USA > Illinois > Marshall County > Past and present of Marshall and Putnam Counties, Illinois > Part 57
USA > Illinois > Putnam County > Past and present of Marshall and Putnam Counties, Illinois > Part 57
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C. W. Dysart made his home on the farm with his parents in the days of his boyhood and youth and acquiring his education in the schools of Gran- ville, devoting his time and energies to the work of the schoolroom, the pleasures of the playground and the tasks which were assigned him in connec- tion with the cultivation of his father's farm. At the age of twenty-three years he was married to Miss Mary E. Heywood, a native of Maine and a daughter of John and Sarah (Folsom) Heywood. She survived until 1899 and died at the age of fifty years lacking one month. Unto Mr. and Mrs. Dysart have been born nine children, all of whom are yet living : Hannah, the wife of E. F. Foley, of Iowa; A. H., who wedded Mary Crick and is a groceryman of Granville; Lucy, the wife of A. M. McCormick, a resident of Iowa; J. W., who married Myrtle McClary and is also of Iowa; John, who completed a four years' course at the Champaign university and is at home; L. C., Charles, H. L. and Benjamin, who are also with their father. In 1902 Mr. Dysart was again mar- ried, his second union being with Miss Nira Burn- ham, a native of Putnam county.
After his first marriage Mr. Dysart engaged in farming on his father's land. He was the only son and has always remained upon the old home- stead. At the death of his father he came into possession of the farm, which comprises two hun-
dred acres of rich land. He has carried on im- provements inaugurated by his father and has a nice country home and good farm, the fields re- turning to him golden harvests as a reward for the care and labor he bestows upon them. For many years several thousand rails were used in fencing the farm, and only a few years ago Mr. Dysart burned the last one. Large cottonwood trees are abundant on the place, having been planted by his father. The railroad has cut off twelve and a half acres of his land, leaving the farm a tract of one hundred and eighty-seven and a half acres. Throughout his entire life Mr. Dy- sart has carried on general agricultural pursuits, and his labors have been attended with a measure of success that shows that he has kept in touch with the spirit of modern progress as manifest along agricultural lines.
For years he has been a member of the Con- gregational church at Granville. In politics he has always been a republican, casting his first vote for U. S. Grant. He served for three years as supervisor of his township and for nine years as assessor, and is recognized as one of the leading representatives of the party in this locality, his opinions frequently proving a decisive factor in its
councils. He is now a member of the county central committee and does all in his power to secure legitimate republican successes. A pleas- ant, genial gentleman, he makes friends wherever he goes and is recognized as a public-spirited cit- izen whose labors in behalf of the county have been far-reaching and beneficial.
WILLIS B. MILLS.
This well known citizen of Magnolia town- ship, who is now serving as supervisor, was born on the farm where he now lives, November 15, 1852, and is a son of Pusey Mills, whose birth occurred in Washington county, Pennsylvania, on the 17th of February, 1824. The father was about sixteen years of age when in 1840 he came with his parents to this state and settled on a farm near the village of Magnolia, in Putnam county. Here he grew to manhood and was married and later purchased a farm of one hundred and twenty acres, for which he paid seven dollars per acre. At that time it was all wild prairie, but year after year he made many improvements thereon and converted the tract into a well cultivated and
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PAST AND PRESENT OF MARSHALL AND PUTNAM COUNTIES.
attractive farm. Upon that place he died April 18, 1882. His wife, who bore the maiden name of Lydia Hartley, was born in Pennsylvania, De- cember 2, 1827, and died in this county on the 5th of October, 1894. In the family of this worthy couple were the following children : Joshua, who is now a resident of Springfield, Illi- nois; Rebecca, who is living with the family of Dr. Barber, in Peoria, Illinois ; Willis B., of this review; Jonathan, a resident of California; one who died in infancy; and Oliver M., a resident of McNabb.
The boyhood and youth of Willis B. Mills was spent upon his father's farm in Magnolia town- ship and his early education was obtained in the public schools of the neighborhood. Later he en- tered the State University at Champaign and had just completed his third year in the agricultural course when called home on account of his father's sickness. He remained upon the farm for some time and was there engaged in the manufacture of tile for about ten years. On the expiration of that period he entered the employ of the Churchill & White Grain Company, having charge of their business at McNabb for one year, and later had charge of the lumber business of the Toluca Lum- ber Company at that place for a time. After the death of his father he came into possession of the old homestead, purchasing the interest of the other heirs, and has since added to the place another tract of one hundred and twenty acres, so that he now has a fine farm of two hundred and forty acres well improved and highly cultivated. He is an enterprising and progressive agriculturist, thor- oughly up to date in his methods of carrying on his work, and he is meeting with well deserved success.
In 1879 Mr. Mills was united in marriage to Miss Mattie E. Benjamin, whose birth occurred in McLean county, Illinois, August 8, 1854, and they have become the parents of four sons, all of whom are still living. Ernest, born in 1880, at- tended school at Champaign, but did not complete the regular course and is now operating a part of his father's farm. He married Miss Lulu Koehler. Floyd, born in 1883, graduated in the civil en- gineering course at the State University and now holds an important position with a railroad com- pany on the Pacific coast. Clifford, born in 1889, is pursuing the agricultural course at the uni- versity at Champaign. John Turner, born in
1893, is at home and is attending the district school.
Upon our subject's farm stands the Friends or Quakers church, to which he and his family be- long. They are people of the highest respecta- bility and have a host of friends throughout the county. As a republican Mr. Mills takes quite an active and prominent part in local politics and is serving his third term as supervisor of Mag- nolia township. He has also filled the offices of as- sessor, collector and school director and his official duties have always been most promptly and faith- fully performed. He was one of the promoters of the consolidation of schools, which is being watched with great interest throughout the coun- try. He is a practical farmer, making a thorough study of improved methods, and has been called upon to lecture before farmers' institutes. Fra- ternally he is a member of the Masonic order, Modern Woodmen of America, the Yeomen and the Grange.
JAMES C. PACKINGHAM.
Granville has a considerable population of re- tired farmers, men whose business activity and enterprise in former years have resulted in bring- ing to them a measure of success that now enables them to live comfortably without recourse to fur- ther effort in the field of business activity. A representative of this class is found in James C. Packingham, who now makes his home in the vil- lage of Granville and who is one of the native sons of Granville township, where he was born on the 19th of December, 1848.
His parents were James and Elizabeth (Dysart) Packingham, natives of Massachusetts and of Pennsylvania, respectively. In 1832 the father came to Putnam county and worked in Hennepin at his trade of carpentering and milling, being thus closely associated with the early industrial development of this part of the state. Later he took up his abode upon a farm of one hundred and twenty acres in Granville township. It was a tract of wild land when it came into his posses- sion, but he turned the furrows in the fields, planted his seed and in due course of time was gathering rich crops. Eventually he placed the entire farm under a high state of cultivation and made his home thereon until his death, which oc- curred when he was seventy-seven years of age. His wife died at the age of sixty years. They
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PAST AND PRESENT OF MARSHALL AND PUTNAM COUNTIES.
were Presbyterians in religious faith and Mr. Packingham was a republican in his political ad- herence, but was without aspiration for office. Their family numbered nine children, of whom James C. was the fourth in order of birth. The record is as follows: Julia, now the wife of James Carton, a resident of Idaho; Susan, the wife of Calvin Henderson, who is living in Rankin, Illi- nois; Achsah, the wife of B. Coulter, a resident of Iowa; James C .; David L., who is now presi- dent of the village board of Granville; George, a resident of Oregon; Archie, who is located in Ford county, Illinois ; Hannah, who became the wife of Frank French and was living in Wisconsin at the time of her death; and Fannie, who died when but nine months old.
James C. Packingham remained on his father's farm until twenty-two years of age, and his edu- cational privileges were those afforded by the com- mon schools. When not busy with his text-books he worked in the fields, and after attaining his majority he purchased eighty acres of unimproved land near the old home place, on which he en- gaged in general farming and stock-raising. He at once began to work the fields and soon the track of the shining plow was seen across the prairie. He continued the work of improvement and added to his farm from time to time until he now owns two hundred and seventy-five acres in one body, constituting one of the best farms in the county, lacking in none of the modern accessories and con- veniences which go to make up a model farm of the twentieth century. He also owns forty acres of timber land northwest of Granville, and his property interests are conclusive proof of his life of industry, for he received no pecuniary assist- ance nor inheritance from family or friends. Eight years ago he retired from business life and built a beautiful home in Granville, where he now resides. He has always possessed considerable mechanical ingenuity, is known for his ability as a machinist, and for twenty-five years he owned and operated a steam-threshing and corn-shelling outfit.
Mr. Packingham has been married twice. His first wife, Grace Penneman, was born in Vermont, and died after traveling life's journey with him for a quarter of a century. They had two chil- dren: Frank, who is a farmer near Neponset, Bureau county, Illinois, where he owns two hun- dred and twenty acres of land; and Lucy, the wife
of Emory Sherman, who follows farming in Gran- ville township. Five years ago Mr. Packingham wedded Mrs. Martin, who was formerly Miss Ella Gunn, a daughter of L. D. Gunn, whose sketch appears elsewhere in this work. By her former marriage Mrs. Packingham has two children --- Helen and Joe.
Politically a republican, Mr. Packingham keeps well informed on the questions and issues of the day and for twelves years has served as highway commissioner. He belongs to no church, but has always been an upright, honest citizen, reli- able in his business relations and in all walks of life. A life-long residence in this county has made his history familiar to all and the sterling qualities which he has manifested have gained for him the friendly regard of the great majority of those with whom he has been brought in con- tact.
CHARLES E. RICKEY.
Charles E. Rickey, who is engaged in farming and stock-raising on section 1, Lacon township, Marshall county, making a specialty of the rais- ing of hogs, was born in the township where he still resides August 5, 1844, and is the sixth in order of birth in a family of eight children, whose parents are Samuel R. and Sarah (Hall) Rickey, both of whom were natives of New Jersey. The father was born in Somerset county, that state, and came to Marshall county at an early period in its development, casting in his lot with its pioneer settlers. He turned his attention to farming, entering land from the government and transforming the wild prairies into richly pro- ductive fields. His wife is a member of the Pres- byterian church and both are highly esteemed in the community where they reside. Their chil- dren are: William M., now living in Henry; Mrs. Catherine Hawkins, who resides at Houston, Texas ; Robert, a resident of Montgomery county, Kansas; Eliza M., deceased; Adolphus A., living in Missouri; Charles E .; Mrs. Louisa Owens, a resident of Montgomery county, Kansas, and Walter, who is living in Henry, Illinois.
Charles E. Rickey was a student in the Lacon school at a time when the little "temple of learn- ing" was built of logs and seated with benches made of slabs. The desk was formed by laying a slab upon wooden pegs driven into the wall and upon this the older children wrote their exercises.
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PAST AND PRESENT OF MARSHALL AND PUTNAM COUNTIES.
Although his educational privileges were some- what meager, Mr. Rickey has learned many valu- able lessons in the school of experience and has constantly broadened his knowledge through read- ing and observation. His training at farm labor was not meager and he early became familiar with the work of the fields. In 1874 he sought a companion and helpmate for life's journey and on the 4th of November of that year was mar- ried to a Miss Smith, who was born in Ohio in 1853, a daughter of Frederick and Martina Smith, the latter now a resident of Lacon. Mrs. Rickey was educated in Lacon and by her marriage has become the mother of eight children. Nellie May, born upon the farm where her father now resides, is the wife of a Mr. Moritz, who is engaged in farming in Richland township, Marshall county. Fred is a carpenter by trade and lives at home. Mabel, Samuel, Carrie, Willie, Eunice and Lena are all yet at home.
Since his marriage Mr. Rickey has engaged in farming on his own account and lives upon land which he rents from his father. In addition to its cultivation and improvement he annually feeds a large number of hogs and his stock-raising in- terests are an important branch of his business. His political views are in accord with the princi- ples of the republican party and he exercises his right of franchise in support of its men and meas- ures.
I. H. COOK.
I. H. Cook, editor of the Putnam Record, pub- lished at Hennepin, was born in Madison county, Indiana, January 20, 1836. His parents were Francis and Lncy (Tillson) Cook, both natives of Vermont. The father died when the subject of this review was only two years of age and the mother was twice married after that. She died several years ago in Huntsville, Indiana.
The boyhood days of I. H. Cook were largely passed in the state of his nativity and after he had attained the age of six years he lived most of the time in Huntsville. He early became fa- miliar with farm labor and in his youth attended the common schools, acquiring a fair English education. When twenty years of age he visited an older brother in Anderson, Indiana, who was conducting a printing office and publishing a little paper. This was Mr. Cook's initiation into the
printing business and he decided to make it his life occupation. He entered his brother's employ, working with him for about a year, after which he became a partner and continued in the office for three or four years. On the expiration of that period they disposed of the little journal and started for southwestern Missouri, a party of six driving across the country with teams, being thirty-one days on the road. Their wives and families came by railroad and were met at the terminus of the road, about one hundred and fifty miles from where they located. In the mean- time Mr. Cook had learned the trade of shoe- making and followed that business in connection with the sale of shoes. He continued to live in Missouri until January, 1861, when, anticipating the trouble between the north and the south, he left that district, which was already the scene of considerable hostility, and went back to Indiana, and in 1823 moved to Janesville, Wisconsin, where he engaged in various enterprises, working in a printing office and also at shoemaking.
In 1865 he came to Hennepin, where for a time he worked at painting and paper-hanging. There was no paper nor press of any kind in Hennepin, all the work being done at Henry or in Princeton, and, believing this was an advantageous opening, Mr. Cook went to Peoria and purchased a little army press. He then began doing job printing in the city hall building and after the establish- ment of that business his fellow townsmen solic- ited him to publish a paper. On the 25th of June, 1868, the first number of the Putnam County Record appeared, a little leaflet nine by twelve inches, which he printed for one year. He still has every copy of that first volume on file. After a year he enlarged the paper to a six column folio, and in 1877 he made it a seven-column folio, then in 1882 it was enlarged to its present size ---- a five column quarto, and took the name of the Putnam Record. He has a Prouty power press with all attachments for power, but has never put in an engine, all of the work being done by hand power. The paper is neutral in politics and is a clean, newsy sheet. Mr. Cook and his son are experts at printing and few, if any, typographical errors appear in their paper, which is published each Wednesday and has a wide circulation.
Mr. Cook was married April 4, 1857, in An- derson, Indiana, to Miss Sophia Hengstler, who was born in Pennsylvania, and with her parents
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PAST AND PRESENT OF MARSHALL AND PUTNAM COUNTIES.
removed to the vicinity of Cincinnati, Ohio, in her early girlhood. When sixteen years of age she went with an uncle to Indiana and worked in Anderson. Unto Mr. and Mrs. Cook have been born four children, of whom two are living. Mary E. is now the wife of John P. Towle, a resident of Hennepin. Edwin F. died at the age of four years. Charles W., who is in the office with his father, has grown up in the printing business and with the exception of a few years spent in Michigan has been continuously con- nected with his father in the printing trade. Ar- thur, deceased, completed the family.
At general elections Mr. Cook votes the demo- cratic ticket, but in local matters is independent. He has been identified with the Odd Fellows since 1875 and is heartily in sympathy with the teach- ings of the organization and its beneficent pur- poses. He has resided continuously in Hennepin for a period of forty years or more and the in- terests of the village are greatly promoted through his efforts and enterprise.
CHARLES TRERWILER.
In pioneer times Charles Trerwiler came to Putnam county, and for many years figured prominently as a leading representative of the German-American element in its citizenship. He was born in Prussia, Germany, January 27, 1824, and in 1847, when a young man of twenty-three years, came to America. He landed at Buffalo, New York, with fifteen cents as his entire cash capital and spent a brief period in that city. He had learned the blacksmith's trade in his native country and followed that pursuit in Buffalo to get enough money to take him on to St. Louis. He then boarded a boat that stopped at Henne- pin, and while it was laying at anchor here Mr. Trerwiler went ashore. He was watching some men attempt to shoe a wild horse, and being a big, strong young man and liking to show what he could do, he took hold of the job and succeed- ed in shoeing the animal. This awakened the admiration of the bystanders, who induced him to remain and go to work. After being employed by others for a time he then bought a shop of his own and continued in the blacksmithing business and also built wagons and buggies for many years, being a skilled workman in that line. The excellence of his product secured him a con- stantly growing patronage and he became quite
wealthy, owing to his success at his trade and his judicious investment in property. As his finan- cial resources increased he acquired considerable real estate and might have obtained much more had he not been of such a generous disposition that he gave away much of his means. Embark- ing in the implement business he continued the sale of machinery for several years and never hesitated to let any one have what they needed whether they had the money to pay or not. The result was that he retired from business with a large amount of worthless notes, which, could they have been collected, would have brought him in several thousand dollars. However, many greatly benefited by his generous and benevolent disposition and in time repaid him for his kind- ness by meeting their financial obligations.
On the 6th of February, 1853, Mr. Trerwiler was married to Miss Susannah Kneip, who was born in Luxemburg, Germany, March 25, 1834, a daughter of Phillip and Elizabeth (Schammel) Kneip, who emigrated to the United States in . 1847. They located at Milwaukee, Wisconsin, but not liking the forest region Mr. Kneip, hav- ing done much chopping and clearing in his own country, they decided to locate on the prairie and took up their abode in La Salle county, Illinois, near Troy Grove, having heard that the land was very rich in that locality and that good crops were being raised. Accordingly they located there in 1847. Mrs. Trerwiler was then a maiden of fourteen years and yet remembers the wild con- ditions that confronted them when they came to Illinois. Mendota had not yet been heard of and the Illinois and Michigan canal was under con- struction. It was thought that this waterway would furnish a means of steady communication with the outside world, and in fact it was used for many years to convey the products of the country to the city markets, while deer were nu- merous and in fact could be seen in great herds wandering over the prairie. Rattlesnakes were also very plentiful and one could hardly step out of doors without seeing a reptile of that charac- ter. Mrs. Trerwiler has lived in the same house for over a half century except for a brief period spent in Chicago and near Henry. She lost her husband September 7, 1902, when they were at the home of their son-in-law, Adolph Klein, near Henry, Marshall county. Their daughter died eight years ago, leaving eleven children.
MR. AND MRS. CHARLES TRERWILER.
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PAST AND PRESENT OF MARSHALL AND PUTNAM COUNTIES.
After the death of Mr. Trerweiler his widow returned to Hennepin. By her marriage she had become the mother of eleven children, of whom five died in infancy. The other six were: Eliza- beth, the deceased wife of Adolph Klein; Mar- garet, at home; Louis, who died at the age of fifteen years; Anna, who was the wife of Frank Reavy, and died six years ago; Charles, who is living in Chicago; and Mary, the wife of James Mccutcheon, of Hennepin.
Mr. Trerwiler was a devout communicant of the Catholic church, to which his family also be- longed. In politics he was a democrat but with- out aspiration for office. He lived a life of un- remitting industry and perseverance. He was a good neighbor and a faithful friend, being most kind hearted . and true and ever ready to help any one in need. In fact his generosity and benevolence were among his most salient charac- teristics and won for him a large measure of re- spect and admiration.
BENJAMIN SUTCLIFFE.
Benjamin Sutcliffe is well known in Hennepin and Putnam county, where in former years he was closely associated with agricultural and with mer- cantile interests. A life of business activity has been crowned with a measure of success that en- ables him to enjoy well earned rest. He was born in London, England, April 7, 1835. His father, John Sutcliffe, whose birth occurred in that country in 1815, was a finisher of silk hats and worked in a factory for a few years. A well edu- cated man, he became a local preacher in the Wes- leyan Methodist church and wielded a wide influ- ence in its behalf. He was always a great student and often arose at three o'clock in the morning in order to study. At length he became inter- ested in an emigration aid society and in 1849 came to America to lecture for that society. He landed at New York, where he began lecturing, but in the same year he passed away in Pennsyl- vania, being then about forty-nine years of age. His wife, who bore the maiden name of Sarah Pinder, was born in England and lived to be seventy-seven years of age, her death occurring in Hennepin. Benjamin Sutcliffe's older sister, Mrs. James Bradbury, was living in this county at the time of her father's death. The widow of John Sutcliffe and her family afterward came here and located on land in Hennepin township. It
was nearly all forest land, but in the midst of the woods a small house had been built. At a later date Mrs. Sutcliffe became the wife of J. D. McCarty, at one time county judge of Putnam county and since known by that title. At the time of her mother's arrival her children, Samuel Sutcliffe and a daughter, also came to Illinois.
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