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 29

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 29

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and exhibits some of the finest animals in this part of the State.

Our subject was born in Delaware County, Ohio, Oct. 16, 1830, and was the eldest of a family of nine children, the offspring of Robert and Eliza- beth (Riley) Finley, natives respectively of Vir- ginia and Pennsylvania. The paternal grand- parents were Jolin and Nancy (Moore) Finley, of the same States. Grandfather Finley was a farmer by occupation, and served as a soldier in the Rev- olutionary War. He possessed a fine constitution and was of excellent habits, and rounded up the good old age of ninety years before he was gath- ered to his fathers. The parents of the mother of our subject were Joseph and Mary (Smith) Riley, of Pennsylvania, where Joseph Riley followed farm- ing all his life. Ilis father was a native of Ger- many, and emigrated to America at an early period in its history, starting with his parents from his na- tive land. They, however, did not live to behok the shores of the New World, as both died on the voyage and received an ocean burial. Their son Joseph was then a mere babe, and was adopted by an Irish gentleman named Riley. He was too young to tell his own name. and consequently never knew it, and was never able to communicate with friends or relatives of his parents.

Robert Finley. the father of our subject, was reared in Delaware County, Ohio, and followed farming there until 1839. Hle then sold out and. migrating westward, purchased a tract of land in Kane County, this State, where he established a comfortable home and spent the remainder of his days. lle was a man of more than ordinary intelli- genee, became active in political affairs, and during the time of the slavery agitation was one of the most active Abolitionists of the country. All the strength of his manhood was thrown into the bal- ance on the side of freedom and humanity. Ilis name is familiarly known throughout the central part of this State, and he was a strong foe of his op- ponents, the most of whom were his inferiors in in- telligence and general information. Hle is remem- bered as a gentleman of kind impulses, and was an active member of the Methodist Episcopal Church. After a useful life, during which he had endeavored to build up a worthy record for his children to re-

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fleet upon in after years, he folded his hands for his final rest in 1877. The mother departed this life in 1875. at the homestead in Kane County.

Our subject was educated in the subscription schools of Central Illinois, and trained exclusively to farming pur-nits. After reaching his majority he commenced cultivating a tract of land on his own account, and on the 18th of April. 1855. took to him-elf a wife and helpmeet in the person of Miss Mary J. Campbell, who was the second child of Jame- and Sarah (Graham) Campbell, natives of Ireland and of Scotch-Irish descent. They emi- grated to America early in life, and eventually drifted west to Marion County. Ohio, where their daughter Mary was born Oct. 16. 1833. That same year the family came to this county, locating in E-men Township. where there were at the time but three or four families. Mr. Campbell, however, only lived a short time thereafter, but many of his descendants are still residents of this section.

After their marriage Mr. and Mrs. Finley came to this county and located upon the land which is now included in their present homestead, taking posse- sion on the 10th of May. 1853. His first purchase was a quarter section, and the dwelling which he afterward erected was the first frame house built along the creek in this part of Livingston County. That structure. in 1864. was replaced by the hand- some and commodion- dwelling which they now or- enpy. and which. with its ad acent buildings and -urrounding-, forms one of the most attractive fea- tures of the landscape in Esmen Township. They have labored hard. handin hand, to build up a home, and it needs but a glance at this property to convince the beholder that they have succeeded in an admirable manner, and it is with pleasure that we present in connection with this sketch a view of the homestead.

Mr. Finley. in the fall of 1861, was drafted for the I'nion service and taken to Springfield for ex- animation. He was rejected on account of physical disability. and consequently was not permitted to see any service. His influence, however, like that of hi- father. was exerted in favor of the honorable pro-contion of the war and the preservation of the I'nion.

The -ix children of Mr. and Mr -. Finley were

named respectively. Robert P .: George R., now de- ceased : Sarah E. : Mary C .. deceased : Jennie P., and Alice, deceased. Sarah became the wife of Ed- ward Whalen, and lives at home with her parents. her husband assisting in the management of the farm; they have had three children-Roy, who is deceased. Lulu B. and Frank F. Robert and Jen- nie make their home with their parents. The latter has been pursuing her studies in the Pontiac schools and expects to be gradnated soon. Mr. Finley has served as School Director in his district most of the time since he first settled here, and has been School Trustee for the last seven or eight years. He has also served as Road Commissioner. He meddles little with polities otherwise than casting a straight Republican vote upon occasions of important elec- tions.

53 OHN BUFFHAM, who after many struggles and much contending with adversity, is now one of the leading farmers of Nevada Town- ship, where he owns 160 acres on section 11, was born in Lincolnshire, England, on the 21st of Jannary, 1842. He is the son of John Buffham, also a native of England, who was engaged in farm- ing all his life, and died in England in 1850. The maiden name of the mother of our subject was Mary A. Green, who was born in Lincolnshire, and lived there until 1856. In that year she was mar- ried to George Essington, and shortly afterward with him, accompanied by her three children and his eight by a former marriage, came to America. They settled in Plainfield, Will County, where they have since resided. Mr. Buffham has a brother and sister living: Joseph lives in Calhoun County, lowa, and Mary married John Stafford, who died at Pontiac , where his widow now lives.

Mr. Buffham was eight years old when his father died, and before that ocenrrence he attended school for a short time; afterward he had to work in order to procure his own living. lle worked for three years for his board and clothes, and after that for eightpence per day, and boarded himself. He came to America with his mother and found em- ployment by the month during the first two years

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of his residence in this country in Will County. He then went to Kendall County, and worked by the month until soon after the breaking ont of the War. On the 16th of August, 1862, he enlisted in Company 11, 89th Illinois Infantry, in which he served until the close of the war. On the HIth of September, 1864. he was taken prisoner at Atlanta, after which he was confined in the prisons at Ma- con, Ga., Milan, and Savannah, Ga., and from the latter place was taken several miles into the for- ests, where he and his fellow-prisoners were under guard for two weeks. On the 24th of December, 1864, he was taken to Andersonville, where he was confined until the close of the war, after which he was taken to Baldwin, Fla., and liberated, and with others made his way to the Federal lines at Jack- . sonville, where he arrived more dead than alive. During his confinement at Andersonville he suf- fered all its tortures and horrors, and has never re- covered from the effects of the starvation and brutal and inhuman treatment there received. He was mustered out of the service at Springfield, Ill., on the 29th of June, 1865, and then returned to Will County, where he remained until the spring of 1866, when he went to Kendall County and bought eighty acres of land, which he engaged in farming until 1875. In that year he sold out and came to Livingston County, and purchased the farm which he now owns and ocenpies. This farm consists of 160 acres, all of which are improved, and contains good pasture land.

On the 12th of September, 1865. Mr. Buffham was married to Sarah Ann Kirton, who was born in Lincolnshire, England, on the 16th of May, 1843. Her father, Thomas Kirton, was born in the same shire, where he was reared and lived until 1853, when he came to America with his wife and two children, and located in Cleveland, Ohio. They resided in that city for three years, and the mother of Mrs. Buffham died there. In 1855 her father moved to Illinois, and lived in Mt. Carroll until 1856, then moved to Will County. He died at the residence of Mrs. Buffham in 1879. Mrs. Buffham had one brother named William. who was a soldier in the 17th Illinois Cavalry. He died in the serv- ice at Glasgow, Mo.

Mr. and Mrs. Buffham are the parents of five

children living-Joseph K., Mary E., John T., Willie and Fred S. They had two children who died in infancy, Eddie and Sadie. Our subject and wife are members of the Methodist Episcopal Church, of which they are regular attendants and to which they contribute liberally of their means. Mr. Buffham is in every sense of the word a self- made man. Through all trials and adversities he has bravely contended, and with his own hands, assisted by his excellent wife, has carved out a comfortable competency, at the same time making and maintaining for himself a name for strict honor and integrity, which after all is the best heritage to leave to posterity. In polities Mr. Buffham has always been a Republican, and though not a politi- cian he can invariably be relied upon to further the best interests of the party. As a citizen he stands well with all the people, and discharges faith- fully every obligation imposed by the law and the customs of his neighborhood.

ACOB SPILLMAN, Postmaster at Swygert, where he is engaged in general merchandis- ing, is widely and favorably known through- ont Owego Township as having been one of its most successful farmers, and who was fortunate in accumulating a fine property. He retired from active labor in 1886, and investing a portion of his capital in general merchandise, established himself in trade at Swygert, where he takes life compara- tively easy, and is numbered among its most sub- stantial residents. Ile carries a good stock of everything required in a village or country house- hold, including the smaller implements of the farm. His straightforward business methods have com- mended him to the people of his community, and he enjoys a large patronage among its best residents.

The early home of Mr. Spillman was in Switzer- land, where he was born March 15, 1825. His parents, John and Phrona Spilhan, were also of Swiss parentage, and spent their entire lives on their native soil. Young Jacob was placed in school at an early age, where he pursued his studies from the time he was six until he was fourteen years old, and was afterward engaged at general

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work. making his home with his father. He had been an ambitious boy, and was desirous of some- thing better than the prospeet held out to him in the Fatherland. He remained under the parental roof until after reaching his majority, and in the spring of 1848 made his preparations for a voyage to the New World. Taking passage on a sailing- vessel at Havre he bade adieu to the friends and associates of his childhood, and after a voyage of twelve weeks, set foot upon American soil, landing first in the city of New Orleans. lle remained in the Crescent City but a short time, and thence pro- creded up the Mississippi to this State, not long afterward locating in this county, where he began the career which has since been marked with such success.

The first marriage of our subject took place in Bureau County, Ill., in 1853. the maiden of his choice being Miss Fredricka Dietz. They passed the first years of their wedded life in Bureau County, and became the parents of two children-Albert and Barbara. The mother of these passed away in 1880. The present wife of our subject, to whom he was married in 1882. was formerly Mrs. Rosa Johnson, and they began life together in a modest dwelling in Owego Township. Of this union there were born two sons and one daughter-Julius. Ag- gie. and a babe unnamed.

Mr. Spillman is Democratic in politics, and a prominent member of the Presbyterian Church. Ile has made good use of his opportunities since becoming a naturalized citizen. and the occasion of his seeking a permanent home in the New World has proved fortunate to himself as well as to the people with whom he has been associated.

ILLIAM TAVENER is a prominent farmer and stock-raiser on section 17, Avoca Township, who has been a resident of this country for fifteen years. lle was born July 14, 1848, in Somersetshire. a county of England, lying south of the Bristol Channel. The coast line and surface of this county are very much diversified, and highly picturesque. It is watered by the Parret, Axe, Avon, and Yeo Rivers, all of which flow into

the Bristol Channel. Along the rivers are many marshes and tracts of high fertility, but in other parts are extensive wastes, as Exmoor at the west- ern extremity. Cheddar and other cheeses, wool and cider are the principal products. Coal, stone, ealamine and fuller's earth are obtained. Woolen goods, silks, gloves, linens, stockings, paper, glass, ironwares, woolcards, shoes, leather and malt are manufactured. The county contains the cities of Bath. Wells and a part of Bristol. Antiquities of almost every period of British history are met with in this county. This is the county from which Mr. Tavener hails, and where he was born, the son of Thomas and Elizabeth Tavener, the former de- ceased, and the latter still residing in England. Ile was reared to manhood in his native country, where he received an excellent English education. He has all his life been engaged in the occupation of farming.

Mr. Tavener was married on the 9th of May, 1872, in England, to Miss Sarah Ann Masters, daughter of William and Fanny ( White) Masters, of Somersetshire, England. Her parents are both dead. Directly after his marriage, Mr. Tavener and his wife emigrated to America, and soon after their arrival at New York proceeded to Livingston County, where for nine years he engaged in farm- ing upon a rented farm. In the spring of 1882 he settled upon the farm which he now occupies in Avoca Township, where he has 175 acres of excel- lent land, as a reward for his industry, economy and good management since becoming a citizen of this country. Ilis surroundings attest truthfully the measure of success he has attained, and he is now considered one of the most prosperous farmers of Avoca Township. He and his wife are both mem- bers of the Methodist Episcopal Church, and their devotion to the church is manifested in many ways.

Mrs. Tavener was born on the 4th of November, 1846, and is the mother of seven children: Min- nie L., born June 20, 1875; Fannie E., Ang. 10, 1877; Walter S., Dec. 25, 1879; Albert E., Dec. 25, 1881; Charles E., Jan. 13, 1885; Jessie M., March 13, 1886, and Nellie M., May 13, 1887. These children are all strong and healthy, and bid fair to grow to man and womanhood in vigorous

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health. Mr. and Mrs. Tavener have become thoroughly identified with American life and cus- toms, and have no cause of regret for having left the land of their nativity to make their homes and fortunes in the New World, where every man is a peer, and there is no caste caused by landed estates or immense wealth, which precludes the humblest man in the country from becoming its chief ruler.

W ILLIAM SMITH, who has been a resident farmer of Livingston County since 1859, and now resides on section 32, Avoca Township, was born in Berkshire, which is an in- land county in the southern part of England, on the 3d of November, 1834. He is the son of Henry and Mary Smith, both offwhom were natives of England, and is the sixth child of the family. He grew to manhood in his native country, where he received a good English education and learned the rudiments of farming. He emigrated to Amer- ica in 1859, taking passage at Liverpool in a steamer, and after an ocean voyage of fifteen days, in which the usual dangers of storm and wave were encountered, landed in New York City. He did not tarry there, but came direct to Livingston County, and after arriving here, for five months he worked by the month at $13, and afterward farmed as a renter for five years, and in this time he not only acquainted himself with all matters pertaining to American farming, but by industry and economy accumulated enough to purchase a farm. He settled on his present farm in 1873, and has resided there since. It consists of 160 acres-of good land, which he has improved both with good buildings and under-draining until it is one of the best in the county. In draining the farm he has consumed about 15,000 feet of various sized tile. All the money he has expended in draining is being returned to him now with tenfold profit in the way of increased crops. He generally keeps about twenty-five or thirty head of cattle of vari- ous kinds, and has from five to six horses available for any kind of work. When he made his start as an Illinois farmer he had a yoke of cattle, which he traded for a horse, and with which he tended thirty

acres of corn. This corn when marketed only brought him fourteen cents per bushel, which left him a very small margin after deducting the cost of producing it, without considering his time at all.

Mr. Smith was married, on the 1st of March, 1865, to Annie Rumbold, a native of Hampshire, England. They commenced life together on the east eighty of Mr. Smith's present farm, and they have had eight children, six of whom are living- Mary E., Henry J., Thomas C., William E., Martha S. and Alfred E. Mr. Smith is a Republican in politics, and while he is not a politician he is loyal to that party to the extent of voting its tickets at all elections. His sympathies are with the Episco- pal Church. and his wife's with the Presbyterian Church. He has served as School Trustee for one term, and the people of Avoca Township remem- ber that the administration of school affairs during that term was such as to give almost universal sat- isfaction. Mr. Smith enjoys the esteem and confi- dence of his friends and neighbors, and he and his wife are both active and influential members of the society of which they are a part.

B D ENJAMIN E. HADLEY. Among the ac- cessions to the ranks of its citizens during the last eight years none have been more welcomed to Livingston County than the subject of this sketch, who is engaged in farming and stock-raising on section 21, Sunbury Town- ship. He is a native of the State of Ohio, where he was born in Clermont County, thirty miles east of Cincinnati, on the 6th of May, 1824. He is the youngest child in a family of nine born to Ebene- zer and Elizabeth (Patton) Hadley. Mr. Hadley was reared upon the farm and obtained a fair com- mon-school education under disadvantageous cir- cumstances. At the age of nineteen he began life for himself as a farmer, and followed that occupa- tion in Ohio until twenty-four years of age, when he accompanied his father to Kane County, Ill. On the 8th of February, 1846, before coming to Illinois he was married to Barbara Whitmore, who was the fourth in a family of eight children born to Conrad and Mary (Hensel) Whitmore, natives

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of Kentucky. Her father was a farmer and came to Illinois in 1868, where he died in the fall of that year at the residence of Mr. Hadley. In 1851 our subject went to La Salle County, and purchased eighty acres of wild land. upon which he lived un- til 1880. At that time land in La Salle County was very valuable, and Mr. Hadley sold his farm, and with the proceeds of the sale came to Liv- ingston County, and purchased 150 acres of im- proved land, which he moved upon and has since been successfully cultivating. Besides his agricult- nral business he is largely engaged in raising stock of excellent quality.

Mr. and Mrs. Hadley are the parents of eight children, six of whom are living, as follows: Han- nah MI., Ezra L .. John W., Amanda M., Charles W. and Jennie E. Two died in infancy. Han- nah, Mrs. William Greenlee>, lives eight miles north of Ottawa; Ezra L. married Clara Tompkins, and lives on a farm in Sunbury Township; John married Ella Davis, and lives on a farm in Iroquois County; Amanda, Mrs. B. F. Piester. lives in Nebraska: Charles married Flora Cornell, and lives near Cornell in this county; Jennie married Henry L. Davis, and lives with his parents on the home farm, which he assists in conducting. Dur- ing the time Mr. Hadley has owned this farm he has materially improved it in every respect. It is completely under-drained, and well fenced, while the farm buildings are models of their kind. In his business affairs Mr. Hadley is energetic and enterprising.

Ever since the dissolution of the Whig party Mr. Hadley has been a Republican. and has all his life taken an active part in political matters, though he has never had any selfish motive in doing so, for he has never sought office, and the only ones he ever accepted at the hands of the people were those of Constable and Justice of the Peace seven years. He has been a Notary Public by appoint- ment of the Governor. He is a member of the Methodist Episcopal Church, a very ardent Sunday- school worker, and is at the present time Superin- tendent of the Sunday-school, and President of the Township Sunday-School Organization. Mr. Hlad- ley is a great lover of good literature, and devotes considerable time to reading. His library is large 1

and varied, including works upon almost all topics. He is a great reader of current literature and a large patron of the publications of the day.

MARIAH N. BEMIS, formerly a leading farmer and stock-raiser of Esmen Town- ship, has retired from the labors and cares incident to the supervision of a large area of land and now occupies an elegant and comforta- ble home, surrounded by the friends whom he has made in by-gone years and enjoying the comforts which he has justly earned. Ile is of New England parentage, and was born in the town of Stafford, Tolland Co., Conn., March 16, 1814. His parents, Amariah and Sally (Shumway) Bemis, were natives of Massachusetts, and settled in Connecticut about 1812, soon after their marriage. They became the parents of eight children, namely, Clarissa, Mi- randa. Amariah N., Mary, Charles, Isaac, Judis and Abijah.

The paternal grandparents of our subject were Abijah and Mary Bemis, also natives of the Bay State. His mother was the daughter of Ebenezer and Comfort (White) Shumway, natives of Massa- chusetts, and of French descent. The grandmothers both lived to be more than ninety years of age, and Grandmother Shumway died at the age of ninety-five. The Bemis family was originally from England, the first representatives in this country being two brothers, the great-grandfather and the great-uncle of our subject. The uncle never mar- ried, and consequently the later descendants sprang from one brother. The latter was the father of thirteen children, as follows: Alphens, Amariah, Aaron, Amos, Abigail, Alice, Amos (2d), Lydia, Willard, Abijah, Hephzibah, Tylor and Mary. The second son, Amariah, married, and became the father of eight children, namely, Clarissa, Miranda, Amariah N., Mary, Charles S., Judith, Isaac and Abijalı. The third child of this family was the subject of our sketch.

Young Bemis was reared to farm pursuits and in the meantime was employed considerably in a sawmill. Ile received a limited education in the common schools, and after reaching his majority

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left the parental roof to seek his fortune in the West, which was then beckoning eagerly to young and enterprising men. On the way, however, Mr. Bemis stopped for a time at Oxford, in Chenango County, N. Y., where he followed painting, which he had learned in his youth. Ile remained in this locality a number of years, and in the meantime, on the 9th of September, 1839, was united in mar- riage with Miss Lucinda Backus, who was born in Oxford, N. Y., June 18, 1818. Her parents, Capt. John and Lucinda (Johnson) Backns, were natives respectively of Norwich and Canterbury, Conn. Her paternal grandparents were Ezra and Rhoda (Dodge) Backus, of Norwich. and her mother was the daughter of Obediah, Jr., and Lucinda (Dodge) Johnson, also of Connecticut. Col. Obediah John- son and his wife, Lucy, were the parents of Dr. Rufus, Obediah, Jr., mentioned above, Ebenezer, Nathan, John and Olive. Capt. John Backus was the father of four children by his first wife and five by his second. The first four were named respect- ively, Lucinda and Ezra, both now deceased; Will- iam and Lucinda (2d). His second wife, Abigail, was the daughter of Nathan and Desire (Crary) Glover. She became the mother of llenry, now iu Massachusetts; John and Harriet, deceased ; Nathan in Dakota; and Guerdon.

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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 29

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