USA > Illinois > Whiteside County > History of Whiteside county, Illinois, from its first settlement to the present time, with numerous Biographical and Family Sketches > Part 17
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In the spring of 1854 a newspaper called the Herald was started in Albany, by Mr. MeAuliffe, who ran it for a few weeks, and then gave the enterprise up. In July following Mr. Chas. Boynton revived it, and issued the first number on the 24th of that month. Mr. Boynton had his own press, material and office
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in the village. The size of the Herald was 16 by 22, and its motto "Knowledge is, in every country, the surest basis of public happiness." Its miscellaneous reading matter was excellent, and local news as full as was given at that time by weekly newspapers in the smaller towns. The advertising patronage was much better proportionately than is given now to papers of considerably larger size and circulation in such towns. Mr. Boynton, however, only continued the publication of the Herald in Albany until December, 1854, and then moved his office to Sterling, and commenced the publication of the Sterling Times. The Herald gives the information that in 1854 Albany had a population of about 1,000 inhabitants, with four forwarding and commission houses, six dry goods, grocery and produce stores, one clothing store, two drug stores, one stove and tinware store, one furniture store, one harness shop, two large steam saw mills with planing and bedstead machinery, one sash, door and blind factory, and one wagon and general blacksmith shop. The advertisers in the Herald were Mell- vaine, Happer & Co., grocers, general merchants and produce dealers; Pease & Durant, dry goods, groceries, clothing, boots and shoes, and produce; Durant & Haines, groceries, dry goods, clothing, boots and shoes; Dennis & Lincoln, pro- duce and general merchandise; Prothrow & Bolls, dry goods, groceries, cloth- ing, boots and shoes; Washington Olds, dry goods, clothing, boots and shoes, hardware, drugs and medicines; Kroh & Gordon, stove dealers, and tin and cop- per workers; W. A. Chamberlain, drugs and medicines; Buck, Olds & Co., sash, blind and door manufactory; Quick & Gilbert, wagon makers and blacksmiths; J. M. Adams, saddle, harness and trunk maker; Walker, Happer & Co., lum- ber, lath and shingles; Stagg & King, general blacksmiths; Walker Olds, lime; Myers & Slaymaker, furniture and chairs; McMahan, Durant & Co., lumber yard; Sears & Barnard, lumber yard; G. Harris, clothing; H. C. Hullin- ger, house and sign painting; Hudson & Willey, physicians; Harris & Somer- field, clothing, dry goods, hats and caps; G. G. Dennis, dry goods, carpets and clothing; Boice, Ewing & Co., lumber; E. H. Nevitt, insurance; W. D. Smith, watchmaker; W. S. Barnes, Eagle Hotel; Alfred Slocumb, Washington Hotel; Bolls & Myers, dry goods, groceries and clothing; Geo. A. Richmond, National Hotel. Tho removal of the Herald to Sterling ended the publication of news- pepers in Albany.
SOCIETIES.
Congregational Church :- The organization of the Congregational Church and Society of Albany, took place on the 13th day of February, 1842. The meeting was held by members who had withdrawn from the First Presbyterian church, together with some others. Rev. Mr. Hazard acted as Moderator at the meeting, and Mr. Erastus Allen as clerk. After some preliminary proceedings, the following certificate was drawn up and signed:
" This certifies that we, Messrs. James Bothwell, William H. Efner, Duty Buck, Erastus Allen, William Bothwell, and Mrs. Hannah Allen, Mrs. Ruth Bothwell, aud Mrs. Fannie Buckingham, members of the First Presbyterian Church in Albany, Whiteside County, State of Illinois, being dissatisfied with the principles of said church, and being desirous with others of forming our- selves into a Congregational Church, and having taken the preliminary steps, assembled at the appointed place and hour on the 13th of February, A. D. 1842, for the purpose of completing our organization and acknowledgment as a church of Christ, to be called the First Congregational Church of Albany, Whiteside County, Illinois, with the Rev. Mr. Hazard, their counsellor and moderator, and Mr. E. Allen, their scribe, the undersigned were now embodied, by letter and profession, into an Evangelical church, according to Congrega-
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tional usage. Signed: James Bothwell, Erastus Allen, Duty Buck, William II. Efner, William Bothwell, G. Buckingham, by profession, Mrs. Ruth Both- well, Mrs. Hannah Allen, Mrs. Fanny Buckingham, Mrs. Dinah Bothwell, by profession."
The articles of Faith and Covenant were then adopted, after which Messrs. Duty Buck and Wm. Bothwell were chosen deacons, and Erastus Allen, clerk. Rev. O. Emerson was the first pastor. On the 20th of July, 1844, E. Allen, James Bothwell, Duty Buck, P. B. Vannest and Washington Olds were elected trustees for five years "to control the building and use of the meeting house," and on the 1st of December, 1844, the new meeting house of the society was dedicated. On the 12th of July, 1846, Dr. C. Abbott and James Bothwell were elected deacons for three years. Two of the members died in 1847, James Bothwell on the 31st of January, and Mrs. Lucy Howard on the 1st of March. Rev. A. J. Copeland became pastor on the 1st of October, 1847, at a salary of $400 per year, and on the 5th of December, 1849 he was succeeded by Rev. J. J. Hill. P. B. Vannest and J. B. Crosby were elected deacons on the 6th of July, 1850. The following pastors succeeded Rev. Mr. Hill up to 1870: Revs. Nathaniel Pine, S. N. Groat, James Quick, Samuel Hemenway, Robert Stuart, Chas. Hancock, C. S. Cady, H. S. Hamilton, M. Ostrander, O. Emerson, and D. R. Macnab. Rev. Mr. Chapman and other ministers filled the pulpit when there was no stated pastor.
Mr. Duty Buck, a member of the church, was killed by the tornado of June 3, 1860. His wife had only died during the March previous. Mr. Henry Pease was chosen clerk of the church on the 31st of March, 1861, which posi- tion he still holds. On the 9th of April, 1870, a proposition was received from the Presbyterian church for a union of the two churches "to the end that a minister acceptable to both could be secured." No definite action seems to have been taken in this matter. On the 6th of June, 1874, the members of the church appointed P. B. Vannest, Ezekiel Olds, and S. B. Bliss a committee to wait on a like number from the Presbyterian church at Garden Plain, with a view of obtaining a minister whom both churches could agree to support as a stated supply. This effort eventuated in the call of Rev. N. D. Graves as pas- tor for both congregations, and in July, 1875, he began his labors, Mr. Graves still remains as such pastor, preaching each Sabbath at Garden Plain in the morning, and at Albany in the afternoon,
Presbyterian Church :- The First Presbyterian church of Albany was or- ganized at the house of David Mitchell, in December, 1839, by Rev. Mr. Prentiss, of Fulton. The original members were Mr. and Mrs. Samuel M. Kilgour, Mr. and Mrs. David Mitchell, Mr. and Mrs. Samuel Miller, Mr. and Mrs. John S. Thompson, Mr. and Mrs. Erastus Allen, Mr. and Mrs. Duty Buck, Mrs. Ivy Buek, and Mrs. Francis Buckingham. The first elders were Samuel M. Kilgour and David Mitchell.
From the church record it appears that the first regular meeting of the Society was held on the 13th of December, 1841, Rev. Enoch Bouton, pastor, when a portion of the members withdrew, and formed a Congregational Church. In 1842 Mr. Bouton ceased to be pastor, and during the year 1842, and part of 1843, there was no regular pastor, Rev. Mr. Woodruff, of Rock Island, and Rev. Mr. Waterbury, preaching occasionally. In June, 1843, Rev. Silas Sears be- came pastor, and remained until 1846, when Rev. Oscar Park succeeded him, and continued in the pastorage until 1851. In that year Rev. W. C. Mason became pastor, and upon his retirement in 1856 was succeeded by Rev. Louis Gano. In 1856 and '57 a brick church edifice was erected by the Society in Upper Albany, which was finished and dedicated in 1858. Rev. A. H. Lackey be-
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HISTORY OF WHITESIDE COUNTY.
came pastor in 1859, and on the 3d of June, 1860, the church building was blown down by the tornado. Mr. Lackey went east shortly afterwards, and col- lected about $1,600 with which a frame church structure was built upon the foundation of the brick one, and was dedicated in 1861. Mr. Lackey remained pastor until 1862. In 1863 Rev. Jacob Coon officiated as supply, remaining until 1870, when Rev. J. Giffin took charge, the latter being succeeded in 1873 by Rev. Josiah Leonard. In 1875 Rev. N. D. Graves was employed, who still remains with the church in connection with the one at Garden Plain.
Methodist Episcopal Church :- Albany was first made a regular preaching place by the Rock River M. E. Conference in 1840. It then formed a part of Savanna Circuit. Previous to that time Revs. Phillip K. Hanna, Wm. Hobert, and John Kilpatrick, had preached occasionally at private houses. In 1840 Rev. Philo Judson was pastor, but there is no record of the names of the mem- bers of the church. In 1841 Rev. Wm. W. Buck, assisted by Rev. G. L. S. Stuff, were the pastors. In 1842 Albany became a part of Union Grove Circuit, with Rev. C. Campbell as pastor, who also remained during 1843. Rev. A. M. Early became pastor in 1844. The next year a small frame building was erected for church and school purposes. Rev Isaac Searles, pastor. Then followed Revs. James McKean, Charles Babcock, Wm. Haney, Mathew Hanna, and Benj. Appelbee, until 1853 when the Circuit was again divided, and Albany, Erie and Newton made a Circuit called Albany Circuit, Rev. Jesse B. Quimby, pastor. The membership was then recorded as 172. In 1854, the first parsonage was built in Albany, Rev. A. D. McCool, pastor. He also re- mained during the next year. 1856, Rev. A. D. Field, pastor. In 1857 the church bought the school interest in the building and enlarged it, Rev. A. M. Early, pastor. In 1858, Rev. Z. S. Kellogg, pastor. During the conference year ending 1860 the tornado occurred in which the church and parsonage were both destroyed. The Rev. Z. S. Kellogg lost his furniture, but none of his family were seriously injured, and no member of the church reported hurt. Rev. Mathew Hanna was pastor during the conference year following. In 1861 the present brick church edifice was erected by subscription obtained principally from M. E. Churches at the East. It was dedicated the same year, Rev. John Frost, pastor. Mr. Frost remained until 1864. From that time until 1868 Revs. J. W. Jacobs and C. Combs were pastors. In the latter year Rev. Bar- ton H. Cartwright became pastor, and loaned the church $600 to build a par- sonage, doing a large share of the work himself. From 1869 to 1876 Revs. W. S. Young, Z. D. Paddock, A. C. Frick, M. C. Smith, and C. E. Smith, have been pastors, the latter being still in charge. The number of members at pres- ent is 170.
Albany Lodge No. 556, A. F. & A. M .:- The Grand Lodge of the State of Illinois in 1867 granted a dispensation to D. S. Efner, Win. Prothrow, Henry M. Booth, James Brewer, Ithamar Johnson, Peter Ege, Spencer Bennett, David Cottle, Chas. F. Lusk, Cornelius Knapp, C. R. Rood, Isaac B. Emmons, J. M. Eaton, Wm. T. Crotzer, George Miller, and J. J. Bolls, as charter mem- bers, to organize Albany Lodge No. 556, A. F. & A. M. The first meeting under the dispensation was held on the 18th of May, 1867, the officers of the Lodge then consisting of J. M. Eaton, W. M .; Henry M. Booth, S. W .; J. J. Bolls, J. W .; Peter Ege, S. D .; Spencer Bennett, J. D .; C. R. Rood, Treasurer; D. S. Efner, Secretary; James Brewer and C. F. Lusk, Stewards, and Ithamar Johnson, Tyler. At the first regular communication petitions for initiations were received. On the 9th of November, 1867, W. C. Snyder, of Fulton, by virtue of his appointment by the Grand Master of the State, instituted the Lodge, and installed its officers, being assisted in the work by D. W. Thomson, of
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BIOGRAPHICAL.
Fulton. J. M. Eaton served as W. M. of the Lodge for eight consecutive years, and D. S. Efner has been Secretary for every term save one, when he was a member of the General Assembly of the State. The Lodge is in a flourishing condition. The regular communications are held on Saturday evenings on or before the full of the moon of each month, at their Lodge room in the brick store building of C. F. Lusk, on Main street. The following members have been buried with Masonic honors: W. S. Barnes, Thos. Brewer, J. J. Bolls, Abram Mitchell and John Mitchell. The present officers are as follows: H. M. Booth, W. M .; D. W. Lundy, S. W .; Ithamar Johnson, J. W .; W. D. Haslet, S. D .; C. C. Bolls J. D .; Samuel Happer, Treasurer; D. S. Efner, Secretary; W. S. Booth, D. Nicewonger, Stewards; C. F. Lusk, Tyler.
BIOGRAPHICAL.
HON. EDWARD H. NEVITT was born in Carmi, White county, Illinois, Janu- ary 6, 1822. When twelve years of age his father moved from White county to a farm he had purchased near Knoxville, Knox County, Illinois. Here the fam- ily remained until 1837 when they all came to Albany. Mr. Nevitt was married to Miss Hannah Alvord at LeClaire, Iowa, on the 27th of December, 1855, Elder Hartzell, of Davenport, performing the ceremony. Miss Alvord was born in Ellicottville, Cattaraugus County, New York, May 26, 1826, Lizzie Blanche, the only issue of this marriage, was born April 19, 1856, and died November 18, 1858. When Mr. Nevitt first came to Albany he settled in the part of the town then known as Van Buren, now more particularly designated as Upper Albany. During the first years of his residence he followed farming. In 1847 he engaged in the lumber business on the Mississippi river, and continued in it about three years. In 1852 he became connected with the saw mill business, and was so occupied until 1860 when the mill in which he had an interest was, together with the lumber, machinery, etc., swept away by the Tornado. His dwelling-house was also destroyed at the same time, thus entailing a heavy loss upon him, and one from which it took several years to recover. In 1863 he was appointed United States mail agent on the river from Davenport to Dubuque, in which service he remained nearly a year, and then went into the lumber, insur- ance, and real estate business, in which he is still engaged. His fellow citizens early discovered that he was peculiarly qualified for an able, prompt and faithful discharge of the duties of a public trust, and in 1852, the first election after the township organization, elected him Assessor of the town, and continued him in that office at each succeeding election until 1877, a period of a quarter of a cen- tury. In 1870 he was elected Supervisor of the town, an office which he contin- ucd to hold by re-election until January 1, 1877, when he resigned to take his seat as Representative of the General Assembly of the State from the 11th District, to which office he had been elected for two years in the fall before. During the late long and arduous session of the Thirteenth General Assembly he was al- ways found active and vigilant in the discharge of his duties, rarely being out of his seat during session hours, or away from committee work when it demand- ed his attention. He was chairman of the Committee on Engrossed and Enrolled bills, one of the most important committees of the House, and also member of several other committees. Mr. Nevitt was educated at Knox College.
WILLIAM NEVITT, father of Hon. E. H. Nevitt, and one of the earliest pioneers of Whiteside county, was born at Brownsville, Pa., in 1779. When a young man he moved to Kentucky, and in 1805 married Miss Mary Edlin at Beardstown, Breekinridge county, in that State. He moved from Kentucky to White county, Illinois, in 1818, and in 1834 from the latter place to a farmi near Knoxville, Knox county, Illinois, where he remained until 1837 when he
[15-M.]
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HISTORY OF WHITESIDE COUNTY.
came to Albany, arriving in August. Here he purchased a farm just back of the present village of Albany, and also became one of the original proprietors of Upper Albany. In 1821 Mr. Nevitt was appointed Justice of the Peace by the House of Representatives of the General Assembly of the State, and the ap- pointment afterwards duly confirmed by the Senate, and a commission issued to him by Hon. Shadrach Bond, the first Governor of the state. While a resident of White county he was several times placed in nomination by the Whigs of his district as Representative to the Legislature, but as the latter were in the mi- nority his candidacy was unsuccessful. In 1831 he was appointed by the Gov- enor as one of the Commissioners to improve the Little Wabash river. He had not long been in Whiteside when he was elected School Commissioner of the county, Jabez Warner, Esq., being his opponent. This office he held until his death which occurred in October, 1848. Mr. Nevitt had eleven chil- dren : John, James, Clement, William G., Allen, Edward H., Wilson, Eliza, Nancy, Maria and Susan. Eliza married Alfred Slocumb; Nancy married Asa Langford; Maria married Noah Shelby, and Susan married Thomas Finch. The children living are Clement, who resides in Knox county, Illinois; William G. in Newton, Whiteside county; Edward H., in Albany; Mrs. Finch in Oskaloosa, Jefferson county, Iowa, and Mrs. Slocumb in Mt. Vernon, Iowa.
RANDOLPH C. NIBLACK was born in Chillicothe, Ohio, November 27, 1807. He went when quite a lad to Seiota county, Ohio, where he learned the carpen- ter's trade, and remained quite a number of years, and then came to Albany, ar- riving April 14, 1837, and settled in Lower Albany. He at once commenced working at his trade, and built and assisted in building some of the first houses erected in Albany. On the 11th of February, 1838, he was married to Miss Amy Buck by the Rev. Mr. Hazard, of Lyndon. At that time parties had to go to Dixon for marriage licenses, and travel many miles of the distance without seeing a human habitation. Two children were born to Mr. and Mrs. Niblaek, but both died in their infancy. Mr. Niblack made the first coffin needed in Al- bany, it being for a young child of Mr. Erastus Allen. He also painted the first house in the town, the present Eagle Hotel building. He has frequently been Commissioner of Highways for the town, and held other town offices.
BENJAMIN S. QUICK was born in the town of Hopel, Hunterdon county, New Jersey, on the 20th of December, 1815. When quite young he went to Cayuga county, N. Y., and from thence to Louisville, Kentucky. From the lat- ter place he came to Albany, arriving, July 17, 1839, and after elerking a time for W. S. Barnes, engaged in wagon making, his original trade. On the 5th of April, 1843, he married Miss Mary Ann Slaymaker at Cordova, Rock Island county, Illinois. Miss Slaymaker was born at Williamstown, Lancaster county, Pa., in June, 1817. They have had four children, George D., born July 3, 1847; Margaret C. born July 15, 1850; Jane, born August 20, 1852, and Benjamin Il., born December 3, 1856. George D. married Miss Villa Booth, and resides in Albany. Margaret C. married James II. Ege, and resides in Minneapolis, Minn., and Jane married Edwin Beekwith, and resides in Albany. All of the children are living. Besides wagon and carriage business Mr. Quick has been engaged in merchandizing and in the grain and stock business during his long residence in Albany, the latter of which he still follows. Although averse to holding any public position his fellow citizens have called upon him to hold several town offices, as well as the School Directorship for the town. He has always been an active, energetie business man.
SAMUEL HAPPER was born in Washington county, Pa., in April, 1813. In May, 1840, he emigrated from his native State and located in Sterling, in this county, where he remained about a year, and then came to Albany. Mr,
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BIOGRAPHICAL.
John D. MeIlvaine came with him, and the two under the firm name of Mc- Ilvaine & Happer opened a store where the stone building, known as the old Fuller Hotel, stood near the river in the upper part of the town. Mr. Happer was married to Miss Sarah Curry, who was born in Alleghany county, Pa., in July, 1816. Seven children have been the result of this marriage, viz : Mary J., Margaret A., Sarah J., Joseph F., Elizabeth L., John A., and Martha. Mary J. married Dr. A. E. Stockton, and resides in Stockton, California. Joseph F. married Alice Bennett, and resides in Albany. John A. is dead. Mr. Happer has been in business continuously since his residence in Albany, and for a long period of the time in partnership with Mr. McIlvaine. In 1854 Wm. Y. Wet- zell became connected with the firm, but remained only a short time. Mr. Hap- per has been Supervisor of the town, and held other town offices. He is at present engaged in the dry goods and general mercantile trade in connection with his son, Joseph F., the firm name being S. Happer & Son. They own their own store building which is a commodious brick one, standing on the corner of Main and Union streets. Mr. Happer is also engaged in farming.
HON. DEAN S. EFNER was born October 22, 1822, in what was then called North Deerfield, in the county of Monroe, New York State. From this place he emigrated in 1838 to Lacon, Marshall county, Illinois, and in March, 1841, moved, with his father, Dr. W. H. Efner, to Albany where he has resided ever since. About this time David Mitchell, Capt. Samuel Mitchell, Capt. Abram Mitchell and Col. S. M. Kilgour also came to Albany from near Lacon, none of whom now survive save Capt. Samuel Mitchell. Mr. Efner has been married twice. His first wife was Miss Sarah S. Thompson whom he married March 2, 1843. She was a sister of John S. Thompson Esq., and Miss Margaret Blean, of Newton. The only child of this marriage living is Wm. E. Efner, Esq., of Coleta, in this county. Mrs. Efner died on the 2d of September, 1845. Mr. Efner was married to his second wife, Miss Sarah Brewer, at Albany, on the 28th of August, 1848, by Rev. Father Mckean. Miss Brewer was born in England on the 8th of October, 1826. When she was but a child her father emigrated to this country, bringing his family with him, and settled near Har- risburg, Pa., and in 1844 came to Albany. £ At the age of sixteen Mr. Efner began to learn the mason trade, and this trade he followed more or less until the year 1864. His fellow citizens both of the town and Legislative District have frequently called upon him to serve them in a public capacity. For twenty-five years last past he has held the office of Justice of the Peace, with the single ex- ception of about one year. The person then elected died shortly afterwards, and Mr. Efner was elected to fill the vacancy. He was a member of the Board of Supervisors from 1863 to 1870, but resigned during the latter year to take a seat as Representative in the General Assembly of the State, to which he had been elected. So well pleased were the people of the District with his services as Representative that he was re-elected in 1873. During these two terms of the Legislature the revision of the laws of the State were completed, and made to conform to the new constitution of 1870. In this arduous and ex- acting labor Mr. Efner took a conspicuous part. In 1859 he was admitted to practice law, going in person to Springfield to attend examination for that pur- pose. The examination was held by a committee of examiners selected from the ablest members of the bar, by the Supreme Court which was then in session at the State Capital. Mr. Efner has also served as clerk and attorney for the Board of Trustees of the village of Albany, and at present holds these posi- tions.
WILLIAM S. BARNES was born in Woodstock, Vermont, May 11, 1808, and settled in Lower Albany July 23, 1839. He was married to Miss Adaline Howe
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at Lowell, Mass., in 1830. The children of this union have been Frances D., born May 28, 1831; Lucia, born April 15, 1833, now dead; Sarah, born February 16, 1835, married and living in Vermont; Adaline, born April 1, 1839, married and living in Iowa; William Henry, born September 12, 1841, living in Albany; Mary, born September 20, 1842, now dead; Louisa, born May 20, 1846, now dead; Charles S., born March 16, 1848, living in Albany. The next year after Mr. Barnes' arrival in Albany he erected the present Eagle Hotel building, using it for the first few years as a store and boarding house. In 1846 he opened the hotel, and it very soon became under his able management one of the best known and most popular hotels in all this section of the country. Mr. Barnes was personally a very genial and popular man, and was honored by his fellow citizens and by the General Government with different positions of public trust. He was the first Supervisor of the township after its organization, and was elected to the same position several times afterwards. During his lifetime he was a prominent member of the Masonic Fraternity. His death occurred on the 20th of July, 1872, and the funeral was attended by a large number of his Masonic brethren.
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