and grandmother reside with him. The latter, Mrs. Keziah (Hillis) Law, will be just one hundred years of age in July 1882, and is undoubt- edly the oldest person living in Lee county.

Among the successful farmers of Ashton township may be men- tioned Peter L. Brecunier, born in Huntingdon county, Pennsylvania, February 14, 1834. He was reared to the sturdy occupation of a tiller of the soil, receiving but a limited education in the subscription schools of his native state. In the spring of 1849 he with his father's family started for Illinois, and reached Franklin Grove, Lee county. May 12, that year they rented the farm now owned by J. C. Lah- man. During the same year they purchased the land on which a part of the village of Franklin Grove now stands. This, however, they soon sold, and purchased land in the southwest corner of Ashton township. Peter L., the subject of this sketch, purchased for himself a farm of 205 acres in Sec. 31, T. 22, R. 11. This is one of the model farms of Ashton township, and indicates that its owner is a man of thrift, industry and enterprise. In 1874 he added to the beauty of his home by erecting a fine brick residence at the cost of $4,000. Besides farming he is now engaged in stock raising, giving some attention to grades. February 22, 1863, he was united in marriage to Miss Susan M., daughter of Jacob and Hannah (Foreman) Riddlesbarger, Esq. She was born in Franklin county, Pensylvania. They are the parents of one child, Quinby A., born August 29, 1867. Mr. Brecunier's parents both died here and were buried in the cemetery at the German Baptist church near Nachusa.

THOMAS PADDOCK, retired farmer, is a native of Ohio, and was born August 14, 1814. He, with his parents, Ebenezer and Nancy (Furgu- son) Paddock, left Ohio at an early day, and removed to Vigo county, Indiana, where our subject was united in marriage, in 1835, to Miss Nancy Payne, a native of Vigo county. In 1837 Mr. Paddock left Indiana, and removed to Ogle county, where he made a claim, and

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thus became one of the pioneers of that county, whose nearest market was Chicago, or Milwaukee, Wisconsin, where he hauled his produce many years with teams and wagon. He sold his produce for a price that now would not be considered sufficient to pay the expense of such a trip. But Mr. Paddock made the best use of his time and means, and has by industry and saving made a good property, now owning 340 acres of land in Lee and Ogle counties. April 28, 1879, his home was broken up for the first since it was established, by the death of his noble wife. Since then he has made two or three moves, but is now permanently settled on his farm in Ashton township, and is enjoying the rest needed after a life of hard labor. His children are William H., now in Ogle county, and Jefferson, who died in the south during the war; Eliza J., wife of Joseph Cummins; Rebecca A., wife of George Brown; Leathy, wife of Capt. J. L. Frost, of Ashton town- ship ; Rosella, at home with her father, and Lorilla, wife of Enoch Self.

JOHN C. BOWERS, deceased, came from Germany with his wife, Margaret (Fogle) Bowers, and settled in Somerset county, Pennsylva- nia, and there had born to them three children, one of whom is Law- rence Bowers, born August 19, 1829. He was reared on a farm, without the benefit of free schools, and but very little subscription school privileges. In 1853 he came to Lee county in search of a place to make his future home. After looking over the remaining govern- ment land he decided it was too low and wet, and returned to Penn- sylvania, but the next spring came back, and purchased eighty acres in Sec. 19, T. 22, R. 11, paying $8 per acre for the same land he could have had the year before for $1.50. Land rose rapidly in value after the advent of the railroad through this section. Some years later he bought an additional 120 acres. In the fall of 1865 he married Miss Dianna Fogle, a native of Somerset county, Pennsylvania. They have six children : William C., Malinda, Hettie, George W., Harry G. and Nina May. Mr. Bowers' parents came to Lee county, where they died, and are buried in the Ashton cemetery. His brother and sister are now making their home with him.

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History of Lee County, together with biographical matter, statistics, etc., Part 85

Author: Hill, H.H. (Chicago) pbl Publication date: 1881 Publisher: Chicago, H.H. Hill Number of Pages: 910

Author: Hill, H.H. (Chicago) pbl
Publication date: 1881
Publisher: Chicago, H.H. Hill
Number of Pages: 910