USA > Illinois > Adams County > Quincy > Quincy and Adams County history and representative men, Vol. II > Part 97
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The late Frank Wellmann, son of William, was born in Quincy in March, 1842, and died at his old home in Melrose Township June 3, 1914, at the age of seventy-three. His widow and sons George and Alfred now reside at the old farm seven miles southeast of Quincy. Frank grew up on that farm and on January 30, 1865, married Miss Lucy Horbelt. She was born in Bavaria, Germany, December 13, 1845, and was eight years old when her parents, George and Catherine Horbelt, came to Quincy. Her father became a farmer, starting as a farm laborer in Melrose Township, and later secured land of his own in Newtown in Burton Township. He finally retired to Quincy and died there at the age of seventy-six and his wife survived him only three weeks. After his marriage Frank Wellmann rented land from his father and subsequently bought the old homestead. He improved it with new buildings, and made of it the first class farm which it is today. This farm lies in the Mill Creek Valley, and is in one of the best sections of agricultural lands in the county.
Frank Wellmann during his life was responsible for starting the splendid orchard now regarded as the most productive and valuable in Melrose Town- ship. He set twenty-seven acres to apple trees, and brought it into bearing and received a fine income from his fruit. He studied fruit growing as a business proposition, was one of the carly orchardists to use spraying and scientific meth- ods of cultivation, and the results more than justified all the pains and labor bestowed. In 1918 this orchard produced about $2,000 worth of fine commercial fruit. Frank Wellmann was a school director, was a democrat in politics and was one of the original members of St. Antonius Catholic Church, located a mile from his home. He served as trustee of that church, and he was laid to rest in its churchyard.
The oldest child of Mr. and Mrs. Frank Wellmann was Frances, who became Sister Rossara of the Sisters of Notre Dame, taught in the schools of Milwaukee and Kenosha, and died at Quincy at the age of twenty-eight. George Wellmann is the orchardist member of the family, is a bachelor, and still lives with his mother on the homestead. He has made a close and exact study and has the benefit of long experience and training in all branches of apple culture. Many regard him as an authority on pruning, cultivation, fertilization, spray- ing, picking, packing and marketing, and his mastery of all these branches has brought out the remarkable success of his orchard. William, next younger than George, is a farmer near the county farm in Gilmer Township. Frank is a farmer in Burton Township. Edward C. Wellmann has separate mention on other pages. The two youngest sons are Albert and Joseph, the latter a farmer a mile south of Melrose Township.
Albert Wellmann, who operates the general farming and stock raising de- partments of the homestead, has shown great natural aptitude in handling
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and arranging machinery. IIe has fitted ont some very clever and ingenious machinery for lightening the labor of the farm. This machinery ineludes feed mill, separator. churns, laundry machinery and even a cement mixer. This cement mixer was constructed of a frame made from a fallen wind mill tower. carrying an ordinary barrel turned by gears from a worn out reaper. Mr. Well- mann has employed cement liberally about the house, barns and grounds, and this alone indicates the up to date character of the Wellmann place. Albert Wellmann is a breeder of Jersey cattle, having a herd of about twenty-five head of these fine animals. He produces a large amount of butter for special customers.
Albert Wellmann married Mary Frese, daughter of the well known nursery- man on North Twelfth Street in Quiney. She was born in Coatsburg and was twenty-one years of age at the time of her marriage. Albert and Mary Well- mann have five children, named Robert, Herbert, Arthur, Louisa and Ralph.
JOHN WILLIAM LIKES, though for the past five years a resident of Barry, still retains an active interest in the farming and stoek raising affairs of Rich- field Township, and he and his son Alexander do a large business in the line of growing and feeding livestock for the market.
It was on the old farm in Richfield Township that Mr. Likes was born Decem- ber 3, 1860. He is member of an old and prominent pioneer family of Adams County. Mr. Likes is a second cousin of Judge MeCarl of Quincy. His parents were William and Mary (Ham) Likes. William Likes was a native of Indiana, a son of Philip Likes. The Likes family moved from Kentucky to Indiana and eame to Illinois when William was twelve years old. Philip Likes settled in Adams County about 1827 or 1829, ninety years ago. He located in the tim- bers, and spent the rest of his life improving a farm. J. W. Likes has some recol- leetion of his grandfather, and he was twelve years old when his grandmother clied. IIer last years were spent with her son William.
William Likes was one of the youngest in a large family of children, many of whom moved out to Kansas. His sister, Mrs. Jonas Wager, remained in Rich- field Township and died there. William Likes grew up on the old farm and as a young man spent some time in California in company with his brother Philip. They went to the gold coast by water route and were engaged in the mines for two years with fair success. Philip Likes served as a captain of the Union army in the Civil war, and afterwards moved out to Kansas.
William Likes bought a farm near the old homestead and at his father's death aeonired that farm, giving him 420 aeres. He improved it with fine build- ings and lived there until his death in 1897. His first wife was Adeline Havard. who died leaving two children: Alexander II., who became a successful phy- sician, practiced four years at Barry, Illinois, and later became a traveling salesman and partner in the A. M. Lester Surgical Instrument Company of St. Lonis. Ile sold their goods in Texas and died at the age of thirty-two. The second child of William Likes' first marriage was Maggie, now Mrs. George MeCrory, living near Pueblo, Colorado.
The second wife of William Likes was Mary Ham, daughter of John and Elizabeth IIam, who moved from Kentucky to Missouri and later settled in Columbus Township of Adams County, where Mary Ham was born and where she lived until her marriage. IIer father was a local Methodist preacher. Wil- liam and Mary Likes had a family of two sons and three daughters. John Wil- liam ; Anna, who trained for a nurse at Blessing Hospital in Quincy, and is now at Wenatchee, Washington; Mary is Mrs. Frank Ilarris of Ottawa, Illinois; Charles is a bachelor living with his brother J. W .; and Lou is the wife of Rolland Hendrieks at Kingston in Adams County.
John William Likes grew up on the old home farm in Richfield Township, and on September 6, 1888. married Ella Wheelan, of Pike County. He then bought part of his father's farm, put up building improvements, and later bonght the original Philip Likes homestead of 100 acres. This gave him nearly
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200 acres. and the building improvements have always been on his first pur- chase. The old buildings erected by Philip have now disappeared. Mr. Likes gradually developed this as a stock farm, growing and feeding cattle and hogs, and only incidentally has been a breeder. He has also fed sheep, and as a sheep man his flock has at times numbered as high as 500. It was to this bnsi- ness that he has given the best years of his life, and the work is still continued as a firm, with his son Alexander as partner. Mr. Likes left the farm in 1914 and has since enjoyed the comforts of a good town home at Barry.
Mr. Likes lost his first wife after seven years of marriage. She was the mother of his son Alexander Likes, who married Nellie Morrison, but there are no grandchildren. On October 11, 1899, Mr. Likes married Anna Dwyer, of Burton Township, daughter of William and Emeline (Stewart) Dwyer. Her mother is a sister of George R. Stewart of Quincy. Mrs. Likes was born at Camp Point in Adams County October 23, 1864, and from early girlhood lived with an aunt, Mrs. Polly Wilson, in Burton Township.
Mr. Likes is a republican voter, as was his father, but has never had time to fill a public office. He is a member of the Northcott Methodist Church near the old home in Richfield Township. He is affiliated with the Masonic Lodge and Chapter at Barry. His father was a very loyal Mason, being warden and master of the lodge at Kingston, and later connected with the lodge at Plain- ville. He was buried under Masonic auspices. Mrs. Likes is active in the Eastern Star, Pike Chapter No. 20, and is also a member of the Red Cross and has given much time to that and related activities during the war.
GEORGE F. MILLER. By his enlightened leadership and disinterested service through many years George F. Miller deserves a lasting place in the annals of Quincy, where his name is intimately associated with many of those improve- ments of which the general public are now most proud. He has done as much as any other man for the establishment of an adequate park system, and there is hardly a civic enterprise of any importance undertaken within the last twenty- five years upon which he has not impressed some of his ability and judgment and to which he has not given the full scope of his energetic helpfulness.
Mr. Miller was born at an historic community in Missouri, near St. Louis, Cottleville in St. Charles County. The house in which he was born is still standing. His birth occurred September 24, 1844. His father, Charles F. Miller, was a native of Baden, Germany, and came to the United States when a boy with his parents. The family lived a time in St. Lonis, and while there Charles learned the trade of blacksmith, which he followed nearly all his life. He was one of the first blacksmiths to open a shop in Cottleville. An interesting reminiscence of his work throws a light on the rewards of mechanical industry in those early days. The first hand made plow in St. Charles County was fashioned in his shop. The man who bought the plow paid for it in trade with eggs at 1 cent a dozen. The purchase price of the plow was $12, there- fore it required 1,200 dozen eggs in payment. The same quality of a plow today doubtless could be bought for $50, but the same number of eggs would be worth $300 or $400.
Being a man skilled at his trade Charles Miller prospered and with the proceeds of his toil bonght three or four farms in that locality. He was able to live practically retired the last twenty years of his life. He died in St. Charles County at the age of seventy-two. He was a man of high character, of splendid judgment, and had a very fine intelligence though his early school- ing had been rather meager. His memory was such that he was able to keep a record of all business transactions and obligations in his own mind withont trusting it to books. It is said that he never made a mistake due to bad mem- ory. In politics he was a Douglas democrat. Such was the esteem in which he was held for integrity, fair mindedness and other qualifications that he was chosen by the opposing party for a judicial office, and made a splendid and upright judge. He was twice married, and Mr. George F. Miller is one of the
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two sons born to the first wife. His brother, John A., is a farmer at O'Fallon, Missouri.
George F. Miller on reaching the age of eighteen enlisted in the Missouri militia. His father was a stanch Union man and consented to his son doing his hit in safeguarding life and property in a state which was torn by civil dissensions. He served for some months, and was called to different parts of the state to protect loyal people. The company of which he was a member fur- nished all their own horses, guns and ammunition, and they foraged for their food, so that the expense of the organization to the Government was prac- tically nothing. For this service Mr. Miller received no compensation and has never asked for a pension.
In 1863 he moved to Hancock County, Illinois, with the intention of learn- ing the trade of miller in the mills of Mr. John Kropp. Instead he became a clerk in the Kropp store and remained there until April 18. 1865, when he came to Quincy. Here he went to work as clerk for S. J. Leasom Brothers & Company, a wholesale and retail dry goods house. Such was his efficiency and ability that at the end of ten months, when the company abandoned the retail department, he was the only one out of twenty clerks selected to remain with the organization. As a boy under his father he had been trained to quick judgment and prompt action, and these qualities have taken him far in a business way as well as in civic affairs. He was finally made chief clerk of the Leasom establishment, and eventually was apponted buyer and for ten years had carte blanche to buy what he wanted and thought was needed for the es- tablishment. During those years he made two trips annually to New York to the wholesale centers.
When the business closed out in 1898 Mr. Miller himself retired from active affairs and since then for a period of twenty years has found abundance of opportunity to make himself useful to the city which has been his home for over a half century. In 1902 he was appointed a member of the City Improve- ment Board, looking after streets, sidewalks, sewers and other improvements. He served as a member of the board eighteen months, and during that time brought about many changes in the material conditions of the sidewalks, changes still in evidence. About that time he was appointed a member of the Humane Society. As a director and vice president he has done much to vitalize this movement and increase its possibilities for effectual service in the city. He was chairman of its Public Fountain Committee, and under his direc- tion nearly all the fountains and watering places in the city have been con- structed and planned, including the fountain at the city workhouse. These public watering places mean much to the domestic animals of Quincy. He has always looked after the welfare of animals as well as of the human beings who must live and work in the city, and horses, dogs and birds have found in him a special protector for many years. For eight years Mr. Miller was vice president of the Woodland Cemetery and he and H. P. Walton did much to beantify that eity of the dead. For some years with E. J. Parker he was on the Board of Parks and Boulevards, and his service there has gained him title as one of the fathers of the park system of Quincy. For years he never lost an oppor- tunity to educate public opinion to the need of a good park system, and did much of the hard work required in raising money and in bringing about the fruition of the park plans, especially in the north part of the city. He had much to do with the building and naming of Gardner Park, now one of the finest recrea- tion centers in the city. One of Mr. Miller's most active associates in civic work has been the well known Quincy banker E. J. Parker.
Mr. Miller was one of the organizers and original members of the City Civie League, and has been continuously identified with it as vice president for several years. He is also one of the members of the committee on pure milk. An im- portant feature of the program of the league is safeguarding the pure milk supply of Quinev. In politics Mr. Miller is a democrat in principle, but be- lieves in voting for the best man.
He Potter Helena A Potter
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He married at Quiney Miss Mary L. Schmitt, who was born and reared and educated in this eity, daughter of Adam Schmitt and a sister of General William A. Schmitt. Mr. and Mrs. Miller live in one of the good homes of Quiney, at 1502 Sixth Avenue, North. He was responsible for naming that thoroughfare, and he also safeguarded the residential district by protecting it from the inva- sion of saloons.
TILLMON POTTER, who is now living retired at Barry, is a representative of the old and substantial class of farming people of Adams County, and has ae- quired his prosperity through the avenue of hard work, concentrated energies and good judgment spread over a long period of years.
Ile was born in Lawrence County. Indiana, November 22, 1852, and was only two years old when his parents eame to Illinois. He is a son of Bartholomew and Catherine (Sellers) Potter, his father a native of North Carolina and his mother of Pennsylvania. They were married in Indiana and on coming to Illi- nois settled near Plainville in Adams County. A short time later they moved to the old Potter homestead in Richfield Township, six miles northwest of Barry. This home farm is now the property of Tillmon Potter. The family located there abont 1861, and the parents made their home on the farm for over forty years, until they retired to Barry in 1902. The farm was a virgin wilderness when Bartholomew Potter took it, and he made it largely what it is today, elearing away the brush and timber and gradually converted the 150 acres into fertile fields. He built the present house on the farm about 1876. In many ways it stands out as one of the valuable farms of Richfield Township. Bartholomew Potter was never a public man in the sense of seeking offiee. He was a demo- erat, and was very devout in his attendance upon Zion Baptist Church, a mile and a half from his old farm. His wife died after they moved to Barry, and he continued to live in his home there until his own death, when he laeked one month of being eighty-nine years of age. He and his wife had seven children, six to reach maturity : Tillnon ; Alonzo E., of Barry ; John C., a farmer in Barry Township: Sarah J., Mrs. Henry Hadsel, of Barry; David C., of Oklahoma; and Laura. Mrs. Charles Kuntz, a farmer near Barry.
Tillmon Potter spent his boyhood on the old home farm and when a young man went west to Nebraska and spent thirteen years in Dawson County as a farmer. He then returned to Adams County, and on October 18, 1896, married Celena A. Bliven. Mrs. Potter was born in Burton Township of Adams County March 18, 1856, and is a daughter of Albert G. and Ellenor (Foster) Bliven. Albert G. Bliven was born in Wyoming County, New York, September 6, 1830, and came to Adams County in 1834. He is a brother of the late Hiram Bliven, who died in December, 1918, at his home farm near Burton, at the age of seventy-five, having spent all his life of seventy-five years in Adams County. Mrs. Potter's mother, Ellenor Foster, died November 17, 1902, at the age of seventy-two. She was born in Hamilton County, Ohio, in 1830, and eame to Adams County, Illinois, in 1839, with her parents, Eli and Miriam (Lemon) Foster, both of whom attained ripe age, passing away when about seventy-six or seventy-seven years of age. Albert G. Bliven sinee the death of his wife has lived retired in Quiney and is now in his eighty-ninth year. Mrs. Potter was born near Newtown in Burton Township and when she was a girl her parents moved to a farm in Barry Township of Pike County, four miles north of Barry, on the county line, where she lived until her marriage. She still owns the old Bliven homestead of 260 acres. The first purchase by her father was 160 acres, bought in 1856. Mrs. Potter was the second of three children. Her brother, Willis Bliven, is a resident of Grand Junction. Colorado, and her sister, Ida M., is Mrs. Charles Franks, of Roswell, New Mexico.
After their marriage Mr. and Mrs. Potter spent one season on his father's old farm, which he now owns, then moved to a farm belonging to Mrs. Potter's father in Richfield Township. They lived there six years and then moved to the adjoining place, the old Bliven homestead in Pike County. They were on that
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farm fourteen years and then moved to their home in Barry. Mr. Potter bought his father's old home at the latter's death and has since increased its size to 160 acres and he owns another farm of 160 aeres, joining Mrs. Potter's old home place. The entire estate contains 580 acres in three farms, and Mr. Potter still gives much of his time to the improvements. The old Bliven farm owned by Mrs. Potter comprises 260 acres, and its buildings were erected during her father's active career. Mr. and Mrs. Potter have no children of their own but they have reared since he was eight years old a boy named Lioneil B. Howlin. Mr. Potter is a member of the Christian Church and his wife is a Methodist. They have built a neat bungalow home on Diamond Ilill in one of the best parts of Barry.
BARNETT P. CUMMINGS. The value of Barnett P. Cummings' citizenship in Adams County is represented in part at least by the fact that for a long period of years he has occupied and diligently cultivated one of the good farms of Camp Point Township, and without question is one of the most progressive fae- tors in the agricultural affairs of the county today. With all these responsi- bilities he has exercised a wholesome influence in behalf of community better- ment and every movement that reflects the higher and better life of society.
It is now nearly sixty years since the Cummings family came to Adams County. Barnett P. Cummings was born at Danville, Indiana, December 26, 1853, and was six years old when the family moved to Western Illinois. His grandfather. George W. Cummings, was a native of Virginia, but grew up in Kentucky from the age of one year. George W. Cummings married Eliz- abeth Ferris, a native of Kentucky. They were early settlers in Hendricks County, Indiana.
Benjamin Cummings, father of Barnett P., was born in Clark County, Ken- tueky, February 14, 1828. His early life was spent in Indiana, and in 1846, at the age of eighteen, he enlisted in the First Indiana Regiment for service in the war with Mexico. IIe was discharged about a year later from the hos- pital at Point Isabel in Southern Texas. He re-enlisted, but the war was over before he could see further active service. Form 1848 to 1859 he followed mechanical engineering, particularly in the milling industry at various points in Indiana. In October, 1859, he brought his family to Camp Point Township in Adams County, and for several years rented land, but in 1866 acquired 100 acres in section 36 and gradually improved his farm and holdings until he had one of the valuable estates, comprising 300 acres at the time of his death. He died on the old farm in June, 1907, when in his eightieth year. On Deeem- ber 30, 1852. Benjamin Cummings married Catherine Celia Parrish, a native of Kentucky. She died in June, 1900. Benjamin Cummings was a repub- lican and in religion was a man of liberal views. He and his wife had the following children : Barnett P .; George, deceased ; Ida, wife of Joseph Pierce, of Kansas City; Maggie, living at Camp Point; Ira B., an engineer with the Burlington Railroad; Laura, deceased: and Thomas B., who is a conductor with the Missouri Pacific Railroad, his headquarters being Nevada, Missouri. Benjamin Cummings for many years served as commissioner of highways in Camp Point Township. He was one of the prominent members of the Inde- pendent Order of Odd Fellows and was organizer of the Encampment at Camp Point.
Barnett P. Cummings grew up on the homestead farm of his father, attend- ing school at Camp Point Village. Farming was his first choice of vocation, and by following it he has prospered and has a farm of 165 acres which in point of improvement and prodnetiveness would bear favorable comparison with any in that part of the county. His land is situated on the high ground be- tween the water shed of the Mississippi and Illinois Rivers. He conducts his farm on general lines, his one specialty perhaps being pure bred Duroc Jersey hogs. Mr. Cummings is a republican and served on the Central Committee for two years. He has been affiliated with the Independent Order of Odd Fellows
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since April, 1874, and has been even more prominent than his father in that order. He was health officer of the Grand Encampment two years. He is also a member of Lodge No. 297, Ancient Free and Accepted Masons, and is a Knight of Pythias.
In March, 1901, he married Miss Nancy Engle, who was born near Rich- mond, Kentucky.
ALBERT BURTON LEEPER is proprietor of the well known Lake View Farm and orchard two miles west of Lima, and is also president of the State Bank of Lima. He is a citizen of varied interests, and they are of such importance that it would be difficult to find a better known resident in the northern part of the county.
The house in which he now resides was his birthplace on June 4, 1875. His father was the late Thomas F. Leeper, a son of Samuel and Lovina (Conel) Leeper. Samuel Leeper brought his family from the vicinity of Cadiz, Ohio, by boat around the Ohio and Mississippi rivers in 1851, landing at Nauvoo, and from there transferring his residence in 1853 to Lima. He was a carpenter by trade and followed it in this county until 1858, when he located on the farm now owned by Albert B. Leeper. Thomas F. Leeper and his brother Wesley as partners bought this old homestead. Samuel Leeper died here at the age of seventy and his wife at seventy-eight.
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