USA > Illinois > DeKalb County > Past and present of DeKalb County, Illinois, Volume II > Part 54
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Following his marriage Mr. Plapp located on a farm which he rented for four years, and during this time through his own industry and economy and the assistance of his estimable wife. who has proved to him a faithful companion and helpmate.
he acquired the sum that enabled him to purchase the farm upon which he has since made his home. This tract comprises one hundred and sixty aeres of land. all of which has been placed under a high state of cultivation and has been improved with good outbuildings and a fine country resi- dence. containing thirteen rooms. In addition to carrying on general agricultural pursuits Mr. Plapp also feeds stock for the market, and this branch of his business is proving a gratifying source of income to him.
Unto our subject and his wife have been born a daughter and two sons: Bertha Pearl, who was born December 20, 1891: Ralph Lewis, who was born February 3, 1894; and William Edwin, who was born August 25. 1896, Mr. Plapp has always supported the men and measures of the republican party, and his fraternal relations are with the Modern Woodmen of America, being a member of camp No. 211, and he and his wife also belongs to Royal Neighbor lodge, No. 1262, at Malta. Both hold membership in the Evangelical church. The family is one highly respected in the com- munity in which they reside, and their success has come through honorable, untiring effort.
SANFORD A. TYLER.
Sanford A. Tyler was born in Newark, Tioga county. New York, January 11, 1836. His parents were Anthony and Harriett B. ( Packer) Tyler. both natives of the state of New York. He lived with his parents on a farm until he was eighteen years of age. He then came to Illinois, where he attended college at Mount Morris, In 1854 he came to De Kalb county and bought a farm in Afton township, where he followed farming for six years, On March 20, 1864. he started on a journey across the plains, traveling by wagon, and arrived at Virginia City. Montana, the following June. where he followed gold mining for about six months.
Mr. Tyler then returned to De Kalb and en- gaged in the grocery business in partnership with R. II. Roberts, The firm also bought live stock throughout the surrounding country, which they shipped to the Chicago markets. In 1883 Mr. Tyler became superintendent of the Ellwood wire
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works, remaining in this position until 1890, when he became a salesman for the same company. He continued with the Ellwood company in this ca- pacity until he retired from active business life in 1897. From this date until his death, November 14, 1906, he devoted his time and attention to his varied interests in this city, carrying on therewith a general real-estate and insurance business.
During his life Mr. Tyler served the eity and county in a number of capacities. having been deputy sheriff, town clerk, and alderman. He was clerk of the board of education for twelve years. He was a Knight Templar and a thirty-seeond degree Mason.
Mr. Tyler was married November 30, 1869, to Sarah Louise Taylor, a daughter of Squire Tay- lor, one of De Kalb's most prominent citizens. There were born to them four children, Clara Louise, Squire Allen, Harriett Daisy and Harold Packer. Mr. Tyler was one of the most; widely. known men in De Kalb county, a man of sterling character and most lovable nature and a conserva- tive, honorable and successful business man.
JAMES O. BJORKMAN.
James O. Bjorkman, clothier and men's out- fitter at De Kalb, is a native son of Illinois, hav- ing been born in Aledo on the 21st of December, 1876. As the family name indicates, he is of Swedish lineage, his parents being Charles and Hannah (Nelson) Bjorkman. The father was born in 1845 and the mother in 1848. They be- came residents of America in 1863 when young people, and Mr. Bjorkman located, in Aledo, Illinois, while the lady who was later to become his wife made her home in Swedona, this state. She afterward removed to Aledo, where she formed the acquaintance of Charles Bjorkman, who sought and won her hand in marriage. In his native country the father had learned the painter's trade and also the trade of harness-making, and after his emigration to the new world he followed both pursuits, engaging in painting during the busy season and throughout the remainder of the year at harness-making. In 1900 the firm of C. Bjork- man & Son was formed, since which time they have carried on a good business as painters and
dealers in wall paper, in connection with a general contraeting business. In this regard they have been very successful and the father is also one of the well known operators in the real-estate field in Aledo. In fact he is recognized as one of the town's most influential and aetive business men, upright in all of his dealings and esteemed by all with whom he has come in contact. He holds membership in the Lutheran church, in which he takes a most helpful interest. For a quarter of a century he has served as superintend- ent of the Sunday school and in all departments of the church work he has displayed a spirit of energy and zeal which have contributed much to its success. Unto him and his wife have been born three sons and a daughter: Edward, a mer- chant of Aledo; Wolfred, a business man of Aledo; James O., of this review ; and Nellie, the wife of Ernest Carlson, a photographer of Aledo. .James O. Bjorkman was reared in the city of this nativity and there attended the public schools. His father desired him to attend school for a longer period but early in life he became ambi- tious to earn his living and in his twelfth year accepted a position behind the counter in a eigar store, where he worked for a dollar per week. He was thus employed for four years, although with increased wages as his ability and usefulness in- ereased, and he then accepted a position with the firm of E. Parkman, dealer in clothing, dry goods and carpets at Aledo. That he was a trusted, faithful and competent employe is indicated by the fact that he remained with that house for nine years and during the last four years of the time had complete charge of the business. Never for a moment, however, had he eeased to enter- tain ambition to engage in business on his own account and through these years his frugality and careful management enabled him to save a snug sum of money, which he then invested in De Kalb. IIe eame to this city in 1900 and es- tablished his present business. Within the short period of seevn years he has gained a prominent position in mercantile cireles and commands the unqualified confidence of the general public. He is known for honorable, straightforward methods which neither seek nor require disguise, and as the years have gone by he has displayed an adapt- ability to modern business conditions and demands that has made him one of the successful merchants
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of De Kalb. From 1904 until 1906 he owned and conducted a branch store in the east end of De Kalb. known as the East End Clothing House, but recently disposed of this to H. V. Harpman & Company.
On the 21th of January, 1899, Mr. Bjorkman was married to Miss Betty Younggren. of Gales- burg, Illinois, and they have one child. Lester Lee. born July 29. 1902. Mr. Bjorkman is a valued member of several fraternal and social organ- izations. He belongs to the Knights of Pythias lodge, the Modern Woodmen vamp, the Independ- ent Order of Vikings, the North Star Benevolent Association .and the Fraternal Order of Eagles. and of the last two he has been treasurer for some years. His political allegiance is given to the republican party and he keeps well informed on the question and issues of the day. as every true American citizen should do, but has little ambi- tion in the line of otlice seeking. He knows that success in business means close application and untiring energy and he is putting forth carnest efforts to win success along commercial lines and has already made for himself an honorable name in that direction.
GEORGE IL. HOLMES.
George H. Holmes, a baker and confectioner of De Kalb, was born in Paw Paw township. De Kalb county, Illinois, August 1, 1871. His fa- ther, George R. Holmes, was a native of New Eng- land. born in 1811. and in his boyhood day> he accompanied his parents on their removal to the middle west. the family settling on a farm in Shabbona township. De Kalb county, where he was reared. On reaching manhood he bought a farm in Paw Paw township and for a long period thereafter was actively engaged in the work of tilling the soil and caring for the crops. He con- dneted his farming interests until 1884. when he sold his property and removed to De Kalb. where he engaged in the livery business, with which he has since been identified, having now a well con- ducted livery barn and receiving from the public a well merited and liberal patronage. In politics he is a democrat but has never been an aspirant for office. He married Frances M. Hinckley and
unto them were born seven children, all of whom are living with one exception. These are: Ella M., the wife of M. E. Lake, of Paw Paw township; Mary C .. the wife of J. E. Matteson. an attorney of De Kalb: Seth W., of De Kalb: Bert D., who is a cutter in the De Kalb shoe factory : Clyde R., also of this city; and George H.
The last named was reared under the parental roof. began his education in the district schools and afterward attended the De Kalb high school. At the age of seventeen years he entered upon an ap- renticeship to the printer's trade and spent six years in printing offices in the cities of De Kalb. Elgin. Sandwich, Geneva and Chicago. He then re- turned to De Kalb in 1894 in ill health, and soon afterward accepted a position in the shoe factory. where he was employed until 1897, when be entered the Metropolitan Business College of Chicago. pur- suing a course in stenography. After finishing his studies there he again came to De Kalb and ar- cepted the position of stenographer in the office of the shoe factory. Some twelve months later he was offered a better position in the office of the AAbrem Ellwood Manufacturing Company, with which he continued up to the time of their failure. when he returned to his former position in the shoe factory. There he remained until February 1. 1902, when he invested his earnings in a bakery and confectionery business. which he purchased of G. Il. Wenderberg. Under his management a notable change was soon effected. The trade was small and the equipment poor at the time he made the purchase, but he rapidly improved the busi- ness and has seenred a patronage that makes this one of the prosperous commercial enterprises of De Kalb. A year after he had purchased the bakery he bought the business block in which it is located and he has since met with rapidly acquired and merited prosperity. He mannfar- tures an excellent class of bakery goods and also handles a large and well selected line of confee- tionery, both departments of his business proving profitable.
On the 29th of September, 1897, Mr. Holmes was united in marriage to Miss Alice Van Horn, of De Kalb, a danghter of Orlando Van Horn. now deceased. Mr. Holmes belongs to the First Baptist church and is a member of De Kalb lodge. No. 765, B. P. O. E .. of which he is now serving as secretary. Ile is likewise connected with De
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Kalb lodge, No. 215, K. P., and De Kalb lodge, No. 155, I. O. O. F. He does not consider him- self bound by party ties but works for clean poli- tics, being opposed to anything like misrule in municipal affairs. On the contrary he stands for good government, for a practical administration of municipal business and believes in bringing the same criterions of honor to politics that form the test in business life.
JOHN A. MERCER.
The farming interests of Clinton township have a worthy representative in John AA. Mercer, who is residing on section 23. He was born January 24, 1860, upon this farm, which is known as the old Mercer homestead, having become the home of the family at an early period in the development and progress of this section of the state. John A. Mercer can trace his ancestry back to a Thomas Mercer, who came from England in 1666 and set- tled in Chester county, Pennsylvania. His par- ents were Smith and Margaret (Thornberg) Mercer. The father was born May 12, 1827, in Beaver county, Pennsylvania, and on the 14th of November, 1850, was joined in wedlock to Miss Margaret Thornberg, whose hirth occurred in Beaver county on the 9th of February. 1831. They remained residents of the Keystone state until 1856, when they sought a home in the middle west, making their way to De Kalb county, Illinois. Here they took up their abode on section 23. Clinton township, and subsequently Mr. Mercer purchased eighty aeres on section 23 and a tract of land of one hundred and sixty acres on section 24 of the same township. Farming was his life work and the business was carefully con- ducted by him, his labors transforming the wild land into a richly cultivated tract, the productive- ness of which was greatly enhanced by the rotation of crops and the practical methods which he fol- lowed in tilling the fields. While they were still living upon the old homestead Mrs. Mercer passed away November 24, 1888. Mr. Mercer continued upon the farm until 1891. when he retired from active business life and removed to Sandwich, where he spent his remaining days in the enjoy- ment of a well earned rest, his death occurring
June 30, 1903. Unto this worthy couple were born eleven children but the first two died in infancy. The others are as follows: R. J., who was born March 20, 1854, and is now a street car conductor in Chicago: Joseph, who was born March 1. 1856, and is with the International Har- vester Company at Huron, South Dakota; Thomas, who was born January 31. 1858, and is a retired farmer of Somonauk, Illinois: John A., of this review; A. L., who was born August 28, 1861, and is a stationary engineer at Aurora, Illinois: W. M., who was born March 8, 1863. and is an attorney at law at Aurora: S. W .. who was born December 23, 1865, and died January 16, 1887; Ida Bell, who was born May 2, 1868. and is living in Los Angeles, C'alifornia; and Jennie, who was born October 10, 1820. and is also in Los Angeles.
In retrospect one can see John A. Mercer as he daily made his way to the district school near his father's home during those months in which the school was conducted, while during the sum- mer seasons he worked in the fields, early becoming familiar with the task of plowing. planting and harvesting. He remained with his father until twenty-one years of age. after which he was em- ployed as a farm hand for one year in Vietor township. He then returned and worked for five years for his father, after which he cultivated his father's land for five years. Subsequently he bought the eighty acres on which he now resides and since that time he has continued to cultivate his farm with good success. As a companion and helpmate for life's journey he chose Miss Alice Fisher, to whom he was married on the 17th of December, 1891. She is a daughter of John and Emeline (Corns) Fisher, both of whom were born near Marietta. Ohio. Her father was an agri- culturist and died in the Buckeye state on the 22d of December, 1890. The mother is still living in Ohio, having never come to the west. Mrs. Mercer was born near Marietta, Ohio, November 10, 1863. pursued her education in the district schools near her girlhood home and in 1890 came to Illinois. The following year she gave her hand in marriage to Mr. Mercer and the union has since been blessed with two daughters and a son : Mildred Lucile, born January 20, 1893; Raymond Clifford. born February 5, 1895: and Mary Emeline, born No- vember 3, 1897.
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Mr. Mercer gives the republican party his stal- wart and unfaltering support, yet has never been a politician in the sense of office seeking. He simply believes that the platform of the party con- tains the best clements of good government. He was reared in the faith of the Presbyterian church but he and his wife are members of the Methodist Episcopal church at Waterman and for four years he has served as one of its stewards, taking an ac- tive part in the church work and manifesting a deep interest in all that pertains to the growth of the church and the extension of its influence. As a representative of one of the old pioncer families of the county he is well known. while his own personal worth entitles him to representation in this volume. He has lived in the county for forty-seven years, so that his life history is fa- miliar to his many friends and in all of its phases it displays sterling characteristics.
11. P. HALL.
Under the direction of no county superintendent in De Kalb county have the schools made more substantial advancement than when H. P. Hall served as county superintendent. ITis record. too. in commercial circles is equally creditable and be- cause of his wide and favorable acquaintance his life record will be received with interest by many of the readers of this volume. He was born in Croydon. Sullivan county, New Hampshire. Au- gust 5, 1826, a son of Daniel R. Hall. likewise a native of the same county. The paternal grandfa- ther. Abijah Hall. was a soldier of the Revolution- ary war and received a captain's commission from Josiah Bartlett. one of the signers of the Declara- tion of Independence. The great-grandfather. Ed- ward Hall, held a commission under the crown from King George. Frias Powers, the maternal grandfather of Professor Hall, was also a soldier of the war of independence. The Hall family is indeed an old one in the New England states and comes of Scotch-Irish ancestry.
Daniel R. Hall, the father of our subject, was a carpenter by trade and later engaged in merchan- dising, which pursuit he followed for many years. He afterward devoted his time and energies to farming and in his last years he lived retired from
active life. He was very prominent and influential in political circles, supported the republican party and was representative of his district in the legis- lature. His many good qualities won him the high respect and confidence of those who knew him and he was spoken of by all as "a good man."
II. P. Hall pursued his early education in the common schools and spent two years in Wesleyan University in Connectient. He also attended Am- herst college in Massachusetts, belonging to the class that was graduated in 1856. His teaching ca- rrer began in 1846, and he taught nine terms in the east at a salary the first term of nine dollars a month and boarded around; the last twenty-six and board. In 1855 he removed to the west and took up his abode at Marshall, Clark county, Ili- nois, being employed as principal in Marshall academy. Afterward taught school in Terre Haute, Indiana, and later went to Merom, taking charge of the Merom Bluff Academy. During the first wear of his work there the Christian church wanted a college and raised thirty-five thousand dollars for that purpose, establishing the school in the old building with Professor Hall as one of the faculty. For some time he had charge of the college and was very successful in its conduct.
At the time of the Civil war Mr. Hall put aside all professional and personal considerations, enlist- ing in 1864 as a member of Company I, First Indiana Heavy Artillery, with which he served for seven months or until the close of hostilities, being located at Indianapolis most of the time as a re- serve. Ile was discharged at Indianapolis and be- gan teaching at Pendleton, Indiana, in the public schools at a salary of twelve hundred dollars per year. He removed from there to Sycamore as city superintendent of schools and the successor of Andrew .J. Blanchard, who tanght here for twenty- five years. Professor Hall largely built up the schools and brought them to such a high standard of proficieney that instead of receiving one hundred dollars in tuitions from the outside, an average of over five hundred dollars per year were taken in. Professor Hall remained in charge of the city schools for two years and was recognized as one of the best teachers the county ever had. In 1869 he was elected county superintendent of schools and filled the office for eight years, retiring in 1877 with a most creditable record. He labored for ad- vancement in the work done in the schools and also
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impressed upon the public mind that better school- houses were needed, together with shade trees both for utility and beauty. Under his guidance the schools made substantial progress, gaining a degree of excellence never before attained. On retiring from office Professor Hall embarked in the grocery business and later in the insurance business but is now living a retired life.
At Jacksonville, Illinois, Professor Hall was united in marriage to Miss Ellen M. Herrick, a teacher in the Jacksonville Female College and a direct descendent of Governor Endicott of Massa- chusetts. She was born in Marlboro, Cheshire county, New Hampshire, in 1827 and is a daughter of Jeremiah Herrick. She belonged to an old New England family, her ancestors having come from England in 1630. Mrs. Hall was graduated from Newbury Female Institute of Vermont and taught for many years. By her marriage she became the mother of five children, but only one is now living, a daughter, Eva Reed Hall, who is a graduate of the Northwestern University at Evanston and is now teaching in Wilmette near that eity, being employed there for the ninth year. Professor and Mrs. Hall have an attractive and comfortable home at No. 327 West Sycamore avenue, where they are spending the evening of life.
In his political views he was originally a whig and afterward became a republican, supporting that party until 1888, since which time he has act- ed with the prohibition party. He has been a mem- ber of the Grand Army of the Republic and he and his wife hold membership in the Methodist church. In 1864 De Pauw University of Indiana conferred upon him the degree of Master of Arts. He has made teaching his principal life work and was particularly successful in that field of endeavor. imparting clearly, readily and concisely to others the knowledge he had attained. During one year of his work as superintendent of the De Kalh county schools he published an educational monthly relative to the schools of the county. and he is also the author of a most helpful little pam- phlet called "Suggestions to Teachers." He indi- cated the scope of the work-and followed out the plan in future publication-in an editorial in the first issue which said : "The Educational Monthly is given to the public, not in the expectation that it will afford general reading matter, nor that it will be in any sense what is usually termed a parlor
magazine. but it is issned in the belief that it will give, if properly supported by the friends of edu- cation, a better understanding of the various edu- cational enterprises, create a closer sympathy among pupils, parents and teachers, cause school property to be better cared for, and that it will tend to lessen the expense of schools, not in dollars necessarily, but through the increased efficiency of teachers, the more studious habits of pupils, a more faithful discharge of duty on the part of directors, and a more general feeling throughout the entire county that to have a good school something more is necessary than that books and children, with some one to keep order, should be brought in con- tact.
"It is not to be understood that any one holds the opinion unqualifiedly-doubtless no one does. It is hoped that the Monthly will stimulate teach- ers to think much of how and what to teach, and that it will cause school officers and all others to see their respective duties more plainly. To effect results like these, there must be earnest work, not of words merely, but of action, such as follows mature and candid reflection.
"It is proper to say in this connection that he, who may be held responsible for what appears in the columns of the Monthly, does not expect to write all its articles, nor that they will all be original. Assurances have been given by individ- uals in almost every town of the county that they approve the plan of publishing an educational journal, and that they will assist as circumstances will allow. Correspondence and an earnest co- operation is asked for, in the full belief that it will be given.
"With these few words with reference to its ob- ject, the Monthly-humble, unpretending, small in size, but strong in the faith that it will lay at least the foundation of a better educational fabric in its own county- goes to the public, asking to be heard in behalf of the children for whom schools are established."
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