USA > Illinois > Bureau County > The Biographical record of Bureau, Marshall, Putnam and Stark Counties, Illinois > Part 84
USA > Illinois > Marshall County > The Biographical record of Bureau, Marshall, Putnam and Stark Counties, Illinois > Part 84
USA > Illinois > Putnam County > The Biographical record of Bureau, Marshall, Putnam and Stark Counties, Illinois > Part 84
USA > Illinois > Stark County > The Biographical record of Bureau, Marshall, Putnam and Stark Counties, Illinois > Part 84
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A UGUSTUS HAMMOND is the senior mem- ber of the firm of Hammond & Argan_ bright, general merchants of Wyoming, Illinois. Young men in the past have often been de- terred from devoting themselves to a business life because of the widespread impression that such a life yields no opportunity for the dis- play of genius. The time, however, has gone by when, other things being equal, the busi- ness man must take a secondary place to the lawyer, the doctor, the minister or the editor. In fact, as a rule, let the business man be equally equipped by education and natural en- dowment and you will find him to-day in every
A. G. HAMMOND.
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community exerting a wider influence and wielding a larger power than a man of equal capacity treading other walks of life. The "men of affairs" have come to be in a large de- gree the men upon whom the country leans. The subject of this sketch is pre-eminently a "man of affairs."
Mr. Hammond was born in Westport, Essex county, New York, January 27, 1834, and is a son of Gideon and Nancy (Chandler) Ham- mond. On the paternal side he is descended from Sir Thomas Hammond, who in an early day came from Wales and settled in Connecti- cut, where was born the father of our subject, who, when a small boy, accompanied his par- ents on their removal to New York. There he was married, his wife's people being natives of that state. By occupation he was a farmer and lumberman. He had received an excel- lent academic education, and, besides serving in some minor offices, was also elected on the whig ticket to the legislature a number of times. Our subject is the youngest in a family of ten children, of whom only three are still living, the others being Mrs. Charlotte Col- burn, of Colorado Springs, Colorado, who has two children; and Mrs. Mary Castle, of Minne- apolis, Minnesota, who has two sons.
Mr. Hammond, of this review, was only twelve years of age at the time of his father's death. He continued to attend the schools of his native state until fourteen, when he went to Waukesha, Waukesha county, Wisconsin, where he pursued his studies in an academy for one year or more, and then went to Farming- ton, Fulton county, Illinois. Here he attended a select school for one winter, and in 1850, at the age of sixteen, came to Wyoming, where he engaged in teaching during the winter term. He next taught in the village high school of Comanche, Iowa, for two winters, when he returned to Wyoming, Illinois, where he served
as principal of the public schools for two years. In this place Mr. Hammond was married October 12, 1853, to Miss Cecelia B. Wyn- koop, who was born in New York and came with her parents to Illinois when a child. Three children bless this union, as follows: Harry A., a graduate of the Winona, Minne- sota, high school, is a member of the banking firm of Scott, Wrigley & Hammond, of Wy- oming. Will W., a graduate of Knox College, read law in the office of Mr. Starr, of Peoria, where he now has the general management of Mrs. Lydia Bradley's business, and an exten- sive law practice. He is married and has two children. Mary L. is the wife of S. Perry Holmes, of Chicago, and they have one child. She also attended Knox College, of Galesburg. The mother died in 1888, and August, 1889, Mr. Hammond married Mrs. Millie J. McCly- ment, nce Snare, of Wyoming.
Since 1865, Mr. Hammond has continuously engaged in mercantile pursuits in Wyoming, starting alone with a small grocery stock, but two years later formed a partnership with Mr. Payne, which connection continued for five years. Under the firm name of Hammond & Arganbright, he is now successfully engaged in general merchandising, enjoying an excellent trade, which is certainly well deserved.
Mr. Hammond has been an ardent republi- can in politics since casting his first presidential vote for Fremont in 1856, and has served his fellow citizens as justice of the peace two terms, school treasurer of his township from 1862 up to the present time with the exception of six years; trustee of the village for seven terms; and president of the board for one term. In 1874 he was elected to the state legislature, and while a member of that body did good service on the committees of insurance and education. For twenty-one years he has been a delegate to the county and congressional
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conventions of his party, and in 1894 his name was presented by the county to the special convention called to elect some one to fill the vacancy in congress caused by the death of General Post, and his people voted for him fourteen hundred and seventy-five times. In 1896 he was one of the presidential electors, and cast his ballot for the Hon. William Mc- Kinley. Socially, Mr. Hammond is a Master Mason, belonging to the lodge in Wyoming. He was reared a Baptist, but attends the Con- gregational church, to which his family belongs, and he contributes liberally to the support of the church. He is one of the most progres- sive and enterprising citizens of Stark county, is prominent and influential, and justly de- serves the high regard in which he is held, for from an early age he has made his own way in the world, and has worked his way steadily upward to a competency.
JOSEPH COX .- Among the best known and
most enterprising of the early settlers of Stark county, Illinois, were Joseph Cox and his brothers. The family trace their descent from three brothers who left England on account of the persecution of the Quakers and came with the followers of William Penn to America. They first settled in Pennsylvania, where one of the three remained while another went to New Jersey, and later settled on Long Island, where many of his descendants are yet living. Others, however, left New York and are now scattered throughout the country. From this family came the Hon. S. S. Cox, one of the most eminent of New York statesmen. The third brother, Jeremiah Cox, went to Virginia and from him descended the Cox family now residing in Stark county, Illinois. One of his descendants was Solomon Cox, the great- grandfather of Joseph Cox, of Essex township, Stark county. Solomon Cox was the father of
Enoch Cox, whose brother, Joseph Cox, was the first of the Cox family to locate in Ross county, Ohio. He was subsequently followed by his father who there passed the remainder of his days.
Nathan Cox, the father of our subject, was about nineteen years of age when he went to Ross county, Ohio. It was the intention of the family to follow him there, but his father, Enoch Cox, changed his mind and remained in Virginia, where he died at an advanced age. Nathan Cox remained in Ohio, and there mar- ried Ann Dixon. Two of his brothers, Solo- mon and Jesse, moved to Missouri with their families, one locating on one side of the Mis- souri river and the other on the other side. Each acquired a great deal of land, Solomon owning at one time about thirty-five hundred acres. Not being content, however, he went with one of his sons to California, and there died, tradition having it that he found a lump of gold so large that he could not move it and sat down to watch it and died in that position ! His son returned to Missouri.
In 1836, Nathan Cox, with his son Joseph, the subject of our sketch, together with his son-in-law, Benjamin Drummond, came to what is now Essex township, Stark county, and purchased land. During that year Joseph planted a small crop, while the other two re- turned to Ohio. Our subject later on got homesick, sold out his interest, and also re- turned to Ohio. The united family, however, concluded that they would again come to Illi- nois for their permanent residence. In the fall of 1836, those mentioned, together with Jesse Cox, who was then married, and an un- married brother of our subject, Jeremiah, came through by land, and all located in Essex township. Jesse Cox put in one crop and in the fall of 1837 went back to Ohio, where he remained until 1851, when he again returned
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to Illinois. Enoch Cox, father of William K. and brother of our subject, did not come to Illinois with the rest of the family, but came later. Jeremiah Cox returned to Ohio, and there married and later took up his residence in Stark county, Illinois, where his wife died. His second marriage occurred in this county, from which he removed to Texas, later came back to Illinois, and subsequently removed to Nodaway county, Missouri, where he died. None of his descendants live in Stark county, but are scattered throughout Nebraska, Mis- souri and Texas. Of the remaining brothers and sisters of our subject, Mary wedded Ben- jamin Drummond and died in Stark county, leaving eight children; Lydia married William Keiger, in Ohio, where she died, leaving three children; Ruth married William Drummond, whom she had known in Ohio, and who came to Illinois to marry her. They made their home in Ross county, Ohio, where she is still residing, and has six living children; Nancy married Thomas Graves, by whom she had several children. They now reside in Omaha, Nebraska.
Joseph Cox, the subject of this sketch, was a single man when he came from Ohio. Three years later, on the 24th of November, 1839, he married Miss Catherine Edwards, by whom he has seven children. Two died in infancy, and five grew to maturity. Nathan Monroe is now a farmer residing in Essex township. Charles Henry also lives in the same township. Thomas Walter, also a farmer of Essex. Aurelia and Arvilla are twins. The former married Leroy Stevenson, and died December 12, 1895, leaving no children. The latter married Carey Sumner, and they reside in Essex township with their two children, Mattie and Lettie.
On coming to Stark county our subject and his father brought out millstones and started
a gristmill `and sawmill. While the former was not the first in the county, it was the first good one. They carried on milling for some years in connection with farming. In the sixty years that have since passed our subject became quite prosperous, owning at one time about twelve hundred acres of land. His first presidential vote was cast for William Henry Harrison in 1840. On the organization of the republican party he became an advocate of its principles, and voted for General Fremont in 1856. He never cared for the honors of office, but served for many years as school director, because of the fact that he was greatly interested in our public schools. No man in Stark county is more widely known or has a larger circle of friends and acquaintances.
NATHAN MONROE Cox, a most substantial farmer residing on section 10, Essex township, is a son of Joseph and Catherine (Edwards) Cox. His birth occurred in that township, January 17, 1842, and he there grew to man- hood, receiving a fair common-school educa- tion in the district schools, supplemented by a short term in the schools of Toulon. He re- mained under the parental roof and assisted in the cultivation of the farm until twenty-six years of age. On the 2d of July, 1868, he married Miss Martha M. Graves, of Prince- ville township, Peoria county, Illinois. She was born in Ross county, Ohio, and is a daugh- ter of William and Ann (Ratcliff) Graves. By this union were six children-Anna, Kate, Maude, Cynthia, Harry and Drucy. The first named married Harry Kerns, by whom she has one child, Alva. They reside on a farm in Essex township.
After their marriage Nathan M. Cox and wife lived on a farm in Essex township for eight years, then sold a part and removed to his present home. In his farming operations he has been quite successful, especially as a
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breeder of thorough-bred short-horn cattle and Poland China hogs. The homestead consists of four hundred acres of land which is under a high state of cultivation. Politically he has been a life-long republican, casting his first presidential vote for Abraham Lincoln in 1864. For many years he has served as school direc- tor, with great satisfaction to his constituents. Fraternally he is a member of Wyoming Lodge, F. & A. M.
CHARLES HENRY Cox, who resides on sec- tion 9, Essex township, Stark county, Illinois, was born on the northeast quarter of the same section, November 1, 1844, and is the second son of Joseph and Catherine (Ed- wards) Cox. On the old homestead he grew to manhood and received his education in the common schools of the neighborhood. He remained with his father until his marriage, September 10, 1874, with Miss Sarah Anna Graves, of Ross county, Ohio, of which county she is a native. Her mother died in that state when she was quite young, and she was reared by her grandmother in Ohio. Our sub- ject first met her at the home of her father, who lived near Duncan, Peoria county, with whom she was then visiting. In November following their marriage they moved to their present farm, but lived in the old house until 1879, when he built his present home. Ten children came to bless their union-Simon R., Emery E., Emmet Arthur, Florence, Bertha, Joseph Lloyd, Ethel, Mary Fero, Fannie, Ralph Freedom. The first named died when but five years of age.
Politically, Charles H. Cox is a republican, and voted for Grant in 1868, and has since continued to vote that party ticket. He is not an office-seeker, and prefers to give his undivided time to his farming interests. He is a breeder of short-horn cattle, and has been very successful in that line of business.
THOMAS W. Cox, the third son of Joseph Cox, now resides on section 4, Essex town- ship, Stark county. He was born on the old homestead on section 9, August 2, 1847, and there his boyhood and youth were spent. He acquired his education in the country schools of the neighborhood. He began life for himself when about nineteen years of age, his father permitting him to cultivate a portion of the home farm, giving him all that he could raise. His marriage occurred September 17, 1867, with Miss Clara A. DeWolf, of Essex township, by whom he has six children: Ed- win E., born March 23, 1868, married Miss Florence Huntington, of Frankfort, Indiana. He graduated at the Wyoming high school in the class of 1887, after which he attended Knox College, from which he also graduated in 1891. He next attended Emerson College of Oratory in Boston, from which he graduated in 1893. At present he is engaged as a proof reader with the Werner Publishing Company, of Chicago. Alice M., born September I, 1871, attended Wyoming high school, mar- ried W. S. Henderson, September 1, 1890, and and they now reside in Logansport, Indiana. Stella G., born May 26, 1874, married John Kinsella, November 26, 1895, and they reside at Whitmore, Iowa. Joseph A., born June 22, 1876; Hattie L., born August 16, 1880; and Cora B., born November 27, 1883, still reside at home.
Thomas W. Cox was next married March 8, 1888, to Miss Alice M. Mawbey, of Toulon township, of which she is a native, and is a daughter of Frederick and Eliza (Baldwin) Mawbey, the former born near London, Eng- land, and the latter near Newark, New Jersey. Both, however, came to Illinois single and were here married. Mrs. Cox received a good common-school education, and at the age of nineteen began teaching and followed that pro-
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fession for sixteen years. By this union there is one child, Marie Louise, born September I, 1895.
Soon after our subject's first marriage he made his home on a farm of his father's south of the old homestead, where he lived a few years and then purchased his present farm of two hundred acres, which is well improved and on which is a fair dwelling and a good barn. In addition to general farming he has been a breeder of short-horn cattle for many years. By birth and instinct he is a republican, and cast his first presidential vote for Grant in 1868. He has been a school director for six- teen years, and is wife his now serving her second term in the same office. He was once elected justice of the peace but refused to qualify. Religiously, Mrs. Cox is a member of the Baptist church, and has been an earnest worker in the same. Mr. Cox is a member of the Masonic fraternity, holding membership with Wyoming Lodge, No. 479.
OHN E. EDWARDS, a leading and suc- J cessful veterinary surgeon and enterprising citizen of Toulon, is a native of the Empire state, born in Saratoga county on the 9th of December, 1845. His father, Rial Ed- wards, was born in Vermont, but when a young man went to Saratoga county, where he mar- ried Sarah L. Lyons, a native of that county. There he engaged in farming throughout his active business life, dying in March, 1875, at the age of seventy-four years. His first wife died when our subject was a mere child, and subsequently he again married.
John E. Edwards is the sixth in order of birth in a family of four sons and four daugh- ters, all of whom grew to years of maturity, but two are now deceased. Samuel, the old- est, is a farmer of Niagara county, New York; Charles is a farmer of Saratoga county, New
York; Lehman is a farmer of Fowlerville, Michigan; Alexander is a mason of Middleport, New Jersey. Of the sisters, Eunice became the wife of Jesse Chambers, of Fulton county, New York, and is now deceased; Mary became the wife of Benjamin Booth, a resident of Batchellerville, New York, but is also deceased; Julia is the wife of Carmi Bets, of Saratoga county, New York; and Helen is the wife of John Rhodes, a merchant of Amsterdam, New York.
In the county of his nativity our subject spent his boyhood and youth, and was pro- vided with good school advantages. He al- ways manifested an interest in veterinary sur- gery, which he resolved to make his life work. In March, 1863, however, he laid aside all personal interest and enlisted in Company A, Thirteenth New York Heavy Artillery, but served more in the infantry. He belonged to the eastern division of the army, and was with Grant around Richmond and Petersburg. In the battle of Burpee, November 8, the reb- els made a charge on the Union lines, and Mr. Edwards' regiment lost heavily. Later, he participated in the fight at City Point, South Side Railroad near Petersburg, between the James river and Appomattox, which engage- ment continued nearly every day for a week. Here our subject was captured, but the same night managed to escape by running into the river, and faithfully served until hostilities had ceased, valiantly fighting for the old flag and the cause it represented. During his arduous service he received five flesh wounds, and also had his ankle broken by a piece of shell. When the war had ended he was honorably discharged, in July, 1865, and returned home.
Previous to his enlistment Mr. Edwards had begun the study of veterinary surgery and now entered the Veterinary College in New York city, spending some time in that institution
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on two different occasions, thus becoming well fitted for his chosen calling. For some years he engaged in active practice in Batcheller- ville, New York, removed to Hastings, the same state, in 1879, but the following year located in Toulon, Illinois, where he has since successfully engaged in practice. His skill and ability are widely recognized, and he is not only known throughout Stark and adjoining counties, but has had professional calls from Chicago and Iowa.
In Providence, Saratoga county, New York, February 18, 1866, was celebrated the mar- riage of Mr. Edwards and Miss Martha Ettie Blackburn, a daughter of Roland and Eveline E. (Schermerhorn) Blackburn, both natives of New York and representatives of old families of that state. For years her father was a prominent business man of Watertown, New York, but later removed to Watertown, Wis- consin, where he became identified with its business interests, and there died in 1847. After his death, Mrs. Blackburn, with her family, returned to her father's home in the Mohawk valley, New York, where her children were reared. They are Amanda, now the wife of Richard Hadley, an old settler of Stark county, who is now living retired in Toulon; Roland, a farmer of Cresbard, Faulk county, South Dakota; and Mrs. Edwards.
To our subject and his estimable wife have been born four sons and four daughters-Cora Bell, wife of Professor Frank Jones, a teacher of the Hennepin (Illinois) schools; Susie, wife of Milton White, a business man of Peoria; Evalena, wife of William Fell, of Stark coun- ty; Frankie May, at home; Wellington, who is assisting his father in his extensive practice; William, who is attending the Hennepin high school; and Fay and John Roy, who are stu- dents in the home school.
Mr. Edwards' political affiliations have been
with the republican party since casting his first presidential ballot for General U. S. Grant in 1868, and he does all in his power to promote the interests of the party, though he cares nothing for official honors. Fraternally, he is an honored member of W. W. Wright Post, G. A. R., of Toulon. He is always courteous, kindly and affable, and those who know him personally have for him high regard. A man of great natural ability, his success in his pro- fession from the beginning has been uniform and rapid. He has persevered in the pursuit of a persistent purpose aud gained the most satisfactory reward.
J JAMES C. STIMSON, a worthy represent- ative of the farming interests of Goshen township, Stark county, has a valuable farm of eighty acres on section 15. He was born on the 7th of December, 1830, in Allegany county, New York, a son of Luther Stimson, who was a native of Massachusetts, but removed to New York at an early day and there married Miss Anna Denny, whose birth occurred in that state. The mother died when our sub- ject was only about ten years of age.
James C. Stimson began his education in the common schools of the Empire state, and after coming to Illinois pursued his studies in Toulon schools under the direction of Judge Drummond. It was in 1842 that he came west with Mr. Sweets, landing at Saxon, Henry county, Illinois, where for a time he worked on a farm, and was after engaged in the manu- facture of brick at Cambridge for two years. The following three years were passed in St. Louis, Missouri, and on his return to this state again engaged in the brick business, doing all the work by hand. Since 1857 he has made his home in Stark county, where he operated rented land for a time, but is now the owner of a good farm pleasantly located three miles
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from Toulon. The fields are well tilled and the place has been improved with a comfort- able one-story residence, a good barn and substantial out-buildings, which stand as monu- ments to his thrift and industry.
On the 27th of April, 1854, in Stark county, was performed a wedding ceremony which united the destinies of Mr. Stimson and Miss Sarah, daughter of Squire and Sophia (Alt- house) Parish, both natives of Canada. In 1836 her father emigrated to Illinois, becom- ing one of the honored early settlers of Stark county and first making his home in Goshen township, where he reared his family. He spent the last years of his life, however, in Toulon, where for twenty years he lived retired from active business cares. Mrs. Stimson was born in Canada, but wasreared in this state. An earnest, consistent Christian, she is a faithful member of the Baptist church and a teacher in its Sunday-school. As they have no children of their own, our subject and his wife took to their home Belle Hollabaugh, then a child of six years, and reared her in a most creditable manner, not only providing her with a good literary education, but also having her in- structed in music. She is now the wife of Monroe Brown, a farmer of Henry county, Illinois, by whom she has two children, a son and daughter.
In politics Mr. Stimson is independent, but usually votes with the people's party. He gives his earnest support to all measures cal- culated to benefit the community or promote the general welfare, and is distinctively one of the leading citizens of Goshen township, with whose interests he has long been identified.
G OTTLIEB SCHIEBEL, prominent among the farming and stock-raising interests of Essex township, Stark county, is one of its
most enterprising and energetic men, and from an humble beginning in life he has accumu- lated a handsome property. He not only com- menced life without means, but was obliged to battle with the elements of a foreign soil and the customs of a strange country, as he is of German birth and parentage. He has steadily worked his way upward, however, until to-day he is the owner of a fine farm of three hun- dred and sixty-three acres on section 24, Essex township.
Mr. Schiebel was born in Wurtemberg, Ger- many, June 5, 1825, a son of Gottlieb and Barbara Schiebel. In connection with work at his trade of shoemaking, the father also oper- ated a small farm which he owned. He died when our subject was about nineteen years of age, leaving a widow and two children. The sister remained in Germany with the mother.
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