USA > Illinois > Vermilion County > History of Vermilion County, Illinois : a tale of its evolution, settlement, and progress for nearly a century, Volume II > Part 28
Note: The text from this book was generated using artificial intelligence so there may be some errors. The full pages can be found on Archive.org (link on the Part 1 page).
Part 1 | Part 2 | Part 3 | Part 4 | Part 5 | Part 6 | Part 7 | Part 8 | Part 9 | Part 10 | Part 11 | Part 12 | Part 13 | Part 14 | Part 15 | Part 16 | Part 17 | Part 18 | Part 19 | Part 20 | Part 21 | Part 22 | Part 23 | Part 24 | Part 25 | Part 26 | Part 27 | Part 28 | Part 29 | Part 30 | Part 31 | Part 32 | Part 33 | Part 34 | Part 35 | Part 36 | Part 37 | Part 38 | Part 39 | Part 40 | Part 41 | Part 42 | Part 43 | Part 44 | Part 45 | Part 46 | Part 47 | Part 48 | Part 49 | Part 50 | Part 51 | Part 52 | Part 53 | Part 54 | Part 55 | Part 56 | Part 57 | Part 58 | Part 59 | Part 60 | Part 61 | Part 62 | Part 63 | Part 64 | Part 65 | Part 66 | Part 67 | Part 68 | Part 69 | Part 70 | Part 71 | Part 72 | Part 73 | Part 74 | Part 75 | Part 76 | Part 77 | Part 78 | Part 79 | Part 80 | Part 81 | Part 82 | Part 83 | Part 84 | Part 85 | Part 86 | Part 87 | Part 88 | Part 89 | Part 90 | Part 91 | Part 92 | Part 93
BERTHA E. TAYLOR
285
HISTORY OF VERMILION COUNTY
cial capacity, in the execution of which she has displayed notable ability, prompt- ness and loyalty. Although but twenty-one years of age when she became the head of the mail service of Westville, the efficiency with which she has per- formed the duties of the office has gained her the commendation of all con- cerned and her official record is a most creditable one.
Miss Taylor has spent almost her entire life in the town which now num- bers her among its residents, and she is therefore well acquainted throughout the community. She is popular among a large circle of friends because of her many engaging qualities and her ability both as a vocal and instrumental musi- cian is well known, a fact which, combined with her pleasing personality, makes her ever welcome in the social circles in which she moves.
WILLIAM PATTERSON.
William Patterson, now living retired at Oakwood, this county, has seen many vicissitudes in the course of a long career and now at that period of life when the body seeks rest and the mind reverts to the enlivening scenes of earlier days, he is enjoying among friends the repose which should always be the reward of a life of usefulness and well directed energy. Mr. Patterson is a native of Virginia and was born near Withville, February II, 1824. He is the son of James and Sally (Halsey) Patterson, who were both natives of Virginia and lived there all their lives. They were parents of eleven children, of whom the subject of our review is the eldest.
William Patterson was educated in the public schools and continued at home until twenty-two years of age when he joined in the movement which has re- sulted in locating in Illinois the descendants of many of the old families of Virginia. Here he sought a permanent location quite a number of years be- fore he finally settled. For three years he worked in the coal mines and at any other honorable occupation that presented itself. Then he formed a part- nership and began farming, but later bought out his partner and operated the farm alone for a period of three years. He next rented another farm, which he conducted for ten years, and then bought a tract of land east of Pilot Grove, operating it for a short time, when he moved to Danville and after a brief stay at that place once more tried his fortune at farming. Finally he returned to Danville, where he followed teaming, hauling peaches and apples to Chicago and returning with merchandise. After five years in this line of work he at- tained a position where the independence he had so long sought appeared in view. He bought a farm in Oakwood township, which he operated until he retired in December, 1909, at Oakwood. As the result of many years of earnest application he is now the owner of an improved farm of eighty acres and also of a comfortable residence in Oakwood, which he acquired by much labor and self-denial and therefore appreciates as being the reward of his own efforts and not an unearned gift from another.
In 1846 Mr. Patterson was united in marriage to Miss Nancy Patterson, a native of Tazewell county, Virginia, and unto them were born nine children,
286
HISTORY OF VERMILION COUNTY
six of whom are now living: William, Fanny, John, Bell, Charles G. and Emma. His wife having been called away, Mr. Patterson was married to Susan C. Leonard, a native of Smith county, Virginia. Six children were the result of this union: Albert, a resident of Vermilion county; Nannie, living at home; Granville; Lilly, teaching school here; Stella and Goldie, both of Vermilion county.
Mr. Patterson ever since reaching his majority has been a supporter of the Democratic party, believing it to be the party that best can be trusted with the destiny of the state and nation. As the head of a large and growing family he has always attempted to perform his duty, extending to his children the op- portunities of education which he himself did not possess, and in many ways making himself a useful member of the community. He is the possessor of many good qualities that have attracted friends and by his straightforward course through life he has gained and retained the confidence and respect of those with whom he is associated.
F. A. PERRIGO, M. D.
Among the prominent representatives of the medical profession, now suc- cessfully engaged in practice in Danville, is Dr. F. A. Perrigo, who was born in Milwaukee, Wisconsin, on the 22d of November, 1867, and is of French descent, though the family was founded in New York not many years after the land- ing of the Mayflower on the shores of this continent. His paternal great-grand- father was a soldier of the Revolutionary war, while his grandfather took up arms in the war of 1812. His father, W. H. Perrigo, was one of the pioneers of Milwaukee, Wisconsin, where he settled in 1843, and in latter years be- came one of the most extensive grain dealers of the west. In his business undertakings he met with substantial success, becoming one of the most promi- nent and wealthy men of Milwaukee. He was born in New York state in 1825 and passed away in 1908. His wife, who bore the maiden name of Mary Bergh, was a native of Norway and died in 1883.
Dr. Perrigo acquired his early education in the public schools of Milwaukee and later attended the University of Wisconsin. Having an attack of the western fever, he then went west and roughed it on the ranges for seven years, punch- ing cattle from Texas to Montana. At the end of that time he returned, satis- fied to settle down to a more quiet existence, and took up the study of medicine, being graduated from Hahnemann Medical College of Chicago in 1898. Hav- ing received his degree, he then came to Danville the same year and has since built up an extensive and lucrative practice. He has made a specialty of surgery and the diseases of women and is now serving on the surgical staff of St. Elizabeth's Hospital. He stands high in the esteem of his professional brethren and is today a prominent member of the county, state and national medical societies.
In 1903, in Danville, Dr. Perrigo was united in marriage to Miss Florence Butts, a native of Ohio and a daughter of George Butts, who was for many
287
HISTORY OF VERMILION COUNTY
years master car builder for the Chicago & Eastern Illinois Railroad and was a well known and respected citizen of Danville. Two children blessed this union, namely : Robert W., born March 30, 1905; and Florence W., born May 8, 1908. Fraternally the Doctor is an honored member of the Masonic order, in which he has attained to the Knights Templar degree, and also belongs to ·the Benevolent and Protective Order of Elks and the Knights of Pythias. He is always a genial, courteous gentleman, generous in disposition, and has many friends throughout the city. His attention is chiefly concentrated upon his pro- fession and he is conscientious in the performance of all his duties.
WILLIAM D. KUYKENDALL.
Among the farmers now living in Illinois are some who came from the south before the Civil war and have ever since made their homes in this state, assisting in the great work of improvement that has brought about such a re- markable transformation and placed Illinois near the head of the column as one of the wealthiest and most popular states of the Union. Many of the young men arriving from the south were not at that time possessed of any abundance of this world's goods, but they had great faith and strong arms with which to win for themselves a place among strangers and these are two of the most important elements in the world when allied with a noble ambition-the am- bition to own a home-one of the most inspiring ambitions that can take posses- sion of any human being. William D. Kuykendall was among the fortunate ones who joined the movement to the rich lands of Vermilion county and here many of his dreams have been realized.
He was born in the western part of Virginia, February II, 1831, a son of Luke and Elizabeth (Welch) Kuykendall, both of good Virginia stock. The mother died at her old home but the father was again married and came west to Indiana in 1855, moving to Vermilion county a short time afterward, where he became identified with farming interests and where he spent his last days. He was the father of three children by his first marriage, all of whom are now living, and five children by his second marriage, three of whom are living.
The subject of this review came west with his father and continued with him through the earlier years of manhood, but at the age of twenty-five he be- gan on his own account upon a rented farm. After acquiring a small capital he purchased a farm in Blount township, which he conducted for one year, but at the termination of that period he disposed of it and removed to Danville, where he engaged for eighteen years consecutively in the livery business. He disposed of that business about 1889 and moved upon a farm which his wife owned in Middlefork township. Here he has since lived and has erected a handsome brick residence and otherwise greatly improved the place, making it one of the valuable and highly productive properties in his portion of the · county. He and his wife are now the owners of more than twelve hundred ; acres of land in Middlefork township. Earlier in life Mr. Kuykendall made
288
HISTORY OF VERMILION COUNTY
a specialty of raising and feeding stock, but of recent years he has confined his efforts more closely to agriculture and with very gratifying results.
In 1863 Mr. Kuykendall was united in marriage to Miss Emily Jane Goli- day, of Franklin county, Ohio. Three children were born of this union, two of whom are now living: Frank, a resident of .Peoria, Illinois; and Jane, the wife of J. Freese, of Champaign county, this state. Mrs. Kuykendall having . been called away, Mr. Kuykendall was again married, the lady of his choice being Miss Martha J. Smith, who was born in Ross township, this county, a daughter of J. and Adaline (Moorehead) Smith, the father being a native of England and the mother of Virginia. Two children have been born of the union of Mr. and Mrs. Kuykendall: J. S., now living on the farm; and May, the wife of Dr. George W. Hughes, of Vermilion county.
Mr. Kuykendall gives his allegiance to the republican party, believing that it is the party best qualified to safeguard the interests of the state and nation. He has never held any public office except that of school director, but as a loyal citizen, a kind neighbor and a true friend to those with whom he is asso- ciated, he has at all times attempted to perform his whole duty. It is doubtful indeed whether any residents of Middlefork township are more truly entitled to the respect of the community than the subject of this sketch and his esti -. mable wife.
H. T. HAWORTH.
H. T. Haworth, the efficient postmaster of Georgetown, is numbered among the worthy native sons of Vermilion county, his birth having here occurred on the 6th of July, 1869. His parents, Benjamin and Rebecca Ann Haworth, were both natives of Indiana, whence they came to this county in the '50s. Here they continued to reside until 1871, when they returned to the Hoosier state. After a short time, however, they again took up their abode in Vermilion county and it was here that the mother was called to her final rest in February, 1906. Benjamin Haworth then again returned to Indiana and is still living in that state, having now attained the age of eighty-three years. Unto him and his wife were born eleven children, eight of whom are yet living.
H. T. Haworth pursued his education in the common schools and remained under the parental roof until he had attained his majority. At that time he rented his father's farm and was busily engaged in its operation until 1901, when he took charge of the mail route, driving for five years. On the expiration of that period he was appointed postmaster of Georgetown and has since been the able and faithful incumbent in the offce, discharging his duties in a business- like and practical manner.
On the IIth of April, 1892, Mr. Haworth was united in marriage to Miss Luranah W. Reid, who was born in Georgetown, Illinois, on the 9th of January, 1874, her parents being Darius B. and Sarah (Cowan) Reid. The father passed away in August, 1906, but the mother still survives and makes her home here. Their children were five in number. Unto Mr. and Mrs. Haworth were born two children, both of whom died in infancy.
289
HISTORY OF VERMILION COUNTY
Since age conferred upon him the right of franchise Mr. Haworth has sup- ported the men and measures of the republican party but has not sought nor desired office. Fraternally he is identified with the Masons, the Knights of Pythias and the Modern Woodmen of America, while his wife belongs to the Eastern Star at Georgetown. He was reared in the Quaker faith and Mrs. Haworth is a Methodist in religious belief. They are well known and highly esteemed throughout the community and the number of their friends has stead- ily increased as the circle of their acquaintances has widened.
HENRY E. LINNE.
Among the business men of Danville who have won notable success in their chosen calling is Henry E. Linne, a prominent wholesale baker of this city. His early home was on the other side of the Atlantic, for he was born February 23, 1862, in Niederasphe, Marburg, Hessen, Germany, and is a son of John and Elizabeth Linne, also natives of that country, where the family have re- sided for many generations. In the land of his nativity he was reared and educated, being eighteen years of age when, in 1880, he emigrated to the new world and located in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. There he learned the baker's trade and continued to work for about four years.
The year 1883 witnessed Mr. Linne's arrival in Danville and here he was employed in several different shops before embarking in business on his own account in 1886. He then opened a bakery, though his capital at that time consisted of but one hundred and fifty dollars, and so steadily has he prospered as the years have gone by that he today is one of the leading wholesale bakers in this city, his plant having a capacity of seven hundred loaves an hour and in the dull season turning out about thirty-five hundred loaves a day. That he thoroughly understands the trade is manifest by the success that he has achieved and that he is a good, reliable business man is manifest by the patronage which he receives.
In Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, Mr. Linne was married on the 25th of Sep- tember, 1883, to Miss Anna C. Brömbach, a daughter of Adam Brömbach, of that city, and they have become the parents of three children, all born in Dan- ville, namely : Harry A., born August 14, 1884; 'Amelia C., September 7, 1888; and Clarence, June 7, 1893.
Mr. Linne's religious belief is manifest by his membership in Immanuel Presbyterian church and in his fraternal relations he has attained the Knight Templar degree in Masonry and is also a member of the Modern Woodmen of America. Although he takes an active interest in the success of the republi- can party, which he supports by his ballot, he has never cared for the honors or emoluments of public office. However, he takes a commendable interest in those organizations which help to build up the commercial interests of the country and is now serving as vice president of the State Association of Master Bakers of Illinois. He is a very pleasant, agreeable gentleman, who makes many
290
HISTORY OF VERMILION COUNTY
friends, and the place that he has made for himself in the new world is certainly well merited, for he began life here as a poor boy in a strange land, unfamiliar with the English language and customs, but by perseverance, industry and honesty has worked his way upward until he is today a man of affluence and prominence in the community where he resides.
JOHN F. BUROW.
John F. Burow, the proprietor of one of the largest and best equipped retail grocery establishments in Danville, has been identified with the mercantile in- terests of the city for more than a quarter of a century. His birth occurred in Danville township, Vermilion county, Illinois, on the 9th of April, 1858, his parents being Joseph and Sophia (Frederick) Burow, who celebrated their marriage in Germany. In 1857 they crossed the Atlantic to the United States, coming direct to Danville, Illinois, where the father worked as a day laborer for a number of years, as his financial resources were quite limited. By dint of untiring industry and close economy he eventually accumulated capital suffi- cient to enable him to purchase a small farm and throughout the remainder of his life he devoted his attention to general agricultural pursuits. He is still survived by his widow, who enjoys excellent health for a woman of her ad- vanced age. Their children were as follows: John F., of this review; Frederick, who passed away in 1904; Ricka, the wife of Henry Waltman; and Sophia, the wife of John Barth.
John F. Burow attended the public schools of Danville until fourteen years of age, when he was obliged to put aside his text-books in order to assist in the support of the family. He first secured a position as general utility boy in the dry goods establishment of William Mann & Company at Danville and remained with the concern for six years. On the expiration of that period he took up the pursuits of farming and dairying in association with his mother, being thus busily engaged for five years. At the end of that time, having care- fully saved his earnings since leaving the schoolroom, he found himself in pos- session of a capital of five hundred dollars, which in 1883 he invested in busi- ness, forming a partnership with Joseph Webster for the conduct of a retail grocery store at No. 900 East Fairchild street. The relation was maintained for three years, when, foreseeing the possibilities of success in an individual career, Mr. Burow purchased his partner's interest and with the aid of his sons has since built up an extensive and desirable trade. He has won an en- viable reputation for reliability and integrity and the prosperity which he now enjoys is all the more creditable because it is directly attributable to his inde- fatigable energy and capable management.
On the 29th of December, 1883, in Danville, Mr. Burow was united in mar- riage to Miss Emma Bronsing, a daughter of Frederick Bronsing and a repre- sentative of an old pioneer family of this city. They have three sons, Edward, John F. and Harold, all natives of Danville, who were born in the years 1887,
291
HISTORY OF VERMILION COUNTY
1889 and 1899 respectively. The two oldest are associated with their father in business.
In politics Mr. Burow is a stanch republican and an active worker in the local ranks of the party. He acted as treasurer of Germantown for ten years and for a period of twelve years also discharged the duties devolving upon him as commissioner of highways. In the spring of 1910 he was reelected commissioner of highways for another three years' term, so that he is now serving in that capacity. During the past five years a sub postal station has been located in his store. In religious faith Mr. Burow is a Lutheran, while fraternally he is identified with the Knights of Honor, the Woodmen, the Eagles and the Red Men. He has lived his life to good purpose, recognizing and utiliz- ing each opportunity as it has come to him, while the methods which he has ever pursued have been such as inspired the trust, confidence and good will of all with whom he has been associated. Vermilion county has always remained his home and the circle of his friends is almost coextensive with the circle of his acquaintances.
RALPH B. HOLMES.
Admitted to the bar in 1906, Ralph B. Holmes has since engaged in prac- tice in Danville, and although one of the younger representatives of the legal profession here, has made substantial advancement in his chosen calling and has gained a position which many an older practitioner may well envy. He was born in Urbana, Illinois, February 28, 1874. His father, C. E. Holmes, was a native of Copenhagen, Denmark, and in his boyhood days came to the United States with his parents, who settled at Rockford, Illinois, whence they removed to Urbana in the '60s. C. E. Holmes became proprietor of a hotel con- ducting the Doan House successfully for a long period, but is now living re- tired, enjoying a rest which he has truly earned and rightly deserves. His wife, who bore the maiden name of Marie E. Vanderere, is a native of Urbana.
In the schools of his native city and of Danville Ralph B. Holmes pursued his early education and afterward entered the University of Chicago, and then engaged in teaching in the public schools of Danville, filling the position of principal for four years. In 1899 he was elected county superintendent and thus served for seven years, but thinking to find the practice of law a more congenial and profitable field, he began studying in the office and under the di- rection of Colonel George Buckingham and in 1906 was admitted to the bar. He began practice in Danville and has devoted his entire time to his profession, in which connection he is regarded as a rising young lawyer, whose ability has won him constant promotion. He possesses an excellent presence, earnest, dig- nified manner and marked strength of character, combined with a ready ca- pacity for hard work, a thorough grasp of the law and the ability to accurately apply its principles.
There is an interesting military chapter in the life history of Mr. Holmes. He was a member of Battery A in which he served as second lieutenant. At
292
HISTORY OF VERMILION COUNTY
the time of the Spanish-American war he enlisted in Battery A of the First Illinois Artillery in 1898 and served in Porto Rico and elsewhere until the close of hostilities. He joined the organization as second lieutenant and during the war was promoted to the rank of first lieutenant, while after his return he was made captain. After leaving the battery he served as adjutant of the ar- tillery battalion with the rank of captain. He has been well trained in military tactics and is himself a good disciplinarian, ever enjoying the respect and con- fidence of those who serve under him.
In 1906 Mr. Holmes was married to Miss Mabel G. Helm, a native of Homer, Illinois, and they have two children: Jane, born July 6, 1907; and Burnham, born August 24, 1909. Mr. Holmes is a prominent Mason, attain- ing high rank in the Scottish Rite. He also belongs to the Independent Order of Odd Fellows. He has always been a resident of Illinois and is deeply in- terested in the welfare and progress of the city in which he makes his home. His record since starting upon the practice of law has been marked by consecu- tive progress and his natural qualifications indicate that he will win higher advancement in his chosen field.
HOWARD A. SWALLOW.
Howard A. Swallow, a graduate of the Columbian Law School of Washing- ton, D. C., has since 1902 engaged in the practice of law in his native city of Danville, and the eight years which have elapsed since have chronicled steady progress in his profession with increasing ability to handle intricate and impor- tant litigated interests. He was born August 18, 1878, and has therefore not yet reached the prime of life. His father, Charles M. Swallow, a native of Pennsyl- vania, came to Danville in 1871. The same year he completed his preparation for the practice of law by graduation from the State University of Michigan at Ann Arbor and in 1872 was admitted to the Vermillon county bar and opened a law office in Danville, where he continued in active and successful practice un- til 1899. He now spends the winter seasons in the south for the benefit of his health and takes no active part in his profession. He has previously served, however, at states attorney. His wife, who bore the maiden name of Clara Northrup, was a native of Lackawanna county, Pennsylvania, and died Feb- ruary 7, 1879.
Howard A. Swallow, the only son, is indebted to the public schools of Dan- ville for the early educational advantages which he received. He afterward entered the Keystone Academy of Pennsylvania and was there graduated with the class of 1896. Later he attended Brown University at Providence, Rhode Island, and was graduated in 1900. His broad literary training enabled him to make rapid progress in his preparation for the bar, for his receptive mind and retentive memory qualified him to readily grasp the salient points in the science of jurisprudence. In 1902 he was graduated from the Columbian Law School at Washington, D. C., after which he joined his father in practice in 'Danville
HOWARD A. SWALLOW
295
HISTORY OF VERMILION COUNTY
and has since remained an active member of the profession in this city. He prepares his cases with thoroughness and care and is seldom if ever at fault in the application of a legal principle. His mind is naturally analytical and in his reasoning he clearly points out the relation of cause and effect, his deduction being entirely logical.
Need help finding more records? Try our genealogical records directory which has more than 1 million sources to help you more easily locate the available records.