USA > Illinois > McHenry County > History of McHenry County, Illinois : together with sketches of its cities, villages and towns : educational, religious, civil, military, and political history : portraits of prominent persons, and biographies of representative citizens, also a condensed History of Illinois > Part 42
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Eugene L. Church, mannfacturer and inventor of the Church Hay Elevator and Carrier, was born in Walworth County, Wis.,
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May 10, 1850, a son of Cyrus and Emeline (Russell) Church, his father a native of Connecticut, and his mother of Ohio. Cyrus Church came West when nineteen years of age, and located on a farm in Walworth County, Wis., where he has since resided. His wife died in 1853. They had a family of six children; five are living-Adelia V., wife of J. D. Clark; Leonard C., married Ada Porter; Hiram E., Eugene L., and David B. Mr. Church subse- quently married Mary Boorman. They have three children- Howard M., Henry S. and Minnie. Eugene L. Church was brought up on the farm, and receiving an academic education, be- gan teaching school when eighteen years of age, and taught three winters, working at the carpenter's trade in the summer. From 1871 till 1874 he traveled for a wind-mill and farm-machinery company, and then assumed the management of Forest Glen Park, Lake Geneva. In 1875 he worked at the carpenter and builder's trade, and in the winter of 1875 invented his hay elevator and carrier, and in the spring of 1876 began their manufacture at Walworth, Wis. In June, 1876, he received his patent, and the following winter made an improvement and went to Rockford, Ill., to arrange for their manufacture. June 5, 1877, he received his second patent. In August, 1877, lie moved to Harvard and formed a partnership with James D. and Cyrus R. Clark, and made Har- vard his headquarters, with the factory at Rockford. In October, 1878, he bought his partner's interest, and in the spring of 1881 bought his building and machinery, and has since manufactured his own machines in Harvard. His carrier is practical, made en- tirely of iron, simple in construction, and is the most effective, durable, and easily managed of any carrier in the market. Mr. Church commenced on limited capital, but now does an annual business of $80,000. He has sold his carriers in most of the States and Territories. He is also the owner of the Harvard Flonr Mills, the leading mills of the county. He lias recently refitted and furnished them throughout with the latest improved machinery, at a cost of $20,000, and has a capacity of 100 barrels of flour per day. The specialties are " Harvard's Delight," "Cream of the Harvest," and "Baker's Gem." They pay the higliest market price for grain. Mr. Church was married Feb. 25, 1879, to Anna E. Hall, a native of Walworth County, Wis., daughter of Henry and Lucy (Clark) Hall. They have two children-Ethel, born June 27, 1881, and Ella, born April 26, 1883.
John W. Clark, foreman of the Chicago & Northwestern shops
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and round-house at Harvard, is a native of Scotland, born Nov. 11, 1849, a son of Jolin and Jane (Scotland) Clark. His parents came to America in 1853, and located in Chicago, Ill., where the father was engineer for Walker & Brunson, grain merchants, till 1862, and from that time till his death in January, 1879, worked in the machine shops of the Chicago & Northwestern Railroad. He, as is also his widow, was a member of the Congregational church. Of their six children, five are living-Robert S., of Chicago, mar- ried Agnes Home; John W .; Lizzie, with her mother in Chicago; Kittie, wife of E. Anderson, of Chicago; Jennie, also with lier mother. John W. Clark attended school till fourteen years of age, and then began to learn the machinist's trade in the Chicago & Northwestern shops, and was finally advanced to foreman. In 1883 he was given charge of the shops and round-house at Harvard. He was married Sept. 25, 1883, to Nellie Conner, a native of Boston, Mass. Mr. Clark is a thorough machinist, and one of the best. workmen in the employ of the Chicago & Northwestern Railroad.
Horatio B. Coe, a former Principal of the public schools, Har- vard, Ill., was born in Derby, New Haven Co., Conn., Oct. 11, 1824, a son of Truman and Anna (Holbrook) Coe. His father was a teacher and gave the son the benefit of a good education. He taught in Ohio and Connecticut, and in 1849 came West and taught a school in Geneva Lake, Wis., a year; then had charge of the grammar department of the Kenosha schools three years; was then Principal of the Geneva schools two years; in Racine three years; in Milwaukee three years ; and again in Geneva a year. He then conducted the Walworth County, Wis., Institute a year. Aug. 21, 1864, he enlisted in Company A, Wisconsin Heavy Ar- tillery, and served till the close of the war. After his return home he came to Harvard and organized the public schools, remaining two months; then went to Lawrence, Kan., and organized the pub- lic school, consisting of 1,000 scholars, and was Principal a year. In the fall of 1866 he returned to Harvard and bought property, and was Principal of the schools four years. In 1870 he taught in Evansville, Wis .; in 1871 returned to Harvard, and had charge of the schools for two years; then taught in Sterling, Ill., three years, and in the fall of 1877 came again to Harvard and had charge of the school two years ; then taught music and elocution a year. From 1880 to 1882 lie was Principal of the Algonquin schools, and in the fall of 1882 went to Colorado and was Principal of the Del Norte and Silver Cliff schools a year each. Mr. Coe is a thorough
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teacher and a good disciplinarian. By example as well as by pre- cept he tanglit his scholars to be honest, upright business men in all their dealings. He was married March 27, 1848, to Mary D. Gere, a native of Auburn, N. Y., born March 12, 1832, daughter of Jabez and Lydia (McKee) Gerc. They have had three children; but two are living-Fred H., born July 29, 1852, and Minnehaha, born Sept. 26, 1860. Fred was married Feb. 16, 1882, to Florence Benson, a native of Portland, Ore., born Feb. 28, 1862, a daughter of Nathan and Martha (Mead) Benson. He has one daughter- Madge E., born May 20, 1883. Mr. Coe, Sr., is a member of Harvard Lodge, No. 309, F. & A. M., and Harvard Chapter, No. 91, R. A. M. He traces his family back to 1620, and is supposed to be a descendant of Robert Coe, who came with Andrew Ward from Weathersfield, England. Mrs. Coe's descendants came over in the Mayflower. Mr. Coe's father, Truman Coe, was born in Derby, Conn., in December, 1788. He walked ten miles tliree times a week to attend Yale College, and was finally rewarded by receiving the degree of Master of Arts. He established Derby Acad- emy, and was Principal twelve years. In the meantime he made several important surveys, among them Housatonic River for a proposed canal. He lectured on astronomy and philosophy in Connecticut, Massachusetts and New York six years, and subse- quently studied theology with "Father Swift," of Derby. In 1832 be moved to Kirtland, Ohio, and was pastor of the Congregational churchi twenty-five years. Soon after his settlement in Kirtland he was instrumental in having the Western Reserve Teachers' Sem- inary established, and was connected with it as lecturer and adviser over ten years. He died May 22, 1858. Although a quiet, unas- suming man, his opinions were always asked and honored by both clergy and laity with whom lie was associated. His wife died Nov. 12, 1845, aged fifty-five years, while visiting her daughter in New- berg, Ind. They had a pleasant married life of over thirty years, and the thirteen years that he survived her were never as bright as when her presence comforted and helped him in his labors.
William H. Coventry, deceased, was born in Claverack, Colum- bia Co., N. Y., in 1815, a son of David and Maria (Keiselberg) Coventry. While at school in Hudson, N. Y., le boarded with a sea captain, George Coffin, and became so interested in liis tales of the sailor's life that when about sixteen years of age went aboard a ship, and followed the sea some fourteen years, and rose to the
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rank of Captain. He was married Oct. 18, 1841, to Maria Van Hosen, a native of Stuyvesant Falls, Columbia Co., N. Y., born June 20, 1813, a daughter of William and Gertrude (Van Valken- burg) Van Hosen. Mr. Coventry made one voyage to the West Indies after his marriage, and in 1844 came West and bought the farm where Mrs. Coventry and a son now live, and where he died Oct. 24, 1881. To Mr. and Mrs. Coventry were born three children-Albertis C., born March 23, 1843, is an engineer on the Northern Pennsylvania Railroad; he was married Nov. 1, 1875, to Mary A. Firman. Remus, born Aug. 7, 1845, was married Sept. 20, 1883, to Annie Eliza Carvey, a native of Walworth County, Wis., born April 8, 1864. David, born June 19, 1849, married Ida M. Smith, Sept. 12, 1871, and lives on his father-in law's farm in Chemung Township. Mrs. Wm. Coventry is one of the few old settlers of MeHenry County now living. When she came to the county the Indian trail ran across their farm, and their principal neighbors were deer and wolves. Their farm contains 240 acres of fine land, which is now under the management of her son Remus. Remus Coventry is a member of Harvard Lodge, No. 309, F. & A. M .; Harvard Chapter, No. 91, R. A. M., and Calvary Commandery, No. 25, K. T. Mrs. Coventry's father was a descendant of Jan Franz Van Hussun, or Hosen, who came from Holland in 1645, and settled in Albany, N. Y., purchasing his land from the Indi- ans. His principal purchase was the Claverack land, June 5, 1662, amounting to several hundred acres, lying along the Hudson River, and including the present site of Hudson. He paid 500 guilders for this land. This sale is recorded in Book of Deeds VI., page 199, Clerk's office, Albany County, N. Y.
Herbert D. Crumb, Cashier Harvard Bank, was born in Har- vard, Jan. 15, 1859, son of Joseph C. and Harriet (Clark) Crumb. He attended school in Harvard until 1875, when he began to work in the bank with his father, and in 1882 was appointed Cashier of this bank. Mr. Crumb was married to Miss Mamie Minier, Oct. 18, 1882, at Harvard. She was born in Harvard, daughter of Henry B. and Julia (Ayer) Minier. Mr. and Mrs. Crumb have one child- Harriet M., born April 18, 1884. Mr. Crumb is a member of Har- vard Lodge, No. 147, A. O. U. W. In politics he is a Republican.
John F. Cunningham, of the firm of Sweeney, Cunningham & Dunn, was born in Dunham Township, McHenry Co., Ill., Aug. 11, 1855, a son of Florence and Anna (Brady) Cunningham, natives of Ireland. His father came to America when a young man, but
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returned to Ireland, and three years later came again to the United States. He lived on Staten Island, N. Y., fifteen years, and in 1848 moved to Chicago, Ill., and remained five years, and while there assisted in superintending the construction of the plank road from Milwaukee avenne to Jefferson. In 1853 he moved to Mc- Henry County, and bought the farm in Dunham Township, where his widow now lives, and where he died June 17, 1883. Of a family of eight children, six are living-Mary A., wife of William Brickley; Sarah, wife of Peter Brickley; Kate M., a dressmaker of Chicago; John F .; James E. married Mary Dewan, of Marengo; Hannah A., at home. John F. Cunningham attended school till eighteen years of age, and then taught four terms, in the mean time attending the Normal School at Valparaiso, Ind., graduating from the commercial department June 27, 1877. May 3, 1879, he formed a partnership with J. A. Sweeney, and in September, 1883, E. F. Dunn was admitted to' the firm. Mr. Cunningham was married June 9, 1881, to Minnie B. Foley, a native of Chicago, daughter of Timothy and Joannah (Hart) Foley. They have one child-Eva B., born Nov. 19, 1882. Mr. and Mrs. Cunningham are members of the Catholic church. Mr. Cunningham is one of the most promising young business men of Harvard. He is enterprising and public spirited, and in all his business relations is reliable and straightforward.
Elisha Dodge, deceased, was born in Lamoille County, Vt., July 22, 1808, and died in Harvard, Ill., Feb. 7, 1878. His parents, Elisha and Polly Dodge, were farmers of Vermont, and his early life was spent in accordance with the customs of the country in an early day. When eighteen years of age he went to Brasher Falls, St. Lawrence Co., N. Y., and spent the rafting season on the St. Lawrence River, and the chopping season in the lumber forests about ten years, when he moved to La Porte, Ind., and in 1839 to McHenry County, Ill., and settled on his farm in Dunham Town- ship, where he endured all the privations of a pioneer life, but lived to see his labors result in pecuniary comfort. In 1877 he moved to Harvard. He was married in 1832 to Susan Smith, of Brasher, N. Y. They had a family of ten children; seven are liv- ing-David, born Ang. 31, 1833; Elvira, wife of Elmer Drullard, born June 29, 1836; Charles B., born May 19, 1840, married Emma Wicks; George A., born Oct. 17, 1844, married Louie Waite; Frank L. G., born Sept. 10, 1846, married Anna Hills; Edna A., born May 9, 1850, is the wife of George Clute; Fred A.,
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born Dec. 2, 1858, married May Davis. One son, Isaac E., en- listed in Company C, Nincty-fifth Illinois Infantry, and was killed at the battle of Vicksburg. Mrs. Dodge died April 25, 1863. Sept. 28, 1864, Mr. Dodge married Mrs. Abigail Harkness, widow of Nathaniel Harkness. They had one daughter-Cora A. Mrs. Dodge has two children by her first marriage-Martha E., wife of James Picrce, born Feb. 8, 1852, and Henry C., born May 1, 1853, married Ella Walton. Mrs. Dodge has a pleasant home in Har- vard, and is surrounded by kind friends and affectionate children.
David Downs, retired farmer, is one of the oldest settlers of Harvard. He was born in Columbia County, N. Y., April 4, 1806, the twelfth of thirteen children of Dr. David and Mary (Bangs) Downs. In the fall of 1846 he came to Illinois, and bought a farm in Dunham Township, McHenry County, which he still owns. In the fall of 1882 he retired from the cares of farm life, moved to Harvard and built the pleasant residence where he now lives. He has witnessed the varied changes that transform a new, uncultivated country into towns and cities of culture and refine- ment, and lias always been in the front ranks of those who assist in the transformation. He has been a faithful servant in each of the various trusts given him by liis townsmen. He was married Oct. 1, 1828, to Lanra Decker, daughter of Peter and Polly (Miller) Decker. They had a family of eight children, six of whom are living-Lorraine, wife of -- Backus; Washington, now in Cali- fornia; Mortimer, married Achsah Lush; Reuben, married Mary Ryland; Jennie, at home; and David, Jr., married Josie Holland. Mr. and Mrs. Downs are members of the Methodist church.
David L. Downs, son of David and Laura (Decker) Downs, was born in MeHenry County, Ill., Aug. 25, 1849. He was reared on the farm, but since his marriage lias lived in Harvard, where he owns three lots and a pleasant residence. He owns a livery-stable in Harvard, but at present is a brakesman on a passenger train on the Chicago & Northwestern Railroad. March 17, 1877, he was married to Josie Holland, a native of Lima, Wis., daughter of Edward and Maggie (Massey) Holland. They have one child -- Claude A., born Jan. 21, 1881.
Orrin J. Dutton, farmer, section 23, Chemung Township, was born in Southington, Hartford Co., Conn., March 25, 1808, a son of Moses and Hannah (Hitchcock) Dutton. When twenty-one years of age he went into the finishing department of an auger factory. In 1836 he moved to Chautauqua County, N. Y., and in
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March, 1856, came West and settled on the farm where he now lives. He was married Oct. 30, 1833, to Irena Rice, a native of Meriden, Conn., born Nov. 22, 1813, daughter of Ezekiel and Mary (Merriam) Rice. They have had ten children; seven are living-John R., born Feb. 13, 1836, married Kate C. Stark; Mary M., born Jan. 7, 1838, wife of Joseph D. Hart, of Chautauqua County, N. Y .; William J., born March 6, 1842, married Helen Moore and resides in Davenport, Neb .; Lydia A., born Aug. 27, 1844, married Albert Thompson, M. D., of Lawrence ; Allen R., born Nov. 30, 1847, married Addie Hart; Abbie I., born Aug. 17, 1853, wife of George W. Slawson, of Edgar, Clay Co., Neb .; Alice E., Sept. 7, 1856, wife of Henry I. Cooley, of Kenesaw, Neb .; Moses, born Feb. 6, 1840, died Dec. 17, 1858; Orrin J., born July 17, 1850, died Nov. 8, 1878. Mr. and Mrs. Dutton have had a married life of fifty-one years. They have been among the enter- prising pioneers of the county and are now living in the enjoyment of the results of the hard labor of their earlier years. They are members of the Presbyterian church.
John Forby, wagon-mnaker, Harvard, Ill., was born in Albany, N. Y., Dec. 8, 1819, son of John and Ann (Smith) Forby, natives of Yorkshire, England, wlio came to America when they were children and were married in New York. They had a family of six children-David, an ivory-turner, of Cleveland, Ohio, married Delia McGlashan; Mary, widow of Leonard Jones, of Greenwich, N. Y .; Ann, widow of Aaron Conklin, of Albany, N. Y .; John; George, foreman of the St. Lonis Pacific Railroad paint shops, married Elizabeth Dowd; Charles H., resides in Indianapolis. John Forby reinained at home till twelve years of age and then went to Saratoga Springs and worked in a carriage factory seven years. He then went to Troy, N. Y., and in 1839 to Buffalo; thence in the spring of 1841 to Cleveland, Ohio, and in 1847 to New Madrid, N. Y., where he remained one winter. In 1848 he went to Ottawa, Canada, and in 1858 returned to Cleveland, Ohio, and in 1859 from there to Monroe, Wis., where he remained till the breaking out of the Rebellion. Sept. 1, 1861, he enlisted in the Fifth Wisconsin Battery and served as Sergeant till October, 1864. In February, 1865, he was commissioned Captain of Com- pany E, Fifty-first Wisconsin Infantry, and served till the close of the war. He was mustered out at Milwaukee, Aug. 5, 1865, and returned to Monroe, and in 1870 moved to Harvard, where he lias since resided. Mr. Forby was married at Buffalo, N. Y., Sept. 6,
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1841, to Margaret Esdell, a native of New York, daughter of James and Mary Esdell. She died in 1845. Their only daughter died in infancy. Sept. 3, 1847, Mr. Forby married Margaret Glascott, a native of Pirth, Canada West, daughter of William and Catherine Glascott. Of their seven children, five are living- Margaret E., wife of Charles Lindsay, of Evansville, Wis .; John F., a dentist of Chicago; Maria V., wife of Henry Miller, of Michigan City, Ind .; Anna B. and Blanche, at home. Mr. and Mrs. Forby are members of the Presbyterian church, of which he he is Elder. He is a member of J. B. Manzer Post, No. 215, G. A. R., and Cleveland Lodge, No. 13, I. O. O. F.
Robert Gardner, deceased, was born in Pomfret, Chautauqua Co., N. Y., July 13, 1819, a son of Robert and Martha (Maine) Gardner, natives of Ireland. He came West in 1838 to La Porte County, Ind. ; remained there two years, then removed to Dunham, McHenry Co., Ill., where he bought a farm. In 1847 he returned to New York and was married to Sarah M. Da Lee, a native of Washington County, town of White Creek, who was born Aug. 18, 1824, the only child of John K. and Mehettable (Deming) Da Lee. He then returned to his farm, and in the spring of 1855 rented his farm and removed to Marengo, Ill., where he engaged in buying and selling grain and live stock until the following spring, when he removed to Harvard, where he had previously bought one-fourth interest in Hart's original addition to Harvard, and built one of the first dwelling houses in the place. In 1859 he went to Little York, Nevada Co., Cal., where he remained two years and a half, having charge of a saw-mill and ditch property. He then returned to Harvard and engaged in the lumber business till 1875 when his health failed, and he was obliged to give up his busi- ness. He died Aug. 9,1877. Mr. and Mrs. Gardner had a family of twelve children; but six are living-Charles D., born Oct. 16, 1854, agent for the American Express Company at Galesburg, Ill., mar- ried at Rockford, Ill, Oct. 10, 1883, to Mary Kate Bird; Robert V., of Texas, born Aug. 20, 1856; Ernest J., money order clerk of the American Express Company, at Cairo, Ill., was born Sept. 15, 1857, and was married June 24, 1884, to Renetta Huntley; Lucy B., born Nov. 17, 1858, has been a teacher in the schools of Harvard a num ber of terms; U. S. Grant, born April 20, 1863, and Earl D., born May 13, 1864, are in Texas. Mrs, Gardner is one of the few old set- tlers remaining in McHenry County. She has a pleasant home, kind friends and loving children to cheer her pathway in her last days.
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William C. Gaye, shop clerk and store-keeeper for the Chicago & Northwestern Railroad Company, at Harvard, was born in Lon- don, England, Aug. 16, 1849, a son of Dr. William J. and Char- lotte(Phillips) Gaye. His grandfather, Dr. Charles Francis Phillips, was household physician of Buckingham Palace, Hyde Park, London, over fifty years. His father still lives in England. His mother is dead. They have had six children, five of whom are living-Charlotte; Augusta, widow of Dr. John Gunning, of London; Mary J., a governess in a nobleman's family in Italy, and William C. When seventeen years of age our subject entered college and graduated in 1866. He then clerked for the Govern- ment in the tax department, London, till 1869, when he came to America. He was employed in New York as shipping clerk eleven months, and then wentto Nebraska City, Neb., and for two years was bookkeeper in the Barnum House. Then went to Omaha and drove the United States mail wagon eighteen months, when he was employed as bookkeeper for a cigar manufacturer in Council Bluffs, Iowa, a short time. In 1875 he went to Dunlap, Iowa, and for seven years was shop clerk for the Chicago & North- western Railroad; then was transferred to Baraboo, Wis., where he was assistant chief clerk of the shops till April, 1884, when he was appointed to his present position. Mr. Gaye was married Nov. 12, 1874, to Nancy F. Baily, of Nevada, Iowa, a native of Canada, daughter of Henry and Elizabeth (Hammond) Baily. They have liad four children; but three are living-Emily Be- atrice, Jocelyn Burdette, and Beulah N. Mr. Gaye was one of the organizers of the Railway Young Men's Christian Associa- tion in Harvard, and was elected its first President, but on account of railroad duties resigned in favor of Gilbert Brainard. Heis a member of Baraboo Lodge, No. 178, and Baraboo Northwestern Encampment, No. 20, I. O. O F.
Horton W. Gillis, Postmaster and proprietor of Big Foot Creamery, Big Foot, Chemung Township, was born in this town- ship May 7, 1852, a son of Nathan B. and Elizabeth (Tooker) Gil- lis, natives of New York State, who came to Illinois in 1849. The father died Nov. 14, 1880. The mother is still living on the old homestead farm in Chemung Township. They were members of the Universalist church. Horton is the second son and fourth child of a family of three sons and three daughters. He remained at home working on the farm and attending school till his mar- riage. He then rented a farm a short time, when he bought one 30
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on which he lived till 1880. He bought and shipped stock in ad- dition to farming. In 1880 he bought a creamery in Lawrence, which was burned Sept. 5, 1883. In 1882 he bought the Big Foot Creamery. After the Lawrence creamery was burned, he moved to Big Foot, and gave his attention to the creamery liere, never having rebuilt the one at Lawrence. He has increased the capacity of the creamery from time to time till it is now the largest in the State. It has all the modern improvements for making butter and cheese. It has a capacity for making 3,000 pounds of butter and 12,000 pounds of cheese daily. The ma- chinery is run by steam-power, the water facilities are good, the cooling rooms for butter and the drying rooms for cheese of the latest style. They have 400 patrons and send out collectors with wagons for the milk and cash is paid on demand. In addi- tion to his creamery Mr. Gillis has a fine farm of 200 acres, where he pays special attention to stock-raising and where he has a herd of twenty-five cows. He was appointed Postmaster of Big Foot in 1884. Mr. Gillis was married March 10, 1872, to Orilla Burton, a native of Chemung Township, daughter of Billings and Harriet (Sweezy) Burton, early settlers of the township. They have two sons-Ernest E., born July 12, 1875, and Claudius B., born March 1, 1880.
Cyrus E. Hagaman, of the firm of Hagaman & Miller, black- smiths and wagon-makers, Big Foot Prairie, was born in Amster- dam, Montgomery Co., N. Y., Nov. 7, 1834, a son of John W. and Jemima (Jones) Hagaman, his father of Holland descent. In 1844 his father came West and lived in Racine County, Wis., two years; then moved to Dane County, and two years later to Sauk County. In 1867 they moved to Hardin County, Iowa, where the father died in 1870. His mother died when he was five years old. He was the fourth of her five children. His father subsequently married Clarissa McCormick, by whom he had seven children. Cyrus E. Hagaman remained with his father till fourteen years of age, when he went to Burlington, Wis., and learned the black- smith's trade. In 1851 he came to Honey Creek, Wis., and worked at his trade five years; then followed contracting and building till 1860, when he went to Racine and remained four years. In 1864 he returned to Walworth County, Wis., and worked in a carriage and blacksmith shop till the fall of 1867, when he opened a shop of his own at Allen's Grove, Wis. In 1870 lie came to Big Foot Prairie and formed a partnership with
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