Portrait and biographical album of DeKalb County, Illinois : containing full-page portraits and biographical sketches of prominent and representative citizens of the county, Part 70

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 70

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Judge Robinson is a man of more than ordinary ability, possessing a good legal mind and endowed with good common sense. He was always consid- ered an able lawyer and a safe counselor. Devoting himself to general practice and not to any special line of his profession, he has discharged his duties as an attorney in a faithful manner to his clients and has retained the respect of the Court. As Judge of the County and Probate Courts, no man has ever filled the position in a more satisfactory manner, being popular alike with the Bar and the people. As a member of the State Board of Public Charities, he has made a State reputation. Notwithstanding he received no compensation, he devoted his time just as faithfully and as energetically as though re- ceiving annually a handsome salary. That his ser- vices were appreciated, his re-appointment and long continued labors will attest. His service upon that Board shows that he had a heart to feel for the un- fortunate and realizes the responsibility of the State and people to care for them. As a citizen, the Judge

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enjoys the, respect of all. Ever ready to lend a help- ing hand to every public enterprise, he takes hold with a will, and what he does he does with all his might. Few men enjoy the confidence of the people in a greater degree.

Of three children born to Judge and Mrs. Robin- son, only one survives. Hattie Melinda was born Dec. 22, 1856, at Cuthbert, Ga. She was married in June, 1881, to C. L. Buchan, of Chicago, and died Nov. 3, 1884, at Sycamore, leaving a babe two weeks old. Lucius Prentiss was born July 22, 1858, and died in infancy. Nellie Colby was born Feb. 9, 1862.

obert F. Hampton, farmer, section 7, Paw Paw Township, has 160 acres of land ; postoffice East Paw Paw, is the son of Rob- ert and Lydia (Zemmer) Hampton, and was born in Paw Paw Township, Feb. 3, 1852. He received an academic education and taught school several winters, while he was farming summers.

He was married in Chicago, March 9, 1879, to Miss Elizabeth C., daughter of Casper and Magda- lena Dienst. Mrs. Hampton was born in La Salle Co., Ill., Nov. 12, 1858.

Mr. and Mrs. Hampton are members of the Methodist Episcopal Church of East Paw Paw, and Mr. H. is Republican in political views.

illiam Hecox, farmer, section 22, Malta Township, was born Aug. 26, 1825, in Bur- lington, Otsego Co., N. Y. Alexander Hecox, his father, was a native of Montgom- ery Co., N. Y., and a son of Samuel Hecox, M. D., of Connecticut, of well-known and trace- able ancestry, his progenitors having came to America during the Colonial period to escape persecution in England, and they reached distinction through su- periorty of birth and culture. Dr. Hecox attained celebrity in medicine and politics, ranking in both without peer in his native State. He died at 96 years of age. His second wife, Betsey Flint, belonged to the class known as Mohawk Dutch, and who were located adjacent to Cherry Valley at the period when

that section of the State of New York was made his- toric by the ravages of the Indians ; and her immedi- ate relatives were among the refugees of that terrible epoch, occupying places of cruel exposure in the dead of winter to secure themselves from the tomahawk and the more dreadful fate of capture. Dr. Hecox' family included eight children, of whom Alexander was the second. The latter was born, lived and died on the same place, his demise occurring about 1838. His wife, Emma Hammond, was a native of Brattle- boro, Vt., and came of illustrious stock. Her father, Thomas Hammond, was a soldier of 1812 and par- ticipated in the battle of Queenstown, where he was captured. He was carried to England, where he was held a prisoner of war 18 months. He was a shoemaker, and died at an advanced age, as did his wife, in Montgomery Co., N. Y.

William Hecox is the eldest of six children, all of whom are yet living and are prominent for health, activity and intelligence. His father died when he was 13 years old, and the widowed mother devoted herself to the care and education of her children, every one of whom is a living example of inherited merit and a testimony to the value of a sacrificing, judicious mother. The youngest child is a daughter, who is an inmate of her brother's home in New York. Another brother is resident there and two others live in Southern Nebraska.

Mr. Hecox contributed his assistance to the main- tenance of the family until he was 21 years old, passing his time as a day laborer on neighboring farms. He also secured a fair degree of education, and by frugality was enabled to save a share of what he earned during the latter years of his minority.

He was first married Oct. 19, 1851, in Hartwick, Otsego Co., N. Y., to Julia A., daughter of Austin and Anna (King) Fuller. Her parents are natives of Otsego County, and are still living in Chenango Co., N. Y., although very aged. The daughter was born Nov. 5, 1826, in Hartwick, Otsego County. She was well and carefully educated and was for some years a teacher. She died (childless) in Malta, in 1876. Mr. Hecox was again married May 9, 1881, in Ran- dallville, N. Y., to Mary, daughter of John and So- phronia (Hartshorn) White. Her parents are of genuine Yankee stock, born respectively in Connect- icut and Massachusetts. The families of both settled early in the State of New York, where they were married. Mr. White, who was a cloth-dresser by

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vocation, died when his daughter was four years of age, and the latter was brought up by her mother, who died in 1865. .

Mr. Hecox came to Illinois in 1859, and he at once located on 160 acres in Malta Township. After his second marriage he sold his farm with the intention of establishing a permanent home in Nebraska; but after a trial, the associations of De Kalb proved too strong for him to resist, and he returned after a few months. He again became a land-holder in Malta by the purchase of 80 acres of land, which has proved a most desirable home, being well improved and cul- tivated and supplied with presentable and valuable farm buildings. Mr. Hecox is an adherent to the tenets and principles of the Republican party. His wife is a member of the Baptist Church.

ev. William Nicholson, minister, residing at Shabbona, was in active service as a Pastor of the Methodist Episcopal Church from 1834 to 187 1, when, on account of being .

thrown from his horse, he was compelled to re- tire from active life. He was born in Newark, Nottinghamshire, Eng., July 1 3, 1806, and is a son of John and Charlotte (Rud) Nicholson. He was reared and educated in his native town and spent a portion of his early years in the lumber business. In 1829 he was converted to the faith of the Methodist Episcopal Church, and spent five years as tract dis- tributor, benevolent visitor and teacher, and in 1834 began preaching as a local preacher.

He emigrated to the United States in 1842 and lo- cated in the Western Reserve in Ohio, where he be- gan preaching, af Nelson and Hiram Centers. In 1 849 he removed to a point 20 miles from Coldwater, in Branch Co., Mich. He preached in that county and in Indiana for six years, and then in 1854 came to this State and located at Aurora, where he as- sisted in charge of the Church located there. In 1855 he went to Clinton Township, this county. In 1856 he preached in Shabbona Grove, then a part of the Paw Paw Circuit. During that year he pur- chased 80 acres of land in Shabbona Township, but continued to reside at Paw Paw, Lee County, until 1859, when he removed to his farnı. He has subse-

quently added to his original purchase until he be- came the owner of 200 acres. He was instrumental in the building of school-houses and establishing re- ligious meetings.

In the spring of 1876 Rev. Nicholson moved to the village of Shabbona, where he has since lived. He has filled the pulpit of both churches at that place at different times. Since the summer of 1882 he has retired from active work in the ministry on account of failing health and injuries received as stated.

He was married Nov. 27, 1828, to Miss Maria, daughter of Henry and Mary (Gilbert) Radford. She was born in Nottinghamshire, England. They are the parents of nine children, seven of whom are liv- ing, viz .: Hannah, widow of James McCray, resides in 'Earl, Ill .; Sarah is the wife of Ira Lyons, a resi- dent of Oregon; Elizabeth died at the age of 19 years ; Josiah H. married Loie Nicholson and resides in Iowa; Mary is the wife of Dewitt Van Vliet and re- sides at Elk Grove, Mo .; Martha is the wife of John Mullins, and lives at Shabbona; John J. enlisted in Co. E, 105th. Ill. Inf., in the late Civil War, and died with fever at Chicago before leaving for the field of action; Charles W: married Miss Marion Houghtby and lives on the old homestead; Lucy M. is the wife of Dewitt Van Velzor, a resident of Shabbona.

Politically, Mr. Nicholson has been identified with the Republican party since the days of Fremont. He has met with several severe accidents during his life. The last one of consequence occurred when he was 65 years of age. He was thrown from his horse on the frozen ground and badly crippled. He is also the victim of acute rheumatism, from which he suffers greatly. With all his afflictions, he maintains a pa- tient faith that all is for the best, and still endeavors to impress the divine precepts of his religion upon all those who come within his influence.

eorge W. Smiley, hardware merchant and dealer in agricultural implements at Malta, is also an extensive farmer, stock and grain dealer, owning two fine farms situ- ated on either side of the village. He is a native of Sullivan Co., N. Y., whence he came with his parents to Illinois, locating in Kane County.

THE LIBRARY OF THE UNIVERSITY OF ILLINOIS

David West

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He lost his mother by death when nine years old, and from that period he continued under the charge of his father in the States of New York and Pennsyl- vania. He was in the latter State about four years. After he was 13 years of age he maintained himself. He reached his majority in Kane County, but before he was 22 years of age he had traveled in 26 differ- ent States. He had spent a summer in Canada and visited Central America, Cuba and Mexico. While in Central America he was arrested on some triv- ialj pretext and held a prisoner for some time by the suspicious authorities. In California he was inter- ésted in gold-mining, which proved a fortunate in- vestment. Returning thence via New Orleans to Illinois, he settled on a farm of 160 acres, which he had previously purchased in Kane County, where he pursued agriculture several years. In 1863 he came to the township of Malta and purchased 80 acres of farming land in Milan Township. Later on he bought another tract of similar extent, and soon after located in the village, where he has since conducted his business, at first engaging in the sale of coal, lum- ber and farming implements, in partnership with Charles W. Haish. They operated jointly five years. Since 1870, Mr. Smiley has transacted a heavy busi- ness in the lines of traffic indicated. As an agricul- turist he ranks with two others as the best in De Kalb County, and has at one time been the leading dealer in farming apparatus in the county, supplying fully a third of the demand. For the last 15 years he has shipped to market annually an average of 100 car-loads of stock. He is the proprietor of 260 acres of land, all in advanced cultivation. His property in the village includes a stock and feed yard, a double store and grain warehouse, and the building and lot where he resides. His business transactions aggregate yearly $150,000.

Mr. Smiley is a Democrat in political persuasion. He is present President of Malta Corporate Board, and has held all the local offices of the township and village.

He was united in marriage to Arzoda Smith, Jan. 6, 1857, at Geneva, Ill. Her parents, James and Arzoda Smith, were early settlers in Kane County, whither they came from Erie Co., Pa., in 1835. Her mother and father have been dead some years. Mrs. Smiley was born Jan. 21, 1835, in Erie Co., Pa., and was eight months old when brought by her parents to Illinois. After obtaining her .education

she managed the domestic part of her father's affairs until her marriage. Following is the record of five children, of whom she has been the mother: Burr B., born April 30, 1859, was married Oct. 21, 1880, in Malta, to Emily J. Peters, and they have one child -Eva, born July 3, 1882; B. B. Smiley is connected with his father in business; Thyrza was born June 13, 1864; May and Myrtie, twins, were born June 27, 1868; Budd D., born, Feb. 3, 1861, was accident- ally killed May 26, 1878, by a freight train on the railroad at Creston, Ogle Co., Ill.

avid West, a pioneer farmer of De Kalb County, who resides on section 34, Syca- more Township, was born July 16, 1806; in Waterville, Oneida Co., N. Y., to which place his parents had removed from Massachu- setts in the same year. Asa West, his father, was born, in 1769, in Williamstown, Berkshire Co., Mass., and married Sarah Parker, who was born April 25, 1773, in Deerfield, Franklin Co., Mass. In 1808 the family migrated to Madison Co., N. Y., where they were pioneers. The father bought a tract of timber land, where he built a log house, which was occupied by the family for a number of years. The senior West was a clothier by trade and a man of natural mechanical abilities, later in life becoming a cooper and following that business during the winter seasons after his removal to the State of New York. While the second struggle of the Colonies with Great Britain was in progress, he made wooden canteens for the soldiers .. In 1815 his health failed, and after an illness of six years' duration, he died, in January, 1821. The mother, with her children, resided some years after that event in Madison County, and re- moved thence in 1826 to Erie County, where she died, Dec. 2, 1828, aged 48 years.

Mr. West is the sole survivor of nine children, five of whom preceded him in order of birth. . After the death of his father, he was a member of the family of his brother-in-law, Daniel Hurd, of Georgetown, Madison Co., N. Y., until he was 20 years of age, when he went to Evans, Erie Co., N. Y., and oper- ated as a contractor in the forests, clearing land and lumbering. On the 29th of April, 1829, he was mar- ried to Sarah Chapin, in Georgetown. She was the

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daughter of Elias and Dimis (Chapman) Chapin, who removed from Stafford, Conn., to Madison County. The former was born Feb. 15, 175 1, was a soldier of the Revolution and was with Washington at the evacuation of the city of New York by the British. He died in Evans, Erie Co., N. Y., Feb. 4, 1839. The latter was born Oct. 15, 1774, and died in New Woodstock, Madison Co., N. Y., Oct. 12, 1860.

After his marriage, Mr. West purchased a tract of land included in the " Holland Purchase," in Evans, built a house and barn and cleared 45 acres. He Was a resident there until 1843, and in addition to his own clearing and farming operations he put in tillable condition about 350 acres of land. In the fall of 1843 he sold his farm, and with his family, in- cluding his wife and five children, he started for Illinois, making the journey with a pair of horses and a wagon, and bringing with them a portion of their household goods. After 23 days of travel, exclusive of Sundays, they arrived in Sycamore and passed the ensuing winter with Aaron C. West, a brother, then resident on section 34. Mr. West bought a tract of land adjoining on section 34, and in the winter of 1844-5 he built a small frame house for the accom- modation of his family. During the same winter he en- tered his claim. His first crop was raised on rented land in 1844, the same year in which he broke 20 acres on his own property. In 1845 he raised a crop of grain on his own place. At that time Chicago was the nearest market, and also the nearest point to ob- tain necessary supplies. The nearest mill was at St. Charles in Kane County. The farm of Mr. West presents a wide contrast from its primitive condition. It comprises 107 acres under tillage, with an excel- lent class of farm buildings. The place is supplied with an apple orchard planted by the proprietor, some of the trees having been brought by him from the State of New York. The yard fronting the house is made pleasant and attractive by shade trees and ornamental shrubbery. ,

The first wife of Mr. West was born Jan. 8, 1804, in Stafford, Conn., and of their union eight children were born, six of whom survive: Elias C. was born Nov. 25, 1839, in Evans, Erie Co. N. Y., and has been a resident of Sycamore since he was four years of age. He entered the army of the United States during the War of the Rebellion, enlisting Sept. 2, 1862, in Co. A, 105th Ill. Inf. The command was attached to the 20th Army Corps, and he experienced

the vicissitudes of the Atlanta campaign and march through Georgia and the Carolinas, participating in the Grand Review at Washington, D. C., at the close of the war. He was slightly wounded at Kenesaw Mountain and at Atlanta.

He was married June 17, 1872, to Ella A. Reese, and they have had three children,-May B., Roy C. and Gertie May. The oldest child died when about nine years of age. Mrs. West was born in Wisconsin, and is the daughter of Adam and Mary (Bass) Reese. He is associated with his father in dairying and raising fine stock, their joint ownership of land including 205 acres, all under improvement. The unmarried children of Mr. West are Alice C., Orrin, Asa P., Sarah L. and Miranda M. The mother died Jan. 23, 1849. Mr. West was a second time mar- ried, May 28, 1849, to Mrs. Lucinda (Rose) Wells, widow of Israel Wells, who died in March, 1845, leaving two children,-George M. and Ruth. The latter died when 26 years old. The former is a con- ductor on the Chicago & Northwestern Railroad. The mother was born in August, 1804, in Sherburn, Chenango Co., N. Y. Her parents, Joseph and Ruth (Whitney) Rose, were natives of Windhall, Vt., whence they removed to Sherburn. The former was born Dec. 25, 1760, the latter July 28, 1772. Mrs. West died April 10, 1884.

On a preceding page in proximity a lithographic likeness of the above sketched venerable pioneer is given, which will doubtless be appreciated with a high degree of pleasure by the public in this part of the State.

Most of the life of Mr. West has been of a pioneer character. Georgetown, in 1826, the date of his re- moval thence, was still in the heart of a wilderness, and the same state of affairs existed in Erie County (Buffalo being comparatively a village), whence he came to De Kalb County, only to repeat his experi- ence in an undeveloped section of country. He has been active in the duties of his citizenship at Syca- more, and as Commissioner assisted in the construc- tion of the highways. He has been a factor in the organization of the school districts, and served his township several years as Assessor. When he was 25 years of age he connected himself with the Con- gregational Church, in the town of Collins, Erie Co., N. Y., of which he remained a member until 1879, when he severed his relations therewith from con- scientious scruples, believing that the Bible, by pre-

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cept, discountenances secret organizations, Masonry in particular. In the days when Sycamore was in its incipiency his house was the home of the clergy who came hither in the practice of their calling, and it was also a depot on the "Underground Railroad," Mr. West often being called on to aid the refugees from the South and help them on their way to a land of freedom. He has been a practical temperance man and a zealous advocate in the cause for many years, and has never used tobacco in any form. He raised a barn in Erie Co., N. Y., which was erected without the aid of whisky, about 1835. Mr. West is a man of firm convictions and fearless in the practi- cal application of his opinions. He voted for James G. Birney for President at a time when the anti- slavery candidate of the district for Representative received but 40 votes.

Asa P. West, second son of David West, was born May 16, 1837, in Evans, Erie Co., N. Y. He was educated with care, and fitted for entering upon a professional career. He entered the United States military service as a soldier for the Union, and was mustered in May 2.4, 1861, with his regiment, 13th Ill. Vol. Inf. At the battle of Chickasaw Bayou he was shot through the right lung, the ball shattering a rib and passing through the shoulder blade. He worked his finger into the wound to control the bleeding, and made his way unassisted to the rear of the line of battle. He was taken in charge by Dr. Henry T. Salter, Assistant Surgeon of his regiment, who put his own fingers in the wound and controlled the flow of blood until coagulation stopped the artery. Late in the afternoon he was carried on a stretcher to a hospital boat, where he was placed face down- ward on a straw mattress in the cabin and left to die, the surgeon in charge pronouncing his fate certain. After several days the surgeon remarked, " This fel- low won't die; we may as well do what we can for. him." His wound was officially described as follows: "He is shot through the right lung, the ball striking the fourth rib, cutting it off, severing the branch artery and passing out through the inner curve of the scapula." His father had given him a white silk handkerchief for, use in case he was wounded, and the surgeon inserted this in the wound by means of a probe and drew it out at the back. This was done several times, and repeated several successive days. The wounded were sent North, the installment to

which Mr. West belonged reaching St. Louis Jan. 19, 1863. The weather was very cold, and when he was carried into the hospital his feet and legs were found to be frozen nearly to his knees. There was talk of his losing them, but he was in charge of an experi- enced French nurse, who had been in the Crimea, and whose care saved his limbs and his life. After he recovered, he assisted about the hospital until he was. taken with the small-pox. He lived through the attack, and was discharged from the hospital June 6, 1863. He returned to Sycamore and entered upon the study of law. His wound had not healed, and he was obliged to undergo an operation to remove the diseased portions of the shoulder blade.

In the winter of 1864-5 he was again in the em- ployment of the Government, and had charge of a portion of a construction corps with the army of Gen- eral Sherman. He acted as engineer on the locomo- tive that took General Grant to Smithfield after the surrender of General Johnston, and went from there to Baltimore through the Dismal Swamp Canal, and thence to Washington, reaching there the day before the Grand Review. Mr. West is engaged in the practice of law at Geneva, Kane Co., Ill. Nov. 7, 1882, he fell from a tree and crushed the roth and IIth vertebrae of the back-bone, throwing the spine six inches out of place, tearing tlie two lower perma- nent ribs from the breast-bone and driving them through the flesh. The bones of the heel of the right foot were also crushed. Surgical skill saved his life again. The case of Mr. West forms one of the most remarkable instances of the surgical his- tory of the war.

He was married June 22, 1867, to Maria, daughter of John and Grace Wilson. She was born in Hali- fax, Yorkshire, England. Her father was for 17 years the publisher of the Kane County Advertiser.

enry Lanan, a farmer on section 4, May- field Township, is a son of John and Mar- garet Lanan, natives of Belgium, who emigrated to America and settled first in Al- bany, N. Y., and came to Illinois in 1837,

- locating in De Kalb County; they died in the township of Mayfield, in 1862, the father March 16, and the mother June 16.

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Mr. Henry Lanan was also born in Belgium March 25, 1821, came to this county with his parents and has since lived in Mayfield Township. He owns 280 acres of good farming land. Politically he is a Democrat, and in religion he is a Catholic, as is also his wife. He was married in Chicago, Ill., March 24, 1854, to Anna M. Gregory, daughter of Anton and Christine Gregory, natives of Germany. She was born April 26, 1825, also in Germany. Mr. and Mrs. Lanan have five children, namely : Martha, born Jan. 28, 1856; Caroline, April 9, 1857, became the wife of George Tower, April 11, 1876; Joseph, born Feb. 3, 1860, married July 4, 1881, to Hattie Tower; Henry was born May 11, 1868.

illiam H. Corey, farmer, section 35, Malta Township, was born in Hancock, Berkshire Co., Mass., March 13, 1834, Hamilton Corey, his father, was of New Eng- land birth and Scotch descent, and a farmer by occupation and inheritance. He married Lydia Streeter, and a few years before their death they settled in Columbia Co., N. Y. The foriner died Aug. 19, 1854 ; the latter, April 18, of the same year. He was born April 24, 1807, and she was born Oct. 22, 1806.

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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 70

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

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