USA > Illinois > Adams County > Quincy > Quincy and Adams County history and representative men, Vol. II > Part 72
Note: The text from this book was generated using artificial intelligence so there may be some errors. The full pages can be found on Archive.org (link on the Part 1 page).
Part 1 | Part 2 | Part 3 | Part 4 | Part 5 | Part 6 | Part 7 | Part 8 | Part 9 | Part 10 | Part 11 | Part 12 | Part 13 | Part 14 | Part 15 | Part 16 | Part 17 | Part 18 | Part 19 | Part 20 | Part 21 | Part 22 | Part 23 | Part 24 | Part 25 | Part 26 | Part 27 | Part 28 | Part 29 | Part 30 | Part 31 | Part 32 | Part 33 | Part 34 | Part 35 | Part 36 | Part 37 | Part 38 | Part 39 | Part 40 | Part 41 | Part 42 | Part 43 | Part 44 | Part 45 | Part 46 | Part 47 | Part 48 | Part 49 | Part 50 | Part 51 | Part 52 | Part 53 | Part 54 | Part 55 | Part 56 | Part 57 | Part 58 | Part 59 | Part 60 | Part 61 | Part 62 | Part 63 | Part 64 | Part 65 | Part 66 | Part 67 | Part 68 | Part 69 | Part 70 | Part 71 | Part 72 | Part 73 | Part 74 | Part 75 | Part 76 | Part 77 | Part 78 | Part 79 | Part 80 | Part 81 | Part 82 | Part 83 | Part 84 | Part 85 | Part 86 | Part 87 | Part 88 | Part 89 | Part 90 | Part 91 | Part 92 | Part 93 | Part 94 | Part 95 | Part 96 | Part 97 | Part 98 | Part 99 | Part 100 | Part 101 | Part 102 | Part 103 | Part 104 | Part 105 | Part 106 | Part 107 | Part 108 | Part 109 | Part 110 | Part 111 | Part 112 | Part 113 | Part 114 | Part 115 | Part 116 | Part 117 | Part 118 | Part 119 | Part 120 | Part 121 | Part 122 | Part 123 | Part 124
John Wagy from the age of eleven years grew up on the old homestead. At the age of twenty-one he married Susan Long, of Payson. She died eight years later, leaving two children, Albert, who spent most of his life in Nebraska and now lives in Kansas, but his postoffice is at Marion, Nebraska, and Marietta, who married Peter Schuetz and died leaving two children. October 21, 1867,
1173
QUINCY AND ADAMS COUNTY
John Wagy married Nancy Hull. That was her maiden name. She was then the widow of Emanuel Wagy, a cousin of John and a son of Philip Wagy. Emanuel Wagy died a year after his marriage, leaving one child, Mary J., now Mrs. R. A. Green, of MeCook, Nebraska. Mary J. was only three years old when her mother married John Wagy. Mrs. John Wagy is a daughter of David Hull, of Pike County, Illinois. Nancy was born in Barry Township of this county December 12, 1844, and grew up on the old homestead farm where her father spent the best of his years and died at the age of ninety-five.
Mr. John Wagy had many discouragements, some of them apparently too heavy to bear. With the never swerving support of a loyal wife and more than helpmate these were overcome, and brighter days succeeded until his life has been crowned with a glorious sunset that only comes as a result of labors well done and well earned compensation.
After his second marriage Mr. John Wagy spent seven years in Lima Town- ship of Adams County, where he had a farm on Bear Creek. Then for four years he lived in Richfield Township, and upon the death of his father secured the old Wagy home, part of which he still owns. The last several years he has lived retired at Plainville. Mr. Wagy has never sought public office. He is a republican, as are most of the members of the Wagy family.
Mr. and Mrs. Wagy had four children. Two of them died in infancy. A son, James Oscar, lived to be twenty-five years of age, and spent all these years at home. A daughter, Ethel M., the only survivor, is the wife of Walter Hamp- smire, more particularly referred to on other pages. Mr. and Mrs. Wagy are members of the Methodist Episcopal Church, as are also the children and grand- children.
FRANK H. WHITNEY, secretary and treasurer and treasurer of the Hollister- Whitney Company, elevator manufacturers, comes of a very old New England family. His ancestors were pioneers in Maine, and his great-grandfather and grandfather lived and died there near Poland Springs. Mr. Whitney is a son of the late August H. Whitney, one of the carly manufacturers and business men of Quincy. When a young man he went to Portland, Maine, and learned the organ making trade. He followed this for a time in Montreal, Canada, and then came west to Kalamazoo, Michigan, where he married Frances Garland. She was a native of Buffalo, New York, but was reared and educated in Kala- mazoo. Soon after their marriage they moved to Quincy, Illinois, where A. H. Whitney organized the Whitney & Holmes Organ Company and was president of the firm. He continued manufacturing organs in this eity until his death in 1891, at the age of fifty-six. His widow is still living, at the age of sixty- seven, a resident of Washington, D. C. She is a member of the Episcopal Church, as was her husband.
Frank H. Whitney has one brother, J. W. Whitney, who is in the piano business in New York City. He is married and has one daughter. Frank H. Whitney was born at Quincy May 21, 1870. He was carefully reared and educated, and grew up in his father's shops and after the latter's death he and his brother conducted a similar business in Quincy until 1905. At that date Mr. Whitney became a partner of Mr. Hollister and secretary and treasurer of the Hollister-Whitney Company, elevator manufacturers, with an extensive and modern plant in Quincy which supples elevator equipment in all parts of the United States.
Mr. Whitney married Miss Sarah R. Newcomb. Mrs. Whitney was born. reared and educated in Quincy, and is a daughter of the late R. C. Newcomb, one of Quincy's most distinguished manufacturers. Her father was born in Massachusetts in 1837 and came to Quincy in 1872, purchasing the Gem City Paper Mills. He was a paper manufacturer, and later served as president of the American Strawboard Company. The great hotel bearing his name in Quincy is a monument to his enterprise. Mrs. Newcomb is still living in Quincy.
Mr. and Mrs. Whitney have two children: Anna Newcomb is a member of
1174
QUINCY AND ADAMS COUNTY
the class of 1919 in the Quiney IHigh School. Richard Harvey was born in 1905 and is a junior in the high school. Mr. and Mrs. Whitney are members of the Episcopal Church. Mr. Whitney is affiliated with the Masonic Lodge.
MELVIN W. BOWKER for many years has been a resident of Payson Township, has a fine ecountry home there, and his life has been one of service as well as profit. He is a nephew of the late Marshall B. Sturtevant.
His unele was born at Savoy in Berkshire County, Massachusetts, October 21, 1818, and died at the old home in Payson Township July 21, 1908. At the age of twenty, on October 6, 1838, he married Fidelia Ketchum, who was born in Cuyahoga County, Ohio, September 18, 1818, a daughter of Solomon and Polly (Hemenway) Ketchum. Her father died soon after her birth and she was taken back to Massachusetts by her mother and lived there until her mar- riage to M. B. Sturtevant. The latter grew up on a farm and also worked in Massachusetts cotton mills and other factories. Some years after his marriage he and his wife started west and reached Chicago July 3, 1848. They spent about eight years in Winnebago County, Illinois. and then moved to Kinder- hook in Pike County, Illinois, where he built a sawmill. A year later they moved to the farm where their nephew now lives, three quarters of a mile south of Plainville. He had traded his mill for sixty aeres of land, and on that farm he spent the rest of his days. M. B. Sturtevant and wife had no children of their own. They adopted Charles W. Sturtevant in infaney, and a sketch of the latter's life is found on other pages.
In 1871 they also made a home for their nephew, Melvin W. Bowker, who was born at Adams in Berkshire County, Massachusetts, February 10, 1860. His parents were Alonzo and Ilepsie (Sturtevant) Bowker. His father was a physician and died when Melvin was five years old. Melvin continued to live in the Sturtevant family and gradually assumed the responsibilities of manag- ing the farm, and finally sueeeeded to its ownership. Mrs. M. B. Sturtevant died January 17, 1912, when past ninety-three years of age. Mr. Sturtevant was a eharter member of the Plainville Masonie Lodge and was buried under the auspiees of that order. He was well read, kept himself informed on eurrent day progress, and enjoyed friendly diseussion of a wide range of subjeets. He would not hesitate to take the contrary side in order to stimulate and bring out argument. He also enjoyed many sociable games, including eheekers.
Mr. Bowker was educated in the distriet schools of Adams County and at the age of twenty-six married Miss Anna Gillespie, of Kinderhook, Pike County. Mrs. Bowker died December 10, 1915. She was the mother of two sons, Homer dying at the age of twelve years. The younger is Elden G. Bowker, who was born June 18, 1889. For some years he has been associated with his father in operating the home farm. Elden G. Bowker married June 30, 1910, Edna Cochran, who was born at Barry, Illinois, in 1890, daughter of Frank and Mary (Hines) Cochran, both of whom are now living at Plainville. Mr. and Mrs. Elden Bowker have two children, Melvin Franeis, born in 1911, and Dorothy Louise, born in 1914.
Mr. Melvin Bowker has served as road commissioner, having been twiee eleeted in a demoeratie township, his own polities being republican. He is a past master of his Masonie Lodge, held that ehair for seven years and has been a delegate to Grand Lodge. He is also a charter member of the local eamp of Modern Woodmen of America.
FRANK J. KRONER. Almost ever since Quiney became a eity in faet some share of its vegetable erops and other fruits of the land have been produced by members of the Kroner family. A number of years ago one of the enter- prising members of this family established a greenhouse and began the pro- duetion of eut and potted plants, and when his enterprise was eut short by an untimely death his father, Frank J. Kroner, took it over and has continued
1175
QUINCY AND ADAMS COUNTY
growing high class flowers in the greenhouses at 2021 Spring Street to the present time.
This business was established by Joseph F. Kroner in 1900. The son was in a fair way to prosperity when death stayed his hand in 1906. and since that time the father has handled the business and has kept it growing. He has a well equipped plant with about 10,000 square feet of glass. and is an expert in the business.
Frank J. Kroner was born in Melrose Township of this county April 2s. 1851. The Kroners have been identified with Melrose Township for over three quarters of a century. He grew up there on a farm and was an active gardener and truck raiser until he took over the management of the greenhouse. His parents were Joseph and Catherine (Hollander Kroner. both natives of Han- over. They came before their marriage to this country, traveling by sailing vessel. were on the ocean nine weeks. and from New Orleans Joseph Kroner traveled up the Mississippi River to St. Louis and worked there several years in the city market. On moving to Adams County in about 1$30 he took up gardening in Melrose Township. The distinguishing characteristic of his life was his great industry and persistent labor, and from the fruits of those quali- ties he made ample provision for his family. He married in Quiner. and after a number of years at their home in Melrose Township. returned to the eity. Joseph Kroner died here twenty years ago at the age of seventy-eight and his wife passed away some years previously at the birth of her last child. They were early members of St. Boniface Catholic Church and he did much for that church where he lived.
Frank J. Kroner married in Quiner Miss Bernadine Woltmann. She was born in this eity December 1. 1857. and was reared and educated here. Her parents were Herman H. and Elizabeth (Middendorf Woltmann, both natives of Germany, where they married. On coming to the United States they entered this country by way of New Orleans and traveled up the river to St. Louis. and after some years moved to Quincy, where they spent their last days. Her father was a shoemaker by trade. but subsequently was in the grocery business. and finally lived retired. He died at the age of eighty-three and his wife at fifty-eight. They were members and earnest workers of St. Boniface Catholic Church.
Mr. and Mrs. Kroner have had the following children: Joseph F., who was twenty-six years of age when he died in 1906: Herman H .. who died at the age of twenty-eight: Lueile E .. wife of Joseph Altmix, lives in Albuquerque, New Mexico. and has a son. Richard : August Leo. aged thirty-one enlisted February 8. 1918. and after a brief training in the naval aviation department. was in service at an Atlantic seaport when last heard from: Florenee, who like the other children was well educated. is the wife of Eugene H. Weber and they now live with her parents. The family are all members of St. Francis Catholic Church. Mr. Kroner is affiliated with the Western Catholic Union and in poli- ties is a liberal democrat.
NORMAN D. BRADFIELD is proprietor of one of the well improved and val- uable farms of Payson Township. located a mile north and three-quarters of a mile east of Paxson Village. This is the old Nichols farm. formerly the home of his wife's parents.
Mr. Bradfield was born in Fall Creek Township of this county March 2. 1875. He is a son of Samuel and Abigail (Chatten) Bradfield. His father was born in Pennsylvania April 18. 1832. and died May 4, 1901. He came to Illinois when a child with his parents. who located in the central part of the state. In 1848, at the age of sixteen. he eame to Adams County, where he found employment on the farm of Clark Chatten. He worked there and in Fall Creek Township and seven years later married the daughter of his employer. He be- eame one of the substantial residents of Fall Creek Township and spent the rest of his life there. His wife died August 22. 1916. They were the parents of five
1176
QUINCY AND ADAMS COUNTY
daughters and two sons: Flora, wife of John Preston, living at Amarillo, Texas; Olive, who married Oliver Dillman, of Nash, Oklahoma; Cora, widow of John Mellen, living in Los Angeles; Ora, widow of John Crum, of Los Angeles; Beulah married John McIntyre and died at the age of nineteen; Norman D .; and Norwood S., a dentist at Eddyville, Iowa.
Norman D. Bradfield remained at home until he was twenty-five years of age. At the age of nineteen he began teaching. He had attended the Payson High School and also took the normal eourse in Chaddoek College at Quincy. He taught in the country schools of Fall Creek Township, and on September 16, 1900, married Olive Nichols. She was born on the farm where she now re- sides October 6, 1882. One year after their marriage Mr. and Mrs. Bradfield took charge of this farm and has ever since lived there and their labors have been abundantly prospered. They have three children: Margaret, Norwood Nichols and Elvin Gerald. Mrs. Bradfield is a member of the Christian Church. He was reared a Methodist but attends the same church with his wife. He is affiliated with the Masonic Lodge at Payson and is a republican. He has filled the offices of road commissioner and school director, and both he and his wife have given generously of their time and means to the support of all war activ- ities.
Martin T. Nichols, father of Mrs. Bradfield, died when the latter was four years old. He was born on an adjoining farm, son of Jaeob Nichols, and died when Martin was a child. Martin remained with his mother, who later married Mr. Seehorn, and at his death she left the farm and spent her last days in Pay- son Village. A daughter, Mrs. Theodore Peters, lives at Payson, and another daughter, Mrs. Charles Warner, at Plainville. George Nichols, a brother of Martin, is a merchant at Plymouth, Illinois.
Martin Nichols married Margaret Schroth, whose father, Henry Schroth, was born in Germany, and her mother, Mary Roth, was a native of the same country. Margaret Schroth was born in Adams County and was eighteen at the time of her marriage. Martin Nichols died five years after his marriage leaving two children, Olive and George H. The latter is now a resident of Shel- byville, Missouri. Martin Nichols at the time of his marriage bought the old farm of 160 aeres from his father's estate. Mrs. Nichols subsequently married Leo Waters and returned to the farm, where she lived until her death in 1896, at the age of thirty-three. Mr. and Mrs. Waters had two children, Clarence, now in the West, and Mabel, a teacher at Hull Station, where she and her father reside.
SAMUEL S. ALEXANDER. Of the families that have lived longest and deserve most credit for the changes and improvements in Northeast Township since pio- neer days that of Alexander is particularly prominent and has been numerously represented here. Of the second generation of the family one of the oldest is Samuel S. Alexander, who is still living elose to the scenes of his birth and early youth. He was born October 14, 1845, in this county.
His parents were William and Mary (MeReynolds) Alexander, both natives of Virginia. William Alexander was born in Russell County, Virginia, in 1802 and his wife in 1812. They married in Virginia and about 1838 moved west to Tennessee, and early in 1840 arrived in Adams County and settled at Elm Grove in Houston Township. William Alexander arrived here a poor man, but set himself resolutely to the task of clearing the land and making a home and living for his children. In the early days it was customary for letter postage to be paid at the receiving office. William Alexander was so poor, it is said, that one day when a letter arrived from back East with charges of twenty-five cents he had to borrow the money to pay the postage, and it was a year before he was able to repay the lender. In later years prosperity came to him in large measure and he owned about seven hundred aeres of land. He died at the old homestead in 1882 and his wife passed away in 1880. William Alexander was a demoerat, and he and his wife were members of the Presbyterian Church. They had a
S. S. ALEXANDER AND FAMILY
LIBRARY " THE UNIVERSITY OF ILLINOIS
1177
QUINCY AND ADAMS COUNTY
family of thirteen children, all of whom lived to be men and women. Their names were Nancy, John, Mary, Margaret, Rachel, William, David, Daniel, Michell, Martha, Samuel, Wilson and Rebecca. The only ones still living are Samuel and Wilson. The son David was killed while a soldier at the battle of Stone River.
Samuel S. Alexander grew up on the old home farm and had the advantages of the local public schools. One of his teachers was George W. Cyrus. For more than half a century he has given his best energies to farming and stock raising and in his time has fed and marketed many thousands of fat cattle and hogs. The farm operations are now condueted on an estate of six hundred acres, and his home place in section 8 of Northeast Township has such improvements and facilities as to constitute it a thoroughly valuable stock form. Mr. Alex- ander is now practically retired and has turned over the management of the farm to his son James W. He is a democrat, but has never sought publie office. Ilowever, his fellow citizens saw fit to impose upon him the responsibilities of membership on the school board for about twenty years, and they also made him road boss. He is affiliated with the Modern Woodmen of America and at- tends the Methodist Episcopal Church.
In 1870 Mr. Alexander married Miss Sarah A. Warring, who was born in Northeast Township of this country, daughter of James and Martha Warring, pioneer settlers here. James Warring was born in Kentucky in 1825, and was brought to Adams County in 1835. James Warring married Martha Robbins, who was born in North Carolina in 1829.
Mr. and Mrs. Alexander have five children : Mary is the wife of Edward Simpson, and her two children are Verna and Vera. James W. is a farmer and merchant at La Prairie. John married Ruth Rose and has two children, Naomi and John. Lyda is the wife of Oscar Wall, formerly a resident of Camp Point, but now living in Chicago, where he is a city salesman. Ralph Alexander is a farmer and married Miss Viola Shopp of Northeast Township.
CHARLES N. WILLARD is the youngest child of William Madison Willard, one of the oldest and best known residents of Houston Township. Many of the faets regarding the Willard family and their early settlement and their activ- ities in Houston Township have been given on other pages of this publieation.
The old homestead where he now lives and which is still owned by his father was the birthplace of Charles N. Willard. He grew up there, attended the Glen- wood public school, and throughout his aetive eareer has been identified with farming. Besides managing the old homestead he also has the Mary E. Pearce farm of 120 acres, so that 250 acres respond with their abundant crops every vear to his management. Mr. Willard is a stock raiser, and feeds a large num- ber of sheep, hogs and cattle every year, and his farm is very widely known as the home of some thoroughbred English Shire stallions.
Mr. Willard is a demoerat, and he and his wife are active members of the Christian Church. In 1901 he married Miss Ethel Sweikert, of Haneock County, Illinois, daughter of George Sweikert, one of the early settlers there. Mr. and Mrs. Willard have four children: Gladys, now in the freshman class of the Maplewood High School at Camp Point, Glenn E., Goldy and Harold.
SAMUEL THOMPSON has been an Adams County resident for over a quarter of a century, and is one of the prosperous and extensive land holders and farm- . ers of Northeast Township. It requires only a brief survey of that section of the county to identify Samuel Thompson with the best and most enterprising citizenship.
He was born over the line in Haneock County, Illinois, February 15, 1865, son of Joseph and Mary (Morrison) Thompson. His parents were both natives of Pennsylvania and after coming west they settled in Hancock County. Joseph Thompson was a successful farmer there and died in 1910, at the age of eighty- four, and his widow passed away January 5, 1917, at the same age. The father
1178
QUINCY AND ADAMS COUNTY
was a democrat. The children were: James, Emma, Hallie, Samuel, William, David, Mary and Aliee.
Samuel Thompson grew up on his father's farm and in 1892 eame to Adams County. He is now owner of 250 aeres in Northeast Township, and has done much to improve and inerease the value and productiveness of the land. He is a general farmer and stoek raiser. Mr. Thompson is a demoeratie voter, and served for abont five years in the important loeal office of road commis- sioner.
In October, 1894, he married Miss Ellen Anderson. She died August 28, 1911, the mother of four children : John, Mary, Geneva and William. Her son John, an American soldier, was stationed with the United States troops along the Mexican border and is now at home. December 10, 1914, Mr. Thomp- son married for his present wife Ida Lakeside, of Pike County, Illinois.
HENRY IHRIG, a prosperous farmer of Houston Township, has a career of special interest because he started out a young man dependent entirely upon his own industry and native ability, worked as a farm hand, later got into the class of farm renters, and with accumulating experience and with the savings of many years of honest toil finally bought his first land and is now proprietor of a farm that would bear favorable comparison with any in his locality.
Mr. Ihrig is a member of a very well known family of Adams County, some further reference to which is made on other pages. He was born in Melrose Township January 19, 1866, son of George Henry and Elizabeth (Dingledine) Ihrig. On his father's farm he spent the first sixteen years of his life, and attended public schools there. Then for five years, until he reached his majority, he lived in the home of his brother George. Starting out to work away from home, he spent one year in the employ of Thomas Pearee, one year with R. B. Lummis, for a year and a half was in the employ of his father, and then be- coming a renter lived on the William Powell farm two years and on the Lee Pearce farm five years.
In 1898, twenty years ago, and when agricultural conditions and land val- ues were much depressed in comparison with present standards, Mr. Ihrig bought 971% acres, included in his present farm in Houston Township. Sinee then he has been able to add to his holdings until he has 275 aeres. He has built a two-story house and a large barn, making two sets of buildings on his farm, and at the same time has given his land many improvements to inerease its value and productiveness. Mr. Ihrig handles some good livestock, and is also a fancier and breeder of pure bred Plymouth Rock chiekens. He feeds a num- ber of hogs and cattle every year. In polities he is republican, though never aspiring to publie office. He and his wife are members of the Methodist Episeo- pal Church.
December 9, 1892, he married Miss Jessie Geisel, of Melrose Township. She is a daughter of Henry Geisel, one of the early settlers of Adams County, who died when past ninety-two years of age. Mr. and Mrs. Ihrig have one child, Milton Ray, born June 28, 1902, now a student in the Maplewood High School at Camp Point.
JOHN F. Ross, M. D. The community of La Prairie was fortunate when Dr. John F. Ross chose that locality as the seene of his professional labors. Doetor Ross is a highly trained, capable physician, has acquitted himself as an exeellent worker in his profession and as a thoroughly good and enterprising eitizen, and is giving the best of himself to his ehosen work.
He was born on the old Ross homestead in Sehuyler County, Illinois, Novem- ber 20, 1882, son of Jolin H. and Mary J. (Peekenpaugh) Ross. His paternal grandparents were Talbert and Elizabeth (Snyder) Ross. Talbert Ross was born in Pennsylvania and his wife in Virginia. They came in pioneer times to Schuyler County, Illinois, and settled on the farm where Doctor Ross was born and where his parents still live. Talbert Ross died in 1858, at the age
1179
QUINCY AND ADAMS COUNTY
of forty-five, leaving a family of nine children: Mary, Martha, Amanda, George John H., Sarah, Minnie, James T. and Delia. The mother of these children married for her second husband John Beadle, and she died in 1874, at the age of fifty-five.
John H. Ross was born in Schuyler County in 1846. He grew up on the old farm, was educated in the public schools, and married Mary J. Peeken- paugh, who was born in Schuyler County in 1853. They still live on the old farm of 160 acres and are among the prosperous and substantial people of that community. He is a republican and he and his wife are members of the Meth- odist Episcopal Church. They had two children : Oel D. and John F.
Need help finding more records? Try our genealogical records directory which has more than 1 million sources to help you more easily locate the available records.