Portrait and biographical album of DeKalb County, Illinois : containing full-page portraits and biographical sketches of prominent and representative citizens of the county, Part 24

Author:
Publication date: 1885
Publisher: Chicago : Chapman Bros.
Number of Pages: 888

USA > Illinois > DeKalb County > Portrait and biographical album of DeKalb County, Illinois : containing full-page portraits and biographical sketches of prominent and representative citizens of the county > Part 24

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$1.11. Majon

Anis Eliza Mason

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enterprises at Genoa, and manages his affairs in a brick building, which he erected in the summer of 1881. His aggregate of annual sales amounts to about $18,000. His farm in the township of Genoa comprises 376 acres of valuable, well-improved land. Mr. Crawford is in sympathy with the Republican element in politics, and has held the offices of Justice of the Peace and Highway Commissioner. He is also a member of the Masonic fraternity.

His marriage to Laura Shurtliff took place Dec. 25, 1845, in Genoa Township, and they have five children,-Theresa, William H., Milton H., Clark E. and Carl B. The oldest daughter is the wife of Charles Smith and resides in Genoa Township.

Koratio H. Mason, capitalist, resident at Sycamore, was born Feb. 19, 1829, in the township of Warren, Herkimer Co., N. Y. The family genealogy has been preserved, the record showing that Sampson Mason, the earliest ancestor who became a citizen of the New World, was a soldier and officer of the army of Crom- well and probably belonged to the celebrated Iron- sides Regiment. In 1650, after the Restoration, he came to America and located at Rehoboth, Mass. He was a member of the Free-Will Baptist Church in England and was active in establishing the Second Baptist Church Society at Swansea, in the Bay State. He married a lady named Russell, and they became the parents of 12 children. Their son, Pelatiah Mason, was born in 1669 and was married May 22, 1694, to Hepzibah Brooks. Eleven children were born to them, of whom Russell was the tenth in order of birth. He was born April 21, 1714, and married Rhoda Kingsley June 5, 1736. The children of whom they became the parents were 12 in number. Philip was born Jan. 29, 1745, and married Mercy Scott. They became the parents of 12 children. Their son, Russell Mason (2d), was born Feb. 25, 1769, and was married on Sunday, Dec. 30, 1792, to Ruth Lapham. Hiram Mason was the fifth of their nine children. His birth occurred Sept. 17, 1805, in Warren, Herkimer Co., N. Y., and he married Fanny Brown, a native of German Flats, born Aug. 9, 1808. They were the parents of Mr. Mason of this sketch. The Mason family continued residents of Massachu-

setts until 1794, when Russell Mason (2d) removed from South Adams to the State of New York. He was a pioneer settler of Fairfield, Herkimer County, where he became owner of a large tract of timber land, which he cleared and converted into a fine and valuable farm. Later, he removed with his family to Warren Township in the same county.

Hiram Mason and his wife died when their son was in his childhood. The latter, thrown on his own resources at an unusually early period in life, devoted every energy to the amelioration of the circumstances in which he found himself and in establishing his prosperity on a firm basis. The first important event of his life was his marriage, and two years later he came to Illinois and engaged in agricultural pursuits at Sycamore, combining therewith extensive traffic in real estate. He purchased tracts of unimproved land, which he redeemed from its original state and afterwards sold. He became the owner of 200 acres of land in the western part of Sycamore (including the Joseph Sixbury farm), which he laid out in lots, and portions of which he sold. He also platted one division, now known as Mason's Addition. The grounds connected with his residence on State Street, including four acres, five dwellings variously located and several lots lying in different sections of the cor- poration, are still in his possession. He owns about 2,500 acres of land in Iowa, still lying uncultivated, and he is also the proprietor of 1,000 acres of fine farming land in De Kalb and Ogle Counties, which is rented. In addition to his transactions in real estate, Mr. Mason operates in loans. He is a Douglas Democrat.

In 1871, associated with James S. Waterman, he formed a stock company and organized the First National Bank of Sycamore, of which he was elected Vice-President. His connection with the institution ceased in 1875, since which he has conducted finan- ciering in a private capacity. When the Sycamore & Cortland Railroad was built he became one of its stock-holders, and has also conducted an abstract business, the firm style in that avenue being Baily & Mason.

The marriage of Mr. Mason to Mary E. Tredway occurred Feb. 28, 1850, in the village of Little Lakes in Warren Township. Mrs. Mason was born in that township April 18, 1832, and was the daughter of Belia and Philotheta (Marshall) Tredway. Her

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father was an attorney-at-law. Of this union four daughters were born, two of whom are deceased. Eliza V. was born in Mohawk, Herkimer Co., N. Y., May 29, 1851, and died May 12, 1853, at Sycamore; Fanny F. was born at Sycamore Jan. 7, 1856, and was married Oct. 30, 1878, to Walter H. Loomis ; Libbie F., born March 12, 1865, at Sycamore, died March 7, 1869; Mary Maud was born at Sycamore Aug. 17, 1871. Their mother died Aug. 25, 1882.

The portraits of Mr. Mason and his deceased wife may be found on preceding pages.

ohn Patterson, farmer, resident at Genoa, was born April 5, 1821, in Meadville, Pa. He is the oldest son of Joseph and Eleanor (Compton) Patterson. His parents were born in Pennsylvania and came to McHenry Co., Ill., in 1846. They retained their residence there until 1864, when they removed to De Kalb County, settling in the township of Genoa, where the death of the father occurred, March 18, 1865. The mother died July 3, 1875. Their children were born in the following order: Rebecca, John, Joseph, David, William, Henry, Margaret E., James, George and Robert.

Mr. Patterson is the oldest son and came to Mc- Henry County when he was 24 years of age, in 1845. He resided there until the fall of 1862, the date of · his removal to De Kalb County, and purchased 40 acres of land in the township of Genoa. He has in- creased his landed estate until he is now the pro- prietor of 200 acres of land in the county of De Kalb. He located in the village of Genoa on his removal hither. Mr. Patterson is a Republican in political sentiment and has held various positions of official trust in the community to which he belongs.

He was married in Genoa, Nov. 20, 1851, to Mary J. Gregory. She was born Dec. 24, 1832, and they have had a family of eight children : Eleanor J., born June 5, 1853; John R., Sept. 18, 1854; James C., April 8, 1856; Lyman L., Sept. 24, 1857; Caroline, Dec. 25, 1859; Joseph, Aug. 8, 1862 ; Fred G., Dec. 17, 1872; and Lew E., June 24, 1878. Lyman L. died April 2, 1874, when he was 16 years of age.

The parents of Mrs. Patterson, Ezra S. and Jane (Brown) Gregory, were natives respectively of Con-

necticut and Maine. After their marriage they set- tled in the State of New York, and were there resident until 1837, when they settled in Genoa Township. They have had seven children, three of whom grew to maturity,-Mary J., Starr C. and Wil- liam G.

A rthur J. Thompson, dentist at Sycamore, was born April 24, 1848, in Utica, Oneida Co., N. Y. His father, John J. Thompson, was born April 6, 1813, in Albany, N. Y., and was by vocation a shoemaker. The latter be- came a soldier of the Civil War and was wounded at Chickamauga, the injury being the primal cause of his death, which occurred April 21, 1883, at Polo, Ill. Barbara B. (Brand) Thompson, the mother, was born . Jan. 6, 1813, at Eichelfechen, Scotland, and resides with her daughter at Polo, Ill. Two of their six children are living. Mary E. is the widow of Cornelius Wadsworth, a former harness dealer at Polo. Charles W. was killed April 7, 1862, at the battle of. Shiloh, when he was 20 years of age. Jenitt C. is deceased. She died at the age of 20 and was a young lady of superior musical education, being a fine pianist and vocalist. Arthur and Florence were twins. The latter died at the age of six years. James is deceased.

The enlistment of his father in the war for the Union necessitated the removal of Mr. Thompson from school when he was 14 years old, and he learned the trade of a harness-maker. He was after- wards employed in various mercantile houses until 1871. He had been frugal and managed his affairs with the purpose of preparing for his profession, and in that year he became a student in dentistry in the office of Charles H. Carnaga at Polo, Ill. At the end of four years he established his office indepen- dently and operated about 18 months. In the fall of 1874 he founded his business at Sycamore, in which he has won the reward due to the substantial merits of his work and has a popular and increasing business. Dr. Thompson is an active and influential member of the Odd Fellows Order and belongs to the Patriarchal Circle.

He was married March 25, 1875, in Polo, to Elsie

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M., daughter of Alfred and Mariah Hunter. Their children were born as follows: Florence J., Dec. 19, 1875; Clara B., Feb. 8, 1879; John A., May 20, 1881. Mrs. Thompson was born April 19, 1847, in Colchester, N. Y.

ames P. Brown, farmer, section 29, Genoa Township, was born Jan. 31, 1833, in Ben- son, Hamilton Co., N. Y. He is the son of Jeremiah L. and Judith (Richardson) Brown, of whom a more extended account is given in the sketches of D. S., J. W. and C. A. Brown, to be found elsewhere in this volume. At the age of four years he accompanied his parents to De Kalb County, and has been since that age a resident of the township of Genoa, and is a farmer of promi- nence and a citizen of influence. He owns 429 acres of land, lying principally in Genoa Township, and is also the proprietor of 504 acres in Storey Co., Iowa. In political sentiment and connection he is a Republican.

His marriage to Susan M., daughter of Peter S. and Barbara A. Pratt, occurred April 8, 1854, in Elgin, Ill. They have been the parents of 15 chil- dren, three of whom are not living. The survivors are-James L., Esther E., Annie R., Elva L., Ar- thur B.,«William J., Lora and Lena (twins), Franklin B., Susie A., Alta B. and Ethel A. Ida and two children unnamed are deceased.

dward Hoxsey, a business man of Som- onauk, was born Jan. 11, 1834, in Berk- shire Co., Mass., and is a son of Alanson and Nancy (Jones) Hoxsey. The family re- moved in 1836 to Serena, La Salle Co., Ill., where the father became an extensive land- holder, owning at one time 800 acres of land. The latter was a native of Berkshire County and was a farmer in the Bay State previous to his removal to La Salle County.

Mr. Hoxsey is the only child of his parents and was but two years of age when his parents became residents of the State of Illinois. He remained on

his father's farm until he was 23 years of age, coming in 1856 to Somonauk, where he engaged in buying grain and stock. Later he became interested in a steam flouring mill (since burned), which he con- ducted about eight years. He has also been engaged in dry-goods business about five years, and afterward in the sale of hardware sundries, operating in those avenues of business in connection with his grain and stock interests. His transactions represent about $200,000 annually. In the fall of 1884 he built the Somonauk skating-rink, a structure 28 x 96 feet in dimensions.

Mr. Hoxsey was married March 3, 1854, in Serena, La Salle Co., Ill., to Sarah McInturf, and they have had four children : Isabella, first-born child, is de- ceased; Ella, Frank and Florence are the names of the survivors. Mrs. Hoxsey is the daughter of Samuel and Sarah (Debolt) McInturf, and is a native of the township of Rutland, La Salle County.

V. Joslyn, farmer, section 33, "Cortland Township, was born in Darien, Genesee Co., N. Y., June 3, 1825, and was the son of Phineas and Lorinda (Woodworth) Joslyn, natives of New York State, the former of whom was born April 4, 1792, and died in August, 1868, at Sycamore, this county, and the latter was born April 3, 1797, and died Nov. 1, 1881, also in this county.

Mr. Joslyn was brought up on a farm in his na- tive county, and in his 14th year came with his par- ents to this county, where he has ever since resided. He received a common-school education, and was married May 21, 1851, to Miss Sabrina, daughter of' Rudolphus and Polly (McKay) Burr. Her father was born Jan. 20, 1796, in Onondaga Co., N. Y., and died July 11, 1865, of apoplexy, in this county ; and her mother was born Feb. 28, 1796, in Wilkesbarre, Wyoming Co., Pa., and died March 6, 1866, also in this county. Her father was liberally educated and spent many years of his life as a teacher, keeping school some 14 months in Canada after the War of 1812. Her grandfather, who was a native of Con- necticut, cut his way through the woods most of the distance to Onondaga Co., N. Y., where he was after- ward County Judge for several years. Her parents

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were married April 2, 1820. In 1847, with a family of three children, they emigrated from Erie Co, N. Y., to this county, arriving March 3, and settling in Cortland Township. Her father and youngest brother, however, came here the previous year.

Mr. and Mrs. Joslyn have had four children, all of whom are living, namely ; Ida M., born in Sycamore, Ill., May 29, 1856; Mary L., in Pampas, now Cort- land, Dec. 7, 1863; Phineas H., in Cortland, April 12, 1868; and Rudolphus, V., Feb. 3, 1870, in Cort- land Township, on the old farmn.

Mr. Joslyn has been School Director, but has de- clined the numerous other offices tendered him. He votes the Republican ticket. He has 260 acres of land in his home farm, and owns land also on sec- tions 34 and 28.

acob Spansail, a farmer situated on section 24, Genoa Township, was born Dec. 16, 1833, in Germany. His parents, Jacob ver- and Elizabeth D. Spansail, were natives of Germany and in 1850 emigrated to America, locating in Ohio. They had a family of seven children,-Jacob, Sebastian, Rosa, George, Dora, Catherine and Fred. The father died in Michigan while en route to Illinois to visit his son : the mother survives.

Mr. Spansail was about 17 years of age when he accompanied his parents to America, and he lived in the Buckeye State three years, coming thence to Kane Co., Ill. Two years later, in 1855, he removed to De Kalb County and became the owner by pur- chase of 40 acres in the township of Genoa, and has since maintained his residence thereon. His home estate now includes 320 acres and nearly the entire acreage is under improvement. His herd of cattle includes 50 head on an average and he fattens about 65 hogs yearly.

Mr. Spansail was married March 29, 1857, to Elizabeth Vote, and they have seven children,-Mary E., George H., John M., Rosa (died when three months old), Dora J., Katie M. and Frederick W. Mrs. Spansail was born March 30, 1837, in Craw- ford Co., Ohio, and is one of ten children born to her parents,-Elizabeth, Mary A., John M., Anna W., Susan, William H., Jacob G., Margaret, Charles F.

and Franklin P. The parents, John and Anna M. (Karn) Vote, are natives of Pennsylvania and Ger- many.

Mr. Spansail is a Republican in politics and has been a prominent man in the local offices in his township, having held the position of Road Com- missioner 15 years and also that of School Director. He is a man of acknowledged business abilities and acted as salesman for the patrons of the New Lebanon cheese factory for three years. In 1882 he was ap- pointed Postmaster of New Lebanon.

eorge W. Dubrock, retired merchant, res- ident at Somonauk, was born Feb. 1, 1830, at Rehna, Mechlenberg, in the northern part of Germany, also the native place of his parents, John and Maria Dubrock, who had 10 children. Mr. Dubrock is one of four surviv- ing children. He was 15 years of age when he left school and began to operate as a salesman in a mer- cantile establishment in the city of Hamburg, Ger- many, where he was employed until he emigrated to New York, arriving in that city in 1852. He spent a year in the great metropolis engaged as a cigar packer. At the end of that time he came to Danby, Du Page Co., Ill. In company with his brother, Charles J. Dubrock, he opened a general store, in which relation he operated nearly seven years. In the fall of 1860 he opened his mercantile enterprise at Somonauk, which he prosecuted with satisfactory results, until his retirement in January, 1879. Mr. Dubrock is the owner of his fine residence and grounds, the latter including one and a half acres ; also the same quantity south of his residence, which is situated on the La Salle County line, and the land in its rear is in that county. He has another town lot in another part of Somonauk village, and owns 113 acres of farming land one mile east of that place.

He was married Oct. 20, 1859, in Du Page Co., Ill., to Amelia Anderson, and they have 10 children, as follows: George E. is a clerk in a wholesale boot and shoe store ; Helen L, and Zillah are next in order of birth; John W. is a clerk in the same establish- ment in Chicago where his brother is employed. Jennie, Clara, Frederick F., Mary, Elizabeth and Loe

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are the names of the others. Mrs. Dubrock was born July 29, 1838, in Rochester, N. Y., and is the daughter of William and Mary (Headley) Anderson. The former died in Aurora, Ill., Sept. 4, 1865. The latter is livingJin Aurora. The father of Mr. Du- brock died about 1870. His mother is 85 years of age, and is still living in Germany. His wife is a member of the Methodist Episcopal Church.

rederick B. Townsend, cashier of the private banking establishment of Daniel Pierce & Co. at Sycamore, was born July 30, 1858, in Malta Township, De Kalb County. Amos W. Townsend, his father, is one of the firm, and is in active business life. Eleanor (Pierce) Townsend, his mother, is still living, and the family are residents of Sycamore.

Mr. Townsend was a student in the schools of Sycamore until he was 17 years of age, when he en- tered the Lombard University at Galesburg, Ill., and spent three and a half years pursuing the studies of the scientific course in that institution. On com- pleting his education, he went to Chicago and was employed as a clerk in the wholesale and retail drug establishment of Gale & Blocki, where he was occu- pied one year; after which he entered Eastman's National Business College at Poughkeepsie, and after pursuing a full and thorough course of commercial study, was graduated, in May, 1881. He returned to Sycamore and assumed the duties of the position he has since fulfilled with ability and fidelity.

ames T. Powell, retired merchant, residing at Somonauk, was born Oct. 17, 1823, in Boston, Mass. Howell Powell, his father, was a native of Wales, and was a gardener by vocation. He emigrated to the United States in boyhood, and in 1837 he came to Illinois. He bought 256 acres of land in Northville, La Salle Co., Ill., where he died in 1858. His wife, Mary A. (Pritchard) Powell, was a native of England,. and died in April, 1862, in La Salle County. Only two of five children born to them are now living. Wil-

liam H., only brother of Mr. Powell of this sketch, is a farmer of Northville.

Mr. Powell was brought up on the homestead of which he became half owner when he came into pos- session of his inheritance from his father's estate. He was one of the first of the California adventurers, whither he went in 1849. He returned to Northville in 1851. His share of the homestead was 156 acres, and he purchased 200 acres additional, the whole constituting a valuable farm. He came to Somonauk in 1861, and, associated with E. W. Lewis, engaged in buying and shipping grain and stock. This rela- tion continued about 10 years, when it terminated, and Mr. Powell engaged in the sale of drugs in com- pany with C. E. Wright .. Their joint business was in existence one year, when Mr. Powell retired, and has since engaged in nothing of an active nature. He is a member of the Masonic fraternity, and belongs to the Aurora Commandery.

He was married in Northville, La Salle Co, Ill., March 16, 1852, to Ann Stafford. Their three chil- dren were born in Northville, as follows: Ida, Feb. 3, 1853; Ella, Jan. 16, 1855; and Carrie, Jan. 6, 1857. Mrs. Powell was born Feb. 26, 1827, in Fabius, N. Y., and is the daughter of Jacob and Sarah (Doubleday) Stafford.

alter G. Adams, manufacturer and dealer in elevator supplies at Sandwich, is the son of Hon. Augustus Adams, of the Sandwich Manufacturing Company, and was born July 12, 1848, in Elgin, Ill. (See sketch of Augustus Adams.) He was nine years of age when his parents removed their resi- dence to Sandwich, where his father established the manufacture of the Adams corn-sheller, under the firm style of A. Adams & Sons. The business became merged in the Sandwich Manufacturing Company in 1869, and Mr. Adams, of this sketch, entered the shops to acquire a knowledge of the details of the business. Afterward he went to Mar- seilles in the interest of A. Adams & Sons, continu- ing his relations therewith after that branch was converted into the Marseilles Manufacturing Com- pany. He was placed in charge of the foundry department, which he conducted about five years.

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Subsequently he returned to the works at Sandwich, and for a time was variously employed, finally becom- ing Assistant Superintendent. In January, 1884, he became proprietor of the elevator supply department, which he still controls, the Sandwich Manufacturing Company manufacturing the wares in which he deals. He employs one or two traveling salesmen, and ships his goods chiefly to the Western States. Mr. Adams is a Republican in political connection and principles, and is a member of the Mutual Aid Society.

He was married June 8, 1869, in Sandwich, to Emma Cox. Their children are Lydia, born Aug. 7, 1870; Walter Vincent, Oct. 20, 1873; and Albert Henry, Aug. 6, 1876. The oldest child was born in Marseilles; the births of the sons occurred at Sand- wich. Mrs. Adams was born Aug. 15, 1850, in Nor- folk, Va., and is the daughter of Major A. M. and Emmeline (Daniels) Cox. Her parents reside at Sandwich.

apt. William Davis, a retired farmer and a former sea Captain, resident at Sand- wich, was born Jan. 1, 1802, in Westport, Mass. His father, Joseph Davis, was born in the same place, in Bristol Co., Mass., Jan. 15, 1782; he was a farmer and died in Dart- mouth, Bristol County, in 1864. The mother of Capt. Davis, Judith, nee Brightman, was born Jan. 2, 1780, in Westport and died in the same place about the year 1816.

Captain Davis is the oldest of his parents' seven children, five of whom are still living. He was reared on a farm to the age of 17 years, when he entered upon an apprenticeship to learn the business of a cooper, serving two years and five months. He obtained a situation as cooper on a whaler, and went on a cruise which consumed 11 months and 25 days. During seven months of that period the ves- sel was out of sight of land. The experience of this whaling voyage was pleasing, and Captain Davis de- cided to pursue a seafaring life, and spent three years before the mast. After that time he became chief mate of a merchant brig, serving in that rank three

years, when he was made Captain and continued his life on the sea eight years, commanding different ves- sels. During the first two years he made five voyages to Pernambuco, South America, whither he carried cargoes of supplies and returning thence laden with hides and sugar. He also visited the West Indies, Amsterdam, Liverpool and most other European ports. He suffered shipwreck three times, on every occasion the vessel but no lives being lost.

Captain Davis abandoned his career as a naviga- tor in 1835, and came to where Sandwich now is, where he is one of the earliest of the first settlers. He is of the opinion that there were but three pio- neer settlers before him who are now living. Others now living who were here at that time were then in childhood. He was accompanied hither by his brother-in-law, Major Dennis, and they together bought 100 acres of timber land. They afterwards divided their joint property and each took up prairie land. The Captain's estate at one time included 400 acres, a part of which is still in his possession and forms the location of his residence. He has platted two additions to Sandwich on the western side known as Davis' Second and Third Additions. In company with others, he bought a piece of land on the north side of the town, which is designated Davis' First Addition. The time and place was so primitive when Messrs. Davis and Dennis came hither that their milling was done at Dayton, La Salle County. His postoffice was at Holderman's Grove, 13 miles distant.

Captain Davis sold parts of his farm from time to time until he had only a residue of 110 acres, which he sold to his son, its present owner. His first abode was a log house which had been erected on the tim- ber tract previous to his purchase, and in 1837 he built a small frame house which still stands in its original position on Church Street, west of his fine brick residence, which he built about 1869. Captain Davis has been a stock-holder in the Sandwich En- terprise Manufacturing Company since its organiza- tion.

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Portrait and biographical album of DeKalb County, Illinois : containing full-page portraits and biographical sketches of prominent and representative citizens of the county, Part 24

Author: Publication date: 1885 Publisher: Chicago : Chapman Bros. Number of Pages: 888

Author:
Publication date: 1885
Publisher: Chicago : Chapman Bros.
Number of Pages: 888