USA > Illinois > Bureau County > The Biographical record of Bureau, Marshall, Putnam and Stark Counties, Illinois > Part 58
USA > Illinois > Marshall County > The Biographical record of Bureau, Marshall, Putnam and Stark Counties, Illinois > Part 58
USA > Illinois > Putnam County > The Biographical record of Bureau, Marshall, Putnam and Stark Counties, Illinois > Part 58
USA > Illinois > Stark County > The Biographical record of Bureau, Marshall, Putnam and Stark Counties, Illinois > Part 58
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The pleasant memory of their worth, The hope to meet when life is past, Shall heal the tortured mind at last."
Four children were born to them, of whom two sons died in infancy. Those living are Wil- liam Ide, who is married and is a prominent business man of Princeton, and Helen, now the wife of Harry A. Winter, living at Grand Rapids, Michigan, and superintendent of a manufactur- ing establishment.
Mr. Kendall took part in recruiting soldiers for the war for the union, and was at Vicksburg during part of the siege.
Politically, Mr. Kendall is an old Jackson democrat, with which party he has been identi- fied since casting his first vote, but has never been an aspirant for office or political honors, preferring to give his exclusive attention to his law practice. However, all worthy enterprises calculated to promote the welfare of his county and state received his hearty endorsement, and he is numbered among the honored old settlers and the valued and influential citizens of the community, with whose interests he has been identified for so many years.
P ETER J. CONRAD, one of the most wide- awake and progressive business men of Bu- reau county, who for many years has been identi- fied with the agricultural and commercial inter- ests of Ohio township, was born on the 24th of September, 1855, at Biidesheim, Bingen on the
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THE BIOGRAPHICAL RECORD.
Rhine, Germany, of which country, his parents, Peter and Anna M. (Wendel) Conrad, were also natives. The father, who was a business man and farmer, there died at the age of fifty-two years.
In May, 1866, with her family the mother crossed the Atlantic, and became a resident of Ohio township, Bureau county, Illinois, where she purchased an improved farm of two hundred sixteen acres. She was a woman of more than ordinary business capacity, conducting her affairs intelligently and with great skill, and be- came widely and favorably known throughout the community. From girlhood she was a de- vout member of the Catholic church, to which her husband also belonged. Her death occurred in the village of Ohio, March 17, 1888, at the age of seventy-five years.
Our subject is the youngest of a family of eleven children, only three of whom grew to ma- ture years. Sophia, wife of Antone Walter, lives on the old homestead farm. Fred was for some time a leading merchant of Ohio. In connection with our subject, and under the firm name of Conrad Brothers, he established a general store in 1871, which they successfully conducted. He was an honest, industrious man, whose word was considered as good as his bond, and gave to the store a well-deserved reputation for fair dealing; which it still carries. He was an important fac- tor in the business circles of the village, and had the respect and confidence of all who knew him. He was born in Germany, August 12, 1848, ac- companied his mother on her removal to the new world, and at Sublette, Illinois, in 1874, was united in marriage with Miss Kate Koehler. They had no children, and he died March 18, 1893.
At the country schools, Peter J. Conrad ac- quired his education, and at the age of fourteen years began clerking in a store at Amboy, Illi- nois, where he remained for two years, at the end of which time he embarked in mercantile pur- suits in company with his brother in the village of Ohio. Out of respect for the latter he still retains the name of Conrad Brothers, though he
is sole owner of the business. His double store is well stocked with a fine grade of general mer- chandise, and he enjoys an extensive trade, which is justly merited. Robert Spencer is full man- ager and has four clerks under him.
Mr. Conrad is also interested in general farm- ing and stock raising, having one of the largest stock farms in this part of the county, which comprises five hundred eighty-five acres of well- improved land, stocked with an excellent grade of horses, cattle, sheep and hogs. This farm is managed by Anton Walter, Jr. He also owns his good store buildings in the village of Ohio and is the senior partner of the firm of Conrad, Baumgartner company of Mendota, who carry a full and complete line of stoves and hardware and do an excellent business in plumbing and tin- smithing. This establishment is managed by P. J. Walter of Mendota.
Mr. Conrad is one of the leading business men of Bureau county, whose prosperity cannot be attributed to a combination of lucky circum- stances, but has risen from energy, enterprise, integrity and intellectual effort well directed. His business has been conducted on the strictest principles of honesty. On political questions he votes independently, favoring whom he consid- ered the best man rather than the party. Relig- iously he is a Catholic, and socially holds mem- bership in the Knights of Pythias fraternity.
W ATSON FREEMAN LAWTON. To a student of biography there is nothing more interesting than to examine the life history of a self-made man and to detect the elements of character which have enabled him to pass on the highway of life many who at the outset of their careers were more advantageously equipped or endowed. The subject of this review has through his own exertions attained an honorable position and marked prestige among the repre- sentative men of Bureau county, and with signal consistency it may be said that he is the architect of his own fortunes. He is prominently identi- fied with the agricultural interests of the county, and is a leading resident of Sheffield.
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THE BIOGRAPHICAL RECORD.
Mr. Lawton was born December 29, 1828, at Wilmington, Windham county, Vermont, and is the son of Israel and Melissa (Freeman) Law- ton, also natives of the Green Mountain state, where their parents, who were born in Massachu- setts, had located before the Revolutionary war, in which Israel Lawton and his father partici- pated. Our subject is one of a family of seven children, three of whom are still living.
Upon a farm in his native state, Mr. Lawton spent the days of his boyhood and youth, and in 1852, emigrated to Illinois, where he had old friends living at Perkins Grove, Clarion town- ship, in Bureau county. He had no definite thought of remaining and his father supposed that he would be back in a few weeks, but in that township he purchased one hundred sixty acres of land, at six dollars and a quarter per acre, which claim had been partly fenced. At that time his capital consisted of two hundred and fifty dollars which he had earned and this he in- vested, going in debt for the remainder. Here he has since made his home, but the winter of 1852-53 he spent in the east.
Again returning to Vermont, Mr. Lawton was there married January 30, 1856, at Wilmington, to Miss Carrie Estabrook, who was born in the same house where his birth occurred, and whom he had always known. They now have two chil- dren-Alice, the wife of Henry Howard, a farmer of Sheffield, and Edwin Watson, who is associ- ated in business with his father.
The first year of his residence in Bureau county was a hard one for Mr. Lawton as he was ill much of the time. The next year he raised good crops, which he stored for two years as prices were so low, wheat bringing only thirty cents, corn ten cents and oats eight cents per bushel. but by keeping his products until 1854, the demand caused by the Crimean war raised prices and he received a dollar and thirty cents for wheat, sixty cents for shelled corn and thirty-five cents for oats, realizing about three thousand dollars in cash. In this way he got his start in life, and in 1854, removed to Sheffield, but retained his original farm until during the
civil war, when he sold the one hundred and sixty acres for which he had paid one thousand dollars for eight thousand.
On coming to Sheffield, Mr. Lawton opened a store, in connection with E. F. Pulsifer, now of Chicago. This was the same fall that the rail- road was completed to the place and three stores had been started the previous spring, belonging to Nash & Andrews, J. C. Niles and Carrell & Johnson. Our subject continued in the mercan- tile business until 1864, but during the hard times from 1857 until 1860, lost considerable through bad debts. This was when the wild cat cur- rency was in circulation and he received all kinds of money which he took to New York, when buying goods, and made about fifteeen per cent on all he handled. He was very careful in receiv- ing money, always using a bank detector which was published daily.
In 1864, Mr. Lawton formed a partnership with William Wilson under the firm name of Lawton & Wilson, and for eight years they con- ducted a general store, dealt in agricultural im- plements and engaged in shipping stock, the last being quite profitable and in all lines being very successful. In 1872 our subject began the oper- ation of a farm of eight hundred acres in Mineral township, two miles west of the village, but con- tinued to reside in the latter place, his farm being cultivated by hired help. He also began breed- ing stock and feeding cattle for the market, to which he has since devoted his attention, his son being his partner for the last seven years.
In connection with J. M. Curtis, of Sheffield, he purchased a tract of fifteen hundred acres in Gold township, Bureau county, on which are three sets of farm buildings, and about one sec- tion is used for pasturage. For this land he paid from three to fifteen dollars per acre, it being swamp land along the Winnebago slough, but since being drained it has become quite valuable and is worth forty dollars per acre. He also owns a half section of land in Woodson county, Kansas, and is a stockholder in the Citizens' Na- tional bank of Princeton. For his land he has paid as high as fifty-five dollars per acre.
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THE BIOGRAPHICAL RECORD.
Mr. Lawton takes a deep interest in political affairs, always voting with the republican party, and has served as delegate to the local and state conventions. He was elected supervisor when the county first began the drainage system, and held that position for eight years, taking an active part in that work, which resulted in re- claiming all the swamp land in the county, now being worth several times their original value. Mr. Lawton was reared a Universalist, but is now a member of the Unitarian church, being one of its original members, and contributed largely to the erection of the house of worship in 1870. For the past thirty years he has been a member of the village board for the greater part of the time, being its president for four years, and took an active part in establishing the pres- ent system of water works, which cost twelve thousand dollars. He stands for high license and has assisted in putting in force that law in Sheffield since 1885. As will be seen, he is pub- lic spirited and enterprising, having the best in- terests of his town and county at heart and well deserves to be numbered among the influential and popular citizens.
X ENOPHON CARDINAL WILMOT is a well-known citizen of La Prairie township. Marshall county, where he has resided for nearly half a century. He was born in Cattaraugus county, New York, December 13, 1827, and is the son of Stephen Bunnell and Betsy (Clauson) Wilmot, the former a native of Connecticut, and the latter of Ithaca, New York. The Wilmots were originally from England and at an early date settled in Connecticut, removing from that state to New York when Stephen B. was a boy of five or six years of age. He was for some years engaged in the lumber trade, running down the Susquehanna river and operating near Bingham- ton, New York. Later he was in the same line in Steuben county, New York, where our subject spent his boyhood, the family removing to that county when he was but one year old. As soon as old enough to be of any service, he was put to work in the mill with his father, and became
quite an expert in the handling of logs and lumber.
In 1837 Stephen Wilmot came to Illinois and superintended the building of a dam on Fox river, in the northern part of the state, a business in which he was an expert. In 1845 he deter- mined on his removal to this state, and with his family, consisting of a wife and six children, he came by river, landing at Quincy, Illinois, and going from thence into the township of Lima, in Adams county, where they remained one year, then moved to La Salle Prairie, Peoria county, where they remained another year. In 1847 they came to La Prairie township, Marshall county, and for two years cultivated a rented farm, then purchased a portion of the school section of the township, and at once commenced its improve- ment. On this farm the father lived and died at the age of seventy-nine years. His remains were interred in the cemetery opposite the farm. which is now owned by Lewis Calder. His widow survived him some years, dying at the age of eighty-two. They lived, however, to celebrate their golden wedding, as did his brothers, Amos, Asahel Lyman and Jesse.
In politics, Stephen B. Wilmot was a thorough and uncompromising whig until the dissolution of that party immediately after the disastrous Scott campaign of 1852. He then identified himself with the democratic party, being natur- ally a conservative, man. In the presidential election of 1860 he voted for Stephen A. Doug- las, but when Fort Sumter was fired upon, he be- came a republican, and acted with that party un- til his death.
Of the family of nine children Xenophon C. is the only representative in Marshall county. The others are scattered abroad. Stephen B. re- sides in Dickinson county, Iowa; Lola Eliza married George Scholes, an old citizen of the county, who died in Henry in 1895, since which time she has removed to Greenfield, Iowa, where her children now reside; Jane married Job Fowler and now resides in Ellsworth county. Kansas; Asahel removed to Stark county, Illi- nois, where he died in 1889 ,and where his widow
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and family now reside; Susan married in 1856 and died one year later; and one daughter died in her maidenhood. Two died in New York be- fore removal to this state; one died in Peoria county.
Xenophon C. Wilmot came to Marshall county with his parents and soon afterward pur- chased eighty acres of land where he now re- sides. In March, 1853, in company with his brother Asahel and Andrew De Remer, of New York, he started overland for California. Ar- riving at Salt Lake City they sold their outfit and there remained five months. He then joined a company of Mormons en route for Los Angeles, California, and with them continued his journey, having a rough time of it. From Los Angeles he went by steamer to San Francisco, and on to the mines near Placerville, where he en- gaged in mining some eighteen months with poor success financially. However, he gained considerable knowledge of humanity and knew more of the faults and foibles of mankind than he . ever expected to learn.
After an absence of nearly two and a half years, Mr. Wilmot returned home by way of the Isthmus of Panama, rich in experience, and but little richer in purse. The worst "take in" he ex- perienced while away was when he stopped at a fifth-class hotel in New York. Arriving at his old home, he settled down to a farm life and has been content to here remain, believing that Mar- shall county, especially La Prairie township, is good enough for him, "or any other man." To
his original eighty acres, in due time he added eighty acres more, giving him a fine farm of a quarter of a section. Purchasing wild land, he has made extensive improvements upon the place, laying it out with fine evergreen drives and lanes, good house and outbuildings, making it a number one farm and model home. In his farming operations he has followed no fad, but has carried on general farming, giving attention to the proper cultivation of the soil, and engaging in stock raising to some extent. For a time, however, he was a breeder of Polled Angus cattle.
On the 23d of September, 1858, Mr. Wilmot was married in New York to Lucy Ann Dutcher, of Steuben county, that state. After a happy married life of five years, she died May 27, 1863, leaving two children-Vistula Ann, now the wife of Eli Frantz, of Storm Lake, Iowa; and Douglas, who married Nancy Gehr, of Sparland, and who is now a stock grower of Eagle county, Colorado.
Mr. Wilmot was again married, taking to wife Mary E. Waughop, of Washington, Tazewell county, Illinois, where she was born April 22, 1838. The marriage ceremony took place April 9, 1868. By this union four children were born: Rosa May, at home; Roswell, who died in in- fancy: Arthur X., state agent for the Cyclone Fence company, with headquarters at Peoria; and John Alfred, at home, connected with the Cyclone Fence company.
In politics, Mr. Wilmot is a republican, and while not extremely active, yet takes an interest in political affairs of state and nation. Socially, he is a Mason, a member of the lodge at Lawn Ridge, but was duly initiated at Chillicothe, Illi- nois. Religiously, he is a member of the Metho- dist Episcopal church, with which body he has been connected for a few years, and of which his wife has been a member from childhood.
O SCAR BRENNEMANN is one of the prominent citizens of Hennepin township, residing in section 30, where he owns a valuable farm of three hundred acres. He was born in Prussia, Germany, on the 6th of December, 1848, and when only four years old was brought to America by his parents, Joseph A. and Josephine (Unsicker) Brennemann, who came at once to Putnam county, Illinois, locating in Granville township, north of the village of Granville. The father purchased three hundred acres of land at five dollars per acre, and continued the cultiva- tion and improvement of his land up to the time of his death in 1890, at the age of eighty-three years. He was a Mennonite in religious belief, and assisted in the organization of a church at Granville. His wife had died soon after coming
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to the United States. Two of their children died in childhood, and four grew to mature years, namely: Eliza, wife of Charles Butterweck, of Hennepin: Bertha, wife of Theodore Holly, of Granville; Oscar, of this sketch; and Julius, a stock dealer of Peru, Illinois, and the owner of the old homestead.
Mr. Brennemann, whose name introduces this sketch, remained at home until twenty-five years of age, in company with his brother Julius oper- ating the farm. In partnership with Mr. Holly, hisbrother-in-law, he then engaged in the grocery business at Peru for six years. On the 30th of October, 1875, he was joined in wedlock with Miss Eliza Holly, who was born on a farm in Granville township, and is the daughter of Daniel Holly. Six children have been born to them- Paul, George, Lillian, Erna, Daniel and Elsie, all at home.
In 1882 Mr. Brennemann purchased his pres- ent farm of Dr. Vanderslete, which had pre- viously belonged to James Harrison, one of the old settlers of the county. He now has one hun- dred and eighty acres, for which he paid sixty dollars per acre, but has added to the original tract until he now owns about three hundred acres, comprising some of the best and most fer- tile land in the locality. He gives considerable attention to stock raising, having upon his place fine grades of horses, cattle, sheep and hogs, and makes a specialty of Cottswold sheep, which have been quite profitable. He also feeds from one to two car loads of cattle annually. He is one of the most enterprising and prosperous farmers of Hennepin township, and he merits and receives the esteem and respect of all with whom he comes in contact either in a business or social way.
A. OPPENHEIM, who for over a quarter of a century has been numbered among the leading business men of Princeton, is a worthy representative of that country from which have come many of the best citizens of this free land. He is a native of Baden, Germany, born Decem- ber 31, 1845. In the fatherland he grew to man-
hood and received a fairly good education. Like all the youth of that land, he was reared to habits of industry, and spent some time at work in a manufacturing establishment. 1
As he approached man's estate the desire to better himself in life took possession of him, and the new world, across the broad Atlantic, opened before his view with its limitless opportunities for the enterprising and deserving, and he de- termined to emigrate to this favored country. Bidding good-by to family and friends, and tak- ing a steamer, in due time arrived at New York, from which place he proceeded directly to Bluff- ton, Indiana. He was now in his twentieth year, a poor boy in a strange land, but with that char- acteristic energy peculiar to his race, he deter- mined to achieve success. For about two years he was engaged in merchandising in Bluffton, but believing that a little further west the oppor- tunities would be more favorable, in 1868 he came to Princeton, and here secured employ- ment as a clerk with Mr. Dinham, with whom he remained five years, or until he embarked in his present business, as junior member of the firm of Bamberg & Company, dealers in ready-made clothing, gent's furnishing goods, etc. The busi- ness of the firm was quite extensive and con- stantly growing when Mr. Bamberg died. Soon after his death, Mr. Oppenheim purchased the interests of the heirs, since which time he has carried on the business alone in his own name, and with most gratifying success, securing a lib- eral share of the public patronage. His stock is the largest kept in any similar establishment in Princeton, and at all seasons he carries a full line of goods and of the best quality.
October 18, 1872, Mr. Oppenheim was united in marriage with Miss Margaret Winter, who was born in Peru, Illinois, and they have now two children-Edwin and Eva.
Fraternally, Mr. Oppenheim is a member of the Masonic order, holding membership in the blue lodge, chapter and commandery at Prince- ton. He is also a member of the uniformed rank of Knights of Pythias. Politically, he is repub- lican, and while never aspiring to office, yet takes
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a deep interest in everything pertaining to the son, both natives of Pennsylvania. Her parents welfare of his adopted city and country. As a citizen he is highly respected by all, and in the development of Princeton and Bureau county is always ready and willing to do his part.
H ARRY A. WINTER, a reliable and intelli- gent agriculturist of Evans township, re- siding on section 8, first drew the breath of life at Ottawa, Illinois, November 28, 1856, and is the son of John J. and Martha Maria (Parkinson) Winter, the former born in Pennsylvania, Sep- tember 19, 1832, and the latter August 17, 1832. In April, 1855, the father located at Ottawa, but now makes his home in Garfield, La Salle county, where he is engaged in merchandising, and also cultivates a fine farm of three hundred and twenty acres. He has ever been quite a prominent man in his locality, serving in a number of official po- sitions, including that of justice of the peace. The mother, who is a consistent member of the Pres- byterian church, is the sister of William H. Par- kinson, of Evans township, whose sketch ap- pears elsewhere in this volume.
In the family were six children, five still liv- ing, of whom our subject is the eldest. Oral Dell is the wife of Patrick Jennett, of Iowa, and the mother of ten children. Lyman Lee married Anna Lechner, by whom he has four children, and lives in Garfield, Illinois. William D., of Garfield, married Ida Thrasher, and they have one child. Sarah Jane is the wife of Jeff R. Eward, of Garfield, and is the mother of three children.
Harry A. Winter was educated at Ottawa, and in 1873 accompanied his parents to Garfield. At the age of fourteen he began life for himself, en- gaged in teaming in Ottawa, and for three win- ters worked in the coal mines. It was in 1877 that he first came to Evans township, where he was employed on the farm of Aaron G. Martin until December, 1878.
On the 26th of February, 1879, a marriage ceremony was performed which united the desti- nies of Mr. Winter and Miss Florence Wilson, a daughter of Joshua and Rosanna (Spillers) Wil-
were married in Ohio, and came to Putnam county, Illinois, where they resided for a time, but later settled upon the farm where our subject now resides. This the father improved and cul- tivated until his death, in 1876. The mother, who survives him, now makes her home in We- nona. They were the parents of thirteen chil- dren, ten of whom are now living-Oliver, of Lincoln, Nebraska, who married Addie Wilson, and has four children; Corwin, of Iowa, who wedded Mary Dillman, and has seven children; Emma, who is the wife of A. I. Theirry, of We- nona, and has an adopted child; Luretta, wife of F. F. Theirry, of Wenona, and the mother of two children; Martin V., of Wenona, who married Hettie A. Downey, by whom he has one child; Reuben M., of Kansas, who married Anna An- derson, now deceased, by whom he had one son; Rosella, wife of Joseph Stranard, of Creston, Iowa, and the mother of three children; Mrs. Winter; Ida B., wife of Thomas D. Judd, of We- nona, by whom she has one child; and Joshua Walter, of Evans township, who married Minie Brenn, and has two children. The parents were both members of the Society of Friends, and in politics the father was a republican.
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