Quincy and Adams County history and representative men, Vol. II, Part 102

Author: Wilcox, David F., 1851- ed
Publication date: 1919
Publisher: Chicago, New York, The Lewis Pub. Co.
Number of Pages: 952

USA > Illinois > Adams County > Quincy > Quincy and Adams County history and representative men, Vol. II > Part 102

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Doctor Pendleton spent his early years at Minooka, Illinois, attending high school there, and completed his edueation in the Illinois Wesleyan University at Bloomington. From there he entered Rush Medical College at Chicago, where he completed his course in 1883. Doctor Pendleton was engaged in the general practice of medicine at Magnolia, Illinois, for eleven years. Realizing the greater value he could give to his services by specialization, he spent some time in the study of the eye, ear, nose and throat, and received his diploma in 1895. At that date he eame to Quincy and since then has been the lead- ing specialist in those diseases and the treatment of those organs. He is a member of the County, State and National Medical societies and is a fellow of the American Academy of Ophthalmology and Oto-Laryngology.

May 22, 1884, Doctor Pendleton married Miss Almira Dirst, daughter of Mr. and Mrs. Fletcher Dirst. She was born at Galena, Ohio, but was brought to Illinois when a child of five. After graduating from the high school at Minooka she attended school at Morris, Illinois, graduating from the Conserva- tory of Music there June 13, 1883. Mrs. Pendleton's mother, Ann Dustin Dirst, is a direct lineal descendant of the famous colonial heroine, Hannah Dustin, of Haverhill, Massachusetts, whose bravery is commented upon in every American school history. Mrs. Pendleton is also a direct descendant, in the eighth generation, of George Abbott, who emigrated from Yorkshire, Eng- land, about 1640, and was among the first settler of Andover, Massachusetts. Mrs. Pendleton is at present the regent of the Dorothy Quincy Chapter of the Daughters of the American Revolution at Quincy, Illinois, and has been very prominent in this order for a number of years. She is also a member of "The Round Table," one of the oldest literary clubs of the city. Doctor and Mrs. Pendleton have two daughters. Nettie V., the older, is a graduate of Quincy High School and of Knox College at Galesburg, and is the wife of Kenneth Duncan, of Chicago, Illinois. Mr. Duncan is a teacher in the Chicago High School. They have two children, Donald and Ruth. Miriam, the younger daughter of Doctor and Mrs. Pendleton, is a graduate of the Quincy High School, who completed her education in the Illinois Woman's College and is now attending the Art Institute at Chicago.

Doctor Pendleton while exceedingly busy with the responsibilities of a large medical practice has done much as a leader in Masonry in Illinois. Hc is a past master of Lodge No. 103, Ancient Free and Accepted Masons, at Mag- nolia and is past master of Bodley Lodge, No. 1, at Quincy. He has served as grand lecturer of the State Grand Lodge for several years.

GEORGE W. FLETCHER. One of the ancient admonitions to children was "to Igrow up and inherit the land and prove worthy of the inheritance." As a rule the young people of America, while willing to grow up and inherit their portion of the soil. have been rather disposed to leave the land and enjoy the proceeds thereof without reckoning whether their service make them worthy of the

GEORGE W. FLETCHER

LIBRARY Of THE UNIVERSITY OF ILLINOIS

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rewards they receive. Some honorable exceptions to this rule are, of course, found in every community and they deserve special emphasis.

Land that was eleared and eutivated by his grandfather and was owned by his father is now being capably managed and farmed by George W. Fleteher, one of the best known and most progressive citizens of Honey Creek Township. Mr. Fletcher's farm home is four miles northeast of Mendon. This is a very interesting locality in the noted Bear Creek Valley. The Fletchers made their settlement there more than three-quarters of a century ago. The founders of the family in this county were Charles and Eveline (Moore) Fletcher. Charles Fletcher was born in Ohio November 1, 1812, and his wife was born August 20, 1813. They lived in Southern Ohio for a number of years, but in 1842 came with wagons and teams to Western Illinois and bought land in section 4 of Honey Creek Township. The first home of the family was a log cabin 16 by 16 feet, and furnished with the rude and simple comforts of our forefathers. Charles Fletcher was a man of much enterprise, and selected this land largely because it contained an excellent mill site. Adjoining the mill stream he erected a two-story mill frame, operated first by water power and later by steam, and he installed machinery for a eustom grist mill and also a saw mill. All the other farmers and grain raisers took their grist to the Fleteher mill, and the surplus was hanled by ox teams to market at Quincy. It was a very prosperons business for many years. Abont 1868 the mill was moved to Coatsburg, though the build- ing was left largely as it was. After retiring from the milling business Charles Fletcher moved to Minnesota, locating at Worthington, bnt after a few years returned to Warsaw, Illinois, and died there in his ninetieth year. His wife passed away at the age of seventy-eight. He was a democrat in politics and served as township supervisor and in other township offices. Altogether he ac- quired some 600 or 700 acres of land, and operated it on an extensive scale as a farmer. A great many of the early homes and barns were built with lum- ber sawed at his mill. Charles Fletcher and wife had two sons, Joseph and Warren. Warren spent his life in several states and localities, part of the time in Missouri, also lived at Warsaw, and died at Mendon, where his son Arthur is the present postmaster. The daughters of Charles Fleteher and wife were: Hannah, who married John Shiver, and they lived on the old homestead some years, later going to Minnesota and finally to Missouri, where he died, and she is living in Warsaw, Illinois; Melvina, who has never married and lives at Warsaw ; and Ellen, Mrs. George Van Valor, whose home is near Hamilton, Illinois.

There are few residents in Honey Creek Township and adjacent communities who do not have a grateful memory of the late Dr. Joseph Fletcher, whose life was distinguished by devoted services in his profession and who was also one of the upright and high principled citizens of Honey Creek nearly all his life. He was born in Clermont County, Ohio, February 6, 1834, and was about eight years old when brought to this county. He practically grew to manhood in the atmosphere of the Fleteher Mill, and worked at the milling trade from the age of fifteen until he was thirty. His big ambition, however, was to become a phy- sician, and such time as he could spare from the mill he utilized in studying medical works and in 1864 entered the St. Louis Medieal College, from which he gradnated three years later. A well qualified physician, he was content to settle down in the old community and home of his father, and from there his serviees radiated ont over the surrounding territory. He also lived at Mendon for a time, and for over forty years was in active practice. His professional work was largely done in the era before improved highways, telephones and antomo- biles, and he made most of his journeys on horseback. It is not known that he was ever deterred from making a professional journey on aceonnt of impending hardships incident to storm and had roads. One time while fording a stream his horse became mired, and he got off to help the horse, saved the animal but lost his saddle bags and all his medicines and implements. He was especially success- ful in the treatment of typhoid fever cases. He was a well known and honored member of the County and State Medical societies. But his devotion to his

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profession was never able to wean him from his love of the land and of agricul- ture, and he acquired most of the homestead owned by his father, including the old family residence. That home was built by Charles Fletcher about seventy years ago, and the lumber was cut at the Fletcher Mill. Doctor Fletcher served as township collector and supervisor, was a democrat and an active member of the Congregational Church.

His long and useful life came to a close September 26, 1910, at the age of seventy-six. On January 5, 1854, he married Elizabeth Hardy, who was born in Adams County December 11, 1832. Her parents were Baptist and Thamar (Patterson) Hardy, the former a native of Virginia and the latter of North Carolina. Baptist Hardy married in Tennessee, and in 1827 came to Mendon Prairie in Adams County. His name is associated with the very earliest pioneers of the county. In 1831 he moved to Keene Township, and lived there until his death July 22, 1873. His wife died August 11, 1876. All of the nine Hardy children grew to maturity. Baptist Hardy was a justice of the peace and was a man highly honored by his fellow citizens. On coming to Adams County and locating on the edge of the timber in Mendon Prairie he had as his nearest neighbors members of the Chittenden family and Joel Benton. The first night here the Hardy family slept on the ground, and their log house was furnished with a minimum of furniture, a dry goods box serving as a table. Baptist Hardy's living children are two sons, Frank, of Breckenridge, Illinois, and Baptist Henry, of Loraine. Mrs. Joseph Fletcher is the only surviving daughter.

Dr. Joseph Fletcher and wife had four children : Mary Ellen, wife of Thomas Hoyes, and they occupy part of the old Fletcher estate; George W .; Joseph Warren, who became a physician and died at Ursa at the age of thirty-eight ; and Sarah Elizabeth, who died at the age of twenty-eight, the wife of Will Kells.

While there have not been many abnormal events to mark the career of George W. Fletcher, his life is significant for that very reason. He was born at Quincy October 23, 1857, and has spent practically his entire life on the old Fletcher homestead in Honey Creek Township. He has cultivated the land, has earned its fruits and has done something toward making the land and the com- munity better for his presence. He owns 163 acres of the old estate, and is also operating other portions of the old farm. He is a mixed farmer, handling both livestock and grain erops, and while his energies have been concentrated upon farming he has served as school director, is an active member of the Congrega- tional Church at Mendon, and has passed all the chairs of his lodge of Odd Fellows and has sat in the Grand Lodge.

October 18, 1877, Mr. Fletcher married Martha Gilmer, who was born in Keene Township, a daughter of William and Sarah (Hyatt) Gilmer, both now deceased. Mr. and Mrs. Fletcher have two daughters: Emma is the wife of Dr. Thomas Triplett, who enjoys a successful dental practice at Salina, Kansas, and Nellie is the wife of Frank Nichols, a merchant at Long Beach, California.

JUSTINIAN NATHAN HARRIS. It is a familiar economic law that any im- provement made to property by the owner redounds not only to his individual benefit, but to the benefit of the entire community. A good house, a substan- tial barn, good fences, well tilled fields, high class live stock, are all assets of a community, and they serve as stimulants toward bringing the general aver- age up to the individual example. It is for this reason that the people of Adams County as a whole have some particular interest in the farm estate of Justinian Nathan Harris in Lima Township, in section 14. This farm, as many people are aware, lies six miles east of the Village of Lima, 41% miles northwest of Loraine, and six miles north of Mendon.

Its owner and proprietor is familiarly known in that community as "Gen- eral" Harris. He was born in Morgantown, Kentucky, April 8. 1853, and came when three or four years old to Illinois. His father. Dr. D. M. Harris, was born in Kentucky in 1827 and took up the study of medicine in 1847, graduating from St. Louis Medical College in 1850. After practicing in Ken-

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tueky for a time he moved to Illinois in 1853, loeating at Basco, then called Somerset. It was through his suggestion that the name of the community was changed to Basco. Three or four years later he moved to Iconium in Appa- noose County, Iowa, and that village was named according to his suggestion. In 1859 he returned to Illinois and settled at Tioga in Hancock County, just north of the Adams County line, and practiced medicine over that community, including part of northern Adams County, for nearly forty years. He died at Tioga at the age of seventy-six. He also kept a drug store at Tioga for many years. Doctor Harris married Mary E. Thornton in 1851. She died in 1863. They had one son and three daughters: Justinian N., Crete, Arlie and Effie. Crete died unmarried, having always lived with her father. Arlie married Ira Woodworth, and they live in Grand Junction, Colorado. Effie married William Shipe and now lives at Elvaston in Hancock County.

Doctor Harris was a strong democrat and in early life a southern sym- pathizer. His old friends remembered him kindly not only for his services as a physician but also for his breadth of mind and great interest in every- thing that concerned humanity. He was better read than most physicians, and was well versed in history. He acquired a large amount of property in and around Tioga, including a number of village lots and about 400 aeres of farm land. These farms he bestowed upon his children.

J. N. Harris grew up at Tioga and lived with his parents until he was thirty-two years of age. For one year he attended Christian University at Canton, Missouri. Even as a boy he took charge of the work of his father's farm, and managed the property and lived at home until he was thirty-two. At that age he married Miss Dora Conover, of Lima Township. Her father, Norris Conover, was born near Cincinnati, Ohio, December 29, 1831, and came with his parents in 1837 to Lima Township. He grew up there and in the spring of 1854 married Miss Sarah Bragg, daughter of Benjamin Bragg. The Braggs were one of the earliest settled families in Adams County. Norris Conover after his marriage located on a farm 116 miles west of Lima, and lived there forty years. He died about 1904 and his widow passed away in Quiney. Mrs. Harris was born on an adjoining farm and was twenty-six at the time of her marriage.

Mr. and Mrs. Harris in 1885 moved to their present farm. Mr. Harris had operated this land in conjunction with his brother-in-law, Ira Woodworth. All the land has been owned by Doctor Harris, and he built his son and his daugh- ter each a house, the architecture being exactly similar. J. N. Harris had as his share of the farm 160 acres, and he has managed it for over thirty years. For two years he left the farm in charge of a renter while he lived at Men- don in Chariton County, Missouri. Mr. Harris has 280 acres in one body, though divided into farms, one of which is operated by his son. Mrs. Harris received a sixty acre interest in the old Conover estate. The Harris farm is operated on thorough business principles, and cattle and hogs are its chief product. The house which his father built Mr. Harris has extensively re- modeled, and its general architectural plan is of the colonial style. It is a home that delights the eye and is built with a degree of permanence and com- fort that few eity homes excel. The interior finish is all of cypress, the wood everlasting, all the floors are laid double, the windows have bevel glass plate, there is furnace heat, and the opinion is frequently expressed that it is the finest house in the northern part of Adams County. The qualities which dis- tinguish the home are also carried into the farm buildings proper. Mr. Har- ris is an extensive user of eement, and all his hog houses are constructed of that material, and he builds these houses suitable and adaptable both to hogs and cattle. Mr. Harris is a man who appreciates a home not only for its ma- terial comforts but for its general setting and atmosphere. The Harris house stands on a fine elevation, affording many wonderful views of the surrounding country. Mr. Harris among his farmer friends is conceded to he a thoroughly practical and business-like man, and it is not inconsistent with this character

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that he takes a deep joy in the sunsets and cloud effects which may be viewed from his home. In his home life and in his farm activities he has found the best interests of life. He is a member of the Masonic Order and of the Chris- tian Church of Loraine, and is a democrat, though he expresses his belief lib- erally and has never sought partisan honors.

Mr. and Mrs. Harris have two children : Norris and Ruby. The son Nor- ris is an independent farmer on a portion of his father's place, his home being a quarter of a mile distant. He married Beatrice Fletcher, daughter of Wil- liam Fletcher, of Lima and granddaughter of E. J. Vinson, of a well known family whose name frequently recurs in these pages. Mr. and Mrs. Norris Harris have one child, Eunice. Norris Harris finished his education with two years in the Illinois University. The daughter, Ruby, was educated in the schools of Loraine, but since the death of her mother, November 2, 1911, has had full charge of her father's home and studies and looks after his every comfort and item of welfare.

PATRICK HENRY BURNS. The place he owns, the extent of his aereage, its improvements and general management indicate that Mr. Burns is one of the leading farmers of Adams County. His farm is a mile south of Beverly Vil- lage in the township of that name and seven miles northeast of Barry. Mr. Burns is a comparative newcomer to Adams County, and is an example of a man who spent many years as a renter, farming other men's land. Since he laid the foundation of his prosperity in that way, he evidently was no ordinary farm tenant and renter.

Mr. Burns was born in New York City Mareh 18, 1856, son of Henry and Mary Burns, both of whom were natives of County Down, Ireland. They were married in Ireland and eame to the United States about 1851. When Patrick Henry was one year old his parents moved west to Walworth County, Wiscon- sin, and his father spent the rest of his life on a farm there. He died at the age of sixty-five. The mother of Patrick Henry died at the age of thirty-five, when her son was four years old. He grew up in the home of his stepmother, whose maiden name was Johanna O'Brien, a native of County Cork, Ireland.

He attended the local schools of Wisconsin and leaving home at the age of twenty-two moved to Henry County, Illinois, and worked there four years with one employer, named D. L. Murchison. As a farm hand he was paid $20 a month the first year, $16 the second year, $22 the third year, and the fourth year he worked two months in the winter for his board and was paid $24 a month for ten months. Combined with the qualities of good workman- ship he had a saving disposition, and put away on the average of $200 every year from his wages. Thus he had $800 capital to start him. He farmed for himself one season before his marriage.

In 1883 Mr. Burns married Ida M. North, of Burean County, Illinois. They then rented a large farm of 270 acres.near Kewanee. After four years on that farm Mr. Burns went to Cheyenne County, Nebraska, and homesteaded, taking five years to prove up his claim. That was during the trying period, when the Nebraska settlers were beset by drought and nearly every other pestilence. His wife's health became impaired in Nebraska and he then went south to Oktibaha County, Mississippi. After one year he returned to Henry County, Illinois, and was again a renter there for seven years. He then went back to Mississippi, but spent only a year. His longest period of farming as a renter was done at Kewanee, Illinois, where he rented one place for sixteen years. Then in March, 1915, not liking the idea of paying $250 an acre for land, the price of improved farms in Henry County, he came to Adams County and bought his present place at $100 an acre. It is the old John Penny farm, con- taining 235 aeres. Mr. Burns has since bought another forty acres, giving him 275 acres of his own, and with eighty acres leased he has operated on an ex- tensive scale. He built a new modern home, with all conveniences, with hot and cold water, Deleo lighting system and every facility for comfort and con-

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venience. He has also built a stone silo and is one of the leading stoek grow- ers and feeders in the county. He keeps Duroe Jersey hogs, marketing from 100 to 130 every year. He also feeds eattle and sheep. All of Mr. Burns' interests are eentered on the farm. While living in Nebraska he served a term as county commissioner, and he cast his first vote for General Grant but ever since has been a democrat. However, he is liberal in polities and fre- quently votes for the man rather than for the party.

Mr. Burns lost his first wife April 9, 1904. June 15, 1905, he married Jennie I. (Fell) Murchison. She was born near Toulon in Stark County, Illi- nois, and grew up on a farm there. Her first husband was Clarence Murehi- son, who died in lowa. She has two sons by that union : Edwin A., who vol- unteered for the army in June, 1917, and trained at Camp Logan; and David L., still at home.

Mr. Burns during the life of his first wife adopted a daughter, Bessie V., in infaney, and she lived with him until her marriage to Orlando Dye. Mr. and Mrs. Dye now live at Kewanee, Illinois. Mr. and Mrs. Burns have three children, all of school age, named Helen, Robert and William. Mr. and Mrs. Burns are devoted to their home and family. His only fraternal affiliation is with the Improved Order of Red Men. Mrs. Burns was reared in the Con- gregational Church and was one of the aetive workers in the church, being a teacher in the Sunday School and was also an active member of the Chris- tian Endeavor. She became a member of the Methodist Church of Beverly, Illinois, in March, 1917.

JOHN W. MYERS. One of the prominent and influential citizens of Quiney, who has long been active in business affairs, is John W. Myers, president of the Reliable Ineubator and Brooder Company, and alderman from the Sixth Ward.

John W. Myers was born at Novelty, Missouri, January 17, 1861. His parents were Alva O. and Elisus (Bliss) Myers. The mother was born in New York, and died during the infaney of her son, John W. The father located in Missouri in the early '50s and during the Civil war served as quartermaster in the Third Missouri Cavalry. After coming to Quiney he became well known in the building trades, and was a building contractor for many years His death oeeurred in this eity when he was eighty-one years old. John W. was the youngest of his parents' four children, the others being: A daugh- ter who died in childhood; Clarence A., who is a resident of Chicago; and Edward C., who died at Centralia, Illinois, where he was railroad yardmaster. The father was a second time married, and by the last union had a son and daughter, Frank and Nettie.

John W. Myers was quite young when his parents located at Quiney. He attended the publie schools and at an unusually early age began to be self- supporting, finding his first work as a bell boy in the old Quiney Hotel. He then learned eandy-making, and at this trade worked for seventeen years and three months for the confectionery firm of Clark & Morgan, and was re- garded by the house as one of the best salesmen. In the meanwhile he had be- come quietly interested in the poultry business, and then in the ineubator and brooder business, beginning in a small way in his own barn, and as his interest. grew he determined to go into the business more extensively, resulting in his rental of a four-story building on Fourth Street for the purpose. As his ponl- try vards increased Mr. Myers became more and more interested in the use and manufacture of incubators, his first venture in the ineubator business being with the Reliable in 1893, with his brother Clarenee.

Mr. Myers then resigned his position with Clark & Morgan and turned his talents, his energy and capital into the inenbator business. The Reliable ma- ehine proved a success and Mr. Myers' business judgment has long sinee been thoroughly vindicated. In 1896 the Reliable Inenbator and Brooder Company lost their building by fire, but on the same night new quarters were secured under a five-year lease. A factory was built on Second and Vermont streets

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on a ten-year lease. In 1908 the company erected a building with dimensions of 273 by 90 feet, with an ell of 50 by 90 feet, of stone construction, two stories in height. Plans are under way for the ereetion of a new factory that will give not less than 35,000 feet of floor space, at Twenty-eighth and Chestnut streets, the old factory having been sold to the Moorman Stoek Food Com- pany. The Reliable incubators are sold all over the world and Mr. Myers has patents covering points of manufacture. Since these incubators were ex- hibited at the World's Fair, Chicago, they have received the highest honors at all poultry shows in the United States. Much of the success of this busi- ness must be eredited to the good judgment and perseveranee of Mr. Myers.

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Quincy and Adams County history and representative men, Vol. II, Part 102

Author: Wilcox, David F., 1851- ed Publication date: 1919 Publisher: Chicago, New York, The Lewis Pub. Co. Number of Pages: 952

Author: Wilcox, David F., 1851- ed
Publication date: 1919
Publisher: Chicago, New York, The Lewis Pub. Co.
Number of Pages: 952