Portrait and biographical album of DeKalb County, Illinois : containing full-page portraits and biographical sketches of prominent and representative citizens of the county, Part 74

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 74

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In the summer of 1876 Mr. Chapman erected a

grist-mill in the vicinity of his residence, and he has since been engaged mostly in its management. He has also built a grist-mill, at a cost of $10,000, at Millbank, Grant Co., Dak. In 1881 he constructed a business block of brick, which is located near the center of the village, and is a credit alike to the place and to the enterprise of the builder. In 1880 he built the cheese factory near the limits of Kings- ton, which is at present under the management of a company in Elgin, Ill. He also constructed the wooden bridge over the creek near his home.

Caleb Chapman, his father, was a native of Win- sted, Conn., where the wife and mother, Deborah (Knowlton), was also born. They settled in Ohio after their marriage, where the father died, in January, 1875. The mother died in January, 1885. The son, who is the subject of this sketch, is the oldest of 1 2 children.

He was married Sept. 14, 1843, in the township of Genoa, to Sarah, daughter of Henry and Jane (Wa- ger) Durham. Her parents were natives of Dela- ware Co., N. Y., and they settled in the township of Genoa in 1838. Her father died there Feb. 12, 1855, and her mother's denise followed Nov. 4, of the same year. They had 10 children, of whom Mrs. Chapman is the second, and is the oldest daughter. She was born March 5, 1823, and has been a resi- dent of De Kalb County since her 15th year.

Mr. Chapman is a Democrat in political princi- ple. He has officiated eight years as Justice of the Peace, two years as Assessor, and held other local offices.

The lithographic likeness of Mr. Chapman, on a page just preceding, is considered an essential addi- tion to the collection of portraits of representative men of De Kalb County.

eorge H. Gurler, son of Benjamin (see sketch) and Harriet (Hopkins) Gurler, is a manager of a creamery, and resides in the village of De Kalb. He was born in Chester- field, Cheshire Co., N. H., March 29, 1845, and was 12 years of age when his parents emigrated with the family to the West, locating in this county. Here he grew up to manhood, working upon his father's farm and attending school.

In February, 1865, he enlisted in the cause of the

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Government of his country, in Co. H, 15th Ill. Vol. Inf., and went to Morehead City, N. C., under Gen. Sherman's command; thence he marched with the army to Washington, where he participated in the Grand Review; next he was ordered to the Western plains, to Fort Kearney and Leavenworth, and was finally discharged with the regiment at Springfield. Returning home in the spring of 1866, he engaged in the grocery trade, in partnership with his brother, Henry B., for two years; he then conducted the business alone for nine years; the next three years he acted as a clerk in Hiram Ellwood's drug store; was then one year in the produce and poultry busi- ness. In 1882, in company with his brother above mentioned, he engaged in the creamery business, having four establishments, namely, at Hinckley, South Grove, De Kalb and Malta.

Mr. Gurler was married Jan. 1, 1867, to Zilla Newitt, who was born in the village of Thames, Eng- land, and they have two children,-Charles H. and Bertha B.

A sın lbert Eugene Hix, a citizen of Sycamore, was born June 24, 1843, in Alabama, Gen- esee Co., N. Y., and is the youngest son of Ephraim and Laura W. (Williams) Hix. When he was five years of age his parents came to De Kalb County. He was educated in the district schools, and afterwards attended Wheaton College two terms. In the winters of 1861 and 1862 he was employed in teaching in Kingston Township, after which he was variously employed, operating at times as a farmer and also as a travel- ing salesman and buying farm produce. In October, 1869, he removed to Sycamore and entered the em- ployment of the Marsh Harvester Company, and in 1871 was made foreman of their warehouse. In 1873 he became shipping clerk, and operated in their interests until October, 1883. Upon the or- ganization of the Fourth Ward in April, 1878, he was elected one of its Aldermen for one year, and in 1879 was re-elected for a full term of two years. In April, 1884, he entered the employment of E. B. Shurtliff, as book-keeper and shipping clerk, and is at present officiating in that capacity.

He was married in September, 1863, to Eleanor

Irish, and they have two children,-Laura A. and Orvis R. Mrs. Hix is a native of Canada, where she was born March 16, 1843, a daughter of Daniel and Janet Irish. Daniel Irish is a native of Vermont, and Janet (McLean) Irish was born in Ireland, her family emigrating to Canada when she was about seven years of age.

eorge Terwilliger, resident at De Kalb, was born in Ulster Co., N. Y., May II, 1842, and is a son of Levi H. and Fanny Terwilliger, natives of " York State." When 14 years of age Mr. Terwilliger set forth on the

- road of adversity to battle against the trials of life alone. He came to this State and engaged to a cousin, Lewis McEwen, to work on his farm and con- tinued in that vocation until 1869. During the latter year he came to De Kalb, and, in company with A. B. Pollock, built an elevator, and entered upon the business of buying grain. In 1872 the present firm of L. M. McEwen & Co. was formed and Mr. Ter- williger became a member of it and still retains his connection. They deal in grain, lumber, coal, live stock, lime, hair, etc.

He was married Nov. 6, 1873, to Miss Genevra, daughter of Perley B. and Lois Snow. They had five children,-Roy L., Fay L., Perley S., Covell G. and Nevie H. Mr. Terwilliger was a member of the Board of Trustees for a number of terms. Politically he is a believer in and supporter of the principles and doctrines of the Republican party.

ichard Parks, farmer, resident on section 32, Victor Township, was born Dec. 5, 1837, in Niagara Co., N. Y. His parents, Edward and Sarah (Davidson) Parks, were natives of Ireland, and emigrated thence to Canada in 1832. After being there one year they moved to New York State. They came to Illinois in 1873, and are now living at Leland, La Salle Co., Ill., aged respectively 84 and 80 years.

Mr. Parks was reared by his parents and instructed in practical farming, remaining at home until he was 22 years of age. In 1858 he came to Illinois and

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began his career as an independent farmer in the township of Victor, where he is now the owner of 169 acres of land. His farm is in fine agricultural con- dition, supplied with good and necessary buildings and well stocked. The proprietor is a representative farmer of his township, and has held several offices of trust and responsibility. He is a Republican and takes an interest in local and national affairs incum- bent upon his citizenship, and is active in affording aid in the furtherance of any cause or enterprise for the general welfare.

Feb. 13, 1860, he contracted a matrimonial alliance with Mary S. Parks, of Youngstown, N. Y., and they have had seven children, four of whom are living,- William H., Hattie M., Bert L. and Charlie R. Three children died unnamed in infancy. Mrs. Parks has been a member of the Methodist Episcopal Church since 1852.

chauncey Rose, a pioneer of De Kalb County, was born March 31, 1800, in Chenango Co., N. Y. He was brought up a farmer, and married Salina E. Porter, also a native of Chenango County. Soon af- ter marriage they set out to seek a home, and located in Evans, Erie Co., N. Y., where he bought a farm and continued to reside until 1843, when he again took up his march westward, with a span of horses and a wagon, and, accompanied by his fam- ily, he came to De Kalb County. He entered a . claim in Sycamore Township, which included a part of the Norwegian Grove, and began to improve a farm, on which he died Aug. 3, 1846. His widow died Aug. 14, 1878, aged 76 years and 14 days.

J. Conde, a resident at Sycamore, was born Jan. 19, 1817, in the city of Schenectady, N. Y., and is the son of Isaac S .. and Mary (Bradford) Conde. He was reared and edu- cated in the schools of his native city, and when he was 14 years of age was apprenticed to a hatter and served five years, which included nearly all the time he worked at that business, as hand-made hats were soon afterward supplanted by those made by machinery. He next operated as a

traveling salesman for John Benedict, in Saratoga County, for whom he drove a two-horse team and supplied the farmers with tin-ware and Yankee no- tions. He conducted that line of business 11 years, after which he removed to Monroe Co., Mich., going there in 1845. He bought timber land in the town- ship of Milan, intending to make a permanent set- tlement ; but, the entire family becoming ill, he sold the place in 1848 and returned to Schenectady. He obtained a situation as lock-tender on the Erie Canal, in which capacity he was occupied three years; and in 1851 he established a grocery trade three miles west of Schenectady on the Erie Canal, where he was engaged five years. About 1856 he sold out and removed to De Kalb County and settled on a farm in Shabbona Township, where he was engaged in agricultural pursuits until 1866, when he sold out and bought a place on State Street in Sycamore, where he opened a restaurant .. He managed the re- lations of that business about 13 years, when he again sold out and embarked in the provision busi- ness, in which he has since been engaged.

Mr. Conde was married in 1847, to Philela Ketch- am. She was born in Glenville, Schenectady Co., N. Y. She died in Shabbona Township in 1865, leaving five children,-Mary J., Chauncey, Jane Amanda, Sadie and Porter. Mr. Conde was a second time married in September, 1869, to Eliza Van Pat- ten. She was born in the same place as her prede- cessor, the first wife of Mr. Conde.

enry H. Harrington, deceased, was form- erly a farmer on section 16, Malta Town- ship. He was born Aug. 2, 1839, in Erie Co., N. Y., and was the son of Sydney P. Har- rington, a farmer of the Empire State. His mother, Polly (Hicks) Harrington, was also a - native of the State of New York, and the parents came to De Kalb Co., Ill., in 1840, locating in Franklin Township. (See sketch of S. A. Harrington.) The father is now a resident of Kirkland, in that town- ship, where Henry was reared and attended the com- mon schools. He was married Sept. 23, 1862, to Jane A. Jones. Her parents, Edmond and Ann (Barber) Jones, were of Welsh and German extrac- tion, and were natives respectively of New England

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and New York. They were of the farming fraternity and came in the early history of the "West " to Hillsdale Co., Mich. The point where they first lo- cated is now the flourishing and well-known village of Jonesville, near the city of Hillsdale, which re- ceived its name from Mrs. Harrington's father, who was the first permanent white settler. The daughter was' born there March 11, 1843. When she was II years of age her parents came to Illinois and located in Franklin Township, De Kalb County, at a time when the inhabitants where resident on sections widely separated. Nine children have been born to Mr. and Mrs. Harrington, six of whom are living: Frank L., born Dec. 19, 1864, is attending a business college at Rockford, Ill .; Beulah A. was born July 4, 1866 ; Edward E., Feb. 26, 1868, is at school at Bement, Piatt Co., Ill .; Susan L., Jan. I, 1871; Martha L., Oct. 25, 1872, and Guy H., Sept. 25, 1878.

Mr. Harrington died Aug. 12, 1881, when he was ten days past 42 years of age. He was a skillful farmer and. stock-grower, and during the last years of his life was extensively interested in the latter busi- ness. After his death Mrs. Harrington continued to conduct the homestead until the autumn of 1884, when she leased the place and removed to Malta village for the purpose of educating her children.

Mr. Harrington was an adherent of the Republi- can party. He held during his life several positions of importance and trust.

homas M. Hopkins, attorney at law, De Kalb, was born in the town of Salem, Washington Co., N. Y., April 23, 1818. He received his early education at the public schools and at Washington Academy three years. In 1835 he commenced the study of law, and was admitted to practice by the Supreme Court of the State at Albany in January, 1842, Judge Samuel Nelson presiding. After that time he prac- ticed law in Salem one year.

In 1843 he came to Illinois, and after spending a summer in this State he went to Missouri, where he resided until February, 1846, when he came to this county and made a claim on section 13 of De Kalb Township, and afterward entered the same from the

Government. He immediately commenced building and improving the land, and engaged in raising the usual farm products ; and, having been admitted to the Bar of this State by the Supreme Court,-Chief Justice Caton and Judge Richard M. Young,-May 2, 1843, he also prosecuted to some extent his pro- fession as an attorney. In 1865 he came to the vil- lage of De Kalb and opened a law office, and has since devoted his whole time to legal practice.

He was married April 23, 1836, to Miss Julia A. Hawken, who was born in St. Louis, Mo., the daugh- ter of Jacob Hawken, a native of Maryland. By this marriage there have been five children, namely : Montgomery, now a resident of Sycamore; Charles, a farmer in this county ; Christopher H., a physician at Wall Lake, Iowa; Alice C .; and Jacob, the young- est, is a student at Knox College, Galesburg.

Mr. Hopkins has been and is a prominent and in- fluential citizen of De Kalb. "

ames Van Dusen, a pioneer settler of Syca- more Township, now deceased, located on section 15 of township 41, range 5, as it was then designated, in 1842, and was thence- forward a resident of De Kalb County as long as he lived. On taking possession of his farm, he built the customary pioneer house-a log cabin with puncheon floor and clapboard roof. He har- vested his first' crop of grain in 1844, which was threshed with oxen, several yoke being driven over the grain, which was spread in a circle. He con- tinued to make improvements until he had placed 130 acres under the plow.

He was born in the State of New York, in 1795, where he attained to the age of manhood. He was married there to Bethiah Sprague, who was born in the same State in 1799. They located at first at Penn Yan, whence, after a short residence, they went to Cuyahoga Co., Ohio, and settled near Cleve- land, where they were pioneers, having taken up their residence there about 1820. They continued to live there about a score of years, and improved a farm. They removed thence to Crawford Co., Ohio, whence they came, as has been stated, to De Kalb County. Mr. Van Dusen died in 1861, leaving six children,-Eliza, James Riley, Oliver, Simeon, Au-

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rilla and Martha Ann. Eliza and Aurilla are now deceased; James lives in Dakota ; Oliveris in Dodge Co., Minn ; Martha is the wife of L. W. Miller, of Madison Co., Neb.

Simeon Van Dusen was born April 11, 1832, in Cuyahoga Co., Ohio, and was 10 years of age when his parents came to Illinois and settled in De Kalb County. He was married in 1858, to Mary J., daugh- ter of Harris and Lavina (Snow) Sibley. Mrs. Van Dusen was born in Clarendon, N. Y., and when she was yet in childhood they came to Illinois and lo- cated at St. Charles, in Kane County. Their chil- dren are named Willie and Frank. MI. and Mrs. Van Dusen settled at first on the Van Dusen home- stead, on section 15, and continued there until 1870, when the farm they now occupy was purchased, and which contains 191 acres situated on sections 21, 22 and 23. The place is all under improvements, with good buildings, orchard and modern farm fixtures.

heodore Klein, farmer, section 35, Pierce Township, has been a land-holder since « February, 1868, when he bought land on section 16. In 1875 he bought his present farm on section 35. He was born April 27, 1832, in Prussia, and went to school from the age of 6 to 14 years, according to the law of his na- tive land. He was then employed on his father's farm until he was 21 years of age, when he set out to find a home and fortune in the New World. He sailed for New York and landed at that port after a journey of 63 days, which he remembers as a stormy, anxious time. On arrival in the great city he had a surplus cash capital of only $12, but he bestowed nearly all of that on his needy fellow passengers. He went up the Hudson River to Catskill, where he worked in the harvest field a few days, receiving a recompense of $t a day. He proceeded thence to Chicago, where he obtained employment in a lumber- yard three months, after which he went to Michigan and chopped wood through one winter. He came then to Aurora and worked by the month for four years, receiving $14 a month. He next went to California, going from the city of New York by the Isthmus to San Francisco, where he operated alter- nately in mining and farming. He left the Golden

State in 1865 and returned to Kane Co., Ill. April 5, 1866, he was married to Caroline Ahart, and they have six children-Mary J., Ida May, Emma A., Cora, Frank T. and Theadore O. Mr. and Mrs. Klein lived in Kane County two years, bought a farın of P. McDole, which was originally located by Benjamin McDole. The place contains 440 acres, all under cultivation and with two sets of farm build- ings of excellent type. For some years Mr. Klein has been interested in the purchase and sale of stock, for Chicago markets. Mrs. Klein is the daugh- ter of Christoph and Maria Ahart, and was brought from Wurtemburg, Germany, by her parents when an infant.

B yron F. Wyman, farmer, section 36, Syca- more Township, a life-long resident of De Kalb County, was born March 19, 1839, in Sycamore Township. Ralph Wyman, his father, was a pioneer of De Kalb County, whither he came in 1836. At that date the townships were designated under the regulations by which they were located previous to being put upon the market by the United States Government, and the senior Wyman made a claim on section 36, town 41, range 5, and also on section 1 of town 40, range 5. He was born in 1813, in Weathersfield, Windsor Co., Vt. His parents, Asa and Sally (Searls) Wy- man, were natives of the Bay State, and settled after their marriage in Vermont. When he was two years of age they went to Worcester, Mass., removing thence after a brief residence to Middletown, Rut- land Co., Vt., where the son attained to man's estate, and was married in 1837 to Susan Dayton. He came to De Kalb County, as stated, and after making his claims he returned to Vermont for his wife and set- tled in town 41, where he built a log house and com- menced the work of improving his property. In 1842 he made a trip to his native State, and on the third day of December, of the same year, he set out as agent for a cloth-manufacturing firm, with a span of horses and a large sleigh loaded with woolen goods, to sell in their interest. The snow had disappeared when he reached Western New York, and he exchanged his sleigh for a wagon and pressed on to De Kalb County, passing through Chicago on the day when the land sale of the county began, Jan. 29, 1843.

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On reaching his destination he exchanged his wares for wheat, of which the farmers had abundance, but little money; and the opportunity was one they heartily appreciated. Mr. Wyman took the wheat to St. Charles, where it was converted into flour, and was shipped to the East. He resided on his farm until 1860, when he bought a lot in Sycamore, built a house thereon, in which he lived until his death, in February, 1864. To him and his wife who survives him 11 children were born, eight of whom are still living: Henry D., Byron F., Helen G. (Mrs. Coch- rane Black), Cecil (Mrs. A. C. Colton), Ida (Mrs. A. N. Wheeler), Frank W., Eva (Mrs. Henry Knights) and Susie.

B. F. Wyman was reared to manhood in his native county and township, where he was eduuated prima- rily in the common schools, obtaining further ad- vantages by one term of attendance at Rock River Seminary, Mt. Morris, and three terms of study at select schools in De Kalb and Sycamore.

He had just passed his 22d birthday when the nation was involved in a struggle for existence, and he was one of the first to enroll after the call of President Lincoln, May 4, 1861, for three-year men. As Illinois was permitted to furnish only six regi- ments, places in the ranks were at a premium. Mr. Wyman enlisted, and on the 9th of May, 1861, the 13th Illinois regiment was organized at Dixon, and he was made First Corporal of Co. F. On the 24th the regiment was mustered into the service of the United States, and after a few weeks of necessary preparation it was transferred to the field of action. Mr. Wyman served until the expiration of his period of enlistment, and received an honorable discharge, June 18, 1864. In September, 1862, he was promo- ted as Sergeant. Among the engagements in which he took active part were Chickasaw Bayou (where he was severely wounded), siege of Vicksburg, Jackson, Tuscumbia, Lookout Mountain, Mission Ridge and Ringgold, Ga. At the latter, one-half the members of his company who were involved in the action were killed or wounded. He marched an aggregate of 3,500 miles.

After being relieved from the military service of his country, he returned to De Kalb County and operated a few months as a clerk at Sycamore. In 1867 he went to Sauk Co., Wis., where he engaged in hop-raising about two years. In the spring of

1869 he returned to Sycamore, to the place he now owns and occupies, and where he has since been a resident. He has put the place in the best of order and has rebuilt the farm structures, including the house, barn and granary. Mr. Wyman is a Repub- lican in political views, and is at present (1885) hold- ing the position of 'Assistant Supervisor, in which he has officiated two years. He acted several years as Township Trustee and also as School Director. In 1880 he was also Census Enumerator for the city of Sycamore.

His marriage to Nettie S. Lowell occurred Oct. 19, 1865, and they are the parents of six children, --- Ralph L., Luther E., Frank E., Bernard A., Vincent D. and Edmond Stanley. Mrs. Wyman was born in Moretown, Washington Co., Vt. With her husband, she is a member of the Methodist Episcopal Church, and he has been Superintendent of the Sunday- school a number of years.

C tephen Santee, a farmer on section 26, Kingston Township, was born April 30, 1841, in Luzerne Co., Pa. Simon and Mary (Hoffecker) Santee, his parents, were born in Pennsylvania and still reside in that State, in advanced age. Mr. Santee passed the first 23 years of his life on his father's farm as an assistant after reaching a suitable age, and previous to that time in attending school. He was then married and located on the homestead, which he conducted three years. In March, 1867, he came to .Illinois and operated one year as a laborer on the farm of his father-in-law. In the autumn of that year, he pur- chased 135 acres of land, and in 1868 he took posses- sion of his property on which he has since labored, and all of which he has improved with the exception of 10 acres which is in timber. Mr. Santee is a Re- publican in political affinity, has been School Director and Overseer of Highways, and in the spring of 1884 was elected Highway Commissioner.

He was married Dec. 25, 1863, in Luzerne Co., Pa., to Susan, daughter of John and Elizabeth (Wood) Uplinger. She was born Sept. 25, 1847, in the county where she was married, and which was

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the native place of her parents. The names of the children of Mr. and Mrs. Santee are Ario, Amlin, Simon, Ida, Mary, Clara, Eva, John H. and Charles F.

illiam L. Pond, attorney at law, De Kalb, was born in the town of Genoa, this coun- ty, Feb. 11, 1860. His parents, Americus H. and Amy N. (Hollembeak) Pond, were early settlers in Genoa Township, where the subject of this sketch was reared and received his education. He graduated at the Genoa High School June 10, 1881, in the first class that graduated there. He next taught the High School at Kirkland a year, then entered the law office of Carnes & Denton at Sycamore, completed a course of law studies, was admitted to the Bar at Ottawa in June, 1884, and commenced the practice of his chosen pro- fession at De Kalb in September of that year. He is a young gentleman of much promise, having great " honor even in his own country."

dward Butterfield, deceased, one of the first pioneers of Paw Paw Township, was born in Vermont. He left Vermont with his parents, and went to Canada, where he re- sided till of age, when he returned to the United States, locating in Cayuga Co., N. Y., and en- gaged in farming.

He married Polly Harris, daughter of Rev. Benoni and Thankful Harris, about 1819. They had ten children, six sons and four daughters, namely: Solo- mon V., Benoni, Thankful, Marion D., {Sarah J., Mary A. and Alexander H., who grew to be heads of families; the others died in childhood. Of those named only three are now living-Solomon V., a farmer of Paw Paw, and the oldest surviving repre- sentative of the pioneers of 1835, is still a resident of the township; Sarah J. is the wife of J. A. Edgett and lives in Carroll Co., Iowa; Mary A. is the widow of Lorenzo Chesley, and lives in West Paw Paw, Lee County.

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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 74

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

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