USA > Illinois > Bureau County > The Biographical record of Bureau, Marshall and Putnam Counties, Illinois > Part 59
USA > Illinois > Marshall County > The Biographical record of Bureau, Marshall and Putnam Counties, Illinois > Part 59
USA > Illinois > Putnam County > The Biographical record of Bureau, Marshall and Putnam Counties, Illinois > Part 59
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Our subject acquired his education in the schools of Magnolia, and on reaching manhood he was married August 1, 1850, to Arthelia Bos- ley, who was born in Fayette county, Pennsyl- vania, in 1831, and was the daughter of Green- berry and Huldah (Morris) Bosley, who became residents of Hennepin township, Putnam county, in 1851, where their deaths occurred. They were members of the Cumberland Presbyterian church. Nine children were born to Mr. and Mrs. Mills, namely: Anna Maria, deceased : Martha, wife of Oliver Wilson; Milton, who
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married Emma Sibley, by whom he has two chil- dren, Harry A and Ellsworth, and lives in Chi- cago: Oliver P., who married Lillian Edsall and lives in Magnolia township; Huldah R., de- ceased wife of Oliver Smith, by whom she has four children, William Eddy, Anna, Herbert and Edith: and William L., who married Edith Price, and lives in Magnolia township. The other three died in youth-Joseph Greenberry, Julia K. and Edwin. The wife and mother departed this life April 12, 1865.
Mr. Mills was again married on the 8th of No- vember, 1866, Miss Elizabeth Wilson becoming his wife. She was born August 11, 1835, and is a daughter of Amos and Anna (Morris) Wilson, the former a native of Pennsylvania and the latter of Ohio. They were married in Ohio and came to Putnam county, Illinois, in 1851 from Belmont county, Ohio, and settled on section 23. Mag- nolia township, the place now owned by Amos B. Wilson. They were the parents of ten children, of whom six are now living, as follows: Re- becca, now the widow of Isaac P. Howard; Mor- ris A., who first married Mary V. Smith, and she dying he married Lydia E. John; Mary, now the wife of Henry K. Smith; Amos B., who married Anna S. Griffith; Oliver, who married Ella How- ard, and after her death wedded Martha Mills, by whom he had one child, Lois A .; and Eliza- beth, the wife of our subject. All these reside in Magnolia township, except Rebecca, who is a resident of Nebraska. The deceased are Ruth, Anna, Sarah, who married William Fell, and Laura C., who was buried in the Friends' ceme- tery on Clear creek beside her parents. The parents resided on the old homestead until their death, the father dying in January, 1881, in his eighty-seventh year, and the mother in January, 1895, in her ninetieth year. They were both prominent members of the Society of Friends and filled at times nearly all the official positions in the church, Mr. Wilson at one time being clerk of the Ohio Yearly Meeting.
Mr. Wilson was twice married, his first wife being Hannah Brown, by whom he had five chil- dren, four of whom are now living: David, now
living a retired life at Wenona; Margaret M., now the widow of Henry P. Merritt, of Lostant : Joshua B., deceased, who married Rosanna Spill- ers, now of Wenona: Thomas, who first married Mary Keith, and on her death married Mary Bat- tin, now resides in Corning, Iowa; and Hannah, now the widow of Perry Hoge of Wenona.
To Mr. and Mrs. Mills five children have been born: Charles W., a graduate of Harvard uni- versity; Clarence C., a veterinary surgeon; Al- bert T., a graduate of the Kansas State Normal school; Amos P., deceased, and LeRoy Addi- son, at home. Victoria, daughter of Warner and Narcissa Trueblood, of Indiana, an orphan, has been a member of their household for about nine vears.
Until 1865 Mr. Mills lived on the old home- stead of his father, and then removed to his pres- ent place, which at that time was all wild prairie land, but he now has it under a high state of cultivation, tiled and fenced, and has erected all of the good and substantial buildings found thereon. His place is stocked with full-blooded Jersey cattle and high-grade horses. By earn- est, persistent effort he has achieved his success in life as he received but little from his father's estate.
By birthright Mr. and Mrs. Mills are members of the Society of Friends and are actively en- gaged in the Lord's work. They are both well read in the scriptures and in religious literature, especially that of the Friends. Their faith in the precious promises of the word of God is un- bounded, and in their lives they endeavor to con- form themselves to the teachings of the lowly Nazarene. For twenty-three successive years Mr. Mills served as overseer in the church, and for many years was an elder. He has been a minister in the society since 1871, and was regu- larly recommended in 1882. Mrs. Mills has also served some years as an elder, the duties of which office she faithfully and conscientiously discharges. Their children have all been well educated and have become useful and respected members of society. Politically, Mr. Mills was first a whig, later a republican, and for many
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years has now been a strong and unflinching sup- porter of the prohibition party, voting the straight ticket, and taking a deep interest in the success of his party. He cares nothing for polit- ical preferment but served many years as school director. As a citizen, he is esteemed by all, and no person, knowing the man, but places the ut- most confidence in his honesty, integrity and Christian character.
JOHN D. PHILIPS, one of the honored and highly respected citizens of Bureau county, is now living retired at the home of his son on section 26, Dover township, four miles northeast of Princeton. In 1854 he settled in Berlin township, where he lived until 1892. He for many years was numbered among the energetic farmers of the county. A native of Pennsyl- vania, his birth occurred on the 9th of Decem- ber, 1817, on the old family homestead in Ches- ter county, where his great-grandfather, Josepli Philips, had located on coming to the new world from Wales, in 1755. For over a hundred and forty years that place has now been in the pos- session of the family. Four sons of the original ancestor in this country took up arms against Great Britain in the Revolutionary war, and all were commissioned officers in one company. Josiah Philips, the grandfather of our subject, was a native of Wales, and was a mere child when brought to America by his father.
Joseph Philips, Jr., was also born on the old homestead in Chester county, Pennsylvania, where he grew to manhood and there spent his entire life. He married Rebecca Dennison, who was born in Ireland, but was only three years old when brought to this country, and in Chester county was reared and educated. Six children were born of this union, two of whom grew to maturity and are still living-John D., of this sketch, and Amanda, wife of Frederick Binga- man, who first settled upon a part of the old homestead, but is now living in Pittsburg, Penn- sylvania. The father died in 1825, in the prime of life, being but thirty-seven years of age. The
mother faithfully reared her children and died in 1840, at the age of fifty-four years.
Like most farmer boys, John D. Philips spent his boyhood and youth, and was provided with good common school privileges for those early days. On attaining to man's estate he was mar- ried in Chester county, Pennsylvania, February 13, 1840, to Miss Ellen E. Lewis, a native of that county and a daughter of Thomas and Sarah Lewis, who belonged to another of the old families of that state. They began their domestic life upon a part of the old homestead, where the wife died June 12, 1852, leaving five sons, three of whom are still living, namely: Thomas L., a farmer of Lee county, Illinois, married Carrie Bass, a daughter of Edwin Bass, of Malden, Bu- reau county, and after her death wedded Ida Lemon, a daughter of Rev. Mr. Lemon, for- merly from Maryland. By the latter union he has four children-Ellen T., Carrie, Mary L. and John D .; Rev. Joseph P., the second son, is a minister of the Baptist church, and is now located at Mt. Carroll, Illinois. He married Clara Olney, daughter of Squire Olney, of Belvidere, Illinois, and they have three children-Thomas I., Margaret and Clara O. William D., third son, died July, 1854; Mason K., fourth son, died in April, 1854, at Mt. Carroll, Illinois; John H., the youngest, is a substantial farmer of Do- ver township, section 26. He married Mrs. Jennie Campbell, a daughter of James and Sere- na Winsor, of Bureau county, and they have one child, Serena. For his second wife Mr. Philips chose Mrs. Hannah M. Lockhart; their wedding was celebrated February 21, 1856. She was born in Chester county, Pennsylvania, where she was first married, and was a daughter of Lewis Morgan. Her death occurred October 30, 1890. In 1854 Mr. Philips came to Bureau county, Illinois, where he arrived in July, and at first purchased eighty acres of slightly improved land in Berlin township. He at once began its fur- ther development and improvement, and to the original purchase added until he had one hun- dred and twenty acres of rich and arable land, all under a high state of cultivation. To its opera-
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tion he devoted his time and attention for almost forty years, but has now laid aside the arduous labors and responsibilities of farm life and finds a pleasant home with his son, John H., where he is enjoying a well earned rest.
Politically, Mr. Philips has always been identi- fied with the democratic party, and has taken an active part in local affairs, being for four years supervisor, assessor for eight years, and a mem- ber of the school board for several years. He is a consistent member of the Baptist church, and is especially valued as a large hearted, public spirited citizen, whose enterprise and benevo- lence have contributed largely to the happiness and comfort of the people around him. His sterling worth and strict integrity have gained him the confidence and respect of all, and no man in Bureau county is more widely or favora- bly known.
On the 30th of May, 1877, our subject had the pleasure of attending a reunion of the Philips family held in the Vincent Baptist church of Chester county, Pennsylvania, one of the oldest churches in that part of the county, and to which his great-grandparents, Mr. and Mrs. Joseph Philips, belonged. Here were gathered together three hundred of the descendants of the original ancestor in the new world, and they represent about seventeen hundred now living and are scattered throughout the various states of the union.
S TEPHEN HARRISON. Among the prom- inent and representative citizens of Putnam county whose names are scattered through the pages of this volume none is more worthy of mention than the gentleman whose name heads this brief biographical notice. A native of Penn- sylvania, he was born in Dauphin county, March 26, 1823, and was born two months after his father's death, being the youngest in a family of four children, of whom the eldest was only eight years old. The father, Stephen Harrison, Sr., died at the early age of twenty-six years. An uncle took the older son, Richard, and the rest of the family were widely scattered for ten years.
The woolen mill which was owned by the father was rented after his death until Richard Harrison had reached manhood, when he began its operation and again united the family. After three years thus passed in Dauphin county, Penn- sylvania, they sold out in 1837 and emigrated to Putnam county, Illinois, our subject at that time being in his fifteenth year. With the capital which the mother and Richard had accumulated they purchased the farm one and a half miles south of Florid, which is now owned by Oscar Brennemann. The family remained together, operating the farm, until the marriage of Rich- ard, when he located upon a portion of the same place, and there died at the age of thirty-three years. His widow is now the wife of Joel W. Hopkins, of Granville. The two sisters of our subject were Mary Elizabeth, who wedded Madi- son Durley, of Hennepin, where she died several years ago, and Eleanor, who married Joel W. Hopkins, and resided near Granville until her death.
The mother of our subject, who bore the maiden name of Eleanor De Armand, lived with her daughter Eleanor for some years, but passed her last days upon the old homestead with Ste- phen, there dying at the age of sixty-six years. On the 7th of May, 1850, was performed a mar- riage ceremony which united the destinies of Stephen Harrison and Miss Mary E. Dunlavy, daughter of Captain James and Nancy (Laugh- lin) Dunlavy, of Union Grove, Hennepin town- ship, Putnam county.
After his marriage Mr. Harrison continued to reside upon the old homestead farm south of Florid until just before the war, when he sold out and purchased a half section in Granville township, paying $30 per acre. This farm he turned over to his son Richard about two years ago, and now makes his home upon a tract of one hundred acres near the village of Granville. His time and attention have been devoted to general farming and stock raising, in which he has been fairly successful, being at one time one of the most extensive stock feeders in Putnam county. He also owns a half section of land
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near Holdrege, Nebraska, where his son James lives.
Ten children were born to Mr. and Mrs. Har- rison, namely: Ellen, now the wife of Henry Ware, of Webster City, Iowa; Mary, wife of Gil- ford Whitney, of South Bend, Indiana; Charles, an attorney of Cedar Rapids, Iowa; Clara, wife of Dr. John Ristine, of the same city ; James, who is operating four hundred and eighty acres of land near Holdrege, Nebraska; Olive, a music teacher of Jacksonville, Illinois; Hattie, wife of Rev. Carl Patton, a Congregational minister of Auburn, Maine: Grace, who is principal of the high school of Granville, and lives at home with her father; Richard, who carries on the old home- stead, and Stephen, a dental student now attend- ing the Chicago College of Dental Surgery in Chicago, and who will complete the course in April, 1897. The wife and mother was called to her final rest on the 3d of March, 1895, after nearly forty-five years of happy married life. With her husband, she was a consistent member of the Congregational church for nearly forty years, and was a most estimable lady, beloved by all who knew her. The children were all pro- vided with excellent educational advantages, six being college graduates. Charles, Clara, Hattie and Grace and Stephen all completed the course' at Oberlin college; Olive graduated at the New England Conservatory of Music, Boston, and Mary completed her education in Chicago.
Politically, Mr. Harrison is identified with the republican party, and has held the office of township supervisor and school treasurer of Granville township. He is a conscientious, earnest Christian, and for several years has been deacon of the Congregational church, in which he holds membership. By the exercise of in- tegrity, industry and intelligence he has grown to be one of the prosperous and honored citizens of the county, and has gained the confidence and esteem of all with whom he has come in contact.
In August, 1896, there was held a reunion of the family, in which were gathered under the hospitable roof of our subject every member of the family then living, twenty-eight in number,
including children and grandchildren. That the occasion was an enjoyable one goes without question, the remembrance of which will always be a pleasing one.
R ANSOM O. CALDWELL, residing on sec- tion 20, La Prairie township, is classed among the representative farmers of the town- ship and one of its most highly honored citizens. He is a native of Greene county, New York, born twelve miles west of Coxsackie, on the Hudson river, June 13, 1821. His parents, Oba- diah and Sally Ann (Green) Caldwell, were orig- inally from Putnam county, New York, but who located in Greene county at a very early day, purchasing a farm which extended across the Greene county line into Albany county. Of their family of five children three are now living. The parents have long since passed to their reward.
The boyhood and youth of Ransom were passed on his father's farm in the old empire state and his education was received in the com- mon schools, finishing his course in the Green- ville academy. He was a studious youth, and at a very early age began to teach in the common schools of his native state. For a time he enter- tained the idea that he was to adopt some other calling than that of a farmer, and so secured a situation as a clerk in a store at Brandy Hill, Greene county, and later in country stores in Albany county. A short time previous to his removal west he was a partner with his brother in a store in Coeyman's Hollow, Albany county.
The great west was now being rapidly settled, and, in common with thousands of others, he felt the opportunity for future advancement would be improved by his removal to one of the new states. Illinois seemed to him the most attrac- tive, and with a much brighter future than any of its sister states in the Mississippi valley, and to this state he determined to come. Before taking this step, however, he took the more important one of marriage with the one he had chosen to go with him through life's journey, and in 1845 his marriage occurred with Miss Sally Marinda
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Stewart, a native of Albany county, New York. This was a happy union, and for forty-six years they endured the joys and sorrows of this life to- gether, reared their family of children, who proved a blessing to them, and lived in the con- sciousness of each other's love. She passed away July 22, 1891, leaving a blessed memory that will be cherished by husband, children and friends while life shall last. Of their family of six chil- dren, Armina A. is housekeeper for her father, Frances died in infancy: Laura A. married Wes- ley Powell, of La Prairie township; Andrew died at the age of seventeen years: Adelbert married Caroline Briggs, and lives on a part of the home farm; and Rosetta is the wife of Fillmore Calder. and is also residing upon a part of the home farm.
About one year after his marriage Mr. Cald- well came to Marshall county, Illinois, and pur- chased land in La Prairie township, which is part of his present farm. He came by way of the lakes, and while upon Lake Michigan encoun- tered a severe gale, which had a very depressing effect upon the eight hundred passengers aboard the vessel, the entire number, with the exception of perhaps twenty-five, becoming violently sea- sick.
On landing at Chillicothe, Mr. Caldwell found his entire cash capital was but fifty-six dollars, but he purchased his land, consisting of one hundred and sixty acres of the military tract, for which he paid $120 for the tax title. At this time much of the land in the military tract was defective in title, and much trouble, inconveni- ence and loss were occasioned by the early set- tlers before the cloud was removed from the title of their lands. For some years after his settlement here Mr. Caldwell acted as agent for other parties in perfecting land titles, making somewhat of a study of the subject. Probably the title of half of the land in La Prairie town- ship was passed on by him as agent for would-be purchasers.
To his original purchase of one hundred and sixty acres Mr. Caldwell added from time to time until his main farm consisted of three hundred and sixty acres. He also owned for some years
a half section in Stark county, for which he paid twice on account of defective title, but which he sold some years ago. While Mr. Caldwell came to the county in 1846, it was not until 1848 that he removed to his farm, where he has since con- tinued to reside, and where he has devoted him- self to his farming interests with good success, having a fine farm, well improved in every re- spect. For some years, however, he has prac- tically lived a retired life, turning the farm over to his sons. The first house built by him is a part of the present dwelling, the lumber for which was hauled from Chicago, which then required from a week to ten days in making the round trip.
Politically, Mr. Caldwell is classed as a demo- crat, though he is not a bitter partisan. In the discharge of his duties as a citizen he has filled almost all the township offices, with credit to himself and his constituents. For some years he was a member of the Christian church, but now attends the Methodist Episcopal church of La Prairie township. As a citizen he is respected and honored by all who know him.
W ILLIAM SCHMIDT. Among some of the most enterprising citizens of Bureau county are those who were born in Germany, and who have brought to this fertile and pro- ductive country the thrift and economy of the old world. Among these there is no figure that stands out more prominently in the history of Wyanet township than Mr. Schmidt, who owns a valuable farm of two hundred and sixty-three acres on sections 4 and 5. where he is engaged in general farming and stock-raising.
Mr. Schmidt was born in the Province of Po- merania, Germany, July 28, 1849, and there his early life was passed. His father was John, and his mother was Fredericka Schmidt. Five chil- dren were born to them-Mary, widow of Fred- erick Zabel, of Chicago; Fredericka, wife of Henry Parchen, Ohio township: Charles, de- ceased; our subject, and Minnie, the wife of John Schurff, of Concord township. He attend- ed the schools of the fatherland, and as soon as old enough began work upon a farm. At the
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age of seventeen years he accompanied his pa- rents to the United States, going first to Chicago, where for nine years he was engaged in teaming, after which he came to Bureau county. At the end of seven years, however, he went to Adair county, Iowa, where he purchased a farm of two hundred acres, which he cultivated for six years, and then returned to Bureau county, purchasing his present farm.
At Chicago, in 1873, was celebrated the mar- riage of Mr. Schmidt and Miss Minnie Hopp, a native of Germany, who came to America in 1870. They have become the parents of five children, two sons and three daughters, namely: Annie, wife of Bryant Olds, of Princeton; Ida, Willie, Emma and Johnnie. Mr. Schmidt is en- tirely a self-made man, his possessions being the result of his own persistent labor and good man- agement, and he justly deserves the success which has come to him. For six years he effi- ciently served as school director, and takes an active interest in everything that is intended to promote the welfare or advance the interests of his adopted county. In politics he is a demo- crat, and in religious belief he is a Lutheran, and is a most highly respected and honored citizen.
R OBERT JOHLES is a talented artist of Princeton, Illinois, doing excellent work in either crayon, oil, pastelle or water colors. He was born on the 27th of February, 1864, in cen- tral Russia, where his parents, Leon and Natasha Johles, spent their entire lives. The father, who was also an artist, passed away in 1889, at the age of seventy-six years. With the exception of our subject, all the children of the family, numbering two sons and three daughters, are still residing in Russia. His only relatives in America are Mr. and Mrs. E. Menkos, of Denver, Colorado, the latter being his mother's sister.
In his native land, Mr. Johles began his edu- cation, which he completed in the schools of Chicago, Illinois. In 1877 he bade good-by to friends and native land, soon after the close of the Russia-Turkish war, in which his father had taken part. His destination was Denver, Colo-
rado, but on reaching New York, where his aunt met him, he was taken ill, and was compelled to remain in that city until his recovery. He is a good Latin scholar, and was greatly aided on coming to the United States by his knowledge of German, but soon, however, learned the Eng- lish language.
Mr. Johles does all kinds of painting and dec- orating. He has put the artistic finishing to the circuit court room and English Lutheran church of Princeton, the design for these decorations being original. He has also painted the por- traits of the ministers and many of the leading citizens of Princeton and vicinity to the number of over a hundred, and his work is first-class in every particular, giving an excellent degree of satisfaction. He gives special attention to ex- pression, making his pictures vivid and life-like, and his pictures from nature are also of a high order. He has now made his home in Princeton since 1893, and is numbered among its highly respected and honored citizens.
On Sunday, June 12, 1892, in Chicago, was celebrated the marriage of Mr. Johles and Miss Nettie Whiting, daughter of Frank and Cor- nelia (Packingham) Whiting, of Granville, Illi- nois, where her father is one of the leading at- torneys. To them has been born a daughter- Lucile. The parents are both Christian, but have not identified themselves with any particu- lar church in Princeton. Mr. Johles is thor- oughly posted on the political issues of the day, and is an earnest advocate of the sound money policy.
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