USA > Illinois > Peoria County > Peoria > Peoria city and county, Illinois; a record of settlement, organization, progress and achievement, Vol. II > Part 21
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Their son, Horace Clark, was reared in Peoria and attended the graded and high schools here, being graduated from the latter with the class of 1882. He then went east to continue his education and was a member of the Dart- mouth College class of 1886. When his college days were over he returned to Peoria and for five years thereafter was a traveling salesman in the employ of Clark. Quien & Morse, a firm which has recently changed its name to the Clark- Smith Hardware Company, of which his brother, Charles D. Clark, is the presi- dent. On severing his connection with that house Horace Clark organized the Clark Coal & Coke Company, of which he is the secretary and general manager. They have offices on the ninth floor of the Jefferson building and they operate the Empire mines west of Peoria, on the Minneapolis & St. Louis Railroad, and handle the output of many other mines. In fact they have branches all over the middle west and their business is one of notable magnitude. Since the estab- lishment and incorporation of the business in April, 1892, it has grown continui- ously under the capable management and active control of its founder. It was in 1901 that the company opened the Empire mines west of Peoria, where they have about twenty-three hundred acres of the best coal land in the state, and employ three hundred and fifty miners. The officers of the company are: George C. Clark, president ; Charles D. Clark, vice president; Horace Clark, secretary and general manager : and George Arthur Clark, a nephew, treasurer.
In 1887 occurred the marriage of Horace Clark and Miss Jennie M. Robinson, a daughter of E. J. Robinson, of Brimfield, Illinois. Mrs. Clark was born and reared in Peoria county, and by this marriage there are two children, Thomas and Robert. Mr. Clark is a member of the Creve Coeur Club and also of the
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Country Club, and is well known socially. Outside of his business, however, his greatest activity is perhaps in the line of the Young Men's Christian Asso- ciation work and he is now president of the Peoria organization. In this his labors are very effective. He realizes the necessity of proper environment for young men at the critical period of their lives and is doing all in his power through organized effort to surround them with such interests, advantages and opportunities as will awaken in them an earnest and masterful desire for the best physical, mental and moral development. His business activities and his labors along this line constitute well balanced forces in his life.
FRIEDRICH STREIBICH.
Among the prominent German-American citizens of Peoria was Friedrich Streibich. He was born in Baden, Germany, on June 12, 1827, a son of Joseph Streibich, and on coming to America in 1847 made his way to Peoria, then a young man of twenty years. Here he improved his opportunities for advance- ment and in 1850 engaged in the hotel business while the following year he be- came proprietor of the William Tell House which he conducted until 1853. In that year he built the Washington House which he managed until 1857 when he sold out and built the summer resort at the corner of Smith and McReynolds streets. At that place he continued until 1865 when he established vineyards and a wine garden at 1006 Moss avenue. This became a popular resort and speedily proved to be a very profitable enterprise. Mr. Streibich possessed the native characteristics of the German race-thrift and diligence-and so con- ducted and managed his affairs as to win success. He understood the German people and their desires and gave to them a resort that was attractive to all his nationality.
In Peoria, on the 10th of June, 1851, Mr. Streibich was married to Miss Sarah Bauer, and they became the parents of four children, Joseph, Francisca, Frederick F. and John C. Mr. Streibich was for many years a Mason and one of the first members of Schiller lodge. He gave his political allegiance to the democratic party, studying the questions and issues of the day with the result that his ballot gave indorsement to democratic principles. He never had occasion to regret his determination to come to the new world for here he found the op- portunities which he sought and which he improved as the years passed by, gaining at length a creditable position among the substantial residents of his adopted city.
MRS. ELLEN (BARKER) McROBERTS.
Mrs. Ellen (Barker) McRoberts needs no introduction to the readers of this volume, for hier entire life has been passed in Peoria, and she has been for many years a leading figure in social circles. She was born in this city October 29, 1843, a daughter of Gardner Thurston and Helen (White) Barker. Her father came to this city in 1838, casting in his lot with the pioneer settlers of a tiny town that was destined to rise to greatness owing to the efforts of Mr. Barker and his business associates and contemporaries. He stood as a splendid type of all that is admirable in citizenship and in manhood and a tribute to his worth and his memory is to be found on another page of this volume.
Mrs. McRoberts was sent to the east to continue her education, begun in the schools of Peoria, pursuing a course of study at Maplewood in Pittsfield, Massa- chusetts. She then returned to her parents' home in Peoria. Here in early wom-
MRS. ELLEN BARKER MeROBERTS
TILDE
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anhood her hand was sought in marriage by William McRoberts, a native of Ireland, who was born near Belfast, in August, 1824. His father, William Mc- Roberts, Sr., was also a native of the Emerald isle. William McRoberts, Jr., emigrated to the United States in early manhood, making his way to Cincinnati, Ohio, where he secured a situation in the distillery of Boyle, Miller & Company. From a comparatively obscure beginning he worked his way upward, advancing through intermediate positions until he was at length admitted to a partnership, having in the meantime gained a masterful knowledge of the distilling business. Following his marriage he became a partner of his father-in-law, Gardner Thurs- ton Barker, in the distilling business and so continued until his death, which occurred in January, 1876. ITe left to his widow the care of two young sons, William Gardner and Walter. The former is a graduate of Cornell University and is now engaged in the practice of law in Peoria, while the latter is well known as a traveler and author. Mrs. McRoberts is a member of the Daughters of the American Revolution and her religious faith is that of the Episcopal church. She has a very wide acquaintance in Peoria and is esteemed by all who know her. The work of her father and her husband has connected her closely with the city's development and she has felt a keen personal interest in all that has pertained to its progress and prosperity. Moreover, she has been a witness of many of the events which have shaped its history and she has done not a little to mold and maintain its high social standard. Her own home has ever been the abode of warm-hearted hospitality and good cheer, its doors ever being open for the recep- tion of her many friends.
C. E. McNEMAR.
The legal profession of Peoria finds a worthy representative in C. E. Mc- Nemar, who is practicing as a member of the well known firm of Sucher, Mc- Nemar & Moore. He has been identified with the Peoria bar since the fall of 1902, at which time he was admitted to practice. Still a young man, he has before him a successful future if we argue by what he has accomplished in the past. He was born upon a farm in McLean county, Illinois, about eight- een miles north of Bloomington, on the 18th of August, 1877. his parents being C. J. W. and Mary (Pirtle) McNemar. The father was a farmer, and amid the environments of rural life the son was reared. He early began assisting in the work on the farm, and throughout the school year pursued his education until graduating from the high school of Gridley. He afterward continued his education in the high school of Lexington, Illinois, of which he is also a graduate, and then entered the Eureka College at Eureka, Illinois, where he completed a course of study, receiving the degree of Bachelor of Science. He then became a student in the law school of the University of Michigan, which institution he entered in the fall of 1899 and from which he was graduated in 1902. He had determined to make the practice of law his life work, and with this end in view he pursued a very thorough course of study and bent every energy toward the mastery of the principles of jurisprudence, that he might thus become well equipped for the onerous and responsible duties of the profession. In the fall following his graduation he entered upon active practice in Peoria, and for six months was associated with the firm of Sheen & Miller. At the expiration of that period he became assistant state's attorney under W. V. Tefft, filling the position until the end of Mr. Tefft's term of office. He also practiced law with Mr. Tefft for about a year and was assistant city attorney for a year. At the end of that time he became associated with George T. Page and S. D. Wead, with whom he continued for three years. In 1907 he formed his present part- nership with George Sucher, and on the Ist of May, 1911, Mr. Moore entered the
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firm, leading to the adoption of the present firm style of Sucher, McNemar & Moore. They are now well established in practice and their business is con- tinually growing in volume and importance. The labors of one are supple- mented and rounded out by the efforts of the others and they are thus well pre- pared to take charge of all kinds of law practice and win success in the different fields of jurisprudence. Mr. McNemar has never feared that laborious atten- tion to office work which must precede the strong and forcible presentation of a case in court. He is ever ready for defense as well as attack, and the strength of his argument results from his careful analysis and his logical reasoning combined with ability to accurately apply the principles of the law.
In 1906 Mr. McNemar was married to Miss M. H. Bower, of Manton, Mich- igan. They are well known socially in the city where they reside and Mr. Mc- Nemar is a worthy representative of the Masonic fraternity in which he has attained the thirty-second degree of the Scottish rite. He is also a member of the Mystic Shrine, and in his life exemplifies the beneficent spirit of the craft. He also holds membership in the Knights of Pythias and the Knights of Khoras- san, and has held all the offices in both. He is likewise a member of the Modern Woodmen of the World and enjoys the high regard of his brethren of this or- ganization. He possesses a genial nature which makes him popular, while his laudable ambition and earnest efforts have gained him prominence in the profes- sion where advancement depends solely upon individual merit.
H. C. ROBERTS.
The leaders are .few. The great majority of men are content to follow in the paths that others have marked out. Only here and there is found one who has the initiative to venture beyond the point that others have reached and branch out into broader fields where favoring opportunity leads the way. H. C. Roberts, however, is one whose even-paced energy and sound judgment have brought him into prominent business relations and in enlarging the scope of the great productive industry with which he is connected he has shown much of the pioneer spirit in formulating new plans which with the assistance of his fellow officers he has been able to carry forward to successful completion in the con- trol and management of the Avery Company, of which he is the vice president. Theirs is the leading manufacturing plant of Peoria devoted to the building of farm implements and traction engines. Mr. Roberts entered into active con- nection with this business as an employe, but gradually worked his way upward until long since he has had voice in its management.
He was born upon a farm in Henry county, Illinois, in 1857. His father, N. K. Roberts, became a soldier of the Civil war and was one of the thousands that marched to the scene of conflict. The boy went to live with his grand- father who was a prominent farmer of Henry county and there spent his boy- hood days, attending the country schools and meeting with such experiences as usually fall to the lot of the lad who is reared on the farm. He started out for himself, eager to make his way in the world, and practically his first steady posi- tion was with R. H. & C. M. Avery, then located in Galesburg, given over to the manufacture of farm implements and agricultural machinery. He began work in the erection shop and later went upon the road as an expert, being sent all over the country to demonstrate and put in operation the machinery which was made by them at that time. Subsequently he went upon the road as a sales- man and occupied that position for about twenty years, making good at every point. He was afterward promoted to the position of sales manager and in 1905 became vice president of the company. The business was established by R. H. and C. M. Avery at Galesburg but after some years was removed to Peoria
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where it has steadily grown. The plant has been enlarged from time to time and is a most extensive one, covering twenty-seven acres with six and a half acres of floor space in its principal buildings. It is thoroughly equipped with the latest improved machinery and is now devoted to the manufacture of farm implements and traction engines, in which connection employment is furnished to twelve hundred skilled mechanics. It was in December. 1879, that Mr. Roberts first became connected with the company, little dreaming then that he would one day be one of its chief executive officers, yet ambitious at all times to progress. He soon proved his worth, demonstrated his ability and by reason of his faithfulness and able service worked his way steadily upward.
In 1892 Mr. Roberts was united in marriage to Miss Ella L. Robinson, who was born in Brimfield, Peoria county. They have two children, Helen and Jud- son Edwin. Mr. Roberts is a member of the Masonic fraternity and exempli- fies in his life the beneficent spirit of the craft. He has been president of the Creve Coeur Club of Peoria, the leading social organization of the city, and he belongs also to the Peoria Country Club, the Illinois Valley Yacht Club, the Chicago Automobile Club and the Peoria Automobile Club. now serving as the president of the last named. He is furthermore connected in membership re- lations with the First Congregational church of Peoria and he never promotes business interests at the sacrifice of his obligations to citizenship. On the con- trary he finds time and opportunity for cooperation in those things which foster the intellectual, social and moral progress of the city and within his extensive circle of friends is held in the highest esteem. It is said, however, that the in- dividual may best be judged by the way in which he treats those below him in the social scale. If judgment is passed upon Mr. Roberts in this connection the verdict will be one which establishes him in even a higher position in public regard. It is well known that the Avery Company is not only just but gener- ous in its treatment of its employes, which is evidenced by the fact that labor troubles are an unknown thing in their factories. The humblest employe may approach Mr. Roberts with the certainty of securing a courteous hearing and the greater part of his employes he can call by name. He is a man of strong and forceful individuality who has left and is leaving the impress of his per- sonality upon the commercial and industrial development of this city.
GEORGE W. CAMPBELL.
Among the younger members of the Peoria bar who have attained success is George W. Campbell, who is now practicing as a member of the firm of Covey, Campbell & Covey, with which he has been identified since December, 1910. He has, however, practiced law in Peoria since 1900, or the year following his admission to the bar. He was born upon a farm five miles west of Belvidere, in Boone county, Illinois, February 11, 1874, and is a son of George W. and Charity ( Wakefield) Campbell, who were farming people, and upon the home farm the son spent his boyhood and youth. He supplemented his education acquired in the country schools by study in the high school at North Belvidere, from which he was graduated with the class of 1891. He afterward engaged in teaching for a year in the country schools but. still ambitious for other educa- tion. he entered the Beloit College at Beloit, Wisconsin, where he took up the study of Latin and Greek. He afterward spent a year in the University of Illinois, pursuing the literary course, and with this broad foundation upon which to build the superstructure of his professional learning entered upon the study of law in Belvidere in the office of the Hon. Charles E. Fuller, member of con- gress. He was also associated with the firm of Covey & Covey in Peoria for a year, devoting his evening hours to the study of law, after which he returned
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to Belvidere and spent another year as a law student in the office of Congress- man Fuller. He then successfully passed the examination in Chicago which secured him admission to the bar in May, 1899. For a year thereafter he prac- ticed in Belvidere and then came to Peoria where he has remained continuously since 1900. He was associated with the Covey brothers from 1900 until 1904 and then opened an office in the Young Men's Christian Association building which he shared with Congressman Joseph V. Graff. After several years he took offices in the Jefferson building and practiced there until he entered the present firm of Covey, Campbell & Covey in December, 1910, with offices in the Woolner building.
In June, 1909, Mr. Campbell was united in marriage to Miss Mary C. Clark, of Peoria, and they are well known socially in this city, their circle of friends continuously increasing. Mr. Campbell belongs to the Creve Coeur Club and other social organizations. He is recognized as a rising young attorney, well known and well liked in Peoria, and his increasing professional ability is in- dicated by a growing practice which in later years has connected him with much of the important litigation tried in the courts of this district.
RUFUS A. DU MARS, M. D.
Dr. Rufus A. Du Mars, physician and surgeon, who has practiced in Peoria continuously since 1877, was born in Dauphin county, Pennsylvania, about five miles east of Harrisburg, on the 6th of December, 1849, a son of G. W. Du Mars. His mother died when he was only a year old, after which the father married Sarah Ainsworth Allen who, indeed, filled a mother's place in her care for, at- tention to and love of the boy, who could have no deeper or more filial affection for an own mother. He was five years of age when the father removed with his family to Illinois with Peoria county as his destination. He settled upon a farm in Logan township and there Dr. Du Mars was reared, early becoming familiar with all the experiences that fall to the lot of the farm boy. He at- tended the country schools and in the further pursuit of his education afterward entered the Wesleyan University at Bloomington, Illinois, in which he spent four years. He then took up the study of medicine under Dr. Frye, who directed his reading for some time and afterward admitted him to a partnership, their business and professional connections continuing until the death of his erst- while preceptor. Following the demise of Dr. Frye, Dr. Du Mars began practice independently. He pursued his reading with Dr. Frye in 1874 and 1875 and at the same time attended the University of Pennsylvania at Philadelphia. In the following year he entered the Medical College at Louisville, Kentucky, from which he was graduated in 1876. He then returned to the University of Penn- sylvania and completed the medical course in that institution in 1877. Imme- diately afterward he returned to Peoria and has since been numbered among the capable and successful general practitioners here. Dr. Du Mars has been for the past thirty-five years on the medical staff of St. Francis Hospital and for the past thirty-one years has been physician and surgeon for the Peoria & Pekin Union Railroad and is at present District Surgeon for the Chicago & Northwestern Railroad. His ability enables him to quickly solve the intricate problems which confront the physician. He is most careful in the diagnosis of his cases and his judgment is seldom, if ever, at fault in determining the out- come of disease. He now enjoys a large practice and is the beloved family physician in many of Peoria's best households.
In this city, in 1879, Dr. Du Mars was united in marriage to Miss Nellie B. Frye, a daughter of Dr. J. C. Frye, who established his home in Peoria in 1834. Three children have been born of this marriage: Eliza Sterling, who is the
DR. R. A. and DR. E. C. DU MARS
THE PUBLIC
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ASTO TILDEN FOI J
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widow of Frank C. Bourscheide ; Dr. Eliot C., who is a graduate of the Wash- ington University of St. Louis and practices medicine with his father; and Fabian R., who is residing in Chicago.
Dr. Du Mars is a member of the Masonic order and also of the Knights of Pythias. He belongs to the Creve Coeur Club and his professional connections are with the Peoria City Medical Society and the Illinois State Medical Society. His religious views are indicated by his membership in the Second Presbyterian church. He served as health commissioner of Peoria during the administration of Mayor Miles. Thirty-five years' residence in this city has made him very widely known and his upright life has gained for him the respect and good-will of the general public, while his methods of practice and his conscientious service have won for him the unqualified regard of his professional brethren.
FRANK P. LEWIS.
Frank P. Lewis, a cigar manufacturer of Peoria, who has engaged in this line of business since 1880 and has conducted his Peoria establishment since 1885, ranks today as a most prominent and valuable representative of industrial activity in this city. Along well defined lines of trade and commerce he has developed the second largest cigar factory in the state of Illinois, the enterprise being the visible and tangible evidence of his well defined and carefully executed plans.
Mr. Lewis is a native of Portland, Oregon, his birth having occurred on the Pacific coast on the 25th of January. 1860. His father was the Rev. Wil- liam S. Lewis, a missionary and presiding elder of the Methodist Episcopal church of Portland, where he died in 1865. His wife bore the maiden name of Julia Pierce and following her husband's death she returned to the Mississippi valley, accompanied by her son Frank, establishing her home in Havana, Illinois. It was there that the subject of this review was reared and the local schools afforded him his educational privileges. After leaving school he learned the cigarmaker's trade in that city and when he felt that his experience and capital were sufficient to justify the step he opened a factory on his own account in Havana in 1880. He made cigars and conducted a small cigar store and grad- ually worked his way upward in that connection. For five years he continued in business in Havana and then sought the broader opportunities offered in the larger city of Peoria. When he arrived here he employed less than ten people. In the quarter of a century which has since elapsed his business has con- stantly grown along substantial lines and something of the extent of his trade is indicated by the fact that he now employs about two hundred people. His leading cigar is called the Lewis Single Binder cigar. His factory is the second in size in the state and the output brings to him a substntial financial return annually. Since 1900 he has occupied his own building, which was formerly the residence of Colonel Robert G. Ingersoll, using the entire structure for factory purposes. He has a well equipped establishment, one of the few fac- tories of the United States making all hand-made cigars. He always holds to a high standard of excellence in his output which is sold not only largely in Peoria but in thirty-eight different states in the Union. During the past twelve years his employes have earned more than one million, one hundred and seventy- five thousand dollars, this vast wage sum going into general circulation and thus becoming a benefit to the entire city. The excellence of the manufactured product, combined with Mr. Lewis' thorough business rectitude, has constituted the salient feature in the attainment of his success. In addition to his manu- facturing interests he is connected with the Commercial German National Bank
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