Portrait and biographical album of McLean county, Ill., containing full page portraits and biographical sketches of prominent and representative citizens of the county, Part 128

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 128

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The subject of our sketch was united in marriage with Miss Lois B. Fanehier on the 24th of Novem- ber, 1833. Mrs. D. was born in Bristol, Conn .. Sept. 9, 1812, and departed this life at the home of her husband in Sangamon County, Nov. 10, 1869. They became the parents of three children, as fol- lows: Sarah A. became the wife of Isaac P. Cook, now deceased, and is keeping honse for her father; David Monroe lives in Bloomington; Mary Thalia married James C. Williams, and lives in Blanchard, Iowa. Mrs. Dickinson was a member in good standing of the Baptist Church and a lady highly respected. Our subject has held the various offices of his township in Sangamon and MeLean Counties and served five years as Justice of the Peace. A portrait of Mr. Dickinson is shown on another page.

E LEAZER MUNSELL, a highly csteemcd ag- rieulturist of Dry Grove Township, and whose portrait we give in this volume, has been a resident of McLean County since 1837. He was then a lad of thirteen years and came with his parents. They located on the tract of land which constitutes a part of his present homestead, his father at the time making a purchase of 400 aeres. Here both parents remained the balance of their lives, the mother passing to the better land in 1850, and the father four years later, being fifty- nine and sixty-nine years old respectively. Both were active members of the Methodist Episcopal .Church, and the father of our subjeet, in politics, was an uncompromising Democrat.

Eleazer Munsell was born in Seneca County, Ohio, July 28, 1824. His parents, Roswell and .Sarah (Anstin) Munsell, were natives of Vermont, where they were married. They emigrated to Ohio about 1814, and located in Seneea County, of which they remained residents until the fall of 1830. They then removed to La Porte County, Ind., whence, after a residenec of seven years, they came to McLean as above stated. Their family of three children ineluded Roswell, who married Miss Mary A. Perry ; Sybil, who married Jesse T. Spit .. zer, who died in April, 1869; she died in 1885;

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and Eleazer. The parents of Eleazer Munsell had both previously been married, and both had ehil- dren by their former partners.

The subject of this history was reared on his father's farm, and received a common-school edu- eation. He remained under the parental roof until twenty-seven years of age, when he formed a mat- rimonial alliance with Miss Zerelda Perry, the wed- ding occurring on the 24th of October, 1850. Mrs. Munsell was born in Jessamine County, Ky., Jan. 15, 1827, and was the daughter of John and Char- ity (Pugh) Perry. Mr. Perry . was a native of Massachusetts; the mother of Kentucky, of Ger- man deseent. John Perry was born in 1792, and the parents were married about 1818. He was a shoemaker by trade, and served his apprenticeship in Philadelphia. After their marriage they loeated in Jessamine County, Ky., and in 1836 came to MeLean County, Ill., and engaged in farming pur- snits, and the father died in 1865, in Dry Grove Township. The mother was born about 1801 in Kentucky, and survived her husband about six years. In religious belief he was a Presbyterian, and Mrs. Perry a devoted member of the Chris- tian Church. Their family of seven children in- elnded the following: Nathaniel, who married Polly M. MeCullough; Mary A., who married Ros -. well Munsell; John, who married Miss Susan Hiatt, who died about 1872, and his second wife was formerly Mrs. Sarah (Noble) Bethel; Zerelda was next in order of birth; Susan became the wife of Joseph Myers; Louisa first married Stephen Me- Quarter who died two years afterward, and, her seeond husband is Edward Wilson, of Dale Town- ship; Samuel married Miss Rebecca Hiatt, who died in September, 1886.

Mr. and Mrs. Munsell are the parents of seven children, as follows: Milon, born June 20, 1852, married Miss Emina Strimple; Stephen A. was born Dee. 22, 1856, married Augusta Staubus; Ze- rilda, born March 6, 1858, married Andrew Short- hose, and they live in Dry Grove Township; John R., born Ang. 29, 1860, and lives in Sedalia, Mo .; Josephine H., Sept. 6, 1862; Minnie W., Sept. 12, 1864; Austin E., June 15, 1867; the three latter are at home.

Mr. Munsell came to Illinois in 1837, with his

parents, and is a fine representative of a widely known family containing many prominent eitizens. He has held the various offiees of his township for several years, having been Assessor, Road Commis- sioner and School Trustee. In politics he is a con- seientions Democrat, in support of which party he uniformly easts his vote. Ilis stoek operations embrace transactions in Norman and Clydesdale horses, and he has had an experience in the busi- ness of over thirty-two years, having commeneed in 1854. The home farm comprises about 400 aeres, while his total aereage runs up to 600.

Mr. Munsell has been a devoted member of the Christian Church for a period of over thirty years, and has officiated as Deaeon for the last twenty- two years.

OHN T. BROKAW, who is the owner of a snug farm in Belleflower Township, is a na- tive of New Jersey, born in RaritangTown- ship, Hunterton County, Jan. 4, 1836. Ile is, the son of Abraham Brokaw, a native of the same State. The latter learned the trade of a tan- ner and weaver in his younger days, and spent the greater part of his life in his native State. He in- herited a traet of land from his father in Raritan Township, npon which he established a tannery and carried on the business there until his death, which oeeurred in 1876. Abraham Brokaw was married, early in life, to Miss Rachel Stivelle, also a native of New Jersey, and who died abont 1845. The parental household ineluded six ehildren, four of whom lived to mature years.

The subject of this history was the third ehild of his parents, and was reared under the home roof, receiving a partial education in the subseription sehools, and completed the same in the free sehools after their establishment. When not in sehool he assisted his father in the tannery and on the farm, remaining at home until 1861. Then desiring to see something of the great West, he eame to the Prairie State and located in this eounty, where he worked as a farm laborer for two years, then rented land and engaged in farming on his own ae- count. He was industrious and economical, and in

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1873 purchased the farm which he now owns and oceupics, consisting of 367 acres. There was upon it at the time a log house and stable. These have been replaced by a fine set of frame buildings, which arc pleasantly located upon a rise of ground, and invariably attract the attention of the passing traveler as being the home of a modern and thrifty farmer, who takes pride in his estate and its be- longing's. The land is tile drained and principally devoted to grain and stock-raising.

The marriage of our subjeet with Miss Ada L. Easterbrook took place on the 27th of March, 1873, in Belleflower Township. Mrs. B. was born in Fay- ette County, Ohio, and is the daughter of Joseph M. and Hannah (Middletown) Easterbrook (scc sketch). Of this union there have been born two children, daughters-Adelaide, and Beatrice, de- eeased. Our subject and his wife are members in good standing of the Methodist Episcopal Church at Saybrook. Mr. Brokaw was formerly a Demo- erat, but of late years has east his vote in support of the principles of the Republican party.

R OBERT SEABORN, an influential business man and farmer of West Township. is a na- tive of Ohio, and was born Oet. 15, 1828. His father, Robert Seaborn, born Oct. 11, 1804, in the State of New York, grew to manhood in his native county and was there married to Caro- linc Beekford, a native of the same State. They soon afterward removed to Ohio, where they only remained until 1834, then started for Illinois, via the Ohio and Mississippi Rivers. 'They took with them their three children, but before their journey was completed, met with a sad calamity, the boat being burned and the youngest child, eighteen months old, perishing with it. They lost all their household goods and clothing at the same time. Procuring passage on another boat, they proceeded to their destination, first locating in Maples, where Mr. Sanborn worked at his trade of blacksmithing. After a few years they removed to Griggsville, Pike County, where he followed his trade until he had secured enough money to buy a small tract of land near Griggsville, paying $1.25 per aere for it.

There he erected a log house and devoted his atten- tion to the pursuit of agriculture. There he lost his homestead and furniture by fire. When arriv- ing in Illinois he had nothing but the clothes upon his back, and when he died his property was esti- matcd at $100,000. He was essentially a self-made and self-educated man and by his own efforts ae- quired a remarkably good insight into the best methods of doing business. Seven of the children of this family lived to become men and women.

Robert Seaborn was but six years old when he came to Illinois with his parents. As soon as large enough he began to assist in the labors around the homestead. The nearest mill where his father first settled was at Excter, twenty miles away, and the ncarest market at Jacksonville, twenty-eight miles distant. Our subject remained with his parents un- til 1849, and was then attacked with the gold fever,: which was taking so many men, young and old, across the plains to the Pacific Slopc. He started, in company with twenty-seven others, their ontfit consisting of thirty-five pairs of oxen and seven wagons. In this manner they made the entire journey to California. They arrived at Oregon in October, after a journey of six months and twenty days. Mr. Seaborn remained there nearly one year, variously employed. He afterward went to San Francisco, and thence to the Sacramento River, where he engaged in the mines until the fall of 1856, then longing for a sight of "the old folk at home" he sct his face toward the East, coming by way of the Isthmus, Cuba and New Orleans. He landed in Griggsville, this State, in January, and , in the spring resumed farming pursuits on prairie soil, having settled on a traet of land by himself and keeping bachelor's hall until his marriage. After this important event he purchased 120 acres of land in Pike County, this State, upon which he resided with his family until 1874. In that year he sold out, and coming to West Township, purchased the place which he now oceupics. This farm is fincly improved and furnished with a good set of frame buildings, pleasantly located and kept in the best of repair.

The wife of our subject, to whom he was married Nov. 27, 1851, was formerly Miss Nancy Duff, a native of Franklin County, Ill., and who was born

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May 22, 1833. Her father, Asahal Duff, and her grandfather, Phillip Duff, were natives of South

Carolina. The latter was among the earliest set- tlers of Southern Illinois, having emigrated from South Carolina before there was even a wagon road, the journey being made on pack-horses, and before Illinois was organized as a Territory. He took up a tract of Government land in Franklin County, improved a farm and established a comfortable home, where he passed the remainder of his days. The father of Mrs. S. was a small boy when he came to Illinois with his parents. Hc grew to man- hood in Franklin County and was married to Miss Abagail Miligan in what is now Williamson County, Ill., in 1810. This lady was the daughter of Will- iam Miligan, who served as a soldier in the War of 1812, and there contracted a disease from which he never recovered. He also settled in Southern Illinois at an early period in the history of that sec- tion. The grandparents of Mrs. S., both maternal and paternal, spent the last years of their lives in Sonthern Illinois. Her parents removed to Pike County in 1834, and were the tenth family to sct- tle in that locality. Their nearest neighbor was six miles distant. Her father spent the last years of his life in that county, dying in 1861. He was a natural mechanic and could manufacture a wagon, ' spinning-wheel or wash-tub, and with equal facility repair a gun. For the first few years he was kept busy in this line, people coming from long dis- tances in order to have him do their work. His wife survived him for more than twenty years, her death taking place in 1884.

Mr. and Mrs. Seaborn have three children : Celia was first married in Pike County, Ill., to John Phil- lips, Oct. 8, 1871; by this union there was born a daughter, Carrie A., who was given to her grand- mother, Mrs. Seaborn, when but three months old. She then became the wife of Newton Barnhart, and she and her brother William live in West Town- ship. Mary E., Mrs. Frank Jennings, lives in Da- "kota. Mrs. S. has been a member of the' Methodist Episcopal Church since thirteen years old. Bothı our subject and his wife are held in the highest re- spect by all who kuow them, possessing those ami- able and excellent traits of character which makc them valuable members of the community. Their

attractive home is the resort of the cultured peo- ple of West Township and its hospitable doors are always open to their hosts of friends, while the dis- tressed are never turned empty-handed away.

OHN M. ARTIS, a prosperous farmer of Danvers Township, is pleasantly located on section 24 and has been a resident of the Prairie State since 1859. He first opened his eyes to the light in Clark County, Ky., on the 12th of September, 1840, his parents being Robert and Fannie (McDonald) Artis, natives respectively of Delaware and- Kentucky. The former was brought to Kentucky when only three years of age.

Robert Artis was orphaned when a child of ten- der years and never had much recollection of his parents. He was reared in Kentucky by Mr. George Cramler and was there married. In the fall of 1859 he came to Illinois and located in Bloomington Township, whence, after three years he removed to Danvers Township and established a comfortable home, where he passed thic rc- mainder of his days. The affectionate wife and inother departed this life in 1864, having been a consistent member of the ,Christian Church since 1840; and the father of our subject died ten years later, in 1874. He was a Democrat in politics and in all respects a valued member of the community. Of the children included in the parental family one died in infancy, and later, Marid, Elizabeth and Emily also passed to the Silent Land. 'Those now living are : Robert, Parker, William, Harriet, Nancy, John M. and Henry.

The subject of our sketchi received a common- school education and after arriving at years of man- hood was united in marriage with Miss Nancy A. Barnard, on the 3d of November, 1864. Mrs. A. was the daughter of James O. and Lydia (Swallow) Barnard, and was born Jan. 1, 1841, in a little vil- lage then known as Wilkesboro, in Danvers Town- ship. 'The Barnards were of English stock, and the tradition runs that Francis Barnard, the great-great-

RESIDENCE OF JOHN ARTIS, SEC. 24., DANVERSTOWNSHIP.

RESIDENCE OF ALFRED. FAGERBURG , SEC. 11., DRY GROVE TOWNSHIP.

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grandfather of Mrs. A., was carried away in a vision while at sea on a whaling voyage. The wife of our subjeet has an old printed copy of said vision, which speaks of the wars that should come on the nations of the New World, and of the overthrow of the nations who took arms against it, which proph- esy has thus far been fulfilled to the letter. James O., the father of Mrs. Artis, was born in 1800, and when a lad of twelve years old beeame a member of the Baptist Church, with which he was eonneeted for many years, but subsequently became a inember of the Christian Church, with which he continued until his death, which oeeurred in this township on the 17th of October, 1873. The mother was born in Ohio, Sept. 15, 1820, of English parentage. She was married to James O. Barnard, Sept. 14, 1837, and died in this township April 20, 1847. They became the parents of two children, both daughters, Jane E., who married Mr. F. M. Hall, of Danvers, and Nancy A., now Mrs. Artis of our sketeh. For fur- ther mention of Mr. Barnard see his sketeh given in this volume ..

Our subjeet and his wife have beeome the par- ents of seven children, of whom one, Robert P., is deceased; John W. was born Dee. 19, 1865, and received a good education, completing his studies at Eureka College; Nancy A. was born Feb. 13, 1868; Irvin M., July 30, 1870; Robert P. was born Aug. 5, 1873, and died when two weeks old; Har- vey C., June 21, 1876 ; William B., Aug. 30, 1878, and Nettie, April 24, 1881.

The homestead of our subjeet comprises 238 aeres of fine farming land, and in 1883 he ereeted a handsome and substantial dwelling at a eost of $2,500. It is two stories in height, 56x36 feet in area, handsomely finished and furnished, and forms an attractive ornament to the surrounding land- seape. 'A view of his comfortable and elegant home is given in this volume. He has a good barn and all necessary out-buildings, and is earrying on his agricultural operations in a skillful and sueeess- ful manner. Mr. Artis, politieally, is a reliable Demoerat, and has been a member of the Christian Church sinee 1863. Mrs. A. united with this ehureh in 1852. The family is highly esteemed in the community, and our subjeet in all respeets is a good eitizen and valued member of society.

LFRED FAGERBURG, for years master ineehanie of the boiler department in the construction of locomotives at Moberly, Mo., and Bloomington, is now a prominent farmer of Dry Grove Township, and is pleasantly located on seetion .11. He is a Seandinavian by birth and parentage, and first opened his eyes to the light in the eastern part of Sweden on the 6th of January, 1836. His father, George Fagerburg, died in his native country. The maiden name of the mother was Eve Skogbreg. She is living in Sweden at the ripe old age of about seventy-five years.

The subject of this biography emigrated to Amer- iea in 1854, when a youth of eighteen years, the voyage consuming seven weeks. He had served an apprenticeship at carriage-mnaking and black- smithing in his native country, but after coming to America engaged in the manufacture of steam boilers, and after a brief experienee was considered one of the most expert workmen of the eraft.

After a short time spent in the young eity of Chieago, Mr. Fagerburg went to Galesburg, Ill., and for three and one-half years was employed in the shops of the C., B. & Q. R. R. Co. From there he went to Aurora, and lived in that eity four and one-half years, when he came to Bloomington, which remained his home for the following eight years. Ile then erossed the Mississippi to Moberly, Mo., where he was given charge of the boiler de- partment of a large manufactory which he super- intended for a period of six years, in the mean- time receiving many proofs of the high estimation in which his skill as a workman and his character as a man, were held. In 1878 he was recalled to Bloomington where he again took charge of the same department he had been at the head of when here before. Two and one-half years later, how- ever, he resolved to change his oeeupation and resi- denee, and leaving the dusty shops for the green pastures and yellow fields of grain of the country, took up his abode on his present farm in Dry Grove Township. His rural property consists of 160 aeres of finely improved land, upon which he in 1885, ereeted a handsome dwelling at a eost of $2,100. In 1886 his barn was destroyed by lightning, but he at onee set about the ereetion of another, which

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he completed at a cost of $1,600, and which in point of convenience and shapeliness is scareely equaled in this county. The homestead in all its appointments denotes the thrift and intelligence of its owner, and presents one of the prettiest pictures in the landscape of McLean County, and it is with pleasure that we include it in the pictorial depart- ment of this work, as representing one of the many splendid farm residences in the county.

One of the most important events in the life of Mr. Fagerburg, and which doubtless had much in- fIncnee in shaping his course in life, was his mar- riage, which occurred soon after reaching his ma- jority. The lady of his choice was Miss Catharine Johnson, and their wedding took place on the 21st of April, 1857, in Rockford, Ill. The wife of our subject is a native of his own country, and came to the United States the same year he did and lo- cated with her parents in Canada. She is the daughter of Jobn and Ellen (Parson) Johnson, na- tives of Sweden. The father died there in 1841; the mother died on the ocean while coming to America, in 1854.

To the household of Mr. and Mrs. Fagerburg in dne time there came a family of bright children, only four of whom are now living: William died at Galesburg at the age of seven months; the see- ond ehild died nnnamed; Albert P. married Miss Cora Kemp; Frank B. received a collegiate educa- tion, and is Assistant Paymaster of the C. & A. R. R. Co .; Edward is also finely educated; George A. is a bright and interesting youth of sixteen years, well advanced in his studies. Mr. and Mrs. Fåger- burg are members of the Baptist Church, and in politics our subjeet is one of the most reliable members of the Republican party.

E DWARD SCHELL, of Bloomington, is fore- man of the C. & A. R. R. Round-House and Engine Dispatcher, under William Wil- son, Superintendent of machinery. He has the requisite knowledge of the duties of his position, which he is filling with eredit to himself and sat- isfaction to all concerned. Mr. Schell is a native of Tippecanoe County, Ind., and was born in 1840.

His parents were James and Rebecca (Dye) Sehell, natives of Ohio, where the father engaged in farm- ing. The latter left Ohio and came to Indiana at an early day, where he enltivated the soil and es- tablislied a comfortable home, and where he spent his deelining years, dying in Jannary, 1850. Ile was a soldier in the War of 1812, and after his death his sons received a 160-acre land warrant as a pension. The mother departed this life in Indi- ana, Dee. 23, 1868. The parental houschold in- eluded eight children, of whom only two are liv- ing-Sarah, Mrs. Wainscott, of Crawfordsville, Ind., and our subjeet. Sarah was first married to James Sparks, of Lafayette, Ind., and became the mother of one child, Olive E. Mr. Sparks enlisted as a Union soldier in the late war, and was killed in battle. Mrs. S. afterward married Jamcs Wain- scott, and has one child, a son, Edward.

The subject of this biography was eleven years old when his father died. He worked on the farm until 1856, and then served three years at the blacksmith's trade at Lafayette, Ind. In the fall of 1859 he engaged as a brakeman on the F. W. & Western R. R. until 1860, and then accepted a po- sition as fireman until August, 1862. The late war being then in progress he enlisted in the 11th Indiana Battery and served until July 2, 1865. Ifc was engaged in the battles of Chickamauga, Look- out Mountain and Mission Ridge, together with many skirmishes. until they arrived at the Chatta- hoochee River, where ensued a heavy engagement with the enemy across the river. Afterward the regiment moved on to Atlan'a, fighting for thirty- one days, the next regular engagement being at Jonesboro. Then they marched back to Atlanta and Nashville, where they were transferred to the 18th Battery of Indiana, and starting once more through the Southeast, wintered at Waterloo, Ala. In the spring, with Gen. Wilson in command, they marched to Selma and thencc to Maytown, Ga., where they captured a rebel hospital, disarmed the soldiers, and remained there until May, 1865, ncar the close of the war. Our subject was soon after- ward mnstered out, and returning to Lafayette, Ind., again engaged in railroading, as fireman on the same road. The following year he com- inenced running extras until 1867, and then took

MCLEAN COUNTY.

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the position of engineer, being thus employed un- til 1872. He then engaged with the Lake Shore & Michigan Southern, with which he remained un- til February, 1873, and then went on the Wabash Railroad as engineer till August, 1880. Then engag- ing with the C. & A. Company he continued as engin- eer until 1881, when he aeeepted his present posi- tion. He has the supervision of about 200 men. Mr. Sehell was married, in 1865, to Miss Laura Trenary, of Lafayette, 'Ind., who was born in Indi- ana and is the daughter of James and Rebecca Trenary, natives of Ohio, who are now engaged in farming near Lafayette, Ind. Of this union there were born three children-Edgar F., Mamie R. and John C. They oeeupy a pleasant home on Mul- berry street, and enjoy the friendship and associa- tion of the cultured people of the community. Mr. S. is Republiean in polities, and socially belongs to the Brotherhood of Engineers, the I. O. O. F., and K. of P.

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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 128

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