USA > Illinois > Kane County > The Biographical record of Kane County, Illinois > Part 23
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, Walker was married in 1856 to Miss Jane Ann Atkinson, of Chicago, daughter of
235
THE BIOGRAPHICAL RECORD.
William and Hannah Atkinson, the latter still residing in Chicago, at the age of eighty- six years, with mind as clear as ever. By this union there has been one child, Alice, now the wife of C. C. Nichols, of Aurora. Mrs. Walker is an active and honored mem- ber of the Eastern Star, and is a past grand matron of the state of Illinois. She is a lady of culture and refinement, and in every way worthy to fill the high position in the state to which she has been chosen. At present she is president of the board of trustees of the Masonic and Eastern Star Home of Illinois, located at Macon. Her daughter, Mrs. Nichols, is a co-worker with her in the order, while Mr. Nichols takes high rank with the brethren, at present hold- ing the position of grand lecturer of Royal Arch Masonry of Illinois.
In politics Mr. Walker is a Republican and has been honored by the citizens of Aurora with the highest office in their gift, being unanimously elected as mayor in 1870, and serving one term with credit to all concerned, While serving as mayor, great improvement was made in the streets by graveling. Fraternally he is a member of the Masonic order, having obtained the thirty-second degree. He is deeply inter- ested yet, as he always has been, in public affairs and the good of the community where he has so long resided. He is genial, court- eous, enterprising and progressive, of com- mendable public spirit, and the highest in- tegrity, and reflects credit on the commun- ity which has honored him in the highest office. His practical knowledge of all the details of his business, as well as his ac- quaintance with men, renders him a most valuable employee, as is evinced by his long continuance in so important a position in one of the. leading railroad companies of the
Union. When the dark cloud of war arose, Mr. Walker rendered a very valuable serv- ice in raising means for the support of the soldiers at the front, and their families at home. Mr. and Mrs. Walker are highly respected citizens, and are justly entitled to the high social position they now occupy.
J UDGE HENRY B. WILLIS .- Illinois has always been distinguished for the high rank of her bench and bar. None of the western states can, justly boast of abler jurists or attorneys. Many of them have been men of national fame, and among those whose lives have been passed on a quieter plane there is scarcely a town or village in the state but can boast of one or more lawyers capable of crossing swords in forensic combat with any of the distin- guished legal lights in the United States. In Judge Willis we find united many of the rare qualities which go to make up the suc- cessful lawyer and jurist. His home is at No. 503 Prospect street, Elgin, and he is now serving his second term as judge of the sixteenth judicial circuit.
The Judge was born in Bennington, Ver- inont, May 8, 1849, and is a son of David W. and Laura (Haliday) Willis, also natives of the Green Mountain state. Four chil- dren were born to them, but two died in in- fancy. The only brother of our subject, Seneca Willis, is now a farmer of Sycamore, Illinois. The father, who was an agricult- uralist, came to Illinois in 1852 and located in Genoa, where he purchased a farm and reared his family. In 1877 he removed to Sycamore, where he died September 23, 1896, when past the age of seventy-nine years, and his wife passed away in March, 1897, aged seventy-two. She was a faith-
236
THE BIOGRAPHICAL RECORD.
ful member of the Methodist church. Her securing the city water works. In June, father, Joseph Haliday, also a native of Vermont, and a farmer by occupation, came to this state in 1855 and located in Genoa, where he died at about the age of seventy- four. In his family were six children who reached years of maturity.
Judge Willis was reared like most farmer boys upon the home farm in Genoa town- ship, De Kalb county, and in the district schools of the locality he began his educa- tion. Later he attended Clark Seminary at Aurora, Illinois, and Hillsdale College at Hillsdale, Michigan. In 1869 he entered the Albany Law School of Albany, New York, and after completing the prescribed course, he was admitted to the bar in that state in 1870. The following year he was granted a license to practice in the courts of Illinois, and in 1872 opened an office in Elgin, where he has since made his home.
In October, 1874, Judge Willis was united in marriage to Miss Lucy, daughter of John and Betsy (Hammond) Wait, and they have become the parents of two chil- dren-Oliver P. and Meribah T. The Judge is a prominent member of a number of civic societies, including Monitor lodge, No. 522, F. & A. M .; Loyal L. Munn chapter, No. 96, R. A. M .; Everet commandery, K. T .; and Medinah Temple. He also belongs to the Modern Woodmen of America, the Royal Arcanum, and is one of the oldest members of the Ancient Order of United Workmen in Elgin. His political support is given the Republican party.
After four years of successful practice in Elgin, Judge Willis was elected state's attor- ney of Kane county, serving in that posi- tion from 1876 until 1880. He also filled the office of mayor of Elgin for one term and during that time was instrumental in
1891, he was first selected judge of the cir- cuit court, and in June, 1897, was re-elected to that position which he had so capably and satisfactorily filled. His mind is ana- lytical, logical and inductive. With a thor- ough and comprehensive knowledge of the fundamental principles of law, he combines a familiarity with statutory law and a sober, clear judgment, which makes him not only a formidable adversary in legal combat, but has given him the distinction of being one of the ablest jurists of the state.
H ARRISON H. REAMS .- The Reams family originally was from Alsace or Loraine in the valley of the Rhine. The earliest ancestor of whom anything definite is known is Henry Reams, a native of Berks county, Pennsylvania. His son, Benjamin, born in Berks county, Pennsylvania, moved to Union county in the same state, where Levi, the father of our subject was born. Benjamin Reams was born August 8, 1797, and died in June, 1847. He married Su- sanna Aurand, a native of Union county, Pennsylvania, and a descendant of General Aurand, who was an officer during the Revo- lutionary war and who came from England prior to that conflict.
Levi Reams was born in Buffalo Valley, Union county, Pennsylvania, June 14, 1826, and with his parents moved to Ohio in 1832. In 1846 they came further west to Kane county, Levi having preceded the family two years. Levi worked three years for an uncle, Henry Decker, then married and be- gan life for himself. Having learned the carpenter's trade, he secured remunerative employment, saved his money and pur- chased land. He bought and sold several
237
THE BIOGRAPHICAL RECORD.
tracts, each time bettering himself. During the war for the Union he enlisted, and after serving his term returned and purchased one hundred acres of land in Hampshire township, near Harmony, McHenry county, which he cultivated ten years, sold and bought one hundred and twenty-four acres two miles from Harmony, which he owned until 1884, when he sold and moved to Chi- cago, lived there six months, then came to the village of Hampshire, built his present house and has lived there since.
Levi Reams has a creditable record in the army. He enlisted February 1, 1864, and served faithfully until July 6, 1865. He was sent first to Pulaski, Tennessee, thence to Atlanta, his first battle being at Dallas, which was followed by Resaca, Buz- zard's Roost, and ten other battles of the campaign around Atlanta. He was on the famous march to the sea. 'He received his first mail for inany weeks at Cape Fear River. At Rossville, North Carolina, he first heard of Lee's surrender. With his regiment he later participated in the grand review at Washington. He returned through Wheeling, West Virginia, and Louisville, Kentucky, to Chicago, where he was finally discharged. Of his father's family, he and his brother Thomas alone survive. His eld- est brother, John, died in service during the Mexicali war. His brother Samuel, who recently died in Hampshire, also served with credit through the Civil war.
Levi Reams first married Magdalena Schoemaker, a native of Alsace, born in 1827, and who came to America in 1829, with her father, Peter Schoemaker, who was by occupation a farmer. She died June 6, 1884. By this marriage there were nine children, as follows: Louise, wife of Charles Wiedmeyer, of Jacksonville, Illinois; George,
who lives in Hageman, New Mexico; Israel, in business in the village of Hampshire; Lydia, who married Frank Nichols, of Chi- cago; Matilda, who married Ernest Wied- meyer, of Virginia City, Illinois; Harrison H., our subject; Jane, who married Will- iam Daum, a farmer in Hampshire town- ship; William, a minister of the Congrega- tional church, at Cumberland, Wisconsin; and Emma, at present making her home with her brother George, in New Mexico.
Harrison H. Reams was born in Hamp- shire township, July 26, 1860, and attended · the district schools until the age of twenty, in the meantime assisting in the cultivation of the home farm. At the age of twenty- one, in partnership with his brother, he bought one hundred and twenty-four acres of land in Hampshire township, farmed seven years, sold out and moved to the village of Hampshire, in 1888, where he began the livery and transfer business, in which he is meeting with good success. He is also en- gaged in feeding and dealing in thoroughbred horses, French Coach and Percheron. He married Lydia Detmer, of Kane county, and a daughter of A. H. Detmer. In politics Mr. Reams is a Republican, and for nine years served as highway commissioner, was six years a member of the village board of trustees, and is at present deputy sheriff of Kane county. Fraternally he is a member of the Modern Woodmen of America, Knights of the Maccabees, and of lodge No. 730, I. O. O. F., at Hampshire, Illinois.
D ANIEL B. WATERMAN, of Aurora, Illinois, is numbered among the pio- neers of 1843, and in the fifty-five years of his residence here has been a most impor- tant factor in the development and improve-
238
THE BIOGRAPHICAL RECORD.
ment of the place. Not alone in Aurora has liis influence for good been felt, but through- out all northern Illinois. He was born in Rochester, Monroe county, New York, and traces his ancestry back to Richard Water- man, who emigrated from England with Roger Williams in the ship Lion, and who married his daughter, Mary Williams. They first settled in Boston, Massachusetts, from which they were driven out on account of "their being of the Quaker faith. Resolved Waterman, the son of Richard and Mary "(Williams) Waterman, was born in Rhode Island, and his son, John Waterman, born in Rhode Island in 1730, was a soldier in the Revolutionary war, holding a colonel's com- mission. His son, Benjamin Waterman, was the father of Daniel Waterman, also a native of Rhode Island, born July 15, 1789.
Daniel Waterman grew to manhood in Rhode Island, and engaged extensively in the manufacture of cotton goods, having three large mills. Soon after the close of the war of 1812 he moved with his family to Rochester, New York, where he estab- lished himself in business, and a little later read medicine, and engaged in practice until his death. He married in Rhode Island, Sabra Pierce, a native of Coventry, Rhode Island, born September 7, 1785, and a daughter of Wheeler Pierce, a native of Massachusetts, who spent the last years of his life in Rochester, New York, dying in January, 1858. His wife died many years previously, passing away in 1833. To Daniel and Sabra Waterman six children were born, who grew to mature years, of whom our subject is the oldest. Hiram M., next in order of birth, is a farmer and printer re- siding in Orleans county, Nebraska; Mrs. Dr. A. K. Smith resides in Chicago; George
G., for many years a prominent man and merchant of Aurora, is now deceased; Ann Eliza, located in Waterloo, New York, but died at the residence of her sister at Bridge- port, Connecticut; and Sabra Caroline, now deceased, married D. S. Thorpe, and lo- cated at Bridgeoprt, Connecticut. . 2
Daniel B. Waterman was born April 21, 1821, and spent his boyhood and youth in Rochester. New York, and was educated in its common schools and Yates County Academy. In 1842, after reaching his majority, he came west to Indiana, and spent one sea- son, earning sufficient to purchase eighty acres of timber land, in Whiteley county. He returned to Rochester, and in the spring of 1843 came to Aurora, where he joined his brother, George G. Waterman, who had located here in 1837, and was engaged in the hardware trade on the east side. He commenced clerking for his brother, and a little later purchased an interest in the es- tablishment. In the fall of 1849, he started . in business alone, on the west side in a very small way, putting in a stock of sheet iron, stoves, etc., to which was added hardware the following year. As his trade increased he added to his stock from year to year, building up a very extensive business, which he continued until about 1866, when hesold out to engage in railroading. Through his personal influence, there was raised about eight hundred thousand dollars, with which to build the Chicago & Iowa railroad. By the governor he was appointed a director to represent the cities and townships that had subscribed to the capital stock. The city of Aurora subscribed one hundred thousand dollars to the stock of the road, issuing bonds for the same bearing ten per cent in- terest, taking certified stock for the amount. Mr. Waterman continued to serve as a
239
THE BIOGRAPHICAL RECORD.
member of the board of directors until 1877. he opened up a farm of four hundred and twenty acres. By this union there was one daughter, Emma Sabra, who grew to ma- ture years and died February 4, 1875, when in her twenty-second year. In 1870 the people of Clinton, DeKalb county, along the line of said road, named the station Waterman in recognition of his service in the completion of the road, at which time, owing to the mismanagement of its president, it was placed in the hands of a receiver. Previous to this a line of road had been completed from Rochelle to Rockford, of which Mr. Waterman was made president, and it was later leased to the Chicago & Iowa railroad as a feeder to that road. In 1870 he was appointed by Governor Palmer to represent the stock subscribed by cities, towns and counties under the law existing at that time, and subsequently Mr. Waterman was elected by the directors president of the Chicago & Iowa railroad, in which capacity he continued to serve for six or seven years. While connected with the road, it' ternally he is a Mason, and member of the
was decided by the people of Aurora to dis- pose of the stock it held at public sale. Through the influence of Mr. Waterman it was sold for one hundred and thirty thou- sand two hundred dollars. With the pro- ceeds of this sale, the public roads of Aurora were graveled, and bridges constructed over Fox river. Mr. Waterman has also been connected with other important railroad enterprises in Illinois and Minnesota, in- cluding the Chicago & Northwestern rail- road. He was with the Northwestern while it was being built through Minnesota and Dakota, and for it purchased the land, se- cured the right of way and located the stations.
Mr. Waterman was married in Aurora, February 17, 1852, to Miss Ann White, a native of Jefferson county, New York, and the daughter of Harry White, one of the first settler's of Blackberry township, where
Politically Mr. Waterman was originally a Whig, and being a strong anti-slavery man, he later identified himself with the Free-soil party, and was a delegate to the convention that nominated James H. Woodruff, of Chi- cago, to congress, to which office he was elected. On the organization of the Repub- lican party, he became identified with it, and has since been a stanch advocate of its principles. He has served as delegate to various state and county conventions, as a Whig and Republican, and early in the fifties was a Whig candidate for the legisla- ture. For ten years he served as alderman and one term as mayor of the city. Fra-
blue lodge and chapter of Aurora. As a citizen none stands higher in the estimation of his fellow-men, and no man has done more for the material interests of Aurora, than has the subject of this sketch.
D ANIEL M. McKINDLEY, who owns and operates a valuable and well-im- proved farm of two hundred and twelve acres, a mile and a half east of the city of St. Charles, and which is known as the Glenmona farm, dates his residence in Illi- nois since August, 1872, and in Kane coun- ty since 1894. He was born in the city of Belfast, Ireland, February 2, 1850, where he remained until thirteen years of age. His father, Hugh McKindley, died in Bel- fast, and, being thrown on his own re- sources, Daniel determined to come to America that he might better himself in.
240
THE BIOGRAPHICAL RECORD.
life. He was a young man of seventeen years, and, with the buoyancy of youth, de- termined to succeed in life. Landing in New York city, he remained there about one year and then went to Canada, and there worked for a farmer for a short time, near Montreal. In August, 1872, he came west to Chicago, and run on the lakes for one season. He then attended the Bryant & Stratton Commercial College, and re- ceived a fair business education. For a few years following he worked in a grocery store, and then engaged in the coal busi- ness, which he operated with success for some years. In 1894 he came to Karte. county and bought the farm where he has. since resided. He is now regarded as one of the active and enterprising farmers of the county, and is also engaged in the dairy business. Since coming here he has made some substantial improvements on the farm, erecting a large barn, 54x 116 feet, with a basement, a large carriage house and horse barn, put in a wind pump and water works, both for his residence and barn, and it is now one of the most valu- able places in the township.
Mr. McKindley married, in the city of Chicago, December 29, 1886, Miss Hannah Carbine, a lady of fine education, and a graduate of the old Chicago Normal, in the class of '76. Later she was one of the suc- cessful teachers in the Chicago schools, where she was engaged for a period of ten years. She was born and reared in Chi- cago, and is the daughter of James Carbine, now deceased. She was elected a member of the board of directors of District No. 6, St. Charles township, the first lady elected to that position, and being a practical teacher, she was enabled to discharge her duties of the office in a most satisfactory
manner. She later resigned. To Mr. and Mrs. McKindley six children have been born, as follows: Daniel, Hugh, Innoc, Virginia, Leo and Adelaide.
Mr. and Mrs. McKindley and their fam- ily are members of the Catholic church of St. Charles. Politically he is an independent, voting for men, not party. Although they have resided here but a few years, they have made many friends in that time, and are held in high esteem because of their many excellent traits of character.
W ILLIAM E. MARSHALL, one of the substantial and wide-awake farmers of Plato township, residing on section 25, is the son of George P. and Mary (Burton) Marshall, the former a native of Yorkshire, England, born May 9, 1817, and the latter near Montreal, Canada, in the town of Shar- rington, August 14, 1825. '
The boyhood and youth of George P. Marshall were spent in his native land and he there learned the carpenter's trade, which occupation he followed for some years. In 1842 he crossed the Atlantic, lo- cating near Montreal, Canada, where his marriage occurred. In 1844 he came to Kane county, Illinois, and rented a farm in Plato township for two years, then pur- chased seventy-seven acres in sections 27 and 28, where he continued to farm until his death, which occurred October 3, 1881. While residing in England he was a mem- ber of the Odd Fellows, but did not affiliate with the order after coming to America. A man of unblemished character, he com- manded the highest respect of all who knew him. He was a man of his word and up- right in his dealings with his fellowmen.
The paternal grandfather of our subject,
LIBRARY OF THE UNIVERSITY OF ILLINOIS.
WILLIAM E. MARSHALL.
MRS. W. E. MARSHALL.
LIBRARY Of THE UNIVERSITY OF ILLINOIS.
243
THE BIOGRAPHICAL RECORD.
James Marshall, married Ann Parker, and lived and died in Yorkshire, England. The maternal grandfather, John Burton, was .born at North Burton, Yorkshire, England, a town named for one of his ancestors. He was a son of Richard and Mary Burton. While yet residing in England he married Jane Stringer, born in Hull, Yorkshire, England, in 1794, and daughter of Richard and Hannah (Garbutt) Stringer, both of Yorkshire, England. Her death occurred at the age of sixty-seven years. In 1818 John Burton emigrated to Canada and was killed in battle during the Canadian rebel- lion, while in the service of the crown.
William E. Marshall was .- born in Elgin township, December 25, 1847. He at-" tended the district school until about eight- een years of age, and remained at home un- til thirty years old, working for and with his father. In 1878 he was united in marriage with Miss Agnes. McKinnell, daughter of Peter and Jessie (McDowell) McKinnell. She was the second in a family of seven children born to her parents. Her father was born in the parish of Kirk Kinner, Wig- · tonshire, Scotland, June 26, 1825. He was the son of James McKinnell, of the same parish, who married Janet Hawthorn, daughter, of John and Elizabeth (Cleave) Hawthorn. Jessie McDowell was born in the parish of Kirk Kinner, February 2, 1834, and her marriage with Peter Mc- Kinnell occurred in that parish April 20, 1854. In the winter of 1854-5 they came to, America. She was the daughter of Charles McDowell, who married Ellen Pat- terson, of the same parish, and a daughter of James and Janet (McHarg). Patterson. To our subject and his wife six children have been born-Charles H., Jessie May, Lucy, Mary, Hattie and Willie.
Soon after his marriage, Mr. Marshall rented eighty acres in Elgin township, for two years, then rented the Sargent farm two years, in Plato township, and the Roseburough farm, near Udina, one year. He then went to DuPage county, and lived upon a rented farm, near Wayne, one year, when he returned to Elgin township and rented the George Stringer farm, upon which he resided seven years. In 1890 he pur- chased his present farm of two hundred and thirty acres, upon which he has since continued to reside, and for some years has engaged in dairying, usually keeping about sixty head of cows, and shipping the product to Chicago. For some time he engaged in raising driving horses, principally the Ham- bletonian stock. His farm is in a good state of cultivation, having on it a good dwelling house, a large barn and various outbuild- ings. Fraternally Mr. Marshall is a mem- ber of Silver Leaf camp, No. 60, M. W. A. Politically he is a Republican, and has ac- ceptably filled several minor official positions in his township. He is a man well esteemed throughout the community and has many warm friends.
G EORGE S. CHISHOLM, of Elgin, residing at No. 306 Spring street, was born in La Fayette county, Wisconsin, February 13, 1845, a son of Robert S. and Sarah (Van Vaulkenburgh) Chisholm, in whose family were the following named children: One daughter, Frances, died at the age of nine years. William W. is a resident of Salt Lake City, Utah, and is president of the Bank of Commerce there. O. P. was formerly an attorney of Elgin and represented this district in the Illinois legislature, but is now a resident of Boze-
244
THE BIOGRAPHICAL RECORD.
man, Montana. George S. is next in order of birth. Robert B., Jr., lives in Manhat- tan, Montana. Mary Emma is the wife of George Bennett, of Geneva, Illinois.
. The father was a man of marked busi- ness ability, was the discoverer of the Emma mine, named in honor of his daughter, and was eminently successful in his mining oper- ations, that mine alone yielding from five to six hundred thousand dollars, principally in gold and silver. It is located twenty- seven miles southeast of Salt Lake City, Utah, in the Little Cottonwood district in the Wausatch range of mountains. At an early day he became interested in lead min- ing at a place called Benton, twelve miles east of Galena, Illinois, and here also met with success. In 1851 with an ox team he' years, and up to April 15, 1897, had paid crossed the plains to California and Nevada, in the way of dividends two million and ten thousand dollars. The company is . now testing a new process of treating ores from this property, which, if successful, a plant will be erected abundantly large enough to care for all the ores taken from the mine. Both gold and silver are here mined and also a certain per cent of copper. where he engaged in mining with Captain Day, of Galena, Illinois, who died in Ga- lena.in 1895. The original owners of the Emma mine were Robert B. Chisholm, Captain Day, Captain James Smith, of Chicago, and J. F. Woodman, now the president of the Centennial Eureka mine, located at Eureka, Utah, eighty miles south of Salt Lake City. With the exception of Captain Smith, the others were associated in the mining business from boyhood. The father of our subject died in Oakland, Cali- fornia, June 30, 1893, at the age of seven- ty-eight years, and his remains were brought back to Elgin for interment. He was a Knight Templar Mason, and was honored and respected by all who knew him. His wife died in 1882 aged fifty-two years.
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.