USA > Illinois > McHenry County > History of McHenry County, Illinois, Volume II > Part 16
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In 1865 Frank E. Hanaford was married to Melissa Sears of Seneca Township, born in New York, who was brought to MeHenry County when a child by her parents, Clark and Abigail Sears. They settled in Seneca Township, where both died at an advanced age, Mrs. Hanaford being the only survivor of her family. Mr. and Mrs. Hanaford became the parents of the following children: Edward, who lives at Woodstock, is a dealer in oil and gas; Mabel, who married W. HI. Monroe, lives at Humbolt, Iowa; Frank C., who conducted the leading teaming and draying business at Woodstock, retired some years ago; and Ida M., who is actively engaged in church work. One daughter, Maud, died in young womanhood. The surviving daughters have always taken an active part in church work and social life. This is one of the best-known families in the county. The pleasant home at No. 442 South Street. was built by Mr. Hanaford in 1868, and it has long been a favorite gathering place for the friends of the family. Mr. Hanaford himself is a well-known, thoroughly reliable and highly respected citizen, and a man who commands confidence wherever he is known.
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In connection with his experiences as a soldier during the Civil War Mr. Hanaford relates an account of the escape of himself and Ben Gardner, from Wauconda, Ill .; Marvin Sheldon, from Crystal Lake, Ill .; Daniel Burton, from Woodstock, Ill .; Andrew LaCelle, from Wood- stock, Ill .; who were prisoners of the Confederacy. On October 4, 1864, he was captured near Ackworth, Ga., and taken across the Chattahoochee River, and after several changes was confined at Andersonville. At that time there were from 8,000 to 10,000 prisoners in the cramped quarters. Even at this day he recalls with distinction the horrors of that prison with its inadequate and miserable food and unsanitary conditions. The prisoners were unsufficiently clad, their wounds were neglected and deaths were many and frequent. Mr. Hanaford was one of those de- tailed to assist in removing each morning those who had died during the previous night. He was there for one month, and from all that he observed he states it as his firm belief that no one ever really escaped from that stronghold.
Fearing the advance of General Sherman, the Confederates took detachments of prisoners to Savannah, Ga., and from there Mr. Hana- ford and his companions after three or four days were run into the pine woods ninety to ninety-five miles southwest of Savannah, and placed under guard. Once more the prisoners were moved, and finally while in camp, near Thomasville, Ga., nearly 100 miles away from the Union forces, the five men above referred to, made their escape on December 11. All were members of the Fifteenth Illinois Volunteer Infantry. These five men had only a pint of beans, one pint of cornmeal, a little salt, and one tin cup by way of equipment and supplies. They had planned to travel by night, which they did, excepting about two miles and lay in the swamps by day. Chickens and sweet potatoes were the principal living which they foraged during the night, usually finding plenty, but never getting very hungry, never asking for help, and their hardships were pitiful. Finally on January 2, 1865, twenty-two days after their escape the five reached the flag fort on the Island of Fernandina, and they reported to the provost marshal, who provided for their needs. From there they finally took a steamboat to Hilton Head, S. C., and from there went up to Beaufort, S. C. There through some misunder- standing these brave soldiers were held for examination by a subordinate, but when the adjutant-general of the Seventeenth Army Corps had the matter called to his attention, he relieved the subordinate from duty, and gave the escaped prisoners a thirty-day furlough. From there they went north to New York City, and the Soldiers Home. They were
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sent to Chicago by way of Cleveland, and then on home. In June, he went to Springfield to be mustered out of the service, but as his papers had not arrived, after two weeks of waiting, returned home. Finally he was mustered out July 20.
It is impossible to give in so restricted a space the many intensely interesting incidents told by Mr. Hanaford with reference to this thrilling escape. Ile has related all of this in a most interesting narrative called "War, Prison and Escape," which ought to be given to the public in some permanent form by him on account of its truthfulness and general interest. He states that his comrades LaCelle and Sheldon are dead and that the former's daughter Eva married his son Frank.
AUGUST HAHN.
August Hahn, a farmer whose prosperity has been self-gained, is a man who is highly respected in Chemung Township where his property is located, it being seven miles northwest of Harvard. He was born at White Oak, Chemung Township, two miles from his present farm, April 24, 1865, a son of Lewis and Mary (Randt) Hahn, natives of Saxony, Germany, who were married in Illinois.
Lewis Hahn had come to the United States during the early sixties, and worked for Austin Diggins of Harvard, and while thus employed he hauled the first load of lumber used in the building of the village. His wife was a sister of Dera Randt, the mother of Ernest Goodkneeht, a sketch of whom is given elsewhere in this work. After their marriage, Lewis Hahn and his wife worked on the farm of Abe Carmaek and then rented land for awhile. At last he bought eighty aeres of land, going into debt for it all. A few aeres were cleared and there was a log house on the property, but before he retired to Sharon, he had put the property into fine shape. His death occurred at Sharon in 1910, aged seventy-two his wife having passed away in 1909. Lewis Hahn added to his original farm until he had 110 acres in the home place, and he also bought 120 acres now occupied by August Hahn, about 1887. He had two children, namely: August, whose name heads this review; and Lydia Lora Hahn, who resides at Harvard, but owns the homestead. The parents are buried in the Burr Oak Cemetery in Boone County near their old home. They were devout members of the Lutheran church of Harvard, and Mr. Hahn helped to build the new church edifiee.
August Hahn remained at home until he came to his present farm
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twenty-five years ago. On February 19, 1894, he was united in marriage with Bena Zimmerman, a daughter of John and Bena Zimmerman, now living retired at Sharon. Both were born in Bavaria, Germany, and there married, coming to the United States in 1883. Mr. Hahn had been renting land for six years prior to his marriage, but then moved on this property which has been his home ever since. To it he has added what was the Jim Barnes farm of sixty acres on the north, for which he paid $60 per acre, and the Banner farm of sixty aeres to the north of his second farm, for which he paid $77 per acre. His property is all in one farm, and here he carries on dairying and grain farming, keeping fifteen cows. Mr. Hahn has erected a silo and outbuildings, and makes other improvements as they are needed, for he takes great pride in his property and seeks to keep it in tiptop condition. In 1914 he built a new house on an elevation that commands a magnificent view of the surrounding country, and it is thoroughly modern in every respect, being supplied with hot and cold running water, a heating plant and electric light. One-half the basement is used for the heating plant and the other half as a garage. His farm machinery is of the latest design, and operated by a tractor of six plow capacity. In fact every- thing about this finely improved farm bespeaks the efficiency of the owner and his adoption of modern methods in everything he undertakes. For two seasons he has operated a threshing outfit with customary sue- cess. Politically he is a Republican.
Mr. and Mrs. Hahn have the following children: Louis August, who is in partnership with his father, was drawn on the first draft, reclassified, but on the second draft was called, and was ready to go when the Armistice was signed, married Martha Royce; Perley Albert, who is at home; and Jesse, who is working at Plano, Ill. A great believer in farm life, Mr. Hahn has brought up his sons to this calling, and they are proving that not only is it a very important industry, but a paying one as well.
H. S. HANCHETT. Page 138.
CHARLES W. HARRISON.
Charles W. Harrison, proprietor of the Meadow Lawn Stock Farm one of the most finely developed rural properties in MeHenry Township,
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was born April 17, 1867, at the home of his unele John Harrison, and until he was two years old lived with this unele, who loved him as though he had been his own son. When he attained to man's estate, he began working for Richard Carr, on a farm he now owns.
On March 20, 1889, Charles W. Harrison was married to Ella Hoteh- kiss, a daughter of George W. and Helen (Boone) Hotchkiss, natives of New York and Kentucky, respectively. The Boone family came to MelIenry County at an early day as did the Hotchkisses, and Ella Hotehkiss was born at Greenwood. Following his marriage, Mr. Harrison rented the Carr farm for five years, and then bought it, living on it until 1911, when he retired to Ringwood, where he had a house built by his unele, Charles Harrison, and occupied by him as a residence for many years. This house is located on one of the pleasantest spots for a home in this region, and in the yard are sixteen fine old oak trees, relies of the days when much of the higher land in MeHenry County was covered with a heavy growth of magnificent timber.
The farm, formerly known as the Carr property, contains 155 acres of land, and has been known as the Meadow Lawn Stock Farm, since Mr. Harrison assumed charge of it. He erected the present house and barns, and it is now devoted to dairy purposes, his son, Chauncey L., condueting it along the same lines as his father. For thirty years Mr. Harrison was engaged in breeding thoroughbred Holstein cattle, keeping fifty head of pure breed, and his product has been exhibited at the fairs held at Freeport, III., Elkhart, Wis., and other points, and secured many honors. Sales of the stock were held annually, and shipments for breeding purposes were made to countries as far distant as Japan. Mr. Harrison was one of the first farmers to have a herd of pure-bred Holstein cattle in MeHenry County. He carries on his stock business in partnership with his son, but does not supervise other of the opera- tions, feeling that he deserves a little leisure. He has never aspired to enter publie life.
Mr. and Mrs. Harrison became the parents of the following children: Chauncey L .; and Ethel F., who is Mrs. Lonnie L. Smith, lives near Ringwood. The son was married to Myrtle Wattles, a daughter of Frank Wattles, a sketch of whom appears elsewhere in this work. Chauncey L. Harrison and his wife have two children, namely: Francis and Helen. Charles W. Harrison is a member of MeHenry Lodge, A. F. & A. M .; Woodstock Chapter, R. A. M .; Woodstock Commandery, K. T .; and Medinah Temple, Mystic Shrine, Chicago, and is past master of Me- Henry lodge. Ile also belongs to Greenwood Camp, M. W. A. His son
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is also a Blue Lodge, Chapter and Commandery Mason. The Harrison family is one of the oldest and most highly respected ones in MeHenry County, and its members are held in the highest regard in this and other counties.
CLAYTON C. HARRISON.
Clayton C. Harrison, one of the substantial farmers of McHenry County, owns a fine farm in MeHenry Township, nine miles east of Woodstock. He was born on the old Harrison farm west of Ringwood, May 29, 1872, a son of William Harrison, now deceased, and was there reared.
On April 6, 1897, Clayton C. Harrison was married to Flora Sher- burne, born east of MeHenry, a daughter of Robert H. and Sarah M. (Colby) Sherburne. Robert H. Sherburne was born in New Hampshire, February 3, 1832, and on his mother's side of the house belonged to the old Eaton family of New Hampshire. He died December 11, 1909. When he was nineteen years old, he was married at Boston, Mass., to Bessie Stocker, soon thereafter moving to Green Bay, Wis., then a trading post, where he was employed by the United States government in making surveys. Later he returned to Concord, N. H. In the meanwhile the Stocker family had come to McHenry County, settling on the River road south of McHenry, and Robert H. Sherburne and his wife followed them in either 1856 or 1857, and here Mrs. Sherburne died soon after the close of the Civil War, leaving a family of small children.
On January 1, 1869, Mr. Sherburne was married (second) to Sarah Colby, a daughter of Ira Colby, one of the pioneers of McHenry County. Sarah Colby was born at Danville, Va., August 16, 1833, but when six years old was brought to MeHenry County, and for some years was her father's housekeeper, as her mother died when she was young. After his second marriage, Mr. Sherburne lived for two years on a farm east of MeHenry, and then in 1871 moved on the farm of 160 acres now oeeupied by Mr. and Mrs. Harrison, and remained there until 1894, when he retired to McHenry and there died. During the time he was on the farm, he worked hard to develop it, and through his efforts it has become a very valuable property, although all of his buildings have been replaced by Mr. Harrison with more modern ones. Mr. Sherburne was on the school board nearly all of the time he lived in MelIenry
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Township, and he also served as road commissioner. He was a well- read man, and a supporter of Republican principles and candidates. For years he attended the services of the Methodist Episcopal church at McHenry, where his wife attended. By his first marriage Mr. Sherburne had the following children: Maria, who is the widow of William Wilson, lives at Macon, Ill .; Mary, who is Mrs. O. E. Churchill, lives at Liberty- ville. III .; Roberta, who is the widow of Milo Wheden, lives at Fort Smith, Ark .; Anna, who lives with her stepmother; Robert, who is a farmer of Albion, Boone County, Neb .; Ruth, who married E. J. Mans- field, died in young womanhood; Fred, who married Lulu Colby, operated the Sherburne farm for a time, but died after he was thirty, and is survived by his widow. Mrs. Harrison is the only child born of her father's second marriage.
For six years after his marriage, Clayton C. Harrison conducted the old Harrison farm, and then sixteen years ago came to the Sherburne farm, where he has since resided. In 1915 he erected the present fine modern residence, the barn having been built in 1914. The latter is 34 x 96 feet, with stabling in the basement, and there is also a large silo on the place. Dairying is the main feature, and his herd is composed of registered Holstein cattle. He also sells breeding animals. A Re- publican, he has served on the school board for about sixteen years. Mrs. Harrison is a Methodist, attending service at Ringwood, three miles away. Mr. and Mrs. Harrison have the following children: Margaret, who has been a teacher for two years, is meeting with the same success as did her mother, who was also in the educational field prior to her marriage; Florence Sue; Mary, who is attending Beloit College; William; Ella and James. The four eldest children have been graduated from the MeHenry High School, and the younger ones give promise of being equally intellectual.
The Harrison home is one of the nicest ones in MeHenry County, and Mr. Harrison pursues his farm work according to the most modern methods known to agriculture. Both he and his wife are very popular, and deservedly so, and they are splendid representatives of some of the best pioneer stock of this region.
ELLERY A. HARRISON.
Ellery A. Harrison, one of the progressive farmers of Hartland Township, is located two miles west of Woodstock where he is carrying
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J.B. Richardson
Cora B. Richardson
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on dairying and general farming. He was born in the village of Me- Henry, May 3, 1861, a son of William and Jeanette (Thayer) Harrison, he born in England in 1822, died at the age of seventy-two years; and she, born in 1828, died in 1896 when sixty-eight years old. He was brought to the United States when a child, and was reared in Oneida County, N. Y., from whence he came to McHenry County, Ill., after his marriage, and all of his children were born in Illinois. The first land he bought was located four miles south of MeHenry, but he later moved to McHenry Township, and lived in the village of MeHenry for a time. Still later he returned to his farm where he remained until 1867, at which time he bought the farm now owned by his son, Ellery A., which lies on the line between Hartland and Greenwood townships. His children were as follows; Lyman, who lives with his son at Lockport, Ill .; Leonard, who after spending his active years on a farm in Minne- sota, is now living retired at Elgin, Ill .; Mary, who married Arthur Stewart, is living in North Dakota; and Ellery A., who is the youngest.
Ellery A. Harrison lived on his father's homestead, and when his father died, he bought out the other heirs and now has one of the model farms of his neighborhood. His modern residence was erected by him in 1914, and he built his barn in 1907. He has a silo and accommoda- tions for a herd of twenty-four cows of the Holstein strain. His home is one of the most desirable ones in the county, and is modern in every respect, being supplied with hot and cold water, electric lights, a sleeping porch and compares favorably with any city residence. The dairy barn carries out all of the state requirements, and is a model of its kind. Many of his ideas have been adopted by his neighbors after he has proved their value.
Ellery A. Harrison was married December 22, ISS6, to Nettie Whipple, of Dunham Township, a daughter of Virgil and Jane (Durant) Whipple, both of whom are deceased. Her brother, Augustus Whipple is on the Whipple homestead. Mrs. Harrison was born in a log house, March 30, 1867. She attended the local schools and was engaged in teaching school in that same distriet for two years prior to her marriage. Mr. and Mrs. Harrison have no children of their own, but have taken two into their hearts and home. These girls, Inez and Blanche Steven- son, were sent to the Woodstock High School, from which they were graduated. They were then given a normal-school training, and are now engaged in teaching school.
Mr. Harrison is a Republican, and when he cast his first vote there were only thirty Republican ballots polled in Hartland Township.
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During the late war Mrs. Harrison took a very active part in war work, serving as chairman of several of the committees and did more than her share in raising the quotas for the Red Cross, Liberty Loan and other drives in her community.
HOMER MARCELLUS HASTINGS.
Homer Marcellus Hastings, now deceased, was one of the prominent business men of Richmond Township, whose operations as a stock dealer made him widely known, lived one-half mile outside the village of Rich- mond. He was born at Pittsford, Monroe County, N. Y., October 7, 1846, and came to McHenry County in the Spring of 1858. After his arrival here he was married to Eliza Belle Martin, born in Richmond Township, March 21, 1853, a daughter of Lovain and Fanny (Whiston) Martin, natives of Massachusetts and Utica, N. Y., respectively. They were married near Hebron, Ill., he having come to MeHenry County with his brother Benjamin, and she with her parents. Benjamin Martin located in Richmond Township. Mr. and Mrs. Whiston also came to McHenry County, locating in Richmond Township, where he died at the age of eighty-three years, and she at the age of eighty-six years. Fanny Whiston was only sixteen years old at the time of her marriage, and she and her husband continued to reside in Richmond Township, dying at their homestead, later the home of Mr. Hastings, when both were seventy-one years of age, although twelve years apart, as Mrs. Martin was much younger than her husband. Their family was as follows: Mrs. Hastings; Anna Maria, who died at the age of six years; and Lillie, who died in infancy. Mrs. Hastings was seventeen years old when her parents located on their present farm, and nineteen at the time of her marriage.
Il. M. Hastings spent twenty-four years in Richmond as a stock buyer, and then, when Mrs. Martin died, he took charge of the farm of 167 acres in Richmond Township, which he made his home, until his death, although he continued to buy and ship stock, being the leading stock buyer of this region. The dairy interests were promoted on the farm and Mr. Hastings also bred Jersey cattle. Mr. Hastings was a man of parts, and served on the county equalization board, on the village board, and as road commissioner, and was a Republican in his political convictions. Both a Mason and member of the Eastern Star,
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Mr. Hastings was well known in both orders, and Mrs. Hastings is equally interested in the Woman's Relief Corps and the Royal Neighbors. They had no children, and he was the sole survivor of his family as Mrs. Hastings was of hers.
Mrs. Hastings is one of the most intelligent ladies of McHenry County, and her literary talents find expression in her work as local correspondent for metropolitan journals, in which she has been engaged for the past quarter of a century. When a girl she learned spinning and weaving, she is a musician of no mean ability and has taught both instrumental and vocal music, and for years was one of the members of the choir of the Richmond Methodist Episcopal church. The old log cabin, a relic of pioneer days, on the fair grounds at Woodstock, was secured through the instrumentality of Mrs. Hastings, it having been the original home of Jonathan Imeson, one of whose descendants is Mrs. Albert Gibb of Richmond Township. Mr. Imeson was a near neighbor of Mrs. Hastings' parents. No movement has been promul- gated for the purpose of bettering conditions or raising the moral standard of Richmond Township, that has not had the effective support of Mrs. Hastings, and to her co-operation, through her work as correspondent, and in other capacities, is duc the success of more than one of these enterprises.
Mr. Hastings died suddenly, at 7 A. M. December 27, 1920. The funeral was held in the Methodist Episcopal church, Wednesday follow- ing, at 1:30 P. M. The Masons had charge of the services at the grave. His remains were interred in the Richmond Cemetery. In the passing of Mr. Hastings his community suffered a distinct loss.
JASPER HAVEN.
Jasper Haven, now deceased, was one of the men who exerted a strong influence upon the growth of Seneca Township and Marengo, and whose death was a distinct loss to his community. He was born in Oswego County, N. Y., October 4, 1816, and died October 14, 1900, being buried on October 16, which was the thirtieth anniversary of his wedding, which occurred at Waterloo, Iowa, October 16, 1870, when he was united with Julia E. Hull, born July S, 1833, at Churchville, N. Y., and died May 14, 1919. She was brought to Seneca Township at an early day by her widowed mother and a brother, Gordon Hull, but later removal was made to Iowa where Mr. and Mrs. Hull both died.
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Jasper Haven went from New York to Pennsylvania, and when he was twenty-one years of age, with his earthly possessions tied in a red bandana handkerchief, set out for the South to become an overseer on a plantation. This was about 1831. When he reached Cincinnati, Ohio, the steamboat on which he was traveling, blew up, but the ambitious young man managed to work his way down the river as far as Cairo, purposing to go to New Orleans. There he secured employment in a saw-mill, and helped to saw the first rails for the first proposed railroad in Illinois, which were to be 20 foot 4 x 6 white oak timbers, laid end to end, and straps of iron nailed on top. He worked eighteen hours per day, receiving $1.50 per day for his work, and when he worked at night, he received $2. Later he was made cook for the camp, and remained with it until 1841, and then hearing of the land sales in Northern Illinois, he came to Chicago, and from there walked to Union, MeHenry County. About the same time, his sister, Lorinda, wife of T. J. Richards, came to MeHenry County, and she and her husband secured land about three miles north of Marengo. Another sister, Fidelia, wife of Jonathan F. Wolcott, and two brothers, Edmond and Edson, settled at Union. Jasper Haven bought in Seneca Township for $1.25 per acre what the present generation knows as the Crandall farm, it being three and one-half miles north of Union. Here he devel- oped a farm, and enjoyed the companionship of his sisters and brothers, and lived with Mrs. Wolcott until his marriage. After his marriage he sold his old farm, but bought other land, and at one time owned 600 acres of land in MeHenry County. He had also bought up many tax titles in Wisconsin and Iowa, his holdings in all aggregating about 1,600 acres. He was a very successful farmer, at one time having four crops of wheat threshed which he had kept in the stack to save the price of a grainary. Mr. Haven never spared himself, and in order to secure a little ready money, which was very scarce in the early days, would work at anything offered. From the first he recognized the advisability of keeping a good strain of horses, and his product became famous throughout a wide region, he specializing on them and grain. IIe bought the David Page farm in Marengo Township for two cousins, Edson and Leander, but after one year they decided they could never pay the $8,000 mortgage, so he took it back. It was to this property that he brought his bride in 1870, and they lived there until 1879, when he moved to Marengo on account of having been stricken with paralysis in one hand, and there lived retired. This farm sold in 1919 for nearly $200 per acre. Mr. Haven was a Republican, and served as tax collector
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