Quincy and Adams County history and representative men, Vol. II, Part 105

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 105

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Joseph Benz grew up ou the old farm, and lived with his mother until she rented the place to him. When his mother died he bought ont the inter- ests of the other heirs in the 235-acre homestead, and since then has added fifty-six acres, giving him a well proportioned farm of 291 acres, all in one body, and most of it cultivable land, with some good timber. This is devoted to general farming. the raising of corn, wheat and other crops, and nearly everything produeed is fed on the place to hogs and eattle. The building

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improvements ocenpy a very conspicuous site on an elevation from which the ground slopes away in every direction. Mr. Benz has been indefatigably busy with his farming throughout his aetive eareer, and never found time to participate in politics beyond voting the democratie tieket.

November 22, 1881, he married Miss Sophia Schneider, daughter of Bar- tholomew and Dorothy (Strohmanger) Schneider. Her father was born in Bavaria, Germany, December 15, 1809, and eame to America in 1833, first settling in New Jersey, where he lived three years, and in 1836 became a pio- neer in Adams County. Ile married in New Jersey the same year he came to Adams County. His wife was born in Germany August 31, 1815. Their daughter Mrs. Benz was born in Adams County. Bartholomew Schneider died in 1899 and his wife July 23, 1889.

Mr. and Mrs. Benz have two sons and two daughters, and all the family are members of St. Anthony's Church three miles from their home farm. The oldest is George B. Benz, who married Franees Bockhold, and their five chil- dren are Eleanor, Joseph, Edward, William and Leo. Mary Benz married Ed Wand, a farmer of Melrose Township, and has a son, John Edward. Frank Benz is now a veterinary in the service of the United States Army at Camp Lee, Virginia. Clara, the youngest, is the wife of Eugene Wand, a plumber at Quiney. They have three children, Carl, Marie and Clara Louise.

LEONARD E. SHRIVER has been known to the people of Adams County for many years as a well-to-do farmer, a thrifty and prosperous eitizen who has made good in all his undertakings, and still owns a fine place of 120 aeres in sections 11 and 10 of Ellington Township. Mr. Shriver is now practically retired. Ilis farm has been noted for its abundant yields of the staple erops, 60 bushels of eorn, 25 bushels of wheat and 40 bushels of oats to the acre being about the average yield. The farm has a good ten-room house, a basement barn 42x50 feet, with 20-foot posts and 44 feet from foundation to gable. It is stocked with high grade Poland China hogs and Shorthorn eattle.

Mr. Shriver bought this farm, known as the John Aaron farm, in the spring of 1894, and for twenty-five years it has been his home and has been greatly improved under his proprietorship.

Mr. Shriver was born 11% miles from the Village of Mendon in that Town- ship September 29, 1862. His father, Louis Shriver, was born in Germany and eame to the United States in 1854, loeating at Herman, Missouri, and two years later moving to Adams County and in 1857 to Quiney. In Quiney, he married Miss Catherine Waggamon, who was born at Saarbrueken, Ger- many, March 25, 1832. She eame to America in 1855, and from New Orleans went up the Mississippi to St. Louis and two years later, in 1857, came to Quincy. After their marriage Lonis Shriver and wife settled on a farm in section 24 of Mendon Township, and later moved to seetion 26 of the same township. Louis Shriver died there in 1890 and his wife August 19, 1896. Of their seven children two died in infancy. The others were: Henry, born January 25, 1858; Lonis C., born June 28, 1860; Leonard E .; Mrs. Louisa C. Wettig, born Deeember 30, 1864; and Frank, born January 11, 1867.

Leonard E. Shriver married in Mendon Township Polly Myers. She was born in that township October 17, 1868, and attended the rural schools. Her parents, John H. Myers and wife, came from Pennsylvania, and the Myers family were early settlers in Mendon Township. Her grandfather, Henry Myers, brought the family to this county and her father, John, was a smal! boy at that time. Henry Myers spent the rest of his days in the county. John Myers married Emma Evans, of Seoteh and Welsh aneestry. She was born in 1850 and is still living. John Myers was born in 1844 and died in July, 1913. They were members of the Elk Grove United Brethren Church.

Mrs. Shriver was a beautiful and noble wife and mother, and it was a sad loss to the family and community when she passed away April 3, 1913, at the age of forty-five. Mr. and Mrs. Shriver for a number of years were mem-

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bers of the Presbyterian Church. Their youngest child, Alice Belle, died at the age of three months. William is a farmer in Ursa Township, and by his marriage to Martha Wood, of Ellington Township, has three children, Eva M., William, Jr., and Myrtle. Emma Shriver is the wife of Samuel Knox, who runs the home farm of Mr. Shriver. They have a son Lowell. Martin E. is unmarried and runs the farm of his aunt in Mendon Township. Lawrence L. is now twenty-one years of age and is a practical young farmer. Clara H., aged fifteen and the youngest of the children, lives at home with her father and attends the city high school at Quiney.

THE SEYMOUR BROTHERS. There are very few men in Adams County who do farming on the big seale suggested by the ranches of the far western states. If any men could be entitled to the distinction of ranehers, in the sense of owning large tracts of land and doing business on a wholesale seale it is the Seymour Brothers, Henry M. and Lyman K. of Fall Creek Township.

The Seymours have been in Adams County over eighty years. Their name is synonymous with all those substantial activities connected with building up and developing the country and with ample land holdings and the substantial qualities of the old New England stoek.

The Seymours in Adams County traee their ancestry baek to Riehard, who came from England in 1635 and settledsas Hartford, Conneetieut. Eight genera- tions of the family lived in Hartford County. The grandfather of the Seymour Brothers was Martin Seymour, who was borniny Hartford County, Connecticut, August 24, 1789. June 29, 1814, he married Lney Butler. They had nine ehil- dren. While this family was growing up around him Martin Seymour deter- mined to find better opportunities for himself and his sons and daughters in the new West. Leaving his New England farm, he set out for Illinois, embarking May 28, 1836, on the steamer Oliver Ellsworth. This boat took him to New York, whenee they followed the river Hudson up to Albany, erossed New York State by the Erie Canal to Buffalo, and from Lake Erie went across the Ohio Canal and thenee down the Ohio River and up the Mississippi until they landed at Quiney June 28, 1836, accomplishing in a month's time a journey that ean now be made in two days.

Martin Seymour located on land in seetion 12 of Fall Creek Township, which is the present home of the Seymour Brothers, but he did not live long to enjoy his new home. He died November 19, 1842, and his widow passed away September 4, 1845.

Their oldest son was the late Edward Seymour, long a prominent resident of Adams County. He was born in Hartford County, Conneetieut, and came to Illinois with his father. He received a good education in the schools of his native state and was a man of liberal views and large observation. IIe was a strong supporter of the republican party. He was elected supervisor of Fall Creek Township for several terms, and held the office of township treasurer for twenty years. He died July 15, 1904,

Charles W. Seymour, the youngest son of Martin Seymour, was born in Hartford County, Connectieut, August 23. 1834, and was two years of age when he came to Adams County. He was educated in the local publie sehools and at the age of sixteen became associated in business with his brother Edward under the firm name of Seymour Brothers, which partnership was continued for nearly fifty years. They were remarkably sueeessful in business and were among the wealthiest men in the county.

Charles W. Seymour married, May 14, 1863, Miss Emily C. Kay, a daughter of Robert G. Kay, of Payson. Five children were born to them and the four now living are Henry M., Lyman K., Loren B. and Mrs. Stella M. Starr. Charles W. Seymour died October 11, 1898.

Henry M. Seymour was born June 9, 1864. He was married to Miss Luey W. Nicholson, daughter of John and Mary Ann (Gilbert) Nicholson, August

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29, 1895. Four children were born to their marriage: Charles W., Mary G., Elizabeth and Emily K., the latter three of whom are now living.

It was a tragic loss to the family and a source of sorrow to the entire com- munity when Charles W. Seymour, the only son of Henry M. Seymour, was aeci- dentally killed, at the age of sixteen, while playing ball on the High School grounds at Payson. His young life gave promise of a career of great usefulness, and his father, recognizing that fact and endeavoring to give some memorial to his son, so prematurely taken away, has ereeted and donated to the village of Payson the present High School building, known as the Charles W. Seymour High School. It is one of the most important benefactions to the cause of ednea- tion ever made in Adams County. In 1918 Henry M. Seymour also ereeted in the park at Payson a handsome Band Stand as an "Illinois Centennial" monu- ment. These are instances of a publie generosity which has always characterized him and his brother Lyman K. in their relations to the community.

Lyman K. Seymour was born October 2, 1865. He grew up on his father's place in Fall Creek Township and for two years was a student at Knox College under the presidency of Newton Bateman and afterward had two years of bank- ing and accounting experience in Quiney. At the age of twenty he returned to the farm, and since then has been occupied almost entirely with his interests as a farmer and stoekman. He built his present fine residence in 1907 from stone quarried on the farm. Mr. Seymour is a republican in politics but has never sought office.

He married for his first wife Mrs. Carrie Kay) Robbins, who died one year after their marriage. On September.29, 1904, he married Miss Agnes Jarrett, daughter of James and Anna M. Jarrett, of Quinet

Henry M. and Lyman K. Seymour have been for many years partners in their business enterprises under the firm name of Seymour Brothers, as their father and unele were before them. Being brought into touch with farming and stock raising on a large seale on their father's and unele's farm, they have con- tinned the business on a still larger seale. Their farms now comprise more than four thousand acres of the best land in Adams and Pike counties. Most of this land is farmed by tenants, while the Seymour Brothers devote their time to oreharding, stoek feeding and their other business interests. For a number of years they have been among the leading apple growers in this section of the Mississippi Valley. The principal varieties grown are Grimes Golden, Jonathan, Ben Davis, Gano and Willow Twig. Since 1911 the erops of apples have been from five to ten thousand barrels per year. Their "Square Deal" Brand is widely known and enjoys a very favorable reputation among dealers.

The land that is rented out is farmed on the "share" plan and the Seymour Brothers' share of the corn erop is all fed to cattle and hogs. Most of the grass land is reserved for grazing their cattle. They have never attempted the breed- ing and raising of faney stoek but buy a good grade of stock cattle and fatten them for market. Their hogs are raised on the farms. They also have other interests in real estate outside of their farm lands, having confined their invest- ments almost entirely to agrienltural enterprises.

Seymour Brothers have always been active in all publie and local affairs and are big men in character as well as in their material interests.

GEORGE F. DURST. There is no industry that affeets more vitally the very life and welfare of a community than its milk supply. From the cow to the consumer is a long and complicated process, and at every point the supply is exposed to the dangers of contagion and deterioration. It involves the labor of many individuals, requires expensive equipment and constant care to preserve so far as possible that degree of cleanliness which is present when the milk is first drawn. For all that has been said and written in the effort to educate people to the importance of a pure milk supply it is doubtful if many of the customers of the Durst Brothers Sanitary Dairy of Quincy realize

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how much thoughtful care and trouble is bestowed upon the product distributed to them daily.

George F. Durst, who sinec the death of his brother James, while serving with the colors, has been sole proprietor of the business, is a thoroughly prae- tical dairyman. It has been his pride and ambition to develop and maintain the highest standards of a sanitary dairy distributing plant. This ideal has been realized in every particular and its visible expression is found in the plant at 407 North Twenty-Fourth Street, where the firm has been located since March, 1917. The building represents the last word in the matter of construction and equipment. It is cement throughout, 26x60 fect, and the building can be eleaned and kept elean as easily as any one of the containers in which milk is handled. Several hundred gallons of milk go through this plant every day, brought in from the dairying district around the city, but in no case is the haul more than three miles. Milk is strained and bottled at a temperature of fifty degrees, and before going into the bottles it is subjected to the pasturizing process, being held at a temperature of 142 degrees Fahren- heit for thirty minutes. From the dairy plant to the back door of the con- sumer equal earc and precaution is exercised.

The Durst Brothers Sanitary Dairy is now supplying over 1,200 individual families throughout the city with pure pasturized milk and cream daily.

The Durst brothers, George F. and James E., were both born in Quincy and were reared and educated in Ellington Township. George F. Durst was born November 23, 1889, and started in the dairy business with just a few cows and a one-horse wagon when only twenty-four years of age. He has made a won- derful success of the industry and is one of the largest handlers of sweet milk in the City of Quincy today. He has just added two more large retail wagons, hauling 130 gallons of bottled milk each to his retail delivery outfit. He also owns a large herd of cattle, which produce an important share of the milk delivered by his busines in Quincy. This herd is growing to a large number rapidly and promises to be one of the largest dairy herds in Adams County in the near future.

The parents of Mr. Durst are Hugo and Carrie (Layman) Durst. The father was born in Germany and came to Adams County when one year old. The family was established here by George and Nancy Durst, who were old settlers of Quiney and died here when past seventy years of age. Forty years ago George Durst, Sr., was numbered among the millers of Quincy. They were a Lutheran family. The parents of George F. Durst are still living in Ellington Township, and are still active as farmers and citizens of that local- ity. They are members of the Methodist Church and Hugo Durst is a dem- ocrat. while his sons became independent voters. Mrs. Durst's parents. Mr. and Mrs. Fred Layman, were one of the first settlers of Knox County, Mis- souri, and Mr. Fred Layman was a blacksmith by trade, but later settled down as a large farmer and stock raiser. He served his country during the Civil war with the North. Mr. Fred Layman died at the age of seventy years and Mrs. Layman died at the age of seventy-five.

James E. Durst was called to the colors September 3, 1918. He was sta- tioned at Camp Grant. Illinois, contracted influenza about September 25th and died October 3, 1918. George F. Durst afterwards bought the interest of his brother. About the last important improvement to the plant is one of the finest refrigerating machines and systems found anywhere in Illinois outside of Chicago. James E. Durst married Ruth Heidbrader, of Ellington Township.

Louis II. Durst, another son of Hugo, is a prosperous vegetable grower in Adams County. Charles E. Durst the other son is county farm adviser of Union County, Illinois. Their only sister, Marguerite, is still on the home place in Ellington Township with her mother and brother Louis.

Mr. George F. Durst married at Quiney Miss Edna Bybee, who was born and educated in Quincy. Her father, Clarence Bybee, died here some years

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ago after a long career as a conductor on the Burlington Railway. Mrs. Bybee is still living in Quiney. Mr. and Mrs. George F. Durst have two children : Margaret J., born in 1915, and George E., born in 1917. Mrs. Durst is a member of St. John's Episcopal Church.

('URREN E. LOGUE. Of the younger generation of progressive farmers in Adams County one of the leading representatives is Curren E. Logue of Clay- ton Township, whose farm is 31/2 miles northeast of Clayton on the Brown County line.

The place he now lives on was contained in the old Logue homestead and he was born there August 31, 1862. He is the oldest son of William M. Logue of Clayton. On other pages of this work is published an interesting history of William M. Logue and his family, who have long been actively identified with this county's affairs.

Curren E. Logue spent his early life at home, and from 1888 to 1893 was engaged in the dry goods and elothing business, three years at Clayton and two years at Golden. He was active manager of the store, the firm being known as William M. Logue & Son. Ilis father remained on the farm and had only a financial interest in the business. After leaving merchandising Mr. Logne was associated with his father in business and farming for several years.

November 19, 1908, he married Miss Effie Curry. Mrs. Logue was born in 1871, and is a daughter of Christopher Stafford and Elizabeth (Bennett) Curry. Her father was born in Kentucky in 1836 and when a child was brought to Adams County by his parents, Thomas and Melinda Curry, who located in Clayton Township. Thomas Curry died when about eighty-eight years of age, having survived his wife about ten years.

Curren E. Logue since his marriage has lived on his present farm of 160 acres, included in a portion of his father's large estate. He has given his personal operation to the land and gets most of his profits from hogs, market- ing from forty to fifty every year. He also keeps some eattle. Mr. Logue has never been a politician, but he is nominally a demoerat. Ile and his wife are members of the Clayton Christian Church and he is affiliated with the Knights of Pythias.

ROY A. PETER is one of the younger substantial citizens of Melrose Town- ship, and for the past ten years has had the active management and is now owner of the old Peter farm eleven miles southeast of Quiney.

The house in which he now lives was the scene of his birth February 2, 1883. He is a son of Joseph and Caroline (King) Peter. Joseph Peter and his brother Jacob settled on two farms, eighty acres, and lived side by side for many years. Jacob finally retired to Payson, and Joseph lived in Quiney the last ten years of his life and died in that city May 11, 1918. He was born in Germany April 12, 1833, and was brought to the United States when one year old. His father soon settled on the farm where Ed Meyer now lives. The father of Joseph was noted as a violinist, and he taught that instrument and for many years played in the leading halls in Quiney. He was one of the most noted of the old time fiddlers and he kept up the art until advaneed years. He was the father of four sons, Jacob, Joseph, Charles and William. Charles still lives in Quincy. William was a farmer in Payson but died in Quincy in Mareh, 1916.

Joseph Peter was a farmer and for many years operated the old home- stead. Hle was also one of the pioneer threshermen of the county, and began with a horsepower outfit. His first purchase of land comprised eighty acres in the present home farm. It was all covered with timber and he gradually eleared all that away and made it produetive of erops. His first home was a log house.

Abont 1863 Joseph Peter married Caroline King. She was born in Ohio February 27, 1843, and died April 4, 1918, just five weeks before her husband.

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They had been married nearly fifty-five years. Joseph Peter worked steadily and increased his farm to 160 acres, and made it one of the valuable places of the township. The residence was built more than forty years ago, and the present barn was erected on the site of one burned by lightning. Joseph Peter was a democrat without politieal aspirations. He was reared a Catholie, but attended church with his wife in the Presbyterian denomination. They had the following children : Charles Henry, a commercial salesman living at Enid, Oklahoma; Theodore W., a farmer and teamster at Payson; Mrs. Anna M. Sanger, of Seattle, Washington; Joseph D., who is unmarried and lives at Quincy ; and Roy A.

Roy A. Peter has always lived on the old farm and in 1908 took over its management and since his father's death has bought the place. He is some- what of a specialist in stock breeding, and increasing experience has brought him much suceess in that line. He breeds all kinds of good stock, especially the Duroc Jersey hogs.

September 3, 1907, Mr. Peter married Miss Florenee E. Seward, daughter of P. Z. Seward of Payson. Mrs. Peter was twenty years of age at the time of her marriage. They have two children, Ruth and Alvin. Mr. Peter for two years, 1910-11, was tax collector and each year turned into the treasury about $13,000 annual collections. He is a demoerat and has been active in loeal polities. Mr. Peter in earlier days played baseball and has always been fond of outdoor sports and of hunting.

JAMES McKINNAY. Over Adams County there is perhaps no better known citizen than James McKinnay, former county treasurer, and for the past fif- teen years a live and energetic general real estate man of Quiney. Mr. Mc- Kinay, whose offiees are in the Stearns Building, has specialized in handling farm lands, and he also laid out and owned in 1905 the McKinnay Addition to Quincy comprising twenty-one lots between Cherry and Chestnut and Seventh and Ninth streets. Nearly all this property is now built up and represents a striking improvement to the city.

Mr. McKinnay was born in Lima Township of Adams County June 1, 1867, and his early life was spent on a farm, where he aquired much knowledge of practical agriculture and gained some of the experience which has made him so good a judge of farm values. He was educated in public sehools, and at the age of eighteen aequired a certificate to teach. Following that he taught two terms in Camp Point Township, two terms in Hancock County, Illinois, and one term in his native township. After this period of teaching Mr. Me- Kinnay did clerieal work in Quincy for some time and proved his business ability while associated with the Quiney Herald by adding greatly to its eir- enlation and prestige among the newspapers of Western Illinois. Two years later he accepted the office of deputy county treasurer under George MeAdams, and filled that office from 1894 to 1898. He was elected Mr. McAdams' sue- cessor as county treasurer and served four years. In the meantime he had taken up real estate and has been more or less actively engaged in that busi- ness since 1904. In polities Mr. MeKinnay is a demoerat. He and his wife are members of the Christian Church.

His parents were Michael and Lueinda (Workman) MeKinnay. His father was born in Ireland of Irish parentage and came when a young man to this country, locating on a farm in Adams County, where he married. His wife was born in Lima Township, and her parents eame from North Carolina and were pioneers in this county, arriving here about 1836 and obtaining Govern- ment land in Lima Township. Members of the Workman family were prom- inent in the Christian Church. Michael MeKinnay and wife after their mar- riage ocenpied a small farm in Lima Township for a number of years, but spent their last days in Quiney, where Michael died at the age of seventy- three and his wife aged sixty-six. A brief record of their children is as fol-

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lows: James, the oldest; Nellie, who died at the age of eleven years; Phoebe Pearl and Laura May, both unmarried and living in Quincy.

Mr. James MeKinnay married at Quiney Lillie Tomlinson, who was born in Payson Township of this county. As a result of ill health she went west and died at Spokane, Washington, in 1901. She left one son, James Lowell, who was born January 1, 1900, and is now a member of the class of 1919 in the Quiney High School.

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Quincy and Adams County history and representative men, Vol. II, Part 105

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