Past and present of Pike County, Illinois, Part 60

Author: Massie, Melville D; Clarke, (S.J.) Publishing Company, Chicago
Publication date: 1906
Publisher: Chicago, The S.J. Clarke Publishing Co.
Number of Pages: 760

USA > Illinois > Pike County > Past and present of Pike County, Illinois > Part 60

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The last named was only ten years of age when brought by his parents to America, and in boyhood he attended the public schools of Pike county. In his youth he remained with his par- ents, and after attaining his majority he con- tinued to live with them, helping his father in the acquirement of his property and caring for him in his later years. He was connected with the work of operating a threshing machine for thirty- six years, and is one of the oldest men in this business in the county. In early days they had to haul the machine with horses from place to place, and the machine had to be lifted on and off the wagons every time it was set up. They had an eight-horse-power machine which did the threshing in Hardin, Detroit, Pittsfield and Griggsville townships, and they worked from daylight until dark. Later on in 1885 Mr. Man-

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PAST AND PRESENT OF PIKE COUNTY.

ton bought a steam boiler, and in the spring of 1886 traded this for a traction machine. In 1890, however, he sold out and put aside the active work of farming and stock-raising. He had formerly made a specialty of the raising of cattle and hogs, and his business brought to him a fair measure of success. His life has indeed been an active and useful one, characterized by unfalter- ing diligence. He belongs to Pike lodge, No. 73, I. O. O. F., of which he became a member in 1874. He rather favors the Methodist Episco- pal church, but has contributed to the support of all denominations. In politics he is a democrat, but without political aspiration, having always preferred to give his time and energies to his business interests, and in the practical manage- ment of his farm work and threshing he has found a good source of income.

SAM GRAMMER.

Sam Grammer, president of the Farmers' Bank of Baylis, whose life has been actuated by the spirit of definite and immediate service in public affairs, is a native of Adams county, Illinois, born on the 18th of December, 1860. He is a son of George W. and Experience (Cutter) Grammer. The father was born in Woburn, Massachusetts, July 4, 1825, and was a representative of one of the old families of New England founded in America in early colonial days. Joseph Gram- mer, the great-grandfather of our subject, was a sea-faring man, and fought for the indepen- dence of the colonies in the war of the Revolu- tion. Seth Grammer, the grandfather, was a na- tive of the old Bay state, born in 1797, and took part in the war of 1812, manifesting the same mil- itary spirit that prompted his father's loyal serv- ice in the preceeding war with England. He came to Pike county at a very early day, when this sec- tion of the state was an unbroken wilderness, and located on section 2, Hadley township, where he built a log cabin for the shelter of his family. It was a primitive home, with scanty furnishings and few comforts or conveniences ; but it sheltered stout hearts and willing hands, and the work of

cultivation and development was steadily carried forward by Mr. Grammer, with the assistance of his sons. He cleared his place of the native tim- ber with which it was covered, built the mill and was actively engaged in pioneer labors that re- sulted in the development and improvement of the county, and that served as the foundation upon which has been reared the superstructure of its present prosperity and progress. His death in 1858 proved a serious loss to the community, for he had contributed in a large measure to its advancement. His life was indeed one of serv- ice; and his personal traits of character were such as endeared him to his fellow townsmen, and won him a warm place in the affections of those with whom he was associated. He had been married in Boston, Massachusetts, in 1811, to Miss Lydia Marshall, a native of the old Bay state, in which she was reared to womanhood. She was a daugh- ter of Joseph Marshall, who was born in Massa- chusetts, and was also one of the heroes of the Revolutionary war.

George W. Grammer, son of Seth and Lydia (Marshall) Grammer, spent the first fifteen years of his life in New England, and then came with his parents to Pike county, Illinois, in 1840. He lived here for ten years, after which he removed to Adams county, where he resided for a long period. Eventually, however, he returned to this county, establishing his home in Baylis, where he died in 1886. He owned land in the county from the time he first came to Illinois until his demise, and was an energetic farmer of good busi- ness ability, whose well directed efforts proved the basis of gratifying success. He married Miss Experience Cutter, who was born in Woodbridge, New Jersey, in May, 1827, and died in 1900. In the family were four children, three of whom are now living, namely: Sam; Webber, a resident of Baylis ; and Mrs. Exie Huff, of Abilene, Kan- sas. William Grammer, of Pike county, is an uncle of our subject.

In the public schools of the county Sam Gram- mer mastered the branches of learning received through public instruction and resided upon farms in either Adams or Pike counties until May, 1904, when he took up his abode in the village of Baylis, where he has since resided. In his farm

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work he manifested a practical, enterprising spirit, following modern methods in the care of his fields and his stock, and improved his place with all the equipments found upon a model farm of the twentieth century. In May, 1905, when the Bank of Baylis changed hands and be- came the Farmers Bank he was chosen its presi- dent, and is now at the head of this institution, which is a strong financial concern, conducting a general banking business, and having behind it stockholders of well known financial strength and good business and executive force. He also owns two hundred acres of fine land located about two miles northwest of the village, lying partly in Adams and partly in Pike county.

Mr. Grammer was married in 1884 to Emily Powell, who was born in Pike county in 1859, and is a daughter of Jacob and Elizabeth (Mc- Cleary) Powell, both of whom are now deceased. The father was a farmer and owned about eight hundred acres of land. His business affairs were sucessfully managed, and he carried on agricul- tural pursuits on an extensive scale. Mr. and Mrs. Grammer have become the parents of two sons, Earl and Eugene. The family residence is attractive by reason of its warm-hearted hospital- ity as well as from the fact that it is a modern home in the midst of tasteful surroundings. Mr. Grammer votes with the democracy and has been called to local offices, serving as assessor in Bev- erly township, Adams county, and also in Hadley township, Pike county. He belongs to Baylis lodge, No. 834, I. O. O. F. Public opinion is undivided concerning his · business qualifications and his reliability, and his position in public re- gard is one among the foremost of the repre- sentative men of the county.

S. HIRSHEIMER, SR.

S. Hirsheimer, the oldest merchant in years of continuous business in Pike county and still ac- tively connected with commercial interests in Pittsfield, was born in Bavaria, Germany, Au- gust 12, 1825. He spent the years of his boy- hood and youth in his native land and in 1848,

when twenty-three years of age, came to Amer- ica. The vessel in which he took passage dropped anchor in the harbor of New York and from that city he made his way westward to Cincinnati, Ohio, where he entered upon his business ca- reer in the new world as a peddler. He had goods to the value of about seventy-five or one hun- dred dollars and an old horse and wagon and thus equipped he began peddling through the country, being thus engaged for four years. On the expiration of that period he went to the little town of Fayetteville, Brown county, Ohio, where he opened a store with a small stock and contin- ued its conduct for four years, but thinking that he might have a still better field of labor in Illi- nois he came to Pittsfield in 1856 and opened a small store in a little room twenty by thirty feet. carrying an exclusive stock of clothing. There he continued in business until 1880, when the store was destroyed by fire and he erected his present business block. In 1858 C. P. Chapman, also a dry goods merchant of Pittsfield, gave Mr. Hirsheimer a letter of recommendation to Young Brothers, of St. Louis, that enabled him to pro- cure goods to any amount on credit. This was before the advent of railroads into Pittsfield and the goods were shipped by water to Florence and . thence across the country to this city. Mr. Chap- man did everything he could to assist Mr. Hir- sheimer in the establishment and successful con- duct of the business, although he himself was in the same line of trade, and Mr. Hirsheimer gladly acknowledges his indebtedness for the aid ren- dered. As the years have passed by his business has constantly increased, owing to his capable management and well directed labors, until he is now handling a fine line of dry 'goods, clothing and carpets. occupying two floors. He had to borrow the money of Colonel D. D. Hicks with which to pay the freight on the first goods he bought after coming to Pittsfield. Soon all his financial obligations were discharged. however. and he has ever been found faithful in keeping a business engagement reliable in his transactions and trustworthy in all his dealings so that his busi- ness has constantly grown, bringing to him the splendid success that has made him one of the wealthy residents of his adopted city.

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In 1852 Mr. Hirsheimer was united in mar- riage to Miss Mena Eppenger, of Cincinnati. They have seven children: Ben, the eldest, has been associated with his father as a partner since 1870 and the firm has had a very prosperous ex- istence. Ben Hirsheimer is a member of the Independent Order of Odd Fellows, the Masonic fraternity, the Knights of Pythias lodge and all of the fraternal insurance companies. Lena, the eldest daughter, became the wife of Hyman Brunswick, of St. Louis, engaged in manufacture of billiard tables. He now lives in this city. Sam is in the shoe business in Pittsfield, having rented a building in 1875 and opened an exclusive shoe store, which he has since conducted. He has control of the office connected with his own es- tablishment, also his father's store. He has never married but has always lived at home and now takes life easy, having acquired a handsome com- petence. Louis D. Hirsheimer, born in 1858, is engaged in the wholesale cigar and tobacco busi- ness, embarking in this line of business in 1873 as a retail cigar dealer on a small scale. Through his ability and strict attention to business he has developed a. large trade until his firm now have an extensive wholesale business in the states of Illinois, Iowa and Missouri. He began a jobbing business in Pike county in 1878 and the follow- ing year extended his efforts to other cities and their business has steadily increased until it has now reached very extensive and profitable pro- portions and they employ a large number of men, being leading tobacco dealers of the country. In his early youth L. D. Hirsheimer was a newsboy on the streets. of Pittsfield and it was the accumu- lations of his earnings at selling papers that en- abled him to start his retail cigar store. In 1878 he admitted his brother, C. M. Hirsheimer, to a partnership, while in 1888 another brother, I. G. Hirsheimer, became a member of the firm, and now the firm is Louis D. Hirsheimer & Brothers. At the present time these brothers largely con- duct the cigar and tobacco business, while Louis D. Hirsheimer gives his attention in greater meas- 11re to outside business affairs. He has made a notable record as a successful man through the improvement of his opportunities, his watchful- ness of the trade and his progressive methods

which have been the salient features in a business which is as creditable as it is gratifying. He was married in 1889 to Miss Hannah Meyer, of Springfield, Illinois, a beautiful and popular lady, who died in 1891. In community affairs he has taken a very active and helpful interest, was town clerk of Pittsfield for eight years and city treas- urer for six years. In 1896 he was elected a member of the state board of equalization and is now serving for his third term. He is also one of the directors of the First National Bank of Pitts- field and has been a most important factor in business and political circles, leaving the impress of his individuality upon the public life of the city and its advancement along various progres- sive lines. C. M. and I. G. Hirsheimer, the next members of the family are, as before stated, con- nected with their brother in the cigar and to- bacco trade, practically having charge of the con- duct of their extensive house. Ida is the wife of A. L. Stone, one of the large wholesale jewelry merchants of the west, doing business in Chicago, and they have one son, Irving Stanley Stone, who is an exceptionally bright boy ten years old, and is a special favorite with the Hirsheimer family. He is a natural student, greatly interested in all things pertaining to electricity and railroads.

In his political views Mr. Sam Hirsheimer, Sr., the father, is a stalwart democrat but has never had aspiration for office. In 1850 he joined the Independent Order of Odd Fellows at Fayette- ville, Ohio, and now belongs to Pittsfield lodge, No. 95, being today the oldest Odd Fellow in Pike county, and one of the oldest in the state. In 1901 the lodge of Pittsfield presented him with a cane in appreciation of his fidelity to the order through the long years of his connection there- with and his capability as an officer, for he has filled all of the chairs in the lodge. He has also been a member of the Bna Bris lodge, of Cin- cinnati, Ohio, since 1850, a Jewish organization, with which he is still in good standing. He holds membership in the Jewish temple at Springfield, Illinois, and during the holiday seasons he acts as minister here, there being no regularly organ- ized church of the faith in Pittsfield. Mr. Hir- sheimer was the first depositor in the First Na- tional Bank of Pittsfield and is now one of its

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stockholders. He and his wife celebrated their golden wedding anniversary in April, 1902, and both are still enjoying good health. He and his sons own twenty-five residences and business blocks in Pittsfield beside much valuable farming property in the county, and the family is one of great prominence, having contributed in large measure to the substantial upbuilding, business development and material progress of the county. Mr. Hirsheimer, now at the age of eighty years, has had a remarkable record for success, coming to this country with very limited capital but im- proving his opportunities and utilizing his advan- tages as the years have gone by. He is one of the most venerable citizens of Pittsfield, and in- deed is the oldest merchant here or in Pike county. His career merits praise and admiration and should inspire others with a sense of the true worth and value of character and indefatigable energy as a moving force in business life.

JOHN A. HARBOURN.

John A. Harbourn has been active in promoting various interests that have proven of value in business, social and moral development of Pike county and as a representative citizen well de- serves mention in this volume. He was born in London, Canada, October 27, 1844, a son of Jef- frey and Bridget (Carney) Harbourn, both of whom were natives of Dublin, Ireland. They came to America on the same sailing vessel from Liverpool, England, reaching New York city in 1842. The voyage consumed six weeks, and from the eastern metropolis they made their way to London, Canada, where Mr. and Mrs. Har- bourn were married in 1842. They remained residents of that country until 1867, and the fa- ther worked at the trade of cabinetmaking. He was also a contractor and bridge builder, and built many bridges in the Dominion. In 1867 he re- moved from Canada to Brookfield, Missouri, where he conducted a hotel for about two years, and then sold out, after which he went to Linn county, Missouri, where he turned his attention to farming, owning at one time two hundred and

forty acres of land. He first purchased eighty acres from the Hannibal & St. Joseph Railroad Company, now the Chicago, Burlington & Quincy Railroad Company. The tract was at that time wild prairie, and he and his family were pioneer settlers of the locality. He at once began the improvement and development of the property, and in the course of time transformed it into productive fields. He held membership in the Presbyterian church; and was an Orangeman while living in Canada. In politics he was a democrat until 1864, when he espoused the cause of the republican party, of which he continued a supporter up to the time of his demise. His death occurred in Unionville, Missouri, in 1898, when he had reached the advanced age of eighty- three years, while his wife died in Jacksonville, Illinois, in 1902, when she was seventy-six years of age. In their family were four children, two sons and two daughters, all of whom are yet liv- ing, namely: John A .; Mary Ann, the wife of Edward Cunningham, of Missouri; Phebe, the wife of Albert Sharp, a resident of Hiawatha, Kansas ; and James, who is married and lives upon the old homestead.

John A. Harbourn attended school but three months in Canada and is therefore a self-educated man. He was fourteen years of age when he left Canada, and went to Lexington, Michigan, where he was employed in the salt works, and also in a lumberyard and at carpentering, his time being thus occupied until September, 1862, when in re- sponse to the call of his adopted country, he vol- unteered as a member of Company C, Sixth Michigan Cavalry. He served in the Army of the Potomac under Generals Custer, Kilpatrick and Sheridan .; and he took part in the battles of the Wilderness, Antietam, Chancellorsville, Pitts- burg, Fredericksburg, the second battle of Win- chester, Falling Water, the raid to Richmond and many skirmishes. He was ill with typhoid fever at City Point, and was sent to the field hospital, after which he was taken to Baltimore, Maryland, and subsequently to Little York, Pennsylvania. Later he was transferred to Fort Schuyler, New York, on the Hudson river, where he lay ill in the hospital for some time, after which he re- joined his regiment at Harper's Ferry. His com-

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mand was in pursuit of General Johnston, who, however, surrendered before the regiment reached him and the Sixth Michigan was then recalled to Washington, D. C., where Mr. Harbourn par- ticipated in the grand review, the most celebrated military pageant ever seen on the western hemi- sphere. Later the Sixth Michigan was sent to Fort Leavenworth, Kansas, and was there dis- charged on the 5th of July, 1865.

Mr. Harbourn became a resident of Pike county in 1866. He has been engaged in contract- ing, in levee work, has followed farming and has been an officer for the state in the game and fish department. He is one of the best wheat raisers in the county, and has twenty acres of land on which he has raised fifty-one bushels and one peck to the acre. For thirty years he has rented the D. M. Morris farm, consisting of two hun- dred and forty acres, but has never had any writ- ten contract in all this time, a fact which shows his thorough reliability in business matters. At the present time he is farming six hundred acres of land, and is one of the leading and enterprising agriculturists of this part of the state.

Mr. Harbourn was married, July 4, 1867, to Miss Mary Elizabeth Burkes, a daughter of Henry and Sarah Burkes, the former a native of Kentucky, and the latter of Tennessee. In their family were ten children. Mr. and Mrs. Har- bourn were married in Buchanan, Missouri. The lady was born in Indiana, November 8, 1848, and when but an infant was brought to Morgan county, Illinois, and at the age of seven years removed to Missouri. By this marriage there are eleven children : Louise E., Mary E., Alice R., Lydia S., George F., Jessie D., John H., Asa D., Benjamin Harrison, Amos and Bertha.

In politics Mr. Harbourn is a stalwart repub- lican and has served as school director, school trustee, constable and census enumerator in 1890 and 1900. He was a delegate to the state repub- lican convention at Springfield in 1904, casting seventy-eight votes for Yates and one for De- neen ; also a delegate to the congressional conven- tion at Jerseyville, and the senatorial convention at Pittsfield the same year. He belongs to the Kinderhook lodge, No. 353, A. F. & A. M., in which he has served as junior deacon and junior

warden, and he his likewise been a delegate to the state grand lodge, attending the meeting in Chi- cago in 1902. He affiliates with Kinderhook lodge, No. 757, I. O. O. F., of which he is a past noble grand. Both he and his wife belong to the Order of the Eastern Star, in which he has been worthy patron; and they are identified with the Rebekah degree in Odd Fellowship, while Mr. Harbourn is a member of General W. T. Sher- man post, No. 45, G. A. R., at Hannibal, Mis- souri.

Both he and his wife are devoted members of the Methodist Episcopal church, in which he has served as trustee, as class leader and one of the stewards. He has taken a most active part in church and kindred work, and has been presi- dent of the township Sunday School Association, and has been chosen a member of the executive committee. His labors have been effective in the work of the church in all of its departments; and in all of life's relations he has been found trustworthy, manifesting the same loyalty to duty which he displayed when he followed the stars and stripes upon the battle-fields of the south.

JOHN ROY POLLOCK, M. D.

Dr. John Roy Pollock, one of the active young physicians of Pike county, who for two years has been engaged in practice, was born in Nebo, Sep- tember 29, 1879, and was reared and educated here. He is a son of Dr. R. R. Pollock, men- tioned on another page of this volume. He fol- lowed his public-school education by the study of medicine under the direction of his father and pursued his first course of lectures in the Keokuk Medical College, which he entered in 1900. He also pursued three courses in the medical depart- ment of Barnes University and was graduated with the class of 1904. He then returned home and entered upon active practice, since which time he has built up a good business, which is grati- fying evidence of the trust reposed in him by the general public.

Dr. Pollock was married near Nebo in October, 1899, to Miss Jessie P. Sitton, who was born and

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reared here and was educated in the public schools of Pike county and of Peoria, Illinois. Her father, James A. Sitton, is a prominent farmer of Pleas- ant Hill township. Dr. Pollock and his wife have a large circle of warm friends and are prominent socially in Nebo and Pike county. At one time Dr. Pollock was associated with his brother, R. C. Pollock, in the drug business in Pittsfield, being connected with the trade before he pursued his course in medicine. He is a member of the Ma- sonic fraternity, belonging to the blue lodge at Nebo, and he also affiliates with the Knights of Pythias. His wife is a member of the Baptist church and a very active and earnest worker in church and Sunday-school.

SOLON HUNTLEY.

Solon Huntley is one of the best known citizens of Pike county-the owner and proprietor of the Elmdale stock farm. His life record began Au- gust 30, 1836, the place of his nativity being Ashtabula county, Ohio. He came to ths county with his parents, Harlow and Elmira (Partridge) Huntley. The father was born in Allegany county, New York, July 19, 1806, and died in Pike county in 1879. The mother's birth occurred in Massachusetts on Christmas day of 1809 and they were married in the Empire state. Unto them were born twelve children, of whom ten are yet living. Lyman resides in California. Eliza is the wife of Henry Shipman and lives in California but has spent much of her life in Pike county. Roxanna is the wife of Dexter Milley and resides in Missouri. Martin is living in Hadley township, Pike county. Laura is the widow of A. B. Cobb and makes her home in California. Solon is the next of the family. Loren is living in Pittsfield. William was killed at the battle of Shiloh while serving as a member of the Union army in Company I, Twenty-eighth Regiment of Illinois Volunteers. Julia and Mar- tha are living with their brother Solon. Pardee is a resident of California. Hattie has departed this life.

The father, who was a farmer's son, was reared to the work of the fields and on coming to Pike

county, Illinois in 1843, located in Hadley town- ship, where he purchased land and began the development of a farm. He worked persistently and energetically and as the years passed made extensive investments in property until he was one of the large land owners of the county. He was also extensively engaged in the raising of wheat and his business were carefully and successfully conducted. His possessions embraced four hun- dred acres of land in Hadley township and his first home was a log cabin but in the course of years all the evidences of pioneer life were re- placed by those of a modern civilization. His early political allegiance was given to the whig party and he afterward voted with the republican party and subsequently with the greenback party. His position in the regard of his fellow townsmen is indicated by the fact that for thirty years he was justice of the peace, discharging his duties with promptness and impartiality. He was also at one time supervisor of Hadley town- ship and he took a deep and helpful interest in school work, realizing the value of educational development. His wife was a member of the Methodist church.

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Past and present of Pike County, Illinois, Part 60

Author: Massie, Melville D; Clarke, (S.J.) Publishing Company, Chicago Publication date: 1906 Publisher: Chicago, The S.J. Clarke Publishing Co. Number of Pages: 760

Author: Massie, Melville D; Clarke, (S.J.) Publishing Company, Chicago
Publication date: 1906
Publisher: Chicago, The S.J. Clarke Publishing Co.
Number of Pages: 760