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 138

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 138

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Mr. Collins is not active in political matters, and has only consented to discharge the duties of the offices of School Director and Road Commissioner. In elections. however, he votes for the candidates of the Republican party. He is an enterprising and go-ahead citizen, taking an active interest in all public affairs which affect the people.

Le EANDER MORGAN. a retired farmer of Dwight Township, withdrew from the active labors of an agriculturist in 1887, and took up his abode in the town of Dwight, where he is surrounded by all the comforts of life and enjoying the rest and ease which he has so justly earned. lle has lived worthily and presented an example which the present generation will do well to emu- late. He is the scion of an excellent old family, the essential points in the history of which is as follows:

The first representative of this branch of the Morgan family in America was the great-grand- father of our subject, who emigrated from Wales when a young man, accompanied by two brothers, at a period long before the Revolutionary War. They located in Reading, Fairfield Co., C'onn., and there joined the Society of Friends who had fled from Wales and England to escape persecution and en- joy the right to worship after the dictates of their own conscience. Among the sons of this gentleman was James Morgan, grandfather of our subject,

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who was born in Reading. Conn., and was reared to farming pursuits. He also, in compliance with his early teachings, identified himself with the Friends, and upon reaching manhood, was married to Miss Mary Osborn, a native of his own town. They he- came the parents of six children, namely: Ezekiel Zalman. Joel, Stephen, William, Dolly and Mary. tirandfather Morgan reared his family in the quiet of their New England home, and remained a resi- dent of that locality all his life. His three brothers settled near him. and they were all distinguished a> peaccable and law-abiding citizens. The Friends had no regular church, and the people held religious meeting- at their homes. The Friends, as is well known, are averse to warfare. and refusing to serve a- soldiers. Mr. Morgan and his brothers were all imprisoned during the Revolutionary War. The British soldiers visited the homestead on one of their raids but did little mischief beyond drinking the milk in the pantry.

tirandfather Morgan accumulated a handsome property. including 200 acres of land, with a substantial mansion and all the appurtenanees which went to make up the complete homestead of that day. There Stephen Morgan, the father of our subject. was born, and continued under the parental roof until reaching his majority. He took naturally to farm pursuits, and when ready to es- tablish domestic ties was united in marriage with Miss Annie, daughter of John St. John, of Wilton Township. The household in due time ineluded ten children, namely : George. Giles, Roswell, Le- ander. Hiram. Hermon. Samuel, John, Delia A. and Eunice. These children were all reared on the old farm, and all have passed away except George, Her- mon and our subject.

Stephen Morgan swung loose. somewhat, from hi- early religious training. and identified himself with the more modern Congregationalists. Ile still preserved, however, the stanch morality and tem- perance of life which had distinguished his progeni- tor- and was greatly respected by all who knew him. He acquired a good education and was a fine peuman. He became prominent in local affairs and finally was called upon to represent his county in the. Comeetient Legislature. The Morgan family attained to high standing in "the land of steady

habits," were of stalwart frame and sound consti- tution, and remarkable for their industry and energy. They made for themselves a name of which their descendants may well be proud.

The subject of this biography was born at the old homestead of hi- parents, Feb. 24, 1815, in the mansion which had sheltered three generations of the Morgan family. He became accustomed in early life to the various employment- of the farm, and received a common-school education. Upon reaching manhood one of his first important steps toward the establishment of a home of his own was his marriage with Miss Ann Eliza. daughter of Elias and Lettie (Diekens) Barker, of Greenwich. After his marriage he removed to Yonkers, N. Y., and was there engaged ten years, when he returned to his native State, and three years later, in 1856, set out for what was then the far West. Upon reaching Livingston County, this State, he pur- chased a quarter section of land one mile and a half from the present flourishing town of Dwight, which was then but a mere hamlet of four houses. There was not a tree to be seen in the township and no fences or other indications that it would ever be a point worthy of any special interest. He and his wife began life there in the pioneer fash- ion, armed with hope and strength and prepared to meet every emergency. The diflieulties and priva- tions which they experienced seem now even greater than they did then, because of the contrast between the past and the present.

Mr. Morgan, true to the instincts which he had derived from his ancestry, put his shoulder cheer- fully to the car of progress, and was one of the first to assist in the establishment of educational and religious institutions. Ile helped to build the churches and sustain the societies, contributed of his means to the erection of school-houses, and by all methods in his power, encouraged the settling up of the country with an intelligent and progres- sive people. He had become a Whig in early man- hood. but upon the abandonment of the old party cordially endorsed the principles of the Republicans. The temperance movement of late years has en- listed his sympathies in the warmest degree, and he is now an active Prohibitionist, and hopes to live until he shall assist in the election of a Prohibition

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candidate to the Presidential Chair. Both he and his excellent wife united with the Congregational Church years ago. Mr. Morgan is in all respects an honor to his stanch New England ancestry, and looks back to the story of his progenitors with par- donable pride, taking as much satisfaction in being a descendant of James Morgan as though he were William the Conqueror.

There were born to Leander and Mrs. Morgan four children, namely : Marie A., Leander B., William H. and George A. The two youngest sons are stock dealers at Gardner, Ill. Their only daugh- ter, Marie, was taken from the household circle by death at the early age of twenty years.

ILLIAM W. HILTON, who is engaged in cultivating the old Hilton homestead, was born in Esmen Township, Livingston County, on the 5th of January, 1849. He is the only child born to Philip K. and Matilda S. ( Longnecker) Ililton, natives of Ohio and New York respectively, of whom a biographical sketch is given in another part of this ALBUM. Our subject was reared to farm life and received a liberal education. He first at- tended the common schools at Odell, passed through the lligh Schools of that town, and was graduated from the select school at Des Moines, Iowa.

Like his father, William W. Hilton has been an extensive traveler. In 1873 he went with his father overland to Denver, Col., visiting the nat- ural parks, Colorado Springs, Pike's Peak and all the noted mountain scenery. During this trip he joined in a buffalo hunt, and with the help of a colored man who accompanied him, killed a young buffalo. He spent the winter in the mines, and proceeding to California the next spring, visited Los Angeles, San Jose, the sea-shore at San Pedro and the bath- ing resorts at Santa Cruz, and thence to San Fran- cisco, and by rail by the way of Denver to his home in Livingston County. Upon his return in 1876 he assisted in restoring the farm, which had consider- ably run down during the absence of himself and father. After this he engaged for a short time at farm work in the neighborhood.

On the 8th of October, 1876, Mr. Hilton was mar-

ried to Miss Alice J., daughter of George and Sophia (Armen) Stevens, who were natives of Ohio, but migrated to Illinois at an early date, where the mother died. The father now resides in Lawrence, Kan., where he is engaged in wagon-making. Mrs. Ililton was reared by the family of Hugh Cummins. After marriage Mr. Hilton worked at farming in Esmen Township for one season, and then moved upon the homestead where he has since remained, actively engaged in farming and stock-raising. Mr. and Mrs. Hilton have six children, whose names are as follows: Philip Kimball, Henry Wallace, Clara Matilda, George Franklin, Mabel May and Edna Pearl.

In political matters Mr. Ililton followed in the footsteps of his father and gives his allegiance to the Democratic party. He is not very active in polities, but discharges his duty as a citizen by always voting. He is a member of the Masonic fra- ternity, as well as of the Odd Fellows, and has oc- cupied in these orders the higher positions in the subordinate lodges. He has served his neighbors in the capacity of School Director many years, and has also been Overseer of Highways. He is an excel- lent citizen, correct in his habits and prompt in his business transactions.

P ETER MUNSON. In no other country on the face of the globe do there exist such op- portunities for success in any of the pursuits followed by men, and particularly in agri- cultural pursuits, as in the United States. Ever since the settlement of the country the public do- main has been without limit, so far as the demand for land is concerned, and even now there is enough unoccupied land to afford a farm for the heads of families of the balance of the world. Thousands of men have come from foreign countries who did not possess a dollar when they landed on our shores, and within a few years become the owners of am- ple and beautiful farms. Our customs and privi- leges are such that any man, no matter what his nativity, if he is industrious and economical, can have a landed homestead of his own on which no one dare molest him in his vested rights, or make

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him afraid. He need not have money to begin with: all the capital required is willing hands and a -tout heart.

Peter Munson. who is an enterprising farmer and stock-raiser on section 29. Pontiac Township. is a native of Denmark, and was born on the 11th of April. 1837. He is the son of Morgens and Eliza- 1.th ( Munson) Andersen, and was their first born. lle was reared to manhood in his native country, and received a good education in his native lan- guage. In 1857 he emigrated to America, taking pa-sage at Copenhagen upon a sailing-vessel, and after a voyage of three weeks landed at New York City, and came immediately to LaSalle County, where he resided six years. About 1863 he came to Livingston County, of which he has since been a citizen. In September. 1864, he joined the 54th Illi- nois Regiment. being attached to Company B. He participated in the battles at Franklin and Nash- ville. and in numerous shirmishes, serving until the 15th of June, 1865. when he was honorably dis- charged. lle now owns 120 acres of good land, which he purchased with money accumulated through hi- own industry and economy.

Mr. Munson was married, on the 3d of Novem- ber, 1867, to Catherine E. Kofod, and they have had -ix children. five of whom are living-Matilda, Milo. Joseph. Earnest and Lillie, Mr. Munson is a member of the Republican party, and has been elected by the prople upon several occasions to public office. He is now serving as School Director in District No. 5. and was elected Township Road ( ommissioner in the spring of 1887. He is a men- ber of the Methodist Episcopal Church, and gives of hi- time and means liberally for the support of that organization. As a citizen he stands well among hi- neighbors, and is considered one of the representative farmers of Pontiac Town-hip.

OIN R. RADCLIFF. One of the best cultivated farm- and most pleasant home- sted- in Livingston County is located in Dwight Township, bear the town of Dwight, in which the subject of this sketch and his family re-ide. Mr. Radcliff i- of Welsh descent.

Isaiah Radeliff, the grandfather of the subject of our sketch, came as a young man from Wales be- fore the war of the Revolution, and settled on a farm in Fayette County, Pa., near Perryopolis. Ile married Miss Hannah Corable, and to them were born eight children-Samuel. Laban, John, Joseph, Hannah. Rebecca, Sarah and Phoebe. He was, like many of the original pioneers of this country, a man who made few changes in life. IIe remained on the old homestead all his days in the quiet life of the pioneer, before railroads had fur- nished available means of travel, and died in the early part of this century. In his religious beliefs he was an adherent of the Baptist Church.

Joseph Radcliff, the father of the subject of this sketch, was born on the old homestead in 1801, and was educated in the common schools, learning farm- ing also, which he followed on the old homestead. At his father's death his mother was left with a small farm, and Joseph lived with her and cared for her until her death, when he inherited the property. In 1830 he married Miss Sarah, daughter of William and Jane (Crawford) Shanks, of Fayette County, Pa., and to them were born thirteen children- Maria, Rebecca, Phobe, John, Hannah, Rachel, Mary, Alfred, Isaiah, Sarah, Esther, Huldah, and one who died in infancy. In 1837 he sold the prop- erty left to him by his mother and bought a farm near Uniontown, Pa., where he remained until his death in 1865, at the age of sixty-five years. He was a strong Democrat politically, and in religion was a Baptist. He was a man of a vigorous mind and took an active interest in the affairs of the day.

The subject of our sketch was born on the old homestead of his grandfather in 1835, and went with the family to Uniontown, where he remained until he grew to manhood, receiving a good com- mon-school education and becoming proficient in the occupation of a farmer. In 1858, at the age of twenty-four years, he married Miss Mary L., daughter of Absalom and Rachel (Leightle) Carr, of Fayette County, l'a. They became the parents of two children : W. A., who died in infancy, and Emlyn A., who married Miss Adella, daughter of Dennis and Elizabeth ( Martin) Brown, of Living- ston County ; they are settled in Ida Grove, Ida Co., lowa, where he is engaged as an engineer in a

RESIDENCE OF JOHNR. RADCLIFF , SEC. 12. DWIGHT TOWNSHIP.

MONTICELLO STOCK FARM, RES, OF JAMES BROWN, SEC. 13. NEVADA TOWNSHIP.

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steam flouring-mill, and are the parents of two children, Arthur LeRoy and an infant. Mona Ames. In 1859 Mr. Radcliff moved to LaSalle County, and began farming on rented land where he re- mained for eleven years. In 1870 he came to Livingston County, and in 1874 be purchased the farm on which he now resides, near Dwight. This is considered one of the best farms in the township. and is provided with comfortable buiklings and other first-class improvements, of which a view is shown in this connection.

Mr. and Mrs. Radcliff are members of the Methodist Episcopal Church, of which Mr. R. has been Steward for several years. He is now filling the responsible position of School Trustee, and takes great interest in all educational matters. His very decided views upon the temperance question have led him to join his political fortunes with the Prohibition party, and he is a very strong advocate of the doctrines promulgated by that party. The success in life attained by Mr. and Mrs. Radcliff is due to their own united efforts. They began in a humble way, and by industry and perseverance have earned a competency. They are now com- fortably situated and need have little fear for their personal comforts during the balance of their lives. They are pleasantly surrounded in a social way, and enjoy the esteem and respect of all their neighbors.

OHN A. COYNER. This gentleman is pleas- antly located on section 26, Avoca Township, where for a period of eight years he has been successfully engaged in the various details of farm life, and is numbered among the representative citizens of Avoca Township. Ile is the subject of an interesting history, which is substantially as fol- lows:

Mr. Coyner was born in Augusta County, Va., Nov. 5, 1850, and is the son of Addison Il. and Elizabeth (Brown) Coyner, also natives of the Old Dominion, and the father now deceased. His pa- ternal ancestors comprised one of the finest branches of an excellent Scotch-Irish family, while on the mother's side he is descended from the German. llis paternal grandmother, a Miss Rhea, was a

daughter of Gov. Rhea, Governor of North Caro- lina, where her whole family excepting herself and one brother and sister were massacred by the Indians. ITis maternal grandfather crossed the Atlantic in the eighteenth century.

The parents of our subject, in 1856, emigrated from their native State to MeLean County, 11., where the father died only a few months after his arrival. The mother continued there with her children until the spring of 1870, and then, accom- panied by her sons, John A. and another, took up their residence in this county, where our subject. with the exception of four years spent on the other side of the Mississippi, has since resided. The mother is still living, at nearly eighty years of age, and is a resident of Forest, IH. The parental house- hold included seven children, of whom five survive, namely : Mary E., the wife of Brunson Smith. of Forest: Margaret E., the wife of Dr. Lockridge, of Indianapolis. Ind .; Sarah L., the wife of Milo Rowell, of Colorado Springs, Col., a brother of Congressman Rowell, of Illinois: Charles, of San Diego, Cal., and John A.

Mr. Coyner received a thorough English educa- tion and made the most of his opportunities. Ile was fond of his book-, and after leaving school engaged in teaching during the winter for several years, while in the summer he employed his time in farm pursuits. Ile was thrown upon his own re- sources early in life and acquired those habits of in- dustry and economy which have been the secret of his later success. He took possession of his present farm in the spring of 1880. and is now the owner of 150 aeres of fertile land, which by his own labors has been brought to a good state of cultivation. The farm buildings are creditable to the proprietor and the township alike, and Mr. Coyner, as a mem- ber of the community, is rated among its most worthy and useful men. While a resident of Forest he officiated in the Methodist Episcopal Sunday- school as Superintendent, and is now serving as Class-Leader of the Methodist Episcopal Church at Avoca. Ilis estimable lady also belongs to the same church. Politically, Mr. Coyner is Demo- cratie, and during the years 1882-83, represented Avoca Township in the County Board of Super- visors. Ile has always given his support to the estab-

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lishment and maintenance of schools, and is at pres- ent serving as Director. It is naturally expected. from his character and habits, that he should aid in all the enterprise- tending to the welfare of the community, and he has never disappointed those who have thus relied upon him.

Mr. Coyner was married. on the 12th of March, Isis, to Miss Celia M. daughter of Nicholas and Nancy (Thompson) Wilson, who were among the earliest pioneers of Livingston County. Mr. Wil- son passed to his long home in 1876; the mother is now living in Forest. Mrs. Coyner was born May 14. 1856, and is now the mother of four chil- dren: Grace M., who was born Dec. 21, 1878; Walter Lee. April 25, 1881; Lewis C., May 21, 1884, and Theodora. Nov. 5. 1887. The two eld- est are just commencing their education in the dis- triet school.

ENRY SIEDENTOP, one of the leading ag- rienIturist- of Livingston County, and also identified with her industrial interests, owns and operates a good farm on section 1, Sun- bury Township. He also owns a farm in Nevada Township, and is carrying on a brick-kiln and tile factory, which is patronized by a large proportion of the people around him. He came to this county in what might properly be called its pioneer days, and has contributed in no small degree to its ad- vancement and prosperity. Ile is regarded by his beighbor- and fellow-townsmen to a fine represent- ative of the prosperous German citizen who pur- sure the even tenor of his way. attending to hisown concerns, and as a consequence is abundantly pros-

Mr. Siedentop was born in the Province of Han- over. Germany. April 26. 1814 and comes of a race of people who for generations have been largely en- gagel m agricultural pursuits, His father. Henry Sidentop, was born in Brunswick. Hanover, where hi- grandfather operated a farm and spent his en- tire bife. When a young man. Henry entered the sumy and served the required time, then returning to the rural districts be resumed the tilling of the - al until his death, which occurred in 1869, when

he was forty-five years old. He had married a lady of his own Province, Miss Nora Hormbostel, one of his youthful associates, and they became the par- ents of one child. Mrs. Siedentop was subsequently married again, and came to America with her second husband. She is still living and a resident of New- town Township, this county.

Our subject is the only son of his parents and has two half-sisters. Under the admirable school sys- tem of his native country he was placed under in- struction at an early age and was kept at his books quite steadily until fourteen years of age. when he assisted his father on the farm and remained under the home roof until 1862. Then, a youth of eight- een, he embarked alone for the United States, taking ship at Bremen and landing in New York City. He arrived upon American shores worse than penniless, for he had borrowed the money with which to pay his passage. He came directly to LaSalle County, Ill., and was employed by a farmer who owned land near the present site of the town of Streator. It was then but the beginning of a village and our hero for his services received $10 per month. He made it his first business to repay the money which he had borrowed, and after work- ing for other people about three years engaged in farming for himself on rented land. Five years Inter, in 1868, he purchased the land included in his present homestead, and one year afterward settled upon it. There was at the time but one small frame building which might better be named a shanty than a house. He made the best of circumstances, however, and moved into it with his little family. They occupied this dwelling one week, and then Mr. S. began the structure which has now grown into a large and commodious frame residence, fin- ished and furnished in modern style. He has, be- sides. a good barn and all other necessary out- buildings, a fair supply of farm machinery, and a good assortment of live stock. On another page of this Alma y may be seen a view of Mr. Siedentop's residence with its surroundings.

Mr. Siedentop put up his buildings and com- menced the manufacture of tile and brick in 1883. lle has two large kilns and a commodious dry house, and turn- out annually about $8,000 worth. The product is of superior quality, and the manufactory

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is a great convenience to the citizens of Sunbury and adjacent townships. Mr. S. has added to his landed interests and now has 278 acres of some of the tinest farming land in Central Illinois.

Our subject while a resident of Streator, Ill., was married, Oct. 2, 1866, to Miss Elizabeth Bencken- dorf. a native of his own Province and born March 28, 1848. Her parents, Frederick and Reka ( Messel) Benckendorf, were also natives of Ilanover and are now living near Streator. The children of Mr. and Mrs. S. were named respectively : Henry, Frederick, Lizzie, Willie, Emma, Alberd. Lena and Emile. The elder ones are making themselves useful about the homestead and the younger are pursuing their education at the district school, Mr. Sieden- top is a gentleman of more than ordinary intelli- gence and business capacity, and upon becoming a voter identified himself with the Republican party, whose principles he has since uniformly supported at the polls. He and his estimable wife are mem- bers in good standing of the German Methodist Church.

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E DWIN O. CHAPMAN, the agent of the Chicago & Alton Railroad at Cayuga, was born in Lancaster, England, May 14, 1835, and was the second child born to Walter Walker and Hannah ( Buckley) Chapman, natives of En- gland. le came to America with his parents at the age of fourteen years. They sailed from Liver- pool on the " Blanchard," under command of Capt. Blanchard, in 1848. After being tossed on a stormy sea for six weeks and four days, during which time the vessel lost her mainmast, and came very near foundering, they landed in New York Harbor. Mr. Chapman's sunny disposition, and his songs and jokes, made him the boy favorite of the crew, and he lived among the sailors all the way across.

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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 138

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