Portrait and biographical album of McLean county, Ill., containing full page portraits and biographical sketches of prominent and representative citizens of the county, Part 59

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 59

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

The grandfather of Mr. Easterbrook was left an orphan when quite young and was taken in charge by his unele, Rev. Joseph Easterbrook, who was a minister in the Church of England. This gentle- inan gave him a father's eare and sent him to sehool. About three months prior to his graduation he was out with other students " sky-larking " in Lineoln, and he with six others were found with the King George sixpenee in their poekets, and were foreed to leave seliool and go into the army.

R. DAVID A. WHITE, a prominent and sueeessful physician of MeLean County, residing at Oak Grove, White Oak Town- ship, is a native of Jackson County, Ohio, and was born Mareh 22, 1847. His parents were William and Anna (Wade) White, natives respeet- ively of Maryland and Pennsylvania. William White was born in 1804, and Anna, his wife, July 4, 1812. They were married in Beaver County, Pa., Dec. 30, 1830, and resided there until 1845, when they removed to Jackson County, Ohio, in company with the family of Isaae Seott and Naney Bryan and her father, Elisha Veasy. They eame down the Ohio River on a flatboat. The water was very low, and they spent eleven days on the river from Logstown to Gallipolis, from whieli latter plaee they continued their journey in wagons.

The grandparents of our subjeet, Arthur and Elizabeth (Bell) White, were natives of Connty Down, Ireland, where they were reared, and mar-

ried in 1799. They emigrated to America early in their married life, and became the parents of four- teen children, as follows: 'Their first ehild died while crossing the ocean but was buried in America; John and Jolinson (twins), William, Mary A., James, Alexander, Arthur, Ellen, Andrew (died in childhood), Samuel, David, Robert and Andrew. They all married and reared large families except Johnson, who never married. John, Johnson, Will- iam and Robert are deeeased. James, Alexander, Arthur and Samuel are living in Pennsylvania. David, Andrew and Ellen, in Ohio; Mary A., in Kansas. The mother of these children died in 1827, at the age of fifty years. Arthur White set- tled in Beaver County, Pa., in an early day, where he followed farming and weaving. He was married three times, and was the father of nineteen ehil- dren. Ilis second marriage was with Jenny Hor- ner in 1831, and they had two children; the first, a daughter, died when a few months old, and the second was a boy (imbeeile), the mother dying a few days after his birth. The third wife of Arthur White was a widow, Mrs. Brown, with five children. The first birth of this marriage was twin boys, one of whom died when a few months old; the other, Joseph, grew to manhood and died in the Union army during the Rebellion. The second born, Elizabeth, is still living in Pennsylvania. His third wife lived to the advanced age of ninety years. Arthur White died in 1853, at the age of eighty- four years. His parents, Arthur and Mollie (In- gram) White, were natives of Ireland. They had two sons and one daughter, as follows: Henry, Mollie and Arthur.

The father of our subjeet, William White, died in Jackson County, Ohio, March 17, 1878; the mother is still living in that State, and is in her seventy-fifth year. The household eirele ineluded eleven children, eight sons and three daughters, of whom the record is as follows: Samuel married Miss Mary R. Ransom in 1855; they are now liv- ing in Jackson County, Ohio, and have beeome the parents of thirteen ehildren, one deeeased. James married Miss Amy Groosman, and they are living in Carroll County, Mo .; they have five sons and one daughter, two boys deceased .. Arthur died in his youth; John W. married Miss Margaret Harper;

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they had seven children, one deceased. William W. married Miss Millie Keiser; they have three sons and one daughter. Johnson A. married Miss Margaret Aeton, and they have six sons and three daughters living, one son dead. Alexander L. mar- ried Miss Jenny MeDowell, and they became the parents of seven children, one now.deceased, atwin daughter.' Sarah E. and Mary E. are unmarried. Anna M. married Albert Kelley, and they now live in Missouri. The parents and all the children were at one time members of the United Presbyterian Churel. William White was a ruling Elder in the church. In polities he was a staneli Republican, as were all his children.

Dr. White of this notice was the eighth son of his parents' children. He received his early educa- tion in a log school-house with slab benches for seats. It was his father's rule that his boys should stay at home and work for him on the farm until they were twenty years of age, that they might in a measure pay for their rearing, and the subject of our sketch stayed on the farm the required time. . During the rebellion his brothers were all in the army, in consequence of which fact he was sub- jected to unusual exposure on the farm, which caused an abseess of the liver, from which trouble lie did not recover for a year. Ilis physicians and friends gave him up to die, but although he suf- fered a great deal and was brought to the verge of the grave, he recovered. This circumstance inelined him to the study of medicine. From this time on he used every means to secure a knowledge of the healing art. After leaving the farm he spent eight months as elerk in his brother's store, receiving his board and clothes as wages. Not being inelined to the mercantile business, and realizing that teaching was more in the line of his aspirations, he at onee commeneed teaching school. He continued teach- ing during the winter and attending the National Normal School at Lebanon, Ohio, during the sum- iner, for about four years. He had by this time become a successful teacher, and it was with some difficulty that he broke off from this calling to pur- sue his higher calling of a physician. Having ae- cumulated some money by teaching, he entered the Ohio University and took a preparatory course to the study of muediciue. He read medicine under Dr

A. B. Monahan, of Jackson, Ohio, and entered the Medical College of Ohio at Cincinnati, from which institution he graduated March 1, 1875, and com- meneed the practice of his profession in Jackson County, Ohio. From there he removed to Seioto County, and after a residence of three years at eaeli place, turned his steps westward, coming to this State in April, 1882, and locating in Oak Grove. Here he has become a prominent and val- ued citizen. Having to rely entirely on his own resources, not having a dollar excepting as he earned it, he had to encounter many difficulties in life, and therefore did not graduate until he was twenty- eight years of age.

Dr. White was married in Jackson County, Ohio, Sept. 10, 1874, to Miss Eliza E. Vandervort. 'Mrs. White accompanied her husband to Illinois in 1882, and has been his cheerful and faithful assistant in all his undertakings. Both are members of the United Presbyterian Church, and enjoy the friend- ship and association of the most cultured people of this vicinity. They have one daughter, Florence E., born Aug. 28, 1875.

James Vandervort, the father of Mrs. White of our sketch, was born April 20, 1818, and married Sept. 22, 1846, to Miss Eleanor Glison, who was born April 30, 1821. Both were natives of Penn- sylvania, where Mr. Vandervort followed the trade of a carpenter and farmer until about the year 1866, when they removed to Jackson County, Ohio, where they now reside. Their family of ten chil- dren were named as follows: John G., Jane Y. (deceased), Robert (died in infancy), Robert A., Eliza E., James M., Martin (deceased), Albert A., Mary R. and Benjamin F. Dr. White is a Repub- lican but favors prohibition of the liquor traffic.

n EWTON J. BATTERSHELL, the successful jeweler of Heyworth, established himself in business here Nov. 15, 1877. Since that time he has devoted himself actively to his busi- ness and has met with deserved success. Ile com- meneed in a modest manner, but by industry and close attention to the preferences of his patrons, has built up a profitable and steadily increasing

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trade. He eommeneed without eapital, but is now the owner of a good briek building, and earries a fine line of first-class goods.

Mr. Battershell served his apprenticeship under that skillful and well-known watehmaker, Cyrus Stall, of Elgin, Ill., remaining with him three years. Later he worked as a " jonr" in Hillsdale, Mich., afterward in Chicago, whenee he came to Heyworth, and determined to establish in business for himself. He came here without money and eomparatively withont friends, in faet his sole possessions consisted of a good reputation and an honest purpose to deal fairly, and he purposed starting in a business at which several others before him had failed. The result has shown what may be aeeomplislied by resolution and perseveranee.

The subject of this history was born in Bryan, Williams Co., Ohio, April 3, 1853. His father, Moses Battershell, was a shoemaker, and did busi- ness in Williams Center, Ohio, for a number of years. He died while still a young man, being only twenty-seven years of age, leaving a widow and two children. The mother died one year later. On the same night our subjeet was born his brother Edwin died. The sister remaining, whose name was Mary, beeame the wife of Eli Culbertson, and now lives near Grand Rapids, Ohio, on the banks of the Maumee River, where her husband is suceessfully engaged in farming. The maiden name of the mother was Cordelia Beam, and by her death our subjeet was left an orphan in early childhood. He was taken into the home of an unele, John N. Ryan, of Bryan, Ohio, where he remained for some years, and received a common-school education. When thirteen years old, his aunt having died, he set out to make his own living, and was variously engaged until seventeen, when : he entered upon an apprenticeship at his present trade.

Our subjeet was married on the 3d of May, 1883, in Heyworth, to Mrs. Aliee Battershell, the daugh- ter of John Wakefield, of Randolph Township. Mrs. B. was born in this township, Nov. 9, 1854, pursuing her early studies in the schools of Hey- worth, and completing them at a college in Ohio, and made her home with her parents until her first mar- riage to W. V. Battershell, a cousin of our snbjeet. He was born and reared in Defiance County, Ohio,

and died at the home of his father in that county, with consumption, on the 1st of Angust, 1880. He had been engaged in the groeery trade in Hey- worth, and was a snecessful and eapable business man. Of this union there was one ehild, a daugh- ter, Grace, who died a few months after her father. Our subjeet is Democratie in polities, and with his wife, is a worthy member of the Presbyter- ian Church.

JUDSON WILSON, Clerk of Dale Town- ship, is pleasantly located on seetion 11, and is well known and highly respected as a publie-spirited man who has filled many offices of trust in the township, and has fully mer- ited the confidenee which his fellow-citizens have imposed in him. He comes of an exeellent family, noted for their enterprising publie spirit, their edu- cation, intelligence and refinement. The subject of our sketeh is a native of Madison County, N. Y., and was born on the 26th of December, 1829. His father, William Wilson, was of English birth and ancestry, having first opened his eyes to the light in Newcastle-upon-Tyne in 1791, being the son of Thomas and Mary Wilson, of the same country, and descended from a long and honorable line.

In 1801 Thomas Wilson, accompanied by his wife and seven ehildren, emigrated to the United States, locating in Schenectady, N. Y. They only remained there for a brief period, however, and then, boarding a flatboat on the Mohawk River, pro- eeeded to a point near the eity of Utiea, that State, which was then called Baggs Tavern. From there Thomas Wilson went into the wilderness and pur- chased a tract of heavy timber land near what has been sinee known as Fenner Corners, in Madison County. Here he eleared a farm, enltivated and improved the soil, and established a comfortable homestead, upon which he remained until his death, which occurred in 1825. His son William, the fa- ther of onr subjeet, there grew to manhood and in- herited forty aeres of land from his father's estate. He purchased eight acres adjoining, erceted a good set of buildings, and lived there nntil 1844, when he decided to remove to the West where he could seeure a larger area of land. He started via

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MCLEAN COUNTY.

eanal to Buffalo, thenee by the lake to Chicago, where he purchased a span of horses and a wagon and then proceeded overland to MeLean County.

After arriving here William Wilson purchased 160 aeres of land on the southwest quarter of see- tion 11. Of this there had been forty aeres broken and feneed, and a good frame house finished with black walnut shingles, and sideboards of the same within and without. In 1858 he praetieally retired from active labor, rented his farm and removed to Bloomington, where he spent the remainder of his days, his death occurring in 1872. The wife of his youtlı was Miss Lydia Maln, who was born in Ash- ford, Windham Co., Conn., Aug. 6, 1799. She was the daughter of Thomas and Luey (Tyler) Main, and the grand-daughter of Josepli and Luey (Fish) Tyler. She remained the faithful and affectionate companion of her husband through many years of changes and labors, and survived him until Mareh 20, 1884, dying in Bloomington at tlie advanced age of over eighty-five years. Their household cirele was completed by the birth of nine children, of whom the record is as follows: Mary became the wife of W. H. Holmes, and died in Bloomington, Ill .; Adelia married Samuel Landor, a pioneer of Bloomington, and they now live in Texas; Luey became the wife of Hiram Hart, of Utica, N. Y .; Lydia was married to Charles W. Godard, and died in Brooklyn, N. Y .; Walter departed this life while on a visit to Clinton, N. Y., and his remains were interred at Bloomington; Edward is a resident of Dale Township; A. Judson. the subject of our sketcli, was next in order of birth; Elizabeth be- eame the wife of C. C. Holmes, and died in Bloom- ton. The parents of Mr. Holmes were among the earliest pioneers of Bloomington, loeating there in 1835, when the present flourishing eity was but an hnmble hamlet of a few houses. Mr. H. was a earpenter and a skilled meehanie, and ereeted the first briek house in the town. Henry C. Wilson is a resident of St. Louis, Mo., but is now traveling in Europe.

A. Judson Wilson of our sketeli was the third son of his parents, and spent his early years under the parental roof. Ile attended the distriet seliool and assisted his father in the lighter duties of the homestead until 1844, when he went to live with

his uncle, Edward Wilson, of Madison County, N. Y., with whom he remained for six years following. Then in 1850 he turned his face westward and eame to Illinois, making his first location in Me- Lean County. He commeneed teaching school in Randolph Township, and the next summer taught in Dale Township. In the fall of 1851 he entered the employ of Robinson & Betts, who were en- gaged in general merchandise at Bloomington while the town was yet in its infancy. Their stoek ineluded almost everything that could be named for use about the farm and household, and young Wilson remained with these and other firms until 1862. He purchased the south half of his fa- ther's homestead in 1866, upon which he located, and has been engaged in farmning sinee that time. His land was comparatively uncultivated, but he . set himself industriously to work to improve its condition and raise the erops upon which he de- pended for his profits and livelihood. He was soon rewarded for his labors by the picture of smiling fields and growing grain, and as time passed on lie added beauty to utility, erected a handsome resi- denee and good out-buildings, planted fruit and shade trees, and is now possessed of one of the pret- tiest homesteads in MeLean County. The land is subdivided by green and handsome hedges, and is well stocked with good breeds of domestic animals. He is engaged mostly in mixed husbandry, and is supplied with all the implements and appliances for carrying on agriculture after the most approved methods. A fine view of the residenee of Mr. Wilson is shown in this work.

The marriage of A. Judson Wilson and Miss El- len Cornell was celebrated in September, 1860. The wife of our subjeet was born in Providence, R. I., on the 24th of April, 1839, and was the daughter of Serril and Elisa (Hopkins) Cornell. Of this union there were born nine ehildren, of whom the record is as follows: Nellie is the wife of John A. Cobbs and lives in Olney, Richland Co., Ill. ; Charles W. is a resident of Wichita, Kan. ; Ed- ward M., Elizabeth, Abbie, Mary, Robert, Frank and Ilarry are at home with their parents.

Soon after eomning to this county the natural abilities of our subjeet received due recognition, and he was called upon to fill the offices which usu-

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ally devolved upon the leading and best , qualified eitizens. For nineteen years he has served as School Director, was Supervisor for a period of six years, and has held the position of Town Clerk for nearly two years. He is giving his children the advantages of a good education, the older ones having attended the Wesleyan Academy at Bloom- ington and the Normal School of Valparaiso, Ind., and Libbie is at the High School in Olney, Ill. The parents and four of their children are connected with the Baptist Church of Bloomington. Mr. Wil- son is Republican in polities, uniformly easting his vote in support of the principles of that party, and in all respects is fulfilling the duties of a eonseien- tions citizen.

. Edward M. Wilson, son of our subject, is a young man of more than ordinary ability, a fine seholar, and possessed of literary and artistic talent. He has compiled a history of Dale Township with bio- graphieal sketehes of early settlers, having printed it with a pen and illustrated it with lead pencil drawings of the pioneer homes and those of the present day. The whole makes a remarkably inter- esting volume, and is admired by everyone who has seen it. It not only shows great skill with the pen and pencil but is a marked illustration of per- severing industry, the work expended upon it hav- ing consumed many weeks of eareful and trying labor.

ANIEL ROSE. Located on section 6, Cheney's Grove Township, lies one of the prettiest homesteads in McLean Coun- ty, the property of the gentleman whose name stands at the head of this sketch. It consists of 220 acres of valuable land under a fine state of eultivation, with a handsome and substantial resi- denee, a good barn, and all necessary out-buildings for the storing of grain and the shelter of stock. The fenees and farm machinery are kept in good repair, and everything about the premises indicates the supervision of the progressive and enterprising farmer and eitizen.

Mr. Rosc is a native of this State, born in Clark County, Sept. 6, 1846. Ilis parents were Ira B. and Julia (Martin) Rosc, the former a native of

New York State, and the mother of Indiana. Ira B. Rose was born Oct. 6, 1805, spent his eliildhood and youtlı in his native State near the eity of Rochester, and when about twenty years of age became a resident of Kentucky. There he fol- lowed the trade of a earpenter until 1831, then came to Illinois and located in Clark County. Here he followed his trade the remainder of his life, his death oceurring Dec. 3, 1880. The mother was born Aug. 30, 1820, and was married to Mr. Rose in 1836. She departed this life at her home in Martinsville, Clark Co., Ill., on the 10th of August, 1855. She was a member of the Winebrenarial Church. The record of their ninc children is as follows: Elim died in infaney; Martha J., born July 31, 1839, became the wife of David C. Myers; John N., born Jan. 31, 1842, married Miss Drury A. Tudor; William H., born April 25, 1844, mar- ried Miss Mary A. Ashby; Daniel of our sketch was the fifth ehild; Didama, born April 15, 1849, beeame the wife of George Harris; David, born April 20, 1851, married Miss Ellen McIntire ; Eine- line P., born Dec. 22, 1854, died April 31, 1866.

The subject of our sketeh remained with his par- ents until the breaking out of the late war, and al- though only about sixteen years of age, enlisted as a soldier, becoming a member of Co. G, 123d Illi- nois Mounted Infantry. He was mustered into service at Martinsville, Clark County, and partiei- pated with his comrades in the battle of Stone River, and many other engagements and skir- mishes. He served his full term of three years and received his honorable discharge at Springfield in 1865. He again took up his residenee in Clark County, from which he removed in 1868 to Me- Lean County.

Mr. Rose was married, on the 7th of November, 1876, to Miss Rhoda E. Tudor, who is a native of this eounty, born April 4, 1858. She is the daugh- ter of Thomas H. and Sophia (Hunter) Tudor, the former a native of Madison County and the latter of Jessamine County, Ky. Thomas H. Tudor was born July 4, 1828, and departed this life at the home of our subjeet, Sept. 14, 1885. In 1846 he enlisted in the regular army and engaged in the Mexican War, being a member of the 1st Kentucky Regiment. He was at the battles of Buena Vista

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and Palo Alto, and eseaped unharmed. He then returned to his farming pursuits until the breaking out of the late Civil War, when he enlisted in the 11th Kentucky Cavalry, serving three years. Al- though not wounded he never recovered from the hardships which he endured as a soldier, his health being completely undermined.

The mother of Mrs. Rose was born March 24, 1833. The parental family ineluded six ehildren -Richard P., Thursey, Rhoda E., Drury A., and two who died in infaney. Mr. Tudor was a striet Republiean in polities, and a member of MePherson Post No. 79, G. A. R., at Saybrook, Ill.

Daniel Rose eame to MeLean County in 1868, first loeating at Funk's Grove, where he was em- ployed as a farm laborer by the month for two years. He then rented a farm six years, and at the expiration of that time purchased 160 aeres of land, to which he subsequently added, and formed his present fine homestead. His three children are as fol- lows: Frankie was born Feb. 18, 1878, and died Jan. 19, 1879; Lora M. was born Nov. 10, 1880, and Charles E., Oct. 25, 1882.

The father of our subjeet was one of the earliest settlers of Clark County, this State, where he pur- ehased a traet of land and laid a portion of it off into town lots, forming a village which was after- ward named Martinsville, where he spent the re- mainder of his days. He was a Republican in poli- tics, and was widely and favorably known through- out that seetion as a man who generously identified himself with its interests and worked for its pros- perity and welfare. The beautiful residenee of Mr. Rose is handsomely lithographed on another page of this volume.

OSHUA J. GRAYSON. This gentleman is elosely connected with the industrial inter- ests of Saybrook, where he has been oceu- pied for a number of years as a earpenter and joiner. He is a native of Dayton, Ohio, born Jan. 2, 1836, and the son of Joshua and Margaret (Mullen) Grayson, the father a native of Virginia, and the mother of Kentucky, and of Irish aneestry. Joshua Grayson followed the oeeupation of a

farmer all his life. He was a member of the Christian Church, and Demoeratie in polities until during the progress of the late war, when he eon- sidered he had reason to ehange his views, and be- eame a zealous Republiean. IIe departed this life at Maysville, Ky., in 1878. Mrs. Margaret Gray- son survived her husband until the fall of 1883, and also died in Maysville, having been a member of the same ehureh as her husband. Their five children were Joshua, Joseph, Mary, Margaret and Franeis M. The first wife of Joshua Grayson, Sr., was a Miss Cory, who lived about ten years after their marriage, and they had three children-John, Reason and Elizabeth.

The subject of this history learned his trade in Kentucky, and with the exeeption of a short time spent at farming, has followed it up to the present time. IIe eame to Illinois in 1864, and is eonsid- ered one of the finest workmen in McLean County, besides possessing more than ordinary business abil- ity and intelligence. He is an extensive reader, well posted in theology and polities, and possesses a large fund of general information. He is essen- tially a self-made man, and eommeneed life at the foot of the ladder, without a eent exeept his own earnings. Through the exercise of the strietest economy and untiring industry he has seeured a fair competeney, and is in possession of a good home.

Mr. Grayson was married, Feb. 9, 1865, to Miss Matilda J. Rigdon, a native of Lewis County, Ky., and born Dee. 5, 1842. She is the daughter of Eli T. and Dieie (Hurst) Rigdon, both natives of Kentucky. Mr. R. is still living, making his home in Lewis County, Ky., where he is prominently eon- neeted with the Christian Church as one of its Elders. He is Republican in politics, and in all respeets a worthy and valued citizen. Ile has been twiee married. The children of his first wife, the mother of Mrs. Grayson, were James, Matilda, William, Malinda, Clayborn, Lewis and Sanford. Mrs. Dieie Rigdon died, and Mr. Rigdon then mar- ried Miss Louisa Plummer. Of this union there were born five children-Ida, Taylor, Hattie, Jas- per and Osear; the latter two are deeeased.

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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 59

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