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 58
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Mrs. Andrews was born in Summit Co., Ohio, Aug. 4, 1839, and the names of the children born of her union with Mr. A. are as follows : . Wm. M., who died when nine months old ; Annie E., Mary F., Oliver B., Edward L. and Paul B.
Mr. Andrews has been honored by the citizens of his township by the office of School Director, Trus- tee and Road Commissioner, which offices he has filled to the entire satisfaction of all concerned. In politics he affiliates with the Republican party. He and his wife are members of the Protestant Epis- copal Church.
oshua Gilfillan, retired farmer, resident at Kewanee, Henry Co., Ill., was born at Barnett, Caledonia Co., Vt., April 12, 1823. His father, William, was a native of Scotland, and his mother, Ruth,-whose maiden name was Blanchard, but when married to Mr. Gil- fillan was a widow Chamberlain,-was a native of Peacham, Vt. Of their five children, three sons and two daughters, the subject of this biographical notice was the fourth. The senior Mr. Gilfillan was a farmer by occupation, and his sons in that regard fol- lowed his footsteps. He died in 1840, aged 72 years, and the rest of the family moved from Barnett to Peacham.
Joshua had the advantage of a pretty thorough education, and taught school several terms while a young man. Dec. 4, 1844, he came West, and for the first few years taught, " off and on," in the pub- lic schools. His elder brother, John A., was a grad- uate of Dartmouth, and fitted for the Bar; but, not finding the legal profession to his taste, abandoned it early in life, and since 1850 has been connected with the schools of St. Louis, Mo. Another brother, Daniel W., was a graduate of Vermont University, and taught school several years, but finally left it off, and has since followed farming.
In 1846, the gentleman whose name stands at the head of this article located upon a farm in Stark Co., Ill., and there remained until 1880, when he gave up the cares and labors incident to farming, and retired to his home in Kewanee. He has been thrice mar- ried, first at Peacham, Vt., in 1846, to Miss Ann E. Way, who died at Osceola, Ill., in 1854, leaving
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two children : Mary, Mrs. Henry Reedall, of Salt Lake City, Utah, and Charles C., now a farmer of Bureau Co., Ill. Mr. G. was married a second time in 1855, to Mrs. Lucy L. Sawyer, who died in 1875, leaving five children : Frank, a farmer; Cora V., of Salt Lake City ; John W., James A. and Burton C., all of Stark Co., Ill. Mr. Gilfillan was married a third time at Toulon, Ill., in 1880, to Mrs. Ella Row- ell, who has borne him two children : Fannie, and an infant deceased, not named.
Mr. Gilfillan has worked his way up through life, and by individual effort and industry has earned the handsome competency which now enables him to take the world easy. In addition to agricultural in- terests, he is a large stockholder in the Haxtun Steam Heater Works, at Kewanee, director in the First National Bank, and a large stockholder in the two great corporations known as the Chicago, Bur- lington & Quincy and Illinois Central Railroads. A farmer that had the judgment and foresight to invest money in the stocks of those two corporations at a time when they were low, and to hold on to them, requires no further recommendation to the world as shrewd financier. Politically, Mr. G. is an inde- pendent Democrat.
evi A. Hamilton, a prosperous and ener- getic farmer, his residence being on section 15, Osco Township, is a son of James and Lucy (Nichols) Hamilton, natives of Massa- chusetts. They married and settled in the above State, but later removed to York State, where they remained some time, finally returning to the State of their nativity, and settling in Worcester County, where they died. Their family consisted of seven children,-Jefferson, Mary, Lucy, Levi A., William, James and Marcia.
The subject of this sketch was born in Onondaga Co., N. Y., April 10, 1810, and when but six years of age removed with his parents to Brookfield, Mass., at which prace he remained until January, 1856. Having learned the shoemaker's trade, he followed the same for six years, and that, in connection with farming, occupied his time until he came West. In January, 1856, he came to Geneseo, Ill., where he lived until the spring of that year, when he settled
in Osco Township, there purchasing 160 acres of land on his present location, and has since remained a resident of this township. His farm is in excel- lent condition, and mostly all improved.
His first marriage occurred in Brookfield, Worces- ter Co., Mass., the date of which was June 5, 1831, the lady being Miss Mary Walker, daughter of Eze- kiel Walker, also natives of Massachusetts. She was born in Brookfield, the latter State, and bore her husband ten children, the following being the record of the living ones : Sarah F., William O., Emma W., Mary, Henry and Lucy. Sarah F. is now the wife of H. Crossley, and resides in this township. Mrs. Hamilton died in Osco Township, April 7, 1876. Emma W. is the wife of Henry Norton, and resides in Hampton, Rock Island Co., Ill .; and Mary, now Mrs. Johnson Bennett, resides in Des Moines, Iowa. Mr. H. was the second time married in Coe Town- ship, Rock Island County, June 5, 1878, to Ruth, daughter of Stephen and Eleanor (Price) Odell, natives respectively of York State and Maryland, and widow of B. F. Bryant, who died in Canoe Creek Township, Rock Island Co., Ill., Jan. 27, 1855. She had by that marriage one child, Frances J. Bryant, who is now the wife of Henry Quick, and resides in Port Byron, Rock Island County. Mrs. Hamilton was born in Guernsey Co., Ohio., on the 4th of May, 1830.
Mr. Hamilton has held the office of Supervisor one year, and other minor offices within the gift of the people of his township. He and his wife are members of the Methodist Episcopal Church, and politically he is independent.
illiam R. Goodrich, gunsmith and dealer in sportsmen's goods, at Kewanee, Henry County, Ill., bears the distinction of hav- ing been born in the Sandwich Islands. His father, the Rev. Joseph Goodrich, of the Congregational Church, was sent from Old Wethersfield, Conn., as a missionary to the Sand- wich Islands in 1822, and there remained for a pe- riod of 14 years. To the student who gleaned his primary knowledge of important events from the Ec- lectic series of school readers, the name of Goodrich will always be familiar. The stories there related of the earliest attempts to Christianize the Sandwich
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cannibals, were first told by the father of the subject of this sketch, the Rev. Joseph Goodrich. He returned to his native State in 1836, and proceeded at once to Illi- nois, where he was identified with the Wethersfield Col- ony for a number of years, and in 1852 died, upon the farm now occupied by the Lathrop Coal Mining Co., in the 58th year of his age. His wife, Martha (Barnes) Goodrich, had preceded him by a few years to the mystic shore, and was the first person interred in the Wethersfield Cemetery. They reared three sons and as many daughters to men and women, and buried their eldest-born on the Sandwich Is- lands.
William R. Goodrich, our subject, was born Feb. 20, 1832, and therefore when the family arrived in the new and unsettled county of Henry, he was but about four years of age. He worked at farming until about 24 years of age, and in 1857 removed into the town of Kewanee, and established the first bread bakery at this place. He followed baking about six years, starting up in the meantime his present busi- ness. His first shop occupied the site of the present new Kewanee House, and was a small building erected in 1856. In 1857, he was married, at Kewa- nee, to Harriet M. Slocum, a native of New York State, and has had born to him five children, as fol- lows : William B., Rolland S., Frederick G., Charles E. and Lewis J. Both Mr. and Mrs. Goodrich are members of the Methodist Episcopal Church, and Mr. G. is identified prominently with the Independ- ent Order of Mutual Aid.
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eorge Duff, a farmer of Henry County, has been a resident of the State of Illinois and of Henry County since 1857. Mr. Duff was born in Allegheny Co., Pa., March 24, 1821. He is the son of William and Mary Duff and was reared on a farm. He lived in the State in which he was born until he was nearly 40 years old, and was there occupied in farming. He was married there, Aug. 28, 1844, to Mary A., daughter of Philip Cypher. She was born in the same county in which she was married. The chil- dren born to Mr. and Mrs. Duff were six in number. Nancy E. is the wife of Darwin Amsden and they live in Iowa. Sarah A. married George H. Wilson,
and they are also living in Iowa. William married Rebecca Wilson. He is a farmer in the township of Edford. Mary F. is the wife of Charles Magee, of Osco Township. John died at the age of seven. One child died in early life, who was born in Gene- seo. The five first named were born in Pennsyl- vania.'
Mr. Duff purchased the farm he now owns in the township of Edford in 1862. He removed thence to Geneseo, Feb. 22, 1884. In his political connections he is a Democrat.
A. Peterson, owning 108 acres of land, lo- cated on section 30, Osco Township, where he resides and is engaged in the occupa- tion of his life, that of agriculture, was born in Sweden, Feb. 15, 1834. Mr. Peterson lived in his native country until 1857. In the summer of that year, hoping to better his financial condition in a new country, he emigrated to the United States. One year after his arrival in this country he came to Henry County and purchased 80 acres of land in Lynn Township, on which he located with his family and actively engaged in its cultivation and improve- ment. He and his family resided on the latter place for seven years, when Mr. P. sold the same and made another purchase, the same being in Western Township and consisting of 160 acres. Eight months later, Mr. Peterson sold the latter purchase and bought 177 acres in Osco Township, located on sec- tion 31, on which he and his family moved and con- tinued to reside until the spring of 1883. At that time he sold his 177 acres and removed to section 30, same township. He is at present the owner of 108 acres of good tillable land, which is in a first- class farming condition, and 160 acres in Iowa. On his farm he has erected a fine residence, barn, etc., second to none in Henry County, and the farm pre- sents that appearance which is indicative of energy and perseverance on the part of its proprietor. What of this world's goods Mr. Peterson possesses is the accumulation of a life of toil and economy.
Mr. Peterson was married in Galesburg, this State, Nov. 8, 1859, to Christine Alm, a native of Sweden, in which country she was born Aug. 15, 1828. In 1846 she crossed the waters with her par-
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ents and landed in the United States. She has borne her husband ten children. The living are John A. C., Emma A., August S. and Ella E. Emma A. is the wife of Capt. Chris Christerson, a resident of Chicago, and they have one child, Osher Theo. The children of whom Mr. and Mrs. Peterson became the parents and who have passed to the land of the hereafter, are named Anna C. C., Joseph E., Gilbert M., Nettie R., Gilbert W. and Cora R.
Politically, Mr. Peterson is a believer in the prin- ciples of the Republican party. He has held the office of School Director, and is one of the respected and honored citizens of his township and of the county. He and his wife are active supporters of the tenets of the Methodist Episcopal Church.
ashington Dunbar. As a splendid ex- ample of what may be accomplished by an energetic, determined and economical man, we point to Mr. Dunbar. He is now engaged in farming on section 31, of Weth- ersfield Township, where he owns a splendid farm of 320 acres, besides some other property in Knox County. His parents, William and Sarah (Prather) Dunbar, were married and settled in Ken- tucky, but very early in the history of Stark Co., Ill., they moved there and for many years were prominent pioneers. The elder Dunbar then sold out and went to California, where he died, his wife dying in Lynn Co., Kan.
Washington was the seventh of a family of 13 children, and was born in Breckenridge Co., Ky., Sept. 20, 1821. He was a boy of about eight years of age when his parents came to Stark County. At so early a period there were only a few settle- ments anywhere in the northern part of Illinois; and, as would naturally be expected, he enjoyed very limited advantages for an education. He worked on the farm, aiding in its developments, until about 15 years of age, when he began to work out by the day and month. This kind of life he followed until he settled in La Fayette Township, Stark County. Here he lived for about seven years, when, in 1852, he moved into Henry County and located upon sec- tion 31, Wethersfield Township. This farm, which consists of 320 acres, he has splendidly improved
and brought to a high state of cultivation. He has been eminently successful and prominent in all the affairs of his township. His success is due to his energy, integrity and perseverance, and for it he de- serves great credit.
Doubtless, one of the motives which inspired Mr. Dunbar to secure some property and settle down was his contemplated marriage, which occurred about the time he began farming for himself in Stark County. The day of the wedding was Dec. 24, 1846, and the lady who thus determined to be his helpmeet was Anna, daughter of Josephus and Elizabeth (Bennett) Lee. They were natives of New York State, and had come to Stark County about 1844. The former died there about 1847, January 18, and the latter Aug. 21. 1872. They reared a family of 12 chil- dren, of whom Mrs. Dunbar was the third in order of birth. She was born in Warren Co., N. Y., June 10, 1825. Their family record reads as follows : number of children nine, -- Oscar, Orville, Orson, Albertus, Adelia, Burwell, Charles L., Effie L. and Harry. Oscar, Orville and Burwell are deceased. Adelia is the wife of DeWitt Winney, of Knox Co., Ill. Effie is the wife of Bradford Snyder, of Stark Co., Ill. Mr. Dunbar has served as School Director for many years, and politically, is a strong Republi- can.
dward Johnson, residing on section 32, Osco Township, where he is engaged in the cultivation of 142 acres of good tilla- ble land, was born in Mercer County, this State, March 8, 1857. The parents of Mr. Johnson, John and Johanna Johnson, were born in Sweden. In 1877 Edward, whose name stands at the head of this biographical notice, entered his father's store and engaged in the capacity of clerk, which occupation he continued until 1880, when he removed to Andover Township and there resided for one year. His next remove was to Osco Township, where he located on a farm belonging to his father, consisting of 140 acres of section 32.
Mr. Johnson has continued to cultivate the farm on section 32 since his removal thereon in 1881, meeting with success in that vocation. His marriage occurred in Western Township, Nov. 17, 1880, and the accomplished lady who became his wife was
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Miss Sophia Peterson, born in Western Township, this county, Nov. 17, 1860. One child, Minnie M., has been born of their union.
Religiously, Mr. and Mrs. Johnson are members of the Swedish Lutheran Church. In political mat- ters Mr. J. always casts his vote with the Republi- can party.
ohn Chisnall, President and General Manager of the Kewanee Wagon Company, was born in Lancashire, England, June 27, 1833, and came to America in 1855. At the common schools of England he acquired a fair education in the elementary branches, and after spending some time in the cotton mills began, when he was 16 years of age, to learn the trade of wagon-maker. In the United States his first stop was at Omaha, Neb., where he worked at his trade for several years. From Omaha he removed to Phila- delphia, Pa., and seven years afterward came to Kewanee. Here he was employed by the O'Brien Manufacturing Co., until January, 1882. In busi- ness, Mr. Chisnall has been rather successful. Com- ing to America a poor boy, depending upon his labor for a livelihood, he has worked his way to the pos- session of a handsome property.
Mr. Chisnall is a Royal Arch Mason, an officer in the Eastern Star, a member of the Knights of Honor, and a Republican in politics.
r. John L. Robinson, a medical practi- tioner of the homeopathic school at Anna- wan, is a native of Whiteside Co., Ill., and was born Oct. 14, 1851. He discharged the obligations of his minority to his parents, and when he arrived at the age of 21 he went to Iowa and studied law at Dunlap, in that State, for about six months. He then entered a private bank- ing institution in that place and continued to operate there 18 months. At the end of that time he began business on his own behalf in the sale of jewelry, musical merchandise and sewing-machines in the same place, in which he was interested about 18 months.
He then purchased the drug stock of Dr. O. W.
Newell, at Annawan, associated with D. S. Way, and they managed their joint affairs under the style of Robinson & Way until 1879, when they sold to Messrs. Lawrence & Putney, and Dr. Robinson commenced the sale of jewelry, which he prosecuted until 1884. Meanwhile, for a period of five years, he had given much attention to the study of medi- cine, with the intention of fitting himself for the pro- fession. In September, 1883, he matriculated at the Chicago Homeopathic College, and was graduated there in February, 1885. He established his busi- ness at Annawan, where he is building up a substan- tial practice. In his political connections he is an adherent of the Republican party. He is a member of the Masonic Lodge at Annawan. In religious views he is in sympathy with the Baptist denomina- tion.
His marriage to Ellen V. Way took place Nov. 29, 1874, and they are the parents of four children,- Edna M., Julius W., Charles R. and Dwight S. Mrs. Robinson was born in Noble Township, La Porte Co., Ind., May 25, 1851.
saac Litton, one of the progressive and energetic farmers, as well as respected and honored citizens of Henry County, residing on section 31, Weller Township, is a native of Pennsylvania, having been born in Fulton County, that State, March 12, 1839. Mr. Litton lived with his parents on the old homestead in Fulton Co., Pa., until 21 years of age, meanwhile attending the common schools and assisting his father in the labors on the farm. In 1860 he came to Knox County, this State, and worked out for two years. In 1862, he came to Weller Township, this county, where he rented land, and for three years was engaged in farming in that manner, meeting with success. At the expiration of that time he purchased a farm in Clover Township, on which he located and entered vigorously and energetically upon its improvement, and there continued to reside for eight years. In the spring of 1875 he left Clover Township and moved into Weller Township, where he continued to reside until the present time. He is at present the owner of 410 acres of land, all in a first-class agricultural condition.
O. G. Helden
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The marriage of Mr. Litton took place in Knox County, this State, April 16, 1863. Miss Mahala Mullen became his wife at that time, and has shared his sorrows and joys, successes and reverses, until the present. She was born in Fulton Co., Pa., Dec. 31, 1846, and has borne her husband six children, -- W. Grant, Charles W., Brady J., Bessie E., Ray H. and Mackie. Brady J. died aged three and one- half years, having swallowed a nail, which caused his death in 15 minutes. Mr. Litton has been School Director in his township, and in politics is identified with the Democratic party. His parents were John and Sophia (Knable) Litton, natives of Maryland and Pennsylvania respectively. They were married and settled in Pennsylvania, where the father died Aug. 29, 1876. She yet survives. Their family comprised 13 children, of |whom the subject of this sketch was the fourth in order of birth. Her mother's parents were Henry and Mary (Hull) Mullen, na- tives of Pennsylvania. They came to Knox County from their native State in 1855, and the mother died there, Dec. 21, 1878. Her father still resides in Knox County. The issue of her parents' union was five children,-Mrs. Litton being the third in order of birth.
H. Chesley, present proprietor and editor of the Kewanee Courier, was born, in Walden, Caledonia Co., Vt., Oct. 22, 1857 . He was educated at the public schools of Ver- mont, and at the age of 16 years began the printer's trade at Lyndon, that State. . He completed his trade on the Green Mountain Free- man, a paper printed at Montpelier, Vt., and came West, landing in Kewanee in 1877. In company with his brother, he leased the Courier from C. N. Whitney in 1879, and became its sole owner in 1882. Almost all his life has been spent in a newspaper office, the minutest details whereof are as familiar to him as the alphabet. He is thoroughly a practical printer, a graceful and elegant writer, a courteous gentleman, and full of promise for the future.
His father, Albert Chesley, died in 1867, and his mother, Lucretia (Smith) Chesley, came West in 1878, and has since resided in Kewanee.
Mr. Chesley was married in Kewanee, in the fall
of 1881, to Miss Mamie Whitney, the accomplished daughter of the former proprietor of the Courier, and has had born to him two children-Merton and Willis F.
In politics Mr. C. is a staunch Republican ; in re- ligion he is liberal, and the only secret order to which he belongs is the I. O. O. F.
rs. O. E. Tilden, widow of the late O. E. Tilden, farmer, upon section, 35, Oxford Township, was married to Mr. Tilden, Aug. 31, 1843. She was Miss Orrill K. Moore and was born in Vermont, and is a daughter of Samuel and Eudosia Moore.
Mr. Tilden, who died on the 25th of April, 1879, was born in Windsor Co., Vt., in July, 1807. He came West in the autumn of 1853, when Central Illinois was being opened up by some of the earlier lines of railroad, and stopped at Galesburg for the winter. In April of the following year he came into Henry County and located upon section 35, Oxford Township, where he had purchased 240 acres of land. He was among the first of the earliest pio- neers here and took an active part in the develop- ment of the county. Upon this place he lived, a well respected and prosperous farmer, until his death. Politically, he was a stanch Republican and a prom- nent local worker for his party, and had held many of the local offices, among which were Supervisor and School Director. He was an intelligent man, far above the average of that day. He loved books, was a great reader, and took a deep interest in edu- cational matters. He was a prominent farmer as well as a successful one, and left his widow and children a fine home. His son Cyrus has purchased the interest of the other heirs and keeps the old homestead. Mrs. Tilden holds the house and 80 acres of land.
As a man worthy to be perpetuated as a repre- sentative of the sturdy, bold pioneers and as a lead- ing and advanced agriculturist, the publishers are glad to present the portrait of Mr. Tilden accom- panying this sketch.
There were born to Mr. and Mrs. Tilden quite a large family of children, the record of whom is given as follows : Josiah H. selected Lila Timberlake for
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his wife; Mary G. is the wife of D. J. Clarke ; James F. married Emma Fraim; Frances E., who married Amos Mansfield ; Cyrus F. married Katie Rachford ; Normand F. was united in marriage with Mary Burns ; Millard F. is deceased.
illiam Wolf, architect, contractor and builder, at Kewanee, Ill., son of George and Saloma (Retmiller) Wolf, natives of Germany and Pennsylvania respectively, was born in the city of Philadelphia, Nov. 25, 1838. The elder Mr. Wolf was also a con- tractor and builder, and our subject took his first lessons while quite young, and under a man natur- ally interested in giving the best possible instruc- tions. Mr. Wolf acquired such education as was possible before he was 14 years of age, for at that age he was apprenticed to the carpenter's trade. From Philadelphia he came to Kewanee in 1865, and here the largest and finest buildings show the genius of his handiwork, both as architect and builder.
He was married in Philadelphia in 1863, to Mrs. J. M. Zoll, a native of that city and of German parentage. The three children born to him are Franklin W., now a successful dentist at Kewanee; Paul A. K., a student ; and Emma Saloma, a young miss. Mr. Wolf devotes his time to his business and profession, and makes a success of them. He is a member of the I. O. O. F.
His father died in Philadelphia in 1872, at the age of 64 years, and his mother at this writing resides in Germantown, Pa.
amuel Schwab, a prosperous farmer re- siding upon section 23, Cornwall Town- ship, was born in Berne, Switzerland, on the 25th of December, 1820, and consequently was a Christmas gift to his parents. Mr. Schwab remained with his parents in his native country until he was 28 years of age. On reaching his 20th year he entered the army in Switzerland, and served two years in the infantry and six years in the cavalry, acting as Orderly
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