Portrait and biographical album of Henry County, Illinois : containing full-page portraits and biographical sketches of prominent and representative citizens of the county, Part 64

Author:
Publication date: 1885
Publisher: Chicago : Biographical Publishing Co.
Number of Pages: 850

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 64

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Four children have been born to Mr. and Mrs. Bliss, viz. : George, who lives in Evansville, Ind .; Henry, who is a citizen of Alameda Co., Cal. ; Rosal- tha, who is the wife of Samuel Taylor, of Greene Co., Iowa; and Fred, who is a resident of the city of Des Moines, in that State.

A. Mackey, Postmaster at Woodhull, was born in the State of Pennsylvania, April 22, 1856, and is a son of William A. and Emily (Hammond) Mackey, natives also of the same ; his father was a merchant and also engaged in the tanning business.

Mr. Mackey received a fine education, and at the age of 17 years, being in the oil regions of Pennsyl- vania, became agent for the collection of funds in that section of the State for a manufacturer of mu- sical instruments. At the age of 18 years he came to Illinois and engaged as a clerk in a dry-goods

store in Woodhull, and continued in that position from 1875 to 1882, when he was appointed Postmas- ter, which office he now holds. In 1883 he accepted a position in the Farmers' Bank as head book-keeper and assistant cashier, which position he still occupies. He is also a School Trustee, and a member of the Village Board of Trustees. He is a rising young man of Woodhull. He also owns 160 rcres of land in Kansas, and a residence in Woodhull.

He was married to Miss Carrie L. Woods (see sketch of R. L. Woods) Feb. 22, 1883. They are members of the Presbyterian Churchi.

ric Gabrielson, banker, at Orion, and one of the leading and prominent business men of Northwestern Illinois, was born in Sweden, Feb. 18, 1849. His father, Charles Gabrielson, was a farmer in Sweden, where he married Mary Bengson, also a native of that country. The family consisted of four children, be- sides the parents, when they came to America. They soon made their way to Andover, this county, where, in 1854, they located. The mother died at her home in that township, that same year, being taken away with many others by that terrible epidemic, the cholera, which raged so here at that time. The father subsequently married Catherina Johnson, and now · resides in retirement from the scenes of active life in Andover.

Erick was the youngest but one of a family of six children. He was reared and educated in the pub- lic schools of this county, living under the parental roof until he was 24 years of age. During the latter years of this period he was engaged in farming and stock shipping, and dealing in real estate in An- dover. His business qualifications, which are of the highest order, are largely the gift of nature, but his early training had the tendency to develop and culti- vate them. After his marriage, he moved to Orion, where he had established a grocery store in May, 1874. In the same month of the year 1882, he sold his business to the Orion Mercantile Co., which was organized with a capital stock of $20,000. He took in exchange for his business one-half interest of the entire stock of the concern, which he still retains. On the 5th of December, 1879, he established the

James M. Welton

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Bank of Orion, with a limited stock. This has since been increased with a large amount of capital, which, together with the skillful management of Mr. G., the bank is now on a safe financial footing. It is a strictly commercial bank, and does all legitimate banking business, and also takes real-estate loans from Eastern capitalists. The amount deposited with the bank is usually $50,000. Mr. G. has also 80 acres of land on section 21 of Western Township, and 10,000 acres in Nebraska and Colorado; and he also deals largely in real estate. Besides, he is agent for the various foreign steamship lines. He is also Village Treasurer and has served as Trustee. Politically, he is thoroughly independent, taking a liberal view in all matters relating to politics as well as religion.

The subject of this personal sketch was married on the 5th of August, 1874, at the residence of his wife's parents in Western Township, to Josephine, daughter of Gust. and Anna (Carlson) Huflund. Mrs. G.'s parents were farmers in Sweden, their native country, where they were married. After this event, they came to America and located in Rock Island, where, on the first of January, 1850, Mrs. G. was born. Her parents now reside in Western Town- ship, where they settled on a farm her father had · purchased from the Government, when she was but a mere child. The record of the children born to Mr. and Mrs. G. is given as follows: Estella, born Dec. 31, 1875; Almeda, Nov. 2, 1877 ; Charles E., Dec. 17, 1879; Esther, Nov. 10, 1882; and Mamie, Feb. 10, 1884.

hristena Gochenouer, resident on section 10, Annawan Township, is the widow of John Gochenouer, who died on his home- stead in the same township, July 10, 187.3. He was born in Rockingham Co., Va., in June, 1803. His marriage to Christena Har- mon occurred Oct. 15, 1835.

Mr. Gochenouer was twice married, and of the 12 children of whom he became the father, nine still survive. They were born as follows: Henry, March 28, 1826; Elizabeth, Dec. 11, 1830, Adam, May 21, 1832; William, Feb. 21, 1834; John M., Dec. 16, 1837; Mary E., Nov. 14, 1839; Joseph, Feb. 18, 1843; Rebeca Jane, May 19, 1845 ; Sarah M., July

7, 1849; Clarissa M., May 1, 1852; Nancy E., March 10, 1854; Barbara A., Nov. 1, 1835. All of the above who are living are well married and regard their aged mother with the filial devotion which is due to her advanced years and the manner in which she has discharged her duties to her household. Joseph entered the army during the Civil War and was accidentally shot at Cairo, Ill., Oct. 20, 1861.

Mr. Gochenouer accumulated a considerable prop- erty and was, at the date of his death, the owner of 405 acres of land on which his widow has continued to carry out his plans since he left her to go to a bet- ter country. The illness of the father was long and at the last peculiarly distressing. He was for a long term of years a devoted Christian, and was for 38 years a Class-leader in the United Brethren Church. His closing hours were full of peace and trust in the promises in which he had put his faith all his life. He came to Henry County in 1858. Mrs. Gochen- ouer has been a member of the same Church to which her husband belonged since the age of 15. She has nine children living, 47 grandchildren and 19 great-grandchildren.

ames M. Welton, who has followed the oc- cupation of farming during his entire life, and is at present the owner of 280 acres of well improved land, located on section 14, Osco Township, where he resides, is a son of Lester C. and Ora (Mathews) Welton, natives of Connecticut. The parents were married and settled in Connecticut, subsequently coming to Peo- ria County, this State, where they resided until 1855. During that year they came to this county and located in Osco Township, and there resided until 1877, when they removed to Cambridge, and thence, in the fall of 1883, went to Kansas, where they are at present living. Their children were James M., Ellen E., Merritt H. and Margaret A.

The gentleman whose name heads this article was born in Tivoli Township, Peoria County, this State, Nov. 2, 1846, and was about nine years old when his parents came to this county. His education was acquired in the common schools and in a select school in Geneseo. The vocation of his life has been that of an agriculturist, and he has been a

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resident of Henry County since 1855. His landed interest at the present time consists of 280 acres, located on section 14, Osco Township, all of which is under an advanced state of cultivation.

Mr. Welton was married in the township in which he at present resides Nov. 20, 1872, to Sarah A. Sherrard, daughter of William and Elizabeth (Bald- win) Sherrard, natives of Pennsylvania. They were the parents of 12 children-Joseph R., Samuel T., David S., Sarah A., John C., Louisa, George W., La Fayette and Frank; three died in infancy; Sarah A. (Mrs. Welton) was born in Lawrence Co., Pa., Dec. II, 1847. The children of Mr. and Mrs. Welton are six in number-Luella J., Ora E., Lester C., James A. and Frank E .; Rollin S. died when about three years old.

Mr. Welton has held several of the minor offices within the gift of the citizens of his township. He and his wife are believers in the tenets of the Episco- pal Church. Politically, Mr. W. casts his vote with the Republican party.

The portrait of Mr. Welton, on the opposite page, is a necessary addition to the collection made for this ALBUM.

arriet E. Haxby, widow of the late John H. Haxby, of Annawan Township. Mr. Haxby had secured and brought to a high state of cultivation a farm of 320 acres on sec- tion 28 of that township. Here he lived, took a deep interest in the welfare of the community and was a highly esteemed citizen. He was born Jan. 11, 1840, in Scott Co., Ill., of English parents. He was reared and educated in this State, and quite early in the history of this county became a resident nere. Sept. 6, 1865, he was married to Miss Harriet E. Dewitt, by the Rev. W. J. Beck, of the Kewanee Baptist Church. Mrs. Haxby was born in Kewanee Township, this county, Feb. 22, 1851. They lived happily together until the death of Mr. Haxby, and became the parents of four children, born in the fol- lowing order : George H., born Sept. 25, 1867 ; Luella A., Oct. 18, 1869 ; William, Oct. 2, 1871 ; and Myr- tle J., March 23, 1876.

In March, 1883, Mr. Haxby was seized with a se- vere attack of pleuro-pneumonia, which, after a

struggle of seven days, conquered its victim. During the last days of his illness his mind wandered some. He had lived a true man, and died at peace with all the world, and with a firm hope of receiving the fu- ture reward. He was a kind and affectionate hus- band, and a tender, watchful father. Politically, he was a Republican, and had served in some of the lo- cal official positions with satisfaction to the public. With good business judgment and ability, Mrs. Haxby is managing the 320-acre farm he left her. Upon this she has a good two-story dwelling, and fair outbuildings.

homas Bolen, a pioneer of the township of Loraine, in which he has been a resident since 1857, without intermission, was born in Jefferson Co., Ohio, Dec. 13, 1813. He is the son of Thomas Bolen. His parents were natives of Virginia, and early settlers in the State of Ohio. His mother died when he was but three years old, and he was soon provided with a step-mother by the second marriage of his father.

Mr. Bolen remained in the county in which he was born until he was 13, when his father died. He then went to Guernsey County, in that State, and was a member of the family of his uncle two years. He was then 15, and took the control of his own fortunes into his own hands. When he was a year older he apprenticed himself to a gunsmith at Centerville, Carroll Co., Ohio, when he had acquired a complete knowledge of the business he operated as a journey- man, and worked in various cities in the United States, until 1840, when he came to Henry County for the first time. He entered land on section 7, in the township of Loraine, which was then designated by the figures which marked its position on the charts' of the Government officials. He cut logs, built a cabin, which he covered with clapboards, and obtained lumber from Whiteside County to finish it. After four or five years he built a blacksmith shop, and opened a business in that line for the accommo- dation of his neighbors, and it proved a benefit to the commuunity as well as a inaterial means of good to himself. In the spring of 1850 he set out at the head of a party who desired to cross the plains to California. They left Henry County on the first of

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April of the year named, and went to Council Bluffs. They left there May Ist, and arrived at Georgetown Aug. 2d following. Mr. Bolen found no difficulty in obtaining work at his trade, which he followed there two years. He operated as a gunsmith and as a blacksmith. He returned in 1852 to Henry County, coming back by the way of the Isthmus. In 1854 he went back to California, and, remembering the com- forts of his route of return to the East, he went there by the same. He opened a shop at George- town and transacted a thriving business, furnishing the interior establishments with materials. In 1855 he was made Deputy Sheriff of the place where he resided, and he served in that position nearly three years. He resigned in order to return to Henry County, which he did in the year named, and he has since been a permanent resident of his fårm. He has worked at the business of a blacksmith 20 years, and gunsmith 40 years, in all about 60 years, and has hired the work of his farm done by others who made farming their calling. He is the present owner of 120 acres. At one time he was the proprietor of 200 acres, but he sold a portion as he had more than he could manage to good advantage. He is the owner of a tract of land containing 160 acres, in York Co., Neb. He has held the office of Constable several years, and has also officiated as School Director.

Mr. Bolen has been married twice. He was united in matrimony with Mary A. Davis in 1832. She was a native of Virginia, and died after giving birth to three children. Only one survives : Julia A. lives in Nebraska. In 1844 Mr. Bolen was married to Lydia Potts. They have had three children : Lydia is the wife of Fayette Martin, of Whiteside County. Nancy married Edward Somers, and they reside in Whiteside County. Washington R., the oldest, lives on the homestead.

illiam H. Cosner, farmer on section 14, Burns Township, was born in Kewanee Township, Jan. 5, 1842, where he was reared and received a good common-school education. He is one of the few active bus- iness men of to-day that one meets in Henry County who are natives of the county. It will be noticed in reading the sketches in this book that a

vast majority of the men were born in the Eastern States or across the ocean. The parents of Mr. Cos- ner are Jacob and Sarah (Leonard) Cosner, both of whom are natives of the Buckeye State. Mr. C. was married in Burns Township, on New Year's Day, 1864, to Adelaide, daughter of C. O. and Philena Wedge. She was born in Wethersfield Township, May 14, 1844, and has borne to her husband two children,-William O. and Ceria C. Mr. Cosner is the owner of 1721/2 acres of fine land.

Mr. Cosner has held some of the minor offices of his township, to the satisfaction of the public, and politically is a Democrat. Mrs. C. is a member of the Methodist Church.

udson B. Engle, residing at Orion, and en- gaged in general farming and the raising of stock, is a native of Burlington Co., N. J., where he was born Nov. 4, 1820. The father, Joseph Engle, was a native of the same county, where he was married to Hannah H. Burr, a native also of the same State, and a second cousin to Aaron Burr. They became the parents of seven children, of whom our subject was the eldest son and third child.

His father died when he was about ten years of age. He continued to reside with his mother, help- ing her along in her trouble to provide for her family until he was 17 years of age, when he became an ap- prentice to learn the wagon-maker's trade, under David Heaton, of Moorestown, N. J. After working for four years for Mr. Heaton, he came West with his mother and two sisters and three other brothers, the family locating at Richland Grove, Mercer County. They endured many hardships on their journey westward, which was made all the way over- land in three wagons and with six horses. They were on the road two months, and during the time never slept in a house, and, as one might naturally expect, experienced many hardships. In the spring of 1848, three years after their arrival, the family moved into Western Township and purchased 40 acres of land on section 22.

Mr. Engle, however, had come to Orion the year before, and was married Nov. 11, 1847, to Miss Sarah Elwell, daughter of Perly and Sarah (Stanley)

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Elwell. Her father died in Massachusetts, and her mother married again, came to Illinois, and settled in Western Township, in 1843, where they were very early and well-known settlers. The wedding of Mr. Engle was the first to be celebrated in Western Town- ship. At that time there were but five houses with- in its borders. They have since made this a place of their permanent residence, where Mr. Engle owns 115 acres of land, all under the plow, and adjoining the village corporation line on the north. Mr. Engle deals in high grades of swine and cattle.

Mr. and Mrs. E. are active members of the Baptist Church, and Mr. E. is a Trustee. Mr. Engle is a believer in, and a supporter of, the principles advo- cated by the Republican party.

yman Lyon, of the township of Geneseo, was the first settler in the part of Henry County in which he is now a resident. He was born Sept. 15, 1814, in Woodstock, Conn., and is the son of Uriah and Jerusha (Nooning) Lyon. His parents were both of English de- scent and were born respectively in Connecticut and Vermont. The father of his mother was a soldier of the War of the Revolution. Mr. Lyon is the fourth in order of birth of a family of II children. The family being large and the parents not in affluent circumstances, it became necessary for the children to aid in their own maintenance at as early an age as possible, and Mr. Lyon obtained employment in the neighborhood where his family were residents at the age of nine. He continued to assist in this manner in the cares of his parents until he was his own man. At 21 he entered upon the acquirement of the trade of a shoemaker. After obtaining an understanding of the details of that profession he passed the winter seasons in its pursuit and in the summers worked as a farm assistant.

April 6, 1841, he was united in marriage to Olive H.W. Buck. Mrs. Lyon was born in Pomfret, Conn., July 8, 1823, and is the daughter of Aaron and Mercy (Sprague) Buck. The former was a native of Connecticut and the latter of Massachusetts. At the time of their marriage Mr. and Mrs. Lyon settled in Union, in their native State, where the former bought a farm. He retained his ownership therein until

1850. In that year he located in Henry County. He first bought a residence in Geneseo, where the family resided until 1853. Mr. Lyon then made a purchase of land on section 17, which was entirely uncultivated. He paid for it the Government price of $1.25 per acre. The farm contains 60 acres and is all under cultivation of a most creditable type. It is enclosed and supplied with all necessary and suitable farm buildings.

At the time Mr. and Mrs. Lyon took possession of their place they were without neighbors and they kept open house in true pioneer style for all comers. They acquired a well-deserved reputation for hospi- tality, and their efforts for the comfort of the strangers who called at their door is remembered most heartily by those who were the recipients of their considera- tion while engaged in the work of prospecting for a location or in preparing their own homes.

The record of the children of Mr. and Mrs. Lyon is as follows: Alvin M. lives in the township of Edford. Mary is the wife of Hiram P. Roundtree, a teacher of elocution in the city of Chicago. Sarah is also a teacher of elocution at Bloomington. Frank is a citizen of Grand Forks, Dak. The son first named was born in Union, Conn., July 4, 1843, and married Achsah Adams. They have six children.

Kenry Goembel, a retired farmer, resident at Geneseo, is a native of the State of Hesse, in Germany, and was born June 14, 1822, on the river Fulda, a tributary of the Rhine, in the village of Nederaula. He is the oldest son of Sebastian and Anna Goembel, both of Hes- sian birth. His grandfather was one of the Hessian soldiers who were hired to the English by his Gov- ernment to aid the British in the War of the Revolu- tion, or, as is claimed, was sold by the German ruler, as that nation holds the ownership of its subjects to a certain age, or until a certain amount of military duty is performed. The ancestor who came to America under such circumstances was taken pris- oner at New York, and after his release became a loyal adherent of the government of the Colonies. He was engaged some time as a clerk, and after the declaration of peace he returned to the land of his nativity. There he reared a family, and in 1834

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his son, Sebastian, accompanied by his wife and eight children, sailed from Bremen for the United States. They were on the sea 69 days, and landed at the port of New Orleans. They came to America on a German sailing-vessel, named the Ernest Gus- tav. After a stay of two weeks at the Crescent City, they set out for St. Louis. However, they debarked at Havana, Ill., and continued their stay there a month. At the end of that time they went to Peoria, which was then celled Fort Clark.

The elder Goembel bought a claim on Farm Creek, in Tazewell County, or rather took possession and held it until the land sales came on, when he se- cured his title. At the time he bought the claim of the first who had settled on it, a log house had been built, and that was the sole improvement on the entire track. Mr. Goembel placed the entire estate under the best character of improvements, and erected an excellent class of buildings thereon. . After a residence on the property of several years, he removed to Washington, in the same county. There the family remained, and there the father and mother both died. Six of their eight children are yet living.

Mr. Goembel, of this sketch, grew to the estate of manhood in the county of Tazewell. He was an inmate of the family of his father until 1849. In that year he bought timber land, situated about one and a half miles from the place of his father, and there he settled. He built a frame house ; and as he had a natural faculty for the use of tools he did the main part of the work on it himself. He was the owner and occupant of the place until 1864. He then sold the farm, which contained 200 acres, and of which the half part was improved. In October of the year named he came to Henry County. He located in the township of Alba, where he purchased 200 acres of land. It had at the time a reasonably good set of frame buildings on it, and he proceeded with the work of its improvement. He was pros- pered in all his plans, and made additional pur- chases until he became the proprietor of 700 acres. He is still the owner of the farm, which he rented in 1871, and removed to the vicinity of the city of Gen- eseo. He bought 40 acres lying adjoining the town- plat, and has since purchased several acres in addi- tion. He is also the owner of two farms in the town- ship of Phenix.

The marriage of Mr. Goembel to Catharine Fey took place in 1849. She .is a native of the same

German province from whence her husband came. Their children are Zachariah T., who lives in the township of Phenix; Charles C., of Alba Township ; Anna, wife of Joseph Greenwood ; Elizabeth (Mrs. Lawrence Seyler) lives in Audubon Co., Iowa; John H., of Phenix Township; Millie, Henry L. and Kittie at home.

ames Gaster, Postmaster at Galva, this county, was born Dec. 29, 1834, in Fulton Co., Pa., and is the son of Jacob and Nancy (Miller) Gaster, born in the same county and State, the county then being called Bedford.

The grandfather of Mr. Gaster of this sketch was a native of Germany, a son of Jacob Gaster and a farmer by occupation. He lived and died on the old homestead in Pennsylvania, his birth having oc- curred in 1800. He was married to Nancy Miller, daughter of John Miller. She died in the fall of 1861, after having borne her husband II children, namely, John, Sarah A., Philip M., Jacob, James, Elizabeth, Rebecca. Peter, Daniel, William, and a child who died in infancy.

James Gaster was educated in the district schools of his native county, and followed the vocation of farming on the parental homestead until he attained the age of 19 years. He was then apprenticed to learn the house-carpenter's trade, which he followed until he had attained his 22d year. On arriving at that age, he came to Galva, this county, where he was engaged in milling for many years in the Galva Mills.

Mr. Gaster enlisted in the war for the Union, Aug. 12, 1862, and served until June 20, 1865, when he received his discharge. He enlisted in Co. G, 112th Ill. Vol. Inf., Capt. James McCarthy, and was with Major-General A. E. Burnside in the campaigns of Kentucky and Tennessee, in 1862-3, Major-General Sherman in the Georgia campaign, in 1864, Major- General G. H. Thomas, in the Tennessee campaign, in 1864, Major-General Schofield in the campaign of North Carolina, in 1865, and was with the company when the last shot was fired at Goldsboro, N. C., April 5, 1865. He has participated in 22 general engagements and 75 skirmishes, principal among

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which were Monticello, Ky., Campbell's Station, Knoxville, Bean Station, Dandridge, Kelly's Ford, Muddy Creek, Tenn., Resaca, New Hope Church, Pine Mountain, Kenesaw Mountain, Utaw Creek, Atlanta, Rough and Ready, and Jonesboro, Ga .. Columbia, Frankville, Nashville, Tenn., Fort Ander- son, Town Creek, Wilmington and Goldsboro, N. C. He was a brave soldier, and was never known to shirk when duty called him.

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Portrait and biographical album of Henry County, Illinois : containing full-page portraits and biographical sketches of prominent and representative citizens of the county, Part 64

Author: Publication date: 1885 Publisher: Chicago : Biographical Publishing Co. Number of Pages: 850

Author:
Publication date: 1885
Publisher: Chicago : Biographical Publishing Co.
Number of Pages: 850