Portrait and biographical album of McLean county, Ill., containing full page portraits and biographical sketches of prominent and representative citizens of the county, Part 45

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 45

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).

R UDOLPH R. REEDER, Principal of the Grammar Department of the Illinois State Normal University, is a native of Ohio, be- Jing born in Warren County, Jan. 5, 1859. His father, George W. Reeder, was a native of the same State and county, and his mother, Jane (Thompson) Reeder, was born in New Jersey. The family eame West in 1866, and settled near Mat- toon, Ill., whenee they afterward removed to Moul-

RESIDENCE OF JOHN T. HILL, SEC. 36, DRY CROVE TP,

RESIDENCE OF AUGUSTUS HILL, SEC. 19, PADUA TP.

RESIDENCE OF WM . YOUNG, SEC. 21, PADUA TP.

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trie County, and from there in 1874 came to Nor- mal. Here the father died in January, 1883, at the age of seventy-two years; the mother is still living and resides with her children. Of these there were seventeen in number, all but threc having lived to attain their majority. Four sons served as soldiers in the late war; one fell at the battle of Ft. Don- elson, mortally wounded, and one died in the serv- ice. At the present writing (1887) ten of the fam- ily are living.

The subject of our sketch was the fifteenth child of his parents' family, and the youngest who lived to adult years. His boyhood and youth were passed upon the farm, and his first studies were conducted in the district school. His school life during those early days numbered about three months annually. When the family settled at Nor- mal he was a youth of fifteen years. He attended the public school one term and then entered the grammar grade, whence he was almost immediately promoted to the High School department. One year later he was engaged as a teacher in onc of the country schools of McLean County, aud subse- quently attended the State Normal University dur- ing the spring terms for five years. In summer he worked in the harvest field and did whatever else he could find to do, and taught school during the wiuters. Hc was obliged to pay his own way through school, but his ambition and his gratifying success encouraged him to persevere. His educa- tion cost him about $1,200, all of which he paid from his own earnings.

In the fall of 1880 Prof. Reeder was chosen Principal of the Public Schools in Rutland, which position he held three years, and employed his leis- ure time in the further pursuit of his studies, and in due time passed the examinations and gradu- ated from the State Normal University with hon- ors, although he had not attended school for three years. Prof. Reeder for two years and one-half was associated with Prof. J. W. Cook as editor and publisher of the "Illinois School Journal," and has otherwise contributed much of his time and means to further the cause of education, for which he has a genuine love and a deep and abiding interest.

Prof. Reeder was married on the 20th of June, 1883,. to Miss May Hewett, daughter of Dr. E. C.

Hewett, of Normal, and they have become the par- ents of two children-Irene May and Ruth Ange- line. The family are regular attendants of the Baptist Church, of which Prof. Reeder has been a member for four years. He is held in the highest esteem as an educator and a citizen, and does honor to the position which he occupics.

OSIAII RICHARDSON, a highly respected resident of Bloomington, is now retired from active business, and living in the enjoyment of a competency accumulated by the indus- try and good management of earlier years. He is a native of Watertown, Jefferson Co., N. Y., and the son of Josiah and Cynthia (Tolman) Richard- son, natives respectively of Massachusetts and New Ilampshire, who spent their entire lives engaged in farming pursuits, and died on the old homestead when well advanced in years.

The subject of this history remained on the farm mitil nineteen years old, attending school during the winter seasons. In 1851 he started for the West, and located in Bloomington, then a little city of 1,000 souls. In 1854 he purchased a piece of ground, put up a good building, and engaged in the manufacture of wagons and carriages. The building with its contents was destroyed by fire the following year, and Mr. Richardson lost the greater part of his worldly possessions. He then engaged in the drug business with Orin Waters for one year, then sold out and engaged in his former business on Front street, which he contin- ued until 1876. He then purchased a farm in Belle- flower Township, where he raised stock and grain, and at the same time dealt considerably in real cs- tate. He became prominent in the city affairs, and for two years was Alderman in the First Ward.

Mr. Richardson was married, in 1855, to Miss Lovina Dimmett, who was born in Bloomington, and is the daughter of William and Mary (Ervin) Dimmett, both natives of Ohio. They came to Illinois in 1825, first settling in Danville, whencc .they removed a few months later to Bloomington, and purchased 160 acres of land east of the city. A part of this was laid off in city lots, and upon the

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balanee Mr. D. engaged in farming. The record of their ten children is as follows : Catherine, Mrs. Von Elsner; Lovina, Mrs. Richardson ; and Melissa, Mrs. MeCraeken, reside in Bloomington; Mary, Mrs. Wade, lives in Butler, Mo .; Carrie, Mrs. Me- Ilvain, and Pauline, Mrs. Bettenger, were twins; the former lives in West Point, Kan., and the lat- ter in Bloomington; William II. is also in the lat- ter-named eity; Lee and Jolin are in Kansas City, and Susan, Mrs. W. H. Grantly, lives in Appleton, Mo. Mr. Dimmett died Feb. 19, 1879. The mother still lives on the old homestead, where she has re- sided for the last fifty years.

Our subjeet and wife have an adopted daughter, Maude B. The family residence is a handsome and substantial structure, which was erected at a cost of $7,000, and combines all the comforts and con- veniences of a modern dwelling. Mr. R. is a Re- publiean in polities, and with his wife attends the Unitarian Church.

ALVIN BARNES, a pioneer settler of Illi- nois, was born in Herkimer County, N. Y., on the 13th of April, 1805, thus having ar- rived at the venerable age of over eighty-two years. His father, Elijah Barnes, was of New En- gland parentage and a native of Massachusetts, and his mother, Miss Luey Hunter, was a native of the same State. Their family ineluded seven ehil- dren. The forefathers of our subjeet were of Seoteh and English descent, and the Hunters, of English origin, were among the early settlers of the Bay State. Elijah Barnes served three years in the Revolutionary War and received a pension from the Government. The maternal grandfather of our subjeet was Capt. Hunter, a native of England. Elijalı Barnes, soon after his marriage, removed from Massachusetts to Herkimer County, N. Y., making the trip overland with an ox-team. There they established a permanent home, where they passed the remainder of their lives, the father of our subjeet dying at the age of eighty-four years and the mother at eighty-six, the families of both having been noted for longevity.

The boyhood of Calvin Barnes was passed mostly upon the farm of his father, and in the meantime he received a limited education. At the age of twenty-one years, after spending two summers run- ning on a packet on the Erie Canal he purchased fifty aeres of land adjoining his father's farm, and engaged in the pursuit of agriculture, meeting with sueeess. As time progressed he added to his first purchase until he became the owner of 280 aeres, all in one body, and became one. of the most prosperous and prominent citizens of that locality.

Our subjeet was married on the 26th of January, 1836, to Miss Lucinda Keyser, of Herkimer County, N. Y., by whom he becaine the father of six ehil- dren. In the fall of 1853 he emigrated with his family to MeLean County, Ill., and settled in Bloomington, where he lived for two years. In the meantime he had purchased a seetion of land in Towanda Township, and during these two years had been making ample preparations to take possession. After the removal was effected he engaged prinei- pally in raising grain, his first wheat erop yielding 1,700 bushels. 'The wheat erop, however, for the following three years was a failure, and the fourth year the army worm swept away the grain while it was green. Mr. Barnes, however, by good manage- ment weathered the storm, while many of his neighbors were ruined. He then seeded his farm to grass, and then, the war coming on, he found a good market for the 300 tons of hay which he eut in one summer, and whiel he sold at $16.25 per ton. This assisted him out of his difficulty. He then started a dairy, having sixty-five eows, and found a ready sale for the products thereof, butter and cheese, never selling the cheese for less than fifteen eents a pound, and during one season of the war sold it at twenty-five eents.

In the meantime Mr. Barnes was giving all his spare time to the raising of cattle, of which he had 250 head at the elose of the war. Three years in sueeession he raised 100 ealves. He purchased two traets of land adjoining the main farm, which gave him 1,000 aeres, all in one body. After the war he abandoned the dairy business, sold off a part of his eattle, and engaged extensively in raising eorn. The first amount worthy of notice was 12,000 bushels, and he kept inereasing the aereage devoted

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to this purpose until one ycar he had 700 acres planted in corn, which yielded 35,000 bushels which, when husked and cribbed, he sold at prices ranging from forty to seventy cents per bushel. He had four sons to assist him in his farming opera- tions, but finally, desiring to change his occupation somewhat, he rented a part of his land and engaged with his four sons in the importation of full blood Norman horses, and at this time they have about - sixty-five head of high grade and full blood, and sell quite a number from the farm each year.

At the time Mr. Barnes took possession of his farm there was no place to hitch a horse, so he set a post in the ground for that purpose, which is now the present site of Barnes . Station on the Illinois Central Railroad. The farm is now laid out into convenient fields, the boundaries marked by beauti- ful hedges, there being twelve miles in all of this kind of fence. An artesian well furnishes water for nearly all the stock on the farm. The water is raised by means of a wind-pump and deposited in a large tank, whence it is conducted wherever re- quired by means of pipe.

Mr. Barnes reared a family of six children, four sons and two daughters, all of whom were born in Herkimer County, N. Y., and five are still living. The record is as follows: Elizabeth is deceased; Franklin; Alden; Monroe; Lucy, the wife of Jos- eph Thomas, and Calvin, Jr.

Mr. Barnes started in life at the foot of the lad- der, and his accumulations are the result solely of his own enterprise and industry. He furnishes a striking illustration of what may be accomplished by resolution and perseverance, and as one of the landmarks of McLean County is held in high es- teem as having contributed largely to its wealth and prosperity.

AMES A. WELCH, one of the most progres- sive and skillful farmers of Randolph Town- ship, owns and occupies a fine homestead on section 12, which comprises 227 acres of valuable land, under a good state of cultivation. Upon this he erected a set of shapely and substan- tial farm buildings, which with their surroundings, form one of the finest farm estates in this part of

McLean County. Most of the land is under the best of cultivation, and is well stocked with good grades of the domestic animals. Mr. Welch took possession of this farm in 1871, which he has since made his home. Besides this he owns eighty acres in West Township.

The subject of this history was born in Downs Township, Jan. 6, 1849, and is the eldest son of Henry Welch, deceased. The latter was a large land-owner and very successful farmer of McLean County. James A. was' cducated in the public schools of this county, and lived at home until his marriage with Miss Myrtilla J. Bishop, which was celebrated at the home of the bride's parents in Randolph Township, on the 23d of November, 1871. Mrs. Welch is the daughter of James and Mary Bishop, her father being an extensive farmer of Randolph Township. She was born on the homestead, Sept. 29, 1852, educated in the com- mon schools, and remained under the home roof until her marriage. Of her union with our subject there have been born four children-Henry A., Florence B., Mary M. and Nellie J., all at home, stout, hearty and full of life. Mrs. Welch is prom- inently connected with the United. Brethren Church, and politically our subject uniformly casts his vote with the Republican party.

W ILLIAM C. NOBLE, the son of David and Rebecca (Karr) Noble, of Cincinnati, Ohio, was born in Hamilton County, that State, Feb. 25, 1818, and came to Illinois with his par- ents in 1831. He was reared to agricultural pur- suits, which he followed the greater part of his life, but is now retired from active labor and lives at No. 508 East North street, Bloomington.

The father of Mr. Noble was born Sept. 30, 1795, in Cincinnati, Ohio; the mother, a native of New Jersey, was born March 12, 1796. They were mar- ried in Ohio, and came to Illinois in 1831, locating upon a claim of eighty acres which the father had entered near Randolph Grove. To this he subse- quently added, and in 1836 entered another tract about four miles from his first claim, upon which he removed and where he spent the greater part of

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his deelining years. Ilis death oceurred Sept. 15, 1863. The mother had passed to her long home on the 24th of November, 1838. David Noble was Postmaster of Randolph Grove for a number of years, and a member of the Masonie fraternity. Of their seven children, six are still living-Will- iam C., Stephen K., Sarah J., Mercy A., James K. and Thomas J. David Noble was married the see- ond time, in 1840, to Mrs. Jane Arnold, and by this union had five children, four of whom are liv- ing: Mariah L., now Mrs. William Custer, of IIo- mer, Ill .; Eliza Ann married Milton Hollis, of Homer, Ill .; Martha E. is now Mrs. Vanee Custer, of Danville, Ill .; Harrison. D. lives in the latter- named eity, and remains in a state of single blessed- ness.

William C. Noble attended school near the plaee of his birth, in Hamilton County, Ohio, until their removal to this eounty. The temple of learning was built of logs, and was similar to that where the other pioneers, whose history has been detailed in this work, received their rudimentary education. ; Ile was naturally fond of his books, and pursued his studies after coming to Illinois. He remained with his parents until 1839, and then commeneed farming on his own account on a traet of 160 aeres in Randolph Township, this county, which he oe- eupied until 1873. He then practically retired from active labor, and purchased his present home in Bloomington. He was Assessor in Randolph Township three years, also Sehool Director and Roadmaster.

Mr. Noble was married on the 31st of October, 1839, to Miss Isabel J. Stewart, and they became the parents of four children, two now living-Re- becea J., Mrs. Cutter, of Hatfield, Mass., who has two children, William and Bernice, and Seth S., who married Miss Esther Mereer, and they have two children, Cora Bell and Herbert C. Mrs. Isabel Noble departed this life at the home of her husband, May 12, 1855.

Mr. Noble for his second wife married Mrs. Eunice (Burley) Hughes, a native of Seioto County, Ohio, who was born Feb. 27, 1823, and is the daughter of John and Naney (Anderson) . Burley, natives of Ohio. Her father was a farmer by oe- eupation, and eame with his family to Illinois in

1833. settling in Jersey County, where the parents lived the remainder of their days, the father dying in 1846; the mother survived him thirty years, and passed to her final rest in 1876. Of their eleven children, eight are now living-James, Daniel, Newton, Euniee, Mary, Sarah, Joel and Lueinda.

Mrs. Noble, by her former husband, beeame tlie mother of three children, as follows: John N. Hughes was born Dee. 8, 1845, and died March 9, 1874; he was finely edueated and a promising young man, beloved and respeeted by all who knew him. James A. was born Aug. 5, 1850; Mary A., Mrs. F. B. Chase, has one child, a daughter, Edna, and resides in Chieago. By her union with our subjeet, Mrs. Noble has had four children, three now living: Annie S., Mrs. P. A. Guthrie; who has two children-Sidney A. and Dudley R .; Ida J. became the wife of L. G. Bronson, of Chicago, and.Cora B., who is at home with her parents.

Mr. Noble is Republican in polities, and with his wife a consistent member of the Methodist Episeo- pal Church. He has been Steward, Class-Leader and Trustee of the church in Randolph Township, and is in all respects a representative mnan of Me- Lean County, and one who has been fully identi- fied with its growth and prosperity.

ROF. L. C. DOUGHERTY, Principal of the Preparatory Department of Wesleyan University, and youngest child of Jolin and Elizabeth (Waltower) Dougherty, was born in Westmoreland County, Pa., Aug. 27, 1847. The mother of the subject of our sketch died while he was an infant and his father when the lad was seven years old. A few weeks after this sad event the boy was taken by his oldest brother, Joseph, to Ohio, and the next year the two brothers went overland in a one-horse wagon to Warren County, Ill., where they arrived in June, 1855. In the autumn of the same year young Dougherty voluntarily east his lot among strangers in a strange land, cheerfully doing all a stout rustie lad might, such as dropping and covering corn, pulling weeds, eolleeting bundles for the "shockers" and

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later, harrowing with oxen, plowing, binding, cut- ting up corn and the usual work of the farm, reeeiv- ing in return for sueh services a minimum amount of kindness, sehooling, elotlics and food.

The Professor still remembers the primitive log school-house in Indiana Connty, Pa., where he first attended school and learned to read and write, hav- ing for a text-book only McGuffy's Speller. In addition to this termn the boy went to sehool at various times until 1861, but the aggregate time spent at school amounted to a few months only, so when he enlisted in the army his knowledge was limited to a slight acquaintance with mental arith- inctie and the ability to fairly read and write. In 1860 he became a man to the degree that he made a formal eontraet to work one year for $40, and. two months' schooling. He did a man's work, bought his own books and elothing, a literary work for $4, and when the year elosed had a balance of $8 on hand.

When Ft. Sumter was fired upon, young Dough- erty resolved if possible to assist in the preserva- tion of the Union. A military company was organ- ized iu the neighboring village of Young Ameriea, now Kirkwood, Warren County, which he joined, no questions being asked as to age, though it appeared that his friends put it down at nineteen years. On July 17, 1861, the company was mustered into the

U. S. service and became known as Co. B, 59th Ill. Vol. Inf. The young volunteer was, at this date, thirteen years and eleven months old. Private Dougherty performed all the duties of a soldier in the ranks aeeeptably, and was soon seleeted for posts of unusual responsibility, and was one for whom both officers and comrades had words of praise only. He marched with his regiment 10,000 miles, and participated in nineteen regular engage- ments beside many skirmishes. He took part iu the more prominent battles of Perryville, Lookout Mountain, Missionary Ridge and all the battles of the Atlanta campaign, during which he was for sixty days under fire, either of artillery or mus- ketry, and lastly Nashville. Ou the first day of this struggle he, with a comrade, took eight prisoners, including a Captain, in one squad. At night he found that a blanket which he earried had seven- teen bullet holes in it. The sole of one of his shoes

also was partially torn off by a minic ball. In a eharge upon the rebel works on Overton Hill on the sceond day of the battle he was wounded twice, when within two rods of the enemy. On Jan. 12, 1863, at Whiteside, Tenn., he re-enlisted as a veteran, being one of thirty-two in a company which contained, all told, during the war 159. Veteran Dougherty was promoted Corporal and bearer of the regimental banner, in which capacity he was mustered out at New Braunfels, Tex., Dec. 8, 1865.

Mr. Dougherty remained in Texas nine months afterward, studying the situation, with a view to making that State his future home. On a ranch in the hills some thirty miles from San Antonio he took a position as shepherd, where he remained nine months. Afterward rejeeting several business offers he, with a companion, turned his faec toward the North, and after a horseback ride of more than 1,200 miles, found himself again in Warren County, Ill. In the spring .of 1866 Mr. Dougherty entered Monmouth Academy, taking his place, through the grace of the Principal, in the lowest elass. He com- pleted the two years' course in twelve months and afterward for several years taught school, worked on a farm and elerked in a general store. Ilis leisure time, however, was given to his books, and in the winter of 1871 he entered the Illinois Nor- mal University, where he spent over three years and graduated in 1876, fourth in rank in a elass of twenty-eight. During this time he took Latin as an extra study, and in the meantime taught school seven and one-half months in the Barr School, in Warren County; was one year at Rutland, LaSalle County, as Principal, and one year as Principal of the schools at Ironton, Mo.

After graduating, Mr. Dougherty became Prin- eipal of Lacon schools, Marshall County. He re- mained there two years, when he bceamne Principal of the Minonk schools in Woodford County, which position he held seven years, and was unanimously elected for the eighth year, but resigned to aceept the position which he now holds.

Prof. Dougherty was married at Lacon, Aug. 5, 1879, to Miss Olive E., daughter of the late Will- iam Trench, for many years editor-in-chief of the Pcoria Democrat, and later editor and proprictor of the Illinois Statesman, published at Lacon. Of this

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union one child has been born, Ethel Lucretia, aged six years. Mrs. Dougherty on her mother's side is deseended from Peregrino White, the first white child born in New England.

Mr. Dougherty was converted at the age of ten years, and joined the Methodist Episcopal Church, of which both he and his wife are valued members. Mr. D. was chorister and Mrs. D. organist of the churches at Lacon and Minonk, and our subjeet is now Preeentor at the First Methodist Episcopal Church. In polities he has always been a Repub- lican, is an advocate of prohibition, and a member of the G. A. R. and also of the Masonic fraternity. He was without doubt the youngest soldier who

- became a veteran, or who served during the War. Hle is essentially a self-made man and never pos- sessed a dollar that he did not earn. He occupies a pleasant residenee with his family at No. 915 North West street, where they enjoy the society of the cultured people of the community, and are surrounded by all the comforts and many of the luxuries of life.

C. RICHARDSON, of the firm of Tryner & Richardson, manufacturers and wholesale jobbers of cigars is, with his partner, trans- aeting a suceessful and growing business on East Front street, Bloomington, occupying Nos. 108 to 110. Mr. Richardson was born in Jefferson County, N. Y., Sept. 19, 1848, his parents being Charles and Chloe (Gillett) Richardson, natives of the same eounty and State as their son. They were married in .1847, and the father of our subjeet en- gaged in farming for many years, but is now re- tired from active labor. The paternal grandpar- ents were Josiah and Cynthia ('Tolman) Richardson, natives of Conneetient and New Hampshire re- spectively. They settled in Jefferson County, N. Y., before the War of 1812, and engaged in farming pursuits through life. The great-grand- father of our subject, Capt. Tilley Richardson, who was also a native of Massachusetts, likewise re- moved to Jefferson County, N. Y., and was en- gaged there in farming until his death. The Rieh-

ardsons were of solid and substantial eharacter, and made their mark in the community wherever they loeated. They were possessed of high moral prin- ciples, and universally respected. Charles Richard- son held various positions of trust in both his na- tive and adopted counties. The parental family consisted of three children: Horace C., our sub- jeet; Charles L., of Watertown, N. Y .. and Cynthia Z., now Mrs. Morrison, of Watertown, N. Y.

The subject of this history remained at home and engaged in farming until he was twenty-two years old. He completed his studies at the Business Col- lege of_ Watertown, and after leaving home ae- cepted a position as clerk in a life insurance offiec at that place, and remained in that position until he eame to Bloomington, in October, 1872. Soon afterward he was taken into the firm of Thomp- son, Andrus & Co., produee and commission mer- chants, with whom he remained until they closed out their business. He then became book-keeper for the pork paeking house of Tryner, Van Schoick & Co., with whom he remained two and one-half years, and then formed a partnership with Mr. Tryner, in the flour and provision trade, on South Main street. The firm of Tryner & Richardson operated in these commodities for a few years, then closed out and engaged in the manufacture of cigars. They moved to their present location on East Front street, in February, 1886, where they were en- abled to extend their business facilities and aceom- modate a rapidly increasing trade. This building is three stories in height, with bascment, and cov- ers an area of 44x70 feet. They give employment in the busy season to fifty men, and usually have four men on the road. It is hardly necessary to state that the produets of their manufacture are unexeelled, and becoming widely known through- out the West.

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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 45

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