USA > Illinois > Bureau County > The Biographical record of Bureau, Marshall, Putnam and Stark Counties, Illinois > Part 83
USA > Illinois > Marshall County > The Biographical record of Bureau, Marshall, Putnam and Stark Counties, Illinois > Part 83
USA > Illinois > Putnam County > The Biographical record of Bureau, Marshall, Putnam and Stark Counties, Illinois > Part 83
USA > Illinois > Stark County > The Biographical record of Bureau, Marshall, Putnam and Stark Counties, Illinois > Part 83
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The political faith of Mr. Blaisdell was bred in the bone, and his republicanism is un- questioned. For years he has served his party as delegate to various county, congres- sional and state conventions in which he has wielded considerable influence. For eighteen years he has faithfully served as justice of the peace and for a time was coroner of the county by appointment. Fraternally he is a Master
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Mason and a charter member of the Eastern He was a member of the American army in Star lodge of Bradford, of which he was the first worthy patron. Mrs. Blaisdell is also a member of that lodge and holds the office of Martha.
For more than twenty-one years Mr. Blaisdell has been a resident of Stark county. In every enterprise calculated to build up his adopted city and county he has taken a lively interest, and in his paper he has advocated such measures as he considered for the public good, speaking with no uncertain sound. Much is due to him for the good sidewalks, public park, water-works system, and well lighted streets of Bradford, improvements which he continually advocated until they were ac- complished facts. At the World's Fair in Chicago he was vice president of the Real Estate Congress. His personal influence and the influence of the Stark County Republican are always upon the side of nineteenth-cen- tury progress.
P ERRY STANCLIFF, a retired farmer, living on section 1, Essex township, Stark county, is now enjoying in his declining years a well-earned rest amid the peace and quiet that should always follow a long and honor- able business career. He was born in Athens county, Ohio, January 21, 1822, a son of David B. and Amy (Miles) Stancliff, the for- mer born in Canada, near Niagara Falls, and the latter in New York state. With their respective parents they had taken up their residence in Athens county, Ohio, when chil- dren, and there their marriage was celebrated. The Stancliffs were of German origin, and the name was originally spelled Stinecliff. The great-grandfather of our subject came to this country from the Fatherland, and settled either in Pennsylvania or New York, where the grandfather, Stambraw P. Stancliff, was born.
the Revolutionary war, being with Washington through the terrible winter at Valley Forge, and serving through almost the entire struggle. He received a flesh wound in the leg, which made him a cripple for the rest of his life. When the war was over he located in Canada, where he remained until he noticed the pros- pects for the war of 1812, when he said he had fought to free this country, and would not stay in Canada and fight against it. He there- fore emigrated to Athens county, Ohio, and two of his sons, Thomas and Perry, entered the United States service and died in defense of the land they loved. Of the twelve chil- dren of the family only four were sons, and three of these lost their lives in the United States service, the youngest, James, being a private in an Indiana regiment during the Civil war, and contracting a disease that ter- minated his life. Being a cripple, the grand- father followed teaching for many years, and conducted the first school in what is now Vin- ton county, Ohio, at McCarthy, the county seat. For many years he also served as jus- tice of the peace, and was a local preacher of the Methodist Episcopal church, but not a circuit rider. His death occurred in Athens county.
David B. Stancliff had accompanied his fa- ther on his removal to Ohio prior to the war of 1812, and was there married and continued to make his home until our subject was about a year old, when he went to Ross county, the same state, where he remained during the boy- hood of Perry. Learning boot and shoe mak- ing, the father followed that trade until failing health caused him to abandon it and turn his attention to farming. He was three times married and had twelve children, of whom eleven reached years of maturity, ten had fam- ilies of their own, and seven are still living.
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Being the oldest of the family and his father in limited circumstances, Perry Stancliff was obliged to aid in their support, and therefore had little opportunity of attending school. His boyhood days were passed in Ross county, Ohio, and at the age of seventeen he began learning the stone and brick mason's trade, serving a three-years apprenticeship and re- ceiving only eighty dollars per year, a fifth of which was reserved until the expiration of his term. He bought his time of his father, and continued to work at his trade in Ohio for about two years.
In 1844, however, Mr. Stancliff emigrated to Stark county, Illinois, with a company who came from his old home in Ross county, and here he purchased eighty-five acres of land, going in debt for the entire amount with the exception of the first payment. By work at his trade he paid for it, and when he had a few dollars more than enough to meet his pay- ments, he would hire breaking done, and soon began to realize something from his crops.
Mr. Stancliff was married August 17, 1848, to Miss Martha C. Davis, of Essex township, Stark county, who was born in Indiana and came to Illinois in 1836 with her parents, Daniel and Rachel (Ennis) Davis, honored pioneers of this section. Soon after his mar- riage our subject bought another seventy-five- acre tract, on which there was a small frame house, where the young couple made their home. It has been rebuilt, and still forms a part of the present residence, where he and his estimable wife have passed almost their entire married life.
There all their children, ten in number, were born, and all are still living. Daniel, born September 24, 1849, married Sarah Standeven, by whom he has one child, and they make their home in Kewanee, Illinois. William Perry, born August 15, 1851, married Emeline
Arganbrite and lives in Saline county, Ne- braska; they have three children. George W., born May 15, 1854, married Callie Ollice, and with their three children they reside in Grand Island, Nebraska. Stephen Miles, born May 19, 1856, married Hannah Standeven, and with their two children they live in Hagerstown, Maryland. James A., born June 10, 1858, is a resident of Kewanee, Illinois, and by his marriage with Esther Standeven has three chil- dren. David M., born October 31, 1861, mar- ried and has four children, and they live on our subject's farm in Essex township, Stark county. Marietta, born June 16, 1864, is the wife of Alfred Neely, by whom she has two children. Emma Eliza, born August 12, 1867, married Frederick Ingram and has one child. Charles Herman, born March 7, 1870, lives in Hagerstown, Maryland. Lewis Albert, born January 16, 1872, is at home. To each of his children our subject has given good common- school advantages, and George successfully en- gaged in teaching for a time.
A persevering, energetic and industrious man, Mr. Stancliff met with a well-deserved success in his undertakings and became the owner of considerable property, much of which he has sold, but still retains two hundred and eighty- four acres of valuable and productive land. His father was a democrat in politics until 1844, when he voted for Henry Clay, being persuaded to by our subject, who lost his vote that year on account of his removal to the state, but in 1848 he supported Taylor, and has since voted for every whig and republican candidate. His sons also give their allegiance to the latter party, and also his brothers, with the exception of one half-brother in Ross county, Ohio, who is a democrat. For four years Mr. Stancliff acceptably served as road commissioner, overseer of the poor one year, and school director twelve years, during which
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time a good school house was erected and he negotiated for the bonds. In public as well as private life he has been true and faithful to every trust reposed in him, and has thus gained the confidence and high regard of all who know him. His estimable wife holds membership in the Congregational church.
G EORGE MERNA, a well-known farmer and breeder of thoroughbred Jersey cat- tle, residing on section 29, Penn township, Stark county, was born near Manchester, in Lancastershire, England, May 24, 1839, a son of George and Mary (Wild) Merna. In the spring of 1852 the family left their native land and came to the United States, spending one season in North Lee, Massachusetts, whence they removed to Blackstone, Massa- chusetts, where our subject and his father both worked in a factory as they had done in Eng- land, the former beginning when only eight years of age. Subsequently they spent one year in Connecticut, and later removed to Waterford, Massachusetts. Coming west they located in Clinton county, Iowa, where the father purchased a small farm, on which he spent his remaining days, dying before our sub- ject left the parental roof. Subsequently the latter went to Scott county, Iowa, where he worked by the month for a time.
In 1861, when the south took up arms against the general government, Mr. Merna resolved to strike a blow in defense of the Union, and accordingly enlisted in Company E, Thirteenth Iowa Volunteer Infantry, which was a part of Crocker's famous brigade at the battle of Shi- loh. Here our subject was hit in the stomach by a piece of stump, which a shell had struck. He was later in the siege of Corinth, the bat- tles of Iuka and Corinth, many skirmishes and the siege of Vicksburg. While in the service he lost the use of his right eye from inflamma-
tion and was confined to the hospital for a time, his regiment leaving him there when they started on the Atlanta campaign, but he joined the command again . at Atlanta and started in the celebrated march to the sea, but his eye still troubled him. When his term expired he returned to Chattanooga, where he was mustered out and honorably discharged.
In the meantime the family had located in Wyoming, Illinois, and here Mr. Merna came after leaving the army. He had previously inade a start in life, but on going to the front gave up everything, and had to begin anew. For two years he operated rented land in Es- sex township, Stark county, and then pur- chased eighty acres in Penn township, on which he still resides, his mother at first keeping house for him. On the 10th of February, 1871, he wedded Mrs. Mary F. Dixon, nce Bateman, a native of Pike county, Ohio, who was about ten years of age when she came with her parents to Illinois, spending the first two years in Peoria county. They then re- moved to Stark county, where her first mar- riage occurred, and by that union she had two children-Leroy and Simon Dixon, the former a resident of Strahan, Iowa, and the latter of Wymore, Nebraska. Five children blessed her marriage with oursubject, namely: Bertha, who became the wife of William Saxton, but is now deceased; George E .; Daisy, wife of James H. Harding, by whom she has one child; Edith, wife of Charles E. Robison, by whom she has one child; and Alice, who was born June 22, 1884.
In 1875 Mr. Merna added eighty acres to his original purchase, and has made many valu- able and useful improvements upon the place, so that it is now one of the most desirable farms of the locality. He bought another eighty acres, lying just west on the same sec- tion, in 1895, it being formerly the homestead
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of Winfield Scott, and he also has one hundred and sixty acres in Sherman county, Kansas. His entire possessions have been accumulated through his own industry, perseverance and good management, and the success that he has achieved is certainly well deserved. In 1874 he began breeding Jersey cattle, and is the only regular breeder of that valuable grade of stock in the county. He has carried off many premiums at the local and state fairs, and, although he did not exhibit at the World's Fair in Chicago, he made two extensive sales at that place. In 1860 he supported Lincoln for president, and has always given his unwaver- ing support to the republican party. He is an honored member of De Wolfe Post, G. A. R., at Wyoming, and also of the association known as Crocker's Iowa Brigade, which has among its members some of the most prominent men of Iowa; and General Belknap, of Grant's cabi- net, served for a time as its president.
JOSEPH C. ATHERTON, a well-known and progressive farmer and stock-raiser residing on section 4, West Jersey township, Stark county, is a native of Illinois, his birth occurring in Hancock county, February 17, 1843, and is a son of Milton and Sarah (Si- monson) Atherton. The father was born in Hamilton county, Ohio, where he grew to manhood, and in October, 1832, was there married. On the same day was celebrated the marriage of his twin brother, Joseph, the two marrying sisters, and both couples celebrated their golden wedding in October, 1882.
In 1837 Milton Atherton, with his family, emigrated to Illinois, locating first in Hancock county, where he was residing at the time of the Mormon troubles, and he was called out with the militia to help restore order. In 1844 he traded his land there to the Mormons and removed to Stark county, settling on section
9, West Jersey township, where he lived for some years. Going to Kewanee in 1864, he made his home at that place until 1883, when he removed to Vernon county, Missouri, where his death occurred in November, 1894. Of his eleven children, ten reached man and woman- hood, and nine are still living, while three are residents of Stark county.
The boyhood days of Joseph C. Atherton were passed upon the home farm, and after attending the common schools for some time he entered Hedding College, at Abingdon, Knox county, Illinois, where he was a student at the outbreak of the Civil war. Laying aside his text-books, in October, 1861, he offered his services to Uncle Sam, enlisted in the Fif- ty-first Illinois Volunteer Infantry, but his com- pany was soon afterward disbanded, and he became a member of Company E, First Illi- nois Light Artillery, known as Waterhouse Battery. He participated in the battles of Shiloh, Nashville, Vicksburg, and in many skirmishes. For a short time after the battle of Shiloh he was in the invalid camp, but he was never wounded, captured or confined in a hospital, though he had to run for his life at the battle of Guntown. When his term of service had expired he was honorably dis- charged, in December, 1864, and returned to Kewanee, where his father was then living.
During that winter Mr. Atherton attended school in Kewanee, but in the spring of 1865 entered the Wesleyan University at Blooming- ton. Later he taught school for one winter in Livingston county, Illinois, and then again took up his studies at Bloomington, being a student at that place for two years. Subse- quently he successfully engaged in teaching in Stark county for some time, but now gives his entire time and attention to his agricultural pursuits, having a good farm of two hundred and fifty acres, which he has placed under a
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high state of cultivation. For about five or six years after his marriage he rented eighty acres of his father, a part of his present farm, and then purchased it. In March, 1879, his house was destroyed by fire, but the following year he replaced it by his present comfortable and commodious residence.
On the Ist of May, 1869, Mr. Atherton was united in marriage with Miss Emma Morris, of West Jersey, who was born in Hendricks coun- ty, Indiana, and is a daughter of Shadrach and Maria (Payne) Morris, natives of Tennessee and Ohio, respectively, who were married in Hendricks county, Indiana, and came to Stark county, Illinois, in 1868. Her father, who was a farmer by occupation, served in the Mexican war under General Scott. Mr. and Mrs. Atherton have three children, namely: Milton, born on the old homestead, February 14, 1870, received an excellent academic edu- cation and successfully engaged in teaching for a few years, but now follows farming in West Jersey township. He married Lutie Bradley, of Goshen township, Stark county, and has one child-Bessie Lorain. Adelbert, born Septem- ber 25, 1871, also received an academic edu- cation and graduated from a business college at Quincy, Illinois. He is now clerking in a store at Versailles, Missouri. Ralph Waldo, the youngest of the family, was born January 1, 1890.
Mr. Atherton cast his first presidential vote for General Grant in 1868, and continued to support the republican party. until after the election of President Garfield, when he became a prohibitionist. He voted with that party until the fall of 1896, when on account of the silver question he supported William J. Bryan. He has served as collector, assessor, justice of the peace for seven years, and among the nu- merous trials that have come up before him no case has ever been reversed by a higher court.
He and his wife are both consistent members of the Methodist Episcopal church at West Jersey, in which he has filled the offices of trustee, recording steward and class-leader. He also takes an active interest in the work of the Sunday-school, and socially is a member of W. W. Wright Post, G. A. R., at Toulon. Industrious, enterprising and persevering, he has prospered in his business affairs, and is now the owner of two hundred and fifty acres of valuable land. In 1893 he and his wife spent a most enjoyable week at the World's Fair in Chicago. They are widely and favorably known throughout the community, and their circle of friends is only limited by their circle of acquaintances.
O WEN W. HURD .- The gentleman whose name stands at the head of this sketch is a general farmer, pursuing his pleasant and profitable occupation on section 25, Valley township, Stark county. He is a native of Illinois, his birth occurring at Trivoli, Peoria county, on the 16th of November, 1847. His parents, Hubbard G. and Mary D. ( Hoyt ) Hurd, were born, reared and married in New Hampshire, whence they removed to New York, but after spending a short time in that state came to Illinois in 1839, settling at Trivoli, where they resided for a few years. While there the father drove a stage from Peoria to Farmington and also engaged in agricultural pursuits.
When our subject was a year and a half old he was taken by his parents to La Prairie township, Marshall county, where the father purchased one hundred and sixty acres of land and later bought a tract in Valley township, Stark county. In 1861, however, he moved to St. Joseph county, Michigan, and for a time conducted a hotel at Menbion. Later he was engaged in the same business at Waterloo,
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Indiana, and Ligonier, the same state, but in 1865 removed to Chicago, where he took charge of the Jarvis hotel, which occupied the site of the present Atlantic hotel. The follow- ing year, however, he returned to La Prairie township, Stark county, where he again pur- chased land and engaged in farming until called from this life in 1882, passing away on the 2 Ist of December, just two days after cele- brating the seventy-fourth anniversary of his birth. His wife, who is still living, now makes her home in Chicago.
Owen W. Hurd is the youngest of the family of five children, the others being as follows : Horace, who is married and lives in Chicago ; Elizabeth, deceased wife of Daniel Coon, of Wenona, Illinois ; Caroline D., of Chicago, who married Adam Vye and has one son, Frank ; and Marion, wife of Thomas J. Rogers, of Chicago, by whom she has two children. In his political affiliations the father was a republican.
Mr. Hurd, of this sketch, accompanied his parents on their various removals during his boyhood, and received a fair common-school education. On attaining his majority he started out in life for himself as a farmer, and has successfully followed that occupation. In 1872 he purchased his present farm of eighty acres, which is now under a high state of cul- tivation and well improved with good buildings.
On the 30th of December, 1869, was cele- brated the marriage of Owen W. Hurd and Miss Hannah E. Pinkney, of Lawn Ridge, Marshall county, who was born on Orange Prairie, Peoria county, and is a daughter of Stephen and Catharine (Beck) Pinkney. Four children grace this union, whose names and dates of birth are as follows: Wirt, Septem- ber 21, 1873; Mary L., December 21, 1874; Otto G., March 29, 1876; and Leon P., Jan- uary 15, 1878.
Since casting his first vote for General Grant in 1872, Mr. Hurd has been a stalwart repub- lican, but never an office-seeker, though he has filled public positions. In 1896 he was nominated by his party for supervisor, and triumphantly elected, notwithstanding he had a strong democratic majority to overcome. He was a prominent and influential member of that body and served on the committees on reports and the county farm. Fraternally he is a member of Lawn Ridge Lodge, No. 415, F. & A. M., in which he has filled all the of- fices with the exception of secretary and treas- urer, and is now past master. He represented the lodge in the grand lodge in 1893, and is also a member of the chapter at Wyoming. He belongs to Edelstein Camp, No. 1841, M. W. A., which he represented at Spring- field in 1896, and in which he served as ven- erable consul for three years. He is a public- spirited, enterprising citizen, and has hosts of warm friends throughout the community.
MBROSE FULLER .- In the busy com- 4 munity located in the thriving little village of Elmira, we find several energetic and thor- oughgoing business men who have attained success through their own tact, good judgment and perseverance. Among the number is the gentleman whose name heads this biographical notice, and who is successfully engaged in general merchandising. He is not only one of the prominent business men of the commun- ity, but is also a worthy representative of one of the honored pioneer families of Stark county, locating here with his parents as early as 1839, when most of the country was still in its primitive condition. His father, Ambrose Fuller, Sr., took a prominent part in the up- building and development of this region at an early day.
Our subject began his earthly career in Lu-
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zerne county, Pennsylvania, November 19, 1829, but was mainly reared in Stark county, Illinois, where, to a limited extent, he attended the district schools near his home, but is almost entirely self-educated by reading and study in later years. After his father's death he lived with his brother, Walter, until he attained his majority, but in 1854 left Stark county, going to Johnson county, Iowa, where for one year he engaged in the manufacture of lumber in partnership with D. W. Henderson. Then locating in Linn county, Iowa, he im- proved a farm and engaged in agricultural pursuits until 1885, when he moved to Mar- shall county, in the same state, where he fol- lowed the same occupation for a few years. In 1891 he returned to Stark county, where he engaged in merchandising with his brother until the latter's death, in December, 1895, when he assumed the entire management of the business, which he has since successfully carried on. He has a large stock of general merchandise, and has established a reputation for good goods and fair dealing which has won for him a liberal share of the public patronage.
On the 8th of February, 1854, in Stark county, Mr. Fuller was united in marriage with Miss Alice J. Woodward, who was born in Pennsylvania, but was reared and educated in Elmira, Illinois, her father, Alfred Woodward, being one of the pioneers of Stark county, whence he later removed to De Kalb county, Illinois, where he spent his last days. In Mar- shall county, Iowa, Mrs. Fuller departed this life in August, 1885, and was laid to rest in the Western cemetery of Linn county, that state. She was the mother of four sons and one daughter, who are still living: James M., who is married and is engaged in farm- ing in Arkansas; Ambrose A., who is married and follows the same occupation in Chero- kee county, Iowa; Walter A., who is married
and follows farming in O'Brien county, Iowa; Hattie J., wife of Lewis Rodman, of Iowa county, Iowa; and Ralph W., who assists his father in the store. Mr. Fuller was again mar- ried, in Stark county, February 9, 1893, his second union being with Mary Adams, a native of Maine, who came to Stark county with her father, John Adams, in 1853, and was here reared and educated. For a number of years she was a successful teacher of Stark and Henry counties.
As a whig Mr. Fuller cast his first vote for Winfield Scott, in 1852, then supported Mill- ard Fillmore, in 1856, and since that time has been identified with the republican party, be- lieving in protection and sound money. Al- though he has never aspired to office, he served as assessor and trustee of his township in Linn county, Iowa, and has efficiently served as postmaster of Elmira since 1895, proving a most obliging and popular official. His ster- ling integrity and general urbanity of manner have won him a large number of friends, and his business energy and earnestness a numer- ous and increasing patronage. His estimable wife is an active member of the Presbyterian church of Elmira.
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