USA > Illinois > Vermilion County > History of Vermilion County, Illinois : a tale of its evolution, settlement, and progress for nearly a century, Volume II > Part 17
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In early manhood Mr. Williams united with the Methodist church but later became an active member of the Episcopal church and took an active part in its work, also contributing liberally to its support. Politically he affiliated with the democratic party but never took an active part in politics aside from voting, as his extensive business interests claimed his undivided attention. He was a life- long resident of Danville and had a very wide acquaintance throughout this sec- tion of the State, especially among those who had been active in shaping the course of events. He passed away. on the 14th of February, 1891, and a life of genuine and unostentatious usefulness was brought to a close, his sterling worth, however, being manifest in the appreciation of his large circle of friends.
D. M. WYMAN.
Fifty-eight years ago D. M. Wyman, a farmer now living retired at Potomac, located in Vermilion county. He was then nineteen years of age, at the be- ginning of an active career which continued without intermission until five years ago, since which time he has rested from his labors and now enjoys the repose that is earned by one who through a long life has attempted to perform his duty. Since Mr. Wyman located in this region great transformations have
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taken place in Vermilion county and throughout the entire country. The county, then thinly settled and just emerging from its primitive condition, now blossoms with thriving farms and established communities. The vast territory to the west as far as the Pacific ocean has been settled; the Civil war came and passed, leaving its impress on the whole country and even throughout the entire world; the railroads and telegraph have been introduced and all the comforts that we now recognize as such important features in modern civilization became avail- able. Mr. Wyman has contributed his part toward this end and now, having laid aside the implements of agriculture, in the peace of his home he reviews the past, many of the scenes being as clear in his memory as of they had trans- pired only yesterday.
Mr. Wyman was born in Athens county, Ohio, July 4, 1833, and is the son of De Marquis and Parmelia (Johnson) Wyman, the former a native of Steu- ben county, New York, and the latter also a native of the Empire state. The father of our subject grew to manhood in his native state and then decided to seek his fortune in the west, which was at that time largely a wilderness. Means of transportation being limited and the roads few and very poorly con- structed, he built a boat with his own hands on the upper waters of the Ohio river and floated down that stream to Marietta, a town founded by settlers on the Ohio river in 1788. Landing at this place, he traveled over land to Athens, one of the old settlements of Ohio, and built a mill. The region about Athens was thickly wooded. He decided to establish himself in the lumber business, conveying the product of his mill by water to Louisville, Kentucky, which was the nearest market of importance then available. On his first trip to Louisville Mr. Wyman was seized by cholera, then ravaging the frontier settlements, and died far from home and among strangers. This was in 1833, the same year in which the subject of this review was born. The mother long survived her hus- band, departing this life at an advanced age, in 1891. Seven children were born to Mr. and Mrs. Wyman, two of whom are now living: D. M., the subject of this review; and Lavisa, the widow of John Trebilcock, a pioneer of Van Buren county, Illinois, who died August 29, 1910.
D. M. Wyman was educated in the public schools and on account of the death of his father was early thrown upon his own resources and became ac- quainted with labor, thus developing a sturdy spirit of self-reliance that has been an important element in his life. In 1852, being then nineteen years of age and realizing the importance of an early start for any young man who hopes to be master of his own destiny, he located land at Cherry Grove, in this county, on Eight Mile Prairie. This land he improved and developed into a fertile farm, upon which he lived until five years ago, when he retired to Po- tomac. He is now the owner of four hundred and seventy-five acres of land in Middlefork township and also of valuable property in Potomac.
In 1856 Mr. Wyman was united in marriage to Miss Catherine Spencer, of McLean county, this state. Two children were born of the union: Mary, now deceased; and William, a farmer, of Middlefork township. Being de- prived of his wife by death, Mr. Wyman was married in 1860 to Miss Mahala Juvenall, who proved to him a helpful and loving companion for forty-five years and departed this life September 5, 1905. Four children were born of
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this union: Austin J., Lily, the wife of Charles Cunningham, and Charles Wy- man, all living upon the home farm; and Elijah J., a farmer of Ross township.
Mr. Wyman cast his first vote as an old line whig and when that party was merged into the republican party, he adopted the principles of its successor and has ever since been an ardent republican. He is a member of the Methodist Episcopal church and as one of the early settlers of the county whose activi- ties have always been in behalf of the upbuilding of the community, he is eminently worthy of mention in this volume. Esteemed wherever his name is known, everybody has a good word for D. M. Wyman.
DR. T. H. RUNYON.
To no profession as much as to the medical does the health and happiness of a community owe its existence, and of this profession Dr. T. H. Runyon has been a successful and prominent representative for more than four decades. One of Kentucky's contributions to the citizenship of Illinois, he was born in Mason county on the 25th of April, 1831, a son of Daniel and Ruth (Robison) Runyon, both natives of that state, where their entire lives were spent. He was the youngest in a family of nine children, and has two sisters still surviving, the elder being now in her ninety-fourth year.
Reared in his native state, Dr. T. H. Runyon is indebted to the public schools of Kentucky for his early educational privileges, and after his graduation there- from, when but eighteen years of age, he entered upon a medical course at Cin- cinnati, Ohio. Later he entered the Jefferson Medical College at Philadelphia, from which he was graduated with the class of 1855, after which he located for practice at Mays Lick, Kentucky, where he remained for four years. At the expiration of that period he went to Louisiana and was there engaged in the practice of his profession until the opening of the Civil war, when, laying aside all personal interests, he joined the southern army, enlisting as a private in Com- pany F., Louisiana Cavalry .. Later he was promoted to the rank of sergeant and participated in many of the important and hotly contested battles of the war, in- cluding Chickamauga, Mills Springs, Lookout Mountain, Missionary Ridge and many others. He served throughout the entire period of hostilities and was mus- tered out at Holly Springs, Mississippi, with a most creditable military record.
After the close of the war Dr. Runyon returned to Kentucky and resumed the pratcice of his chosen calling, there remaining until 1869, in which year he came to Catlin, Illinois, and practiced here until 1875, when he went to Florida and there opened an office. Later he went to McLean county, Illinois, locating at Normal, and after spending four years in that city went to Perrysville, Indiana, where he remained a similar period, after which he again came to Catlin and has since practiced here. He has been accorded a good patronage, for his thorough preparatory training, supplemented by many years of practical expe- rience, has made him a valuable member of the medical fraternity. He has ever recognized the responsibilities that devolve upon him in his chosen calling and has been most conscientious in the discharge of all duties connected therewith,
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so that he has won the trust and confidence of a large patronage. Although he has almost reached the eightieth milestone on life's journey he yet remains the loved family physician of many households and is recognized as one of the well- known and able physicians of Catlin.
It was in 1868 that Dr. Runyon was united in marriage to Miss Cora L. Triplett, a native of Kentucky, who passed away in 1880. By her marriage she had become the mother of six children, namely: William H .; Kate L., the wife of Albert Olmsted, of Louisiana; Clay T., a resident of Kingfisher, Okla- homa ; and three who have now passed away, the fourth and fifth in order of birth being twins. After the death of his first wife Dr. Runyon was again united in marriage, his second union being with Miss Tilly A. Onley, the ceremony be- ing celebrated in 1883. She is a native of London, England, and a daughter of Richard Onley.
The Doctor and his wife hold membership in the Church of Christ, the teachings of which form the guiding influences in their lives and in the work of which they are deeply interested. In his fraternal relations Dr. Runyon is identified with the Masonic order, holding membership in the blue lodge, in which he has filled part of the chairs, and is also one of the charter members of the Odd Fellow lodge of Catlin. Politically he gives his support to the democratic party but has never desired nor sought office as a reward for party fealty, preferring to concentrate his time and energies upon his professional duties. Although he has long since passed the Psalmist's allotted span of three score years and ten, he is still an active worker in the world's work. A man of high and pure ideals, he is well fitted to fill the intimate place which is naturally that of a family physician in any community, and in all relations of life, whether private, public or professional, he has been found a citizen of genuine worth.
AUGUSTUS H. STARR.
Augustus H. Starr, one of the resourceful farmers of Vermilion county, who lives upon a well improved farm which he acquired by his own exertions, in a native of this county, born June 10, 1874. He is the son of James and Maria (Reiser) Starr, who settled upon a farm in this county many years ago and are now living retired at Danville, enjoying the fruits of well directed industry. They are the owners of the beautiful residence in which they live and of a productive farm of one hundred and twenty-five acres in Newell town- ship. Six children were born to them: Frederick H., who is now living at Lane, South Dakota; William R., of Danville; Augustus H., the subject of this review ; Franklin E., a resident of Denver, Colorado; Harry G., of Vermilion county ; and Orton R., who is living at home. The children were all given the ad- vantages of education not only in the common schools but in business college. Franklin E. Starr showed a decided inclination for intellectual pursuits and is a graduate of Grier College of Hoopeston, also of the Union Christian College of Merom, Indiana.
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Augustus H. Starr remained upon the home farm until he was twenty-five years of age, becoming one of the most successful young farmers in this region and evincing an interest in agricultural pursuits that gave promise of ample returns in the years to come. In 1899 when his parents moved to Danville, he assumed charge of the old homestead and operated it for three years. How- ever, desiring to become independent, he purchased a farm of ninety acres, which he has greatly improved and which is now one of the highly productive places in the township.
On November 28, 1899, Mr. Starr was united in marriage to Miss Alice Jenkins, a daughter of Richard M. and Lucinda (Mullen) Jenkins, who were both natives of Ohio and came to Illinois in 1861, settling on what was known as the Newell farm, formerly owned by the man in whose honor the town- ship was named. Here they lived until called to their final rest, the mother departing this life September 29, 1899, and the father less than three years afterward, on January 22, 1902. They rest side by side in Walnut Corner ceme- tery, where they await their last summons, surrounded by many of their old friends and associates. Mrs. Starr is the youngest of five children born to her parents : John Franklin, who was born June 7, 1855, and now lives in Newell township; Elnora F., who was born May 25, 1857, and is living upon the old homestead; Clara Dell, who was born February 13, 1859, and died April 15 following; Samuel Albert, who was born August 13, 1864, and is living on the old homestead; Alice, now Mrs. Starr, who was born October 24, 1869.
Mr. Starr gives his time and attention to farming and stock-raising and by close application, and the use of good judgment in all his operations he has been successful in a high degree. He is greatly interested in the welfare of the community and has given its educational system the attention of an intelli- gent citizen, serving for seven years on the school board. He is a republican in his political views, his faith being founded on the conviction of the political equality of man. He has always aimed to meet every obligation of life with confidence and courage and to perform his duties to the best of his ability. As the result he has gained an enviable reputation as one of the representative men of this region.
HARDY H. WHITLOCK.
Few of the native sons of Vermilion county have taken a more active or prominent part in public affairs than Hardy H. Whitlock, who is now so effi- ciently serving as county treasurer. He was born in Georgetown on the 19th of January, 1867, and is a son of James and Eliza (Henderson) Whitlock. The birth of the father occurred near Knoxville, Tennessee, of which state his parents were also natives. Being strict abolitionists, they finally came north about 1832, making the journey with an ox-team and linchpin wagon. Ver- milion county was their destination and the grandfather was one of the pioneer blacksmiths of this region, conducting a shop on the old salt works road near the Indiana state line. With the early development and upbuilding of this
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county the family have since been prominently identified and have ever borne their part in the work of progress.
During his boyhood Hardy H. Whitlock attended the common schools of Georgetown but at the age of thirteen years was obliged to lay aside his text- books and begin the battle of life for himself. He was first employed on a farm and later was for five years connected with the old Cook House, being in the employ of S. J. Cook, proprietor, who conducted both a hotel and livery. It was on the 7th of April, 1888, that he came to Danville to accept the position of foreman in Lamm's livery and sale stable, holding that position until elected constable in 1893. Since that time he has devoted his entire attention to public affairs and has proved a most capable official. In 1902 he was elected sheriff of the county and while serving in that office had an experience which he will long remember. On the evening of July 25, 1903, a colored man got into a fight with a white man by the name of Gatter in a saloon on East Main street. Dur- ing the melee the white man was killed by the negro, who was arrested and taken to the city prison by the police. A crowd of Gatter sympathizers followed the patrol wagon and demanded the negro, but the police refused to give him up and in the course of about two hours the crowd, surging around the jail, succeeded in getting the prisoner out and killed him with a crowbar. His body was then dragged through the streets to where the white man was killed and then to the county jail, before which it was burned. The mob then demanded admittance to the jail in order to take out the other prisoners, of whom there were quite a number, and when Mr. Whitlock refused admittance they broke down the door, but he and his deputies held them at bay all night until the militia arrived. Several assaults were made without success and in the course of events the sheriff emptied several shots into the crowd but no one was killed. He was successful in making the ring leaders, fourteen of whom were sent to the penitentiary for participating in the riot and several served jail sentences. This was the first real defense of the jail in the United States and his course has since been followed by sheriffs throughout the country. In 1906 he was elected county treasurer and is now filling that office with credit to himself and to the entire satisfaction of his constituents.
On the 12th of June, 1892, Mr. Whitlock was married in Danville to Miss Laura E. Donnelly, a daughter of Hiram P. Donnelly, who served as provost marshal in the southern district of Indiana during the Civil war. His family were pioneers of Brown county, that state. The children born to Mr. and Mrs. Whitlock are Chris C., George E., Frieda M., Edna L. and Robert C.
In religious faith Mr. Whitlock is a Presbyterian and is officially connected with Immanuel church and also with several church societies. He is also promi- nently identified with fraternal orders, having for a number of years served as presiding officer of Vermilion Camp, No. 254, M. W. A., and is an honored member of the Masonic order, the Knights of Pythias, the Independent Order of Odd Fellows and the Court of Honor. Since attaining his majority he has affiliated with the republican party and has become a recognized leader in its ranks. He assisted in electing the reform board of supervisors, who in three years paid up the county debt of one hundred and twenty thousand dollars, and in other ways has been instrumental in advancing the interests of his city and
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county. Public-spirited to a marked degree, he never withholds his support from any enterprise which he believes will prove of public benefit, and he has always been found true to every trust reposed in him, whether of a public or private nature.
ALBERT MARION EAREL, M. D.
In a comparison of the relative value to mankind of the different professions, many accord that of the practice of medicine highest rank. At all events the great majority consider this one of the most useful as well as the most honor- able occupations to which man can direct his energies and it is known that no profession is so little commercialized, for the physician is continually called upon for aid when no remuneration can be expected and moreover the profession is continually giving its knowledge to the public that the general health may be safeguarded through the prevention of disease. Dr. Earel has made for him- self a creditable name as an able physician and aside from general practice he has made a specialty of the eye, ear, nose and throat, in which field he has gained particular skill.
His birthplace was a log cabin near Abingdon, Knox county, Illinois, and his natal day was June 22, 1866. His parents were Harvey Dale and Abigal (Linn). Earel. On the paternal side Dr. Earel is descended from English ancestry early represented in Virginia, and in the maternal line from Pennsyl- vania Germans. His great-great-grandfather came to America with La Fayette and fought under him in the Revolutionary war. The grandfather was a native of Maryland and his father was born in the Old Dominion. The latter passed away in February, 1898, but the mother of Dr. Earel is still living, making her home with him at the age of seventy-nine years.
In the district schools Dr. Earel acquired his early education, which was supplemented by study in Knox College at Galesburg. His professional train- ing was received in Rush Medical College of Chicago, from which he was grad- uated on the 31st of March, 1891. He afterward entered the Presbyterian Hospital of Chicago, acting as assistant to the house surgeon for a year and a half, beginning in 1890. Making a specialty of the eye and ear, he became a member of the hospital staff of the eye and ear infirmary at Lincoln, Nebraska, and likewise did hospital work in Norton, Kansas, in St. Elizabeth's Hospital at Lincoln, Nebraska, and in Jacksonville, Illinois, his hospital connections cover- ing nine years.
In December, 1903, Dr. Earel came to Hoopeston. Here he entered upon the general practice of medicine, in which he has since continued and a liberal patron- age has been accorded him. Since his graduation from Rush Medical College in 1891, Dr. Earel has studied extensively, doing considerable post-graduate work and also much private reading and research. In 1897 he did post-graduate work as interne at Augustana Hospital, and in the summer of 1899 he attended the Philadelphia polyclinic. The same year he was a student in the Chicago Eye,.
DR. A. M. EAREL
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Ear, Nose and Throat College and has also attended the eye and ear infirmary of New York city, and in 1903 the Chicago eye and ear infirmary. In the fall of 1908 he spent some time in investigations in the Royal Ophthalmic Hospital of London, England, and in the winter of 1908 at the University of Vienna in Austria. He is still devoting time to his specialty, suc- cessfully treating diseases of the eye, ear, nose and throat, and at the same time he continues in the general practice of medicine, his ability winning him a liberal patronage. He keeps in touch with the advanced thought of the profession through his membership in organizations for the promulgation of a knowledge of the science of medicine, belonging to the Hoopeston Medical Society, the Vermilion County Medical Society, the Illinois State Medical Society, the Home- opathic State Medical Society and the American Medical Association. Aside from his profession he has some business interests, being a trustee and treasurer of St. Helen's Ore & Power Company and also of the Pacific Power & Railway Company.
On the 30th of December, 1892, Dr. Earel was married, in Hoopeston, Illi- nois, to Miss Sadie Honeywell, the youngest daughter of Alba Honeywell, one of the most distinguished and honored citizens that has ever resided in Hoopes- ton. Dr. Earel takes an active and helpful interest in public affairs, holds mem- bership in the Commercial Club, is a member of the board of education and a member of the city council. His political allegiance is given to the republican party and in this, as in all other vital matters, he stands firmly in support of his honest convictions. Fraternally he is a Knight of Pythias, a Woodman of America and a Mason. He has taken the Royal Arch degree of the York Rite and attained the thirty-second degree of the Scottish Rite. A cordial, genial manner makes him popular with many friends and sterling worth has gained him the high regard of all. His religious faith is that of the Universalist church. The home of Dr. and Mrs. Earel is one of the most hospitable in Hoopeston and is the center of many of the most delightful social functions held in the city.
AUGUSTUS LIVINGSTON WEBSTER.
Forty-three years ago Augustus Livingston Webster became connected with the mercantile interests of Danville and continuously throughout the interven- ing period he has been identified with the business interests of the city. His record is such as any man might be proud to possess, for he has never made an engagement that he has not fulfilled nor incurred obligations that he has not met. In the legitimate channels of trade he has sought his success, plac- ing his dependence upon the substantial qualities of industry, perseverance, and the wise utilization of opportunities.
Mr. Webster was born in Conneaut, Ashtabula county, Ohio, February 17, 1842, and is a son of Daniel Noble and Emma (Wallingford) Webster, the former a native of Swanton, Vermont, and the latter of Stanstead, Province of Quebec, Canada. Both were descended from good old New England fam- ilies, our subject being of the eighth generation from John Webster, who came
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to this country from England about 1633 and settled in Hartford, Connecticut, where he became a member of the general court in 1637 and was elected gov- ernor of the colony of Connecticut in 1656. He died at Hadley, Massachusetts, in 1661. On the maternal side our subject traces his lineage to David and Elizabeth (Lemar) Wallingford, both natives of New Hampshire, the former having been born in Bradford in 1744 and the latter in Hollis in 1747. The Wallingford family was also of English origin and was founded in the new world in an early day.
During his boyhood Augustus L. Webster attended Conneaut Academy at Conneaut, Ohio, but his education has principally been acquired through con- tact with the world after leaving school at the age of sixteen years to commence the battle of life. He was first engaged in the hardware business in Conneaut where he opened a store in 1864, but two years later removed to Aurora, Illi- nois, where he continued in the same line of trade until coming to Danville in 1867. Here he opened a hardware store in partnership with the late George B. Yeomans and they carried on the same together until 1879 when they sold 'out to Messrs. Giddings & Patterson, who continued the business for many years in the building erected by Mr. Webster at the corner of West Main and Frank- lin streets. After disposing of his hardware stock in 1879 Mr. Webster em- barked in the wholesale grocery business with the late Robert Coddington, under the firm name of R. Coddington & Company, but in 1884 he withdrew from that firm and established a wholesale business for himself under the firm name of A. L. Webster & Company. In 1889 A. H. Heinly was admitted to part- nership and for seven years the business was conducted under the style of Webster & Heinly. In February, 1896, the Webster Grocery Company was incorporated and is now doing business at the corner of North street and Wash- ington avenue, where they own and occupy a fine large building well equipped in all its appointments. The company has a paid up capital and surplus of one hundred and forty thousand dollars and has a large trade which extends over a large amount of territory. Its officers are A. L. Webster, president, George R. Angle, vice president, and Lewis Williams, secretary and treasurer.
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