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 107

Author: Chapman Brothers (Chicago) publisher
Publication date: 1888
Publisher: Chicago : Chapman brothers
Number of Pages: 1208

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 107

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To Mr. and Mrs. Richards were born the follow- ing-named children: Melissa J., Thomas, Mary, Frederick, Alexander, Louis, Walter and Charles. Melissa J. was born Nov. 15, 1860, and died April 4, 1879; Thomas was born Ang. 19, 1862, married Lena Missell, and resides in Bruce Township, La- Salle County ; Mary was born July 29, 1864, mar- ried George M. Loy March 4, 1886, has one child, and resides in Otter Creek Township, LaSalle

County ; Frederick was born Oct. 26, 1866, and died Feb. 11, 1876; Alexander was born Aug. 15, 1868: Louis was born Dec. 15, 1870, and is a stu- dent at the High School at Streator: Walter was born Aug. 31, 1873, and Charles in October, 1875.

Robert A. Graham was married, on the 22d of February, 1877, to Miss Maggie A. Armstrong, of Reading Township. She is the daughter of Thomas and Maria Armstrong, natives of Ohio. The latter now makes her home at the residence of Mr. Gra- ham. To Mrs. Graham's parents were born the following-named children: Martin, Edward, Salem S., William, Theodore, George, Doom, Maggie A., Kate and John. Martin married Susan Fox, of Ohio, and they have had six children, three of whom are living, and live in Montgomery County, near Havana, Kan .; Salem S. married Susan Buz- zard, of Ohio, who bore him the following-named children : Allen, Lizzie and Engene. Allen mar- ried Almira Deafenbangh, and they reside in Read- ing Township; Lizzie married Henry Walter, has two children, and lives in LaSalle County ; Eugene is at home. The first wife died, and Salem subse- quently married Miss Jane Kellogg, daughter of William Kellogg, and to them were born six chil- dren, all of whom reside at home in Reading Town- ship. William Armstrong married Lib. Arnold, of Reading Township, and had one child: Theodore, deceased : George married Sarah Skaggs, daughter of Joseph Skaggs, and they had one child: the mother and child both died, and George was again married, to Clara Holcomb, daughter of John Ilol- comb, who bore him three children, two of whom are dead. George was killed in the coal mines in Eagle Township, LaSalle County, in January, 1881. Doom married Kate Kepple; they have four chil- dren, and live in LaSalle County : Kate, Maggie's twin sister, married Elijah Deafenbangh : John mar- ried Lizzie Holcomb, daughter of John Holeomb; they have three children, and reside in Reading Township.

To Mr. and Mrs. Robert A. Graham was born one child, Etta Florence, Oct. 22, 1882. Mr. Gra- ham came to Livingston County in the spring of 1884, and now owns 225 acres of land in an excel- lent state of cultivation, on which is a first-class line of improvements. This farm is drained by

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about 500 rods of tile, which were put in at a cost of $300. A view of this homestead embellishes this volume.

Mr. Graham belongs to the Democratic party. and is at present-discharging the duties of Road Commissioner and School Director. He holds a mem- bership in Lodge No. 602. I. O.O. F. : Encampment No. 147. and is also a member of Lodge No. 89, Knights of Pythias, at Streator. Ile and his wife are members of the Methodist Episcopal Church. in which they take an active interest.

AMES H. COSGROVE. Among the multi- tude of employes engaged upon great rail- way lines. none occupy a more important position. so far as the safety of lives and property is concerned, than the telegraph operators at the various important stations. It is throughi the operator that all the orders for running trains between his and other stations must pass, and a mistake on his part in receiving and writing an or- der may result in the most dire disasters, involving loss of life and destruction of property. The careful and competent operator who attends strictly to his delicate duties, soon makes himself secure in his position, and can depend upon permanent employ- ment. One of the most careful and competent operators along the line of the great Chicago & Al- ton Road is the subject of this sketch, who occu- pies that position and also that of Station Agent at Odell, Ill.

Mr. Cosgrove was born in Nevada, Livingston County, on the 13th of May, 1865, and is the sec- ond child in a family of four born to Peter and Mary ( McAllister) Cosgrove, natives of Ireland and Pennsylvania respectively. His father came to America with his parents when quite young, and they settled in Livingston County. Mr. Cosgrove wa- reared on a farm, and during the winter months attended the common schools until the age of eight- cen. at which time he left the farm and came to Odell. for the purpose of learning telegraphy in the railway station office. After one year's service un- der instruction, he was appointed night operator, and served in that capacity eleven months, at which

time J. E. Birch, the agent at Odell, was transferred to Braidwood, Ill., and Mr. Cosgrove was then made the agent and official operator, in which capacity he has since acted.

Mr. Cosgrove was married, on the 17th of Feb- ruary, 1887, to Miss Agnes Chapman, the eldest child in a family of four born to Edwin O. and Mary J. (Thompson) Chapman, and born in Mont- rose, Iowa, on the 16th of September, 1865. She learned telegraphy under the instructions of her father in Cayuga, at the age of nine years, and later had charge of the otlice at that place, where she remained until her marriage with the subject of this sketch, since which time she has been a resident of Odell, and has popularized herself with the best ele- ment of society. Mr. Cosgrove is not active in political matters. and has no taste for office-getting or office-holding. He devotes his entire time and energies during business hours to the discharge of the duties of his position, and is known as one of the most careful and painstaking operators on the Chi- cago & Alton Road. He and his bride are favorites in the society of the young at Odell, and by their geniality add much to its cheerfulness. They en- joy the esteem of all their friends and acquaint- ances.

OIIN D. MARKS, a prosperous and happily situated farmer and stock-raiser on section 24, Rook's Creek Township, was born on the 2d of July, 1813, in Fairfield County, Ohio, and is the son of Jacob and Rebecca (Chan- bers) Marks. Ile received a common-school edu- cation under adverse circumstances, studying at odd times when the labor at home would permit it. Ile is the second in a family of seven children, and was married to Elizabeth L. Eli, of Knox County, Ohio, who died about one year after marriage, leaving one child, Mary Jane, who was born on the 9th of August, 1836. She was married to William Chambers and moved to Missouri, where she died in the fall of 1885, leaving four children.

Mr. Marks came from Ohio to Rook's Creek Township with his father, who brought his family West in 1836, driving through with horse-teams and arriving on the 9th of lune. He lived with

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his father some two years after the death of his wife, and then went to Mackinaw. McLean County, where he clerked about six months, when he pir- chased the store. Soon after he came to Rook's Creek Township, where he built a water-power grist and saw mill upon the Vermilion River, part of the ruins of which yet remain. He continued in the milling business about two years, when he en- gaged a large force of men and took the contract for building the Hennepin Canal, which they con- tinued to work at until the State funds for the pay- ment of the work were exhausted.

Mr. Marks' second marriage occurred on the 2d of June, 1844, to Sarah Hancock, daughter of George and Nancy (Allen) Hancock. By this marriage there were born eight children-Archibald A., Nancy E. I., Lucetta W., George W., Austella P., Timazone L., John A. and James W. Archi- bald A. was born April 21, 1845, married Sept. 30, 1866, and has three children; Nancy E. I. was born Aug. 24, 1847, married George Fowler, and died June 17, 1883, leaving three children, viz: Mac Estelle, who was born Oct. 11, 1870 ; Elvaretta, who was born Nov. 9, 1872, and died Jan. 22, 1887, and Artie Beaumont, who was born May 14, 1876. Lucetta W. was born Sept. 27, 1849, married Alson P. Pemberton Sept. 19, 1867, has seven children. and lives in Rook's Creek; George W., twin brother of Lucetta, married March 16, 1886, has one child, and lives in Rook's Creek; Austella P. was born July 2, 1852, and died April 25, 1868; Timazone L., born April 7, 1854, married I. E. Thompson, has two children, and lives in Northern Kansas; John A. was born Feb. 29, 1856, married in Jan- uary, 1882, has three children, and lives in Rook's Creek, and James W., born Aug. 2, 1857, married Jan. 10, 1883, has two children, and lives in Pon- tiac Township. Soon after Mr. Marks' second marriage he went to farming on what is now the homestead, and continued until about 1858, when he became infected with the gold fever and went to California, where he remained nearly ten years, alternating between riches and poverty. On one occasion he was offered $25,000 for his interest in a claim, which he declined, and the next week it was not salable at any price. After various suc- cesses and reverses he returned no richer than he

went, excepting what his property in Illinois had increased in value during his absence. In the year 1836 Mr. Marks was elected Constable, the first in Livingston County, and in 1840, as a special agent of the Government he took the census of the county. He voted the Whig and Republican tickets for half a century. He was at one time a member of the First Presbyterian Church, with which his ancestors for 200 years were connected.

The parents of Mr. Marks were Jacob and Re- becca (Chambers) Marks. The mother came from Ireland and was of Scotch descent; the father was a weaver by trade, and made trips to America on the vessel which his brother John commanded and of which he was mate, trading in the celebrated Irish linen. Two years before the Revolutionary War broke out he located a piece of land near Woodstock, Shenandoah Co., Va., but when the war began he returned to Ireland and remained there until peace was declared. Upon his return to this country he found that some one else owned his land under the new government, and he bought another tract, which he farmed until, becoming dis- gusted with slavery, he sold out and moved to Fairfield County, Ohio. Here he discovered the woman who became his wife and the mother of our subject. The latter's wife, Sarah Hancock, was born on the 7th of August, 1817, in Erville, Muskingum Co., Ohio, to which State her parents. who were natives of Virginia, had removed in that year, the transfer being accomplished by putting their goods in large packs and loading them on horseback. Her great-grandparents came from En- gland at quite an early day, and she supposes that her grandparents were born in Virginia. Her maternal grandfather, Moses Allen, served in the Continental army as a soldier during the entire time of the Revolutionary War; he drew a pension from the Government until the day of his death, which occurred in Tennessee, when he was nearly one hundred years of age. Her great-grandmother, while a young woman, was kidnapped in England and brought to America, where she was sold for her passage. It was here that she met her future husband, who had also been kidnapped, and after working out his own time helped to work out hers. Mr. Marks' wife remained on the farm while he

LIVINGSTON COUNTY.

was in California, taking care of the children, one of whom was a babe in her arms when he left while the oldest was fourteen years. She had to take entire charge of the farm, do all the buying and -elling. teach the children farm work, etc. During her husband's absence there came a great hurricane which wrought much damage to the property. His children are nearly all settled in life elose to him. and his deelining years are being spent amid seenes of comfort.

OIIN COE, one of the most genial and popu- lar men of Reading Township, is the owner of over 207 acres of land, the most of which is muider a high state of cultivation. The improvements which the passing traveler views with admiration are mainly the result of this gen- tleman's industry and enterprise. and he is con- stantly striving to bring about the best results after the most approved methods. llis farm is a model one in every respect. The low land has been drained with 2.300 rods of tiling, and the buildings are in all respects a credit to the proprietor as well as an ornament to the township. We are pleased to present on an adjoining page of this Atury a view of Mr. Coe's residence.

Our subject, like so many others who have largely contributed to the building up of Livingston County, was born in Greene County, Pa., June 12, 1842, and is consequently in the prime of life and the midst of his usefulne --. He is the son of most excellent and worthy parent-, Silas and Ruth ( Church) Coe, who were also natives of the Keystone State, and are mentioned in the sketch of Jared Fordyce, which will be found on another page in this work. Young Coe spent his childhood and youth after the manner of most farmers' sons, pursuing his studies in the winter season at the district school and in summer making him-elf useful in the corn and wheat field. I'pon setting out in life for himself he married a maiden of his own county, Miss JJemima Knight, the wedding taking place at the home of the bride about 1865. The young people commenced house- keeping in Reading Township, and our subject oc- enpied himself at farming. This lady only sur-

vived her marriage two years. her death taking place in 1867.

The second marriage of Mr. Coe took place in Reading Township in 1871. The present wife of our subject, who in her girlhood was Miss Anna Keith, was born in Barry County. Mich., July 11, 1850, and is the daughter of Howard C. and Eliza- beth (Warren) Keith. Iler father, a native of Winslow, Me., was born Nov. 9, 1807, and adopted the calling of an apiarist, in which he became an expert, and was the patentee of the "Keith Bee Hive," which was manufactured extensively in the East. He spent the greater part of his life in Maine, and died in Reading Township on the 15th of March, 1872. Ilis wife Elizabeth was born in Waterville, Me .. June 26, 1812. The record of their children is as follows: Sarah, their eldest daughter, was married to W. II. Douglas, of Liv- ingstou County, this State, and they subsequently crossed the Mississippi into Iowa, where Mr. D. is now engaged in farming. Willard S. is farming in Amity Township, this county. His first wife was Miss Jennie Russel, who died leaving one child, Jen- nie, who is now married ; he is a second time mar- ried and has five children. Mary M. is the wife of John Wince, and the mother of two children; her husband is a prosperous farmer and stock-raiser of Owego Township. Albert H. is engaged in the livery business at lastings, Mich; Ellen died when four years of age, and Anna, the wife of our sub- jeet, was the youngest of the family.

After their marriage Mr. and Mrs. Coe settled at Cornell, and in 1871 took possession of their present farm. Their union has resulted in the birth of six children, of whom two are deceased. Willie A. was born March 1, 1873, and is at home with his parents ; George Elmer was born Feb. 15, 1876, and died October 28 following; Alvin W. was born Feb. 17, 1878; Blanche Ethel, Ang. 29, 1880: an infant daughter. born Aug. 16, 1883, is deceased; Ralph G. was born Dec. 11, 1885.

During the late Rebellion Mr. Coe enlisted in Company G. Isth Pennsylvania Cavalry, and fol- lowed the life of a soldier until his honorable dis- charge, in 1865. His regiment was under the com- mand of Gen. Kilpatrick, and he first met the enemy at the battle of Hanover. He also participated in

FARM RESIDENCE OF JOHN COE , SEC. 28, READING TOWNSHIP.

FARM RESIDENCE OF WILLIAM REED, SEC.5, LONG POINT TOWNSHIP.

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the engagements at Gettysburg; he was in the night attack at South Mountain, Md., where our force of 3,000 captured 1,860 prisoners and destroyed 500 wagons, and Huntsville, besides being present at Hagerstown and Boonesboro. He after the engage- ment at Boonesboro went in the hospital ten months. He is a strong Republican, politically, and has served his township as Assessor and Treas- urer, besides holding the office of School Trustee four terms. As one of the leading men of his township who has given his support to its educa- tional institutions, and everything tending to the financial and moral welfare of the people, he is re- garded with more than ordinary respect, and con- sidered an important factor in the building up of its interests.

FAIL

ILLIAM REED, one of the steady-going and reliable citizens of Long Point Town- ship, has for the last five years been oper- ating on 120 acres of good land, which, although originally in fair condition, he has improved by tile draining, and enclosed with neat and substan- tial fencing. The evidences of his thrift and sound common sense are exhibited on all sides, for he has built up a most comfortable homestead, not the least feature of which is an excellent orchard and plenty of small fruit besides. Ilis buildings are neat and substantial, and the family residence is fitted up with modern conveniences, tastefully fin- ished and furnished, and indicates the home of re- finement and intelligence. In this connection is shown a view of Mr. Reed's residence and surround- ings. Our subject is a very popular citizen, he- ing cheerful and genial in disposition, and having a due regard for the rights and the pleasures of those around him.

The carly home of our subject was among the hills of Clermont County, Ohio, where his birth took place July 16, 1830. He is a son of Conrad and Catherine ( Weaver) Reed, natives respectively of Pennsylvania and Ohio. Conrad Reed was one of a family of seven children, his brothers and sis- ters being: Peter, John, Jacob, Martin, Elizabeth and Polly. The mother of our subject also had six

Frederick, Nancy and Rebecca. Of these but one is living, her brother Frederick. The father of our subject departed this life in 1860. The mother is living at Streator, III.

William Reed spent his early years in Ohio, and came when a young man twenty-three years of age, to the Prairie State. He first engaged at farming. and was united in marriage with Miss Elizabeth Andrews. They became the parents of the follow- ing-named children: Lizzie Ann, who married William Wilkinson, of LaSalle County, and they removed to Kansas, where Mrs. W. died July 3, 1882, leaving a family of four children, one of whom is now deceased; Florence, who married Smedley Wilkinson, and is living in Barton County, Kan. : they have six children : and George N., who was first married to Miss Thresher, of this county, now deceased. He subsequently married Miss Mary Alice Burkes, of Great Bend, Kan., and now resides at Portland, Ore. After the death of his first wife, our subject formed a second matrimonial alliance, with Mrs. M. J. ( Marshall) Talbott. This lady was born in Guernsey County, Ohio, July 9, 1840, and by her first marriage became the mother of one child. ller parents were Daniel and Han- nah (Smalley) Marshall, natives of Vermont and Pennsylvania respectively, and are both deceased.

Mr. Reed has been no idler, either upon his farm or among his townsmen. He is a member in good standing of the Christian Church, and politically votes the straight Republiean ticket. The temper- ance movement in this country enlisted his sym- pathies from the beginning, and he is one of the strongest advocates of Prohibition. He has always believed in the establishment and maintenance of schools, of which he has served as Director, and socially is a member of the Masonic fraternity.

2 IAL F. HAMLIN. The name of this gen- tleman is synonymous with honesty and re- liability. lle has never made any great pretentions in life, simply placing his high- est ambition among those who have built up a good record as citizens, and who have secured the brothers and sisters, namely : Jacob, Mary, Daniel, I confidence of their fellowmen. Most of his life has

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been spent in the rural districts, where he imbibed with the pure country air those correct habits which have prolonged his years in health and in strength, and kept his mind clear and unclouded upon a firm basis. Most of his labors have been devoted to farming and stock-raising, and he is now the owner of one of the finest estates in Odell Township, with his home located on section 1.

Mr. Hamlin first began life in Juniata County, Pa., Sept. 24. 1826, and was the third of eight chil- Iren born to Thomas and Elizabeth ( Kepner) Ham- lin, also natives of the Keystone State, where the father settled after his service in the War of 1812. The paternal grandparents were Thomas and Chris- tina (Shaffer) Hamlin, natives of Pennsylvania, and his maternal grandparents, John and Mary (Fleigh- burger) Kepner. Both families were for many gen- erations reared in the country and familiar with farm life. Thomas Hamlin was born in Juniata County, Pa., Oet. 4. 1794, and remained there mtil after attaining his majority. lle then migrated to Massillon, Stark Co., Ohio, making the journey overland in a lumber wagon, and being accompan- ied by his wife and three children, of whom our subject was a babe of six months. Thomas Ham- lin had intended establishing his permanent home in the Buckeye State, but was not satisfied with the outlook, and not long afterward returned to Penn- sylvania, locating in Huntingdon County. Thence he removed to Blair County, and in 1855 to Illi- nois.

The father of our subject upon coming to this State. located first in Livingston County, where he purchased a section of wild land of Alexander Campbell. He was better satisfied in this locality, and remained here the balance of his life, improv- ing a good farm, and making for himself and his family a comfortable home, until his decease on the 12th of August. 1879. The wife of his youth had pa -- ed away more than fifty years before, but he never remarried. He was largely instrumental in building up the community, and in the establish- ment of its office- and laying out townships. Ile meddled little with political matters, but when called upon to support a candidate was particu- larly careful as to the character of the man whom he assisted to place in office. His entire life was

marked by that prudence and discretion which are the most valued elements in the character of a man both in private and public life.

Under the influence of this healthy atmosphere, llial F. Hamlin grew to manhood, in the meantime assisting his father in the development of the soil and the building up of the homestead. Ile remein- bers the time when he leveled his rifle at the deer roaming over the prairie which is now dotted with fine dwellings and bears all the evidences of civili- zation. He began learning the blacksmith trade when a youth of seventeen, but this not being con- genial to his tastes, he served only his apprentice- ship, and then abandoned it. His education was conducted in the common schools, and it fell to his lot to remain with his parents and come into posses- sion of the homestead. The place where he now resides has thus been his abiding-place since he landed in Illinois, and he came into possession of it after the death of his father. His three brothers before this had cach received a quarter of the orig- inal tract.

During the Rebellion Mr. Hamlin was drafted for the Union service, but being the only support of his aged father, he furnished a substitute. He was married, April 18, 1867, to Miss Laura V. Kenney, a native of Texas, Armstrong Co., Pa., where she was born Jan. 16, 1850. Her parents. Samuel W. and Mariam V. (Fox) Kenney, were also natives of Pennsylvania, where her father for many years followed the profession of a teacher, but later engaged in general merchandising. In 1855 he disposed of his interests in the Keystone State, and removed to Pulaski, Ten., where he again engaged in trade, and remained until after the breaking out of the Rebellion. In 1862 a de- tachment of Morgan's men raided the town, and destroyed his store with $3,000 worth of cotton. Mr. Kenney fled in order to save his life, and for three mouths remained in the woods secreted from the rebel -. In the meantime the town was captured by the Union sokliers, and under their protection he returned North with his family, and leaving them with his wife's people at Red Bank, Pa., re- turned to Tennessee and became a scout for Gens. Rosecrans and Negly. Ile was subsequently cap- tured by a detachment of Gen. Bragg's command,

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and sentenced to death as a spy. All efforts to save him were unavailing, and in January, 1863, he was executed at Tullahoma, Tenn. His family never knew the exact date of his death, and only of late years learned the place of his burial, which was one and a half miles north of the city of Tul- lahoma. He had sold his property in that State, and at his death his money, papers and watch, were left in the hands of Capt. Peadon, of Nashville, but were never returned to his family. A disposition to de- stroy all evidences of his identity was manifested from the first, and had it not been for Rev. G. W. Western, who performed the last sad rites, no trace of him would ever have been obtained.

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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 107

Author: Chapman Brothers (Chicago) publisher Publication date: 1888 Publisher: Chicago : Chapman brothers Number of Pages: 1208

Author: Chapman Brothers (Chicago) publisher
Publication date: 1888
Publisher: Chicago : Chapman brothers
Number of Pages: 1208