Portrait and biographical album of McLean county, Ill., containing full page portraits and biographical sketches of prominent and representative citizens of the county, Part 46

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 46

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Mr. Richardson was married in May, 1875, to Miss Julia Murray, formerly of Rochester, N. Y., but a resident of Illinois since a young ehild .- They have no children. Their pleasant and at- tractive home is at No. 501 East Washington street, and their friends and associates include the cult- ured people of the city. Mr. Richardson for many years has been prominent in the business and social affairs of the city, and has been an eneourager and

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supporter of every measure ealeulated to advanee the intellectual and moral interests of the commu- nity. Politically he belongs to the Republican party, and is a worthy member of the Masonie fra- ternity as High Priest of Bloomington Chapter No. 26, and Eminent Commander of DeMolay Commandery No. 24.

G ILBERT R. WOOLSEY, M. D., the oldest practicing physician of Normal, has been a resident physician of that place since 1868, where he has built up a large and lucrative prac- tice, He is freely adjudged as a skilled and relia- ble physician, with large sympathies and a con- seientious devotion to duty. He is a native of this State, and was born in Henry County, Sept. 21, 1840. His parents were Jesse and Freelove (Rog- ers) Woolsey, both natives of Long Island, N. Y., where they were reared to years of maturity and united in marriage.

Jesse Woolsey, a hatter by trade, although he never followed the business after serving his ap- prentieèship, for some time carried on mercantile pursuits in the vicinity of his birthplace. In 1836 he emigrated to Illinois, and entered a tract of land in Henry County, which he settled upon after his marriage. He then became engaged as a real- estate dealer, and kept a hotel for some time at Andover. He spent the remainder of his days in Henry County, dying about 1869, and the mother in 1867. They had only two children-Marietta, the widow of Edwin Buck, of Cambridge, Ill., and Gilbert R., our subject.

Young Woolsey, at the age of sixteen years, and after having received a fair common-sehool eduea- tion, spent a few months in traveling through the Eastern States, and afterward pursued his studies, and being fond of his books acquired a good liter- ary education. The war being now in progress, and lis travels having landed him in the Prairie State, lie enlisted in Co. D, 112th III. Vol. Inf., and served until the close. He was with Burnside in East Tennessee, through the Atlanta campaign. Ile was in the fight at Franklin, and received a sealp wound, which, however, did not disable him.

Ile recovered sufficiently to be in the fight at Naslı- ville, and the eapture of Wilmington, N. C., and re- ccived his honorable discharge at Greensboro, N. C., in 1865, being mustered out as Adjutant of his regiment.

After his return to the ranks of eivil life our subject returned to Henry County, III. He had already resolved to locate in the West, and in 1865 entered upon a course of study in the old Hahnemann College of Chicago, whence, after grad- uating, he located in Normal, where he has sinee re- mained.

Dr. Woolsey is a strict temperanee man, and politically a stanch' supporter of the principles of the Republican party. He is a member in good standing of the Congregational Church, to the sup- port of which he contributes liberally and cheer- fully. He has a pleasant home in Normal, and enjoys the society and friendship of hosts of acquaintances.

E DWARD W. KING, of the firm of King & Parks, is, with his partner, engaged in the grocery trade at Le Roy. Mr. K. was born in Toronto, Vermillion Co., Ind., July 22, 1848. His father, Alexander C. King. was a native of Connecticut, born in Suffield, Hartford County, May 20, 1803. His grandfather, John A. King, was also a' native of Suffield, and his great-grand- father, Dan King, was the owner of a small farm near that town, where he spent the last years of his life. The grandfather of our subjeet was a praetic- ing physician, and removed from Suffield to Phelps- town, N. Y., before the day of eanals or railroads. He had hardly become fairly settled in his new home when he was seized with fatal illness, and died soon afterward. His wife was formerly Miss Caro- line Rose, a native of his own town, and a daugh- ter of Gad Rose, also a native of Suffield, where he spent his entire life, with the exception of the time in which he served as a soldier in the Revolution- ary War.

After the death of his father, Alexander C. King who was then but a boy, lived with a neighboring farmer in Suffield until eighteen years of age. Ile had improved his advantages for education, and at

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this time had taught two terms of school. He afterward attended an academy at Westfield and Lenox, Mass. He taught and studied in the aead- emy. alternately as his means would allow until twenty-four years of age. He then went to New Jersey, where he taught two years, and thenee to Montgomery County, Md., where he followed the same oceupation two years, and afterward returned to New Jersey, continuing his voeation of teaching. He was one of the fortunate few who invested in a lottery tieket and drew a prize of $3,750 in cash, which enabled him to educate his sisters and start himself in business. In 1830, resolving to leave New England and try his fortunes in the West, he removed to 'Terre Haute, Ind., and engaged in mer- eantile business until the latter part of the year 1846, when he removed to Vermillion County, the same State, where he pursued the same business in Clinton and Toronto until 1851.

Mr. King then came to Le Roy, this eounty, and renting a suitable building, opened it for an hotel. The following summer he put up a building and purchased a stoek of groceries. He operated the hotel and groeery store three years, then sold the former and devoted his time exelusively to mer- chanising. In due time he added a stoek of dry- goods, and finally abandoned the grocery trade, continuing the dry-goods business until 1874, when he sold out and is now living in retirement. The father of our subjeet was a man of striet. integrity,, and possessed the confidenee and esteem of his busi- ness associates in a marked degree. . In early times, before large seales were in use here, he was the authority in measurements of wagon-loads of eorn brought to town to sell. He possessed a fund of general information, and until failing eyesight eom- pelled him to abandon it, was an extensive reader.

Alexander C. King was three times married. His first wife, to whom he was united in September, 1831, was Miss Emeline F. Stebbins, who was born and reared in Springfield, Mass. She departed this life Oet. 21, 1842. His second marriage oeeurred in 1845, with Miss Mary Lyon, who was born in Newark, N. J., aeeompanied her husband to this State, and died at Le Roy in 1870. His third and last marriage was on June 8, 1875, with Mrs. Emeline (Booth) Coekran, the widow of William Coekran.

Of the first marriage there were born three children : James, now a praetieing physician of Deeatur, Ill .; Caroline R., who became the wife of Dr. J. W. Cole- man, and lives in Monticello, Piatt Co., Ill., and William R., who died in Toronto, Ind. Of the seeond marriage there were two children : Ellen, who became the wife of David Simms, and died Jan. 6, 1881, at Watseka, Ill., and our subjeet.

Edward W. King was but three years old when he came to Illinois with his parents. He pursued his primary studies in the schools of Le Roy, and later attended the academy at Hillsdale, Mieh. After graduating from there he became a elerk in his father's store, and continued with him until the latter sold out. He remained with his father's sueeessor two years, and was similarly employed in other places until 1880. He then purehased a oue- half interest in the store of Robert Murray, and a year later purchased the interest of his partner, and soon afterward Mr. Parks beeame associated with him in business. They have operated together sinee that time, and carry a large stoek of groeeries and queensware. The firm is wideawake and enter- prising, and forms a prominent factor in the busi- ness element of this community.

The marriage of Edward W. King and Miss Nellie Smith was celebrated Dee. 26, 1871. Mrs. K. was born in Lieking County, Ohio, being the daughter of Wesley and Mary A. (Evans) Smith. They have three children-Alpheus C., Mary and Le Gran. The family residence is pleasantly located, and its inmates are surrounded by all the comforts of life. Mr. K is a member of the City School Board, and uniformly easts his vote for the Republican party.

AMES P. KNIGHT, a general farmer and stoek-raiser of Bloomington Township, re- sides on the old Knight homestead on see- tion 19, where he has forty-five aeres of land, most of which is in a good state of eultiva- tion. Ile was born in Jackson County, Mo., Aug. 9, 1845, where he spent his earlier years, aside from some time spent in Madison County, Ky. 1lis father eame North in 1863, aeeompanied by his family, ou account of troubles ineident to the

Jums H. Ceux

John F. Rusk

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breaking out of the Rebellion. James P. was then nearly eighteen years of age. He was the only son and the second of three children born to his par- ents. He remained with his parents until 1864, and then resolved to become a soldier of the Union army. He was not yet of age, but sueeeeded in gaining admission to the ranks, hecoming a mem- ber of Co. G, 146th Ill. Vol. Inf., under Capt. Williams. This regiment was not called upon for active service, it being near the close of the war, but was detailed to provost duty. After a service of eleven months our subjeet received his honorable discharge. Ile then returned home to his father's farm, where he has sinee been engaged in agrieult- ural pursuits.

Mr. Knight was married on the 10th of Novem- ber, 1870, in Blue Mound Township, to Miss Mil- dred G. Stagner, the daughter of Rev. John S. and Julia A. (Golden) Stagner. Her parents were na- tives of Madison County, Ky., and coming to Illi- nois after their marriage settled in Blue Mound Township, where the father is yet living with his second wife. The mother of Mrs. K. departed this life Nov. 10, 1872.

Mrs. King was the third child of a family of ten, all of whom lived to mature years. She was born in Blue Mound Township, this county, June 21, 1853, and edueated in the publie sehools, remain- ing under the parental roof until her marriage witlı our subjeet. Of this union there were horn five eliildren, all living-Mary, Florence, Loa A., George W. and Aldena. Our subjeet and his wife are members of the Christian Church, and in poli- ties Mr. King affiliates with the Republican party.

OHN F. RUST, a pioneer settler of Randolph Township, is now engaged in general farm- ing and stoek-raising on his, fine homestead of 190 aeres, located on section 16. He has been a resident of the Prairie State for over fifty- three years, coming, here when a young man and unmarried. He first eame to Hamilton County, Ill., in 1828, and in the spring of 1834 came to MeLean County.

Mr. Rust was born in Maury County, Tenn.,

Aug. 11, 1816. His father, William Rust, was a farmer all his life and died at the residence of his son, our subject, in August, 1873. He had mar- ried, in early life, Miss Naney MeGee, who was born in the same eounty as her husband, Granville County, N. C. She died at the residence of her son, George Rust, in Randolph Township, in Au- gust, 1868.

The grandfather of our subjeet, Mathew Rust, died in North Carolina in the prime of life when his son William was a small boy. Ilis grandfather McGee, whose name was Nathan A., was a soldier in the Revolutionary War, and after his retirement from the military service settled in North Carolina, where he engaged in farming and raised his family to man and womanhood, and after his daughter married William Rust, he removed with them to Tennessee, living there for a time, when he moved to Smith County, Middle Tennessee, where he died.

John F. Rust lived until eight years of age on the homestead of his father in Middle Tennessee. When he arrived at that age his father, who was of a roaming disposition, went to Mississippi for a few years, then returned to Tennessee, and later emi- grated to Illinois, loeating in Hamilton County with his family as early as the winter of 1828. There our subjeet lived until he was eighteen years old, when he came alone to MeLean County and settled in Randolph Township, which sinee then has heen luis home. He employed himself at whatever his hands could find to do, and was quite prudent in expending his money. He was prineipally engaged with stoek dealers and from them learned the art of buying and selling and feeding live stock. In a few years he was enabled to purchase eighty aeres of land, which he began to stoek, and profiting hy his experienee purchased and sold live stock to good advantage. His land was unimproved when it eame into liis possession, but he worked upon it industriously and soon brought it to a fine state of cultivation. He has now an exeellent set of farm buildings and all necessary implements and machin- ery required for the carrying on of agriculture and stoek-raising in a first-elass manner. The homestead presents one of the attractive points in-the land- seape of Randolph Township.

Mr. Rust was married in Bloomington Township,

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Oet. 22, 1840, to Miss Elizabeth Lindley, who was born in Christian County, Ky., Aug. 27, 1823, and eame North with her parents in 1831 when a child of seven years, and they settled in Blooming Grove, which remained the home of the parents until their death. The father of Mrs. Rust was John Lindley by name; and his wife, before her marriage, Miss Elizabeth Gray. The former was born in North Carolina and the latter in East Tennessee. Their daughter, the wife of our subjeet, lived with her parents until lier marriage.

Mr. and Mrs. Rust beeamne the parents of eleven children, three of whom are deceased. Those liv- ing are : G. W., of Bloomington, where he is en- gaged in the grocery trade; Thomas J. and J. Lee are carrying on agriculture and are large farmers of Randolph Township; Jennie is the wife of Mar- tin L. Bishop, a farmer of Randolph Township; Aliee married John Kelley, a farmer, also of Ran- dolph Township; William D. is carrying on a farm in Greene County, Iowa, and also merchandising; Minnie married John Fitzpatrick and lives in Ran- dolph Township; B. F. remains with his father and assists in operating the farm. Most of the members of the family are connected with the Methodist Episcopal Church and all are regular attendants. Mr. Rust in politics is an uneompromising Jaek- sonian Demoerat. Mr. Rust during his life has been a large landholder, but has reserved, inelud- ing his timber, 190 aeres for a homestead. A litho- graphie portrait of Mr. Rust is shown on another page.

AMES H. COX, who has retired from an aetive business eareer, lias resided in this eounty for upwards of thirty-six years. He is now living at Hudson, where he is highly respected. He was born at Norway, Oxford Co., Me., April 21, 1822. His grandfather, William Cox, was a native of Wales, and our subjeet's father, William Cox, Jr., was born in Massaehu- setts, and was a merchant by vocation, and as sueli, met with signal sueeess. He died in Oxford County, Me., in the seventy-second year of his life, having done business there for many years. Eliz-

abeth (Phipps) Cox, our subjeet's mother, was born at Chatham, N. H., and there lived until her mar- riage. She also died in Oxford County, Me., and was seventy-two years old at the date of her de- mise. Fourteen children were born of the union of our subjeet's parents, twelve of whom grew to attain the age of man and womanhood, and six are living at the present writing, namely : Caroline E., widow of Capt. W. A. Sweetzer, resides at Bos- ton; Mary, widow of A. Sweetzer, is a resident of Bloomington ; William is a farmer by ealling, and a resident of Oxford County, Me .; Samuel P. re- sides in Bloomington; Rowena C. became the wife of C. A. Noies, and they are living in Boston, Mass.

The subject of this notice was the twelfth ehild born to his parents, and next to the youngest of those now living. He received his education in the common sehools, and during his early life worked on his father's farm, preferring sueli labor rather than elerking in his father's store. In 1851 Mr. Cox eame to Bloomington where some of the family had previously made a settlement. His in- tention at that time was to pureliase land and en- gage in farming, but, in accordance with the ad- viee of his brothers, he abandoned his plans and engaged in mereantile pursuits at Hudson. That place was then without a store, and Mr. Cox pur- ehased an empty building in the village, which had" been previously oceupied by an unsuccessful mer- ehant, and in it placed a stoek of general merchan- dise and was the only merchant in that place for several years. His motto was " never spend more than you earn," and by fair and honest dealing he soon established a well-paying business. He soon associated his sons witlı himself, and continued in aetive business until Jan. 1, 1885. Being of a nervous temperament, our subjeet found that it was impossible for him to be idle after lie liad turned his business over to his sons, and soon there- after established a large apiary, to which he attends for his own amusement, more than the profit he de- rives therefrom, although the latter is not insignifi- eant. The home of our subjeet is one of the most pleasant within the boundary of MeLean County, and it is a great comfort to Mr. Cox to know that his children have all grown up and oeeupy honor-

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able positions in the busy world, and are well-to-do finaneially.

In early life Mr. Cox was an old-line Whig, and continued to vote for the success of that party until 1856, when the Republican party sprang into ex- 'istenec, since which time he has voted and worked for its success. For ahnost thirty years he held the position of Postmaster at Hudson. He was also the first Supervisor of Hudson Township, and was the inenmbent of that office for several terms. Religiously he is a Baptist and has been a Deaeon in a congregation of that denomination at Hudson, for over thirty years, and has also done good work in the Sunday-sehool.

Feb. 5, 1846, at Waterford, Mc., the marriage of our subjeet with Miss Mary Chadbourn was solemn- ized. She was born in Oxford County, Me., Oct. 16, 1824, and is the daughter of James and Mercy (Scribner) Chadbourn. Their union has been blest by the birth of five children: Charles . E., Flora S., wife of J. W. Aldrieh, and Nettie, wife ' of Rev. F. M. Smith, a resident of St. James, Mini., and Harry W. and Herbert M., twins. For over forty-one years Mr. and Mrs. Cox have lived to- gether as man and wife. Together they have toiled and struggled, always lending an attentive ear to true charity, and doing their part toward the ad- vancement of the cause of the Master. Now in their old age they are enabled to pass their lives in peace and quiet, and in the enjoyment of a eom- petency earned through years of honest toil, and, looking back over the record of the history of their lives, none ean point to pages darkened with deeds of unkindness or wrong to. their fellowmen. Accompanying this brief personal history, we pre- sent the portrait of Mr. Cox, as that of a leading and representative man of the county.

OHN H. SALZMAN, a native of Butler County, Ohio, became a resident of Illinois in 1875, and is now located on a good farm in Danvers Township, on seetion 12. He was born July 15, 1848, and is the son of Christian and Mary (Imhoff) Salzman, natives respectively of France and Germany. His father was born in 1811,

and his mother in 1806. Christian Salzman was a farmer by occupation and left his native land in 1831, settling in Butler County, Ohio, and cultivating rented land until' 1850. He then re- moved to Tippecanoe County, Ind., where he pur- ehased eighty acres of land and where he still re- sides. Mrs. S. emigrated from Germany to the United States with a brother and sister. They located in Pennsylvania, whenee Mrs. S. removed to Ohio, and was there marricd, in Butler County, in 1837, to the father of our subject. They be- came the parents of six children: Melinda, now Mrs. Christopher Haag; Mary, Mrs. Christian Ehrcsian; Catherine, Mrs. John B. Zook; Elizabeth, Mrs. John Ummel; Anna, Mrs. Joseph Ehresman, and John H., of our sketeh. Mr. Salzman was Democratie in politics, and both parents were mem- bers in good standing of the Mennonite Chureh.

John H. Salzman remained on his father's farm and attended the common sehools until he was twenty-one years of age. Hc then crossed over from Indiana to Illinois, and coming to this county, worked on a farmi for one year. He was then united in marriage with Miss Magdalena Strubhar, their wedding taking place in the spring of 1870. They located on a rented farm for three years and then returned to Indiana, and our subject worked with his father for three years. He then returned to this eounty and rented land in Danvers Town- ship four years, where he purchased 200 aeres of his present homestead. Upon this lie lias made exten- sive improvements, all the land being now under good enltivation and well stocked with the better grade of domestic animals. The farm dwelling, barn and out-buildings are fair and substantial structures, and everything about the premises indieates the enterprising, industrious and thrifty agriculturist. Mrs. Salzman is the daughter of Valentine and Bar- bara Strubhar, natives of France, the father horn in 1817, and the mother in 1828. The latter was a child of two years old when she came to Amer- ica. Mr. Strubhar eame to this eounty in early youth, and located in Butler County, Ohio, where he followed farming until 1832, when he re- moved further westward and located in this eounty. Here he was married, in 1847, to Miss Barbara Gin- geriel, and they became the parents of eleven

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ehildren, as follows: Joseph died when a young child; Magdalena, Mrs. Salzman, was the second of the family ; Mary became the wife of John Sehaffer; John W. married Miss Catherine Forney; Valen- tine died in infaney ; Peter A. married Miss Eliza- beth Augsberger; Rosa beeame Mrs. James F. Tobias; Elizabeth A., Mrs. Jacob Ehresman; Einile; Jaeobine C. and Ulysses. Mr. Strubhar died Nov. 29, 1881. The mother and children are members of the Mennonite Church except Emile, and the father was also a member of the same chureh.

To Mr. and Mrs. Salzman have been born eight ehildren-Sylvester, Emanuel E., Simon R.,Newman A., Dora May, Ada B., Azalia M., and Lulu M .; Syl- vester, Newman and Dora May are deceased.

Mr. aud Mrs. Salzman are members of the Men- nonite Church, and Mr. Salzman is in polities a Pro- hibitionist.

OHN T. RUTLEDGE, a prominent farmer of Empire Township, owns and occupies a fine homestead on section 11, township 21. He is a native of this township, and was born Nov. 13, 1833. His father, James Rut- ledge, was born in Kentucky, and his grandfather, Robert Rutledge, in South Carolina. The latter removed to Kentucky at an early period in its set- tlement, and in 1820 proceeded north to Illinois, settling first in White County, whence he removed to that part of Tazewell now in MeLean, and lo- eated at Randolph Grove. With his brother Thomas he made a elaim, a part of which he im- proved and occupied a year or two, and then made another claim on seetions 33 and 34, on what after- ward became Empire Township. There he erected two log cabins, one for himself and one for his mother. At the time of his marriage he settled on his elaim and commeneed housekeeping. There was no sawed lumber used in the construction of this cabin, the floor being made of puneheon and the roof of elapboards made with the draw-shave, and in this humble abode our subject was born, and the father lived until his death, whieli occurred Dee. 15, 1863. The nearest markets at that early day were Peoria and Chicago, which were also the depots for supplies, and it took about eleven days

to make the round trip to Chieago. In 1845 the father of our subjeet took a load of wheat to Chi- eago, and on his return brought back a load of lumber, with which he finished the frame house in which he spent the last years of his life. He, how- ever, built a briek addition to the house some years before his death. IIe was successful in his agri- enltural and business operations, and at the time of his death owned over 500 aeres of land. IIe was married, in MeLean County, Ill., to Miss Prudie Vandeventer, who was born in Tennessee, and was the daughter of John Vandeventer, an carly pio- neer of this county. Mrs. Prudie Rutledge died at the home of her daughter, Melinda Sageser, at Le Roy, on the 27th of November, 1881.

John T. Rutledge was the eldest child of his par- ents' family. He attended school in the pioneer log cabin with puneheon floor and benehes, and chimney of dirt and sticks, built up on the outside. The fireplace occupied nearly the entire end of the cabin, and light was admitted through a square hole in the logs and covered with greased paper. He finished his education, however, in a frame_ school-house, the erection of which was considered quite an event. Our subject assisted his parents on the farm, and remained under the home roof until his marriage. He then cultivated a part of the old homestead for two years, whenee he re- moved to the farm which he now owns and oeeu- pies on section 11. At the time of taking posses- sion of this, it was wild prairie, with the sod yet un- turned. Ile labored industriously for its improve- ment and cultivation, and now has a fine estate with a good briek house, frame barn and all other necessary and convenient out-buildings.

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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 46

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