Quincy and Adams County history and representative men, Vol. II, Part 109

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 109

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After his marriage Ceylon Smith and wife, aceompanied by about a dozen other young eouples, eame west in 1855 to Alton, Illinois. There he found em- ployment in a local foundry. All but two of the little colony soon left that city, returning east or making homes in other towns. Ceylon Smith and wife and one other couple remained there a year or so. In 1857 Ceylon Smith eame to Quincy and soon found employment in a local machine shop. Later he engaged in business on his own account, establishing a foundry at Fifth and Ohio streets. Ilis business was in a fair way to prosperity when the entire plant was destroyed by fire. It was a calamity, and apparently his only re- source was to begin the struggle all over again without eapital. But a good name and a reputation for honesty and industry stood him in good stead. His friend Lorenzo Bull simply told the young foundryman to draw upon him for all the money he required to re-establish the business, which he did, and was soon

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proprietor of another machine shop and foundry at the same location. Later he began concentrating his facilities upon a special line of manufacture, in- cluding steam engines and elevators, and more and more worked into the elevator business. Finally his plant was absorbed by the Otis Elevator Com- pany, one of the greatest corporations of its kind in the world, and Mr. Smith was elected honorary president of the company. He retired from business at the age of seventy-two, and after that lived quietly in Quincy until the time of his death on July 6, 1906, at the age of seventy-seven.

He was one of Quincy's successful men and made his sueeess without parting with his hosts of friends and admirers. He was a member and officer in the Bap- tist Church. He was content to make his outside service eount in the world simply as a manufacturer and business man, and after that found his greatest happiness in his home and in the companionship of his noble wife. Mrs. Smith maintained an ideal home and is especially well remembered because of her love for books and flowers. They were married more than fifty years, and in 1903 celebrated their golden wedding anniversary in the presence of relatives and many friends at their home at the corner of Sixth and Oak streets. Mrs. Smith died August 13, 1907. She was born in Massachusetts in 1830. They were the parents of four children, but the three oldest died in infancy.

Ella May, the only daughter, was born at Quincy in 1858, was educated in the City High School, a loeal college, and also in musical school. She married Dr. James Young Lewis, a graduate of the Philadelphia Medical College. Mrs. Lewis, who resides at 12191% Maine Street, has devoted her life to the up- bringing and education of her five sons, and in them she still finds her greatest pleasure and satisfaction.

The oldest of these grandsons of the late Ceylon Smith is Ceylon S. Lewis, who is a cement bridge contractor of Muskogee, Oklahoma. He married Glem Ellis, of Oklahoma, and they have a daughter, Rosella Lee.

J. Lee Lewis, the second son, is a graduate of the Quiney High School, of Knox College, and took his theologieal course in Massachusetts. He was pastor of the Baptist Church in that state and later entered upon his career as a Baptist missionary at Rangoon, India. He married a Massachusetts girl, Minneola Maybery, and she is also a missionary under the auspices of the Woman's Foreign Missionary Board. They are now located in their ehosen field at Burmah, India.

Joseph Elwood Lewis graduated with honors from the Quincy High School, attended Knox College and William Jewel College at Liberty, Missouri, and took his theologieal work in Massachusetts and in the University of Chicago. He has been a preacher and missionary in the Baptist Church and in March, 1917, enrolled in the Young Men's Christian Association war service and is now with the allied forees in Italy. He was the twenty-first representative of the Young Men's Christian Association to be assigned to the armies in Italy. In 1917 he married Ruth Arnold of Liberty, Missouri.

Kenneth, the fourth son, was also well edueated and took up the art and trade of jeweler. In August. 1917, he joined the navy and is now an ensign in the Great Lakes Training Station.

Harold W. Lewis, popularly known among his friends as "Bud" Lewis, graduated with many honors from the Quiney High School, is also a graduate of Beloit College, Wiseonsin, and has done much ereditable work as a physical director. In 1917 he joined an ambulance corps and is now serving on French soil.

CHARLES WILLIAM PFIEFFER, M. D. A physician and surgeon of finished ability and wide experienee, Doctor Pfieffer has enjoyed a large praetiee at Quiney, has associations that distinguish him as one of the able members of his profession, and is a man who does thorough and eonseientious work in what- ever he undertakes.

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Doctor Pfieffer comes of an old Hanover family of Germany. His grand- parents spent their lives there. His father was a charcoal burner in the gov- ernment service, was the oldest of a family of seven brothers, and beeame quite well known in his community, having a liberal education and much ability as a teacher. Among his large family of children was C. Andrew Pfieffer, father of Doctor Pfieffer. He was born in Hanover, and as he grew up learned his father's business. 1Ie married Frederieka Stecher, whose birthplace was only six miles from that of her husband. They married in 1869, and continued to live in the old country until the carly part of 1880, when they came to the United States by way of Ilamburg and New York, and on reaching Quincy the father found employment as a pattern fitter in a foundry. IIe has spent a very active life in this city, and is still a man of energy and resourecs. He and his wife have been greatly devoted to each other, and are people who enjoy the highest respect and estecm. They were reared as Lutherans but since com- ing to Quincy have affiliated with the Methodist Episcopal Church. They have two children, Doctor Pfieffer and Attilia, who is now the wife of Henry Kehl, a farmer living near Peoria, Illinois.

Doctor Pfieffer was born in Hanover October 25, 1875, and was five years of age when his parents came to Quiney. Here he attended the public sehools to the age of fifteen and since then has been making his own way in the world. Among other employment he was for six years with the Quincy Showcase Com- pany, and while there learned the trade of cabinet maker. In 1896 he used some of his means to enter the Central Wesleyan College at Warrenton, Missouri, where he was a student for two years. At that time he had sketched a future as a minster, but abandoned that idea to prepare himself for medieine. In 1898 he entered Keokuk Medical College at Keokuk, Iowa, and after the full four years' course was graduated in 1902. For his last two years in college he also enjoyed the invaluable experience of assisting Dr. C. E. Ruth in private practice and hospital work in surgery. Doctor Pfeffer was admitted to practice at St. Louis in 1902, and soon afterward opened his office in Quincy.

Ile is doubtless best known for his work as a surgeon. In the past fifteen years he has handled many difficult major operations, and the profession and general public have come to look upon him as an authority. When the Boston contraeting firm of Webster & Stone were doing a large amount of construction work in this part of Illinois they employed Doctor Pfeffer as their local surgeon. For the past eight years he has also been examiner for the Prudential Insurance Company, and for fourteen years has been assistant surgeon on the staff of St. Mary's Hospital and is now secretary of the staff. He is also one of the two physicians of the Quincy Board of Health. He is a member of the Adams County Medical Society, Illinois State Medical Society, American Medical Association, and for several years was secretary of the Western Illinois Distriet Medical Society. He is a noble grand of the Inde- pendent Order of Odd Fellows and is affiliated with the Elks. In polities he is a republican. Mrs. Pfeffer is a member of the Lutheran Church.

September 30, 1903, he married Miss Theresa Golm, who was born and reared in Quincy, where her father died in 1884 and her mother in 1902. Her father was for a number of years a general merchant at Seventh and Maine streets. Doctor and Mrs. Pfeffer have two children: Carl F. H., born in 1906, is now a student in St. James School and Helen II. F., born in 1910, is also in school.

WILLIAM HENRY HEITHOLT is the proprietor of the old Heitholt Homestead in section 22 of Fall Creek Township, thirteen miles southeast of Quincy. The house where he now lives was the scene of his birth October 6, 1881. The old Heitholt farm lies on the uplands in a rather seeluded section, on a slightly traveled publie road, but in point of cultivation, fertility of soil, general arrange- ment of buildings and improvements, it is one of the very good farms in

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this part of the county. Mr. Heitholt, the owner, is a man of good judgment, good foresight. and his industry has enabled him to handle his inheritance with excellent results.

His father was John H. Heitholt, whose eareer is noted somewhat at length on other pages. It should be here stated that he was born in Germany Mareh 8, 1833, and came to Adams County in 1846. William Henry Heitholt is a son of his second wife. He secured his present farm in 1918. This farm comprises eighty acres, and he also has 100 acres of bottom land three miles away in the Fall Creek Drainage District. He has made some of the improvements on the land, though the substantial house and barn were erected by his father. Mr. Heitholt rented the farm several years from his mother before becoming its owner.

October 6, 1904, he married Ida Reinebach, member of the well known Reinebach family, to whom further reference is made on other pages. Mr. and Mrs. Heitholt have two children, Roy and George, both attending school. The family are members of the Bluff Hall Congregational Church, and Mr. Heitholt is a member of his local school board.

SAMUEL D. MOORE. At one of the highest points in Adams County stands the "Mound Farm," a conspicuous landmark not only for its position, but equally notable for its value, improvements and long established record of successful farming and stock raising. For many years it was owned by the late Christopher Stauffer, elsewhere noted in this work, and is now the home of Samnel D. Moore, but soon to be taken over by his son, Ray E. Moore.

This farm is two miles east of Beverly Village in the township of that name. Samuel D. Moore was born just two miles north of his present home on Feb- ruary 28, 1860, son of Samuel A. and Sarah Margaret (Goodnight) Moore. Samuel A. Moore was born in Iredell County, North Carolina, June 4, 1820. He grew to manhood in Indiana and was married there. Sarah Margaret Good- night was born in Casey County, Kentneky, and is now living at Timewell, Illinois, having celebrated her ninety-sixth birthday August 19, 1918. Samuel A. Moore on coming to Adams County rented land in Beverly Township, but soon bought a traet in section 11. He acquired 400 acres there, 240 aeres in the home place and 160 acres in section 10. He built the present buildings on that farm. but moved to Timewell in 1890, where he died July 21, 1904, at the age of eighty-four. Two years after his death the farm was sold to strangers. Samuel A. Moore after removing to Timewell bought the farm of his son John. The old homestead passed to his sons Paris and Samnel D. Samuel A. Moore and wife were the parents of eight children. John, who died in Chicago at the age of sixty-eight, was one of the noted men in Illinois livestock eireles. For many years he farmed at Timewell in Brown County, having left Adams County about 1869. Hle was a graduate of Abingdon College. In Chicago he founded the Drovers Commission Company, and was one of the leading livestoek commission men of the Stock Yards. He served twice as representative to the Legislature, his district ineluding Adams, Brown and Pike counties. Minnie Moore, the second in age, has never married and has devoted her life to her parents, now living with her mother. Hester is the widow of J. H. Amrine and lives in Timewell. Sarah M. is the wife of I. N. Stont, a merchant at Ripley, Illinois. Paris D. lives near Kingston in Richfield Township, this county. Martha died at the age of fourteen, and the next in age is Samuel D. Mary E. is Mrs. Frank Bulman, of Keokuk, Iowa.

Samuel D. Moore was reared and educated in Adams County and Oetober 1, 1891, married Lizzie Stauffer, daughter of the late Christopher Stanffer. In 1893 Mr. and Mrs. Moore moved to the Stauffer farm, better known as Monnd Farm. and took the active management when Mr. Stauffer's son Marion T. retired. At that time Mr. Moore rented 320 aeres of the place and Mrs. Moore now owns 240 acres of the estate, including the beautiful site and the build-

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ings which give Mound Farm its distinctive place in the landscape. Mr. Moore also bought 240 aeres of the estate. He has successfully handled livestock for many years, being one of the successful cattle and hog feeders of the county. He has also fed many horses for the market. He has always been too busy for office, and is a democrat in politics, as was his father. Mr. Moore is affili- ated with the Independent Order of Odd Fellows. He and his wife have two children : Ray E., who graduated from the Keokuk High School at Keokuk, lowa, and now lives in part of the mansion on Mound Farm. Ile married Ruby Henthorn and they have a daughter Dorothy Irene. Clara F. Moore is the wife of Rex O. Carlock, and they live on the south side of Mound Farm. They have a son, Robert Owen Carlock.

CHRISTOPHER STAUFFER, who was in his time one of the wealthiest men and largest land owners in Adams County, achieved a success as a farmer and busi- ness man which made him notable all over Western Illinois. His home, the noted Mound Farm, is now occupied by his daughter and son-in-law, Mr. and Mrs. S. D. Moore.

Christopher Stauffer was born in Fayette County, Pennsylvania, January 29, 1821, and came to Adams County in 1837. In 1857 he married Sarah Keach, who was born June 1, 1837, in Tuscarawas County, Ohio. They were married at Rushville in Schuyler County, Illinois. Christopher Stauffer on coming to Adams County located in Beverly Township, and at that time acquired land which is now included in Mound Farm. He began housekeeping there and in 1870 established the present building site of Mound Farm. His possessions kept growing and expanding under his remarkable energy and fore- sight, and at one time he owned 720 acres in a body. Altogether he owned fully 1,000 acres. While he made much money by judicious investment in land, most of his ineome was derived from livestock. He was one of the lead- ing shippers out of the county. He erected the present magnificent country residenee at Mound Farm in 1881, and a number of the other commodious build- ings there date from his regime. He was inelined to lavish hospitality, and delighted to entertain his numerous friends at his home. While a member of no church, he was one of the most liberal supporters of the Mound Prairie Christian Church. Politically he was a republican.

Christopher Stauffer died at the old home September 12, 1906. He and his wife had three children to reach maturity. There were three others who died young, George, Walter and Nancy. Marion T. Stauffer was associated with his father on the farm until 1893, and is now an oil producer at Tulsa, Oklahoma. Anna B. Stauffer became the wife of R. H. Sykes, a part owner of the old Stauffer farm, and they now live retired at Baylis, Illinois. The third of the children is Mary Elizabeth, wife of Mr. S. D. Moore. Mrs. Christopher Stauffer is still living at the age of eighty-one, is a devout member of the Christian Church and makes her home with Mr. and Mrs. Moore.

JOEL BENTON, who comes of some of the oldest and most substantial pioneer stock of New England aneestry in Adams County, has for over twenty years been a factor in business affairs at Quincy and is one of the successful men of that city.

Mr. Benton was born at Mendon, Illinois, January 6, 1871, and is a son of William W. and Caroline M. (Bartlett) Benton. His grandfather, Joel Ben- ton, was born at North Guilford, Connecticut, in the carly years of the last century. Ile was a son of Lot and Hannah (Chittenden) Benton, both natives of that section of Connectieut. Hannah Chittenden was a daughter of Jared Chittenden, and her ancestry was traced baek to William Chittenden, who came to America in 1639 and was one of the earliest settlers of the Connectieut col- ony at Guilford.

Joel Benton after his marriage, accompanied by his two brothers Daniel Vol. II-43

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and Abram, came west by the overland route and established themselves at Mendon, then known as Fairfield in Adams County. Here they established the first store of the town and their double log house was the first house within the city limits. Joel Benton brought with him across the wilds intervening be- tween Adams County and Connecticut a few pieces of old colonial furniture for liis home in the West, and some of that furniture has been carefully preserved and is today in the possession of his grandson Joel at Quincy.

Joel Benton's parents were farming people at Mendon, and his father died there in 1907 and his mother in 1914. His mother was born also at North Guilford, Connecticut. Mr. Joel Benton has one sister, Celia W., born Oeto- ber 10, 1874, now the wife of Henry F. Dayton, of Quincy.

Joel Benton grew up on his father's farm, and at the age of nineteen came to Quincy to attend business college. For about a year he worked in the Quincy National Bank, was then in the artificial ice and produce business from 1891 until 1896. After that he sold farm implements until 1900, and follow- ing that was with the Stationer's Manufacturing Company until 1907. In that year Mr. Benton organized the Quiney Laundry Company, but retired from that business in 1916 and has since concentrated his attention upon the cleaning and dyeing industry, being proprietor of the Quiney Cleaning and Dyeing Company.

August 3, 1891, Mr. Benton married Miss Theodora Munger Miles. Mr. and Mrs. Benton have two children: Lois Dudley, born January 27. 1893, now the wife of C. L. Wells, of Quincy ; and William W., who was born November 12, 1895, and is associated with his father in business. Mrs. Benton is now chairman of the Hospital Supply Committee for the Adams County Red Cross organization. She and her two children are members of the Episcopal Church, while Mr. Benton is a Congregationalist. He is a republican and his fraternal affiliations are with the Masons, Knights of Pythias, Loyal Order of Moose and Benevolent and Protective Order of Elks.

C. FRED REINEBACH. One of the most capable citizens Fall Creek Township ever had was the late C. Fred Reinebach, whose life was comparatively brief, but was filled with tremendous energy and effectiveness of purpose, not only in behalf of himself and family, but for all the community. His death January 28, 1912, was widely mourned and meant a great loss to his friends and family.

He was fifty-five years of age at the time. He was born November 21, 1856, at St. Louis. When about fourteen or fifteen years of age he came to Quincy with his parents. His people were very poor and he had little oppor- tunity to gain an education, and soon as old enough he was put to some practical employment to earn a living and help support his people. While in St. Louis he worked in a rope and chair factory. He was employed at wages as a farm hand at Tioga in Hancock County, and later went to work for Ernst Pruessner in Fall Creek Township, not far from Fall Creek Station. Later he married the daughter of his employer, Louise Henrietta Pruessner. She was born in Fall Creek Township March 21, 1859, and died March 5, 1882. At the time of his marriage he took charge of the Pruessner farm and continued to live there until his son William Reinebach reached his majority and took possession of it as an inheritance.

October 9. 1883, Mr. Reinebaeh married Wilhelmina Caroline Albrink. Mrs. Reinebach, who resides on her farm home in section 25 of Fall Creek Township. sixteen miles southeast of Quincy, was born in Hancock County, Illinois, August 26. 1857, and was nine years old when her parents, Adolph and Caroline Al- brink, came to Adams County. Mr. and Mrs. Reinebaeh lived on the old Pruessner farm until the spring of 1899, when they bought the place now oc- cupied by Mrs. Reinebach. This consists of 200 acres and is the old Eli Seehorn homestead. The present substantial home, erected by Eli Seehorn seventy-five years ago, has been a landmark in that part of the county for many years.

8 Free Reineback

LIBRARY OF THE UNIVERSITY OF ILLINOIS

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Altogether it is a splendid upland farm, adapted to all kinds of stock and grain, and has excellent barns and other buildings, and is conducted by Mrs. Reinebach's progressive and enterprising sons. Mr. and Mrs. Reinebach went in debt for part of the purchase price, but the good farming methods of the owner soon provided ample income to pay off all the obligations.

The late Mr. Reinebach was one of the promoters and one of the first com- missioners of the Fall Creek Drainage District, which resulted in the reelama- tion of a large traet of valuable land. He spent much time in these official duties, and did mneh actual construction of levees himself. He held that office until his death. He was also a school director for many years, was a republican, and was one of the original members and trustee of the Bluff Hall Congrega- tional Church.

The only child of his first marriage was William Reinebach, now a resident of Melrose Township. The children of the second marriage are: Ida, wife of William Heitholt, of Fall Creek Township; George A. H., who rents his mother's farm in Payson Township; Paul F. and Irven C., both of whom were associated in the management of the home farm, until Irven was drafted and is now serving in the Engineer Corps in the army ; and Helen S., the young- est, still in the home eirele.

Paul F. Reinebach was born September 7, 1889, and has spent all his life at home. He and his brother Irven took charge of the home place at the time of their father's death. Shortly before his deathilFred Reinebach had bought the old Lawrence farm of 274 acres in Paysen Township, a mile east of Payson. He paid $14,000 for this fine farm, and it is now operated by his son George. Paul Reinebach on the home farm is giving particular attention to the raising of hogs and markets about 100 every season, and also feeds a number of young cattle. On February 24, 1918, he married Miss Esther L. Spencer, daughter of Harlow M. and Olive Spencer, of Payson Township.

CHARLES W. LEFFINGWELL is branch manager of the Quincy house of the International Harvester Company of America. This position alone earries with it a great weight of responsibility and makes him one of Quiney's leading men of affairs.

Ilis career is a happy illustration of a man who early finds his work and diligently proseeutes it in typical American manner from humble role in a rising succession of responsibilities until earning a prominent place in one of the greatest industrial corporations in the world.

Mr. Leffingwell was born in Wisconsin, of English and Scottish parentage, and was edueated in the common schools of that state. In 1881, when merely a boy, he went to work for George Esterly & Sons, afterwards known as the Esterly Harvester Company of Whitewater, Wisconsin, manufacturers of har- vesting and grass cutting machines. His first employment with them was as lathe worker. His employers apparently did a good service when they dis- covered the latent talents of young Leffingwell and encouraged them to complete development. He remained with the firm nine years, and there was not a department he did not go through during his stay with this concern. In 1890 it was proposed that the Whitewater concern should become part of the new organization known as the American Harvesting Machine Company of Chicago, Illinois, but which organization failed to consummate.

Mr. Leffingwell then identified himself with the Walter A. Wood Mowing & Reaping Machine Company of Hoosick Falls, New York, in their branch house at Kansas City as cashier and bookkeeper, but subsequently was sent, after the territory was divided between them and the Walter A. Wood Har- vester Company of St. Paul, Minnesota (an auxiliary company), as their general agent to Denver, Colorado. He remained with the Wood concern for several years, his next connection being with the Plano Manufacturing Company of Chieago as one of their four distriet sales managers, having charge of the

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Quincy and Adams County history and representative men, Vol. II, Part 109

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