Portrait and biographical album of McLean county, Ill., containing full page portraits and biographical sketches of prominent and representative citizens of the county, Part 123

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 123

Note: The text from this book was generated using artificial intelligence so there may be some errors. The full pages can be found on Archive.org (link on the Part 1 page).

"The second marriage of our subject occurred in Hudson Township. Nov. 2, 1872, and Miss Ruth A. Wilson, daughter of Henry and Nancy (May-

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hew) Wilson, was the other contracting party. Iler parents were natives of Pennsylvania, and she was born in Washington County, that State, July 12, 1851. Mr. Barnard held the offices of Town- ship Clerk, Highway Commissioner and School Di- rector, and in politics is a stanch Republican. Mrs. Barnard is a sincere Christian lady, and holds fel- lowship with the Christian Church. The comfort- able residence of Mr. Barnard and its surroundings, will be presented to the eye of the reader on an- other page in this work.

OHN W. RITTER. Martin Township is fortunate in having been settled by a re- markably enterprising, industrious and intel- ligent population. Prominent among its carly pioneers is the gentleman whose name heads this biography. He is a native of Ross County, Ohio, where he was born on a farm near Chillicothe, on the 8th of January, 1821. He comes of an ex- cellent family, his grandfather, John Ritter, who was born in Maryland, having been among the prominent and highly respected-men of that State. In early life he married Miss Eleanor Burke, and reared quite a large family. Among their sons was Joshua, the father of our subject. He was reared' under parental care, trained to habits of industry and honesty, and after reaching manhood was united in marriage with Miss Harriett, the daughter of Judah Cadwallader, who was a Quaker of the old style. The children of this honsehold, five in number, included two sons and three daughters, of whom John W., our subject, was the oldest: Phcbe A., now deceased, became the wife of a Mr. Kern; William C. is living in Martin Township; Hannah E. and Martha M. are deceased. The parents re- moved from Maryland at an early day, and were among the pioncer settlers of the Buckeye State. The father died iu Pickaway County, and the mother in Ross County, Ohio.

The subject of this history lived in his native county until he reached the age of eighteen ycars, then went to Indiana and spent four years. Snbse- quently he returned to Ohio, where he lived until 1849, when, being scized with the gold fever, which was then prevailing, he joined hundreds of others

going to California. He went by the way of Cape Horn. He engaged in mining on the Pacific Slope for a period of three years, and was quite success- ful. Returning to his old home in Ross County, Ohio, he again took up his residence there until the fall of 1854, when he once more set his face west- ward, and coming to Illinois purchased his present farm on section 34, Martin Township. It bore no resemblance to the homestead which is now so at- tractive, being then but an unbroken prairie, no part of which had been turned by the plow. His first purchase consisted of eighty acres, upon which he bnilt a small cabin and a cattle pound. He then began his farm operations in earnest, and by de- grees gathered together a fine assortment of hogs, cattle, horsés and mules. As soon as possible he opened up an active trade in stock, and was re- markably successful in his agricultural operations from the start. As timc progressed and his means accumulated he added to his real estate until he is now the owner of 640 broad acres in one body, but which lies upon three different sections. His aim has been to build up onc of the handsomest homc- steads in his township, and in this he has succeeded remarkably well. In 1883 he. put up a fine resi- dence. Before this he had his land all enclosed with substantial fences, and has built a good barn and other necessary farm buildings. The premises in all respects are about as complete as the industry and ingenuity of man could make them. He has kept up his stock operations, and of late years has given mnuch attention to the brecding of blooded roadsters. After many years of intermittent la- bor, both of brains and hands, he has availed him- self of the leisure afforded by ample means. Dur- ing the last three years he has spent considerable - time in Kansas. Ilis three daughters some time since took up a homestead and timber tract of 1,400 acres in Rollins County, in which spcenlation their father also joined, and which bids fair to prove very successful.

The marriage of Mr. Ritter and Miss Maria Dawson was celebrated at the home of the bride's parents, Nov. 13, 1855, in Padua Township. Mrs. R. is the daughter of William H. Dawson, who was one of the pioneers of Old Town Township, where his daughter was born. Mr. D. is a native of Ohio,

RESIDENCE OF ALFRED HARPOLE SEC, 32 , LAWNDALE TOWNSHIP .

RESIDENCE OF JOHN W. RITTER , SEC. 34 MARTIN

TOWNSHIP.

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and came with his parents to this county when a lad seven years old. The parents of Mrs. Ritter are both living, and are residents of Nebraska. The six children of Mr. and Mrs. Ritter are William H .; Harriett A., now Mrs. William Winger, of Rollins County, Kau .; Mattie; Nellie; John W., Jr., and Mary. The four latter are at home.

William C. Ritter, a younger brother of our sub- ject, was the second son and third child of the fam- ily, and was born in Ross County, Ohio, Dec. 25, 1823. He was educated in the district schools of his native county, and when about seventeen years old, his father having died, he commenced the bat- tle of life for himself. The first property he owned was a colt, which he purchased with money he had saved little by little. Hc afterward worked by the month, practicing a most rigid economy, and in due time found himself in possession of $1,000 as the result of his savings. With this, which was a finc capital in those days, he began trading in horses. In partnership with our subject he came West, and to this county, iu 1854. Since that time he has been buying, feeding and shipping cattle, for a period of twenty-three years. They continued in partnership until the marriage of John W., and then dissolved by mutual consent. William C. afterward did business on his own account. A part of his time has been spent in Arrowsmith Township, where, during some winters he had fed from 200 to 300 head of cattle. He took a trip to Connecticut in 1876, and returned in the spring of 1886, since which time he has made his home with his brother, John W. A handsome lithographie view of Mr. Ritter's residence is shown on another page of this work.

LFRED HARPOLE, one of the most en- ergetic and enterprising farmers of Martin Township, is the descendant of a family which has been distinguished for many generations for their uniform success, both in trade and in agricultural pursuits. Our subject is the eldest son of John and Mary (Slaughter) Harpolc, and was born in Greene County, Ohio, Nov. 13, 1840. It will thus be seen that he is in the prime

of life, and in the full strength of his physical and intellectual powers.

Alfred's grandfather, William Harpolc, who was of German ancestry, was born in Virginia and mar- ried Miss Betsey Peterson. Their son John, the father of our subject, married Miss Mary Slaugh- ter, daughter of Peter and Elizabeth (Cooper) · Slaughter, Mr. S. being of German descent. After marriage John Harpole and his bride located in Greene County, Ohio, where he became an exten- sive cattle-breéder, and built up for himself an en- viable reputation in this branch of agriculture in the Buckeye State. He was remarkably successful in his business and stock operations and accumu- lated a small fortunc. His father, William Har- pole, was also the owner of a finc estate, including a tract of 5,000 acres of valuable land in Ohio, in Madison, Greene and Clarke Counties. On the other side of the house, the Slaughters were also people of means, the maternal grandfather of our subject being the proprictor of 3,000 acres of land, aud also engaged in stock-raising in Madison County, Ohio. In 1866, Peter Harpole purchased 1,035 acres of land in this county, lying along Mackinaw Creek and which was formerly owned by George W. Funk, of Bloomington. Later, William Harpole purchased 640 acres of Peter Hefner, of Lexington. John Harpole, the father of our subject, was one of the pioneer cattle deal- crs of Illinois, having first herded cattle in Logan County, in 1838. He was thus engaged in this State for a number of years, but finally returned to Ohio, and died there in 1849, at the early age of twenty-uine years, having been born in 1819. The parental household consisted of six children, four girls and two boys. After the death of the father, the mother of our subject was married to E. Bo- zarth, and took up her residence with him in Greene County, Ohio.

The subject of this history was but eight years old at the time of his father's death, and even at this early age it became evident that he had to a remarkable degree inherited the business talents of his parent. When nine years old he commenced trading in calves, and continued his stock opera- tions until arriving at the age of sixteen. He then came into this couuty in company with his step-

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father and herded eattle during the summer season. In the winter they gathered these up and fed them with corn, large quantities of which was raised by Mr. Bozarth.

In 1858, young Harpole visited the State of Kansas, and two years later. in January, 1860, was there married to Miss Jane Miller, of Clase Coun- ty. Mrs. II. was born'and reared in Ohio, to whiel State Mr. H. and his young wife returned after their marriage, in order that our subjeet miglit take charge of tlie estate, a portion of which had become his on reaching his majority. This consisted of a farm, upon which he settled and re- mained until 1863. They then removed to Logan County, Ill., where he purchased 260 aeres of land upon which he lived for two years, when he sold out and thereby cleared $4,000. He then bought another 160-aere farm near Elkhart, when, owing to the depreciation of property at the elose of the war, he became financially embarrassed by having invested too largely in cattle and hogs.

. Mr. Harpole farmed in Logan County for nine years, then removed to MeLean County and rented the Peter Harpole farm in Martin Township, which he has occupied for the last twelve years. He is the owner of 179 aeres in Lawndale Township, and this, together with the land he rents, comprises an extent of 1,500 acres, upon which he raises thous- ands of bushels of eorn each year. A large por- "tion of this he sells, and feeds the remainder to his stoek, which includes cattle and hogs. He takes a genuine delight in liis stock operations and eon- tinues a personal oversight of the whole business, being rarely found out of the saddle either in rain or shine. At present Mr. Harpole has three fami- lies of cattle, viz: thoroughbred Short-horn, the Hereford, and the Polled Angus, and two families " of horses, the driving horse and the heavy draft horse. Some splendid specimens of these are shown in the view of his place. Besides these he has a large selection of Poland-China hogs, and at present has about 500 head of swine. Mr. H. has 500 aeres of corn planted, and about 320 aeres of oats sown, which gives an idea of the magnitude of huis operations.

The wife of our subjeet, Mrs. Jane Harpole, de- parted this life on the 26th of May, 1885, leaving

nine children, namely : Mary E., the wife of L. R. Wiley; Gustie, Phoebe J., Archibald, Sarah R., Gillette, Nellie, Alfred and Pearl. Mrs. Harpole was the daughter of Jolin and Jane Miller, who were natives of Ireland, but who died in MeLean County.

At the early age of nineteen years, Mr. Ilarpole had already saved $1,000 as the result of his stock operations, whieli commenced with the buying and selling of ealves, starting out with an assortment of one pig and one ealf. Those early traits of self- dependenee and enterprise have followed him all through life. He is a man of decided views, and takes an active interest in current events. · He is an uneompromising temperanee man, and has never used whisky or tobacco in any form. He has been public-spirited and liberal, ready to assist by his means and influence 'in every enterprise ealeu- lated to further the prosperity and welfare of his township and county. He is widely and favorably known, and held in the highest respect as a neigli- bor, friend and eitizen. He is a member of the Methodist Episcopal Chureli at Evergreen, and also an Odd Fellow, belonging to the lodge at Elk- hart, Logan Co., Ill. A handsome lithographie view of Mr. Harpole's residence and fine herds of stoek is shown on another page of this work.

L EWIS J. WILLHOITE, the proprietor of 240 aeres of valuable land in Martin Town- ship, has been a resident of MeLean County since the fall of 1855. He is one of the self-made men who started out by himself early in life and by his perseverance and industry has accumulated a fine competeney. His farm is furnished with all the modern appliances required by the first-elass agrieulturist. The. residenee is a model of taste and convenience, and his barns, farm machinery- and stoek all show the superintendenee of the intel- ligent and progressive business man, who knows by what means his possessions have been secured and has a proper realization of their value. When he took possession of his prairie land there was nothing upon it but a small shanty, and the re- markable changes which he has brought about are

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silent but foreible witnesses of the character of the man.

Mr. Willhoite is a native of Kentucky, and was born near Owenton, the county seat of Owell County, on the 24th of April, 1829. His grand- father, John Willhoite, of Virginia, removed from his native State to the blue grass regions when a young man, where he married and raised a family. Among his sons was Lewis, the father of our sub- ject, who was born in Owen County, Ky., was there reared to manhood, and married Miss Patsey Tay- lor, a native of his own State, who became the inother of two children-William and Louisa. The latter died in girlhood. The mother of these ehil- dren departed this life in Owen County, Ky., at the home of her husband. The second wife of Lewis Willhoite, Sr., was Miss Polly Sheets, also a native of his own county, and of this union there were born four children, three of whom-Henry A., James Franklin and Emily-are deceased, Lewis J. of our sketeh being the only survivor of the family.

Lewis J. Willhoite passed his childhood and youth in his native eounty and was educated at a private sehool under the oversight of his exeellent inother, his father having died when he was but five years of age. He remained with his mother until he was twenty-three years of age, and was then married to Miss Mary A., daughter of Willis C. Willhoite, of Kentneky. Mrs. W. was born . in Owen County, that State, April 27, 1829. After marriage the young people settled on a farm in their native county, where they lived until the fall of 1855. They then gathered together their household effeets and eame North to Illinois, lo- eating first in Downs Township, this county, where Mr. W. purchased eighty aeres of land upon which he operated until the purchase of his present farm on seetion 21, Martin Township. Of this they took possession in 1873, and since that time Mr. W. has devoted his entire attention to beautifying and im- proving the homestead, which from the first he had decided should be a permanent one. He and a part of his family now live here surrounded by all the comforts and many of the luxuries of life.

The household eircle was eompleted by the birth of five children, three sons and two daughters, as follows: Maria I. is the widow of W. S. Horner,

who died in 1882; Henry L., Willis and Franklin are residents of Sumner County, Kan. ; Mary E., Mrs. Joseplı Arnold, lives in this eounty; Ellis L. is at home with his parents. To the children who are married Mr. Willhoite has given a good start in life and still has a fine property to enjoy in his old age. Himself and the various members of his family are connceted with the Christian Church, and attend religious services in Blue Mound Town- ship.

Politically Mr. Willhoite takes pride in the fact that he is a stanch adherent of the reliable old Democratic party, although in early year's he sup- ported the principles of the old-line Whigs. He has served four years as Justiee of the Peace, was Asses- sor of his township one year, and in 1884 was eleeted a member of the Board of Supervisors from Martin Township. IIe has also served a number of terms as Seliool Director, and takes a genuine interest in the establishment and maintenance of educational institutions.

M ILES WAYBRIGHT, engaged in the buteher business at Lexington, first estab- lished himself in trade at that place in 1866. He was born in Pendleton County, Va., Feb. 17, 1827, on his father's farm. He is the seventh in order of birth of his parents' family of ten children, six sons and four daughters, all of whom lived to attain the age of man and woman- hood. The father of our subjeet, Daniel Way- bright, was likewise a native of Virginia. Our sub- ject's mother, whose maiden name was Raehel Arbogast, was the daughter of John Arbogast, an early settler in Virginia, and of German an- eestry. Daniel Waybright removed with his fam- ily to Ohio, and after a year's residenee in that State went baek to Virginia and there lived the re- mainder of his days.

Miles Waybright passed his youth on his father's farm and attended the common sehools of the neighborhood. He remained at home until he was twenty-two years old, when he left the parental roof tree and went forth in the world to do for himself. In the fall of 1857 he came to this county, and

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stopping in Money Creek Township, spent that winter there, and then went to Old Town Town- ship and made that his home until the following March. Iu 1859 he removed to Mackinaw Creek and in 1861 took np his residenee at Lexington, where he lived for several years, at first engaged in farming. He then opened his meat market at that place and has continued in the business until the present time, with the exception of a short interval. Mr. Waybright is a practical buteher and thoroughly understands the business in which he is engaged. He is the propriètor of a good residence and other town property and has met with financial sneeess in his enterprise.

Miles Waybright was first married to Miss Re- beeea Nicholas, a native of Virginia. She became the mother of seven eliildren, four sons and three danghters. The record is as follows: Louisa, wife of J. M. Weakley ; Catherine, Amos, Noah F., Wil- lis M., Edward, Jennie, wife of L. B. Hefner. The mother of these children died at Lexington, and our subjeet was married to his present wife, whose maiden name was Tabitha Batterton, daughter of Curtis Batterton, in 1874. Of this latter union, one ehild, a daughter, Della, has been born.

H. HEWITT, capitalist, and one of the leading financiers of the county, lives at No. 318 Loeust street, Bloomington. He was born in Saratoga County, N. Y., in 1839, and is a son of Edmund and Lydia (Mund) Hewitt, natives of that county. The father was a large and extensive farmer and sueeessful in following his calling. The old folk were married June 18, 1825, and eame to Illinois in 1865, settling in El Paso, Woodford County, where the father lived a retired life until his demise in 1868, aged eighty years. The mother is still living aud makes her home with the subject of this notice.

The grandfather of our subjeet was a soldier in the Revolutionary War and a native of Connecti- eut. Early in life he moved to Saratoga County, N. Y., of which he was one of the pioneers, and there purchased a traet of Government land eon- sisting of 120 aeres, on which he ereeted the eus-

tomary log cabin, and entered upon the improve- ment of his land. He lived on that place until his death, in 1836, aged eighty-one years. His good wife, Hannah Peekhamn, was also born in Conneeti- eut, and bore him seven children.

'The father of Mrs. Lydia Hewitt, our subjeet's mother, was Thomas Moon, a native of Rhode Isl- and, as likewise was his wife, Deborah (Hoxie) Moon, and they were also early settlers of Saratoga County, N. Y.

Edmund Hewitt was a soldier in the War of 1812, and was often called upon to fill positions of trust and honor iu the county where he resided. He was a strong advocate of temperanee and was mueh interested in education. He and his wife were members of the Baptist Church, in which he was a Deaeon. They had five children, three of whom are now living : Hattie, now Mrs. O'Brien, of Lawrence, Kan .; Rev. Charles E., pastor of the First Baptist Church at Peoria, Ill., and our subject.

HI. H. Hewitt was reared to farm labor until he attained the age of fourteen years. He then sup- plemented his education which he had received in the common sehools, by a course of study at Ft. Edward Institute, Washington County, N. Y. Leaving the latter school he came to Illinois and settled at El Paso, Woodford County, in 1857. There he taught the first publie school that was ever taught in El Paso. In 1860 he opened the first hardware store in El Paso and continued the business with signal sueeess until 1869. Disposing of his interests at El Paso, Mr. Hewitt eame to Bloomington, and for two years was engaged in the book business. In 1873 he embarked in the hardware trade at Bloomington and occupied his time and attention in this dircetion for about ten years, when he retired from aetive labor, and has sinee lived upon his handsome competeney, which has been acquired mainly through his own energy and good judgment.

In 1881 Mr. Hewitt creeted a store building at No. 417 North Main street. Ile purchased his handsome residenee in 1869, and has sinee his resi- denee in Bloomington, operated to no ineonsidera- ble extent in eity property, and also has beeomne a stoekholder in the National State Bank. Ile like- wise has a tile factory near McLean, in which he em-

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ploys from fifteen to twenty men and where he has invested about $10,000. In addition to his posses- sions in this State, Mr. Hewitt is the proprietor of an orange grove in Florida, and interested in prop- erty at St. Paul, Minn., and holds numerous mort- gages. He was among the largest subscribers to the fund for building the Baptist Church at El Paso in 1864, and was also one of the building committee. He was a Deacon in a 'congregation at that place and was also Sunday-school Superintendent and chorister there. Since coming to Bloomington he has been twice elected Superintendent of the Sunday-school of the First Baptist Church, and was also the incumbent of the office of Superin- tendent of the Mission School for five years and connected with it for nine years. He is a member of the Board of Missions and Treasurer of the Illi- nois General Baptist Association.

Mr. Hewitt was married to Miss Hattie G. Barker, daughter of James M. and Emily (Gere) Barker, Jan. 17, 1865. She was born in Saratoga County, N. Y., as likewise were her parents. Her father was a farmer and manufacturer, and by his union with Miss Gere, became the licad of a family, of four children : Jennie, Mrs. Larned, of Chicago; Hattie G., Mrs. Hewitt; William and Julia. The father departed this life in 1877. He was a consist- ent Christian gentleman, holding fellowship with the Baptist Church, and was a Deacon in a congre- gation of that denomination. His widow is yet liv- ing and resides at Albion, N. Y. Our subject is Republican in politics, and he and his wife are mem- bers of the Baptist Church.

ILLIAM MCCRACKEN, engaged in iner- cantile pursuits at Selma, was born in Nor- wich, Franklin Co., Ohio, July 28, 1828. The father of our subject, Ilenry McCracken, was by birth a Pennsylvanian, and born in Cumberland Valley in 1796. His ancestors were from Ireland, the grandfather of Henry having been born in that country, and came to the United States while yet a single man. Henry MeCracken was married three times. IIis first wife was Rebecca Black, daughter of William Black, and the family of Blacks were of

Scotch extraction. At the time of his first mar- riage he was living in the Shenandoah or Cum- berland Valley, Pa., and after the marriage they continued to live there for a short time, and then removed to Franklin County, Ohio. This was about 1821, and they located in what is known as Old Franklin on the west bank of the Sciota River. There Henry helped to clear up the forest where the thriving city of Columbus now stands. He was a stonemason by trade and worked in the vil- lage for a while when he moved onto a farm and followed that calling. He reared a family of four children, three sons and one daughter. David is deceased; George is living at San Jose, Cal .; Will- iam, our subject, was next in order of birth, and Margaret, who married Thomas E. Serimger, is de- ceased.

William MeCracken passed his youth in his na- tive county, and there in the common schools re- ceived his education, supplementing the same by an attendance of one term at Delaware College. In 1852 our subject came to this county and 'stopped at Selma, where at first he was employed in a grist and saw mill, and subsequently engaged in farming and followed that calling until the breaking out of the late Civil War. In August, 1862, he enlisted in Co. G, 33d Ill. Vol. Inf., and his regiment was assigned to the Western army. He served there until February, 1863, when he was transferred to a gunboat under command of Commodore Foote, and took part in the bloody conflict of Donelson. His boat ran a blockade at Island No. 10, and at the bombardment of Ft. Pil- low. After this, in July, 1863, he was discharged from the service on account of disability and re- turned to Selina, where after convalescing lie en- gaged in the mercantile business. He engaged in partnership with William Bratton, and they opened a grocery store and continued the business for about three years. Mr. MeCracken then purchased the interest of his partner and carried it on alone, and by honest dealing has built up an excellent trade, and is yet engaged in the same enterprise and is meeting with success.

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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 123

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