USA > Illinois > McLean County > History of McLean County, Illinois, Volume II > Part 2
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John Keiser and wife reared four children: Elizabeth, who mar- ried A. G. Burchinal and moved to Kansas; Henry, the subject of this sketch ; Sarah, who married John A. Crookshank, and lived at Randolph; and Benjamin Gans, who was a skilled mechanic with Keiser-Van Leer Company until his death. All are deceased. The father and mother came to Bloomington in 1872, where the father died two years later. The mother lived to be 98, keeping her remarkable faculties until the last. Both rest in the Stewart Cemetery near Randolph. They were members of the Church of Disciples and the children were trained in the same faith.
Henry Keiser was a thoughtful youth with a great liking for me- chanics. One day the father brought home from a sale an old German grandfather clock with wooden works for the boy to play with. But he skillfully regulated the works and for 70 years it has measured time and is still a valued heirloom. His father early taught him his own trade of millwright and builder and later Henry Keiser built mills and eleva- tors in Iowa, Illinois, Kansas and Missouri, drawing his own plans and specifications and modeling his own patterns. He was a specialist in his line and was often called into consultation on important projects.
Henry Keiser gained the foundation for his education in the common schools of Pennsylvania. He was always a thinker and reader along sci- entific lines. His controlling passion was industry. His mother wrote
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him on his 40th birthday, "From boyhood work has been your delight. I am afraid that when the time comes that you need no longer work you will not know how to give it up and will thus miss much of the better things of life". Until he was 22 he worked with his father and then came west, as it was then called. He went first to Knoxville, Iowa, to superintend the erection of a large flouring mill, and then to Mexico, Mo., where he erected a similar plant, laying the foundation for a close friendship with William Pollock, the owner, which lasted for over 50 years.
In 1871 Mr. Keiser came to Bloomington, his home for so many years, and began business as a partner in the firm of Letellier and Conger, con- tractors and builders. With the addition of the young millwright the firm name was changed to Letellier, Conger & Keiser. After several years, Mr. Keiser continued the business alone. In 1900, through his sagacity and upright dealings the business had increased to such an extent that he incorporated the Keiser-Van Leer Company, with Henry Keiser as president ; E. N. Brown, vice-president ; and B. C. Van Leer, secretary and treasurer. At that time Mr. Keiser erected the five story brick building on North East Street, facing Main, which has since been the home of the company. A general line of heavy hardware and mechanical sup- plies was added to the manufacturing and machine departments.
Mr. Keiser was an inventor of some note. He invented the mattress making machine and the United Mattress Machine Company was formed with headquarters in Boston. The Keiser-Van Leer Company are the sole manufacturers of this machine, which is shipped all over the world. He invented many other ingenuous devices, but was too busy to develop the financial side, perferring to let others benefit from his mechanical genius. He was a stockholder in the United Mattress Machine Company, the Pantagraph Printing & Stationery Company, and a stockholder and di- rector in the Glasgow Milling Company of Glasgow, Mo. He became in- terested in the natural gas fields in Kansas and formed the Keiser Gas Company of Yates Center, Buffalo, and Burlington, Kan., of which he was president and chief stockholder. This was a very successful enter- prise and in 1914 he sold his interest at a handsome profit and devoted his time to his Bloomington interests.
Henry Keiser was first married in 1882 to Barbara, daughter of W. T. and Mary (Coleman) Wood of Bloomington, who died in 1900. On Feb. 17, 1909, he married Elizabeth Twining Hall, daughter of Calvin S. Hall
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and Rachael Eberhart, early pioneers of McLean County, who survives him. Their only child, Dorothy Leone, died in infancy.
Elizabeth Hall was born at Downs, Oct. 30, 1870. She received her early education in the common schools of the county, graduated from the Illinois State Normal University in 1897 and received her B. A. degree at the University of Illinois in 1900 and the M. A. degree in 1901. She did some work on her Doctor's degree at the University of Chicago. She taught in the country schools in this county and later in the high ยท schools at Oregon, Ill., Everett, Wash., Butte, Mont., and in the State Normal School at Pittsburgh, Kan. Her parents and the Keisers were old friends in Pennsylvania and her husband's mother was her father's first school teacher. Contrary to the usual custom of husbands, Henry Keiser considered his wife a real helpmeet and always consulted her about his business deals. She thus gained a knowledge of business detail and busi- ness methods, which with her natural intelligence, good education and training in making her own living for 20 years, enabled her to look after the business during her husband's long illness and after his death.
Just after Henry Keiser had branched out in business for himself, in what is known as the old Keiser Mill on Market St., and while the ex- pensive and up-to-date machinery for wood and iron working was being installed, the entire building through the carelessness of a workman was destroyed by fire with quantities of patterns impossible to replace. There was no insurance and the accumulation of years of hard work and saving was swept away. The young millwright stood so high in the estimation of Bloomington business men that they voluntarily subscribed a sufficient amount to start him again. After his death this list of friends in need was found carefully kept among his most valued possessions.
At a dinner party given by Mr. Keiser in 1909 at the Illinois Hotel to his business associates and their wives, F. P. Casey wrote very clever verses, eulogizing the host :
"At this festal board assembled together,
In happiest mood regardless of weather,
We have represented each business and trade
In which our good host has entered and stayed.
Success in these lines is quite largely due, To help of our host and things that he knew. All hail to our Keiser,-a man we esteem,
Of all good things passing, may he have the cream."
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A cherished project of his was an adequate water supply for Bloom- ington. It was known as the "Keiser Plan", and he wrote many articles to prove his theory. In the book, "Just For Fun", which caricatured the business men of the city, the little verse accompanying his cartoon was:
"The Panama project to him Seems scarce worth its trouble and vim, But to dam Sugar Creek And to make it a lake 'Tis his chronic, his ingrowing whim."
The "Keiser Plan" was to establish a system of reservoirs in the valley northeast of the city to conserve the natural water fall. In 1909 he built a Weir dam across Sugar Creek, upon which to base the calcula- tion of the volume of water. He took a party of business men out there to demonstrate to them that 2,500,000 gallons of water, a day's supply for Bloomington, flowed over the dam in 24 hours. He demonstrated to them that a vast stream of water constantly flowed by the city's doors and the only problem was to save and store this water. He planned to build dikes and reservoirs and let this surplus water into the underlying gravel beds by natural seepage and by pipes to deep wells and reservoirs. This water would be comparatively soft and solve the problem of suit- able water for factory use.
Mr. Keiser was not a club man; in fact, he disapproved of clubs, thinking they were often the means of disturbing family ties. He was devoted to his home and business. He was a Republican from the forma- tion of the party, a life long member of the First Christian Church, in which he served as an elder and a member of the official board, a valued member of the Y. M. C. A. and an active member of the Association of Commerce. He was always interested in Bloomington interests and gave freely of his time and money for that purpose. His last business trans- action just a few weeks before his death was to help put over a Bloom- ington industry.
He was a man of robust health, although of slender build. He had not lost a day from business because of illness for over 45 years until he suffered a stroke of paralysis in January, 1922, but his vitality and indomitable will and determination sustained him when many would have succumbed. He was able to be about and enjoy his home and friends until just a week before his death. He retained his keen mind and vivid
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interest in affairs until the last. He passed away at his home, 509 East Mulberry Street, on June 3, 1923, and rests in Bloomington cemetery.
A life of hard work and unremitting toil, unusual business sagacity, thrift, and above all, a record for honorable dealings enabled him to ac- cumulate nearly a half million dollars before his death at 77 years. Quiet, unassuming, almost austere in manner, and yet with a quiet genial hu- mor, silent except when he had something worth while to say, he made many friends, who recognized his real worth, and he had the genuine respect of everyone. He was an unusual man and left his impress upon his contemporaries.
C. J. Gillespie is an enterprising and successful young farmer of Che- noa Township. He was born in the township where he now lives, Oct. 24, 1893, the son of Park C. and Freida (Reichardt) Gillespie.
Park C. Gillespie, a prominent citizen of McLean County, who now lives retired at Normal, is a native of Illinois. His parents, Mr. and Mrs. Christian. Gillespie were among the earliest settlers of the state and were successful farmers. Mr. Gillespie became the owner of 540 acres of land in Chenoa Township and owns 832 acres in Kansas. He served as mayor of Chenoa for a number of years and always has taken an active interest in the affairs of his community. Mr. Gillespie was instrumental in secur- ing paved streets for Chenoa and made other extensive improvements. He is a Republican, a member of the Methodist Church, and belongs to the Masonic Lodge. Mr. and Mrs. Park C. Gillespie have the following children: Herbert, farmer, Chenoa Township; Howard, twin brother of Herbert, is engaged in the insurance business at Chenoa; C. J., the sub- ject of this sketch; Grace, deceased; May, deceased; and Frank, an ex- tensive farmer, Chenoa Township, whose sketch also appears in this work.
C. J. Gillespie grew up on his father's farm and has always engaged in general farming and stock raising. He is now farming his father's farm of 160 acres in Chenoa Township. The farm has good buildings and a modern residence.
On Feb. 9, 1916, Mr. Gillespie was married to Miss Elva Payne, a native of Chenoa, born in 1894, and the daughter of Squire and Ida (Pir- key) Payne. Mr. Payne is deceased and his widow lives at Chenoa. To
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C. J. and Elva (Payne) Gillespie one child has been born, Ruth, born Oct. 11, 1916.
Mr. Gillespie is a Republican and a member of the Methodist Church. He is a young man who stands well in his community.
Lucien Markland, an enterprising and successful merchant of Chenoa, is a native of Illinois. He was born June 17, 1877, the son of Daniel and Hannah (Miller) Markland.
Daniel Markland was born near Cincinnati, Ohio, July 21, 1846, and came to Illinois many years ago and settled in Henry County. He later removed to Weston, Ill., and engaged in the meat business there. Mr. Markland served as deputy sheriff of McLean County for a number of years, as constable, road commissioner, and school director. He was a Republican and died Dec. 22, 1920. Mrs. Markland died Dec. 19, 1922, and is buried at Pontiac, Ill., with her husband. They were the parents of the following children: Flora, married William New, retired farmer, lives in Iowa; John, deceased; Clarence, lives in Iowa; Effie, deceased; Musetta, married Maurice Pearl, professor; Lucien, the subject of this sketch; and Willis, lives at Pontiac, Ill.
Lucien Markland received his education in the public schools of Pontiac, and at the Illinois State Normal School. He then entered the meat business with his father at Weston and in 1907 he opened his own place of business in Chenoa. Mr. Markland also has a modern ice plant in connection with his meat business and has the only cooling system in the vicinity of Chenoa. He was the first merchant to install electric fans, electric grinders, and gasoline truck service. Mr. Markland owned a bakery in Chenoa for a number of years, which he sold to Burt Bloomen- shine. The Markland Meat Market is among the up-to-date business houses of Chenoa and carries on a large volume of business.
On June 13, 1913, Mr. Markland married Miss Nadine Sarah McMackin, a native of Lawndale Township, McLean County, Ill., born Aug. 21, 1890. She died Jan. 20, 1923, and is buried in the Chenoa Ceme- tary. Mrs. Markland was the daughter of Henry C. and Arnetta (Spen- cer) McMackin. Mrs. McMackin died Aug. 31, 1898, and her husband, a prominent citizen, now lives in the Danville Soldiers Home. Henry C. McMackin was born in Cheney Township, McLean County, Ill., May 11,
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1845, and enlisted in Co. B, 152d Regular Vol. Inf. during the Civil War and served four months. He is a Republican and a member of the Meth- odist Church. Mr. and Mrs. McMackin had the following children: Alpha, married Charles Williams, lives at Chenoa; Mrs. Markland; and Blanche, married Howard Buckley, lives at Newton, Kan. To Lucien and Nadine Sarah (McMackin) Markland two children were born, as follows: Lynn, born Dec. 26, 1917, died Jan. 4, 1920; and Arnetta, born on Armistice Day, Nov. 11, 1919.
Mr. Markland is a Republican, and belongs to the Masonic Lodge and Modern Woodmen of America. He is a substantial citizen of McLean County and widely known.
Calvin Springer Hall, early pioneer of McLean County, and influen- tial citizen of Downs, and Old Town Township, was born May 29, 1836, in Fayette County, Pa., the seventh child of Samuel and Margaret (Ken- dall) Hall. All of his ancestral line came to America before the War of the Revolution. They were the Quaker, Mennonite and Huguenot faiths, each schooled in early privation and eager for religious freedom in the new world. The Baily line is traced as far back as 1500 A. D. in Wilt- shire, England. Daniel Baily, one of the first followers of George Fox, the founder of the Society of Friends, or Quakers, was imprisoned for his beliefs. Bayard Taylor, the writer, belonged to this branch. Joel Baily, the Pennsylvania colonist, is on record as buying land in 1684. His wife, Ann Short, came in the "good ship Welcome" with William Penn in 1682.
Samuel Hall was born in 1797 and died in 1864 in Chester County, Pa. He was a son of Taylor Hall and Ruth (Johnson) Hall, both of Kenneth Square, Pa., and strict Quakers. He was a successful stone mason and millwright of western Pennsylvania. His wife, Margaret (Kendall) Hall, of Hopwood, Pa., was born in 1800 and died in 1891. She was the daugh- ter of Elizabeth Walters, whose mother was a French Huguenot, Mary DeBolt. Her father, John Kendall, was the son of Thomas Kendall, a Revolutionary soldier. She was a thrifty, dominant housewife, who kept her seven sons and three daughters in order and ran the farm during the frequent absence of her husband.
Calvin S. Hall early developed a liking for books and received more schooling than was usual, attending college at Carmichaeltown, Pa. He
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began teaching school at 18, receiving $18 per month, and when he was 23, on Oct. 20, 1859, in Uniontown, he married a pretty curly-haired 16-year- old pupil of his, Rachael S. Eberhart. She was born Feb. 20, 1843, a daughter of Martin and Frances (Lonenecker) Eberhart, of New Ge- neva, Pa .:
Martin Eberhart was the great-grandson of John Adam Eberhart, Duke of Elsass, Germany, owner of large glass works, as factories were called then, whose four sons came to the new world in the early colonial days. Their descendants with Alfred Galletin from Switzerland estab- lished glass works at New Geneva, on the Monongahela River, in Penn- sylvania, and were influential citizens. Rachael Eberhard Hall's great- grandmother was "Aunt Betsy" Eberhart, daughert of Lieutenant-Colo- nel Theophilus Phillips, an officer of the Revolution and a personal friend of George Washington, who mentions in his diary of visiting him in his Pennsylvania home.
Calvin Hall with his wife and baby came west in 1862, during the Civil War. They made the long trip by boat down the Ohio, up the Mis- sissippi and Illinois to Peoria, and came by horseback through a sea of mud to McLean County. Calico, at a dollar a yard, had been purchased at Cincinnati, and the young wife made herself a dress by hand on the boat. Their first stop was on the hill where several years later they built their home, locally known for many years as the "Cal Hall Hill". They arrived in the new land with a $20 gold piece, a team and wagon, and two dollars and fifty cents in silver. By thrift and industry they accumulated a comfortable fortune before the husband's death at 72 years. Six chil- dren blessed their union: Alpheus Leonard, who died at the age of 12 years; Mary Frances, died in infancy; Jessie Lee, married T. F. Weaver of Downs and died in 1889, leaving twins, Earl J., who married Ethel Dorland and lives in Normal, and Maude Riser of Bloomington; Allie Leona, who married J. W. Staten, of Bloomington and died in 1914, leav- ing two children, Verne G., American vice-consul in China, and Rachael Lee McCormick of Emden; Elizabeth Twining, widow of Henry Keiser of Bloomington; and John Calvin, who married Grace Debo and is a success- ful lawyer of Whiting, Ind.
Calvin Hill was farmer, school teacher and lawyer. He taught in country schools in Downs and Old Town Townships for over 30 years and carried on his farming at the same time. Many of the older men now living were his pupils. He was a strict disciplinarian of the old school
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and a stern enforcer of positive authority, in the home, the school, and the state. When past 60, he was importuned by the directors to teach an unruly school that had "run" off several teachers, and bring order out of chaos. A firm believer in "no lickin', no larnin'," he soon brought obe- dience by the proper methods.
He was a man of commanding presence and unusual force, whose stern glance impelled implicit obedience; tall, with spare frame, heavy gray hair, worn in a militant pompadour, flashing black eyes, long white patriarchal beard, a quick temper, a kind heart, and a generous friend to every one in need. A strong Republican from the formation of the party, he held many positions of responsibility. One of the early justices, his advice was sought by his neighbors, and many a tilt did this country law- yer have before the county magistrate with the city attorney and usu- ally worsted him for he had an uncanny knowledge of practical law and a rough eloquence and oratory that appealed to the country juror. He was long a member of the Methodist Protestant Church and his wife was a Presbyterian. They both were workers in the Union Church at Downs and for many years Mr. Hall was Sunday school superintendent. His de- light was to attend church and prayer meetings and he went to every service, no matter how severe the weather or how bad the roads. Later, when misplaced and mistaken zeal changed the Union service to strict . Methodist Episcopal lines, with his wife and family he joined the new Presbyterian Church at Downs, in which he served faithfully as teacher and superintendent. Daily family worship with grace before each meal was his invariable custom.
He lived for 40 years on his farm one mile west of Downs, on the old State road, until in 1902, he rented the farm and built a cottage in Downs, where he spent his last days and well earned leisure, and where his widow still resides. He was a pioneer in the early Grange movement and a member of the Knights of Pythias. He was a man of robust health and was only ill a few days before his death at the age of 72 years. He rests in the beautiful Hopewell Cemetery at Downs.
His wife was even more an unusual character than her husband. She was a fitting helpmeet in the new country, and by her thrift, industry, even disposition, kindly nature, shrewd judgment, and wise counsel, she helped rear the children to positions of honor and influence and to ac- cumulate enough of this world's goods to give all the children a good education, and send the two younger ones through the state normal uni-
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versity and the University of Illinois. Even more than her husband was she in favor of higher education and while ready money was always scarce on the farm she worked and saved until she accomplished her purpose. John and Elizabeth often said that they came through school and college so successfully because "they slid through on mother's but- ter."
Mrs. Rachael Hall is still living in the home at Downs at the age of 81, with hair scarcely silvered. She manages her own house, looks after her business affairs, and has the same enthusiasm and interest in life. that enabled her, a young wife and mother, in her teens, to leave the old Pennsylvania home and friends to establish a new home in the unknown West.
John Jacobs, now living retired, is a substantial citizen of Chenoa Township. He was born in Yates Township, McLean County, Aug. 27, 1859, the son of Frederick and Elizabeth (Myers) Jacobs.
Frederick Jacobs, a native of Germany, came to the United States with his parents and settled on a farm near Bloomington. He became a large landowner and was among the successful farmers of the early days. He died in 1884 and his wife, also a native of Germany, died in 1908. Mr. and Mrs. Jacobs had five children, as follows: John, the sub- ject of this sketch; Emma, the widow of August Schultz, lives at Chenoa; Lucy, the wife of William Whals, retired farmer, lives at Chenoa ; Frank, farmer, Yates Township; and Albert, retired farmer, Yates Township.
John Jacobs was educated in the district schools of Yates Township and has always lived on a farm. He owns 900 acres of well-improved land in Chenoa Township. The Jacobs farm is among the finest stock farms of the community and there is an attractive residence on the place.
On June 9, 1891, John Jacobs was married to Miss Mary Schwager, a native of Pennsylvania, born Jan. 6, 1871, and the daughter of Frederick and Sophia (Frush) Schwager. Mr. Schwager died in 1908 and his wife liver at Pontiac. They were the parents of the following children: Mrs. Jacobs; Sophia, married Lou Biers, lives in Momence, Ill .; Frederick, lives at Peoria; William and Benjamin, in the garage business at Pontiac. To John and Mary (Schwager) Jacobs seven children have been born, as fol- lows: Lottie, married Henry Harms, lives at Fairbury, Ill .; Ralph, farmer,
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lives in Yates Township, is a World War veteran, having served at Camp Grant, Ill., where he contracted influenza which kept him from going overseas; Florence, married William Winters, farmer, Lexington Town- ship, he is also a World War veteran, having served for 16 months; Ethel, married William Rinehart, a farmer, Gridley Township, also a veteran of the World War, having served throughout the war in France; Irene, mar- ried Clarence Gray, a farmer, lives in Yates Township; Theodore, farming the home place; and Arthur attending high school. Mr. and Mrs. Jacobs have 10 grandchildren.
Mr. Jacobs is identified with the Republican party in politics and is a member of the Lutheran Church. The Jacobs family are highly re- spected citizens.
Jacob Rocke, a well known retired farmer, living at Meadows, was born in France, Dec. 1, 1844, the son of John and Katie (Yordy) Rocke.
John Rocke was a minister of the Mennonite Church in Germany and France, where he spent his entire life. He also followed general farming and owned 100 acres of land. Mr. and Mrs. Rocke, deceased, were the parents of the following children: Peter, Magdalene, Lizzie, Joseph, John, Barbara, Peter, all deceased; Jacob, the subject of this sketch; and Chris- tian, a retired farmer, lives at Meadows.
Jacob Rocke received his education in the schools of Germany and came to this country when he was a young man, where he worked on a farm. Mr. Rocke worked by the day when he first came here, receiving one dollar per day. He then worked by the month one and a half years, received $20.00 per month, and later rented land. He now owns 480 acres of well-improved farm land, 160 acres being in Pike Township, Livingston County, and the rest in Waldo Township, Livingston County. For many years he was a successful stockman and farmer. Mr. Rocke now lives retired at Meadows, and has a nice modern home on North Main Street.
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