Portrait and biographical album of McLean county, Ill., containing full page portraits and biographical sketches of prominent and representative citizens of the county, Part 98

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 98

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Mr. Moore was united in marriage with Miss Mary J., daughter of Charles and Mary Moots, na- tives of Pennsylvania and Ohio respectively. Her parents after marriage first settled in Logan Coun- ty, Ohio, whenee they removed to Champaign County, the same State. The father died in the former county, and the mother in the latter. Of the children, five sons and four daughters, Mrs. Moore was the fourth in order of birth. She first saw light in Champaign County, Ohio, Jan. 25, 1825. Of her union with our subject eleven chil- dren have been born, four of whom died in in- fancy. The living are Mary E., William T., Warren, Rhoda, John L., Charles and Raphael. Mary is the wife of George J. Rexroth, and they are living in Napoleon, Ohio; William T. married Ellen Cary, and they are residents of Iroquois County, Ill .; Warren became the husband of Miss Mary L. Knowlton, and they live in Onarga, Iroquois Co., Ill .; Rhoda and H. S. Ford were united in mar- riage and are residents of Atlanta, Ill .; John mar- ried Miss Kittic Johnston, and they live in Iroquois County, Ill .; Charles and Miss Luella Leaeh were married and are at present residing at Ft. Scott, Kan .; Raphael is the only one of the children liv- ing at home.

Mr. Moore was appointed the first Postmaster in Towanda, under the administration of President Pieree. He assisted in laying the township out into school distriets, and served as Trustee for eight years. He also held the offiees of Township Treasurer and Justice of the Peaee for four years. He has settled eight different estates during his life, all of them in this county.

About 1857, Mr. Moore formed a partnership with Edwin Reeves, a brother of Judge Reeves of this county, for the purpose of buying, shipping and dealing in grain at Towanda. That partner- ship existed about two years, when Mr. Moore purchased the interest of his partner and earried on

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the business alone until about 1863. In the grain business he was prosperous, making considerable money, but on account of hard work and partial failure of health, he finally wisely retired to his farm within the corporation of Towanda, where he now resides.

Mr. Moore's people are of Welsh parentage. Raphael, the son of our subjeet, married Miss Mary A. Coons.

He and his good wife became members of the United Brethren Church in the fall of 1852, and our subjeet has been Trustee of his congregation for many years. Mr. Moore has also been a teaeh- er in the Sunday-sehool for twenty-five to thirty years. In polities he is a Republican, although it is well known that he voted the first Prohibition ticket that was ever cast in Towanda Village.

IRAM HARBERT, one of the oldest settlers, as well as best known and most highly re- speeted citizens of Bloomington Township, is the owner of 140 aeres of valuable land on seetion 27, most of which is under a good state of eultivation. Mr. Harbert eame to this seetion with his father in the spring of 1824, and most of his time sinee that date has been spent in Bloom- ington Township. He was born in Washington County, Ind., July 16, 1814. His father, Joseph B. Harbert, was a native of Kentucky, where he was reared to manhood, and there married Miss Anna Galloway, a native of the same State. Both were of American parentage, and Irish and English deseent, respectively. After the birth of a part of their large family, the parents, with three young children, moved northward into Indiana, where they located for a few years, during which time our subjeet was born. When he was a lad of about nine years old, his parents decided upon another removal and came over into Illinois, loeating at first in Sangamon County. Thenee they came to MeLean, arriving here on the 24th of March, 1821. Their home was in this eounty for some years thereafter, when the elder Harbert, with a part of his family, removed to Davis Connty. Iowa, where the parents spent the remainder of their lives. Jo-

seph Harbert was an old-line Whig in polities, a man of mueh foree of character and not afraid to express his 'views when opportunity presented. Both parents were worthy members of the Chris -. tian Church.

Hiram Harbert received his early education in the primitive sehools of MeLean County, not en- joying the advantages offered to the .youtli of to- day, by the splendid educational facilities of this county. The rude log sehool-house of the early pioneer days has been replaced with a handsome frame or briek structure, whiel for elegance and beauty of design rivals those of older settled eoun- ties. In place of the masters of the early days who were looked up to as superior beings, and were consulted on all matters of law, physie and religion, are teachers of liberal eulture, intelligent and progressive, many of whom have a broad and comprehensive idea of education, and regard their labor as something more than merely teaching in order to make a living, more than a knowledge of faets in the universe of mind and matter. It

means culture, the development and diseiplining of all the faculties of the human mind. While the people of this favored age are enjoying these blessings, they should not forget the struggles of the early pioneer to establish sehools for their ehil- dren. Through the pressure of poverty and priva- tion, at the earliest praetieal period, the pioneer planted the sehool-house, and made great sacrifices to sow the seed for the rieh harvest now enjoyed.

While a mere boy Hiram began the battle of life, having plenty of hard work, and enjoying few privileges. After arriving at years of manhood he was married to Miss Elizabeth Hendrix, who was the first white ehild born in MeLean County, and who passed from earth many years ago. She was the daughter of John Hendrix, one of the first set- tlers of the county. Mr. Harbert was again mar- ried, in Bloomington Township, to Miss Elizabeth Garr, who was a native of Marion County, Ky., born Sept. 25, 1821. Mrs. Harbert when a young girl fourteen years of age, eame to this State with her parents, who at onee located in Old Town Township, where they passed the remainder of their lives, and where Mrs. Harbert lived until her mar- riage. The household eirele of our subjeet and his

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wife has been completed by the birth of eight ehil- dren, two of whom, Lucy A. and Annie, have passed to the silent land; Nathan married Miss Cynthia A. Driscoll, and they live on the old home- stead; John, Hester M., George, Malinda and Hi- ram are at home.

The possessions of our subject have been aecu- mulated by his own industry, and while building up a home with his hands he has also, by his hon- est and upright course, built for himself . a repu- tation among his neighbors as that of an honest man and a good citizen. With his wife he is a member in good standing of the Christian Church, and in politics is a reliable Republican. Mr. Har- bert was Postmaster of Hendrix for ten years, and in other respects has been prominently identified with local affairs. No man has looked upon the development and progress of this great common- wealth of Illinois with greater satisfaction, and as opportunity has occurred, he has given his voice and influence to encourage the establishment of enterprises calculated to add more glory to his adopted State and credit to the county of MeLean. For over sixty years Mr. Harbert has lived in this community, indeed, the community has grown up around him. As a venerable patriarch, and one who has done much hard work, and given much valuable aid to the county and to the molding of the character of the people, we take pleasure in giv- ing the portrait of Mr. Harbert in this work.

W ILLIAM E. HILTS is a well-known citizen of Money Creek Township, residing upon section 33, and is engaged in general farm- ing. Ile is the son of William D. and Hannah V. (Ross) Hilts, the former a native of Tompkins County, N. Y., and the latter of New Jersey. The parents located in Hamilton County, Ohio, when they were both quite young, being taken there by their parents. There they developed iuto maturity, beeame acquainted with each other and were mar- ried, and there the father followed farming until some years after the death of his companion, which event occurred in September, 1852. Subsequently, in 1857, he came to this county aud settled on sec-

tion 8, Towanda Township. Living there until the spring of 1874, they moved to Bloomington, where his demise occurred September 28 of that year. Eight children were born to Mr. and Mrs. William D. Hilts, and all lived to attain the age of inan and womanhood, namely, Harriett, George, William E., Samuel, Marcus, Minerva, Jane V. and Peter P. The latter died at Bloomington, Ill., when in the nineteenth year of his life; Harriett became the wife of Rev. Robert Conover, of Lexington, Ill .; George is living in Towanda Township; Samuel is engaged in mereantile pursuits at Towanda; Marens is a far- mer of Towanda Township; Minerva is the wife of Rev. Thompson Ewing, and they are living at Blairs- ville, Indiana Co., Pa .; Jane V. and Dr. Madison H. Rose were united in marriage and they are liv- ing at Thorntown, Ind.

The subject of this notice was born in Springfield Township, Hamilton Co., Ohio, July 9, 1837. He received a good education in the common schools and made Hamilton Connty his home until the fall of 1856. He then came to this county and loeating / in Towanda Township, was engaged in farming un- til April, 1863, when he removed to Money Creek Township, and settling on section 23, has there con- tinued his ehosen vocation until the present time. He has 170 acres of good land, well improved, with good and substantial buildings upon it.

Mr. Hilts was married iu Money Creek Town- ship to Miss Sarah E. Stewart, on the 4th of Au- gust, 1859. Her parents were Austin H. and Isa- bella (Lamme) Stewart; her father was born in Washington County, N. Y., and her mother in Montgomery County, Ohio. The father was a fuller by trade and during the latter part of his life was engaged in farming. They first settled in Dayton County, Ohio, after their marriage, and in 1856 came to this eounty, and taking up their residenee in Money Creek Township, made that their home until they were separated by the death of the wife, which occurred two years after their arrival in the county. He died in 1866. Eight children were born of their union-William J., Sarah E., Mary A., David L. R., Charles F., Thomas C., Henry A. and Austin H. William J. was a praetieiug physician and died in Union City, Ind .; Mary A. was the wife of J. W. Rockwell and died

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in Vinita, Ind. Ter .; David L. R. departed this life at Towanda, in 1855; Charles F. resides in Nashville, Tenn .: Thomas C. is living at Mobile, Ala. ; Henry A. died at Ft. Scott, Kan .; Austin H. resides at Nashville, Tenn.

Mrs. Hilts was born at Dayton, Ohio, . Jan. 7, 1837, and lived at home until after her marriage with our subject. By her union with Mr. Hilts she has become the mother of six children-Fannie B., Elbert E., Charles A., Roscoe S., William R. and Henry V. Fannic dicd when eight years old and Elbert when seven. Mr. IIilts has been Supervisor of his township two terms and also Township Assessor and Collector for several terms. In poli- tics he is Republican, and religiously he and his wife are members of the Presbyterian Church.

G OTTLIEB ARNOLD, a representative of that sturdy, energetic race which has done so much toward the agricultural develop- ment of McLean County, is pleasantly located on his fine farm on section 21, Towanda Township, where he is meeting with more than ordinary suc- cess. He is the son of Gottlieb and Johanna (Mor- lock) Arnold, natives of Germany, in which country they continucd to reside until their death. The former was a weaver by trade and followed that calling until his demise. Of the six sons and three daughters born to the parents, our subject was the eldest son. He was born in Wurtemberg, Germany, May 30, 1831.

Early in life Mr. Arnold learned the weaver's trade and labored at the same for three or four years, or until he emigrated to the United States. The voyage to this country was made in 1854, our subject disembarking at New York City and going at once to Lancaster County, Pa. There he worked at farm labor for about a year and a half and then came to Bloomington, this county, living in that city about four years. While there he worked at brickmaking part of the time, afterward engaged in teaming. He then rented a farm and lived on it for about a year, when he removed to another in Towanda Township, which he also rented and suc .. cessfully cultivated for three years. By this time

he was enabled to purchase eighty acres, which he did and which was located on section 21, Towanda Township, and onto which he moved and has lived until the present time. IIc erected good buildings on his farm and by economy and hard labor succeeded in saving sufficient to cnable him to add to his original purchase and is now the owner of . 320 acres of valuable and productive land, all lo- cated in Towanda Township.

Mr. Arnold was married at Bloomington, Feb. 17, 1859, to Catherine Blum, born in Germany, Oct. 21, 1833. Slic came to this country in 1856, and by her union with our subject has be- come the mother of seven children: William, who married Clara Franke, and is a farmer of Towanda Township; Charles, Kate, George, Mary, Jacob and Carrie. Mr. Arnold has held the office of Overseer of Highways, and also that of School Director. He and his wife are members of the Ger- man Methodist Church, and in politics he is a Re- publican.

A fine lithographie view of the residence, out- buildings and stock on the farm of Mr. Arnold, is shown elsewhere in this work.

ATHEW RICHARDSON, a large land- owner and successful farmer and stock- holder of Padua Township, is the possessor of a fine homestead including 350 acres of good land, most of which is on section 11, and thirty acres of it being in timber. The estate is supplied with a fine set of 'modern farm buildings, a beautiful residence, substantial barn and all other necessary out-buildings. His stock and machinery are of first-class description and everything about the premises indicates the thrift, industry and in- telligence of its proprietor. Mr. Richardson has been eminently the architect of his own fortunc, his worldly possessions being but $5 in cash and a suit of clothes, when he first came to this county. By ycars of industrious toil and good management, he now has a beautiful home, and is enjoying the re- spect and confidence of a large circle of friends and acquaintances.

When we look at the family history of Mr.

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Richardson we are not surprised at what he has ac- complished, for he comes of excellent Scottish an- cestry, distinguished for their morality, intelligence and industry. He also was a native of Scotland, born in Dumfriesshire, in 1824, and was the seventh child of a family of ten, born to John and Margaret (Lattimer) Richardson, both of whom were born and reared in Dumfriesshire, where they were mar- ried and spent their lives. They started out in life with good prospects, and the father for a number of years followed the pursuit of agriculture with rc- markable success. He finally lost most of his property as thousands of others have done, by going sccurity for friends and being compelled to make good the bond. The mother died when our sub- ject was but ten years of age, and the father six years after Mathew had come to the United States.

After the death of his mother, our subject con- tinued to remain with his father until his marriage, which took place in his native county in 1850. The maiden of his choice was Miss Christina Nicol, who was born and rcared in the same neighborhood where her husband passed his boyhood and youth. After the birth of two children, Margaret and Jane, Mathew Richardson and his wife resolved to cmi- grate to the United States. After a voyage of five weeks they landed in New York City, whence they came directly to Chicago. In the meantime our sub- ject had his pocket-book stolen, which, with the ex- ception of twenty-five cents, contained all his money. The contents of the pocket-book, however, he re- marks, would have seemed a very small sum to a rich man. He fortunately met a friend in Chicago with whom he remained six weeks and obtained such employment as his hands could find to do. Then he journeyed to Bloomington, this county, arriving here with $5 in his pocket. He rented a tract of land and operated on rented land for sev- eral years until he was able to secure a farm of his own. His first purchase was 160 acres on section 13, Belleflower Township. This he sold in 1867 and purchased eighty acres which constitutes a part of his present homestead. Besides his possessions in this county he has a quarter section of improved land in Lancaster County, Neb.

Mr. and Mrs. Richardson became the parents of twelve children : Margaret, Jane, Agnes (dcccased),

Mary, John, Jennette, William, Mathew, Archi- bald, Thomas, George, and one who died unnamed. Two sons and all the daughters are married. They are regular attendants of the Methodist Episcopal Church, and our subject politically is a solid Re- publican.

AMUEL S. GALBRAITH, of Chenoa Township, is one of its most prominent and successful farmers, and the proprietor of 240 acres of valuable land, located on section 18. Of late years he has been giving his attention chicfly to the breeding of Short-horn cat- tle and Norman horses, and has gained an enviable reputation in this department of business.

Many of the early settlers of this region, to whom it has been indebted for its rapid and substantial growth and progress, have emigrated from the Keystone State. Mr. Galbraith also claims this State as his birthplacc. He was born near Can- nonsburg, Pa., Oct. 17, 1833, and is the son of Charles and Isabella (Miller) Galbraith, natives of the North of Ireland. The mother came to this country in 1811, with her people, who took passage on an English vessel and made their first landing at Halifax, Nova Scotia. There they were de- tained until after the War of 1812. After their release they went to Philadelphia, Pa., and after tarrying a short time in the Quaker City, removed to Washington County. The father of our subject emigrated to America after the close of the War of 1812, and first stopped in Philadelphia. He was married in Washington County, that State, and remained in that locality until 1850, then removed to Harrison County, Ohio, locating upon a farm, where he and his good wife spent the remainder of their days.

Of the elevcn children of Charles and Isabella Galbraith, nine lived to maturity, and six still sur- vive. Of these, Samuel of our sketch was the fifth in order of birth, and grew to manhood in the Buckeye State. He received a fair education in the district schools and when nearly twenty-seven years of age was united in marriage with Miss Al- bina Hazelett, of Harrison County, Ohio. In 1865 he removed to Illinois and located upon his pres-

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ent farmi in this county. Here he has steadily fol- lowed the industrious and temperate habits to which he was trained by most excellent parents, and has become one of the most valued citizens of this section. Mr. and Mrs. G. are the parents of one ehild, a son, Charles S. Mr. G. is Republican in polities, and his wife is a member of the United Brethren Church.

E DWIN H. BURBANK, who owns a quarter seetion of finely improved land on seetion 34, in Bluc Mound Township, is a native of Java, Wyoming Co., Y. Y., and was born March 16, 1841. He is. the son of Alden C. and Eliza (Salter) Burbank, the former a native of Massachu- setts, and the latter of Vermont. Alden C. Burbank was born Oet. 21, 1814, and his wife May 22, 1815. After marriage they settled on a farm in Wyoming County, where the father cultivated the soil and continued to reside until his death, which occurred April 10, 1886, when seventy-one years of age. The inother is still living on the old homestead in Wyoming County. Their five children were, Seth H., Edwin H., Julia A., Medusa S. and Llewellyn R.

The father of our subject owned a small farm and upon this Edwin was reared, and received a good common-school education. He made his home with his parents until he was twenty-three years old, but in the meantime was employed at whatever his hands eould find to do, for the people in that vieinity. He was then married and worked out for two years thereafter, then went to Freedom, Cattaraugus County, N. Y., where he purchased a farm of fifty acres. There he lived with his family about two years, then sold out and eame to Deca- tur where, after two months he purehased a farm in company with his brother-in-law, C. J. Frink, in Moultrie County, Ill. He lived there one year, and in Mareh, 1869, came to McLean County and rented land in Old Town Township for seven years. He then, in the spring of 1876, came to Blue Mound Township and settled on section 34, where he now owns 160 acres of fertile land which he has brought to a fine state of eultivation. Here he lias a good dwelling and all the out-buildings required

by the progressive and first-class farmer. Mr. Bur- bank has been a leading man in his community; was. Highway Commissioner for nine years, Sehool Director and also Sehool Trustee. Politically he is a reliable Republican, and is fulfilling all the obli- gations of a good citizen.

Mr. Burbank was married in Arcade, Wyoming Co., N. Y., March 29, 1864, to Miss Isadore, daughter of John B. and Harriet (Wells) Frink. (Sce sketch of John B. Frink, of Old Town Township). Mrs. B. was the fifth of a family of eight ehildren and was born in' Arcade, then known as China, Wyoming Co., N. Y., July . 25, 1842, where she lived until her marriage. Of this union there have been born two children-Harriet E., Aug. 2, 1866, and Grant, Nov. 4, 1868.

R. J. HALLETT, a successful homeopathic physician of Bloomington, is located at No. 211 North Main street, and since his residence here, which embraces a period of thirty years, has established himself in the con- fidence and esteem of his fellow townsmen, both as a practitioner and citizen.

Dr. Hallett was born in England, in the year 1843, being the son of James M. and Lydia S. Hallett, natives of the same country. The younger days of our subject were passed under the home roof and in attendance at a select school un- til nine years of age, when his parents emigrated to America and settled in Walnut Hills, Ohio, where our subject pursued his studies in the public seliools until 1857. 'The family then removed further westward to the Prairie State, and located in Bloomington, where their son proscouted his studies in the First Ward public school for two years. He then went to Belleville, in the southern part of the State whence, after one year he returned to Bloomington, and remained until the outbreak of the late war. He then enlisted in Capt. Harvey's company, but after going to Springfield was re- jected on aeeount of his youtlı. He tried it again, however, in August following, and this time be- came a member of Co. B, 39th Ill. Vol. Inf., serv- ing until the close of the war, and was mustered

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out in December, 1865. He entered serviee as a pri- vate, but was promoted Sergeant and afterward commanded his eompany from August, 1864, until April 2, 1865, the senior offieers being in the hos- pital on account of wounds received in battle.

From the elose of the war until 1872, Dr. Ilal- lett was engaged in business at Bloomington and Heyworth, and soon afterward was appointed Deputy Cireuit Clerk, which office he held three years. He then took up the study of medieine with Dr. H. B. Wright, of Bloomington, and en- tered Ifahnenann College, from which he graduated on the 21st of February, 1878. He then praetieed medieine two years in Pekin, Ill., and sinee that time, in Bloomington.

Dr. Hallett was married in Pekin in 1881, to Miss Ella, the daughter of H. M. and Elizabeth (Ledtermann) Rodenbeek. Mr. R. was of German birth and ancestry, and Mrs. R., of German parent- age but born in America. Of this union there have been born two children-James C. and Henry A. Dr. Hallett is a member of the I. O. O. F. and G. A. R., and socially as well as professionally oeeu- pies a position in the front ranks.

OHN McCUNE, deceased, was one of the pioneer settlers of Chenoa Township, and a man greatly respected for his excellent traits of character and his worthy qualities as a eitizen, neighbor and friend. Ile was born on a farm in Cumberland County, Pa., Feb. 11, 1829, and was the son of John and Mary A. (Wilson) MeCune, natives of the Keystone State. The father of our subjeet died when the latter was but six years of age. This sad event left the mother a widow with seven children, of whom our subjeet was the third. The brothers and sisters of Mr. McCune are as follows : William C. died when about sixty-seven years of age; Elizabeth became the wife of S. Barr, of Iowa; Mary A., Mrs. James Sharp. is now deceased; Nellie married John Quig- ley, of Newburg, Pa .; Naney died in youth; Ha- dassah E. was married to Joel Hieks, and lives in Ohio; Rosanna married James II. W. Moore; Sarah

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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 98

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