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 37

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 37

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Mr. Tapper's early education was extremely lim- ited, but he has kept himself well posted upon mat- ters of general interest, and is in all respects an in- teresting man to converse with. He believes in the establishment and maintenance of schools, and all the institutions which will give to the young those advantages which will enable them to become useful and intelligent members of the community. U'pon becoming a voter he identified himself with the Republican party, whose principles he has uni- formly sustained since that time. Ile is a member of the Presbyterian Church and recognizes the im- portant influence of Christianity upon a people and a community.

Mr. Tapper, after reaching his twenty-fifth birth- day was united in marriage with Miss Jane Ander- son. in 1860, at the home of the bride in Akron, Ill. Mrs. T. is a native of this State, and the daughter of William and Jane (Hull) Anderson, the latter of whom is deeeased, and the former re- sides in Peoria County, Ill. Of this union there have been born four children, three living, namely, Sarah, who married Byron Occan, and resides in Owego Township; Charlotte and Susan, who re- main at home with their parents.

LBERT FRANCIS, a highly respected member of the farming community of Forest Township, and located on section 10, has been a resident of Livingston County sinee a boy twelve years of age. He is now a gentleman in the prime of life, of excellent habits and good business edueation, and is the owner of a good homestead comprising 147 acres of land, with neat, suitable and convenient build- ings. Ile keeps good horses and eattle, and avails himself of all the modern methods of agriculture, in order to preserve his record as an enterprising and valued factor in a community of more than ordinary progress and intelligence.

Our subject is the youngest son of John and Margaret (Ross) Francis, natives of Ireland and Ohio respectively, who located after their marriage in Brown County, Ohio, where Albert, our sub- ject, was born Aug. 1, 1848. The elder Francis operated a farm in that county until 1860, when he determined to try his fortunes in the West. He came directly to this county and took up a tract of land on section 10 in Forest Township, where he built up a comfortable home. Young Francis continued with his parents, becoming thoroughly familiar with the intricacies of farming, which he chose for his vocation in life.

After passing his thirtieth year, July 11, 1883, Mr. Francis was united in marriage with Miss Cynthia, daughter of James F. and Eda ( Moore) Earnheart. Mrs. F. was born in Avoca, this county. Dec. 25, 1856. Her parents, who were respectively natives of

RESIDENCE OF ALBERT FRANCIS, SEC. 10. FOREST TOWNSHIP.

JAMES H. 1258

FEED LOTS&C

KELLOGG BRO'S STOCK FARM, SEC . 8. PONTIAC TOWNSHIP.

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Ohio and Tennessee, came to Illinois in the pioncer days, and located in Indian Grove Township, where they were married and lived a number of years; they are now living in retirement in Fairbury, Ill.

After their marriage Mr. and Mrs. Francis re- paired to their present home, where they have since remained, and where their two children, Irma Mildred and Howard Milton, were born. They are members in good standing of the Methodist Epis- copal Church at Forest, with which they have been connected for several years, and are among its most liberal and cheerful supporters. Mr. Fran- cis is a strong Republican, and has held the local offices of his township. His wife is a most esti- mable and amiable lady, highly intelligent and well educated. She tanght school for a period of eight years in Fairbury, and one year at Forest.

Mr. Francis, in partnership with his brother Joseph, from 1876 to 1886, engaged quite exten- sively in the manufacture of brick and tile, their factory being the first of its kind established in Livingston County. Much of the land in this sec- tion having now been drained and fitted for the raising of crops, the demand for this product has decreased in a proportionate degree, and they have, during the past year, done but little in this direction. A handsome lithographie view of Mr. Francis' residence is shown on another page of this work.

RUMAN M. KELLOGG, of the firm of Kel- logg Bros., prominent stock-traders of Pon- tiac Township, who have a fine tract of land on section 8, where he has been operating suc- cessfully for about nineteen years, is recognized at once as a gentleman of good business capacities and excellent education, and with his brother, is the proprietor of 320 acres of land, well stocked with good grades of cattle, horses and hogs, prin- cipally, however, of the former.

Our subject is a native of Oneida County, N. Y., and was born Oct. 7, 1835. His parents, Truman and Melinda (Marsh) Kellogg, were natives of the same county, of which his paternal grandfather, Tru- man Kellogg, was a pioneer settler. The family is

of English origin, the first representatives in this country being three brothers who crossed the ocean about 200 years ago, and located in New England. Their descendants have mostly lived there, a few of them, however, going into the Middle States and to the South. Truman, our subject, was the fourth in a family of four children, three of whom survive, namely, himself, his brother, Nathan N., and a sis- ter, Cornelia, the wife of D. C. Mason, of Joliet, 111.

Mr. Kellogg was reared in his native county. where he remained untila youth of seventeen years, in the meantime receiving his education under care- ful instructors. Upon leaving the parental roof, he migrated to Chicago, Ill., and was a resident of that city for about twenty years, following the pro- fession of a civil engineer. He was assistant civil engineer of the Illinois Central Railroad Company. located at Chicago as division engineer, and super- intended the construction of the Lake Shore Harbor, which is connected with the road, and was one of the important enterprises of that day. In the spring of 1872, determined upon a change of location and occupation, he came to this county, and invested a part of his capital in a stock farm in Pontiac Town- ship, which he and his brother Nathan have man- aged very successfully for the last fifteen years. Their stables include Hambletonian and Kentucky horses, and some of the finest specimens of the kind sold in this county have passed from their hands to purchasers from all points of the compass.

Nathan M. Kellogg, a brother of our subject, was also born in Oneida County, N. Y., June 24, 1829. He was there reared to manhood, and received a good education. From his early boyhood he seemed content with the employments of the farm. Hle came West in 1868, and in 1871 settled per- manently on the farm which is now the property of Kellogg Brothers. He has for many years been an excellent judge of live stock. Ile has been quite prominent in local affairs, serving as Commissioner of Highways, and voting the straight Democratic ticket at general elections. The farm is supplied with a comfortable residence and other good build- ings, and the brothers dwell together, their house- keeping being done by hired help.

We have pleasure in presenting on another page

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of this ALBUM, a view of their residence. as repre- sentative of the buildings of this section of the country.

S AMUEL L. MORRISON. The subject of this sketch is an illustration of the wide difference between the beginning in the lives of the fathers who were the pioneers in the early settlement of Illinois, and that of the sons who are now taking their places. The father of Mr. Morrison came to Illinois at a time when the wild prairie grass grew everywhere, and when the rude cabins of the inhabitants were few and far be- tween. With his own hand he helped to break the prairie and make corn grow where grass had held sway for centuries. In this work he persevered, as did others, until Illinois has become a great agri- cultural State. His sons, who are now all settled in life, know nothing by actual experience of the hard- ships of the pioneers, but they have inherited the energy and enterprise of the pioneer fathers, which they display in the prosecution of their farming operations. Although the young farmers find farms already improved for them, they do not relinquish their efforts to further improve and utilize the re- sources so bountifully bestowed by nature. Fol- lowing in the footsteps of a father who became famous in the same vocation, the subject of this sketch is a progressive farmer and stock-raiser of Avoca Township.

Mr. Morrison is a native of Livingston County, where he was born on the 18th of December, 1860, and i- the son of JJoseph C. and Naomi Morrison. Further mention of the father, is made in the biog- raphy of Albert JJ. Morrison, of Avoca Township, and the mother is deceased. The subject of this sketch has always lived in Avoca Township, where he attended the schools until he became of age, and received a good education. With the exception of being engaged with his father in importing and dealing in Norman horses at Pontiac, he has always been occupied in agricultural pursuits, in which he has displayed considerable enterprise, and avails him-elf of modern and progressive methods. His farm consists of eighty acres of well-improved land,

on section 5, Avoca Township, on which he has erected an excellent class of buildings.

On the 4th of September, 1884, Mr. Morrison was married to Miss Jessie E. Ferris, daughter of Prof. G. W. Ferris, the present efficient Superintendent of Public Schools of Livingston County, a sketch of whom appears in this Ainvy. Mr. and Mrs. Mor- rison have been blessed with one child, a bright- eyed baby named Claude II., born July 10, 1887. Mrs. Morrison is a lady of excellent education, and mach culture and refinement. During a consider- able time she attended the Normal School located at Morris, Ill., and for six years was engaged in teach- ing.

Mr. Morrison is an enthusiastic young Repub- lican, to which party he contributes both of his time and means, when they are necessary to secure its snecess. He is a member of the Methodist Episco- pal Church, and he and his wife are active members of society, in which they are general favorites. Mr. Morrison identifies himself with the material affairs of his township, and encourages and supports every measure calculated to advance its prosperity.

G EORGE KERR, a prominent and influential member of the farming community of Pon- tiac Township, has in a great measure re- tired from active labor, and is enjoying the compe- tency which he has accumulated and the comforts of a beautiful homestead on section 2. Ilis prop- erty includes 330 acres of good land, with suitable farm buildings, a choice assortment of live stock, and all the necessary implements for the successful prosecution of agriculture.

Mr. Kerr was born in Miami County, Ohio. Dec. 25, 1824, and is the son of James and Sarah (Thompson) Kerr, natives respectively of Virginia and Pennsylvania. The Kerr family is of Scotch ancestry, and on the mother's side our subject is of English descent. Ilis grandfather, George Kerr, fought during the early troubles with the Indians, and James, the father, participated in the struggle of 1812, and was one of those who were surren- dered under Gen. Hull at Detroit, Mich. The par- ental household included twelve children, five now

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surviving, namely : Hanford N., of Wyandotte, Kan .; George, our subjeet; Rebecca A., the wife of Harry Houston; John and Perry; the latter three are residents of Miami County. The parents of our subject were early pioneers of this region, where they spent the remainder of their lives. They built up a home in the wilderness, and endured all the hardships and privations incident to settlement in a new country.

Our subject was reared to manhood in his native county, and received a limited education, but being fond of his books he pursued his studies during his leisure hours after leaving school, and has always kept himself posted upon all matters of general in- terest. He is one of the best natural mathematic- ians to be found, which talent has been of great service to him in his busy career, and in which he has been obliged to depend upon his own sound sense and good judgment.

Mr. Kerr was married in Miami County, Ohio, Nov. 26, 1844, the lady of his choice being Miss Susanna Kessler, who was also a native of that county, and born March 1. 1825, Her parents were John B. and Susanna ( Fiece) Kessler, the for- mer a native of Virginia, and the latter of Pennsyl- vania. Her maternal grandfather was of Holland descent, and after emigrating to this country, served as a soldier in the War of 1812, being under the command of Gen. Jackson. Mr. and Mrs. Kessler settled in Miami County at an early period in its history, and there became the parents of twelve children.

Our subject and his wife became the parents of eight children, three now living, namely: Eliza- beth, the wife of C. D. Withrow, of Kansas City, Mo .; Henry M. and John B., who are located on the homestead. Mr. Kerr came to this county in the spring of 1856, but eight months later returned to Ohio and remained six years. In the mean- time, however, he had not abandoned his original intention of locating in Illinois, and now came back and secured possession of his present farm, where he has resided the greater portion of the time since. In the meantime his children surviving him have grown up around him, and he has given each a good education and a fair start in life. He has always been a hard worker, and owes his present

position. socially and financially, to his own efforts. Politically, he votes the Democratie ticket, and has always been the encourager and supporter of those measures calculated for the advancement of his fellow-citizens.

Both Mr. and Mrs. K. are members of the Pres- by terian Cliurch, in which our subject has otliciated as Elder for more than thirty-five years. He has been frequently solicited to accept official positions, but has invariably declined. preferring to confine his attention to his family and farm.

0 RIN W. JONES. If the character of the country which has attained so high a standard during the past few decades is to be main- tained. a great responsibility devolves upon the young men who must take the place of those whose hands have shaped and molded affairs, Owing to the intelligent and advanced education of the par- ents of to-day, a generation of worthy successors to them has been raised up and is ready to take their places. In the hands of the young men of to- day the future of the country will be safe. and par- ticularly will this be so because of those who are natives and to the manor born, for they are more intimately acquainted with the requirements of the times. When the exercise of citizenship is coupled with intelligence, there is no mistake in predicting that the future of the country's welfare is assured.

One of the young men on whose shoulders is be- ginning to rest the responsibility of the present is the subject of this sketeb. a farmer and stock-raiser on section 14. Owego Township, and who is a native of Le Roy, State of New York, where he was born on the 29th of March, 1855. He is the son of William and Mary Jones (of whom a sketch appears in this work), who were carly settlers of Owego Township. When quite young he accompanied his parents when they came to Illinois, and this State has been his home ever since, where his younger days were spent in work upon the farm, during the farming seasons, and attending school during the winter months, in which he obtained a good education.

On the 5th of March. 1881, Mr. Jones was mar- ried to Miss Jennie Kerr. of Bloomington. III. She

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is a native of Scotland. and daughter of James Il. and Sarah J. Kerr, of Bloomington. Ill., who were also natives of Scotland. Mr -. Jones and her mother came to America in 1872. Mr. Kerr having preceded them several year -. This young couple have made an excellent start in life, Mr. Jones having purchased eighty acres of land with the proceeds of his labor and good management. a considerable portion of which was accumulated before marriage. Ile and his wife are intelligent and educated people, and for Year- he has taken an active interest in associations for the advancement of good literature and the cul- tivation of literary tastes. He is not a political par- tisan. and indeed polities have never interested him to the extent of causing him to become attached to either of the old parties.

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D ANIEL STREET. If one conkl obtain a bird's eye view of Illinois before it was in- habited by white people and then suddenly look upon a picture of the State, showing its present magnificent improvement, dotted all over with cities and towns. crossed and recrossed by rail- roads. all the land intervening between the towns covered with farm houses and barns. he would real- ize a change in scene before which would pale into insignificance any transformation ever witnessed. The subject of this sketch has been a witness of such a transformation in that section of the county in which he has lived. He has seen improvements grow up where wild wasto- of prairie existed, and splendid farm- made of land which from the beginning of time had been given over to the rank growth of nature, and within hi- experience the whole State ha- attained it- splendid state of perfection.

Mr. Street is a farmer of Avoca Township. and resides on section 10. He is a native of Muskin- gum County. Ohio, where he was born on the 13th of March. 1831. and i- the son of Jacob and Tavey Street. both of whom are natives of Pennsylvania. Hi- paternal ancestor- were of English. and his ma- ternal ancestor- of German descent. In his twenti- «th year he accompanied hi- parents when they re- moved to Putnam County, Ill., and resided there

about two year -. Both of his parents died in Mar- shall County. Il. To them were born eight chil- dren, five of whom are living: Daniel: Robert M .. in Iowa; Ann, Mrs. Aaron Axline, of Wenona. Ill. ; Hester. Mrs. Chauney Gaylord, of Missouri County. Kan. : Amanda, Mrs. George Dean. of Maryland. When a boy Mr. Street learned the trade of a potter. which occupation he followed for about five years. and has devoted the remainder of his time to farm- ing. Ile came to Livingston County in the spring of 1857. where he has resided ever since. He owns a farm of fifty acres, which was in its primitive con- dition when he became possessed of it, but within a few years afterward he had reduced it to a condition of splendid cultivation.

On the 23d of December, 1860, Mr. Street was married to Maria DeMoss, daughter of James and Margaret DeMoss, who were pioneer settlers of Livingston County. They have had but one child, a daughter named Luella, who was born on the 3d of August, 1863. Mr. Street has always acted with the Republican party, from a sense of conscious- ness of duty, without the expectation of office or other reward. In an official capacity he has served the people for three years as School Director. and his administration gave good satisfaction. Ile heartily seconds and endorses all movements for the betterment of society, and in such matters has been generally a leader.

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M ARTIN M. TRAVIS. Some men there are whose lives cannot be written without in- terweaving into the story of their incom- ings and their outgoings the history of another life-that of the wife. This is peculiarly and beautifully so in the instance under considera- tion. Ilere is a man nearly seventy-seven years of age who has been married to the woman of his choice nearly half a century-half a century within itself an average lifetime. What he has accomplished within that time has been with and by the aid of her who has been the sharer of his joys and sor- rows.

When men and women married fifty years ago the surroundings were entirely different from the

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weddings of to-day. There were no railroads nor any of the inventions that have revolutionized commercial as well as social affairs. Marriage meant hardships, denials, troubles, slow progress in the accumulation of wealth in an undeveloped country where luxury and many of the ordinary comforts of life were unknown. To the wife it meant much labor, great sacrifice of personal comfort, the exercise of unshrinking courage, and in addition it devolved upon her in the adjustment of the laws of nature to be a staff of inspiration on which the husband might lean when the clouds of adversity hovered over him the darkest. Mr. and Mrs. Travis, in the battle of life, stood shoukler to shoulder, and ever clasped hands in the mutual en- deavor to improve and elevate their condition. Mr. Travis met with a great bereavement in the death of his beloved wife, who passed to her reward Oct. 27, 1887, after an illness of about four weeks.

Mr. Travis is a pioneer of Livingston County, whose farm is located on seetion 5, Belle Prairie Township. He was born on the 4th of July, 1811, in Overton County. Tenn., and his parents were Jeremiah and Margaret (Peek) Travis, natives of Georgia and Virginia respectively. The father was born in 1788, married in 1807, came to Illinois in 1834, and died in 1871. The mother was two years his senior and died in 1872. The father was a chair and spinning-wheel maker by trade, but de- voted considerable of his life to the occupation of a farmer. When they removed to Illinois their mode of transportation was by a wagon drawn by oxen, which made their travel necessarily slow. They were the parents of eight children-Susanna, Annie, Martin, John, Pollie, David, Jeremiah and Nancy. Four of these are now living.

Lilliard, Serena, Elizabeth, Washington and Mary.

Mr. Travis came to Illinois in 1834, accompany- ing his parents. Ifis boyhood days and early man- hood were so thoroughly devoted to the service of his parents on the farm that he never had an op- portunity to attend school for even a single day. At the age of twenty-three he began the struggle of life for himself, and entered forty acres of tim- ber land. subsequently purchasing forty acres and then 160 more. His farm now consists of 195 acres of well-improved land, on which is a com- fortable and commodious residence. Although he is now in his seventy-seventh year. the latest demonstration of his astonishing vitality was re- covering his two-story house with shingles, entirely unaided. Beginning life without any means what- ever, through his own industry and the unflag- ging aid and devotion of his wife, he accumulated lands and means enough to make him thoroughly independent during the balance of his days. Mr. and Mrs. T. had born to them the following children : Mary A., Rachel, John D., Adeline and Franeis; besides three deceased, viz: Elizabeth. at the age of eighteen ; Serena, at twelve, and Minerva. at thirty-three.

Mrs. Travis for very many years was a de- voted and consistent member of the Baptist Church. Our subject has twenty-five grandchildren, and two great-grandchildren. Mr. Travis has been a life-long Democrat and refers with great satis- faction to the fact that he east his first Presi- dential vote for Gen. Andrew Jackson.

The subject of this sketch was married, on the 14th of December, 1837, to Miss Eliza Thompson, who was born on the 31st of March, 1814, and was the daughter of John B. and Mary (Steers) Thomp- son, natives of Kentucky. The father was born in 1788, and died in 1882; the mother was born about the same date and died in 1873. They came to Illinois and located in MeLean County in the year 1829, where they remained until the occurrence of his death. They were the parents of ten chil- dren-Eliza, Johnson, William, Simpson E., James, | tion was by wagons drawn by horses or oxen over

OSEPII J. TRULLINGER. The histories of Indiana and Illinois so far as they relate to the hardships and privations of the early pioneers are so nearly identical, that a man born in Indiana at the beginning of the thirties, ex- perienced as hard a beginning as the man who was born or first settled in Illinois at that time. In both States the conditions fifty or sixty years ago were such as to test the mettle and make-up of the men and women who cast their lot either by birth or settlement in either State. At that time transporta-

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roads which ran through a wilderness or vast ex- panse of prairie, and for half the year were utterly impassable. Steam had not yet been utilized to facilitate overland travel. and the mails were few and far between in their arrivals and departures. Compared with the present era those were truly slow coach days, but the people were perhaps as content and as happy as they are to-day.

The subject of this sketch is a representative pio- neer of Avoca Township, and a native of Fountain County, Ind. He was born on the 19th of October, 1831, and is the son of Jacob and Mary Trullinger. The father was a native of Pennsylvania, and the mother was born in the State of Maryland. He re- ceived a rudimentary education in the early schools of Fountain County, which at that time afforded very limited advantages. Mr. Trullinger was first married, on the 5th of December, 1852, to Mary Foster. a native of Ohio, who shared the joys and sorrows of her husband until the 4th of August. 1886. when she passed to her reward. On the 17th of March, t887. Mr. Trullinger was united in mar- riage to Mrs. Sarah C. Spencer, a native of Ten- nessee.

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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 37

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