Quincy and Adams County history and representative men, Vol. II, Part 65

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 65

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relative of his wife. This land is now owned by Loring P. Wheeler and has been in the family possession for eight decades. John Wheeler began voting as a whig, and cast a ballot for the first republican nominee for President, General Fremont. He and his wife were laid to rest in Woodland Cemetery. where a monument marks their last resting place.

Loring P. Wheeler, now in the shadow of his eightieth birthday, maintains all the vigor and intelligence of a man much younger, and his mind is as clear as many men half his age. He received a good education in some of the private schools of early day Adams County, and his father sent him East to get an academic training, spending one year at Meredith and one year at New HIamp- ton, New Hampshire, in both of which places he attended academies. On re- turning to Adams County he did his first regular work on the Mississippi River. He was elerk on a steamboat, and when only seventeen years old was granted a master's license and was captain of the steamer "Colonel Morgan." From 1859 to 1872 Mr. Wheeler was a Quiney merchant and for four years he had an active part in the summer resort of Versailles in Brown County. Since then he has been located on his farm in Melrose Township. He has been prospered in his labors, has always been an exceedingly busy man, and aside from an inheri- tanee of $1,000 when he reached his majority his prosperity is the result of his own efforts.

June 16, 1863, in Will County, Illinois, Mr. Wheeler married Miss Clara E. Craw. They became the parents of four children, two sons and two daughters, three of whom are still living. The oldest is Ruth R., who lives at home with her father and was edueated in the Quincy eity schools and afterwards com- pleted a four years course in the Chautauqua. She has always been a lover of good literature or books and has taken a commendable part in church and other local organizations. She is a member of the Methodist Church, of its auxiliary society the Honey Bee Society, and is president of the local Quincy nuit of the Home Improvement Association of Adams County.

The son John P., who died October 31, 1895, at the age of twenty-nine, had already proved himself a man of achievement and talents and his early death eut short a career of great promise. He was always interested in things me- chanieal and though he had only a common school education he acquired what was for the time an expert knowledge of electricity and had the distinction of installing the second electric light system in Quiney. He married Miss Elizabeth Burroughs. Mrs. Elizabeth Wheeler is now superintendent of one of the dormitories, known as the Elliott House, at Wellesley College in Mas- sachusetts. Mr. and Mrs. John P. Wheeler had two children, a son and a daughter. The daughter, Marjory, is a graduate of Wellesley College and is now an employe of the large dry goods house in Chicago of Charles Stevens & Company. The son John Stephen finished his education in the Quincy High School and is in Uncle Sam's service, having been promoted from second lieu- tenant to first lieutenant and is now performing the duties of adjutant at Camp Devens, Massachusetts.

Miss Catherine Wheeler, the second daughter, is also sharing the comforts of home with her father. She is a graduate of LaGrange College at LaGrange, Missouri, and for five years was a successful teacher, four years in Adams County and one year in LaGrange. She has always taken much interest in literary affairs and also in patriotic organizations. Through her grandmother Wheeler she is a direct descendant of an ancestor who bore arms in the Patriot eanse during the Revolutionary war. With that lincage she is a member of the Quiney Chapter of the Daughters of the American Revolution, and is affiliated with the Baptist Church at Quiney. She has made a number of trips across the states, has visited the home of her ancestors in Massachusetts and has seen a great deal of her own country.

The son W. Frank Wheeler was educated in the Quiney High School and in the agricultural department of the University of Illinois at Champaign for one year, and is now living in Chicago, district agent for the Wilson Packing

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Company. He is a member of the Masonic fraternity and the Elks. He mar- ried Martha White, who died in 1903, and had two children, one living, Frank White, now a student in a Chieago high school. W. Frank Wheeler married in October, 1917, Miss Eveline Lemen, of St. Louis, Missouri.

Mrs. Loring P. Wheeler was born at Bristol, Illinois, was educated in the common schools and had a musical training. She was active in the Meth- odist Episcopal Church, and her children and friends remember her for her many fine qualities as a kind and loving wife and mother. She died August 13, 1909, and was laid to rest in Woodland Cemetery.

Mr. Wheeler has never shown any disposition to seek public office, and has done his part as a good citizen through other channels. He was at one time a member of the Military Company at Quincy, an organization which had on its roll such prominent names as General Morgan, Tilson, Prentiss and John Wood. The beautiful homestead of Mr. Wheeler is known as Elm- land Farm. It is a highly productive place of 160 acres and also interesting and attractive as the abode of peace and contentment where any man might be happy to spend his declining years.

GEORGE WASHINGTON DEAN was one of the notable figures in the agricul- tural and political life of Adams County for many years. It is but justice to a good and honorable name therefore that the following brief points in his career should be noted.

He was born in Fluvanna County, Virginia, February 14, 1836. When he was two years old his parents moved to Pickaway County, Ohio, where he was reared to the age of seventeen. Prior to that time he had taught school a year, for two years attended the Mount Pleasant Academy, and coming west to Illinois through Sangamon County entered the Illinois State University and re- mained through the junior year. Later he enrolled in the Indiana State Uni- versity from which he graduated in the law course.

About that time he located in Adams County and here taught two years of school. He married Miss Mary S. Hughes, oldest daughter of Mr. and Mrs. Daniel Hughes.

Mr. Dean represented a thoroughly American and patriotic family. His father was a soldier in the War of 1812 and defended the Star Spangled Ban- ner from the encroachments of British power. George W. Dean was always a democrat in polities. Many offices came to him during his residence in Adams County. He was supervisor, assessor, justice of the peace and notary public. His growing influence and prominence brought him before the people of the state in general. He was elected to the State Senate from the Thirty-sixth Sen- atorial District and served during the sessions of the thirty-fifth and thirty-sixth assemblies. Afterward he was elected to the Lower House of the thirty-ninth assembly. While in the Legislature Mr. Dean was noted principally for the introduction and passage of two bills, one for admitting any inmate of the Soldiers and Sailors Home to the insane asylums of the state when declared insane, and the other a bill creating what is known as the Farmers Institute Law. After the passage of the Institute Law he became director of the Fifteenth Con- gressional District under its provisions, and continued to hold that position until a short time before his death. For twenty-six years he held the position of member of the Adams County Agricultural Board and for five years was its president. For several years previous to and up to the time of his death he was a stockholder and director in the Farmers Bank at Liberty, Illinois, and also a stockholder and director in the Payson Farmers Mutual Fire Insurance Com- pany of Payson. He was a lifelong member of the Masonic order.

George Washington Dean died at his home in Burton Township July 28. 1911. He was survived by his wife, Mrs. Mary S. Dean, by his sons E. B. O. Dean of Camp Point, George C. Dean of Burton Township, D. J. Dean of Chi- cago, and his daughter, Miss Bertha Dean, who is still at the old home with

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her mother. Mrs. Dean and all the children are still living and through their worthy individual careers perpetuate the worthy memory of their father.

GEORGE C. DEAN is one of the valuable men of Burton Township, a successful farmer, a public official, and is worthily carrying many of the responsibilities formerly devolving upon his honored father, the late George W. Dean, who died in 1911.

George C. Dean was born at the old homestead in Burton Township March 7, 1866. His mother is still living at the homestead. His brother Charles Sidney Dean died on the adjoining farm, the old Vickers place. He had married Polly Myers, daughter of Jacob T. Myers of Gilmer Township, and she is now the wife of Harry Coffield, an attorney living out West. Mr. Dean has a sister, Bertha W., unmarried and living at home. A brother, Daniel Justin, lives in Chicago and is engaged in telephone construction work. Another brother, Edson, is a farmer at Camp Point.

George C. Dean has spent his life elose to the old farm, was edueated in the loeal sehools, and he first took the responsible management of the home farm when his father was on duty as a legislator. On December 28, 1891, Mr. Dean married Miss Emma G. Slade of Burton Township, daughter of Abraham and Amanda (Lytle) Slade. Her father was born in Maryland and soon after his marriage came to Adams County, was a farm renter and later bought a place in seetion 13 of Burton Township. His was a eonspieuous success in that agri- eultural community. He was a real farmer, using all the qualifications that would have made him equally successful in business affairs. He developed a place of 240 aeres, regarded then and now as one of the best farms in the town- ship. He was also mueh concerned with the progress of his community and very public spirited. He was a member of the Pleasant Grove Methodist Episcopal Church. Mrs. Dean's father died at the age of seventy-five, surviving her mother three years. They spent their last years at Camp Point. The son Seldon O. Slade now owns the old homestead.

Mr. and Mrs. Dean have been on their present farm twenty-seven years. It was formerly owned by Mr. Dean's mother, being part of her father's estate. This farm consists of 115 acres and has been much improved under Mr. Dean's management and ownership. He bought another eighty acres, so that his present operations involve 195 aeres. He raises eorn and hogs and has a number of reg- istered Shorthorn eattle.

Mr. Dean has been much in loeal polities, has been tax collector, member of the Election Board, a delegate to various county conventions, and he was elected justice of the peaee as successor to his father and is also a notary publie, having held his commission for eight years. He is a trustee of the Methodist Episcopal Church. There is abundant evidence of his progressive attitude on all matters. He is one of the original members of the County Farm Association, serving on its executive committee four years, as director from Burton Township. He is also a director and second viee president of the Farmers Bank at Liberty. Mr. and Mrs. Dean have one daughter. Mae Golden, now Mrs. Earl R. Sims, Mr. Sims being a son of John T. Sims of Burton Township. Mr. and Mrs. Sims have one infant child, Seldon Dean Sims.

JACOB B. WOLFE. The pioneer stories connected with Liberty Township always make a great deal of Elder George Wolfe, leader and one of the found- ers of the Dunkard Church in this county, a man of great nobility of character, a worker and organizer in his church for many years, and one whose influenee went far toward establishing religious ideals and moral atmosphere in that community. Jacob B. Wolfe, the well known merehant at Coatsburg, is a grandson of that pioneer character. His own life has been devoted to farming, merchandising and public service. For many years he was a member of the Board of Supervisors, was formerly superintendent of the County Poor Farm, and he is the father of the well known attorney at Quiney who was elected

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in 1918 to the office of county judge. Thus there have been four generations of the family in Adams County, and all of them distinguished by some unusual strength of character and vigor of enterprise.

Elder George Wolfe, who settled in Adams County about 1833, came here from Union County, Illinois, where he was a pioneer. Elder George Wolfe performed the first marriage ceremony in Liberty Township. He developed and owned a good farm in Liberty Township, but always carried on his work as a minister of the Gospel, and as long as strength and years permitted rode horseback carrying the message of the Gospel over a wide territory, going even as far away as Indiana. He established the Dunkard Church at Liberty, the first church of that denomination in the county. He was a prominent factor in the camp meetings held in that vicinity, when people came from miles around, brought their provisions with them, and celebrated all the special rites and cere- monies of the church, including the Lord's supper on Saturday night, and the observance of foot-washing and holy kiss. Elder George Wolfe and his son David built the church at Liberty, and David continued the work where his father left it off. For many years he was chosen at the annual meetings as missionary, and was also elder. There were several preachers in the congrega- tion, but only one elder. His district as elder included Adams, Pike and Han- cock counties. He visited the various churches and communities in these coun- ties and also preached far beyond the boundaries of his district. As a missionary worker he was called by duty as far away as Texas, and many times to Indiana. For all the zeal with which he prosecuted his holy calling he was an able and successful farmer. Elder George Wolfe's wife died when her grandson Jacob B. was a few years old, but his grandfather lived to the age of eighty-four, passing away in 1866.

Jacob B. Wolfe was born in Liberty Township April 9, 1850, and is a son of Elder David and Pamela Ann (Francis) Wolfe. His father was born in Union County, Illinois, about 1820 and was a small boy when brought to Adams County. He and his wife had five children, and the oldest and youngest died in childhood. Mary is Mrs. Isaac J. Poley, of Atlanta, Georgia, while Martha I. is the widow of Rodney Lambert, who spent most of his life in Quincy. Mr. Lambert was formerly associated with Jonah Hedges in the grain business, and later was partner in the Eagle Flouring Mills until the mill burned. Still later he was a lime manufacturer. He was killed while examining the timbers of an old mill in process of demolition, being caught under a falling wall. He was at that time about forty years of age.

Jacob B. Wolfe was well educated in Liberty and also attended the Quincy Business College. He lived in Liberty Township forty years, and most of that time owned and operated his grandfather's old farm. Abont 1898 he moved to Quiney as deputy sheriff under John W. Roth, serving as turnkey in charge of the prisoners of the county jail. For about fifteen years he served as a member of the County Board of Supervisors, representing Liberty Township, and was finally selected by the Board as superintendent of the County Poor Farm. His administration was a most capable as well as a kindly and effective one. During his term the average number of inmates at the farm was 100, though at times the number rose as high as 180. He was occupied with the responsibilities of this institution for four years. Since then his time has been devoted to merchan- dising. He had a store at Paloma, but moved it to Coatsburg in January. 1910, and from that village his trade extends for miles around. He is one of the best known men in the county. He has long been active in the democratic party, serving as county committeeman in Liberty Township, and is in every sense a publie spirited citizen. He was reared in the old family church at Lib- erty, but has had no active part in it for many years. For over thirty years he has been affiliated with the Liberty Lodge of Masons, has held all the chairs and for three years sat in the Grand Lodge. He is one of the oldest members of the Liberty Lodge.

LIBRARY OF THE UNIVERSITY OF ILLINOIS

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Mr. Wolfe married Emily C. Grubb, member of an old and well known fam- ily of Liberty Township. She died August 4, 1880, the mother of four children. Everett E. is connected with the Street Railway Company at Quincy. Josephine P. is Mrs. Arthur V. Chandler of Carthage, Illinois. Frederick G. is the Quincy attorney above mentioned, who in 1918 accepted the nomination from the dem- ocratie party as candidate for county judge. Ellen F., the youngest child, died at the age of twenty-six, wife of Charles Lawless, of Paloma.

WILLIAM E. HASSE for a number of years traveled over the Central West as a commercial salesman, and has successfully capitalized his experience at Quincy as a hotel man. He is proprietor of the Hasse Hotel, located on Oak Street near the railway station. He built this hotel and established it in 1909. and has one of the best equipped and most popular hostelries of Quincy. The hotel contains thirty-five rooms, and Mr. Hasse gives his personal attention to all these details of management which affect the service and the comfort of his guests.

For twelve years he was on the road representing a Chicago firm of wine importers, and that extended travel brought him many friendships all over Illinois and other middle states.

Mr. Hasse was born in West Prussia October 21, 1863, of an old Prussian family, and son of Dr. Carl and Florentine (Nixdorff) Hasse. His parents spent all their lives in Prussia, and both were more than eighty years of age when they died. His father was a scholarly and able physician, and both were lifelong members of the Evangelical Lutheran Church. They had twelve chil- dren. Three of them, William E., Martin and Anna, came to the United States, all of them have married, and all have children. The sister lives in Indianapolis, and the brother in Missouri.

William E. Hasse grew up in his native town and had the education given to the better class of German youth in the Gymnasium. At the age of seven- teen he came to America, traveling through Norway and Sweden and Eng- land before embarking for the passage to New York. He arrived in this coun- try on the day that President Garfield was shot. From New York he came west to St. Louis, Missouri, where he found employment as clerk in a hardware store, and continued clerking in various establishments in that city until he went on the road as a traveling salesman. His has been a very busy career and he has been a substantial American citizen for over thirty years.

At Quincy Mr. IIasse married Miss Elizabeth Ottman. She was born in Quincy, daughter of Henry and Adelheide (Willscacher) Ottman. Her par- ents, after they came to the United States, married at Cincinnati and later established a home in Quincy. Her father was a very talented engraver in gold and other metals. He died in Quincy in 1906, when past seventy years of age. His widow is now eighty-seven years of age and lives at St. Louis. For a number of years she was a devont worshiper in St. Boniface Catholic Church. Her four danghters, all now married, were also of the same faith as their mother.

Mr. and Mrs. Hasse have five children : Alban A., who was educated in the city schools, is now associated with his brother Carl in a successful plumbing business under the name of lasse Plumbing Company. He married at Quincy Wilhelmina H. Wessel. Carl Hasse married Pearl Polly, of Salina, Kansas, and also lives at Quincy. Erna G. is the wife of Ben Groetling, of Quincy, and they have a daughter, Verginia, born May 6, 1912. Martha C. is the wife of George Long, a farmer at Boone, Iowa, and they have a son, Carl, born April 1, 1914. William A. is unmarried and is registered for service in the United States army. Mrs. Hasse and daughters are members of St. Boniface Catholic Church. Mr. Hasse is affiliated with Herman Lodge No. 39, An- cient Free and Accepted Masons, also with the Quincy Consistory of Scottish Rite and the Shrine at Peoria. In polities he is a demoerat.

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NATHAN LYTLE is proprietor of one of the excellently improved farms of Burton Township, twelve miles east of Quiney. He is a very substantial citizen, and it is a matter of interesting record that he began his career in this country as a farm laborer and the highest wages ever given him was $19.50 a month. His career gives additional proof to the old assertion that it is not what one earns but what one saves that counts. A great deal is said about thrift in these days of war, but very few people at present conform to such rigorous economy as did Mr. Lytle. He saved his wages, and found opportunity to loan out every dollar at 10 per eent interest. In the course of time he had saved $2,000, and that was the basis of his real start in life.

Mr. Lytle was born in Harvard County, Maryland, Mareh 5, 1850, son of George W. Lytle. His father was a cousin of James O. Lytle, one of the earliest settlers in Burton Township. The Lytles are a rather numerous family in Adams County.

Nathan Lytle eame west to this eounty in 1868. He worked out by the month until he married at the age of thirty-five. Most of his work was done in Burton and Gilmer townships, and for five years he was with Abraham Slade, and nine years with Crayton Slade.

January 1, 1885, Mr. Lytle married Miss Sarah A. Rife, daughter of David and Catherine (Stoekslager) Rife. Her parents eame from the vicinity of Gettysburg, Pennsylvania, and after several years in Adams County bought in 1864 the farm now owned by Mr. and Mrs. Nathan Lytle. Her father died here at the age of eighty and her mother at seventy-two. Mrs. Lytle was born in Columbus Township, and lived at home until her marriage.

For thirteen years after their marriage they rented farms, and then after the death of her parents bought ont the other heirs and now have a well arranged and well equipped farm of 611% acres, comprising some very productive soil, and with good buildings. The original house burned and a cousin, Lige Carlin, was burned with the burning house. Mr. Lytle has replaced it with a neat home. Mrs. Lytle has a brother, John Rife, of Liberty Township.

Mr. Lytle has never sought official honors. He votes as a demoerat and attends the Christian Church at Columbus.

PETER E. MURRAH. The community of Coatsburg has long looked upon Peter E. Murrah as one of the most substantial representatives of the agri- cultural industry and as a eitizen whose work and influence have always gone in the direction of improvement and enlightenment.

Mr. Murrah, who has recently surrendered the active cares and respon- sibilities of his farm and is now enjoying a well earned retirement, was born in seetion 13 of Honey Creek Township October 19, 1846. He is a son of John and Mary (Fite) Murrah. John Murrah was born in Kentucky, moved to Tennessee in early life and married there, and in 1838 drove aeross the country to Illinois. He located in Adams County, and Honey Creek Town- ship has always acknowledged him one of its pioneers and one of the men who did much to develop its raw resources. The James Bailey family eame about the same time and both took up adjoining tracts of land. John Murrah paid only $1.25 an acre for his first quarter section and for another 160 acres he paid $2.50. Altogether he aceumulated about 500 acres and some it eost him much more than the prevailing Government priee. The barn which he ereeted on the premises many years ago is still standing. John Murrah died in 1872, at the age of sixty-nine, and was survived by his widow a number of years. Ile and his wife had the following children: Sarah, who married William Evertson and died in Livingston County, Missouri, at the age of eighty-five; Alvin F., who died in Adams County in middle life, leaving a wife and two children; Mary, who died in young womanhood; Caroline, who married J. L. Derrick, a farmer at Coatsburg, and both are now deceased, their two living daughters being Adelaide, of Collins, Colorado, and Sarah, Mrs. W. P. Simons, of Honey Creek Township; Elizabeth, who married Fred

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Murrah, a cousin, and they then went to Kansas and died in that state : Frances, who married C. M. Gibbs, who for fifty years was railroad agent at Coatsburg, but is now living retired ; John, who was born June 30, 1845, and died in the fall of 1917, at the age of seventy-one, his widow, Martha Kessler Murrah, still living; and Peter E., the youngest.

Peter E. Murrah grew up on his father's old farm, and at his father's death acquired the interests of the other heirs in the 160 acres which he still owns and which was developed and improved under his personal direction. This farm is in section 13 of Honey Creek Township, and Mr. Murrah can take satisfaction in reviewing the years of hard labor required in clearing it of brush and timber and otherwise bringing it to the full point of production. He built a good house and barns, and for about forty years gave all his time to the cultivation of his fields and the raising of good grades of livestock. Mr. Mur- rah is a democrat and served as tax collector in 1885, in which year he collected $16,000 in taxes. He was made a Mason at the lodge in Columbus, but his chief interests have been his farm and his family.

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Quincy and Adams County history and representative men, Vol. II, Part 65

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