USA > Illinois > Kane County > The Biographical record of Kane County, Illinois > Part 53
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THE BIOGRAPHICAL RECORD.
cipally. He has a good house upon the J. Fisher, and lived in Essex county, New place, rebuilt in 1897-8, with a beautiful York, died in July, 1881. grove surrounding the house and barns.
The paternal grandfather, Baxter Skin- ner, was born in New Hampshire or Ver- mont. He was descended from one of two brothers, who emigrated from England, set- tling in Connecticut and Massachusetts. By trade he was a blacksmith. Oren Skinner married Charlotte Cady, who was born in Rutland, Vermont, and a daughter of Oliver Cady, a soldier of the war of 1812, born September 20, 1781, and died April 30, 1841. He was married October 12, 1805, to Abigail Brainard, born June 10, 1786. He moved to the town of Reading, Vermont, in 1803. As early as 1804 he was a choir leader in the Congregational church. Abi- gail Brainard was a daughter of .Deacon Timothy Brainard, a druni major of the war / of 1812. The Cadys are a musical family, one of the number being a partner of George F. Root, and they were the largest dealers in musical instruments in Chicago before the great fire of 1871. Our subject has a fine old violin, which came into his posses- sion forty-five years ago, and which is over three hundred years old and has been in the family for many generations. Timothy Brainard was in the battle of Plattsburg, moved to Westport, New York, in 1814, and some years later to Kane county, Illi- nois, and died in Plato township at the age of eighty-three years. Oren Skinner and wife were parents of four children, as fol- lows: John, who preceded the family to Chicago, in the fall of 1852, and died April 24, 1888, at the age of fifty-eight years; Martha, wife of A W. Hall, resides on a farm near our subject, and which is part of the old homestead; Baxter Oliver, our sub- ject; and Armenia S., who married William
For forty-five years Baxter O. Skinner has been living upon his present farm, and is well known throughout Kane county. He is a member of the Independent Order of Odd Fellows, and was a member of the Grange during its existence. Politically he is a Republican, casting his first presidential vote for John C. Fremont, and has voted ·for none but Republican presidential candi- dates ever since. He is now serving as deputy sheriff, a position which he has filled for some twelve or fourteen years. His interest in the public schools has always been great, and for twenty-one years he has served as school director. He has been township trustee since 1873, and has been president of the board for many years. During the war he was a member of the state "militia. Always loyal he has made a good representative citizen of the township.
M ORRIS P. BROWN, of Aurora, Illi- nois, was for many years one of the most active and enterprising farmers of Kane county. He dates his residence in this county from October, 1845. A native of the Empire state, he was born in the center of the town of Watertown, Jefferson coun- ty, July 25, 1827, and is the son of James Brown, who was an early settler of that county, and whose father built a tavern for the entertainment of the traveling public, which they carried on for many years. The paternal grandfather, Aaron Brown, was a native of Massachusetts, from which state he removed to Jefferson county, New York. The mother was of English and Scotch an- cestry.
James Brown was married in Jefferson
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county, New York, to Fannie Scott, a na- tive of Connecticut and a daughter of Abel Scott, who was also a pioneer of Jefferson county, New York, moving from Connecti- cut. After marriage, James Brown and wife commenced their doinestic life on a farm in Jefferson county, where they re- mained until 1843, when the father came to Kane county, Illinois, where he remained a short time, and then removed to De Kalb county with Morris P., who came in 1845. The mother came in 1846 and joined the family in De Kalb county. After twenty years spent in De Kalb county, they re- turned to Kane county, and located in Sugar Grove township, where she died Jan- uary 26, 1875. He survived her about two years, dying February 13, 1877. He was a man of good education, studied for the ministry, and was an active member of the Presbyterian church.
Morris P. Brown is the only survivor of a family of two sons and three daughters, all of whom grew to mature years, but are now deceased. In his native state he spent his boyhood and youth, and a few weeks during the winter months was enabled to attend school, the remainder of his time being given to hard work upon the farm. When nineteen years of age, he came west and settled in De Kalb county, where he entered eighty acres of land, and com- menced its improvement. He later entered two hundred and forty acres, giving him a farm of three hundred and twenty acres. As his means increased he purchased more land, and owned at one time one thousand acres. In 1865, he came to Kane county, and purchased two' improved farms, in Sugar Grove township, comprising three hundred and forty acres. While commenc- ing life in this state a poor boy, success
has crowned his efforts, and he is to-day regarded as one of the substantial men of Kane county. In addition to the three hundred and forty acres he owns in Kane county, he has also a valuable farm in Ne- braska, and residence property in Aurora. He is likewise a stockholder in the First National Bank of Aurora.
On the 22nd of November, 1855, Mr. Brown was united in marriage in De Kalb county with Miss Sarah E. Hyde, born in Grand Island, Vermont, and a daughter of James W. Hyde, also a native of Vermont. James W. Hyde, in that state, married Ruth Corbin, a Vermont lady, whose father, Warren Corbin, was one of the first settlers of Grand Island. Jaines W. Hyde removed to New York, located first in St. Lawrence county, after which he removed to Frank- lin county, and in 1846 came to Illinois, settling in Kendall county, where he opened up a farm, and later removed to De Kalb county, but later went to live with a son in Iowa, where he died. Mrs. Brown was reared in New York state, and in Kendall county, Illinois, and here participated in the hardships and privations of pioneer life. To Mr. and Mrs. Brown four children were born: Ella G. grew to woinanhood, married P. B. Quinn, settled in Kane county where she died, leaving one daughter, Mary E., now residing with her grandparents. May H. died at the age of sixteen years. Grace M. S. is the wife of Daniel J. Gordon, a substantial farmer. of Sugar Grove town- ship. Fannie R. is the wife of Leonard Hall, also a substantial farmer of Sugar Grove township.
In 1881 Mr. Brown built a residence in Aurora, to which he removed with his fam- ily in 1882, and here resided three years. They then returned to the farm, and seven
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years later came back to Aurora, where he has since lived a retired life. On the or- ganization of the Republican party, Mr. Brown became an adherent, casting his vote for John C. Fremont, since which time he has been a stanch advocate of its princi- ples. Fraternally he is a Mason, a mem- ber of the blue lodge, council, chapter and commandery. As a citizen he is held in high esteem, and in the growth and de- velopment of the county he has borne his part.
A NNAS HATHAWAY, a well-known and honored citizen of Elgin, whose home is at No. 645 North Spring street, was born on the 13th of October, 1827, in Steuben county, New York, a son of Joel and Anna (Babbitt) Hathaway, natives of Massachu- setts. Five children were born to them, four sons and one daughter, but our subject is the only one now living. During his early life the father worked at the stone mason's trade, but later turned his attention to farming. Coming west in 1850, he and his wife made their home with their eldest son, E. T. Hathaway, in Wayne, Du Page county, Illinois, where the father died in 1870, aged eighty-six, and the mother, who survived him five years, died at the age of eighty-one. Both were Universalists in re- ligious belief and were held in high regard by all who knew them. During the war of 1812 the father was captain of a company, and while living in Steuben county, New York, he served as supervisor and also as county superintendent of the poor for some years.
The paternal grandfather of our subject was born in Massachusetts, of English par- entage, was a farmer by occupation, and
was a soldier in the Revolutionary war, tak- ing part in the battle of Bunker Hill. He reared a family of seven sons and three daughters, and died at the advanced age of one hundred years. Edward Babbitt, the maternal grandfather, was also a native of the old Bay state, and died in middle life leaving a family of three sons and three daughters.
Mr. Hathaway, of this review, obtained his education in an old log school-house near his boyhood home, and at the age of fourteen left the parental roof and entered upon his business career as a clerk in a store, where he was employed for four years. On the 4th of May, 1845, he first set foot in Elgin, where he had stopped to visit friends while on his way to St. Louis, Missouri, and after spending eighteen months here he pro- ceeded to that city, where he made his home for four years. He then returned to Elgin, and in partnership with W. C. Kimball, opened a store in Union, Mc- Henry county. On selling out two years later he removed to Cedar Rapids, Iowa, where he engaged in merchandising one year; later he moved to Chicago and gave his attention to bookkeeping. Subse- quently he went to Pike's Peak in 1859 and on to California, where he engaged in min- ing. He returned to Chicago in 1860 and re- mained there till 1861 ; he then went South and engaged in mercantile business until 1866. Returning he engaged in the com- mission business in Chicago for one year, and then became interested in railroad- ing, having charge of the freight department of the Chicago & Northwestern road for one year. He was next ticket and freight agent for the Chicago & Pacific railroad, and later had charge of the out-going freight for the Lake Shore & Michigan
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Southern railroad for six years. The fol- lowing year he was connected with the pool line under George H. Daniels, but at the end of that time the pool line was dis- solved and he came to Elgin, where for seven years he served as freight and ticket agent for the Chicago, Milwaukee & St. Paul railroad. Going to Tacoma, Wash- ington he became manager for the Tacoma Trading Company, furnishing coal and building supplies. He then returned to El- gin in 1890, and three years later was ap- pointed chief clerk and secretary of the state board of trustees of the Illinois North- ern Hospital for the Insane, a position he acceptably filled for four years. In the spring and summer of 1892, he built his present beautiful home in that city, where he ex- pects to spend his declining years.
On the 22d of February, 1853, Mr. Hathaway was united in marriage to Miss Sylvira M. Bartlett, a daughter of Edmund and Naomi (Babcock) Bartlett, who located in Kane county as early as 1834, making their home upon a farm near Wayne for over half a century. Mr. Bartlett died upon that place, but the death of his wife occurred in Elgin. Mr. and Mrs. Hatha- way have two children. Carrie, the older, is now the wife of D. W. George, of Jack- sonville, Illinois, and has three children --- Sylvira, James and William. Herbert is employed in the watch factory in Elgin.
Mr. Hathaway is a prominent Mason, having belonged to that order since joining Unity lodge, F. & A. M., in St. Charles, Illinois, September 20, 1852, and he is now a member of Loyal L. Munn chapter, R. A. M .; Bethel commandery, No. 36, K. T .; Oriental Consistory and Medinah Temple, both of Chicago. Politically he is identified with the Democratic party. Since 1845 he
has made his home almost continuously in Chicago or Elgin, and his wife has been a resident of Kane county for sixty-three years, so that they have witnessed almost the entire development of this section of the state, and deserve to be numbered among its honored pioneers, as well as its highly respected and valued citizens.
W TILLIAM W. NEWMAN, of Aurora, Illinois, is a native of the Empire state, which has contributed to the great state of Illinois many of its best and most enterprising citizens. For many years he was one of the leading farmers of Sugar Grove, township, Kane county, but is now living a retired life. He was born in the town of Butternuts, Otsego county, New York, December 7, 1812. His father, Abraham Newman, was born in Connecti- cut, and was a soldier in the Revolutionary war. When a young man he moved from Connecticut to New York, and at Granville, that state, he married Lucinda Crippen, a native of New York. By trade he was a tailor. After residing for a time in Gran- ville, he then went to Otsego county, and later he moved to Jefferson county, New York, where he cleared and opened up a farm in the heavy wilderness, and in the town of Alexander spent the last years of his life, dying at the age of eighty-three years.
William W. Newman is one of a fam- ily of six sons and six daughters, all of whom grew to manhood and womanhood, married and reared families. Of the nutn- ber, our subject and one brother are all that survive. One brother, J. D., who resided in Chicago, died at the age of eighty-eight years. The other brother, A. D., also retired,
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is living in Wooster, Massachusetts. In Jef- ferson county, New York, our subject grew to manhood, his education being received in its common schools. In his youth he learned the carpenter's trade, which he fol- lowed for some years, after arriving at man- hood's estate. Being always handy with tools, he could work at any mechanical trade.
On the 17th of January, 1839, in Lewis county, New York, Mr. Newman was united in marriage with Miss Laura L. McCoy, a native of Vermont, who came to New York when a child, with her father, William Mc- Coy, who was a pioneer of Lewis county. To Mr. and Mrs. Newman, four sons have been born-James D., who grew to man- hood, engaged in railroad work, married and resided in Chicago, where his death oc- curred; W. C. is a stock dealer and ship- per, married and resides in Nebraska; L. A., now deceased; and J. B., who resides at home, and assists his father in the business.
After marriage Mr. Newman bought the old homestead in Jefferson county, New York, where he carried on a general farm- ing and dairy business, continuing there un- til 1853, when he sold out and came to Kane county, Illinois, locating in Sugar Grove township, where he purchased a partially-improved farm of two hundred and twenty-two acres, and at once resumed farming. He brought the farm under a high state of cultivation, made extensive improvements upon it, and there resided until 1868, when he purchased residence property in Aurora, to which he removed, and where he has since continued to reside. Later he sold the farm and invested in city residence property, buying lots and erecting dwelling houses, principally on the west side. He now owns several valuable resi-
dences in the city. Being a carpenter, he took charge of the erection of the build- ings, thus making a great saving in the expense. In early life Mr. Newman was a Whig, which party he supported un- til after its defeat in 1852, and, on the or- ganization of the Republican party, gave adherence to its peculiar views, and has since been a stanch advocate of its princi- ples. While residing in the country, he served as assessor, school director, and in other positions of honor and trust. Com- mencing life in very limited circumstances, he has, by honest industry, strict integrity, and the practice of economy, secured a competency, which enables him to live at ease and enjoy the fruits of a life well spent. While not numbered among those who profess to be pioneers, he is yet among the early settlers of the county, and has ·witnessed the greater part of the changes made in transforming this section into the most productive part of the great state of Illinois. In this work he has done his part and is entitled to all honor and credit.
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O RLANDO DAVIDSON is one of the leading and influential citizens of El- gin, who has taken an active part in pro- moting its substantial improvement and - material development. For many years he was one of the most active and enterpris- ing business men of the city, identified with its industrial, commercial and banking in- terests, but is living retired at his pleasant home, known as Stone Cottage, No. 157 South Chapel street.
Mr. Davidson was born May 3, 1825, in Windham, New Hampshire, a son of James Nutt and Lucy (Lancaster) Davidson, also natives of that state, the former born in
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Windhamn and the latter in Acworth. The grandfather, who also bore the name of James Davidson, was born in Tewksbury, Massachusetts, January 12, 1752. When the Colonies resolved to throw off the yoke of British oppression, he joined the Conti- nental army at Cambridge and remained in the service until the war ended, witnessing the surrender of General Burgoyne. He gained a comfortable living by his occupa- tion of farming. That he was held in high esteem by his fellow citizens was evidenced by the number of offices he was called upon to fill from time to time, being one of the prominent officials in his town for a period of more than thirty years. Social, genial and very kind in disposition, he made friends easily, and could as easily retain them. He was a man of strong convic- tions, was firm and self-reliant, noted for his candor and exemplary Christian life. He died in Windham, New Hampshire, . July 3, 1837. From infancy he had resid- ed in that state. In early manhood he married Miss Hannah Hemphill, and to them were born nine children, namely: Nathaniel, Margaret, Sarah, Anna, Samuel, James Nutt, Mary, James Nutt and John Hemphill.
Of these James Nutt Davidson (second), the father of our subject, was born July 12, 1797, and in early life was a butcher, con- ducting a slaughter house in the east. He was also interested in hotel keeping for a time. In 1835 he removed to Sandusky, Ohio, and ten years later located in Chi- cago, where he was engaged in the commis- sion business for some years. Several years prior to his death he became an in- mate of the home of our subject, in Elgin, where he passed away in August, 1873, at the age of seventy-six years. He was
known as Deacon Davidson, being for many years a deacon in the Congregational church in the east and in Chicago. Before the war he took considerable interest in the operations of the underground railroad, and assisted many a poor darky on his way to Canada and freedom. His wife, who was a member of the same church, and a most estimable woman, died in Chicago, in 1855, at the age of sixty years. In their family were eleven children, ten of whom reached years of maturity, but only three are now living: Orlando; Cynthia A., wife of J. H. Stead, of Salida, Colorado; and Jennie, widow of Gilbert G. Edgerton, of Fremont, Ohio. Those deceased are Ainintor, Na- thaniel, Daniel, Charles, James, Mary and Elizabeth, wife of S. M. Moore, of Chicago.
The first ten years of his life Orlando Davidson lived upon a farm in his native state, and then accompanied his parents on their removal to Sandusky, Ohio, making the journey partly by wagon and the re- mainder by way of the lakes. There he acquired a good education in the common schools, and after coming with the family to Chicago, he taught a country school where Evanston now stands. He and an older brother, as well as their father, took an active interest in the underground railroad at that time. For a time he held a position in a bank in Chicago, and in 1850 came to Elgin to settle up the estate of James T. Gifford, "the father of Elgin," whose sketch is given in connection with that of his daughter, Mrs. Preston, on another page of this work. Having accomplished this task, Mr. Davidson returned to Chi- cago, and resumed his duties in the bank, but in 1854 removed his family to Elgin, where he has continuously resided since, making the "stone cottage" built by his
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father-in-law, Mr. Gifford, his home. On (3) Laura, a graduate of the Elgin Acad- locating there his yard covered an entire block.
In Elgin, Mr. Davidson opened a private bank in 1854, which successfully passed through the stringency of money matters in 1857, and in 1866 was converted into the Home National Bank, of which he was the first president, serving as such until 1878. Since then he has practically lived retired, though he has been interested in other en- terprises, being secretary of the Elgin Pack- ing company, until the time of his sickness in December, 1895. He was instrumental in bringing the watch factory to Elgin, and was a resident director of the same for sev- eral years; took an active interest in locat- ing the Northern Hospital for the Insane in Elgin, and was its treasurer for six years, during which time the building was erected; and has always taken an active interest in the Elgin Academy, a classical institution of learning, of which he was the leading sup- porter for over thirty years, acting as sec- retary of the board of trustees during that time. Mr. Davidson was also one of the organizers of the Elgin Scientific society, of which he was president and secretary for some time, and was also president of the Elgin Bible Society.
On the 26th of May, 1848, Mr. Davidson was united in marriage with Miss Caroline Amelia Gifford, a daughter of James T. and Laura (Raymond) Gifford, prominent and honored pioneers of Elgin. Six children were born of this union: (1) Lucy died in infancy. (2) Jay Gifford, born January 19, 1851, was an expert accountant of Chicago, who graduated from the Chicago University in 1872, and was an officer and prominent member of the Plymouth Congregational church of that city. He died July 31, 1885.
emy, and also studied at Vassar, is the wife of Judge Nathaniel C. Sears, of the Appel- late court, residing at Edgewater, Chicago. (4) May C. is a graduate of the Elgin Acad- emy, and for ten years has been one of the most successful and popular teachers in the primary department of the schools of this city. (5) Jennie Elizabeth graduated from both the Elgin Academy and Oberlin Col- lege, Ohio, and is now the wife of Arthur L. Warner, mechanical superintendent of the Illinois Iron & Bolt Works of Carpenters- ville. They have two children: Orlando Davidson and Florence May. (6) Stella Amelia was also educated in the Elgin Academy and Oberlin College, and is now the wife of Harry Ainsworth, of Moline, Illinois, a member of the manufacturing firm of Williams, White & Co., and secretary of the same. He is also a graduate of Oberlin College and the Harvard Law School. Their children are Caroline Davidson, Sarah Andrews and Dorothy Sears.
Mrs. Davidson, who was born May 26, 1827, in Sherburn, New York, died October 24, 1890, while visiting her daughter in Moline. At the age of eight years she came with her parents to Elgin, and was married while the family were residing in Wisconsin. She was a life-long and consistent member of the Congregational church, and always took a leading part in all church work. Her death was widely and deeply mourned, for she made many friends, and had the respect of all who knew her.
Mr. Davidson and his wife were charter members of the Plymouth and New England Congregational churches of Chicago, and assisted in supporting both. For forty years he has served as deacon in the First Congregational church of Elgin, and for
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thirty years was superintendent of the Sun- day-school. A true and earnest Christian gentleman, the world is certainly better for his having lived, and both by precept and example he has led many to become nobler men and women. On attaining his major- ity he voted with the Whig party, but since the organization of the Republican party he has been one of its stanch supporters. For a time he served as secretary of the the Old Settlers Association of the Fox River Valley, and to all enterprises calcu- lated to advance the moral, intellectual or material welfare·of his adopted city he has given a hearty support.
A RVIN T. HAWLEY, a dealer in agri- cultural implements, residing at No. 617 South street, Elgin, is but a recent ac- quisition to the goodly array of progressive business men in that thriving city, but his ability, enterprise and upright methods have already established for him an enviable rep- utation. Although he is still a young man comparatively, his popularity is established on a firm basis-that of his own well-tested merit.
His father, the late Theodore Hawley, was born in Canajoharie, Montgomery coun- ty, New York, July 4, 1815, a son of Aschiel and Lavina (Parde) Hawley, the former a hatter by trade and quite prominent in re- ligious circles, being a deacon of the Pres- byterian church. The family was founded in this country during the seventeenth cen- tury by English emigrants. In the county of his nativity, Theodore Hawley attended the public schools until sixteen years of age when he began learning the watch maker's trade, working at that occupation for eight years. On first coming to Illinois he lo-
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