The Biographical record of Bureau, Marshall and Putnam Counties, Illinois, Part 49

Author: Clarke S. J. Publishing Company
Publication date: 1896
Publisher: Chicago, The S.J. Clarke Publishing Company
Number of Pages: 624

USA > Illinois > Bureau County > The Biographical record of Bureau, Marshall and Putnam Counties, Illinois > Part 49
USA > Illinois > Marshall County > The Biographical record of Bureau, Marshall and Putnam Counties, Illinois > Part 49
USA > Illinois > Putnam County > The Biographical record of Bureau, Marshall and Putnam Counties, Illinois > Part 49

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Mrs. Snow was born in the house in which she was married. She was educated in the Prince- ton schools, and graduated from the high school in the class of 1871. A member of the People's church, she is quite active in its interests and is the organist. Few persons are better posted in standard and current literature and in all the general news of the day. A believer in equal suffrage, she has the courage of her convictions, which she expresses fearlessly and freely. An accomplished horsewoman, she keeps a Ken- tucky thoroughbred, which she rides without fear of danger and with evident enjoyment.

Religiously, Professor Snow is a Sweden-

borgian, and fraternally a Mason, a member of the blue lodge, chapter and commandery. Both himself and wife are members of the Eastern Star.

JOSEPH CLARK. This prosperous and in-

telligent farmer, living on his homestead on section 27, Saratoga township, Marshall county, was born in Berkeley county, West Virginia, four miles from Martinsburg, July 25, 1844, and at the age of eleven years accompanied his parents, William and Jane (Harper) Clark, to Illinois. After a year's residence in Whitefield township, Marshall county, in 1856 they removed to Sara- toga township, where they located upon land three quarters of a mile from the present home of our subject.

The father there secured forty acres of land, for which he paid two hundred and fifty dollars down and went in debt fifty dollars. Seven years previous to coming to this state, he had lived in Ohio, from whence he drove to Mar- shall county, and on his arrival had four hun- dred and fifty dollars. He thought forty acres was all the land he could ever use, but he later added another forty acre tract for which he paid two thousand dollars. There he made his home until his death in 1878, at the age of sixty-six years, and his widow lived upon the same place until she, too, was called to her final rest in Au- gust, 1892, at the advanced age of ninety years. They had four children-Mary, who remained with her mother and is now living in Henry, Illi- nois: Robert, a farmer of York county, Ne- braska: Joseph, of this review: and Thomas, the bridge tender at Henry.

The early life of Joseph Clark was passed upon the home farm, and after reaching his majority, he began threshing, but still remained a member of the parental household. His first purchase of land consisted of eighty acres in the eastern part of Saratoga township, where he continued to live for seven years, when he came to his pres- ent place, which was formerly the old homestead of Thomas Doyle, his father-in-law. He now has one hundred and sixty acres, on which he

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THE BIOGRAPHICAL RECORD.

kakee, Kankakee county, Illinois, where he is en- gaged in banking, was a colonel during the late war, and for a time was provost marshal for the state of Georgia. He was elected by the demo- cratic party to the Fifty-third congress, and was made chairman of the pension committee. In the Fifty-fourth congress he served as sergeant- at-arms of the house of representatives, being elected to that position by the democratic mem- bers. He is well known as a citizen and lead- ing democratic politician of eastern Illinois. One daughter, Mrs. A. C. Little, now of Aurora, Illinois, was one of the first teachers in the Princeton high school and filled the position some four or five years when she was Miss Bonnie Vera Snow. Another daughter is now Mrs. D. W. Starkey, of Wheaton, Illinois. She also served as a teacher for some years. The remaining sons were Hector O., a teacher in a private academy at Allensville, Kentucky; he died at Trenton, Kentucky, June 9, 1896; Oren T., who was for thirty years a teacher in a public school at Batavia, Illinois, and died in 1894; and Corydon P., of this sketch.

On the death of the father, Hector O. and Oren T. succeeded him in the school at Peoria, which they continued two years, then moved to Chicago and established the Garden City Insti- tute, which they conducted five years, and then engaged in public school work, the former going to Madisonville, Kentucky, and the latter going to Batavia. All the children were educated by the father and each of them selected the same profession as their life work.

Corydon P. Snow, our subject, was seventeen years of age when his father died. Two years later he went with his brothers to Chicago and studied and taught in the Garden City Institute for five years. The building burning, the broth- ers concluded to abandon the school and seek positions elsewhere. Corydon returned to Peo- ria, and for eight years was employed as prin- cipal in one of the city schools. In 1864 he assisted in raising Company H, of the Four- teenth Illinois Volunteer Infantry and was com- missioned first lieutenant. With his regiment,

he joined Sherman's army in the spring of 1865; in North Carolina, and remained with that com- mand until the close of the war. He took part in the battle of Goldsboro, North Carolina, and was in many skirmishes during the march through that state. The Fourteenth Illinois took part in the grand review at Washington at the close of hostilities. Its term of service, how- ever, was not over, and it was sent to Nebraska, where it spent the summer of 1865, operating against the Indians. By a general order it was mustered out in September of that year, and its members honorably discharged. During the greater part of his enlistment, Lieutenant Snow was in command of his company.

On receiving his discharge, Mr. Snow returned to Peoria and resumed his place in the school room. Two years later he was called to take charge of the Princeton schools as superinten- dent, and September 1, 1869, entered upon the discharge of his duties. With the close of the present term, he completes his twenty-seventh year. That his work has been satisfactory is at- tested by his long service. When he came to the city he found the school facilities not of the best, although some improvements have since been made. Under the wise administration of Professor Snow, the public schools have been highly successful.

The public schools of Princeton have been kept at a high standard, the grading keeping pace with other cities. Two new buildings have recently been erected and every department strengthened. The people have just reason to be proud of the schools, the teachers of which are largely made up of the graduates of the high school. The best years of the life of Professor Snow have been given to the work here, and his reputation as a teacher is second to none in the state. He is a member of the local and state educational associations, and of the national educational association. In these societies he has taken an active part, although he does not class himself as a public speaker. He is not a spe- cialist, but endeavors to be a good all-round teacher and superintendent.

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THE BIOGRAPHICAL RECORD.

Professor Snow and Miss Elizabeth Paddock were united in marriage July 23, 1872, at Prince- ton. She is a daughter of Dr. Solomon Allen and Angelica Hamilton (Boyd) Paddock, the former a native of South Carolina, and the latter of Boyd's Grove, Illinois. Her father died at Bloomington, Illinois, some years ago. Her mother, who was a daughter of Charles S. and Elizabeth (Dixon) Boyd, early settlers of Bureau county, after whom Boyd's Grove was named, is vet living, making her home at San Antonio, Texas, with her son, Captain George H. Pad- dock, of the regular army. The parents of An- gelica R. Boyd were from Hudson, New York, but came to Illinois early in the '30s and were here married.

Dr. Paddock located at Princeton, where he formed a partnership with Dr. Chamberlain. Some time previous to the war he formed a com- pany, known as the Harden Guards, and on the commencement of hostilities between the states, he raised a company for the Ninth Illinois Cav- alry, and on the organization of the regiment was commissioned lieutenant colonel, and the regiment ordered to Pilot Knob. While en route he died at Bloomington, Illinois, February 18, 1862, aged thirty-six years. His death resulted from apoplexy and occurred at the very hour of his thirteenth marriage anniversary. His re- mains were brought back and interred in Oak- land cemetery. The old home in Princeton is yet owned by the widow.

Religiously, Professor Snow is a Sweden-

borgian, and fraternally a Mason, a member of the blue lodge, chapter and commandery. Both himself and wife are members of the Eastern Star.

JOSEPH CLARK. This prosperous and in-

The father there secured forty acres of land, for which he paid two hundred and fifty dollars down and went in debt fifty dollars. Seven years previous to coming to this state, he had lived in Ohio, from whence he drove to Mar- shall county, and on his arrival had four hun- dred and fifty dollars. He thought forty acres was all the land he could ever use, but he later added another forty acre tract for which he paid two thousand dollars. There he made his home until his death in 1878, at the age of sixty-six years, and his widow lived upon the same place until she, too, was called to her final rest in Au- gust, 1892, at the advanced age of ninety years. They had four children-Mary, who remained with her mother and is now living in Henry, Illi- nois; Robert, a farmer of York county, Ne- braska; Joseph, of this review; and Thomas, the bridge tender at Henry.

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has made many valuable and useful improve- ments. Starting out in life for himself at the age of twenty years, he was able to pay for about half of his first eighty acre tract, the cost price of which was thirty-six hundred dollars, and he had the place cleared and under a high state of cultivation at the end of seven years. For his present farm he paid seventy-one dollars per acre for one hundred and twenty acres of the amount, and fifty dollars per acre for the other forty acres. His wife had received five hundred dollars cash as her part of the estate. Besides general farming, he is also engaged to some ex- tent in the breeding of heavy draft horses.

On the 29th of October. 1875, Mr. Clark was united in marriage with Miss Matilda Doyle, who was born in Saratoga township, on the first farm owned by her father in Illinois. They are high- ly esteemed and respected members of the socie- ty which surrounds them, and enjoy the confi- dence and regard of all who know them. As an enterprising and progressive farmer, Mr. Clark has no superior in Saratoga township. Politically he is a stalwart republican, but no office-seeker ; and socially, is a meniber of Sparland lodge. No. 441, F. & A. M., with which he has been connected for eight years, and for two years has belonged to the Eastern Star. He attends the meetings of the lodges quite regularly, and takes a commendable interest in their work.

JOHN NORTON, SR., is a retired farmer, living at Varna, and is numbered among the settlers of 1848. His father, Hiram Norton, was a native of Connecticut, and settled in Ohio, at an early day, locating in Trumbull county, where he married. His wife dying, he was again mar- ried and removed to Holmes county, Ohio, where he made a permanent home and there spent the remainder of his life.

The subject of this sketch was born January 3, 1821, in Trumbull county, Ohio, but in early childhood removed with his father to Holmes county, where he grew to manhood. He was reared on a farm and educated in the subscription schools of the early days. In 1844 he was united

in marriage with Miss Eleanor Berry, also a na- tive of Ohio. Four years later they came to Marshall county, and settled in Lacon, where he remained three years. He then located five miles east of that place on a partially improved farm and there remained fifteen years, when he moved to sections 31 and 32, Roberts township. where his son, John B. Norton, now resides. On removing to the farm in Roberts township he re- modeled the house, built the barn and made other excellent improvements. In 1884 he turned the farm over to his sons and removed to Varna, where he has since lived a retired life.

To John and Eleanor Norton were born five children-Elizabeth, now the wife of P. H. Pur- cell, lives in York, Nebraska; George W., who married Jennie Roberts, now deceased, lives in Varna, and his present wife bore the maiden name of Ella O'Mara; Samantha Jane, now de- ceased, was the wife of John Imhoff; Emily E. is now the wife of McL. Thompson, of West, York county, Nebraska: John B., who married Clara Tidmarsh, now resides in Roberts township. Mrs. Norton dying, May 13, 1857, our subject was again married, March 27, 1861, to Miss Mary L. Boys, a native of Monroe county, Penn- sylvania; born September 29, 1832. She died February 4. 1873, leaving four children-Wil- liam O., residing in Varna; Edwin S., who mar- ried Alma Winget, and now resides in Varna; Leonard M., who married Mollie Broaddus, and lives in Varna: Letitia M., who married Clifford Roberts, and also makes her home in Varna.

Mr. Norton married his present wife. Decem- ber 31, 1879. She was Miss Ellen B. Boys, born February 14, 1840, in Hopewell township, Mar- shall county, and a daughter of William and Letitia (Morgan) Boys, both of whom were na- tives of Stroudsburg, Pennsylvania. They came to Marshall county in 1832, and stopped for a short time with Colonel John Strawn, then lo- cated on section 27, Hopewell township, of which he was the first settler. At that time their near- est neighbor was three miles away. On that farm they resided until their deaths, the father

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dying October 4, 1873, and the mother, January II, 1880. They were the parents of six children -John, now deceased, married Margaret Rus- sell, and after her death married Catherine Long, by whom he had two children; Mary was the deceased wife of our subject: Morgan, now de- ceased, married Annie Hancock, who has also passed away; Charles, who married Aurelia Hall, now resides in Washburn, Illinois; Ellen B. is now the wife of our subject; Emily, who married Stephen Ramsey, resides in Hopewell township.

Politically, Mr. Norton is a democrat, with which party he has been identified since attaining his majority. He has been supervisor of Rob- erts township, and has also held other township offices, including that of school director, which position he held for many years. When he came to Marshall county he was in very limited cir- cunstances and for many years was required to toil early and late, but having accumulated a competency, he is now living a retired life in the village of Varna. To each of his children he has given a good education, the most of them attending higher schools of other localities.

A BEL TIDMARSH is a leading represent- ative of the agricultural interests of Mar- shall county, and belongs to that honored class of self-made men to whom success has come as the reward of earnest persistent effort. He was born in Wilkeshire, England, December 27, IS21, one of the seven children of Richard and Sarah (Woodham) Tidmarsh, who spent their entire lives in England. Our subject was reared in the land of his birth, and from an early age his life has been one of toil. When a child of seven he began working to help his mother. Later he engaged in teaming for many years, and thus at various occupations he labored per- sistently until he gained for himself a comfort- able home.

Mr. Tidmarsh was married January 12, 1845. to Elizabeth Witts, a native of New Castle on Tyne, in England, born January 31, 1822. Her parents, Seth and Barbara (Howell) Witts. also

lived and died in England. Of their seven chil- dren, only one now survives-Mrs. Sarah Wal- ters. Our, subject and his wife have four chil- dren-Sarah Ellen, wife of Samson Rowe, of Whitefield township, Marshall county, by whom she has seven children; Emma, wife of John Wetzel, of Roberts township, Marshall county, and the mother of five children; Clara, wife of John B. Martin, of Roberts township, and Henry W., who married Elizabeth Miller, and with his wife and three children is living on the old home- stead farm. Mrs. Tidmarsh died June 13, 1896. after an illness of but three days. She was a inember of the Church of England, and was well respected by all who knew her.

Mr. Tidmarsh came with his family to America in 1855, and took up his residence in Whitefield township. Marshall county. He worked one season in a brickyard and then purchased the vard, which he operated for four years. In 1860 he rented a farm of Jesse Bane in Roberts town- ship, cultivating the same for six years, and in 1866 he purchased his present home, then but partially improved. His home was a log cabin. but in 1879 this was replaced by a commodious frame residence. He has made excellent im- provements upon his farm, and has extended its boundaries until it now comprises four hundred and four acres of rich and arable land, which yields to him a good tribute. He is a success- ful and progressive general farmer, who arrived in this country with a cash capital of twenty-five cents, but has steadily worked his way upward to a position of affluence. He has also given his children good educational privileges and they are now settled in comfortable homes. In poli- tics he is a democrat, and has served as school director.

F RANCIS H. BOND, one of the represent- ative attorneys and influential citizens of Wenona, was born in Massachusetts, on the 16th of December, 1821, and belongs to an old New England family. His parents, Isaac and Susan (Whitcomb) Bond, were also natives of the bar state, where their marriage was celebrated, and

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they began their domestic life at Millbury, Massa- chusetts. The mother died at Bolton, that state, in 1827, after which our subject went to live with his maternal grandfather, Jonathan Whitcomb, who was a prominent farmer of Massachusetts, where his entire life was passed, and at the time Francis took up his abode with him, owned the only limekiln in the state. Mr. Whitcomb also took an active part in the work of the Unitarian church, of which he was a lead- ing member.

The education of Mr. Bond was acquired in the seminaries at Westminster and Stow, Massa- chusetts, and he remained in the east until the spring of 1846, when he emigrated to Illinois. The following summer he taught school at Chil- licothe, after which he came to Marshall county, where he followed that profession for two years, and then began farming in Hopewell township.

In 1849 was celebrated the marriage of Mr. Bond and Miss Lucy Broaddus, a daughter of Lunsford Broaddus, and a sister of Reuben Broaddus, of Hopewell township, whose sketch appears in another part of this work. The lady was a native of Virginia, and came to Marshall county with her parents. After his marriage, Mr. Bond took his bride to his farm in Hope- well township, where she died September 30, 1853, and their only child is also deceased.

Removing to Wenona, in 1858, Mr. Bond has since been identified with its interests. Previ- ously he had commenced reading law, and later took a regular course in the law department of the University of Chicago, from which he grad- uated in July, 1862; was admitted to the bar by the supreme court of the state the following year. For many years he has now been a suc- cessful lawyer of this place, and also dealt in real estate, still owning a farm in Evans township. Politically he is a republican, having affiliated with that party since its organization, and takes an active interest in its success. He has served as delegate to various conventions, served ac- ceptably as president of the village board, has been a member of the school board, for several years was township clerk, and was elected jus-

tice of the peace at Wenona, but not caring for the office he resigned. He has been the archi- tect of his own fortune and well deserves the suc- cess which has come to him. He is a courteous, affable gentleman, and, above all, wherever he is found, whether in public or private life, his in- tegrity is above question and his honor above re-' proach. He is a member of no church, but at- tends the Liberal association meetings occasion- ally.

M ICHAEL KENNEDY, the popular mayor of Arlington, is one of the most promi- nent, enterprising and successful young farm- ers of Bureau county, where his entire life has been passed, his birth occurring on the 29th of December, 1869, in the house which is still his home. He is a worthy representative of a fam- ily that has long been prominently identified with the interests of the county. His paternal grand- father, Captain Michael Kennedy, was a man of superior education, a civil engineer by profes- sion, and located the railroad through the county, now the Chicago, Burlington & Quincy. He was a native of Ireland, but came to Bureau county at an early day, and purchased a large tract of about three thousand acres, on which he platted a town, giving it the name of Port Arlington. He also opened up a large farm, on which he spent his remaining years, and took an active and prominent part in the early affairs of the community.

The father of our subject, who also bore the name of Michael, was born on the Emerald Isle. and accompanied his father to Bureau county, where he grew to manhood. Here he was united in marriage with Miss Emily M. Fitzpatrick, also a native of Ireland, who came to the United States when a child and was reared in this county. Mr. Kennedy was one of the prosperous and substantial farmers and business men of this community, and was influential in public affairs, being called upon to fill a number of responsible positions. He died in the prime of manhood in 1872, and lies buried beside his father, Captain Kennedy ..

MICHAEL KENNEDY.

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in the family cemetery, where a neat and sub- stantial monument marks their last resting place. Mrs. Kennedy spent the last years of her life on the old homestead with her son, her death occur- ring September 12, 1896.

Our subject is the only child and upon the home farm he has spent his entire life. His early education, which was acquired in the Arlington schools, was supplemented by a course at the Niagara University, from which he graduated in 1889. He then returned home to take charge of the farm and business, which he has since so ably conducted. The place comprises over eight hundred acres, three hundred of which is valu- able timber land, and the remainder is either under a high state of cultivation or used for pas- turage. Mr. Kennedy has prepared, dressed and ready for use sufficient lumber taken from his grove to erect a large residence, which is now nearing completion in the fall of 1896. On Thursday, November 26, Mr. Kennedy was united in marriage with Miss Theresa Skeffing- ton, of Bureau county, and they now make their home in the beautiful new residence of which mention has just been made.

Politically, Mr. Kennedy follows in the foot- steps of his father, always affiliating with the democratic party, and soon after attaining his majority was elected mayor of Arlington, to which responsible position he has been repeat- edly re-elected, so that he is now serving his fourth term. He has proven a progressive, ener- getic official, always working for the best inter- ests of that thriving little village, and in conjunc- tion with the members of the board has put in a very neat and complete system of water works, something very much needed and of great value to the village in case of a fire. Educational mat- ters find in him a warm friend, and for several terms he has been an efficient member of the school board. He has also served as a delegate to the county conventions of his party, and is a member of the county central committee. Soci- ally he is a member of the Modern Woodmen of America, being clerk of his camp, and also of the Foresters, of which he is chief ranger. He is a

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The Biographical record of Bureau, Marshall and Putnam Counties, Illinois, Part 49

Author: Clarke S. J. Publishing Company Publication date: 1896 Publisher: Chicago, The S.J. Clarke Publishing Company Number of Pages: 624

Author: Clarke S. J. Publishing Company
Publication date: 1896
Publisher: Chicago, The S.J. Clarke Publishing Company
Number of Pages: 624