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 134

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 134

Note: The text from this book was generated using artificial intelligence so there may be some errors. The full pages can be found on Archive.org (link on the Part 1 page).

while pressing the fatal hemlock to his lips, turned to his friends and confessed that the future was all a dark uncertainty. So must it ever be with man- kind, wherever the light of this Divine revelation has not been bestowed. Thick darkness covers, and must continue to cover. the face of the world's deep, till God himself speaks as He has done to us in this Word, to make the darkness light.

"The discourse was listened to throughout with deep interest, and at it: close a liberal collection was taken in behalf of the City Bible Society, for the supply of the de-titute masses with the word of God."

The marriage of Dr. Hartshorn and Miss Kate Willian .- , of Bellaire, Ohio, was celebrated at the home of the bride, April 19, 1859. Mrs. Hartshorn is the daughter of the late James Williams. of West Wheeling, and a great-granddaughter of Gen. Will- iam Williams, one of the signers of the Declaration of Independence and a member of the Continental Congres>. She was also the great-great-grand- daughter of Gov. Jonathan Trumbull, of Conneeti- ent, the friend and ally of Washington. Gen. Will- iam> married Gov. Trumbull's only daughter, Mary. Mr. and Mrs. Hartshorn became the parents of a son and daughter: Frederick, who was born Dec. 19, 1861, and Ella Louise, Sept. 17, 1866. They are both living at home with their parents.

EWIS II. HOLLMEYER, who is success- fully operating on 240 acres of land in Round Grove Township, section 29, is a na- tive of the Buckeye State, where he was born in the town of Oxford, Butler County, Sept. 4, 1857. Four years later his parents came to this county, locating in Broughton Township, where our sub- ject pursued his first studies in the district school and completed them at the Normal School at Val- paraiso, Ind. Hle took naturally to farming pur- suits, however, in which he has been engaged since old enough to make himself useful.

The parents of our subject, Henry C. and Wil- helmina (Neighburger) Holhmeyer, were born in the Province of Hanover, Germany, whence they 1

1081

LIVINGSTON COUNTY.

emigrated to the United States early in life, first locating near Cincinnati, Ohio, whence they subse- quently removed to Dwight, Ill. The father was engaged nearly all his life in agriculture, and is now living retired from active labor. He is known as a man who has labored industriously and per- formed all his obligations as a good eitizen. The parental household included five children, of whom Lewis II. is the eldest. The others are Minnie A. and iEtta Dora, living, while Nellie and Willie are dead.

On the 28th of December, 1877, the subject of this sketch formed a matrimonial alliance with Miss Ella D., daughter of Benjamin F. and Manetta A. (Bennett) Barney, who were natives of Ohio. Mr. Barney has lived in Livingston County a number of years, and now resides in Pontiac, where his daughter, Mrs. Hollmeyer, was born, Nov. 17, 1861. The family also included Zelda and M. M., besides one brother, Charles J .. who is now deceased.

Mr. Ilollmeyer is regarded as one of the rising young men of his community and one who is bound to succeed in life. He is a prominent member of the Methodist Episcopal Church, and in polities, a Democrat. Socially, he belongs to Dwight Lodge No. 513, I. O. O. F.

M ARY CAIRNS, who resides on section 26, Rook's Creek Township, is the daughter of Isaac and llarriet (Belknap) Skeeles, and was born in Tusearawas County, Ohio, March 13, 1829. Her girlhood day> were spent upon the farm of her father. and her education was obtained in the common schools.

On the 22d of May, 1847, our subject became the wife of Michael Kennedy Cairns, a farmer by occupation, and they resided in Ohio for about ten years after marriage. In July, 1857, they moved from Ohio to near Bloomington, Ill., where they purchased 160 acres of land, and carried on farming for about four years. They then sold this land, and removing to Tazewell County, in 1861, purchased land near the town of Washington, where they con- tinued to live until 1878, when they moved to Woodford County, and resided five years. They

then sold out and purchased the farm on which the subject of this sketch now lives in Rook's Creek Township.

Mrs. Cairns is the mother of five children-Har- riet Isabella, Margaret Jane, Samuel Isaac, Eleanor Johnston and Rosa Belle. Harriet I. was born Sept. 27, 18448, and died in infancy ; Margaret J. was born May 2, 1850, and married Isaae Tobias, a merchant of Washington, Ill .; she died Oct. 10, 1875, leaving one child, Carrie Belle, born Dec. 13, 1874, who is now living with the subject of this sketch. Samuel 1., whose sketch is given in another part of this ALmuy; Eleanor J. was born Jan. 12, 1855, and married Samuel Amsler Dec. 25, 1874; she lives in Fairbury, and has one chikl, named Charles S., born Sept. 4, 1876. Rosa Belle was born Jan. 4, 1864, and received a common-school educa- tion, after which she attended High School at Wash- burn, Ill., two years, and then attended the Mon- ticello Seminary, at Godfrey, Ill., two years. She then completed her education at the Jennings Sem- inary, from which she was graduated June 23, 1887. She is quite an enthusiast on the subject of music, and contemplates completing her study in Germany.

Mrs. Cairns is the fifth child in a family of seven who grew to maturity : Jane, who married Samuel Ricketts, a merchant of Eurichsville, and has seven children; David B. married Rhenbanna Cairns, and lives in Dakota, where he owns a silver mine; he has two children, Samuel R., a farmer of Tusearawas County, Ohio, married Jane True and has eight children; Thomas B., also a farmer in Tuscarawas County, married Rebecca Smith, and has five children; Asbury B. married Margaret Smith, and enlisting as a soldier in the Union army, died from the effects of a wound, and left three children ; Charles B. married Almina Sherod, has four children and lives in lowa; David, the oldest brother, was a Major in the Union army and served during the entire war; he went into the service as a Captain, and for gallant conduct was promoted to the rank of Major.

Mrs. Cairns' father, Isaac Skeeles, was born in Maryland, and shortly after the close of the War of 1812, in which he was a soldier, located in Ohio, where he died on the 24th of May, 1869. Mrs. Cairns' mother was a native of one of the New

10-2

LIVINGSTON COUNTY.

England States, and her parents moved to Ohio, where she met and married Mr. Skeeles. Mrs. Cairns maternal grandfather. David Belknap. mar- ried Jane AAyres.

Michael Kennedy Cairns, the husband of our sub- ject, was born near Belfast. Ireland. Jan. 4, 1826. and accompanying his parents to America when he was six years of age, located with them in Harrison County, Ohio. He died in Livingston County April 10. 1883. He was the seventh child in a family of eight. the others of whom married and are recorded as follows: Margaret married Samuel Mack. in Belfast, Ireland, has ten children, and now live- in Harrison County. Ohio: William married Margaret MeCayd, who died and left eight children, all of whom live in Ohio; Samuel married Mahala Fisher. and dying left two children, who live in Harrison County, Ohio; Isabella married George Johnston. has three children, and lives in Texas: Moses married Sarah Knight, and is now deceased : Eleanor married John Johnston, has nine children. and live- at Bloomington, Ill. ; John is married and lives in Texas, but has no children. During the war he was impressed into the service in the South- ern army and served three years. The father of Mr. Cairns was named Michael, and he was married in Ireland to Miss Isabella Kennedy.

MOTHY MURPHY. Few gentlemen of Livingston County are more worthy of representation in this AuBry than the snb- jeet of this biography. He has been located in Bronghton Town-hip since the spring of 1867, when he settled upon his present farm, which he Ind purchased some time before, and which now in- elude - 360 acres of valuable land, comprising a part of section- 33 and 34, the residence being on the for- mer. This is a comfortable and well appointed -tructure, with a good barn and all other necessary out-building- convenient for the storing of grain and the shelter of stock. The entire premises, wear- ing as it does the appearance of comfort and plenty, i- exceedingly pleasant for the eye to dwell upon. The proprietor is one of the self-made men of Livingston County, who began life for himself in a

humble manner and has climbed up steadily until he occupies a good position socially and financially among his neighbors.

Mr. Murphy was born in County Tipperary, Ireland. Ang. 22, 1819, and is the son of John and Elizabeth (Talbert) Murphy, natives of the same locality. He was the fifth child of the family, and was reared to manhood in the modest home of his parents, receiving a limited education in the com- mon schools. He was deprived of most of the ad- vantages afforded the young men of to-day, and early in life was made acquainted with its toils and struggles. He continued in Ireland until twenty- seven years of age, and had not made a tithe of the progress to which his ambition aspired. Accord- ingly, in the spring of 1846 he gathered together his family and their personal effects, and bidding adien to the friends of his childhood took passage on a sailing-vessel bound fiom Liverpool to New York City. A month later he set foot upon Amer- ican soil, and from the Empire City proceeded to Massachusetts, where he was engaged a year at wagon-making, which trade he had learned in the old country. Hle then removed to Buffalo, N. Y., where he followed his trade for a time, and then went over into Canada, where he met his fate in the person of Miss Ann Roach, to whom he was mar- ried Sept. 1, 1850. This lady was also a native of Ireland, and a daughter of Miles and Bridget. Roach, who emigrated to America in 1834, when their daughter Ann was abont fourteen years of age, settling in the Dominion of Canada. After four years he returned to Ireland, where he staid one year, and then came to the United States, where the death of both occurred in middle life.

Mr. and Mrs. Murphy took up their residence in Mintsville, Canada, where they remained until the spring of 1852, and then coming to the West, located first in LaSalle, whence in 1867 they re- moved upon their present farm. Mr. Murphy was soon recognized as a valuable addition to the com- munity, in the affairs of which he has been quite prominent. serving as School Director seven years, and in other respects indicating himself to be an honorable and worthy citizen. The family he- long to the Catholic Church at Campus.

To Mr. and Mrs. Murphy there were born twelve

1085

LIVINGSTON COUNTY.

children, who are recorded as follows: Elizabeth is the wife of Patrick Ferguson, of Broughton Township; Maria was married to Amel Ohrey, of Ottawa, Ill .; John married Julia Cooling, and is a resident of Chicago; Sarah J. died in the Convent of the Servite Sisters, Chicago, when twenty-two years of age; Margaret for the last seven years bas been a mun with the Servite Sisters; Norah is the wife of William MeDermot, of Butte City, Mont. : Alice, Miles, Martina, George, Francis and Charles are at home. The Murphy children received good ad- vantages for schooling, and Elizabeth, Maria and Norah were engaged in teaching before marriage. Alice developed considerable musical talent, and is a good performer on the piano, besides being competent as a teacher of this art, in which she was engaged for a time at Emington.

R. CYRUS H. BARR, physician and drug- gist, and one of the leading citizens of Dwight, is descended from English ances- try who came to this country with the Puritans. The Barr family were among the early settlers of New York State. On the maternal side Dr. Barr descends from the Austin family, members of which were among the first settlers of Rhode Island. The old log cabin still stands near East Greenwich, that State, that was the first home of the Austins in Rhode Island. Dr. Barr is thus a descendant of the pioneers of three States, New York, Rhode Island and Illinois.

Aaron Barr, the grandfather of our subject, lived near Norwich, Chenango Co., N. Y., and was a farmer by occupation. Ethan R. Barr, the father of our subject, was born on his father's farm in New York. IIe first learned farming, and afterward practiced as a veterinary surgeon, being one of the first in Illinois; afterward he was supercargo on a steamer running from New Orleans to Aspinwall on the Isthmus of Panama. Subsequently he re- turned to Rhode Island, and married Miss Emily A. Bennett, of East Greenwich, a daughter of Thomas and Emily ( Austin) Bennett, and to them have been born three children : Cyrus H., July 10, 1854;

Albert W., June 3, 1859, and Lloyd C., May 29, 1862. In 1856 Mr. Barr removed to Illinois, and settling on a farm in Grundy County, remained there until his death in 1882, at the age of fifty-six years. When he came to Dwight there were but few houses in the village and the country was wild prairie.

Dr. Cyrus II. Barr was born in East Greenwich, R. I., July 10, 1854, and was brought to this county by his parents when but four years of age. He obtained his education at the Morris Normal School, and his medical education at the Chicago Medical College, of which institution he is a graduate. He began the practice of medicine at Dwight in the spring of 1882. The year following he purchased a half interest in the drug-store owned by C. M. Baker, but subsequently took up his residence in Wilmington. In the spring of 1884 he returned to Dwight and purchased the remaining half of the store, which he now condnets in connection with the practice of his profession. He is a skillful and reliable physician, and numbers his friends and pa- trons among the best people of the county.

On the 11th of March, 1884, Dr. Barr married Miss Minnie A., daughter of Charles W. and Mary G. (Myers) Cook, of Wilmington, Ill., formerly of New York. To Dr. and Mrs. Barr has been born one child, a daughter named Leila. Politically Dr. Barr is an advocate of the principles of the Repub- lican party, and fraternally he has taken three de- grees in Masonry which are conferred by the Blue Lodge.

OHN II. AMSLER, an important factor in the farming community of Indian Grove Township, came to this section during the early days of its settlement, and set himself about the establishment of a permanent home. Like many of the pioneers of Livingston County, he first opened his eyes to the light in Pennsylva- nia, his birthplace being in York County, and the date thereof Jan. 2. 1832.

When our subject was but a child five years of age, his father migrated to the West, taking up his residence upon the present site of Peoria. There

LIVINGSTON COUNTY.

Was then but little evidence of the beautiful and flourishing city which now greets the eye of the traveler. A few months later the elder Amsler entered 160 acres of land in Woodford County, ten miles from where he had first stopped, and here the subject of our sketch was reared to manhood. lle received but a limited education, and spent his early Years after the manner of the sons of pioneer farmers. Ile remained under the parental roof until about twenty-nine years of age, and was then united in marriage with Miss Sarah A. Clifton, who has ever been to him a true friend and companion.

Mrs. Amsler was born in Woodford County, Ill., Sept. 5. 1842, and is the daughter of Levi and Sarah (Sowiers) Clifton, natives respectively of Ohio and Virginia. Her father was a farmer by occupation. and departed this life in Woodford County about 1854. followed by the mother two years later; both were members of the New-Light Church. The parental household included seven children, two of whom. Douglas and Ernest, are now deceased. Those surviving besides Mrs. Ams- ler. are. Cora. the wife of E. W. Burger, of King- man. Kan .: Charles, lda and Amber.

Mr. Amsler removed from Woodford to McLean County in 1866. and in 1883 came to this county. where his property includes eighty acres of finely cultivated land, one and a half miles west of Fair- field. besides a fine residence in the city. lle still continues the superintendence of his farm, and spends his leisure time in Fairbury, where his home is replete with all the comforts of modern life. Dur- ing his later years on the farm, he turned his at- tention largely to the raising of fine stock, making a specialty of blooded draft horses and Poland- ( bina swine. He usually does his own shipping, munl has realized a small fortune from his opera- tion- in this department of agriculture. A-a mem- ber of society he has been the encourager of those enterprise- calculated for the moral and intelleet- a growth of the people, and with his family is a member and regular attendant of the Christian ( burch. of which he has been Deacon for the last ten you-, and Trustee for probably more than that. length of time. In political matter- he is decidedly Democratic.

The parent- of our subject. John and Annie

(Brock) Amsler, were natives of Switzerland, where the mother was born Nov. 3, 1802, and the father July 10, 1:06. They were married in 1828, and are still living, enjoying in a remarkable degree their physical strength, and still employed actively about their homestead in Washington, Tazewell Co., 1H. Both are members of the German Evan- gelical Church, in which the father specially has been prominent and has for many years held the office of Treasurer. They had a family of eight children. The eldest son, lacob, started for Ore- gon in 1851, and since 1870 they have had no word from him or trace of him. The others besides our subject were named respectively: Susan, Mary, Henry, Christopher, Maggie and Samuel.

6 HADDEU'S S. MCDONALD, a prominent grain buyer and stock-raiser of Round Grove Township, makes his headquarters at Cam- pis. near where he settled in the spring of 1880, and has a good farm on section 27. This comprises 320 acres of land, with suitable farm buildings and all the conveniences for carrying on agriculture and stock-raising after the most approved methods.

The childhood days of Mr. McDonald were spent at his birthplace in Taylor County. W. Va., where he first opened his eyes to the light Jan. 27, 1849. lle continued there with his father's family until a youth of fifteen years, and they then all migrated to Illinois, locating in Esmen Township, this county, where Thaddeus S. passed his early manhood and resided until the spring of 1880. Ilis industry and enterprise were indicated at an early age, and he became familiar with farming pursuits, which he has followed all his life. He occupied his farm four years, and in 1884 took up his residence in Campus, where he has a neat dwelling with attractive sur- roundings, and is numbered among the valued members of the community. He has represented Round Grove Township in the County Board of Supervisors two year-, and socially is a member of Cabery Lodge No. 631, A. F. & A. M. In politics he supports the principles of the Democratic party.

The marriage of Thaddeus S. MeDonald and Miss Ella V. Bradley took place at the home of the

1087

LIVINGSTON COUNTY.

bride in Amity Township, March 11, 1877. Mrs. McDonald is a native of Illinois, and was born July 12, 1855. They have an interesting family of five children, named respectively : Delta V., Blanche M., Frank P'., Ina E. and Thaddeus .l. The elder children are pursuing their studies in the district school, and all will receive the advantages of a good education, as Mr. McDonakl is a highly intelligent man and most decidedly in favor of " book-learning."

The parents of our subject, Patrick F. and Eliza- beth (Husted) McDonald, were born in Taylor County, W. Va., coming to this county in the spring of 1864. Their family included seven chiklren, of whom Thaddeus S. was the eldest. Of these six survive, and five are residents of Illinois and one of Kansas. The parents of Mrs. McDonald, James and Nancy ( Bartholomew) Bradley, were among the pioneer settlers of Livingston County and located in Amity Township, where they assisted in develop- ing its resources. building up a good homestead and rearing their children to become worthy and efficient members of society. The father died Dec. 23, 1861 ; the mother is still living, and a resident of Cornell. The wife of our subject was the youngest of the family, and with her brothers and sisters received careful home training and a good education in the common schools.

S AMUEL MILLS is successfully engaged in farming and stock-raising on section 8, Es- men Township, where he owns 200 acres of land and has established a comfortable homestead, receiving as the reward of industry and economy, the good things of life which he has so richly earned. The subject of our sketch is a native of England, being born near London on the 6th of May, 1848, and was the fourth in a family of twelve children born to George and Sarah (Shad- well) Mills, who were natives of England. The pa- ternal grandparents were Richard and Sarah Mills, who were also English people, while the maternal grandparents were Samuel and Jane Shadwell. The father of Mr. Mills was a herdsman by occupa- tion, and followed that calling in his native country. .

Samuel Mills was reared to stock-herding, and when a boy was so constantly engaged in that work that his opportunities for obtaining an education were very limited. At the age of sixteen years he left the parental roof and followed the occupation of a herdsman until twenty years of age, at which time he concluded to seek a home in America. Ac- companied by Percival Kimber and his sister, he sailed from Liverpool on the steamship "Nebraska," and landed at Castle Garden after fourteen days on the ocean. lle at once started for Illinois, where the Kimbers had relatives living at Ottawa, and en- gaged at farm work. In January, 1871, he married Miss Mary Kimber, who had made the voyage across the ocean with him and her brother. She is a daughter of Jesse and Alice (Ackert) Kimber, who were natives of England and emigrated to America, where both have since died.

Mr. Mills and wife first lived with her uncle, William Kimber, two years, and then moved down near Ottawa, where he rented land and farmed for a term of six years. He then came to Livingston County, and bought 200 acres of improved land upon which he now resides, cultivating this farm himself and making a specialty of stock-raising. He is the father of three children-Letitia Alice, Nellie Jeanette and Jessie Arthur, all of whom live with their parents.

Mr. Mills is not very active in political matters, and acts and votes independently. Considering his age and opportunities he has been very successful since coming to this country, and has made good use of the opportunities afforded here to enterpris- ing men. He has an excellent farm, which is well improved and productive, and has already situated himself so as to be independent the balance of his life. On another page of this volume is shown a view of Mr. Mills' homestead.

G EORGE L. TAYLOR is a successful farmer and land-holder of Dwight Township, and is of pure Scotch origin. James Taylor, his grandfather, was a silk manufacturer of Paisley, Scotland, where he was engaged in manufacturing the celebrated Paisley shawls. In his religious doc- trines he was an adherent of the old Scotch Coven-

10 ..

LIVINGSTON COUNTY.

anters. He was the father of seven children and lived to be very aged.

William Taylor, the father of the subject of our sketch. was born at Paisley, Scotland, Dec. 12, 1802. passing his early life in the striet training of the old Covenanter -. He was given a good com- mon-school education and learned silk manufactur- ing of his father, in which he became much skilled and continued until twenty-five years of age. In 1-26. the year made famous on account of the death of Jefferson and Adams, Mr. Taylor came to this country, and was first employed in a glass man- ufactory in Charlestown, Mass. He was afterward foreman in cotton factories at Newton, Mass., at Newport. R. I., and other places, following this business eighteen years. In 1817 he married Mrs. Prentice, widow of George Prentice, of Lanark, Lanark-hire, Scotland. The result of this marriage was three children, one of whom is now living. Ague- (commonly called Nancy), who married William McCartney, of Central Falls, R. I. The maiden name of Mr-, Prentice was Agnes Logan, and her parents were William and James (Gibson) Logan, natives of the same place as Mr. Prentice. Her marriage with Mr. Taylor resulted in the birth of one son, George L. the subject of this sketch.

In 1852 Mr. Taylor moved to Highland, Grundy Co., Ill., and purchasing land of the Government began farming, and remained on the same farm thirty year -. Being one of the pioneers of Illinois he has seen the State grow from the raw and un- broken prairie to its present condition of greatness in city. town and country. He was the owner of the first team of horses ever seen in Highland Town- ship. Among the amusements of the early settlers was the wolf hunt, in which all joined, and which nearly always resulted in the destruction of many of these posts. In faxt be removed to his present residence, which is appropriately named "Maple ( roft." consisting of 160 acres of land within one mite of Dwight. as fertile and finely situated as any farm in this township. Politically Mr. Taylor was an old-line Whig. during the existence of that party. and upon the organization of the Republican party he joined his political fortunes therewith. ile i- a member of the Methodist Episcopal Church, in which he has held the office of Steward. He has

Need help finding more records? Try our genealogical records directory which has more than 1 million sources to help you more easily locate the available records.

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 134

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