Portrait and biographical album of Warren County, Illinois : containing full page portraits and biographical sketches of prominent and representative citizens of the county, Part 48

Author:
Publication date: 1886
Publisher: Chicago : Chapman Bros.
Number of Pages: 794

USA > Illinois > Warren County > Portrait and biographical album of Warren County, Illinois : containing full page portraits and biographical sketches of prominent and representative citizens of the county > Part 48

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common to them for a long time after they came here. As one of the most worthy of the pioneers, and a truly representative citizen of Warren County, the portrait of " Uncle Ben" Gardner is presented in this volume.

ndrew W. Simmons, owner of 479 acres of land, all of which is located in Greenbush Township, except a tract of 80 acres, which lies in Berwick Township, resides on section 8, of the former township. He is a native of Kentucky, having been born in Warren Co., that State, Sept. 2, 1816. He came to Illinois with his parents in October, 1816. The father of Mr. Simmons, James Simmons, married Miss Sarah Stice, in 1815, in Kentucky. She was born in 1798, in. that State, where her husband also first saw the light, in 1795. They both died in this township, the father in 1873 and the mother in 1855. Of their union 12 children were born-Andrew W., Sally, R. M., Alfred W., Francis M., C. R., William J., Nancy, Joanna, Diana, Arminda and M. V. W. Of this large family, eight survive; W. J., Sally, Nancy and Martin having passed to another world.

James Simmons came to Illinois in 1816, and set- tled in Madison County, near Troy, remaining there till 1833, when he removed to Warren County and located on what is now known as Greenbush Town- ship, on section 5. He is credited with building the third house in that section of the county. Mrs. Sim- mons was the daugliter of Thomas and Elizabeth (Lee) Brooks. Her father was born in the State of Virginia, Feb. 22, 1791. The family came to War- ren County in 1836, settling in Berwick Township, where they both died, the father Sept. 19, 1842, and the mother Feb. 19, 1847. The fruits of their union were six children, four of whom survive.

The subject of this biographical notice formed a matrimonial alliance March 2, 1848, with Miss Ase- nath Brooks. She was born in Warren County, Ky., Jan. 7, 1825, and has borne her husband seven chil- dren, namely : Thompson F., Alfred, James, William W., Amanda, Freeman and Rowland. Of the chil- dren of Mr. and Mrs. Simmons, Thomas F. married

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Emily Hahn, and two olive-branches have blessed their union. Alfred lives at home. James is a farm- er in Berwick Township, and the head of a family, his wife's maiden name being Margaret Holeman. Amanda, the eldest daughter, is the wife of Charles C. Ray, and has borne him one child. Wm. W., Alfred Freeman and Rowland M. reside on the old home- stead. Mr. Simmons is the owner of 479 acres of land, 80 of which is located in Berwick Township, and the remainder in Greenbush. All of this large tract is under an advanced state of cultivation. He has a brick front residence on his home farm, 60 x 40 feet in dimensions and two stories in height, which was built in 1848. The place is also improved with a good barn, of commodious dimensions, which is 36 feet long by 30 feet in width. In addition to the cultivation of his land, he is interested in the propa- gation of a superior grade of cattle.

· Mr. Simmons and wife are members of the old school Baptist Church. Mr. Simmons was elected Supervisor from Greenbush Townsnip, and has held that office for the past 17 years, being re-elected to the position last April by a large majority. He has also served 16 years as Justice of the Peace; as Collector, 1 1 years, and has held minor offices in his township for the past 25 years.

In his politics, he supports the Democratic plat- form. Considering that his accumulations are the reward of his own indomitable energy and persever- ance, and that he is to-day the possessor of a com- petency, we are enabled in this work to justly record that the subject of our sketch is a model representa- tive of his class, not only in Greenbush, but also in Warren County.

avid Terpenning, is a citizen of Kelly Township, and came to Warren County within the first year of his life, with his par- ents, of whom an account is given on other pages of this work in connection with the sketch of another son. (See sketch of John P. Terpenning.)

He was born Dec. 23, 1835, in the township of Clifton Park, in Saratoga Co., N. Y. He came to

this township and county in 1836, and grew to the age of manhood within its limits. He lived with his father and mother until he was 31 years of age, and was most of the time, particularly at first, engaged in the pursuits of the farm. He was occupied also in the capacity of a collector, and traveled in the States of Illinois and Iowa.

His marriage to Catherine J. Kiger took place Feb. 25, 1856. Their children are named Albert L., Jes- sie A., Ulysses G., Perley D., Mindwell E., Jennie M. and Daisy R.

Mrs. Terpenning was born Oct. 17, 1836, in Gal- ia, O., and removed from there to Stark Co., in 1839. A few years later another removal of her family was ef- fected to Knox County. At the time of their marriage Mr. and Mrs. Terpenning settled on the farm on which they are now living. It is a part of the home- stead of his father, and is in good agricultural con- dition. In 1875 his buildings and the timber stand- ing on his farm were badly. injured by a tornado which swept over the place. His loss was estimated at $3,000.

Illiam Meachum, the possessor of a good title to 160 acres of land located on section 21, Berwick Township, is a native of Liv- ingston Co., N. Y., where he was born Aug. 22, 1843. He came to this State with his parents in 1854, and since that time. has been actively engaged in agricultural pursuits. In fact, we may say he has spent his life until this date in that vocation.

Mr. Meachum was married Jan. 26, 1870, to Miss Mary M. Griffith, who was born in Indiana, July 23, 1840. She was the daughter of Judah Griffith, a native of New York, where he was born in 1796. Her father was of Scotch ancestry and moved from New York to Amherst, Lorain Co., Ohio, with his brother, where he remained until 1839, when, in company with his brother and some six other fam- ilies, he moved to a small town in Indiana, called Cadiz. At the latter place he remained some three years, working at the boot and shoe trade, and then, in 1842, came to this State and located near La Harpe, Hancock County. In 1848 he left that sec-

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tion and came to Warren County, where he resided until 1876, when he moved to Fremont Co., Iowa, and there followed his chosen vocation, agriculture, until the date of his death, in 1881. He was mar- ried to Miss Maria Rockwell, who was born in York State in 1808. She died in 1851, in this county, leaving to the care of her husband nine children namely : Patterson, Griffith, Eveline, Armina, Ma- linda, Carlos, Mary M., Ardin, Ambrose, Ansel and Phebe.

William Meachum and his wife are the parents of four children-Riley, born Sept. 8, 1871 ; Pearl P, April 21, 1873; Lucina E., Dec. 22, 1875 ; and · Laura B., Oct. 21, 1877. Mr. Meachum is pleas- antly situated on his fine farm of 160 acres on sec- tion 21, Berwick Township, and in addition to his agricultural duties, is devoting considerable of his time to the raising of Norman horses. In politics, he votes with and endorses the principles advocated by the Greenback party.

ohn E. Alexander, attorney and counsellor at law, at Monmouth, was born in Freder- ick Co., Md., March 4, 1833. His parents were John and Elizabeth (Beckenbaugh) Al- exander, natives of Maryland and Pennsyl- vania respectively and of English and German extraction. They reared seven sons and one daugh- ter, John E. being the third in order of birth. The senior John Alexander, whose father, Jacob A., was a Colonel in the American Army in the War of 1812, was a carpenter by trade, but lie failed to transmit any great deal of love for hard labor to the junior John. In fact, it is not known that he wished to, for it appears that the youth was kept pretty closely at school. He received a good preparatory training in the High Schools at Middletown, Md., and graduated with honors from Franklin' and Mar- shall College, at Lancaster, Pa., in the class of 1853. For ten years succeeding his graduation he taught school as a profession, the two years of 1853-54 be- ing as Professor of English Branches at the Landon Military Academy at Urbana, Md. The dis- tinguished General John R. Jones, afterwards of

Confederate fame, was the founder of the academy and was its principal. Col. John F. Keenan, Pro- fessor of Languages and Tactics, was in the Mexican War and served on Gen. Butler's Staff. Col. Keenan was also the author of the 39 articles or the " Code of Honor."

In 1857-8, Prof. Alexander was Principal of the Mercersburg (Pa.) Female Seminary, and in May, 1859, came to Monmouth and taught school for about a year in the basement of what is now Unity Church. From 1860 to 1863, he clerked for E. S. Sweeney in the County Clerk's office, and in 1863-4 had charge of the Sheriff's office, under Riggs.

In 1864-70 he was engaged in the hardware trade, and in the latter year, in company with Col. Robert Holloway, laid out the town of Alexandria, now known as Alexis. He was the first inhabitant of the place and first agent there of the Rockford, Rock Island & St. Louis Railroad. While in the County Clerk's office he began the study of law, which he dropped for a few years ; took it up again, was ad- initted to the Bar in 1877, and began practice at Alexis, from whence he came to Monmouth in 1883, and has occupied a most honorable position at the District Bar. Though coming late into the practice, his superior education and most thorough business training made the otherwise devious roads to an elevated position:in the first profession in the land, to him one of comparative ease. He is regarded as a painstaking, careful lawyer, and an able advocate. He has been the recipient of no gratuities ; whatever of this world's goods he has acquired, and his pos- sessions are ample, he has earned by individual effort and energy.

In politics, he is a staunch adherent to the prin- ciples of Democracy, and while an active worker in the interests of that great party, he is in no wise an aspirant to any official preferment. He was one of the founders of the Warren County Library, and is at this writing a Director in its Board.

Mr. Alexander was married in Washington Co., Md., Feb. 24, 1857, to Miss Mary C. Reichard (see biography of J. T. Reichard in this volume), and has had borne to him three children, namely: Bertha (Mrs. C. T. Page), Edward D. and Anna M. To- gether with his family, he is a member of the Pres- byterian Church, and in Masonry, Mr. A. is a prominent member of the Chicago Consistory.

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saj. William G. Bond, a citizen of Mon- mouth, retired from active business, was born in Jackson County, Ala., April 2, 1823, and is a son of Major John C. and Mary (Grimsley) Bond, natives of Tennessee, who combined in their make-up the blood of Celt and Teuton. (See biography of John C. Bond).

The subject of this sketch accompanied his father to Warren County in 1834, and grew to manhood upon the farm; in fact, he followed farming uninter- ruptedly up to 1862, and left it only to join the army in defense of his country. Aug. 26, 1862, Mr. Bond became Captain of Co. H, 83d 111. Vol. Inf. In Feb- ruary, 1863, he was promoted to Major of the same regiment and was in full command thereof from June, 1863, until he was mustered out of the ser- vice, at Nashville, Tenn., June 23, 1865. His first battle was at Garrettsburg, Ky., in November, 1862; his second, Fort Donelson, February, 1863 ; next was with Wheeler, along the Great Louisville & Nash- ville Railway, in 1864, where they were engaged ev- Lery day and sometimes twice a day for a month or niore; later on at Franklin and the six weeks' fight- ing of that campaign. The Major was twice wounded at Fort Donelson, once by a minnie ball and again by a shell, both times in the leg, but neither proved se- rious. From February to August, 1864, he was seri- ously ill from an attack of pneumonia, which seized him at Nashville and left him at Clarksville. While at the latter place and before sufficiently recovered to report to his command for duty, he acted as Pres- ident of the Military Course.

Leaving the regular service, he went into the Quartermaster's department at Fort Donelson, and was there employed up to 1868, hunting up the dead and depositing their remains in the National Ceme- tery at that place. From here he entered the Reve- nue department and was employed as store-keeper on the Cumberland River for two years, going thence. into the secret service of the Government, with head- quarters at Clarksville, Tenn., up to 1873. In Janu- ary, 1874, he returned to Monmouth, and the follow- ing December received the appointment of Deputy Sheriff, a position he filled for two years. His next

and last official duty was performed as Sheriff of Warren County, being elected to that office three times in succession, namely : 1876-78 and '80, clos- ing his services in 1882.

With such a record any man might be content to retire to private life. Wherever Maj. Bond has been placed, either by force of circumstances or of his vo- lition, he has done his duty, and there is in neither his military or civil career any skeleton to haunt the closet of his prosperity. Maj. Bond was first united in marriage in Joe Daviess County, this State, when about 22 years of age, to Miss Elizabeth Henry, who died in 1863, while the Major was in the army, and left four children-Clarissa Ann, Looney M., Jesse W. and George C. To his present wife, Mrs. Mary E. Moore, nee Taylor, he was married at Dayton, Ohio, in 1868.

Maj. Bond went into the army a Democrat, but came out a Republican. He is a member of the Ma- sonic fraternity and is an officer in the G. A. R., and one of the respected and well-to-do citizens of Mon- mouth.

artin Sorenson is a farmer in the town- ship of Spring Grove. His farm is lo- cated on section 9, and contains 80 acres. He is the son of Andrew and Anna (Ma- thaison) Sorenson, and he was born in Schles- wig-Holstein, Denmark, now a province of Germany, March 25, 1844. He is the oldest son of his parents, of whom an account is given on another page of this work in connection with that of the son and brother Frederick Sorenson. His father was a farmer in Denmark, where he was the owner of a tract of land, and the son was brought up to a knowledge of the business. He received the edu- cation common in that country.

In 1867 Mr. Sorenson came to the United States. He left the ship on which he made the voyage at Quebec, and came thence at once to Illinois. He first found employment with a farmer in Henderson County, and worked there through the first summer after his arrival. In the succeeding fall he came to Warren County and operated as a farm assistant un- til, in 187 1, he went to Burlington, Iowa, and ob-

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tained a position to work in the railroad shops at that place. After a year there he came back to Warren County. In 1874 he bought land on section 30 in the township of Spring Grove, on which he was six years resident. He then sold the place and bought the farm on which he is now living. It con- tains 80 acres, and is all practically under cultiva- tion. The buildings are good and substantial.

The father of Mrs. S. died July 25, 1864. The mother is now in this country, and living with her daughter. She was born March 20, 1818. There were two children in the family; the name of the other sister is Maggie.

Mr. and Mrs. Sorenson, have three children-An- drew, Annie and Thora. The mother was born in Schleswig-Holstein. Mr. Sorenson is a Demo- crat.

***

uther C. Hibbard, a farmer on section 16 in the township of Kelly, comes of some of the best New England Stock. His ances- tors on the paternal side distinguished their names in the first great struggle for their rights and carried the sign manual of their bravery from more than one battlefield of the Revolution. Luther Hibbard, his father, was born in the State of Vermont, or what became such, in 1791. About 1800, accompanied by his father and three brothers, he went from his native State to New York. They made the journey there with ox-teams and took with them all their belongings. They were among the earliest of the settlers where they located. Luther Ethemer Hibbard, the father of Luther Hibbard, was an officer in the Revolution. His sons, Luther, Harry, Shubal and Henry, bought land in the cele- brated " Holland Purchase " in Erie Co., N. Y. The Holland purchase included an immense tract of land in the central part of the State of New York, which the government gave to Robert Morris to re- imburse him for money advanced to defray the ex- penses of the Revolutionary War. When the second war with Great Gritain succeeded, father and sons all enrolled in the military service of their country. Henry became a Captain and the father a Major. A son-in-law of Major Hibbard, and Uncle by mar-

riage of Mr. Hibbard of this sketch, was a Colonel and was killed by Indians in the same war. Shubal Hibbard was wounded in the arm and underwent amputation. Major Hibbard died in Erie County, about 1825. His son Luther cleared a farm in the same county and lived there until 1832. In that year he sold out and went to Pennsylvania. He lo- cated in Warren County and remained there until 1840. His wife had died and he started thence for Illinois alone, on horseback. He came direct, as nearly as he could, crossing the State of Michigan. He passed the first winter at Rock Island and in the spring came to Warren County. He was an inmate of the home of his son, the subject of this account, until his death, which took place Aug. 7, 1847. The wife of Luther Hibbard was Sarah Yaw, before her marriage to him. She was a native of New England and was the mother of a son and a daughter. The latter died at the age of 18 years.

Luther G. Hibbard was two years old when his mother died. He was cared for by his grandmother until her death, at which time he was 15 years old. After that event he was again under the care of his father. He was born May 20, 1816, and was there- fore 24 when, in 1840, he determined to find a home and a field for operation as a business man in the West. He set out for Illinois on a raft on the Alle- gany River, and proceeded in that manner to Pitts- burg. He made his way thence on the Ohio and Mississippi Rivers to Rock Island, and from there to Warren County. He rented land in the township of Spring Grove, which was situated on section 25, and passed two or three years as a farmer. He went next to Galena, where he became interested in the business of a butcher. He had previously operated somewhat as a buyer of groceries and leather, which he disposed of to the farmers for hides, which he sold in Chicago. He took his first crops to that city with ox-teams, and sold his wheat for 50 cents a bushel. He took his provisions with him and camped on the route. He was in business at Galena two years, and at the end of that time returned to War- ren County.

In 1850, Mr. Hibbard bought 40 acres of land on section 16 in Kelly township, where there were a few acres under the plow. He found a small frame house, which he bought and removed to his farm, and he then entered upon the further improvement of his land. His estate now includes 260 acres,

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which is in an advanced state of cultivation. In 1870 he built a large and substantial farm house, which is now the home of the family.

His marriage to Esther Presson took place Feb. 26, 1848. Her father, Samuel Presson, was born in Vermont, and the birthplace of her mother was in Massachusetts. The name of the latter before her marriage was Esther Wiswell. Mrs. Hibbard was born in Windham Co., Vt., April 20, 1825. After their marriage, herself and husband located in Che- nango Co., N. Y., fixing their abode there about 1830. In 1844 they came to Warren County and settled in Kelly Township. The life of the father terminated in 1852; that of the mother ended in 1854. The children of Mr. and Mrs. Hibbard are now five in number. Scoville L. is a resident in Kelly Township. Fannie is the wife of William McCulloch, of the same part of Warren County. Lucy A. is a teacher and resides at home. The two youngest are named Clark G. and Charles L. The first-born child, Edwin L., died at the age of two months. George, the second in order, died at four months of age. Henry Samuel was born July 4, 1852, and died Feb. 27, 1883.

Mr. Hibbard was Postniaster at Ionia ten years, and his daughter Lucy was his successor. She served two years. He has always taken an active interest in the cause of education and has give .. his children the advantages of the colleges at Abingdon and Galesburg. He has acted as Director, and has assessed the township twice. In political affinity and belief, he is a Democrat. The members of the family belong to the Advent Church.

enry L. Harrington, M. D., at Mon- mouth, was born at St. Johnsbury, Vt., Dec. 28, 1846. His parents, Jubal and Harriet (Locke) Harrington, were natives of Massachu- setts and New Hampshire respectively, and were descended from Irish ancestry. They had two sons and one daughter, and Mrs. Harrington died when the subject of our sketch was about five years of age. His father died at Vineland, N. J., in 1869, at the age of 64 years.

Dr. Harrington received his literary education at

Brookfield (Mass.) Academy, and began the study of medicine when 24 years of age, at Toulon, Ill. He graduated from Rush Medical College, in the spring of 1875. After graduating he spent 18 months as resident physician at Cook County Hospital. He came to Warren County, in 1877, and located for the practice of his profession at Little York, where he remained upward of four years. In the spring of 1882, he went to Europe and spent one year in the various great hos- pitals of London, traveling through France and Italy. His numerous certificates and diplomas from the several distinguished institutions in which he prac- ticed and studied while abroad, attest his industry and energy in the pursuit of professional knowledge. He returned to Monmouth in 1833, and at once took a prominent position in the very foremost ranks of the profession.

Dr. Harrington does not figure in politics ; he be- longs to the United Presbyterian Church, and is de- voted to the welfare of his patients.

He was married at Little York, Warren County, Nov. 17, 1870, to Miss Martha Taylor, daughter of Dr. A. Taylor, and a native of Indiana. His four children bear the names of Mabel, Grace, Paul and Marion.

enry H. Kidder, engaged as an agricultur- ist on section 23 of Swan Township, where he is enjoying success in his vocation and is regarded as one of Warren County's substan- tial and well-to-do citizens, was born May 25, 1841, in this county. He is the son of Larnard Kidder, a native of Connecticut, having been born in that State in March. 1806, and emigrated to the State of Illinois in the year 1837. He located south of Youngstown. Before leaving his native State, in the year 1837, March 22, he was united in the holy bonds of matrimony with Miss Mary A. Hoising- ton, and they became the parents of seven children, as follows : Almon, William O., Henry H., Benja- min H., Nathaniel, Olive M. and Eliza A.

Henry H. married Miss Elizabeth Woods, Dec. 10, 1868; she was born June 20, 1838. Of this union four children have been born, namely: Lora D., born

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Nov. 29, 1869; Melvin A., Oct. 3, 1871 ; Robert L., June 1, 1876; and Henry W., Jan. 3, 1879. Mrs. Kidder's parents were named Robert and Martha (Morford) Woods. Robert Woods was born Aug. 19, 1802, and died Feb. 10, 1883; and Martha Woods was born Jan. 31, 1806, dying March 12, 1876. Of their union, four children-Seth, Elizabeth, Nancy A. and Adeline-were born.

Mr. Kidder is the proprietor of 218 acres of land, upon which he resides and is engaged in raising horses, hogs and cattle, making hogs a specialty. He has been very successful in his chosen vocation, agriculture, attributing it all to his own indomitable energy, economy and perseverance.

Mr. Kidder purchased 80 acres of land on section 23 of Swan Township. He moved here in 1867 and las resided here until the present. Under the second call for 300,000 troops to put down the Re- bellion, by Abraham Lincoln, issued in July, 1861, Mr. Kidder responded by enlisting in Co. H, Second Ill. Cav. The Company was organized at Macomb, Ill., Capt. Walker commanding. The regiment was organized Aug. 12, and mustered into service ; went into Camp Butler, at Springfield, Ill. The regiment was ordered to the southern part of the State in Sep- tember of the same year. Picketing along, the regi- ment was not attached to any brigade, but was under the immediate command of Lew Wallace ; then was attached to the 13th Army Corps. The first engagement in which the regiment participated was at Union City, Tenn., then under command of Gen. Buford when that place was captured, and they acted as scouts,and skirmishers on the Black River; were at Vicksburg during the charge on the 23d of May, 1863, after which they were ordered to the department of New Orleans.

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Portrait and biographical album of Warren County, Illinois : containing full page portraits and biographical sketches of prominent and representative citizens of the county, Part 48

Author: Publication date: 1886 Publisher: Chicago : Chapman Bros. Number of Pages: 794

Author:
Publication date: 1886
Publisher: Chicago : Chapman Bros.
Number of Pages: 794