USA > Illinois > McLean County > History of McLean County, Illinois, Volume II > Part 23
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On Dec. 25, 1922, Mr. Armstrong was united in marriage with Miss Aletha Fuller, a native of Normal.
Mr. Armstrong is a member of the Methodist Church. He is one of the enterprising young business men of his community.
Austin King, well known merchant of Gridley, is a native of Liv- ingston County. He was born Oct. 21, 1885, the son of John B. and Lena B. (Meyers) King.
John B. King is a native of Livingston County, Ill., and the son of Christian R. King, who settled in Waldo Township, Livingston County, Ill., in 1860. He became a leading farmer and was a large land owner. John B. King farmed for many years and owned 160 acres of land and was a breeder of thoroughbred horses. He now lives retired at Peoria, Ill. His wife died Aug. 7, 1910. Mr. and Mrs. John B. King had three children, as follows: Minnie, married L. E. Raber, a farmer, Pike Town- ship, Livingston County; Austin, the subject of this sketch; and Roy, lives in Michigan.
Austin King was educated in the district schools of Waldo Town- ship, Livingston County, and spent his boyhood on his father's farm. He has owned and operated his meat market at Gridley since May 20, 1918, and has an ice plant in connection with his meat business. Mr. King's shop is equipped with modern devices and is among the up-to-date and busy markets of the community, and Mr. King carries a fine grade of meats.
On Jan. 17, 1906, Mr. King was married to Miss Katherine Raber, a native of Waldo Township, Livingston County, born Sept. 9, 1884, and the daughter of Joseph K. and Lena (Ehresman) Raber, natives of Ohio and early settlers of Illinois. Mr. Raber has been a prosperous and well known farmer for many years and now lives retired at Gridley. Mr. and Mrs. Raber are the parents of the following children: Dr. D. D., lives at Bloomington, a veteran of the World War, having served in France for 18 months; Phoebe, married A. Zook, a farmer, lives in Woodburn, Ind .; Mrs. King; Emanuel, lives on the home place; and Wilda, at home. To Austin and Katherine (Raber) King three children have been born, as follows: Evelyn, born Aug. 8, 1907, was graduated from high school in 1923 and now teaches school; Dale, born Aug. 17, 1908, at home; and Lillian, born July 19, 1914, at home.
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In politics Mr. King is a Republican and he has served as tax col- lector and as member of the school board. The King family are members of the Methodist Church and are widely known throughout McLean County and have many friends.
Lewis Green Stevenson .- Here is a citizen of Bloomington and McLean County who has had an interesting experience in public life, and served with honor in various positions, both in the state and national capitals. He is the only son of the late Adlai E. Stevenson, former vice president of the United States, and one of the most distinguished sons of McLean County. Mr. Stevenson was born at Chenoa on Aug. 15, 1868. His early education was received in the public schools of Bloomington while his father was building up a law practice and serving in various public offices. When a young man, Mr. Stevenson attended the State Normal University, and was also a student at Phillips Exeter Academy, at Exeter, New Hampshire. When Lewis G. was still a young man, his father was elected to the position of vice president of the United States, and served as such from 1893 to 1897. Mr. Stevenson served as private secretary to his father while the latter was in official Washington. Po- litically, the son was attached to the same party as his father had adhered to, and which had honored the elder Mr. Stevenson by choosing him to the second highest office in the nation. In 1904, Lewis G. Steven- son was one of the Illinois delegates to the national Democratic conven- tion. Four years later, Adlai E. Stevenson was made the Democratic candidate for governor of Illinois, and his son managed his campaign, when he polled such a strong vote that the Republican candidate for gov- ernor in a nominally Republican state was elected by only a few thou- sand majority, whereas the head of the national Republican ticket re- ceived a majority of 170,000 in Illinois. Mr. Stevenson's friends still believe he was elected; they failed, however, to secure a recount from the Republican legislature.
In 1913, Mr. Stevenson was appointed chairman of the state board of pardons by Gov. Edward P. Dunne. During his administration of that position for nearly two years, Mr. Stevenson introduced many desirable changes in the parole law. He so conducted this office that in 1914, Gov. Dunne appointed Mr. Stevenson secretary of state for Illinois on the
MRS. LETITIA GREEN STEVENSON.
LEWIS GREEN STEVENSON.
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HISTORY OF MCLEAN COUNTY
death of the then secretary of state. This position Mr. Stevenson filled for the balance of the Dunne administration. There was a bitterly fought deadlock in the election of a speaker of the house that lasted for seven weeks, and during this time Mr. Stevenson presided over the sessions with such eminent fairness and impartiality that at the close he was tendered a unanimous vote of thanks by the members of the house.
Mr. Stevenson was elected president of the Illinois Centennial Com- mission, which had charge of the selection of a site for the election of the Centennial building at Springfield, which is now one of the finest in the group of state buildings. The Centennial marked the one hundred years of Illinois as a state, its admission to the union having taken place in 1818.
Mr. Stevenson was a candidate for re-election as secretary of state, and although he was defeated, he ran 40,000 votes ahead of the highest man on the party ticket. After his retirement from state office, he was appointed during the world war as investigator for the U .S. navy, with headquarters in Washington, and in this position he served throughout the war.
In the time when he was not in public office, Mr. Stevenson lived for several years in Arizona, New Mexico and California, where he managed successfully gold and copper mines, including the famous Chino Copper mine at Santa Rita. In Illinois for many years, he managed, in addition to his own farms, several estates of other people, part of which included forty-nine large and well improved farms in Illinois, Iowa and Indiana. He pioneered in the education of farm tenants, and for several years in succession he had as many as fifty tenants attending the agricultural short courses at the University of Illinois.
Mr. Stevenson was married to Miss Helen Davis, daughter of the late W. O. Davis, who was for forty years proprietor of the Bloomington Panta- graph. They have two children, a son, Adlai, and a daughter, Elizabeth.
In anticipation of the campaign of 1924, the leaders of the rival fac- tions of the Democratic party of the state of Illinois offered Mr. Steven- son the nomination for secretary of state, the same position which he so creditably filled under Gov. Dunne. He, however, declined the tender, owing to illness in his family. He spends one-third of his time in New York in connection with business interests.
The Stevenson family home is at 1316 East Washington Street in Bloomington.
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HISTORY OF MCLEAN COUNTY
Mrs. Letitia Green Stevenson .- To be the gracious and talented wife of a man who had attained high place in his city, state and nation, might be enough for the career of any one woman, but also to win other honors because of her own talents and worth, was the rare achievement of Mrs. Stevenson, wife of Adlai E. Stevenson, former vice president of the United States. For many years a leader in the social life of her own city, Bloom- ington, and then also occupying a place of equal prominence at the national capital, where she was the companion of her husband in the years of his own distinguished public service, Mrs. Stevenson's life was crowned with womanly successes which few are given to attain. Four terms did she occupy the position of president general of the national society of the Daughters of the American Revolution, the largest and most notable patriotic organization of women in the country. After serving her fourth term in that office, the title of honorary president general was bestowed upon her, and carried until the day of her death, which occurred on Christmas night, 1913.
There is much in inheritance, good breeding and good blood, for one's ancestors have larger influence in mental, physical and moral endowment than any acquired wealth or station can bestow. Therefore we naturally would expect that a woman of Mrs. Stevenson's outstanding talents should have behind her a line of distinguished forebears. Her father, Rev. Lewis W. Green, was a learned divine who had become head of the Allegheny Theological Seminary at Allegheny, Pa., where he lived at the time of the birth of Mrs. Stevenson on Jan. 8, 1843. Farther removed in . the line of her ancestor we find such men as Joseph Fry and Dr. Thomas Walker, the former a mere lad when he served in the military forces of the colonies during the Revolution, and the latter an intimate of Washington and Jefferson during the great crisis. Her maternal great- grandfather, James Speed, was a captain in the Revolution and was seri- ously wounded at Guilford Court House. Her ancestry was in direct line from the family of Washington on both sides.
Mrs. Stevenson was a mere child when her father removed with his family to Danville, Ky., where he became head of Centre College, famous for its list of notable alumni, before and since that time. In the atmos- phere of scholarship and refinement the young woman first met Adlai E. Stevenson, then a student at the college, and the friendship began which was to ripen into marriage. When her father died, the young woman removed to Chenoa, McLean County, Ill., to make her home with her
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sister, Mrs. Matthew T. Scott, whose husband was then a prominent citizen and land owner of that vicinity. The wedding of Letitia Green and Adlai E. Stevenson took place on Dec. 20, 1866, at the Scott home in Chenoa. The young couple went to live at Metamora, where Mr. Steven- son was just establishing himself in the practice of the law. After a period there, Mr. Stevenson and his young wife removed to Bloomington, where Mr. Stevenson began the professional career in which he was to attain distinction. The Stevensons first lived in a modest home on South Albert Street, but later purchased the fine house fronting on Franklin Park, where they resided during all the years while Mr. Stevenson was building up his law practice, and when at intervals he was chosen to public office, congressman, assistant postmaster general, and finally vice president of the United States. This house was the scene of very many notable gatherings of the personal and political friends of Mr. Stevenson during the years of his active career, and in all of these occasions Mrs. Stevenson bore a gracious and helpful part.
The period of Mrs. Stevenson's life which stood out in brilliant re- lief was the time when she temporarily resided in Washington during the '90's. Mr. Stevenson had been elected vice president of the United States in the fall of 1892, and was to be inaugurated on March 4, 1893. About two weeks prior to the inauguration, or on Feb. 22, 1893, Mrs. Stevenson was chosen president general of the Daughters of the American Revolu- tion, her election following the death of Mrs. Benjamin Harrison, the first president general. She was re-elected the following year, and then after an interval during which Mrs. John W. Foster served in the position, Mrs. Stevenson was chosen in 1896 for the third time to head the great and growing society. Her fourth election came in 1897. She was the only president general who held office four times. On her retirement in 1898 she was given the title of honorary president general. The official life of Mrs. Stevenson in the leadership of the D. A. R. was marked by notable progress, the society advancing from its first struggles to become an influential factor in the patriotic life of the nation. Some time after her retirement she wrote a history of the organization, which is until this day considered authoritative.
At the close of her official life in Washington, Mrs. Stevenson re- turned to her home in Bloomington, where her friends had followed with interest and admiration her fulfillment of their hopes for her success in the exacting social life of official Washington. Her Bloomington home
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.
again became the place from which radiated her genial friendships, and for sixteen years afterward she continued to enjoy the simpler society of her home city and its more intimate associations.
For a short time she was later again called away from home when she accompanied Mr. Stevenson to Europe with the government monetary commission, which spent several months in studies of the financial sys- tems of European governments. She was blessed with good health up to within a few weeks of her final illness which preceded her death.
Four children came into the Stevenson home, three of whom survive. One daughter, Mary, died in young womanhood. Another daughter, Julia, is the wife of Rev. Martin D. Hardin, a distinguished Presbyterian minister of New York state, and the third daughter, Miss Letitia Steven- son, now lives in New York. The only son, Lewis G. Stevenson, makes his home in Bloomington. He has himself been honored with public office, having served as secretary of state of Illinois, chairman of the state board of pardons, and in other state and federated positions.
Analyzing the elements of Mrs. Stevenson's influence, it was dis- cerned that the same gracious personality which made her the idol of her household shone out in new brilliance in her official sphere as head of the D. A. R. To her directly was due the initiative for the organization of the chapter of the society in Bloomington, which took her name as a lasting honor to her. This chapter was the only one in the country which chose the name of a then living person as its designation. Her history of the national society was graciously dedicated to her home chapter. But aside from any official station that she occupied, Mrs. Stevenson was ever a christian gentlewoman, and whether standing at the side of her distinguished husband receiving the honors of the people of our nation, or quietly engaged in her wifely duties and more neighborly functions of her home city, she was always the same sweet, gracious and magnetic woman. Her patriotic devotion came next to her love of God and home and family. Her mind was pure, and she ever made herself felt on the side of right and justice. Her business judgment, her social tact and prestige, her great quality of love for all, combined to make her life one exceptionally well rounded in its fullness and beauty.
Adlai E. Stevenson, the distinguished husband of Mrs. Stevenson, died only about six months after the wife's death, his demise taking place in June, 1914. The burial place of both is in the Bloomington cemetery, where yearly many call to pay reverent honor at their graves.
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Wyett P. Griffin, who ranks among the reliable engineers on the Chicago & Alton Railroad, is a native of Illinois. He was born in Chand- lerville, March 27, 1883, and is a son of Cyrus and Lydia (Watkins) Griffin.
Cyrus Griffin and his wife, natives of Illinois, now live retired at Chandlerville. They are the parents of five children: Willie, deceased ; Belle, married Elmer Lindsay, lives at Petersburg, Ill .; Viola, married Sanford Sparks, lives at Allentown, Ill .; Wyett P., the subject of this sketch; and Thomas, deceased, was an engineer on the Chicago & Alton Railroad and was killed in a wreck in 1919.
Wyett P. Griffin received his education in the public schools of Pon- tiac and began railroading in 1902. He entered the employ of the Chicago & Alton Railroad in 1907 as a fireman and three years later was promoted to engineer.
On Sept. 15, 1906, Mr. Griffin was married to Miss Emma Jeanette Glines, a native of Pike County, Ill., born July 10, 1882, and the daugh- ter of A. P. and Ida M. (Read) Glines, natives of Perry, Ill. Mr. Glines died Sept. 20, 1900, and his wife lives with the Griffin family. Mrs. Glines is the daughter of John A. Read, who lives at Perry, Ill. He was one of the first settlers of that place and is 97 years of age. Mr. and Mrs. A. P. Glines had four children: William, lives in Kentucky; Read, deceased; Nellie, married Robert Caldwell, lives at Seattle, Wash .; and Mrs. Griffin. Mr. and Mrs. Griffin have three children: Nellie Grace, born Oct. 12, 1907; Margaret May, born Aug. 1, 1911; and Ida Jane, born Oct. 12, 1920.
Mr. Griffin is a Republican and a member of the Masonic lodge and Shrine of Peoria. He and his family are members of the Christian Church and are favorably known in Bloomington.
Emil Masso, mason contractor at Chenoa, is among the successful and representative business men of his community. He was born at Chenoa, April 26, 1894, and is the son of Charles and Elizabeth (Stein- brunner) Masso.
Charles Masso, who now lives retired at Chenoa, is a prominent citi- zen of McLean County. He was born in Germany, Nov. 7, 1859, the son of Frederick and Elizabeth Masso, natives of Germany.
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HISTORY OF MCLEAN COUNTY
Charles Masso has lived in the United States since he was a young man, having settled in Illinois, where he engaged in the contracting busi- ness. He is now retired. Mr. and Mrs. Charles Masso have 11 children, as follows: Caroline, born Oct. 19, 1886, deceased; Lena, born April 3, 1888, lives at home; Elizabeth, born Jan. 24, 1890, deceased; Henry, born Nov. 19, 1892, garage owner at Chenoa; Emil, the subject of this sketch; Carol, born March 23, 1896, a veteran of the World War, and now en- gaged in the garage business at Chenoa; Paul, born Sept. 24, 1898, also a World War veteran, lives at Chenoa; Adelbert, born April 18, 1901, died July 16, 1916; John, born Aug. 8, 1904, engaged in the garage business with his brothers; Marie, born Nov. 6, 1905, at home; and one child died in infancy.
Emil Masso was educated in the public and high schools of Chenoa and after finishing his school work engaged in business with his father, well known mason contractor of Chenoa. He has worked at this trade for 10 years and since the retirement of his father conducts it alone.
On July 1, 1918, Mr. Masso was married to Miss Reba Hill, a native of Kansas, born May 19, 1893, and the daughter of Frank and Alice (Vanbuskirk) Hill, natives of Kansas and now deceased. Mr. and Mrs. Masso have one daughter, Dorothy, born Aug. 17, 1919.
Mr. Masso is identified with the Republican party in politics and he is widely and favorably known throughout McLean County.
Lawrence Watt, a well known locomotive engineer, on the Chicago & Alton Railroad, is a native of McLean County. He was born at LeRoy, Feb. 14, 1882, and is a son of Bruce and Carrie (Pence) Watt.
Bruce Watt and his wife are natives of LeRoy, Ill., where he con- ducted a mercantile establishment for many years. At one time Mr. Watt followed farming and stock raising in Empire Township, where he owned 220 acres of land. He and his wife now live retired at LeRoy. They are the parents of the following children: Sybil, married Richard Flansburg, lives at St. George, Ga .; Jessie, married Charles Nox, lives at Pomona, Cal .; Lawrence, the subject of this sketch; Rupert, lives at Peoria, Ill .; Rudolph, who died of tuberculosis while in the service during the World War; Madeline, married Raymond Cruz, lives at Indianapolis, Ind .; Geraldine, married W. J. Bendschneider, lives at Bloomington ; Guy
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HISTORY OF MCLEAN COUNTY
and Grace, twins, both deceased; Kenneth, deceased; and Max, lives in Bloomington.
Lawrence Watt attended the public schools of LeRoy and entered the employ of the Chicago & Alton Railroad as fireman in 1903. In 1912 he was promoted to engineer. During the World War Mr. Watt served as fuel supervisor for one year.
On Jan. 18, 1904, Mr. Watt was married to Miss Hattie Runyan, a native of Dawson Township, McLean County, born Sept. 28, 1885, and the daughter of P. S. and Melissa Runyan, the former a native of Ohio and the latter of McLean County. Mrs. Runyan died Oct. 31, 1906. Mr. Runyan resides in Bloomington. There were four children in the Run- yan family: Minnie, married John Murphy, lives at Normal, Ill .; Etta, deceased ; Hope, married William Ulbrich, lives in Bloomingtton; and Mrs. Watt. Mr. and Mrs. Watt have no children.
Mr. Watt is a Democrat, a member of the Masonic lodge and belongs to the Brotherhood of Locomotive Engineers. He is a man of excellent character, industrious and competent.
John P. Romans, known as an efficient engineer on the Chicago & Alton Railroad, is a native of Illinois. He was born at Charleston, March 14, 1884, the son of Jacob and Elizabeth (Hennesey) Romans.
Jacob Romans, now living retired at Charleston, Ill., is among the pioneer railroad men of the west. He was born at Frankfort, Ky., and came to Indiana at an early date, locating at Terre Haute. He later removed to Illinois. Mr. Romans is now 74 years of age and his wife is 71 years old. They are the parents of six children: Anna, married David McDonald, lives at Mattoon, Ill .; Mary, deceased; John P., the subject of this sketch; Theresa, deceased; William, lives in Montana; and Leora, deceased.
John P. Romans was reared at Charleston, Ill., and attended the public schools there. When a young man he was employed by the Clover Leaf Railroad, now a branch of the Nickel Plate Railroad. In 1908 Mr. Romans was promoted to engineer, at which time he entered the employ of the Chicago & Alton Railroad.
On Nov. 23, 1908, Mr. Romans was married to Miss Maude Macleod, of Mattoon, Ill., born at Columbus, Ohio., March 1, 1890, and the daughter
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HISTORY OF MCLEAN COUNTY
of Norman and Margaret Macleod, natives of Scotland. Mr. Macleod lives retired at Detroit, Mich. His wife is deceased. They were the parents of seven children, as follows: Margaret, married Frank Walters, lives at Detroit, Mich .; Christina, married Bert Dryden, lives at Detroit, Mich .; John, lives at Granite City, Ill .; William, lives at West Frankfort,. Ill .; George, lives at Detroit, Mich .; Bertha, married Gus White, lives at De- troit, Mich .; and Mrs. Romans. Mr. and Mrs. Romans have one son, John Leonard, born March 21, 1916.
Mr. Romans is a Democrat, a member of the Catholic Church and belongs to the Elks lodge. He is esteemed as one of the progressive citizens of Normal.
Frank M. Gillespie, a veteran of the World War, is among McLean County's prominent young farmers. He was born in Chenoa Township, May 4, 1899, the son of Park C. and Freida (Reichardt) Gillespie.
Park C. Gillespie is a member of one of McLean County's most promi- nent pioneer families. His father, Christian Gillespie, came to Illinois during the early days and became a leading farmer of the county. Park C. Gillespie was also an extensive farmer and stockman of Chenoa Town- ship, and owned 540 acres of land here and 832 acres in Kansas. He and his wife now live retired at Normal. Mr. Gillespie is a Republican and served as mayor of Chenoa for a number of years, and during his adminis- tration the streets of Chenoa were paved and other improvements made. Mr. and Mrs. Gilliespie are the parents of the following children: Her- bert, a farmer, Chenoa Township; Howard, twin brother of Herbert, en- gaged in the insurance business at Chenoa; C. J., a farmer of Chenoa Township, a sketch of whom appears in this volume; Grace, deceased; Mary, deceased; and Frank M., the subject of this sketch.
Frank M. Gillespie received his education in the public schools of Chenoa and then farmed on the home place for several years. He now owns and operates 220 acres of the original farm which belonged to his father, and he is among the leading and wide-awake young farmers of Chenoa Township.
During the World War Frank M. Gillespie enlisted from Blooming- ton, Ill., and was stationed at Camp Jefferson in St. Louis for two months. He was then sent to Camp Taylor, Ky., where he served with motor trans-
FRANK M. GILLESPIE.
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HISTORY OF MCLEAN COUNTY
port company No. 720. Mr. Gillespie contracted scarlet fever while in the service and was in a camp hospital for six weeks.
On May 4, 1920, Frank M. Gillespie married Miss Lorene Kilpatrick, a native of Chenoa Township, born May 12, 1900, and the daughter of William and Ida (Frederickson) Kilpatrick, the former a native of Ire- land and the latter of Nebraska. Mr. and Mrs. Kilpatrick now live retired at Fairbury, Ill., and are the parents of the following children: Pearl, married William Travis, lives in Livingston County ; Merle, deceased; Mrs. Gillespie; Edna, lives at home; and one child died in infancy. Mrs. Gil- . lespie taught school for two years near Weston.
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