The Biographical record of Kane County, Illinois, Part 55

Author: S.J. Clarke Publishing Company
Publication date: 1898
Publisher: Chicago : S.J. Clarke
Number of Pages: 798

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sion was disbanded, and he was put into to his election as mayor he served as city the Second Missouri Engineer Corps, Army of the Tennessee. In this position he served until he arrived in Washington, when, on the 5th of June, 1865, he was mustered out.

After his discharge Captain Little re- turned to Aurora, and feeling rusty in liter- ary matters, after his long service in the army, he entered Antioch College to review his studies. He entered the senior class, and remained there for about one year, when he returned to Aurora and began the study of law with the Hon. Charles Wheat- on. He was admitted to the bar in 1867, and began at once his practice by opening an office at Aurora, where he has since con- tinued. He soon came to the front, and is one of the successful attorneys of the Kane county bar. His first partner was Hon. B. F. Parks, who remained with him in 1873-4. His next partner was L. Isham White, who was with him about one year, and was succeeded by G. W. Avery, that partnership continuing five years. Then came Ira S. Smith, who is his present part- ner. Captain Little is a close student of law, and is regarded as an able counselor and pleader.

Captain Little was married January 18, 1877. to Miss Bonnie B. Snow, daughter of Prof. Snow, who was a Massachusetts man by birth. They have an adopted son, Leon- ard Rae. Mrs. Little is a member of the Episcopal church, in which she takes an active part. In politics Captain Little is a Republican, and in 1869 served as alder- man of the Eleventh ward. In 1874 he was elected mayor of the city, serving one term, and during his incumbency he organized the public library, which has become one of the beneficial institutions of the city. Previous

attorney, and has served one term subse- quently. Fraternally, he is a member of Aurora post, No. 20, G. A. R. As a citi- zen he is progressive, and is ever ready to do his part for the best interests of the com- munity in which he lives.

THOMAS W. LEAKE, senior member of the well-known firm of Leake & Gulig, of St. Charles, is one of the most active and enterprising business men of that place. He is a native of Illinois, born in DuPage county, September 25, 1851, and is a son of Rawson H. Leake, and grandson of William Leake, who spent his entire life in New York. The father was born October 27, 1820, in Dutchess county, New York, where he grew to manhood and married Mary Ann Gorham, a sister of J. R. Gor- ham, of St. Charles, whose sketch appears elsewhere. in this volume. In 1850 they emigrated to Illinois and located in Du Page county, where Mr. Leake first purchased one hundred and sixty acres and later two hundred and fifty-five acres, operating the same until 1875. He soon transformed the wild land into highly cultivated fields, and the fine farm which he developed is still in the possession of the Leake family. Re- moving to St. Charles in 1875, he bought residence property here and lived retired until his death, which occurred May 30, 1893. His estimable wife still survives him and is a resident of St. Charles. In their family are only two children-Thomas W .; and Einogene, wife of F. P. Haviland, a resident of St. Charles and a business man of Chicago.

On the home farm in DuPage county Thomas W. Leake passed his boyhood and

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youth, and his education, which was begun in the public schools of the neighborhood, was supplemented by a course in Wheaton College. After his father left the farm he took charge of the place, and was success- fully engaged in agricultural pursuits-gen- eral farming, stock raising and dairying- for fourteen years. At the end of that peri- od he rented the farm and moved to St. Charles, where he formed a partnership with his brother-in-law, F. P. Haviland, buying out an established hardware busi- ness. Together they conducted the busi- ness for three years, and then Mr. Leake purchased the other's interest, being alone for the same length of time. The present partnership was then formed, and the firm disposed of the hardware business in 1898, and now conducts a general machine shop. They have established an enviable reputa- tion for good goods and fair dealing, and this fact has insured their success.

On the 15th of December, 1875, in Du- Page county, Mr. Leake married Miss Al- mira L. Gorham, who was born, reared and educated in that county, and is a daughter of J. R. Gorham, now living retired in St. Charles. Two children grace this union: Bertie and Myrtle, who are both attending the east side school, of St. Charles.

Reared a Democrat, Mr. Leake sup- ported the men and measures of that party until the fall of 1896, when he voted for McKinley. He has never aspired to office. Socially, he affiliates with the Independent Order of Odd Fellows, and the Knights of the Globe; and, religiously, he and his wife are consistent members of the Methodist Episcopal church, of St. Charles, with which he is officially connected. They have a pleasant home in St. Charles, where they delight to entertain their many friends.

F 'RANK H. BERNER is a young and enterprising farmer, residing on section 26, Hampshire township. His grandfather, Ludwig Berner, was a native of Germany, a farmer by occupation, a Lutheran in re- ligion, and there lived and died January 12, 1853, at the age of sixty years. He served in the German army against the great Napoleon. His wife, was Mary Da- bor, also a native of Germany, who there died in 1888, at the age of seventy-two years.

John Frederich Christian Berner, the son of Ludwig and Mary Berner, was born in the village of Dorov, near the city of Mueringen, Prussia, January 8, 1837. He attended the public schools until the age of fourteen, when he engaged in farm work until he came to America. Previous to leaving his native country he was united in marriage April 26, 1863, in the church of Nuering, to Minnie Groth, born in the vil- lage of Wonetak, and daughter of Peter and Rachel (Mueller) Groth. The young couple started the next day for America, sailing from Hamburg, May 1, 1863, in the good ship, Sonna, Captain Bull, and landed at Quebec, Canada, June 20, fol- lowing. From Quebec, they came directly to Illinois, locating at Huntley, McHenry county, where he secured work on the rail- road, continuing that occupation two and a half years. He then rented a farm in Mc- Henry county, near Huntley, which he operated one year, then rented another farm for the same length of time, after which he moved across the line into Hamp- . shire township, Kane county, and pur- chased eighty acres of land on section 26, which he at once began to improve. Later he bought forty acres on section 34, and one hundred and forty acres on section

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35. He rebuilt the house, erected a barn and spent five hundred dollars for a good well. . He has now two hundred and sixty acres, divided into two farms, both of which are under a high state of cultiva- tion, and which he rents to his two sons. In 1892 he built a neat brick house in the village of Hampshire, planted shade trees and. vines, and has a most comfortable, homelike place. He is a member of the Lutheran church, of which his wife is also a member, and in politics is a Republican. While residing in the old country, he served three years in the German cavalry. To John F. C. Berner and wife seven children were born, as follows: Mary, wife of William Kruse, a prosperous young farmer of Elgin township; Fred, who-mar- ried Emma Thies, a daughter of Fred Thies, a prominent farmer of Plato town- ship; Frank, our subject; Emma, who married John Getzelman, a farmer in Hamp- shire; George, who died at the age of eight months; Helen, living at Burlington, Illi- nois; and Christian, employed on the farm with his brother, Frank. Frank H. Berner was born on the farm where he now resides, June 14, 1869. He attended the public schools of Hampshire township, until about sixteen years of age, during which time he assisted in the cultivation of the farm. He continued to reside with his father until the latter retired in 1892. On the 22nd of March, 1892, in Hampshire township, he married Anna M. Getzelman, a daughter of Michael J. Getzelman, a sketch of whom appears elsewhere in this work. By this union there is one child, Edna May, born January 25, 1893.

On his marriage, Mr. Berner took charge of the home farm, which he rents from his father, and which comprises one hundred

and twenty acres of splendid farming land. He engages in general and dairy farming, and milks thirty cows, the product of which he ships to Chicago. Religiously, he and his wife are members of the Methodist Episcopal church, and, politically, he is a Republican. An energetic, progressive and industrious young farmer, he is highly re- garded in the community of which he has been a life-long resident.

R EUBEN TUCK, a retired coal mer- chant of Elgin, is of foreign birth, but Kane county has no more patriotic or loyal citizen. For many years he was prom- inently identified with her business interests, first as a farmer, and later as a coal dealer, and having met with excellent success in his 'undertakings, he is now enabled to lay aside all business cares, spending his declining years in ease and retirement.

Mr. Tuck was born in England Decem- ber 13, 1818, a son of Thomas and Eliza- beth (Molton) Tuck, who spent their entire lives in that country, the father, a farmer by occupation, dying when our subject was only two years old. The mother survived him many years, passing away in 1848. Both were devout members of the Method- ist church, and their home was the stopping place of the itinerant preachers. The fa- ther erected the church where they at- tended service, and his wife took an active and prominent part in all church work, regularly attended services, and was a grand, good woman. Our subject is the only survivor in their family of ten children, and, outside of his own family, he has only one nephew and one niece now living. The latter had three children, Nellie, Mollie, and a son, who formerly lived in London, but

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now live in South Africa. The mother, Mrs. Harriet Crispe, visited her children in that country with the hope of benefiting her health, and there died in the arms of one of her daughters. Her husband, Thomas Crispe, is a jeweler of London. In 1837 our subject and his sister Mary came to America, but subsequently she returned with her husband to England, where she died in 1877.

The only opportunity Reuben Tuck had of attending school was when between the ages of five and seven years, after which he worked on a farm in his native land. He is, however, a well-informed man of good business qualifications. At the age of four- teen he began learning the tailor's trade, which he successfully followed in England until nineteen, when he bade good-bye to home and friends and sailed for the New World, which he reached after a long and stormy voyage of forty-one days. He located in Luzerne county, Pennsylvania, where he engaged in tailoring and later at farming. In 1841 he returned to England on a visit, making the voyage both ways on the same vessel, being thirty-one days in going and twenty-five days in returning.

In 1845 Mr. Tuck emigrated to Kane county, Illinois, by wagon, and the journey of eight hundred miles occupied thirty-one and a half days, while the expenses were about a dollar a day for himself, wife and three children. He landed in Kane county October 23, 1845, with seventy-five dollars in silver, and in Plato township pre-empted one hundred and sixty acres of government land, which he later purchased, and to which he subsequently added until he had three hundred and sixty acres of valuable prairie land, and forty acres of timber. This he sold on coming to Elgin, in 1865,

and the following year embarked in business as a coal dealer, conducting the first coal office in that city. He was thus engaged until 1883, when he retired from active business life and is now enjoying the fruits of his former toil.

In December, 1838, Mr. Tuck was united in marriage with Ellen Fletcher, who was born in England, November 25, 1816, a daughter of William Fletcher, a weaver, in England, who emigrated from that coun- try to the United States and took up his residence in Pennsylvania, and followed farming. The children born of this union were as follows: Elizabeth, born in 1839, died January 31, 1875; William H., born March 20, 1841, enlisted as a private, dur- ing the Civil war, in Company K, Fifty- second Illinois Volunteer Infantry, in the fall of 1861, and was wounded at the bat- tle of Shiloh. He never recovered, dying in the hospital at St. Louis April 26, 1862. George Elmer, born January 5, 1844, mar- ried Mina Perry and engaged in business until his death, which occurred May 2, 1883. He left two children, Bertha N. and Myrtie B. Sarah Emma, born September 3, 1847, is the wife of J. G. Tuttle, of Elgin, and has one child living, Amy; Jo- anna, born January 12, 1851, died October 4, 1854; Charles Reuben, born December 29, 1854, died September 11, 1855; Char- lotte, born April 4, 1857, died October 2, 1857. The mother of these children, who was a consistent member of the Congrega- tional church, died March 10, 1881. Mr. Tuck was married September 18, 1883, to Miss Ann Gimbert, an English lady, who was a member of the Methodist Episcopal church of Elgin, and died -April 23, 1886. On the 4th of November, 1886, Mr. Tuck married, for his third wife, Mrs. Lucinda

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B. (Savory) Rose, widow of P. T. Rose, of Lake county, Illinois, by whom she had three children, namely: Mary, now the wife of E. J. Locke, of Hampshire, Kane county, and the mother of two children, Leslie and Inez; Grant E., of Chicago, who married Bessie Mann, and has one son, Le Roy Mann; and Carrie C., a milliner, who lives with her mother and our subject in Elgin.

Mr. and Mrs. Tuck are both earnest and faithful members of the First Methodist Episcopal church of Elgin, and take a prominent part in its work. Socially; he at one time affiliated with the Independent Order of Odd Fellows, while politically he was originally a Whig, and is now identi- fied with the Republican party. He is one of Elgin's honored and valued citizens, his upright and honorable career having won for him the confidence and high regard of all with whom he has come in contact either in business or social life.

JACOB E. SALFISBERG, junior mem- ber of the firm of Spiker & Salfisberg, manufacturers of artificial stone, sidewalks and paving, is a representative of the young- er business men of Aurora. He was born in Naperville, Illinois, January 18, 1872, and is the son of Jacob and Anna (Salfisberg) Salfisberg, both of whom are natives of Switzerland, born near Berne, the capitol. About 1849, when a young man, his father came to this country, in company with what was later his wife's parents. He was a miller by trade, and on coming to this country worked for Mr. Parker, in his mill at Oswego, Illinois. After being thus em- ployed for some years, he came to Aurora, and burned lime for his brother, Christian.

In 1867, he moved to Naperville, where he remained until 1889, when he sold his in- terest there, and returned to Aurora, where he has since lived a retired life. To Jacob and Anna Salfisberg, ten children were born, of whom eight are living. In order of birth they were as follows: Fred, who died at the age of two years; Emma, wife of John Nicholas, by whom she had two children, John and Frank, died in 1889, at the age of twenty-seven years; Amanda, wife of W. C. Daniels, by whom she has one child, Viola May now resides at South Evanston, Illi- nois; Charles A. married Clara B. Hair, and has three children-LeRoy L., Gracie E. and Nellie M., and they reside on a farm in Kendall county, Illinois; Edith E., wife of Thomas Harding, by whom she has one living child, Donald J., now resides in Aurora; Annie E., wife of Richard Hair, by whom she has two children, Ralph R. and Flossie F .; Jacob E., our subject; Edwin A., a fireman on the Chicago, Burlington & Quincy railroad, residing at home; Frank O. and Maude May, at home.

The subject of this sketch was educated at Naperville, and there took a business course in the college, from which he gradu- ated in the class of '88. After leaving school he worked for a short time in his fa- ther's quarry, and later was employed in the general office of the Chicago, Burlington & Quincy Railroad Company. After passing an examination, he was employed as a mail carrier in Aurora for several years. He was then in the shoe business for a short time and later in the dress goods department of the wholesale house of J. V. Farwell, Chi- cago. In March, 1896, he purchased an in- terest in his present business, in which he has build up a good and substantial trade. His work is of the very best,, and he

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tries to give satisfaction in every respect. Much of the artificial stone work of Aurora and neighboring towns is made by the firm of Spiker & Salfisberg, whose reputation is of the very best. The fact that the work has been done by this firm is a guarantee of its good quality. As a busi- ness man, he is recognized as among the most progressive in the city. Fraternally, he is a member of Ben Hur lodge, No. 870, I. O. O. F., Aurora, and is a trustee of the lodge and has held other offices. He is an attendant of the Congregational church.

H ENRY BRIGHAM ADAMS, a repre- sentative of one of the old families of Aurora, and the leading coal dealer in the city, was born at Fort Ann, Washington county, New York, March 21, 1857, and is the son of Charles Henry and Harriet (Coleman) Adams, the former being a na- tive of Washington county, New York, born June 17, 1816. Charles Henry Adams was the son of Wright Adams and Catherine (Rainey) Adains, who were the parents of- Wright, Guerdon, Anna and Margaret. Wright Adams and wife died in Washington county. Henry B. Adams is the tenth de- scendant through the Coleman branch fromn Elder William Brewster, who came over in the Mayflower.

Charles Henry Adams, the father of our subject, was at one time a farmer in his native state, and also engaged in merchan- dising and various other pursuits. For a time he was captain of a packet line, was station agent at Fort Ann, and at another time served as deputy sheriff of Washington county. While residing in Troy, New York, to which he removed, he served as consta-

ble. He was a member of the Baptist church, and was a consistent believer. In the summer of 1867, he came to Aurora, and purchased a home at the corner of New York street and Lincoln avenue, which is still in the family. After locating in Aurora, he was engaged in the real estate business, and was justice of the peace for about twelve years. In early life he was a Whig, and later a Republican. He was one of the leaders of the Park Place Baptist church, and took a great interest in church matters. He superintended the construction of that edifice. A man of firm disposition, social nature, and benevolent, his death, which occurred March 18, 1897, was mourned not alone by his family, but by the community as well. His wife was also a native of Fort Ann, New York. Her father, Noah Cole- man, was a farmer by occupation, and he and his wife, Mary Ann, spent their last days at Fort Ann. They had four children, Edward, Horace, Ruth and Harriet, all liv- ing except Ruth. Edward is living at Fort Ann, and Horace on the old family home- stead, where Ruth died unmarried. Mrs. Harriet Adamns is living in Aurora, on the place first purchased by her husband on their removal to that city. She was born February 19, 1826. Religiously she is a member of the Baptist church. Her children are as follows: Eudora, now the wife of Dr. H. G. Gabel, of Aurora; Roma L., now the wife of J. O. Mason, of Aurora; and Henry B., of this sketch. Fraternally Charles H. Adams was an Odd Fellow, and was a member of that organization for over fifty years. The Rebecca degree was con- ferred upon him by Vice-President Colfax, in Ohio, and he was one of the first who took this degree.

Our subject was ten years of age when

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he accompanied his parents to Aurora. In the public schools of that city, he received his education, and at sixteen began the study of bookkeeping and telegraphy and as soon as he was proficient in these branches, he engaged with the Chicago, Burlington & Quincy Railroad Company, at Hinsdale, where he remained about one year, was then sent to Galesburg, in the supply department, and there remained · about three years, when he was transferred to the Iowa division, at Albia and Osceola. He quit the railroad business on account of his health, and went west for a time, but on his return he engaged with the Iowa Cen- tral Railroad Company, with which he was connected about one year at Dillon, Iowa, as station agent. He went then to the Chicago & Alton Railroad Company, for a while at Brighton Park, when he returned to Aurora, and went into the supply depart- ment of the Chicago, Burlington & Quincy Railroad Company, but only remained with the company about one year. He then en- gaged in the manufacture of brooms for about two years, when he sold out and later went into the office of the Chicago, Wil- mington & Vermillion Coal Company, as bookkeeper. The old agent of that com- pany, Mr. Wood, died about one year later, and Mr. Adams succeeded him as agent. This was in 1889, and he has since contin- ued as such agent. The company carry a full line of hard coal and wood, together with the soft coal, which is the product of their own mines. They sell at wholesale to dealers and manufacturers. By his atten- tion to the business Mr. Adams has increased the sales of the company from year to year, and has a large and increasing trade. The office of the company is at 146 Spring street, near the viaduct.

On the 23d of November, 1880, at Mt. Pleasant, Iowa, Mr. Adams was united in marriage with Miss Minnie B. Walker, daughter of Harry D. and Belle (Redman) Walker. She is a native of Mt. Pleasant, and was married in the house where she was born. She was one of four children, the others being Charles D., Hattie and William; the latter died when about nine- teen years of age. Charles married and en- gaged in the hardware business at Mt. Pleasant, Iowa. Hattie married H. J. Laubenfels, and is also living in Mt. Pleas- ant, where the parents are also living. The father has been the grand keeper of records and seal of the Knights of Pythias of Iowa for twenty-four years and still holds this im- portant position. Mr. and Mrs. Adams have one child, Roma Hattie, born August 26, 1881. The family are all members of the Park Place Baptist church, of which Mr. Adams is treasurer.

Fraternally, Mr. Adams is an Odd Fel- low, being a member of Waubansie lodge, No. 45, and of Aurora lodge, No. 390, Knights of Pythias. Socially, he is a mem- ber of the Aurora City Club, and in politics is a Republican. Mr. Adams has a com- fortable home at No. 459 New York street, corner of State street, where he prefers to spend hours, not devoted to business in the enjoyment of life. By strict attention to business, and by the conscientious discharge of all duties imposed upon him, he has been successful in life, and has won the respect and esteem of all.

FRANK B. TAZEWELL is one of the young and enterprising farmers of Plato township, residing on section 25. He is a native of Kane county, born in Rutland

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township, January 23, 1865, and there grew to manhood, receiving his education at the country schools and Elgin Academy, supplemented by a business course at Drew's Business College in Elgin. He remained at home assisting his father in the cultivation of the farm until twenty-seven years of age, when he married, and later bought his pres- ent farm, the northeast corner of section 25, Plato township. It is a well improved place, with all the modern conveniences for dairy farming, including windmill and large barn sufficient to shelter about forty head of cattle. All the milk produced in the place he ships to Chicago.

James B. Tazewell, the father of our subject, who is engaged in farming on sec- tion 26, Rutland township, was born in London, England, January 12, 1838, and came to America in 1844, with his parents, James and Rachel (Brewer) Tazewell. He was the eldest of three children. In Rut- land township, he married Mary Jane Moore, born in Chicago, January 28, 1838, and a daughter of William and Margaret (Cochran) Moore. By this union there were six chil- dren as follows: James M., farming on section 26, Plato township; Elizabeth, wife of William R. Fuller, a retired farmer of Elgin; Margaret, wife of Henry P. Kenyon, of Elgin township; Frank B., our subject; David, engaged in farming with his father; and William H., farming on section 7, Elgin township.

After remaining at home, as already stated, Mr. Tazewell was united in marriage in Hampshire township, April 10, 1895, to Miss Lou E. Doty, born in that township, and a daughter of Edward Doty, born in Chautauqua county, New York, March 8, 1838, and who came west about 1853, and later purchased a farm on section 23, Hamp-

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The Biographical record of Kane County, Illinois, Part 55

Author: S.J. Clarke Publishing Company Publication date: 1898 Publisher: Chicago : S.J. Clarke Number of Pages: 798

Author: S.J. Clarke Publishing Company
Publication date: 1898
Publisher: Chicago : S.J. Clarke
Number of Pages: 798