USA > Illinois > Iroquois County > Past and present of Iroquois County, Illinois > Part 40
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Mr. Kom was born in Kankakee county. Ili- nois, June 22, 1802, and is the youngest son of
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PAST AND PRESENT OF
(). W. Koon, a well known stock dealer and shipper of Onarga. The family is a remarkable one in that although the parents have celebrated their golden wedding there has never been a death among its members. The father was born July 31. 1832, and the mother August 8, 1835. Their four children are: James Harvey, born November 11. 1854: Nettie. May 2, 1857: Emma J., April 11. 1859; and Henry Elmer, June 22, 1862. Besides these there are sixteen grandchildren and two great-grandchildren.
When but six months old Henry E. Koon was brought to Iroquois county by his parents and was here reared and educated, continuing his studies in the Onarga high school and in Onarga Commercial College. Through the period of his boyhood and youth he remained with his father, who was dealing in and shipping stock, and after he had attained his majority he located on a farm seven miles east of Onarga, begin- ning there with two hundred and forty acres of rented land. After residing for a year upon that place he removed to the farm which is now his home, commencing here with two hundred and forty acres of land, in the midst of which stood a small house. Later he replaced the little dwelling by a more commodious and substantial residence and he now has an excellent farm prop- erty. The drainage system which he has insti- tuted has made his land tillable. for he has laid many rods of tiling on the farm. He has like- wise fenced the place and set out fruit and now has a well improved property.
Mr. Koon was married in Onarga, April 3. 1882, to Mary Robinson, a native of this county, who was reared and educated in the city of Onarga. Her father was Thomas Robinson, formerly of Belfast, Ireland. Mr. and Mrs. Koon now have four sons and a daughter. Ar- thur W., who is married, is engaged in breed- ing and dealing in high grade saddle horses in Kankakee. George H. is associated with his brother Arthur in business. Robert F. is now living in Chicago. Thomas William and Ger- trude B., the younger members of the family, are at home.
Mr. Koon exercises his right of franchise in support of the men and measures of the repub- lican party, of which he is a stanch advocate. He believes in good schools and has done effec-
tive service in behalf of education as a member of the school board. He was district clerk for several years and whether in office or out of it does everything in his power for the welfare and improvement of the community. He and his wife are members of the Onarga Methodist Episcopal church and he belongs to the Inde- pendent Order of Odd Fellows, while both are connected with the Rebekah degree. During the years of his residence here he has seen the county change from a wilderness and swamp, the work of reclamation being carried forward until it is one of the rich and great agricultural districts of the state. His own farm was at one time a swamp and frog pond. He has seen the best farms made through the drainage of land and the cultivation of the soil according to modern methods, and he has long been recognized as a leader in agricultural progress. A man of in- tegrity and worth, he has the confidence and esteem of the community and well deserves men- tion in this volume.
CHARLES VOGEL.
Charles Vogel is a prosperous agriculturist of Loda township, making his home on section 35. In connection with his sons, William Herman and Carl H., he farms the tract of land of three hundred and twenty acres and he also owns an- other farm of eighty acres on section 34 of the same township. His residence in the county covers a half century, for he took up his abode within its borders in 1857. and through the in- tervening years he has watched with interest the changes that have been wrought and the trans- formation that has brought the county forth from a wilderness and swamp and made it a rich agricultural district.
Mr. Vogel is a native of Germany, born Sep- temiber 27, 1838. His father, John Vogel, was born, reared and married in Germany, and in 1852 emigrated with his family to the new world, settling in Hartford county, Connecticut, where he spent four subsequent years. In 1857 he came westward to Iroquois county, Illinois, where he made a location and purchased land. It was wild and unimproved but his energy and activity
MR. AND MRS. CHARLES VOGEL.
ONIVERSITY CE OATPOIS
30Ml
IROQUOIS COUNTY. HILL
changed this and converted the territor it productive fields, There he made a soma hope and in it spent his last years, passing dwa In ING. HIS wife survived lang for about fittyel vears and died ne 1875. Their fangly numbered three sons and four duighters, of whom Charles is the edest, the others being Hugo, who was formerly a farmer and supervisor of Loda town Slap, and is How a resident of Fullerton. Ve braskit. Julius, who filled the office of superviser here for three years and is now living in Barn- ton, Nebraska: Matilla, who departed this life September 21. 0005 : Mrs. Augusta Litz, of Terre Haute, Indiana : Mrs. Mary Rosenbaum, also of Terre Haute, and Eugene Cunningham. who lives in Paxton, Whois
Charles Vogel spent the days of his boy hond all vonth in the usual manner of farm lads. He was educated in the German school and was a south of fourteen when, in company with his parents, he emigrated to the new world. He had no knowledge of English when he arrived in this country but mastered the tongue through contact with friends and neighbors and through reading the papers and periodicals published in that language. In 1821 he married Anna Wanner, a native of Switzerland, and brought his bride to his farm on section 34. Loda township, which he had previously purchased. The work of pluss- ing and planting was begun and carried steadily forward, and in due course of time the summer sun ripened the grain and good crops were gathered. Thus the work of improvement was carried on year after year and good buildings were added to the place. Mr. Vogel carried on
farming on that tract of land until 1898, when he rented that and removed to his present place of residence on section 35. He has since farmed an excellent tract of land of three hundred and twenty acres with the assistance of his sons, and is an enterprising agricultorist, Where business ability is manifest in the excellent results which have attended his efforts.
Mr Vogel lost his wife when they were living on the old homestead, May 17. 1885. Seven chibiren had been born unto them: Emma, who is acting as her father's housekeeper: William. at home: Herman : Bertha, who was formerly a teacher but is at home : Carl Il., who is connected with his father in farming operations ; and Anna
and Mary beth of when are the sel it toach mg. The father and Sans are al advocates of the republican party, never idling to vote that ticket For several years Me Val has served of the school board and has put forth effective effort in beledi of the system of public more- it m here In the forty nine years which hasse en's and gone sted he arrived in the comey great changes have occurred and the county to das bears little resemblance to the district ite which he made his way as a German enugrat t. He has berne his share in the work of agricul- tural development and has seen the wild land reclaimed and converted into rich farms, while his own place is evidence of the fertility of the soil when cultivated according to modern methods.
WILLIAM H. GAAFFIELD.
Wilham 11. Gaffield. living in Concord town- ship, is a native of Sheldon township. Iroquois county, born September 29. 1807. His father. John Gaffield, was a native uf Clark county, Ohio, and came to Ilinois with his father, Asa Gafield, the journey being made by wagon across the country. They settled on section 27. Concord township, about 1800, and the grand- father entered land from the government which he purchased for a dollar and a quarter per acre. He had three hundred and nine acres in all and was one of the leading farmers at an carh day.
John Gafield, the father of our subject, bought two hundred and forty acres of land in Sheldon township, investing capital which he saved from his own earnings. He built a house of walnut lumber, sixteen by twenty-four feet. and con- taining two rooms, and in this primitive little home all of his eleven children were born, Five of that number are still living. Mr. Gatfield was a man of energy and determination and of unfaltering industry. Hle tiled and fenced his land and in every way improved his place, mak- migr it a valuable farm property, from which he gathered rich annual harvests. The only inter- ruption to his active business life was his service in the civil war, for he was in hearty sympathy
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with the Union cause and in 1861 he responded to the country's call for aid. enlisting in Com- pany C. Fifty-first Illinois Infantry, with which he remained until 1865. He then returned to his farming pursuits and died upon the old home place in 1897-one of the respected and hon- ored pioneer farmers of the community. His wife, Mrs. Charity Montgomery Gaffield, was born in Warren county, Indiana. and became one of the carly pioneer women of Iroquois county.
William II. Gaffield lived at home until he attained his majority and the work of the farm carly became familiar to him. He then started out in life on his own account and was employed at farm labor by the month until 1800, when his uncle gave him a farm of one hundred and thir- teen acres on section 37. Concord township. It was mostly improved but he has since continued the work of tiling and has added many other modern equipments. He has also further ex- tended the boundaries of his property by the additional purchase of fifty acres and has a good and well developed farm at the present time.
MIr. Gaffield was married in Belmont township. on Christmas day of 1894, the lady of his choice being Miss Josephine .\. La Page, who was born near St. Anne. Kankakee county, Illinois. February 14, 1870. Both onr subject and his wife are highly esteemed by many friends and their hospitality is greatly enjoyed by those who know them. Mr. Gaffield affiliates with the Masonic fraternity and he exercises his right of franchise in support of the men and meas- ures of the republican party.
ALVA B. THOMAS.
Alva B. Thomas, living on section 22, Ridge- land township, where he owns and controls two hundred acres of land, is one of the native sons of the locality, for his birth occurred in this township. June 19, 1862. Ilis father. Edwin Thomas, was a native of New York, and, coming to Illinois in 1861, settled in Iroquois county, where he purchased land. Here he carried on farming, improving a good property and rearing his family. Going to Indiana, however, he there
became ill and died in that state about 1807. He had been married in Indiana to Nancy ( Wear ) Dinwiddie, a native of Kentucky, in which state her girlhood was passed.
Alva B. Thomas of this review, reared on the old homestead, has engaged in farm work from the age of fourteen years, depending entirely upon his own resources for a living. At that time he started out for himself, but has made a hand in the field since the age of ten years. Thus his youth was a period of earnest and un- remitting toil and his life has been a strenuous one. Few men have displayed greater energy or activity, and as a result of this he is now one of the prosperous and prominent farmers of his native township. Following the acquirement of a good common-school education he pursued a commercial course in the Onarga normal. For many years he was associated with his mother in the management and conduct of the home farm and lived with her until her death, which occurred in June, 1903. He was one of five children who reached mature years. His broth- er. James Thomas, was a soldier of the Civil war, becoming a veteran of that strife. IJe is now an invalid and lives with his brother, Alva B. Thomas. Another brother. John Thomas, is a lawyer at Bourbon, Indiana, and is regarded as a prominent representative of the bar.
In 1899. in Onarga, Alva B. Thomas was mar- ried to Miss Carrie D. Page, of Washington. D. C., in which city she spent her girlhood and ac- quired her education. Her father was a real- estate dealer and manufacturer of flour there. Unto Mr. and Mrs. Thomas have been born three children : Adele L., A. Harvey and George F.
In addition to his farming interests Mr. Thomas has extended his efforts into various lines of activity. lle built a store at Ridgeville and carried on business there for seven years as a dealer in dry goods, lumber, groceries and hardware. Ilis trade was very extensive and the " enterprise proved profitable. His was the first business house built in the village and he now owns three good business blocks there. He still deals in pianos and organs. He built a large, neat residence, two stories in height with base- ment, and thoroughly modern in its equipments. being heated with furnace and supplied with hot and cold water on every floor. The house is
lighted by gas throughout and there is a gdy engine for laundry work, churning and pues mg There are also good outbuildings njim the place and every component of a model farm is here to be found. Mr. Thomas hkewe Own a farm of one hundred and forty acres at Mount Vernon, Illinois. All that he possesses has been acquired through his own labors and his exten -the business has been developed through his perseverance, energy and keen foresight.
Mr and Mrs. Thomas are active members of the Presbyterian church, in which he served as steward for fifteen years Politically a prohibi- trust, he has long been a stalwart advent of the temperance cause. In it he was elected justice of the peace and by re-election has been continued in the office for fifteen years. His de- cisions are strictly fair and impartial as indicate l by his retention in the position. He has also served on the school board and as president of the district board. Whatever he undertakes he car- ries forward to successful completion and he readily recognizes and improves opportunities, is quick to plan and perform and manifests a spirit of determination and keen executive force that never fail to accomplish the desired result. He certainh deserves much credit for what he has done and his is a record which might well serve as a source of emulation and encouragement to others, showing what may be accomplished when one has the will to dare and to do and proving that success is ambition's answer.
GASAWAY BROTHERS.
History is no longer a record of wars and conquests, of the attack of a clan or of a country upon other peoples, but is the account of busi- ness activity and of progress in the field of art and letters. It is pre-eminently a utilitarian age and the real founders and prontoters of a town or city are the active business men who estab- Fish and successfully control business interests which promote the industrial and commercial hi. and add to the general prosperity. In this monetion the firm of Gastway Brothers well deserve mention. They are engaged in the farm ipement and harness business at Milford.
where they are conducting a wel appointed as- table shment and they also handle hardware. wagons and carriages. Both are natives of Iro- que- counts. Edward I. Grasaway was born it Old Town. September to , and his brother's birth occurred there December 3. 1871. They are some of Dr. S. H. Gasaway, a Hatthe of Kentucky and a son of David Gia-away, who For leaving the Blue Grass state removed with his family to Indiana and settled at Old Vernon. He was a blacksmith in trade and carried on that business m Indiana. Dr. Casaway was reared at Vernon, was educated there and at the time of the Civil war enlisted as assistant surgeon in the Union army, being assigned to Company K of the Twelfth Indiana Volunteer Infantry, for one year. He served out his term and then resigned after which, in 1802. he came to Illinois, establishing huts home at Old Town. Trongpois comity, where he entered actively mmm the practice of medicine, in which he continued! for a number of years. He afterward removed to Oklahoma, where he engaged in practice for three years. He then returned to Milford and spent his last years on the farm, his death oc- curring in October, 1904, when he had reached the ripe old age of seventy-eight years. Hi- widow is still living and her home is now in Chicago.
Edward Gasaway and his brother Walter were reared in Iroquois county and at the usual age entered the common schools, passing through successive grades, while later they pursued a course of study in Logansprot ( Indiana) Com- mercial College. They were, however, reared upon the home farm, carried on general agri- cultural pursuits and from youth became famil- iar with all the work connected with the tilling of the soil. They also raised and dealt in horses and cattle but, thinking to find a still more profit- able field of labor in commercial life, they en- gaged in business in Milford about 1893 and have since been factors in business here. They first established a restaurant, which they con- ducted for several years, after which they turned their attention to the harness and implement Imisiness. They deal largely in farm implements and they also carry an extensive line of buggies. carriage- and wagons. At the same time they conduct a harness shop and make extensive an-
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nual sales in all the departments of their busi- ness. They have built up an excellent trade and are among Milford's most progressive and prosperous business men.
Edward Gasaway was married in Milford in March, 1903, to Miss Estella Morris, who was born in Blanchester, Ohio, a daughter of George W. Morris, who about 1901 came to Iroquois county. Walter Gasaway was united in mar- riage in Milford in Igot to Miss Mary Jane Morris, a sister of his brother's wife, and they have two children. Clyde E. and Armilla.
The brothers are prominent in local political circles, stanchly advocate the principles of the republican party and their opinions have fre- quently been decisive factors in settling ques- tions of local importance. Edward Gasaway was elected and served for three years on the town board and he is a member of Milford lodge, I. O. O. F. They and their families are promi- nent socially being highly esteemed in the com- munity where they reside. Their entire lives have been passed in Iroquois county and they have seen the growth of Milford from an insig- nificant village to a thriving little city, domi- nated by a spirit of enterprise and progress. They give their support to every worthy enter- prise calculated to prove of public benefit and are men of unblemished character and sterling worth. Investigation into their life record but serves to heighten their good qualities and win for them still higher regard among the many who already give to them warm friendship.
H. S. COMPTON.
Scientific investigation and tests have shown that there is no richer farm land in all America than is found in Illinois, where soil and climate are most conducive to the raising of good crops. Many fortunes have been made by those who have taken up agricultural work, for rich returns are secured for the care and labor which are bestowed upon field and meadow. Mr. Comp- ton is among the number who in Iroquois county has met with a gratifying measure of prosper- ity through his farming operations and he now owns and conducts a farm of two hundred and
twenty-four acres on section 20. Onarga town- ship. He is numbered among the early settlers, for he dates his residence in the county since 1800 and has lived in Illinois since 1855.
A native of Ohio, he was born in Union county. April 1. 1851, and came to this state with his parents in 1855. locating first in Mar- shall county near Big Shanty. where the family resided for a few years, subsequently removing to Livingston county. At a later date they took up their abode in La Salle. The subject of this review largely spent his boyhood days near Wenona, where he enjoyed common-school ad- vantages. He is to some extent, however, a self- educated man and reading. observation and ex- perience have greatly broadened his knowledge. He worked by the month at farm labor for about fifteen years, dependent entirely upon his own resources from the age of eighteen years. He bought his first land in McLean county, Illi- mois, commencing with eighty acres, and farmed that property for six years, when he sold out and purchased one hundred and sixty acres just east of his present place. This he tilled for some time and on selling out came to Iroquois county in 1895, making investment in two hun- dred and twenty-four acres of land, upon which he now resides. He at once began the further development and improvement of this property and has since added to and remodeled his resi- dence, built a large granary and corn crib with elevator, and has now all of the modern equip- ments and accessories of a model farm upon his property. He has since bought one hundred and sixty acres of land near Onarga known as the Matthews farm and it too is under a high state of cultivation. He produces splendid crops of the cereals for which the soil is best adapted and he also raises and feeds stock, keeping high grade cattle and hogs and also high grade Per- cheron horses.
On the 29th of December, 1882. Mr. Comp- ton was married to Miss Lucy Wick, who was born and reared in McLean county, Illinois. They now have five children: Clara Belle. the wife of Pearl Mcintosh, a farmer of this county ; George W., upon the home farm; Edward M1., Maud. and Major Mckinley. The family are widely and favorably known and the hospitality of the best homes of the locality is freely ac-
H. S. COMPTON.
CY THE UNIVERSITY OF ILLINOIS
105
IROQUOIS COUNTY, ILLINOIS.
corded them. Mr. Compton has been an carnest republican since his first presidential ballot was cast for U. S. Grant and he has since stanchly supported the men and measures of the party. He has served on the school board and as road commissioner but has never sought or desired public office. He started out in life on his own account empty-handed, but diligence and rea- Inte purpose have been the strong elements in hi- successful career, raising him from a humble financial position to one of afthence.
EUGENE HL. PERRY.
Eugene 11. Perry. a representative of the farming interests of Iroquois county and a res- ident of Crescent City. was born in Niagara county, New York, February 12, 1800. His father. Robert Hoy Perry, was born in the Em- pire state February 17, 1830, and came with his family to Grundy county, Illinois, in 1877. In 1882 he removed to Iroquois county, settling on a farm in Crescent township, which is now the property of his son. E. H. Perry. The father ha- departed this life but the mother is still living in Watseka and further mention of them is made on another page of this work.
In the common schools Mr. Perry acquired his early education and later attended Grand Prairie Seminary at &marga. Illinois. He was carls trained to the work of the farm, becoming familiar with all the duties and labors that fall to the lot of the agriculturist. He did not seek to change his occupation when he entered busi- Mes- life but has always been identified with farming interests and is today the owner of one hundred and sixty acres of good farm land a mile and a quarter from Crescent City. He does general farming, hiring a man to take charge of the farm but giving personal supervision to it- management and further development. toot he removed to Crescent City, where he pur- chased property and has since made his home.
Mrs. Perry, who presides over their pleasant home, was in her maidenhood Miss Emma Plow- man, a native of Carroll county, Maryland, Born June 6, 1805. When only four years of age she was brought to Iroquois county In her parents
She is a daughter of George W Plasman and a sister of Amon Plowman, deputy circuit clerk. Both are now deceased. Mr. and Mrs. Perry have four children: Ala, who at the age of eighteen years is teaching school ; Georgia, six teen years of age, a graduate of the schools of Crescent City: Robert and Homer, agel re- spectively eleven and five years.
Politically Mr. Perry casts an independent ballot. He, however, keeps well informed on questions and issues of the day and votes as he thinks the best interests of the city, county and state demand. He served as collector for one year but has never been a politician in the sense of office seeking. His membership relations are with the Modern Woodmen camp at Cresent City and his wife is a member of the Congrega- tional church. There has been no esoteric phase in his life record. On the contrary he has worked persistently and energetically in the con- trol of his business and his capable management and close application have made him prosperous.
1. 11. LUEBCHOW.
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