USA > Illinois > Bureau County > The Biographical record of Bureau, Marshall and Putnam Counties, Illinois > Part 64
USA > Illinois > Marshall County > The Biographical record of Bureau, Marshall and Putnam Counties, Illinois > Part 64
USA > Illinois > Putnam County > The Biographical record of Bureau, Marshall and Putnam Counties, Illinois > Part 64
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After his marriage, Mr. Weirick took his bride to Attica, Indiana, where he established a tailoring establishment of his own, which he con- tinued for three years, and then removed to Princeton, Illinois, there carrying on business for a year and a half. Owing to ill-health he gave up work at his trade and removed to a farm of one hundred and sixty acres in Manlius town- ship, Bureau county, located on section 18. He had to go in debt for his place and his first home was a rude affair costing but seventy-five dollars, but by industry, perseverance and economy, he
had soon paid off all indebtedness and replaced the first house by a more commodious and sub- stantial residence. To the cultivation and im- provement of his land he devoted his time and attention from 1861 until 1896, since which time he has laid aside active labors, and is now living . retired in Sheffield in the enjoyment of all the comforts and many of the luxuries of life.
To Mr. and Mrs. Weirick were born five chil- dren, namely: Adda Victoria, wife of G. F. Stoodley, the owner of a good farm on section 19, Manlius township, on which they reside; Ira D., who married Miss May Toin, of Carroll county, Iowa, where he is engaged in farming, and their only child is Lulu: William S., of Pipe- stone, Minnesota, who married Maggie Allen, and has two children, Earl and Sadie; Minnie S., wife of W. A. Cooper, of Moberly, Missouri, by whom she has four children, Daniel, Percy, Vernia R., and Perry ; Lettie V., at home.
Since the organization of the republican party, Mr. Weirick has been one of its stanch support- ers, and has most capably and efficiently served in a number of local offices, being highway com- missioner for the long period of twenty years, assessor of his township two years, town clerk two years and school director twenty-five years. Socially he has affiliated with the Masonic order for many years, now holding membership with the lodge at Sheffield. Since becoming a resi- dent of the county, Mr. Weirick has taken an act- ive interest in its progress and development, giv- ing his encouragement and his more substantial support to various enterprises calculated to up- build the community and for the good of the people.
M ICHAEL RYAN, now of Sheffield, was formerly a farmer and enjoyed more than ordinary success, but is now living retired from active labor and is surrounded by all the com- forts and many of the luxuries of life. He was born in the village of Gloucester, Kings county. Ireland, August 15, 1819, was reared upon a farm and remained at home with his parents until thirty-two years of age. On crossing the
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Atlantic to America, in 1851, he joined his broth- er then living in Schenectady, N. Y., and for two years was employed in a brick yard, receiving nine shillings per day. He managed to save a little money, but the first which he earned he sent home to his mother, and he later paid the pas- sage of a niece from Ireland to New York.
For one year, Mr. Ryan was in an engine manufactory, where he received one dollar per day, and the following two years were spent in railroad work in Ohio, after which he returned to Schenectady, being employed at general work at twenty dollars per month for a firm en- gaged in the lumber, coal and hardware business. He remained with them for about seven years.
During that time, Mr. Ryan was married Feb- ruary 22, 1856, to Miss Catherine O'Hare, who was born in County Down, Ireland, and came to the United States when ten years of age. They now have one son, William, who is still with his parents. In 1860, Mr. Ryan came to Illinois, stopping at Princeton, where his wife had a sister living, and until 1862 worked as a farm hand.
On the 2nd of August of that year he enlisted in Company I, Ninety-third Illinois Volunteer Infantry, under Colonel Putnam, of Freeport. Illinois, and remained in the service until honor- ably mustered out August 26, 1865. With his company he took part in the battles of Vicks- burg, Fort Gibson, Raymond, Jackson, and Champion Hill. During the siege of Vicks- burg, which lasted six weeks, every day or two he was in the rifle pits, and on the 22nd of May was in the charge, after which he was on patrol duty. After a thirty-days' furlough he rejoined his regi- ment and took part in the battle of Missionary Ridge, where Colonel Putnam was killed, and after that engagement only thirteen men of his company were fit for duty. The division then went with McPherson to Huntsville. Alabama, to guard railroads, but was ordered back to Chat- tanooga to guard a train on its way to join Sherman. an engagement at Dalton, Georgia, in July, 1864, his knee and back were severely injured from a ball, and he was sent
to the field hospital at Chattanooga. As soon as able for service he was placed in the Veteran Reserve Corps, and did guard duty at the hos- pital until his discharge. He now receives a pension as he has never recovered from the in- juries sustained at the last active engagement in which he participated.
On being discharged, Mr. Ryan returned to Princeton, and the next year removed with his family to a small farm in Manlius township, Bu- reau county. There he still owns one hundred and sixty acres, and also has eighty acres in Concord township. For twenty-seven years he made the former place his home, but for twenty years of that time was dependent upon hired help, as his own health would not permit him to engage actively in its cultivation and improve- ment. At the time of his first purchase he had but one thousand dollars, but lias now accumu- lated a handsome property, so that his declining days may be passed in ease and retirement. Up- on his farm in Manlius township, six and a half miles northeast of Sheffield, he built a fine resi- dence, but three years ago removed to Ottawa, where he bought property, which he still retains, but an old friend urged him to return to this vi- cinity, and after considering the situation, deci- ded to locate at his present home in Sheffield, where he and his estimable wife are sur- rounded by many warm friends, and have the re- spect and confidence of all who know them. They are devout members of St. Patrick's Catholic church, and in his political views, Mr. Ryan is a republican. In all the relations of life he has been trustworthy and reliable, and has manifested that same loyalty to his adopted country in days of peace as when following the old flag to victory on southern battle fields.
M. T. DUNN is numbered among the stal- wart and substantial citizens of the vil- lage of Ohio, who are of alien birth, but who liave, by their own unaided exertions, raised themselves from a state of comparative poverty in which they came to this country, to their pres- ent prosperous condition. For many years lie
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was successfully engaged in farming and stock- raising in Lee, Bureau county, but is now living retired from active business cares.
Mr. Dunn was born August 15, 1833 in Coun- ty Galway, Ireland, of which country his pa- rents, Thomas and Hannah Dunn, were also na- tives, and there the father died when our sub- ject was only twelve years old and his mother three years later. In religious belief they were Catholics. Until 1850, Mr. Dunn attended the schools of his native land, but in that year came to America to join his brother, Lawrence, who had crossed the Atlantic in 1847, and here worked as a farm hand and on the railroad. The latter has become quite well-to-do and is now living in Ontario county, New York.
In the new world our subject began life as a railroad hand, working for seventy-five cents per day, but hoping to benefit his financial con- dition he started westward. At Buffalo, New York, he took a boat for Detroit, Michigan, on which three of the passengers had the cholera. The others left the boat, but he gallantly re- mained to nurse the sick, and on reaching De- troit they were taken to the hospital where two died the first night. After remaining in that city for a short time, Mr. Dunn went to Chicago, but as that dread disease had also broken out there, he boarded a canal boat for Ottawa, Illinois, where he remained over night and the next day went to La Salle, where he was in the employ of the Illinois Central railroad, grading and lay- ing track from La Salle to Decatur. The win- ter of 1855 he passed on the levee in Mississippi, and while there received an offer to act as over- seer of slaves on a plantation, but declined to serve in that capacity and returned north.
For eighteen months, Mr. Dunn worked as a farm hand in Illinois, receiving thirteen dollars per month, and on the expiration of that time, in connection with Messrs. Scully and Shields, he purchased two hundred and forty acres of his employer. So successful has he been in his farming operations that to-day he is the owner of four hundred and twenty-seven acres of valu- able land, all the result of his own industry, per-
severance and good management. His place is pleasantly located on section 24, Hamilton town- ship, in Lee county, Illinois. Besides general farming he also engaged in fruit culture and in the raising of cattle, sheep and hogs, but has now laid aside the cares and responsibilities of business life, renting his farm, while he lives re- tired in the village of Ohio.
Mr. Dunn is the youngest in a family of seven children, the others being as follows: Mary, wife of Patrick Picket, who spent their entire lives on the Emerald Isle: Bridget, wife of P. Haney, who also lived in that country until their deaths; John, who died unmarried in Lee coun- ty, Illinois, at the age of sixty-two years; Law- rence, who married Ellen Scully, and lives in Ontario county, New York; Alice, widow of James Shields, of Dixon, Illinois, and Nancy, who died at the age of sixteen years.
On the 17th of March, 1857, Mr. Dunn was united in marriage with Miss Mary Ann Dow- ney, a daughter of John and Joanna (Casey) Downey, who at an early day came to the United States from Ireland, and in 1836 emigrated to Illinois, locating in East Grove township, Lee county, to which place they drove from Chicago. They had one child born in Maine, two in New York, and Mrs. Dunn was the first white child born in East Grove township. Her father died in IS76, at the age of seventy-two years, and the mother in 1890 at the age of over eighty years. In their family were eleven children, namely: Elizabeth, wife of Michael Coleman, now of East Grove, but for some time made their home in
Bureau county; James, who wedded Margaret Fitzgerald, and lives in the west; Dennis, de- ceased: Mrs. Dunn: Timothy, a resident of East Grove township, Lee county; Joanna, deceased ; Ellen, wife of Ben McCune: John, of East Grove township; Margaret, wife of John Hogan, of Iowa. The oldest daughter remained in Ireland until twenty-one years of age with her grand- parents. She married a Mr. Donovan, and later Thomas Todd, of East Grove.
Thirteen children blessed the union of Mr. Dunn and his estimable wife, namely: Mary
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Jane is the wife of John Scully, of Lee county, and has five children, John, Frank, Edward, Mary and George; Elizabeth, who was for some time a most successful teacher of Bureau, White- side and Lee counties, is now the wife of Jere- miah Sullivan, of Lee county, and has three children, Alice, Gertrude and Frank; John, a traveling salesman for a wholesale tea house, married Mary Mellet, by whom he has four chil- dren, Ellen, John, Loretta and Marguerite, and they reside at St. Paul, Minnesota; Michael, who for three years served as assessor of his town- ship, married Eliza Kilday, and now resides in Chicago: Margaret is at home; James has filled several official positions, being assessor of his township three years, school director four years, a delegate to the democratic county con- vention and one of the democratic central com- mittee: Steven is next in order of birth: Ellen and Agnes are twins, the former of whom is keeping house for her brother, James, and the latter is attending college at Dixon, Illinois ; Timothy and Joanna are at home: Josephine died at the age of seven weeks, and Joseph com- pletes the family. The parents and children are all communicants of the Catholic church, and are well and favorably known throughout the community. For three terms, Mr. Dunn most efficiently served as supervisor, was treasurer three years, school director nine years, justice of the peace four years, road commissioner and overseer of roads. He has proved a most pop- ular and capable official, discharging his duties with credit to himself and to the satisfaction of all concerned.
W C. GROSSCUP. Many of the best class of citizens of Marshall county have come from over the sea, particularly from the empire of Germany. They have transported to this country the industry, thrift and economy of their native land, and have been important fac- tors in the development and upbuilding of this section of Illinois. Of this class of honest, hard- working alien born citizens, there are none who occupy a more prominent place than Mr. Gross-
cup and his family. He was born in Prussia. Germany, June 16, 1842, there received his edu- cation, and later came with his parents to Amer- ica in 1857. Ten days after the arrival of the father in Chicago he there died. The mother still makes her home in that city at the advanced age of eighty-nine years, and four of the chil- dren are also living-Frederick, W. C., Charles L., and Mrs. Caroline Gork, of Chicago.
In November, 1857, our subject started out in life for himself, coming alone to Marshall county, where he worked for three years on the farm of S. G. Allen, now deceased, and for two winters he attended the public schools of We- nona, thus gaining a good knowledge of the English language. After working by the month for two years on a farm on Sandy creek, he re- turned and rented the farm of S. G. Allen for the following year. He next leased the farm of Chris Broaddus for several years. In 1867, however, he purchased eighty acres of his present farm. then wild prairie land, and the first year put in a crop of wheat. He boarded near his farm in 1869, and engaged in its cultivation and improve- ment, but for the next two years rented it and was again with Mr. Broaddus for a year.
In 1872 Mr. Grosscup was joined in marriage with Miss Isabel Philson, who was born in Tus- carawas county, Ohio, September 10, 1841, and is the daughter of Thomas and Charlotte (Mc- Carty) Philson. Her parents were born, reared and married in Somerset county, Pennsylvania, whence they removed to Tuscarawas county. Ohio, and after a ten years' residence there came to Putnam county, Illinois, in 1846, locating on Ox Bow prairie in Magnolia township. There the father died in 1878, and the mother departed this life on the 12th of January, 1896. In their family were six children, five still living-Mrs. Mary Champ, Mrs. Grosscup, Jolin, and Alex H. and Mrs. Lydia J. Newby, twins. Our sub- ject and his estimable wife have five children- Jennie Pearl. Lawrence W. and Clarence P., twins; Dora Charlotte, and Charles F.
For two years after his marriage, Mr. Gross- cup lived upon the farm of his father-in-law, but
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at the end of that time built his present resi- cence, into which the family moved in 1873, and there remained for five years. After the death of Mrs. Grosscup's father they removed to Ox Bow prairie, where the following eight years were passed, and since that time have resided upon their present farm. The place comprises one hundred and sixty acres of excellent land, on which our subject has made the various im- provements, erecting good buildings, fencing the land and tiling it. He raises principally corn and oats. Although he began life with no capital or aid from any source, he has by persistent effort gained a handsome property.
Politically, Mr. Grosscup is identified with the republican party. Taking an active interest in educational matters, he has done effective work as a school director for fifteen years, and has sup- plied his children with good educational privi- leges. Earnest members of the Methodist church, both himself and wife are regular at- tendants on the services of both church and Sunday school.
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C LARKE W. HOXIE. Prominent among the representative business men and lead- ing citizens of Buda is the gentleman whose name introduces this sketch-a well known gro- ceryman. A native of Rhode Island, he was born in Washington county, November 9, 1830, and is a son of John and Penelope (Janes) Hoxie, both of whom were born in Rhode Island, of English ancestry. The great-grandfather of our subject, Samuel Hoxie, came to America before the Revolutionary war and settled in that state. where also occurred the birth of Thomas Hoxie, the grandfather. For generations the family fol- lowed agricultural pursuits, and religiously were members of the Society of Friends.
In much the usual manner of farmer boys, our subject spent his early life assisting in the work of the farm and attending the local schools, where he acquired a good common school educa- tion. In his native state he was married in Au- gust, 1849, to Miss Hannah Peckham, of Wash- ington county, Rhode Island, and to them was
born a daughter, Hannah, now a widow, and the mother of two children, one by her first hus- band, Archie O. Simpson, and the other by her second husband, Maxwell H. Mason. Her sec- ond union was with J. R. Mason. She makes her home now in Buda.
After the death of his first wife, which occurred in Rhode Island, April, 1859, Mr. Hoxie wedded Miss Susan Champlin, also of Washington coun- ty. In 1858 he left the east, coming to Buda, Illinois, where he at once embarked in the gro- cery business, which he has since successfully conducted. Here his second wife died, and he returned to Rhode Island, where he was united in marriage with Miss Abbie A. Holland. They have since made their home in Buda, where they are surrounded by many warm friends, who es- teem them highly for their sterling worth and many admirable traits of character.
Like his father and grandfather before him. Mr. Hoxie gives his unfaltering support to the democratic party, but has never taken a very ac- tive part in political affairs, although he has served as a delegate to county conventions. Be- ing a public-spirited, enterprising citizen, he most efficiently served as alderman of Buda. The success which he has achieved in life is due en- tirely to his own industry. perseverance and good management, as on starting out in life for him- self his capital consisted only of a pair of willing hands and a determination to succeed.
P ATRICK CARTNEY, one of the self-made men of La Prairie township, whose early home was on the other side of the Atlantic, com- menced life without other capital than his strong hands and resolute will and has attained to a fine position, socially and financially, among his fel- low-citizens. His homestead, one of the most noticeable in the township, embraces a fertile tract of four hundred acres of land under thor- ough cultivation. Both as a business man and citizen, the proprietor stands well among the men of his township and vicinity as having materially assisted in the development of Marshall county.
Mr. Cartney was born in County Louth, Ire-
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land, in March, 1824, was reared to agricultural pursuits and became steward for a market gar- dener. In 1860 he emigrated to the new world, coming at once to Peoria, Illinois, where he spent one month with C. Carroll, and later worked by the month on the farms of R. O. Caldwell and O. S. Smith, in all about five years. At the end of that period he had about fifteen hundred dol- lars to invest, so purchased seventy-two and a half acres of his present farm, to which he has later added, until the boundaries of his land include four hundred acres. He also gives some attention to the raising of hogs and cattle be- sides his general farm work. Six years ago he erected his present fine residence.
Soon after the close of the civil war, in July, 1865, Mr. Cartney was united in marriage with Miss Mary Mackin, who was born in the same parish in County Louth, Ireland, as her husband, and after coming to the United States worked for ten years for rich families in New York. She has been an industrious, hardworking woman, and to her is due not a little of the success which has come to them. To them have been born five children-Jane, wife of William Green, of Fair- mont, Nebraska; Katie, at home; Johnnie, who assists his father in the operation of the home farm; Maggie, wife of Frank Colgan, a farmer residing near the Cartney homestead, and Thomas, at home. The family are all devout members of the Catholic church at Camp Grove. Although a democrat in politics, Mr. Cartney is not strictly partisan, and at local elections casts his ballot for the man whom he thinks will best fill the office. He has held the position of school director, discharging its duties faithfully and well.
F RIDOLIN WOLF. Many of the most en- ยท terprising and prosperous citizens of Put- nam county have come from the land beyond the sea, and among these quite a prominent figure is the gentleman whose name heads this sketch, and who is now living on section 3, Magnolia township. He was born March 5, 1841, in Ba- varia, Germany, and in 1848 was brought by his parents, Martin and Catharine (Erich) Wolf.
Both were also natives of that country, the for- mer born in 1808, and the latter in 1810, and there the father followed farming. On coming to the new world, he located in Hope township, La Salle county, at the old Prospect house, on an improved farm of one hundred and twenty acres, to which he later added more land. There his wife died in 1852, and he passed away in 1878. In their family were four children who grew to years of maturity-Michael, deceased, married Eve Omrehne, by whom he had five children; Joseph, married Christina Appel, by whom he had eight children, and they live in La Salle county; Fridolin is next in order of birth, and Charles wedded Mary Welling, by whom he has four children, and lives in Sedgwick county, Kan- sas. The parents were devout members of the Catholic church, and in politics the father was a democrat.
In this country our subject attended the dis- trict schools and remained at home until his marriage, April 13, 1863, Miss Clara Merdian becoming his wife. She was a native of Marshall county, Illinois, where her father, John Joseph Merdian, who was born in Bavaria, Germany, had settled at an early day. Twelve children were born to Mr. and Mrs. Wolf, nine yet liv- ing, namely: George J., of Magnolia township, who wedded Mary Newhaver, by whom he has two children; Mary Emma, wife of Phil Dose, of La Salle county, by whom she has four chil- dren ; John Edward; Clara MI., wife of George Ziegler, of La Salle county, by whom she has one child; Peter Lewis; John Frederick; Mary; Katie T., and Frank Henry.
In 1865 Mr. Wolf settled on his present farm, which was then all wild land, comprising one hundred acres, but at that place now has one hun- dred and sixty acres and the same amount else- where. His pleasant residence was erected fif- teen years ago at a cost of $2,600, and his barn, which was built in 1868, cost $1,000, while the other buildings upon the place are in keeping with these, being substantial structures. He is a general farmer, raising both stock and grain, to which he devotes his entire time and atten-
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tion, and has always refused public office. Like his father, he is an advocate of democratic prin- ciples, and both himself and wife are faithful members of the Catholic church at Mt. Palatine.
W ALLACE W. HURLBURT, a leading drayman of Princeton, was born in Wash- ington county, New York, October 8, 1821, a son of Benjamin and Cynthia (Trobridge) Hurl- burt. The father, who was also a native of the empire state, died when in his one hundredth year, and his wife also reached an advanced age, dying at ninety-three. Our subject is the eighth in order of birth in their family of nine children, three of whom are still living: Fanny, married Samuel Newman, and died at the age of seventy-five years, leaving five children; Se- renas served in the union army during the civil war, from April, 1861, until its close. He was in the Army of the Potomac, and was never wound- ed nor taken prisoner. He married Emily Har- low, by whom he has several children, and is now living on a farm in Steuben county, New York; Louisa, married Hiram Miller, and, after his death, Robert McNorton, and had seven chil- dren; Silas, enlisted from Marshall county, Kan- sas, and served throughout the civil war as a member of the Army of Southwest. He died in 1894; Warren married Laura Sheldon, a great singer in her day; both were members of the Baptist church. In 1857 he was killed at the sawmill at Bureau, being caught in the belt and thrown against the machinery; Amanda, is the wife of F. M. Coddington, who also served during the entire struggle to preserve the union, and was shot through the wrist. For two years after the close of the war, he was in the employ of the government at Rock Island; Caleb enlist- ed from Kansas, and ever since the close of the war has been in poor health; Francis, the young- est of the family, was shot through the foot at the battle of Vicksburg, having joined the federal army on the opening of hostilities. He remained with his regiment, but gangrene set in and he died at Adrian, Ohio, while on his way home.
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