Portrait and biographical album of DeKalb County, Illinois : containing full-page portraits and biographical sketches of prominent and representative citizens of the county, Part 39

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 39

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

The subject of this sketch is the youngest of the four surviving children. When he was 15 years of

€

DE KALB COUNTY.

383

age he entered a variety store in Clinton, N. Y., where he was employed two years, after which he became assistant book-keeper in Clark's cotton mills in New York State, and operated in that capacity two years. He next obtained a situation in the office of a wholesale hardware manufacturing company in the city of New York, where he remained four years, dis- charging the duties of order clerk and managing the entire routine of affairs pertaining to that department. He entered upon the work of book-keeper of the corporation in whose interests he is now engaged, in February, 1871. Two years subsequently he was elected to the position he now fills and operated in the local office until the fall of 1880. At that date he went to Lincoln, Neb., in order to conduct a branch house of the company and continued in that avenue of business until November, 1881, and dur- ing that time opened up a large business for his company in that particular field. On his return to Sandwich he was again elected to his former position, in which he has since officiated. Mr. Phelps is the present City Treasurer of Sandwich. He is a mem- ber of the Masonic fraternity, and also belongs to the order of Mutual Aid of Illinois.

His marriage to Frances J. Root occurred Nov. 8, 1871, at Sandwich. Three children have been born to them as follows; Clara A., Aug. 19, 1872; Mary B., Aug. 26, 1875; Ethel J., Oct. 18, 1877. Mrs. Phelps was born Sept. 26, 1850, in Utica, N. Y., and is the daughter of George W. and Salina A. Root.

illiam Patten, farmer, section 13, Somo- nauk Township, was born Jan. 21, 1817, in Greenwich, Washington Co., N. Y. His father, James Patten, was a native of Ireland and was brought to the United States by his parents when an infant 11 months old, in June, 1794. He learned the trade and busi- ness of harness-making, and later in life engaged in farming. He died at Salem, N. Y., Dec. 21, 1827. The mother, Mary (Robertson) Patten, was born in Argyle, N. Y., and is still living, in her 92d year.

Mr. Patten is the only survivor of five children. He received the training of a farmer and a common- school education. When he reached the age of 14 years, he entered the store of his uncle, Moses

Robertson, where he operated as a salesman four years, resuming his occupation of farmer at the end of that time in his native place. May 17, 1843, he came to De Kalb County and entered the employ- ment of George Beveridge, of Somonauk Township, as a farm assistant and continued in that situation through one summer. In the fall he went back to the county where he was born, and was married Oct. II, to Elizabeth Pratt. Immediately after that event he returned to De Kalb County and entered a claim of 80 acres of land, which has since been his home- stead,-a period of more than 40 years. He con- ducted his farming operations with success and profit, and added to his estate until he owned 440 "acres of land. He managed his agricultural affairs with judgment and wisdom, and greatly added to the value and appearance of the place by his method of conducting his farm and by the excellent class of buildings which he erected. In March, 1884, he sold his place to his son Charles, who, in addition to his general farming operations, is making a specialty of raising fine grades of Durham cattle, of which he owns a herd numbering 165 head. He also exhibits · some fine Norman Percheron and English draft horses.

In usefulness to his generation and as a factor in the permanent welfare of the general public, Mr. Patten is a prominent and trusted citizen, and his disinterested devotion to the interests of the com- munity to which he belongs, as well as his abilities and qualifications for responsible positions, have won a recognition creditable to himself and his suppor- ters. He has been an adherent of the Republican element in political affairs, and in the fall of 1854 he was elected Representative to the Legislature of Illinois from De Kalb County, and received a re- election in 1858. In 1866 he was elected to the State Senate for the long term and served four years. He has discharged the duties of Supervisor of Somo- nauk Township six years, and been appointed a Del- egate numberless times to the Republican State and County Conventions.

During the war of the Rebellion he was indefatig- able in his efforts to aid the Government in its sup- pression of the colossal mischief, and was one of the earliest to comprehend the extent of the danger that menaced the Union. In April, 1861, he was instru- mental in raising Co. H, 10th Ill. Vol. Inf., which he accompanied on its way to the front as far as Cairo.

384

DE KALB COUNTY.

In 1864 he raised Co. H, 156th Ill. Vol. Inf., and went to the field as its Captain, but was never in ac- tual military service. In religious matters he is equally zealous and efficient, and is a prominent member of the United Presbyterian Church. He was one of the first Elders after the organization of the society to which he belongs, and interested him- self actively in the construction of the church edifice. He has represented the society twice as a Delegate to the General Assembly held at Philadelphia. Mr. Patten is the owner of 500 acres of farming land in Story Co., Iowa, situated on the line of the Milwau- kee Railroad, which is managed by his son and where he spent the greater part of several summers.

He has been twice married, and had five children by his first wife, three of whom are living. Edward is a farmer in Collins, Story Co., Iowa; Simon N. and Jennie are at home. James and Simon (Ist) are deceased. The mother died in Somonauk, Jan. 8, 1856, and Mr. Patten was again married in August, 1856, to Jane Somes, a native of Greenwich, Wash- ington Co., N. Y. They became the parents of five children,-Charles, Anna, Alexander, William and Fred.

enry Miller, general farmer, located on section 31, Franklin Township, was born March 9, 1830, in Oneida Co., N. Y. John Miller, his father, was a farmer in the State of New York and married Mary Crill. Their children included six sons and six daughters. In 1845 they located in Monroe Township, in Ogle Co., Ill.

Mr. Miller is of mixed German and Yankee (so- called) descent and is the third child of his parents. He was a member of the paternal household until he was 26 years of age, when he took steps to enter upon an independent career. He was married Feb. 14, 1836, in Franklin Township, to Matilda Patten, and they have had three children. Julia C: is the wife of Peter Hyser, a native of Schenectady, N. Y., and a farmer on section 1, South Grove Township. Holt D. married Edna Taylor, Dec. 19, 1884, who is the daughter of C. S. and Hannah (Reder) Taylor, natives of Genesee Co., N. Y. Lillie M. is a pupil at Aurora, Ill., where she is preparing for the profes- sion of a teacher. The mother was born in Herki-

mer Co., N. Y., and came in youth with her parents to Ogle Co., Ill. She acquired a good education, which she made available in teaching, previous to her marriage. After that event she and her hus- band located on a farm in Lynnville Township, in Ogle County, where they were residents until 1870, the date of their removal to the farm in Franklin Township. The place comprises 160 acres of land, all under excellent improvement, on which the propri- etor has erected farm buildings of modern style and a fine residence. The estate of Mr. Miller in Ogle and De Kalb Counties contains 565 acres of land. He is a Republican of unwavering principles, and with Mrs. Miller attend the Methodist Episcopal Church, in whose interest both are actively occupied.

red. S. Douglas, of the firm of Barnes & Douglas, editors and proprietors of the Sandwich Free Press, was born May 26, 1859, in East Chazy, Clinton Co., N. Y., and is the son of John F. and Elizabeth E. (Per- rigo) Douglas. His parents are residents of Sandwich, his father having retired from business.

Mr. Douglas is an only child, and accompanied his parents from his native place to Sandwich in 1871. He attended school until 1873, when he entered the office of the Gazette to learn the printer's craft, and while serving a period of apprenticeship he published two juvenile papers,-Sandwich Boys and Rising Generation .. In 1877 he went to Marseilles, Ill., and, associated with Charles E. Baldwin, became inter- ested in the publication of the Herald, under the firm style of Baldwin & Douglas. Eight months later he returned to Sandwich and started the Evening Herald. This enterprise existed about eight months, when Mr. Douglas accepted a position on the Gazette, and assisted its proprietor to some extent in the duties of the postoffice. In the spring of 1883 he went to Huron, Dakota, and became city editor of the Huron Daily Leader, operating in that capacity until the fall of the same year, when he returned to Sand- wich, and, in company with W. B. Barnes, bought the Free Press printing establishment, and has since prosecuted all its business relations, journalistic and jobbing, with satisfactory results. The literary abil- ities of Mr. Douglas beyond the enterprise in which

DE KALB COUNTY.

385

he is engaged, are recognized by the Chicago Times, Inter-Ocean, News, and the St. Louis Globe-Dem- ocrat. He belongs to the Masonic fraternity, and is Secretary of Meteor Lodge, No. 283, at Sandwich, and is a member of the Illinois Press Association and of the Presbyterian Church.

He was united in marriage Jan. 2, 1884, in Sand- wich, to Ella J., daughter of 'Thomas E. and Sarah (Green) Culver. Mrs. Douglas was born June 9, 1859, in Washington Co., N. Y.

tephen D. Wright, farmer, section 27, Somonauk Township, was born May 12, 1823, in Genesee Co., N. Y. His father, Levi Wright, was born in New Hampshire and was a farmer there and in Northville Township, Lasalle Co., Ill., whither he removed in 1843, and where he died Nov. 2, 1865. The mother, Arathusa (Brigham) Wright, was born in Worcester, Mass., and died when her son was a child of tender years.

Mr. Wright is the second of six children born to his parents, and he was reared to the calling of a farmer. He was 20 years of age when his father transferred his family and interests to the State of Illinois, and he was employed for a time on the home estate, which at first consisted of 86 acres, and was extended by later purchase until it included about 230 acres, a part of which lay in Somonauk Town- ship, on section 33.

In 1850 Mr. Wright went to California, where he spent a year prospecting for gold. On his return to Illinois in 1854 he bought a farm of 98 acres, on which he has since resided. He now owns 240 acres, all under the best cultivation and devoted largely to dairy purposes. His cattle are fine graded Holsteins, and his herd includes about 30 head.

Mr. Wright was married in Webster, Monroe Co., N. Y., Dec. 23, 1855, to Ruby M. Johnston, and they have one son-Edgar O .- who was born Sept. 7, 1856. Mrs. Wright was born May 11, 1833, in Au- burn, Cayuga Co., N. Y., and is the daughter of James and Mehitable (Olcott) Johnston.

rastus B. Little, farmer, section 11, Kings- ton Township, was born Jan. 20, 1845, in Erie Co., N. Y., and is the son of Henry and Amy (Bingham) Little. (A biographical account of his parents may be found in con- nection with that of Henry H. Little.) He was still in early childhood when his parents located in De Kalb County, and his home has since been in the township of Kingston. He entered the army of the United States in the last part of the Civil War, en- listing Jan. 5, 1864, in the Ninth Ill. Vol. Cav. He was in the service during the remainder of the struggle, participating in the battles of Nashville, Franklin Pike, Hurricane Creek, Guntown, Miss., and Grenada, Miss. On obtaining his discharge he re- turned to his home.

He is the proprietor of 370 acres of land, in a fine and valuable condition and favorably located in the townships of Kingston and Genoa, 240 acres of which is tillable. In his political faith and relations Mr. Little is a Republican and has discharged the obligations of several official positions.

He was married Jan. 1, 1875, in Belvidere, Ill., to Laura Strong. Their two children. were born as fol- lows : William H., Sept. 2, 1882, and Frank A., Dec. 13, 1883. Their mother was born in Genoa Township, Aug. 27, 1851, and is the daughter of William and Sabrina Strong.

illiam A. Dennis, farmer, section 28, Somonauk Township, was born on the farm where he now resides, Sept. 26, 1852. His father, Major Dennis, was born June 10, 1813, in New Bedford, Mass., and was married Feb. 10, 1842, to Mary A. Harmon, a native of North Carolina. She was born March 25, 1817, and is still living, as are three of four children of whom she became the mother: Waitstill O., born Jan. 27, 1843, is the wife of J. E. Baker, ad- juster for the Mutual Life Insurance Company of New York, resident at St. Louis, Mo .; Rebecca,

386

DE KALB COUNTY

born June 22, 1849, married C. S. Lewis, dealer in agricultural implements at Aurora, Ill .; Shepherd, born Oct. 7, 1847, was the second child in order of birth and was a business man of Somonauk, where he died June 1, 1870.

Mr. Dennis is the youngest child of his parents and was brought up on the home farm. His father was one of the pioneer settlers in Somonauk, whither he came in company with Capt. William Davis in 1834. (See sketch of Captain Davis.) He became a heavy land-holder, and died on his farm in Somo- nauk Jan. 16, 1856. Mrs. Dennis came to Somo- nauk in 1833, and was married there.

In 1879 Mr. Dennis became the owner of the homestead by purchase from the other heirs. His estate includes 121 acres of valuable farm land, and he raises for market purposes a great number of swine every year, his drove sometimes numbering be- tween one and two hundred. He is also conducting a small dairy.

Mr. Dennis was married at the Grand Pacific Ho- tel in Chicago, Ill., March 29, 1882, to Maggie M. Wallace. She was born in St. Lawrence, Jefferson Co., N. Y., and is the daughter of Hamilton and Mary Ann Wallace. Two children are now included in the family of Mr. Dennis: Millie Mabel, born Dec. 25, 1882; and Carrie H., born Dec. 25, 1884. This is a rare coincidence, and is certainly without a parallel in De Kalb County.

The farm on which Mr. Dennis resides is situated on sections 27, 28, 33, and 34, and he is one of the few who yet hold the original land patents.

jeremiah W. Brown, farmer, section 32, Genoa Township, was born Aug. 7, 1845, in the same township. His parents, Jere- miah L. and Judith (Richardson) Brown, came to De Kalb County, and settled in 1837, in Gen- oa Township, where the former died, Jan. 5, 1882. The mother died in the same township. Their family included seven children, five of whom are yet living. The senior Brown was one of those worthy, determined pioneers who came here among the first settlers and did so much toward developing this now beautiful, prosperous and populous coun- ty. To these men the present generation is greatly

indebted for the many comforts and luxuries it now enjoys.

Mr. J. W. Brown was a pupil at school until he was 18 years old, and he has since been exclusively interested in farming. His estate includes 180 acres of land, of which 160 acres are in advanced cultiva- tion. His stock comprises about 30 head of cattle, 80 hogs and 12 horses. Mr. B. is a Republican and has officiated in several local township offices.

His 'marriage took place in Whiteside Co., Ill. May 14, 1866, when he formed a matrimonial con- nection with Mary M., daughter of Ebenezer and Electa (Peevy) Wright, and they have had eight children : Millie, born Nov. 18, 1867; J. Harvey, Dec. 28, 1868; J. Depue, Feb. 25, 1869; Clayton L., July 3, 1871; Dell, April 25, 1873; Edna R., May 24, 1875; Estella A., March 22, 1878; Mary I., Sept. 8, 1879. Millie died Dec. 29, 1868, in Genoa.

The parents of Mrs. Brown came to De Kalb Coun- ty and settled at Sycamore, where the father is still living. Her mother died at that place, Feb. 19 1866.

mos H. Rote, farmer, resident on section 36, Franklin Township, was born June 20, 1829, in Lycoming Co., Pa. His father, Daniel Rote, was a native of the same State and of direct German descent, his parents having been born in the old country. He was a farmer in early life, and at 40 years of age en- tered the ministry, becoming a clergyman of the Christian denomination. He labored in that capac- ity in Pennsylvania until 1847, when he settled in Kane Co., Ill., and there followed his vocation as a minister two years. In 1849 he became a resident of De Kalb County. He died May 24, 1864, in Franklin Township, aged 72 years, and was an ar- dent and enthusiastic worker in his sacred calling until a short time before his demise. The mother of Mr. Rote, Mrs. Mary (Kitchen) Rote, was of Ger- man lineage. She was born in New Jersey, of parents of New England origin. She was in her girlhood when she became a resident of Pennsyl- vania, and she was married in Columbia County in that State about 1816. She came West and died in

ett in Perkin

DE KALB COUNTY.

389

Franklin Township, Feb. 13, 1865, at 81 years of age.

Mr. Rote is the second youngest of nine children: six daughters and three sons. His brothers were older than he, and he was brought up at home and was fairly educated in the common schools of his native county. He was 18 years of age when his parents removed West, and he was under the paren- tal roof until he was married, April 17, 1856, in Franklin Township, to Anna W. Ault. She was born in Muncie Township, Lycoming Co., Pa., Nov. 14, 1832, where she was a resident until 18 years of age, when she came to De Kalb County with her parents, Samuel and Catherine (Page) Ault. They were natives of Pennsylvania. The father was a miller in his native State and followed that occupa- tion after his removal in 1850 to Kingston Township, De Kalb County. Mr. and Mrs. Ault both died in that township, the former Nov. 17, 1868, aged 75 ; the mother Feb. 27, 1865, aged 72. They were the parents of 14 children. Mr. and Mrs. Rote have had nine children, four of whom are .yet' living,- Ida J., Effie M., Harry A. and Fred B. Pearson Llewellyn, Alice E., Lettie and Walter did not sur- vive their childhood.

Mr. Rote commenced farming independently on section 35 of Franklin Township, on a farm which he had purchased previous to his marriage. He owned and operated the place four years, when he sold it and bought 120 acres of improved land on which he has since prosecuted his agricultural opera- tions. He has a fine and valuable farm, on which he has erected a good class of buildings. In politi- cal views he is a Republican of an uncompromising type.

oratio N. Perkins, retired farmer at Genoa, is the son of James and Deborah (Davis) Perkins, and was born Nov. 6, 1808, in Groton, Conn., the native place of his parents, where their marriage took place, and where they were resident a number of years thereafter. They removed thence to Rensselaer Co., N. Y., where their deaths occurred. Noyes, Sarah, Eliza,

Horatio N., Caroline, Calvin, Sylvester and Charlotte were the names of their children.

The family of Mr. Perkins removed to Rensselaer County when he was four years old. He lived there until he was 15 years of age, when he went to Berk- shire Co., Mass., and became a farm laborer, contin- · uing to operate in that occupation three years, when he returned to the Empire State. In the fall of 1837 he came to Illinois and bought a claim, consisting of a half section of land, in Genoa Township, then in- cluded in the municipality of Orange, the township of Genoa not having been organized. He settled in what is now the village of Genoa, and built the hotel now known to the traveling public as the Pacific House, which he conducted about 20 years. Selling out, he devoted his time and energies to farmning, residing on his farm on section 20, 16 consecutive years. In the fall of 1872 he became a permanent resident of Genoa village. He is still the owner of 420 acres of land in De Kalb County, under partial improvement. During his earlier residence at Genoa he received the appointment of Postmaster from President Van Buren, and discharged the duties of the position about 20 years, when he resigned. Five years later he was re-appointed, and held his com- mission until Dec. 1, 1884, when he again resigned. Hc is a member of the fraternity of Masons. Mr. Perkins is a staunch and decided Republican, and although he has been a Village Trustee for two years he is not an aspirant for official honors.

He was married in Columbia Co., N. Y., in the township of New Lebanon, Nov. 4, 1830, to Eliza Wallace. Her parents, James and Betsey (Stacy) Wallace, were natives of Townsend, Mass., and early in life removed to Columbia Co., N. Y., where their lives terminated. Their family included 12 children, of whom Mrs. Perkins is the third daughter. She was born April 23, 1808, in Columbia County. Three children have been born to her and her husband. Eliza Jane was born Aug. 11, 1831, in Columbia County, and married Henry C. Graves, of Sandwich, Nov. 20, 1856. Her health failed and she went to Chicago for medical treatment, where she died, July 6, 1874. Henry N. was born Aug. 15, 1833, in Co- lumbia County, and is a resident of Genoa. Mary M. was born May 2, 1840, in Genoa, where she died Aug. 23, 1864. Henry N. was married Feb. 28,

390

DE KALB COUNTY.

1856, to Margaret M. Stiles, of Genoa, who died in March, 1880.

The portrait of Mr. Perkins appears on a page just preceding, as an appropriate addition to the galaxy illustrating this ALBUM.

alter L. Cole, farmer, section 9, Kingston Township, became a resident of De Kalb County in 1859, when he removed hither with his parents. He was born Oct. 18, 1850, in Clark Co., Ill., and is the youngest of five children included in the family of Wash- ington and Harriet E. (Stiles) Cole. His father is a native of Washington County, and his mother was born in Ontario Co., N. Y. They have been resi- dents of Kingston Township continuously since their removal hither.

Mr. Cole was united in marriage in Kingston Township, March 8, 1877, to Ella J. Crosby, and they have one child, Charles W., who was born Sept. 14, . 1883. Mrs. Cole was born in the township where she has lived all her life, June 25, 1856, and is the daughter of Leonard and Rebecca (Cameron) Crosby, pioneer settlers of De Kalb County, where her father died about 1857. Her mother subse- quently became the wife of Charles McAllister, and is a resident of Kingston Township.

Phelps Adams, manufacturer and secre- tary of the Sandwich Manufacturing Com- pany, was born Sept. 18, 1835, in Pine Valley, Chemung Co., N. Y., and is the son of Hon. Augustus Adams, of Sandwich, of whom a detailed account may be found elsewhere in this volume.

He has been a resident of Illinois since his fifth year, his parents having removed in 1840 to Elgin, Ill. He received all the educational advantages possible from the common schools at Elgin and ob- tained a good training for business at Bell's Business College in Chicago, completing his course there when 20 years of age. He obtained a situation as account- ant at Marshall, Calhoun Co., Mich., where he was also engaged in mercantile relations and later entered

the employment of the American Express Company as messenger. He operated at that place . until January, 1861. Meanwhile his father had trans- ferred his business to Sandwich, where he had estab- lished a small manufacturing business, which was in a prosperous condition. At the date named Mr. Adams came to Sandwich and assumed the position of office manager. The dimensions of the business of A. Adams & Sons took on added proportions every year, its products becoming widely known and meet- ing a popular necessity, and in 1867 the present company was organized and incorporated. J. Phelps Adams was made its secretary and treasurer and has since officiated in both responsible and laborious positions, a period of nearly 25 years of continuous service. The nature and character of the duties may be inferred from the fact that the manufactures of the Sandwich company are in popular use not only in this country but in the Black Sea region of Russia and all along the course of the Danube River on the European continent, and in all the corn-growing countries of the world. Within the past few years a large trade in their machines has been established in the Argentine Republic. (The merits of the business connections of the Sandwich Manufacturing Com- pany are fully treated in another part of this work.)

Mr. Adams is a leading citizen of Sandwich, and has been closely identified with its religious, educa- tional and political interests since he has been a resi- dent there. He is a member of the Congregational Church, and previous to May, 1884, had been Sun- day-school Superintendent 12 years. Before Sand- wich was organized as a city, he served several terms as President of the village. He has been for years a member of the Agricultural Society, and acted one year as President of the Board, and is President of the Sandwich Literary Association. He has officiated nine years as a member of the School Board, and has filled the position of chief official of that body several terms. He is a Republican in political preference, and has been delegate on several different occasions to the County and Congressional Conventions. In September, 1884, he left Sandwich for an extended tour through South America in the interests of the business in which he is a prominent factor. He went to all the coast cities of Brazil, and made an extended visit to Buenos Ayres, traveling through the Argentine Republic, making an exhaustive examination of the

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

Portrait and biographical album of DeKalb County, Illinois : containing full-page portraits and biographical sketches of prominent and representative citizens of the county, Part 39

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

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