USA > Illinois > Whiteside County > History of Whiteside County, Illinois, from its earliest settlement to 1908, Vol. II > Part 69
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Having acquired a good literary cducation, William H. Allen began teaching school when seventeen years of age, following that profession for cight ycars. In the meantime, however, he studied law and in the year 1866. was admitted to the bar at Ottawa, Illinois. Locating for practice at Erie, he has since followed his chosen calling here and, though he has nearly reached the Psalmist's allotted span of three score years and ten, is still actively con- nected with a profession which has important bearing upon the progress and stable prosperity of any section or community, and one which has long been considered as conserving the public welfare by furthering the ends of justice- and maintaining individual rights. Locating here forty-five years ago, Mr. Allen soon gained favorable recognition as a lawyer of wide learning and research and his clientage, continually increasing, has long since become an extensive and profitable one.
In November, 1864, Mr. Allen was joined in wedlock to Miss Mary Orr, whose birth occurred in Hastings county, Ontario, Canada, and who came to Illinois at an early day, being one of a family of ten children. Unto Mr. and Mrs. Allen have also been born ten children, namely: William C., of Mo- line, Illinois; Samuel R., who resides in Mexico; Saralı R., at home; Solomon V. R., living in Mercer county, Illinois; Harry B., of Chicago; Katherine B. and John Orr, at home; and three who are deceased.
Mr. Allen was affiliated with the republican party for several years and was a member of the legislature for three sessions, including two regular ses- sions and one special session. He is now, however, a stanch friend and ad- mirer of W. J. Bryan and a firm believer in the principles advocated by the Nebraska statesman. Fraternally he is connected with Eric Lodge, No. 365, A. F. & A. M., at Erie, and with the commandery at Sterling, Illinois. Both hc and his wife are widely and favorably known throughout the county in which they have made their home for so many years, the circle of their friends being alınost cocxtensive with the circle of their acquaintances.
IRWIN G. WILKINSON.
Among the representatives of farming interests in Hume township who have met with well merited prosperity through untiring diligence and un- faltering perseverance is numbered Irwin G. Wilkinson, who resides on sec- tion 18, where he owns two hundred and sixty acres of land. For a long period he was closely associated with farming interests herc, but now leaves the active work of his farm to his son-in-law, to whom he has rented it.
Mr. Wilkinson is a native of Oneida county, New York, born May 8, 1859. His parents werc Andrew and Sarah E. (House) Wilkinson. The father was born in Oneida county, New York, January 3, 1836, and died in Prophetstown, Illinois, in 1890. In 1860, when a young man of twenty-four years, he came to the west to find a wider field of business opportunity and located in Prophetstown township, Whiteside county. The following autumn his father, mother and other members of the family joined him herc. They
IRWIN G. WILKINSON
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soon began to buy land in this section and at one time owned two thousand and sixteen acres of fine land in the Rock river bottoms. Shortly after their arrival they invested in forty acres in Prophetstown, afterwards bought one hundred and twenty acres in Tampico township, subsequently invested in eight hundred and eighty-nine acres in Hume township, and again bought five hundred and ninety-seven acres in Hume township. They accumulated all this before selling any of it, and a number of years later they bought five hundred and fifty-six acres in Lyndon township. They were extensively en- gaged in raising and feeding stock, making their own shipments, and the Wilkinson name became synonymous in this county with extensive and pros- perous farming and stock-raising interests.
The father was first married on the 1st of January, 1857, to Miss Sarah E. House, a daughter of Conrad and Sally House. She was born in Oneida county, New York, December 2, 1837, and died in Tampico township, White- side county, February 23, 1866. They became the parents of two children: Irwin G .; and Eva J., the wife of Henry H. Clark, of Hume township. After losing his first wife, Andrew Wilkinson was married on the 11th of March, 1879, his second union being with Miss Mary M. Quigley, who was born in Lancaster county, September 10, 1836, and is still living in Prophetstown. They resided on a farm for about four years after their marriage, in 1883, removing to Prophetstown, where the death of Andrew Wilkinson occurred in 1890. He was a Mason, thoroughly in sympathy with the eraft and its work, and he also belonged to the Modern Woodman Camp.
Irwin G. Wilkinson acquired a common-school education in the district schools near his father's home. He was only about a year old when brought to this county, and there were still various evidences of pioneer life to be found here when the family arrived in 1860. As his years and strength in- creased he assisted more and more largely in carrying on the work of the farm and remained with his father until 1883, when he began farming on his own account on the place on which he now resides. At one time he owned here four hundred acres of rich and productive land, but has since sold a portion of it, and the farm on section 18, Hume township, now com- prises two hundred and sixty acres, which he has rented to his son-in-law. Mr. Wilkinson has always raised stock, handling Durham cattle, Poland China hogs and Norman horses, and both branches of his business have proven profitable, and now make possible the rest which he is enjoying from further active labor.
On the 8th of January, 1880, Mr. Wilkinson was married to Miss Martha Hurstwite, who was born in England, January 8, 1863, the only child of William and Elizabeth (Johnson) Hurstwite. Her father was born January 2, 1841. They came to the United States in 1871, and, making their way into the interior of the country, settled in Hume township, Whiteside county, where the father worked by the month. He afterwards rented land and en- gaged in farming on his own account, and for the past six years he and his wife have occupied a part of the house with Mr. and Mrs. Wilkinson. Unto our subject and his wife have been born two children: Bessie, now the wife of George P. Rigler, by whom she has one son, George; and Ralph, who is
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living in Nebraska. When the little grandson was born, he had the distinc- tion of having a grandmother, a great-grandmother and a great-great-grand- mother living, making five generations, and a picture was taken of all of them, and there was also a grandfather and a great-grandfather living.
Mr. Wilkinson has been somewhat prominent and influential in public affairs, and an appreciation of his worth on the part of his fellow townsmen has been manifest in his selection for various public offices of honor and trust. He was pathmaster for three years, was road commissioner for three years and school director for six years. His political allegiance is given to the republican party. He belongs to the Mystic Workers of the World, is a long standing member of Prophetstown Camp, M. W. A., and Mrs. Wilkinson is a member of the Mystic Workers, the Royal Neighbors and the Congrega- tional church. A resident of this county for almost a half century makes him thoroughly familiar with its history, and the activity which he has always displayed in business affairs has gained him recognition as a leading agriculturist of Hume township.
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ELI C. HESS.
The prosperity of any community, town or city depends upon its com- mercial activity, its industrial interests and its trade relations and therefore among the promoters of a town are those who stand at the head of its business enterprises. Among this class is numbered Eli C. Hess, a contractor and builder of Sterling, and the number and importance of the contracts which have been awarded him make him one of the substantial residents of the city. He was born in Lancaster county, Pennsylvania, August 11, 1849, his parents being Michael R. and Mary Magdalena (Eschelman ) Hess, natives of Pennsylvania.
The family comes of German ancestry in the paternal line, although representatives of the name came to America at an early day, the grand- father of our subject being a native of Pennsylvania, where he followed farm- ing up to the time of his death. He married a Miss Rathphan, who long survived him and lived to be about ninety years of age. Their son, Michael R. Hess, was reared in the Keystone state and became a shoemaker of Lancaster county, while later he engaged in business in that state as a stone mason. He wedded Mary Magdalena Eschelman, a daughter of Jacob and Lutz Eschelman. Her father was a native of Pennsylvania and a carpenter by trade. He died in Lancaster county well advanced in years. After the death of his first wife he was married twice. By his first union he had six children and by each of the other marriages had several children, making twenty-one in all. In the year 1868 Michael R. Hess brought his family to Whiteside county, Illinois, and bought a farm of forty acres in Jordan township, which he improved. He died when about seventy-eight years of age and his wife passed away two years before at the age of seventy-four. He was a Mennonite in religious faith, while she was connected with the
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Dunkard church. They had a family of nine sons and three daughters, of whom ten are now living: Mary, the wife of Ripley Stauffer, of Penrose, Illinois; Zacharias and Jeremiah, twins, both residing in Whiteside county ; Jacob, who makes his home in Kansas; Eli C., of this review; Emanuel ; Emeline, the wife of Henry Mellinger; Ephraim; and Susan, the wife of Jacob Trouth, all of Whiteside county; and Theodore, living in Elgin, Illinois.
Eli C. Hess was reared in Lancaster county, Pennsylvania, upon the home farm and acquired his education there. He came to Illinois in 1868 when a young man of nineteen years and worked by the month as a farm hand for a year. He was afterward employed as a stone-mason for two years and then took up the carpenter's trade, which he has sinee followed. He began doing contract work about 1879 and has since built many of the substantial residences and business houses of Sterling and the surrounding country. He also erected the township high school and a number of the factories of Ster- ling and of Rock Falls. His labors have been of a character to insure him a continuance of the liberal patronage accorded him and his fidelity to the terms of a contract has gained him the unqualified trust of his fellowmen.
Mr. Hess was married to Miss Clara Huber, a daughter of Jessiah and Catherine (Leister) Huber. They have four children: Frederiek Richard, a millwright living near Whiting, Indiana, married Nellie Frcy. Nora May died at the age of three years. Arthur Herbert, a carpenter of Rock Falls, wedded Nettie Bolton and they have one son, Leo. Earl LeRoy completes the family. The eldest son served as a soldier in the Spanish-American war.
Mr. Hess exercises his right of franchise in support of the men and measures of the republican party. He has filled the office of school director, of highway commissioner and of collector of Jordan and Palmyra townships. During the past ten years he has lived in Sterling, occupying a beautiful home which he built in 1897. He is interested in all that pertains to the general welfare and has earned for himself an enviable reputation as a caro- ful man of business, who in his dealings is known for his prompt and lion- orable methods.
JOHN DAIL.
Although born across the water, John Dail is thoroughly American in spirit and interests, being closely identified with the agricultural develop- ment and progress of Whiteside county, where he owns a well improved farm of one hundred and sixty acres in Portland township, and has an additional eighty acre tract, located in Newton township. Mr. Dail was born in Ireland, December 15, 1845, his parents being Nathaniel and Jane (McNeil) Dail. The parents emigrated to the United States from their native country in 1851. Landing at New Orleans, they made their way to St. Louis, where the mother was taken ill and her death resulted. The father came with his family to Whiteside county and purchased eighty acres of land on seetion 15, Portland
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township, this being wild prairie when it came into his possession. The father there took up the work of developing new land and in due course of time , placed his fields under a high state of cultivation, being identified with agri- cultural pursuits throughout his remaining days, his death occurring on that farm February 24, 1873, when he had reached the age of sixty-six years. His family numbered three sons, of whom our subject is the youngest, the others being Nathaniel and Robert, both of whom are residents of Portland town- ship.
John Dail was a little lad of six years at the time of the emigration of the family to the new world. As above stated, the mother died in St. Louis, ere the family had reached their destination and the son then went to live with his grandparents, by whom he was reared to the age of thirteen years. He then started out in life on his own account by working as a farm hand by the month, being thus employed for several years. He carefully saved his earnings, so that in 1870 he was possessed of a sum sufficient to justify his purchase of land and became the owner of forty acres in Portland township, this constituting a portion of his present farm property. He has, however, added to his original purchase and now his place embraces one hundred and sixty acres. He has placed all of the improvements which are here seen, in- cluding a good residence, good barns and outbuildings and now has a valu- able farm. He is engaged in general agricultural pursuits, raising the cereals best adapted to soil and climate, and his products find a ready sale on the market. In addition to his home property he also owns eighty aeres of land in Newton township and this, too, is a good tract of land. The success which is crowning his efforts is well merited for it has come to him as the reward of his diligence and well directed efforts.
Mr. Dail was married October 2, 1879, the lady of his choice being Miss Florence Brown, who was born in Erie township, Whiteside county, January 13, 1861, a daughter of Alexander and Eliza (Hamilton) Brown, the former a native of Ashtabula county, Ohio, while the latter was born in Pennsylvania. The parents located in Whiteside county at an early day but only remained here for a few years, returning to the Buckeye state, where the father died. The mother, however, is still living in Ashtabula county. Their family numbered two sons and two daughters, of whom Mrs. Dail is the eldest, the others being Mrs. Etta Kellogg, George and William Brown, all of whom reside in Ohio.
The home of Mr. and Mrs. Dail has been blessed with four children : Clarence, who wedded Ella Jurgenson, and makes his home in Detroit, Michigan; Dubert, at home; Jessie, who makes her home in Prophetstown; and Ellis, at home.
Mr. Dail gives his politieal support to the republican party, believing firmly in the principles of its platform. He has served as road commissioner and as school director, discharging his duties in these offiees in prompt and capable manner. Fraternally he is eoneeted with Spring Hill Camp, No. 225, M. W. A. Mr. Dail may truly be ealled a self-made man, for from the early age of thirteen years he has made his own way in the world, starting out in the humble capacity of a farm hand. As the years have
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passed by, however, he has allowed no obstacles to brook his path but has worked his way on persistently and energetieally until he is today the owner of two valuable farms, his landed possessions aggregating two hundred and forty aeres, and thus he is justly elassed with the representative and substan- tial agriculturists of this section of the state.
A. G. VAN PETTEN.
Among the enterprising, energetic and prosperous business men of White- side county is numbered he whose name heads this review. Various interests elaim his time and attention and his capable management is indicated by their successful control. He possesses a stalwart determination that enables him to carry forward to successful completion whatever he undertakes and in matters of business his judgment is sound and reliable.
Mr. Van Petten is a native of the state of New York, born December 7, 1855. The lineage and name of the Van Pettens as they appear in Pro- fessor Pearsons' work entitled "The genealogies of the first settlers of Sehenec- tady" and in "Broadhead's Documentary History of New York" and on the rolls of the New York militia in the American Revolution, are as follows: The progenitor of them all was Claas Frederickse Van Petten, the son of Frederick Van Petten. He was born in Holland, May 30, 1641, and died October 3, 1728. He emigrated to Schenectady, New York, in 1664. He married Aefie Bradt, a daughter of Arentse Bradt and his wife, Catilina De Vos. Arentse Bradt emigrated from Holland to Albany, whence he went to Schenectady. He was killed in the massaere of 1690.
Claas Van Petten was long a member of the Dutch Reformed church of Albany, and his name appears among the contributors to the salary of Dominy Duillius. He was the aneestor of all the Van Pettens and those of similar names in America but according to old documents and records, he spelled his name as does the subject of this review.
Among his children, Claas Van Petten, born April 6, 1690, was the next in line of direct descent to our subject. He married Rebecca Groat, daughter of Simon Groat, of a very respectable family, which was repre- sented by over thirty of the patriots of the America Revolution. The names of Claas Van Petten and those of his brothers, Arent and Andries, are on a list of freeholders of Albany county.'
Among the children of Claas Van Petten the second was Nieholas, who was born December 16, 1716. He was married to Sarah Clement, of excel- lent family, which was largely represented in the American Revolution and is still well represented in ancestral and patriotic societies. Though over sixty years of age, with his three brothers, five sons and many other relatives, he participated in the Revolutionary war at Saratoga, Stony Point and Yorktown.
The parents of A. C. Van Petten of this review were John and Hannah (Bourne) Van Petten, natives of New York and Illinois respectively. In
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the early '50s the father removed westward to Illinois, where he was married. His wife died in 1863 and, long surviving her, Mr. Van Petten passed away in 1889. Their family numbered five children.
A. G. Van Petten was reared in this state and received his education at the Elmwood sehools. From the age of sixteen years he has been dependent upon his own resources and his life may be summed up in the altogether expressive, although somewhat hackneyed term, of a self-made man. When twenty-five years of age Mr. Van Petten was married to Miss Ida M. Austin, who was born in Peoria county, Illinois.
In 1888 Mr. Van Petten removed to western Kansas, where he engaged in the real-estate business for a time. He next entered the employ of the Union Pacific Railway as right-of-way agent and continued with that eor- poration for several years, residing most of the time at Ogden, Utah, and Portland, Oregon. In 1895 he came to Whiteside county, Illinois, where he purchased five hundred and twenty acres of land in Montmorency and Harmon townships. Gradually he has extended the scope of his activities until his labors reach out into many lines. At present he is a member of the firm of Van Petten & Hess, conducting a general mercantile store in the village of Van Petten, which was named in his honor, and he is also in- ' · terested in and manager of an elevator at that plaec. While on the farm he made a specialty of breeding and raising full blooded shorthorn eattle, also horses.
In polities Mr. Van Petten is a staneh republiean, in thorough sympathy with the principles and policy of the party and a warm admirer of its present leader. He is a charter member of the Ancient Order of Workmen at Colby, Kansas, and he and his wife are supporters of the Congregational ehureh. He has never allowed difficulties or obstaeles to bar his path if they could be overcome by unfaltering and honorable effort. He bears an unsullied reputation for business integrity and his life in its unwearied diligence may well serve as an example to others.
R. B. DUNCAN.
R. B. Dunean owns and cultivates a farm of ninety-two aeres in Erie township, largely devoting his time and attention to stock-raising and always keeping on hand good grades of stock. His life record began in Erie county, Pennsylvania, October 20, 1849, his parents being Alexander and Elizabeth (Chambers) Duncan, natives of Pennsylvania and of England, respectively. The year 1853 witnessed their removal westward to Illinois, at which time they located in Henry county upon a tract of rented land. Subsequently they removed to Whiteside county and Mr. Dunean purchased land, upon which he made his home until his death, converting the farm into a valuable property. He passed away in September, 1886, while his wife survived him for more than twelve years and died on the 4th of November, 1898, Mr. Dunean was married twiee. By the first union he had two children: Naney,
R. B. DUNCAN
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now the widow of Milton Segar, a resident of Erie, Illinois; and Elizabeth, the wife of Alfred Clayton, whose home is in Kansas. By his second marriage Alexander Dunean became the father of five children: R. B .; Ella, the deceased wife of Burton Martin; Eva, the wife of David Lisby, a resident of Campbell county, Illinois; Mary, deeeased; and Sarah, the wife of John Clayton, who is living in Kankakee county, Illinois.
R. B. Dunean, reared upon the home farm, early beeame familiar with all the duties and labors that fall to the lot of the agriculturist as he earried on the work of tilling the soil and produeing rich and profitable erops. His education was acquired through the medium of the publie schools and when not busy with his text-books he continued to assist his father in earrying on the home farm until he attained his majority. He then rented a farm for a few years and later purchased the homestead place of fifty-two aeres on see- tions 7 and 8, to which he afterward added by the purchase of an additional traet of forty aeres on seetion 13, Erie township. He has improved liis land, bringing the fields under a higli state of cultivation as he has brought forth good erops of eorn, wheat and other eereals. He also raises stoek suecessfully and in his farm work displays intelligent and diseriminating management.
In 1875 Mr. Dunean was married to Miss Elizabeth Wiggins, who was born in Ohio in 1847, a daughter of Elijah and Julia (Stark) Wiggins, who were natives of the state of New York. The mother died in Ohio and the father passed away in Erie, Illinois. Their family numbered four children : Martha E., the wife of Ray Thompson, of Fenton township; Delbert A., a graduate of the Erie high school; Mabel D., deceased; and Mrs. Dunean.
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Both Mr. and Mrs. Dunean hold membership in the Methodist Episcopal church and are consistent Christian people. Politieally he is a republican, believing firmly in the principles of the party, yet never seeking offiee as a reward for party fealty. He belongs to the Knights of Pythias fraternity at Erie and also to the Fraternal Tribune, of Rock Island. He was brought to Illinois when a little lad of three years and has sinee lived in this state, being for many years a factor in the agricultural life of Whiteside county. He belongs to that elass of men who owe their success entirely to their own efforts, for he had no assistance from family or influential friends at the out- set of his business eareer. He has worked with determination and energy to overcome all of the difficulties and obstacles in his path, and as the years have gone by lias gained a fair measure of prosperity, numbering him among the leading farmers of his community.
MILLARD F. HILL.
Millard F. Hill was born September 8, 1855, in Prophetstown township and within its borders still makes his home, identified with its farming inter- ests. He is a son of E. B. and Jane (Underhill) Hill, who were natives of Vermont and eame to Whiteside county at an early day. The father made the journey here with his parents in 1835, when all this district of the state
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