USA > Illinois > Livingston County > Portrait and bigraphical album of Livingston County, Ill. : containing full page portraits and biographical sketches of prominent and representative citizens of the county, together with portraits and biographies > Part 103
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Mr. and Mrs. Newman are the parents of the fol- lowing-named children : Lysander. Flavilla, Manley J., John Milton, Clarinda G., Martha Jane, Lucina Belle, Dorothea J., Ida May, Emma and George Walker. Lysander died in childhood; Flavilla and Manley J. died in infancy ; John M. is married and lives in Streator, where he conducts a feedyard; he has three children. Clarinda G. died in her thirty-third year, and left three children, one of whom died in infancy. Martha J. married W. 11. Palmer, has four children, and lives in Genesee County, N. Y. ; Lucina B. is unmarried, and lives with
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her sister in New York : Dorothea .I. is the wife of W. J. Pileher, has four children, and lives in Kansas: Ida May died at the age of four years: Emma and George W. are at home. Mrs. Newman is an ardent member of the Methodist Episcopal Church, and Mr. Newman belongs to the Republican party. They are both most estimable people, and enjoy the esteem and respect of all their neighbors.
AMES BRYDON. The farm property of this gentleman is beautifully located in Charlotte Township. on section 24. and comprises 120 acres of land with a handsome and substan- tial residence, a good barn and other out-buildings. and is well stocked with graded Durham cattle, thoroughbred Norman horses and Poland-China swine. The fields are divided with neatly trimmed hedges and the whole presents a pleasing picture of the model country estate. Our subject besides these good things of life has an intelligent family of children, to whom he is giving a good education and training them to become praiseworthy and use- ful citizens. He is practically a self-made man, who has battled with many difficulties in life, and his property is the accumulation of his own indus- try and frugality. The dwelling stands in the midst of handsome shade trees, both natural and orna- mental, and not far away is one of the most beauti- ful groves in Livingston County, planted by the hand of the proprietor.
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The early home of our subject was on the other side of the Atlantic. in the city of Liverpool. En- gland, where hi- birth took place July 27, 1838. Hle i- the younger of two children born to George and Eliza ( Ballantyne ) Brydon, natives of Scotland and of Scotch descent. George Brydon in early life learned the cabinet-maker's trade at Liverpool but subsequently returned to his native county, and died there when his son dames was but three years of age. The mother only survived three years, and James was taken by hi- maternal aunt, Miss Jane Ballantyne. of Selkirk-hire, Scotland, where he was reared and obtained his education. In 1853, when a youth of fifteen years, in company with his sister
and aunt he set sail from Liverpool on the vessel "Benjamin Adams." and after a pleasant voyage of five weeks and three days, they landed in New York City. Thenee they proceeded directly to Kankakee, Ill., to the home of an uncle, with whom our subjeet remained until March following. He then set out in life for himself, being employed as a farm laborer until in August, 1861.
The outbreak of the Rebellion necessitating a call for volunteers, our subject. Aug. 28, 1861. en- listed at Chicago in Company K. 420 Illinois In- fantry, and at once entered into active service. With his comrades he first met the enemy at Farm- ington, Miss., and subsequently participated in the battles of Stone River, Chattanooga and Chicka- mauga, and was engaged in the raid through East Tennessee to Knoxville. At the expiration of hi- first term of enlistment he re-entered the ranks Jan. 1, 1864, and not long afterward joined the army of Gen. Sherman on its march upon Atlanta, and was present at the siege and capture of the city. lle received his honorable discharge Jan. 10, 1866, and suffered but one wound, which confined him to the hospital a little over a month.
Mr. Brydon upon retiring from the army, came to this county and purchased eighty acres of wild prairie land, which is now included in his present homestead. He continued, however, working for others until he could obtain sufficient capital to secure the implements required for the cultivation of his land, and in the spring of 1868 broke the sod of about forty acres and put in a crop. A> soon as this was completed he commenced the erer- tion of a house, which was finished in June fol- lowing and to which he brought a bride not long afterward, his marriage with Miss Eliza A. Jessup taking place July 27, 1868.
The wife of our subject was born in Cambridge, Ind., March 29, 1845, and is the daughter of Jona- than E. and Mary ( Burkett) Jessup, natives of South Carolina. The mother is deceased and the father is now living in Nebraska. The young peo- ple commenced life together on the new farm. and as years passed by there were added by degrees the various improvements which the passing traveler now looks upon with admiration as the embellish- ments of a home supplied with all the comforts of
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life and many of its luxuries. Mr. B. subsequently added forty acres to his first purchase, and the whole 120 acres is under a fine state of cultivation and exceedingly tertile.
The children of Mr. and Mrs. Brydon were nine in number. seven now living, namely, four sons and three daughters. These bear the names respect- ively of Mary E., George E., James F., Florence I., Ai. Edith and Wesley. They form a blooming family of whom the parents have reason to be proud, and whom they are training in those vir- tues and accomplishments which will constitute them valuable citizens and desirable members of the social circle.
ACOB OPPY. There is something about an unselfish man which naturally attracts you to him : something which makes you feel better when you are in his presence and under his influence. An unselfish man is a valuable acquisi- tion to any community, for he is happiest when en- gaged in good deeds, and doing something which will make the community better. When the unselfish man is connected with the work of religion and reform his influence penetrates every nook and corner of his surroundings, and to him can be traced either directly or indirectly the beginning of nearly all enterprises which have for their object the amelioration of the distress and the reformation of mankind. In the subject of this sketch we have illustrated the good which can be accomplished by unselfishness in con- nection with earnestness and sincerity.
Mr. Oppy is an honored citizen of Avoca Town- ship, and a native of Champaign County, Ohio. Ile was born on the 20th of October, 1819, and is the son of Abraham and Sarah Oppy, the former a native of Virginia, and a soldier in the War of 1812. His mother died when Mr. Oppy was but ten days okl, and when he was quite a small boy he accompanied his father to Logan County, Ohio, where he resided until he reached his fifteenth year. At that age he removed to Grant County, Ind .. where he remained until he reached the years of manhood. The greater portion of his life has been devoted to agricultural pursuits and stock-raising, except during his ten
years' residence in Grant County. Ind .. where he was engaged in milling.
On the 2d of February. 1840, our subject was married to Emma A. Neal, a native of Grant Coun- ty, Ind. She died on the 22d of September, 1842, and on the 8th of January, 1843. Mr. Oppy was married to Elizabeth P. Briggs, a native of Grant County, Ind., who bore him six children, and died on the 31st of October, 1858. On the 30th of March, 1859, Mr. Oppy was married a third time, the lady of his choice being Rebecca A. Kendall, a native of Indiana, and she had five children-Dor- cas J., Tillie A., Minnie E., Cora D. and Linda L. In the spring of 1865 with his family he came to Livingston County, and immediately located upon the farm he now occupies near Fairbury. This farm consists of 130 acres of well-improved land, which is fully equipped with appropriate farm build- ing>. Besides this he is the owner of a good property in Fairbury. He and his wife are both identified with the Methodist Episcopal Church in Fairbury, in which he served fifty years as a local minister and in other official capacities. He has been a generous supporter of the church, and is quite liberal-spirited and unselfish in all his motives. While in a general sense be affiliates with the Re- publican party in the selection of officers for the administration of local affairs, he aims to cast his ballot for men of pure character and best fitted for the positions to which they aspire regardless of political parties. In bis earlier business career Mr. Oppy endured many hardships and exercised mich self-denial. but was always confident that the future had in store sucess for those who strived for it. His faith was well founded. for he has been success- ful, and no man in the community enjoys more of the respect and confidence of the community than the worthy subject of this sketch.
UGH McKEE, retired farmer and a resident of Fairbury, came to Illinois thirty-five years ago, locating first in Putnam County, where he spent one year, and then coming to this county, entered 200 acres of land from the Government, and which is still in his possession.
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Although carrying on general agriculture, he has distinguished himself as a successful breeder of Short-horn cattle and Poland-China hogs. and has exhibited some of the finest animals ever raised in this county. lle has been prominent in local af- fairs, serving as School Trustee thirteen years, Road Commissioner two terms, and in 1855 was elected Justice of the Peace, receiving his commission from Gov. Matteson. While holding this position he officiated at the marriage of four couples, one of these being John Darnell, son of a Baptist minister. Politically. he is a straight Democrat, and has been identified with the Baptist Church over thirty years, and officiated as Deacon and Trustee. It will thus be seen that Mr. MeKee has been no unimportant factor in the affairs of Indian Grove Township.
Our subject is a native of Westmoreland County, Pa .. and was born March 8, 1823. He is of Irish parentage and the son of Henry McKee. The fa- ther followed farming pursuits, and is still living in Pennsylvania. He was born in 1792, and is con- sequently nearly ninety-five years of age. The pa- rental household included nine children, namely : Mary A .. William ; IIngh, our subject ; Diana, Lou- isa, Sarah. Finley, Henry and Margaret. Sarah and Margaret are still unmarried and living with their father. The paternal grandparents of our -ubject came from the North of Ireland in time for grandfather John McKee to serve as a soldier in the Revolutionary War, and during the later trouble in 1812. Subsequently he settled in Pennsylvania, where he spent his last days. The maternal grand- father. Isaac Linn, served as a Captain in the War of 1812 under the immediate command of Gen. Harrison.
Mr. McKee spent his boyhood and youth in his native State, and after reaching his twenty-third year wa- united in marriage with Miss Jemima Linn. on the 26th of March, 1846. Mrs. McKee was born in Fayette County, Pa., June 14, 1823, and by her union with our subject became the mother of seven children: Their oldest born died in in- faney : William II. grew to man's estate, and was killed by the fall of a tree when twenty-five years of age: Andrew L. married Miss Flora Crouch, and i- a farmer: Henrietta K. M., the wife of Will- iam J. Fowler, is living in Nebraska; James A. .
died soon after his birth; Antoinette died at the age of one year and two days: Olive V. K., the youngest, is unmarried and remains with her parents.
Mrs. McKee is the daughter of Andrew and Ra- chel (Fry) Linn, natives of Pennsylvania, where they followed farming and spent their entire lives. Andrew Linn was born in 1797, and departed this life in 1881, being eighty-four years of age. The mother was born in June, 1803, and died in 1883. at the age of eighty years. They were the parents of eight children, of whom Mrs. McKee was the eldest. James T. was married, and died during bis service in the army as a member of the 85th Penn - sylvania Infantry: Isaac C .; John W. also served in the Union army four years; Martha: Caleb F. lost his life in the army ; Mary S .: Courtland S., and Isaac, the youngest, who died when eleven months old. The maternal grandfather of Mrs. MeKee was a minister of the Baptist Church, in which he labored faithfully for a period of forty years, during this time occupying one pulpit.
S QUIRE F. CARPENTER, the father of Charles Wheaton Carpenter. the well-known dealer in live stock and coal at the city of Odell, was born in Luzerne County, Pa., June 15, 1815, and was the sixth in a family of ten children, the offspring of Amos and Cynthia ( Frank- lin ) Carpenter, natives respectively of Connecticut and Rhode Island. Mr. Carpenter was reared to the various employments of farm life, and received but a limited education. Ile spent most of his life in his native county, where his death took place Oct. 29, 1883, at the age of sixty-eight years.
Mr. Carpenter began farming for himself when twenty-two years of age, and on the 16th of Febru- ary, 1837, was united in marriage with Miss Ma- tilda Champlin, who was the eldest of four children born to Benjamin and Mary (Clark) Champlin. She began life June 6, 1813. Her parents were na- tives of Rhode Island, and her father descended from a long line of people who had been uniformly engaged in agricultural pursuits, Mrs. Carpenter
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departed this life a few months previous to the death of her husband, passing away Dec. 30, 1882. The remains of both were laid to rest in Waverly Cemetery, near the old homestead, which is still in possession of their descendants.
The family of Mr. and Mrs. Carpenter included eight children, seven now living. They are re- corded as follows : Charles Wheaton was born Dec. 11, 1837: Mary Cordelia, Sept. 28, 1839; James Clark, Jan. 30, 1842: Christopher Champlin, Ang. 10, 1843; Willet Manuel, Jan. 3, 1848; Isaac Mon- roe was born June 6, 1849. and died Feb. 8. 1852: Cyrus Benjamin was born Sept. 3, 1852, and Amos Franklin, Sept. 12, 1853. Three are married and settled in comfortable homes, living mostly in Odell and vicinity, and represent the intelligent and re- spectable element of society. Of Charles, the eldest, a sketch will be found elsewhere in this volume. They received careful training under the home roof, and a good education in the common schools.
Mr. Carpenter was a staneh Democrat, politieally, although he meddled little with public affairs, pre- ferring the quiet retreat of his home and family, and devoting his attention mainly to the labors and duties of his homestead. Both he and his excellent wife identified themselves with the Baptist Church early in life.
W ARREN WEBSTER, one of the most wor- thy and intelligent members of the farm- ing community of Broughton Township, is a fine illustration of the self-made man, who eom- meneed life without other capital than his strong hands and resolute will, and has built up a good homestead from a traet of land of which he took possession when it was little removed from its prim- itive condition. Ile has been a resident of this county for a period of over thirty years, and num- bers scores of friends among its intelligent and most highly respected people. Ile followed gen- eral farming the first two years, but latterly has given considerable attention to stock-raising. in which he has met with unqualified success. He has been particularly active in the establishment and maintenance of schools, and has served as Director
in his township for a number of years. His pre- cepts have closely been followed by practice in his own family, as he has given his children the best advantages which his means would afford, and fitted them to take their station in life as useful and in- telligent members of society.
Our subject was born in Little Valley, Tuscara- was Co., N. Y., Jan. 18, 1834, and is the son of Warren and Eveline (Ewell) Webster, of New En- gland ancestry, the father a native of Connecticut and the mother of Massachusetts. They removed to New York State after their marriage, where the death of both occurred when about forty and thirty- five years of age respectively.
Mr. Webster spent his early years at his father's homestead in Tusearawas County, in the meantime receiving a common-school education and becom- ing familiar with farm life. He started out for himself when a youth of nineteen years. and com- ing to Seneca County, this State, was engaged two years thereafter as a farm laborer. lle then mi- grated as far east as Norwalk, Ohio, in the vicinity of which town he worked probably five years. and there met his fate in the person of Miss Phobe Knapp, to whom he was married on the 16th of October, 1855. The young people a few weeks later eame to Kendall County, where they remained a year, and Mr. Webster then purchased the 160 acres of land in Broughton Township, this county, to which he -oon removed and where they have sinee remained. They were not exempt from the early struggles of life in a new settlement, but in looking around upon their comfortable home with its modern buildings and other embellishments, feel well repaid for their toil and sacrifice.
The household of our subject and his excellent lady in due time included six children : Chloe Eu- dora was born July 5, 1866. and is now the wife of Michael Kuhn, a prosperous farmer of Henry County, this State : Charles Emmet was born Dec. 16. 1867, and is now living at home; Herman Alva was born Feb. 20, 1869; Warren Alonzo, Ang. 21, 1870; Geneva, June 19. 1874; Delbert Eli, Aug. 17, 1880. Mr. Webster has two brothers and four sisters living : Austin is a resident of Kan-as; Levi is farming in Dwight Township, this eounty : Ap- phia is the widow of Matthew Cox and resides at
LIVINGSTON COUNTY.
Seneca. Ill. ; Julia is married and a resident of Iowa ; Anise. Mrs. Eben Neff, lives at Newark, Ill .; Eve- line is the wife of Samuel Broughton, of Indiana. The wife of our subject was born Dec. 19, 1828. near Norwalk, Ohio, one of the most beautiful cities in the Buckeye State. Her parents were Ethan and Hannah (Smith) Knapp, natives of New York State, where they were reared and married, and whence they -oon afterward removed to Ohio, where they spent the remainder of their days. Mrs. Web- -ter has two sisters and one brother living, namely : Catherine. the wife of Lewis Wilbur, of Wood County. Ohio: Charles, and Julia, Mrs. Herman Terwilliger, who reside near Norwalk.
R. CHAUNCEY B. OSTRANDER, of Fairbury, has operated as a successful practitioner in this section for a period of thirty-seven and a half years. He is a grad- nate of the Medical College at Fairfield, Herkimer Co .. N. Y .. receiving hi- diploma in 1836. He is of German birth and parentage. his native place being the Grand Duchy of Baden, Germany, where he was born Oct. 31. 1818. His parents. Tobias and Rox- ana ( Fisher) Ostrander, when their son was a child five years of age. immigrated to America and settled at Poughkeepsie, N. Y., where they remained the few years which they were permitted to live. The mother died on the 1st of January, 1837, and the father eight days later of smallpox. Our subject at the same time had the varioloid. Four children were thus orphaned, and our subject was cared for by Troy Conference Methodist Episcopal Church. Reuben upon reaching manhood married Miss Martha MeLauth, a native of his own country, and located in Farmington, Wayne Co., N. Y .; Matilda became the wife of Dwight Donelson, of Ohio, and died in Painesville, Ohio, Aug. 26, 1880; Olive married Dr. Sumner Taylor, who died in St. Jo- seph County, Mich., in September. 1876.
Our subject was the youngest member of the funily, and after completing his primary studies at the common schools, commenced reading medicine under the instruction of Dr. Daniel Chapman, an
eminent physician of Lyons, N. Y. He remained with him three years and nine months, and after graduating immediately started West. July 6, 1836. On arriving in Chicago he was the possessor of one pair of hose and one shirt extra. Hle started on foot but soon fell in with a benevolent family who were migrating westward, and made arrangements to take passage in their wagons across large streams of water. lle left them in Michigan and proceeded to the city of Chicago. There he entered at once upon the duties of his profession, and on the 1st of November, 1837, received an appointment as As- sistant Surgeon in the 2d Infantry, United States army, and joined the regiment at Florida on the 10th of December following. They were stationnd at a point near Tampa Bay, and soon afterward Dr. Ostrander accidentally received a compound frac- ture of the wrist, on account of which he was unfit for duty for four months. He remained in that section of country until 1841, and then embarked on the frigate "Brandywine" for New York City. In September following he started for the West again. first locating in Chicago, where he commenced practice and continued a resident nine years. Upon leaving there he started for this county, and on the 7th of July, 1850, at 1 o'clock in the afternoon. en- tered the limits of Pontiac. Ile opened an office and commenced the career which has subsequently been marked with entire success. He has had 2,605 cases of obstetrics and has never lost a single case, forty-four pairs of twins and four sets of triplets.
Besides his handsome residence in town and other valuable property, Dr. Ostrander has a farm of eighty acres in Avoca Township, and the lots No. 237 and 239 on Lake street in Chicago and two lots in Pullman, besides town property in Bellmont, Fla., and sixty acres near the limits of Brunson, that State.
The marriage of Dr. Ostrander and Miss Jane E. Ilolland was celebrated in the city of Chicago, June 14, 1846, Rev. William M. D. Ryan officiating. Mrs. Ostrander is a native of Geauga County, Ohio, and was born Jan. 9, 1826. Her parents were Stephen and Elizabeth. They died early in life, and little Jane was placed in the family of a min- ister of the old-school Presbyterian Church, Orange Lyman, by whom she was reared and educated.
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The Doctor and Mrs. Ostrander have no children of their own, but have given parental care to eight little ones, whom they reared and educated as their own, and who have now become worthy members of society. Dr. Ostrander and his estimable lady are prominently connected with the Presbyterian Church and our subject, politically, is a decided Republican, and a Prohibitionist, notwithstanding the fact that he cast his first Presidential vote for Andrew Jackson.
The deep benevolence which is a marked char- acteristic of Dr. Ostrander is illustrated by the fol- lowing incident. In 1850, and on the day follow- ing his entrance into Fairbury, he found a fugitive slave chained to the floor of a second-story building and who was to be returned to his master in Vir- ginia. The Doctor was also a stanch Abolitionist. and determined to rescue the unfortunate. Ilis first business was to procure a conveyance, for which he was obliged to travel six miles, and also to procure a chisel, crow-bar and sledge. With these he cut the shackles from the negro, and sent him to Chicago, a distance of ninety miles, landing there at 4 P. M. the following day, and delivering him to Dr. C. V. Dyer, who was connected with the underground railroad and the other means of free- ing the oppressed. The victim was placed on the steamer "Illinois," commanded by Capt. Blake, and landed at Malden, Canada. For this service they paid the Captain well, and also gave the fugitive $10 in money.
ETER GOOD, one of the most substantial farmers of the northern part of Livingston County, is the scion of an excellent old Pennsylvania family of German descent, whose first representatives in this country settled in Lancaster County, Pa., where their descendents have lived for many generations. The maternal grandfather of Mr. Good was a soldier in the Revolutionary War, serving the entire seven years, distinguishing himself as a most disinterested pat- riot, and receiving the high approval of his superior officers.
The father of our subject, David Good, was born in Lancaster County, Pa., and in his youth
learned the weaver's trade, which he followed several years. He married a lady of his own county, Miss Barbara Zeigler, and they became the parents of five children. all of whom grew to mature years and were named respectively : Isaac, Benjamin, Peter, Solomon and Mary Ann. The parents spent the latter years of their lives upon a farm in Lancaster County, where the father died when seventy-two years of age. He was a member of the Dutch Re- formed Church, and a man of much prominence and personal worth.
Our subject was born at the homestead in Lan- caster County, in the spring of 1825, received a common-school education, and learned the weaver's trade of his father. Hle possessed much mechani- cal genius, and became familiar with millwrighting, which he adopted as his vocation in preference to weaving, and followed nine years. He continued under the parental roof until twenty-six years of age and was then married to Miss Annie, daughter of William and Rebecca (Hoster) Conrad, formerly of Berks, but at that time residents of Lancaster County.
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