Portrait and biographical album of McLean county, Ill., containing full page portraits and biographical sketches of prominent and representative citizens of the county, Part 115

Author: Chapman brothers, Chicago, pub
Publication date: 1887
Publisher: Chicago : Chapman brothers
Number of Pages: 1222

USA > Illinois > McLean County > Portrait and biographical album of McLean county, Ill., containing full page portraits and biographical sketches of prominent and representative citizens of the county > Part 115

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Our subject was born in Washington County, Pa., June 2, 1846, and was about eleven years of age when his parents came to this county. Here he completed his schooling and was rcared to the calling of a farmer, which vocation he has followed thus far in life, with the exception of the time he spent in the army. He enlisted Oet. 24, 1863, in the 8th Illinois Infantry, and served until May 4, 1866, when he returned to his home in Lexington Township and again entcred upon the peaceful pursuits of farming. He is the owner of 180 acres of good land and is meeting with success in the prosecution of his vocation. Mr. Mccullough was married in Bloomington, Ill., Jan. 23, 1877, to Miss Mary A., daughter of William and Eliza J.' (Moore) Power, natives of Westmoreland County, Pa. The parents of Mrs. McCullough moved from Pennsylvania to this county in 1856. After liv- ing here a year, they went back to the Keystone State, where the mother died in 1858. The father again came to this county and has made this his home until the present time. Three children were born to Mr. and Mrs. Power and named, Mary A., Jane C. and John M. Jane died in infancy and John is a resident of this county. Mrs. McCullough was born in Westmoreland County, Pa., Sept. 18, 1845, and by her union with our subject has be- come the mother of three children-Franees L., Linden, and one who died in infancy. Mr. Me-

ST. MARY'S CATHOLIC COLLEGE COR. LOCUST & CENTRE STS

PASTORAL RESIDENCE.

ST. JOSEPH'S ACADEMY.

HOLY TRINITY CHURCH , COR. CHESTNUT & MAIN ST., SHOWING SPIRE WHEN COMPLETED, ) BLOOMINGTON. REV. M . WELDON. PRIEST.

McLEAN COUNTY.

937

Cullough has held the office of Sehool Director of his township, and socially is a member of the G. A. R., belonging to Post No. 240, of Lexington. In politics he is a staneh Republiean.

R EV. FATHER M. WELDON, Rector of the Holy Trinity Church of Bloomington, is one of the most highly respected eitizens of this locality, and by his useful life and eour- teous demeanor has gathered around him a eirele of warm friends, not alone ineluding those of his own parish but embraeing the community at large.

Father Weldon was born in the eity of New Orleans, La., in 1845, received his cducation in Grand Seminary of that eity, and was ordained in 1870, his first eharge being in Jaekson, La. On account of failing health he was forced to abandon it, and coming North, became an assistant in the parish of Monmouth, Ill., with which he was eon- nected the following nine months. He was then trans- ferred to Keithsburg, and after eleven months spent there, returned to Monmouth, whenee, after ten months, he was sent to Bloomington, and has been Rector of the Catholic Chureli in this city since July 2, 1879.

Father Weldon found the church here in a gloomy condition, with an indebtedness of $46,000 and the church building unfinished. Although realizing the heavy burden placed upon him, he at once set to work to retrieve the condition of his people here. His earnest zeal in the cause to which he had devoted his life and his excellent personal traits of character paved the way for his complete success in his undertaking. During the years fol- lowing, besides relieving the church from a part of its indebtedness, he has effeetcd the reseating of the building, put in steam. heating apparatus, laid walks around the block included in the church property, which contains the parochial residence, school, ete., and in 1885 erected the present school building with all modern improvements. It was built of briek at a eost of $21,582.85. In this he established a free parochial school, equipped with a forec of ten Sisters as teachers, and which now has an attendance of 600 pupils. Connected with the

church is St. Joseph's Academy for girls, under the charge of Sister Emalda, Superior. The parish now ineludes about 500 familics. Father Weldon has two assistants, Fathers Quinn and O'Dwyer.

The original church was built on the ground now occupied by the parochial residence, under the ministrations of Father O'Gara in about 1868. The edifice was destroyed by a hurricane, and the present church, commenced by Dr. McGovern, was enelosed by Father MeDermott in 1878. By private sub- scriptions and fairs Father Weldon, after building the school-house and adding other permanent im- provements, has reduced the indebtedness to $25,- 915.12. He prepares a general statement each year of the church and sehool for liis people, so that they may be satisfied with the disbursement of funds and his management. In looking up the statements we find the following interesting facts : $56,545.92 have been paid on permanent improve- ments, interest and old debt, and $10,940 for edu- cational purposes, making a grand total of $67,- 485.92 expended for the work done for seven years. The present cost of the church property in this eity, including the school and residenee, is over $135,000. A page' view of the church, parsonage and sehool buildings is shown on an adjoining page.

Father Weldon has exhibited more than ordinary unselfishness in his labors, and his unostentatious life is worthy of the highest praise.

C ROGHAN DAWSON, an extensive land- holder of this county and residing at Lex- ington, is entitled to a place among the old settlers of this county, having come here in Decem- ber, 1832, from Madison County, Ohio, where he was born on a farm near Mt. Sterling, Oct. 10, 1822. The father of our subject, James R. Daw- son, was a Kentuckian by birth, and first saw light in Bourbon County, in 1794. His father, grand- father of Croghan, was killed by the Indians while on his way from Virginia to Kentucky. The Daw- sons were of Welsh extraetion and the great-great- grandfather of our subjeet was born in Wales, but beeame a eitizen of the United States, locating in Virginia. He was twiee married, having sixteen

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children by each of his two marriages-making him the father of thirty-two children .. The strange part of it is that they all lived to attain the age of manhood and womanhood, and, the father at the time of his demise had reached the age of one hundred and twenty-eight years. He dropped dead while carrying a basket of corn to his pigs.

James R. Dawson, the father of our subject, was a soldier in the War of 1812. He reared a family of twelve children, all of whom are living at this writing. He came to this county with his family in the fall of 1832, and settled on the south side of Mackinaw Creek in Money Creek Township, where he purchased two eighty-acre tracts of land. On this land he located with his family and engaged in farming, where he met with success and where he remained until his death, in April, 1848. The maiden name of his wife was Mary Ogden, daugh- ter of Albert Ogden, of Ohio. She died in this county in about 1834. Of the twelve children, two are living in Kansas City; one in Alaska; the other nine in this county. La Fayette, the son living in Alaska, holds the position of Supreme Judge, to which he was appointed by President Cleveland. He is the only lawyer in the family.

Croghan Dawson is the third child of his parents, and was but ten years of age when he accompanied them to this county. His schooling thereafter was received in the pioneer log school-house, and his years were passed on his father's farm until he was twenty, when he went to work for himself. Hc had prior to this age, bought small tracts of land, aud on becoming his own man, worked his land for a time, and finally traded it for an eighty-acre tract in Money Creek Township. On this he locat- ed and kept " bach " with his brother, John, until the latter was married; our subject then lived with him two years, and until concluding that he would join the army of benedicts himself, which he did on the 2d of February, 1847, being then married to Elizabeth Haner. Mrs. Dawson had been brought to this county from Ohio, by her parents in 1826, when an infant of three weeks old. After marriage, Mr. Dawson settled north of Lexington on a farm that he had improved while keeping " bach." On this place be engaged in general farming and stock-raising on a small scale, being

then the proprietor of but little of this world's goods. He soon sold this place to his brother John, and then entered 185 acres to which he after- ward added forty acres, and where he made his home for fifteen years. He subsequently bought 467 acres more adjoining his farm, which gave him a total of 842 acres of land all in a body, and which he still owns. On this large farm our sub- ject has six dwelling-houses. He rents 'out a por- tion of his land, and cultivates the remainder with the assistance of his son.

In 1858, on the completion of the C. & A. R. R. Mr. Dawson engaged in the buying and shipping of hogs, cattle, sheep and horses. During the war he carried on this business quite extensively, and gradually increased his exchequer, and was thus occupied until 1870, when he settled up liis busi- ness and abandoned that branch'of lis vocation. In 1877 he embarked in the breeding of Norman horses on a small scale. He now has two imported stallions and four imported mares, all registered in the National Herd Book, together with some fine yearling colts.

In the fall of 1884 our subject leased the farm and moved into the village of Lexington, where he has since resided. Politically Mr. Dawson is a Democrat, and voted for Andrew Jackson. He and his wife are devoted members of the United Brethren Church at Lexington, and our subject is Assistant Superintendent of the Sunday-school at that place. Mr. and Mrs. Dawson reared an inter- csting family of children, all of whom with one exception are living, and are respected members of society, living up to the parental precepts in a manner reflecting credit upon their early training.

E LLIS DILLON, importer and breeder of French draft horses, is not only a leading citizen of McLean County but is numbered among the leading stock men of the State. Of his ancestors little is known except that the Dillons have been residents of the United States for scv- eral generations. The father of our subject, Jesse Dillon, was a native of North Carolina, but when a young man removed with his parents to Clinton

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McLEAN COUNTY.

County, Ohio. He was there married to Hannah Pugh, who was born in South Carolina, and removed with her parents to Ohio the same year that the Dil- lons settled there. Jesse Dillon was a blacksmith by trade, and also owned and cultivated a small farm in Ohio until 1821. He then took a trip to Illinois and traveled over considerable territory, following the Indian trail with a pocket compass, and exam- ining the country. Returning to Ohio he contin- ned to reside there until 1822, when lie again came to Illinois and selected Tazewell County as his fu- ture home, and the following year, 1823, moved his family there. He soon constructed a rude log cabin, in which the family passed the winter of 1823. They had no neighbors except the Indians for many miles around and the father hauled corn from Elkhart, Ill., which he crushed and which the good wife made into corn cakes for the sustenance of the family. They nevertheless had plenty of fish and wild game, and the winter being mild they did not suffer.

In the spring of 1824 Jesse Dillon erected a double log house in Tazewell County, which af- forded them a convenient and commodious place of shelter. The previous summer two brothers, Nathan and William, came from Sangamon County, Ill., where they had lived one year, and his brothers and sisters from Ohio came that year and settled in his neighborhood. When the township was formed it was named in honor of Jesse Dil- lon. The first post-office in the township was Dil- lon, and also a creek in that township bears the family name. Jesse and Hannah Dillon were the parents of seven sons and four daughters, six of whom are now deceased, and of the five sons liv- ing, our subject is the oldest.

Ellis Dillon was born in Clinton County, Ohio, March 25, 1816, and at the age of seven years came with his parents to this State. His early edu- cation was somewhat limited on account of the lo- cation of the family in a wild and undeveloped country, where no public school facilities existed. But Ellis D. possessed ambition, and being en- dowed with a good supply of common sense, hc not only gained information from practical observ- ation, but studied at home. His early life was passed on the farm, and on attaining the age of

manhood for seven years he was engaged in running a sawinill. Abandoning the latter business he en- gaged in farming on Delavan Prairie, Tazewell County, in which he met with success. Like his father he was exceedingly fond of horses. In 1854 he sold his farm and removed to Bloomington. At that time he owned a fine imported French draft horse and had about $10,000 in cash. From the time he made Bloomington his home he has turned his attention to the breeding and sale of horses.

In 1866 our subject moved to Normal, but liad before this time associated himself with his two nephews, Isaac and Levi Dillon, and established the firm of E. Dillon & Co. In 1870 this firm im- ported four horses, and in 1872 Adolphus Dillon, son of our subject, was admitted as a partner in the business, and that year the firm imported twelve horses. After that they imported eleven lots of horses and met with signal success in the conducting of their business. Our sub- ject has visited France twelve times for horses thus crossing the Atlantic Ocean twenty-four times. The firm spoken of dissolved partnership in 1883. . Mr. Dillon is at present the owner of a fine farm of 250 acres adjoining the city of Normal, for which he paid $22,000. He has added many fine improvements to the place since he has owned it, and it is now one of the finest farms to be found within the boundary lines of the State, and al- though he is still a dealer in horses he is enabled to live a somewhat retired life, enjoying his handsome competency. His business career has been marked and successful, and to each of his children he has given liberally from his exchequer. Politically he was, from boyhood, opposed to slavery, and dur- ing the time of the Fugitive Slave Law helped the negroes over the Underground Railroad to a place of safety. When the Republican party came into existence he joined its ranks and is still a stanch supporter of its principles. Four years he held the office of Supervisor in Tazewell County, and for two years held the same office in this county. Hc has been a member of the Christian Church since 1838, and has never united with any secret society.

Mr. Dillon has been three times married. In 1836 Mary J. Fisher became his wife. She was a

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McLEAN COUNTY.

daughter of James Fisher, a settler in Tazewell County, and lived only two short years after her marriage, leaving one child who died when eleven years old. In 1832 Mr. Dillon was married to Mary Hodgson, who died in 1844, without issue. Feb. 24, 1845, our subjeet formed another matri- monial allianee, Miss Martha Fisher, a sister of his first wife being the other contracting party. Of this union five children have been born, two dying in infaney ; one, a daughter, Șaralı, became the wife of Ruben Bright, and departed this life in 1881. The other two were Adolphus, who was married, Nov. 20, 1873, to Miss Paulina Britt, and resides in Normal, and Emma, who is at home with her parents.

LVAN PACKARD, of Bloomington Town- ship, one of the most prominent and sue- eessful farmers of this region, is the pos- sessor of 167 acres of finely eultivated land located on seetion 11, and near the city limits of Bloomington. In connection with his farming operations he is giving mueh attention to the breeding of fine stoek, in which he has been sue- eessful, and exhibits some of the choicest animals to be found in the county.

Mr. Paekard located on liis present homestead in 1865, having purchased it the year previous. He commenced at the foot of the ladder, and has ae- eumulated his present possessions solely by the ex- ereise of industry and economy. Wlien lie eame to his farm it was a traet of unimproved land and it has taken years of laborious and persevering toil to bring it to its present condition, and he is fully justified in viewing the result of his labors with pride and satisfaction.

Our subjeet was born in Millbury, Woreester Co., Mass., Sept. 19, 1821. His father, Job Paek- ard, was a native of Bridgewater, Plymouth Co., Mass., and deseended from one of the prominent families of that seetion who assisted in establishing and maintaining the independence of the colonies. They were originally from England, the first repre-

sentatives of the family in this country being among the Puritan settlers in Massachusetts, and they occupy a position among the most prominent of the old families of Plymouth County. More than 1,000 of that name are registered in the town of Bridgewater.

Job Packard, the father of our subject, died at his home in Millbury on the 17th of August, 1836. He was prominent in the affairs of his community, was a Whig in polities, and an active member of the Congregational Society. After his deeease, iu 1849 the mother of our subject came West, and locating at Princeton, Bureau Co., Ill., died there on the 17th of February, 1868. She was an affee- tionate wife and mother and a zealous. Christian, and left behind her a record of good deeds and womanly virtues. Her name is held in kindly re- membranee by a large cirele of friends and ae- quaintanees to whom she had endeared herself by generous aets of kindness and her excellent traits of eharaeter.

Alvan Packard, our subject, was the youngest son of thirteen children, of whom four sons and four daughters lived to mature years. He remained under the parental roof and received his early edu- eation in the old academy at Leicester, Mass. He was a bright and studious boy, fond of his books, and ambitious to exeel, and while yet a young man became a eivil engineer and a teacher in the schools of his native State. At the age of twenty- "two years he was employed by the Hartford & Springfield Railroad Co. to assist in surveying their line and subsequently on the Worcester & Nashna Railroad, and also the road between New London and Palmer. In 1849 he decided to visit the Western country, and aeeordingly started for the prairies of Illinois. He purchased a farm in Taze- well County, and after working upon it for nearly two years, became connected with the Military Traet, now the C., B. & Q. R. R., and was en- gaged on a division of that road for some time as eivil engineer. While thus oeeupied he was solie- ited by Mr. R. B. Mason, Chief Engineer on the Illinois Central, to take a similar position on their road. He was eonneeted with the first division during the building of the road, and had charge as resident engineer in the spring of 1853. He after-

Packard

Um. H. Victor

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MCLEAN COUNTY.

ward eamne to Bloomington, Ill., and was subse- quently employed by the Missouri & Pacific Com- pany, who were then the managers of what was called the Brough Road. Mr. Schuyler, the finan- cial manager of the road, failed to meet his obliga- tions and business on that line suspended indefinite- ly, so that Mr. Paekard, with many others, lost his situation. He then went to Macon County, and while at Deeatur was employed for a few months on the Great Western Railroad. He subsequently purchased a farm in Woodford County.

While in Woodford County, Mr. Packard was united in marriage with Miss Esther J. Ranney, the wedding taking place on the 27th of March, 1855. Mrs. P. was born and reared in Stockbridge, Vt., and came West with her parents when a ehild eight years of age. Of her marriage with our subject there have been born eight ehildren, as follows: Lenora R., Charles A., Almira E., Luella M., Joel R., Joel A., Edithi J. and Edwin S. Joel A. is at home; Edwin S. is attending the State Normal Sehool at Carbondale; the balance of the children are deceased. Mrs. P., the mother of these chil- dren, has been an invalid for many years, but al- though deprived of many of the pleasures of life, she bears her affliction patiently and hopes for something better in the future. She is a lady highly esteemed for her many excellent personal traits of eharaeter, and has a large eirele of friends and acquaintances in this vieinity. With her hus- band she is connected with the First Congregational Church of Bloomington, of which Mr. P. has been a regular attendant sinee its organization. In politics he is a staneh Republican and heartily gives his influenee to the support of the principles of his party and much of his time to promote its welfare in his section.

In early manhood, before his marriage with his present wife, Mr. Packard was united in wedlock with Miss Rebecca Newton. She was a native of Vermont. Later she beeame a resident of Worces- ter, Mass., where she formed the acquaintance of Mr. Packard. ,After their marriage in 1850, she re- moved West with her husband, and died in Taze- well County, Ill. Of this union there were no children, but the young wife is held in kindly re- membrance for her amiable disposition and lovable

traits of character, and was deeply lamented by her youthful partner.

Accompanying this sketeh may be seen the por- trait of Mr. Paekard, who is a truly representative citizen of McLean County.

W ILLIAM HI. VICTOR. He who has no regard for the record of the past, no inter- est in the present, and no anxiety for the future, is scareely to be named a citizen of the world. Few can look back to the history of their own lives, family and ancestry, and not diseover elements which have shaped their destiny. Like produces like in the moral as well as in the natural world. William H. Victor, of whose life we shall give a brief outline, is a gentleman who in every way honors the dignity of American eitizenship,' and who toils to make the world better and those around him happier.

Mr. Victor has been a resident of the Prairie State sinee 1864. He owns and occupies a fine farm of 230 aeres, located on section 3, Normal Township. His land is all improved, and Mr. V. is giving much attention to the raising of fine stock. He was born in Nicholas County, Ky., June 8, 1830, and is the son of Ambrose D. and Eliza (Sturgis) Vietor. natives of the same State. The father resided there until his death, which oc- eurred when he was only thirty-three years of age. The mother is still living upon the homestead in Nicholas County, Ky .. aged seventy-five years. Their family included four children: William H .; Edy, the wife of James A. Mathers, who lives in Carlisle, Ky .; Sarah, Mrs. Alanson Brewington, of Bates County, Mo .; Martha, Mrs. Robert S. Will- iams, of Nieholas County, Ky.

The subject of our sketch was the oldest of his - parents' family; and the only son. He was reared to farming pursuits, attended the common schools and had the advantage of excellent private in- struetion at home. At the age of twenty years he crossed the plains to the Pacific Slope, and for four years engaged in mining in California. He then returned to Keutucky via the Isthmus of Panama, and four years later, in September, 1854, was mar-

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'MCLEAN COUNTY.

ried to Miss Susan J. Wood, a native of his own eounty. The father of Mrs. Vietor, Nimrod Wood, was a native of Kentucky. He was married Feb. 14, 1831. to Miss Margaret MeClintoek, a native of the same State; there was but one month's differ- enee in their age, and both were born in 1796. They are now deceased. After marriage our subjeet settled upon a farın in Kentucky, which he oeenpied and cultivated for the following ten years. He then eame to Illinois with his family and purchased his present farm. Ile has greatly improved its condition sinee it eame into his possession ; has now a substantial dwelling, a good barn and all necessary convenienees for the storing of grain and the shelter of stoek. He is in all respeets a representative farmer of MeLean County, one of the best agricultural connties in the Nation, and reekoned among its foremost eiti- zens.

Mr. and Mrs. Vietor became the parents of the following children : Ambrose, Eliza, the wife of Albert Kneass; Maggie M., Annie J., William J., Mattie, Katie aud Nimrod. Our subjeet politieally adheres to the Demoeratie party, and religiously has been an active member of the Christian Church for many years.

Mr. Vietor has been fairly sueeessful in his pres- ent oeeupation, and has shown rare judgment and good management in his business and farming operations. In the various relations of life he sus- tains the character of an estimable eitizen, neigh- bor and friend, and enjoys the full confidenee and regard of those who know him. The accompany- ing portrait will be gladly weleomed by many who highly esteem him.

HOMAS C. HASTINGS, who has been a resident of the Prairie State sinee' 1855, and owns and oeeupies a farm of 240 aeres in Blue Mound Township, where he has a handsome and substantial residenee and all modern improve- ments, also owns a valuable traet of timber land and village property in Cooksville. This farm he has beenpied sinee 1870, and materially enhaneed its value. He is a gentleinan of great energy and

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Portrait and biographical album of McLean county, Ill., containing full page portraits and biographical sketches of prominent and representative citizens of the county, Part 115

Author: Chapman brothers, Chicago, pub Publication date: 1887 Publisher: Chicago : Chapman brothers Number of Pages: 1222

Author: Chapman brothers, Chicago, pub
Publication date: 1887
Publisher: Chicago : Chapman brothers
Number of Pages: 1222