USA > Illinois > Kane County > The Biographical record of Kane County, Illinois > Part 34
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Mr. Rockwell lost his first wife, who passed away September 30, 1857, leaving two children -- Frances Minerva, who mar- ried J. M. Davidson, and now resides in York county, Nebraska; and Martha Jane, who died in 1850. In 1848 Mr. Rockwell inarried Miss Susan Grow, who was born at
Clyde, New York, where she was reared and educated. The children by this mar- riage are: Margaret, married N. C. Twin- ing, now living in Batavia, and who has been librarian of the public library about ten years; Anna Maria, living with her par- ents; and Hattie L., who died in childhood.
Mr. Rockwell is a member of the Meth- odist Episcopal church, and assisted in the organization of the first church of that de- nomination in Chicago, and also in Batavia; he served as superintendent of the Sunday- school, both in Chicago and Batavia, and was very active in church work until his health failed. On April 18, 1898, he at- tended the sixtieth anniversary of the First Methodist Episcopal church, Chicago, and with Rev. J. P. Brushingham and G. W. Dixon, took part in the exercises. As the first superintendent of the Sunday-school of that church he gave an historical account of its organization and progress. From the or- ganization of the party, he has ever been a stanch Republican. For more than sixty years he has gone in and out among the peo- ple of Batavia, and is one of the oldest and honored citizens, well-known throughout Kane and adjoining counties. The poor and needy have ever found in himn a friend, and no man in Kane county is more highly
C DALLAS MONROE, superintendent of the Illinois Creamery Company, at Elgin, was born in Hazleton township, Shiawassee county, Michigan, June 1, 1875. His father, Hiram Monroe, is a native of Tompkins county, New York, and is the youngest in a family of three children whose parents were Isaiah and Phœbe Monroe, worthy representatives of old colonial fam-
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ilies. On reaching manhood Hiram Mon- · roe married Miss Louisa, daughter of Mar- vin Monroe, a distant cousin of President Monroe. Her parents moved to Michigan, where her father resides at the age of eighty-three years, the mother at the age of seventy-eight, after having celebrated their golden wedding. The mother of our subject was a native of Tioga county, New York, and although bearing the same name as her husband, they were not related pre- vious to their marriage. He is a stanch supporter of the Republican party.
The subject of this sketch obtained a good practical education in the public schools of Owosso, Michigan, which he at- tended until sixteen years of age. On start- ing out upon his business career, he was em- ployed for two years as a glazier in a casket factory in Owosso, and for a year and a half held a position in the electric light sta- tion. Coming to Chicago March 10, 1896, he remained in that city until June, exper- imenting for the company with which he is now connected. perfecting their system for reworking country butter to convert it into creamery butter. A member of the firm while traveling in Michigan met Mr. Mon- 'roe, was pleased with him, and recognizing his business qualifications thought he would make a good manager for their business in Elgin. This resulted in his engagement, and on coming here he rebuilt the old fac- tory at North Elgin, where they conducted operations until May, 1897, when they re- moved to their present large factory, built under the direction of our subject. The main building is one hundred feet square and two stories in height, while the engine room is forty by sixty feet. Here thirty thousand pounds of common butter can be converted into creamery butter in one day.
The idea of reworking the butter is not original with Mr. Monroe, but the peculiar method of doing so is his invention and is a secret process. The development of the business is due not a little to his energy, activity and excellent management, for he is a wide-awake young business man of sound judgment and progressive ideas.
In Owosso, Michigan, Mr. Monroe was united in marriage with Miss Anna, daugh- ter of M. A. and Helen (Whimple) Parks, the former a carpenter and builder by oc- cupation. Mrs. Monroe's uncle, Davis Parks, a pensioner of the war of 1812, lived to the extreme old age of one hundred and four years, dying in 1894. At the age of one hundred and two, he and his wife, aged ninety-six years, visited Owosso, Michigan, and walked quite a distance from the depot to the residence of relatives. Mrs. Monroe's great-grandfather Whimple, a friend of General Washington, served as an Indian interpreter for that commander during the Revolutionary war, and for his services re- ceived a large grant of land.
H JENRY RANG, the efficient superin- tendent of streets of Aurora, was born in Bavaria, Germany, October 3, 1838. His father, Adam Rang, and his mother, Margaret (Hoffeker) Rang, were also natives of Germany, were there married, and there the father died in 1844 when about forty- eight years of age. He was a potter by trade, and ran a pottery in Bavaria. A pro- gressive and enterprising man, and a good and worthy citizen, he was honored with several local offices. They were the parents of seven children.
In 1852 two of the children, Fred and Minnie, came to the United States and
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located in Aurora. They were so favorably impressed with the country that the remain- der of the family determined to come, and on the 10th of March, 1853, our subject and his sister, Margaret, set sail for America. They were on the ocean fifty-six days, and had a good time, good treatment, plenty to eat, and plenty to see of seastorms, sharks. almost by the acre. While encountering some terrible storms, no accident occurred. They landed at New York Saturday, May 21, 1853, and left the Monday evening fol- lowing, and arrived in Aurora on Saturday. They came all the way by rail, except from Buffalo to Detroit. The same trip can now be made in twenty-five hours. The train ran slowly, stopped at about every station, and from Detroit to Chicago required an entire day.
In the fall of 1853 the mother and the other children came to America, and joined the others at Aurora. A few weeks after their arrival Barbara, aged ten years, and Christina, aged twenty-seven, died from fever. This was a very sad event, and was a hard blow to the mother, coming so soon after their arrival here. Of the other chil- dren, William now resides in Aurora; Fred, who for many years was shoe merchant in Aurora, died in 1890; Henry is the subject of this sketch; Margaret is now the wife of John Grometer, of Aurora; Minnie married Fred Kehm, a wagon-maker by trade, who removed to Chicago, where his death oc- curred May, 1894, she surviving him, dying November, 1895, when about sixty-five years of age. The mother died in Aurora in July, 1868, when sixty-six years of age.
Henry Rang received his education in the schools of Bayerberg, Bavaria, where he completed a course. On his arrival in Aurora, he worked four weeks on a farm
near the city, and on the 4th of July, 1853, began working for the Chicago, Burlington & Quincy Railroad Company, carrying wa- ter, running errands, and doing such work as a boy of fifteen could do. The road at that time was in process of construction, and he continued to be thus employed until it was finished to Mendota. In the winter of 1853-4 he was unemployed on account of sickness, but in the spring began working on the railroad again, continuing until Sep- tember. He then found employment in a dry-goods store as a clerk, where he re- mained a year and a half. Believing it essential that he should have a trade, he engaged with a carpenter and served three years. He then worked three years in the bridge department of the railroad company, and from 1866 to 1891 he was in the build- ing department, becoming quite proficient, and a valuable man. During the years that had passed he mingled more or less in so- ciety, and served his city as alderman for some time, and thus familiarized himself with the needs of the city. On leaving the railroad company in 1891 he was appointed by Mayor Fisher superintendent of streets of Aurora, which position he still holds. He has rendered a very efficient service, as is evinced by the time he has thus been em- ployed.
On the 28th of June, 1858, he married Miss Margaret Muchler. By this union are six children, as follows: Maggie, now the wife of W. C. Fickenscher, is the mother of four children, Metha, Paul, Arthur and Hugo, the latter being twins, and the fam- ily resides in Buffalo, New York, where Mr. Fichenscher is employed in the parochial school; Henry, who died at the age of ten months; Carl H. married Josie King, by whom he has one son, Carl, Jr., and they
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reside in Rockford, Illinois; August, who died at the age of two and a half years; Bertha and Pauline, at home. The mother died January 28, 1891, at the age of fifty- six years. She was a member of the Lu- theran church, a devout Christian, a good mother, and did much to make a happy hoine. Mr. Rang's second wife was Mrs. Catherine Kemerle, native of Germany, and widow of Christian Kemerle. Their mar- riage was celebrated November 5, 1896. Both Mr. and Mrs. Rang are members of the Lutheran church, in which he has held the office of trustee since 1862, with the ex- ception of one or two years. He is now the treasurer of the church. Politically he is independent, giving more attention to the man to fill the office than the party to which he belongs. He is a good citizen, true to the best interests of the community, and represents the progressive element of the German population of Aurora.
A' RTHUR A. BENNETT, the efficient mayor of St. Charles, Illinois, now serving his fourth term, has been a resi- dent of the city since 1885. He is of Eng- lish and Scotch descent, the first of the family coming from England about 1700 and locating in Massachusetts. His great- grandfather, Andrew Bennett, was a native of Vermont and served as a soldier in the Revolutionary army. William Bennett, the grandfather, served in the war of 1812, and was in the battle of Plattsburg. He was also a native of Vermont. George H. Bennett, the father, was born in Mont- pelier, Vermont, where he married Enieline Young, a daughter of Rev. Zebina Young, a minister in the Baptist church, and pas- - tor of the church at Montpelier. To Mr.
and Mrs. George II. Bennett were born six children, of whom three are yet living, our subject being the eldest. The second, Professor William Z. Bennett, is a gradu- ate of Harvard University, and was seventh in a class of one hundred and ninety-two. He now occupies the chair of physics and . English literature in Wooster University, at Wooster, Ohio. Adela E. Bennett now resides with her brother. The mother died in 1865, and the father, who was well known in business circles throughout Ver- mont and Massachusetts, passed away in August, 1896.
Mr. Bennett, whose name introduces this sketch, was born in Montpelier, Ver- mont, July 31, 1847, and was educated at Dartmouth College. When his school days were over he engaged in farming in Ver- mont for several years, also became inter- ested in the creamery business, establishing about thirty creameries in the Province of Quebec, which he successfully operated for seven years. That business naturally led to the manufacture of sugar of milk, and for three years he carried on operations along that line in Burlington, Vermont. In . 1885 at the end of that time he came to St. Charles, removing his plant to this place, where he has since successfully en- gaged in business. This is the only manu- factory of the kind in the state, and three- fourths of all the sugar of milk manufactured in the world is now made in St. Charles. From the beginning Mr. Bennett's business has rapidly increased until it has assumed extensive proportions and has become quite profitable. His refinery is located at St. Charles, and he has five other evaporators, all in the Elgin district.
In 1869, in Brookfield, Vermont, Mr. Bennett was united in marriage to Miss
Λ. Α. BENNETT.
LIBRARY OF THE UNIVERSITY OF ILL'NINIS.
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Harriet French, a native of that state, who H ON. WILLIAM F. DICKINSON, pres- ident of the Aurora Silver Plate Man- ufacturing Company, but who is practically living a retired life, has been a resident of Kane county since 1866. He is a native of Vermont, born in the town of Washing- ton, Orange county, April 19, 1814. The family was originally from England, the first of the name, Nathaniel Dickinson, coming to the New World in 1629. In England the family occupied a prominent position and had its coat of arms. Gideon was reared and educated in Brookfield. Her father, Otis French, was a business man and early settler of Barre, Vermont. Mrs. Ben- nett died in 1879, leaving one daughter, Clara E., who was provided with a good education, and is now the wife of Rev. W. E. Clark, of St. Charles, an evangelist, professor and teacher now located in Boyd- ton, Virginia. In Montpelier, Vermont, Mr. Bennett was again married, in 1883, his second union being with Miss Eleanor . C. Needham, also a native of the Green Mount- ' Dickinson, the grandfather of our subject, ain state, and a daughter of Captain Sidney", was a native of Massachusetts, and in his R. Needham, of Montpelier, who for twenty years was captain of a merchant vessel sail- ing between Liverpool and Sidney, Australia. Two sons have been born of the second marriage, namely: Edward Ellsworth and Sidney Royal.
Since casting his first presidential vote for General Grant in 1868, Mr. Bennett has been an ardent Republican, and earnestly advocates a protective tariff and sound money. He has taken quite an active and prominent part in local politics, is a recog- nized leader of his party in his community, and in 1891 was elected mayor of St. Charles, to which office he has been continuously re- elected up to the present time, plainly indi- cating his popularity and the confidence and trust reposed in him by his fellow-citizens. The reins of city government have never been in more capable hands, for he is a pro- gressive man, pre-eminently public-spirited, and all that pertains to the public welfare received his hearty endorsement. Mr. Ben- nett is a Master Mason, having joined Seneca lodge, No. 40, F. & A. M., of Milton, Ver- mont, many years ago, and both he and his wife are active and prominent members of the Congregational church of St. Charles.
day was quite prominent. His son Joshua Dickinson was also born in Massachusetts, where he grew to manhood and married Mrs. Prudence Stone, née Fuller, who was then a widow and a daughter of Simeon Fuller. They became the parents of six children, of whom Emily married Nehe- miah S. Tinker and settled in Chelsea, Vermont, afterwards moving to Derby, Vermont, where her death occurred; Joshua B., who removed to Mt. Clemens, Michi- gan, and married Katherine Lee of that city. He was elected first mayor of the city, and died while the incumbent of that office; William F., of this review; Pru- dence, who married Judge Thurston, re- moved to Mt. Clemens, Michigan, and there died; Franklin, who married a daughter of Judge Peasley, located in Chelsea, Ver- mont, was sheriff of his county for some years and died at that place; Fannie who married Judge Porter Kibbey, of Randolph, Vermont, and who afterwards removed to Detroit, Michigan, where he served as judge of the probate court; Persis Jane, who married Edward Blackwell, of New York; he is now deceased, while she is living at Montpelier, Vermont; her son-in-
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law, James C. Houghton, is vice-president and general manager of the National Life Insurance Company.
Joshua Dickinson, soon after his mar- riage, removed to Washington, Vermont, where he engaged in merchandising for somne years. About 1815, he moved to Chelsea, there engaged in business, and was elected judge of the county court, and held other positions of honor and trust. He subsequently removed to Mt. Clemens, Michigan, where he and his wife both died. He was a man of prominence wherever he lived, and was held in high esteem.
William F. Dickinson grew to manhood in Chelsea, Vermont, and there received his education in the public schools. His youth, when not in school, was spent in his father's store, where he received a thor- ough, practical business training. After arriving at manhood, he engaged in the mercantile business, at Plainfield, Vermont, and was there two years. He then re- turned to Chelsea, where he succeeded his father in business, and was thus engaged for twenty-six years. During this time he look an active part in public affairs, and filled various official positions.
Mr. Dickinson was married in February, 1837, at Tonbridge, Vermont, to Mary Helen Hall, a native of Vermont, and a daughter of Jonathan C. Hall, a business man of Tonbridge, where she was reared and educated. Three children were born of this union, as follows: Chase Hall, who grew to mature years, married Ruth S. Pitkin, of Delavan, Wisconsin, and for some years was a merchant at Kalamazoo, Michigan, and there died in 1897. He was a prominent and successful merchant and had the reputation of being one of the best business men of the place. He left a wife
and son, Bartlett C. Dickinson, now a student in the Michigan University, Ann Arbor. His daughter, Helen Louise, met her death by drowning, while bathing in a lake near Kalamazoo, Michigan. Helen Louise, married Henry B. Towne, Novem- ber, 1871. She died in April, 1873. Henry B. Towne died in Chicago in 1885. Marcia Isabel, who remains with her father at home.
In October, 1866, Mr. Dickinson moved with his family to Aurora, where he engaged in the lumber business. For some years he had been interested in the lumber interests at South Haven, Michigan, having invested largely in pine lands in that region. After continuing the business some eight years at Aurora, he sold his lumber interest and ac- cepted the position of secretary and general manager of the Aurora Silver Plate Man- ufacturing Company, in which capacity he served for several years. He was then elected president of the company, which position he still continues to hold. The factory is one of the important industries of Aurora, and much of the credit of its success is due to Mr. Dickinson.
Mr. Dickinson cast his first presidential ballot for Martin Van Buren. He continued to act with the Democratic party until the organization of the Republican party, and in 1856 was a delegate to the first National Republican Convention, at Philadelphia, and assisted in the nomination of the "Great Pathfinder," General John C. Fremont. For several years he served as treasurer of Orange county, Vermont, and in 1859 was elected judge of probate for the district of Randolph, and re-elected in 1860, serving two terms in that office. He was also elected in 1860 a member of the state legis- lature, and, being re-elected, served two
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terms. While a member of that body, he served on several important committees, in- cluding that of banking. He was later elected state railroad commissioner, in which position he also served two terms. Since coming to Aurora he was elected and served two terms as alderman of the city, and for some years served as assistant super- visor on the county board. In whatever position he was called upon to fill, he made a faithful and efficient officer.
Mr. Dickinson was one of the organizers of the Second National Bank, of Aurora, and was elected director, a position he held during its existence. He also served as a director of the Old Second National Bank, which succeeded the former organization. While residing in Orange county, Vermont, he was also a director in a bank, being as- sociated with Senator Morrill. For more than fifty years he was a bank director, a a term of service of which there are but few equals.
Mrs. Dickinson died in Aurora, in March, 1872. She was a woman of great refinement and lovable character, and her friends were many wherever known. Mr. · Dickinson and his daughter, who are mem- of the New England Congregational church, reside in a beautiful home on Downer Place, where they delight to entertain their many friends. For almost a third of a century he has been a resident of Aurora, and in that time has done much to advance its material interests. Few men have more or stronger friends.
D IETRICH LAUE is one of the leading farmers of Hampshire township, his large farın lying in sections 2 and 3. Of the many races that make up the component
parts of our mixed nationality, none, per- haps, have added more to the national wealth than the sturdy sons of the Father- land. Germany has furnished to America many who have become prominent in the councils of the nation. In her fleets and armies, and in her works of peace, many have risen to places of honor and trust. In the commercial world and upon the farm, many have obtained wealth and prominence.
The family from which sprang the sub- ject of this sketch was one of wealth and prominence in the old kingdom of Hanover. In the days prior to its absorption by Prus- sia, Hanover was the richest of the German kingdoms. The public treasury was so well filled that interest of the kingdom's capital was sufficient to sustain their army, and the peaceful avocations of life were not as heavily taxed as now to keep them on a war footing. All its sons were not then re- quired to spend three or four years in the army, and their time was not, therefore, withdrawn from the pursuits of peace. This was the condition of affairs when Dietrich Laue, grandfather of our subject, removed from France to the kingdom of Hanover with his parents, who were French. When an old man it was his delight to call his grandchildren around him and relate in- cidents of earlier times, and talk to them in French, in which he was a fluent speaker, mnuch to their amusement, their ears being accustomed only to the German tongue. He was a man of wealth and prominence, a large land owner for the time in which he lived and one having a fine education. For many years he was a magistrate, and the leading man of Hemsem, the village and district in which he lived. It is related that it fell to his duty to find quarters for somne thousands of French soldiers who were sta-
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tioned there during the Napoleonic wars. During this time, at noon each day, he was required to act as escort to the women who took food to their husbands in the field, they fearing the troops of the foreign in- vader. He attained a good old age, passing away when eighty-two years and four months old, revered by several generations of the Hemsein villagers. He was twice married, first to a widow lady, and to extinguish title to property, of the former husband's estate, he gave the daughter a thousand dollars as a settlement, a very large sum of money at that time, showing him to be a man of more than ordinary wealth at the time. After her death he married a Miss Pinne, who be- came the mother of Henry Laue, father of the subject of this review.
Henry Laue was born in the village of Hemsem, in 1812, and attended the schools conducted by the Lutheran church, and at the age of fourteen was confirmed and ad- mitted to membership in the church. He devoted himself to farming and lived most of his life on a confortable farm of sixty acres, which in that county, under their system of cultivation, amounts to two or three times that number of acres in this country. In 1881. he came to America, and for seven years made his home with his son near Har- mony, Illinois. But it is hard to transplant an old tree into new soil. Thoughts of the fatherland crowded themselves upon him, and finally the longing for the old home became too great to be withstood. In 1888, he returned to the home of his child- hood, and in January, 1891, went to his rest, having lived a long and useful life of which his children may well be proud.
Henry Laue married Mary Vogel, daugh- ter of Dietrich Vogel, who was a farmer in comfortable circumstances in Hemsem.
The mother died at the age of sixty-one, a woinan full of Christian virtues. To them were born seven children as follows: Hen- ry, who lives on the old home farmn; served during the Franco-Prussian war, and was detailed for service at the officers' quarters because of his faithfulness and steady hab- its; Louisa, who married Henry Deusing, and lives in Germany; Fred, who also served during the Franco-Prussian war, and, like Henry, because of his faithfulness, was retained at headquarters with the pay- master. receiving mail, and handling money; he came to America in 1882, and now owns a fine farm in McHenry county, near Har- mony; Dietrich, our subject, who was named for his grandfather; August, who is engaged in farming in the old country, and who never came to America; William, who came to America some years after our sub- ject, and now owns two fine large farms in McHenry county, not far from the Kane county line; and Sophia, who married Pat- rick Kain, and lives in Chicago.
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