USA > Illinois > Bureau County > The Biographical record of Bureau, Marshall and Putnam Counties, Illinois > Part 47
USA > Illinois > Marshall County > The Biographical record of Bureau, Marshall and Putnam Counties, Illinois > Part 47
USA > Illinois > Putnam County > The Biographical record of Bureau, Marshall and Putnam Counties, Illinois > Part 47
Note: The text from this book was generated using artificial intelligence so there may be some errors. The full pages can be found on Archive.org (link on the Part 1 page).
Part 1 | Part 2 | Part 3 | Part 4 | Part 5 | Part 6 | Part 7 | Part 8 | Part 9 | Part 10 | Part 11 | Part 12 | Part 13 | Part 14 | Part 15 | Part 16 | Part 17 | Part 18 | Part 19 | Part 20 | Part 21 | Part 22 | Part 23 | Part 24 | Part 25 | Part 26 | Part 27 | Part 28 | Part 29 | Part 30 | Part 31 | Part 32 | Part 33 | Part 34 | Part 35 | Part 36 | Part 37 | Part 38 | Part 39 | Part 40 | Part 41 | Part 42 | Part 43 | Part 44 | Part 45 | Part 46 | Part 47 | Part 48 | Part 49 | Part 50 | Part 51 | Part 52 | Part 53 | Part 54 | Part 55 | Part 56 | Part 57 | Part 58 | Part 59 | Part 60 | Part 61 | Part 62 | Part 63 | Part 64 | Part 65 | Part 66 | Part 67 | Part 68 | Part 69 | Part 70 | Part 71 | Part 72 | Part 73 | Part 74 | Part 75 | Part 76 | Part 77 | Part 78 | Part 79 | Part 80 | Part 81
Mr. Parker was born near Watertown, in Jef- ferson county, New York, May 13, 1824. His great-grandfather Parker was a native of Eng- land, and on coming to the new world settled at Boston, where he became an extensive dry goods and grocery merchant. Joshua Parker, the grandfather of our subject, was born in that city, was a soldier in the French and Indian wars, and. served throughout the Revolution as cap- tain. The last twenty years of his life were spent in New York at the home of his son, Amaziah, the father of our subject.
Boston was also the birthplace of Amaziah Parker, and in Massachusetts he was reared to manhood and given good educational privileges. At an early day he went to New York, becoming one of the pioneer settlers of Jefferson county. He was twice married, his second wife, who bore the maiden name of Sophrona Dillen, being the mother of our subject. Her birth occurred in Cherryville, New York. The father became one of the substantial farmers of Jefferson county, where he also carried on a cooper shop, but spent his last days upon a farm in Allen county, Indi- ana. He was a member of the militia during the war of 1812, and was stationed at Sacketts Har-
bor. He was a commissioned officer and in civil life was also called upon to fill important posi- tions. In his family were four children, two sons and two daughters-Charles C. V., of this review; Volney, who spent his last days in Grundy county, Illinois; Eliza, widow of James Vande- griff; and Cynthia, widow of Joseph Wilson, residing at Mazon, Illinois.
The educational privileges afforded our sub- ject were meagre, being a student for a short time in the primitive schools at that early day found in Allen county, Indiana, but by subse- quent reading and study in later years he has become a well-informed man. As a young man he came to Bureau county, Illinois, in 1856, and purchased one hundred and sixty acres of land in Wyanet township, entirely unimproved, but to its development he at once turned his atten- tion. He still owns that farm, which has now been in his possession for forty years. As his financial resources increased he purchased other tracts until he now has nine hundred acres of. valuable and well improved land. In 1854, in connection with his brother, he engaged in car- pentering, building all the bridges for the Rock Island railroad between Tiskilwa and Sheffield, but with that exception his entire life has been devoted to agricultural pursuits. He has met with a well-deserved success in his chosen call- ing, and is now numbered among the most sub- stantial citizens of Princeton.
On the 20th of April, 1856, in Bureau county. was consummated the marriage of Mr. Parker and Miss Persus L. Hinman, who was born in Vermont, but was reared in Illinois, coming to Bureau county as a child with her father, Robert Hinman. Four children have been born to this worthy couple-Charles E., who is married and lives upon a farm in Wyanet township: Emma, who was provided with a good education and was formerly a teacher of Bureau county; Ella, who has also been well educated and has followed the teacher's profession in Princeton and other parts of the county, and Harry L., a civil engi- neer, now with a company in old Mexico. The devoted wife and mother died November 23,
374
THE BIOGRAPHICAL RECORD.
1892, and was laid to rest in Oakland cemetery, where a beautiful monument marks the spot.
Politically Mr. Parker is an old Jacksonian democrat, having cast his ballot in support of that party since attaining his majority. He takes a deep and commendable interest in educational matters, and for twenty-five years was a faithful member of the school board. Socially, he is a Master Mason, and formerly belonged to the Independent Order of Odd Fellows. During the forty years of his residence in Bureau county he has witnessed the wonderful transformation that has taken place, making the county one of the best in this great commonwealth, and has contributed his share to its improvement and development. His honorable, upright life has gained him the confidence of all with whom he has come in contact either in a business or social way, and his friends throughout the county are many.
J OHN SWANEY, a farmer of Magnolia town- ship, residing on section 15, has been one of the most interested witnesses in the progress and development of Putnam county, and no unim- portant factor in bringing it to its present proud position. He was born at Harrisburg. Pennsyl- vania, October 8, 1824, and is a son of James and Nancy (Raley) Swaney, the former a native of Ire- land, and the latter of Washington county, Penn- sylvania. She was a daughter of Eli Raley, who belonged to an old-time Virginia family, and was a member of the Society of Friends. The parents were married in Pennsylvania, and in Harrisburg made their home until the father's death in 1829. Four years later the mother removed to Wash- ington county, that state, and in 1842 became a resident of Putnam county, Illinois, settling in Magnolia township, where she died in 1872. On coming to this state she was the wife of James Moffitt, by whom she had one son, Eli, now living at Adrian, Michigan. By her first mar- riage she had three children-John, David, of Nebraska, and Barnett, of Magnolia township. Of her four sons three wore the blue in the civil war, and the other furnished a substitute.
Our subject came to Putnam county in 1840 with his grandfather Raley at the age of sixteen years. His primary education was received in his native state, and on coming to this county he attended school in a log school house, being a pupil of the late Judge Burns, of Marshall coun- ty. Although reared to agricultural pursuits, in early life he learned the wagon maker's trade at Magnolia with Orin Whitcomb, now deceased, and after serving his three years' apprenticeship followed that trade for two years. In 1847 he began steamboating on the Illinois river from St. Louis to La Salle, being second clerk on the Anglo-Saxon, and continued to follow that busi- ness until the breaking out of the rebellion, most of the time as first clerk on the Illinois, Ohio, upper and lower Mississippi and Missouri rivers.
In October, 1861, Mr. Swaney made appli- cation to enter the navy at St. Louis with Com- modore Rodgers, and was commissioned acting master and ordered to the receiving ship Maria Denning, where he began his naval drill. Later the Maria Denning was sent to Cairo, Illinois, carrying the ordinance to equip iron clad gun- boats, built at St. Louis. After the battle of Fort Donnelson he was transferred to the gun- boat Cairo, which was ordered to Nashville, ac- companying General Nelson. They were at Pittsburg Landing, then at the bombardment of Fort Pillow above Memphis, in which they took part. After the naval battle at Memphis, where the rebel gunboats were either destroyed or cap- tured, they were ordered back to Cairo. Acting Master Swaney was then transferred to the Conestoga, under the command of Lieutenant Commander, now Admiral, Selfridge, and his vessel was one of the number engaged in cruis- ing from the mouth of White river down the Mississippi river to Columbia, Arkansas, a dis- tance of sixty miles, the river being divided in naval divisions by Admiral Porter. He was next transferred to the United States steamer, Ken- wood, which he commanded with the rank of acting volunteer-lieutenant, until August, 1865, operating on the Mississippi river from the mouth
-
JOHN SWANEY.
-
MRS. JOHN SWANEY.
379
THE BIOGRAPHICAL RECORD.
of Red river to Baton Rouge and Donnelson- ville. He dismantled his steamer at Cairo in August, 1865, but was not discharged until the following October, when he returned home, after four years of faithful and arduous service.
On the 17th of May, 1849, Mr. Swaney was united in marriage with Miss Sarah Griffith, daughter of George and Sarah (Kirk) Griffith, both of whom were natives of York county, Pennsylvania, where they were married. On leaving their native state her parents removed to Cadiz, Ohio, and as early as 1836 settled on . section 15, Magnolia township, Putnam county, Illinois-the old Whittaker farm-where they made their permanent home. Their first dwell- ing was of logs, but the father later burned the brick and lime for a more substantial structure. The mother of Mrs. Swaney passed away May 24, 1838, and was the first adult buried in the Friends cemetery. In their family were ten chil- dren-Isaac, William and Julia Ann, all now (leceased; Martha Jane, of Marshall county, lowa: Oliver G., George and John, deceased; Sarah, wife of our subject, and Eliza and Ruth Ann, deceased. After the death of his first wife, Mr. Griffith married Lydia Comly, who still sur- vives him, and to them were born four children -Hiram, of Montana; one who died in infancy; Frank, of Montana, and Isabel Beck. By birth- right the parents were both members of the Society of Friends.
Mrs. Swaney was born at Cadiz, Ohio, Oc- tober 12, 1830, and like her husband acquired her education in a log school house in Putnam county. Since 1865 they have made their home upon their present farm, Mr. Swaney devoting his time exclusively to agricultural pursuits. They are charter members of Magnolia Grange, in which he has filled all the chairs, and she has also held office. He has served as a member of the state grange executive committee and also went into the first organization of the Grand Army. Like her people, Mrs. Swaney is a faith- ful member of the Society of Friends.
'Politically our subject was first an abolitionist, later a republican, and now supports the prohibi-
tion party, taking an active part in its advance- ment, and attending its district, state and national conventions. On both the prohibition and re- publican tickets in 1885, his name was placed as a candidate for state senator, but as his party was in the minority at that time, he failed of election. Occasionally he has contributed some to agri- cultural journals. He established the Clear Creek post office, which was first called Whitaker, and for twenty-one years has now filled the posi- tion of postmaster. He has also acceptably served as school trustee in Magnolia township, and was assistant United States revenue assessor in 1866.
JOSEPH HAMILTON BROWN, dealer in lumber and coal at Princeton, Illinois, is in every sense of the word a self-made man and one of the enterprising men of the city. He is a native of Bureau county, born in Ohio town- ship September 3, 1851. His parents, John W. and Rachel (Ross) Brown, came to Bureau county from Tuscarawas county, Ohio, in April, 1851, locating on a farm of one hundred and sixty acres, where they resided three years. Sell- ing the farm, his father removed with his family to Malden, Berlin township, and there engaged in the mercantile business for three years. He was not successful in this venture, and in 1857, removed to Princeton, where he spent the re- mainder of his life, principally as a salesman. His death occurred March 9, 1891, at the age of sixty-six years. His widow yet resides in Princeton where she is well-known and univers- ally respected.
Our subject was but six years of age when he came to Princeton with his parents. His education was received in the public schools of the city, finishing his literary course in the high school. However, he was not permitted unin- terruptedly to attend school, but at the age of eleven was clerk in a general store, and from that time until he attained his majority alter- nated his time in the store and in school, hav- ing been required all this time by the necessity of the case to care for himself.
19
380
THE BIOGRAPHICAL RECORD.
After arriving at legal age, Mr. Brown com- menced farming, in which business he continued two years, but having no taste for farm life he went to Ohio, Bureau county, Illinois, and ac- cepted a position in a lumber yard. Later he went to Walnut, and for six years was a sales- man in a lumber yard at that place, and was then made a partner in the concern, which was owned by Mr. C. Bruce. He put no capital into the business, but simply put his time against the capital furnished by Mr. Bruce, the latter gentleman then residing in Chicago. Mr. Brown had full control of the business and made money from the start.
Two years later, Mr. Brown sold his interest at Walnut and in February, 1882, he removed to Princeton, and under the firm name of Cone, Brown & Company, continued in the same line of business, the company buying out two old and well established yards, those of William Miles and L. I. Davis & Company. At Prince- ton, Mr. Brown had the general management of the business, the company operating at Henry, and later at other points. For six years they did an agricultural implement business, in con- nection with their lumber trade. After five years, Mr. Ross, the junior member of the firm withdrew and Mr. Cone dying, Mr. Brown suc- ceeded to the business, and since 1891, has con- ducted it alone. The business has been a grow- ing one with very satisfactory results and our subject has always given it his close personal at- tention. The average stock in the yards ap- proximates some sixteen thousand dollars.
On the 16th of March, 1876, Mr. Brown was united in marriage with Miss Eliza Plummer, of Kewanee. Henry county, Illinois, and by this union seven sons have been born-Joseph Harry, Frank. Louie, Lester, John Richard, Ralph Plummer and Edgar Allen. The three first named are now attending the Princeton high school.
Politically, Mr. Brown is a republican, and has always taken an interest in political affairs, though never seeking office for himself, but often assisting others. He frequently attends the
various conventions of his party, and thus sets a good example to others. He served for a time as a member of the county board of supervisors, and for three years was a member of the high school board, accepting the latter position as an evidence of his interest in the public schools. Fraternally he is a member of the Beansant Lodge, No. 41, K. P.
Mr. Brown is a lover of a good horse, and has several good drivers in his stable, but it is in poultry that he takes the greatest delight, and shows the greatest interest outside of his reg- ular and legitimate business. For about eigh- teen years he has been engaged in breeding Ply- mouth Rocks and other fine grades of poultry, and his spare moments have been usually given to poultry literature. At present he is president of the North Central Poultry association.
In all matters pertaining to the business in- terests of Princeton, Mr. Brown is at the front and gives much of his time and money. He has been a director in the Princeton Business Men's association. Starting in life without a dollar, by close and careful attention to business, and doing all things well, whether as an employer or as an employe, he has won the confidence of his fel- low men and has been reasonably successful in life
W ILLIAM C. MARTIN, an energetic and enterprising agriculturist, residing on section 26, Saratoga township, now represents that township on the board of supervisors. He was born in Armstrong county, Pennsylvania, April 22, 1848, and at the age of two years was brought to Illinois by his parents, John L. and Julia (Organ) Martin, who settled at Lacon, where the father attended the rope ferry for Mr. Fisher for about six years. In 1856 he purchased the present farm of our subject, consisting of one hundred and sixty acres, for which he paid four hundred dollars. Being in a wild unculti- vated state he at once began its improvement and development, but in June of the following year was called to the world beyond, leaving his widow with four small children, our subject, who was
381
THE BIOGRAPHICAL RECORD.
the eldest, being only nine years of age. The others were Porter O., now of York county, Nebraska; Almira, who became the wife of John Davis, and died some years ago; and Alfred J., also of York county, Nebraska. There were also two other children in the family who passed away before the father died.
The mother still continued to make her home on the farm and two years later became the wife of Frederick Jacobs, after which the family lived there or on the Jacobs farm near by for many years. Four children were born of the second union-Charles, of Platte county, Nebraska : Mary Alice, wife of James Keenan, of Saratoga township, Marshall county: Adeline, wife of James Holmes, of Rice county, Kansas; and Sims, who is unmarried and lives on a part of the old home farm. The mother received but little aid from her second husband, as he later left the country, but she kept her family together and cared for them until they reached maturity. Her death occurred on the 17th of May, 1892, at the age of sixty-two years, and she left many friends as well as her immediate family to mourn her loss.
At the age of twelve years William C. Martin started out in life for himself, working by the month as a farm hand in the neighborhood. He later returned to the old homestead farm, of which he took complete charge and became the head of the family. He now owns eighty acres of the old place, to which he has added another eighty acre tract, all of which is highly cultivated and improved. Besides general farm- ing he was also engaged for a number of years in threshing and has been quite successful in his chosen calling.
On the 16th of October, 1877, Mr. Martin was joined in wedlock with Miss Emma H. Trim, a daughter of Hezekiah and Thirza (Horenden) Trim, the former born in Massachusetts, and the latter in England. Her parents were mar- ried in Peoria county, Illinois, and became resi- dents of Marshall county in 1856, where they continued to live until eight years ago, since which time they have been residents of York
county, Nebraska. Mrs. Martin is the only one of the family now living in Marshall county. By her marriage with our subject she has be- come the mother of three children-Blanche. Leroy and Thirza, all at home.
Although his father was a democrat, Mr. Mar- tin has ever been identified with the republican party, serving as a delegate to its conventions, has been road commissioner, and in 1895 was elected supervisor for a term of two years, which office he is now creditably filling. Socially he is connected with Sparland lodge, No. 441, F. & A. M., of Spariand. No man takes a deeper interest in the prosperity of Marshall county, where almost his entire life has been passed, and it is safe to say that few have contributed in a larger degree to bring about this result.
A DAM FLETCHER has since October. 1880, been the efficient superintendent of the White Breast Fuel Company, of Ladd, Illi- nois, having charge of one of the largest mining interests of Bureau county, where four hundred and twenty-five men are employed and often as high as sixteen hundred tons of coal are taken out in ten hours. He is thoroughly familiar with the mining business in all its various departments and is therefore eminently qualified to fill the im- portant position he now occupies.
Mr. Fletcher was born in Cumberland coun- ty, England, November 8, 1841, a son of Adamı and Ann (Clark) Fletcher, also natives of that country. His maternal grandparents were Sam- uel and Catherine (Story) Clark, while the pa- ternal grandparents were Isaac and Jane Fletch- er, in whose family were only two children, Adam, the father of our subject, and Mrs. Mar- garet Fox, who when last heard of was living at Ravenglass, Cumberland county, England.
Adam Fletcher, Sr., was an engineer through- out life, and brought his family to America in the spring of 1854, settling first at Youngstown, Ohio, where they remained for one year. They arrived at that place on Saturday in the latter part of July, and on the following Saturday the father died from sunstroke. He had eaten a
1
382
THE BIOGRAPHICAL RECORD.
hearty dinner and before supper had passed to the world beyond. He was thirty-nine years of age, a very large man, weighing perhaps two hundred and twenty-five pounds, and a devout Christian, a faithful member of the Methodist Episcopal church. He came to this section of Illinois, intending to buy land between Chicago and Burlington, but for some reason did not. His wife and children were baptized in the estab- lished church of England, but the former, who was a most excellent woman, became a member of the Latter Day Saints, and died in Utah, in 1888, at the age of sixty-five years. After the death of her first husband she wedded James Robinson, who was a union soldier in the civil war, belonging to a Virginia regiment.
After one year's residence in Youngstown, Ohio, the family removed to Mason county, Vir- ginia, now West Virginia. There were the fol- lowing named children: Catherine married George Lake in England, and came with the family to this country. Three months after their arrival, Mr. Lake died, and she married John Jones, who for thirty years was foreman of the mines of Youngstown, Ohio, but is now deceased. Isaac died at the age of thirty-six in 1871, at Brimfield, and his remains were interred at Kewanee, Illinois. He had married Ellen Robinson, who with her three sons and three daughters now resides on a farm near Pawnee City, Nebraska: Adam died in childhood: Sam- tel resides at Rock Springs, Wyoming, where he owns a pressed brick yard and is also inter- ested in mines. He married Lizzie Johnston and has nine sons still living: Adam, of this re- view, is next in order of birth; Jane, who was born in 1843, removed to Salt Lake City in 1863. She married James Redd, and has nine children; Margaret married William Reddin, who was the first white child born in the Salt Lake valley after the Mormons located there. They now reside on the Weber river in Utah, and have seven children; Mary Ann, who resides at the same place, is the wife of James Johnston and the mother of six children. Lizzie, the only child born of the second marriage of the mother,
was born in Virginia, in 1856. She married Daniel Goulding, a resident of Mendota, Mis- souri, where her death occurred in 1888. With the exception of Catherine, who with her six daughters is a devout member of the Methodist Episcopal church, the others belong to the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints, but were never in sympathy with Brigham Young and his church.
Mr. Fletcher, whose name introduces this sketch, is entirely self-educated, having never attended school and on entering the army could neither read nor write, but has now mastered both and is a well-informed man. In early life while a resident of Virginia, he worked in the mines, driving a mule, and assisted in the sup- port of the family for three years before the out- break of the civil war. After President Lin- coln's election, he with forty others were unable to remain at their homes in the south, and had to flee to the mountains, where for three months he remained. Many were the nights, at about half past eleven that he would go to his mother's house from his hiding place, to see how she and his four little sisters were getting along during his absence. The war broke up their home and he has never seen them together since.
Deciding to join the union forces and aid in the preservation of the union, Mr. Fletcher enlisted at Mason City, Virginia, opposite Pomeroy. Ohio, June 5, 1861. in Company A, Fourth Vir- ginia Infantry. During the first year of his ser- vice he was stationed in his own state, there tak- ing part in many important battles and skirm- ishes, and was then with Sherman until the close of the war, taking part in the siege of Vicksburg. the battles of Tuscumbia and Missionary Ridge. the siege of Knoxville, and the Atlanta cam- paign in the spring of 1864. The previous win- ter the troops suffered most terribly from cold and hunger. At one time they were given two days' rations and received no more for twenty- two days, only what they could forage in the winter, which was very little. They ground corn, cobs and all, for meal. From Vicksburg they had gone to Chattanooga, thence to Knox-
383
THE BIOGRAPHICAL RECORD.
ville, and then followed Longstreet from that place to the Smoky Mountains in Georgia. It was during this time that they suffered from hun- ger and cold as their clothes were in a dilapi- dated condition. Our subject had no shoes for two months, and was compelled to tie up his feet in rags. The troops were put on pontoon boats at Chattanooga and told to make their way to Bridgeport, Alabama, where they should wait for supplies. They started and after going a short distance would get off, build a fire and warm and then resume their journey, keeping this up until they reached Bridgeport. During the last two years of the war they had no cooking utensils except an oyster can, which they could easily carry along with them, and they received the name of Sherman's Bummers. From Atlan- ta the regiment was sent back to Virginia to be discharged in July, 1864, and on leaving they were highly commended by their colonel for their faithful and valiant service.
Need help finding more records? Try our genealogical records directory which has more than 1 million sources to help you more easily locate the available records.