USA > Illinois > McLean County > History of McLean County, Illinois, Volume I > Part 44
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On Nov. 17, 1912, Mr. Henninger was married to Miss Amanda Lier- mann, a native of Bloomington and a daughter of Fred and Minnie (Mil- ler) Liermann, natives of Germany and early settlers of Bloomington. Mr. and Mrs. Henninger have two children, Edward and Lawrence.
Mr. Henninger is a Republican, a member of the Evangelical Luth- eran Church and is president of the Lions Club of Bloomington. Mr. Henninger is an excellent citizen and one who holds the respect of the entire community.
D. D. Bishop, who lives retired at Normal, has been prominently iden- tified with McLean County for many years, and is a member of one of the county's oldest families. He is a native of Money Creek Township, where he was born in a log cabin, May 4, 1863, the son of F. A. and Esther Ann (Dodson) Bishop.
F. A. Bishop was born in Money Creek Township, Sept. 3, 1838, and he was the son of W. F. and Prudence (Berrickman) Bishop, the former a native of North Carolina and the latter of Vermilion County, Ill. W. F. Bishop was a prominent farmer of McLean County during his life and a minister of the Methodist Church. He was the son of William Bishop, one of the first settlers of McLean County, who was a cabinet maker and pioneer coffin maker of the community, making coffins out of native walnut.
F. A. Bishop followed farming during his life and met with marked success. He spent 10 years in Iowa during the latter part of his life and died at Doniphan, Mo., in 1921. His wife, Esther Ann Dodson, was a native of Ohio, born in 1837, and the daughter of William and Betty (Kunan) Dodson, early settlers of McLean County. Mr. Dodson was a music teacher and a well-known singer during his life. Mrs. F. A. Bishop died May 6, 1915. Mr. and Mrs. F. A. Bishop had six children, as follows:
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Rose, lives at Hooker, Okla .; D. D., the subject of this sketch; Mrs. Pru- dence Bingham, lives at Webster City. Iowa; E. S., lives in Colorado; L. P., lives at Limon, Colo .; and W. F., deceased.
D. D. Bishop was reared on his father's farm and received his educa- tion in the Bishop District School in Money Creek Township. He re- mained on the home place until 1886, at which time he engaged in farm- ing for himself on rented land in Money Creek Township. In 1894 Mr. Bishop purchased land in Hamilton County, Iowa, which he farmed until 1897, when he returned to McLean County and purchased a farm in Money Creek Township. He now owns 120 acres of well improved land, but since 1908 has lived retired at Normal, Ill.
On Nov. 18, 1886, Mr. Bishop was united in marriage with Miss Cora Hefner, a native of Money Creek Township, born June 10, 1869, and the daughter of G. M. and Elizabeth (Durham) Hefner, the former a native of Money Creek Township and the latter of Virginia. To D. D. and Cora (Hefner) Bishop one child was born, Mabel McVey, who has one son, Davidson McVey, and they live with Mr. and Mrs. Bishop.
Mr. Bishop is identified with the Republican party in politics and has served as road commissioner of Money Creek Township. He helped or- ganize the Normal State Bank at Normal and is a director. Mr. Bishop is a member of the First United Brethren Church and is trustee and treasurer of the church, and he belongs to the Knights of Pythias at Lexington. He is one of McLean County's most highly respected citizens.
Alex Keady, retired, was for many years a leading business man of Normal, and he is a veteran of the Civil War. He was born near Wheel- ing, W. Va., Sept. 17, 1841, in a two-room log cabin, the son of Samuel G. and Ellen (Yates) Keady.
Samuel K. Keady was born in Ireland, May 24, 1804, and he died in Peoria County, Ill., in 1853. He came to the United States when he was 18 years of age and settled in Virginia, where he taught school. His wife was born July 9, 1808, and died Dec. 2, 1881. Mr. and Mrs. Samuel K. Keady were the parents of 10 children, three of whom are now living, as follows: Mary, the widow of Peter Kelley, lives in Iowa, and is 93 years of age; Louisa E., the widow of Samuel M. Coburn, lives at Inter- lachen, Fla .; and Alex, the subject of this sketch.
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Alex Keady attended school in a log cabin in Virginia and he has always been a great reader. He followed general farming and stock rais- ing until he was 50 years of age and then moved to Normal, Ill., where he engaged in the real estate and insurance business. He enlisted for serv- ice during the Civil War and served for one year with Company A, 151st Illinois Volunteer Infantry. Besides his business interests at Normal, Mr. Keady served as editor and state lecturer for The Granger, a weekly newspaper. He also wrote for the Peoria Star for a number of years. Mr. Keady retired in May, 1920, and lives at 509 Fell Avenue, Normal.
On March 7, 1871, Mr. Keady was united in marriage with Miss Mag- gie Wilder, a native of Peoria County, Ill., born April 21, 1849. She died April 9, 1883, leaving three children, as follows: Marian, deceased, was the wife of Ernest Wilson; Eleanor, married John B. Graham, lives at Princeville, Ill .; and Maggie, married Harry Mathews, lives at Prince- ville, Ill. On Jan. 6, 1886, Mr. Keady was married to Miss Cora Schnebly, a native of Peoria, Ill., born March 11, 1859, and the daughter of Joseph and Elizabeth (Stonebraker) Schnebly, the former a native of Pennsyl- vania and the latter of Maryland. Mr. Schnebly came to Illinois with his parents in 1835 and in 1856 went to Maryland, where he was married. He returned to Illinois with his wife the same year of their marriage. Be- fore her marriage, Mrs. Keady taught school for nine years in Peoria County, Ill. She is a member of the Christian and Missionary Alliance and she has done a considerable amount of writing along missionary lines. Mrs. Keady is a member of the Presbyterian Church.
Alex Keady is a Democrat and for the past 20 years has served as justice of the peace, and for 30 years as a member of the Peoria County school board. He is a member of the Presbyterian Church, and belongs to the Grand Army of the Republic, the Masonic Lodge and the Modern Woodmen of America. Mr. Keady is a substantial and well-known citizen of McLean County, and the Keady family stands high in the community.
John B. Owens, a well-known retired farmer of McLean County and the owner of 240 acres of land, is a native of Lexington Township, Mc- Lean County. He was born March 3, 1860, the son of B. C. S. and Eliza- zeth (Pendry) Owens.
B. C. S. Owens was a native of Clinton County, Ohio, as also was his wife, and they came to McLean County in 1845 and located on a farm in
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Lexington Township, where they died. They were the parents of seven children, four of whom are now living, as follows: Jennie, the widow of Squire Heller, lives at Normal; Susan, the widow of Herbert E. Bliss, lives in Blue Mound Township; Thomas P., lives on E. Monroe Street, Bloomington, Ill .; and John B., the subject of this sketch.
John B. Owens grew up on his father's farm in Lexington Town- ship and received his education in the district schools. He inherited 80 acres of land and later purchased more land until he became the owner of 240 acres. Mr. Owens followed general farming and stock raising until 1917, when he retired and moved to Normal, where he owns a fine brick residence at 24 Cedarcrest Avenue.
On Nov. 9, 1883, Mr. Owens was married to Miss Mary A. Wheeler, a native of Money Creek Township, McLean County, born Oct. 13, 1858, and the daughter of Isaac and Harriet (Leeding) Wheeler, the former a native of Pennsylvania and the latter of England. Mr. and Mrs. Wheeler were the parents of four children, as follows: One died in infancy ; Ben- jamin F., lives at Denver, Colo .; Robert L., lives at Seneca, Kan .; and Mrs. Owens. To John B. and Mary A (Wheeler) Owens three children were born, as follows: One died in infancy; Mabel, married George Schlosser, lives in Blue Mound Township; and Maude, married Louis Sut- ter, lives in Blue Mound Township, McLean County. Mrs. Schlosser has two children, Nadine Owens and Doreen Louise, and Mrs. Sutter has two children, Wava Marie and Jeanene Lavece.
Mr. Owens and his family are highly esteemed members of their com- munity. The Owens name has stood for high ideals and progress ever since the pioneer days, when it was first known in this part of Illinois.
Dr. Ferdinand C. McCormick, who is widely known throughout Mc- Lean County as a successful physician and surgeon, was born at Normal, Sept. 17, 1874, and is a son of Henry and Numanthia B. (Kinyon) McCor- mick. Henry McCormick was widely known for many years as a pro- fessor of history in the Illinois State Normal University. To Mr. and Mrs. McCormick five children were born as follows: Alice C., married O. R. Trowbridge, a well-known attorney and author; Dr. N. K., deceased, a sketch of whom appears in this history; Edmund B., professor of me- chanical engineering in the State Agricultural College; Dr. Ferdinand C.,
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the subject of this sketch; and Dr. Henry G., a sketch of whom appears elsewhere in this volume, a dentist, at the Soldiers Orphans Home, Nor- mal, Ill.
Dr. Ferdinand C. McCormick attended the public schools of Normal and was graduated from the high school in 1895. His professional train- ing was acquired in Northwestern University at Evanston, Ill., and after his graduation there in 1899 he began to practice in Normal, where he has been very successful. With characteristic. progressiveness Dr. Mc- Cormick was unable to rest upon what he already had acquired, and after four years took a post-graduate course in the medical department of the University of Michigan, graduating in the class of 1904.
At Belleville, Ill., on Oct. 2, 1901, Dr. McCormick was united in mar- riage with Miss Estelle Baker, who was born in St. Louis, Sept. 6, 1875, the daughter of Mr. and Mrs. Joseph Baker, the former a native of New Orleans, La., and the latter of Pennsylvania.
In politics Dr. McCormick is a Republican. He is variously connected with the professional and social life of the community and fraternally is a member of the Masonic Lodge, and the Independent Order of Odd Fel- lows. During the World War Dr. McCormick was a government examin- ing physician and was stationed at Bloomington. He is a member of the Methodist Episcopal Church, and is a citizen of high standard.
Allen Brown, who lives retired at Normal, is the owner of 1,500 acres of well-improved land, and a member of one of McLean County's oldest and most prominent pioneer families. He was born on a farm in Taze- well County, Ill., March 16, 1857, and is a son of Joshua and Julia A. (Cook) Brown.
Joshua Brown was born in Lancaster County, Pa., Aug. 11, 1809, the son of William and Rachael (Milner) Brown. The Brown family came to Illinois in 1828 and settled on a farm in Tazewell County, where they re- mained until 1867, at which time they moved to McLean County. Joshua Brown was a successful farmer of Blue Mound Township for many years and died in 1897 at Lafayette, Ind. Hi sfather was a member of the State Legislature in 1834. Julia A. (Cook) Brown was a native of Lan- caster County, Pa., born in 1822, and she died in 1914. Four children were born to Mr. and Mrs. Brown, as follows: Allen, the subject of this
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sketch; Milner, lives at Des Moines, Iowa; Charles, lives at Anchor, Ill .; and Susan, married Charles E. Welch, lives at Lafayette, Ind.
Allen Brown grew up on his father's farm and was educated in the public and high schools of Normal. He then engaged in farming on the home place which he inherited. He later purchased more land from time to time until he now owns 1,500 acres. Mr. Brown has been unusually successful in the feeding of stock and is well known throughout the county. He has lived at Normal since 1899, but still owns his farms.
In 1884 Mr. Brown was married the first time to Miss Anna Suther- land, a native of New York, and the daughter of Samuel Wilbur and Mary H. (Rider) Sutherland, natives of Chatham Center, N. Y. Mr. and Mrs. Sutherland were the parents of four children, as follows: Anna Brown; Edward W., lives at Bloomington; John C., lives at Chillicothe, Mo .; and Alice M. Brown. Mrs. Brown died in 1894, leaving four chil- dren, as follows: Florence, deceased; Edward S., a farmer, lives in Blue Mound Township, McLean County ; Clifford A., a farmer, lives at Anchor, Ill .; and Helen, at home. Mr. Brown was married the second time on Aug. 1, 1914, to Miss Alice M. Sutherland, a sister of his first wife. No children have been born to this union.
Mr. Brown is a Republican and a member of the Quaker Church. He is a progressive man and is held in high esteem throughout the county.
Fred W. Goff, landscape gardener and police magistrate of Normal, is an enterprising and progressive citizen of McLean County. He was born at Danville, Ill., Feb. 22, 1879, and is the son of Henry W. and La- vinia (Arnett) Goff.
The Goff family came from Pennsylvania. Henry W. Goff was born at Towanda, Pa., and his wife was a native of Delaware Water Gap, Pa. They came to Illinois in 1877 and five years later settled at Normal, where Mr. Goff worked at his trade as blacksmith. He has served as justice of the peace for 16 years and now lives retired. His wife died in 1920. There were two children in the Goff family, as follows: William, supply and repair foreman for the Rue Motor Company at Normal; and Fred W., the subject of this sketch.
Fred W. Goff was educated in the public and high schools of Normal and has always been intensely interested in the nursery business. His
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first position was as secretary of the Phoenix Nursery Company of Bloom- ington, where he remained until 1914. He then was appointed office man- ager of the Corn Belt Nursery and Forestry Association of Bloomington. In 1919 he took charge of the landscape department of the Augustine Nursery of Normal, which position he now holds.
In May, 1898, Mr. Goff enlisted for service in the Spanish-American War and served in Company D, 5th Illinois Volunteer Infantry through- out the war as corporal. He was discharged on Oct. 25, 1898, and then returned to Illinois.
On Feb. 22, 1900, Mr. Goff was united in marriage with Miss Mar- garet Blanchfield, a native of Chenoa, Ill., and the daughter of Thomas and Anna Blanchfield, residents of Chenoa. To Mr. and Mrs. Goff have been born two children, as follows: George Wallace, born in 1910; and James, born in 1912.
Mr. Goff was elected police magistrate of Normal in 1916 and is now serving his second term in that office. He is a Republican, a member of the Presbyterian Church, and belongs to the Modern Woodmen of Amer- ica, the Yeoman Lodge, and the Redmen. He is senior vice-commander of the United Spanish War Veterans. Mr. Goff is one of the substantial members of his community and has a host of friends.
The Families of James and Rachel Porter .- James Porter was a son of Vear and Eleanor (McHarry) Porter, the former a native of Killy- leagh, County Down, Ireland, and the latter of Welch descent. They came to the United States in 1808 and settled on a farm in Washington County, Pa. They were the parents of nine children, as follows: William, born 1795, at Killyleagh, probably died in infancy; Margaret, born at Killy- leagh, June 4, 1796, married Anger Dobbs, in Pennsylvania; Jane, born at Killyleagh, Oct. 1, 1798, came with parents to America, unmarried; William, born at Killyleagh, Feb. 19, 1803, died on board ship coming over; Richard M., born April 18, 1806, in Washington County, Pa., mar- ried Sophia Roberts, March 20, 1828, moved to Iowa in 1841, was a farmer; Elizabeth, born in Washington County, Pa., Feb. 2, 1808, married John Wilson, April 5, 1827, had two sons, Samuel and Vear Porter, settled in Kansas; Daniel H., born in Washington County, Aug. 19, 1811, married Martha Young, died in McLean County, Ill. Their son Vear died in
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RACHEL PORTER.
JAMES PORTER
6
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Pennsylvania; James, the subject of this sketch, was born in Washington County, Feb. 12, 1813, married Rachel Stockdale in 1838, and they moved to McLean County, Ill., in November, 1854; and Cassandra, born in Wash- ington County, June 26, 1815, married Harvey Applegate, died in Alle- gheny County, Pa., no children.
Rachel Stockdale was a daughter of William and Jane Stockdale of Downpatrick, County Down, Ireland. Her parents came to this county in 1811, settling soon after on a farm in Washington County, Pa., near Monongahela. William Stockdale was a son of John and Rachel (Phillips) Stockdale, both of whom were of English descent. Jane Stockdale's maiden name was Jane McNown. Her mother's maiden name was Sallie Hunter. William and Jane Stockdale were the parents of ten children, all of whom were born in Washington County, Pa., as follows: Sarah, married Samuel Morgan of Washington County, no children; John, mar- ried Margaret Curry, came to Heyworth, Ill., about 1856. He was a farmer. They had two sons and one daughter; Richard, married Lavina Hoffman, had five sons. He owned a tannery and lived in Monongahela, Pa. He died in 1889; Rachel, married James Porter in 1838, moved to Bloomington, and they had four sons and five daughters; Margaret, mar- ried James Kerr, had two daughters. She died in 1905; James, farmer, married Elizabeth Young, died in 1891, no children ; William, cabinet maker, lived in Monongahela City, Pa., unmarried; Eliza, married Robert Pat- ton, lived in Washington County, Pa. They had two sons and two daugh- ters; Forbes, married William Coulter, lived in Monongahela City, had one son and three daughters; and Robert, unmarried, lived in Washing- ton. County, Pa. He died in 1872. Rachel (Stockdale) Porter, the last survivor of this family, died Feb. 9, 1911. She was born June 24, 1817, and was in her 94th year at the time of her death.
James Porter was married to Rachel Stockdale in Washington County, Pa., in 1838. They spent 16 years engaged in farming in that county, near Monongahela. In 1854 the family moved to Illinois, coming to Chi- cago by train and to Bloomington on the Chicago and Alton railroad. In about two years they moved to a farm seven miles southeast of Bloom- ington, in Old Town Township, on the Ireland Grove road; a part of the family moved to Bloomington in 1865.
To James and Rachel (Stockdale) Porter nine children were born, as follows: William Harvey, born in Washington County, Pa., married Amanda Rodman in 1866. He followed farming for a number of years (33)
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and is now living in LeRoy. They have four children living: Nellie, a teacher in the Champaign, Ill., graded school; Frank L., living in Cham- paign, Ill., has one son, Frederick ; Lida W., wife of Samuel Stephens, Po- tomac, Ill .; Harriet C., wife of Chas. E. Cowden, Downs, Ill., three chil- dren, Earl, Rachel and Raymond; Ellen, born in Washington County, Pa., married the Rev. J. V. W. Baumann, who died in 1867. He was pastor of Methodist Episcopal churches in Danville, Paxton and Mattoon. There were two children: Charlotte, who died when a child, and Rachel, gradu- ated from the Illinois Wesleyan University in 1888, and from the Moses True Brown School of Expression in Boston, married Lewis C. Green- lee, of Denver, Colo., in 1902. She now lives in Denver and is active in Philanthropic and literary work. Ellen (Porter) Bauman after the death of her husband returned to Bloomington. As a member of the First Meth- odist Episcopal Church she was for years president of the Woman's For- eign Missionary Society and also of the Ladies' Aid Society. She died in 1912 in Denver at the home of her daughter, Mrs. L. C. Greenlee; Jane, born in Washington County, Pa., lived on the farm until 1896 when she took up her residence at the family home, 407 E. Front Street, Bloom- ington, Ill. She died in 1908; James Vear, born in Washington County, Pa., married Elizabeth Armstrong. He died in 1904. They were the parents of two children: William S. Porter, who served in the Spanish- American War, died in 1909, and Isabella W., who managed the farm after her father's death, died in 1915; Robert Biddle, born in Washington County, Pa., graduated from Illinois Wesleyan University in 1871. He read law in the office of Bloomfield & Fifer, took the state examination at Ottawa in 1874 and was until his death in 1894 a member of the Mc- Lean County bar. In 1876 he married Minnie Howe. In 1889 he became the law partner of Hon. I. N. Phillips and in 1892 became the head of the firm of Porter & Potter. He was States Attorney from 1880 to 1884, a member of the board of education from 1887 until the time of his death. He was Grand Master of the Exchequer of the Knights of Pythias, being a member of the Damon Lodge. He was also a member of Re- membrance Lodge No. 17, I. O. O. F., and the Wade Barney Lodge, A. F. & A. M. He had a fine taste for literature and was an active member of the College Men's Club and the Longfellow Club; Cassie V., born in Wash- ington County, Pa., graduated from the Bloomington High School in 1873. For 43 years she was a teacher in our public schools, doing most of her teaching at the Jefferson and Irving schools. In 1916 she resigned her
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position at Irving school and now lives at the family home in this city, interested in house and farm management ; George Lawrence, born in Wash- ington County, Pa., in 1852, died in 1909. When his parents moved to Bloomington to live, he remained at the farm in Old Town Township, with his sister, Jane, as housekeeper. In 1895 he married Louise K. Stautz and in 1896 moved to Bloomington, purchasing a home at 612 East Wash- ington Street. He was a member of the Damon Lodge of Knights of Pythias, the Modern Woodmen, the Elks and the Masons. Their daugh- ter, Barbara L., was graduated from the University of Illinois in 1921. She is now teaching Spanish in the Arsenal Technical High School, In- dianapolis, Ind .; Lyde R., born in Bloomington, was graduated from the Bloomington High School in 1874, and afterwards attended the Illinois Wesleyan University. For 40 years she taught in the schools of McLean County, most of the time in Franklin school and the Wesleyan. From 1890 to 1912 she taught English and history in the Academy of the Wesleyan, and from 1912 to 1915 college freshman English. In 1915 she resigned her position as teacher to take up household and farm manage- ment; Sarah, born in Bloomington, was graduated from the Bloomington High School in 1877. She taught in the grade schools of Bloomington for 20 years, closing her work in this city as principal of Franklin school. In 1897 she was appointed to a position in the Chicago grade schools, teaching successively at Chase, Alcott and Adams schools. Her work in the Italian district made her see the importance of Americanizing the foreign element and she gave her whole heart to the work of instilling patriotism in her pupils. She died in Chicago in 1916.
Bert Marley Kuhn, capitalist and representative business man of Bloomington, was born at Red Wing, Minn., April 16, 1858, and is the son of Jacob A. Kuhn. Jacob A. Kuhn was connected with the educa- tional and commercial interests of McLean County for many years and was widely known.
Bert Marley Kuhn has been a resident of McLean County since he was one year old, his parents having moved here at that time. He re- ceived his education in the public schools of Hudson and Normal, being graduated from high school in 1879. After teaching school for one year at Yuton, in McLean County, he introduced a patent he had been work-
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ing on, known as the "Climax Tailor System," which has since been used extensively throughout the country by dressmakers. Mr. Kuhn traveled for three years introducing his system of dress cutting. This enterprise met with success and through wise investments he has become one of the successful men of McLean County. He has always been greatly interested in real estate and is a large property owner in Bloomington and Normal. Through his numerous building activities he has furnished employment to a large force of workmen. He is a stockholder in a number of corpo- rations and at one time was sole owner of the Lincoln Street Railway.
In May, 1896, Mr. Kuhn was appointed by Governor Tanner as treas- urer of the Soldiers Orphans Home at Normal and during his term of office handled $75,000 annually for the institution. He has served as trustee of the Deaconess Hospital at Bloomington.
On June 7, 1883, Mr. Kuhn was married to Miss Alice E. Squier, a native of Calhoun County, Ill., and a daughter of Ashur G. Squier. Mr. Squier was a pioneer settler of Calhoun County, Ill., and a prominent farmer for many years. Mrs. Kuhn is a graduate of Illinois State Nor- mal University. To Mr. and Mrs. Kuhn three children were born as fol- lows: Louis S., Waldo A., and Nellie.
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