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 63
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votes with the Democrats, and he and his wife are members of the United Presbyterian Church.
As above stated, Mr. Espey was married in Fay- ette Co., Pa., the date of this event being Dec. 14, 1836. . The lady who then joined her fortunes with his and has been a helpmeet for well-nigh half a century, was Elizabeth S. Torrence, daughter of Hugh Torrence, a well known citizen of Fayette County. She was born Nov. 3, 1808, and became the mother of five children,-James, Margaret W., Mary J., Richard G. and Isabella C. James is de- ceased.
¿r. J. D. Dickinson, physician at Galva, is a son of Richard and Edna (Needham)
come Dickinson, and was born Jan. 13, 1846, at Oberlin, Lorain Co., Ohio. Mr. Richard Dickinson, the father of our subject, was born Aug. 21, 1818, in Randolph, Portage Co, Ohio. He is still living, his place of residence being Grinnell, Poweshiek Co., Iowa, to which he removed in March, 1884, and while there was en- gaged in farming. Jesse Dickinson, the grandfather, was born in Massachusetts. His occupation was that of a farmer, and in the War of 1812 he was one of the brave soldiers. At the age of 14 he came as far West as Randolph, Portage Co., Ohio, and there lived. After marrying at the latter place, they went to Hudson, Summit Co., Ohio, and from there to Henry County, where he died, Feb. - , 1878, aged 87 years. He was married twice and had a family of six children, and he was of English extraction.
Mrs. Edna (Needham) Dickinson was born March, 1814, in Massachusetts. Shortly after her birth she was taken to Coventry, Tolland Co., Conn., by her parents, at which place she was educated and reared. At the age of 19 years she came to New York State and then to Oberlin, where she attended the Ladies' Seminary. She died in Wethersfield, this county, in March, 1868, and was the mother of three chil- dren, viz .: Jesse D., Oliver W., of Grinnell, Iowa, and George A., a teacher of Kewanee.
Our subject was educated in Kewanee, having come to Wethersfield in June, 1850, with his parents. He was a student at Wheaton College and then at- tended the Hahnemann Medical College, Chicago, at
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which he graduated March 19, 1874, and in the spring of 1875 located at Wataga, Knox Co., Ill., where he followed his profession, having practiced during the intervening time at Kewanee with Dr. Parsons, who had been his preceptor for a period of nearly three years. He remained at Wataga for nearly three years, when he came to Galva, where he built up a fine and lucrative practice, and one quite as satisfactory to himself as to his patrons.
Dr. Dickinson was married in this county Oct. 13, 1875, to Miss Eva Ray, who was born Aug. 27, 1854, in St. Lawrence Co., N. Y., and is the daugh- ter of O. L. Ray, now of Pierson, Mich. Both him- self and wife are members of the Congregational Church. He is also a member of the A. O. U. W., is a member of the 'Homeopathic Medical Associa- tion, and politically he is a Republican.
oseph Durmann. This gentleman, al- though beginning his active career under unfavorable circumstances, is to-day one the leading agriculturists of Henry County. He resides on section 33, Colona Township, and is engaged in general farming. He was born in Bavaria, Germany, Dec. 15, 1813. His father, Mike Durmann, was a German farmer, and died in his native country when Joseph was 17 years of age. In 1839, in order to secure better ad- vantages for accumulating a competency, young Joseph Durmann left his native land and sailed for the United States. After a time we find him located in Ohio, and later on in the city of Rock Island. While living here he was married, on the 21st of April, 1845, in the city of Davenport, to Miss Amanda Killing. His wife was also of German na- tivity, but had come to America with her parents, who located at Davenport, when she was quite young.
After their marriage, Mr. and Mrs. Durmann set- tled in Rock Island city, where for several years Mr. Durmann followed the trade of cooper. This he had learned when a young man in his native country. He was a successful and skillful workman, and by perseverance and economy had accumulated a little means, so that by the year 1867 he was ready to assume the quiet, peaceful life of a farmer. At that time he came into Colona Township, where he pur-
chased 320 acres of land. This he has brought to an excellent state of cultivation and made upon it splendid improvements. He has also been enabled to increase his landed estate to 540 acres, and now has one of the best improved and most profitable farms in Henry County. He is one of the honest but shrewd and hard-working farmers we find scat- tered throughout the Northwest, who came here with the honest and worthy purpose of securing a home. He is a highly respected citizen of the community in which he resides, and has served it in some of the minor official positions. Politically, he is a Demo- crat. He has visited his native country since living in. Henry County, but much prefers, as a place to live, the home offered by his adopted country.
Mr. D. visited his native country in 1873, travel- ing through it, visiting his relatives in Bavaria, thence by the River Rhine to Prussia, his wife's na- tive country. During this visit he received from his brother a rare present in the way of a cane, it being over 350 years old.
The children that have been born to Mr. and Mrs. Durmann are five in number, viz .: Frank, who is married and is one of the farmers of Colona Town- ship, as is also John, the third child; Joseph, the second, lives at home, as also do William and Mary.
E
B enjamin Sanford Eldridge, a resident of Galva, this county, was born March 22, 1827, in West Springfield, Hampton Co., Mass. The Eldridge family are of Scotch extraction. The grandfather, Mulferd Eld- ridge, was a wheelwright by profession. His father died while he was young, and young Mulferd and his mother removed from Maine to Connecticut, drawing a small hand-cart, which contained all their earthly possessions,'to the latter State. Capt. Mul- ferd Eldridge was married in Connecticut to Miss Coggswell. She was the mother of four children, namely. Elisha, Mrs. Sarah Sackett, Benjamin, and Mrs. Lora Fowler. The parents removed to West Springfield, where the wife and mother died. He was a second time married, to a Mrs. White. Elisha Eldridge was born in Berlin, Conn., and died in 1877, in Ann Arbor, Mich., aged 87 years. During his early life he was a teacher, and taught 14 suc-
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cessive winters. Afterwards, he was engaged in farming, and in his old age came and lived with his youngest daughter. He was a very religious man and had been Deacon in the Congregational Church from the time he attained the age of 22 years, when he was converted, until his death. His father, Mulferd, was an Episcopalian, and his grand-daugh- ter, Mrs. Hannah (Sackett) Hume, was a missionary to India, and her two sons and one daughter are at the present time missionaries in Bombay, that coun- try. The children are Robert, Edward and Sarah, all of whom are well educated. Edward is located in Ahmednaggar, India. Their inother is yet living, in New Haven, Conn., aged 92 years. Elisha Eld- ridge was married in West Springfield, Mass., to Tryphena Bagg, a native of that State, where she died. She was a daughter of Oliver Bagg, and was the mother of seven children: Oliver B., James D., both deceased; James D. (second); Mrs. Sarah C. Hive and Samuel Mulferd ; Benjamin Sanford, subject of this notice, and Mrs. Lora A. Page.
Benjamin S. Eldridge, subject of this sketch, re- ceived a limited education in his native villiage. He also attended school at East Hampton,-Williston Seminary. After leaving the seminary he went to Hartford, Conn., where he engaged to learn the car- penter's trade, and worked at it for two years. He then engaged as a clerk in the store of Dennison, Morgan & Son, where he remained for three and a half years. At the expiration of this time he left his position, which was a lucrative and important one, and came to this State, arriving here in September, 1847, and settling in Farmington, Fulton County. From the latter connty he went to Henry, Ill., where he and his brother Samuel M. were engaged in merchandising for one year. Abandoning the mercantile business, the engaged in farming, which occupation he followed for 19 years. In partnership with his brother, he purchased at first 220 acres of land, located four miles northwest of Henry, for which he paid $12.50 per acre, the same being im- proved. After three years he sold out to his brother and invested the proceeds in stock, and was engaged in raising stock for two years. He then purchased another interest in the same farm, which his brother cultivated, his brother owning half the stock.
Mr. Eldridge was united in marriage to Nancy A. Lee, Nov. 9, 1859. She was born April 20, 1831, in Williston, Vt., and died in Galva, Dec. 5,
1874, leaving two children, Charles E., born April 8, 1861 ; and Delia, born Sept. 24, 1865. Mr. Eld- ridge sold his real estate and went to Chicago, where he intended to engage in the real-estate business, but having passed a life of activity on the farm, he could not endure city life, and was compelled to go back to the more active labors of the farm. After a residence of one year in Chicago, he located in Galva, where he invested in real-estate, purchasing 15 acres of land adjoining the north part of town, which he laid out in lots. He erected a residence that year, and at one time was the owner of 1,000 acres of land. He is at present principally inter- ested in land near Galva, Ida Co., Iowa, where his son resides, and where Mr. Eldridge owns 1,600 acres. He is also engaged in raising Short-horn cat- tle and Clydesdale horses, which he keeps on his farm near Galva.
Mr. Eldridge was united a second time in marri- age, June 13, 1876, with Ellen Cornelia Merriam, born April 18, 1844, in Poultney, Vt. She has borne him two children, William Franklin and Ernest Garfield, the former having been born Aug. 29, 1878, and the latter Sept. 19, 1881. The parents of Mrs. Eldridge were William P. and Armenia (Gid- dings) Merriam, natives of New York and Connecti- cut respectively. Her mother's parents were Solomon and Martha (Paine) Giddings and her father followed the occupation of a farmer. The genealogy of the Giddings family existing in the Eastern States is traced back to England. Mrs. Eldridge was edu- cated at the female seminary at Granville, N. Y., where she graduated with the highest honors. She then engaged in teaching, which profession she fol- lowed in Ohio, Illinois and Wisconsin for ten years, after which she entered the Michigan University at Ann Arbor, where she finished her education. At the latter institution she was a kind of privileged character, and interested herself in religious work. She was looked upon as a motlier by the young girls of that institution, and was greatly respected for her influence upon their morals and her kindness at that time is remembered even to the present. She is now the Superintendent of the infant department of that institution, into which she has gathered many little wanderers.
Mr. and Mrs. Eldridge are active members of the Congregational Church and Mrs. Eldridge is noted for the activity she displays in the Sabbath-school.
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Both have done a noble work among the neglected and poor as well as illiterate classes, during the last decade. During the sunset of their lives they look back upon the past and contemplate with pleasure the good they have done for others.
ames Andrews, a farmer on section 7, in the township of Geneseo, has been a resi- dent of Henry County since 1854. He was born in Trumbull Co., Ohio, April 23, 1829. Wells and Nancy (Harper) Andrews, his parents, were born respectively in the States of Connecticut and Virginia. His mother was the daughter of John Harper, a Virginian of the old school, and who was the parent of 29 children. She was number 28 in order of birth. The paternal grandfather was born in Connecticut and was one of the pioneers of the Western Reserve, in Ohio.
The senior Andrews was in his childhood when his parents removed to Ohio. They were not poor nor obscure, and they took to the Buckeye State the training and ideas of which the value had been proved in the East. Accordingly, they gave their children the best advantages of education they could command, and the father of Mr. Andrews, after ob- taining a fair preliminary education, was sent to the college at Cannonsburg, in Pennsylvania. There he completed a full course of study and was graduated. Afterward he went to North Carolina and taught school for a time, going thence to Virginia, where he entered the ministry of the Presbyterian Church. He was married while officiating in the capacity of a clergyman in the South, and after a time returned to Ohio. He was engaged in the discharge of minis- terial duties in Hartford, Trumbull County, and in 1 836 was called to the Professorship of the Univer- sity of Ohio, at Athens. He filled the chair to which he was appointed seven years. In 1843 he came to Illinois. The journey was made via the river route, over the Ohio, Mississippi and Illinois Rivers. A location was made at Washington, Tazewell County, where the senior Andrews bought large tracts of land. His family occupied the farm and the father resumed preaching. After a residence of a few years at Washington, a farm near Tremont was purchased, on which they resided until 1856, when it was sold
and the family returned to Washington. The father died there in 1869. There were eight children.
Mr. Andrews of this sketch was the fourth son. When he was 14 he came to Illinois with the family of his father. He attained to the age and growth of manhood in Tazewell County, and was reared and educated on the farm. He was under the care and authority of his parents until the expiration of the period required by law, and when he was 21 he took the direction of his affairs into his own hands. His father gave him a quarter-section of land in Taze- well County and he began the work of improvement on it. He plowed and fenced a portion of the estate and continued to hold possession of it until 1854, when he came to Henry County. He at once bought land in the townships of Edford and Colona, all of which was in a wild and uncultivated condition. After breaking and fencing a portion of the property, he bought section 7 in the township of Geneseo, on which no improvements had been made. Two years later he erected a house on the place. A little later he sold one-half of the section and the remainder has since been retained by him. It is all in an ex- cellent condition of improvement.
The marriage of Mr. Andrews and Mary Etta Campbell took place March 28, 1862. She was born in St. Lawrence Co., N. Y., and is the daughter of Hiram and Elvira (Lowell) Campbell. The chil- dren of Mr. and Mrs. Andrews are named Charles C., John, William L., James H., Robert L., George H., Mary B., Jessie C., Maud V. and Hiram W.
.ohn A. Larson, a resident of the village of Andover, is a Justice of the Peace and farmer. He was born in Ryda, Uppeby Parish, Sweden, in 1826. His parents were Lewis Johnson, a farmer, and Ingrad Peterson, natives also of that country. The father died in the parish of his nativity, and the mother after- ward emigrated to America and lived with her son Jonas in Andover Township until her death.
John A., our subject, the third in the above family, was a member of the parental household until he was about 22 years old, was educated by his mother's spinning-wheel, learned practical mechanics in his father's " cobbler shop," and on leaving home he
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found it necessary to sell his birthright to an older brother, to secure the means wherewith to cross the seas to the land of golden opportunities. He arrived at the village of Andover on the 4th of August, 1848. He commenced work at the wagon-maker's trade in Galesburg, Ill., for which he at first received $6 a month and board, which was equal to about a year's wages in Sweden at that time. Thus he continued from 1848 to 1853; but during this time, in Febru- ary, 1850, he started on a trip to California, in com- pany with William Skinner and Sebastian Adams, Americans. They made their journey over the plains by wagon, finally arriving at Weaverville in August of that year. For the first year he followed mining, with fair success, averaging about $5 a day ; but at the end of this year Mr. Larson left California and returned to the "States " by way of the Isthmus of Panama, arriving at Galesburg, Knox County, in October. During that fall he purchased from Rev. Ithamar Pillsbury 110 acres of timber and prairie land, which included two village lots in Andover. After his marriage, in 1853, he settled upon this pur- chase, where he has since resided and made a com- fortable home.
Mr. Larson entered the bonds of matrimony in Galesburg, Ill., with Miss Martha Headstrum, daughter of a Swedish farmer. She was born in the parish of Alfta, Sweden, in 1830, and came to America with her parents, locating in Weller Town- ship, in 1847 ; but her parents, who joined the colony at Bishop Hill, died soon after the colony arrived, and she and two brothers moved to Galesburg, where she resided until her marriage. Mrs. Larson died in the village of Andover, Sept. 20, 1878, aged 49 years. Her eight children are all living.
acob Cosner, farmer, section II, Burns Township, was born in Coshocton Co., Ohio, Sept. 11, 1809. There he lived until 1838, when he came to Henry County and lo- cated in Wethersfield Township, being among the very earliest pioneers to locate in Henry County. He remained there but three years, for in 1841 we find him tilling the soil in Burns Township. Here he owns 162 acres of land.
Mr. Cosner was married in Wethersfield Town-
ship, Feb. 5, 1841, to Sarah Leonard, daughter of Samuel and Phebe Leonard. She was born in Penn- sylvania, Jan. 6, 1820. Ten children were born to them, four of whom survived. These are well known in the community where they reside. The living are William H., whose sketch is given in this volume ; Abraham S., Amanda B. and Francis M. Amanda is the wife of Lewis E. Wilhelm, of Burns Township. The deceased members of the family are Sylvester R., Benton B., Sarah S., Mathew P., Ruea R. and Cyntha M.
Mr. Cosner was Postmaster at Burns postoffice for seven years, and Road Commissioner six years, and has served as School Director. Since he voted for General Jackson he has ever been a Democrat.
rank M. McDonald, engaged in general farming and stock-raising on section 21, Western Township, was born in Rural Township, Rock Island County, Sept. 5, 1852. His parents, James B. and Jane (Spivey) Mc- Donald, were natives of Kentucky, of Scotch descent, and were married in Tippecanoe Co., Ind., and at once came to Rock Island Co., Ill., settling in Rural Township, before improvements had com- menced in that locality. They set to work with characteristic energy, and have increased their acre- age and improved their farm until they now have one of the best in that township. They also own a quarter-section in Western Township, this county, also well improved.
Frank M., the second in the family of five chil- dren, was a member of the parental household, and attended school in his native township, until he was 18 years of age. At the age of 20 he was married, and lived in Rock Island County one year, then re- moving into Pre-emption Township, Mercer County, where he purchased 80 acres of good farming land ; after occupying this for four years, he bought 153 acres of section 21, Western Township, this county, which he has brought from an inferior to a very su- perior state of cultivation.
The date of Mr. McDonald's marriage was April 3, 1872, in Rural Township, Rock Island County, when he wedded Miss Frances E. Goodlow. She was born in Pre-emption Township, Mercer County,
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Feb. 2, 1853. Her parents, Thomas and Margaret Goodlow, were born respectively in Ontario, Prov- ince of Canada, and Ireland. Her mother came to Ontario when quite small, and afterward both her parents came to the United States, where, in the city of Philadelphia, they were married. After their mar- riage they came to Rock Island County, where the father died July 12, 1868. Her mother is at present residing with her daughter, Sarah Goodlow, who re- sides in Mercer County. Mrs. McDonald was reared and educated in Pre-emption, Mercer County, and there resided until her marriage. She is the mother of two children by Mr. McDonald,-Bertha Maud, born March 28, 1873; and Jessie J., born Dec. 22, 1877.
In his political views Mr. McDonald is a Demo- crat.
His brothers and sisters are as follows: Jasper M. is a successful attorney-at-law in the city of Chi- cago; Lawrence is a resident of Western Township; Etta R. is living at home, and James Sherman is also yet a member of the parental household.
8 enjamin J. Brown. Burns Township is settled with an intelligent, well-to-do class of farmers, prominent among whom is Benjamin J. Brown. His farm is on sec- tion 8, where he has 200 acress of land. In Westchester Co., N. Y., on the 14th of Octo- ber, 1836, there was born to Coles J. and Sally M. (Cole) Brown, a son, to whom they gave the name of Benjamin J., and of whom this biography is writ- ten. His parents were also natives of the Empire State, but in 1855 came West and found a home in Burns Township, Henry County, where they reside at the present writing. Benjamin was the eldest of their three children. They sent him to the common schools and required his assistance at home. Early in life, however, he began to teach school, and about five years were spent in New York and Illinois in this profession. He came here a young man, and has since taken an active interest in the affairs of the community where he has resided. For fifteen years he has served as Justice of the Peace, and has also been Town Treasurer. In politics he adheres to Republican principles.
At Kewanee, on the 3d of May, 1866, the wedding
rites of Mr. Brown and Miss Drusilla A. Smith were observed. Miss Smith was a daughter of John and Hannah M. Smith, natives of Ohio and Pennsylva- nia respectively. They came to Henry County in 1856, and were well known early pioneers here. Her father died at Cairo, Ill., while a member of the 124th Ill. Vol. Inf. His widow resides in Dakota. They had a family of ten children, of whom Drusilla was the fifth. She was born in Morrow County, Ohio, April 13, 1846. The children of Mr. and Mrs. Brown bear the following names : Edward F., George H., Mary E., Laura I., Lydia J., Benjamin C. and Maggie A. Mary died when 22 months old.
osea F. Bliss is a retired farmer on sec'- tion 36 of the township of Geneseo. He was born in Lewis Co., N. Y., Oct. 13, 1809. He is the eldest son of Isaac and Han- nah (Brown) Bliss. His father was a native of Hebron, Conn., and his mother was born in Massachusetts. The senior Bliss went to the State of New York when a young man, where he met and married his wife in the city of Utica. After their union they located in Lewis County, and were early settlers in that part of the State.
Mr. Bliss, Sr., bought a tract of the land of the county, which was in the heavy timber that was characteristic of the Empire State, made a small clearing and erected on it a little log house for the shelter of himself and wife, and proceeded with vigor in the work of improvement. He was the occupant of the place until 1844, when he made a removal to Ohio. The son who is the subject of this sketch was then a resident of that State, and the father remained in the land of the Buckeye two years. He had a younger son in the city of Mem- phis, and at the end of the time mentioned he went there to remain for a time. While there he died with the cholera. His wife had died several years previously.
Mr. Bliss grew to manhood in the county of Lewis and was brought up on the farm. He was educated in the subscription school. The first important event of his life was his marriage to Amy Briggs. Their union was consummated Nov. 18, 1830. She · was born in Rome, N. Y., March 5, 1810, and is the daughter of Michael and Olivia (Waterhouse)
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Briggs. Her father was a native of the State of Ver- mont, and her mother was born in the State of Con- necticut. . They were early settlers in the county of Oneida. At the date of his marriage Mr. Bliss bought a farm near Martinsburg, where he was a resident four years. They then went to Ohio, and settled in the part of the State which was then in- cluded in Concord Township, Lake County.
The family settled on a tract of timber land on which a log house had been erected. The residence there was maintained until 1853. In that year they came to Illinois. They made their first location in the township of Loraine, where Mr. Bliss bought 640 acres of land, of which 120 acres were under cultivation. Mr. Bliss retained the ownership of the place three years, when he sold out and bought im- proved land in the township of Atkinson, which was situated on section 30. He improved a good farm, and was its resident owner four years, when he bought a place on section 3, in Geneseo Township, on which a small frame house had been erected. There had also been improvements made on 40 acres, which had been placed under a slight degree of cultivation. In 1862 he bought a farm on section 36, Geneseo Township, and has since occupied this farm continuously. It contains 120 acres, and lies partly in the township of Atkinson.
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