Quincy and Adams County history and representative men, Vol. II, Part 71

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

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JOHN A. MCFARLAND. It is more than eighty-five years since the McFar- land family became established in 'Adams County. The principal locality with which they have been identified during all these years is Camp Point Town- ship. They have been a family of sturdy virtues, of upright citizenship, and their hard working ability has bronght improvement to many acres and has contributed not a little to the power and prestige of the county.

Of the present generation is John A. McFarland, who was born and reared in Camp Point Township, but for a number of years has been a resident of Columbus Township. His grandparents, John and Rebecca McFarland, were natives of Scotland, were married there and several of their children were born in the land of the heather. They immigrated to America on a sailing vessel, and in 1832 arrived in Adams County and bought land in Camp Point Township in section 13. This land had been originally acquired from the Gov- ernment in 1824, but the MeFarlands were practically the first to give it set- tled agriculture and occupation. John McFarland cleared up some of this land, used ox teams for plowing and other work, and had his first home in a virtual wilderness. There was no transportation, hardly any high roads ex- cept trails through the trees, and the woods and prairies were filled with wild game, deer, turkey and other denizens of the forest. Obviously there were many privations and hardships, but the MeFarlands were of the sturdy Scotch char- acter and well fitted for all they had to endure. Grandfather John McFar- land was a resident of Adams county only six years. He died in 1838, in the prime of life. His widow lived to advanced years. Their oldest son, William Madison McFarland, was born in Ohio, and became prominent in Adams County as a farmer and in politics. The grandparents were both members of the Primitive Baptist Church.

LIBRARY ' : THE UNIVERSITY OF ILLINOIS

HARM H. EMMINGA

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Daniel G. McFarland, father of John A. McFarland, was born in Camp Point Township September 26, 1834, and for many years had the distinction of being the oldest native man of that township. He was one of thirteen chil- dren. He was the last of them to die, passing away June 10, 1907. He remained 'on the old homestead, improved it, and farmed it steadily for upwards of half a century. In July, 1855, he married Martha MeFarland, a cousin. She was born in Ohio, a daughter of Arthur McFarland, who became a pioneer settler in Greene County, Ohio, where he died. Daniel McFarland and wife were members of the Methodist Episcopal Church. She died in 1898, the mother of four sons and four daughters. Two sons and one daughter died young. The other children were: George R., who died in 1918; John A .; Rosa,, Susan and Minnie Harris, of Quincy.

John A. McFarland was born on the old homestead farm in section 13, Camp Point Township, December 27, 1860. IIe grew up and attended com- mon schools there, and has always been a deep student and reader of litera- ture. He has devoted most of his time to farming and stock raising. He came to his present farm in section 20, Columbus Township March 8, 1910, and has 170 acres, the old Lewis Wilkey farm. Its improvements comprise a large barn and an eight-room house, and everything is conducted in the style of high class farming. Mr. McFarland raises Poland China hogs, Jersey cattle and sheep and horses.

He married in Augusta Township of Hancock County, Illinois, Miss Ruth HI. Watts. She was born and reared there, daughter of Isaac and Mary Watts, who came from England and spent their last years in Augusta Township, where her father developed a successful industry in woolen manufacture. Mr. and Mrs. McFarland have an interesting family of children: Mrs. Pearl M. Brinkman, living at San Diego, California, wife of a western ranchman ; Rob- ert. A., a farmer in Columbus Township, married Iva Bolling, and has two children ; Maxine and Francis; Florence E. is the wife of Ralph Husong, of Columbus Township; Esther A. is the wife of Arthur Richards, a farmer west of Columbus; Daniel I. assists on the home farm; Russell D. is a student in the local schools, as are Lee W. and Neva Frances. The family are Methodists and Mr. McFarland is a democrat and has held several local offices.

JOHN JACOB EMMINGA. One of the most interesting communities in Adams County is the Town of Golden. For a number of years after its establishment during Civil war times at the junction of the Wabash and Burlington Railroads the village was known as Keokuk Junction. In and around the village have lived some of the most substantial and high minded families. A number of them bear names reflecting an origin in the lowlands of Northern Europe, those countries around the North Sea which in the course of centuries have had many national ownerships, including Holland, Denmark and Germany, though as a people and by racial affiliations they might properly be grouped as "Nether- landers." The particular section which furnished this little Adams County colony was the old principality of East Friesland, so that these people might be known as Friesians. This country is now part of the German Empire, but at one time was a Holland Dutch province and later an independent prin- cipality.

One of the old families in East Friesland was Emminga, many of whom have been identified with church, educational and other public affairs for cen- tnries. Henrich R. Emminga was born in East Friesland in 1829. He was a millwright by occupation. He married Margaretha H. Franzen, who was born in 1824, and her father, Harm H. Franzen, served with the allies against Napoleon and fought at Waterloo. Several of the Franzen family became prominent in Golden, including Cobus Franzen, who was a well known miller.

Henrich R. Emminga came to America, landing at New Orleans, and reached the little community in Northeast Township of Adams County where Golden is now located in February, 1852. Here his services found reciprocal benefits

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for himself and the community as a millwright and miller. He was especially expert in building that type of mills for which the lowlands of Northern Europe are famous, the mills operated by wind power, the "Dutch windmills." He built and operated several mills in this part of Illinois. In 1863 he returned to his native land and his wife died there in 1868. In 1872 he came back to America, but was content to remain only seven years. He died in East Fries- land in 1888 and was laid to rest beside his wife. Some of the work of this old time mill builder in Adams County still remains. The windmill which he ereeted two miles east of Golden in the early '50s is still in operation. The Village of Golden itself has the mill which he erected during the '70s and is still doing service. He and his wife had three children: Harm H., Volkea, who married Weert J. Buss, of Golden ; and Anna, who married Menne Gronewold, of Golden.

One of the citizens of Adams County whose lives were elosely associated with its improvement and development and whose memory deserves to last was the late Harm HI. Emminga, who died December 9, 1915. He was a man of great business enterprise, very successful as a miller, banker and property owner. He was born in East Friesland December 25, 1850, and his first conscious recollections were of the old home in Adams County. At the age of twelve he accompanied his parents back to Germany and was nearly grown when he returned to this country with his father. From that time forward all his activities and interests were eentered in the community of Golden. He had a good common school education, though most of it had been acquired in the old country. It is said that he could never become interested in agriculture, never learned to hiteh up a horse, and was most at home in eommereial affairs. He was well trained to the milling industry and was proprietor of the Prairie Mills at Golden from 1879. Those mills were operated by wind power and were noted for the excellence of their product. He also bought and shipped grain, and in 1889 he erected a modern flour mill with a complete roller proc- ess, known as the New Era Mills. His broad minded business enterprise is reflected in the fact that he did not seck to market the product of these mills in this country, but sent them abroad to Holland, France and Great Britain and also the West India Islands.

He was responsible for giving Golden its first bank, opening the People's Exchange Bank July 1, 1894. This bank was at first located in the same building in which he had his milling and grain offices. The building was erected in 1891, and later was fitted up for its special use as a bank. In 1904 he erected a modern banking house. The late Mr. Emminga was deeply interested in loeal affairs, and it was largely through his leadership and influence among the people that the community consented to issue bonds for a modern public school building in 1898. He was always deeply concerned in matters of education and was one of the prominent supporters of the Lutheran Protestant Churel of Golden, and helped finance and gave his personal supervision to the re- building of the church in 1904. H. H. Emminga was known among his con- temporaries as a scholar, being thoroughly versed in books as well as in men of affairs, was cultured by extensive travel, and the full breadth of his interests and attainments were not appreciated even by his most intimate friends.

In 1872 H. II. Emminga married Miss Maria Gembler. She was born in San Antonio, Texas, December 12, 1854. Her father, Johan Jacob Gembler. was one of many Germans who sought homes in Texas during the '40s, arriving there about 1847. Mrs. H. H. Emminga is still living at Golden. She was the mother of two children. The daughter, Margaret, born April 5, 1873, was edneated at St. Mary's Convent at Quiney and is still at home with her mother.

John Jacob Emminga, who is the suceessor of his father in many business enterprises at Golden, was born in that village May 30, 1875. He was educated in the local public schools, and the Gem City Business College at Quincy, and at the age of sixteen became associated with his father in the milling office. At eighteen he entered his father's bank and those two lines of business have

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occupied his time and energies to the present time. In 1913 the milling industry was incorporated. Besides the bank at Golden there is a branch maintained at La Prairie.

Mr. John J. Emminga is a republican, though he takes no interest in polities as a means of self advancement for the sake of holding office. lle attends and supports the West Side Lutheran Church. In 1916 Mr. Emminga married Miss Annie V. Albers, who represents another prominent Friesian family of Northeast Township. She was born at Golden and is a daughter of Lubbe U. Albers, who was the first station agent at Keokuk Junetion and in many other ways was prominently identified with the history of that community.

WILLIAM B. AUSTIN. Several localities in northern Adams County are benefited from the presenec and activities of members of the Austin family, who first took up their residence in Mendon Township more than seventy years ago. William B. Austin, now a farmer in Keene Township, 334 miles north- east of Mendon, was born in this county over seventy years ago, and he has two sons who are also well known in the county, his son John being a farmer, while Adelbert is a successful physician at Mendon.

William B. Austin was born in Mendon Township, a half mile from his present home, September 5, 1846, son of John C. and Caroline E. (Barclay) Austin. The parents were both natives of Wayne County, New York, and were married there about 1841. The father was born in October, 1814, and the mother in 1820. In 1843, two years after their marriage, they came to Adams County direet from New York. John C. Austin's brother, Arona, had been a resident of this county four or five years, his name being identified with Honey Creek Township. John C. Austin bought land in Mendon Town- ship, and lived on his farm there until his death at the age of sixty-six. He acquired and improved more than 200 acres. This old farm has since been sold. His widow survived him until she was past eighty years of age and died at Mendon. Arona Austin died of typhoid fever. The three sons of Arona were : Moses, who served all through the Civil war as a Union soldier, was county surveyor at one time, and died an old man ; Peter, who died in Mendon ; and Arona, who now lives in Missouri. The children of John C. Austin and wife were: Daniel, of Brookfield, Missouri; Cornelius, who is also living re- tired at Mendon ; and William B. The father of these sons was an active mem- ber of the Methodist Episcopal Church.

William B. Austin remained at home until his marriage at the age of twenty-eight. For a time he was a partner in the management of the farm with his father and practically had charge of the entire place. He made his first purchase of forty acres in Keene Township. He married Mary Wilcox, daughter of Thomas and Jane (Hewett) Wilcox, of Keene Township, both now deceased. Her mother died at the age of seventy and her father at eighty. Mary Wilcox was nineteen years of age at the time of her marriage. The young couple then located on the farm where they now live, acquiring 119 aeres from the Baptiste Hardy estate. Mr. William B. Austin now has 200 acres of fine farm land, and has a very comfortable home and large barns and other outbuildings. Part of the home was standing when he bought the land. He began his career with somewhat limited capital, but had already mani- fested those qualities which inspired confidence in his future. Thus when he went to Mr. Bill Benton for a loan of $400 Mr. Benton refused any security, and later advanced Mr. Austin $1,100, also without security. Mr. Austin is a general farmer, and for some years was a breeder of Polled Angus Cattle.

He and his wife are members of the Methodist Episcopal Church at Men- don and he is affiliated with the Independent Order of Odd Fellows. A re- publican, he has always refused official preferment, though he served for a time on the school board. Farming has constituted the bulk of his labor, and as his land was originally both prairie and timber it required strenuous effort to clear it out and put it into cultivation. He and his wife have had three

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sons : John. Adelbert and Joseph. Mr. Austin had taken special pains to fit up the farm preparatory to turning it over to his son Joseph as manager, when this son was stricken with the illness which carried him away in the flush of young manhood at the age of nineteen.

.John T. Austin, whose home is in section 26 of Mendon Township, was born at his father's residence, three-quarters of a mile north, on September 28, 1875. He was reared and educated there and at the age of twenty-two he married Miss Ella M. Evans, a neighbor girl then twenty years old. Her father was James Evans. During the next four years the young couple re- mained at the Austin home, and he then took active charge of that farm. In 1902 they came to their present place, purchased from Abe Chittenden. He bought eighty acres at that time and has since acquired another eighty acres. all of this in addition to forty acres given him by his father. For the Chitten- den farm Mr. Austin paid $5,500, and for another forty acres he paid $119 per acre. He has given his place many improvements and is prospering as a general farmer. He has never used politics as a means of official advance- ment. He and his wife are members of the Congregational Church and he is affiliated with the Independent Order of Odd Fellows. John T. Austin and wife have four children, all at home, named Ada, Irma, Mary and William. The daughter Ada graduated from high school with the class of 1918.

Adelbert M. Austin, M. D., was born at his father's home in Keene Town- ship June 17, 1880. His father says that even during his childhood he showed tendencies toward the profession which he has adopted and which his services have honored. His days were spent on the farm until he entered college at the University of Iowa, and in 1904 he received his Doctor of Medicine degree from Washington University of St. Louis. During the next seven years he prac- ticed at Stronghurst, Illinois, and then returned to Mendon, where he has enjoyed a rising reputation in his profession for eight years. He is a mem- ber of the County and State Medical societies and the American Medical Asso- ciation. He also belongs to the Nu Sigma Nu Medical Society, is a Royal Arch Mason, and a republican. In 1917 Doctor Austin enlisted in the Medical Reserve Corps, but was discharged for physical disability after a brief period of service at Fort Benjamin Harrison, Indianapolis. He has served three terms as a member of the Public School Board and most of that time as presi- dent of the board.

In September, 1908, Doctor Austin married Roxie E. Murphy. She died in July, 1913, leaving two children : Mildred and Dorothy M. In June, 1914, Doctor Austin married Julia Hancock, of Carthage, Illinois. Mrs. Austin before her marriage was a trained nurse. They have one child, Mary M.

WILLIAM C. ABBOTT has been a Quincy business man for a number of years, and since 1913 has been proprietor of one of the most liberally patronized gro- cery establishments of the city, at 217 North Sixth Street.

Mr. Abbott was born in Shelby County, Illinois, in 1859, and two or three years later, while his father was in the army, the family moved to Taylorville. Christian County. He grew up and was educated in the local schools and sub- sequently removed to Pana, Illinois, where he was in the grocery business. In 1903 he removed to Quincy and had the management of the Strecker restau- rant for six months and then took charge of the grocery and meat establish- ment of John D. Davis. He conducted that store until 1913, when he took over the business, and is now one of the independent and progressive merchants of the city.

His father enlisted in the One Hundred and Forty-First Illinois Infantry from Shelby County, Illinois, and served 312 years. Part of the time he was in General Logan's command, and was in many of the hard fought battles of the war, though never wounded nor taken prisoner. After receiving his hon- orable discharge he returned to his family at Taylorville, and lived there for a number of years, but finally went out to Anthony, Kansas, where he died

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at the age of sixty-four. He married in Shelby County Jane Brewer, a native of that county, who died before she was fifty years of age. They had four children, two sons and two daughters. Mary died leaving three daughters and her sister, Lelah, died at the age of twelve years. Mr. William Abbott has a brother, Nelson, who is married and lives at Anthony, Kansas, and has a son and two daughters.

William C. Abbott married at Taylorville, Illinois, Miss Mary Arnold. She was born in Fayette County, Illinois, in 1866, and was reared and educated in that county and in Christian County. Mr. and Mrs. Abbott have two stalwart sons. Herbert T., born in January, 1888, was well educated and recently joined the cavalry of the National Army at Fort Douglas, Arizona. Gilman C., born in August, 1890, now lives at Rock Island, Illinois. He is ready for his early call in the army. He married in Rock Island Hattie Frank. She was born at LeClaire, Iowa, but was educated in Rock Island.

Mr. and Mrs. Abbott are members of the Methodist Episcopal Church. He is affiliated with Taylorville Lodge, Ancient Free and Accepted Masons, and his older son is a member of the Consistory of the Scottish Rite at Quincy, while the younger son is affiliated with the lodge and Royal Arch Chapter at Rock Island.

WILLIAM A. WAGY. Known as a man of authoritative experience and snc- cessful management as a farmer and stock feeder, William A. Wagy has for many years been identified with Adams County. He owns a large and well im- proved farm in Payson Township, 11% miles southeast of Plainville. Mr. Wagy represents one of several Wagy families who have been prominently identified with the history of Adams County from pioneer times.

He was born in Richfield Township of this county March 31, 1864, and is a son of Stephen and Malinda (Decker) Wagy. Stephen Wagy was born at Waverly, Ohio, March 3, 1832, and died February 10. 1884, in his fifty-second year. When he was nine years of age he came to Western Illinois by wagon and ox team, bringing a yoke of oxen and a span of horses to draw the vehicle. His parents were Jacob and Rachel (Riley) Wagy. Jacob Wagy settled a mile south and a half mile west of Plainville, and lived there the rest of his life. Stephen Wagy grew up in that locality but married in Pike County. Malinda Decker was born and reared in Pike County, daughter of Moses Decker, whose home was on the north line of Pike County. Moses Decker died when past seventy years of age and was buried on the old farm. That farm is now owned by his daughter, Margaret Tooley, who lives at Kinderhook, five miles distant.

Stephen Wagy after his marriage rented land for several years, making several changes of location, and in the spring of 1865 he moved to the farm a mile south and a half mile east of Plainville where he lived until his death. His widow, Malinda, survived him twenty-four years and passed away in 1908. at the age of seventy-two. She never left the old farm. This farm is now owned by their son George. They had six children: Green A., whose home is a mile southeast of Plainville; Martha C., who died soon after her marriage to George Callaway: Rachel E., widow of Levi McCarl, brother of Judge MeCarl. lives in Pike County ; George, already mentioned as the owner of the old home- stead : Elizabeth, who married Denton Hull, of Pike County, died in middle life ; and William is the youngest.

William A. Wagy lived at home until his father's death. He was then about twenty years of age. and he continued to help his mother on the homestead for several years. About 1890 he seenred an adjoining farm south of the old place, comprising 120 acres. Since then he has bought the old Bruce Lyon farm of forty acres, one of the old farms but one of the best in fertility in that part of the county. It had good buildings and he put upon it a substantial barn. His son is now operating that place. The home farm has had many improve- ments, including an extensive remodeling of house and barn. Mr. Wagy has fed and fattened for the market as high as several carloads of cattle in a single

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year. He usually markets about a carload of hogs every year. He makes no attempt to breed and raise enough cattle for his facilities as a feeder, and buys them on the markets or in the surrounding country. He brings his cattle almost to the point of market conditions by running them on a splendid 100-acre blue grass pasture which he owns in Pike County. This 100 acres was originally in his grandfather Decker's farm. He also raises a number of horses, getting them young, as his judgment prompts a purchase.

Mr. Wagy has not appeared conspicuously in politics but in 1898 served as tax collector and during his year in office collected about $12,000 for the treasury. He is a democrat. He belongs to the Adams County Farm Improvement Asso- ciation and supports the Methodist Episcopal Church, of which his wife was an active member.

February 8, 1888, Mr. Wagy married Miss Carrie Hupert, daughter of George and Amy Hupert, of Payson Township. She was born in that town- ship. Mrs. Wagy died in February, 1899. She was the mother of his children, four in number. Ellis E. married Marguerite Dean, daughter of Justine Dean, of Burton Township, who died December 4, 1916, leaving no children. Mabel M. is the widow of Lonnie Freeman. Mr. Freeman was a mechanic and en- gineer and died in Payson Township. Mrs. Freeman has a son Fay, and now lives with her father. Della is the wife of T. L. Hull, of Richfield Township, and has one child, Esther Belle. Eva Marie married Earl E. Robinson. Mr. Robinson is now in France with the ambulance corps. Mr. and Mrs. Robinson have one child, Bettie Louise.

October 4, 1905, Mr. Wagy married for his second wife Carrie Kidder, daughter of Rev. George and Mrs. (Bushnell) Kidder. Her father was a well known local minister of the Methodist Episcopal Church. Mrs. Carrie Wagy died July 16, 1918.

JOHN WAGY. With a history in several communities in Adams County the Wagy family is interwoven as the personal element in a web of affairs that has grown stronger through all the years since pioneer times. An important member of the family and one of the oldest still living is John Wagy, a retired resident of Plainville.

He is in his eighty-second year, having been born in Ross County, Ohio, January 29, 1838. When he was eleven years of age, in 1849, he was brought to Adams County in company with his parents, Jacob and Rachel (Riley) Wagy. Jacob Wagy was born in Virginia, and his parents had migrated to Ohio. IIe was about forty-five years of age when he came to Adams County. The trip was made with horse teams. Jacob was accompanied by his brother Abraham and also their father, Jacob, then an old man who died soon afterward. Abra- ham settled in Henderson County, Illinois. Jacob's home was a mile west of Plainville, where he spent many years and died at the age of seventy-three, one year after his wife. The old farm is now owned by John and the latter's son-in-law, Walter Hampsmire. The homestead comprised 160 acres. Jacob built the present frame house during the Civil war and the large barn was built by John. The children of Jacob were: Henry, who died in Carroll County, Missouri, when past eighty years of age, his daughter, Mary Seward, living in Payson Township; William, who died in Carroll County, Missouri, at the age of eighty; Stephen, whose family is sketched on other pages of this publica- tion ; John, now the only survivor; James, who died in Payson Township, and his widow and children are still living on the old farm; Mary, who married Charles Stratton, of Carroll County, Missouri; and Margaret, widow of Benja- min Lytle, also of Carroll County, Missouri.

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Quincy and Adams County history and representative men, Vol. II, Part 71

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