USA > Illinois > Henry County > Portrait and biographical album of Henry County, Illinois : containing full-page portraits and biographical sketches of prominent and representative citizens of the county > Part 57
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While the Black Hawk War was in progress, Dr. Wells, then a boy of 13, enlisted in the cavalry, and served during the war; was honorably discharged at its close and "as honestly paid," he says, "by the Government."
eter M. Wickstrum, residing on section 19, Galva Township, was born March 3, 1827, Soderhamn, Helsingland, Sweden, and is a son of Mathias and Anna (Nelson) Wickstrum. In that country his mother died. The father of Mr. Wickstrum emigrated to this country in 1866; and died here in 1873, aged 83 years. He had two children .- Mathias, a farmer in Clay Co., Kan .; and Peter M, subject of this notice. The latter was educated in his native country, and at the age of 23 years, in 1850, emigrated to the United States, coming directly to Bishop Hill, this county. He became a member of the "Colony " and worked with it until its dissolution, when he received 571/2 acres of prairie and five acres of timber land, all in Weller Township, the date of his receiving the land being in the spring of 1861.
Sept. 14, 1861, Mr. Wickstrum enlisted in the 57th Ill: Vol. Inf., Co. D, as private, and was appointed Orderly: Sergeant. After the battle of Shiloh, April
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6, 1862, he was promoted Second Lieutenant, and Sept. 3, of the same year he was again promoted, this time to the position of Captain, which office he held until the close of the war, receiving an honor- able discharge July 7, 1865. He participated in the battles of Fort Donelson, Shiloh, siege of Cor- inth, battle of Corinth, Sherman's campaign before Atlanta and in his famous march from Atlanta to the sea. He was also in the battle of Bentonville while on his march to the sea, and also participated in many minor skirmishes and engagements.
After the war he returned home, cast aside his accoutrements of war, and once more entered upon the peaceful pursuits of life. He first sold his land in Weller Township, then purchased 210 acres lo- cated on sections 19 and 20, Galva Township, upon which he moved and at once entered vigorously and actively upon the task of its improvement, and on which he is at present residing, meeting with success in his chosen vocation.
Mr. Wickstrum was united in marriage, in his native country, with Miss Ingren Belgquist, who has borne him four children,- Jacob, John, Lottie and William,-the eldest of whom married Miss Church, of Galesburg.
Politically, Mr. W. is identified with the Demo- cratic party. Socially, he is a member of the G. A. R., belonging to Galva Post, No. 33.
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ohn F. Smith is one of the most substan- stantial and reliable of the agriculturists of Henry County, and is a resident on sec- tion 13, Geneseo Township. He was'born in Kane Co., Ill., Dec. 18, 1843, and is the son of Benjamin H. and Selinda (Emerson) Smith. His father and mother died on the homestead in Geneseo Township, respectively May 25, 1875, and March 15, 1868. They were of New England origin.
The family removed to Henry County from Kane' County in 1855. A house was purchased in Gene- seo, where they lived until 1860. In that year they took possession of the farm on which the son is now a resident. The place became their property in 1858, and during that year and the one following the farm buildings were erected. The place contains 192 acres and is a valuable estate. It was once the site
of a village,-one of the first started in Henry County and which received its death blow when the Geneseo Colony took permanent root in the place it now occupies. The place was called Henryville and contained a dozen houses and a saw-mill, and its prospects were as good as any other of the small vil- lages that have sprung up in different places, only to die out from some unforeseen cause.
Mr. Smith has been twice married. His first wife, who before her marriage was Miss Nettie Rogers, left the following children when she died: Salinda was born Feb. 8, 1868. Emmett was born July 2, 1870. Henry E., who is deceased, was born Aug. 19, 1872. The mother died Oct. 8, 1872. Sept. I, 1876, Mr. Smith was a second time married to Katie J. Orcutt, of Erie, Whiteside Co., Ill. She was born July 10, 1855, and is the daughter of Samuel and Martha M. (Thompson) Orcutt. Her children are named and were born as follows: Ralph O., Oct. 14, 1877 ; Pearl J., June 25, 1881 ; Floyd, Oct. 17, 1884. The father of Mrs. Smith was born in Cen- terville, N. Y., April 3, 1828. He enlisted in the Union service Sept. 2, 1862, in Co. 1, 75th Ill. Vol. Inf. He was made First Sergeant of his command March 22, 1863, and June 23, 1864, after a day of severe fighting, was captured by the rebels. He passed eight months in the prison pen at Florence and in the stockade horror at Andersonville, and never recovered from the effects of the terrible expe- riences of those modern Golgothas. He contracted the disease from which he died Dec. 14, 1881. He was married April 9, 1848. His wife was born April 9, 1828, and is still his survivor. She lives at Erie, in Whiteside County. Mrs. Smith was born in the city of Rochester, N. Y.
Mr. Smith of this sketch was reared to the busi- ness in which he has won the meed of industry and good management. He is a man of much more than ordinary influence, and although he only received such intellectual training as the common schools af- forded, he has made the best use of his faculties in acquiring a profitable understanding of men and of the world in general, and is the possessor of a well balanced mind ; and his abilities and stainless life have won for him the unqualified respect and esteem of those with whom he has been connected in business and in social relations from his boyhood. As it is his purpose soon to sever his connection with the people of Henry County, a faithful biographer feels justified in
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placing him on permanent record in the real position he occupies in the community in which he has main- tained an undeviating course of honor and probity. He is a Republican in political connection, and has always sustained the principles of that party.
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yman Stowell, of Yorktown Township, is a pioneer of the State of Illinois of 1836. From that date to 1848 he was working as a mechanic in various parts of Illinois. He was born in Colesville, Broome Co., N. Y., Feb. 19, 1810, and is the oldest son of Aaron and Eliza- beth (Pratt) Stowell. His father was a native of Vermont, and his mother was born in Broome County. He was 12 when his parents removed to Bainbridge, in Chenango County, and he there at- tained to the estate of manhood. He was brought up on the farm, and received his education in the subscription schools, which were very good in the way of providing for the instruction of the children whose parents were early settlers of the country.
When he was 22 he went to Steuben County for the purpose of learning the trade of a millwright, as he had a natural aptitude for the use of tools. His brother Alanson was a craftsman of the same kind, and in 1836 they came together to Illinois and went to work in Quincy, where they passed two months in the construction of a mill. Malarial illness prevail- ing there to an alarming extent, they went thence to Pleasant Valley, in Scott County, in the then Terri- tory of Iowa, and passed several months in the con- struction of mills. In the fall of 1836 they returned to Quincy, and there spent the ensuing winter. In the spring they went back to Pleasant Valley and resumed work at their trade, remaining until the last summer month of the same year. They went thence to Prophetstown, in Whiteside County, and built a saw-mill on Coon Creek. In 1838 they came for the first time to Henry County, and they built a mill at Spring Creek. They returned to Prophetstown and engaged in farming. They were the builders of the first frame house in the township of Prophetstown. In 1844 Mr. Stowell rented a farm at Woodward's Bluff, six miles from Prophetstown, and was its occu- pant and manager until 1848. In that year he made
a claim on section 9, town 18, range 5, which is now Yorktown. On this the owner built a log house and covered it with shingles rived from burr oak. Six years later he entered the land and secured the claim. He had put it under excellent improvement, and he has since bought additional land and is now the owner of 177 acres, including 17 acres of timber. The estate of Mr. Stowell is in good farming condi- tion, and is supplied with all necessary structures for the comfort of the family, the well-being of the stock and the storing of the farm products. When he was a farmer of Prophetstown the nearest market to which he had access was at Galena, where he sold his produce to the miners. That place was 72 miles distant, and the trip there consumed five days.
The marriage of Mr. Stowell to Sarah Leech took place in 1843. She was born in Johnsburg, Warren Co., N. Y. The record of their children is as fol- lows : Caroline E. is the wife of S. L. Sweeney, and they are residents of Arkansas. Emma J. married J. H. Sweeney, of Hamilton Co., Iowa. Wilbur married Lydia A. Luther. He is the manager of the homestead. Sarah A. is the wife of Rufus C. Bur- roughs, of Whiteside County.
Mr. Stowell and his wife are prominent members of the Methodist Episcopal Church.
arshall F. Wolcott, a farmer and stock- man, resident at Geneseo, was born in the village of Wolcottville, La Grange Co., Ind., Oct. 21, 1838, and is the son of George and Margaret (Hine) Wolcott. His father was born in Connecticut and was a pio- neer of Indiana, where he attained to wealth and influence. The town was named in his honor. The mother of Mr. Wolcott was a native of the same State in which her husband had his origin.
On attaining to the age in which it became in- cumbent on him to enter active business life, Mr. Wolcott, of this sketch, embarked in a mercantile enterprise at Lima, Ind. He continued to operate there until his removal, in 1866, to Henry County. He at first gave his attention to the prosecution of mercantile affairs at Briar. Bluff, and continued the business until September, 1883. He had meanwhile resided at Geneseo. Since the year named he has
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devoted his time and energies to the business which he is now prosecuting.
Mr. Wolcott is a Republican in political faith, and he was the first Postmaster at Briar Bluff. He of- ficiated in that capacity from 1871 to the time he disposed of his business there, in 1883.
Mr. Wolcott is associated with his father-in-law in the business of stock-rearing, and they are the pro- prietors of 1,500 acres of land in the township of Colona.
Mrs. Wolcott is the daughter of A. W. Perry, one of the pioneers of Henry County, and of whose con- nection with the development of its interests and re- sources a detailed account is given elsewhere in this work. Fanny L. Perry was born at Geneseo, and was married to Mr. Wolcott May 9, 1866. They have had three children. Alfred P. was born July 6, 1867. George was born May 21, 1869, and died in infancy. Frank B. was born April 9, 1871.
Mr. and Mrs. Wolcott are members of the Congre- gational Church.
hristian Urban, the present Assessor of Yorktown Township, is one of the pros- perous farmers in Henry County. He was born in Alsace, France, Nov. 14, 1827. His parents were Lawrence and Barbara Urban. He attended the schools of his native prov- ince until he was 15, when he learned the trade of a weaver. He followed it as a business until his re- ·moval to America in 1847.
He sailed from the port of Havre De Grace, and after a passage of 40 days landed at New York. He had formed an intention to proceed westward, and accordingly he went up the Hudson River to Albany, where he took the Erie Canal and traveled in that manner to Buffalo. He made his way to Chicago, and went from there to the northern part of Cook County. It should have been mentioned that his mother died when he was but three years of age, and that his father accompanied him to America. Ar- riving at his destination in Cook County, he went to work as a farm assistant. The next year he went to Chicago, where he learned the trade of shoemaker, and he followed that as an occupation two years in that city. He then went into the country to pass a season in the harvest fields, and he remained there
to work at his trade. After spending a year in the same vicinity, he went to the State of Pennsylvania. He proceeded to Warren county, where he continued to stay until 1853. He went thence to Indiana, where he bought 80 acres of land in Lake County. It was wholly uncultivated, and without house or shelter for stock. He bargained to pay $3 per acre for the property, and had but $8o to make the first payment. He worked at his business as a shoe- maker, and also put in crops on land which he rented, and he was finally successful in procuring the needed funds to.secure his title to his estate. He continued to manage the little farm of which he was the proud proprietor and to occupy it until 1865.
In the spring of that year he sold it and bought 80 acres on section 4 in the township in which he has since prosecuted his farming projects. He has been prospered in his frugality and industry, and is at present the owner of 180 acres on the same section, all of which is under excellent tillage and under good farming regulations. The place is well supplied with all needed farm buildings, and is devoted to the rais- ing of grain and stock.
Mr. Urban was united in marriage to Mary Fisher in 1854. She was born in Warren Co., Pa. They have several children, who are named Louisa, George W., Martha, Ida, Ella, Frank and Fred. The two last named are twins. Martha is the wife of M. E. Melvin, and they live in New Bedford, Bureau County.
ames S. Hamilton, an esteemed citizen of Geneseo, is a pioneer of Henry County of I 839. He was born June 12, 1812, in Westmoreland Co., Pa., and is the son of Alex- ander and Elizabeth (Steel) Hamilton. His father was born in Ireland, and came thence to America in the Rebellion of 1793. The mother was a native of the same county in Pennsylvania where the son was born. The latter was reared on a farm, and came from his native county in October of the year named.
He settled at Shabbona Grove in the township of Cornwall, where he became the proprietor of a farm comprising 166 acres. This was his home until 1876, when he went to Benton Co., Iowa. There he purchased 240 acres of land, of which he is still the
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owner, and on which he continued to reside until 1884. In that year he returned to Geneseo to make it his permanent home during the remainder of his life. Mr. Hamilton is liberal in religious opinions, and in political persuasion he is a Democrat.
He was married in the township of Atkinson, in Henry County, in 1840, to Mary E. Taylor. She was born in Antrim, N. H., and is the daughter of Andrew Taylor. Five children have been born to Mr. and Mrs. Hamilton : John T. married Annie Jones, and they are residents of Cedar Rapids, Iowa, where he is a dealer in agricultural implements and coal; William Wallace married Josie Allsup, and is a citizen of Mapleton, Iowa; Porter married Lota Sargent, and they also live at Mapleton; Sarah E. is the wife of William Orr, who is a farmer in Corn- wall Township; the two sons of Mr. Hamilton who live at Mapleton are engaged in the sale of agricul- tural implements, coal and lumber. The children were all born in Cornwall Township. James W. married Bell Snow, and they live on the farm in Benton Co., Iowa.
ames A. Tracy, one of the prosperous and energetic farmers of Osco Township, where he resides on section 18, is a son of Joab and Mary J. (Coon) Tracy, and was born in Lynn Township, this county, Feb. 16, 1854. His parents were natives of Indiana, and came into Henry County in 1852, locating in Lynn Town- ship, and reside there at the present time.
James A. was the second in order of birth of a family of ten children, and received a fair education in the common schools of his neighborhood, and later attended Knox College at Abingdon, Ill., for six months. Remaining at home until 21 years of age, lie then engaged in farming on his own account. He made a purchase of 160 acres of land in March, 1878, located in Osco Township, and settled upon the same, which is all good tillable land, and by hard labor and industry has cultivated the same until now he is the possessor of some excellent farming land in Henry County.
Mr. Tracy formed a matrimonial alliance in Cam- bridge, Ill., Feb. 7, 1878, the lady chosen to share his joys and sorrows, successes and reverses, being Miss
Lena R. Molthrop, daughter of Oscar and Lasetta (Britton) Molthrop, natives of Pennsylvania. Mrs. Tracy, wife of our subject, was born in Viola, Mer- cer Co., Ill., Dec. 29, 1860. Of their union has been born one child, who died in infancy.
Mr. Tracy has held the office of School Director, and in politics is a Democrat.
eorge W. Goshorn, of Geneseo, removed to Henry County in 1853, and to Geneseo in 1859. He was born in the township of Tell, in Huntington Co., Pa., Aug. 9, 1812, and is the son of Andrew and Margaret (Gos- horn) Goshorn. His father was born in Penn- sylvania, and was of German descent, his great- grandparents having come from that country to the United States. The mother of Mr. Goshorn was also born in the Keystone State, of parentage of Scotch- Irish extraction.
The son was reared on a farm. He was married in Juniata County, in his native State, to Eleanor J. McClure, who is a native of the same State, and was born in Mifflin County, Dec. 16, 1821. In May sub- sequent to their marriage they removed to Wayne Co., Ohio. They have had eight children, two sons and six daughters : Mary H. was born in Congress, Wayne County, Feb. 20, 1840, is the wife of A. F. Murphy, and lives in the township of Cornwall; James C. was born July 30, 1847, in Chester Town- ship, in Wayne County ; he married a Miss Motley, at Deadwood, Dak., and resides at Aspen, Col .; Maggie E. was born at West Salem, Ohio, Jan. 31, 1856, and is now Mrs. J. Mitchell of St. Louis, Mo .; Jennie, wife of George T. Wilkinson, was born in West Salem, June 27, 1856, and they are residents of Munson Township; the others died in infancy. Mr. Goshorn removed his family to Cornwall Town- ship, or to the township that now bears that name in 1856. He was the owner of 80 acres that he had purchased there in the year named as that in which he came to Henry County, and was the occupant of the place until his removal to Geneseo. He bought 40 acres within the limits of the village, and engaged extensively in the rearing of hogs for market.
Mr. Goshorn has been until recently a Democrat
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in political connection, but at present is a supporter of the tenets of the National Greenback party. He served while a resident of Cornwall as School Trus- tee. He is a member of the Presbyterian Church.
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rederick N. Baird, a prominent farmer residing on section 12, Osco Town- ship, was born in Bethany, Genesee Co., N. Y., May 14, 1827, and was the fourth in order of birth of a family of eight children. His parents, Frederick and Roxanna (Cone) Baird, were natives of Connecticut, in which State they were married and remained for a number of years. They then removed to New York, where they resided until 1856, when they came into Henry County, and settled in Edford Township, where he (the father) died in 1859. Mrs. Baird died in Colorado.
Frederick N., of whom we write, received a good common-school education by attendance at the dis- trict schools of his neighborhood, besides attending the College at Brockport, Monroe County, N. Y., for one term, and when 18 years of age he was appren- ticed to learn the carpenter's trade. He followed the latter for many years, and in the spring of 1853 came to Henry County and worked at his trade for one season in Geneseo. He then bought a tract of 120 acres of land in Edford Township, and located upon it, where he resided seven years, when he sold it and removed again to Geneseo, and continued to follow his trade for five years. He next engaged as traveling salesman, selling marble monuments, for two years, and in 1873, determining to adopt the vo- cation of a farmer, he made a purchase of 80 acres in Osco Township, located on his present site, sec- tion 12, and has remained there ever since. He en- tered upon the task of its improvement and cultiva- tion, and now is the possessor of some of Henry County's best farming land.
He was married in Genesee Co., N. Y., March 12, 1856, Caroline M. Partridge being the lady he led to the altar. She was the daughter of William R. and Lucy A. (Starkweather) Partridge, natives of New York, and was the second of their family of nine chil- dren. Genesee, N. Y., was also the place of her birth, and July 24, 1832, the date. Mr. and Mrs.
Baird have two children,-Charles E., the elder, was married at Hamlet, Stark Co., Ind., May 31, 1833, to Emma R. Dull, who was born in Wyandot Co., Ohio, June 24, 1857. They have one child, Carrie R. Norman W. is the name of their youngest son. Charles is a graduate of the Valparaiso (Ind.) Col- lege. Mr. B. has taken somewhat of an active part in the general affairs of his township, and has occa- sionally served in some official positions. Politically, he is a Republican. Both he and his wife are mem- bers of the Methodist Episcopal Church.
illiam Miller, formerly a farmer, then a car- penter and a lumber merchant at Geneseo, came to Henry County in 1838. He has been a resident of Illinois since 1836, when he located at Peoria, and came thence to Henry Connty in the year named. He was born in Peekskill, Westchester Co., N. Y., March 31, 1816, and is the son of George and Mary (Oakley) Miller. He received his education and training in a knowledge of agriculture previous to his 18th year on his father's homestead. At that age he began to learn the carpenter's trade, at which he worked in his native State until his removal to Illinois. After his removal to Henry County he lived two years in the township of Andover. He came thence in 1840 to Geneseo.
In political preference he is a Prohibitionist ; he was a Republican in the early days of his citizen- ship. Mr. Miller was joined in marriage Dec. 22, 1842, to Harriet T. Cone, who was born in the town- ship of Victor, Livingston Co., N. Y., and who is the daughter of Elisha and Eliza A. (Hill) Cone, whose father was a member of the Geneseo Colony, and settled in the county in 1836. He built the first log cabin in the township of Geneseo. His death occurred Sept. 6, 1846. Mrs. Cone resides with her daughter. She is 75 years old, and has been a resi- dent of Henry County nearly a half century.
Following are the children of Mr. and Mrs. Miller : George L. died in infancy; Emilie E. is the wife of W. S. Read, of Pike Co., Ill .; George W. was born July 7, 1850, and is a resident of St. Joseph, Mo., and is the Auditor of the Kansas City, St. Joseph & Council Bluffs and the Hannibal and St. Joseph Railroads.
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B ela Andrews, who is engaged in farming, and resides on section 34 of Osco Town- ship, is one of the successful farmers as well as respected citizens of this county.
The parents of Mr. Andrews were Beri and Eliza (Hall) Andrews, and were natives of Connecticut. The parents were married and settled in Connecticut, and in 1834 removed to Lorain Co., Ohio, in which county they continued to reside until their deaths. The mother died April 2r, 1857, and the father Oct. 9, 1868. Their children were four in number, namely : Bela, Hannah E., Sarah B. and William B.
Bela Andrews, the gentleman whose name stands at the head of this notice, was born July 28, 1830, in Connecticut. He attended the common schools, more or less, until he attained his majority, passing a portion of his time prior to that date in working on the farm. On attaining the age of majority he at- tended Kenyon College, located in Gambier, Knox Co., Ohio, and followed the curriculum of that in- stitution, from which he graduated with honors after six years of hard study. Receiving his diploma, he engaged in teaching in the schools of Ohio and Con- necticut, which occupation he followed for about four years. At the expiration of that time he was em- ployed in a factory in Connecticut, where he passed two years more of his life. He then entered the Re- formatory at Meriden, Conn., where he was employed as teacher and assistant for some twelve years. As a memento of the appreciation of his service as an instructor, the teachers and employees of the school presented Mr. Andrews with a magnificent family bible.
In the spring of 1874 Mr. Andrews came to this county, and settled in Osco Township. He is at present the owner of 320 acres of well improved land, and in the vocation in which he is at present engaged is meeting with success. His marriage, which occurred in Meriden, Conn., June 19, 1862, to Mary L., daughter of Stephen R. and Elizabeth (Clark) Merriam, has been blessed by the birth of five children. The parents of Mrs. Andrews were natives of New Haven Co., Conn., in which State they were married, and shortly afterward emigrated to Portage Co., Ohio, where they died.
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