Portrait and biographical album of McLean county, Ill., containing full page portraits and biographical sketches of prominent and representative citizens of the county, Part 38

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 38

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).

Mr. King takes an active interest in all matters pertaining to the welfare of his township. He has served two terms as School Director, and in other ways has assisted to advance the cause of educa- tion and morality. He is a peaceable and law- abiding citizen, and held in great respect by his fellow-townsmen.

B ENJAMIN BEDELL, living on seetion 1, Old Town Township, and a gentleman who has followed agricultural pursuits thus far in life, is a son of William and Hannalı (Bradbury) Bedell. The father was born on Long Island, and the mother in England. They were

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married in this country, and settled in Greene County, N. Y., where the father followed the voca- tion of a farmer, and where both heads of the famn- ily continued to reside until their death. Seven children were born of this union, named William, Hannah, Phebe, Abram, Benjamin, Ellen and Eliza- beth.

Benjamin Bedell was born in Greene County, N. Y., April 12, 1820. He was reared to farm labor on his father's farmn, and when twelve years of age his parents removed to Athens, on the Hudson, and there our subject continued to reside until 1848. He then settled on a farm in the neighbor- hood of Athens, and for nine years was employed in its cultivation and improvement, when he sold it and moved to Oneida County, N. Y. There he purchased another farm, and continued his labors until the fall of 1866. Disposing of this place with the hope of bettering his financial condition in a country farther west, he came to this county, loeat- ing in Old Town Township, where he remained for " one year. He then purchased a farm in Blue Mound Township, where he lived and industriously labored until 1871. During that year he bought a place in Old Town Township, moving upon it in the spring of that year, and has made it his home until the present time. His farm consists of sev- enty-one and a half acres, is well stocked, and has good buildings upon it.

The marriage of our subjeet with Miss Mary A. Cook was solemnized in Albany County, N. Y., Dec. 14, 1848. She is the daughter of Charles II. and Sarah (Armstrong) Cook, natives of New York. Her parents settled in Albany County after their union, and there the father engaged in farming and wagon-making, carrying on quite an extensive busi- ness in both branches of his occupation. He died in the city of Albany, N. Y., and she in the same county. The issue of their union was four ehil- dren-Ransom, Jolin W., Alexander and Mary A. Mary A., the youngest of the family, was born in Albany County, N. Y., Jan. 26, 1826. She lived at home until her marriage with our subject, and by that union nine children have been born, the record of whom is as follows: Elizabeth is the wife of Justine Pierson, and they are living at Bennet, Neb .; Charles H. died when seven years old; Will-

iam departed this life when two years of age, and Edward died in infancy; Alice is the wife of Sam- uel Cole and they are living in Old Town Town- ship; Adelaide died in the latter-named township in 1883, when twenty-three years old; Clara is the wife of William N. Cole, a farmer of Old Town Township; Hannah and Sarah both died in infancy.

Mr. B. has held some of the minor offices of his township. He and his wife belong to the seet known as Friends, and in polities our subjeet is an earnest and faithful supporter of the principles of the Prohibition party, but prior to its birth was a stanch Republican.

R OBERT S. MCINTYRE, engaged in the in- suranee and real-estate business, with his office and residence at Bloomington, is a native of Rhode Island. He was born in Providence, Sept. 20, 1836, and his parents were Samuel and Elizabeth (McFarland) MeIntyre, na- tives of Ireland and of Seotch descent, who came to the United States at an early day in their lives. Our subject's father was a farmer by calling, and Robert S. passed his boyhood days on the farm in St. Clair County, Ill., and there lived until he was twelve years of age. He accompanied his parents to this eounty in 1848, and located with them in Bloomington. In that city he entered the print- ing-office of Jesse W. Fell, and learning the trade continued at the same until 1861.

During the year last named our subjeet enlisted in Co. A, 94th Ill. Vol. Inf., as a private. He was soon promoted Quartermaster Sergeant of his regi- ment, in which capacity he served till the expiration of his term of enlistment. He was mustered out in July, 1865, and returned to Bloomington ; that same fall he was elected County Clerk of McLean County. Assuming the duties of his office in De- cember of that year he continued faithfully to serve the citizens of the county for a terin of four years. On retiring from the County Clerk's ofliee Mr. MeIntyre engaged in the insurance and real- estate business. In 1880 he was elected Assessor of Bloomington, city and township, and has held

Jacob holly

SEC. 33 . SON'S . RES .

SEC. 33 SON'S RES.

SEC. 26, SON'S RES.

When WOODLAND PASTURE

CARPEPOND

RESIDENCE AND FARM PROPERTY OF H. C. SHOLTY, SEC. 28, DALE TOWNSHIP .

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that office continually sinee. Mr. MeIntyre is See- retary of the Bloomington Loan and IIome Asso- eiation, and is one of the thorough-going and en- terprising business men of the city.

Robert S. MeIntyre was united in marriage with Sarah E. Worley, of Taylorsville, Christian Co., Ill., in 1865. This union has been blest hy the birth of the following children, namely : Florence M., Jessie I., William, Donald and Ralph S. So- · cially Mr. MeIntyre is a member of the Knights of Pythias, also of the G. A. R., the A. O. U. W., the Royal Areanum and Improved Order of Red Men.

ENRY C. SHOLTY, one of the inost exten- sive farmers of Dale Township, eame to the Prairie State during the period of its early settlement and has watched the growth and progress of this section with the interest which every intelligent man feels in the development of the country or State which he calls his home. Mr. Sholty was born in Lancaster County, Pa., on the 7th of March, 1833. His father, Jacob Sholty, was also a native of the Keystone State, and was horn in the eounty of Laneaster in 1805, and his grand- father, William Sholty, was a native of Holland and eame to America when a young man. He was poor, and not having money enough to pay his fare over, the ship's Captain sold his time and he worked three years and nine months to liquidate the debt. After coming into Pennsylvania he purchased a sınall traet of land in Laneaster County, upon which he carried on farming operations for the hal- anee of his life. While a young man he had learned the blacksmith's trade and also engaged in this in connection with his agricultural pursuits.

Jacob Sholty, the father of our subjeet, was reared in his native county and assisted his father in the blaeksinith-shop until he was twenty-one years old. He then learned the milling business, in which he was oeeupied the greater part of his time until 1837, when he removed to Indiana. It was before the days of railroads, and he started over- land to Dayton, Ohio, where he stopped six months and then completed his journey, loeating in Dela- ware County, Ind. He had with him $100 in eash, and he purchased eighty aeres of land at $2 per

aere, paying only a part down. He built a log eahin on the place and eommeneed to elear a farm. About this time he received a letter from home upon which was due twenty-five eents postage. He had no money, and his wife took six ehiekens to the nearest village and sold them for twenty-five eents, thus raising money to pay the postage.

Mr. Sholty worked out days to earn money upon which to support his family, and at night labored at home improving and eultivating his land. In 1845 he hought a small flouring-mill, and soon afterward, in company with another man, ereeted a larger mill on White River, three-fourths of a mile from Selma. He lived there with his family until 1849, when he sold out and started for Illinois, aeeompanied hy his wife and seven children. Their traveling out- fit consisted of one yoke of oxen, three horses, two wagons and a carriage. They earried their household goods with them and camped and cooked by the wayside. 'They arrived at Bloomington, , Ill., in about twelve days from the time they started, and eamped on the spot which is now oeenpied by the First National Bank. They had selected Ful- ton County for their loeation, but meeting a friend, Mr. John MeGoun, were persuaded by him to settle in McLean. Mr. S. consequently rented a log house near town into which he moved his family, and then purchased 125 aeres of land on seetion 34, Dale Township. Upon this there was a log house, into which Mr. S. moved his family and com- meneed the improvement of his land. This re- mained his home until his death, which occurred in 'Oetoher, 1880. Jacob Sholty was very prosperous, and as time passed on added to his acreage, and at his death was the possessor of 551 aeres, mostly under improvement, a beautiful residenee, and the finest barn in the eounty. He was a straightfor- ward business man, a substantial and reliable eiti- zen, and highly respected in the community which he had assisted in building up. The maiden name of his wife, the mother of our suhjeet, was Mary Kaufman, a native of his own county in Pennsyl- vania, and of German ancestry and parentage. She was the daughter of Michael and Annie (Funk) Kaufman, and is still living, making her home with her son, the subject of this sketch.

Henry C. Sholty was the second child of his par-

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ents, and was four years old when they' removed from his native State to Indiana. Ile was a youth of seventeen years when they came into MeLean County, Ill. He had been reared to farining pur- suits and also assisted his father in the mill. At the age of twenty-one he commenced to learn the carpenter's trade, at which he worked a part of the time for ten years. Ile was skillful at his trade, and among other fine buildings which he ereeted was his father's barn, already spoken of, and which was the largest building of its kind in McLean County.

In 1854 Mr. Sholty settled upon the farm which he now owns and occupies. He followed his trade only a part of the time afterward and devoted the remainder of his time to the improvement and cul- tivation of his land. He built the house in which he now lives in 1855, but subsequently, in 1874, remodeled, enlarged and improved it, and it is now . one of the finest farm residences in this section. His estate embraces one of the inost splendid tracts of land in MeLean County, comprising 720 aeres, all in one body, and with a living stream running through the farin, which is in a fine state of cul- tivation with a generous tract of pasture, upon which roains some of the finest stock exhibited .in this section.

The subject of our sketch was united in marriage with Miss Susan Swinehart, in March, 1859. She is the daughter of George and Susannah (Saylor) Swinchart; they were also natives of Pennsylvania and fariners. They both died on their farm near Harrisburg, in York County, Pa. Mrs. S. was born in Montgomery County, Pa., July 30, 1828, and by her union with our subject has become the mother of four children. Mary died Oet. 11, 1880, aged twenty years; William married Annie Bozarth, and lives on a part of the homestead; Jacob married Florence Staley, and they also live on a part of the home farm; Elizabeth married Elmer Zeiters, and likewise lives on the home farm. Thus it will be seen that the children of this esteemed couple are married and settled around them. From their own door they can see each of their resi- denees. Mr. and Mrs. S. are members of the Methodist Episcopal Church, and in polities Mr. S. is a staneh Republican.

Everything in and around the Sholty homestead is indieative of cultured tastes and ample ineans, and he and his family are surrounded by all of the coinforts and many of the luxuries of life. Like his father before him, Mr. S. is possessed of un- limited enterprise and energy. He is straight- forward and systematic in his business methods, prompt to meet his obligations, and occupies a prominent position among the business and indus- trial interests of this seetion. Ile is highly esteemed by a large eirele of friends and acquaintances, and by his fellow-citizens as possessing, in a marked de- gree, all the qualities of an honest man and a good eitizen. Ilis snecess in life has been largely due to his own energy and industry, and he is but reap- ing the reward of what is justly due him for worthy effort.

A fine lithographie view of the residence, ont- buildings and farm of Mr. Sholty appears in the work. We also show a portrait of Jacob Sholty, the father of Henry C. Sholty, who during his lifetime was one of the honored settlers of MeLean County.

ENRY A. DOTY, one of the most successful contractors and skillful builders of Bloom- ington, is a native of Carlisle, Cumberland Co., Pa., and came to Illinois with his par- ents in 1850, when a child of thirteen years, his birth having occurred Sept. 26, 1837. The parents of our subjeet were Ilenry A., Sr., and Elizabeth (Livenger) Doty, also natives of the Keystone State. The father followed the business of a con- tractor and builder for fifty-five years. He moved to Illinois in 1850, and lived in Bloomington until 1859, thence went to Ottawa, where he passed the remainder of his days, his death occurring in 1876. The mother died in Bloomington in 1855. Of the seven children of the parental family three only are living-Catharine, Henry A. and Rebecca.

The subject of this history attended school until fourteen years of age, then learned the carpenter trade of his father in Pennsylvania. Ile came West with his family, and was an inmate of the parental household until 1859. The following year he went to Ottawa, and engaged in contraeting and build-

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ing for two years. In 1861, the Rebellion thien assuming alarming proportions, he enlisted in Co. E, 104th Ill. Vol. Inf., was promoted Orderly Ser- geant, and continued in the serviee three years.

At the elose of his military service Mr. Doty eame to Bloomington, and engaged at his former oeeupation as eontraetor and builder. Among other important strnetures he superintended the building of the shaft for the Vermilion Coal Company, the Streator Coal Shafts, and the Pekin and Southwest- ern Railroad bridges, together with many of their depots. Ile then built the Union Depot on the Wabaslı Railroad at Howard Station, , and has put up many of the finest structures in ' the city of Bloomington, frequently employing over 100 men and nine teams.

Henry A. Doty and Miss Effie M. Saekett were united in marriage at Bloomington, in 1885. Mrs. Doty is the daughter of Sabina and Martha E. (Hill) Saekett, and by her union with our subjeet has beeome the mother of one ehild, a son- Earle E. By a former marriage Mr. Doty has two sons- Willie H. and Charlie A.

Our subjeet in polities affiliates with the Repub- liean party, and socially belongs to the Masons, the Odd Fellows, the G. A. R. and the Seven Wise Men.

G EORGE W. GASTMAN is a native of tlie city of New York, where he was born on the 12th of July, 1837. He is the son of E. A. and Margaret Ann Gastinan, who, with their fan- ily, canie to Illinois in 1838. On the 8th of April of the same year, they located in McLean County, where their son, our subjeet, grew to manhood, in the meantime receiving careful home training and a fair education in the common sehools. His stud- ies were completed at Enreka College, but having been bred to farmn life, he engaged in agricultural. pursuits after liis marriage, and was thus oceupied until 1885, when he removed into the village of Hudson.

Mr. Gastinan was married, April 5, 1860, to Miss Elizabetlı J. Woolen, a native of MeLean County, and the daughter of James and Catharine Woolen. Of this marriage there were born four childreni:

Margaret Ann, the wife of William A. Hiteh; Franeis M., Angenetta and Hattie E. They have a pleasant residenes in the village, and Mr. Gast- man still owns his farm of 145 aeres in the town- ship of Hudson.

In polities Mr. Gastman is usually Demoeratie, but in local affairs endeavors to cast his vote for tlie men best fitted for the offiees. He served as Deputy County Surveyor four years in McLean and eight years in Livingston Counties, although at the same time residing in this eounty eontinu- ously. He served as Justiee of the Peaee for many years, and has held the various loeal offices. The brother of our subjeet, E. A. Gastınan, is Superin- tendent of the eity sehools of Deeatur.

A. CREED, editor and publisher of the Heyworth Standard, is a resident of Bloom- ington, and the son of Austin G. and Minerva S. (Shannon) Creed, his mother being the daughter of Capt. Shannon, of Blooming- ton, now deceased. Austin G. Creed is a contractor and builder, and the parental household included two children only, our subject and his brother Shannon.

The subject of this sketeh was born at Berry- ville, Higliland Co., Ohio, , Aug. 10, 1853. He resided there with his parents until twelve years of age, and the family then removed to Hillsboro, where he attended seliool in winter and worked on a farm during the summer season. He. graduated from Hillsboro Iligh Sehool in the spring of 1868, and the following year removed with his parents to Chillicothe, Mo., where he taught seliool for several months, and then, having a desire to be a printer, entered the office of the Chillieothe Tribune to learn the trade. He served a full apprenticeship, and was afterward made loeal editor of the Tribune, whiel position he held until his removal to Bloom- ington, where he arrived Nov. 25, 1874. He worked at the ease in the Leader and other print- ing-offiees in Bloomington until Deeember, 1875, when he formed a partnership with Mr. F. M. Doxsee, and purchased the outfit of a job offiee, which they operated until the following June.

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They then removed to Ford County, and for six months were occupied in the printing of a Demno- eratie campaign paper. After the election they returned to Bloomington, and Mr. Creed, pur- chasing the interest and stoek of his partner, estab- lished the Democratic News, which he edited and published until the fall of 1879. Ile then sold out to Mr. E. L. Burr, who merged the paper into the Bulletin, the present Democratie organ. In 1880 Mr. Creed purchased another printing-office, and has sinee carried on job and newspaper business.

The Heyworth Standard was established January 16, 1880, by our subjeet. It was a five-column quarto, issued every Friday, but is now a six- column folio. In polities it is independent. The Standard has a liberal advertising patronage, and a good eireulation. Its local columns are well filled with interesting news from different parts of the county, and it also contains all the important news from the various parts of the country. It is a lively paper and a eredit to town and county.

Mr. Creed was married, Oet. 7, 1879, to Miss Jessie E. Stump, and of this union has been born a daughter-L. H. They occupy a pleasant and attractive home at No. 715 South Water street.

E ZRA F. BRAMWELL, of Dry Grove Town- ship, is pleasantly located on seetion 14, where he is carrying on the peaceful pur- suits of a farmer's life, and passing the latter days. of a busy life in the enjoyment of a comfortable home, and the respeet of hosts of friends. Our subjeet was born in Vernon, Jennings Co., Ind., Oet. 4, 1820, and is of Scotch-Englishi parentage, his parents being William C. and Catharine (Me- Donald) Bram well. They were born in the coun- ties of Mereer and Garrett, Ky. William C. Bram- well first opened his eyes to the light on the 27tli of October, 1788, and the greater part of his life followed his trade as spinning wheelwright and chair builder. The parents were married in Ken- tueky in 1810, and came to Indiana the following year, where the father took up the carpenter's trade and became prominently connected with the affairs of his adopted State. At the time of his marriage

he could neither read nor write, but he afterward beeamie proficient in astronomy and logarithms, and mastered Greek and Hebrew. Ile was a man of great foree of character, fond of argument, and became one of the bright lights in the polities of 'the State. He served one term in the Legislature of Indiana, and came to MeLean County, Ill., in the fall of 1856. Hle afterward turned his atten- tion to religious matters, and occupied the pulpit for many years, first as a Baptist, and afterward espoused the doctrines advocated by Alexander Campbell. In polities he was an old-line Whig, but after the abandonment of that party practically withdrew from political work.

The mother of our subjeet, Mrs. Catharine Bram- well, was born on the 25th of March, 1791, and died in Johnson County, Ind., July 2, 1865, three weeks after the death of her husband. Their mar- riage took place in Kentucky, and they became the parents of eight children, seven sons and one daugh- ter, as follows: John M., James II., Solon C., Jesse V., Ezra F., Zenas F., William A. and Naney M. The subject of our history went to Iowa from In- diana in 1837, with a surveying party, and stopped at Keokuk, where he remained three weeks. He then returned home and remained until 1857, when he came with his parents to this county. During his childhood he attended the common schools, and at the age of fourteen years went to the city of Madison, and was employed as elerk in a dry-goods store for four years following. He then com- meneed the study of medicine under the instrue- tion of Dr. Philo Andrews, of New York City, with whom he remained for three years, and then commenced practice. Ile followed his profession until 1844, but not finding it sufficiently luerative, abandoned it. He then took a contraet on the Madison & Indianapolis Railroad, for laying track, and after the completion of this, became, first fire- ·man, then engineer, and afterward conductor on that road, being thus engaged four years, in the. meantime losing an eye by a scale from the smoke stack.

Mr. Bramwell was married on the 6th of Feb- ruary, 1842, to Miss Rebecca C. Griffith, a native of Steubenville, Ohio. Mrs. Bramwell was the daughter of Hezekiah and Lydia (Mobley) Grif-

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fitlı, natives of Maryland, but of Welsh aneestry and parentage. Their family ineluded ten chil- dren. The father of Mrs. Bramwell was born Mareh 1, 1790, and died in Indiana, Aug. 13, 1840. The mother was born Jan. 24, 1795, survived her husband thirty-four years, and died in Indiana on the 16th of April, 1874. Mr. and Mrs. Bram well have beeome the parents of eleven children-IIen- rietta, Rachel, Aliee, William C., Daniel D., Charles L., Lydia, Kate, Esther, Frank L. and Eugene F.

Mr. Bramwell eame to MeLean County in 1857, and for the first six years cultivated rented land, then purchased eighty aeres of his present home- stead. He was prospered in his agricultural oper- ations, and afterward doubled the amount of his real estate, so that he now has 160 aeres under a fine state of cultivation. His stoek includes some fine specimens of Jersey cattle, and his residenee, barns and out-buildings, are indieative of the thrift and enterprise of the proprietor. Mr. Bramwell has held the office of Township Trustee for a period of twelve years; has been Town Clerk over seven years, and has served as Constable and Commis- sioner of Highways. In polities he is a staneh Re- publiean, and a man of influenee in his party in . this seetion. The various members of the family are connected with and regular attendants of the Christian Church.

M RS. EMELINE G. BARNETT, of Leroy, is the daughter of Elisha and Theda (Woodruff) Gibbs, and the widow of the late Thomas J. Barnett. She was born in Belpre, Washington Co., Ohio, Aug. 11, 1818. Her father, Elisha Gibbs, was a native of Conneetieut, and also her grandfather, Elisha Gibbs, Sr., the latter spending his entire life in his native State. Elishia Gibbs, Jr., was reared in Con- neetieut, and learned the trade of a carpenter and millwright. He was there married, and soon after- ward removed to New York and located near Lake Geneva, where he followed his trade inntil 1816. He then removed with his family to Ohio, the jour- ney being inade on a raft via the Ohio and Alle- ghany Rivers. They first located in Belpre, whenee

after two or three years they removed to Mt. Ver- non, Knox County, where, in company with an- other man, Mr. Gibbs ereeted a saw and grist mill three miles from the village. After a time he pur- chased the interest of his partner and operated the mills by himself until the fall of 1838, when he de- eided to move further West. After reaching Illi- nois he came into MeLean County and purchased land in what is now Empire Township. The fol- lowing year he removed a part of his family here, his wife and two children, two sons, having pre- eeded him. He located in Leroy and put up the first mill in the village. ITis sons operated the mill and Mr. Gibbs pursued his trade in different places, putting in mill machinery wherever required and ereeting a number of buildings in this locality, many of which are now standing.

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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 38

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