Quincy and Adams County history and representative men, Vol. II, Part 78

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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After their marriage Mr. and Mrs. Brakeusiek lived four years in the southeastern part of Columbus Township, and then bought a large farm of 288 acres in sections 23 and 24. Later they added 100 acres in section 13, and also had 80 aeres west of those properties. Most of this land was well improved and constitutes today some of the best farms in the township. The home farm had some substantial buildings, including a good seven room house.

In the midst of his labors and activities Mr. Brakensiek died September 8, 1912, at the age of sixty-one. In politics he was a republican and held several local offices. He was reared a Intheran and was one of the leading members of the Wolf Ridge Christian Church, the land on which that church stands having been donated by him. Mrs. Brakensiek and her children are sustaining members of the same church, and Lydia and Henry are both teachers in the

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Sunday sehool. The oldest child was William, who died in infaney. Henry Brakensiek now lives on a fine farm in section 24, 121 acres, and more particular reference to him will be found on other pages. Lena is the wife of William A. Norris, a farmer in Columbus Township, and they have seven sons and daughters. Freda is the wife of Arnie F. Steiner. They occupy and operate the old homestead farm. Mr. and Mrs. Steiner have two children, Mildred L., born in 1909, now in the fifth grade of the public schools, and Harold H., born in 1911, now in the second grade. The son Frank C. Brakensiek died in 1906, at the age of eighteen, while a student in the local high school. Lydia S., the youngest, is still at home and was well edueated in the district schools.

HENRY F. BRAKENSIEK. One of the best farms in Columbus Township is visible evidence of the enterprise and good management of Henry F. Braken- siek, its owner. He is one of the younger generations of farmers in that part of the county and has vigorously upheld the responsibilities of citizenship as well as his part in the agricultural community.

His home is in section 13 of Columbus Township. He has lived there for the past fourteen years, spending four years on the land as a tenant. In 1908 he bought 207 acres and later fourteen aeres more. Most of this land is in cul- tivation, and it is splendidly arranged and equipped for his purposes of gen- eral farming and stock raising. He keeps the better grades of stock, including horses, cattle and hogs. His hogs are of the Poland China strain. He has also bred some fine Hereford eattle.

Mr. Brakensiek is a son of the late Fred G. Brakensiek, eoneerning whom and the history of this well known family in Adams County a more particular account is published on other pages. Henry F. Brakensiek was born January 13, 1880, on the farm his father first owned in Columbus Township. Three months after his birth his parents moved to what is known as the old Brakensiek homestead. Mr. Brakensiek was educated in the Excelsior District School, and his work as a boy on the farm gave him a good preparation for the career he has followed.

In Columbus Township he married Miss Stella Mixer. She was born in MeKee Township of this county December 4, 1880, but grew up in Columbia Township and attended the Excelsior District School. Her parents were Joseph H. and Mary (Tripplett) Mixer. Mr. and Mrs. Brakensiek have three children : Irvin L., born December 21, 1905, now a student in the eighth grade of the Excelsior School ; Reva M. F., born October 28, 1908, and Fern M., born July 28, 1912, both in school. The family arc active members of the Wolf Ridge Christian Church, of which Mr. Brakensiek is a deaeon. Politically he is a republican.

SAMUEL R. MCANULTY. While nominally retired, Samuel R. MeAnulty still finds much usefulness to oeeupy his time and attention at his home in Golden. Mr. MeAnulty has never been able to free himself entirely from his voeation as a breeder and raiser of horses and other livestock. In the palmy days of the Adams County Fair Association his draft horses were usually on exhibition and many of them were blue ribbon winners.

When in the high tide of his farming eareer Mr. MeAnulty lived in Houston Township, and he still has a small farm surrounding his home at Golden. He was born in Adams County, October 31, 1839, son of Samuel and Lueinda (Mc- Farland) MeAnulty. The MeAnulty and McFarland families were among the early settlers of this county, arriving here in 1832. At that time Adams County had less than three thousand population and the advent of a single family was an event of no small importance. Samuel MeAnulty located on a traet of gov- ernment land containing a hundred aeres in section 3 of Camp Point Township. He became a large land owner and gave much of his property to his children. He finally retired to Camp Point, and he and his wife both died in that village. He was a republican and an active member of the Methodist Episcopal Church.

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There were seven ehildren, two youngest dying in infancy. Polly, the oldest, married Charles Kern, and is deceased. Matilda married Washington Gallamore, and is deceased. Jane Ann lives in Missouri, widow of Edwin Pierce. The fourth in age is Samuel R. John died at the age of thirteen.

Samuel R. MeAnulty was born seven years after his parents came to Adams County, and he grew up in the midst of frontier conditions and lived at home to the age of twenty-two. While attending school he had also worked on the farm from the age of ten years and was well prepared for his independent career when he left home. Mr. MeAnulty's farm was the northeast quarter of section 35 of Houston Township, and he gave personal attention to its cultivation and supervision until 1902, when he came to Golden and bought a good home in the town. He has twelve acres of ground, constituting what might be ealled a suburban farm. Even after moving to this town home he continued breeding draft horses and still keeps a small drove of hogs. Mr. MeAnulty is a republican and has served in the offices of supervisor, road commissioner and school director.

In Mareh, 1861, he married Mary Pierce. She was born in Ohio in 1840, daughter of Isaae and Mary Pierce, who three years later eame to Adams County, where both of them died. Mr. and Mrs. McAnulty were happily married for more than half a eentury. Mrs. McAnulty died May 1, 1918. She was the mother of six children, three of whom died in infancy. Minnie is the wife of Clarence Van Nosdall, who now occupies and manages the old MeAnulty homestead in section 35 of Houston Township. Mr. and Mrs. Van Nosdall have three children, Samuel Glenn, Elsic and Ada. The daughter Eva is the wife of W. A. Bottorff, of Coatsburg. Their children are Rubie, Arthur, Marion and Hazel. The daughter Lora is the wife of Henry Reynolds, of Camp Point Town- ship. They have a son and daughter, Samuel and Lora. Samuel, who bears the name of his grandfather and great-grandfather, is now with the American Ex- peditionary Forces in France.

HENRY J. LEWIS. For eighty years or more the Lewis family has been prominent as land holders, farmers and good business men and citizens in Clayton and Camp Point townships. The name is numerously represented in the county, and the stock is an exceptionally virile one. It is doubtful if any family in Adams County ean show more members who lived beyond their eightieth birthday.

The founder of the family here was Henry M. Lewis, who was born in Ken- tueky August 16, 1816. He married Sarah Kelley, who was born in Kentucky in 1819. Henry M. Lewis was the son of a native of Russia. Coming to America he entered business as a merchant at Louisville, Kentucky, and was especially successful as a stoek dealer. His aetivities required mueh travel, and one time he started from his home with a drove of mules and was never heard of again. It is supposed that he was robbed and murdered. Henry M. Lewis had a brother, Daniel, who died at the age of eighty-eight, his brother William died aged eighty-six, and his sister, Fannie, lived to be about eighty-fivc.

When Henry M. Lewis came to Adams County about 1836 he worked for a time for Peter B. Garrett, one of the well known pioneers. Henry M. Lewis had no formal sehooling, and learned to read and write through his self-directed efforts and acquired a good knowledge of business by actual practice. After living in Adams County for a time he returned to Kentucky, and in 1838 mar- ried and soon afterwards returned to Adams County. Settling in Clayton Township, he rented land for a short time, then bought a farm, and his opera- tions expanded until he was one of the large land owners in the county, having about 1,000 acres. All of this property was acquired by his sueeess as a farmer and his good judgment in handling his business affairs. About 1885 he retired and moved to Camp Point, where he lived until his death March 21, 1910, in his ninety-fourth year. His wife died in 1891. Henry M. Lewis began voting as a whig and afterwards as a republican, and was a faithful member of the Christian Church. He gave liberally to church and other public enterprises.

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Henry M. Lewis and wife were the parents of twelve children. Samuel K., the oldest, died in April, 1918, at the age of seventy-seven, at Eldorado, Missouri. The second son, John, lives at Quiney. Jane is the wife of Samuel Manholland. Martha is the wife of R. W. Hoke. Susan married R. S. Curry. William M. is a resident of Oklahoma. Armenia married James Pieree, and they live at Kansas City. Joann is the wife of William Wisehart, of Camp Point. The ninth in age is Henry J. Lewis. Daily C. is the next younger. Lizzie married James E. Funk, of Camp Point. Charles is a farmer of Clayton Township, on the old home farm. This is a very notable family. Of the twelve children all are living except the oldest. Their parents celebrated their golden wedding anniversary in 1888, and the oldest son, Samuel K., and wife celebrated their golden wedding in 1914, while John Lewis, of Quincy, had a similar celebra- tion December 18, 1917. Martha Hoke celebrated her golden anniversary December 31, 1918.

While the late Henry M. Lewis was not an educated man in the accepted sense of the term, he had few superiors in those practical and fundamental things which are essential to suecess. At a glance he could tell the value of a load of grain or a bunch of cattle. When he and his wife came to Adams County they walked from Quiney to Camp Point, carrying all their possessions in a handkerchief. It was from these humble circumstances that his enterprise and industry took him on the road to a generous prosperity, and he was considered one of the wealthiest men in the Camp Point community.

Henry J. Lewis was born in Clayton Township January 12, 1857, was edu- cated in the public schools there, and lived at the old homestead until he was twenty-seven, when he moved to Camp Point with his parents. He married at the age of thirty-four and has since lived in Camp Point. His father gave each son eighty acres of land, and his daughters each $3,000 in eash. Henry J. Lewis has aeeepted this talent and used it with good judgment and now owns 306 acres in Clayton Township on the main traveled road between Camp Point and Clayton. He also has a good residence and other property at Camp Point, and lives retired in that town, his farms being managed by tenants. Since 1911 Mr. Lewis has spent every winter in California but two, and has some financial interests in a gold mine in that state and in a quicksilver mine in Arizona. Mr. Lewis is a republican voter, though no desire to hold office has ever actuated him. He is affiliated with Lodge No. 197, Ancient Free and Accepted Masons, with Camp Point Chapter, Royal Arch Masons, Clayton Commandery of Knights Templar and Quincy Consistory of the Scottish Rite Masons. He is also a member of the Knights of Pythias at Camp Point. He and his wife are regular members of the Christian Church. June 16, 1891, he married Miss Jennie Pierce, who was born in Gilmer Township of this eounty, daughter of Joseph and Susan (Body) Pierce. Her parents were early settlers of Adams County, and lived on a farm in Gilmer Township many years, until they retired to Camp Point. Her father died there in September 1906, at the venerable age of ninety-one, and her mother in January, 1906, aged eighty-one.

JOHN J. DUTTON, a native Virginian, was reared in Adams County, and though he started life with little more than empty hands and an ambitious spirit, he has conquered the difficulties confronting the young agrieulturist without land, and is now one of the leading farmers and stock men of Northeast Township.

He was born in Virginia October 31, 1871. son of William W. and Maggie (Carter) Dutton. His grandfather, John J. Dutton, was also a native of Vir- ginia and married Louisa Williamson, a native of Ireland. John J. Dutton, Sr., was a blacksmith by trade and followed that occupation in Virginia for many years. He and his wife died in Washington County in that state. Their children were: Thomas, a Confederate soldier who fell at the battle of the Wilderness May 5, 1863: William W .; Jane; Peter; David, who died at the age of twelve years; and James.

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William W. Dutton was born in Washington County, Virginia, September 4, 1846. He married for his first wife Maggie Carter, who was born in Scott County, Virginia, in 1847 and died in that state in 1874. In 1879 William W. Dutton brought his family to Adams County, Illinois, and for a time was a farm laborer at monthly wages. Later he bought a place of eighty aeres in Schuyler County, Illinois, and lived on that a number of years, but sold out about 1914 and retired to Golden in this county. By his first wife he had four children : William Thomas, John J., James Henry and Lula. For his second wife William W. Dutton married Rena Mendenhall, who was born in Virginia July 8, 1847. William W. Dutton is a democrat and attends the Methodist Episcopal Church, of which his wife is an active member.

John J. Dutton grew up in Adams County, attended the public schools here, and has made such good use of his opportunities and privileges, supplemented by good, hard common sense and incessant labor, that he now owns a fine farm of 260 acres in Northeast Township, has occupied it sinee 1903, and he is per- sonally responsible for nearly all the improvements that give it value and convenience as a stock farm. Mr. Dutton is a breeder of the Polled Durham cattle, and raises stock on a large scale. He is appreciative of the duties of citizenship and has served as road commissioner two terms. He is a democrat, and is affiliated with the Independent Order of Odd Fellows and the Knights of Pythias, the former at Golden and the latter at Augusta. He is also a member of the Modern Woodmen of America at La Prairie.

On March 10, 1895, Mr. Dutton married Miss Mattie Estella Alexander, daughter of John and Catherine (Jordan) Alexander, of one of the oldest and most prominent families of Northeast Township. John Alexander was born in Virginia November 26, 1828, and was brought to Adams County at an early age. He was three times married, and Catherine Jordan was his second wife. She was born in Virginia December 27, 1845. Both John Alexander and his wife are now deceased. Mr. and Mrs. Dutton have five children : Mabel Lucille, Eva Blanche, Lawrence Alexander, Helen Catherine, and John, Jr., all living except Mabel, who died at the age of five years.

WILLIAM HENRY WOODRUFF is a member of the partnership Woodruff-Castle Company, one of the most prominent of Quincy firms today engaged in the wholesale and retail coal business. This firm succeeded and took over the busi- ness of the Wabash Coal Company, on September 6, 1916. The Wabash Coal Company is a landmark in Quincy's business history, having sold and distributed coal from this city for a long period of years and also operated large mines in Central Illinois. The Woodruff-Castle Company are among the most prominent distributors in this section for the noted Franklin County eoal and also handle all other staple grades of anthracite and bituminous coals.

Mr. Woodruff is a native of Quincy and has spent his life here. It is a mat- ter of pride with him that he was born here and has developed with Quincy and has found opportunity for usefulness in the community. He comes from one of the oldest and most substantial New England families, and besides the good qualities he inherited from his ancestors he gives much credit for the suecess of his personal career to the good woman who became Mrs. Woodruff.

Ile was born in Quiney August 29, 1860, and was reared and educated in the city. attending high school and later the Chicago University. His first employment was as bookkeeper with the old First National Bank of Quincy. Later he was secretary of the Quincy Lumber Company, of which his father was vice president. Then for ten years he handled the export business of the Taylor Brothers Milling Company at Quincy. This was one of the largest flour milling concerns in the state, manufacturing 2,000 barrels of flour per day, most of which was for export to Europe. The next step in Mr. Woodruff's business career was as secretary and manager of the Pure Iee Company, with which he was connected for fourteen years, and as the company also handled Vol. II-31

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coal he acquired the experience which he has put to practice as a member of the Woodruff-Castle Company.

Mr. Woodruff traces his ancestry back in a direct line to Matthew Woodruff, who came from England and located at Cambridge, Massachusetts in 1639. His line of descent runs from this ancestor down through seven generations, five of whom bore the Christian name of Samuel. James Woodruff, father of William H., was born at New Haven, Connecticut, in 1821, and was long identi- fied with the business affairs of Quincy. He came to Quincy in 1842, and in 1848 he married Mary Dalzell in Davenport, Iowa. She was a native of Phila- delphia, of Scotch-Irish stock, and a Presbyterian in religion. He rendered service while the Civil war was in progress as provost marshal at Quincy. In politics he was always a strenuous republican. He died in Quincy in 1905 and his wife passed away in 1879.

William Henry Woodruff married Miss Laura H. Schanz, a native of Quincy, May 6. 1915. She graduated from the Quincy High School and the Gem City Business College, and prior to her marriage was bookkeeper for the Pure Ice Company. Her parents, J. William and Sophia Schanz, were born in Quincy and are still living.

Mr. Woodruff is a member of the Founders and Patriots Society of New England, and is an active member and one of the trustees of the Unitarian Church of Quincy. In politics he is a republican. Mrs. Woodruff is a mem- ber of the Presbyterian Church.

ORVEL HARRIS is one of the men of Adams County who have identified their careers with agriculture. Mr. Harris was in the farming game long before it became so profitable or occupied so conspicnous a position in the destinies of the world as today, and he is therefore entitled to all the honors and benefits' that go with his calling.

His present home is in Houston Township, on the farm where he was born February 25, 1871. His parents are Clark and Mary (Suter) Harris. IIis father was born in Adams County March 6, 1848, and was the youngest of seventeen children all of whom but one lived to be more than twenty-one years of age. The father of this large family was Solomon Harris and his wife was Lucinda Harris. They came and made settlement in Adams County in early days. Solomon Harris at one time owned a grist mill at Bowen in Hancock County. Later he acquired 320 acres in Houston Township, now known as the D. H. Carlin farm. Solomon Harris died at Bowen and is buried in Ebenezer Cemetery in Houston Township. He and his wife were very active Baptists, and practically all their descendants arc members of the same church. Clark Harris was reared in Houston Township, had an education in the local schools, and has spent his active career as a farmer. He now owns the 200 acres adjoin- ing the place of his son Orvel and under the latter's management. Clark Harris now lives retired at Bowen. His wife died in 1910. Their children were: Sylvester, who died at the age of sixteen ; Anna, wife of Philip Nelson, of Bowen; Orvel; and Pearl, wife of Sidney A. McGill, of Hancock County. Mr. Clark Harris is a democrat in polities. He has given public service through the offices of township clerk and member of the school board.

Orvel Harris grew up on the old farm and after getting his education in the public schools took up farming as his serious business. He individually owns a fine and well improved farm of 200 acres, and looks after its produc- tive resources in addition to the 200 acres of his father's farm. Mr. Harris raises good stock, though he has not been inclined to take up the fancy stock business. He keeps pure bred Poland China hogs, and also feeds a number of cattle every year for the market. Mr. Harris is a democrat and served as town- ship clerk twelve years, and as assessor one year and tax collector one year. Perhaps his chief interest in local affairs is directed to the maintenance of good schools. This is indicated by the fact that he has been a member of his local

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school board continuously since he was twenty-one years of age excepting only one year.

December 29, 1892, he married Miss Lillie Boyd, of Houston Township, daughter of Robert and Margaret (Ross) Boyd, natives of Ireland, who came from Pennsylvania to Adams County about forty years ago, when Mrs. Harris was a child. Mr. and Mrs. Harris have two very talented and capable daughters : Irene, the older, is a graduate of the Baptist Woman's College at Liberty, Mis- souri, and studied elocution and expression in the School of Oratory at North- western University in Chicago. She is the wife of R. C. Miller and lives in Chicago. The other daughter, Margaret, also attended the college at Liberty, Missouri, and spent one year in the University of Missouri at Columbia. She until recently made her home with her sister in Chicago and was bond clerk with the Northwestern Railway Company. She is now the wife of J. A. B. Mirrit of Chicago.

LOUIS NICOLAI, of Camp Point Township, is the type of American citizen of which every community might well be proud. Mr. Nicolai is a farmer who con- ducts his business with all the care, method and efficiency that the most snc- cessful manufacturer bestows upon his factory, and the way he handles his farm is indicative of the results he obtains when he gets into the public affairs of his community. He has proven an invaluable man as a member of various committees who have the responsibilities of raising the township's quota for the different patriotic purposes, such as liberty loans, Red Cross and saving stamps drives.

Mr. Nicolai was born in Honey Creek Township of this county January 9, 1858. When Adams County was little more than a section of the Western Illi- mois wilderness his grandparents, Henry and Christina Nicolai, came from Germany and settled on a farm in Ellington Township, improving and develop- ing 120 acres there. This old homestead remained their place of residence until two years before their death. Henry Nicolai and wife had five children: Chris- tina, Christopher and Thiel, twins, Louis and John, all of whom are now de- ceased.

John Christopher Nicolai was born in Germany August 1, 1835, and was a child when the family came to Adams County. He was educated in the local schools, and as a farmer he rented land until about 1869, when he bought 160 acres now owned by his son in Camp Point Township. This land he kept and used as his home until his death in 1886, at the age of fifty-one. He was a very active republican, and for some years filled the office of road supervisor. He and his family were members of the German Lutheran Church. John Chris- topher Nicolai married Christina Gunther, who was born in Germany and was brought to this country when a young woman. She was a sister of Lonis Gunther, a prominent retired resident of Camp Point. Mrs. Christina Nicolai died in 1888. She was the mother of seven children: Louis; Ada, widow of John L. Smith ; Louisa and Etta, both deceased : Anna, wife of George Cunning- ham; Otto, deceased; and Emma, wife of Armel Cantrell.

Louis Nicolai grew up on his father's farm in Honey Creek Township, at- tended public schools there and in Camp Point, and completed his education in the Quiney High School. He entered the ranks of Adams County's independ- ent farmers when he bought eighty acres of land in Camp Point Township. That was the beginning of his accumulations as a land holder. He afterwards acquired the old homestead of his father, comprising 160 aeres, and still later acquired eighty acres, so that his extensive operations as a farmer and stock man are not limited by a restricted acreage. He makes complete use of all the 320 acres he owns, and is both an extensive and intensive farmer. He recog- nizes the value of modern improvements and facilities, and it would be diffi- eult to find anything lacking which is required on a standard, all purpose Illi- nois farm. Mr. Nicolai was the first to introduce into this county the Polled Angus cattle, and he now owns a herd of about fifty, which is his pride and ex-

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Quincy and Adams County history and representative men, Vol. II, Part 78

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