USA > Illinois > Piatt County > Past and present of Piatt County, Illinois : together with biographical sketches of many prominent and influential citizens > Part 17
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to his eastern home. In 1842 he removed to Yates county, New York, where he rent- cd a farm, and in 1848 he bought a farm in Wayne county, in the same state, where he lived the remainder of his life. He was a man of sterling integrity, was a Universal- ist in religious belief, and lived to the ripe old age of ninety-nine years and eight months.
Samuel Waters, Allerton, our subject, was but seven years of age when his father failed in business, at which time he received an impression which has influenced his no- ble life. While the sheriff was selling his father's property, his mother shed tears when two horses which had been highly prized were sold. Putting his arms around his mother's neck he told her that he would be a man and provide for her. In after life he kept his promise. He was the youngest of the nine children and lived in Amenia un- til he was fourteen years of age, but com- menced to work for himself when he was twelve years old. In 1842 he went to Yates county with his parents and remained with them until they had saved enough money to buy a farm in Wayne county. With his brother Henry, he then rented a farm and made fifteen hundred dollars, which they invested in a farm in Wayne county, leav- ing still three thousand dollars unpaid.
Renting another farm Mr. Allerton be- gan its cultivation and at the end of three years had saved thirty-two hundred dollars. He then went to Newark where he worked with his brothers on their farm and traded in a small way in livestock in Wayne coun- ty. On his return from Albany and New York, where he had gone with some stock, he said to his brother Henry: "I. believe I know as much as the dealers I met, and as we now have the farm paid for and three
thousand dollars in money, I will settle with .you, you taking the farm and I taking the money." His brother replied: "If you con- tinue as you are in a few years you will own the best farm in the country, but if you wish to try the livestock business, all right, we will settle on this basis. This is all the advice I have to give you. You will run across smart and tricky men, but they al- ways die poor. Make a name and character for yourself and you are sure to win."
The first hundred cattle Samuel bought after dissolving partnership with his broth- er, he sold in New York at a loss of seven hundred dollars. This made him sick, but calling on an elderly uncle who had made a success in life, he was told by his uncle, "My boy, you are pretty sick, but don't lose your courage. I never found but one dead sure thing, and that was hoeing corn at fifty cents per day. If you make money you must sometimes lose it. Try it over."
About this time women had burned a number of bridges on the Erie Railroad be- cause the trains would not stop for dinner. Going to Erie, Mr. Allerton purchased one hundred head of cattle, which he shipped to New York over the Erie Railroad, and which on account of the burned bridges had to be unloaded and driven to Dunkirk, where they were reshipped. On his arrival he found the market short on cattle, and his venture netted him three thousand dol- lars, which gave him new courage. He then drifted west and for one year fed and raised cattle in Fulton county, Illinois. The finan- cial panic which swept over the country at that time wiped out all the capital he had, and becoming ill he concluded that he could not stand the western climate. Returning east, he bought an interest in a store with his brother in Newark, New York, and for a
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short time engaged in mercantile business. Selling goods, however, was not agreeable to him, as he desired to deal on a larger scale.
While residing in Illinois he had met a daughter of Astor C. Thompson, of Fulton county, that state. Having regained his health he sold his interest in the store and, gathering 'his money he had left and bor- rowing five thousand dollars, he came west, the young lady in Fulton county being the principal attraction. On his arrival there he traded a little, but in March, 1860, he returned to Chicago, which has since con- tinued to be his home. On the Ist of July, ·1860, he was united in marriage to Miss Pamilla Thompson, at Peoria, Illinois, and with his young bride returned to Chi- cago, "where the world turned around ev- ery twenty-four hours," and which was the . proper place in which to trade.
On going to Chicago, Mr. Allerton com- menced to buy and sell livestock in a small way, there being then no general market in the city except for a short time during the winter. Shippers generally took their live- stock to the eastern markets. About this time there was a decided break in the Chi- cago market, and Mr. Allerton desired to buy, but having formed no connection with any bank there, the question was how to get money. Among his few acquaintances in Chicago was a man by the name of To- bey, whom he asked to take him to a bank and identify him. Mr. Tobey was willing to do this but he said that he could not guar- antee anything. He was assured by Mr. Allerton that he only wished to be identi- fied and that he would arrange the balance. He was taken to the bank of George Smith and, on being introduced, said to Mr. Wil- lard, "If I pay for three telegrams, one to
Halstead, Chamberlain & Company, asking if they will pay my draft; one to your own correspondent, to ascertain if Halstead, Chamberlain & Company are all right; and one to my own bank to assure you that I am all right, can I come down to-morrow and sell you a sight draft?" He replied "Yes." Mr. Allerton went back to the stockyards and bought all the hogs in the market and went down with a draft for eighty thousand dollars, asking Mr. Willard if he had received replies to his telegrams. His answer was that he had and that the replies were favorable. Mr. Allerton hand- ed him the draft and was told that he could not discount so large a draft on telegrams and that he had supposed that he would not want more than five thousand dollars. Mr. Allerton said, "You know Mr. Tobey, and you certainly do not think that he would in- troduce a thief to you."
Mr. Willard, however, would not dis- count the draft and Mr. Allerton found him- self in a position where he must have money, but what to do he did not know. Leaving the bank, he accidentally met a man from Syracuse, New York, and asked him if he was acquainted with any banks in Chicago, and was told that he knew Aikens & Norton. He was taken to them and introduced. Mr. Aikens looked over the telegrams and signi- fied his willingness to comply with Mr. Al- lerton's request, but that he would have to charge one per cent. for the use of the money. In this way Mr. Allerton became a customer of Aikens & Norton. The Civil war broke out and the nation needed money. Congress passed the national bank act, issuing bonds to secure the circulation. This was regard- ed by Mr. Allerton as a step in the right di- rection toward a national currency, as the nation had never had anything but "red
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dog" and "bob-tailed" currency. To start a national bank would aid the government and give the people unifrom currency, but for some reason the people seemed slow to start national banks. Mr. Allerton asked Mr. Aikens why he did not start one and was answered "because he feared he could not get the stock taken." Mr. Allerton said that he, with five other men, would take ten thousand dollars each. In this way the First National Bank of Chicago, one of the strongest financial. institutions in the coun- try, was started.
By his union with Pamilla Thomp- son two children were born. Kate Bennett, born June 10, 1863, married Dr. Francis Sydney Papin, October 14, 1885, and after his death married Hugo R. Johnson. Rob- ert Henry, born March 20, 1873, is repre- sented elsewhere in this volume. The moth- er of these children died and Mr. Allerton later married her sister, Agnes C. Thomp- . son, the marriage ceremony being solem- nized March 15, 1882. They are now re- siding in a beautiful home on Prairie avenue, Chicago.
Mr. Allerton has been a very successful business man and is well known througout the state and nation. He wrote the first let- ter published in the Chicago Tribune in fa- vor of organizing the Union Stockyards, so as to bring all buyers and sellers together, which has made it the greatest livestock market in the world and also made Chicago a money center. He always had the desire to own a farm when he succeeded in accumu- lating enough money. His desire has cer- tainly been gratified, and he is to-day one of the largest farmers in the country who cultivates his own land, cultivating about forty thousand acres in the very best man- ner. He is said to have a hobby for pur-
chasing poorly productive lands and by cul- vation "makes them blossom as a rose." He has large interests in ranches and gold mines and has lands in Dakota, Nebraska, Iowa, Illinois, Indiana, Ohio, Pennsylvania and New York, and has always been interested in the livestock trade and continues to ship livestock to New York and England.
Mr. Allerton received his early political education from Henry Clay and Horace Greeley, and has always been a strong be- liever in a protective tariff and free schools. He remembers that in the campaign of 1844, when Henry Clay was a candidate for . the presidency, the issue was "Shall we put a
tariff on iron and inaugurate free schools?" The Democrats said that "a tar- iff would build up home monopolies and free schools would be a burden and a tax on the people." Clay replied, "Give the people free schools so as to increase their intelligence, their energy and industry, and home com- petition would reduce the price of iron." It was then one hundred dollars a ton. Re- membering the words of Henry Clay and believing the free school system has made this great nation, Mr. Allerton, by giving the land, has had schoolhouses built on each of his farms. Since the organization of the party he has been a stalwart Republi- can and has been mentioned and his election advocated by some of the best newspapers and best citizens of the state for the high office of United States senator. That he would honor the office and people of the state goes without question. He once ran for mayor of Chicago in the interest of civil service with no pledges to any one. His de- sire was to give the city an honest, clean ad- ministration. The office would have been no honor to him but he would have honored the office. It was his intention to employ the
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best engineers in the country to settle the vexed question of engineering and in all de- partments of the city government to put the right man in the right place, irrespective of politics. He carried the north division of the city and the other intelligent wards, but was beaten by a sharp political trick of his opponent.
Mr. Allerton believes that all men should try to lead a successful life; this he owes to himself, his friends and his people. He be- lieves that young men to-day have better op- portunities for advancement than when he was a boy, and that they have better teaclı- ers and better schools. Labor is higher and the necessities of life are cheaper, and there- fore the opportunities are much greater for success. His life is certainly an object les- son for the young men of to-day, and he certainly deserves all the honor which he re- ceives.
LOUIS C. A. HUMEAU.
Coming to this country from a foreign land Louis C. A. Humeau has improved the opportunities which America offers to her adopted sons and is to-day one of the substantial citizens of Piatt county, Illi- nois, making his home in Mansfield. He was born in Angers, France, on the 25th of July, 1861, and is the youngest in a family of five children, whose parents were Francis and Mary Homeau. He is also the only surviving member of the family. The father owned and conducted a woodyard in France and during the winter months when his business greatly increased he employed about five men. The mother died when her son Louis was but four years of age and the father
passed away when he was eighteen years of age. The oldest sister of the family died in France when about eighteen years old.
Louis C. A. Humeau obtained his early education in France and was pro- vided with good privileges, there being graduated in the agricultural school of his native country when about eighteen years of age. On attaining his majority he determined to establish his home in America and attest the truthi of the favor- able reports which he had heard concern- ing the United States and its business possibilities. He landed at New York on the 24th of September, 1882, after a voy- age of eleven days on the steamer Circas- sian, and thence made his way to Mont- real, Canada, where he remained for about eighteen months. On the expira- tion of that period he removed to Illinois and spent about a year at St. Ann. On the expiration of that period he located in Farmer. City, DeWitt county, Illinois, and afterward came to Mansfield, Piatt county, where he arrived in the spring of 1885. Here he has resided continuously since and until 1897 was in the employ of Root Brothers, as one of their most trusted representatives. In that year he began working for the D. F. Wyman Com- pany in the lumber business and is still with Mr. Wyman.
On the 25th of September, 1888, Mr. Humeau was united in marriage to Miss Olive S. Clouser and unto them have been born five children, all of whom are yet living and the three eldest are now stu- dents in the Mansfield schools. These are George H., who was born April 23, 1891; Adele M., born June 26, 1893; Florence L., born February 27, 1898;
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Francis, born on the 24th of May, 1901, and an infant daughter born July 1, 1903.
In 1889 Mr. Humeau purchased a lot in Mansfield and erected the house which he and his family now occupy, it being a pleasant home and the abode of cheerful hospitality which is much enjoyed by their many friends. Politically Mr. Humeau is a stanch Republican and served as village clerk for one term, while for four terms he has been village treasurer. In his re- ligious faith he is a Methodist.
REV. ERNEST HAWLEY.
There is no position held by man more important than pastor of a church, nor is there a position that has attached to it greater importance or responsibility when properly conceived and conscientiously discharged. This is more essentially the case with the clergymen of the Catholic faith, for he is held more as an instructor and guide, not only in religious matters, but in moral and social conduct by his con- gregation. There are few men by character and education better fitted to preside over a people in all these relations than the rev- erend gentleman whose name introduces this sketch.
Father Hawley is a native of Leices- tershire, England, born February 26, 1866, at Melton Mowbray, a place noted for fox hunters. His parents were Thomas and Mary (Hall) Hawley. The father is now deceased but the mother is · still living and continues to reside in Eng- land. Our subject acquired his early edu- cation in Radcliffe · College, Leicester, England, and remained in that country
until his eighteenth year, when he com- menced his ecclesiastical studies in north- ern Italy, at Domo D'Ossola, near Turin. He spent nine years in the Alps and spoke nothing else but Italian during that time, being well educated in that lan- guage. He was ordained a priest by Bishop Ricardi, of Novara, Italy, on the Ioth of July, 1892. Two years were passed in France, and in 1893 he was sent to this country directly from Italy to be- come a teacher at Galesburg, Illinois, where he spent five years. He also did some missionary and parish work while at that place, and was then sent to Kewanee, this state, for six months as assistant pas- tor to Rev. F. C. Duffy, now rector of St. Patrick's Catholic church at Danville. On the 29th of June, 1901, Father Hawley was appointed by Bishop J. L. Spalding as vice rector under Rev. F. G. Lentz at Be- ment with out-mission at Monticello. He is still located here and has done effective work of the parish. He is a man of scholarly attainments and has a splendid library, of which he makes excellent use. At the present time he is engaged in the translation of a historical work from the French, entitled the Sources of Modern Civilization, written from the Christian standpoint by Godefroid Kurth. He is very earnest and conscientious in all that he does and he labors untiringly for the interests of the church. It will be inter- esting in this connection to note something of the history of St. Michael's church of Bement, of which Father Hawley is the pastor. Its record is as follows.
The Catholic church in Piatt county gained its first stronghold in the early '6os. Previous to this time Catholicisın had made its way into this section of the
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state for Catholic families had located within the borders of the county and con- tinued their belief in the doctrines of the great organization which has its center in Rome. However, there was no perma- nent church formation and the people only had religious ministrations as priests came from Danville or Decatur. The Catholic families were scattered in the southern part of Piatt county, but it was only at rare intervals that the priests of the church came to this locality and no record was kept of their visits or of the work done among the followers of Cath- olicism. At times of baptisms or deaths the people usually visited Decatur, but in the early '6os the work was firmly in- stituted here by the Rev. A. Vogt of Decatur, who held regular services and continued his work among his Catholic followers in Piatt county until 1865. At that time Rev. P. Toner, pastor of the church in Champaign, was assigned to the mission work of Champaign and Piatt. counties. The growth of the Catholic population and their deep interest in the work then led to the formation of a con- gregation and the erection of a house of worship which was built in Bement in 1867 at a cost of twenty-one hundred dol- lars. The following year the Rev. P. Ber- mingham was stationed as pastor of the Catholic church at Ivesdale and Bement was made one of the out-missions of that place, so continuing until June, 1871. At that time, on account of ill health, Father Bermingham took a trip to Europe and upon his return he passed away in Cleve- land, Ohio. He was succeeded by the Rev. Thomas Shanley, who was a man of marked executive ability and energy as well as of deep Christian purpose and
strong character. He soon brought about many new reforms that proved of marked benefit to Catholicism and led to the growth of the church. He had labored, however, for only a few years when death claimed him and he passed to his reward on the 2d of Sep- tember, 1874. This worthy Christian priest was then succeeded by the Rev. M. J. Byrne, who very successully carried on his good work not only instructing his people in the teachings of the church, but also having marked influence in behalf of the cause of temperance. He taught the wrong- fulness of the vice of drink and largely eliminated the use of intoxicants among the Catholics in this community. Throughout the years the congregation grew in numbers and force and in Chris- tian spirit, and in 1889 the increase in the congregation demanded larger accommo- dations so that a new church was erected at a cost of forty-five hundred dollars and this was dedicated on its completion Sep-
tember 5, 1889. The work of the church has also been promoted in Bement by Revs. Labrie, O'Dwyer, Devany, Dono- van and Barry. They continued their la- bors effectively in the mission until the Ist of June, 1891, when Bement was cut off from Ivesdale and placed under the charge of a missionary rector, the Rev. F. G. Lentz, who did much to further the cause among the members of the parish. A par- sonage was built by this congregation dur- ing his administration, containing all mod- ern improvements. It is a credit to the town and county and indicates the devo- tion of the Catholics of this locality to their church and its best interests. The present pastor is the Rev. Ernest Haw- ley, who took charge in 1900. He is a man of scholarly attainments, of broad general
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learning and a comprehensive understand- ing of Catholicism and its teachings. His devotion to his parishioners and their best interests is most marked, and under his supervision the church is making. rapid and satisfactory progress, the different branches of work being now in a thriv- ing condition.
H. W. WHEELER.
H. W. Wheeler, who is successfully en- gaged in agricultural pursuits 'on section 36, Cerro Gordo township, is a native of Illi- nois, his birth having occurred in Macon county, April 15, 1855. His father, Charles Wheeler, was born in Kentucky and in early manhood married Mary Wheeler, a native of Tennessee. Though bearing the same name they were not related prior to their marriage. They were among the pioneers of Macon county. Illinois, their home being on a farm near Spangler Mills, where in the midst of the forest the father cleared a tract of land and placed it under cultivation. Through- · out life he followed the occupation of farm- ing. In his family were fifteen children, seven of whom are now living, namely : Mrs. Hathaway and Alfred, both residents of Ne- braska ; John, a resident of Long Creek, Ma- con county, Illinois ; Mrs. Belle Schroll, who lives on a farm near Independence, Iowa; H. W., of this review ; Leander, a resident of Macon county ; and James, of Nebraska.
Reared upon the home farm, H. W. Wheeler obtained his education in the dis- trict schools of that locality and gave his father the benefit of his labor in the cultiva- tion of the fields until eighteen years of age. He has made farming his life work, and
in following that occupation has met with good success. The first piece of property he acquired was a tract of thirty acres on section 36, Cerro Gordo township, Piatt county, and he has since added to the place until he now has one hundred and twenty acres under a high state of cultivation and well improved with good and substantial buildings.
Mr. Wheeler was married on the 12th of March, 1883, to Miss Isabella Dobson, a native of Scott county, Illinois, and a daughter of Philip and Isabella (Morley) Dobson, the former of whom was born in Scarborough, England, and the latter in Whitby, England: In 1850 they emi- grated to America and settled near Jack- sonville in Morgan county, Illinois, but shortly afterward removed to Lynnville, the same county, and in 1866 came to Pi- att county, locating in Cerro Gordo town- ship. Mr. Dobson has been called upon to mourn the loss of his wife, who died March 13, 1893, and he now makes his home in Richmond, Virginia. Of their eight children seven are yet living: Mrs. Mary Balch, of Cerro Gordo; Mrs. Sarah Ankrom, of Douglas county, Illinois ; Isa- bella, wife of our subject; Robinson, a res- ident of Cerro Gordo township, this coun- ty; Rachel, wife of Arthur B. Lamb, of Bement township; Anna, wife of William Brandenburg, of Cerro Gordo; and John, of Cerro Gordo township. Mrs. Wheeler was educated in the public schools of Cer- ro Gordo and the Normal College at Val- paraiso, Indiana, and for a number of years successfully engaged in teaching in Cerro Gordo township. Our subject and his wife have three children: Philip, Mary and Martha, and the family is one of prom- inence in the community where they .re-
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side. In his political views Mr. Wheeler is a Democrat, and he gives an earnest support to all measures which he believes will prove of public benefit.
A. D. PIERSON.
A. D. Pierson, whose home is on section 33, Unity township, is one of the most pro- gressive and enterprising farmers of that locality and a worthy representative of one of the most prominent and influential fami- lies of that section of. the country. He was born on the 2d of July, 1857, in Vigo coun- ty, Indiana, and is a son of Willis .C. Pier- son, who was a native of Kentucky and from that state removed with his mother to Vigo county, Indiana, when only four years old, his father, Elijah Pierson having died in Kentucky. Prior to that time only three settlements had been made in the county, these being known as the Reed, Drake and Langtry colonies. Indians were then far more numerous than the white men and Vigo county had but just entered upon its era of development. Willis C. Pierson aid- ed in clearing and breaking many an acre of land in that state and bore an active part.in · his counsel and he was a man of marked in- its early improvement. In early manhood he married Miss Eveline Reed, a distant rel- ative of S. R. Reed, of Monticello, Illinois, and a daughter of William Reed, whose family was also from Kentucky. By this union thirteen children were born, seven of whom are still living, the birth of six of these occurring in Vigo county, Indiana, and the others in Piatt county, Illinois.
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